#my misadventures in my search for human connections | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

joumiwrites · 3 years

Text

One element, two stories: The Amber Spyglass and The Good Place

This is the first post of a new series in which I'll talk about common elements between two stories, not necessarily two novels. Today we'll compare The Good Place tv series and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, especially the third book, 'The Amber Spyglass'. There will be spoilers for both, especially the fourth and final season of the show, so please stop reading if you don't want to know the ending.

In this context, 'common elements' doesn't mean much; two stories chosen randomly might have a lot of themes and archetypes in common, especially when they belong to the same genre. I'll only analyze those cases where the element in common has a peculiar combination of characteristics. Like...

Like a door in the afterlife that allows the souls of the dead to escape and dissolve forever.

Not only this element is very specific, but the themes that surround it are similar, even if the stories approach them from different angles: grim and hopeless for His Dark Materials, hopeful and optimistic for The Good Place. These doors are both situated in the afterlife of the respective story, as a way for the souls to escape. But why would they want to do that in the first place?

For His Dark Materials, the answer is easy: the afterlife is an endless, empty wasteland. The souls are stuck there in the company of harpies, which are exactly as fun and non-threatening as the ancient greek myths about them suggest. Think the Limbo in Dante's Inferno, but absolutely everyone goes there, regardless of their deeds in life.

What makes everything worse is the lack of daemons: a piece of the person's soul that lives outside their body in the shape of an animal. Upon the person's death, the daemon disappears. Imagine a sentient part of you that has always been by your side dissolve forever, leaving you alone in the aforementioned Limbo of nightmares. Fun, right?

Obviously anything, even dissolving into nothingness, would be better than an eternity there. It would be a terrible situation even if the souls were still alive.

On the contrary, in the afterlife of The Good Place the dead suffer because they are not alive, or better, because they can't die.

But let's take a step back (heavy spoilers ahead): the afterlife of The Good Place has a bad part and a good part. After four seasons of misadventures, our protagonists finally arrive to the good part. In this place, people can do whatever they want, forever. You can literally request anything, and a Janet (an almost omnipotent AI assistant) will bring it to you. Which turns out to be fun for the first millennia or so, but then people start to ask for random stuff, get maybe half a second of satisfaction, then request something else. They become severely distracted and unfocused, because they can go on for eternity, so what's the point of focusing on something? Whatever they want to do, they can always do it later, since they have an endless supply of 'later'. And if you have done everything there is to do, there's nothing left for you.

As soon as the protagonists discover the trap, they scramble to find a solution, which is literally an escape door. Nobody knows what's behind it, but once you go through, you can't come back. The final scenes of the series suggest what might be happening, but we'll examine that later. The main idea is that by having a door that could actually kill you, you'll always have the possibility to leave, so naturally you’re brought to think about what you want to do and act on it before you decide to move on.

Theme-wise, the biggest similarity is that they're both atheist narratives, for three main reasons:

1) Human beings can more or less change their situation, if not on an individual level, at least as a group. No situation is permanent if they don't want it to be, not even when it was imposed by entities bigger and more powerful than them. In the good place this is evident, because the new rules of the afterlife have literally been designed by Chidi, a human. Even before that, during the show humans had a lot of agency and they could negotiate with the powerful beings around them.

The situation is different in The Amber Spyglass. The dead are completely stuck, the only creatures they can communicate with are harpies, and not only they can't do anything to help them, but they wouldn't even if they could. Only the protagonists can save the situation by opening the door with a magical tool. Just like the protagonists of The Good Place, saving the souls trapped in the afterlife is their choice. In this case, opening a door is a more obvious solution, because that's what the aforementioned tool does, but they could have closed it behind them after leaving the place, so props to them.

2) In the end, humans are the ones to decide when to actually go. Sure, gods and superior beings decide what happens after the 'first' death, but humans have the ultimate decision on when to disappear for good.

3) Speaking of gods, they have some characteristics in common in both works. First of all, they aren’t omniscient nor omnipotent, and they’re still subjected to the rules of the universe they live in, just like any other creature. For example, the judge in The Good Place is the highest authority on everything, but she still needs to search inside each Janet to find the “clickery thingy” that can erase humanity. She can’t get this information at will.

The Janets are the second more powerful entities of this universe. Their powers have limits, even if they can be stretched by rebooting them multiple times. But no matter how powerful the Janets become, they have to obey the judge and follow their programming and their 'moral alignment': good or bad, depending on which side they work for. Which means that a simple human can reboot a good Janet without any problem (except having to hear her beg for her life).

In His Dark Materials, 'God' is literally a ruse. The first angel, the Authority, declared himself as god, even if the one actually ruling is Metatron, another angel. But both have physical bodies, can get old and also die.

The last element I want to analyze is what happens after a soul crosses the door. In His Dark Materials, it dissolves into atoms. This is presented by the protagonists as a huge liberation, justified by saying that their atoms belong to the universe and will go back to create everything that lives in it. There's also an awkward line about their atoms finding each other and being stuck together for eternity, even if it's clear that they don't have any control over this. The fact that dissolving into atoms essentially means not existing anymore isn't addressed and analyzed, which in my opinion is a huge oversight.

So, nothing else is left behind? Well, I've talked about daemons and the fact that they dissolve after the 'first' death of the person. The link between daemon and person attracts Dust, particles that in this world are attracted by sentient beings and create angels. They're heavily analyzed in the books, but the gist is that Dust is a metaphor for consciousness. In this world's version of the Adam and Eve story, the apple caused the Dust to settle on them, and thus to become aware of the difference between 'good' and 'bad'. Human beings are in a sense contributing to this universal consciousness with Dust that was 'tainted' by their connection to their daemons, their conscience/inner-self (this isn't explicitly said in the books, I'm just extrapolating).

In the final scenes of The Good Place, after Eleanor crosses the door, we are shown a single speck of golden dust that causes an act of goodness in the world. It falls on a man who had trashed a letter not destined to him and prompts him to pick it up and bring it to the right addressee. We can infer that the souls leave behind their ability to distinguish good and bad actions, skill they have gained while passing through the new afterlife system.

So in both cases human beings keep existing and influencing the world after the end of their lives, even if transformed into something different, be it atoms or fragments of conscience. The afterlife becomes just an intermediary step, a part of life like any other.

#his dark materials #the amber spyglass #the good place #book analysis #one element two stories

13 notes · View notes

queenofthedramedies · 4 years

Text

Legacies Opinions 3x06: Absence Makes the Heart...

Hello, my lovely readers! (Okay, so I'm going through some writer's block. Hopefully this opinion piece will come out well...)

Thursday's epi. of Legacies seemed to be built on the theme of absence. We see it everywhere: Jo joining the human high school. Landon still trapped. Mentions of Penelope Park, who exited Legacies, late S1. Ethan talking about Maya's having left. And most of the Salvatore School having withdrawn.

While so much absence could lead to a very melancholy epi.; there are many light moments in the show. Let's talk about some of them.

Lizzie worked, in this epi. to distract herself, and Hope, from their pain by dragging Hope into taking potential students on a tour of the school. This led to a series of misadventures. MG saying he would not be helping the gang, because he needs to say: "No!" more often. Jed's three-person wolf pack. Apparently not impressive. Poor Jed. He tries. And Kaleb taking an interest in new, potential student, Cleo.

Speaking of potential students: Gabi (not sure which spelling this new character uses for her name) and Lizzie do not seem to be hitting it off given the fact that Gabi used to go to an all-witch school in Belgium. This leads us to our first Penelope Park mention of S3. And, I'm still hopeful that we may see Pen return, especially considering she's holding a torch for Josie. #Posie

Back to Cleo. Personally, I like her. She's seems intuitive, kind, and honest However, characters have turned out to not be what they seem before. We'll have to keep an eye out, to see how this character develops, considering she's making fast friends with Hope, and, again, Kaleb seems smitten. Their interaction led to one of the best lines of the night: "One of my fears in being trapped in a room with a man playing piano." That is gold!

Back to MG: He's on a roll. Telling Jed off about Alyssa, Wade that MG's not into all things geek, and Lizzie. Oh, boy, does he find himself regretting that last one, which is part of one of my other favorite bits of the night. That one you will have to watch at the end of the epi. And trust me, it is good...

Wade. So happy to see him popping around this epi. He just brings a certain lightness to the show. And it turns out that he has a connection to Gabi, too. Who's here for platonic male-female friendships? Me! Anyone else?

Speaking of platonic friendships: Jo and Ethan do lunch at the human high school. It looks like this is the beginning of a strong friendship. Maybe. Or something more. Who knows? You know, other than the writers...

Jonch. Or Jo and Finch seem to be kindling something real and kind of sweet. The only problem is Finch having no idea who Jo really is. And we learn more about the new girl's past which may end in her not being happy with Jo's secrets.

Last, but not least: Handon. I could not end this piece without discussing Handon. Hope is haunted by her love's absence and ends up unintentionally hurting potential students with her psychic energy. Cleo is helpful in talking Hope through her grief, but I suspect that Hope has long road ahead of her.

Landon also has a long road home. After opening the door, which turns out to be in Malivore, he finds himself in an ice cream shop, with The Necromancer. Oh, no!

I know I shouldn't enjoy it, but Landon and The Necro are funny together. But they also have more than a few dramatic moments ass they struggle to find a way out, and to leave the other behind.

The Necromancer makes a big mistake when he repeatedly tells Landon that Land can not rescue himself. This seems to trigger a force within Landon, and ends in brutal violence, which we have not really seen in this character, till now. The Necro also predicted Hope's Klaus-like nature taking over, with her search for Landon. Looks like this couple could be moving toward a path of villainy, before they correct course, or not...

In the meantime, Landon has left a letter behind which may, or may not find its way into anyone’s hands. We shall see...

And a special gift for Handon fans, we saw Landon put on Hope’s necklace which feels like a big step, a kind of joining of the Mikaelson fam; if you will. Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part. 😊

Oops! Almost forgot: Dorian Williams is back, and is the new principal of Mystic Falls High!

Overall, the epi. felt much more focused around certain story arcs that will probably play out through the season and beyond..

That's all for this week! 😊

Be safe,

-J

#legacies opinions #hope miikaelson #landon kirby #lizzie saltman #josie saltzman #ethan fell #milton greasley #kaleb hawkins #legacies jed #legacies wade #cleo sowande #cleleb #mizzie #handon #jonch #legacies gabi #dorian williams #the necromancer

16 notes · View notes

sorenthestoryteller · 4 years

Text

February 11 th, 2020 – In Which Soren Ponders Elements of Corporate and Individual Worship

“But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth.” -Psalm 11:4

This Psalm is a chronicle of yet another one of David’s misadventures. Written sometime after he was king and there was another group wanting to murder him. This Psalm is written as a reaction of David after being told that he should flee to the mountains to preserve his life. David seems to react to being told to flee by saying that the Ark of the Covenant is right there in the city, not out in the wilderness. I assume part of the reason David did not want to flee was that the Ark was in his capital city and did not want to flee and leave both unprotected.

Trying to make sense of this, I do understand why people would be upset about a threat to the physical embodiment of their faith. It is not the exact same concept in Christian thought, but I do think there is something important about having a designated sacred place for experiencing God through prayer, meditation, and study.

Growing in faith we find the things we started with may not fit a well as they once did, and we may find the need to incorporate other aspects. It took having about a decade of living and working within the Southern Baptist realm to realize that I need more to live than the political anarchism and being anti-liturgical for their own sake.

That journey took me through examining Catholicism, my SBC roots, experimenting with various types of prayer, and accidentally landing in an offshoot of Lutheranism. What I have found has more meaning because of having gone through the adventure of finding it. Yet, it is not something I feel a need to prove over a contest of wills and anger. A person who needs to be right more than others need to be safe is someone with terrible priorities and does not need to allow a leadership role.

There is something wonderful about God’s love and existence not being dependent on me. God’s capacity for love and grace is not limited by humanity. And that is enhanced by being part of a community that is liturgical but in a way that encourages people to follow their convictions on how to properly observe the sacraments.

Religion is our corporate worship and needs to be involved in a community. Spirituality is our own personal connection to the divine that is exercised through spiritual disciplines. Each human needs both, however, our separate needs vary from person to person.

It’s so important to find a community that inspires you to be your best self, to be honest, but to be encouraged to grow. When we have that it is so special. It took me over a decade of searching between my first and second groups, but man it was worth the struggle.

This spiritual journey, this stumbling from place to place…I could have never plotted such a wonderful and reckless course on my own. The pain, the tears, the hope, the prayer, the wonder, the mystery…it has all been worth every ounce of rejection and moment of physical illness.

Somehow the divine and the temporal meet in a way that is mysterious. Love and faith are mysteries on a level with the Eucharist.

I wish I had words, but sometimes the best worship is silence.

#Christian #Christianity #Psalm 11 #faith #faith reflections #blog #post of a textual nature #Soren Speaks #mystery #sacraments #hope #love #religion #need #community

5 notes · View notes

vulpinmusings · 4 years

Text

Letters from Buxcord #9: The Thing in the Lab

Been a while, but here’s a Monster of the Week adventure write-up.

Samantha,

Lea and Penn have been cured of potential lycanthropy, and Piper has an amulet to suppress the werewolf rage. I’m pretty sure I built and empowered it correctly, but naturally we’ll have to wait until the next full moon to be sure.

Mr. Penn is beginning to worry me; something has sparked an intense interest in him regarding end-of-the-world scenarios and the demon sealed in that one tree. He’s also… Well, let me describe out our latest misadventure for background before I start speculating.

Lea called me up in the middle of the night to report that she’d just received a desperate call from a worker at Professor Thomas’s lab, the bioengineering place that produced the Santa-sqautch and such. The worker was in a panic, and Lea had heard some kind of unearthly screeching in the background before the call went dead. I hastened out of bed and made my way to the lab as quickly as possible, hoping that whatever new monstrosity had accidentally been created wouldn’t escape into the wild before I got there. Lea was already at the lab when I arrived, naturally, but Penn was also there of his own accord and had apparently arrived even before Lea had, coincidentally as he’d been trying to locate the boundaries of the outermost barrier of the Demon Tree.

That coincidence on its own wouldn’t have meant anything, as it fit with the rest of Penn’s recent behavior. However, when we discovered that the entrance to the lab was mechanically sealed, Penn managed to wrench the shutter open by raw physical strength, a feat far beyond what a human is capable of. Given the urgency of the situation, I didn’t question that act out loud then.

The front room of the lab looked like something had done a thorough rampage before leaving; workstations were smashed, the walls looked like they’d been clawed, and what appeared to be blood was trailing out of a broken vent.

A little ways farther in, we found a lady scientist taking cover under some machines in a glass-walled lab. Just as we were going inside to question her, the first of what would turn out to be multiple monstrosities burst out a nearby vent. Lea and the scientist managed to hide, but Penn and I were caught in the open. The creatures are difficult to describe. Imagine a blob of living meat festooned with fangs, tentacles, beaks, and eyes in no particular arrangement. This first thing targeted me, and I tried to fend it off with lightning and a Tangler, which is simply slithered out of. Penn tried to draw its attention, but besides a lingering stare the Thing paid him no mind, even when Penn dropped a part of the ceiling on it with blasting powder. I tried a blast of fire, which did little appreciable damage but frightened the thing into a retreat.

During the fight, Lea had been trying to coax the scientist into telling her what was going on, but the poor lady was too hysterical to speak. Lea had to resort to using her Faerie mental powers to force the scientist to calm down and answer questions. The lady didn’t know much, only that a blob-thing had suddenly burst from the vents and converted on of her co-workers into another instance of itself with a mere touch. She suspected it originated from one of the experiment rooms, and provided a map of the lab before going to hide again rather than risk leading one of the things to the exit Penn had wrenched open.

