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cybrsan · 5 months

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Treasure — J.WY [Pt. 2]

SUMMARY: Tensions run high as you try to come to an agreement with the eight benders.

PAIRING: Waterbender Jung Wooyoung x Non-Bender F!Reader

RATING/GENRE: M ; angst, fluff, eventual smut ; ATLA au, enemies to lovers

WORD COUNT: 2.6k

WARNINGS: Minor POV switches, emotionally charged fight

LINKS: Ode To ATEEZ Masterlist | Together in Harmony Masterlist | Cross-posted on AO3

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Wooyoung looks around the inside of the tent, eyes widening with awe. It somehow seems bigger on the inside, imbued with a magical energy that’s almost tangible. The walls are draped with layers of cascading, vibrant fabrics, the light of the lanterns reflecting off of them in a way that casts the entire space in a warm, rainbow glow. Bookshelves are filled to the brim with baubles the likes of which Wooyoung has never seen; delicate seashells, weathered bones, intricate carvings. And above it all are an array of wind chimes, hanging from the tent’s supports, their sweet melodies bringing a sense of tranquility to the space.

So mystified by the sights, it takes him a moment to notice the old woman sitting cross-legged on a plush cushion towards the back of the tent. She watches him with patient, knowing eyes and he instinctively bows once he sees her, apologizing for his inattentiveness.

She beckons him closer with a wave of her hand. “Come, child, I’ve been expectin’ you.”

Wooyoung takes a seat on a cushion in front of her, taking in her appearance. Long white hair spills out of a loose head covering, and her skin is tan and wrinkled, a sign of many years spent in the sun. “You’re Nadira?”

“That’s right. And you’re a lost soul lookin’ for Pandora, just like the girl who was just here.” He frowns at the mention of her, and Nadira chuckles. “Don’t be like that. You’re going to need her help, after all.”

Wooyoung brings his thumb to his mouth, chewing on the nail absentmindedly—a nervous habit he’s never been able to kick. If this girl really is the one he saw in his dream, he wants nothing to do with her. A crumbling stone floor, a pedestal missing an emblem, his own reflection looking back at him in her tearful eyes… No, Wooyoung steels himself. He won’t accept her help, no matter what.

Nadira makes a disapproving clucking noise with her tongue as if sensing the direction of his thoughts and gets up, taking something off of a table in the corner of the room. She returns and places a large wooden filled with sand in the space between them.

“I’m gonna show you somethin’, and I expect you to pay attention.”

Wooyoung nods, the tone of her voice demanding respect. “Yes, ma’am.”

Closing her eyes, she holds up her hands, and the sand in the bowl begins to swirl and twist into various shapes. First, Wooyoung sees nine figures walking toward a towering building, with one trailing behind and one in the front, confidently leading them forward. The scenes change quickly after that, with him only able to catch glimpses of what happens next. The nine figures split apart into separate groups, fighting amongst themselves. The building collapsing into rubble. A mirrored figure, holding onto something precious before dropping it, a tear falling down their cheek.

Wooyoung’s heart sinks into his stomach. Though there’s no proof that any of what Nadira is showing him is true, he can’t find it in himself to doubt her prophecy. Not only does he know better than anyone that predicting the future is a real gift some people possess, but too much of what he just saw matches up with his own visions.

She opens her eyes, and the sand in the scrying bowl stills. “Did you see, child?”

Wooyoung doesn’t know how to answer her. How can she ask this so nonchalantly, as if the future she showed wasn’t distressingly bleak? In lieu of an answer, he bows his head to her and gets up, eager to return to his group.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you were hoping to prove, but I am only more certain than ever that that girl needs to stay as far away from us as possible.”

Before Nadira can say anything else, Wooyoung flees from the tent and heads back toward town. The sun is already setting behind the clouds—he’s late for the meeting with the others. He doesn’t know what he’s going to say to them, to Hongjoong, certain that the leader will be expecting him to come back with some helpful information. He enters the inn, spinning various potential stories and excuses in his head. He hears San’s voice greeting him happily, and he looks up with a strained smile, only for it to immediately fall when he sees her standing there, talking to his friends, his family. He won’t let this future unfold. He can’t let anyone be hurt. Not again.

“What is she doing here?”

Wooyoung doesn’t even address you while he speaks so harshly, instead turning from you to face Hongjoong whose expression hardens.

“You act as if I invited her here.”

“She’s a traveler, like us,” Seonghwa explains, interjecting. “She wants to join us on our search for Pandora.”

Wooyoung scoffs, eyeing you with disdain. “Thanks, but no thanks. There’s enough of us already.”

His outright animosity towards you has you shell-shocked. You can’t think of anything you’ve done to deserve it, and you say as much. “I’m sorry, have I done something to offend you?”

San claps a hand on the back of Wooyoung’s neck, frowning. “Yeah, Young-ah, what’s with the animosity? This isn’t like you.”

“I just don’t think we should trust her, that’s all.”

“You don’t have to trust me to cooperate with me,” you insist.

“See,” he says, gesturing to you. “She basically just admitted she isn’t a trustworthy person.”

Oh, he’s got to be kidding. “I did not!”

Jongho, one of the group’s firebenders, hushes you, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder. You didn’t notice his approach, too invested in your argument with Wooyoung. “Don’t take the bait,” he whispers. “It won’t get you anywhere.”

You shrug his hand off of you but nod, grateful for his advice. With a huff, you take a seat at the table, forcefully removing yourself from the situation. The conversation lulls after that, with the benders pairing off and having their own discussions about where to go from here. San seems to scold Wooyoung as the latter ignores him, which gives you some satisfaction, at least.

When you finally look at Hongjoong, his gaze is locked onto Wooyoung and full of suspicion. It raises the hair on your arms—you get the feeling he knows something you and the others don’t. Eventually, Yeosang, the lone boy at the end of the table, speaks up. His voice is light and airy, lilting like bells.

“I say we should hear her out.”

Wooyoung looks shocked at his input, as if he was the last person he would have expected to speak in your favor. “Why sh—”

“I think she has a map. It looked like she was going to pull it out of her bag earlier.”

He’s surprisingly observant for someone that seems so uninvolved in the goings on around him. You nod and finally pull the map out from your bag, placing it on the table in front of you. Hongjoong goes to reach for it, but you hold it securely, sending him a warning glare.

“I’ll share this with you if and only if you let me come with you.”

Wooyoung continues to speak out against you, saying, “We don’t have any way of verifying that this map is even real! This entire conversation is pointless.”

“It’s more than what we had before,” Yunho says, finally speaking up. “Could be worth a try.”

Mingi piggybacks off of him, agreeing. “I’m tired of wandering around aimlessly. At least this gives us something to go off of.”

Hongjoong scans the map, nodding approvingly. “You guys are right. I think it’s worth a shot. Having her with us won’t be too much of a burden, and this map is useful.”

“Thank you,” you say, grateful that most of them have taken your side. “I promise I’ll help however I can. There’s nothing I want more than to quickly find Pandora so that we can all head our separate ways.”

After making plans to meet downstairs at dawn, everyone disperses to take care of their own business. Some of the boys come up to you to formally introduce themselves, and a few even seem to be happy that you will be joining them. On the other hand, Wooyoung quickly excuses himself, presumably ready to go sulk in his room over your addition to the group, but Hongjoong calls after him.

“Woo, my room, now. I need to talk to you.”

His tone even sends a chill down your spine. You watch the two of them leave, not failing to notice the anxiety on Wooyoung’s face as he accompanies the firebender to his room.

Wooyoung follows Hongjoong up the stairs, unease settling in his gut; the last few times they had a one-on-one conversation weren’t exactly pleasant. The firebender disappears inside his room, leaving the door open. Wooyoung hesitates in the doorway, watching silently as Hongjoong shrugs off the outer layers of his robes before taking a seat on the edge of his bed. Looks like he’s staying in a single room again.

“Don’t just stand there,” Hongjoong says, beckoning him in. “And close the door behind you.”

Wooyoung does as asked, but fidgets in place, unsure of how to behave or what to say. The tension between them hangs heavily in the air, and it makes him feel suffocated. He’s almost tempted to run from the room like a frightened animal, but he has more pride than that. He also knows that he can’t avoid Hongjoong forever.

Hongjoong crosses and uncrosses his legs restlessly before finally settling on a position with his feet firmly on the ground. Despite the nervousness in his movements, he locks onto Wooyoung with a stoic, unyielding expression. “So, does your strange behavior around this girl have something to do with your conversation with Nadira?”

Thankful for the opening, Wooyoung quickly agrees. “Yeah. Nadira’s a sandseer; she showed me a vision that seemed to warn against our cooperation with an outsider. Presumably, the girl.”

Hongjoong quirks an eyebrow. “Is that so?” When Wooyoung nods, he adds, “And are you sure her visions can be trusted? After all, we both know that glimpses into the future tend to be fickle.”

Wooyoung purses his lips, the firebender’s subtle jab at him not going unnoticed. “I can’t promise you that what she showed me is true, but she seemed sure of herself. It also—” He cuts himself off, eyes widening as he realizes he almost revealed the fact that he’s been having visions of the girl too. Internally, he curses himself for still wanting to garner Hongjoong’s favor so badly that the urge to tell the truth comes naturally.

“It also…?”

“It lines up with my gut feeling, that’s all. I don’t think we should trust her.”

“So, you’re telling me to trust your ‘gut feeling’ and the uncertain vision of sandseer we know nothing about over a girl offering us help and real information? You aren’t stupid, Wooyoung, and don’t pretend to be. There’s something else.”

It’s at moments like this when Wooyoung remembers just how clever Hongjoong is and why he was able to rise through the ranks of the Royal Court so quickly. He has a remarkable aptitude to see through falsities and anticipate the hidden motivations of those around him. Wooyoung’s mind races as he tries to maintain his composure, and when Hongjoong’s eyes narrow slightly, a faint glint of suspicion evident in his gaze, Wooyoung looks away.

“There isn’t anything else. Now, if that’s all…?”

He backs away slightly, ready to leave the room, but Hongjoong continues to talk. “You’re so eager to run away from me. I remember when you always wanted to be by my side. You would even tease the others, saying that I was your favorite. What happened?”

The 180 shift in conversation takes Wooyoung off guard, and he can’t stop himself from taking the bait. “You know what happened. Don’t try to manipulate me into apologizing again when you don’t plan on forgiving me.”

“Manipulate you? Is that what you think I’m doing?”

“It’s what you’re good at, isn’t it?”

“I’m a diplomat, Wooyoung,” Hongjoong explains, shaking his head. “A peacemaker. I don’t manipulate people.”

The rational part of Wooyoung knows he should stop the conversation here. That he’s just being goaded into another argument, and nothing good will come from it. But he’s never been very good at being rational; his emotions, like waves in the midst of a storm at sea, often threaten to swallow him whole.

“Was.”

Hongjoong’s expression darkens. “Excuse me?”

“You were a diplomat. You aren’t anymore.”

Wooyoung takes no satisfaction from rubbing salt in Hongjoong’s wound, but he can’t find it in himself to feel remorse, either. If he doesn’t lash out, if he doesn’t fight back, he feels like he’ll just break into pieces instead. A flicker of hurt shows on Hongjoong’s face before he regains his composure, fire alighting in his eyes.

“And whose fault is that? Mine?”

“Well, it isn’t mine.”

“Funny,” Hongjoong scoffs. “I remember you telling me about a certain vision you had that led me astray.”

“And how many times did I tell you that my visions were uncertain? You put too much faith in me!”

Hongjoong is standing now, sweat dampening his brow, and Wooyoung notices the condensation collecting on the wall behind him. Their emotions are fueling their bending, essentially turning the room into a sauna.

“As if you didn’t encourage me to,” Hongjoong spits. “You would follow me around like a lost puppy, telling me every little thing you dreamt. You just loved having all my attention, didn’t you?”

Wooyoung steps back, wincing as if Hongjoong’s words were a physical blow. His hands begin to tremble, but he clenches them into fists, knuckles turning white. “All I ever wanted to do was help you.”

“Yeah, and you did a great job, didn’t you?” The sarcasm drips from Hongjoong’s tone like venom.

“Something went wrong one time, Hongjoong. One out of hundreds.”

“And it cost me everything. My job, my reputation, my livelihood. Everything ruined all because you told me Ba Sing Se’s ambassador was a traitor, and it wasn’t true.”

“You should have found evidence before making the arrest! Stop blaming me for a decision you made.”

“A decision based on your word. I trusted you, Wooyoung, and you betrayed me.”

“I can’t believe you,” Wooyoung says weakly, the fight drained from him. “You used me, and the second something went wrong, you just cast me aside like I was nothing. I thought I was worth more to you than that.”

He turns to leave, but all it takes is Hongjoong saying, “Wooyoung, wait,” to stop him in his tracks. And so wait he does. He stands there with his back turned, blinking away tears and praying that Hongjoong will apologize and tell him that he means the world to him, just like he used to. But the apology never comes.

“You dreamt about her, didn’t you?”

Wooyoung doesn’t respond, but he knows that his silence will be answer enough. He isn’t surprised that Hongjoong figured it out—he knew he would, sooner or later.

“Of course you did,” Hongjoong laughs in disbelief. “Well, I don’t know what you or Nadira saw, but I don’t care. She’s coming with us and that’s final. If you have a problem with it, you can leave.”

When the door slams shut behind him, Wooyoung can’t help but feel that his chance to repair his relationship with Hongjoong has slipped away for good.

NETWORKS: @cromernet @kflixnet @pirateeznet

TAGLIST: @nebulousbookshelf @ad0rechuu @seonghwaddict @sanniesbunnie @wooya1224 @tournesol155 @ja3hwa @pocketjoong-reads @lovandr @yeoyeoland

#wooyoung x reader #jung wooyoung x reader #ateez x reader #ateez imagines #wooyoung imagines #wooyoung smut #ateez smut #wooyoung fluff #ateez fluff #wooyoung angst #ateez angst #wooyoung fic #ateez fic #jung wooyoung fic #my fic #kpop fic #kpop writers #kpop writing

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hikarimiyanaga · 3 years

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Request : Hi, I love and enjoy reading what you write thus I want to pose a request that the Dimitrescu Family with a powerful blood magic S/O who can control people's blood (u know, similar to Skarlet from MK)

Blood Magic, it's one of the powers that I want to experiment with, in terms of writing.

Also, the knowledge/information I have about this is because of Avatar (I haven't played Mortal Kombat in a long time, forgive my broke self.)

I also accidentally deleted the request so it's like this.

I'm really sorry. I hope you enjoy it!

Alcina Dimitrescu / Lady Dimitrescu

As a magician, you were pretty powerful, as a Mage of Blood Magik, though, you were undefeatable.

When you came into the village, the weird parasites in almost everyone's body bothered the fuck outta you. Because why the fuck??

It was just sitting there and eating there soul?? You knew the consequences on messing around with Parasites like those so you wanted to leave immediately but you stopped when you saw Alcina.

This very tall lady who towers over you just stopped the world but then you just realized that you were actually the only one who stopped moving. You quickly turned away but felt it. You turn to her again and see the parasite. It was so deep within her.

"Fuck." You cursed under your breath but then you feel it. Not connected to blood but the energy and mana itself.

"Fucking hell." You use your magic to peek into the Megamycete and grimace.

"Fucking shit." As if third time's the charm, Alcina hears your cursing and looks at you. You clenched your fist and was just glaring on the ground?? What a weirdo.

"Mother, is something wrong?" Bela asks, as she was the one who accompanied Alcina for her little stroll around the village.

"No. Just that woman." You feel eyes on you so you look up to see Alcina staring at you. You huff then turn away.

Being a magician, you aren't actually a people person, you've always hated it when people knew what you were.

Your foes were the only ones who ever actually knew that you practiced Blood Magik... not that they lived to actually tell anyone else.

You try to leave, you really did but all those people. That giant woman, all of it just-

"Leaves a bad taste in my mouth, nothing else." You turn back, trying to excuse your good nature.

You spend days trying different scrying spells, revelation spells and cure spells to see if any would work on the Megamycete and who the fuck is actually using it.

"That fucking bitch." Not only have you seen Alcina's, the villager's and the other lord's memories but Mother Miranda herself. "She wants a daughter? All this for a fucking hell-spawn?" You never did like children yourself, they were too innocent, too goddamn corruptible and too gullible.

You sigh and make your decision. She wants a daughter? You'll give her a daughter. You put on your mask and get your potions.

You'll cure this village of those fucking parasites and diseases or you'll die trying. Most probably cure them.

It took literally a whole day just to get the goddamn parasites of the villagers and Karl, who was the only one of the four lords who volunteered when he heard what you were doing.

The next was Donna, who cried when you actually gave Angie a body. Then Salvatore was next, when you promised to be his friend.

Alcina was the hardest. She thought that if she accepted then her daughters would die and disappear. But you assured her and even showed her that you wouldn't let that happen. She was amazed by the other lords. Donna isn't sporting her scar and Angie is actually alive and in a real body. Karl doesn't have his powers anymore but his intellect is still intact and Salvatore was just beaming.

"How did you-?" You chuckle.

"Blood Magik. It's something that only some practice and even fewer get the hang of. And me?" You ask as the air suddenly gets heavier and everything quiets down as you let out your mana. "I'm the Master of it." Everyone looks at you when just as fast as it came, the tension was gone. You hold out your hand to Alcina. "So would you trust me?" She accepts and cries in relief when she hugs Bela, Cassandra and Daniela in their normal bodies.

Meanwhile, you grimace in silence as your organs will take some time recovering their usual functions... what? Blood Magik needs sacrifices and you would rather do it yourself than exploit other people.

And then lastly, Mother Miranda. You were actually afraid that she would try to fight you and you, with your organs all fucked up and your only weapons are basically your potions, were nervous. But she accepted and as you hand over Eva safely to Mother Miranda, you pass out and everyone panics.

Karl was absolutely fucking scared shitless and befuddled by your physical condition?? How in hell are you even alive?

You wake up three days later and Karl just gave up on trying.

You laugh at him and wheeze.

"I"m basically kind of an immortal too." He just sighs.

The next few weeks were spent inside the Dimitrescu Castle because that was the most comfortable house. The Beneviento House would be good too but Karl just felt that you would like it more in the Dimitrescu Castle. You agree.

As you spend more time with Alcina, you both just slowly but surely fall for each other.

Bela Dimitrescu

Hunting made easier. Brought to her by you and your Blood Magik.

With just one goddamn snap of your fingers and bam, a barrel is full.

This makes spending time with each other, a lot easier and longer.

She would listen to you tell your stories and you love it when she gets excited about books and such.

One day, you finally learn how to create a human body. There was a lot of things to do and spells to practice but you were determined.

And you finally achieved it. It took long enough but then you sensed it.

Mother Miranda stole a baby from a caravan??

"What in hell is happening?" You mumble as you gaze at the village. Then there it was, and it hurt the fuck out of your mana when the people turned into monsters.

"What the fuck!? Shit!" You curse as you feel the megamycete mutate. "Oh hell no!" You shout and use your magik to locate the shit.

"Die, asswipe!" You completely destroy it without batting an eye and you can hear Mother Miranda's shouts of agony.

You pant as you can finally feel the mana in the air be lighter. You go to the castle and as expected, everyone is in a bad shape.

It took months but you got them all back to normal, even most of the villagers.

Bela kept crying as you hug her, finally together with her.

Cassandra Dimitrescu

You met Cassandra while you were surrounded by Karl's werewolves. Dead werewolves. You were slightly out of breath and then your eyes met.

Ethan was about to chase her but you stopped him because she was the same as them.

"Why'd you stop me then?" You shrug at your brother who glares at you.

"We should just get Rose back and not kill anyone anymore." Ethan raises an eyebrow at you.

"What? You literally just killed like a hundred of these werewolves." You use your magik to get the blood off yourself.

"They attacked. I only countered." Ethan sighs as you just walk away. He follows you and as you get to the castle. You can instantly feel their energy.

"What the fuck? They're made of it?" You mumble to yourself. And just as Bela was about to push you and Ethan down, you counter her and made sure to not let her flies disperse.

'Shit. This is hard.' You think to yourself as you dodge both Cassandra and Daniela attacking you.

"Y/N?"

"Rose is in that direction. Just wait for me there." Ethan nods and quickly goes the way you pointed. You use your magik and they all freeze. "You guys are so troublesome." You sigh. "But then again, I suppose all good things are." You use your magik again and locate Alcina.

