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pikablu410 · 4 years ago

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Christmas Gift

Apologies for a Christmas-themed story being a few weeks after the holidays. I hope you enjoy regardless

“I don’t care that it’s December 23rd! I’ll get them gifts eventually!”

“You better before Christmas or your presents are going to Goodwill!”

The Kolstit family wasn’t exactly your vision of a nuclear family. They had a mother, father and children, yes, but they didn’t behave like what you’d expect of a typical, american family. For one, they were an immigrant family from Ecuador. They had moved just about a decade ago, when Adam was 8. The family was hesitant at first, but with promises of a better life from relatives it was hard to pass up.

Now, the Kolstit family comprised of a mother, a father and three sons. The mother, Norma, was a kind woman, but strict on her children. She had deadlines for chores, high expectations for grades and above all wanted them prepared for the world on their own.

Her children didn’t really see that, especially the middle child, Adam. Adam was the child who got the most verbal smack from his mother, a result of his desire to “be one of the popular kids in school” as Norma put it. Adam tried to shirk off his responsibilities at home as much as possible in order to hang out with his friends or play football, better known as soccer amongst Adam’s peers. Norma had other ideas for her son, however, which usually involved him cleaning up around the house.

“I’m going out.” The dark-haired boy simply said as he walked out of the house with a ball in his hands, a blue soccer jersey and gray track pants on.

“Put on a jacket at least! It has to be near freezing out there!” Norma shouted as her child abandoned her cries. She shook her head and went back to preparing dinner.

Adam furiously walked away from his home. “Why does she always put so much pressure on me? I’m just a high school kid!” Adam thought to himself as he walked to an empty field.

The grass was stiff and cold, as if intimidated by the air. Two poles rested a few feet apart on one side of the field, the other side only having one pole. Dirt marked the playing field, the only place where there wasn’t a plentiful amount of grass. Rabbits scurried away as Adam approached, hiding back in their dens as a gust of wind blew the grass aside for them.

Adam sighed as he dropped the ball down and started to faintly tap it, slowly bouncing the sphere back and forth from each foot. He didn’t want his mother to hate him and he didn’t want to hate his mother. She was just so annoying sometimes. If he wanted to live his life one way why should she prevent that? Adam punted the ball down the field, hitting it right next to the singular pole. He imagined a crowd cheering as he scored a goal. He missed football season and wished it would return sooner. Unfortunately he had to wait another year for it, and Adam went back to weakly moving the ball across the field, moving slowly up and down as time passed by.

As the sky turned to a dim orange, Adam realized his time at the field was up and decided to head back home. As he went to leave the field, though, he felt incredibly tired and weak. He wasn’t sure why as he hadn’t really exerted himself. This was mostly to calm down and relax a bit. A huge gust of wind blew past Adam, causing his body to shiver from the chill. He saw a wooden bench and decided to sit down to regain his strength. When he sat down, though, Adam felt like he was going to pass out. He had fallen asleep at an airport before, and Adam figured sleeping on a park bench wouldn’t be much different, so he decided to lay down on the bench. “Maybe just a...quick nap…” Adam yawned before he crashed. Though before he closed his eyes Adam saw two figures approach him, as if they wanted something from him.

When Adam woke up he thought he was still asleep. It was so dark he couldn’t see his own nose. Plus, he was sitting up instead of lying down like he had been on the bench. Suddenly, a light turned on above him, though he still couldn’t really see farther than 5 feet away. Surrounded by darkness, Adam just decided to try to find his way out only to be stopped completely. He looked at his body and saw that he was tied down to a wooden chair, and tightly at that. Wriggling his wrists and legs, Adam tried to struggle against his restraints only to be met with no sign of them letting up.

A few moments later, after Adam had given up trying to get up, he heard footsteps in the dark. Out of adrenaline-driven fear, Adam cried out, “Who’s there?” A figure in what looked like a space suit emerged shortly after, holding some kind of syringe in his hand. “Just sit still and this’ll go by quickly.” They said, with a voice muffled through their helmet. It was almost like they were directly out of a sci-fi film which gave Adam hope that this was just a dream.

Adam decided to listen to the strangely suited figure, whether that be out of fear or his own will. He felt the syringe pierce his skin as whatever was inside flowed into his bloodstream and eventually the rest of his body. After that, the person walked away and left Adam alone in the dark once more. Adam wasn’t sure what was happening, but after a few minutes of being alone again he felt his tummy rumble. How long had he been out? Long enough to go without a meal, clearly, but how long was that? A few hours? Half of the day? An entire day? Adam was really worried now, especially since nobody knew where he was.