Without further incident, we located the room where the blob-thing had been created. It was as much a wreck as the rest of the lab, although the various other experimental bio-forms floating in tubes along one wall had not been touched. I found a computer that still in working order, with a note-taking program open. The notes belonged to a lab employee named Colin, who expressed frustration at Professor Thomas’ refusal to approve certain experiments Colin wanted to try. So, Colin decided to just steal some biological material and start synthesizing a monster anyway. The original blob-thing was the result of combining the DNA of a kraken, starfish, synthetic Blood of the Ancients, and some of the skin Nollthep had shed during the basilisk incident and I had given to Thomas as payment for griffon tears.

Keep that last component in mind going forward.

Colin’s notes went on to detail some experiments he’d performed on his creation, namely testing its reaction to temperature. Blob-thing was noted to have an adverse reaction to the cold, and given the abrupt way the notes ended, it appeared it really disliked rapid changes in temperature and had gone on the rampage.

Penn, Lea, and I spent a lot of time debating how to proceed, given that there could be at least three blob-things in the lab – the original, the lady scientist’s converted co-worker, and most likely Colin – that could travel through the ventilation system and which we could not safely touch. We finally settled on trying to herd the things into the cryo-storage room in the lab’s lowest level for containment, and then blast them with high heat if necessary.

No sooner had we agreed to the plan, than the second blob-thing made itself known by banging around in the vents overhead. We tried to leave quietly, but I slipped on a puddle of blood and fell loudly into a bit of equipment. Blob-thing #2 popped out of the vent and started advancing. This one had a more humanoid shape, but was still sporting eyes and mouths where they don’t belong. In a bit of panic, I botched a spell that should have conjured a wall of ice between me and the thing but instead trapped Lea’s feet in ice. Blob-thing grabbed my leg with a tentacle, but fortunately only touched my pants.

Lea naturally didn’t react well to suddenly being restrained, and she instinctively reached out for help with her magic, summoning a horde of rats and insects from cracks to swarm the blob-thing. While the thing was distracted, I threw up a barrier between it and me, severing the tentacle holding me. The tentacle fell off, and almost immediately began budding and growing into its own independent blob-thing. The starfish DNA at work, obviously.

Penn pulled a mace from his coat and, before anyone could determine his intentions, brought it down on the ice holding Lea’s feet, freeing her but also probably breaking some bones. Lea started levitating to compensate for the wound and tried to help me regain my footing, only for the blob-thing to grab her. I blasted the thing with an ice spell to make it back off, and the three of us fled the room and made for the stairs.

Down on the lowest floor, we encountered the third and largest of the blob-things, which was almost large enough to block the corridor completely. Penn abruptly proposed a change to the plan: rather than try to corral and freeze the thing, we should just burn them all out. I argued that that risked destroying the whole lab, but Penn paid me no mind and rushed for the room with the building’s boiler and gas main. He had to get past the blob to do so, but it let him pass without any trouble whatsoever.

Resigned to the inevitable, Lea volunteered to search the lab and evacuate any survivors while I kept the big blob busy. Lea had to fly over the blob, and as she did so it scratched her with a tentacle. Then it came after me, but a blast of ice kept it at bay.

As I was trying to figure out how to get past the blob and catch up to Lea, Penn emerged from the boiler room and estimated we had about ten minutes before the gas leak reached critical air mixture. He then told the blob off as it readied to attack me again, and it actually listened to him and moved aside. As I ran by and headed for the other stairs, I heard Penn continue to speak to the blob, telling it to gather the other blob-things and then stay put. Again, it seemed to obey him.

Running up the stairs, I eventually found Lea. She’d found most of the lab staff holed up in a panic room, confirmed the death of Darwin, and had even managed to get back to the lady scientist we’d first found and escort her to the panic room, all while resisting the mutation caused by the big blob’s touch. I took a chance on Weaving a spell to undo the mutation, and actually pulled it off without even leaving a scar.

Penn took his time catching up, and so when he finally arrived the three of us just had enough to time to get out of the lab before the gas ignited (presumably off some source Penn had arranged), while the scientists remained in the sealed panic room and hoped for the best.

The news the next day reported a minor earthquake caused by the lab’s explosion, and when Lea went to check on things she found signs that the people had gotten out safely and no indication that the blob-things had.

Not the cleanest ending to a crisis, but by this point I had more pressing concerns. Namely, why the blob-things didn’t seem to mind Penn’s presence and had even listened to his commands.

Combine that with the fact that he was already at the lab despite neither me nor Lea calling him about it, the extreme strength he displayed in opening the door, and that the blob-things were made partly from Nollthep material. I suspected, no, still suspect that Penn has some connection to Nollthep. Might even be Nollthep in a disguise, crazy as that sounds.

I’ve had a talk with Penn. He claims confusion as to why the blob-things behaved as they did and says it may have been due to an unknown effect from one of the many talismans he carries on his person. But, in that same conversation I discovered he’d… adopted a small blob-thing, and as I left the diner I saw Penn’s dog standing across the street staring my way in a very disconcerting manner.

Penn’s hiding something, but I’m going to be more cautious in getting the truth out of him than I was in confronting Nollthep. Somehow, I have to convince him that, for all my hard edges, I’m someone he can trust with his problems. If there are problems.

Possibly just paranoid,

Ash

#MOTW #Vulpin plays

2 notes · View notes

aceofwhump · 5 years

Note

Do you have any Lucifer fic recs? Especially anything involving wings?

Do I!!! I have so many Lucifer fic recs (161 to be precise) and that includes 31 fics involving his wings. This includes him cutting them off, him being insecure about them, his grooming them, team lucifer seeing them, etc.

Free the Devil from Pain by Navaros: “Looks like those sick bastards sewed the prosthetics onto his back.”Sick indeed. Chloe wanted to vomit at that thought, the bile already rising in her throat.“Give me a few more minutes, I’ll free the wings too. I can’t cut them loose in this position.”And with that the young forensic expert was back at work.

The Breakdown by SilverWolf7: Raphael visits Lucifer early in the morning to apologise to Lucifer. Lucifer lets out emotions he has been holding in for a very long time. Wing grooming.

Fluffy Blankets and Crossed Fingers by procrastinatingbookworm: In the God Johnson episode, Lucifer ends up being so high on the haldol that he can’t hide his wings. Besides dealing with this incredible revelation, Dan, Ella, and Chloe have to get a very loopy and not-at-all-helpful winged civilian consultant out of the building before anyone realizes he has wings. Bonus points if their methods for doing so involve a fluffy blanket and a lot of crossed fingers.

I’m Sorry by StrayDevil15: In the aftermath of 3x24, Lucifer is having a really hard time. Ella comes to the rescue. Self harm tw.

Castaway by ariaadagio: The Devil is real. A sentence Chloe Decker never believed until Lucifer Morningstar burned out her skepticism with his hellfire eyes. It’s a “Hell” of a reality shift, but Chloe realizes she may not have time for gradual acceptance when she discovers that one of the bodies in her most recent murder investigation isn’t human. Worse still, the next target might be Lucifer. A story that begs the question: who prays for Satan?

Malediction by orchidcactus: Chloe and Lucifer must face the consequences of 3x24, as well as dealing with new events that unfold around them.

It’s Only Me by mishasan7: She started to back up, back away from him, her eyes never leaving his face, and gasped, “It’s all true.”Lucifer felt a prickle of unease. What was true? She already knew Pierce was the Sinnerman, how could this possibly be a surprise to her now?“Detective?”What was wrong? Why was she looking at him like that?

Lucifer’s Protector by JAKishu: Trixie and Lucifer have been kidnapped, locked in a small cell and used as leverage against Chloe and her case.

Detour (with Jigsaw Puzzles) by HiroMyStory: An accident leaves Chloe and Lucifer snowed in.

Revealing by shadowolfhunter: He’s badly hurt. Chloe’s seen his true face, and Lucifer thinks she doesn’t want to know him any more.Ella’s mapped the scene. She knows what has to have happened. There’s only one answer she needs. She goes back to Lucifer’s loft apartment.

Ashes by theleafpile: Lucifer burned his wings, severing his connection to Hell.And Heaven.He vastly underestimated how much it would affect him.

And There Was Light by ariaadagio: When Lucifer Morningstar is found half dead in the desert, Chloe Decker is determined to find out why. The problem is … not even Lucifer knows the answer. As Chloe’s world is flipped upside down by incontrovertible evidence of the divine, Lucifer grapples with feelings of violation and futility. God’s meddling has started a chain reaction, but to what end?

Cleanse by ScooterThyme: After the chaotic events in the loft, Lucifer flees back to his penthouse. Once she’s dealt with the fallout at the scene as much as humanly possible, Chloe follows.Lucifer changes his mind about his wings.

Domini Canis by WhenFandomStrikes: When a strange and mysterious group of religious zealots known as the Domini Canis come to Los Angeles in search of the divine, they manage to kidnap Lucifer, Amenadiel, Charlotte and Chloe. The results of which brings a lot of secrets out of the dark and into the light.

The Bitter End by lucidwaking: SPOILERS FOR 3.24 this is my take on what happens next. Title may be deceiving this is coming out a lot less dark than I thought it would. I just had Blind Pilot stuck in my head when I named it.

After by apparition: Chloe comes face to face with the Devil. She’s terrified, but it’s his vulnerability that reminds her that he’s still the same Lucifer.

Broken Inside by fandomoverload: Chloe and Lucifer end up at a survivor’s meeting and Lucifer decides to tell a story. He gets a lot off of his chest, and Chloe draws the wrong conclusions. A one shot for now, more notes in the story.

Knives and wings don’t mix, Luciben8615: Lucifer groaned again, then inched the blade further into his traitorous muscle. Nearly there, just a bit more-The demon blade hit a clump of nerves, and Lucifer’s vision whited out as he screamed.

Home by Navaros: After waking up in the middle of nowhere, burned, exhausted and with those stupid, useless, feathered appendages on his back, he had no idea why they were back or who knocked him out. But that wasn’t important right now. He wanted to go home. The long forgotten and atrophied muscles screamed when he tried to move the wings more than just to open them or lay them against his back, and even that was painful.

Devil’s Advocate by Praemonitor: Non-chronological though interconnected ‘minisodes’ to catalogue the misadventures of Lucifer and Chloe, squeezed in-between their respective and occasionally overlapping day jobs. Minisode I - Lucifer babysits. That’s all.Minisode II - Lucifer and Chloe weather a storm.Minisode III - Lucifer earns back his wings in a bloodier fashion.Minisode IV - Chloe learns a thing or two from Dante’s Inferno.Minisode V - Maze and Chloe take on the original she-devil.Minisode VI - The Christmas Minisode. My personal favorite.Minisode VII - Chloe meets the family.Minisode VIII - Enter a certain petty dabbler in the dark arts.Minisode IX - Lucifer fractures a wing.Minisode X - Lucifer and Chloe go to Hell. Literally.

A Mutual Friend by jumble_of_fandoms: Pierce finds out some information about Lucifer that changes everything. If the Devil himself is going to break his deal, then Pierce is determined to do everything he can to break Lucifer. How far will Lucifer go to protect the woman he cares for?And how far is Pierce willing to go to break Lucifer?

Fever Dreams by Antarctic_Echoes: Lucifer isn’t about to let an odd chill stop him from seeing Chloe. He wants to tell her everything…. No more going backwards.And so he reveals himself – just not in the way he intended.

I Cut My Wings Off: A Lucifer TV Fanfiction by Anna_Erishkgal: Irritating, arrogant, and full of himself, Chloe goes to Lucifer Morningstar’s apartment to see if he made good on his promise to set up a meeting, but what she finds there only leaves her with more questions than answers. A one-shot drabble (at least for now).

Sympathy for an Angel by FearTheSpock: In the aftermath of the Season Finale, Chloe wakes in the middle of the night to a very clumsy home invasion.

If I Lose Myself by BurningUpASunJustToSayHello: If Lucifer’s fall from Heaven was a tragedy, then falling for Chloe was a goddamn sin.

Avenging Angel by Chlucifiction: It’s not Lucifer who finds the auctioneer, and his wings. Instead, Chloe beats him to it. (New story - not related to previous works). Comments encouraged :)

Wings are for Chickens by FearTheSpork: When Lucifer does a good deed for Chloe and Trixie, he’s rewarded. Although he isn’t too sure if he likes what he’s got.

Damnatio Memoriae by iceQueen1: Chloe tries to solve the riddle that is Lucifer Morningstar. Dan even manages to help. When mysterious ritualized killings start showing up, Chloe suspects Lucifer may know more than he lets on. Problem is, she doesn’t know what she thinks she does. Eventual Lucifer Whump.

A Walk in the Desert by Yunnaros: After waking up in the desert, Lucifer fly back to Chloe’s house to find a surprising number of people concerned by his disappearance.

Faint by chashkieh: Prompt: The pain of injuries and amputation never really go away. When Lucifer cut off his wings there was likely phantom pains of a lost limb in the immediate aftermath that faded as he adjusted but occasionally rears its ugly head on a rainy or hot/humid like most injuries. One day it flares in the middle of a case and is aggravated by one of Dan’s casual clap on the back. Basica

#theladyoffangorn #lucifer #lucifer morningstar #wings #wing whump #whump #whump fanfics #lucifer whump #mod post #mod replies #fic recs #fanfics #mods fic recs

176 notes · View notes

hvlfwygod · 4 years

Text

boxing day | major & abel & lucien (& gabriele)

summary: a surprise opportunity, a battle, an exorcism, a close call, a rescue

tw: stabbing, blood, broken bones, it’s a lil nasty

His head hurt. There had been this pushing, insistent pressure building up behind his eyes all day, and he could barely focus anymore. He was walking back to the Hebe cabin, ready to go to bed despite the early hour. The sun had only just set, but he was squinting just enough to see in front of him, trying to block out the streetlights with his hands. As time went on (how long, he couldn't say) the pressure only got worse, though. It built up and built up and built up until he had to crouch down and put his head between his knees to fight off nausea.

It wasn't clear to Major how long he'd been in control, distracted as he was by the sensation of his head splitting open. It'd been so long since he'd been at the front of his own mind, he almost didn't believe it when he willed himself to move and his body reacted readily. But he didn't allow himself to marvel at it: like every other time this happened, Major had a lot to do and no time to do it. He'd already wasted who knows how long just sitting there, halfway between himself and someone else.

Even though his head was still hurting, Major moved fast. He scrambled for his phone and immediately abandoned the idea when he saw that it was— of course— not fucking charged. Instead, he ran the rest of the way back to the cabin.

"Syd!" he called, practically falling through the front door. But all the rooms were dark and no one was home. Feeling desperate, Major started moving again before knowing exactly where he was going. It became clear to him after a moment, though: some small part of him remembered the party, another lifetime ago, where he'd met Abel. Abel, the person who saw him, knew he was here, and was trying to get Lucien out.

Maybe being the one in control would make it easier. Major didn't know, but he had to try. He ran up and down familiar looking streets, knocked on a few wrong doors, until he finally made it to the right house. At least, he hoped so as he banged frantically on the front door.

December 26th. It was a day of rest after their busy week. Picking Bailey up from Michigan, doing their best to help her recover, hosting groups for Christmas Eve and then the day of. They felt that they had earned a day of nothing. Still, there was a knock on their door.

Abel cast a glance down at Soup. Roommates off on their own misadventures (aka, normal human socializing), the two were in the living room alone and, naturally, sitting in the dark. “You think I should ignore it too, right?”

The cat blinked and Abel sighed as they stood and crossed the room to answer the door. As they opened it, they immediately tensed. Their spear had to be close by; their shield even. Why would Lucien come looking for them if not for a fight. Gabriele had told them to wait, and yet here was the perfect opportunity, presenting itself. They grabbed Major almost without thinking, yanking him inside as they aimed to pin him up against a wall.

The small wave of relief at seeing Abel answer was quickly brushed aside as they reached for him. Major yelped as hands closed around his shirt and pulled him inside. He held their wrists for leverage and tried to stop himself from falling over as Abel pushed him up against the wall. "I'm not—" he struggled to form a sentence and forced himself to let go and hold his hands up. "It's... I'm Major. I know you're trying to..." He trailed off but gave Abel a pleading look. "I don't know how long I have."