You made a deal with the Dimitrescu Head. In exchange for normal bodies, she'll have to let you, Ethan and Rose's part go. Ethan's outburst when he realized what they did to his daughter didn't help but you used that.

"You know I'm powerful, right? Trust me, you don't want to test my brother."

You leave the Castle with Ethan, unharmed but with a deal made.

It was the same with the other three houses and before you knew it, your niece was restored and you had to make eight people back to normal... It was hard but when you wake up, feeling groggy and disoriented with all of those people and your family, you think to yourself that it was all worth it.

You rebuild the village with all of them and actually get closer with Cassandra. She admires your magik and you admire her art.

Before you even knew it, you had fallen for her and even though she hasn't realized it yet, she has fallen for you too.

Daniela Dimitrescu

Being a powerful magician meant most of the world are after you.

That was how you found the village. It was isolated and so it was perfect for you.

As you were strolling along the village, late into the night, when everyone is asleep, you feel a somewhat murderous intent and you smile to yourself. Either you were too careless or someone was really good at hiding their intent.

When something was about to hit you, you quickly activated your magik but flinched when it didn't affect them, so you quickly turned and jumped back.

The person who attacked you was surprised as well that you could react like that.

"What? You dodged??" You sigh.

"I dodged because you were trying to kill me! Who are you?" Daniela smiles at you.

"Daniela Dimitrescu, I live in that castle. And you?" Why did this woman?? can you even call her that suddenly- You sigh.

"I'm Y/N... and something is really wrong with this village of yours."

"What?"

Before you and Daniela even knew it, you were both knee-deep in everything, you even saw the Megamycete together.

And call Daniela, good-natured because by then, she wanted to stop Mother Miranda and help everyone. So help you did.

You just couldn't say no to her, could you?

By the time, everything was over, you were already half-dead and Daniela finally realized she was in love with you.

It was a good thing that you have potions.

A/N:

I'm sorry that I have been gone for weeks now. College started then something happened that made me not want to write at all.

But I'm back, although I may be a bit slow.

I'm so sorry. I also closed off my requests since I'll be focusing on college and completing the Loving You sequel which is 70% done by now.

Comments and thoughts are always welcome!

Thank you for reading!

If you can, please buy me a coffee.

#alcina dimitrescu x reader #bela dimitrescu x reader #cassandra dimitrescu x reader #daniela dimitrescu x reader #re #resident evil #re village

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bidoldaccount · 3 years

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“Before the hypothermia sets in”

Chris Halliwell x reader

She’s really not sure how she ended up here. She had been working with the sisters for months, she can’t even count them anymore. It had been a flurry of demon fighting, movie nights, potion making, laughing, scrying, and bonding. Y/n helped them with one demon and kind of just stuck around.

She had watched every John Hughes movie with Paige, cooked most meals with Piper, and had countless heart to hearts with Phoebe. She had even bonded with Leo over their shared love of Stephan King books.

But Chris, Chris was the one she had somehow spent the most time with. They were rough with each other at first because their sarcastic personalities clashed, but after the initial combativeness, they spent almost every free moment together. They had been dancing around each other for almost two months, sending secret glances while doing demon research, flirty winks and comments, late night movies and dinners, and absolutely never talking about their feelings.

Now, they were trapped in a magically locked walk in freezer of all places, with the the temperature gradually dropping. Y/n flexed her hands at the door, trying to get it to budge with nothing happening.

They had orbed in following a lead, not expecting to find themselves in a walk in freezer, and definitely not expecting the door to close and lock behind them. They had shared a confused look that soon turned panicked.

“I can’t orb,” Chris said, his cheeks draining of color.

“What?” Y/n asked, eyes widening a bit.

“I can’t orb, I’m trying,” Chris said, panic starting to creep into his voice.

“Watch out,” Chris moved away from the door and Y/n stood in front of it with a sigh. She threw her hands out, gulping when nothing happened.

“Where the hell did we end up?” She questioned, breathing hard.

“Umm, I think I just found out,” Chris said. Y/n turned around, her mouth dropping open as Chris pulled the lid off of a relatively small chest and revealed a completely frozen body.

“No. Fucking. Way,” she emphasized each word through gritted teeth. “We’re being fucking harvested!” She shouted, throwing her hands up.

“It’s okay, when we don’t come back or answer their calls they’ll come looking for us,” Chris said. Y/n nods absentmindedly, turning back to the door and glaring at it. She flexed her hands again, narrowing her eyes when still nothing happened. She did it more several minutes, flicking her hands at the door and waiting for it to miraculously open... but it didn’t.

“It’s not going to open,” Chris said gently pulling at her elbow.

“Try to orb again,” she said, cloudy white wisps of air coming out of her mouth with every words. Chris wasn’t shivering just yet but his skin was a lot paler than normal.

“I am trying,” he said. Y/n sighed, sitting down on the floor beside him. The coldness in the walls instantly started to seep through her jacket and his tee shirt, causing chills to run up her spine. She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around herself, breathing into her hands.

“I really, really hope they find us,” y/n said, breathing out shakily.

“They will,” Chris assured, though his voice lacked confidence. It felt like the temperature was falling by the second but it was probably just settling in. “They’ll find us.”

Minute after minute passed, the cold seeping in slowly. Y/n started to shiver before Chris did, her teeth clenched to stop them from chattering and her hands clutching at her jacket to stop them from shaking.

“Are you okay?” Chris asked, turning his body slightly towards her.

“Y-yeah, n-n-never better,” she said stuttered.

“Your lips are turning blue,” he said, sliding his jacket off. He wrapped one arm around her, pulling her against his chest and laying the jacket over their torsos.

“Chris, I’m tired,” she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.

“No, no you have to stay awake for me, okay? I need you to stay awake,” he pleaded, cupping her cheek and forcing her to pick her head up. Her eyes rolled a bit before she was able to focus again.

“I love you,” she whispered, her eyes connected with his, watching his jade-green irises widen. “I needed to tell you before,”

“No,” Chris shook his head

“Before the hypothermia sets in and I get confused and start slurring, I needed to tell you,” Y/n shakes her head when Chris opens his mouth to speak, clenching her hand around his shirt. “I don’t know when my feelings changed but they did. You’re stupid smile turned cute and those damn eyes became all I wanted to see, and i can’t leave without telling you,” she whispered.

“You’re not going anywhere, you hear me?” He cupped both side of her face, pressing his forehead to hers. “I love you too, God, you know I love you too. You can’t leave me once we finally stop beating around the bush, you can’t,” Chris sniffled.

“I don’t think I have a choice, Chris,” she said, “I don’t think either of us have a choice. It’s been an hour already.” They were both shivering now, their eyes closing without them realizing. Chris sighed, pulling her closer and pressing his lips to hers in a cold, shaky, perfect first kiss.

Everything went dark ten minutes later, their bodies collapsing into each other. Chris’ arms stayed wrapped tight around her, his jacket failing to shield them from the cold.

When Y/n woke up it was with a gasp. She felt hands on her and voices talking hurriedly.

“Chris,” she called frantically, searching the space beside her.

“I’m here,” he was beside her in the next moment, his eyes shining down at her as he cupped her face.

“Oh my god,” she cried out, throwing her arms around him and tackling him down to the bed. He didn’t get a chance to say anything beside she was pressing their lips together, burying her hands in his hair. He kissed her back eagerly, pressing his hands against her back to hold her close.

“Okay, I think that’s enough,” Y/n pulled away slowly, smiling wide as she looked up at the sisters and Leo.

“Took you people long enough!” She teased, allowing Chris to sit up, still holding her close.

“Yeah we’re so sorry, it took a while to get in there without getting trapped ourselves,” piper said.

“I’m just glad you got there at all,” Chris said.

“Of course,” piper smiled softly at them, “and I’m glad you two stopped pining,” she said.

“Us too,” Chris said, looking at Y/n with a soft smile.

#Chris Halliwell #chris halliwell preference #chris halliwell gif #chris halliwell one shot #chris halliwell x reader #chris halliwell imagines #Chris Halliwell fluff #charmed #charmed imagine #charmed preferences #charmed one shots #charmed fluff #charmed x reader #charmed edits #Halliwell

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fortunes-favor · 3 years

Text

As if I Am Looking in a Mirror

Co-written with @nottthebest

Paring: Essek thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Word Count: ~2.8k

Rating: T Summary: Caleb Widogast and Essek Thelyss both have plans to facilitate spending their lives together. Yussa helps.

Read on Ao3

Caleb and Essek are together for years. And though time is his specialty, Essek finds it slipping through his grasp.

As the weeks and months go by, Essek starts to notice strands of grey hair among a sea of red. And then another. And another, until Caleb’s hair is a mess of orange and red and white and silver.

It hurts seeing Caleb get older when he stays much the same age, at least in appearance. While Caleb is far past middle-aged, Essek is still only barely halfway into his second century.

So one day, he makes up his mind. It comes to him as they sit and study together, Caleb leaning against Essek’s chest, with Essek’s fingers absentmindedly running through Caleb’s salted strands. Caleb’s reading a book, and Essek has his own, though he hasn’t been able to concentrate on it. His fingers come to a stop, catching Caleb’s attention. Caleb leans his head back to see Essek’s thousand-yard stare.

“What’s the matter, liebling? I know that look,” Caleb teases lightly, his voice more gravelly with age.

Essek smiles in return. “Lost in thought. My mind’s been drifting so much these days.”

“Where to?” Caleb puts down his book and shifts to get a better look at the man he loves, causing Perle, one of their three cats, to yowl in protest before jumping off of Caleb’s lap. Caleb mutters a soft apology at the white cat before turning back to look at Essek’s face.

“Oh, places. I wonder what our friends are up to.” He deflects.

If Caleb knew his real train of thought… Well, that conversation will happen later.

“I’ll be visiting Beauregard at the Soul tomorrow. I’ll give you a rundown on what she and Yasha are up to.”

And at that moment, an idea strikes Essek.

“Perhaps I will go pay a visit to Jester and Fjord then. I hear Veth could also use a hand with her summer camps. Maybe a day or two on the coast would be nice.”

Caleb places a quick gentle kiss on his temple. “That sounds lovely. Just, make sure to take your parasol. We don’t want a repeat of last time.”

Essek scoffs, unappreciative of the reminder of the sunburn incident, but gives Caleb a soft smile followed by a sweet kiss on his lips anyway.

The following day, Caleb packs his things and, with a kiss goodbye, teleports directly to the Cobalt Reserve.

Knowing now is his chance, Essek gathers his spellbook and some gem dust. He puts precisely hundred-and-twenty-seven pounds of clay in a vault of amber. And he teleports to Nicodranas.

Jester and the others receive a quick visit, just in case Caleb asks about it later. He’s sure Jester will have sent him a message the moment he walked out the door. But he has a mission for today. With an illusioned disguise—not of Dezran Thain, he never wants to be him again— he quickly makes his way to the monumental tower he knew a friend of a friend would be at. He only hopes he can convince the mage to help.

He greets the goblin servant at Tidepeak, introducing himself as Essek of the Mighty Nein. He says that he has a spell to share with the goblin’s master, one that he’s sure the mage will find fascinating. The goblin lets him in after some persuasion. Once inside, Essek drops the illusion.

“Um. One moment.” Wensforth politely gives a slight bow before scurrying up the stairs, leaving Essek in the foyer. After a few out-of-earshot comments are passed, Essek’s ears perk up.

“Essek Thelyss,” an amused sounding voice rings from somewhere above the entryway. “I’ve heard a lot about you. Come upstairs. Please.”

The mage looks different from when Essek last saw him, but the last time Essek saw him, his face was a void, and his soul was trapped by a living city, so it’s not surprising.

Now, Yussa Errenis sits with thinly-veiled interest on his very-much-there face. “What can I do for you?”

“I have a favour to ask of you.”

Yussa’s interested look turns to one of surprise. “And why would I do you a favour? Do you offer me anything in return?”

Essek grins. “I am a member of the Mighty Nein, as well as one of the people who helped save you from the Astral Sea. I’m sure we can work something out.”

He luckily convinces Yussa to perform the transmogrification ritual to turn him into a fifty-seven-year-old human. Same age as Caleb. Yussa doesn’t quite understand why he would give up the many centuries he has left to live, but it’s fascinating magic that Yussa hasn’t yet had the chance to test, and if the drow wants to be foolish, he’s not going to stop him.

An hour later, Essek is human, skin darker than Beauregard's but cooler in tone, and hair still snowy white. His facial structure is as similar as it can be without raising suspicion. He’s a little taller but not enough to make much of a difference. The wrinkles are new. His skin feeling too loose on his body is new. His ears are definitely going to take some getting used to, and he’s going to have to stop wearing some of his ear cuffs and caps, specifically ones meant to fit pointed elf ears.

At the end of it all, Essek is packing his belongings, still trying to get used to the new body. He is exhausted but also feels like he’s floating, content. He will be able to spend his life with Caleb.

He suddenly stands up straight. “One more thing.”

Yussa’s humoured sigh is not well hidden at all. “Yes, of course, I am at your service. what else?”

Essek hesitates for a moment. “Do not tell Caleb what we have done here today.”

That interested look from before returns to Yussa’s expression. “I hesitate to ask for clarification on that request.”

Essek gives him no clarity, and after a quick thanks, disappears in a show of teleportation magic.

Through the elation of practicing an advanced spell, a similar happiness comes with a thought.

He can grow old with Caleb now. Even if they have very little time left, their time is going to be spent together. And if there is an afterlife, one won’t have to wait long for the other to join him there.

*********

Not too long after, Yussa has yet another visitor. He’s fully expecting the drow––human?––to be back, regretting his decision and asking to work on a reversal of it, see if they can revert him back to an elf, without having to wait the one year. It surprises him to see, instead, a slightly nervous Caleb Widogast, shifting his weight lightly from one side to the other.

“What a coincidence, Mister Widogast. I was expecting-” He shakes his head faintly, remembering his promise. “Nevermind that. What can I do for you?”

Caleb looks skeptical for a second before his expression turns neutral. “I have a favour to ask of you.”

Deja vu is not something Yussa has experienced much in his 400 or so years of life, but then again, it's not often you befriend– no, become indebted to a group as unpredictable as the Mighty Nein.

“Of course.”

Further to Yussa’s surprise, Caleb is asking him much the same thing as his partner did. Except, Caleb is asking to be turned into an elf. Yussa doesn’t know why they wouldn’t have just done this in the first place, if the goal was to match the other’s life expectancy. Then it dawns on him.

He considers divulging Thelyss’ secret, but he did swear to him he wouldn’t tell Widogast about it. And the thought of them seeing each other's plans after they’ve been carried out is amusing, to say the very least. Plus, what’s the harm in watching the world burn just a little? He’s not beyond wasting someone else’s spell components to have a little fun, especially when that person is convinced that this is the thing to do. What’s another point of exhaustion compared to a good joke?

So he agrees. And the ritual begins and ends with expected success. Caleb’s silvering hair is now returned to its coppery brightness, the skin stretched more taught against his sharper, slimmer, ever so slightly more elegant features, his ears now pulled to fine points.

Oh, Yussa would very much enjoy seeing their reactions to each other’s new forms.

Yussa stifles laughter that’s building up at the thought. It really is too bad that both Thelyss and Widogast still wear the amulets that would keep him from Scrying on them. Oh, well, he will surely hear about it later, if not from the pair of knucklehead wizards then from their blue friend who is all too enthusiastic to Send to him.

He’s once again surprised that he’s looking forward to hearing from them.

*********

Essek returns to an empty home several hours later, having enjoyed the Nicodranas sun for the first time in his near-century-and-a-half for a while before returning. Faer, Perle and Fate filter into the room that houses their teleportation circle and all come to a confused halt upon seeing Essek. Essek is unsure of the reason for the change in behaviour for a moment before it hits him that he’s no longer in the body his cats are familiar with.

“Oh, it’s me,” he quickly says in Undercommon, kneeling down in front of the three cats with a hand reaching out to them. “I, ah, look––and smell I’m sure––a little different, but it’s me.”

Perle starts taking tentative steps toward Essek and cautiously sniffs his hand before gently nuzzling her head against Essek’s hand in a show of trust. Faer and Fate soon follow suit after being assured that Essek means them no harm, even if they don’t know it’s him.

Oh, gods, would they ever recognize him again? Would they think that Essek abandoned them if they never notice Essek’s human form to be the Essek that they know?

Essek shakes his head to dismiss the thoughts. Even if the cats never know it’s him, this will have been worth it to not have to live a life without Caleb at his side.

He feeds the cats before grabbing his book from the study and making his way to the bedroom. He trades his day clothing for his flowy pyjama pants, noting the slight difference in fit to his new, slightly less lithe body.

A while after he gets comfortable on the bed and starts reading, Faer jumps onto the bed and curls up at Essek’s side. Essek smiles softly to himself and lays a hand on Faer’s dark grey fur, petting him softly. Over the next couple of hours, while he reads, the other two cats join him on the bed. Perle making biscuits on Caleb’s pillow for a few minutes before settling on it, and Fate lies at the foot of the bed, almost at the very edge. Essek knows he will have to be careful not to kick him off the bed in the night.

Sleep takes him not long after he thinks; It seems there is hope for me with the cats after all.

*********

The next day, Essek hears Caleb come home before he sees him. Essek’s in the study, mulling over scenarios of how best to tell Caleb what he’s done when he hears his partner. Fate jumps off his spot on the desk next to the journal Essek’s jotting down ideas in, presumably to welcome Caleb home.

“I’m in the study, ussta che,” he calls out, standing up promptly. He dusts off imaginary lint from his leggings and wills his hands not to shake. “I, ah, have something to show you!”

“As do I,” Caleb says. Essek waits for rustling, the telltale noises of his wizard going through his bag in search of one thing or the other. It doesn’t come. Instead, Essek hears the approaching footfalls of Caleb.

When Caleb appears at the door, Essek is about to give Caleb a sheepish hello. However, he is shocked out of it the moment his eyes land on Caleb’s elven face. Caleb seems to be faring similarly as his mouth falls open in surprise and his long pointy elf ears twitch.

“Was..?” Caleb manages to get out weakly.

“It, ah, appears that we had a similar train of thought, chathtiu.”

Essek tentatively starts walking toward Caleb, never taking his eyes off the elf. Caleb Widogast is an elf.

“You’re human.”

“Oh,” Essek says, realizing the hilarity of the situation. He is a human now. And Caleb is an elf. Oh, gods. “Yes, I am,” he remembers to respond. “You’re an elf,” he adds immediately after.

“Is this one of your disguises?” There’s a trace of worry in his laugh.

“No.” He laughs in return, trying to ease the weird tension. “I paid our friend Yussa a visit. Something I assume you may have done as well?”

“Ja,” Caleb confirms and cradles his face with a smaller-than-Essek-is-used-to hand. “Schatz… You did this... You would have given your centuries away for me? You have such a long life to live.”

“No,” Essek says, wrapping his arms around Caleb’s neck. “Centuries without you would not have been living.”

“You didn’t think that I might also want to spend centuries with you?”

“I know you wouldn’t want to make your parents wait for you that long, Caleb. I also do not wish for you to have to watch the rest of the Nein die one after the other. I would never ask that of you.”

“I am offering, mein sternenlicht. You would need only accept,” He says, pressing a kiss at Essek’s temple.

“Caleb,” Essek protests softly and lets his eyes fall shut with a deep sigh.

“Unless that is, you find yourself not wanting to spend an elf’s lifespan with me,” Caleb amends, pulling back from Essek. Caleb doesn’t go too far, but Essek feels his warmth pull away anyway and snaps his eyes open.

“Caleb, you know I would stay with you through everything. But elves grow up knowing that they are going to be alive for hundreds and hundreds of years. Humans… You… I fear that you cannot fathom just how long those centuries are.” He runs a loving hand through his partner’s once-again-fully-copper hair and causes his hair tie to come undone, letting down strands as bright as the sun. “I do not want you to grow to regret your decision, chathtiu.”

“It’s good to know that you don’t have enough faith in me and our relationship that you would believe I might regret you if I am given more time,” Caleb teases, but Essek can still feel his hurt through the playful tone.