Eventually the grumbling of his stomach grounded Adam’s mind, bringing him back to reality. And reality smelled pretty good, almost like a feast prepared on Christmas Eve. Just as Adam thought it, the lights turned on and before him laid a table filled with food you’d see a family eat for a holiday celebration. Stuffing, mashed potatoes and slices of ham lay across the table on many plates. Fried chicken, french fries and spaghetti were even on the table, to Adam’s surprise. His family usually ate those things as a tradition so it was something pleasant he wasn’t expecting. Near his hands, a tall glass of milk was set, as a drink for the meal Adam assumed. In the middle, a giant, stuffed turkey laid ready to be cut. It took up twice as much space as other plates did, and just the smell of it nearly made Adam drool.

Then, to Adam’s further surprise, the restraints were undone around his hands. Immediately, Adam reached down to undo the ones on his legs, but a voice overhead said, “I wouldn’t try that if I were you.” Adam stopped, his body jumping in shock of hearing the booming voice. “W-what do you want with me?” Adam tried to ask. There was a pause before the voice responded with, “Just eat your feast and then we’ll talk.” Then, silence. Silence only to be broken by Adam’s stomach growling in hunger.

Adam decided he might as well eat, if only to survive and find out why he’s here. He grabbed the large serving spoon that was dipped in the mashed potatoes, trying to find a plate to set it on to eat. Finding no such plate, Adam decided to eat the mushy meal right from the spoon. Setting it in his mouth, Adam could taste an explosion of flavor. Whether it be from his starving appetite or the taste of the dish, Adam didn’t decide to question it and went right back in for more. Though, as he ate the potatoes Adam couldn’t help but notice a strong, buttery flavor. He shrugged it off, though, as he was hungry and the stuff tasted too good to deny eating it.

The other dishes continued in a similar fashion. The stuffing melted right in Adam’s mouth, melding right along with all of the other dishes to not only enhance them, but revamp their tastes completely. The ham was sweet, but seasoned in just the right way so it wasn’t overpowering. The chicken was fried to perfection, with the chicken still being moist beneath its flaky skin. The fries were similarly prepared, though they were covered with a decent amount of salt. His milk was creamy and delicious, but it didn’t take away from any of the dishes Adam ate. And the spaghetti was divine, being covered with parmesan cheese and a tomato sauce that Adam swore was from the ripest tomatoes.

After Adam finished all those dishes, he looked back to the table to see the giant turkey sitting, waiting for him. He decided now was as good a time as any, and decided to cut into the beast. Just like Adam expected, the turkey was phenomenal. The meat was still juicy and melted on his tongue. Adam kepting taking pieces off the turkey, not realizing how much of it he was eating. Only until the fork met the base of the plate did Adam notice his immense appetite. He had eaten the entire turkey without noticing.

Letting out a slight burp, Adam decided to sit back in his seat, expecting his bloated belly to take up a lot of space. However, when Adam leaned back he noticed his belly wasn’t as large as he had expected. It wasn’t as bloated, either. In fact it didn’t look bloated at all. Adam lifted up his jersey to find a tan, chubby belly where his flat stomach used to be, much farther off than he had expected. Adam put his jersey down and noticed the outlines of small moobs beneath his shirt and shorts that had much less space because of his thicker legs. Now nervous and scared of what would happen next, Adam tried to untie the restraints on his legs only to be forcefully pushed to the back of his seat by one of those space suited people. They tied his arms down again, Adam now regretting trying to make a move.

“Now you see our goal for you. You’ll eat and grow until we decide you stop.” The voice came back to ring overhead. Adam was now angry, in addition to his fear from before. He wouldn’t be able to play football if he was too fat, plus, no one would recognize him as a tub of lard. He had always been the lean, football player, not some food addicted fat ass. “Why do you want me fatter?!” Adam shouted at the ceiling. “Oh, you’ll find out later. For now eat like you did before.” And once again, there was silence after that.

Though Adam still did smell good food, the table was still empty. Out of the shadows to his left, a person dressed in the strange astronaut suit walked out, holding some kind of bowl. On the right, another person emerged, but they were holding a plate of ham. The one with the bowl lifted up a large serving spoon filled with mashed potatoes and held it to Adam’s mouth. “Eat.” The person bluntly demanded, nudging the spoon on Adam’s lips. The food smelled so good, but Adam didn’t want to grow any fatter.

Despite eating tons just minutes prior, Adam’s stomach let out a growl. Upset his stomach betrayed him, Adam felt it wasn’t long before he snapped under the pressure. Sure enough, he was taking the spoon in his mouth, swallowing the entire spoonful of mash before eagerly opening his mouth for more. Adam didn’t want to eat, but he was just so hungry he didn’t feel like he had a choice. A second after he opened his mouth, Adam tasted the other person shoving a forkful of ham into his mouth. He alternated bites from both of the people in front of him, not even realizing when they switched to a different food.