Their eyes betrayed their emotions. Anger turned to skepticism to relief to understanding, and they only loosened their grip slightly. "Then come with me." They kicked the door closed before turning towards their room, afraid of letting their mind buffer for too long. If they could restrain Major, then by the time Lucien took control once more it would be too late for him to get away. "Tell me how I can help you."

"I don't know," he admitted in a small voice. It took him a moment to move again, but he eventually followed Abel further into the house. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest, as if trying to hold himself together. It was only when he placed his hands against his ribcage that he noticed how badly he was shaking. "I don't know. But if this doesn't work can you, tell my sister?" Major blinked a few times in a poor attempt to keep his eyes dry. "Her name is Sydney, she lives in the Hebe cabin."

They crossed the apartment into the room with a light, the warm glow of their snake tank almost sinister given the circumstances. Once in their room, Abel took no time to search for and then produce rope. "I've spoken to her already." This was not comforting, they realized, and exhaled as they decided to explain to Major more. "I... don't want to tell you much. In case he gets the information. But know that we're trying to help you, okay? I'm trying to figure out how to do something to him without doing something to you. You regenerate, ya?" They looked down at the rope in their hands. "Can I tie you up? It'll be easier to restrain him while you're willing, and then I won't lose him again."

Knowing that Syd was already aware and trying to get him back made Major nearly stop in his tracks. He almost bumped into something in the dark and stumbled into Abel's room as a few tears slid down his cheeks. "Okay," he said quietly. Major just nodded at Abel's explanation and lowered his hands. "Yeah," he answered. "I, think I heal faster, too, but if I—" His train of thought completely derailed mid-sentence, and Major pressed his eyes shut as a wave of anger washed over him. "You should start tying me up," he mumbled.

Abel looked at Major with sympathy but not pity. This wasn’t a job for a paycheck or personal reasons, it was a job to help a man who was going through something unimaginable. “If you...?” Abel prompted as they took Major’s wrist gently and moved his arm behind his back. The knots were less gentle. They wanted to make sure that they were tight enough to give Lucien a hard time.

He didn't respond right away, too busy focusing on not fighting Abel off. His head was hurting again, this time pulsing with increasingly sharp pains. "If I die I come back," he said, a little stiff and breathless, as if he were holding something heavy. "But I don't know how it works. What are you planning to do?"

The tinny ringing started, sharp and disarming for a moment, making Abel shake their head as they took pause, then continued. “I’m no killer. But I’ve never extracted a ghost from a human. I’ve been warned it could get... messy.”

A chill travelled down his spine. "Then I'll try to—" But whatever else Major had to say about that was lost. Lucien's reaction to this was enough to pull himself forward the rest of the way. He immediately acted, the last word still falling from his lips as he jerked his elbow upward, connecting somewhere on Abel's face. He yanked himself away and tried pulling at the ropes around his wrist to no avail. But his legs were free, so he started to sprint, heading back toward the front door.

Abel grabbed their face rather than at Lucien, then swore as they watched him run away. They staggered back, more disoriented from the blow than they thought they would be, but then forced themself to run forward after him, figuring knowing the layout would work to their advantage, as well as the fact that his hands were tied up. Should’ve done the legs first.

Lucien bit back a curse as he tripped over something, surely alerting Abel to exactly where he was. He gave up on going straight for the door, and instead pressed into the wall while he twisted his arms to grab at the knife on his waist. For everything else that had gone wrong tonight, at least Major hadn't let it slip that he had a weapon. He just barely managed to grab it and get it behind his back before he heard Abel approaching. He fumbled to turn the blade toward the ropes as he ran further into the apartment.

Abel watched as Lucien stumbled around. They hadn’t even considered that they’d have the advantage of being able to see when he couldn’t, but was glad that they could. Their spear was back in their room, and their shield by the door, but they took off after Lucien while reaching for their utility knife instead, afraid of him doing something if he ran into Soup. As they approached, they let the shadows engulf them, fading from vision, and kicked Lucien’s leg to knock him off balance.

One second Abel was there, and the next it was darkness, and then he felt a blow smash into his leg so hard that he immediately dropped to the floor. "Fuck!" he groaned. His head bounced off the floorboards and his knife—which he held onto for dear life— bit into his arm, drawing blood. He groaned and switched tactics again, deciding to stay on the ground and buy himself time. Lucien arched his back and tried pushing himself away from Abel a bit with his feet. He started cutting at his restraints as subtly as he could, glaring up at Abel as he did. "Fuck you," he sneered at them. A bit of the pressure released around his wrist. "If you try anything I'm dragging that motherfucker out with me.”

Abel moved forward and dropped down on top of Lucien, one knee against his chest. They grimaced at Lucien, almost as a way of showing their teeth than anything else. "You can't do that." They had no idea if he could do that, but they were pretty sure he was bluffing. "And if you could, don't you know I have friends in low places? He's not going anywhere."

He knew that his words would cause a reaction, but he hadn't expected Abel to come down so hard. Lucien grunted in frustration and then in pain. This time his grip on his knife was lost and he felt the blade cut into a hand. Lucien snarled back at Abel and tried to wriggle out from under them, grabbing hold of the knife once again despite the pain radiating throughout his palm. "No," Lucien struggled to catch his breath before he continued, "it's already too late."

“You really believe that?” Abel snarled back, grabbing Lucien by the hair. “Not only do I have to deal with an insolent ghost, but an ignorant one.” They brought their fist down towards his side.

Lucien's heart was racing with adrenaline, but he forced himself to stay calm. It was always moments like this where he lost his control, and he couldn't afford that right now. He writhed away from the blow and pulled his wrists with renewed vigor. He'd managed to cut it loose enough before that now the ropes broke after little resistance. Lucien leaned as much pressure as he could from one side of his body so he could lift his already-bloody hand out from under him. With a grunt of effort, he stabbed blindly at Abel's leg.

Abel yelled as they were stabbed, only holding tighter onto Lucien’s hair. You deserve this for not checking if he had weapons. This is textbook, Abel. They grunted and looked from their leg to Lucien. They could attack him and possibly incapacitate him, or they could disarm him, and keep the knife from leaving the wound. They went for Lucien’s wrist, trying to get him to let go of the knife without twisting their own body too much.

As soon as the grip released from his hair, Lucien started struggling more wildly, kicking his legs and twisting his body around in an attempt to get away. His other, more injured arm made it out from under him, numb and bloody and hard to use. The fight to break free also cost him his hold on the knife. Lucien made an angry sound and pounded his hand into Abel's other leg as he pried himself out from under their knee. He took in a ragged breath as he righted himself, but didn't waste his time. Practically trembling with anger, the thought of running away had completely left Lucien's mind. Instead, he tackled them. "It's too late," he repeated as he struggled to pin them down. "You should've just fucking— let me be!"

Abel prioritizing the knife and not moving it just made things complicated, they realized, when their balance was thrown off and they were looking up at Lucien, who was now holding their wrists down. They were bent backwards, already shifting the knife in the wound, and they inhaled sharply as they brought their good knee up, once and then again, trying to knock the wind out of Lucien as they tried to pull their hands free. They thanked the fact that they were in the dark, letting the shadows ebb around them, creating a barrier between the two.

His left hand was screaming as Lucien continued to apply pressure onto Abel's wrists. Teeth gnashing in determination, Lucien bore the blows to his body as best he could, but his arms couldn't keep Abel down. Their hands broke free as the second knee smashed into his ribs. Lucien quickly turned toward Abel's injured leg, gripped the handle of his knife, and pulled out the weapon roughly. I hope that hurt. He brought the knife back down— this time aimed at their chest— but a dark wall blocked his attack. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

The knife getting pulled out was pure agony, but Abel still managed to hold their shield up– it was a good thing too, as Lucien’s attack bounced off of it. Pride seemed to swell in Abel’s chest along with their fear. They were not about to be bested by an untrained ghost when they were a child of Hades who knew how to fight. As their shield began to fade, they formed a blade from the darkness, reached up to snatch Lucien’s wrist, and yanked to pull themself up as they pulled Lucien down, sending the dark blade into his shoulder, hoping to incapacitate this arm as well. “Λείπω,” they hissed as their face was close to their ear. “Or I will make you.” They grit their teeth, letting go of the shadow blade to hold a hand close to Lucien’s face, trying once again to force away the spirit within.

In another instant, Lucien was back on the floor and his shoulder seemed to partially explode. A pained cry escaped him involuntarily, but his voice died in his throat once Abel commanded him to leave. For a brief moment, Lucien's whole world went soft and shapeless, but he scrambled to come back to the moment. Ghosts swarmed in protest, trying like him to anchor themselves in their new body. A deep ache formed in Lucien's chest. "N...o..." he struggled, tasting metal as blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth. "You won't... get him back. You can't."

Abel kept their grip strong on Lucien’s wrist despite the way the resonance of the ghosts seemed to reverberate throughout them. They turned their head away so that they could bite down on the collar of their shirt, gnawing at the fabric in an attempt to better handle the pain. Instead of replying to his threat, they just anchored themself and pressed their hand into Lucien’s face, trying to find the right spirit to pull from the body.

Another unwilling wail rang out of Major's body: it wasn't his, or Lucien's, voice. His body jerked, trying desperately to get away. Lucien clawed at Abel's face with his free hand and started writhing. It felt like something, somewhere in his chest, was about to break apart and he could do nothing to stop it. "I'm not— going. I'm not—" This time, his cry was quieter, but far more pained and agitated. He heard a worrying snapping sound and then coughed up some more blood, right into Abel's hand and consequently all over his face.

The blood was concerning and disgusting, but what really worried Abel was the snap. They didn’t relent, however, not even as Lucien began to claw at their face. They had gotten a hold of something, and though it wasn’t Lucien, it needed to come out. They dropped Lucien’s wrist to press their hand into his middle, opting to create armor with shadow to protect themself instead as they pushed at the same time that they pulled. They were past overexerting themself, but they didn’t care. This was coming out, and Lucien was next. They bit down harder on their shirt.

An agonizing burn spread over his skin, and Lucien lost a few seconds of lucidity, and then whatever unlucky ghost that had been grabbed was gone. For a disorienting moment, he wasn't sure if he was really there, taking a few gasping inhales, if his body would move if he willed it. "Listen to me," he rasped quietly. Another gurgling noise, a muffled half-laugh, and Lucien's arm twitched upward but grasped at nothing. "Listen, I'm serious. He's not going to make it if they're all gonna be like this."

Abel came to the terrible realization that Lucien was right as they pulled out what they had a grip on. It wasn’t a full ghost, but a patchwork of a few, trembling as Abel barked at them to leave once more. With nothing to tether them, they sank into the ground, the parts of them that remained dismissed. There was no telling exactly how many more were inside this body, but Abel could tell that if every extraction went this way, Major’s regeneration might not be enough. Still, they didn’t want to give Lucien the satisfaction of a reply, so they jabbed at his head once, twice.

The lack of a response was enough for Lucien. He blinked through the stinging in his eyes and angled his head back so he was staring up into Abel’s face. “I’m not even talking about physically.” The longer he was still, the more this terrible ache settled in his torso— so he tried sliding up along the floor somewhat. “I was dead for a long time, do you know what that did to me? Your friends in low places, they ever tell you what it’s like?” He sneered. “Not all of me came back. I don’t know what, but I can just— I can tell, so when I woke up in this body with all these ghosts, and this whole other person...” Lucien tried to move more; he succeeded in inching his arm slightly, nothing else. “I filled in all the gaps. I took what I needed, and you can’t—“ He managed another laugh, grimacing through it. “I can’t even fucking tell anymore what’s me and what I took. If you pull me out, and he survives it, he’s not going to be the same person. He’s not, and he’ll always know something is missing but won’t ever know what. That’s what I mean when I say you’re too late.” Lucien finally saw a decent enough angle, and willed himself to move through the agony in his shoulder to thrust his arm— and the knife— upward.

Pain as a knife found its way into Abel’s side. It was blocked and slowed by their armor, they were sure it would have been worse had they not had the hardened shadow to help them. But still, they could tell this was bad. They’d spent most of their adrenaline rush fighting, and now they weren’t sure if their leg was going to support their weight if they stood. Even so, Abel let out a spiteful laugh and pushed into the shadow knife, just burying it deeper into Lucien as they pulled him closer. “You come all this way just to give that shitty speech?” They growled, taking a ragged breath before continuing. “You have no idea who you’re talking to. I don’t need my friends to tell me what it’s like; I’ve been to hell and back myself.” They grasped the hair at the back of Lucien’s head, then yanked his head back to force him to look at them. “A long time? Try being dead for three years. You know nothing.” Their mouth tasted metallic, but they just continued on. “I want you to look at me and know that some do not decompose. Just the weak.” Their eyes burned, both dark instead of their usual two tones. “You can’t fill in any gaps. He’s a whole person. You. Stupid. Fuck.” They released his hair and brought their fist down on the back of his head, much weaker than before, hoping that their stamina would win out over his.

Lucien was nearly delirious with pain, which might’ve explained why he continued laughing despite being hit again. His arm barely had any feeling left in it, which might’ve explained how he managed to rip the knife out of Abel’s side and stab them again, this time closer to their stomach. They had to be bluffing, they had to be. “Three years and you don’t know shit,” he slurred, pushing himself upright as best he could. “How’d you make it back, huh? How come that’s allowed and I’m not? Fuck you. Fuck you.” Lucien grabbed Abel’s shirt to pull himself up further and pushed them backwards. “If you get to decide if I live, do I get to decide that for you, too?”

As Lucien moved, Abel predicted his movements enough to concentrate their shield on their stomach, and the wound they retained was much more superficial than the others. They pushed themself up more, then winced, back down on one knee. There was no way they could stand on that leg, darkness empowering them or not. They were shaking, and the floor trembled with them. “I made it back because this is my body. What you’re doing right now, you are not living. You are a virus. παράσιτο,” they hissed. Shadows swelled around them, covering their arms, chest, half their face, seeping into their wounds. “I came back because I am Abel Benoit, child of Death. So you’re going to have to try harder to kill me.” They leaned back into the shadows, fully absorbed and invisible now, before lunging forward to get Lucien back on the ground.

What would keep them down? Every time Lucien got a little bit of leverage, Abel hit him back. As he slammed once again into the floor, desperation melted into anger and prompted him to reach for his assailant’s throat. “Give me a fucking break,” he snarled up at them. “I fucking waited, I waited and I held out and I made it back. I deserve to be here, I’m more alive than you and your reanimated fucking corpse. I care about living more than any of you.”

Even Abel, the ruler of waxing poetic, knew when the time for saying cool things was over in a fight. There was also the fact that there were hands around their throat, making it difficult for them to deliver a monologue. They drove two knuckles down into Lucien's windpipe, a quick but strong jab to keep him from breathing. They grinned down at him, letting the fact that they seemed unhindered speak for how well they could hold their breath since coming back.

His hands unlatched from Abel's throat a little too readily. Lucien couldn't do more than make choking sound to relay how pissed, frustrated, panicked he was. He struggled to take a breath and resume fighting, but his head was spinning too badly, and his control felt shaky at best. He wanted to punch Abel back, but his arms refused to move anymore. "Fuck off," he groaned through clenched teeth as the fight began to melt out of his body. Linnaea! he tried, frantic. Lin! Can you hear me? I need you. But she was too far away, or maybe he was already too far under, because he didn't get an answer before he completely lost control.

Major couldn't understand how his body had managed to hold out this long. But for as much pain he was in, he was grateful to still be conscious, since he'd had enough time to claw his way back to the surface. He took another few rattling inhales and pressed his eyes shut. "Abel," he wheezed. "I—" he coughed and tasted more blood, "sorry.”

