#oli tries to write stuff

[smallidarityfan]

smallidarity highschool au

came up with this au like actually 2 years ago where it's mainly empires 2 smallidarity centric, with Jimmy as a student council member and Joel as an honours student who doesn't like the way Jimmy runs things around the school.

As payback for the regulations Jimmy put up that Joel thought was stupid, Joel does these elaborate 'The Office' style pranks on Jimmy (specifically) while Jimmy retaliates by trying his best to dig up dirt on Joel. This banter goes on for a while— however Joel ends up doing the pranks less as a statement, and instead more just to see how Jimmy would react... with his comical, cartoony villain yells, and... weirdly cute face....? (YAOI YAOI YAOI YAOI)

very very old au drawings below:

from July 2023

😭😭 joel does NOT look like a highschooler here 😭😭😭😭 (i also wanted to draw angst in the first two ig idk a year later it's pretty cringe [i am still cringe]) (also partially inspired by when I read "Go for it, Nakamura!" and the mc reminded me of joel for no actual reason. or maybe i was just thinking about that manga while drawing smallidarity. idk)

from November 2022:

I think these doodles were genuinely the first instance of me converting from being against mcyt shipping to for shipping LMAOO

[182-ash]

Poly Sam and colby x reader headcannons bc I love these guys and I think they'd be cute boyfriends @oli-ivia helped me with some of these.

Colby is a human furnace and Sam is always freezing so they share hoodies all the time especially you and Sam stealing colbys

Sam cant sleep without both of u there so he likes to sleep/cuddle in the middle of you and colby- this makes it difficult when they go filming without you and Sam struggles to sleep so colby ends up facetiming you

When you have a headache they are very sweet and colby puts you in his hoodie with big hood so you can hide away- they turn off all the lights and talk really softly- colby lays you on his chest and gives you head massages and back rubs

Sam plays with colbys hair which makes him very sleepy and he he leans into the touch

^ colby is a workaholic even when sick so Sam uses this technique to get colby to stop working and actually rest

^when Sam gets sick, it really hits him bad so he tries not to kiss you guys when you're sick but colby always looks so sad he can't resist

^ Sam's just so sleepy the whole time he's sick and you just spend the day in bed with him because he's too tired to argue that you'll get sick too

This one's a bit longer but my current favourite thing on earth are jellyfish (its the audhd okay) so that's what inspired this

They're filming a TFIL video with you as a guest and they've 'broken in to an aquarium overnight' so you could see jellyfish and other ocean stuff undisturbed- sam and colby wanted you to be safe so they've actually booked the aquarium overnight but not told the fans because that would make the video a bit boring

^when you get in you immediately grab Sam's hand and run to find the jellyfish (or your favourite animal there) and just sit in front of the tank and watch- Sam pulls you into his lap

^After a little time Corey or someone is like: "dude- we gotta do smth so the fans have an interesting vid to watch"- Colby: "just let her sit- we can do stuff without her- she's enjoying it" cut to you happy Stimming sat in Sam's lap by the tanks

^they take turns sitting with you because A. Sam needs to be in the vid a bit and B. Colby was getting jealous that Sam was getting to spend all that time with you (listen he just wants to hug his partner alright- he can't resist how adorable you look in Sam's lap so happy)

^when they decide Sam should be in the video more but he wants to stay with you they give him the other camera so he can film you and him (you give lots of facts about the animal you're watching- its jellyfish for me) so the video ends up being 'colby and the others running round like idiots doing stupid impressions of the fish cut with cute clips of you in Sam's lap stimming and smiling and telling facts'

I could say lots more about that scenario but I don't want to talk too much on one thing so I might write smth separate abt it if u want so now on to more general ideas again

Such sweethearts when you're upset- they'll give you space if you want or they'll sit with you and talk about it- if you're okay with touch they'll pull you in for a hug and rub your back to calm you- colbys an anxious man as we know so he knows good breathing exercises for you

You guys find a stray cat and take it in- you call it smth stupid like 'cat'- cat likes you the most which will always slightly annoy the boys

When colby gets drunk, specifically wine drunk, he loudly sings along to cheesy love songs to you and Sam

[ourloveiselectrifying]

OLIE NOT SO MONTHLY UPDATE!! :3

Happy holidays everyone!

Have a Kevmas card :3

Spoilers and bruised up/bit up Kev below!

Full on twitter soon >:))

Sorry I keep dissappearing! OLiE is still in the works, I'm a little all over the place with the ideas, theres a lot I want to add in that I should probably be sensible about, I am one person after all haha

Things I've been working on!

Mostly its been story/writing stuff that I can't really show, but I'll show you some sketches!

- More word prompts!

- Reworking the phone side images!

- Revamped the about screen to be more! informative and to all be actual text/not images so text accessibility features work on it!

- Tutorial/warning/switches for certain content to be shown at start of new game!

- New fonts for new characters with the help of my lovely boyfriend! <333

- Tried to make a side image for MC, I then learnt that I have to redo the customisers code because I'm a big idiot and condition switches were a terrible idea!

- Working on a new character!

- Sketches of more CGs!

- New routes/endings!

- Neat little interactive screen, theres hidden buttons on it, and you can look around with the cursor!

[quinn-ro]

As Olies no. 1 fan can you do Ollie hcs? In exchange Ill share some of my own

Ollie HCs!! (Love this kid)

- Theres a relatively small city/urban area on one of the bigger islands by the Starr Park one, which is where Ollie spent most of his childhood (him and his parents moved to that city from NYC when he was pretty young)

- His favorite TV show is “Everybody Hates Chris (except like, maybe the brawl stars universe version of it. “Everybody Hates Brock” or something) and a close second is The Boondocks (which I can’t think of a bs pun for it lmao)

[okay im gonna give up on putting bs world equivalent media and just put the real world media he’d like]

- He’s a fan of Tyler the creator’s old music (i wonder what gave it away?)

(also, he was the kind of fan that told ppl that Tyler fell off after he started dropping “gay-ass music” but he secretly listens to Flower Boy and Igor on repeat. And they’re high up there on his fav albums list)

- Other rappers he likes are 2pac, Ice Cube, and MF Doom.

- Sometimes he writes songs and makes short films in his free-time. They’re definitely amateur as hell, but he puts a lot of heart into it, which makes them pretty good. His dream is to become a famous rapper or movie director with his starr park fame.

- His dad works at Starr Park. Not as a brawler or anything important, just as a maintenance guy for the rides or something. He’s also who first taught Ollie to build stuff, back when he was like 8.

- His mom moved back to NYC a year before he became a brawler. Something to do with family or work stuff, Ollie’s not too sure (this is code for “i cant think of shit for this part of the hc” lol).

Anyways, he tries to keep in touch often, but it’s hard sometimes.

- The real reason he set out to become a brawler (other than bc he’s been a fan of Starr Park all his life) was because his empty house got lonely, and when you spend most of your time inside tinkering, watching movies and playing video games, its kinda hard to make friends.

Well, he does go outside to skate at the local skatepark often, but the (non-brawler) kids there kinda just make fun of him for being short.

- He’d get along with Brock really well (theyre both geeks who love movies, video games, and music lol). I also think he’d become pretty close to Maisie, who’d teach him more about mechanics and building stuff. She’d help fix up his boombox skateboard when it breaks, and even help upgrade it or guide him how to.

- In reality, Ollie is (outside the starr park/brawl stars world simulation) a missing person case. Like most of the cast, actually.

anyways @krowsindulgences UR TURN NOW HAND THE HCS OVER

[sotogalmo]

4 — 5:20

More thoughts of my Alnst OC

She had two brothers (one older, one the same age as her. Yeah- based on the fact that I do have an older brother and the same age brother; @pinkcocopuff-aqualoid <- gender neutral tho).

She's the youngest tho! (how does pregnancy work in alnst...... Cuz like- how would twins work in alnst???).

She's called Flor! (mainly meaning flower, but her guardian went with that name, due to one of the meanings that connected to lotus flowers). She's 17

Her guardian, has an interest in Spanish history of humans (she mainly -tries to- teach them that same language. So- all of her kids, talk in Latin/Spanish/etc. Latin intro!; "mihi nomen est flor")

Her guardian's name is Fonelsioros/Elsiemarri (fontaine + Elspeth/Elizabeth + archemoros)

Flor has an interest in writing; and has started writing some poems of herself! Mainly to project onto made up characters in her head on paper. She's a major daydreamer

She's mainly connected with the oldest pet human, and a few of the others (not Me, Ma and A tho, they are the ones that get promoted the most since they have the most talents and such. So it's only Te, Fe and O that she's the most connected to

Flor draws sometimes. It's mainly Oli that draws the most. Flor is the writer!

She dreams of writing some short stories that met her mom's expectations (while yes, most of her stuff does meet her expectations, she has like. Bad imposter syndrome due to no reassurances??? Smth like that)

She doesn't think she's a human! (in a dehumanizing (human pet) way, and in a comfort type of way. therian (questioning, but I do think I'm probably a therian) here,,, so. Yeah)

She gets connected very fast to people tho. You want her?? She'll think of you forever and forever and forever

[that-tall-queer-bassist]

It is the next day and im feeling pretty good about this wip! Percy POV is bound to be fun with his sass (fingers crossed i can write it justice) and i've just got a good feeling about today and writing.

Okay as we can see here i've done the inadvisable "start writing and see where it takes you" (inadvisable because going in without an end point is a good way to get stuck halfway through, but i know i can fall back into one of the outlines i have so I'm relatively safe)

This starting line is... weak, to be perfectly honest. I need something like it but not... this. It needs a more concrete detail or emotion i think, to truly be a good starting line.

Okay, deleted that line and tried to start over, and I think i like it! ...mostly

The very first line is still weak, but i want three "fact"s to fully support the structure of this introduction to the fic.

Okay! changed the tense of the first bit which adds to the here and now aspect of it, and the list format, and of course, the infamous "You're not my type" reference I do so love.

Now I'm thinking I should change the dialogue bit, have Percy say "Im trying to espionage" in a wrongful use of a long word, because cringe is dead and I can do what I want, and also... would he know what sleuthing is. be honest. he would not.

Now I think this has some real Percy Vibes. Dialogue is one of the most important details for me to get right, along with narrator voice. For instance, my Technoblade POV and my Oli TheOrionSound POV sound very different, which is good! They have very different voices and speech patterns and habits, so they require different narration styles as well. Now, this is very much my opinion, and I think it's what works for my own writing, so don't worry about it in your own if you don't want to.

Now it's time for me to get my coffee and maybe sit down to do some early writing sprints.

Okay, 15 minute timer is being set. and we going! 108 words to start. Oops, went a bit longer than 15, but 413 total words now! about 20 words per minute, pretty damn good for me!

Need to go back and add dialogue tags but thats a problem for future L... which i should write down in my doc.

made a new "draft" aka clicky tab for me, and this is all stuff I'm going to do either during a reread before i continue to write, or after i'm done with the bulk of writing. The title will probably be in the style of the introduction (Fact: [fact here], Theory: [theory here], or maybe even Hypothesis: [nico and will should kiss] or something like that)

Actually gonna write that down in the "ao3 stuffs" tab/draft

can you guys believe this is all for a fic that isn't even 500 words yet. Can you believe it. with all of the extra stuff that's happened before we hit 500 words of prose. Gods.

Anyways, had a break, am back again, but I think I'm gonna call this reblog good and do another if i work on it more today.

write a oneshot with me!

Welcome to the "WIP With Me" post where i tell you in excruciating detail how i write a oneshot fanfiction. We're going step by step here, starting with setting up my document.

I'm using Ellipsus here, because google docs made a (minor) change i am (unfortunately) very upset about (my outline used to look good :< )

I usually have sections i can click to for my outline/braindump area, and "ao3 stuffs" (tags, summary, authors notes, etc.)

As you can see, im not entirely sure what i want to write yet! Right now i want to write a Percy Jackson and the Olympians (or Heroes of Olympus) fanfic, but it very well may end up being more... minecraft youtube -esque. Or witcher.

Now, I'm thinking i want to write a Nico Di Angelo/Will Solace fic, specifically "three days in the infirmary", because i love it and you can never do it too many times, but! I am also thinking doing a Percy/Jason bromance fic might be fun? I started a ficlet yesterday about them, and i think it's an interesting concept, though it would be messy to tag.

I write down my notes and ideas with bullet points or a checklist, sometimes in a physical notebook, but this time i did it in a "draft" (connected doc that i could merge with ellipsus, but won't)

as you can see, i fleshed the concepts out some, very very messily. Yes, the messiness is crucial to the process. this is very likely not going to reflect the final product. you've been warned.

(also, i am just updating this as i go, i am actually at this step in the process as i type it)

OKAY AFTER A BREAK I AM BACK and i think that the "3 days in the infirmary but Percy POV" will be the most fun for me, because obliviousness <3

So now it's time to brainstorm more, or get a couple of outlines about how i want to structure this fic. Maybe a 5+1 fic, like "five times Percy didn't know what was going on, and one time he realized" or something like that

okay so obviously theres a theme happening here, i just think it would be funny for percy to just... be aware for once? it seems like people write him as an airhead, which he is, but surely thats not all there is to him.

i'm So Tired though, so i will pick this back up later tonight or tomorrow to document the Detailed Outline and (hopefully) Writing process! And then after that is editing :)

[fluorescent-fungus]

Hello Oli's back with part 4 mwahahah ok have fun byebye

Xiao x child!reader Pt 4

Masterlist

Tw/cw: hurt/comfort, teeny bit of angst if you squint, abandonment issues

As the defender of Liyue, Xiao was always on the hunt, chasing down unusual activity wherever it presented itself... but at the end of the day, there was one place he'd never stray too far from—Wangshu Inn. 

It was one of the few places he felt comfortable enough to linger around, so much so that to keep you from tagging along on his patrols of the more dangerous areas of Liyue, he'd leave you there and go on to disappear for a few nights in a row.

Anyways, it scared you senseless the first time he attempted this. Right after dropping you into (a very confused) Verr Goldet's arms with a brief set of instructions, he had already poised himself to sprint for the exit.

But oh, what was he thinking? Of course you panicked, wriggling your way out of her grasp and lunging for Xiao’s poor leg, latching on like a leech.