Essek rubs his temple and carefully chooses his next words to avoid any further miscommunication-related hurt. “Caleb, my love, that is not what I am implying. I trust in us enough to know that you will love me through the remainder of your days. I simply mean that I do not want you to regret this decision.” He gestures at Caleb’s elven body. “You will be the last of the Nein; even Caduceus will have a shorter life than us. Perhaps it is selfish of me, but I do not want to see you go through that.”

Caleb’s face softens. “We,” he says.

Essek tilts his head in question.

“We would be the last of the Nein,” Caleb says, punctuating his words with a kiss on Essek’s lips. “Even still, I see your point, schatz. As much as I would love to spend centuries with you, I did not think about how lonely we both would be without our friends.”

“We could turn them into elves too,” Essek says, joking.

“That is a tempting idea.” Caleb smiles. “But maybe we could meet in the middle.”

“What did you have in mind?”

*********

About a year after he helped an elf become human and a human an elf, Yussa watches two half-elves walk towards the entrance of his tower, one with bright red hair and fair skin, the other with white hair and ashen brown skin. He tells Wensforth to go put some tea on and that he will greet their guests himself, before making his way down to the door.

“Mr. Widogast, Mr. Thelyss, I see you’ve worked something out.”

#shadowgast #fic #shadowgast fic #my fics #caleb widogast #essek thelyss #yussa errenis

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saphirered · 3 years

Note

essek!!! honestly anything lol but maybe (i'll try to keep it vague for spoiler reasons) after ep 131 or ep 124, maybe a confession fic? if you aren't caught up just a general how a confession would go please! i love your writing and blog btw, all your caleb stuff is so 👌👌👌

Thank you for your request and yes I am caught up. I hope you enjoy this one.

Warning spoilers for Episode 124

Essek’s betrayal hit you hard. Sure you’d considered the possibility but being faced with that truth so upfront hurt, a lot. You’d been able to avoid him for the longest of times thanks to the Nein being taken in different directions. You simply couldn’t face him. After the party in Nicordanas you put on a brave face and you agreed with Caleb wholeheartedly but you didn’t have the strength to say these words yourself. Any interaction you had between then and now had been cordial and straight to the point whereas before there were plenty of pleasantries, some flirting even and the realisation your flirting was rooted within your own feelings. You’re a good enough people reader to know that his, at the very least were rooted in affection and before Nicodranas you might have seen a possible bright future for the both of you. Even after his betrayal was revealed your feelings remained but they were overshadowed by your pain. It felt like your heart was ripped from your chest.

The trust, kindness, his affections for you, were they all just something to be exploited in a bigger plot. He said at first he was using the Nein but he grew attached so had you just been a pawn in a bigger ploy he felt sorry for? So many questions you had asked yourself over the last weeks, months even at this point and none of them you dared to answer so you didn’t. You pushed them aside and moved on. You pushed Essek out of your mind because it was easier than dealing with the pain. Pushing something away only works for so long. He’d come back into your life sooner rather than later. Aeor came closer in view and after the absolute shit show with the Tombtakers all of you were at your wits end. You didn’t want to pull anyone along into this chaos and especially not a certain wizard who’s proven himself to be prone to his desires for pursuit of knowledge and power; a thing you’d be serving on a silver platter but you really had no better options at this point.

The closer to your destination you got the more closed off you became. Face devoid of emotion and voice monotone, direct and without a single break you’d begun to mentally prepare yourself for your upcoming encounter to the point where you were seriously considering you might actually prefer another encounter with the Tombtakers over facing Essek. Your gradual shift in behaviour must have caught some attention as you quickly had a Jester at your side attempting to make happy conversation and lift your spirit and provide distraction. You tried to play along but the pitying smile from Caleb told you about how good a job you were doing. Nevermind the tiefling never quit and you could appreciate that. Jester cares and you were hurting so she did whatever she could to make it better.

You eventually made it to the outpost and your ‘official’ mode kicked in taking over for Beau when she started butchering Undercommon. You presented yourself with an air of authority and purpose and that seemed to do the job very well. And there he was in all his miserable glory putting on a similar face as yours. He was caught off guard by Jester running in and hugging him and while he looked at you his eyes quickly avoided. Even though the conversations that followed you had no problem looking at him, sure he could feel your eyes burning but your gaze remained cold and distant; the way he had seen you face an enemy and the way you study when in company you don’t trust, watching the danger like a hawk for every single twitch. In this conversation it was very clear he had a hard time keeping eye contact but he was straight up avoiding both you and Caleb and you could put two and two together; shame. He was ashamed of everything he did and caused that much was sure.

In a more private setting without the continuous presence of Dynasty soldiers the Nein told him everything that had occurred the past few weeks and slowly but surely his facade faltered, the gravity of the situation kicking in and him contemplating, taking in all the information you provided. You didn’t speak to him directly and only gave your input when it came to queries among the Nein having nothing to add directed at Essek.

“I’ve spent so much of my life focussed on myself, my climb, all of my selfish needs. I’ve never really been trusted and so I did not trust. And I never let anyone close. I have been clouded in my judgement many times for a lot of my life. When I- when you gave me trust, it gave me a perspective that was so agonisingly striking. So easy to see that I refused to acknowledge it at first, even. I would be lying if I said that our paths crossing hasn’t shaken me to the core and I’m appreciative and thankful for this perspective, but you do not owe me trust for what I’ve done.” Those words hit hard and you found yourself biting down on your lip to prevent yourself from speaking. All the feelings you tried to push away so hard came back up and you were fighting to hold them at bay to prevent yourself from saying something you’d regret. Luckily the others jumped in allowing you to keep your silence.

The conversation continued and Caleb made some good points making sure to make eye contact with you every so often to make sure you were alright and in agreement. You were interrupted after the mentions of Dagen and some shouting outside. You’d say you were surprised but really you weren’t though the sight of the man holding onto one of the Aurora Watch soldiers while presenting the letter he was told to deliver was quite the sight and made you quickly cover up a snort. Not quick enough apparently as some did catch on. Eventually back inside Jester began to insinuate Caleb should show the red eyes on his skin but you quickly shut that down, the first words you had spoken since you got here.

“What are we talking about?” Essek asks confused.

“Nothing you need concern yourself with.” Your words were colder than you intended but got the message across clear it seemed. They quickly shifted the subject back to Lucien, Aeor, the Somnovum, Vess being indisposed, gathering further allies until you landed on possibly considering bringing Astrid and Eadwulf into this opposed to Trent himself it was revealed or more like confirmed Essek had had dealings with the man in the past, persuading you all not to go to the Assembly. And because Veth slipped up you had to come clean about Vess’ actual state; dead in the hands of Lucien who killed her without as much as the blink of an eye. You were very much aware he was on the brink of a mental breakdown and you couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

Hot cocoa was passed around and you did not refuse Beau’s offer of a good pour of whiskey while the conversation continued in regards to the Beacons and some choice of words and theories around the Beacons that could be considered sacrilege among the Dynasty. You were planning out the delve into the ruins Essek suggesting it would be best to go your separate ways until you were ready to traverse Aeor. The conversation ends and you are about to go your separate ways bedding down for the night until you would travel to gather allies and supplies. Caleb stays at your side aware of how you’re handling things but he stops with you before you leave catching Essek by the forearm.

“Breathe. Just.. breathe that fresh air mindful of the people about. Time. Time. Not weeks. Not years. It takes time.” He was speaking to Essek but you knew the words were directed at you as well. For the first time you deliberately meet eyes looking over your shoulder as you join the rest of the Nein. You were lead to a reasonably sized room, small for all of you but much more preferable to the ice and snow outside. You take time to settle down and eventually sit down with Beau and Caleb.

“I don’t trust any of this.” You tell them hugging your knees to your chest.

“I’m with you. It’s just too much. Too many risks. To many cards not yet in play that could shake this whole game up.” Beau agrees.

“But we have to make a choice and Essek is our safest and most certain bet. Every option is risky.” Caleb has a point and it’s one you’ve been using to justify and be at peace with all of this.

“I’m afraid that he’s going to realise the pressure is too much and he’ll bolt. Or the Assembly catches up to him before we get back and they’ll rat him out but my biggest concern right now is for the Tombtakers to travel faster than we’re expecting. What if they get here? Our advantage will be gone.” The rest of the Nein having turned into the conversation had to agree with you there. If your or Essek’s enemies somehow got involved you’d be screwed.

“You got a point. So how do we solve this? Essek said it’s best to go our separate ways until we got our stuff sorted so we can’t really stick around and we’d still be traceable if we split up. It’s a risk we’ll have to take as it’s the safest for both of us now.” Beau contemplates trying to formulate a better plan. You already had a plan and you didn’t like it for one minute but it was all you got.

“I know how we solve this. You give me the amulet and I stay behind. That way they can’t scry on me as long as I’m here. They can scry on us when we’re together anyway and with only one amulet we’re not going to get very far. You gather everything we need, get whatever help we can get and come back here when you’re ready to leave.” You can hardly believe your own mind could make the decision regardless of your personal opinions.

“And you’re okay staying behind with Essek to keep an eye on him? What if Lucien and his gang shows up?”

“Beau, I’ll manage. My personal feelings don’t matter in the bigger picture for now. I can get over myself. As for the Tombtakers, Essek’s gonna be a fat load of good when he can’t use his magic. If they get here before you return I’ll get him out of here and to Aeor myself if I have to. Can’t defeat them but I sure as hell can outrun them for a while.” You assured them, a couple of nods and attempts to protest eventually resulted in the agreement. You’d stay behind. One final rest and everyone would be finishing their unfinished business, say their goodbyes and hellos, get their closure and prepare for the worst. Yet you couldn’t see yourself anywhere but here. Sure you wanted to be there for your friends but they could do without you. You were needed here so maybe your own unfinished business had to conclude right here where you are.

You said your goodbyes and the Nein were off leaving you alone in the makeshift chamber. You inhale deeply and exhale slowly counting to ten in your head and leave the room. The back of your mind tells you this was a mistake and you definitely couldn’t do this but there’s no way back now so you put on your brave face and make your way to Essek’s chambers. In front of the door you wait, count to ten again and put on your brave face before you knock on the door. The door swings open.

“Y/n. I was not expecting to see you. Please come in.” He speaks glancing around you for any of the guard that could possibly hear him. The moment you force yourself to enter the door closes behind you and you can see him deflate just a little, all manner of composure dropping for a moment before he looks up at you from behind his desk. Up front he may appear composed once more but his eyes tell a different story. Panic, surprise, questions, fear and shame.

“Have you come to say goodbye?” A slight break of his voice at the last word. Oh Essek you really dropped the ball haven’t you, you think to yourself.

“No actually. I came to tell you the others have left and I’ll be staying behind.” He goes to protest getting up from his seat. Fear, concern and something you can’t identify peak through.

“So unless you’re planning to take me to wherever they have gone yourself resulting in you having to get back here with all the potential risks you’ve priorly described, I’m staying here and there’s nothing you can do about it so suck it up, darling.” You mentally kick yourself for using that last word. You didn’t mean to but you slipped up falling back in old habits.

“You’re putting yourself at great risk by staying here so please let me take you back to the others.” He comes closer to you and you stay your ground.

“Sorry. Not going to happen, Essek. I’m staying. I can’t be scried upon so I’ll be fine.”

“There’s many more dangers than the risk of being scried upon.”

“Which ones would you be referring to? The assassins after you? Or maybe the risk of you being discovered? The person who sent the assassins getting antsy and exposing you to the Dynasty?Being a traitor to your nation and a catalyst in a bigger plot you have no control over? The Tombtakers and their shenanigans? Literally anything to do with Aeor? The alleged death and or plotting of the demise of extremely powerful mages? Keeping secrets and being prepared to find or create a scapegoat to cover up the fact that the peace agreement between two nations which is already hanging by a single thread was based on the lies and deceit of another? Or perhaps it’s your uncanny ability to pursuit the path to your own destruction and your terrible sense of judgement and eye for consequences? Oh or maybe the fact that if we don’t stop all of this the world like we know it will possibly come to an end and we’ll could just end up dealing with yet another Calamity scale event? Take your pick because I’m pretty sure I’m already involved in what? All of them? But please be my guest and pick one!” You lost all composure you had but the more you talk the more you realise you couldn’t keep all of this pent up. It does you no good.

“My apologies. I won’t ask for your forgiveness as-“ You cut him off. You’re on a roll so you’re gonna get this over with while you’re at it; speak your mind openly without restrained.

“Yet you still have it! For some stupid reason I find it within myself to forgive you for all horrible thing you’ve done but the one; I can’t seem to get over the fact you betrayed my trust. That you didn’t trust me when it mattered and that I was nothing but a pawn in your game and you discarded the trust I put in you so easily.” You can feel your voice crack multiple times throughout your words and you curse yourself for doing so. Essek looks at his feet lips tightly pushed together.

“Perhaps my expectations were too high.” You spat about to storm out of the room but the door remained closed.

“Essek let me go.” You glared at him. He couldn’t even give you that? A departure with dignity before you broke down?

“You’ve said your part I think it’s only fair I say mine. Though if you wish to leave I won’t hold you here. You’re free to set foot where you please. I know I have no right to but I ask only a moment.” You brace yourself already mentally kicking yourself for coming to this decision so quickly and not even being able to tell yourself why you shouldn’t.

“Fine. I’ll hear what you have to say.” You cross your arms and take a few steps back in his direction.

“From the moment I’ve met you I’ve been captivated by you but I simply couldn’t get over myself and admit to myself that maybe what I’m doing isn’t worth the collateral. You made me feel guilt and regret but I pushed that aside because I there was no way back from what I had already set into motion. I meant what i said, I have grown attached to your little group and I would even go as far as to call them friends something I haven’t been able to call anyone. Not truly without ulterior motives. But you’ve always been something more. I know I will repent for my sins but I will not drag you down that path with me. I love you too much to allow that to happen. So I beg of you, do not put yourself at risk for my sake.” Finally he looks at you without looking away or avoiding your direct gaze.

“I refuse to let you become collateral in my actions. No matter how much I want you at my side I know you simply cannot be and I have come to accept that. Please grant me the dignity of excluding you from my own demise.”

“What you want and what you get are two very different things Essek.” You definitely heard the proclamation of love but it was said in the heat of the moment so you let it go for now choosing to ignore it.

“Believe me I am very much aware. Just as I am aware I have ruined what we had and perhaps even the chance of one day earning your love should you ever give it to me. While I may wish I could change the past I would never change meeting you and the moments we shared. The mere thought of your smile makes me feel a fraction of your warmth in this cold wasteland and I could die a happy man should it be the last thing I see. I believe my worst fear to have come true when it became clear I may never see that smile of yours again. I cannot deny my feelings for you so I won’t and I will assure you I am honest and open when I say that I love you. I’d rather say it now before we both walk into our deaths when we set foot in those ruins.”

“I know I have no right to and I will admit I am a selfish man when I hope you will at least tell me that you might have shared my feelings were the circumstances different.” His feet touch the ground and he studies you for any response but finds none.

“You are a fool. Hopeless. You are selfish and hardly ever look out for anyone but yourself. You would betray anyone if it were to further your own interests or save your own hide. You’d sacrifice anything and anyone to get what you want, price be damned.” You begin stepping closer to him and you can see him break just a little on the inside.

“That’s what I want to believe but I simply can’t. My own mind argues against all the things it reasonably tries to claim you to be. Yes you are a fool but you are also one of the cleverest and most intriguing people I’ve ever met. You’re not hopeless. You are selfish but your selfishness knows boundaries as displayed by your guilt and regret and shame. You would betray anyone but only if it meant you it allowed you to save what you care about and you’d sacrifice anything and everything to protect it. But I still wonder. Was it worth it? Making the choices you did was it worth putting yourself in this place?”

“No. Most of the results while desired were not worth the cost.” Again the guilt and shame rises.

“Then you have learned. So I will give you what you need; my honestly. We both know that these flirtations we’ve had are more than just that. Back then I could have seen a future where you and I could have had something beautiful but I will also admit I have not seen the same thing ever since our last meeting. I do not see a future not because my feelings for you have disappeared but simply because it is unpredictable. It’s fickle much like the Dunamancy you study. And that’s exactly how a future should be, right? Uncertain and unpredictable. What we’re walking into is just that. So if we do make it out alive I’m sure that future will be much clearer once we’re no longer on the brink of destruction.” You step up close enough and put a hand on his cheek making him look you in the eye.

“I don’t understand.” He begins.

“Let me spell it out for you.” You move your lips closer to his and when he doesn’t pull away you place your lips on his in a chaste kiss.

“Do you get it now?” You say as you pull apart.

“I think I may need another explanation to make sure I caught that right.” He stumbles a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks so you oblige and kiss him again.

“I love you.” You say leaning your forehead against his.

“I love you too.” Both of you laugh taking in the craziness of the situation. You went from being upset to arguing to honesty and a confession of love. This truly must be something recorded in some romance novel in Jester’s collection. Ridiculous but true.

“You may be a fool Essek Thelyss, but you are my fool and don’t you forget.”

#critical role x reader #mighty nein x reader #essek x reader #essek theyless #critrole x reader

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wafflesandkruge · 3 years

Text

when you love someone

The Grand Palace was quiet at this hour with nearly everyone asleep, save for the two royals themselves. Although he’d gone to bed at his usual time, sleep had eluded him and he’d tossed and turned until he simply gave up. He’d slipped into the kitchens the same way he had when he was a boy, but instead of desserts, he found himself looking for something a bit stronger. But to his surprise, he’d found his soon-to-be wife already there, her personality more bracing than any liquor he’d ever tasted.

for @trackermal: “ehri and nik and ‘how come she loves you?’”

Ehri looked at Nikolai over her glass of brandy with obvious distaste. He couldn’t help but think she had spent a little too much time with Zoya- they had the same unimpressed expression seemingly reserved just for him, like he was a cheap street magician who kept bumbling his tricks. Which was rude, because he was perfectly capable of juggling.

“Should a wife really be looking at her husband like that?” He attempted to reach for his glass, then remembered Ehri had stolen it. She’d developed a taste for his favorite drink in her few weeks in Os Alta. With a sigh, he fetched another glass from the cabinet and poured another one for himself.

Ehri scowled. “Like what?”

“Like I just killed your childhood pet in front of you.”

“My sister did that once,” she mused.

“Makhi?”

“Correct.”

“Hmm. Elder siblings really are the worst, aren’t they?”

“I’ll drink to that,” she muttered as she clinked her glass to his. A bit of amber liquid sloshed over the side and onto the table, but she didn’t seem to notice as she brought the glass to her lips again. Nikolai wondered just how much she’d had before he’d walked in. When he’d entered the room, he’d found her sitting at a table under a window, the moonlight bathing her in a silver glow as she’d sipped at rice wine and stared out at the city with a melancholic expression. In her pale dress, she might as well have been a statue carved by a skillful hand.

He often wondered if he’d ever be able to love her the way a husband loved a wife. Attempted murder aside, he found he was quite fond of her; her sharp wit and sharper tongue were always worthwhile sparring partners and she was undeniably pretty in the unassuming manner of a spring blossom. But the fondness he had for Ehri never grew into anything more than the affection he'd feel for a close friend, not in the way it did with...her.

He cleared his throat loudly, suddenly not wanting to dwell on those thoughts. Ehri cut him a baleful glance.

“Yes, dearest husband?”

“I was wondering, sweetest wife, the reason for your late night visit. I’m assuming you weren’t here for the excellent view?”

Ehri scoffed and reached for the bottle again. “The view here is nothing in comparison to Ahmrat Jen. I am marrying into a backwater village.”

Nikolai clutched at his chest in mock hurt. “You wound me.”

“And I’ll do it again.”

He let her threat of regicide slide and sipped at his glass. As he’d hoped, she sighed and began to speak to fill the silence.

“I talked to Mayu today.”

Nikolai raised an eyebrow. The Tavgharad girl had been confined to a separate wing of the palace ever since she’d recovered from her self-inflicted wound. To his knowledge, there had been no attempt at contact from either of them. His puzzled thoughts must have shown on his face, because Ehri snorted and shook her head.

“It was that Shu guard of yours. Tolya. He snuck me into the east wing for half an hour.”

A bolt of panic went through him. Tolya? If his most trusted guard was helping plot against him, why would she reveal that? His grip on his glass tightened until his knuckles were white. But before his thoughts could spiral further, she rolled her eyes.