As the hands fell away from their throat, Abel grabbed them to pin Lucien down fully, and soon they recognized that it was Major they were holding down instead. "As am I," they rasped back. The shadows melted away from them, and their head spun as they found the knife, cut into their shirt, and ripped it to make strips so they could begin tying Major up once more. They pocketed the pesky blade and did their best to tie knots with shaky fingers. "Are you as close to passing out as I am?" They found their phone, but the screen glitched as they tried to use it, and they held it out to Major, before realizing that he couldn't call anyone, as he was tied up. They laughed and hung their head. "Shit. Can you move your hands or did I do an effective job tying you up this time?"

In a matter of minutes, Major was leaning against a wall with his hands and ankles tied in front of him, and it was the safest he felt in months. He was overwhelmed with how badly his body hurt; his arms protested even the smallest movement, like taking Abel's phone. "You did it fine the first time," he mumbled, wincing as he lowered the phone into his lap. "It's my fault. I should've said he had a..." Major's eyes misted over as the gravity of what was happening hit him all over again. He felt so far away, and Lucien's taunts from earlier were replaying in his head. "Um. Who should I call?"

“Don’t say that any of this is your fault or you should have done anything. You don’t have to apologize.” Abel lowered onto the floor, curling up on their side as they heaved ragged breaths. “Um. My roommates. Or Gabriele. Or a healer. Someone like that.” Their eyes darted without their permission, and they sighed. “Thank you.”

It was hard to feel reassured by that when Abel was beside him looking so pained. Instead of dwelling on it, for now he focused on finding someone who could help. Major was tempted to call Syd, but he thought he might completely lose it if he talked to her, so he just found the only name Abel mentioned and switched to speaker phone.

Gabriele was in the middle of a jog when his phone started ringing. He checked the screen without breaking stride and frowned at Abel's name glowing back at him. If they were calling, it had to be serious. Gabriele slowed to a walk and answered. "Hello, friend, is everything okay?"

"Can you come to Abel's house?" Major asked, not bothering to even attempt explaining what was going on. "I think the door is unlocked. Please, it's important."

"Who is this?" Gabriele asked, already turning toward the townhouses.

He shifted and inhaled sharply as pain flared through his torso. "Major."

A long silence followed this, then Gabriele finally responded. "I will be there in five minutes."

Abel’s eyes began to tick. Right, right, right, down. Right, right, right, down. They let their eyes half-close and focused on breathing through the pain. “Hey,” they said quietly to Major, pretty sure he was off the phone by now. “I’m sorry for taking so long on this, and I’m sorry for how much it’s hurting.” Their eyelids fluttered as they felt a familiar presence come and settle in against their stomach. “Where were you during that?” they jokingly chastised Soup quietly before continuing to Major. “And I don’t know how much you can retain while he’s... present, but I don’t want you to believe a word he says. He sounds really compelling, but so do demagogues, and you don’t listen to them, ya?” They rested a hand on Soup, hoping they wouldn’t get blood on his fur and worry their roommates when they got home. “You’re gonna feel different after this, but it’s not because he took something, it’s because that’s the human reaction.” A shudder ran through them, but their lips ticked upwards. “Do not go gentle into that good night, ya?”

Any feeble attempts Major had been making to keep himself together broke once Abel started speaking to him. He was so sick of this. He took a few shaking breaths as tears began to streak down his face. "Thanks," he mumbled, his voice breaking on the word. But as much as he appreciated their comfort, all Major could think about was how little time he had before he was pulled back under. "I'm trying my best."

It was almost five minutes on the dot when Gabriele shoved open the front door. He was breathless from sprinting, but he still rushed toward Abel's room, only stopping short once he found the two bodies sprawled on the ground in the hall. "Porco cane..." he whispered, dropping by Abel's side. He glanced toward Major, too, noting the restraints. "Explain later, what do I need to do?" he asked, looking between the both of them.

Abel wasn’t very good at comforting people, so they were quiet for the rest of the time as they waiting for Gab. Each second seemed to stretch on for ages, and they could feel themself being pulled under as Soup pressed himself into their stomach, causing them to hiss in pain, but thankful for something keeping them conscious. Their breathing was growing shallow when they heard someone enter their house, and they had regained control of their eye movements, but chose to keep them closed. “Hospital,” they said quietly. “Sorry, I should have called someone with a car.” Now that Gab was here, they relaxed a bit more, nearly melting into the floor. “I might... ambrosia in my room. Some drawer. Only a bit,” they muttered into the floor, their breathing slowing down more. “Can you leave a note for my roommates?”

Gabriele ran the rest of the way toward Abel's room. He emerged after a minute with the ambrosia, then propped Abel up slightly and fed them a few pieces. "I'll call for help. And tell them..." He glanced over to Major once again.

While Abel seemed to relax in Gabriele's presence, Major was more stiff and cautious than ever. Even though it'd be two against one, the last thing he wanted was for Lucien to slow everything down. "Just make sure he doesn't get away," he said when Gabriele looked at him. "I don't care what you have to do."

Gabriele nodded. "I'll take care of everything," he assured them both. "Major, sorry to meet again in such circumstances."

"Me, too," he muttered.

Before he did anything else, Gabriele called for his goddess. While she couldn't fully intervene, she helped move him along quicker than he could have managed on his own. He called an ambulance, wrote a note, and gently helped get Abel and Major into the truck once it arrived, all in a matter of minutes. He even found a set of keys and locked the front door on the way out. Gabriele charmed his way into the back of the ambulance and began to explain, as discreetly as he could, the importance of keeping an eye on one of the passengers in particular...

He wouldn't let himself get his hopes up. Major had taken control twice tonight, and both for prolonged periods of time. He'd never managed such a thing before, but he could feel Lucien's rage rumbling inside of him. He knew the moment the painkillers hit, he'd go under, and probably be unable to surface for a long time. A fresh wave of sadness rolled over him, but for once, Major didn't feel completely hopeless. Still, he wished he'd thanked Abel more, he wished he had more time. But everything he wanted to say would yet again go unheard, since it wasn't long until the pain started to fade out of his body, and Major finally passed out.

#lucien x abel #lucienabel2 #major x abel #majorabel3 #major x gabriele #majorgabriele2 #gabriele x major #gabrielemajor2 #gabriele x abel #gabrieleabel5 #lucien #major #gabriele

2 notes · View notes

narwulf · 4 years

Text

Goodbye Missy (a Doctor Who Short Story)

Missy lay in the void. She could feel herself slowly fading away as her breathless body lay silent amongst the dying foliage of the forest by the elevator. Funny how things had turned out. All this time she had been running towards oblivion, running towards a never ending drumbeat and yet the moment she finally turned around to join her best friend, to do the right thing for once and perhaps to acknowledge that there might be some good in herself, it was then that her past threw her into the darkness. She was his end and he ended her. So funny. She wondered what would be next.

Would he miss her?

“Mind you, “ Missy thought to herself. “Not sure there is much chance of him getting out of this one alive. He’s dying and I’m not sure he wants to keep living anymore. A Timelord only lives if they choose to”.

Missy wondered why death was taking so long. It wasn’t as if she had enough energy to even begin to regenerate from the damage she had taken…. or perhaps the damage she had caused. She supposed that the two of them, being she and the Doctor, perhaps could never be the same; perhaps they were never equals. He had always acted as if he was special, acted as if he was some mystical adventurer who wanted to see and love everything and take anyone he could along for the ride. She supposed that was what his so-called ‘companions’ were for, or was it ‘friends’? She’d never had much experience of those. Thinking about it he was the only true friend she had ever really had, someone who had been there all this time. All she had ever wanted was for someone to notice her, to see her as someone greater, to see her as an equal and to be equal to her. She supposed that was why she had always wanted to win. To show that she could be just as good as him and just as special; and recognised for that. She guessed that maybe she never could win and that was why she was always running to oblivion; and he was always running away, but from what?

Suddenly she felt warm? How peculiar, this wasn’t how she imagined death. Wait, this wasn’t just warmth, it was energy. Maybe she could use it? Missy summoned what strength she had left and her form began to glow with a soft golden hum. Her chapter may be over but she wasn’t going to let the story end here, not now. She felt a tingling sensation all over as energy flowed through her cold veins. She had loved being Missy just as much as she loved her last incarnation but it was time to go.

Goodbye Missy.

All at once everything burned in an unintelligible, ear-splitting scream of light. The flames still rolled above and cybermen disintegrated as a new form blazed into existence. At last the smoke lifted to reveal the charred remains of the ash choked woods and the fizzing start of a newly regenerated Timelord. She, wait no he, staggered as he pulled himself up by the flaking branch of the tree he had held moments ago as his former self had shot her. What now? Who was he? Where was he? Oh wait, the Doctor. Where would he be? The Master knew that he couldn’t stay on that ship, although at that point he was unsure of who exactly he was. If the Doctor was still alive he would have to make an escape now. There would be no time for himself to find the Doctor. He needed to get back to his Tardis, too bad he couldn’t hitch a ride with his past self. A thought buzzed into the Master’s aching mind, still pulsating with energy. A ship like this likely didn’t have usable escape pods, otherwise they would have already been put to use, and then there was the black hole to factor into the equation. Wait… maybe? Perhaps, if he could make it down there, the Loading bay might have a supplies vessel he could take out to get some distance from the black hole so he could summon his tardis???? It would be a long shot considering the gravitational forces involved but it would be the only way to get anywhere near far enough away from the black hole to even begin to pilot his tardis with some accuracy, considering the warping effect the black hole would have on the artron stores if he tried to summon it from the Mondasian ship. He checked his boot, the layered fabric of the dress felt a bit bizarre now; not really his style anymore although the colour of the fabric was nice so perhaps he could reuse it to make a new coat? Ah there it was. He pulled out a small silver key from the heel of his shoe. Time for another escape act, something that had become a speciality of his over the millenia.

The plan, despite inevitably unforeseen obstacles, worked. Now what? The Master's mind drifted back to the fate of the Doctor. He surmised the easiest way to find out what had happened to the Doctor would be a trip to the Matrix. There an answer was sure to be held. He released the hand brake and flicked the dematerialisation switches. Time to go home.

Eventually the Master reached Gallifrey and the chamber of the Matrix. It hadn’t been hard to make his way through the maze of corridors encapsulated in the Prydonian Chapter house and past the Chancellery guard to reach it, after all no one recognised this face. It wasn’t hard for him to hack into the Matrix either, it was a game. A brief search told him that the Doctor was alive and not only that but a woman now.

“Well, about time” he supposed.

The Master dug deeper, wondering how he should make his next big entrance; afterall he had never been one to say a simple hello. He laughed at the Doctor's misadventures, of which there had been many, and the reactions to previous greetings. He was lost in a sea of memories and was diving ever deeper until he stopped. Something was wrong, he’d reached the point that should have marked the start of the Doctor’s timeline but there was something wavering just beyond it. He ran his fingers along the console interface, whatever it was was strongly encapsulated in Psychic encryption.

The world melted away as the Master broke down the data’s defences until at last, images of what appeared to be early to mid 20th century Ireland glitched into existence. The images, on their own, seemed nothing out of the ordinary but where did they fit into the puzzle? They could have come from anywhere but there had to be a reason for them to be here. As a character, Brendan just seemed to be another boring, little human, holding no connection to the Doctor par for a... police facade. Who would be so paranoid as to conceal information in this manner? Again the Master skimmed his hands over the Console Interface, breaking down the encrypted battlements and wiping away the mask. He was at last faced with new images, of which he recognised. He drove through the remnants of history and the roots of lies. They had betrayed them all. His insides felt heavy and nauseous. What had they done to her and why had they lied? It was no wonder that he had always betrayed the Doctor, it seemed to be the only thing his species was good at. There was nothing noble about the creation of the Timelords; regeneration was a stolen gift. Of course she always acted if she was special, it was sickening.

Once again the Master was blinded by hurt to any beauty present in the Universe. He desperately tried to uncover the rest. He tried every method he could think of, but nothing. Vast swathes of the Matrix remained empty and curdled. The Master broke down and screamed. Why couldn’t the Doctor just be like him? Why was he always defined by her and made lesser? Why should the betrayal ever stop?

An idea flicked into the Master’s mind and burned. Everything in his mind burned and screamed as it always had and the rage felt endless. The Master had a plan. He grimaced.

This was going to be a lot of fun.

[Thanks for reading :) Please feel free to offer constructive criticism. This story is basically an interpretation of what the Master’s timeline between S10 E13 and S12 E1 might have been. My knowledge of DW lore isn’t that great so I don’t know how well this matches up with cannon but, let’s be honest, DW cannon is a bit wibbly wobbly anyway. Thanks again and have a nice day :) ]

#doctorwho #dw #missy #missy doctor who #master #dhawan!master #shortstory

2 notes · View notes

c-atm · 5 years

Text

jambud week: Alone/together prompt

Alone/ Together

"And that's how I got the red and black."

"Oh my god!"

It was a beautiful setting; Sunset in a field of sunflowers under a large tree casting shade over the two dream jam buds. Connie was sitting up, back to the tree with Steven laying his head across her lap, telling her about his travels. Particularly, how he got his new red and black star shirt; it involves a goat, a flame, and a game of extreme hopscotch with an old man. The story had Connie in hysterics, doubling over in laughter. Just low enough for Steven to..

" Chu!"

"Ey, Bisky!"

Steal Connie lips for a second, making her blush before, pushing her hair behind her ear and giving him a bit longer one that his thieving move. When they broke apart Connie rested her head upon his.

"Is it foolish to still not believe this is real? To be with you here, like this."

"After 10 months. Maybe...Heh, but take into account everything that happened before...Can't really blame you, Dream Berry."

Connie couldn't stop the giggle that erupted from her from the new name. ten months,they have been meeting and seeing each other like this for ten months..and it's been wondrous. Meeting in their own personal dream once or twice a month. Trading stories with each other.

Connie told stories of her college studies in STEM and archeological studies, as well as her internship at a technological lab in Empire, and her part in creating a R&D in Little Homeworld. In her own words; She was doing her part to connect human and gemkind.

Steven told stories of his travels. The misadventures he had. The people he met, the people he helped, the people who helped him and the lessons he learned. The most important one was accepting and embracing all of himself; the good, the bad, the surface, and the hidden.

Steven found her stories to be amazing. The things she were learning were completely over his head, but still it made her eyes glow with such vigor when she spoke about the robotics exhibition she went to, and her intro to physics class. He mentally decided to study it up himself, just a bit. If she really was gonna use technology to bring Humans and Gems closer, the least he could do was understand a bit of it.

Actually tonight He also found himself surprised though when she spoke of her archeological studies. Her professor seemed to be someone who was big the mysteries of the world. Myths, legends...Conspiracies. In one particular tale her professor brought some items from their personal collections. They happened to be discarded gem weapons, and one inactive but intact gem artifact, that he was going to officially reveal at a museum event.

Connie held her head in embarrassment, as Steven laughed as she told the story of getting the gems to run a heists to steal her teachers prize possession and switch it with a fake. It seemed like it was a disastrous..but hilarious night.

"I missed a caper! A heist..You guys, even went undercover as staff"

"We almost got arrested."

"But you got away with it! Dream Berry! You lead a gem mission, cleared your objective and no one got hurt."

"Physically...the museum director's reputation took a hit...Still thank god, for that rat like gem mutant..Gave us a perfect chance to make the switch through all the commotion."

As for Connie, she was enthralled with Steven's tales of his world wide search for humanity, as he called it. So much more exciting and wondrous than her day to day. He's been to all types of locales; the Amazon, Stonehenge, the Great wall, Victoria fall, The castle of nobunaga. He went to Sri lanka, Maharagama to be exact and stayed with one of her Uṟaviṉar (cousins) for a few days.

That particular story had her flushed and embarrassed, since it was one of her cousins who treated her like a niece; turns out Connie's one of the babies of the family.

Still his most telling stories were his visits to his mother's palanquin; he had visited a few times actually… The first time he went was out of blind rage..He left as soon as he came..The second time was just out of drunken coincidence. He told her about how he lashed out over her memory. Screaming how he hated everything she did and how cruel and untrusting and selfish she was, to not take any responsibility and to leave it all to him. He doesn't remember when he left but the next time he visited, there was a two feet crater nearby..