”Nooo! Don't leave me heree... I wanna go where you're going!” You pleaded.

“No, it's too dangerous.” he retorted firmly.

“B-but but but...” Too busy clawing away at his pants, you didn't notice Verr leaning over to whisper something into his ear.

"No buts—" He stopped short, pausing in thought for a long moment, all the while tugging at the waistband of his pants to keep you from pulling it clean off.

He glanced back at Verr, then down at you. Finally he let out a defeated sigh, plucking you off his leg.

“Alright, I'm not going anywhere. Just... calm down.” He proceeded to hoist you up, resting your weight on his left hip.

Sensing the opportunity, you wrapped your arms around him as tight as you could, shoving your sobbing face into his chest. “B-but you're going to leave me! Just like everyone else!”

“...No, I'm... not.” What was he supposed to say in this situation? For once in his many years as an adeptus, he wished there was a rulebook for interacting with humans. Some kind of guide for dummies? If there ever was one... He'd actually consider trading his polearm for it.

“Liar!” You wailed, digging your fingers into his sides.

“Ow! Listen here you–” he stopped short, finally seeing the pointlessness in arguing back.

“It's late. We’ll stay the night.” He turned towards a slightly relieved Verr Goldet, who took the cue immediately.

“I'll prepare a room, then.” She smiled gently and reached out to give you a pat, but retracted it as you whipped your head away, burying it further into his neck.

“Ah, that... won't be necessary. Mine will do.” He gave her an apologetic nod, silently taking note of your unusual grumpiness.

“Alright then, good night,” she waved sheepishly as you both made your way to the upper floors.

“You have... a room here?” You mumbled, still clinging on to him. You were secretly relieved to know that he had actually planned to leave you somewhere he frequented enough to even have a place to stay.

"Mmhmm."

“Isn't this an inn? Are you rich or something?” You mumbled through the incoherent thoughts that trailed away into the night.

For the first time, he held back a chuckle. “No... Actually, I treat this place as a base of sorts. Though I have no need for it, they were the ones insisting on reserving me a chamber.”

You acknowledged his reply with a pitiful whimper.

Readjusting his hold on you, he reached out towards the doorknob. “No matter, I suppose it should serve good purpose for you now.”

Upon entering, you blinked back droopy eyelids while scanning the little room. It was dimly lit as gentle rays of moonlight filtered through the bedside window.

Though, the thing that you noticed immediately was the hint of Qingxin that lingered in the air—that familiar and soothing scent that somehow tickled your senses just right. Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all.

“You can take my bed. It's much better than sleeping in the wilderness so I don't want to hear any more complaints, got it?”

“B-but I can't take your bed! Where will you sleep?”

“You're not taking it. I'm giving it to you... and I can sleep on the floor. Adepti seldom sleep anyways.”

Too tired to argue, you nodded as he set you down gently and tucked you in.

“I seldom use this room...” He trailed off, dusting off and lighting a lamp by the bedside table. “So be sure not to make a mess for Verr to clean up.”

“Okayy... Good night, Xiao.”

“Mmm, good night.”

---

To be completely honest, you were, in fact about to drift off... until you heard the faint shuffling of footsteps—very light footsteps. The sound of someone tip toeing around... A light clank (he dropped his polearm)... A very stiff pause...

You weren't stupid. He was up to something. Even through your grogginess, you could tell he was trying (though failing miserably for a yaksha) at leaving discreetly.  

A big part of you wanted to whip off the covers and confront him right then and there, but something held you back... Was it exhaustion? No... It was something else, some familiar emotion you couldn't wrap your finger around.

Straining your ears, you could barely make out the floorboards creaking silently beneath his steps.

After a few moments when you were absolutely sure that he had left the room, you flipped over on your stomach and tugged the covers over your head, pouting underneath. “Not going anywhere my ass... Liar!”

Where was he going? Why was he leaving? Was he ever coming back? He wouldn't abandon you right? Maybe it was something you did... Did you annoy him too much? Was it something you said?  

Why was it so hard to keep people from leaving? Ever since you'd met, you had fought tooth and nail to keep him by your side... but how much longer would you need to hold out?

No! He promised that he would come back. That he would never leave!

You wanted to scramble after him so badly, but as another wave of exhaustion washed over your senses, you felt your worries start to dissipate into the darkness. 

“I'm sorry...” you buried your face dejectedly in between the pillows, muffling soft sniffles. “I'll do better. I won't be clingy—I'll pick my own fruit... and uh, I'll do whatever you tell me to and... and...” 

And what? What in the world could you do to make someone stay?

Holding in a tiny breath, you prayed to every archon out there that he would keep his promise and return soon.

“Just... come back quickly,” you grumbled in between the sheets, gradually giving in to the tingling numbness of sleep.

[captain-writes]

If you’re taking prompts, can you do something with Jimmy overworking himself to the point of exhaustion and the other empires step in? I love sickfics with hurt/comfort.

Did I write this in less than an hour? Yes. It was wonderful. I've also posted the oneshot here on my Ao3 account!! Thanks so much for the prompt!

Jimmy wasn't sure quite what had happened, but he knew that he hadn't been in his bed with his cats sleeping on him the last time he opened his eyes.

Even more, he knew that no one lived with him, so the sounds of people downstairs and the smells of food coming from his kitchen were unusual and somewhat startling. He didn't quite have the energy to panic about it, however. So he pulled himself out of bed and began padding down the stairs, Norman cradled in his arms as Flick scampered along behind him.

Coming down to the base of the staircase, Jimmy blinked as he took in the sight of Sausage and Scott cooking in his kitchen as Lizzie and Joel played with Hermes in his living room. Shelby, Katherine, and Joey were sat on his couch near them as they seemed to be repairing his armor, which caused him to realize that the familiar weight of the protective gear wasn't pushing him down. Pixlriffs and Fwhip were going through some sort of paperwork over at his kitchen table. False was tinkering with his elytra and chatting with both of them. Gem and Oli had joined Sausage and Scott in the kitchen, but instead of cooking, they were pulling things out of storage and putting them back, presumably to sort the items.

"What are you all doing here?"

"Jimmy!" The rulers seemed to clamor over themselves to acknowledge the sheriff, causing the man to pull back from the attention. As he stepped back, his ankle caught the lowest stair, causing him to slip backward and land on his butt, now propped up by the fact that he was sitting on the third stair up from the floor.

"Everyone give him some space," Fwhip instructed, the man's voice carrying an edge that they didn't often see from the admin. "Jimmy, I found you collapsed out by the train. We were worried."

"Collapsed?" After a moment of thought, the story didn't surprise Jimmy as much as it should have. He had been over near the train earlier to deal with a few tasks that had cropped up, but he couldn't remember ever leaving the area.

"Have you been feeling okay, Sheriff?" Gem asked gently, approaching slowly and putting the back of her hand on Jimmy's forehead. The cool feel of her hand was soothing and Jimmy's eyes slipped shut only for him to hear: "Oh, Jimmy, you're burning up."

"I'll be fine. I've got stuff to do, gotta finish Tumble Town."

Gem frowned, unseen by the man in front of her, "You shouldn't be pushing yourself, Jimmy. You need to rest. If you've got a fever, you're not going to get better unless you allow yourself time to heal."

"Don't have time though. Already behind, not going to finish at this rate."

"What do you need to finish? If we can help, then maybe you could rest?" Katherine offered.

Jimmy frowned, a moment of uncertainty as he tried to figure out what to say, "Need to... need, uh, I have a list. It's in my vest pocket?"

Shelby recovered the article of clothing from the pile of garments that she sat next to, pulling a set of papers out of the pocket. It was then that everyone realized that it was not one page, but several, filled completely with to-do lists and duties that the sheriff had taken on.

Flipping through the pages, the witch finally looked up at Jimmy with concern etched into her features, "When do you find time to sleep, Jimmy?"

"But I just did?"

"You passed out!"

"But, I was sleeping? I had things to do, empire to run. You know how it is," Jimmy's nonchalance only seemed to concern his fellow rulers more, which confused him greatly.

"Jimmy, look at me?" Pix requested, drawing the younger man's attention his way. "Your health is always more important than your empire. Or anything else. You were collapsed on the ground in the middle of the day in the mesa. That can be dangerous."

"I have to finish my work though?"

"Jimmy, most of us don't even do all the things on this list. And you have things listed to do in other empires to help us."

"I'm the Sheriff. I have to make sure that everyone else's empires are safe and their citizens are doing well. Chromia's had a pillager problem recently and there's a spider nest that I haven't cleared out yet near the Eversea."

“You apparently also check in on some of our villagers at least once a week. And you have a task listed here that just says ‘double food supply’. Has Tumble Town been having trouble getting food?”

“Doesn’t really rain a lot here, crops don’t grow super well. We’ve got enough, but there’s some new families that have moved in and Lyra and Sara both had children last season. We’ve got more mouths to feed, but it’s been a bad harvest so far. Not really looking good going forward.”

“Oh Jimmy, you know I’ve got extra food. Dawn had a good harvest this year, we could easily help you!”

“Right. Yeah,” Jimmy agreed, though the vibrancy seemed to drop out of his voice.

Scott blinked, set down the utensils in his hand, and left the kitchen. He grabbed Jimmy’s chin with just enough force to direct the man’s movements, but not enough to hurt, moving the man’s gaze upward.

“You are not failing your empire. You are not failing us. You are doing everything you can and that’s enough. You don’t have to do extra things to make up for whatever you think you’re not doing. Jimmy, you are doing so well. But we’re worried because you’re doing so much extra that it’s hurting you.”

Jimmy searched Scott’s eyes for some hint as to the level of honesty that the collector was showing. Finding no sign of a lie, Jimmy began to blink back the tears of exhaustion that were finally making their appearance, the sheriff unable to hold them back any longer.

“Scott, I’m so tired.” The sheriff's words were weak, but the admittance and honesty rang loudly through the already quiet house.

Scott smiled gently, “Go rest, we’ve got you.”

[lovelywriting666]

Matpat x Reader : Late Nights

Disclaimer : Steph and Oli do not exist in this fic! This is pure fiction! <3

Gener : Fluff

Word Count : 557

Tw : Changing clothes infront of someone

An: Hey guys!! So this time I’m writing an actual fic!! I decided I wanted to make at least one fic before classes start for me. (Surprise surprise, I didn’t finish it before classes started but hey I tried!) Well I hope you like it <3

o(*￣▽￣*)o

It was late and you knew it but Mat wanted this video out soon to keep on his schedule and you wanted to help wherever and however you could so you were doing research. It wasn't too hard but your hands were cramping up from typing so much for so long. You sigh softly, leaning back on the couch you were sitting on, your laptop resting on your lap. You crack your neck and glance over at Mat who most definitely has eye bags at this point. “Hey Mat~” You cooed trying to sound more awake then you were, your voice cracking a bit when you spoke. “Hm? What’s up sweets?” Mat asks his eyes darting from his screen to your eyes.

 “I’m tired, I know it’s not too late but it would be nice to take Skip out for a walk tomorrow morning” You say with a yawn and a slight pout, your eyes tearing up a bit from the yawn. Mat smiles and lets out a soft small chuckle from his lips “Alright Y/n, save your work and  close your laptop, I’ll go set up the bed” Mat says closing his laptop, you know he already made sure all his stuff was saved. You smile “See you in a sec” You say with a smile making sure everything is saved and closing your laptop you get up and plug it in, and turn off/dim most of the lights and head upstairs to Mat.

When you get into your guys’ room it looks nice and comfy and Mat is already in his pajamas (Some pj pants and no shirt ;) because you know he has a light six pack) laying down in bed leaning on the pillows facing the door. You giggle a bit at Mat and look through your wardrobe (Your back facing Mat) finding some soft night pajamas you feel arms wrap around your waist. You giggle “Hey there Sloth” You say jokingly with a smile, “How could you have guessed?!” Mat says letting out a small chuckle, hugging you tightly from the behind. “You can have all the cuddles you want once I get changed” You say being able to hear the sweet smile in your voice. He hums going back into the bed.

You take your shirt, pants, and bra off tossing them in the hamped and slipping on one of Matt’s big comfy shirts and walk to the bed Matt grabbing your waist and pulling you onto the bed on top of him. You squeak and blush “Matt~” you coo with a small giggle and a smile, Matt smiles back, “You’re just too soft and sweet” He whispers in your ear, you blush more and start cuddling with him. You yawn and nuzzle into his neck. “Goodnight sweets” he whispers, kissing your head. “G’night matt” You mumble drifting into sleep.

[phantom-swing]

This is in no way a ‘little rundown’ but here we go:

Everyone is in charge of their own empire and their season 1 characters aren’t the same as their season 2 characters. Season 2 Empires takes place a thousand or so years after Season 1 (which ended in ‘the rapture’ which is basically the apocalypse)

fWhip is a goblin king who was deputy to Jimmy until he gifted him a warden as thanks for going to his irl wedding and is refusing to give the badge back.

Lizzie is a cat pretending to be a human, mayor of a Critter City which has secret exploitative farms under the buildings

Scott was an adventurer who lost his eye to a magic skull and got a magic seeing yellow eye from a trickster wizard, is now best friends with llamas.

Joel fell into the magical lore fountain and became the god of lore, says he’s 11 feet tall and when his cheeks clap thunder happens.

Sausage is on the run from the evil king of his old kingdom. He can talk to animals and after his mum died he was raised by a blacksmith named Eddie. He is currently going through some inter dimensional vision stuff.

Hermes is the child of both Joel and Sausage. In game, they’re an armour stand the two of them trade around to give gifts to each other.

Jimmy is the sheriff, aka The Law. Is teased for being Woody from Toy Story and is fighting allegations that he is actually a tiny toy man.

Gem is a princess who follows willow wisps around for lore. Has butterfly wings, worships the sun and is non-violent.

Katherine is a princess, whose birth caused half of her kingdom to lose it’s light so her citizens don’t like her every much. She’s a tailor by day and secret monster slayer by night (magical girl transformation included) She wants to find a way to cure her kingdom

Shelby is a witch and was a bad student so she kinda sucks at magic. She accidentally teleported stuff in between realities so now the witch council wants her to stop doing magic and she’s hiding from them. Has a grandma and has a huge crush on Katherine and her big muscles

Joey was a pirate captain until his ship got attacked by Skeletron. He washed up on shore and is now saving his crew mates and rebuilding his ship to defeat Skeletron. Canonically Piratesexual, thinks Katherine is a pirate princess and was convinced the two of them were going to get married

Pix is a historian/ archaeologist. Out of lore, he’s basically the DM and is constructing the backstory of the land, building dungeons or the others to play.