Eventually, the two people in suits stopped feeding Adam to let him drink some milk. Adam had been so enraptured with the food’s taste that he hadn’t been able to keep track of himself. He looked down to a terrifying view. His stomach had gotten so big it lifted his jersey up just above his belly button, the tan piece of flesh resting on his wider lap. Moobs were clearly outlined under his jersey, poking against the fabric. His shorts looked even more strained than before, basically stuck to the sides of his thighs. Adam couldn’t see behind him, but if he were able to he’d see that his shorts and undies had been pushed down from the added weight to his rear and they were close to revealing his crack.

Adam freaked out as he finished the milk. He desperately tried to get out, but again to no avail. His added weight tired him out further, too, making him struggle less than before. “Still concerned about your weight, it appears.” The voice rang overhead. It was quiet for a few moments, but the two people in suits came back with more food. One had a tray of cookies and one had a platter of pie. As Adam resisted their demands to eat, a loud ‘thunk’, followed by a ‘click’ was heard before he saw a movie being played on a television in front of him. It was just beyond the dining table, but large enough that Adam didn’t have to strain his eyes to watch.

“How about you relax by watching something while you eat.” The voice suggested before disappearing again. As Adam’s gaze turned towards the TV, he let his guard down long enough that the person with the cookies was able to sneak one into his mouth. The taste was divine and Adam knew resisting now was futile as his bigger stomach took the lead, forcing him to eat whatever was placed in front of him.

What Adam didn’t realize was the film he was watching was designed to alter him. There were short flashes of guys putting on weight and growing fatter. Some images were of guys who were already fat, enjoying themselves in luxurious lives. Quiet, almost inaudible messages saying things like “Grow bigger,” and “Fat is hot,” played throughout the film. Though, Adam wasn’t really to blame for not noticing. The entire point of these things was so Adam would subliminally start to desire to be fat and grow fatter and so he didn’t notice his mind was being changed to do so.

Two films and a lot of eating later and Adam was being fed more milk as a break from all the food. The TV switched off, bringing Adam back to reality. He remembered his situation and looked down at his body one again. His jersey could barely hold his body, his belly completely on show. It was so big it was starting to become divided into two rolls. This left his jersey to only cover his moobs, which looked like they would burst out if Adam put on any more weight. His shorts had split on his thighs, slowing becoming more and more undone as Adam put on more weight. His pants and underwear had been moved further down because of his growing ass which now showed off his plump butt crack, though he wasn’t aware.

However, Adam didn’t seem as worried when he saw his body. He looked at it for a few seconds before looking back up and saying, “I wonder if Melissa would like me like this. Maybe she’ll even feed me good food too.”

To his surprise, neither of the people in space suits responded, but the voice overhead replied with, “Who’s Melissa?” Adam, being more relaxed now, gave the voice an answer. “Melissa’s my girlfriend,” Adam started, “She’s really nice to me and I was hoping my body wouldn’t turn her off.” Adam told the voice. More quietly, he mumbled, “I hope she’s not worried about me.”

A few seconds passed with Adam figuring whoever the voice was had just left again, but Adam was surprised by the voice saying, “That’s strange. I don’t remember you liking girls.” Adam was puzzled. He had never said anything about his relationship, nor his romantic life, before talking about Melissa. “What do you mean? I’ve liked women for as long as I can remember.” Adam replied, and after a few seconds the voice further replied with, “No you don’t, Adam. You like men.”

Adam’s head was spinning. What were they talking about? What was even going on. “W-what are you talking about? I’m not gay.” Adam bluntly said. The voice replied more quickly now, saying, “It seems you’re flustered. Why don’t you watch some more movies and eat to calm down.”

The people in space suits, not giving Adam much choice, shoved a spoon of chocolate pudding into Adam’s mouth as the TV turned back on. Adam admitted defeat early, habitually opening his mouth for the other person to feed him a piece of cake.

Again, Adam didn’t realize that these movies were designed to manipulate his mind. All of the movies had incredibly attractive men cast as actors, with the actors becoming more important with each consecutive movie. And, once again, whispers of messages played in addition to the previous ones. Though this time the messages were saying things like “Men are sexy,” and “Don’t you just love when a hot guy takes off his shirt?” All the while, he was being fed by the two people in space suits, but Adam just ate like it was normal. He just habitually opened his mouth and chewed whenever something was placed in it, used to the process by now.

As one of the movie’s credits rolled, and Adam was being fed a large glass of milk, Adam realized he had just watched quite a few movies and figured he had been distracted for a long while. He looked down at his body, finding it harder to do so now, to see what the hours of eating had done to him. Adam first noticed his belly, which was now pooling into his lap, covering basically all of it. The tan mass of flesh nearly reached Adam’s knees and was now dividing itself into multiple rolls. The legs his belly rested on were quite thick to be able to hold the large, jiggly piece of fat. Adam’s thighs were nearly twice as wide as his waist was before he started eating and his legs weren’t far behind. Because of their size, Adam’s shorts had torn off during the movie, but he was too busy having his face stuffed to notice. His shirt had torn off too, allowing his large moobs to be on display. They rested on top of his ginormous belly and were big enough to hold in your hand. Additionally, because Adam’s shorts tore off, his ass was completely out and the two globes of flesh could be seen clear as day. They looked to be as big as bowling balls and provided Adam with enough cushion so he wasn’t uncomfortable on the wooden chair.