That time...He was tired and feeling a bit sick after getting out of a fight with a gem mutant. He didn't have the energy to do anything but step in the device and sleep. He did it for five days.

During that time he got to experience it...His mother life as Rose quartz….All her choices, all the guilt, all the hollow victories..All the self- detrimentally and hate. For all the gems that were corrupted, for all the humans who got caught in crossfire, for her actions and inactions towards Bismuth and Spinel.

He experienced her failures. Failure in trying to cure corruption. Failure In trying to understand and imitate human nature. Failure in trying to release and apologize to Bismuth. Failure in trying to reactivate the galaxy warp to get Spinel. Failure to heal the earth. Multiple failures on all ends. Enough to make Rose self-dissipate and him to wake up.

From that point on, he would always sleep in it when he was in Korea. Every time he got new information. He discovered that she actually spent a good decade playing as a human named 'Diamond' after her self poofing. Blending in with them and going on her own journey of self-discovery. Falling in love with the earth and its inhabitants more, keeping them safe from the shadows from her own (while purposely allowing herself to be cracked), while invading her Crystal Gems.

He also experienced two very important meetings in Rose's life. Her first meeting with Lion....She was there for his birth. A few years later she would meet, heal, and forge a strong friendship with an orphaned teenage girl.

For two years they would be inseparable, almost family and learned from each. Rose would teach her how to fight, how to care and outsmart people, and to take care of herself.

The young girl; Sheva, would teach Rose how to face her failures, to deal with the results of an irreversible situation, and how to live for those who can't. Two years in Sheva found love from a man, that Rose approved of...As for Rose, she would be missing her own family; their separation was tearfully, but happy..

This would not be the last time they would meet, though. His mother would find that Sheva had lived a fulfilling life, gave birth to three kids and still loving her husband from the Maheswaran family, He unfortunately got to see Sheva pass as well and his mother second self-dissipation, the only way she could keep herself to resurrect her friend.

From there the visions became pretty standard to what heard from the gems and dad. Her victories, gentle and flighty behavior, her overflowing love for all, completely earnest and true...except for herself. She still hated herself. He saw what she didn't show. The times in her room. where she shattered her image over and over and over, using the full, horrifying destructive power she held inside.

For the corrupted. For the war. For the earth. For humanity. For The Crystal Gems. For Homeworld. For the Diamonds. For Bismuth. For Spinel. For Sheva. For both Pearls. For Garnet. For Amethyst. For Greg.

For being unable to save them. To heal them. To be like them. To convince them. To apologize to and live up to her expectations. To get her from the garden and be the friend she deserved. To forgive herself for not bringing her back. For hurting one and silencing the other. For lying to them. For being unworthy of him. She did it because she loved them, all of them.

Never did she strike for herself though. No for her, destruction was her penance to them all. Which is why she smiled when she dissipated for the third time.

"I was in Korea two weeks ago...I don't think I'd be going back to mom's palanquin anymore "

Connie looked surprised at the sad yet serene tone of his voice. She nodded, as she began to stroke his scalp, running her fingers through his locks. "You wanna tell it, Dreamscuit?"

"It's..Heavy."

"Everyone of these stories has been heavy..I can take it...Though I don't want to force you to.."

He kissed her to stop that thought. "I'll tell, but can we get into the right position first?"

Connie gave him a smil before letting him sit up and allowing her to stand up, wiping the hem of her night gown as she did. He moves to the tree and sits straight up crossed legged arms open. Connie gently sits in between his thighs as he envelopes her in his loving, Steven-y hold.

" Ok So…"

The last vision he got..Was short but probably the most important..His birth. He was told that he was born in a hardlight Rose that bloomed and broke away leaving him with her gem and that took about five minutes total. The Vision was everything that happened within that rose.

His mother was tired, teary, but for the first time was generally happy as she spoke.

" My boy..My son, my extraordinary Steven. You're so human...You're so much more than I ever was. I love you..I adore you so much..Not even a minute year old and you did the impossible.."

She shifted from Rose to Diamond before continuing with a tender weak kiss to his crown

" Your mother is a horrible failure...I hurt a lot of people Steven, whether it was indirectly or directly, For a good cause or my own greed, It happened and I never was able to correct my wrongdoings..I tried so hard but failed in the end.. I failed at being a diamond, a leader, a rebel, family, a friend, a mentor, a lover, a human, a gem, and in the end, I hated myself. Thought myself, a worthless shard.."

She let a strained laugh out as she shifted from Diamond to Pink.

"Until now. This moment. Until you. You're proof that gems are capable of change. Of being more than what they were programmed. You...You are the proof of that, someone so beautiful and brilliant being born from a janked clod like me, that's proof enough. "

She shifted again back to Rose. She broke down again as she heard for the first and only time her sons laugh.

"I love you so much, you're gonna be amazing and I'm so sorry that I won't ever get to be here for it...But it's alright..I actually don't deserve such a gift.. Seeing..you..Your curly hair, bright brown eyes, button nose, happy bubbly laughter. It makes everything worth it, even if it's at the end of my life.

You've changed my life and the only thing I can leave for you is a magic pink diamond untarnished by me..and my defects, yours and yours alone. I'm sorry your mother can't give you anything better."

She shifted again to Diamond.

"I'm selfish still, shapeshifting just to spend more time with you. I'm sure a good mother would've already given their form and lives up. Of course, I have to want to have you and live.. See you grow and blow the universe away..Find a good partner to spend your life with..preferably someone like your father or Sheva. A nice, smart, strong Maheswaran person would be perfect for you…"

She painfully shifted to Pink

Still whomever you bring into your life...Whether it's as a friend, a lover..as family. Make sure they are worthy of you..and if they prove that they are...Take care of them. Those people who care for you, cry for you, keep you from going too far and make sure you know just how special you are because you're you...The people who treasure you..Take care of them no matter what.

She shifted slowly back to Rose Quartz for the final time. Trembling, tearfully giving her son one last kiss on his cheek on his cheek. She was surprised when he grabbed her finger and squeezed.

"One more thing...Take care of yourself Steven. Always take time for yourself. If you ever need to leave and be by yourself you do that. It'll help more than you think.. and Never hold back..Be angry, be happy, be loving, be spiteful, be however, whoever you want and need to be. Whatever you do don't hide yourself from those who love you...Don't be afraid to show them your hurt and pain. Don't become self-destructive as I was...Most of all..live happily..Live truthfully….Live your life Steven, with your gem and your family. You're human, You're extraordinary..You're, you ...and that more than enough."

Rose smiled though deep sobs as she fell from her form glitching as was the dome.

"This is it.. I hope that you never hear my name, Steven. I don't deserve such a gift..but If you do..if you find out about wrongs and decide to discard me, I will still love you..My wonderful son..My truest love of all. Thank you for being you. For allowing me just for a millisecond to feel worthy of something, and I'm sorry you were born of a mother like me, at least you'll have those who are truly worthy of you around."

As she was about to kiss his cheek one last time, she and the dome vanished in a brilliant light. Leaving A newborn Steven crying and reaching towards, where his mother once stood.

He woke up from his dream reaching out, and for the first time since childhood, begging for his mother.

By the time he was done telling his story, Steven was already in a hold by tearing Connie. His tears soaking her nightie, while her ls rained on his head as she kissed his head and caressed his trembling back. Hearing him call for his mother, to apologize for his bereavement towards her with a sorrowful love was both heartbreaking and hope bringing, but it was welcomed. It was a sign that he no longer felt lost, confused, or alone. It was proof that he was like her in some ways..but it was not her worse ones and he could move on from her knowing that.

They didn't move for a while as Connie hummed sweet tunes in his ear. Easing him to relax breathing. He reluctantly moved from her hold and sat up looking at his Dreamberry, whose eyes were just as teary as his. He cupped cheeks and tenderly kissed her beckoning a melty moan from her. He broke away before resting his forehead to hers

"Thanks Connie. For being here."

Seeing that glow in his eyes made her heart skip a beat. " Of course. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else but with you. Even if it's just a dreamscape for now."

He smiled as she kissed his neck before resting against his chest. Looking down at his Dreamberry he brushed her head as she fell into a small slumber..She'll wake up before she wakes up here….

"For now but not much longer."

#Connie Maheswaran #Steven universe #jambudweek2020 #alone #together #Connverse #Rose quartz #StevenXConnie #Self-hate #Journey #Tales

26 notes · View notes

kootenaygoon · 5 years

Photo

So,

At first, I was nervous about tackling news stories.

I knew the stakes from my summers at the Whitehorse Star, had seen how small fuck-ups could have large consequences. Telling someone else’s story is a huge privilege, a power you have over them, and it can be intoxicating. But if you do it wrong, you will hear about it. I preferred the lighter elements of the job, like taking pictures at the Pride Parade or typing up an exhaustive feature on the Capitol Theatre’s production of Chicago. I was a hype machine, excitedly Photoshopping my images and then sprawling back in my desk chair with the newly printed paper’s pages flung open to reveal my handiwork. I floated through the summer of 2014 high on the experience of it all, letting myself fall in love with each new artist I interviewed.

Some people believed the proliferation of artists in the Nelson area was thanks to the town being situated on a bed of magical quartz, but I figured it was more a case of kindreds being attracted to one another. People were looking for a life less ordinary, far from the city. Most locals had some sort of regular job and then spent the remainder of their time investing in creative endeavours, whether that meant painting a mural, starting a food truck or playing in an 80s cover band called Val Kilmer and the New Coke. I started learning the names of local authors, meeting up with poet Tom Wayman and short story writer Myler Wilkenson. I wrote a feature about a photographer named Ryan Oakley who had crowd-funded a book called Humans of Nelson, based on the viral hit Humans of New York. It featured daily portraits of people he met during his lunch breaks, along with a pithy quote that captured their essence. One young singer named Anilah had just landed her Enya-esque tracks on some TV show, a spoken word poet named Magpie Ulysses was releasing a chapbook and a popular saxophonist named Clinton Swanson was playing relentless gigs around town. I giddily funnelled their stories on to Facebook and Twitter, where I obsessively watched the engagement numbers climb. Within a month or two our web presence had exploded, and pretty soon Calvin was bragging that we had the best social media numbers in the Kootenays.

But every now and then, things got dark. The first heavy story that landed on my desk involved a quartet of teenagers who had gone missing the day before I arrived in town. It was eventually discovered that they’d commandeered a canoe and gone adventuring right into a windstorm on Slocan Lake—a body of water so enormous it almost looks like the ocean in places. Authorities were able to recover the canoe pretty quickly, and found a young girl near death. Though they rushed her to medical services, she died in the hospital. There was no trace of the others, three dudes ranging in age from late teens to early twenties. The grief was heavy in the community, and right away I felt it settle in my chest — a clenched fist of empathy. I interviewed the RCMP as they conducted a large-scale search, checking in each day to hear if there was anything to report. At one point it looked like they were going to call it off, but then the families hired a husband-wife duo from the U.S. who had a submersible specially designed for these sorts of retrievals. Within a few days they’d located the boys, down in the darkness, and dragged them back up into the light. I shuddered when I thought of how they must’ve looked after that long underwater, after being cradled to the surface with a claw. The people I interviewed talked about the closure that brought to the families, and I quoted various people silver lining it, but it was the sort of tragedy that was so random it felt cruel on a cosmic level. Like a deity reaching down from heaven to smudge out a few people with his thumb.

“We cannot presume what happened. Our best speculation is misadventure. It wasn’t a very big canoe,” RCMP officer Darryl Little told me.

“It was more of a swift water canoe than a lake canoe. There wasn’t much space below the gunnels and we figure the wind came up and that was it.”

During those weeks I kept running into people who knew the kids, and saw the impact plain on their heartbroken faces. One woman burst into tears while I was renewing my car insurance. I decided to interview the school district psychologist, Dr. Todd Kettner, to get his insights into the community’s grief process. We met at Lakeside Park and shot a video of him sitting on a park bench, calling out the provincial government and Premier Christy Clark. They had docked his pay during the teacher’s strike, right while he was in the midst of putting in overtime to coordinate a critical incident crisis management plan for the Slocan community. He was the only psychologist for the district, which according to him was chronically under-funded. For him it wasn’t about the dollars they took off his cheque, it was the overall neglect rural schools were receiving that really set him off. In an online open letter that went viral around the province he laid out some of the routine cases he was dealing with from day to day, underlining the ways the community was failing to support students with mental health issues.

“I was awakened Sunday morning by a phone call informing me that a student at one of the 21 schools I’m responsible for was on life support in ICU after an accidental drug overdose,” he wrote.

“Monday morning, while continuing to support the staff at the school where the hospitalized student learns, a dedicated and caring school administrator and I were informed that we were needed at another school to help the staff there prepare to gently inform their students that their classmates’ parent had been killed in a tragic accident.”

Kettner was eventually reimbursed for his pay cut, but didn’t see any change at an institutional level. At the end of the day he was still doing his job the best way he could in seemingly impossible circumstances. In the newsroom Tamara filled me in on the realities of SD8, and the issues were deeply systemic. The whole system was cash-starved because the undeclared income of the cannabis industry meant that, on paper, it was the poorest district in the province. The local high school was past capacity, there were multiple elementary schools that should have been demolished years ago, and sitting through board meetings meant hearing about financial snafus of the highest order.

“Those school board meetings, Will? Worst part of my job, easy. You wouldn’t believe how boring they are. All the ‘motion to accept this’ and ‘motion to accept that’. Makes me want to blow my brains out,” she said.

“The key is, you have to get to know the trustees, the superintendent. Once you have them as a connection, they can pretty much talk you through anything.”

“You think the strike will last much longer?”

“Shit, I don’t know. Those teachers are pissed, and they’re not going to back down.”

Around this time I came to an instinctive conclusion about the type of reporter I wanted to be: not aloof, or unfeeling, but the type that engages to an almost scary degree. If I was going to write a story, I wanted to understand it on a far deeper level than I needed for the paper, I wanted to be the guy in town that was the ultimate expert on that topic — right down to its human nuances.

The story commanding my most fervid attention was the trial of Andrew Stevenson, the bank robber that Cass had told me about. Calvin, Tamara and I spent a good half an hour scouring through Facebook trying to find a photo of him and his co-accused, Krista Kalmikoff, so we could have something to illustrate Greg’s stories about the court hearings. We were unsuccessful. The guy was being charged with seven robberies over the course of about six months, of both banks and pharmacies. The NPD had identified addiction as the driving force behind the crimes, and had been able to predict the exact day of his last robbery: April 25, 2014. In my free time I interrogated anyone who knew anything about what happened, picking up scraps of information here and there. A drunk woman at a party described seeing him come careening out of the bank’s parking lot on a bike, cutting in front of city hall and hurtling down towards the lake as cops sprinted after him. I wanted, so badly, to know what this guy looked like. Calvin sent me down to the court to get a shot of him walking in handcuffed—a goon shot—but then it turned out he was appearing by video link. Foiled!

As I got to know the NPD cops, attending one of their award ceremonies, I met a soft-spoken sergeant named Nate Holt. He had thickly muscled arms, a neatly trimmed blond beard and spiky hair that was nearly white. Not only was he holding an award for bravery, he was also one of the guys who was at the bridge that day, with Andrew Stevenson's stolen money raining down from the tree like confetti. I pictured the bank robber squirming on the rocks, trying to crawl away, while they descended on him like blue wraiths. The thing about Nate was you could feel the toll his work took on him, and you could see it in the way he carried himself. He was piggy-backing a lot of sadness. One suicidal dude came at him with a butcher knife and Nate didn’t even pull his gun. No, he got close enough to tackle him in a bear-hug, wrestle the knife out of his grip and save both of their lives. Sometimes I thought about those two men, rolling on the Baker Street sidewalk in that guy’s blood, while shocked residents looked on. I couldn’t believe that someone could have an experience like that and return to work the next day. But that’s exactly what he did.