False woke up on empires with no memories and a ton of paranoia. She stole clothes off a corpse and is getting strange dreams that inspire her to build various ways to get back to her home. There’s a pumpkin guy named Jack that keeps coming closer to her house and a sign that has a different ominous writing on it every episode.

Oli ascended from Afterlife SMP, met God, fell down into Empires before anyone else, spedrun killing the dragon, got trapped in the credits for who knows how long and returned to see civilization everywhere. Stole Gem’s horn, got trapped in goblin prison for months and is now in massive dept to fWhip. Silly little bard guy who is roasting the dragon egg to eat

Saint Pearl is a god, living in her S8 base in the clouds, watching tv. There’s a statue of her at the Ancient Capital, a church to her in Sanctuary and Joel has vague memories of her. She does not play in Season 2 but cameod in Oli’s and Sausage’s episodes briefly. She looks like Season 1 Pearl, who died in the rapture.

So can anyone who watches Empires give a little rundown of the lore for us Hermitcraft people? I though I knew enough but I do need t.

[faith--in-the-future]

i’m waiting for the review 🫡🤭

HERE I AM!!

AOTV SPOILERS BELOW!

omg I loved it!! Like overall it was so beautifully done and u can really see it was done with care and thoughtfulness! it follows the timeline chronologically pretty well although it kind of goes 2010 to 2016 and then skips to 2019 to 23 so that gap kind of stays unknown but it is said that those were very difficult years for louis.

it starts with the 1d stuff and it goes pretty deep in how louis lived the beginning and the end of it! like we hear the story of how he didn't sing at all in wmyb and how he had worked with the producer for the 2nd single and they worked hard to get his verse right and then in the final cut he found out that they had given it to harry (😑) and how at that moment he felt like no matter what he did it wasn't gonna be good enough :( but that's also how he started writing bc all he ever wanted was to feel like he had a place in the band :( and then it cuts to 2015 and their last performance and there's a very telling video of him after the performance and he was so fucking sad (also I wonder what that footage was for ? bc it looked like they were making something then too) and in the voice-over he says that he was feeling angry and lost bc he felt like he finally had his place and he didn't want it to end (!!!) and then OLI MY BEST FRIEND!! says how only certain band members wanted it to end but louis didn't (we been knew but I'm glad oli is well aware and not scared to say it) and then we even hear lottie and his grandparents talk about the huge loss that losing 1d was for him.

I actually found it interesting that they had that first segment about 1d then right after his mom and then felicitè and they talked about all of those as the most important losses of louis' life so u really can see how big of a loss the breakup was for him :/ it was truly a part of him

then there's the part about his mum with his grandparents talking and I legitimately cried when his grandpa was talking bc it was all so sad and touching but also u can really feel how much they LOVE and admire louis and in general in all the family clips and interviews u really see how he is the core of his whole family and how much he loves them all. it's so beautiful

I loved the bits with his sisters too! the twins talked about how much he looks after them and how sometimes he's a bit too much but it's only bc he cares so much :(( and lottie said "he was made to be a big brother for many sisters " and I was like SO TRUE !!!! he literally is ! and helene called him GENTLE AND KIND !! which is also SO TRUE 😭😭 I love him sm

also I was surprised that they talked more about felicite bc he never said anything but God :( lottie talked about how louis and her tried to help her and how guilty she felt bc she couldn't and how louis must have felt it even more 😔😔

and in the middle of all of the parts there's oli interviews which are the best bc he truly gives such an insight on louis and like u can totally see why they're so close !! he understands louis a lot ! and he even says his job is to try to keep louis' life together lmao 😭😭

I loved the part about the beginning of the walls era bc u see how difficult that was for him and many aspects of it was stuff that we didn't know about! like there are clips from some of the earlier promo performance where Louis says that he hated it and hated performing and u can really see how much he beat himself up for his mistakes and that only starts changing with the ccme performance and then only at the Scala gig he's like I actually loved that!! I was really surprised about that like I had guessed from his stage presence and in general by everything that he wasn't really comfortable but he literally says taht at one point he couldn't wait to get out :(( and helene is like that's what u need to work on bc u actually love singing!! and u can see how it all changes with tour and how much she was right bc his voice keeps getting better as he gets happier mentally <3 the body truly does keep the score of our trauma!

I also loved the band bits and u can see how significant it is for the guys that louis sleeps in the same bus as them and involves them in day off activities and how tight and loving the atmosphere is on tour

also the fans interviews were lovely!! I especially liked a segment they did on how fans formed friendships and lived great experiences through the fandom and louis! u can really see how much louis loves that and it's beautiful bc it just reinforces one of louis' core messages which is how important people and love are <33

the entire Freddie segment was BEAUTIFUL it is the part that my non louie friend was most impressed by bc u can really tell how much louis loves him and vice versa, also how important Freddie is for him! and he's such A GOOD DAD!! so loving and affectionate, he is always telling him that he loves him and asking for kisses and it was so 😭 that kid will be such a wonderful person. and louis even showed him that he was crying after the la show bc he saw him in the crowd ! :(( truly beautiful (and great parenting especially for a boy!)

there wasn't a lot about his career difficulties (as I expected) but it's still hinted at that he had more than one issue with the labels and all that side of things :/ also found it interesting that helene mentioned that people in management etc in 1d didn't like him bc they thought he was arrogant and wanted to be the front man when all he was arguing for was just Equal and fair opportunities and even his grandparents talk about how it wasn't fair how he was treated in the band and that even if louis didn't talk about it they could see it hurt him... sigh

I'm sure I'll remember more as soon as I post it but for now I think that's enough skdk it's beautiful! it's telling and it's real ! go watch it and enjoy louis in all his wonderful aspects!

also there are the parts about liam at ccme and niall in Mexico and they talk about when louis went to see him etc and it was interesting how niall seemed awkward in front of the camera talking about it lol? meanwhile it was sad when louis watched liam the first night and then louis was in his room and he asked if he'd stay to watch him but liam had to fly to LA :/// kind of explains how all of them have treated louis for all these years tbh, maybe that's what triggered that apology from liam and tbh louis definitely deserves one from all of them .

[matan4il]

Wait, b/t fans are only getting worried now, and about Oliver's posting habits? Not when he posted those cringe emojis after the ily scene and nothing else? And even outside his posting habits, what about when Buck made *that* face every time he was with her and the camera focused in it? Or the way they had him play the ily scene? The writers/directors/Oliver himself have gone out of their way to show how unhappy Buck is and how incompatible they are every step of the way even back to season 2, but especially in season 5 it could not be more clear that she can't be anything Buck needs in a partner.

I mean, ship what you want I guess, but I can't think of a single episode with them that in any way indicates this is a good or healthy relationship for Buck, or where he looks genuinely happy around her and isn't immediately shot down. What even is there to ship between them when everything is screaming that this is a Bad And Unhealthy Thing for Buck? How did people even get invested enough to be upset it's ending when the writing has been on the wall long before she even kissed him? Honestly, nothing baffles me more than b/t shippers...

Hi Nonnie! Oh, I'm guessing you're sending this message following this ask?

I have to admit, I don't follow what B/T shippers are posting, I know some stuff from what I'm told, like by the Nonnie who sent that ask you're referring to... But I could understand why they wouldn't be worried about the emojis. After all, those could be discounted as Oliver's personal opinion, and while some stars get to have a say on how their character's trajectory is shaped, Oli isn't there yet. What I think should have worried them even before the emojis was frankly what we saw on our screens, because Buck every step of the way with B/T has been weighed down by hints and insinuations that that relationship is not going to work, and that Buck isn't happy in it. That he's not actually in love, he's just taking what he thinks he can get. Honestly, Oli didn't have to post any cringing emojis after the ILY scene, the scene conveyed that Buck himself was cringing inwardly...

What I love about Oli's latest interview, however, is that unlike the emojis which seemed to reflect his own personal dislike of B/T, his answer to an interview conducted in order to promote the show would have to be sanctioned by the show's team to some degree. And this answer is no longer "a wrench will be thrown in there," meaning some problems would arise in season 5b. His latest response confirmed for the first time the issues we were all pointing out during 5a. I love that for us!

And I agree with you, I think as a couple, B/T never worked. In s2, Taylor was clearly shown as the wrong choice for Buck. In s4, even when Buck tried to pursue her, there was a sense of unease to it, like he went for her because he thought he couldn't have what he really wants, which is why his responses to her in 412 and 414 are odd and somewhat muted. For example, when she rejects him at Bobby and Athena's house, he's unhappy, but not shaken. We've seen Buck when he sees someone he loves seemingly slipping away from him... it's never muted and you can tell it shakes him to his core. So yes, exactly, I agree with everything you said, including that s5 made it even more obvious than in the past that Taylor's just not someone who makes him happy...

Thank you for the ask and for allowing me to babble on about this a bit more, I have to admit I LOVE the confirmation we got in that interview with Oli, so I could probably go on even more. XD Hope you're having a great day, lovely! xoxox

And if you or anyone else are looking for other replies of mine, you can find them in my ask tag. xoxox

[iamdarkness]

Iris

IRIS

Chapter 2

The Basement Library.

The siege has the royal family busy, while secrets are uncovered and lives are changed.

It took them all night to asses the provisions and make an estimate as to how long they would last. Not once did Henriette mentioned the food inside the library. Bel was sure Alfonse was not lying about it. He was not an imaginative child that she knew and seemed very grown for his age. She made a point of taking trips to visit the kids and on one of them she tried to slip into the library to see if she could find the previously hidden stair but the library was locked altogether.

Bel went back to the pantries where Henriette was still giving orders. She looked tired and had dark circles under her eyes. Bel could go two days without sleep but more than that and her mind would compensate by making everything funny. Luckily it was only her first night without real sleep although she had had more than a week of insomnia.

Henriette did not once mentioned the library and much less the food. It was probably a good idea to let her know about Alfonse going inside if it was that big, just in case he ventured into a dangerous place, but they were so busy with everything else she kept forgetting to do it.

It was until around five in the morning when the night is darkest and the moon had gone down and hours before dawn that she remembered. She noticed Henriette had ordered to take all the medicine to the Great Hall where the huge Ballroom was located close to the entrance and Dining Hall next to the kitchens . She had, had the idea of making the Ballroom a huge infirmary just in case and the food stayed in the Kitchens. With the exception of the perishables and the food that needed to be in the colder place like the pantries.

Henriette had finally sat down on one of the kitchen chairs to write down some notes. Bel had been helping carry some of the sacks of flour and ingredients for the maids and their soldier helpers to start to make bread as soon as possible; when Aleen came with a very flustered Private Gudrun.

  - Lady Andreas? A word if you are not too busy?

  -I’m cool.- Said Bel hitting her black pants and armor to get rid of the flour and dust. The Armor had bee given to her by Alfonse praying she would never have to use it, but knowing it was necessary to have.

  -Are you lifting heavy stuff My Lady?- Asked Aleen knitting her brows at the other people carrying the provisions.

  -Oh! No. I was mostly overseeing the task and getting some of the lighter stuff. Aleen calm down I can’t carry the sacks of flour, but everything is covered in flour down there. -Aleen sobered up at that. Her Lady always forgot she was the mistress and tried to help people out.- SO what’s going on?- Bel said walking out of the kitchens and on towards one of the empty halls to have more privacy. Before talking Aleen eyed the soldier, doubt written on her face.

  - I owe My Lady for my transgression. My loyalty lies with her. Besides I think she should know somethings I witness and heard when I was stationed near the the villages that were attacked. But I also would like to tell her the news fist If I may.

  -Go ahead.- Said Aleen still not trusting hum.

  - I heard the dead are also attacking Embla.

  -Yes that makes sense. Alfonse said they might. If Hel wants revenge; she will get the Emblians too. Queen Thrasir helped King Lif to seal her door.

  -The last news they had was that one of the children heirs to the crown was kidnapped.

  -Kidnapped? Not killed?

  -No My Lady. The Baron cousin to the Empress has a Summer home close to the border and his home was attacked yesterday. There were only a few survivors. They saw the dead take the child. She was nine years of age. They could only save the oldest daughter.

  -That is horrible!

  - That is so messed up! …But why would they kidnap her? To what end? On my Oly ! I can only imagine what her mother is going through!

  -She was killed too My Lady. Only the Baron and his oldest daughter remain and only because he was in the capital I heard.

  -Henriette has not told me anything about it…

  -I thought so.-Said Gudrun. Aleen seemed impressed and gave him an approving nod.

  -My Lady I talked to the staff, but not one wanted to say anything until one of our maids asked them. It seems some of the the staff and many of the people that live in the surrounding villages blame Prince Gustav and Lady Henriette for what is going on. They are not angry per say but apparently they think that their meddling and pocking around where they should not, was the cause of the attacks.

  -How so?

  - Well one of them said something like “ It is just like eight years ago”. And then they all started to give their opinion. The short version of the conversation is that seven years ago Lady Henriette found a study that no one knew was there by mistake. They say the study belonged to the First King himself and his…Summoner? They do not know what that means but they have always heard of a legendary hero that worked with the first king. They heard her talking about it to Prince Gustav. -Aleen made a face of inquiry but Bel had no idea neither.

-Well they also found a book in there supposedly as old as the castle and they used it to do some strange ritual. Apparent Prince Gustav was not very keen on it but they both went into the graveyard and…My Lady… The servants say the grave caretaker saw them enter into the oldest mausoleum. They had the key that supposedly had been lost generations ago! He saw them come out with an artifact that had a strange shape and he had never seen before. White and gold, he described it supposedly.

-Strange shape? Did he not describe it?

-Not that they remember. Well some days later and after some heated arguments Lady Henriette took the artifact one day and took off with only her handmaidens and retainers to some ruins close to here. They say they did not know what she did , but that her ritual must not have worked because she came home very upset.