And speaking of the chair, constant creaks were heard from the thing. Adam was too fat for the chair to contain. His belly looked squished between the arm rests and his ass was starting to get a bit cramped too. After Adam was fed another fudge cookie, the chair snapped and left Adam to fall on the ground. His entire body shook, jiggling for at least a minute from the force of the fall.

Adam could’ve escaped then and there, but he was having a hard time getting up with his fat body. Giving up after trying to get up one time, Adam just decided to wait for help. With his arms free now, he decided to feel his grown body up for the first time. He grabbed his belly and let it fall back into his lap, feeling the jiggling sensation go throughout his body. Adam then cupped one of his moobs in his hand, then doing the same to the other one. “This isn’t half bad.” Adam said to himself.

Just then, the two people in strange suits had come back with a new chair. It looked pretty sturdy, being made out of metal and having a wide seat for Adam to grow into. The seat also looked like it retracted, which confused Adam, but he really wasn’t in a place to question them. The two people helped Adam sit in the chair, allowing the big boy to rest somewhere other than the ground.

“It seems like you’re enjoying yourself more.” The voice said once Adam was comfortable in his chair. Adam agreed, so the voice asked, “Did those movies help jog your memory?” Adam was a bit confused at first, but remembered what the voice was referencing. “Yeah I have to admit, some guys are pretty cute.” Adam said, which pleased the voice. But then Adam also added, “But I still prefer girls, and it’s not like I’d want a guy to fuck me. I’d be the one on top.”

The voice was quiet for a few minutes. Then, out of nowhere the voice said, “It appears your memory is still cloudy. We can help with that.” After that, one of the people in suits shoved a tube in Adam’s mouth. Shortly after Adam felt something flow through the tube, which he shortly after tasted in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious and Adam couldn’t help but suck the stuff down. He didn’t know he was eating an incredibly fattening combination of grease, lard, fat and sugar. Then, the TV screen came back on, but this time a movie wasn’t playing. This time there was a black and white, swirling spiral on the screen. Adam was confused and wanted to look away, but found it incredibly difficult to do so, strangely enough. Finally, Adam felt a part of the chair beneath him retract, which further confused Adam. He let out a yelp as the chair seat came back, only this time Adam felt the chair had stuck something in his butt. It was cylindrical, almost tubular. Then it started to move further into Adam’s rear and then slowly moved back to its original position, the entire motion causing Adam to let out a loud, muffled moan. This helped Adam confirm that some kind of dildo was in him, or something of the sorts. Each thrust caused Adam’s entire body to jiggle, the constant movement causing Adam’s mind to be even more thrown off.

“Hopefully a night with this will help bring you back to your true self. Goodnight, Adam.” The voice said. The two people in suits left Adam’s view, with Adam letting out confused moans that were muffled by the tube in his mouth. Adam was completely lost and his mind was starting to be clouded by immense pleasure. Shortly after the voice and people left him, Adam came all over his underbelly, making a mess from the pleasure. Adam was embarrassed but knew he couldn’t help it. The dildo object in his ass was hitting some kind of pleasure nerve and it was hard to resist it.

Feeling like there was nothing else to do about his situation, Adam just stared at the TV and let his mind drift off. Adam was left in a daze, his eyes glazed over as he stared at the continuous spiral. He didn’t feel like he had much of a choice to do otherwise. All the boy felt like he could do was wait for tomorrow, and whatever came with it.

Luckily for Adam, it felt like the next morning came quickly for him. The TV shut off, causing Adam to come back to reality. Even though he had been wacked out of his mind for the entire night, he had still been drinking down whatever substance was constantly being pumped through the tube. Not only that, but the buttplug thing in his ass had been pushing into him the entire night. He eventually got used to the feeling, but it still brought him immense pleasure each time it thrusted into him.

“Good morning Adam. It seems your night was fruitful.” The voice said shortly after Adam came back to his senses. Adam was confused at first, but looked at his body to realize what the voice was referring to.