Before Paisley moved into our new place, Muppet and I got a few days of lackadaisical meandering. I took her to Kaslo May Days with me, slaloming along the highway up Kootenay Lake in a state of giddy bliss, thinking yes I think I made the right decision while I gazed out at the water. I spotted a weird gargoyle sculpture on top of a house on Front Street, and wondered to myself what the deal was there. I spent a lot of time wandering through parks with my camera, approaching strangers and asking to take their photos. Cass would later jokingly call these spreads “All the people Will met at the park the other day”. Eventually I decided I had to see this bridge Andrew Stevenson jumped off, so I got on the highway out to Castlegar and went looking for it. We turned off the highway and followed a switch-back down to the Columbia River, just a few kilometres up from a massive hydroelectric dam. I parked at one end of the bridge and walked Muppet out across the dusty concrete to the middle so we could see the spot it happened. It was a clear, sunny afternoon, and I eventually identified the small cedar he’d attempted to jump into. Below was nothing but a rocky slope to the river, twenty feet further on. This was where it all ended for him, after evading the cops six times. Maybe it was the new pot I was smoking, or maybe it was something else, but I was feeling an electric need to understand this story. I’d been struggling for years on a novel that wasn’t coming along, partially because I was finding it difficult to invent new parts of the narrative, but here was a true fucking story that I could actually throw my weight into. I stood there for a long time, while cars rocketed by in the distance and wind hurtled through the canyon. The air smelled delicious.

I stood there drinking a Slurpee while Muppet panted happily.

The Kootenay Goon

4 notes · View notes

seyaryminamoto · 7 years

Note

what sokkla fics do you recommend?

AHAHAHAHA OMG this is going to be long again… but yes, I had said I’d do this, so let’s go!

…

Under the cut, that is. This is WAY too long.

First off, multichapter stories!

The Princess Guard by prinsesseazula

Zuko asks Sokka to help protect Azula from an onslaught of threats that are jeopardizing her safety. Slowly but surely developing the romance of our two dorks. Rated T.

Bonfire Heart by Madame Atomic Bomb

A dangerous group, called the Smoke Demons, plot to kill Zuko. Mai infiltrates the group to protect him, and enlists Sokka and Azula as well so they can prevent the attempts on Zuko’s life. Rated M.

She’s Something by haley97

An alphabet challenge that explores Sokka and Azula’s budding relationship following the prompt word for each chapter. Rated T.

p a i n t by lotusunset

Sokka is a widow, traveling across the world to overcome the loss of his wife and child. He stumbles across Azula in an Earth Kingdom village, where she’s been working as a painter, and he tries to unravel how she came to this place. Rated T.

Of Farms, Fairs and Fame by BellatrixLestrangey

A modern AU where Azula and Sokka live near each other in the USA countryside and have been friends for a long time. Azula is an aspiring musician while Sokka works at his family farm. Rated T.

Opposite Elements by LordStone

Set in a world where the Hundred Year War didn’t happen, Sokka travels to the Fire Nation to live as a guest of the Fire Nation Royals. He clashes with Azula at first, but soon enough they learn to see each other with different eyes. Rated T.

Proving You Wrong by PurplePlatypusBear21

Sokka travels to the North Pole and is surprised to bump into Azula here. He tries to decipher the mystery of why she’s here, and finds himself wanting to help her in any way he can. Rated T.

Reclaimed by Sokkaweekly

Azula escapes from the asylum and Zuko asks Sokka to help him find her and bring her home. Sokka does as he’s told, not knowing that his story with Azula is only just beginning. Rated M.

Prisoner’s Dilemma by PurplePlatypusBear21

Sokka finds Azula freezing in a cooler during the escape from the Boiling Rock, and he’s overwhelmed by his sudden desire to help and protect the Fire Nation Princess. Rated T.

Blue Eyes, Blue Fire by PurplePlatypusBear21

A collection of short stories for Sokkla Saturdays. Rated T.

Saturnalia by clarielparke

Another collection of short stories for Sokkla Saturdays. Rated M.

The Black Cage by Fanwright

In a setting where slavery exists and Ozai’s ambitions got the better of him, his family is confined to a life in the Black Cage, where they’re occasionally entertained by a Water Tribe slave. Rated T.

Lightning and Boomerang - The Bounty Hunters by Chaosconetic

Not comic-compliant. After Ursa’s search ends, Sokka and Azula decide to try their luck as bounty hunters in the Earth Kingdom. Rated T.

Collected by Sokkaweekly

Shapeshifter AU. Sokka seeks to kill a dragon who’s tormenting his village. He doesn’t expect the dragon to have the human form of a young girl with gold eyes and raven hair. Rated T.

Airship Down and the Mountains of Madness by Keith B. Real

Sokka attempts to attack the Fire Nation airship fleet when they’re near the South Pole, but everything escalates out of his control. What began as a reckless mission turn into an ordeal of survival when he has to work with a wounded Azula to save themselves from the horrors buried deep under the Mountains of Madness. Rated T.

Love of Madness by Keith B. Real

Three years have passed since the horror in the South scarred both Sokka and Azula. The return of the monsters of the depths brings them together again as they try to put a stop to their conquest for once and for all. Rated T.

Sokka, Agent of OWL by storywriter1id

Sokka is tasked with retrieving Azula by the Order of the White Lotus, and he must find her in the Earth Kingdom and bring her home. Her life will depend on the success of Sokka’s quest. Rated T.

Majesty by Anariel Tindomerel

AU where Sozin’s Comet arrives many years later: Sokka infiltrates Azula’s troops in the Earth Kingdom, hoping to serve as a spy for the White Lotus. But once he’s in Azula’s radar, she starts to unravel just why this soldier seems so familiar… Rated M. Warning: it’s in Spanish.

Imprisoned by conspiracy victim

Azula captures Sokka while trying to ensnare the Avatar. But the more time she spends with him, the harder it is to resist the temptation they pose for each other. Rated M.

A Week of Steam by Nara Shikaku

Collection of Sokkla stories, a few of them of the smutty kind. Rated M.

Puzzling Pieces by Vayleen

Collection of 100 Sokkla drabbles, a few of them connected with each other, about Sokka and Azula and the development of their story. Rated T.

Gaining One’s Freedom by LadyFireNation

Non comics-compliant. Azula is released from the asylum seven years after the end of ATLA, and Zuko sends her on a quest to find their mother with Sokka’s assistance. Rated M.

Solace by bevesy

After falling out of her father’s good graces, Azula is sent away to the South Pole as punishment, on the pretense of an arranged marriage. But as time goes by and she adjusts to life with her husband, Sokka, winds of change start to blow in the Fire Nation. Rated M.

It Was All Ty Lee’s Fault by Fokusas

A crack fic if there ever was one for this ship, Azula and Sokka have an intimate encounter by accident that results in their marriage in the middle of a war-torn Fire Nation. Rated M.

The Night Before the Wedding by Lord-Captain000

Azula is being forced to marry someone she doesn’t love, while engaged in an affair with Sokka. Rated M.

Now… Oneshots!

Kiss Me Like This by Princess Tyler Briefs

Azula’s birthday party features an entrancing guest who sweeps her off her feet as they dance together. Rated K.

Noble Daughter by LoveBackwards

A fluff piece on the aftermath of the birth of Azula and Sokka’s daughter. Rated K+.

Mother Knows Best by RedBayly

Azula meets Sokka after their affair culminates in a child neither one was prepared for. Rated T.

Flying Dragon, Crouching Tiger by Fanwright

In the Second World War, Sokka’s plane falls during a military operation, and he’s found by three dangerous Chinese military officials. Rated M.

Scribble Hearts by Fanwright

The morning after their wedding, Azula gets her hands on Sokka’s sketchbook and tries to unravel the meaning behind his doodles. Rated T.

Renewed by Sokkaweekly

Azula ponders her circumstances after the war, now that Sokka is often looking after her. Rated T.

Wholehearted by Sokkaweekly

A modern AU take on the Avatarverse where Sokka tries to surprise Azula who only seems to have her mind set on one thing. Rated K.

Genesis by Sokkaweekly

Azula is surprised when a simple sickness turns out to be the signs of pregnancy, and she must inform Sokka about it. Rated T.

Corrupted by Sokkawekly

The Day of Black Sun takes an unexpected twist when a secret alliance changes the fate of the world forever. Rated M.

Defending by Sokkaweekly

Sokka and Azula work together with Aang and Katara to protect a Fire Nation village from rogues. Rated M.

Pampered by Sokkaweekly

Azula’s handmaiden takes a day off, and it’s up to Sokka to provide his services for Azula in the best way he knows how. Rated T.

Singing Metal by BellatrixLestrangey

Azula is worried about the dangers of blades in a house with a newborn baby and tries to approach Sokka on the subject. Rated T.

The Right Decision by BellatrixLestrangey

Azula doesn’t know how to turn her one-night-stand with Sokka into a regular occurrence. Rated T.

Eternal by icewhisker21

Sokka brings a gift for Azula on their anniversary, hoping the hidden meaning of the present will convey the depth of his love for her. Rated T.

Fire and Ice by icewhisker21

A sparring session between Sokka and Azula takes an unexpected turn for the better after the Princess gets tired of losing against him. Rated M.

Shadow by clarielparke

Sokka finds Azula in a village, in the middle of a dark night. But the truth behind his intentions might push her away from him for good. Rated M.

Swordplay by Fanwright

While sparring in the Agni Kai Arena, Sokka and Azula find themselves succumbing to a hunger they cannot quench through anything but each other’s bodies. Rated M.

Teaching You The Ropes by clarielparke

Sokka is sent by Zuko to capture Azula, who has been working as a bounty hunter. But the assignment brings complications when the Princess proves to be craftier than Sokka anticipated. Rated M.

Tales of the Stranded by icedcoffeepanda

The adventures or misadventures of Sokka and Azula while under the influence of cactus juice. Rated K+.

Stressed Out by Gd2go2

Long days of work at the United Forces offices have been very stressful for Sokka. Fortunately Azula knows just now to help him. Rated M.

Trick or treat by prinsesseazula

Modern AU. Sokka’s Halloween party is a complicated event for Azula, as she’s not sure she’s welcome amongst his friends just yet. Rated K+.

To Sleep With Fire by BellatrixLestrangey

Sokka fights with Azula over the covers in the bed. Rated K

The View From Atop Your Shoulders by BellatrixLestrangey

Modern AU. Sokka allows Azula to sit on his shoulders during a rock concert. Rated K

In Perfect Silence by BellatrixLestrangey

Sokka and Azula sneak away during a festival to find a place where they can be alone. Rated K+

…

Ya’ know, I’m actually missing out on a huge bunch. I know I am. And that actually makes me kind of happy because it really shows we’ve got a ton more content than we did five years ago. Damn, I’m glad.

But alas, I’ve already spent like 3 hours of my life making this list? Or has it been longer? I was supposed to answer other asks too xD so I assume you have plenty to go on with the list as it is! Do enjoy, anon!

#seyary finally answers #sokkla #fic rec list #my god I can't believe how long this took #and I still have a full inbox #dear god

420 notes · View notes

cousinslavellan-archive · 7 years

Note

Festive Prompts: Shrios 16, Rydaal 28, and Shakarian 9

Once more going to do all three, and going to say they’re from my fic ‘The Other Shepard’s’ Universe! ♥ Also going to say all of the Festive Prompts I do are somewhat connected cause why not.

1. Shrios + 16 - “Aren’t you just Santa’s Little Helper?”

Willow’s never been so happy that they have the passcode for the Vakarian household as she is Christmas Day - able to open the door and sneak in with all their gifts before either Arisa or Garrus know they’re there.

She holds the door wide while Thane carries the majority in - I am fine, Siha, I assure you. I can carry this load without a problem, I am not quite that far gone - before hurrying back out to grab the rest.

Thane already has the presents arranged pleasingly under the tree, and Willow can’t help coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around his chest, humming happily when he clasps his hands over hers.

“Aren’t you just the best little Santa’s Helper?” she teases, feeling his chuckle in her own chest, grip loosening enough to allow him to turn to face her.

“Santa’s Helper?” Thane echoes, peppering small kisses over her face - forehead, cheeks, jaw, throat - before brushing his lips over hers.

“I’ll tell you later.” Willow giggles, kissing back, then pulling away and taking his hand to lead him further in, “C’mon, let’s get some coffee started before the grumps wake up.”

“Are they as addicted as you are, my Siha?” Thane teases, allowing her to lead him.

“More so. Arisa said we could sneak in this morning so long as we started the coffee.” Willow grins, enjoying his laughter, “Now c’mon, or we’ll have very grumpy hosts to deal with.”

2. Rydaal + 28 - “Please tell me you aren’t searching my room for where I’ve hidden the presents” (NOTE for anyone not familiar with my story ‘The Misadventures of Aria Ryder, Jaal and Aria have two adopted kids - Adrien, a turian, and Sayren, an Angara - as well as a biological daughter, Senri, and niece, Tela.)

“C’mon, Sayren! I know they’re in here somewhere!”

“Gonna get in twouble.”

“Only if we get caught. C’mon!”

The Angara grumbles but follows, and Adrien flicks his mandibles out in a wide grin, leading the way into their parents bedroom.

Aria and Jaal had taken Senri for a checkup with Aunt Lexi, leaving them with Grandma Ellen - who was currently taking a nap on the couch downstairs, believing the boys were doing the same.

Adrien was just to curious to not go snooping, to excited by the thought of presents - not even his own presents, but presents for Sayren and Senri. Sure, the thought of getting presents was exciting - Christmas was technically a human tradition, so he’d never celebrated it with his birth parents - but he was more excited to get to help his siblings open theirs, to play with them.

I want to see what they got Tela, too; I need to make sure it’s something she’ll like.

At seven, Adrien’s the oldest of their little group - Sayren’s about a two, now, and Senri’s just about to hit a year - and he takes his siblings happiness very seriously, okay? He loves being an older brother - and Aria and Jaal are awesome adoptive parents, which makes it even better.

Now, they just need to find where they’d stashed the presents-

A plan that’s thwarted the moment there’s heavier steps on the stairs and Sayren’s squealing “Mama!”, making Adrien freeze and look up guilty.

“Um…” he stammers, mandibles drawing in tight, “H-hi Mom, Dad.”

“Please tell me you aren’t searching our room for where we hid the presents.” Aria asks, but the lack of anger in her voice relaxes him; if anything, she looks amused.

“I’m sorry, Mom…”

“Oh, honey, it’s okay.” Aria passes Sayren over to Jaal - the Angara purring happily and reaching out to their little sister, making her giggle - before opening her arms to him. Adrien scrambles immediately to his feet and hugs her legs, face pressed into her belly as her fingers scratch at the skin beneath his fringe, “It’s your first Christmas - I’d be more worried if you weren’t curious, honestly.”

“Just wanted to check what you got Senri.” he mumbles, purring under her calming touch, “And Sayren, and Tela. So I can be ready to help put stuff together.”

“Aren’t you just the best big brother?” Jaal chuckles, heading down the stairs with the two youngest held securely in his arms, “We’ll wake Ellen up, Aria, and get some dinner going.”

“Okay, love.” Aria waits till they’ve disappeared from sight before gently pushing the little turian back and crouching to be at his eye-level. “Now, Adrien, I can’t show you everything, but if you want… I can show you the presents we got for Tela, and you can pick something to give her yourself?”

“Can I?” he chirps, embarrassed by the high noise until his mother laughs and nods.

“Let’s go look.” she takes his hand and leads him back into the room, and Adrien’s sure he’s never smiled so widely before.

3. Shakarian + 9 - “You’re kidding, right? I’m not going out in that snow storm!”

“You’re kidding, right? I’m not going out in that snow storm!”

Arisa’s lips twitch in a wide grin, brows lifted. She’s trying not to laugh, she really is, but -

“Garrus. It’s flurrying. This is like, the most calm type of snowfall there is.”