  -Eight years ago? And in all those years they could not find out what the ruins are for? Did she not talk about this again?

  -The people say the ruins are sacred, and they belong to the hero of legends, but they don’t know what they are used for. They say that at the center lies an statue with the form of a tree with an opening in the middle. They said it is supposed to signify The Tree of Life or something. Another said it was the Tree of the Realms. They say Prince Gustav forbade Lady Henriette to talk about it.

  -That is weird. This reminds me of…nothing I had a dream once about a tree of…keep going.

  -They say that around the same time, they found a hidden door North of here by the villages that were attacked. - Bel nodded to that. It was the same thing Alfonse had told her.-Well apparently even thought Prince Gustav did not like that Lady Henriette had done the ritual without him, none of them stopped their research until some days ago, when they found some hidden stairs that led to a basement library. They do not know more about it because they would not let anyone enter and they closed it yesterday and sealed it off.

  -Hmm…I can see now why the people think they are the cause, but Alfonse told me they were keeping the door safe.

  -And I can confirm it My Lady.- Said Gudrun.

  -What do you know?- Asked Aleen.

  -Well eight years ago I was posted at the village that was …attacked. It was my first assignment. The people would not say much about it at first and the officers only instructions were to watch out for anything strange, including people. Strangers who came for no apparent reason and to watch for any changes at the spot the door was located. It was an easy enough job, my father had secured for me. It is true what Sergeant Guerrer said. My father kept me safe in a place far away from real danger and away from the vises I was so found of in the city. I found out he bought my rank too… but that is another story. After some time I made some good friends in the village and they told me what they knew. - Gudrun’s eyes grew distant and he had a sad expression on his face. Aleen and Bel understood then why the attack had such an impact on him. He had lost people he knew.

-The prince did come looking for the door. The elders knew about it but kept it secret. They passed it down from parents to children and made sure to not talk about it. After the Prince came looking for it and found it and people started talking. It was still not widely known, but I guess they found out somehow.- He made a pause and looked Bel right in her eyes.- You see. The people at the village who were the rightful guardians of the seal knew Hel had followers who wanted to weaken the seal on the door, but the followers did not know where said door was.

-Followers? Seriously?- Said Bel incredulously.

-Yes. The elders warned the officers but they did not believe them and wrote them off as old wife’s tales. It took one attack to let them know it was true. By this time my father had already bought my rank and had me moved closer to home, but I still kept contact with the garrison there and the people. I…I had a sweetheart that wrote to me often.

 -I am sorry. My sincere condolences.-Said Bel understanding his lose.

 -It is fine…I knew we could never be together. Father would never have… but at least she was alive. She was the one who wrote to me about the attack. The guards found a group of people performing a ritual very close to the door. They tried to disperse it but got attacked instead. There were more armed men surrounding the area. If it had not been for the villagers who ran home to warn the rest of the soldiers there would have been more casualties. As it happened they managed to kill one guard, but the damage was already done I suppose. I think they were the ones who weakened the seal. The bastards killed a baby in the ritual.

 -Damn!

 -Son of a bitch!- Exclaimed Aleen.

 -That was two years ago. Since them they had more soldiers in the area. I thought at the time that whatever they had done had not worked, since nothing seemed to happen, but…I see their goal was to weaken the seal enough for Hel to break it herself.

-Fuck...- Said Bel under her breath.

-My Lady?- Asked Gudrun not sure if he had heard her right.

-I said I need some tea for the nerves…-She said seriously. Gudrun looked confused for a second.- So that is how it is…*

-What do you think is hidden in the library?

-Probably knowledge that needed to be protected from the wrong people. In this case probably that Hel sect.

-Who would worship Death? Asked Gudrun who at this point was the one who had suffered the most because of them.

-Well…People that want her protection and blessings I suppose. Many of my people where I come from worship Death as an entity. They call her Santa Muerte or Nina Blanca…- Bel notice their questioning expressions.- Something like Holy Death and Girl in White or something…She is a reflection of an indigenous deity. She is definitely nothing like this witch though…Never mind. The point is there are all kinds of people out there. We have to go back before she notices we are over here talking. Thank you both. Aleen make sure Erland rests. He works too hard and forgets to take breaks. He thinks I don’t remember that.

-Yes my Lady.- Says Aleen smiling.

This information made Bel think twice about telling Henriette what Alfonse had told her. She needed to think about this. She returned to Henriette looking for her. Aleen and Gudrun left to their posts.

-Bel. I was looking for you. Can you oversee the food while I go…- Henriette started but a loud shout cut her sentence off. Some booming noises could be heard in the distance. You could probably mistake them as thunder but they were rhythmic.

-Your Highness!! They are attacking!- A soldier had been sent as a messenger and he had come as fast as he could. Henriette met him at the entrance of the kitchen.

-What are those loud noises?- Asked Henriette.

-There are mages with them blasting the doors and parts of the walls.- Came the baritone voice of Erland from the door. -They are trying to find a weakness on the outer walls, doors and the magic guards we have placed. - What he meant was a spell cast on the walls and doors to guard them off of magic attacks. They did not do much against other physical attacks, but they could at least shield them from arrows too.

-Will they last?- Asked Bel.

-I wish I could tell you they will, but since the residence was going to be vacated, we have just a few mages of our own My Lady.There is only so much they can do in rotation…- Said the soldier.

-It is going to be difficult even then…-Said Erland.

-I can use magic. I can help the mages. Bel have you had no training?

-Mostly sword and just a little of magic. Healing spells , just to help out with injuries…but I can learn, just like I learned the healing.

-Perfect. I will lend you a tome for you to start. Come with me. Keeping up a guard is a lot like healing after all. You are healing the guard you see.- Said Henriette walking fast towards her rooms. The woman was very tall and her longer legs and walking speed almost left Bel behind. Bel was sure it was not done on purpose. Henriette was too preoccupied to notice Bel almost running behind her. Aleen had been the only one to stay by them, but she was tall and had no trouble keeping up.

Henriette led them to her chamber and took one of many books she had inside a safe. She took one of them and gave it to Bel.

-This was meant for Sharena. It belongs to my family and it is safe to use. I believe Sharena is not much found of magic I am afraid. It will serve you well for the time being.

-Thank you. I will take care of it and return it.

Henriette took a look at Bel. The book seemed to shine in her hands and it gave her an idea. She knew…she was sure of this. Bel was the owner of the weapon. It had not been a coincidence that she had performed the ritual with the sacred weapon and Bel had come from another world. The tricky part was giving it to her and not telling her the whole truth.

 She had promised Gustav seven years ago not to say anything, because they were not at war and the Summoner should only be called in dire need. She knew she had made a mistake just because she was curious. She promised Alfonse last time they talked and she had explained to him what they had done. He had asked for her not to tell Bel. She had given her word because she knew it was too late to summon heroes to help with their plight. Besides, she would not know how to explain it and she did not want her dear friend to think it had been her fault they were in this situation. Not only that. She knew “The soul of the Summoner came only at the time of the King” or so it was written. If Bel was the Summoner, then what did this all meant? What had she done? Had she messed with a balance set thousands of years ago? Had she messed the destinies of two souls meant to be together by her mere curiosity? Both Gustav and her knew Gustav was not “ The King” and she did not want to think of their only other option.

- Bel I have…It may be too late to use it properly, but it may serve you where it can not serve others.- Henriette said and started walking to a side door that led to Gustav’s chamber. She opened it and went inside. She came back with something in her hands. It looked like the Wii zapper Bel used to play Resident Evil, with back home. This however was made of metal. Henriette gave it to Bel, who took it with a puzzled expression.

-A gun? I thought there were no guns in Askr. I have never seen one before.

-Gun? Have you seen this before?

- Well, not like it exactly. We have something back home that kind of look like this. They shoot lead projectiles using gun powder.

-That sounds interesting. This is different I am afraid. It does shoot something but it is magic. It acts like a tome in a way. It will not work to strengthen the barriers but you can use it to defend yourself and fight.

-Henriette you are a better mage, why don’t you use it?

-This ‘gun’ is called Breidablik and it chooses its master.- Says Henriette and hands it over to Bel. The second Bel touches it, the gun comes to life. There is a bright light coming from it that blinds the three of them.

- So you were the one. I was sure of it.

-Wow a magic gun! Awesome!

-Remember it is powered by your magic, so you have to be careful when you use it. To be honest…I do not know much about it. I am not the owner so it slept all the time I was doing research, but I suppose it does work the same as a tome.

-I see. Why does it like me and not you?

-It is a very long story and I do not think we have time for that.

-Oh you are right…Damn! I feel like Harry Potter! - Henriette watches her amused.- It’s a novel…Sorry…we should go.

Henriette and Bel went outside to check on the situation and after that Henriette told Bel how to do the guarding spell using the tome. She only took a little time explaining and went to rest for when she was needed to tend to the barrier. Bel stayed a while practicing the spell and watching the other mages working. She later went to choose for the place the guards trained at to try her gun out.

 She thought it would take some working and effort the way the tome worked, but as soon as she squeezed the trigger she found, the gun shout out a beam of light that burst into a bright light and almost destroyed the training dummy.

-Whoa! Awesome. I just need to work a little on my aim.

The sun was coming out when she went to check on the kids and laid down next to Oly, partly on the blanket and partly on the floor.

  About three hours later she was awaken by Gertrude. Henriette was up and was about to go help the mages. Bel found herself on the bed. The kids were up and having a quiet breakfast. Apparently Feraht had moved her from the floor when the kids awoke. She went to kiss the kids good morning and was told she had time to eat. She sat down by Alfonse, since Oly was sitting in the middle of the two other kids. They were eating some scrambled eggs with buttered bread, milk and tea.

-How is everything outside? Are we in danger?- Asked Sharena and her eyes looked worried. Oly looked at Bel and then she looked down and took Sharena’s hand.

-I am sure everything is fine Sharena. Mother is in charge and father is coming soon. You will see.

-Alfonse is right. In a minute I will go and help her out and soon enough your father and Alfonse will come and run those ruffian away.

-What is that you are holding?- Asked Alfonse eyeing the sacred weapon.

-It is a magic gun that took a liking to me for some reason. It shoots some magic blasts. It will come in hand I am sure.- He makes this face like he is trying to remember something.

- I think I have seen it before. Did Mother gave it to you?

-She lent it to me along with this tome. She is going to teach me magic while you guys play. Alfonse I heard you can play my favorite song. Can you teach it to Oly while I’m gone?

-Yes. Uncle Alfonse taught me how to play it. I will teach it to her of course.

-Sharena how are you piano lessons?

-I am doing fine, but I like the lute more.- She giggles. Bel knows playing the lute was a big no no  for Gustav who view it like degenerate’s instrument. After all, all the the nobles and rich people who played it ended as bards walking the kingdom, living the life of hobos by choice. Bel thought it was funny Sharena had broken all their expectation of what a girl should be. First by not liking magic and then by not playing the violin and not liking dresses. The last one was Bel’s fault in Gustav’s eyes too. Bel had said she did not like dresses and felt much more comfortable in pants. Sharena had discovered right after, that indeed she liked pants better too.

If her phone still had charge she was sure Sharena would have loved the sound of electronic bass and guitars.

- You are still playing it?

-Mother let me hide it under my bed if I promised not to play it around people.- Bel started laughing.

-Mami can I learn to play the lute?- Asked Oly.

-Hell yeah…I mean. Sure. As long as you don’t get them in trouble and keep quiet about it.- Said Bel. She had to watch out what she said around the kids, and she usually did, but she was too stressed out and drowsy to keep up with stuff that was not essential. Oly gave an exited “Yay” and kept on eating.

If everything went according to plan, the kids would be distracted with the music and she would have time to practice and help out as well. Bel hated to leave Oly for long periods of time with just the Nanny.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The siege went on for 10 days. They managed to keep the shields up by taking turns enforcing them, but they were all weary by the tenth night. Beside enforcing the shields on the walls, Bel also helped out by blasting the dead who tried to climb the walls or tried to place ladders to climb the walls. There was enough medicine and thanks to the shields there were not many people who needed the infirmary.The food was holding without having to ration it yet, but everyone was tired. Even with the resting periods it was not easy to rest. The constant noises at the walls and the high tensions were enough to keep you up during naps. It was easier for the people inside the mansion. The noise diminished by the size of the house, kept the kids in good spirits, since Bel was sure to keep them busy.

Bel had the help form Alfonse who had more knowledge about the situation and could not be fooled into thinking it was all fine. He knew what Bel was doing and he helped her with the others. In one of those occasion he had asked her if she had told his mother about the food in the library. Bel of course told him the truth. His mother had not mentioned anything about the library and she wanted to keep it a secret that he knew about it, until needed. She asked him however to remember be careful and not enter it again and not take Oly or Sharena inside unless, he was sure there were no dangers inside and was sure to not get lost. Alfonse gave her his word.

Bel was mothering everyone. She made sure Feraht ate and rested as much as Aleen, Erland and even Privet Gudrun who had proven to be of great service. Henriette was more difficult to manage. She kept working even when Bel told her it will not do if she wore herself out. She needed to rest in order to stay sharp, but she did not listen and Bel could see her slipping. Bel thought it had made more impact on Henriette since she had been in a more stressful situation for a longer time while Bel was mostly just worried about Oly and Alfonse, not the fate of the whole Kingdom. She did worry about the people of course but it was not a weight on her shoulder as it was for Henriette.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was the tenth night and the children were just finishing up the music lessons and were playing and talking. They were sitting in front of a chimney on a blue and gold carpet, around the lute as if it was campfire.

-Brother can you read us a legend from the past?

-Yes! I love them too! My Mami always tells legends from her home and some of them are very scary!

-They are scary legends?- Asked Sharena curious.

-Yes! She told me once that she went to a haunted graveyard in the city she was born in. There were so many stories about the people buried there! There was one of four friends who dared each other to go to the graveyard at night to see who was the bravest.

- She has told me some very scary ones too, but my favorites are how she explains science. I remember she told me once one about how there are very different tales about how the moon was made and then she told me how it was actually made using scientific theories.

- Of course you would like that brother!- Giggles Sharena.- Alfonse does not like scary stories!

-Do you get scared Alfonse?- Asked Oly smiling.