He had grown massive overnight. Adam’s feet had grown so fat that they had finally snapped his sneakers and socks off during the night. His feet looked like plump little marshmallows attached to a fat piece of meat. Adam’s legs were also much thicker, growing wider as they approached his thighs. His thighs were basically tree trunks now, maybe even wider than that. Adam’s belly rested on his thighs, well for the most part it did. It had grown so fat that it was starting to hang over the edges of his thick thighs, causing flab to hang from Adam even when he was sitting. This wasn’t to mention the numerous rolls that Adam’s belly had, and each looked sweatier than yesterday, most likely due to the treatment Adam’s rear was receiving. Pillow moobs sat atop his belly and they looked like they may start sagging off of it soon. Each moob was about the size of a beach ball and it made it difficult for Adam to look down at himself. As Adam tried to move his moobs to see himself, he realized how heavy his arms were. It was incredibly tiring to move either of them, and when he did move them tons of fat sagged and jiggled off of the appendages. Adam’s face was filled with fat too. He was working his way to a third chin, and his cheeks jiggled whenever he moved now too.

It would be safe to be on Adam not moving a ton now. He looked like he was already overflowing the new seat he had been given. And Adam didn’t even look phased by this. In fact, as he looked over his body, one could’ve sworn that Adam came a few times.

“So,” the voice started, “how are you feeling today Adam?”

The tube was removed by one of the people in suits, Adam not noticing them walk over to him. Just as the tube was removed, Adam let out a humongous belch. It caused his body to jiggle for a good minute and the person who removed his tube had to step back a bit from the surprise force.

“I’m hungry.” Adam bluntly said. Shortly after, he came and added, “And horny.”

There was a pause once again, but after a few seconds the voice said, “Good! So it would be safe to assume you remember what your life is really like, yes?”

Adam was puzzled, scrunching his face up to say, “Huh?” He let out a burp as he said this, not nearly as large as the last one. He also let out a fart, despite the dildo-like object still being in his ass.

Adam couldn’t see it, but the person behind the voice smirked before continuing. “Oh, you know.” The voice said in a friendly tone. “Things like your weight. You’ve always been a fatty. Too lazy to do physical stuff, like sports. Always hated gym and running, none of that.”

As Adam listened to the voice, childhood photos of him appeared on the TV. There were pictures of him in gym class, his chubby face looked tired and, in a later image, exhausted. More images popped up, this time from a few years later. He was sitting on the couch, naked with his chubby belly out, eating a bag of chips and chocolate. This continued until more recent photos popped up, school yearbook photos of Adam as his fat ass self.

“Yeah...I’ve always been huge…” Adam said as memories started manifesting in his mind. He started to forget about his love for football, it being replaced with food. Whenever he felt pressure from his parents or anyone else to succeed, Adam would always eat. It calmed him down and he quite liked being bigger.

“Of course I remember that. I know I’ve always been big.” Adam said, almost as if he was offended.

“Oh? So then you remember your boyfriend, Jason?” The voice went on.

“Wh- huh?” Adam blundered again.

This time, an image of a brown-haired boy with blue eyes appeared on the TV.

“He asked you out in 9th grade. You’ve been together ever since. He’s helped fatten you up. I wouldn’t think you’d forget about him, you two are quite inseparable.” The voice added.

As Adam looked on at the images of the boy, more memories flooded back into his mind. He remembered when he first met Jason, in one of his English classes. When Jason asked him out, Adam was ecstatic, further so when Jason told Adam about how Jason wanted him fatter. He remembered nights of being stuffed to the brim, and some moments of Adam begging Jason to feed him. Any memories of being straight or liking girls had left Adam’s brain.

“He’s so hot…” Adam said in awe as he looked on at the pictures of his boyfriend.

The photos of Jason continued to come and with each photo it looked like Jason lost more and more clothing. Eventually Jason was completely naked, but Adam seemed happier about this than disturbed. He let another burp out before the voice continued to talk.

“And I’m sure you remember how...dominant...Jason is.” And Adam did. He remembered how coercive Jason was when feeding Adam, getting him to down an entire table in just under an hour. Jason made Adam feel like a fat pig, and this was no different in the bedroom. Adam couldn’t remember once being on top, always wanting to please Jason as much as he could.

After a few more minutes of naked Jason photos, the TV went pitch black before turning off. Adam had nearly cum 4 times throughout his “reminders” but he didn’t really seem to notice. He had ejaculated so much during the night because of the chair that he didn’t realize when he busted his load.

“Now, it’s breakfast time. Eat up!” The voice finally said to break the silence. But Adam didn’t even realize the voice had spoken, his face full of bacon and donuts from the two people in space suits. The voice was then quiet as Adam ate. The boy continued to be pleasured from behind, feeling a constant state of hungry, horny and pleasurable relief.

Just as fast as Adam was fed breakfast, he was fed lunch. “Hungry, mphf, need to eat…” Adam said as he was stuffed with burgers and fries, among other greasy junk. Grease dripped down his chins and onto his moobs, as well his chubby cheeks. Burps and farts continued to be released from the growing pig and he seemed to be sweating more too. He looked to be exhausted just from eating the food shoved in his face. Adam didn’t think anything was wrong and just wanted to eat.