“It’s still cold. And hard to see in. And-”

“Garrus. I’m not asking you to stay outside in it all night.” Arisa steps in close to him, smoothing her hands over the warm clothes she’d talked him into, trying her best to be smooth and alluring, “Please? I just want to stand out on the balcony and watch the snow fall for a bit.”

Garrus eyes her dubiously, though his hands have settled on her hips, and she can tell he’s breaking even as he says “Are all you humans this crazy about the snow?”

Arisa whaps him on the chest for that, “Hey I am not crazy! I just want to watch the first snowfall! It’s been… years.”

That makes him soften, sighing dramatically before reaching for the scarf hanging on the rack behind her, “Alright, alright, you win - but just ten minutes, okay? Or else you’ll have a frozen turian on your hands.”

“I knew I married you for a reason.” she grins, yanking him down for a quick kiss before throwing on her own winter gear and hurrying out onto the front porch, listening to him grumble the whole time.

Garrus comes to stand behind her with his arms around her middle, bent slightly so he can rest his chin on her head, their breaths puffing out into the cold air in billows of white.

She’s more glad then ever that they rented a house on Earth, for Christmas. Room to have everyone over, to celebrate - and she gets to see the snow fall.

“Okay.” Garrus hmphs after a while, voice oddly quiet, “It is kind of pretty.”

“Told you.” Arisa laughs, turning in his arms to nuzzle at him, “Thank you. Now, what’s say we head inside, grab some coffee, then spend some… quality time together, hmm? While we have the house to ourselves?”

“Like you even have to ask.” Garrus growls, sweeping her up, and she only laughs as she’s carried back inside.

37 notes · View notes

commanderquill · 7 years

Text

Tagged by the super sweet @glaciya !!!

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers

Note: Titles are hyperlinked to the fic on AO3!

One Step Closer / JayTim / 100K+ / WIP / Crime - Mystery - Drama

Tim Drake can’t help it, he’s a sucker for mystery and there isn’t a mystery like Batman and Robin. There’s something taboo, forbidden and thrilling to hiding on rooftops for hours just to catch pictures of them in action -- pictures no one else has ever taken. These misadventures lead him to an odd acquaintance with a tire thief named Jay, who becomes an unexpected constant during Tim’s nighttime escapades.

When Jay disappears and no one will tell him where he’s gone, Tim figures it’s up to him to rescue his friend. But for some reason, amongst his investigations into the strange uprise of human disappearances around Gotham, Robin is there, preventing Tim from getting into too much trouble -- and trying to keep him away from his search for Jay.

The network of kidnappings only seems to keep getting bigger and bigger, until Tim finally turns his sights to the one percenters of the city, because Bruce Wayne is acting suspicious and Tim will find a connection to these human disappearances if it’s the last thing he does. After all, rarely are people ever what they seem, and in Gotham, rich money is always dirty.

A Bullet A Day / JayTim / 20K+ / WIP / Drama

When Tim Drake decided to drop the hero gig and study for an honorable career as a doctor, he really should have kept in mind the type of people he used to associate with. Instead of trading his illegal hobbies for a more legal method of helping people, Tim finds himself consistently breaking the law anyway when vigilantes keep dropping into the abandoned wing of his hospital in various stages of near death. He can convince himself he’s okay with it as long as they keep it to once a week because the unaccounted for medical supplies are starting to look suspicious and Tim did not become the youngest graduate with a doctorate just to get his ass thrown in jail for allegedly stealing expensive narcotics.

He especially did not drink eight cups of coffee straight during those multi-night study sessions just so he can deal with the Red Hood stopping by during his busiest shift with a bullet wound in his chest. That man can either suck up his pride and wrap himself in kevlar-fortified bubble wrap or Tim will let the triads know exactly where the guy who pissed them off is because fuck this.

Relax, I’m From Gotham / JayTim / 5K+ / Complete / Humour

“You know, just out of curiousity,” Red Robin begins, and Jason twists curiously to face him, “are you from Gotham?”

“What gave it away?” Jason drawls as fire sirens start up in the distance. “My anger issues, or my apathy in the face of the new supervillain flavor of the week?”

(Or: That time Jason moves to New York and becomes a meme.)

Worlds Apart / JayTim / 22K+ / Complete / Fluff - Adventure

“Let me get this straight,” Bruce says, in full Batman regalia save for the cowl hanging from his neck, and Jason shuffles awkwardly. “You met the only merboy in all of Poseidonis, and within minutes of knowing him agreed to break into Atlantis’ highest acclaimed science laboratory to steal an experiment of top research priority, because it felt like the right thing to do? Even though you didn’t actually know what you were doing at first?”

“Was he cute?” Barbara pipes in with zero grace. “What?” she says in response to Bruce’s look. “It’s an important question. Boys are stupid around pretty people. You’ve met Dick, right?”

Roads Untravelled / JayTim / 3K+ / Complete / Humour - Fluff

It was supposed to be a normal, peaceful, paid-for-with-ill-gotten-gains shopping trip. Until Tim suddenly finds himself in a hostage situation. At the mall. Good thing Boy Wonderful is here to save the day -- and apparently get his butt saved by Tim right after. Tim's random act of heroism better not go to the kid's head.

I tag @chibinightowl @comebackolivia @my-one-love-is-music @firefrightfic @skalidra -- no idea if you folks have been tagged yet, but I’m interested to know what your favourites are!

#tagged #fic rec #jaytim

85 notes · View notes

libraryofrewrita · 7 years

Text

Chapter 6: Mega Watch Misadventures

After lunch, Nate had gone upstairs to put away his raincoat since the sun was going to be out for the rest of the day and as Nate walked downstairs, he happened to hear a news report about some crows stealing food and shiny objects from people recently.

“Nate, please be careful while you’re outside today, okay?”

Nate nodded, hoping that his Yo-kai Watch or his necklace wasn’t shiny enough to be stolen by those crows.

Bleh, this reminds of Peckpocket. I hope he’s not involved in anyway this time. I mean, I know it’s natural for birds to like shiny objects, but fighting a Yo-kai bird that steals stuff has unfortunately made me suspicious of him being involved in or taking advantage of things like this.

*****

Seeing that the shop was open, Nate and Katie walked into Timer’s and More and saw Mr. Goodsight frantically looking for something.

“I just had it yesterday! Where did I put that screwdriver?!”

The kids had a feeling they were going to have to run another errand to get their upgrade again.

“Mr. Goodsight? Is there anything we can do to help?”

Mr. Goodsight looked up from his search and said,

“Can you run down to the herbal shop here in Blossom Heights and pick up something for me? I was going to get it myself, but I noticed my screwdriver was missing from my pocket while I was walking back to the shop and I don’t feel comfortable without it nearby!”

“Yeah, we can do that for you.”

*****

After walking to the herbal shop known as Chloro-Phil Good, they walked inside the shop and said,

“We’re here to pick up something for Mr. Goodsight?”

The man behind the counter handed them a small box.

“Don’t worry about paying for it. Mr. Goodsight already put it on his tab.”

They nodded and walked back to Timer’s and More.

*****

When they got back to Timer’s and More, Mr. Goodsight was putting things back in their usual places and he leaned on the counter with a sad sigh. They handed the small box to Mr. Goodsight and he went to his worktable, where a mug of hot water was resting. He picked up the mug, taking it to the counter, and dumped the contents of the box into the mug, which turned the water into a shining gold. He stirred the mixture and sipped from the mug.

“Nothing like some Ancient Herbs to help calm the nerves…”

“So you didn’t find your screwdriver?”

“Actually, while you were out, I got a call from Whatta Find. It turns out that I accidently dropped it there while I was picking up something. The problem is, they’re only open at night and I’m an old Yo-kai. I may be able to go out at night without fear of activating Terror Time, but I’m afraid that someone will sneak out of their home tonight and indirectly put me in danger.”

“But if we went to get it, Terror Time will still be activated, regardless of whether or not we have Baku and Whapir in our places in bed and while we could just ask our parents to take us there, which wouldn’t activate Terror Time, I can’t think of a reasonable excuse to convince them to take us to Whatta Find so that we can get the screwdriver.”

“Yeah…but we also wanted to investigate that giant skeleton at your school and he only seems to appear when no one else is around, which means early evening to late at night and even if you could convince your parents to take you to Whatta Find, there’s no way you can convince them to take you two to the school that late at night.”

They unfortunately knew that Whisper had a point. While they weren’t quite sure about why the giant skeleton was there, they did want to make sure he didn’t cause any trouble there.

“Alright. We’ll go get the screwdriver tonight. Hopefully, if Terror Time does activate, we can escape quickly.”

*****

Since they still had time before they had to sneak out and get the screwdriver, they walked around town for a bit before bumping into Eddie.

“Hey, Eddie!”

“Hey, guys! Check it out!”

Eddie revealed another Mega Watch on his other wrist that was a different color than the one he had showed them yesterday.

“Woah, how did you get that?!”

“My dad knows someone that works at the company, so I was able to get this limited-edition colored Mega Watch.”

Eddie pressed a few buttons and a small green light started blinking on the Mega Watch.

“This green light shows that the GPS function is working and it sends a signal to a satellite that not tells you where you are, it can also track the locations of other Mega Watch users!”

As Eddie was explaining the GPS feature, a nearby crow had an interest in the very shiny object that the human was holding.

“Did you guys want to try it out?”

“Sure!”

Eddie unlatched the Mega Watch from his wrist and handed it to Nate and Katie, but before one of them could take the Mega Watch, they saw a crow headed straight towards them!

“Crow!”

Nate and Katie quickly tried to hide their necklaces and cover up their Yo-kai Watches while Eddie tried to quickly bring the Mega Watch closer to him, but the crow quickly snatched the Mega Watch out of Eddie’s hand and flew off with it. Eddie fiddled with the Mega Watch he still had and said,

“I activated the GPS feature on this one so that it can track down the Mega Watch that crow just stole. I know crows like shiny objects, but this is just ridiculous!”

Eddie started following the crow and Nate and Katie, out of concern that something unexpected might happen, followed Eddie.

*****

They tracked the crow to the bridge that connected Uptown Springdale to Breezy Hills and the crow was just resting on the ledge, the Mega Watch still in it’s clutches.

“Okay, if I walk over carefully, I can scare off the crow and get the Mega Watch back.”

Eddie carefully walked over and managed to scare the crow away, but the crow dropped the Mega Watch into the river below.

“It’s a good thing the Mega Watch is waterproof and…wait…is it floating?!”

Nate and Katie looked down into the river and while they did understand why Eddie thought it was floating, it had actually landed on a sleeping Walkappa’s stomach, who just happened to be floating down the river.

“We might be able to get it if we head down there right now! Eddie, you stay up here just in case the Mega Watch somehow changes it’s course.”

Nate and Katie rushed down the stairs to the river, thankfully getting there as Walkappa got out of the water, holding the Mega Watch in his webbed fingers.

“Hey, guys. Why was this watch on my stomach?”

“Long story, Walkappa. It belongs to a friend of ours, so can we have it back please?”

“Sure! Here you go!”

Walkappa placed it on the ground near Nate and Katie’s feet and said,

“I’ve been napping for too long! I have to get back to practicing for my swim meet! See you guys later!”

Walkappa started to swim away from the group and Nate picked up the Mega Watch, drying off the Mega Watch as they walked back to the stairs to give it back to Eddie.

“Here you go, Eddie. Safe and sound. We should probably try this on a day where the crows aren’t being active.”

Eddie nervously chuckled and agreed, but as Nate was handing the Mega Watch back to Eddie, something snatched it out of Nate’s hand.

“What the-?!”

“I’ll just borrow this…forever! Hahaha!”

While the Mega Watch appeared to be floating, Nate and Katie could see the Yo-kai holding the Mega Watch and appeared to be the only humans that heard the mocking voice that belonged to the Yo-kai. They quickly glanced at Whisper and he showed them the profile for the Yo-kai, who was known as Yoink.

Oh, joy. Another Yo-kai that acts like Peckpocket.

“Ow! You jerk! Why’d you punch me like that?!”

Jibanyan, who was holding his paw over his collar, glared at Yoink.

“I saw you eyeing my collar, you nyo-good thief! Now give us back that Mega Watch!”

“You gotta catch me first!”

Yoink possessed a cat that happened to be nearby and the possessed cat started to run towards Uptown Springdale with the Mega Watch in it’s mouth.

“After that cat!”

*****

When they went to the alley behind Uptown Everymart, Eddie muttered,

“I can’t believe we’re doing this. We’re trying to get my Mega Watch from a cat.”

Nate and Katie didn’t say anything, having been through much weirder situtations. Eddie slowly walked up to the cat when it placed the Mega Watch down, only for the cat to hiss at Eddie and start chasing him.

“Gaahhh!”

Eddie rushed out out of the alley with the cat hot on his heels, but only Jibanyan wasn’t worried about it.

“Don’t worry about Eddie. That cat was just trying to get him away from Yoink, nya. You’d be surprised at what we cats, both Yo-kai and nyormal, knyow.”

Not really having the time to question Jibanyan, they went after Yoink and the Mega Watch.

“Yoink, this is your last chance. Give us the Mega Watch.”

Yoink seemed to be ignoring them, his attention more focused on Whisper’s Yo-kai Pad.

“I’ll just borrow that from you!”

Yoink jumped up to grab Whisper’s Yo-kai Pad, but he instead made contact with a paper fan and went flying towards the wall.

“Oww….”

Jibanyan had picked up the abandoned Mega Watch while Yoink was distracted and Yoink quickly ran away when he saw he had been defeated. Everyone looked at Whisper with shock written on their faces. Yes, he had told them that he used to battle and yes, they had seen the marks on him after that fight in Nocturne Hospital, but they didn’t expect Whisper to do that! Whisper put away his paper and Yo-kai Pad and gave them a confused expression.

“What?”

“Nothing!”

Whisper looked down at the ground to see if Yoink had dropped anything else he might have stolen when he saw Jibanyan slip on some liquid near a manhole and fall into the manhole.

“Jibanyan!”

Whisper quickly grabbed Jibanyan’s free paw, but soon found the both of them falling downwards. The rest of the group expected to hear a loud thud, but they didn’t. They did however hear this,

“Nya! The Mega Watch! Quick, let’s go after it!”

“How did you drop it?! You had a good grip on it!”

“It’s slippery down here, okay?! I was trying to nyot break it when I fell, but nyow it’s rolling away from us!”

They quickly climbed down the ladder and saw Whisper and Jibanyan already making their way down the waterways. The group carefully followed them, seeing more puddles as they eventually found another Yo-kai, which they discovered as the source of the puddles nearby.

“Excuse me? Have you seen something roll down here? It belongs to a friend of ours and we would like to return it to him as soon as possible.”

The Yo-kai showed them the Mega Watch in his sweaty palm and asked,

“You mean this?”

“Yes!”

The Yo-kai looked saddened as he handed the Mega Watch back to them.

“I thought my luck had changed when I found something nice, but I don’t want to make the actual owner worry.”

“Do you want to be friends? It’s probably not what you were expecting, but your luck will have changed!”

The Yo-kai looked at them with a blank stare before smiling and tossing his Yo-kai Medal over to them.

“I’m Swelton! If you ever need me, just summon me! I can’t believe I have friends now!”

Swelton disappeared into a puff and Nate just noticed how sticky the Mega Watch was. Thankfully, he knew of a solution. The group walked back to the ladder and after checking to see if Eddie had come back, which he didn’t yet, they climbed out of the manhole and Nate summoned Brushido.

“Brushido? Would you mind helping us clean this? It belongs to a friend of ours and…well, it’s kinda been through a lot today.”

Brushido nodded, humming happily as he carefully cleaned off the sweat and dirt off of the Mega Watch and when he was finished, it was back to normal and sparkling more then ever.

“There you go! Good thing the crows are settling back into their nests by now!”

Nate looked up and saw the sky becoming a golden color.

“Ah! We have to return this to Eddie now!”

Thankfully, it wasn’t rocket science to figure out how to activate the GPS and they managed to track Eddie down in Triangle Park, with no sign of the cat anywhere.