-No. Of course not. I…I just don’t like ghosts.- He says seriously.- I like her stories about heroes better.

-Oh! Has she told you about Samson? He was a very strong man!

-No. I don’t recall her telling me about him.

-Can you tell us the legend Oly?

-Sure! A long time ago on Earth there used to be a group of people that needed a champion, because they were being bullied by other people.

-Why were they being bullied? That is not nice! They should be friends.- Said Sharena.

-Sharena. You are right that people should be friends but you should not interrupt a person when they are telling you a tale. It is rude.- Said Alfonse seriously.

-It’s fine to ask. Don’t worry. Mom said it was because they did not agree on who to worship as God and that people get silly because of that on Earth.

-Oh. That is silly.

-Well one day this man was born and when he grew up, he was very strong and was able to defend the people being bullied and the other people did not like that. One d…- Oly stopped talking when a very loud noise was heard outside. Oly and Alfonse rose to their feet to see what was going on outside through the windows, but Feraht stopped them and told them to stay back. There was another loud noise and this time the walls seemed to tremble, enough that the decorative shield over the chimney fell down with a clatter.

It almost fell on Sharena’s leg and managed to break part of the lute since it was very heavy. Oly who was closer to her tried to help her up, but Sharena got tangled up on her legs and flopped down again. Alfonse who was watching the wall to the outside intently saw the cracks on the that same wall, forming with the force of what he now knew were magic blasts. He turned around to make the other run out of the room, but his yell was drowned by the loud booming sound.

 He saw one of the maids reach out to Sharena to help her stand, but a big piece of the wall hit her on the head. He only had time to almost jump on Oly and shield her and Sharena. He felt a very sharp pain on his left shoulder and heard Oly cry out in pain. He thought she had been reached by the wall stones just like the maid and tried to raise his head to check on her, but found he could not see anything. There was too much dust on the air. He tried calling out to them but there was so much noise they could not hear him. Oly had started crying loudly and she was joined by Sharena, and this told him they were alive at least.

He felt something move under him and saw finally that it was Oly who was on top of Sharena. He tried standing up but there was something heavy preventing him from standing up, but not weighting him down. Still there was not much room for them to move and escape by themselves.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 Bel was reporting to Henriette who was just getting up from her brake that a very loud noise made the windows tremble. They were in Henriette’s chamber which was on the fourth floor. There were sounds of blasting, screaming and shouting outside. The door to her chamber were flung open and a scared looking soldier entered followed by Aleen

-Your Highness! Pardon my intrusion! They have breached the Walls and blasted the doors.- Said the soldier breathless. Bel looked out the window and saw a flow of the dead already making way to the front entrance of the building. The Soldiers in their way were soon overrun and swallowed by the horde. She could see them fighting but there were too many of the dead to hold back.

-Henriette! The library! Order the people to run to the library. Take the medicine and leave the food! I will go get the kids!-Said Bel hurriedly. The Kids were in the first floor.

-The library!? How did you know? We will need food too..

-There is food in the library!I heard that from a very reliable source, the trick will be to seal it behind us!

-Leave that to me. Do what she ordered. Bring the people to the library hurry!! Close the shutters!!- Said Henriette to the soldier. He ran out along with Aleen and Bel; Henriette close behind her.

When they reached the first floor Henriette took off in the direction of the ballroom. The soldier had almost flown down the stairs and was already shouting the orders. The window shutters were being closed to gain time and people were running around everywhere.

-Mam! -A shout came over Bel’s shoulder. Bel looked sideways and saw Gudrun coming fast towards them.- Mam!! There is something coming! Among the dead there someone! The dead part their ranks in their wake! We have to hurry!

-Oh Shoot! It is probably Hel!- Said Bel turning a corner that led to the music hall where the children were studying. They heard the sound of stuff braking and shouting. Among them the children’s.

Aleen flew to the door and kicked it open. Bel entered with the gun up ready to blast. What she saw almost stopped her heart. Feraht was blasting the dead pouring from a hole on the wall. The children were being practically dug up from debris from the fallen wall and broken furniture by one of the maids. Alfonse lay on top of both Sharena and Oly shielding them from the worst of the damage. Another maid lay dead on the floor and Nanny Bertha had her tome out and was helping fight the dead.

The children were standing up when one particularly big undead warrior flung Feraht to the side so fast he hit the back wall and hit his head. Aleen started fighting them off with her spear and Bel blasted the one trying to kill Feraht where he laid unconscious. She heard a shout and saw Sharena run up to her, behind her Alfonse was once again covering up Oly from a dead swordsman about to strike with a decorative shield that was laying on the floor. Bel blasted the risen off of both of them and taking Sharena’s hand ran toward them. Oly had a twisted ankle. It was getting a swollen and purple and Alfonse had blood running from one of his shoulders where a sharp rock had hit him hard enough.

Gudrun who was fighting the dead as well took a moment to see if Feraht was getting up.

-We need to leave!

-Take the children. I will hold them off enough to seal the door and have more time to escape.- Said Nanny Bertha.

The maid came and took Sharena. Bell took Oly and Aleen turned to get Alfonse. They all were too banged up to run fast. Bel turned to see Feraht not getting up fast enough. Gudrun Saw it too and leaned to pick him up. He hoisted him over his shoulder and took his tome as well and ran out to meet them.

They could hear Nanny Bertha blasting her spells. The last thing Bel saw was Nanny Bertha backing slowly down and closing the doors, with her behind it. The realization hit her that she was sealing herself inside to keep the dead away from them. Bel almost stopped but Aleen graved her arm and kept her moving.

-Don’t ruin her sacrifice my Lady. It was the best way to save you all.

Bel said nothing. She kept quiet because she felt that if she said something she would break down crying. There were tears already running down her face. That woman had been a grandmother to her and her child. Oly could not know. She looked down to see her hiding her face in her breasts and crying quietly.

She got a glimpse of Alfonse looking back at the door with eyes flooding with tears. He held on to Aleen and hid his face from her sight.

They managed to get to the library where Henriette was instructing the people pouring in to enter go down the stairs to the basement. The reminding mages were placing shields on the door to be sealed.

-Take the kids downstairs with the servants! We will wait for the rest of the people.- Said Henriette not taking her eyes from the halls across from the library doors. They went down and found a large group of people. The kitchen staff, the grounds caretakers , the healers with some packs on their backs, the rest of the servants and soldiers holding the wounded and a group of kids of various ages. They were all gathered in a tight circle, too scared to venture further inside and too scared to stay too close to the entrance.

-Alfonse? Where would it be best for us to wait for your mother?

Alfonse looked up and seemed to think for a moment.

-There is a place in the next level. It is free of bookshelves and has some desks and tables.- He said getting down from Aleen’s arms.

-Lead the way My Lord.- Said Bel loudly for the others to hear and started walking behind the boy.

-You heard them! We move to the second level. Lord Alfonse is taking us to a safe place.- Aleen said aloud and took hold of an elderly woman who was bleeding from a wound to the head. The people started moving behind Alfonse and Bel. Alfonse walked with slow steady steps. He looked sure of where he was going. Bel took notes of the shelves around her for later reference but felt not necessary since it looked to be a strait walk toward the stair. It did not take them long to reach the stairs. Alfonse looked at Bel and Oly in her arms then at the maid and Sharena who started walking behind Alfonse. The maid whom she later learned her name was Deana; asked if she could help Bel with Oly, but Bel was not ready to part with her daughter and handed her the heavy magic tome.

-I could carry Oly if you want.- Said Alfonse.

-He can! My brother is very strong and he carries me when I twist my ankles when I fall!- Says Sharena smiling at Oly who smiled back with tear stained cheeks. Alfonse looked bashfully at Sharena with a blush.

- Thank you Alfonse. I am sure you are strong enough, but I want to keep her by my side. I am a little scared to be honest.- She said quietly She knew he was hurt and honestly she wondered how he was not complaining about the pain.- You would do me a great favor if you took my hand to steady me while we go down the stairs. It is kind of dark in here. -She said and extended her free hand.

Alfonse nodded and took Bel’s hand. They went down the stairs and stood by the wall nearest the stairs for better view of the upper level. Bel wanted to be alert and spy the people coming down ad asses what they would need. She sat Oly down on a chair that looked comfortable. It was a wonder how nothing looked like it had been sealed in there for who knows how long. There was no dust on the furniture or floor.

Bel took the tome Henriette lent her and tried a Healing spell on Oly’s foot. Alfonse who was standing by her side took Oly’s hand in his to hold it during the process while Sharena stood by her other side watching. When she was finished she asked Alfonse to let her see his back. He tried taking his upper clothes off but winced and stood still. Bel figured he was in a lot of pain and could not manage to do it himself.

-It is OK. Don’t take it off. I will just lift the shirt a little from behind to see.- She said. She moved to obscure the view from Sharena who was watching Alfonse with unshed tears.

She took a look at Alfonse’s shoulder and decided he need a better healer than herself. He looked like he had a broken bone or something; although he could move his arm. There was a long gash and the shoulder and part of the back was already bruising badly. Alfonse winced at the touch of her small and careful fingers.

The Healer came and casted some healing spells and placed some salves on his back and shoulder. She even managed to take his clothes off to bandage him and then helped him put the clothes back on. Bel watched this intently in case she needed to do it herself next time. She told Bel he would be fine and the salve would ease the pain. She also applied it to Oly’s ankle.

-Oly. You are a big girl. Can you stay with Alfonse and Sharena while I go help the healers? There are a lot of people hurting right now. I promise I will be near you, where you can see me.- Oly tried drying her tears with her free hand and nodded.- Good girl! Here sit on the floor and keep you leg from moving too much. OK? Why don’t you tell Sharena one of the tales I have told you? I bet she will like it.- Said Bel picking Oly up and then setting her down by the wall.

-Is Papi coming soon?

-I am sure he is. I can almost bet he is outside fighting to come save us, just like your grandfather and Gustav.

- I am not afraid anymore Mami. Alfonse is here with me and he is very brave!- She said smiling. Bel looked to Alfonse and saw him blush in the dim light of the crystal lanterns.

-He is isn’t he? I am very grateful he is here as well.- Bel kissed Oly on the cheek and whispered to her to thank him properly.

Bel went to help out the healers and organize the people while the Deana stayed with them.

-Alfonse?

-Yes Oly?

-Thank you.- Said Oly and laid her head on his good shoulder.

-You saved us both brother. Thank you.- Said Sharena sitting on his other side. Alfonse was not much for hugging or touching but he took their hands in his and they remained that way for a while.

Sharena did not seemed so afraid after that. She was used to her mother and father not being with them most of the time, so as long as her brother was near, she would be fine. Oly on the other hand was used to her parents being with her more often, but for some reason she felt very safe around Alfonse and so her fear died down a bit. She was safe with Alfonse and Sharena, her mother was near and they were away from the bad people. She just needed her father here to feel completely fine.

-Can you tell us that tale about the ice Princess!? I would love to meet an ice princess. Don’t you Alfonse?!- Asked Sharena excitedly.

-Of course. I read there are people who who live in a place where it is always winter and they are as if made of ice.

-Really Alfonse?

-Brother you are so smart! How do they look like?

- I do not know Sharena. I did not finish reading the book. It is in the library above us.

-Oh. Can you read it to us when we get out of here Alfonse?

-Of course. Meanwhile you can tell us your tale.- He said. Oly smiled up at him and started telling them the tale just like her mother used to tell her. Alfonse listened to her and partly thought about his mother not coming down or his father not coming home. Unlike Sharena he had grown up closer to his parents up until he was four. He still had memories of his father playing with him and his mother taking care of him and Sharena. Sharena had no memories like these to to cherish, nor pains of loss to deal with, but he still loved them and worried about them.

It was almost an hour of them being down there that Henriette came to down followed by more people and what was left of the mages. Her dress was torn in places and burned in others, just like the other mages.

Henriette was met by one of the healers but she declined their ministrations. Bel came to her then to talk.

-Did none of the commanders made it safely inside?

-No. They sent word that they would hold back the dead as much as they could.-Henriette answered shaking her dead.

-You need rest and healing. Come and sit with the children while we take care of it.

-Bel. Hel is leading the attack. The last I heard is that Gustav and the King were fighting to get through to us.

-The King? We are in deep…trouble…How many mages do we have?- For the king himself to risk coming to fight it meant they were in deep shit. For him to risk himself and Gustav his only heir was unthinkable. The question was…If Hel wanted revenge; why attack the castle if the King and crown prince were outside of it fighting? Was it Alfonse and Sharena she wanted too?

-Five all together. Six of them are on the ground floor and enforcing the shields. The other five are ready to enforce the hidden stair entrance if the other fall.

-I see. I have not seen my retainer Erland.

-I know who you mean, but he did not enter the library. I have not seen him, I am sorry.

-Umm…it is fine. I am sure he is fighting outside and will join Alfonse in battle.- Said Bel leading Henriette to where the kids were chatting away. She had to think of how to tell Aleen about it. Of course his absence did not mean certain death, but with their odds as they were it was most probable.

-Oly is like a little light in the darkness is she not?- Asked Henriette. Oly was motioning with her hands while she told them the tale and Sharena was watching her with an open mouth. Even Alfonse had a small smile on his lips.-She takes that from you.

-Thank you. I can say the same about your kids. Alfonse saved the girls from a fallen wall and Oly from a swordsman as well.

-Did he? My sweet boy. I have so many regrets about…but he is turning to be a fine boy.

-He is.Any ways. Sit down for a while and let me go see about a restroom or something and the food.

-Bel? How did you know about the food?- Henriette halts in their walk to ask. Her voice a whisper.

-I’m a psychic.- Says Bel and laughs quietly when she sees Henriette’s eyes widen.- I’m kidding. If I was I would have seen all of this coming…unless I can only be psychic about food…Which wouldn’t surprise me coming from me.- Henriette Smiles at that.- Someone came inside to explore, but don’t worry I already told said person to not venture further alone or with company unless we knew it was safe.

-Oh Askr! It was Alfonse! That boy is just like his father. - She says suddenly realizing the truth.Her eyes closed trying to reign in her emotions.- How far did he go?

-Umm…fourth basement I think. Henriette…please do not scold the boy. He was brave enough to tell me about it for the good of the people even if it meant you would scold him. I am going to ask him to take me to where the food is and find some place to use as a restroom.- Henriette nodded and started walking again.- I will take someone with me so we don’t go by ourselves.