Dinner soon came and Adam didn’t flinch at the sound of several carts being pulled up to him. He didn’t see them because of the dark room and his fat obscuring his vision, but he didn’t really care what the food looked like. Adam cared about it being in his gut, opening his mouth wide to be fed more. Greasy pork was shoved in his open maw, along with more fries, creamy potatoes and more juicy turkey. “Want...more...hungry…” Adam panted out before a belch erupted from him.

All the while Adam’s ass was still being toyed with by the chair. He couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t rock hard, his dick somehow still spurting out cum. Gluttony and lust clouded his mind, Adam being reduced to his base desires. He continued to be fed, sweat dripping in between his rolls and onto the chair.

As Adam finished a turkey, he opened his mouth expecting more food. Nothing came, however, which annoyed him a bit. The feeling in his rear stopped too, with a loud “plop!” sound being accompanied with the feeling of his ass being empty. No longer was there pleasure from behind or food from the front, so Adam was left with nothing to do but wait.

Adam tried to admire his body as he waited, seeing how big he had grown from all the eating he did. His belly drooped down in front of him, hanging nearly to his ankles. Each of his moobs looked to be the size of two pillows stacked in one pillow case, his nipples now as wide as a pepperoni slice on a pizza. Adam didn’t feel like he could move his arms, or at least move them very well. The same went for his legs, which were connected to thighs so wide they’d intimidate a redwood tree. Adam’s face was swaddled with 3 chins that were dangerously close to adding a fourth. His cheeks were as big as his face once was, jiggling whenever Adam made the slightest movements. And Adam’s ass, which had been constantly jiggling from the treatment from the chair, was holding him up about 3 or 4 feet in the air. Each butt cheek looked to be around the size of an exercise ball, all completely made out of adipose.

The sound of footsteps snapped Adam out of his admirable trance, figuring the two people were back to feed him some more. However, they appeared empty-handed and simply said, “Let’s go.” “No desert?!” Adam shouted, but realized that took a lot of energy out of him. “I...need to...eat…” He panted afterwards.

“Oh, you’ll get enough desert to last you until next year. Just get up so we can get you to where you need to go.” The person in the suit said. However, that’d be easier said than done. Adam looked like he was stuffed into the chair, his love handles over flowing from the arms of the chair and Adam’s ass and thighs were pouring out of the spaces under the chair arms. The two people in suits tried to lift the sweaty boy up, but it only resulted in creaking from the chair. Eventually, Adam felt the creaking grow more intense until it finally snapped under him. Adam jiggled for a good 5 minutes, his belly and rolls bouncing up and down along with his ass cheeks and moobs.

Afterwards, the two people heaved the fatty up, struggling to keep hold with all the sweat pouring from Adam’s body. Adam tried to help by lifting his legs, but that did nothing but move his belly a bit. The fat boy let out a fart from all the movement before panting, “Where...are...we...going?”

The people in suits didn’t even look at him, waiting a second before saying, “You’ll remember soon enough.” Remember? Were they taking him to a place he had been before? Did Adam actually know these people? What was even going on? Adam plagued himself with enough questions that he passed out from mental and physical exhaustion, not even being conscious to leave the room he had been trapped in for so long.

When Adam woke up, his eyes had to adjust to the sunlight. Was he outside? The more his eyes adjusted the more he realized he was just inside a well-lit room for the first time in a while. He was in front of a beautiful fireplace, the sides made out of well-crafted stone with a wooden finish on top. The walls were also beautiful stone, and Adam realized he was sitting on a very comfortable black leather couch. Looking to his left, Adam saw a very well decorated Christmas tree with numerous delicately wrapped presents underneath. Adam felt very out of place in this fine, luxurious room being the sweaty, fat pig of a slob he was.

However, Adam felt like he recognized this room. But, where exactly was it? As Adam tried to think, he got a massive spike of a headache thinking of his life. Luckily a loud, excited scream, one he recognized, put him in a good mood. He turned towards his right, where the scream came from, and gave an excited, “Babe!”

The brown haired, blue eyed boy ran over to the sweaty blob and gave him a big hug. “This is the best present ever!” He shouted, giving Adam a big kiss on the lips. “Well, we had to make it for the best son ever!” The father said, and the mother followed up with, “Merry Christmas Jason. You still have more presents to go through with Adam!”

The family enjoyed their opening of Christmas gifts, Jason receiving seemingly everything he asked for and Adam getting some new clothing, most notably an incredibly large thong. Adam remembered he was visiting...no wait...he lived with his boyfriend, Jason. Adam couldn’t remember living otherwise, so he was puzzled as to how he got any other idea in his mind.

After unwrapping presents, everyone headed towards the dining room for Christmas lunch. Adam, of course, would be getting a Christmas dinner later, but Jason and his parents usually filled up on Christmas lunch so much they couldn’t spare a bite for dinner. Adam sat in his huge seat, almost like a throne, though it looked the same as all the other chairs. Jason sat on Adam’s sweaty lap, which was mostly just Adam’s belly at this point. Jason fed Adam nearly everything that wasn’t on his parents’ plates, nearly forgetting to eat himself. Adam graciously ate whatever Jason held in front of him, letting out a belch as he finished the food.