“Don’t look like that, you’ll get wrinkles. And what would you be without your good looks? He was within earshot the entire time to make sure we weren’t plotting anything. Ask him yourself.”

“But...” he started, his mind still struggling to grasp the magnitude of his friend’s betrayal. “Why would he help you?”

“Because he’s an incurable romantic,” she replied, her gaze shifting away from his face. Her hands shook as she raised her glass again and downed it in one go. He waited for her to say more, to finish her thought, but her lips were pressed into a thin line as she looked at anything but him.

It hit him a moment later.

“Oh.” He suddenly felt like the world’s biggest fool.

“Took you long enough. And I thought they said you were clever.” Her words were sharp, but there was visible relief on her face as she finally set her glass aside. He supposed he ought to have been touched she trusted him enough to let him in on so big of a secret. Though he supposed he didn’t have much to gain from it, not when he was the one who needed the wedding to happen.

“So how long...” his voice trailed off.

“Since we were seventeen. She’d just been assigned to my guard, and she was the only girl my age in the palace who wasn’t scared to talk to me.” She traced the grain of the wooden table with a finger, seemingly lost in her memories. “She kissed me first, actually. Stupid on her part, when she knew I could have had her executed for even touching me. But it all worked out. Until it fell apart again, I suppose.”

“What happened?”

“She said she wouldn’t be staying. That she’d go back to Shu Han the first chance she got because she couldn’t see me wed to another.” Ehri gave a brittle laugh. “Her jealousy is stronger than her oath of loyalty, I suppose.”

Nikolai averted his gaze. He had the distinct feeling Ehri wouldn’t appreciate it if he saw her cry. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. Well, actually,” she conceded, sniffling a little, “it is. But it’s not your fault we were born as two people who couldn’t be together in this life.”

He suddenly found his glass terribly interesting. He wasn’t sure if she’d meant to hint at his own personal dilemmas, but their conversation was getting uncomfortably close to turning on him. And of course, she decided to pounce on that.

“You and the general.” It wasn’t a question, or even speculation, but a statement. Nikolai tried not to wince.

“What about General Nazyalensky and I?”

“You care for each other.” Her golden eyes were bright with unshed tears, but they were still narrowed in triumph. Saints, did everything have to be a fight with her? Nikolai ran a hand through his hair and tried to keep his knee from bouncing.

“Of course we care for each other,” he said with a forced laugh, “As I’m sure you know, four years ago-”

“That’s not what I mean,” she interrupted. She leaned in closer until he could smell her floral perfume. He tried not to lean back. That would have been a loss for him. “The two of you are like Mayu and I. Zhiji. When they know you better than you know yourself.”

He thought about denying it, as he’d always done. But perhaps it was the drink, or the lack of sleep, or the company, that he gave a tired nod. It wasn’t his best decision, but it felt fair. Surprisingly, Ehri didn’t gloat. Instead, she looked even gloomier if possible. She slumped back into her chair.

“Why hasn’t she left, then? Will she still be seeing you behind closed doors even after we are wed? How can she still love you?”

How indeed. Nikolai reached for the bottle again, only to find it empty. They were both going to regret this the next morning. He sighed and folded his hands together so they would stop trembling.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve her. If she tells me she wants to leave tomorrow, I wouldn’t stop her.”

Ehri’s brows furrowed. “You wouldn’t fight to keep her here?”

“No. Sometimes, love is about letting go.” And that was what all love was in the end, wasn’t it? The loss of it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Saints, he needed another drink. He pushed himself up from the table and started digging through the cabinets again.

She was silent as she turned that over in her head. Nikolai found a half-full bottle of kvas, probably hidden away by a kitchen boy to show off to his friends later. Not his favorite, but it’d have to do. He’d replace it with a nicer bottle the next day. He brought it back to the table and filled both their glasses.

“I don’t think I like that very much,” Ehri said, staring into her drink as if she could scry secrets from its surface. “Love should be something you fight to keep, no matter what.”

He offered her a tired smile. “Then you’re the braver one of us, Princess. Personally, I’m a bit tired of fighting at the moment.”

“You give shitty advice,” she accused.

“I’m drunk.”

“It’s an improvement.”

He decided to let her have the last word. They sat in silence as the moon climbed higher in the sky, the last bottle quickly polished off between them. There was a certain comfort in the quiet, an understanding that he only found with Ehri. It was rather nice. But if he ever told her that, she’d probably laugh in his face. Saints, he wished he’d meet a decent royal at least once in his life.

Ehri was the first to push away from the table first some hours later, the legs of her chair scraping against the stone floor with an ear splitting screech. Nikolai winced.

“Have a good night, o’ honorable husband,” she said as she brushed some dust off her sleeve. Her entire body swayed with the motion. “Don’t get assassinated. I don’t think I could manage to look mournful at your funeral.”

“Sweet dreams, darling wife,” he said with some amusement as he watched her stumble out of the kitchen. If he’d been feeling kinder, he might have offered to walk her to her room. But when he already knew what the answer was going to be, he didn’t have the strength to waste his breath.

#if anyone tags this as nik/ehri i will knife you #kos #king of scars #kos writing #nikolai #ehri #zoya #mayu #tolya #zoyalai #mayri #grishaverse #leigh bardugo #my writing

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ironwoman359 · 4 years

Note

The whole group just wrecking havoc in order to rescue their kidnapped teammate and crying together with Patton?

Sacrifice

Summary: It’s been over a lifetime since the priests of the Harvest God demanded a human sacrifice. But this year, they’ve called for a young man with a pure heart to appease the god…which does not bode well for Patton. Romantic LAMP, Patton centric hurt/comfort.

Word count: 1,851

Content Warnings: Human sacrifice, fantasy violence, knives, bow & arrows, bad people are killed in self defence, mentions of killing animals, sympathetic deceit and remus are mentioned but not really that important.

Author’s Notes: I have no explanation for this, I wanted to write a short little whumpy hurt/comfort scene then this happened. Hope you enjoy!

— — —

Patton had never been dressed so finely in all his life. The white robes he wore were made of the softest fabric he’d ever felt, and were cinched at the waist with a silk belt that was as smooth as running water beneath his fingertips. A crown of flowers sat on his head, and his normally wild curls had been washed and treated with some kind of oil that made them shine in the sun like spun gold.

And he was shaking so hard that the chains wrapped around his wrists and ankles were rattling louder than the altar boys’ tambourines.

He stumbled as the procession continued to walk through the city streets towards the square, and a priest beside him pulled him up roughly by the arm, forcing him back into line. Patton’s vision was blurry with tears, but he didn’t really need to see to walk towards his imminent doom. He was almost glad for the lack of clarity.

They reached the center of the city far too soon for Patton’s liking, and the procession came to a stop. Two priests took Patton by the arms and marched him forward towards the huge marble altar that stood in the town square. The monument was usually a beautiful sight, with the sunlight catching the glistening stone just so and showing off the fine craftsmanship that had gone into carving and constructing the holy structure.

Patton found the sight a lot more ominous than usual on this particular morning, but he supposed that was because he was going to die here.

He did not struggle as the priests pulled him up and laid him down on the altar, though that was less because he was ready to die and more because his body had more or less gone completely numb. The altar boys who had played tambourines in the parade celebrating his death lay their instruments down and helped the priests take the chains wrapped around Patton’s wrists and ankles and secure them to the edges of the altar, where loops had been thoughtfully carved out to make securing the sacrifice easier.

Patton’s heart ached at the sight of the little boys being so casual about their work- didn’t they care that he was a person, about to die right in front of them?- but he supposed that the priests had told them it was no different from when they sacrificed bulls in the temple.

And while Patton did feel bad for the bulls at the yearly Harvest Sacrament, he’d never found anything particularly wrong with the practice.

Every year on the first morning without frost, the priests would hold a scrying in the temple to divine what sacrifice the Harvest God required for the year to be prosperous. Patton had heard stories, of course, of when the Harvest God asked for humans. There was a reason the altar in the town square had been built, after all. But in all Patton’s life, the priests had never demanded the people for a human sacrifice, and Patton had assumed that it was simply an old practice that had been done away with as society moved on. Sacrificing a bull had been the harvest tradition for longer than Patton had been alive.

Until this year, when the priests had emerged from their scrying with the declaration that the Harvest God demanded the sacrifice of one of the townsfolk, of a “youthful male, pure of heart and soul,” to be precise.

Patton had been in the market with his partners when they’d taken him.

He let his thoughts drift to their faces as the High Priest began the opening words of the ritual. To Roman’s tan skin and dazzling smile, to the way Logan’s nose scrunched up and brow furrowed when he was concentrating, to the soft fondness that Virgil had hiding just behind the exterior of his sharp gaze. He wished he could have told them one last time how much he loved them, how special they were to him and how he’d treasured every moment of time that they’d spent together.

But he hadn’t gotten a chance to properly say goodbye, and now the last image of them he had in his mind was of their shocked horrified faces, accompanied by his own screams as he’d been ripped away from them and dragged to the temple for purification.

The High Priest finished his speech, and took a long knife from am intricately jeweled sheath. Tears filled Patton’s eyes as the High Priest held the weapon high above his head, ready to plunge it down into Patton’s chest.

“Harvest God, with this soul, we appease thee,” said the priest, and Patton closed his eyes.

He was expecting pain. What he was not expecting was an angry shout from the crowd followed by a surprised gargling sound from over his head. He opened his eyes just in time to see the High Priest fall backwards off the pedestal, an arrow embedded in his chest. The temple officials all made various sounds of surprise, which only increased when a boy in dark clothes swung his way up onto the platform, followed by boy in a red tunic who quickly drew a sword from his belt.

Patton’s heart leapt with joy, then clenched with fear at the sight of two of his boyfriends.

“V-virgil,” he choked out as the youngest of his loves knelt by his head. “What are you doing here they’ll, you’ll be killed you have to run-”

“Not without you, Pat!” Virgil said fiercely, raising a morning star up over his head.

Another arrow flew over their heads as Virgil began hacking at the chains holding Patton down, felling a temple guard who’d been approaching from behind.

“Virge, hurry! More are coming!” Roman called from where he was fighting two priests at once, who apparently did more than just stare into bowls of incense all day based on how well they were fighting back.

The chains were strong enough to keep Patton from escaping, but they were also ceremonial, engraved and made of gold, so it only took a few strikes from Virgil’s weapon before one of Patton’s arms was free, then the other, and then one of his legs as well. Virgil raised the morning star high, but then froze, just as Patton felt something sharp and cold press against his neck.

One of the priests had apparently been clever enough to pretend to be shot by one of the arrows that still rained from overhead, and had crawled over to the High Priest’s corpse. The ceremonial knife was now at Patton’s throat, and Virgil and Roman were frozen, staring into the priests eyes.

“Don’t,” Virgil said, his voice dark and dangerous, but Patton could hear the hint of panicked desperation underneath.

The priest looked back and forth between Roman and Virgil, and for a moment the pressure against Patton’s throat lessened and he dared to hope.

“Harvest God, with this soul-”

An arrow appeared out of nowhere, lodging itself into the priest’s neck, and the man went limp. A few more inches to the left and the projectile would have hit Patton instead; the man probably assumed that whoever was firing the arrows wouldn’t risk injuring Patton to hit the priest. The priest had clearly never met Logan, or seen him shoot an apple out of a pig’s mouth at the Summers Eve feast. Virgil brought the morning star down, snapping the final chain and pulling Patton out of his stupor.

He scrambled to his feet and Virgil dropped his weapon, scooping Patton up bridal style and sidling up behind Roman.

“Go,” he urged, and Roman leapt down from the altar, the crowd of people parting away from his sword like sheep from a wolfhound.

Virgil followed suit, and then they were running through the streets so fast it made Patton’s head spin. He loped his arms around Virgil’s neck and buried his face in his chest, trying to block out everything around him.

After a few minutes of running, they had reached the city stables, and Patton barely had time to ask what was happening before he was deposited in the back of a carriage, Virgil scrambling in after him. Low voices came from outside the carriage, and Patton recognized the voice of the stable master, Dee, talking with Roman.

“-everything’s arranged. We’ll meet up with Remus at the Hearthfire Inn then go our separate ways.”

“Are we good to depart?” came a new voice, and Patton’s heart leapt at the sound.

“Yes, everything has been arranged,” Dee said, and after another chorus of thank yous, the door to the carriage was open and Logan was climbing inside, followed quickly by Roman.

Patton could hear Dee clamoring to sit in the driver’s seat, and after another moment there was a flick of reins and the carriage rolled out of the stables, the horses cantering at a brisk pace judging by how quickly Patton saw branches rush past before Logan shut the curtains.

He turned to Patton then, and sagged in relief.

“Patton,” was all he managed to choke out before Patton was flinging himself into Logan’s arms.

“Thank you,” he whispered, his whole body trembling as Logan began to gently run his fingers through Patton’s curls.

Patton glanced up at Virgil, whose face was an interesting mixture of relieved and terrified, and then over at Roman, reaching out for them until they moved to join the embrace.

Roman came alongside him and Virgil pressed up against his back, effectively sandwiching him between his three loves, and Patton let out a shaky breath.

“Thank you,” he repeated, looking between all three of them, and Virgil nodded.

“Of course…god, Patton, of course, we weren’t about to just sit back and do nothing, we could never leave you like that.”

Whatever strength Patton had left evaporated, and he broke down into sobs in their arms, overcome with all the emotions he’d been experiencing over the last few days. Fear, hopelessness, despair, all giving way into a bone deep exhaustion that Patton couldn’t fight any longer.

Soft, comforting murmurs surrounded him, accompanied by gentle, soothing touches to his arms, his face, and his hair. He let himself cry, for how long he wasn’t sure, but eventually the sobs quieted and he let himself just be held in their arms, savoring the feeling of each of them pressed against him.

“I…I think I want to sleep for a bit,” he said quietly, and a murmur of agreement came from someone, he wasn’t sure who.

“I shall take first watch,” Logan said, leaning down to kiss Patton on the forehead. “The rest of you may sleep.”

“Sounds good, Specs,” Roman said, and Virgil was already closing his eyes and burying his face in Patton’s neck.

Roman let an arm fall around Virgil’s shoulders before closing his own eyes. Patton looked up at Logan, who gave him a soft smile.

“Rest, Patton,” he said so quietly that Patton almost felt rather than heard the words as his eyes drifted closed. “We’ll be right here with you.”

—

Sanders Sides Taglist (pt.1): @lizethemotherlycat, @coffeestudylive, @logically-asexual, @migraine-marathon, @princeyssash, @idontevenfreakingknow22, @tree4life25, @spacevirgil, @virgiltheanxious, @thebaagelboy, @msu82, @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2, , @thesleepyraziel, @bobolovesoze, @littlemiracle05, @pattson, @nerd-in-space, @thesides, @stay-in–place, @ravenclawunicorn1, @at-least-seven-pretty-potatoes, @michealawithana, @anotherfandomtrasher , @fandomsofrandom, @a-deliciouslyfadingcollection, @nightmarejasmine, @xxfoxit, @quoth-the-sparrow, @katatles-the-fish, @misty-the-mysterious, @alyssadashrub, @punkassplonker, @noctisvalex, @i-sold-my-soul-to-thefandom, @funsizedgremlin, @vigilantvirgil, @nonamefightergirl, @thomasbemyfriend, @starsinger , @milomeepit, @justabookworm39, @shortandfantastic, @thesilentbluesparrow, @royallyanxious, @mirror2thespirit, @coffee-stains-paper-and-ink, @silverrhayn, @mooksie01, @backatthebein, @nye275, @anastasialestina, @callboxkat, @a-lexicon-of-words, @emeraldfoxface, @peachie-keeen, @llamaly, @witch19, @heythereprincey, @bring-it-on-perra, @nienna14, @bubblycricket,

Sanders Sides Taglist (pt.2): @thomasfandersunite, @slightlyobssesive, @logicallyanxious, @apologetically-anxious, @keys117, @digitally-analog, @ocotopushugs, @warping-reality, @grey-lysander, @your-username-is-unavailable, @hikariyukino, @theresneverenoughfandoms, @virgil-sanderssss, @violetmcl, @thatfandomfollower, @nothingelsemattersme, @cdragontogacotar, @narniasfinestavengingsociopath, @absentmindedproff , @fantasyandfairfolk , @virgilsblogofanxietys, @your-average-outcast, @sanderstalker, @galaxy-warping, @queen-of-all-things-snuggly @a-little-bit-of-ace, @faithfreedom-art @therealhmmlingle @xxladystarlightxx, @morgan-the-art-girl, @stormcrawler75 @wowitsmyblog, @romanssippycup, @lunalikesgamesandstuff, @lamp-calm-sanders, @musikasworld @cyberpunkjinx, @mauvelavender @samathekittycat @black-out-wonder @i-read-by-lamp @ravenclawicecream @nashiraneko @lucifer-in-my-head @ladyartemisia28 @awesome-and-unique-username @zoalis @entpscarleharrrr @raygelkitty @zeldahadasword @gubbalupagus @musicphanpie-b @virgilssweaterpaws, @faacethefacts @a-simple-fryingpan @pinkeasteregg @punknerdmusings @imantisocialgetoverit @anuninspiredpoet @awkward-avocado-of-death, @poison-lyra @modcarbz, @thisrandomperson102, @skydiamcnds @just-another-starfish, @thepoolofthedead,

#sanders sides #patton sanders #roman sanders #logan sanders #virgil sanders #ts fanfic #hurt/comfort #whump prompts #my writing #radioactivehelena #asks and answers

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catisawells · 4 years

Text

The Conjurer's Dilemma; a guild job board collaboration.

Catisa Wells looked around from beneath her cowl, the dark woods that surrounded the town certainly gave the whole place a dreary feel, she could only imagine a place called Deadwind Pass wasn’t going to be much better. With a sigh she glanced at the parchment she had jotted a few notes down about their task, the first of which being that she was to meet her partner for the duration of this mission at the town square. The fledgling mage waited patiently, the scarlet robes she wore surely a dead give away as to her career choices, though she began to find it eerie that there was no one outside and despite it being only late afternoon it seemed as though night had fallen upon the area.

Approaching from the north, on the road from Redridge, as what little light filtered through the leaves of the trees dimmed more, the light from the lanterns in town offering some welcome pools of light, a man approached. His silhouette may have been imposing, tall and broad-shouldered, nearly as tall as he was slung across his back, but as he grew closer and noticed Catisa, he raised a hand in greeting with a wide and pleasant smile, "Hey! You're down here from the Violet Bastion too, yeah? Supposed to be meeting someone!" His voice has the characteristic twang of Westfall, giving even the simple greeting a folksy quality.

She nearly yelped when she saw him, an imposing figure in the dark, before he stepped into the light of the street lanterns. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as he spoke and she lifted her hands to relieve her head of the cowl. "Hello! Yes! My name is Catisa Wells, it's certainly a pleasure. I'm new to the Bastion, but I don't believe we've had the pleasure yet." She extended a hand in an offer to shake if he took it, her touch would be warm and her accent told of a gilnean farm girl.

"The name's Mason!" The man's handshake was firm, yet friendly, and quite enthusiastic. Pulling his calloused hand away - one of his many qualities that made him seem more a workman than one who would be part of an organization like the Violet Bastion - he continued, "Mason Kohler, rather. Haven't made your acquaintance yet, but then again, I haven't spent all too much time at the estate out of the workshop on the grounds trying to get things set up for my specifications." Clearing his throat, he motioned with a jerk of his head towards the east, and Deadwind Pass, "The plan's to track down that elemental and the poor fellow who brought it in, yeah? Any news in town about it?"

"A pleasure, Mister Kohler." She greeted him with a kind smile, "So far it appears to be a ghost town, though I brought something along that should help." With a smirk she reached into a satchel and pulled out a small orb. "A scrying orb. We should be able to track the familiar's movements, assuming that nothing else has interfered with the trail." Catisa gestured toward the mountains to the east, "From what I understand, the guards here lost it in Deadwind Pass, so I expect we should be able to pick up traces of it if we head toward the largest mana reservoir in that direction."

He nodded matter-of-factly, and motioned to the road leading east, which began to rise as it wound through the dark woods out of town and into the rocky pass far beyond, "Lead the way then, Miss Wells. I'm afraid I'm not much use at tracking magic, though I've gotta say, it's a skill I've been hoping to pick up a little more of one of these days. I tend to hunt down, let's say...more mundane threats!" The laugh which punctuated the end of his thought was booming and mirthful, especially in such a silent, dreary location as Duskwood, "Do lead on, and I'll keep at the ready!"