-Worry not. I will not scold him for this. After all the good he has done and the promise he made. I know he will keep it.

Henriette sat down on Sharena’s left and let Bel heal her woulds.After all the healing she had been doing Bel was getting very proficient and more with the salves and ointments. Deana came with some salves and bandages from the healers to put on her burns. All this while Alfonse and Sharena kept close watch. When all was done Henriette raised her arm and hugged Sharena who was closer to her while her hand ran through Alfonse’s hair.

-My children. I am so glad you are safe.- She said and her eyes watered. She winced a little when she stretched to hug them both. Bel turned away. It felt like intruding in such an intimate moment.  Oly looked at them and smiled up at Bel who took a seat by her side and hugged her too, taking care not to move her still swollen ankle.

- I love you little Olive. Your father is coming soon. I can feel it. He will save us like the prince Charming in the fairy tales. You’ll see.

-I know Mami.

-I am going to have to borrow Alfonse Oly. He is the only one who has explored the library enough to find food here and I need him to guide us.

-OK Mommy. I can take care of Sharena and her Mom. Sharena really likes my tales. I bet her Mom does too.

-That’s my brave girl.

Bel waited some moments to get Aleen to sit with her and tell her about Erland. Aleen of course being who she was, already knew he had stayed behind. She was choosing to stay hopeful for the sake of doing was was necessary right now. They talked about going to find the restrooms and the food and Aleen thought it was a great idea. They needed clean water too.

Bel went to get Alfonse who was happy to help and looked almost uncomfortable while being caressed by his mother. Bel thought it a shame he had grown up so fast, but it was going to help him once he became King.

-Alfonse. -Bel started when the were well away from the others. She had asked to take his hand as to not get separated. She was not going to risk him more than needed. Surprisingly he had complied without question and seemed very at ease.- I want to thank you properly.- He looked sideways at her not stopping his walk.- I don’t know what I would do if I…Thank you for saving Oly. I can see why she feels safe around you. I trust you too.

Instead of seeing his usual blush and shy smile Bel witnessed a very furrowed brow and a determined look on his eyes.

-No one will harm them as long as I am alive.

-I thank you for that, but you should also remember to care for yourself. We love you and we don’t want anything to happen to you. OK?

-OK.

It took them more than half an hour to find an actual restroom with running water. By the location they assumed there were restroom in all levels at about the same place. Then they went to see about the food. It all looked as if it was stored that day. It was one thing to store preserves or dry food but everything has a limit of time it can be used. This food looked like it was in some sort of suspended animation or something. There were preserves of all kinds and grain and flour and canisters of wine and cheese. The food look like it took the entire level.

-How did they even managed this? It is better than canned food heh heh!

Neither Aleen or even Alfonse had any knowledge of spell that worked this way. They took as much of the food as Bel and Aleen could carry to try it out and share with the rest of the people. Bel made sure not to let Alfonse carry anything but her gun and only to deter him from trying to carry something heavy. She was worried about his shoulder.

They went back to show the food to Henriette, She had never seen such a powerful spell that could preserve the food so fresh and yet she did not detect any spell on the food itself.

-Oh well I suppose it is the place itself doing it. I was going to ask you if you had ordered to dust the place when you found it. It looks so clean.

- I did not even took notice of that.- Said Henriette looking around.- It is as if the entire place was sleeping. Keeping everything just like it was the day it was sealed.

After they made sure the food was safe to eat they sent some soldiers to get more. Aleen volunteered to take them although it was a strait walk to the next set of stairs. They also told the people where they could find the restroom and the water. On that level.

-When did you find it?- Asked Bel.

-I think it was the day the door to the realm of the Dead was opened.- Answered Henriette thoughtfully.

- So the place awoke just in time…It had an alarm kind of lock.Wow! King Lif was an awesome dude! He prepared for everything! How wise and powerful he sounds! I wish I could meet him!- Exclaimed Bel smiling at the thought. Henriette looked long at her smiling face and then down at Alfonse sitting by Oly and Sharena. He was reading one of the books he had found on a shelf.

~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The hours inside that place seemed endless. There were only the sounds of the wounded people and the crying children. Sharena had the great idea of gathering them all up and keeping them busy. She asked for permission first and then gathered the children next to Oly who could not walk and both of them told them tales and even taught them some of the things they had learned.

Alfonse took to looking at the books near where they were gathered. Bel wanted to join him since she loved to read a lot as well, but she went to help out however she could doing one thing or another. She and Henriette took turns Helping out and being with the kids and taking rests.

There were no noises coming from upstairs and none of the guards and mages who had stayed on the first basement came to report any change. They just came to gather food and say they could hear no sound coming from the outside.

Henriette had no idea of how long they had been here. She did not know if it was the stress of not knowing what was happening outside and worrying about Gustav or this place messing with time but she could not tell the passage of time. She felt exhausted and yet she felt like she had been there for days. She was sitting down by Sharena’s side again watching both her and Alfonse sleeping. Alfonse had taken on sleeping next to Bel and Oly. She could understand it. His left shoulder was still bruised and he could not lay the other way. She could see Bel still awake. She had laid down as well not so long ago.

-Bel.- Asked Henriette in a whisper.

-Mm?

-May I ask a question?

-Go ahead.

-What do you feel for my children? Especially Alfonse.

Bel turned to her questioningly. She wondered what the royal was thinking for such a question to arise. But being in the situation they were in she supposed she was thinking of death. Bel then expected her to be told to care for the children if she was to die.

-Do you want a honest answer Henriette? Even if your feelings get hurt?- Bel asked with a serious expression.

-Yes. Of course.

-Well…If it was not illegal and I did not end up in a dungeon I would kidnap your kids, run away and adopt them as mine. I love them both Henriette. Although it is true I have expressed that I would love to have a son like Alfonse more than once. I could be satisfied if he was my son in law.

-You mean marry him off to Oly?

-I know it is something that is out of my hands and they are family, but a mother wants the best for her kids. I know they are still young but one can dream.

- Of course you would want him close to you…but I am afraid he can not marry Oly.

-I know they are family and all. I was just..

-He is promised to someone already.

-Alfonse? Are you kidding me? Does he know?

-No.

-Please do not tell me it is someone form Embla to “bring peace to the kingdom” or some crap Henriette. You know they do not want peace. They are not exactly the picture of diplomacy.

-No. Of course not. I would never marry any of my children to someone from Embla and much less for any kind of power.

-Then who is it? A noble family asking for favors? I thought arranged marriages were not..

-The last one was more than a hundred years ago. At least for the Royal Family.You are right. I know. Bel I did something terrible and I am trying to amend myself. The woman who will marry my son will love him and care for him. She already does. I am sure her husband will understand.

-Wait what? Are you fucking kidding me Henriette? A married woman? Does this woman want that badly to be Queen? What the FUCK?- Bel said win a loud whisper that carried more than she intended. She was furious. She hopped this better be a joke, but Henriette was not one to joke around and much less with this kind of stuff and let’s face it, marrying one of their children off to someone was such a Gustav move. Some “ What is best for the Kingdom” kind of crap.

-Bel !

-Please tell me you are kidding and what kind of a low life husband would leave her wife to let her marry a CHILD of 10 YEARS OF AGE?

-Bel he is not going to marry her now. He will do so when he becomes of age.

-Great! Let her get older! This is when I will have to hurt your feelings Henriette…but I just know this was Gustav’s idea of “ It is best for the Kingdom.”

-No…If I may be honest it is my idea. You said you wanted what was best for your child and I want that too. Gustav does not know. It was my decision and he will not like it either, but I know Alfonse will be happy. -Bel looked like she was going to argue, but Henriette motioned for her to listen.- I know how it sounds especially to you. I should sound barbaric, but there is a reason vital to his happiness and Bel… I will take it because I know just how much mistakes I have had with him and how much neglect they have suffered because of our devotion to the Kingdom and our studies. I also know things will not change but get worse as time passes. I want him to be happy and she will make him happy and will protect him…the way I see it she will protect him even from herself.

Bel passed a sleeve over her cheeks. There were tears of anger running down her face. She could not see Henriette’s point, but she could do nothing to save the poor boy. It was easy to say she wanted to kidnap him and at this point she probably should too, but where would she go that she could protect him from his mother who was probably out of her mind with so much stress and lack of sleep.

  And that was probably it. Maybe Henriette was delirious and would come to her senses once they got out of this situation. This talk had taken a very different path than she had thought. She was preparing for a “ Please take care of my children if I die.” but it turned into a very different thing.

-Just how much older is she than him? Do I know her?-== Yeah so I can murder her in her sleep.==

-Around ten years older than him and I can not tell you who she is. She does not know about this.

==Oh! I see! GOD! I told her to get some sleep!==

-So you planed it all here?

-I had been thinking about how to fix my mistake…but I just planned it here yes. She has no idea she will marry him. She seeks no power and will probably be very upset at the beginning but…I am VERY sure they will be happy.

==Well If that woman doesn’t know she will have to divorce her husband and marry a kid…well a teenager…Damn I would be more than a little upset too!==

-I see. I just don’t…What is this mistake you keep talking about?- Bel asked trying to get a better grip of just how bad her mental health was.

-I promised not to talk about it. If I could I would do it… but I can’t. It would all be so easy if I could tell you all. I know you would help me do the right thing.

-Then do it! Tell me! For his sake Henriette do it right by him!

- I am doing the best I can….you will understand later. It is late. We better sleep. Bel? Forgive me.

-I…it is not my place to forgive you…

-Promise me if I die, you will take care of my children.

And that was what Bel had been waiting for, not that can of worms Henriette had opened for her.

-I promise you. I will take care of them and love them as my own.

Henriette closed her eyes and hugged her daughter closer to her. Bel looked at the boy sleeping next to her. With tears still running down her face she kissed his head. She was going to have to talk to Alfonse about this if Henriette persisted after this situation was over. She went to have a very restless sleep.

 Henriette looked on in silence as Bel kissed Alfonse’s head then went to lie down by his side.

A/N: The road to Hel is paved with good intentions.

[daz4i]

4, 31, 33? 👀

thank you friend and sorry for the late reply!!!! 🖤🖤

4. what are you looking forward to?

oh fuck uuuuuuuuuhhhhh i guess nothing atm! at least nothing concrete time-wise heh (more like concepts like "when i get my shit together and finish x project" sort of thing)

31. 3 random facts

ok i'm assuming this is facts abt me and not in general bc it's a get to know me ask meme. so:

i really like prime numbers. they're very cool to me and i feel calmer when like, the volume is sitting at a prime number, and counting prime numbers in my head sometimes helps me calm down from panic attacks and the likes (stole that method from the curious incident of the dog in the night-time bc it's great and does work)

i have a lovely and annoying cat you've probably seen if you've followed me for more than like a week lol. his name is oli and he's gonna turn 9 in august ^_^ he has anxiety but he's very nice usually. but only to me he's very much a dick to other people and some of my friends and family hate him bc he's an asshole and i love him very much

i took a course in makeup so technically i know more abt makeup than i probably should as someone who doesn't wear it lol. it's been a few years tho so i'm VERY rusty and i only got the theoretical knowledge in my brain and definitely can't translate it into action lol, tried putting lipstick on my friend and ended up covering too much of his face in it. rip. but it's still cool to be knowledgable abt it!

33. something you want to learn

god i wanna learn to play bass 🥺 or how to make music/write lyrics tbh. or go back to learning to play drums. just any practical part of music related stuff really aksjdffhgfh

send some numbers? 👀

[tricksters-captain]

Weasley Twins/Cedric Diggory Imagines - Accidental Meeting - Part 9

AN: Thank you for all being patient with me! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday!

Overall Summary: (Y/n), is a young witch who always kept her head down due to her complicated past; one day she bumps quite literally into one of the most popular boys in Hogwarts, Cedric Diggory, and that’s when (Y/n)’s plan of keeping her head down seems to go up into the air. Things only seem to worsen when two redheaded twins start to take notice too...

This Chapter: (Y/n) spends time with Cedric just before the Christmas break before getting a Christmas surprise...

(MASTERLIST HERE)

Pairing(s): Cedric Diggory x Reader, (Eventual) George Weasley x Reader, (Platonic) Fred Weasley x Reader, (Platonic) Oliver Wood x Reader

Word Count: 4,134

Warnings: None, lots of fluff

“Slow down, Lauren!” A couple of first years shouting at each other ran threw you and Oliver as you walked down the corridor. 

“Got to love the Christmas excitement.” Oliver chuckled at their behaviour and you just rolled your eyes. 

The whole castle seemed to be filled with excitement. Christmas was right around the corner and so was the upcoming Quidditch match between Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor. 

“Meanwhile I can’t wait for this castle to empty out.” You admitted as you shifted your scarf tighter around your neck. 

“You know, when everyone leaves for the holidays so does lover boy.” Oliver smirked, referencing to Cedric. 

“I really hope Ravenclaw wins tomorrow.” You changed the subject to purposefully annoy the boy. 

“That’s slander, you know. You could be kicked out of the house just for thinking that.” Oliver retorted. 

“Oh calm down, Wood.” You linked arms with the boy to draw some of his warmth. “The game may be cancelled due to the heavy snowfall anyway.”  

“That would be even worse.” Oliver frowned, turning his head to look past you at the falling snow. 

You spotted Cedric up ahead and he smiled brightly at you to which you returned. 

You were meeting up this evening to spend some time together before the Christmas break, not that Oliver knew that.  

“Remind me to hide the mistletoe.” Oliver teased you as he caught the direction of your smile. 

“You are worse than Fred and George and that’s saying something.” You pulled your arm away from the boy and he quickly relinked your arms laughing at your irritation. 

“They’re still not over your last snow fight, you know?” Oliver reminded you of the snow fight at Hogsmeade and you couldn’t help but smile. 

“Sore losers.” You chuckled, shaking your head at the memory of them drenched in snow.

Then just on cue, the twins came up behind you both.

“You excited for Christmas, (Y/n)?” Fred asked as he joined you and Oliver. 

“I can’t wait. I won’t have to see your ugly faces.” You retorted to the twins with a wink. 