“Lunch was great Mrs. Trebuk!” Adam thanked Jason’s mother. She graciously thanked him for the compliment as Adam tried to stand up, with Jason’s help of course. Adam started to waddle towards the living room to relax, but Jason had other plans. “We’re not done just yet.” He whispered to his large boyfriend. Adam felt his tool poke into his fat at the sound, excited for what came next.

Jason led Adam into his bedroom, which looked to be the size of a regular master bedroom. The bed was bigger than a king sized bed, which was necessary for Adam’s size. Jason heaved his boyfriend on the bed before he started stripping down. “This is my Christmas gift to you, fatty.” Jason said as he let go of his thong, revealing his sizable package. Jason then got on the bed with Adam, who was lying on his stomach, and then behind Adam.

Adam braced for what came next and excitedly moaned as Jason entered him from behind. “I’m so glad I have my fat piggy to play with. You’ll love this too I bet, you sweaty blob.” Jason said as he rammed himself into Adam, having to because of Adam’s ginormous ass cheeks. Adam just moaned, everything just bringing him massive amounts of pleasure.

A few moments later, the bed was covered in Jason and Adam’s sweat, though it was mostly the latter’s. Adam could feel himself coming to a climax, as well as Jason. Jason moaned out Adam’s name as he released into the pig, shortly afterwards saying, “Merry Christmas fat boy.” Adam came himself shortly after, panting and mumbling to himself, “This...is the best...Christmas...ever…” Adam passed out shortly after, waiting for his Christmas dinner, which would be just as fulfilling.

Epilogue

The Trebuk family was a very well-off family. Mr. Trebuk had inherited his family’s programming company, among the other stocks his father had invested into other companies. Mrs. Trebuk was a famous psychologist, renowned for her study in psychoanalysis and suggestion. Having made several books and gone on many early morning talk shows, she brought in nearly as much money as her esteemed husband.

Their son, Jason, was also well-off, but more genetically than in regards to his success. Jason had inherited his father’s metabolism and body, but his mother’s eyes and hair. The combination made Jason a typical pretty boy, though Jason had a bit more muscle than the average ‘pretty boy’ archetype you’d expect.

Jason was also peculiar in the fact that he was gay. With his fame on social media apps like Instagram, TikTok and Twitter for his body, one would expect him to be straight, just like most other boys were. But that wasn’t the most interesting thing about Jason either. Jason liked bigger guys, and not guys who were just more muscled and had a bit of fat on them. No, Jason’s ideal boyfriend was one who was huge, fat and barely mobile.

He had even expressed this to his parents, as the family was very open about their lives. So, when his parents asked Jason what he wanted for Christmas, it wasn’t surprising when he said, “I want a boyfriend who’s a fat pig, but I don’t want someone who’s already fat. I want a guy who’s thin and fit, like me, but make them fatter. And I want them to adore me. And I want them to be a slob. And…” Jason trailed on and on, his parents getting a little skeptical they could even fulfill his wish. Hell, they were concerned they could even get their son a boyfriend.

They proposed saying something on social media about it, but Jason told them he didn’t want his online personality to invade his life. He’d rather his fans think of him as a typical, attractive guy who flaunts his body online. Jason had been hoping this would bring him modeling opportunities, which it did now that he had turned 18, but he would be lying if he didn’t say he appreciated the attention.

As Jason finished up with what he wanted, his mother asked, “Is there anyone at school you like? We could try to base our ideas from there.” Jason eagerly went to his room, but his parents weren’t sure what he was doing. He came back with his yearbook, flipped to a marked page and pointed to a photo of a boy in his same year.

His father put on his reading glasses, while Jason’s mother tried to lean over for a view. “Adam Kolstit?” They both asked in unison. “Yup! He’s sooooo pretty! And I think he’d look even better as a fat pig!” Jason said, his parents afraid of him going on like he had earlier.

“Well, why don’t your mother and I talk about this for a bit and you’ll see what happens on Christmas.” Mr. Trebuk told his son. “Thank you thank you thank you!” Jason said, hugging both his parents tightly. The parents laughed and went back to their bedroom, locking the door so they weren’t disturbed.

“That boy is a handful.” Mr. Trebuk said. “And a half!” His wife added, then going on to say, “How are we gonna get a boy, another human, as a Christmas present?!” Her husband didn’t respond, busily typing away on his computer. “Are you even listening Dave?!” She yelled at him. “Quiet, Amanda, I think I’ve got our out.” Dave said, motioning his wife to his monitor.