A giggle escaped her, she found his company soothing in their dark and unfamiliar surroundings. "Little tricks like this are things my mother was known for." The Pyromancer began as she started to walk with one hand out, the scrying orb glowing in her palm as she continued, "She was a fortune teller. This was actually hers before she passed, though it has far more uses than that of simple parlor tricks. If applied correctly, it can lock onto the magical signature of a being or even a person and lead you to them wherever they might be."

The man peered at the orb curiously as they walked, listening with a slight tilt of his head as she explained, that broad smile returning, "Yeah? Impressive little thing to be able to carry around! Might need to look into getting one for myself. That is, if I could channel a lick of magic that'd start it up. You might've guessed that that's not where my gifts really lie." He laughed again, following her on the path out of town, "You ever been out in these parts? Been quite a few years for me."

"I'm actually fairly new to the area, so unfortunately I haven't. This is a first for me." She looked around a bit nervously at that, noticing that as they walked the trees and sky grew more grey and dead looking. "Has it always been like this here?" She found herself wondering aloud, "What caused this?" Her steps slowed more and more, the further she got the more uncertain each step became. Though the orb seemed to continue to pulsate its eerie glow as steadily as ever, but the poor girl's hands were trembling and as much as she tried to hide it, it was probably painfully obvious to her companion.

"A mystery I'm afraid I don't know the answer to. Word is something big happened here a long time ago, rumors even say there was some Burning Legion involvement, and having seen just how bleak, I can say I wouldn't doubt it." He offered a reassuring smile, though he too was clearly put on edge by the greying of the world around them, everything from the sky above to the dirt beneath their feet, "What's hard to believe is that something like this is so close to home."

"The Legion..." Catisa echoed, recalling the all too recent war and sundering of their world by a giant blade and shuddered, "I've only read about some of the things the Legion are capable of, but that seems likely." She nodded, "So close to home and yet people still squabble over the price of a loaf of bread in the streets." Another sigh escaped her, raven black locks of hair fell over her features as her brow furrowed and their voices began to echo off of the valley walls around them. It was then that the orb in her palm began to glow a bright blue, illuminating a path before them of what appeared to be residual arcane. To someone not attuned to such a sight, it might look more like blue dust that glows in the dark.

Mason's brow, too, furrowed, recalling scenes of such squabbling himself, over the price of bread in Stormwind, and over the last scraps back home in Westfall, "Folks don't like to worry about the big things too much, I find. Reckon it gives them some peace, a little bit of control over what's going on. I know back home, even when the Legion was right there, skies choked with them..." He trailed off, dropping his thoughts as he narrowed his eyes at the glowing trail before them, "Looks like we've got something!"

The aspiring sorceress grinned, her tone excited and devoid of any trace of unease she had felt only moments before. "It does! and it looks like it's arcane in nature, so it's likely this is our familiar." She looked up at him and looked as though she might start sprinting down the path before she quirked a brow, "The signs should grow stronger as we get closer. These things can be tricky so we want to corner it before we spook it. And... I can understand that, to a degree, but I have no wish to live in the dark and hide." With a shake of her head she returned her gaze to the illuminated trail before them and continued their previous pace. "I was raised better than that."

"Sounds like we've got that in common then, Miss Wells. If I'd waited around for things to happen and didn't go out and find life for myself, well..." He shrugged, making to follow the trail, "Can't say I'd be the same person I am today. It's good that there are some of us out there who'll worry about the big things so others don't need to, yeah?" He flashed back his broad, excited grin as he moved further ahead, "Shall we?"

A wide grin flashed across her features as she watched him pull ahead of her and she moved to quicken her pace, the orb pulsing a dull blue in time with the arcane dust. "Yes, lets!" She giggled, "And it is, nice that is, to know there are others out there. It seems today has been an interesting day for conversations or perhaps I am just tired and thinking too deeply as of late."

"Met some other interesting folks? Not a bad thing, not at all, I say!" Mason continued following the trail illuminated by Catisa's scrying orb, though he moved carefully, and surprisingly quietly in his place-reinforced leathers, clearly having taken the mage's advice to heart about being sure to corner the elemental before engaging, "I'm awfully sure the best conversations are when you're on the road, or doing something interesting, rather than just sitting around."

"Someone else new to the Violet Bastion, actually. I think you'd like her, a Dark Iron dwarf by the name of Dahlyah, a huntress that knows only the hunt." She giggled. A moment later she brought her hand up and pointed into the distance, "See there? Where it starts to get brighter? We're getting close." As she spoke her voice lowered and her footsteps grew softer. Upon the horizon they could start to make out the roof of a tall structure, crooked and haunted by all manner of beings was the building that towered over the basin. The closer they got the more evident it became that their trail lead straight there.

"Wait a second... Name sounds awfully familiar." He pursed his lips in thought before his eyes widened in sudden recognition, a grin splitting his face, "I remember, I ran into her a while back! Let me pick one of the bounties she was looking for and have the job myself! It'll be good to see her again, I think!" He shook his head, "Not important right now, though. Looks like..." He trailed off as his gaze followed the haphazard tower to its summit, "Trouble, really. I never wanted to get this close, but we've got work to do."

She swallowed hard as she realized where they were headed, the trail led straight down to what appeared to be crypts below. "I didn't realize you two were already acquainted!" Came her response, though she was practically whispering at this point and her free hand had begun to reach for the fabric on his arm. An instinctual reach for someone to clutch onto and his much larger form certainly made her feel more at ease than she would have been, but nothing had prepared her for what they might see down there. "I-it looks like it's down there..." Catisa looked about, spotting no other entrances or trails to follow. "Assuming our familiar is the only thing down there, it may have made our jobs a bit easier."

"I'm sure hoping so..." Mason peered down the path ahead and down the dimly-lit stairwell leading to the crypts, "Last time I found myself wandering into some underground ruin, it wasn't the most pleasant experience, lemme tell you. On the bright side, I did make it outta that alright! So I'm sure we'll be fine!" His bravado, however, was not matched by his face, his grin having fallen away and been replaced by a look of cautious resolve. Following the still-shimmering trail left by the scrying stone, he pulled the sword from his back and held it before him, traces of lightning crackling along its blade offering some very slight light in the growing darkness.

A nervous laugh escaped the girl beside him, "At least there's that..." Her eyes then fell to the blade in his hand, having taken note that he had no abilities to call upon the arcane when he stated so she caught herself thinking aloud, "Enchantments?" The scrying stone would lead them down into the depths of the caverns full of sarcophagi. "I really hope that Remy Whiteley gentleman didn't end up making this his grave too."

He let out a chuckle, far from the booming laugh that had echoed off the cobblestones of Darkshire, and shook his head, "Enchantments? Something like that. Call it a gift. Not anything I'd be calling magic, but I can do a little more than just swing a sword if need be." He grimaced at the tombs lining the walls of the crypt, a sigh escaping his lips, "Gonna agree with you on that one. Whatever mistake he might've made in summoning something too big for him to control, poor man doesn't deserve to rot down here."

Catisa seemed put at ease a bit more in his presence, perhaps he was just humble about his own talents. "I'd love to know more about it when we're not, um," At this point her voice was a barely audible whisper as she practically clung to him, only poking her head out to see and her hand to illuminate the passages with the orb. "Crawling through dead people." She slammed her mouth shut, tears in her eyes as she felt a squeal rise in her throat from something cold and wet brushing across her leg briefly. It took all she could not to give away their presence, practically holding her breath as they continued forward, one step at a time.

Mason offered another reassuring smile, hoping it was visible even in the gloom of the crypt. He seemed to focus for a moment, the lightning dancing along his blade becoming brighter, more of a constant, softly crackling glow, and illuminating more than just a few steps ahead. The stones were damp, this far below the surface, but the light gave more in secure footing than they'd had a moment before, "Any way of telling how far away we are from the familiar we're after with that?" He motioned with a slight nod towards the scrying stone, "I feel like we - I hope, should say - don't have much further to go."

She nodded with a quiet noise from behind him, thankful for the additional light his blade provided. "It will start to-" As she was about to speak; the orb began to flash, slower at first, but as they proceeded the pace between pulses quickened. "Do that." She continued flatly. Up ahead of them was a divergence in the path, it split off into three other directions, but the brightest one of the three that veered off to the right appeared to be where their target lay. "Be careful," She whispered, "It's not much farther now... we want to catch it by surprise and..." With a brief pause she reached into her satchel and held out a small pale blue crystal. "Take this. Charge it like you do your blade and throw it at the familiar, it should stun it long enough for us to surround it."

Beginning to follow the light illuminating the right-hand tunnel, Mason took the crystal in hand with a nod of thanks, "Sounds like a solid plan to me. If we can keep it from coming back the way it came, we should be pretty well set." With a firm grip on the blue stone, a crackle of lightning shot down the man's arm, an inner glow springing from the crystal as it became charged with power. Stepping softly, blade at the ready as the pair approached the end of the hall, the gentle glow of magic beyond giving away the rogue familiar's location, Mason bent his arm back, and threw! The crystal arced through the door, a crackling trail in its wake, landing in the room beyond with a crash of thunder and a surge of electricity, "Now!"

Catisa followed his lead and darted into the room. It was a crypt with no exit other than the way they came, perfect for their trap. "Here!" She called out, "I'll block the exit!" At the far end of the room the familiar stood dazed, the flowing water that made up its form seized from the shock that crystal had delivered so suddenly. With a wave of her hands she began to cast a spell, flames ignited at her palms and weaved around her fingertips that moved intricately with practiced movements. Once Mason was clear of the threshold she would release the gathered energy in a burst of molten rock that filled the doorway and quickly sealed the exit.

"Good call!" Mason grinned broadly, leaping past the threshold of the dead-end crypt, brandishing his sword, now surging with lightning, against the elemental. Trapped and stunned as it was, it was left entirely defenseless, giving the man an opening. In a huge arc, he swung his weapon up over his head and brought it crashing down on one of the bracers that bound the familiar to the mortal world. Thinking himself clever, Mason did not foresee the magic feedback that erupted from the shattered bracer, and was thrown back onto the damp floor. Nevertheless, as he began to push himself back to his feet, the elemental - now aware of its surroundings once more - made for him, though it seemed to be sluggish in its movements, burdened by its new state, "May have miscalculated just a bit there..."

With one bracer shattered that left one more to go. Crimson robes whirled about as she spun on her heel and faced the beast, the room illuminated by the dull glow of the molten rock in the doorway. Flames licked at her palms before she extended her arms and unleashed a quick fireball to try and deter it from attacking Mason before he had the chance to recover, but the flames quickly sizzled out of existence in the familiar's watery form. "Uh oh," She uttered, her eyes wide as it grew enraged, cornered in what it had made its home. "Look out!"

Sword in hand, Mason had made it to his feet! The elemental's fists, swirling and frothing white like river rapids, pounded down on him, the blows parried with deft and surprisingly swift movements of such a large sword. The blade itself simply slid through the watery creature's form, just enough to deflect the blow as if diverting the flow of a river. Without a chance to regain the momentum, Mason found himself backed into the crypt's wall. Feeling the cold stone on his back, he braced himself against it, threw his sword to the side, clattering to the ground with a shrill echo, then lunged forward, passing through the wall of water that had backed him into the corner, and emerged from the other side soaked and sputtering. Whirling around, he raised his hands before him, and with a shout, a crackling burst of lightning shot forth, a bright flash in the dark with a sound like thunder, stunning the elemental anew, "The bracer, finish it off!"

A gasp had escaped the young mage as he pushed his way through the elemental, she had never considered that maneuver. Wouldn't you drown from doing that? And was equally surprised when he made it through and stunned the familiar. She quickly regained her composure when he shouted and nodded her understanding, flames licked at her palms once more and danced around her fingertips as she gathered more energy than she had for her prior blast and extended her left arm to let forth a plume of flame that engulfed the elemental and converged upon the remaining bracer. Her brow furrowed from the strain and focus, a bead of sweat dripped down her cheek as the room temperature suddenly made a drastic change and not only did the elemental begin to evaporate, the bracer itself started to melt. The creature threw its arms back and a watery scream filled the room just as the bracer shattered from the forces colliding. Catisa gasped for breath as the flow of water finally began to disrupt and fell to her knees, the flames from her arm ceased and left a trail of smoke in its wake.

Seeing all that remained of the elemental - slick traces of moisture on the stone floor, steam swirling about from its sudden dispersal, and the two mangled bracers that had bound it - Mason let out a booming, triumphant laugh, "It is done, and done well! Beautiful work!" He turned to Catisa, still wearing a huge grin, and stepping over to her extended a hand to help her up, though he himself was still bedraggled and breathing heavily.

She winced as he grabbed her hand and with her tiny frame she compared to his she was practically hoisted up. Though in somewhat of a daze, she offered him a weak smile. "Indeed." Came her agreement between ragged breaths and waved a hand at the doorway, the molten rock that had prevented escape melted away to leave only scorch marks where it had once been. "Thank you, Mason. I don't think I could have done this without your help." Though the admission was true, she still seemed preoccupied as she now finally took the time to familiarize herself with the room.

"Hey, don't mention it! It's what I'm here for, after all. That said, not sure how well I'd have managed either, if we're being entirely honest here. I'm better at dealing with things that are, let's say, solid, yeah?" He chuckled to himself as he picked up his fallen weapon and slung it across his back once more. Finally taking the chance to look around the gloomy chamber himself, he crossed his arms over his chest and grimaced at simply how sodden his leathers still were, "Lovely little hole it found for itself. Any reason you can think of? I'm no expert, but elementals don't seem the sort to like creepy tombs."

With the adrenaline passing she found her sense of humor once more and giggled at his comments about solid objects, though that quickly faded and a frown found its way to her lips. "At first I thought it was because of the ley lines beneath Karazhan, though I should be so foolish as to think they were for reasons related to a passage in a book I had just read. It seems there was an ulterior motive." As she finished speaking she gestured with her right hand toward the far end of the chamber where a corpse lay crumpled in the fetal position, bloated from taking on too much water and likely drowned, though the stench was well masked by the surrounding musk of the tomb.

Mason wrinkled his nose and, shaking his head, knelt down beside the poor, drowned conjurer, "Must be our summoner, fled from Duskwood and led his rebellious familiar on a chase. Shame we didn't get here quicker, but looks like he's been here for a little while anyway." He reached out a plated hand to close the bloated body's eyes, still gaping in the throes of drowning, "We'll have to send someone out this way to take him home, if he's got a family." Pushing himself back up from his knees, he raked a hand back through his soaked hair, pushing it from his face, "I'm about ready to get outta here, I think."

Catisa Wells nodded eagerly at his final remark, her voice shaky as she spoke. "That makes two of us." Came her agreement and took one last look at the corpse, the frown on her features deepened and she shook her head as she slipped back through the threshold and started down the path that had led them there. She folded her arms across her chest, tucking herself in as though she were attempting to console herself.

@masonkohler

#catisawells #violetbastion #guild #masonkohler #wow #rp #roleplay #guildjobboardresponse #collab #writing #worldofwarcraft

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angelofrainfrogs · 4 years

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Essence of the Spirit (Ch. 1)

Fandoms: The Bartimaeus Trilogy and Lockwood & Co. (Crossover)

Description: During an assignment in the government archives, Nathaniel, Bartimaeus, and Kitty come across a scrying glass that’s a portal to another world—a world where Spirits aren’t made of magic and essence, but are the sorrowful souls of those dearly departed. However, before Nathaniel and Kitty can enlist the help of Lockwood and Co. to get home, they must convince the ghost-hunters they mean no harm—a task made difficult when it comes to the obviously unhuman Bartimaeus at their side.

Rating: K+

Genre: General/Humor

Read on Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25476073/chapters/61797229

A/N: This is a crossover I've been working on for quite a while, and I'm excited to finally share it! A few notes before you get started reading: This takes place in a “Nathaniel Lives" alternate ending to Ptolemy's Gate, meaning that Nathaniel survived the battle with Nouda. It's been a few years since then, so Nathaniel and Kitty are meant to be about 19-20 in this fic. Lockwood & Co. are fresh off the events of The Creeping Shadow when this fic takes place, but haven't been through the events of The Empty Grave. I love trying to combine the worlds of Jonathan Stroud, and I hope you enjoy reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Chapter 1

Nathaniel shivered and crossed his arms tightly. His sweater did little to stave off the cold in the government vaults, and he’d been down there for hours.

“Ooh, it does feel a bit nippy in here, doesn’t it?”

Nathaniel glanced to his left and found Bartimaeus pretending to shiver along with him, wearing a puffy jacket so big it nearly swallowed up Ptolemy’s small frame serving as the djinni’s current guise. The magician rolled his eyes, knowing perfectly well Bartimaeus wasn’t bothered by this insignificant amount of cold.

Bartimaeus met Nathaniel’s gaze and grinned. “Want me to light a fire? It would make the room nice and toasty!”

“Yes, and burn us all up in the process,” Kitty snapped from Nathaniel’s other side. She was bent over a large wooden box, busying herself with sifting through various items of unknown magical origin. She paused momentarily to glare at the djinni. “With all the documents in this stuffy room, one spark would light the whole place up in seconds.”

“No need to get tetchy; it was merely a suggestion!” Bartimaeus responded, sounding offended, making the puffy jacket disappear with a wave of his hand to reveal the jeans and grey t-shirt he’d dubbed his “modern” outfit underneath.

“It was a bad one, and you know it.” Kitty went back to rummaging around in the box. “Can either of you make yourselves useful and help me find this stupid thing? Nathaniel, remind me what we’re even looking for again?”

“Um, let me check,” Nathaniel replied, uncrossing his arms and reaching into his pocket. He pulled out an index card and read, “’A small, rounded grey disc.’ Be careful rooting around for it, though; supposedly those who have touched disc have… ‘disappeared?’” Nathaniel frowned. “If that’s the case, I don’t know why they’d leave it at the bottom of a box, lumped in with a bunch of other magical artifacts…”

“Why do humans make any of the decisions that they do?” Bartimaeus mused. He sighed dramatically, shaking his head. “5,000 years coming and going from this dreadful Earth, and I still haven’t the faintest idea.”

Nathaniel pointedly ignored him, silently reading over the index card again.

Two years after the Makepeace Incident, as the attempted overthrow of the government and subsequent near-takeover by magical spirits had become known, Nathaniel was fully resituated into his job as Information Minister. Once he’d recovered from his miraculous survival, there was talk of him moving up in the ranks, and even mention of him taking on the role of Prime Minister someday. But after everything he’d been through, Nathaniel realized he truly didn’t want the immeasurable power that came with leading an entire country. All he wanted was to have a stable job that kept him busy, with his newfound companion Kitty by his side.

Nathaniel never planned to see Bartimaeus again, figuring that after all the djinni had done for him and the world, he deserved a long rest. But, to his surprise, the time they spent bonded together (not to mention Kitty’s visit to the Other Place) had sparked a strange desire for Bartimaeus to want companionship from the two of them. Of course, until a way to freely move back and forth from the Other Place was discovered, Bartimaeus could only visit through a Summoning. So, the djinni agreed to be occasionally summoned to Earth by his familiar master under the strict condition that Nathaniel would release Bartimaeus whenever he wished.

This arrangement suited everyone just fine. Nathaniel had to admit that being so closely connected to the djinni’s essence created an irrevocable bond between them; he often felt as though a part of him was missing whenever Bartimaeus rested in the Other Place. There were so many things about Bartimaeus and Spirits in general that Nathaniel wanted to learn, and the snarky djinni was more than willing to divulge this information to him and Kitty in his own time. The trio still argued constantly, but their words were now only full of playful banter; a mutual understanding between them assured that no one truly wanted to hurt each other anymore.

It was during one of Bartimaeus’ visits that Nathaniel had been tasked to go down to the government vaults and locate an item of interest for Internal Affairs to review. Kitty wanted to help, and her new position in the government, as well as her close relationship with Nathaniel, allowed her to aid him with this task. While Kitty never wanted to be too embroiled in politics, she found success and a sense of worth as the official liaison between the members of Parliament and the common people. Nathaniel had been extremely vocal about Kitty’s efforts in helping take down Nouda, giving Kitty a notoriety that allowed her to have a hand in a lot more things than would normally be expected from her job title alone.