“You’ll miss us.” George shook his head at you. 

“Yeah! Just wait and see how boring it is around here without us.” Fred added. 

“Did you mean how peaceful it’s going to be?” You teased the boys as you came to the Gryffindor common room entrance. 

Inside the common room was crowded. 

The snow and cold weather had driven everyone inside and with the holidays right round the corner, all the students were eager to spend time with each other before they have to leave for a couple of weeks. 

“Where you off to, (y/n)?” George asked as you went for the girls dorm stairs.

“You really don’t want to spend the last few days of term with your favourite people?” Fred took hold of your arm to stop you.

“Haven’t you guys got practise for the quidditch match tomorrow?” You cocked your eyebrows at the boys. 

“Can’t practise until the snow slows.” Oliver grumbled. 

“It’s heaving out here.” You gestured around to the surrounding students.

“You’re not scared of a little social interaction, are ya, Seyler?”  Fred teased you, pulling you towards some free chairs in the corner of the common room. 

“(Y/n), not Seyler.” George nudged his brother, correcting him since you were in a large group of people.

“Thank you, George.” You pulled your arm away from Fred and linked arms with George instead. 

“So, has your uncle sent your presents over yet?” Oliver changed the subject as you all sat. 

“He sent a couple of owls over the past couple days with parcels. I’ve tucked them under my bed for now.” You explained. 

“Wood won’t tell us what he’s got you.” Fred whined as he looked in between you and Oliver. 

“Thinks we’ll tell you.” George laughed. 

“You probably would.” You defended Oliver as you looked up at the red headed twin, his brown eyes staring straight back down at you. 

George rolled his eyes and looked up over at his twin who wore a similar expression. 

“Look, guys, it’s so loud in here. I want to get changed before supper too.” You rose from your chair and peered over at the stairs.

“Got a date or something that you’re not telling us about?” Fred wiggled his eyebrows and you shoved his shoulder lightly with your elbow. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” You then excused yourself to go get changed.

You spent longer than you would have liked trying to pick something to wear. You ended up going to supper with Oliver and the twins as per usual and you walked back to the common room with them as you and Cedric weren’t due to meet until 8pm. 

“Where are you running off to?” Oliver asked as you packed up your parchment and books. You had been studying with him in the common room as you waited for the time to pass. 

“The library.” You lied quickly before you rushed to dump your stuff and leave. 

You checked your hair one last time in the mirror before escaping the dorms and the common room. 

“Hi.” Cedric smiled widely as the door closed behind you. 

“Hi.” You smiled back. 

“Come on... I have a surprise.” Cedric offered his hand and you took it, furrowing your eyebrows at him with curiosity. 

“Where are you taking me, Mr Diggory?” You laughed quietly as he lead you forward down the stairs. 

You felt yourself drop Cedric’s hand when you spotted a couple of young Gryffindor students coming up the stairs. 

Cedric looked down at where he had lost your hand but didn’t say anything. 

You walked slower behind Cedric as you carefully watched the students disappear. 

“Shit.” You cursed as the stairs below your feet started to grind to move. 

“Jump!” Cedric was already on the other set of stairs. 

“What?” You scoffed in disbelief at the boy. 

“Come on!” He encouraged you as the stairs started to move. 

You were already in the air before you realised what you were doing.

Cedric’s hands caught your forearms as you felt yourself collide with the boy. 

“I can’t believe you actually jumped.” Cedric chuckled in amusement as he held you against him to keep you sturdy.

“I trust you too much.” You groaned as you pulled away from him, your cheeks burning from the previous closeness. 

“Good. Because I’m gonna need you to trust me tonight.” Cedric took your hand and lead you away before you could argue. 

Cedric lead you outside the castle to which you were very confused by this time as it was dark and you knew you would both be in trouble if caught, prefect or not. 

“I need you to drink this.” Cedric pulled out a small bottle from his pocket. 

“Cedric, the last person I know who drank an unknown substance by the male species ended up blacking out and not remembering what happened.” You stared at him flatly. 

“You said you trust me?” He rose his eyebrows at you before taking a swig himself then handing it over. 

“What is it?” You asked, raising it to your lips slowly. 

“It’ll let you see in the dark.” Cedric told you. 

“Why do I need to see in the dark?” You asked. 

“Why do you ask so many questions?” Cedric responded as he took the empty bottle away from you. 

It felt weird as your eyes started to adjust and the night suddenly became much lighter. 

That’s when you spotted the ice skates. 

“You’re kidding right?” You looked at the frozen lake and then up at Cedric.

“Trust me.” He put on his own skates then watched as you slowly laced up your own with a worried expression glued to your features. 

Cedric stepped onto the ice and started to glide with ease but you fell over the moment you stepped on. 

“Steady there.” Cedric skated over and helped you up. 

You were wobbly for the first few minutes but Cedric’s grip on you soon eased up and you could skate beside him without slipping. 

“Are you warm enough?” Cedric asked as he watched your breath from your lips. 

“I’m just lucky I decided to bring outdoor stuff with me.” You smiled through the night as you wiggled your gloved fingers at him. 

“It’ll be strange. Not seeing you for a few weeks.” Cedric admitted as he picked up his pace. 

“I bet you won’t even think of (Y/n) Seyler the moment you walk into your house.” You rolled your eyes but Cedric’s smile dropped. 

“I was going to write you.” Cedric confessed as he came to a stop. 

“It’s only a few weeks, Cedric.” You started. “You don’t need to write me. Just. enjoy the time with your family–––”

You shifted your weight wrong and your skate slipped under you, sending you crashing into Cedric’s arms. Again. 

“Sorry!” You squealed as you gripped tight onto his coat. 

You both stayed there, your hot breath tickling his cheeks and his yours. 

You looked at his eyes. They were so bright in the moonlight. 

That’s when Cedric started to lean towards you. 

You pulled away immediately and skated to the side of the lake, trudging through the snow in your skates. 

“Hey! (Y/n)! Wait!” Cedric raced after you as you fled. 

You sat down on a nearby log and immediately went to put your boots back on.

“(Y/n), I’m sorry.” Cedric caught up with you and tried to apologise. 

“I’ve never done this before.” You cut him off with your response. 

“What?” Cedric was confused to what you were talking about.  

“This!” You gestured between the two of you. “I’ve never done the boyfriend thing, I’ve never done this with someone, spend all this time together.... Except Oli, of course, but that’s different. I don't know what we are doing, Cedric but I don’t know how to do it!” 

“Woah... Hey, hey, hey!” Cedric sat down beside you and searched your face as the words spilled out. 

“I still don’t truly understand what this is. What’s going on - I - I...” 

Cedric’s lips met yours to stop the word vomit. 

All the anxiety and nervosa suddenly left your body as you tasted the mint from Cedric’s kiss. 

His lips were soft, warm and it felt... right. 

Suddenly, you heard someone clear their throat. 

“Lumos.” It wasn’t hard to guess which professor had interrupted your first kiss as soon as they spoke. 

You pulled away from Cedric and looked down in embarrassment.

“Miss Seyler. Mr Diggory.” Snape’s stare bored down at you both. 

“Professor, it’s my fault.” Cedric stood as he started but Snape rose his hand to silence him. 

“If it wasn’t so close to the Christmas holidays both of you would be in detention for all the rules you’ve broken this evening but instead 20 points will be taken from both Gryffindor house and Hufflepuff.” Snape explained as he looked between you both. “Now back to your common rooms. Now.” 

You didn’t tell anybody about what had happened when you returned to the common room. 

You laid awake longer than usual thinking about the kiss. 

Your first kiss. 

You shook your head and tried to stop smiling as you covered your eyes with your hands. 

What just happened?

The next day the snow had stopped falling and the quidditch match was allowed to go ahead. 

You wrapped up warm and followed the rest of your house to the stands to support the team. 

George and Fred flew over to you on their brooms as the teams awaited the match’s start. 

“You look happy.” George commented on your smile.

“That makes a change.” Fred teased you and you just stuck your middle finger up at the boy. 

“Cheer us on, (Y/n).” George told you. 

“If we’re lucky we may get a winning kiss, Georgie.” Fred smirked.

You felt the colour drain from your face. 

They knew. 

You suddenly realised they knew about the kiss. 

Snape had caught you and Cedric, of course people knew...

How many more people knew that you and Cedric Diggory had been caught by the lake...at night...

You felt your happiness slowly fade as you tried not to look around you to avoid meeting anyone’s eyes.

The match went by agonisingly slow but Gryffindor fortunately won. 

You immediately rushed back to the common room before the twins or Oliver could catch up with you. 

“Hey (Y/n)!” Cedric caught you just before. 

“Cedric, I kinda have to go.” You tried to leave but he caught your hand. 

“I just wanted to apologise for last night.” Cedric told you. “Not for.. You know but for getting caught.” 

“It’s okay, Ced but I really have to go.” You looked past him to see the teams colours through the crowd which meant they were close.

Cedric nodded and started to walk away. 

You internally groaned at his sad face and tugged on his coat to pull him back round to you. 

“I’ll see you later.” You kissed him very briefly before continuing your way to the common room. Hiding in your dorm. 

“Fred sent me to tell you that you can’t hide forever as you need to say goodbye to them and explain how you lost the house 20 points last night.” Angelina entered your room with a smirk on her face. 

“I’m sure everyone already knows, Ang.” You cringed at the thought of everyone talking about it. 

“All I’ve heard is that Cedric Diggory also lost 20 points last night.” She replied  with a wink. 

“Sure.” You scoffed, folding your book over and sitting up on your bed.

You watched her gather her chest and a small bag from her bed. 

“All I’m gonna say is you’re lucky this happened just before we broke up for Christmas. Hopefully this news won’t still be making the rounds when we come back in January.” Angelina tried to make you feel better but it didn’t work. 

“Have a good break, Angelina. Merry Christmas.” You wished her farewell and she wished you a Merry Christmas back. 

You finally gathered the courage to slip your shoes on and descend the stairs. 

“Finally.” Both Fred and George said in unison. 

“You’re lucky I even came down at all.” You told the two as you approached them. 

“Then you wouldn’t have gotten this.” Fred pulled out a small brown paper package from behind his back. 

“What’s this?” You looked between the two boys. 

“Just something small.” Fred admitted. 

“Ginny writes home to Mum and well, she’s mentioned you once or twice.” George started to explain as he took the package and handed it to you. 

“He means he asked mum to make you one––” Fred was cut off by a punch to the side by George.

“She then wrote to us and asked if you wanted to stay for Christmas to which we knew you’d be here with Wood.” George cleared his throat, his face bright red as he spoke. 

“That’s very kind but completely unnecessary. Tell her I thank her anyway.” You pressed a smile onto your face as you thought about the red headed older woman who could’ve raised these two. 

Then again, you looked around the common room at Ron and Ginny saying goodbye to their friends. And even Percy... 

You started to open the present to see it was a knitted sweater. You opened the jumper up to see your first initial knitted onto the sweater just like the sweaters you’ve seen the boys occasionally wear. 

“You don’t have to wear it.” George laughed as he watched you study it. 

“But if you ever meet our mother you do. Scary that woman is.” Fred laughed along side his twin and you just smiled. 

“I love it. Thank you.” You embraced the boys and they hugged you back.

“No sarcastic comment?” George looked confused. “Are you feeling okay, (Y/n)?” 

“It’s the honeymoon feelings. Got her all giddy after locking lips with pretty boy Diggory.” Fred immediately moved back as you went to swat him for his comment. 

“Merry Christmas, (Y/n)!” The twins fled before you could throw any books at them for their teasing behaviour. 

“You’ll be glad to get rid of them.” Oliver came up beside you as he watched the whole Weasley family leave and slung his arm over your shoulder. 

“I have a terrible feeling I’m now stuck with them for the rest of my time in this Godforsaken school.” You leant your head on his shoulder and folded over your arms with a sigh. 

“Let’s see if you can survive that long without cracking their skulls together.” Oliver smirked and you groaned playfully.

“Merlin help me now.” You looked up at the ceiling which only made Oliver laugh once again. 

“Speaking of goodbyes though... Isn’t there someone you should be seeing before they leave?” Oliver asked. 

You had almost forgot. 

You excused yourself and rushed to the basement near the Hufflepuff entrance. 

“I thought you’d show up eventually.” Cedric was leaning against his trunk when you showed up. 

“I was seeing the twins off. I’m sorry.” You confessed. 

Cedric said it was alright before pulling you into a hug. 

The soft blue wool of his sweater was soaked in his scent and you breathed it in sweetly. 

“Have a good Christmas, Ced.” You whispered as you held onto him. 

“I’ll write you.” Cedric told you. “Even if you don’t write back.” 

You pulled away from the boy a little so you could look up at his face. 

“Guess we’ll see.” You shrugged, knowing full well that you were definitely going to write back. 

Cedric peered up and down the corridor before planting a soft kiss on your forehead. 

“You’re the best thing that’s happened to me this year.” Cedric admitted. 

“What? Above becoming Quidditch captain and a prefect?” You rose your eyebrows at him with a smirk. 

“Yes.” Cedric chuckled with a little shake of his head. 

You reached up behind the boys neck with your hand and brought his lips to yours. Kissing him softly. 

“Merry Christmas, Cedric.” You flicked your wand behind your back and a vine of mistletoe grew above you both. 

Cedric kissed you once more before you pulled away and left. A warm glow on your cheeks. 

A few more days went passed and the quiet bliss of the castle kept you in a calming spirit. 

You and Oliver spent most of your time playing wizard chess or reading in the common room or even out on the quidditch pitch. 

You didn't fly much but you helped Oliver with his batting skills. 

On Christmas Eve, you both sat in front of the fire with hot chocolates and a mince pie each. 

“I can’t believe this is my last Christmas at Hogwarts with you.” You sighed quietly as you nuzzled into Olivers side. 

“You know I don’t die after I leave Hogwarts.” Oliver said as he took a bite of his pie. 

“I know that but you’ll be working. You’ll be busy. You won’t have time for some school girl whenever she has an issue she can’t solve herself.” You pouted. 

“(Y/n).” Oliver adjusted to look you in the eye. “You are one of the strongest and bravest people I know. I will always be here for you when you need me but I know you will survive here without me and you will finish Hogwarts just like me and you will enjoy it.” 