“Here you go, Eddie.”

Nate handed back the Mega Watch to Eddie, who then put it back on his wrist.

“Thanks for helping me out, guys. I’m heading back home now to look over the manuel for some of the features on the Mega Watch. Maybe we can hang out again sometime without any thefts happening?”

“Yeah. We’ll see you later, Eddie.”

Nate and Katie headed back to their own homes, had dinner, made their notes, got into their pajamas so that they didn’t make their parents suspicious, and laid in bed, not forgetting that they had a mission to do that night.

Previous Chapter: https://libraryofrewrita.tumblr.com/post/169791465654/chapter-5-gates-of-whimsy Next Chapter: https://libraryofrewrita.tumblr.com/post/169833269234/chapter-7-dangers-after-dark

#yo-kai watch #yo-kai watch au #rewrite #au #chapter 6 #book two

4 notes · View notes

softderekhale · 7 years

Text

um hi i’m new here so here’s a lil fic i wrote

*waves nervously* so i’ve run this blog for a while and posted a couple tiny fics literally like two years ago, but i want to get more active with my writing. the inspiration for this randomly struck, and 3k later... i hope someone enjoys! <3

also on ao3!

sterek, AU: royalty, arranged marriage. 3k, M-ish? idk, there are dicks but no actual dick action. boners. there are boners. mating, biting, mention of blood.

Compared to the months his sisters had spent frantically preparing for the wedding, the ceremony seemed to fly by in a sweaty, anxious daze. It felt like only moments passed from when Derek donned his crown and wedding jacket in the early morning to the evening’s festive banquet, where the wine flowed freely and his new husband’s amber eyes sparkled as he regaled the court with tales of his youthful misadventures.

Marrying Stiles wasn’t an inconvenience by any stretch of the imagination, but as Derek paced around his room later that night awaiting his betrothed’s arrival, he realized how woefully little he really knew about the inner workings of Beacon’s crown prince.

As the second child of Queen Talia, his ruler and Alpha, Derek always expected that an arranged marriage could be a possibility. He just hadn’t really been paying attention, occupying the years with studying and training until suddenly, a little over a year ago, his mother and eldest sister, Laura, approached him about the possibility of marrying Stiles.

“The union would be primarily political, but I would never require anything of you that would cause undue distress,” his mother had assured him, holding her only son’s face in her hands. “Stiles has grown into a truly lovely young man, and his intellect — gods know we could use a strategist like him to keep Peter in check.”

Derek had smiled, and spent a week or so in thought before requesting to meet this brilliant young prince of whom his mother spoke so highly. It felt like a good idea at the time, but Derek’s nerves kept him a wreck the entire week Stiles and his brother had spent visiting Triskele. Though their private conversations were few and far between, Derek was immediately taken with Stiles. His mother had been absolutely correct — Stiles was impressively well-read, and his sense of humor crackled and sparked in a way that attracted Derek down to his core. When he nervously broached the topic of betrothal two nights before Stiles’ departure, he almost fled and vomited — or vomited, then fled —when Stiles confidently agreed. He chose me, Derek still thought nearly every day leading up to the wedding. He’s going to be my mate.

When Stiles arrived in Triskele a fortnight before the wedding, Derek’s heart skipped a beat upon seeing him for the first time. Laura and Cora delighted in teasing their brother about his obvious infatuation, but also graciously escorted Stiles around the palace so Derek wouldn’t have to entertain him alone.

Now, though — it was done. They were married, and entertaining Stiles — in every sense of the word — was Derek’s responsibility. What was Stiles expecting? Did he plan to consummate the marriage tonight, according to his people’s tradition? Did he wish to share chambers with Derek at all, now or in the future? How many blankets did he like to sleep under? Was he an early riser, or did he grudgingly extricate himself from his bed mid-morning like Derek? Could— A soft knock at the door stilled Derek’s racing thoughts, and he halted his pacing to hesitantly move toward the door. The banquet had finally been winding down when Derek had taken his leave, and he was certain Stiles had come to see him. Derek took a deep breath, and opened the door. His new husband stood on the other side, hands clasped behind his back and keen eyes searching Derek’s face.

“Good evening, husband,” Stiles said, smiling playfully at the words.

“I… Hello. Good evening,” Derek stuttered.

“May I come in?” Stiles inquired patiently, nodding toward Derek’s room. Way to go, you idiot, Derek scolded himself. You can’t even invite your own husband into your quarters?

“Oh, um, yes. Yes, of course.” Derek stepped out of the doorway, running a frantic hand through his hair as Stiles stepped into his modest bedroom. Stiles’ gaze flitted around the room, noting the maps and sketches tacked to the walls and the carefully organized books stacked on his desk.

“This is the first time I’ve been in here, you know. I like it,” he remarked, smiling encouragingly at Derek. His smile faltered, however, when he noticed Derek’s obvious nerves.

“Is everything alright, Derek?”

“Yes,” Derek said emphatically. “I just… You… You make me nervous,” he admitted, mustering up his pride in order to speak honestly to his new husband.

Stiles laughed, a bright, unexpected sound that filled Derek’s ears and assuaged his bubbling nerves. “I’m not very intimidating on sight, Derek, but I’m flattered.”

“I… I want to get off on the right foot. With everything. I want…” Derek faltered, searching for the right words to express how much he cared about making Stiles feel valued.

“What do you want, Derek?” Stiles asked softly, golden gaze meeting Derek’s. Derek took a deep breath before releasing the slew of emotions he had kept pent up for months since officially promising his hand to Stiles.

“I want you to be happy. I want you to like me, to like living here. I want to know you, to really know you and understand you, and I feel like an idiot but I’m standing here and you’re my husband and I don’t even know what you like in bed or if you want to bed me or—“

“Derek.”

Derek refocused his gaze on Stiles’. “Breathe with me, darling.” Darling. Derek was going to assess that later, when he had remembered how to inhale and exhale in a predictable pattern once again.

"Derek," Stiles said again firmly, holding his gaze level with his husband's.

"Everything you swore to me today — to care for me, protect me — did you mean it?"

Derek's brow furrowed. "Yes," he answered plainly. Of course. How could the answer be anything but yes? Stiles was whip smart, witty, terrifyingly insightful, beautiful—

Stiles smiled easily and cupped Derek's cheek. "That's why I chose you, Prince Derek Hale of Triskele in the northern reaches. Do you think you're the only proposal my father or I ever received for my hand? But I knew I had finally found my partner the moment I met you. I... I just knew,” Stiles said, gently running his thumb over Derek’s cheekbone.

“I knew you would make me happy. I knew that I would want to get to know you, and spend time here with you and your family. It makes me nervous too, not knowing what you like, but you should never doubt that I want you, Derek,” Stiles said firmly.

A weight Derek hadn't even been aware of lifted at Stiles' admission, and a tiny spark of jealousy flared in his stomach at the idea of anyone else spending the rest of their lives with his prince. "I knew too," he said in a whisper, leaning into his husband's caress. He let his eyes flutter shut at the warmth of Stiles' touch, confident in displaying his infatuation now that he knew it was shared.

“I honestly didn’t know how tonight would end, but I knew I wanted to see you before I went to sleep,” Stiles admitted.

“Do you…” Derek swallowed, his nerves a lump in his throat. “Do you wish to consummate the marriage?”

Stiles looked at his husband appraisingly, carefully moving to clasp Derek’s hands in his. “I would like to do so, hopefully soon, but I absolutely can wait until we’re both ready, if that’s what you need. You just have to tell me, Derek. What do you need?”

Derek licked his lips, gaze raking over Stiles’ face. What gods known and unknown are smiling upon me? How did I get so lucky?

“Our people, Lycans, place value on connection above all else. I know my mother already discussed it with you,” a conversation I will not dwell on, “and… I’d like to give you the mating mark.”

Stiles smiled at his husband. “I’d like that too, husband. I trust you.”

Derek’s heart surged yet again, pleased with the knowledge and respect his human husband possessed for Derek’s people’s traditions. “Okay,” he said. “I’d like to start with that.”

Stiles nodded, gaze falling to Derek’s mouth. "So," he murmured, "How do you want me?"

Derek exhaled sharply, willing his eyes not to flare blue at Stiles' intentionally suggestive inquiry.

After a moment of consideration, he stepped back. Stiles' hands fell from his, and he stood before Derek with a look of patient intrigue. “Take off your boots,” Derek said, the end of the sentence rising into a question. He knew how he wanted Stiles, but he wanted his husband to know that his consent was paramount as well.

Stiles quickly removed his boots and socks, tossing them next to Derek’s own. He stood in front of Derek expectantly, watching as he stepped forward to close the short distance between them.

Carefully, Derek reached forward unclasped the heavy, blood-red cape he knew was the traditional marriage garment of Stiles’ mother’s people. He didn’t know how Stiles’ mother had died, but he knew what it meant to him to proudly carry her culture alongside his own. Our children will know, too, Derek thought absently, gently laying the garment down safely on his desk chair.

He turned back to his husband, who was watching Derek intently with a soft smile playing at his lips. Derek unfastened his own overcoat, nearly sighing with relief as he discarded the thick, brocaded garment.

He reached over to Stiles next, gently tugging at the bottom of his soft white tunic. Stiles lifted his arms expectantly as Derek slid the garment over his head. Derek’s hand brushed his husband’s side as he did so, and he noted with pleasure the stutter in Stiles’ heartbeat when their skin made contact.

Now shirtless, a mix of lust and nerves visibly bled into Stiles’ otherwise assured demeanor. His cheeks and chest were flushed, and Derek found it hard to keep his movements even and measured as the smell of Stiles’ arousal rolled over him in waves.

Derek allowed himself to touch his husband, placing a hand on the side of his neck and another brushing against his hip. “You’re beautiful,” Derek whispered, heady with desire at the warmth of his husband’s skin and the quickening pace of his heart.

He stepped back to remove his own tunic, pleased that Stiles simply watched. He was allowing Derek to undress him, to set the pace in spite of his own maddening arousal, and Derek’s wolf preened at the intuitive understanding shown by his mate.

He turned his attention back to his husband, aware of the way Stiles’ throat bobbed as Derek unfastened his breeches. He slowly moved them down Stiles’ legs, pressing a guiding hand to the small of his back as he stepped out of them and kicked them away.

Derek moved back to admire his husband, both men standing proudly before one another. He flushed as his gaze traveled down Stiles’ body, clad only in his thin white undershorts. They were tented obviously in the front, Stiles’ cock hardened and pressing against the insubstantial fabric. Derek flushed with pride once more — Stiles was clearly enjoying this too, if his erection and blown pupils were any indication.

Derek stepped forward to speak softly into Stiles’ ear. “Can I pick you up?” he asked, swearing he could feel Stiles’ skin practically vibrate so close to his own. “Yes,” Stiles murmured, locking his gaze with Derek’s. Derek carefully placed an arm behind his husband’s knees and another behind his back, quickly gathering Stiles into his arms. Stiles laughed as Derek easily picked him up off the ground, a sound Derek deeply wished to hear every day for the rest of his life.

Derek knew Stiles wasn’t ignorant — he understood the significance of what Derek was doing. It wasn’t a requirement by any means, but physically carrying ones’ mate to their marriage bed before claiming them was a symbolic gesture of protection and provision for Derek’s kind. After closing the few short feet to their bed, Derek crouched down and carefully deposited Stiles on his side. In the oldest customs, a wolf’s mate would lay face down to receive the bite, but Derek had never desired that. He carefully laid his body behind his husband’s, moving one of his arms under Stiles’ head and the other over his waist. His free hand found his husband’s, and he laced their fingers together. Finally, he lined up his hips behind Stiles', allowing him to feel that he was aroused to hardness as well.

Derek brought their entwined hands to Stiles’ chest, feeling the strong, singing thrum of his heart beneath them. He was ready.

“May I?” he asked, marveling at how warm and solid Stiles’ body felt against his. Stiles relaxed against him and nodded in assent. “Yes.”

Derek finally allowed his fangs to drop, an icy blue haze clouding his vision and his sense of his husband's scent sharpening even more acutely. He touched his teeth to Stiles' skin so he knew to brace himself, then swiftly pierced the soft flesh in the claiming mark of mating.

The bite lasted no more than a few seconds, but Derek felt the moments still and swirl around him in a drawn out haze. He knew magic existed — knew his new husband could practice it, even — but he had never paid much mind to the stories of mating magic or soulmates. As soon as he anchored himself to his newly wed husband, however, Derek felt a certainty and connection settle in him — one that couldn’t be described like any emotion he’d ever felt before. He thought, he knew, that Stiles felt it too. He felt it in the way his lungs retracted sharply as his heart skipped a beat, his fingers tightening around Derek’s and the smallest whimper escaping his lips. He didn’t fight the bite, even subconsciously. His body moved closer to Derek’s, an implicit sign of the trust he placed in his new mate. Derek felt a new spike of attraction and affection bloom in his chest, and carefully retracted his fangs from the soft warmth of Stiles’ neck. He allowed himself a moment to pause, breathing in the scent of his new husband as deeply as he could. He felt dizzy, heady — he wanted to say something, anything, to Stiles, but couldn’t find the words. He settled instead for squeezing Stiles’ hand, and firmly pressed his lips in a kiss above the bite before pulling away.

Stiles glanced back at Derek, seemingly unsure what Derek wished him to do next. Derek stilled him with a gentle hand to his arm. “Let me.”

Two beads of blood had welled up on the back of Stiles’ neck; the bite was not intended to pierce too deeply, but some blood was inevitable. Derek reached for the cloth he had left on his bedside table, grateful for his foresight in the scattered hours before the wedding. He hadn’t expected Stiles to make any demands one way or another, but he had still wanted to be prepared for however the night ended up. Derek dampened the cloth in the bowl of water next to it and carefully pressed it to his husband’s neck. When Stiles flinched at the touch, Derek dropped his hands away immediately — Did I hurt him?

“Sorry,” Stiles murmured with a laugh. “’s just a little cold.” His bright amber eyes found contact with Derek’s, a soft smile — that damn smile — playing at his lips.

Derek stroked away the last of the blood, cupping his hand around the back of Stiles’ neck to drain any residual pain. “Are you — does it hurt too badly?” he asked, brow furrowed in concern.

“I think I’ll survive, husband.” Husband. The word, simple as it was, still stirred a deep satisfaction in Derek. Stiles was perfect, and he was his husband. Stiles rolled onto his back, hitching himself up slightly onto his elbows. Derek knew Stiles was simply shifting to a more comfortable position, but he couldn’t help but notice the way his husband’s cock still pressed against his shorts. His gaze flicked back up to Stiles’ face, and he felt his cheeks redden as Stiles gnawed absently at his bottom lip.

“What’re you looking at?” said Stiles, voice breaking huskily.

Emboldened by his husband’s display, Derek leaned forward, bracketing himself over Stiles. “You,” he whispered, eyes moving pointedly to Stiles’ lips as their faces hovered inches apart.

As soon as the word left Derek’s lips, Stiles surged forward. His mouth knocked against Derek’s, but he barely felt the awkwardness of the movement as their lips pressed together. Stiles whimpered again, and Derek dropped his weight off his arms and pulled them onto their sides so they were facing one another. He quickly pulled his husband into another kiss, reveling in the sensation of Stiles’ lips, muscles, scent, sweat — he felt completely enveloped.

When Stiles pulled away, his pupils were blown. He clutched Derek’s arm as if it were anchoring him. A soft exclamation escaped his lips — “Wow.”

Derek couldn’t help but laugh, drunk on lust and affection. “Wow,” he agreed, capturing Stiles’ lips in another soft, gentle kiss.

Stiles held his forehead against Derek’s, smiling softly over his husband’s mouth. “I think I’ll stay in your bed tonight, if that’s alright,” he said.

Derek pulled him closer, the lengths of their bodies pressed together. “Our bed. And it’s more than alright.”

Fin (for now!)

#sterek #sterek fic #sterek au #sterek royalty au #my fic

20 notes · View notes