Thus, the trio found themselves down in the dusty government vaults. Kitty immediately set to work rifling through boxes upon their arrival and, seeing as she was on a mission, Nathaniel and Bartimaeus knew not to get in her way unless she asked for assistance.

“Wait, I might not need your help after all!” Kitty suddenly exclaimed. With a grunt of effort, she pushed herself back onto her feet. A circular object was clutched in her right hand, barely wider than the length of her palm. It was wrapped in a black cloth that had begun to fall off in one place, revealing an outer edge to the grey disc laced with an intricate pattern.

“Those are runes!” Nathaniel said excitedly, peering closely at the exposed edge. “Like from a summoning circle, but… off, somehow.”

“Interesting,” Bartimaeus agreed, his golden eyes lighting up with curiosity.

Kitty laid the disc on top of another box and carefully pulled the cloth away, revealing a scrying glass covered in strange markings on the outer circle. The three of them stared at the disc, trying to decipher what it was and, more importantly, what it was used for.

“It seems like a combination of runes for a typical summoning, some Ptolemaic markings of a reverse summoning circle, and…” Nathaniel wrinkled his nose in confusion, pointing to a symbol scratched near the edge of the disc. “…something else. I’m not sure what that symbol means. Bartimaeus, care to enlighten us?”

“What, that one?” Bartimaeus raised an eyebrow. “That’s the Greek word for ‘stay!’ Come on, Nat; this is kids’ stuff!”

“No, not that one!” Nathaniel jabbed his finger a little closer. “That one!”

“The Egyptian symbol for water?”

“No!”

“The Greek word for-”

“I can read Greek!” Nathaniel let out a growl of frustration. Bartimaeus knew just how to push his buttons, especially when he wasn’t in the mood for it. The slightly upward tilt of the djinni’s mouth made Nathaniel glare harder. “This symbol right here.”

For a second, dead silence filled the room. Nathaniel swiveled between Kitty and Bartimaeus’ shocked expressions, eventually casting his gaze downwards to where his index finger pressed firmly against the grey disc. Another beat of silence passed, and then Kitty began to shout.

Nathaniel couldn’t hear her words clearly, for his mind was solely focused on his hand currently being pulled into the center of the disc. The rest of his arm followed suit, flattening and twisting as if it were liquid being pulled down a drain. He felt only a numb tingling sensation, and for that he was grateful. If he was about to die, he’d rather it be fast and painless.

A tug on Nathaniel’s other hand made him glance back to find Bartimaeus clutched onto him with an iron grip. The djinni pulled as hard as he could, and this did cause Nathaniel much discomfort; he felt as though his arm might be ripped out of its socket. Kitty firmly grasped him around the waist and tried to aid Bartimaeus in moving Nathaniel away from the dangerous object.

But the pull of the disc was far stronger than the combination of a determined human and a powerful spirit. Before he could utter any poignant final words, the rest of Nathaniel’s body was sucked into the disc and the world went black around him.

***

When Nathaniel opened his eyes, his first thought was that the afterlife looked extremely dull. He’d expected white, pearly gates or some other fantastical sight, but the area he laid in was dark, dingy, and only marginally warmer than the government vaults. He felt a pressure upon him and turned his head to see Kitty laying on his back, arms still clamped tightly around his waist. Her eyes were shut, face twisted in an expression of fear and determination.

“Kitty?” Nathaniel said quietly. He made a move to stand and realized that Bartimaeus’ hand remained tightly around his own. The magician gave a small sigh of relief; if the djinni was present, it meant that Nathaniel was still alive. It also meant that they weren’t completely defenseless.

“It amazes me how you continue to do such stupid things after all this time,” Bartimaeus commented dryly, his eyes glowing in the dim light as he wrenched his hand back. His intense glare made Nathaniel grimace; he could tell Bartimaeus was legitimately upset with him.

“I agree, and we need to have a serious talk about that again… but that’s not our main concern right now,” Kitty said, disentangling herself from Nathaniel. Bartimaeus stood and held out his hands; Nathaniel grabbed one, Kitty took the other, and in one swift motion, the djinni pulled them both to their feet. As the trio examined their surroundings, they realized a rather startling fact:

They were not alone.

A pudgy boy sat at one of the desks that formed a semi-circle around the room. He had round spectacles, wide, bright blue eyes, and a pale-lipped mouth that hung open like a fish. His gaze swiveled to each member of the trio, trying to take them all in at once.

“Oh, uh… hello!” Nathaniel quickly regained his composure, straightening out his shirt and puffing himself up like a person with authority. He flashed a smile, but the boy simply stared. Nathaniel noted that he appeared to be in his mid-teens. The magician took a step forward and extended a hand. “We apologize for the intrusion but… we seem to have found ourselves here accidentally.”

“…I can see that,” the boy responded, slowly getting to his feet. The trio watched him intently as his eyes flickered to a door at the other end of the room. “And how exactly did you end up here?”

“Well…” Nathaniel trailed off, wondering how much he could reveal. His work within the government vaults was top secret and couldn’t be shared with just anyone he came across.

“Magic,” Bartimaeus said, and Nathaniel snapped his head towards him. The djinni wore an indecipherable expression, though Nathaniel could tell by his posture—arms crossed, hip jutting out slightly, eyes scanning the boy up and down—that Bartimaeus was sizing this kid up to determine how much of a threat he was.

“…Magic, huh?” The boy looked mildly offended as he removed his glasses and rubbed them furiously on the bottom of his sweatshirt. “Right. Well… I know someone who’s quite skilled in magic, so… I’m just going to pop upstairs and find him.”

The boy calmly repositioned his glasses onto his nose. Then, with a surprising burst of speed, he suddenly bolted for the door. Kitty took off after him, but the boy was already too far ahead of her and slammed the door in her face. Kitty smacked a fist against it with a growl of frustration, while Nathaniel looked at Bartimaeus questioningly.

“Why didn’t you go after him?!” he asked. The djinni shrugged.

“He’s just a human,” Bartimaeus responded. “Maybe he’s getting help, maybe he’s getting the authorities. If he causes trouble when he comes back, I’ll take care of him. Right now, our most important task is to try to find a way out of here. Since that disc was obviously a portal, I suggest we see if there’s a matching one somewhere in this room.”

Nathaniel pursed his lips but couldn’t argue with Bartimaeus’ logic. He glanced at Kitty, who had already busied herself with trying to pick the door lock with a hairpin pulled from one of her jacket pockets. Nathaniel sighed and turned back to Bartimaeus; with a nod, they began their search for a way home.

***

Read Chapter 1. (You are here.)

#The Bartimaeus Trilogy #the bartimaeus sequence #lockwood & co #crossover #fic #fanfic #bartimaeus #nathaniel #kitty jones #anthony lockwood #george cubbins #lucy carlyle #the skull #essence of the spirit #fanfiction #ao3 #phantomhivemast3r #midna3452

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ofcloudsandstars · 4 years

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IMBOLC was so MAGICAL!! Oh my goodness!!

It's a bit of a long story and I don't want to leave out too many details but I am so glad it all turned out more than ok!! I did not have enough time to put everything together easily and I had to whip up a ritual last minute and I was staying at a coworker’s BOUGIE apartment that is BEAUTIFUL and Ideal for an Imbolc setting (the color scheme is like all white, gray and cream with TALL ceilings, Huge french windows, fluffy white carpets, fireplaces I could put white pillar candles in, long sheer white curtains, you get the point lol) but literally I had a witch gathering party at his place while he was away and I had to make it look like nothing. ever. happened.. the next morning.

I bought these string candle-lights which everyone was laughing at how in theme it was but I strung some across window sills and over the fireplace that I've stuffed white pillar candles in. I stuck tea lights everywhere and found some silvery tealights at a corner shop that were "spa scented" which sounds weird but!! They smelled fantastic and made the space feel calmer. I topped those with sage leaves. I used vanilla incense sticks and this other scent called 'Divine' (that stamford masala incense brand you might see at every spiritual shop) that really elevated the space and made it feel calm and angelic. The whole apartment felt very angelic, light, white and fluffy. On their large screen TV I made a visual playlist on youtube of timelapse videos of nature thawing into spring and frost melting or flowers sprouting from the ground. I played a lot of winter meditative tracts and purifying binural beats.

I pulled strings to get out of work early so I could run to my coworkers place, feed his cats, and get to cooking!! I made a spread of cheese, (mostly brie), coconut cheese, cheese infused crackers and poppyseed crackers, black sable grapes and blueberries that I sprinkled silver bonbons in.

I prepared 3 tonics as a welcome drink that my witch friends could choose from to what potion will aid them for the seeds they are sowing and the cycles to come. They were syrups that were agave based and infused with herbs overnight. There was one for clarity to know what steps to take to achieve goals and that was an infusion of sage, juniper berries and rosemary. There was one for inspiration and sudden muse or creativity to help complete projects and that one was an infusion of valerian root, chamomile, blue poppyseeds and caraway seeds. (Seeds were also symbolic in this one lol), then lastly there was one for inner fire and a wake-up call to get the drive going to get tasks done. That was a black breakfast tea leaf with a sprinkle of pepper in it. They were mixed with Gin (gin being a juniper infusion actually has an interesting history with being used as a cleanser and medicine though its obviously not used that way anymore) and tonic so they were all really herbal and refreshing (non-alcoholic drinks were just gin-free) and they all had a pretty light golden clear color. The clarity one was the most popular though I wish I drank some of the wake-up call one myself.

For food I made baked macaroni and cheese with mozzarella, sharp cheddar, brie, sweet sauteed white onions, black pepper and truffle oil. The plant-based option was stuffed cabbage rolls made with this BEAUTIFUL cabbage I had no idea existed (it caught my eye in the store) called sweetheart cabbage. It was snow-white colored and each large leaf was somewhat heart-shaped. I stuffed it with a sauteed combo of white sweet onions, white mushrooms, chopped parsnips, cauliflower rice and coconut cheese. Lastly I made a salad of chopped fennel and the smaller leaves of the sweet heart cabbage and raw parsnips.

The whole table's food had a white and beige theme lol. We all caught up about our lives and ate food and coo-ed over the cats. When everyone arrived we got to the ritual which I dressed his coffee table in different tea lights and bigger candles. Since I am WIZENED from many previous disasters with candles on tables and witch shenanigans, I put SEVERAL covers on his glass coffee table which consisted of 1- bamboo mats, 2- a white blanket as table cloth (mostly for aesthetic) 3- a coat of aluminum foil 4- 2 layers of cream table cloths. Just to ensure nothing could damage his table.

I am not the biggest fan of leading ritual cause it feels uncomfortable to me to 'lead' everyone's energy but its nice cause this is the third sabbat in a row I've hosted and I guess my friends get the gist now so they all kind of contribute their own parts to it which is.. WHAT I WANTED IN THE FIRST PLACE lol. I take initiative to host sabbats or gatherings or create a community so sometimes people think I am a leader cause I am initiating something but honestly I just want to hold space for others. Anyway the ritual started off with us cleansing baggage from our previous cycle so we can move into the next one purified. I had a juniper bundle I bought in glastonbury that I smoke cleansed everyone with.

Then we spoke about what Imbolc meant for us and how its also reflective on the cycle of life and death when the spirit enters the womb and how seeds of life and hope are stirring. I asked them each to take a tea light and visualize it as a goal or project they wanted to accomplish for this year and to dress it in herbs and oils. I had sage for clarity, rosemary for abundance, blue poppy seeds for growth and inspiration, tea tree oil for protection etc and they could carve in symbols to their candle or whatever. When they were working on that I read everyone's spirit's incarnation crosses from their human design since I knew everyone's birth time lol. The incarnation cross uses some astrology to take into consideration the position of the planets during your third trimester when it’s believed that the spirit enters the body in the womb. It’s to illuminate what your spirit’s intention in this incarnation seeks to fulfill.

Before we lit the candle my best witch friend took us on this AMAZING guided mediation that was so creative and visual and wonderful. We grounded ourselves but she took us on this story-telling guided meditation journey of us being deep in the earth and smelling the damp soil but having our goal be this light or seed within us that grows and expands until it pushes us up and out through the soil into the wintery forest air. I really felt like some reborn forest faerie sprite after that like she should record meditation podcasts.

We then lit our candles and we used the flame to light the biggest pillar candle as our combined hope and it lit ABLAZED. One of my friends couldn't get her candle to light and we did divination for her to find out what was blocking her and did a road opening spell for her so that she could overcome the obstacles.

After we wanted to do some candle scrying so another friend who does these amazing sound healing ceremonies (I went to glastonbury with her) lead the candle scrying and Y'all.. it was INSANE Like none of us were READY for the fucking adventure.. Basically we thought we'd all be staring into a candle in a trance quietly but it literally felt like something took hold of her like a greater spirit used her as a vessel and it was incredible. She told us all to hold hands and we closed our eyes and did some breathing. We all had to pulse each others hands and visualize a white thread locking us together for protection and creating a circle. She then called on to our higher guides to protect us and create this link to our higher spirits to open a channel so that we may see and allow the fire to guide us. She then was speaking so fast but also with such precision on how the light is opening a door and whatever we will see will help us unlock our true potential and see how we are the light etc for what felt like 6 minutes nonstop and it was so hard to stay on cause I had the WORST PAIN come up in the center of my back where my heart was and I was feeling like it was the culmination of energy being blocked (I have been doing sound healing there to help my heart energy but its been a rough journey), and the fire just felt like it could not channel through me cause of that blockage, but though the knot still hurts even as I type this, I could not break the circle lol. My best friend to my right was staring so intently I knew she was off like astral projecting into this fire, and as I would catch glimpses of others around me everyone was just like.. ON a Journey. I felt like it was like that scene in Harry Potter when they took the port key like we were all locked in and spiraling through time and space and I just had to wait until it was done. I looked at my friend to my right and she was beaming with TEARS covering her face, and my other friends looked windswept for some reason?? We were all like goddamn.. Everyone had Some Shit they've seen in the fire. Even if some of us didn't see something we saw a lot of colors which I mostly saw since I was really focused on the pain in my back. My friend leading the scrying said that the back area I pointed out was a channel that was blocked and is connected to my throat energy so once I fix that it can be aligned/opened but its like.. healing is so hard guys haha.

Anyway we grounded ourselves after the ritual with dessert! :) There was cheesecake (of course) I decorated with white chocolate star sprinkles and the same silver bonbon sprinkles and pavlova that could be topped with blueberries. I also had a cookie spread of butter cookies, white chocolate chip sugar cookies and white chocolate twix bars. The rest were mostly vegan desserts which were lovely. I bought coconut rice pudding but my other friends got vanilla cupcakes with thick white vegan buttercream, there was vanilla soy icecream that was really creamy and light and my aries witch friend I went to Berlin with made home made vegan tiramisu which was fantastic! She also bought red wine.

We spent the rest of the evening chatting, playing with the cats and laughing about whatever, my Aries witch friend was upset I made the dresscode all-white but she was wearing her 'artist' shirt she does painting in so she didn't care that she got tiramisu ALL OVER IT lol. (which we pointed out that no one else had stains on their white outfits but I mean she's an Aries what do you expect), and when we were all getting drunk and sleepy I asked my best witch friend if she wanted to tell a story and Oh My God she fucking DELIVERED

Basically she took us on this adventure retelling the story of Baba Yaga cause it was a tale that does also have to do with crone passing power to a maiden and a cycle re-continuing. Plus it's a midwinter tale involving fire and illumination. Anyway I used to think about how sad it was that back in the day people didn't have movies and had to like tell stories and shit but she was so good at telling this story I was like damn I get it now why people just used to sit around and tell stories together cause this shit is lit.

Before everyone left I forced people to take home food (I mean I had to get rid of all evidence of anything happening in my coworkers house) and I made everyone white paper lanterns with goodies inside and I stuck an electric tealight in it so it glows. I put a bathbomb in there, white chocolate, mint crumbles, buttermints for the non-vegans and tiny spell-jars filled with salt flakes.

When I was finally alone and had to do cleanup it took me nearly three hours but I was also drunk at that point lol. I now have left-over mac and cheese for days but gladly my aries witch friend is vegan and took the cabbage rolls with her and everyone helped take everything else.The cleaner came in the morning and essentially all evidence of anything ever occurring in that apartment was cleansed away...

I hope everyone else had a fantastic Imbolc!! It was on such a perfect moon phase too since it's the first quarter moon!!

#imbolc #personal #the story is long but filled with details #it was a magical night #all I could have ever wanted

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humble-wayside-flower · 4 years

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“The surface escapes you upward, leaving you in freezing depths, fathoms below. Watching. Return. Reward. Wonder. A final squeeze sends the last breath from your lungs in a muffled scream. Punish.”

~Episode 53

“Settled within a small chamber of tangled leaves and roots, within this mass of vines and green, you swear you can see a face. Female. Motherly. Her eyes closed.

The womb I grant, but withers without faith. His will shall find you again soon. His will shall find you again, but until it does, rest.”

~Episode 65

Episodes 49 - 76

Spotify (X)- Liner Notes Under Cut Part 1 / Part 2

_______________________________________________________

Pretender (Acoustic) by AJR (Post Pirate Arc- Feeling adrift and throwing yourself into another situation so you don’t have to think about the previous one. With everything going on in the empire and the lives of his friends, there are far more important things to be focusing on.)

I’m a good pretender Won’t you come see my show? I’ve got lots of problems Well, good thing nobody knows

Seafaring Song by Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell (He feels uneasy being this far from the ocean, as he runs from the promise he made and things he did to chase power that didn’t matter. Looking up into the Xhorhas sky and seeing an unfamiliar, yet familiar vastness reflected back at him.)

I have traveled the world around Wandered far from home Sailed the ocean in foreign skies Still further to roam

False Confidence by Noah Kahan (The City of Beasts- Fjord should feel comfortable here, no one glances at him sideways, he isn’t the only one of his kind, but he still doesn’t feel like enough. Insecurities about his size, his tusks, his humaness, his orcness abound. Feeling like you aren’t enough for either place yet too much for both as well.)

Don’t take yourself so seriously Look at you all dressed up for someone you never see You’re here for a reason but you don’t know why You’re split and uneven, your hands to the sky Surrender yourself

I Don’t Even Care About You (Stripped) by MISSIO (His first Uk’otoa dream since leaving the coast. It’s a warning and a threat of punishment. Being crushed in your dreams is every bit as unpleasant as it sounds.)

Depressed again Evening comes too fast, still tired of the routine Depressed again I can do without all your false curiosities Angry again No, I don’t wanna have a conversation with you Angry again Let me sit alone with kerosene I do’t even care about you

A New Mission by Josh Whitehouse (Everything about Wursh exasperates Fjord’s insecurities, but he feels seen in a way that, while not pleasant, is necessary. The group also gets another peek at the childhood that made their friend.)

Sometimes I can’t control a feeling that I get inside my chest Even with those who are close to me, the ones I call my best I lose sight of all my confidence, in a heavy single step It’s happened ever since my childhood, things I thought I’d put to rest

The Wolf in Your Darkest Room by Matthew Mayfield (Uk’otoa makes it clear that what can be given can also be taken away. The loss of his powers, however temporarily is terrifying.)

And I just want to taste you on my teeth And clawing at your neck to feed my needs You thought you found my limit But you don’t seem to know You don’t seem to know How far I’d go

The Mask by Matt Maeson (Fjord has spent a lifetime crafting masks, but at what cost, and with such weight. He’s not ready to take them off yet, but he gets one step closer with each day. Fjord’s second talk with Wursh about anger, picking your battles, and not letting others define who you are.)

Tell me what you know I settled my grievance by crafting a mask And I never looked back I will never grow While this anchor is chained to my feet

Waite by Lowland Hum (Xhorhas montage- Adjusting to a new city, a new culture, and having a home of your own for the first real time ever. The paranoia of feeling like you’re being watched. Caleb waiting for him in his room- a conversation with a friend you don’t yet understand, and are not sure you fully trust.)

Hunter, rush, mauve, dust; Colors I didn’t trust Until I saw them from the train Home with stranger kin Camp in the kitchen Tears and sweet refrain Pining, dining, late reclining Pillow steals my brain Stop through, see you All we’ve been through Are we not the same?