“Oli...”

“I’m not disappearing of the side of the earth. I will still be here, I just won’t be here.” Oliver assured you as he gestured around the common room.

You just pulled him in for a hug. 

“I know. It just scares me.” You confessed against his shoulder. 

“I know.” Oliver stroked your hair before pulling away to drink his hot chocolate. 

The night went by quickly and soon you were tiptoeing up the dormitory stairs in your fluffy socks to get some sleep before Christmas morning. 

You had already placed all your presents underneath the tree the common room  in a bag with your name on and you had put Oliver’s there too. 

Your dorm was empty which meant you didn’t have to worry about anyone one else as you tucked into your bed and turned out the lights. 

Even through the dark you could see the snowfall outside the window. The moon reflecting on the tiny snowflakes. 

You don’t know when you fell asleep but you did know you wished you hadn’t. 

Images flashed through your head of Christmas years ago. The alarms. The snow. You being dragged through a dark alley by your parents. Your cloak dragging behind you. You tripping. A slap. Screams. An inn. Blood. Darkness.

You woke up panting and soaked in sweat. 

You didn’t know how you remembered these memories. 

You were only 4/5 when it happened. 

It was when your parents had escaped the ministry during a hearing about their crimes as Death Eaters a couple years after the Dark Lord had fallen. 

They had broken into your uncles house and stolen you in the night. They didn’t bother with your uncle that night because they were without their wands but they managed to snatch you quite easily despite Demetrius’ efforts to keep you hidden. 

You touched your cheek as if you had felt the slap all over again. 

Outside the birds were chirping happily and a plump robin sat on the window sill without a care in the world. 

You slipped out of bed and managed to squeeze in a shower before Oliver woke up. 

“Merry Christmas, (Y/n).” Oliver wore his pyjamas and dressing gown as he engulfed you in a tight hug. 

“Merry Christmas, Oli.” You returned the hug before lurching towards Oliver’s gift and thrusting it in his hand.

“I hope you like it.” You smiled as you fiddled with your hands nervously. 

Oliver handed you your own present and then sat down to open his small gift. 

You watched him open it carefully and this his eyes grow wide in surprise. 

It was Oliver’s favourite Quidditch players autograph on a quaffle.

“How did you get this?!” Oliver asked as he jumped up to hug you. 

“Demetrius has his ways.” You laughed as you winced from how tight his hug was. 

“Open yours now.” Oliver sat back down, the quaffle sturdy on his lap with his hand on it. 

You teared the wrapping paper back to reveal a small photo frame with an old moving photo inside of it. 

“Oliver Wood!” You gushed as you realised it was a photo of you and Oli during your first year. 

“Me Mam found it tucked away on an old photo album during the summer. I remember she took it during the Christmas holidays when you first ever visited mine.” Oliver explained as you watched the awkward yet undeniably cute photo move.

“Thank you, Oli. I love it.” You hugged him once more before turning to open the presents from your uncle. 

There was only four small separately wrapped presents but you were extremely curious to find out what he sent you. 

The first present was a photo album. 

The second was some new socks which you and Oliver laughed at since it was so typical of your uncle. 

The third was a dream catcher. He always seemed to know. 

The final gift you unwrapped was a enchanted camera for moving photographs. 

“Oli! Look! We can take a new one!” You felt your chest warm as you realised just how thoughtful a present this was from Demetrius. 

You made a mental note to write a letter as soon as possible. 

Oliver moved beside you and wrapped his arm over your shoulders. 

He smiled widely as the photo was taken and ruffled your hair just as the flash went. 

“Hey!” You squealed as you moved away. 

“Anyway, Wood, what’d your mother get you?” You flattened your hair back to its original state as you nodded your chin towards the tree. 

“Let’s find out.” Oliver knelt by the tree and pulled out his gifts. 

You watched him unwrap his presents before you both decided to change and head to the great hall for a Christmas lunch. 

You came down in the sweater the twins had given you and Oliver’s draw dropped. 

“Are you really going to wear that?” He asked, his disgust shining through his accent. 

“Bugger off, Wood. I think it suits me.” You shrugged, “It was a Christmas gift after all.” 

“Next you’ll be moving into their home.” Oliver teased you about looking like a Weasley but you chose to ignore him. 

The rest of your Christmas just seemed to fly by...

(NEXT PART SOON)

TAG LIST

@viirgobbyy @itsfangirlmendes @obsessedunicorn24 @rye-li @thealienplace @ziggyspurplehaze @cookiecakeslive @joellemoriarty @cherryflavouredlipbalm @big-galaxy-chaos​ @whotfisdani @spn-marvel-nerd @fleurtykes @smiitym @futureofanthropology @twigleektribute23 @moatsnow @queenl04 @annasdani @the-celestial-kitsune @basement-tv  @kenisneckdeep

[fluorescent-fungus]

Hi tumblr I'm back with more Xiao. *proceeds to pretend that I didn't procrastinate this update for like 3 months*

Xiao x child!reader Pt 5  

Masterlist  

Tw/cw: hurt/comfort, liiitle bit of angst, slight gore, mentions of blood and injury 

“Where's Xiao?” You leaned over, eyes narrowed in an intimidating show of defiance.

“...And good morning to you! Did you sleep well?” Ignoring your question, Verr Goldet flashed you a radiant smile, her impeccable conduct no doubt a product of years of her hospitality experience. After all, dealing with unruly customers did fall directly within her line of work.

“Yes, I did. Where. Is. Xiao?”

“He's probably out on a mission... and please don't stand on the counter, dear.”

Catching sight of the menacing twitch at the corner of her lips, you relented, hopping off the countertop. “Ah, sorry... When will he be coming back?”

“Care to join me for breakfast? You can have anything you want.”

“Really... anything? Hey! Answer me lady! And don't dodge my question!”

“Oh he'll come back when he does... In the meantime, why not help me run some errands today? I heard the kitchen has a terrible mushroom shortage... Or maybe you could lend a hand with the laundry?”

You attempted to scoff at her remark, until you were interrupted by a loud grumble that rang through the corridors of Wangshu Inn. It wasn't Verr's. 

“Fine! Let's talk breakfast.”

---

“Liar! The next time I see you, you're deady dead dead!” You grumbled, shoving another steamed bun into your mouth.

“Achoo-” Xiao rubbed his palms together as a cold breeze raised goosebumps over his skin.

Was he... getting sick?

“Weak.” he mumbled.

It didn't matter. After a few days of your absence, he was reveling in the peace of mind he had so craved before. Inhaling deeply, relief flooded his chest as he scanned the area for signs of unusual activity—to which there was none. Good.

But what was this... quietness? He'd need to start getting reacquainted with this feeling.

Yes... This familiar silence, it had always been that way—up until you came along, barging into his life like an elephant on rampage. However, now that the so-called ‘elephant’ had been taken care of, a lingering uneasiness clung to his chest.

Brows slightly furrowed, he brushed it off, piercing gaze zoning in upon the sun rising between the distant mountains of Jueyun Karst.

Why was he thinking so much? How unbecoming of a seasoned adeptus.

People would come and go, whether or not they died or just got up and... left, it didn't matter. A new day would come, and they wouldn't be there. It was always the case. And he'd continue watching over liyue as he'd done for thousands of years, a lone figure roaming the plains for as far as duty took him.

Yes. That was his sole purpose for existing, to fulfill his contact with Morax till the end of his time... Alone. Without it, he would be a deity without purpose. How could he allow himself be distracted by a petty human, even for a moment? Pathetic.

---

You had decided to take on Verr's mushroom gathering request. Besides, you would much prefer wandering around the area than scrubbing away at someone else's dirty laundry. At least you could keep an eye out for Xiao's return while scavenging for mushrooms.

And so you spent the rest of the day pouncing on every slight rustle of every bush in sight, desperately hoping to find a certain vigilant yaksha crouching behind it.

I swear I saw something... You scoffed, gnawing away at your inner cheeks, growing more agitated with every minute that passed.

You practically flipped over the entire forest trying to find your guardian adeptus, obnoxiously calling for him from time to time and thus disturbing the peace and tranquility of wildlife in the vicinity.

Little did you notice that up on the tree branch right above you, a pair of gleaming golden eyes watched. They watched as you as you struggled to pry a particularly stubborn mushroom out of the ground, all the while whining and cursing away at every archon in existence.

“I SWEAR TO MORAX, XIAO!” You heaved in a deep breath, tugging and pulling with all the strength you could muster up.

“IF YOU DON'T SHOW YOURSELF-” You stumbled backwards on your ass as the stem finally gave in.

Can he not hear me? He said he would come if I called did he not? Liar!

“Tch”

That was definitely not a bird. 

You whipped your head up towards the source of the sound, eyes squinting up into the thick layer of leaves that shrouded the sky from your view.

But there was no one in sight. Huh.

---

He sighed, ripping his spear out of the beast's heart. That's the last of them.

He tuned out his thoughts from the final fading screams of the slain, only to be met with your grumbling thoughts that echoed through his head— threats of what you would do when you found him... He would much rather keep all his hair thank you.

Maybe it was time he made his presence known again. He couldn't take much more of your incessant whining. 

He lifted his gaze and caught sight of something. Squinting through the darkness of the forest looming behind, he barely made out the faint outline of the tiny figure in the distance. Speak of the devil.

“Heyy!” You bound towards his direction, ecstatic that you were finally reaping the fruit of your laborious search, unaware of an even bigger shadow emerging from behind, its oversized form towering over you.

“I was looking all over for—” you cut short, catching sight of the mitachurl's shadow on the ground, big burly arms raised high above.

“Get out of the way!” Eyes widening in shock, he lunged for you.

Frozen in panic, you fumbled about with the words dancing around the tip of your tongue.

Just as a giant fist came swinging down in one swift motion, you heaved in a breath, blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

“Xia—”

Instantly, he materialised in between you and the beast, polearm ripping through flesh and bone.

With a roar, the beast fell, crumpling to the ground with a thud, blood and innards splattering out on the grass.

“Ugh.”

“Are you hurt?”

Slightly shaken, you let out a squeaky “N-no”.

He scanned your figure up and down, pupils blown slightly wide with worry.

“Yes, you are. Sit up.”

“Huh? I said I wasn't– Oh.” It was then that you noticed the small gash that had plastered itself into your left thigh.

He swiftly removed his sleeve, lifting your leg and sliding it underneath.

“Wait don't use that! It'll get... dirty.”

“Considering how often you use it to wipe your snot, I don't see the problem here.”

“That's even worse!”

He ignored your protests as he wrapped your thigh up, fastening it with a knot.

“Hmph! Why are you even here?” You mumbled, suddenly remembering that you were supposed to be mad at him.

“I'm not obliged to answer that question.” he deadpanned, turning his back towards you and signalling you to climb on.

With a grunt, you latched on to his back, wincing as you finally felt a slight pinch from the site of the injury– which didn't go unnoticed by Xiao.

He glanced around, catching sight of a sharp-edged rock jutting out from the surface of the ground. Maybe he should return in the morning to file the spot down... y'know to avoid any future accidents (dude probably just wanted revenge on the floor).

---

“Does it hurt?”

Nope, not at all.” you smiled cheerily, giving your thigh a light slap.

“Idiot– Don't do that! If it doesn't hurt now doesn't mean it won't later.”

Was it the adrenaline? Was the gash wider than he had imagined? Or was his mind just exaggerating every little thing that had to do with you? After all, humans were indeed fragile. 

“I didn't know you could teleport. Oh my god. Did you make me walk all the way here to punish me? Do you hate me that much?” You pouted.

“No, I don't hate you. And that ‘teleporting’ you're yapping on about is the act of passing through the adepti realm.”

“Human bodies weren't meant to withstand the side effects of such concentrated adeptal energy. You would disintegrate the moment–”

“Ok shut up. I get it.” You reached forward and squished his cheeks together with your grubby fingers. “I wished you would talk more, but not like this. Now I'm sweaty, bloody and hungry, so carry me back! I wanna go back!”

“Such a foul mouthed child... And the mere audacity for you to think that I would entertain feelings of... hate. You have no respect. The adepti model themselves off of duty, not emotion.”

“Also... I would never hate you.” he continued, lowering his voice to a whisper. A part of himself hoped that you wouldn't hear.

But you did.

Burying your face into his back, you hid a sniffle as the corners of your lips curled upwards slightly, which drooped back down at the realisation of a certain something.

“Hold on, go back.”

“What is it?”

“I forgot the mushrooms.”

---

“Haah...” You groaned, fingers hovering lightly over your freshly bandaged thigh as you tried your best to soothe the burning sensation tingling beneath your skin.

“I told you it would hurt,” he sighed, leaning against the doorframe.

“Hmph! Y’know, I'm still mad at you for leaving without telling me!” Adjusting your leg into a more comfortable position, you shot him the stinky eye as he plopped down next to you.

“Next time, don't stray too far from the inn. It's dangerous out... There's no telling how close those mindless beasts would wander. What would happen if I wasn't there to save you? You'd be mitachurl mulch by now.” 

You crossed your arms and whipped your face away from him. 

“Right... I'm sorry for leaving.” he mumbled lowly.

You were stumped. “What?”

“Sorry.”

“Say that again?”

“You little piece of—”

“Hehe... Just joking. I'm sorry too, Xiao.”

“Hmm, now go to sleep. I'll be here if you need me.”

As he watched you get settled under the covers, his thoughts drifted. What would happen if he didn't get to you in time? No... That would never happen. What a silly thought... If it was you, he'd always be there in time.

“You're not sleeping.”

Shit. He's learning. You swallowed the lump in your throat in horror, ignoring the bead of sweat sliding down your neck.

“I am,” you whispered, clamping your already shut eyes tighter while barely holding in a grin.

“Go. To. Sleep.” He heaved in a sigh, before bringing his hand to rest over your back. It took him a bit of shuffling to get it right, but he eventually got to the patting part. Was this how humans did it?

“Too hard,” you giggled.

“Ah, sorry. Is this better?”

“Can't feel anything now.”

“Do it youself then,” he mumbled, adjusting his pats to a more comfortable pressure.

The rhythm was still wrong though, it was awkward and stiff. No matter, he could learn that skill tomorrow.

As long as he was in it.