In Memoriam by The Oh Hellos (Sleeping next to the Wildmother’s tree. Uk’otoa strikes again, but she saves him, brings him to her, and offers him a place of refuge to seek and strive for. For the first night in a long time, his sleep is peaceful.)

Well, it’s a long way out to reach the sea But I’m sure I’ll find you waiting there for me And by the time I blink, I’ll see your wild arms swinging Just to meet me in the middle of the road And you’ll hold me like you’ll never let me go And beside the salty water, I could hold you close But you are far too beautiful to love me

Diver (Acoustic) by Kid Astray (The Wildmother’s tree again, but this time his eyes are on Jester only. Also known as: He literally jumps off a tree into a deep dive to save her guys!! That’s some Disney bullshit!!)

So dive in with me, leave without the feeling that you’re on your own Hold fast drifting, know that I won’t go before you’ve had enough ‘Cause I can be anything that you want me to be, anything that you need me to be So dive in with me, dive in with me

A Lullaby of Home by Jessica Curry (Bazzozan, Oban, and the loss of Yasha. The feeling of betrayal that strikes deep to his core.)

Instrumental

The Difference by Noah Gunderson (Fjord and Nott are parallel stories. The weird understanding and also misunderstanding between those who are in the same place, but had very different journeys to get there, and also don’t want to acknowledge just how much the same they are.)

I hope I don’t miss it Though I know I probably just won’t get it Maybe we were made this way Maybe we weren’t made Maybe we just got here Learning from our mistakes Maybe we don’t know What we’re looking at The ever pressing question takes a toll

A Little Broken by Storm Greenwood (The Vandran scry conversation. Fjord confides in Jester about all of it, not knowing what he wants, losing his powers, being afraid of losing his friends and himself. She supports him like he never expected anyone to. He leaves feeling more grounded and ready to make a decision. )

And though we’ve been down the hardest road we’ve yet traveled At least we weren’t traveling alone Time ticks by and we’re still a little broken But together we can lighten this load

Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons (The whole damn lava pit thing, that defining choice. The giving up something bad to replace it with something better. Jumping off a cliff and praying you’ll be caught.)

Touched my mouth and hold my tongue I’ll never be your chosen one I’ll be home, safe and tucked away You can’t tempt me if I don’t see the day

Dear Wormwood by The Oh Hellos (The aftermath. When you’ve named the beast you can tame it, or throw it away entirely. In a way it is freedom. Fjord and Caduceus share a private moment of encouragement and support.)

I know who I am now And all that you’ve made of me I know who you are now And I name you my enemy

Kinda Feels Alright by Wild Rivers (Fjord’s friends love him so so so much. Coming clean about who you are even though it is terrifying, and finding that nothing has changed really, not in the ways that matter the most.)

I swear I should be terrified But damn, it kinda feels alright

Ginger by The Front Bottoms (Powerlessness and the Strength of Self. Fjord was never really weak, he just needed faith in himself, his abilities, and in the love of his friends.)

Back before I got struck by lightning Things were so much different than they are now I got a lot more people leaning on me And all I wanna do is make them proud But this is my body, the only thing I own entirely And it’ll carry me to greatness somehow

Better in the Morning by Birdtalker (Fjord and Caduceus commune with the Wildmother and talk about the importance of faith. There is no requirement to have it all figured out immediately. You are safe, you are loved, you are wanted. Just have faith.)

Be gentle with yourself as you uncover Your best kept secrets yet to be discovered In stillness, boys, clear water to the bottom You will do better in the morning

The Dragon from God of War (The Battle at Mythburrow for the material to finish Star Razor. If there was any doubt that his friends turned family would do anything for him, it is dispelled now.)

Instrumental

Atlas: Eight by Sleeping at Last (Rebirth, Reforged, Revival.)

Here I am, pry me open What do you want to know? I’m just a kid who grew up scared enough To hold the door shut And bury my innocence But here’s a map, here’s a shovel Here’s my Achilles’ heel I’m all in, palms out, I’m at your mercy now And I’m ready to begin

#fjord #fjord stone #critical role #wildmount campaign #cr2 #critical role spoilers #my playlists #it only took 10 millions years #but I finally completed this!

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dailydianakko · 4 years

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Wishing On A Star

So this was another vent, kind of dealing with the fact that I can't change other people. If that makes sense. Like you can love, grieve, and lay it to rest, and you'll heal. It won't be instant, but you'll get there. Also on AO3 Here.

“Do you wanna be there to see how I turn out?”

Diana craves the power of the Claiomh Solais, she needs it to fix a mistake.

Diana had grown up on stories of the famous White Witch Shiny Chariot. The fabled Witch’s many feats preformed in front of crowds, written about in books. She had spent years in her childhood collecting the cards, posters, and stories. She had even gotten to see the famous final show of the performer herself. As Diana had gotten older, her attention had turned to what the Witch had wielded. The mythical Shiny Rod, or as the legends had called it, the Claiomh Solais. The fabled words that activated its magic were even more intriguing. Diana had poured hours, weeks, and even years into researching the power. Diana craved that magic power of the White Witch. Of Shiny Chariot. In her later years, she began to hunt for the whereabouts of Chariot in secrecy. The appearance of Akko clutching the rod had shaken Diana to her core. It couldn’t be the thing she had been looking for. It had to be fake. Chariot was its wielder, and only the White Witch herself could control the might of the stars.

After the missile crisis, Ursula had been unmasked as the White Witch and Diana’s search had ended. Shiny Chariot had been found. Her hopes had vanished with the rod, but maybe-just maybe Chariot knew more. Maybe she could summon it back. Fix what had been hurting Diana. Give her the magical fix it all that she had been hunting. No mundane magic could help her, but Diana had been sure that the power that came from the stars, from the very heavens themselves, could help.

Diana was desperate, and so she was not terribly surprised when she found herself neglecting her patrol route in favor of heading to Chariot’s quarters. As Diana approached the door, anxiety began to take root in her heart and creep its way through her body. She began to absentmindedly rub the hem of her shirt in her thumb and forefinger as her breathing quickened. Her footsteps stopped entirely. She was frozen outside the door, anxiety and doubt had chilled her and stopped her movements entirely.

Diana wanted to knock, she needed the power of the stars, wanted it, craved it; but she feared judgment. She was a Cavendish. She needed to know the answers to everything. But she didn’t know what she absolutely needed to know. She didn’t know how to bring her mother back. Many times she wished on stars for her mother to get better, and many times she was denied. But direct power, that magic surely could bring her mother back. And Chariot had it. But she couldn’t move. Fear of judgment and of what Chariot might do. What if she was sent away? Magicians and Witches were known for keeping secrets after all. And reviving the dead was not something that could be taken lightly.

So caught up in the static of her mind, Diana failed to notice the presence behind her. “Diana?” a voice called out. A hand lightly touching her shoulder brought Diana to the present and threw her out of the spiral she had caught herself in. Whirling around in surprise, Diana nearly crashed into the figure that stood behind her. It was Professor Chariot herself in a red tracksuit holding a mug.

“Diana, are you alright?” the concern in the Chariot’s eyes and the hand that had found its way to her shoulder made Diana flinch. She opened her mouth to rattle off a stiff but polite answer; but the longing in her, the question she needed answered made her pause. The traitorous thought of what if Chariot refused to talk to her from her previous one sided shouting match crept into her brain. Diana didn’t regret it. She never could when it came to Akko, but the idea that Chariot would refuse her due to the uncouth behavior she exhibited hurt greatly. The silence stretched between the two. Chariot gently nudged Diana forwards. “Why don’t we have a cup of tea and chat? I can see you have a lot on your mind.”

Desperate to regain some control, Diana gave a stiff nod. “Very well professor. There are some…questions I would like to ask.” Chariot gave a nod and held open the door for Diana. Diana took a few steps into the room and Chariot quickly followed behind her.

“Please sit down Diana,” Chariot gestured to a nearby desk “I’ll brew some more tea. Is chamomile fine?” Diana gave a noise of confirmation and walked to the desk nestled in a corner of the room. It was surrounded by various forms of clutter, mostly paperwork. Choosing one of the seats, Diana tucked her skirt underneath her and sat down, crossing her ankles and folding her hands quietly in her lap. Soon, Chariot set a mug of tea in front of her, and placed a wobbling tray with milk and sugar in the center of the table. The redhead then moved to the opposite side and settled down in the other seat, cradling her own mug.

Diana ignored the milk and sugar in favor of wrapping her hands around the mug drawing heat from the tea. The soft aroma of chamomile calmed her, and the ice in Diana’s veins began to melt. She cleared her throat and looked Chariot in the eyes. Diana would finally ask the great White Witch the answer to bringing her mother back. “Chariot, can,” Diana took a breath to calm herself further “…does the Claiomh Solais possibly have the power to return someone to life?” Diana’s eyes dropped to her mug as she waited on the answer. She heard Chariot take a sharp breath and Diana’s grip on the mug tightened.

“Oh Diana…..No, it can’t. The Shiny Rod has powers beyond comprehension, but it cannot bring back the dead. It can heal mortal wounds, it can transform, but the power of resurrection is beyond it. The stars are powerful, but even the stars are bound by magic’s will. They may interfere in mortal matters, but the Earth is not their realm, and therefore any interference deemed minute in the grand scheme is forbidden. I’m sorry.”

“Oh.” Diana’s vision swam with tears. Chariot did not sound like she was lying, and Diana was aware of the limitations of certain star magics. The same principle Chariot had described was one that was covered in scrying. That was why visions taken from stars were never complete or fully fathomable. The stars could only show glimpses of what would be to their favored children.

Chariot leaned over and covered one of Diana’s hands with her own. “Why don’t you tell me about her?” She asked, tears in her own eyes. She could guess who Diana had been asking for. The ache Diana had been suffering with could be felt by many of the staff, but the girl had been aloof and unapproachable.

“It won’t bring her back.” Diana’s hollow answer rang out in the room. Her world was crashing around her. What was her effort worth if magic could not bring back the life that was stolen? Her mother would never see her efforts. Never know of them. Diana didn’t even have the consolation of a tree; her mother had been too weak after the sickness had robbed Bernadette of her magic.

“It will, for us. For a moment. Stories have their own magic, and memories can be passed down through them.” Chariot gave Diana a teary smile. The warmth and care in them spoke volumes. Diana took a shaky breath. She was safe here. And maybe, having her mother back just for a moment, even in her memory, would be enough. Letting a few tears fall, Diana began.

“When I was younger, my mother often gave the maids off on Saturdays. She would always make me chicken nuggets then, always dinosaur shaped…….”

#lwa #little witch academia #diana cavendish #chariot du nord #ursula callistis #shiny chariot #my writing

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jaggedwolf · 5 years

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Apologies

Beau tried not to stare at Yasha across the dying embers of the fire. A small look of frustration crossed Yasha’s face as she shifted on the log. Even the sight of that felt important, made more so by the clarity in those blue eyes. Beau had spent so long imagining Yasha during those weeks Oban had a hold on her. She’d had nothing more to go on than Jester’s post-scrying reports, Jester more often than not crying or close to it in a way that had made Beau feel helpless.

“Beauregard,” said Yasha, her voice low and soft. Careful too, Beau thought, but outside of battle Yasha had always sounded more careful than the look of her suggested.

Hoped she hadn’t noticed Beau staring, or worse, that she thought Beau thought she was still a danger to them. Yasha had offered a dozen methods by which she could be restrained and every one of them had pissed Beau off. “Yeah?”

“I am sorry for what I did to the Cobalt Soul in Zadash. For”-Yasha’s face twisted, but the steady intensity of her eyes remained-“What I did to your people.”

“That’s not on you,” Beau snapped back on instinct. The rest of the Nein were always hard-headed when it came to this kinda stuff, taking the blame for shit that wasn’t theirs. “That’s on Oban and we took care of him for good this time, so no one else is gonna get hurt. Not from him, anyway. It wasn’t you.”

“It was my body.” Yasha lifts her fist from her thigh, staring at it as she uncurled the fingers.

“Wait, you remember all of it?” That detail had slipped Beau’s notice in her irritation. They’d decided as a group giving Yasha the rundown of what she’d missed could wait till everyone had gotten some sleep. “This isn’t like-”

Like when you ran away after your wife died, no memories of what happened till the Stormlord found you, Beau didn’t say. She left the words hanging like a question.

Yasha shook her head, an almost imperceptible movement in the low light. “I remember those parts too, now. Oban gave me those as well.”

Beau had many more questions, but she held her tongue. Her eyes had caught on something else. “What’s wrong with your leg?”

“Nothing,” said Yasha far too quickly. “Nothing is wrong.”

Beau got up, circling around the fire to squat next to Yasha’s left boot. Her eyes flitted up to meet Yasha’s. “Come on, you make a face every time you move it. You’re injured, aren’t you?”

Yasha let out a deep sigh, one that seemed to travel through her entire body. She pulled off the boot and the wrapping underneath to reveal a gash right above the ankle, green pus oozing out of pale skin.

Beau hissed. “Why didn’t you tell Cad or Jes? They still had some spells left.”

Yasha’s broad shoulders curled in on themselves. “It wasn’t from this fight,” was all she said.

From a battle Oban had made her fight, then. “Seriously, fuck that guy.”

“I’m no cleric, but I can help clean it up.” Beau rifled through her satchel for clean cloth, maybe a poultice if they were lucky. You didn’t get into as many fights as Beau did without knowing how to avoid an infection. Not like she’d always had Jester around or the coin to spare for healing potions.

When Beau’s hands left the bag, Yasha’s hand gripped one of her wrists. The grasp was gentle, but with Yasha’s strength, Beau knew a simple jerk could easily break the bone. It was progress, that Yasha could do this knowing that Beau wouldn’t freak out. That she trusted Beau not to.

Yasha breathed out, “You don’t have to do this, Beau.”

“I know.” Beau snorted. “When have I ever done what I have to?”

Slowly, Yasha’s grip loosened. She let go, and let Beau get to work. A sense of relief ran through Beau as soon as her hand made contact, and it stayed with her as she wiped away the oozing pus.

Beau had seen too many illusions since she had first left Zadash. Hard to trust something was real until she felt it with her bare hands, be they friend or foe. It should have been awful, that the feeling of Yasha’s injured leg under her untrained hands reassured her. It wasn’t.

#critical role #beau and yasha #beauregard #yasha #ficlets #cr ficlets

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iamtotallycool · 4 years

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EOA Ship Appreciation week Day 1: New Beginnings

So excited to begin 2020 Ship week!

For my first entry is actually a couple that I randomly decided to give a try and ended up falling into the abyss and there is no hope of me escaping.

So enjoy my first Carzel (Carla/Marzel) fic!

Calypso Cottage was a quant little place, secluded at least a half a mile away from the farthest village of Nueva Vista. It was comfortable to say the least, built small in a size and structure, and it did come with a least one of every type of necessity.

While the cottage sat on top of a small seaside hill, safe enough from the rising and falling tide, the ocean was still right outside the front door , causing the locals to always wonder if the building was enchanted in order to survive over the many years.

Carla Delgado, the now current tenant, had moved in just as the cold season had begun and had survived it then, even during the fiercest evening storms.

She was unsure though if she would want to there for another cold season. It was nothing against the cottage, it had been a great place that had been entirely her own. It was because every where she looked, memories of the past year, the evidence of the new life she had built, stared back at her.

From the frilly lace curtains that Carla thought had been too childish, but Marisa had instantly fallen in love with it. The wallpaper that had to be torn down and painted instead behind the stove after Marzel and her had burned a few too many new dishes. Even the bath tub had memories, it been where her Sirena boyfriend had slept until that first night she had invited him to bed with her, and every night after that.

Was he still her boyfriend though?

Well, that was up for her to decide.

Carla grabbed the enchanted glass bottle with a rolled up piece of paper inside it off the kitchen table. The bottle felt somewhat heavier in her hand. But she knew that it was more metaphorically the weight the words on the paper than the items themselves.

She exited out of her front door and ran quickly down the winding sand path that led directly to the beach.

Once she was at the very edge of where the sea and land met, she watched as the sun set over the ocean's golden horizon on what would now be Day 7.

And unfortunately, true to his word, Marzel still hadn't come back. Carla would have had to been blind however, to not notice Cuco making his rounds to check in on her. Sometimes she hated how noble he was.

Carla sunk down to the sand and nervously rubbed over the small scar on her ankle. The one she had gotten from that day her foot had gotten stuck in the coral and would have probably drowned if not for a certain blue haired Sirena that saved her. For a while, it had been the only way that she knew for sure that this had all been real.

"I'll wait for a week," Marzel had said. "Honestly, I would wait forever, but that is one luxury I don't have. Not anymore."

When he disappeared under the waves, his back to her in order to appear strong, Carla realized how absolutely alone she felt. She despised being alone. She had the experience of being locked up in the Avalorian dungeons for almost a year alone with only the spiders and rats keeping her company. She never wanted to feel that way again.

Only a few minutes had passed before some rash part of her wanted to scream out for him to come back. Carla wanted to be pampered by him, for him to run his fingers over her skin with intense fascination, or listen to her complain about work while he held her, or even just bring her pretty shells because 'they reminded him of her.'

She couldn't be rash about this though. The first rule her parents had ever taught her was for her not to be driven by her emotions. And while looking back on it now, it had been a very unhealthy in the way her family and her operated with it, there was a hint of truth to it.

Marzel was a Prince, Prince to an underwater kingdom of magical creatures, but a royal in the end. And she was...a reformed villain, that much she had come to terms with.

Neither of them had ever been in a serious relationship before, and she hadn't been looking for one when she had first come to this place. With her mother gone and her father and her pardoned by the Princess, they had the golden opportunity to start anew.

But, after having spent time, really spent time, with the nauseously named group Team Avalor, Carla realized how much she lacked compared to them, even though they were all around the same age. They were Royal Wizards, and Future Queens, and had Captained their own ship, and were in charge of the Kingdom's Military. Even the younger Princess was a renowned inventor and was even attending college while Carla hadn't even finished school.

And what was to be her accomplishments? To just keep being the daughter of Ash and Victor Delgado?

So, after a very intense fight with her father, the most intense she had ever had, Carla stood firm in her decision to go live on her own in a place where she had never lived and see just what she was capable of. And, thanks to the limited survival skills, she was at least starting to lead what would be considered a 'normal' life.

Then, Marzel crashed into it. After an initial awkwardness, especially when he found out who she was, they unexpectedly started to form some kind of bond. And well, they were both adults and it was hard to deny that they found the other attractive, and Carla had never really dated anyone, so what was the harm in having some summer fun.

It was easy to imagine then how it practically rattled the two of them to their core when that tricky feeling called love bloomed between them, and Carla was able to shelve those romance books she had escaped into for so many years and just enjoy herself.

But those days didn't last long as the coldness of reality was now beginning to settle over their explosive untamed passion.

After a close call from an ancient disease the had swept Coronado and infected many, including the King, Marzel now needed to focus more than ever on his duties as an heir. He would also need to marry someone who could be a part of the Royal life.

There was some small selfish part of her that wished he would abdicate the throne to his sister Marisa, giving him the freedom to live more on land. But that wouldn't be fair to anyone. He was born to rule, and a great and benevolent ruler he would be. And she had actually yelled in frustration in how much it hurt to be wholly unselfish and wondered why people actually did it. A reaction Marzel had found amusing.

It was then that another solution was brought up by Cuco. Carla could be turned into a Sirena.

Carla's head had started immediately reeling at the idea, but Marzel reassured her that he would not force her to make that choice right this second. His mother hadn't been given a choice when it came to transforming into a Sirena, and it was thanks to a multitude of right factors and patience that his parents had made it work against all odds. But he didn't want that for her, for them.

So, she had gone through the pros and cons all day, every day for the past week.

Carla knew there would things she would miss about this life. Chocolate, hot showers, and long flowing dresses. But they all seemed superficial, like Castle and shiny jewels now did, in comparison to fiery kisses, family meals, and just a sense of stability.

She could continue her impromptu career as an actress, she had certainly proven the skills for it with the local theater troupe, and it would certainly be a glamorous life.

However, she had also started to lead a second life under the sea.

Sabina was a crusty and slave driving old sea witch that Carla had the accidental pleasure of knowing.

'I'm a healer land-walker! Not a witch!' Sabina's shrill voice cut through Carla's memory, with one long taloned finger pointed in her face. Despite her barnacle crusted outer appearance, she was also patient and kind, her eyes glowing with pride when Carla completed a potion or mastered a spell. And this time, they were spells that had helped other creatures, and Carla realized how much she actually enjoyed it.

Carla had also been spending more time at the palace, at the first behest of Marisa that attached to her very quickly, and was just excited to have a human friend. As time passed though, it had become evident, no matter how hard they tried to be discreet, that is started becoming more for Marzel. Luckily though, it had come with silent approval from the Royal Family, especially after she helped them during the epidemic.

Her father had been a big deciding factor. She loved him dearly and had told him that she just needed some space for awhile. And now she may be leaving him forever.

Carla wouldn't be a Delgado though, if she took that as the end all be all. She was too smart for that.

And she ended up finding the solution in the pages of the books that Sabina had given her to study. It was funny, for all her screeching and bemoaning about not being a witch, why would she keep books that contained spells that included shape-shifting ones?

It had been a long scrying stone session that allowed them to talk to one another even though she was still in Nueva Vista and he in Avalor thanks to Mateo. They had yelled and cried and talked like that first time that it emotionally and physically drained both of them. But in the end, they were different people now from a year ago. So, he was willing to give her his blessing and assured he would be there if she ever needed him.

Now it had come down to the most obvious one, but also the most important.

Did she seriously want to be with Marzel? Possibly for the rest of her life?

Carla hadn't exactly had the greatest example of a loving marriage by her parents. Especially since she had been deeply fooled by her parents overly exasperated grand gestures of pet names and sickly sweet compliments that had been used to cover up the lies and poison that laid underneath.

However, when Carla had pulled back that outer layer of her and Marzel's relationship, what she found underneath were the tiny and real intimate moments they shared. Like how he would take her words to heart when he was feeling down. Or how content he looked when she brushed her fingers through his long hair. Or how his usual flirtatious and confident nature was replaced by an adorable naiveté when it came to his understanding of the human world.

She loved it all.

She loved him.

With this reaffirmed vigor running through her body, Carla hastily stood up and with a slight running start, threw her message in a bottle out as far as her arm would let her.

The remaining rays of the sun glinted off the glass as Carla watched it bob in the water for a few moments before it disappeared underneath the waves.

Carla felt her whole body begin to shake with nervousness as the minutes begin to roll by. The bottle was enchanted to appear in the nearest water source the other was located to, so he should have gotten it already. She began to ball up parts of her purple sundresses skirt tightly in her hand. Was she too late? Had he been lying about waiting for her at all?

She had become so caught up in her internal worry, that she almost missed him breaking through the water's surface just as the sky entered it's twilight stage. Even though they were initially far away, her eyes easily locked onto his bright crystalline blue ones as he got closer and closer to her.

As soon as his tail magically transmuted into legs near the shoreline, he threw down a satchel he had been holding and actually ran to her, even though he stumbled once or twice. Carla stayed rooted to her spot though, her body getting weak from relief, as he pulled her in for a tight embrace and his lips crashed onto hers.

Her strength was instantly revived as she felt like an electric currant ran down her spine and she returned his affections tenfold. He had grown some slight facial hair since the last time she saw him, which scratched against her face. His lips though had their usual salty taste Carla had grown an acquired love for as they deepened their kiss and drowned further into each other. It almost would be worth it to be separated if reuniting felt this great every time.

"I'm guessing you got my message?" She asked coyly, her lips tingling and their arms still around each other.

Marzel smiled as he reached out and wound one of the strands of her hair that had been dyed purple around his finger.

"I've never been so terrified in my whole life," He whispered, leaning down even more to press his forehead against hers.

"I'm still terrified," She admitted.

"The theater--"

"I already quit."

"Your house--"

"Wrote the landlord and sent him this months rent."

"Your things--"

"I don't have much." Carla then smiled a little proudly, "But I actually have enough for once in my life to be packed up and ready to move whenever we can."

"And could you really give it up?" Marzel swallowed hard. "Everything on land?"

"My whole life I've been rejected and put down by other humans. The only time I've felt equal and worthy has been my time with you and your family." She pulled her hands out of his grasp and gently cupped his face. "I'm not giving up a life on land, I'm gaining a new one. And if you ask me one more time, I'm seriously going to break up with you."

Marzel laughed as he easily kissed the top of her head. He then released his hold on her, but held onto her hand as they walked back over and he picked up the satchel he had thrown down.

"Then let's go begin our lives together, mi cielito."

They walked out, and then swam when it got deep enough and Marzel's tail returned, still hand in hand over to a small rock outcropping. He helped lift her up onto the rough surface. He opened up his satchel to reveal of large clump of milagras, freshly cut milagras. That's why he had taken so long.

Marzel began pulling out large pieces of the magical kelp and they worked together in wrapping it around her body, starting at the top and working downwards. They paused briefly when they got to the last piece that would cover her legs.

"I love you."

Carla grinned as she reached and ran her hand over his undercut, her fingers instinctively running over the intricate designs. "I love you too, mi tesoro."

Marzel leaned into her touch and lifted one of her legs up to place a brief kiss on her bare knee.

As soon as the milagra covered her feet, the transformation instantly began and Carla automatically closed her eyes. At first, it didn't feel too different from the shape shifting potion she had taken to become Rita or the spell to have her become a malvago as this wave of magic touched every pore in her body. However, somewhere in the middle, she felt as if her very soul was also changing, becoming in tune to the ocean and all the creatures that lived with in it.

And it was all over in only a few seconds.

Even with her eyes still closed, Carla could feel some changes, like how her sundress had transformed into a new outfit and how her hair had gotten longer and thicker as it now flowed and curled all the way down her back.

Carla then opened her eyes tentatively and saw a sparkling bright purple tail where her legs had been. She lightly traced her fingers over the scales and felt her nerves light up everywhere she touched. This was really her tail. She had done it.

Marzel was staring at her with wide eyes and mouth agape. Carla felt a little shy under such an intense gaze.

"So, how do I look?"

"Are you sure you weren't one of the ancient sea goddesses in disguise this whole time?"

Gods, that had to be the sappiest and cheesiest line she had ever heard. And she couldn't have been smiling any brighter as she threw her arms around him.

Marzel hugged her back tightly as he tipped backwards and they both fell into the sea together.

They were encased in a flurry of bubbles as they continued to slowly sink into the ocean. However, with this new soul and body, she didn't feel like she was falling, instead, she felt like she was rising. Carla began to weep, even though she didn't know if that was entirely possible underwater, at how right this all felt.

Carla then brought her lips to his pointed ear and whispered to him the same words she had written for that message in a bottle.

"Take me home."

#carla delgado #marzel #prince marzel #Elena of Avalor #Disney #disney jr #ship appreciation week #EOA #carzel

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magicianparrish · 4 years

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Wasting No Time

Yay it’s pynch secret santa gift exchange time! My secret santa giftee is @alliwannadoiswrite :) They wanted some canon stuff, with college, the Barns, domestic fluff, Adam being psychic, among other things :) This does have spoilers for Call Down the Hawk! So if you haven’t read it yet, I would not suggest reading this until after you have! So I tried my best to weave all of these things in. I hope you like it. Happy Holidays! Thanks to @pynchpromptweek for getting this together :D

Adam couldn’t stop thinking about Ronan. This had become something common in the past year that they had almost been officially together. Being with Ronan and loving Ronan was something that had consumed Adam unexpectedly, and wholly. He did not regret one thing about it though. The languid summer nights that they had spent together before Adam went up to Cambridge, were some of the best memories Adam will ever have, and he cherished them greatly.

He also loved college life too. He had made his group of friends surprisingly quickly and found he cherished their friendship more than he anticipated. Though there was still plenty of room for their growth, and he knew he could never compare them to his friends back home. It was impossible to given the circumstances. But he now had given them a brief introduction to his other side, the world of magical forests, and demons, and boyfriends who had the power to take things out of his dreams. Their feet were in the door, and Adam was still hesitating on whether he should push them through or push them out and shut, lock the door and hide the key. Fletcher was still recovering from the trashed dorm room filled with dream crabs with human teeth, and a motorcycle that shouldn’t work but did. He did his best to hide it, but Adam knew that things had fundamentally changed between them. Adam was still trying to figure out if it was for better or worse.

Adam enjoyed most of his classes, though taking the ones that were gen ed requirements was sometimes like pulling teeth. His professors were all just a little bit quirky, but they all meant well. The coursework was challenging and stimulating, something that Adam used as a great distraction when his thoughts got too wild. The food wasn’t great, but Adam did not have high expectations. Anything would be better than what he lived off of growing up in Henrietta. He was thankful that he could have a steady three meals every day. Something he made sure to take advantage of no matter how busy he got. He would make the most of the thousands of dollars that meal plans cost; even with a full ride. And especially since he had to make up for the damage done to his dorm room.

Adam had tried to go on the next few weeks like everything was normal. Even if a nagging voice in the back of his mind constantly reminded him that no, everything was not fine. He watched as the leaves change color as autumn came in full swing. For the first time, he really felt what it meant for winter to be lurking around the corner. It was only early November, but Cambridge already had its first flurry of the year. That had come as a bit of a surprise to Adam, who wasn’t expecting any snow until at least after Christmas. After Halloween, the temperature seemed to drop twenty degrees, as if Mother Nature was antsy to get on with winter and leave autumn behind. He had found a Columbia jacket in one of the many thrift stores he and Gillian frequented in great condition, and bought it for himself at the advice of her. Gillian who had grown up in Saratoga Springs, New York, knew about cold winters.

Midterms were closing in on Adam faster than he thought. It felt as if he were just moving into his dorm yesterday, sweating through his shirt helping his roommate, and future friend Fletcher, move a mini-fridge up three flights of stairs in the middle of August. But even the summers in Cambridge were not nearly as bad, thanks to it being close to the Charles River and Boston Harbor. Unlike Henrietta which was landlocked deep in western Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley.

He was sitting in the library preparing for his big quiz he had to take tomorrow morning. Even with half of his hearing permanently missing, Adam still found the library restless. There were too many people in one place, who had the same idea as he did. Doing the last minute cramming for midterms they had coming up. But with too many people, and running into friends and colleagues, it turned to striking conversations, and then being too loud. Adam wished he had been able to book a study corral, but those went faster than hot concert tickets here. Even if the library had been completely silent, it wouldn’t have helped his own thoughts that seemed to be screaming.

He had attempted to scry this morning, feeling something just a bit off. The session wasn’t very successful, so he tried pulling some tarot cards. Adam was thankful Fletcher was such a heavy sleeper. The cards he pulled weren’t exactly worrisome to Adam, but he wasn’t exactly happy with the outcome either. It also did not help that Ronan seemed to be a little more elusive than usual. Adam hoped he wasn’t finding himself into too much danger. He couldn’t stop thinking about who this Bryde character was, and what they were doing with Ronan. Adam wanted to know more about him.

Finally, Adam huffed and closed his books. He glanced at the watch that Ronan had given him as a gift. Thankfully they were both in the same time zone, so the time displayed was accurate. Adam did the mental calculations quickly to see if he could swing the crazy idea that had formed in his head last night. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was still early in the day.

“Screw it,” he muttered to himself.

He practically swept all his books off the table and into his backpack and darted out of the library. He shoved the code into his door and rushed in. Fletcher was on his bed reading a book and he startled.

“Adam! What’s got you in a big hurry?” he asked.

Adam didn’t respond for a moment and was too busy replacing the books with some clothes, and other necessities because you never know. When he zipped his backpack up, he finally looked at Fletcher.

“Going home to visit Ronan,” he responded.

Fletcher’s mouth dropped and his eyes widened. “Like right now? Adam, we have a presentation tomorrow morning!”

Adam nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

Fletcher sputtered for a moment before shaking his head. “How are you getting all the way to Virginia?”

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “The motorcycle.”

“The motorcycle? Do you even have a helmet? Do you even know how to ride it?” he exclaimed.

“I’ll learn on the way. I promise, I’ll be there for Alexander’s class tomorrow,” Adam replied.

Fletcher murmured something under his breath and then heaved himself off the bed. Adam watched as he dug around in his closet for something and came out with a helmet. He tossed it to Adam who caught it.

“Doesn’t exactly go with the aesthetic, but my Vespa's helmet is better than no helmet. Also wear that leather jacket that Gill and you bought, it’s insulated. And wear gloves! Adam, your hands will be exposed. It’s cold out, and I don’t want you getting frostbite.”

Adam had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at his roommate’s dramatics but did as he was told anyway. He yanked the brown leather jacket and put it on over his t-shirt he was wearing. Adam didn’t own any actual gloves, but he did have a pair of gardening gloves he used when working in the greenhouse for his botany club he joined, thanks to his proctor who also ran the club. They would have to do.

“Okay, I gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow!” Adam said as he ran out of the room with his helmet in tow.

“Be careful!” Fletcher called out after him.

Adam ran out of the building and went towards the place where he had hidden the illegal and impossible motorcycle. Adam didn’t even have a proper license for this, and he would just have to hope no cops pulled him over. He took his phone out of his pocket, just to make sure he was still good for time. And a small part of him hoped that Ronan had texted him something, anything. No cigar for that though.

“Ronan, you better be there,” he muttered before plugging in his headphones that Ronan dreamt for him and turning on a queue of audio files that had all his lectures on. Just because he made a whimsical decision based on slight psychic intuition did not mean his academic studies went on the back burner.

He looked down at the motorcycle that was between his legs. How hard could this possibly be? He knew the guts of these as well as he knew his own hand, thanks to working as a mechanic for most of his young life. He turned it on and hit the throttle a little to test it out. He lurched forward unexpectedly, and he let out a yelp. Finally, he got some semblance of control and made his way down.

There were definitely a few close calls, and he had nearly fallen a few times trying to get used to the motor underneath him. Thankfully the highway didn’t seem too busy even for a Sunday. He made it back to the Barns in good time, with the sun just over its zenith for the day. He pulled into the Barns but was hit with a sense of dread and unpleasantness. Adam couldn’t think straight, but it was eerily reminiscent to when Cabeswater was being unmade due to the demon that had been unleashed thanks to the Greenmantles. But Adam pushed through and when he left whatever invisible barrier that was there, it felt as if he was breathing properly after being underwater for too long. He still wanted to have the element of surprise for Ronan though and pulled up only halfway to the driveway. He cut the engine and made his way up by foot and snuck in through the back door. Adam knew Ronan was home because the BMW was in the driveway, but he didn’t know if he would be out in the fields or in the house.

Adam had made his way into the kitchen and saw Ronan. His first reaction was relief at seeing his boyfriend but then surprise at seeing the handgun being leveled at him by said boyfriend. Adam put his hands up.

“Jesus, Ronan, it’s me!” he exclaimed. He turned on the kitchen light so he could get a better look. He took off the helmet and tucked it under his arm, still eyeing the gun in Ronan’s hand. “You know how to take a surprise well.”

It had taken Adam back that Ronan seemed to be paranoid about something. He didn’t trust that Adam was really who he was. But he was just glad to be home and close to Ronan again. He had only talked to Ronan on the phone the night before, but it seemed so far away. When they hugged, Adam wrapped his arms tightly around Ronan and made sure to revel in this. How much he missed Ronan’s warmth, and how much he loved it too. He felt the thrumming of the ley line under his feet, the magic of the Barns and the man who lived in it. It made Adam feel alive in a way he didn’t at Harvard, no matter how much he liked it there. He made sure to wish Ronan an early happy birthday. Even if he only had three hours to spare here, he would make good use of every second.

He did not expect things to take such a sharp turn as they did. He had been thinking about Bryde, and he wanted to see what was up with him. What he did not expect was something too bright and horrible that words could not even begin to describe it. Adam had never seen or even felt anything like it before. Not even when he was being possessed by the Demon. It had shaken Adam a bit to find out that his heart had actually stopped beating for a moment when he was snapped back into his mind thanks to Ronan’s talon knife. It had been like a dream; he couldn’t possibly remember all the details but was left feeling even more uneasy than before. Normally, he was able to remember his scrying sessions with great detail. The fact that he couldn’t was worrisome to Adam. Something big was moving, and he didn’t know what. But it seemed to be aiming for Ronan and anyone associated with him. Which included Adam.

They both sat on the cold tile floor of the master bathroom. Ronan had gotten the first aid kit and was slowly cleaning the wound that had been inflicted on his hand. The antiseptic burned a little, but he let Ronan continue.

“Parrish, what the fuck did you see?” Ronan asked again.

Adam had remained silent for a while. The images though he could not properly articulate them, and could not fully remember them, still seemed to be burned in the back of his eyelids every time he blinked. Adam shook his head.

“I-I don’t know Ronan,” Adam said. His voice was hoarse, and his throat sore from letting out a guttural scream he didn’t recall doing.

“Whatever you saw, it made you scream as if you were dying. Adam, your heart literally stopped beating!” Ronan exclaimed.

Adam glared up at where Ronan sat on the toilet bowl lid. Of course, Adam knew that when he came to it felt as if his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. It felt as if he hadn’t breathed in years.

“I know, Lynch. I can’t describe it. It’s like a fading dream. But I know it wasn’t Bryde.”

“How do you know though?” Ronan asked.

He was still trying to stop the bleeding from the cuts that went all the way up his hand and arm. He dabbed a little more of the antiseptic on a cotton swab and gently rubbed it to sterilize. Adam let out a hiss. Ronan grunted, as his way of saying sorry. Adam took in a deep breath and let out a long exhale.

“I just know. It was dark, and it felt almost similar to the demon’s energy. But stronger?” he tried to explain.

Ronan’s eyes looked up from Adam’s arm and to Adam’s eyes. His eyebrows pinched and his lips formed a scowl.

“Stronger than the demon? Parrish, what the fuck does that mean?” he demanded.

Adam threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “I don’t know Lynch! This entire situation just seems messed up. You’re seeing doppelgangers of your mother, and hearing voices in your dream that cause them to be uncontrollable? The energy I’ve been feeling when I scried and even when I pull cards feels off. Something weird is happening, and I think it’s bigger than just you and me.”

Ronan just let out a growl of frustration and didn’t push the subject any further. Which Adam was glad for. He didn't want this to ruin the small amount of time they had together. He wasted enough of it digging into things that he didn’t know the first thing about. Adam watched silently as Ronan finished cleaning his wounds and carefully wrapped bandages around it. When he was finished Ronan washed his hands and walked out. Adam followed.

Ronan was standing by the large window in the master bedroom. The sun was setting, casting long shadows and the bright glow of the evening sun. Ronan’s body was tensed up, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Adam padded up quietly next to him and forced his hand to intertwine with Ronan’s.

“This is fucked,” Ronan finally said.

Adam did not disagree. “Yeah, it is. But we’ll find a way through it.”

Ronan turned his attention from the outside world and gave it to Adam. Adam would always be grateful for Ronan and the unconditional love he had given Adam when Adam had never been offered it. Adam was already meeting Ronan halfway when it came to that. The sunlit up half of Ronan’s face while covering the other half in shadows. The light made his ice irises even more stunning than usual. His lips were in the usual scowl, but somehow it was softer.

“How do you know?” he wondered.

Adam squeezed his hand. “Because we’re stronger together.”

He watched as Ronan did his smoker’s breath and closed his eyes for a long moment. When he opened them back, Adam put a hand behind his head, feeling the bristles of the shaved hair and rubbed his thumb back and forth. He watched as Ronan’s pupils dilated, and gently pulled him down for a kiss. Ronan was more than happy to oblige Adam’s request. After a few moments, Adam released. He smirked at his boyfriend.

“Now, we only have a few hours. And I did say I needed to take your clothes off, so since we’re here…” he teased, leaving the rest for Ronan to figure out.

Ronan let out a harsh bark of laughter and rolled his eyes. He gently pushed Adam’s head away, which elicited a laugh from Adam.

“Parrish, you fucker.”

Adam grabbed Ronan by the collar of his t-shirt and dragged him to the bed before pushing him down. Adam then climbed on top of Ronan.

“Well, that’s kind of the point isn’t it?” he asked with a smirk.

“Not what I meant, shithead,” Ronan growled.

“Let’s not waste any more time, Lynch. I’m on a tight schedule.”

Ronan scoffed but pulled Adam down and into a deep kiss.

#adam parrish #ronan lynch #pynch #trc #cdth #pynchpromptweek #writing stuff

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