Being the CEO of the programming company the town uses on a majority of their technology, Dave had access to nearly every computer in town, and this included security cameras. On screen, he had the camera right outside of a restaurant downtown. “That’s him!” Amanda said, pointing towards the boy. “I know it’s him that’s why I called you over here!” Dave yelled back. “Well follow him!” Amanda retorted. Dave kept switching to cameras until he saw an open field.

“Great Dave, we lost him.” Amanda whined. Dave kept watching the screen though, and said, “Don’t think so.” He pointed to a figure in a blue jersey with long, white pants on. They had a ball in their hands, which they dropped to the ground and kicked around. “So he likes soccer. Big deal.” Amanda said, walking away from the computer to sit on the bed. “It is a big deal! We know where he goes in the afternoon now!” Dave said

“Well now what? It’s not like I can just psychologically make him what Jason wants.” Amanda muttered. Dave then sat up, “But what if you could?” “Huh? I swear you get more senile every-” Amanda was interrupted by her husband saying, “The old warehouse a few miles out. We could store him there.” “And then what? We fatten him up in under a month?” Amanda questioned. Dave smirked and said, “Don’t worry, I know people. With your cooking and their science, we can make him ten times the size he is now.” Amanda then perked up to the plan, “And with my suggestive techniques…” “Now you’re getting it!” Dave complimented his wife. The two had a plan and just needed to execute it. Jason would have his fat boyfriend by the time Christmas came around.

#weight gain #male weight gain #gay weight gain #weight gain story

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singtheskyandfightlikehell · 4 years ago

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BatFamily Headcanons: Stuffed Animals

In an attempt to productively combat my recent writer’s block, I’m practicing writing the batfam characters through short character study fics (which I will post once I make enough) and comparative headcanons. I might end up making short fics out of these, as well, since some of them got a bit long anyways

Today I decided to explore how many stuffed animals each member of the batfam (plus an adjacent character or two) has, what they think of them, how they got them, etc. I’ve got eleven characters on this list (and I’m still missing some, sorry)

Bruce:

Bruce put aside stuffed animals when he was eleven, deciding it was time to become serious. However, since acquiring children, he has been gifted a number of stuffed animals, ranging from a small and realistic brown bat to a child-sized bear wearing his cape and cowl. None of the children know this, but he keeps them all in a prominent position in his walk-in closet. Sometimes, when he has a particularly nasty fight with one of his kids, or he discovers something (like an injury) that they were hiding from him, he’ll tell the stuffed animals all the things he struggles to tell his children in the hopes that, one day, he’ll figure out how to express himself when it actually counts.

Alfred:

Alfred has no stuffed animals of his own, but he keeps the old, worn teddy bear that was once Thomas’ and later Bruce’s, alongside the somewhat lopsided bunny that Martha attempted to sew for Bruce when he was two. They sit side by side in a spotless glass cabinet filled with other memories that various members of the family have at one point or another attempted to cast aside.

Dick:

Dick has a pair of stuffed elephants, Eleonore and Zitka, and a teddy bear of his own, all from the circus. Most of the time they sit on the shelf under one of his nightstands, but when he has a particularly bad day, he’ll hold them all tightly until he falls asleep. If he’s crying, he finds it slows the tears to press kisses to the tops of their heads, or just smoosh his whole face into them. Sometimes, if he’s having a particularly good day – especially if no one else is sharing in his good mood – he’ll tell them about whatever made him happy. The rarest occasions are a bittersweet combination of both, the moments when he dwells on his happiest memories of his parents. When this happens, he is more likely to address them than his family, talking to them like old friends who were “there” for the things he’s recalling. It reminds him of the parties he would host as a small child, attended by his stuffed animals and his parents and sometimes other people from the giant family that was Haly’s, and for just that moment he’ll feel suspended somewhere between grief and content.

Barbara:

Barbara had lots of stuffed animals growing up, but as she got older, she gave most of them away. The only one she kept was a little otter that her father gave her for her first birthday. She doesn’t remember this, of course, but they have an old home video of that day which she’s seen a few times, and she know it’s one of her dad’s favorites to watch when he’s feeling nostalgic. She does remember the way she used to drag the otter with her everywhere she went when she was about four, and it’s so worn now that all of its original fluffiness has disappeared. She sets it up near her main computer and uses it in place of a rubber duck.

Jim:

When Babs decided she was too old for her stuffed animals, Jim was instructed to give them away at one of the Gotham children’s toy drives he helps run as commissioner. Only about half of them ever make it out of the house, because he keeps looking at them and remembering little moments that involve each of them. He has two boxes full of them that he swears he’s going to bring to the next drive, but he’s been swearing that for over ten years now.

Jason:

When Jason first arrived at the manor, he swore up and down that stuffed animals were dumb kids toys that he was way too old for. The first time Dick showed up at the manor after Jason was there, he brought a plush dog he’d picked up on the way there, unsure what to get his surprise new brother but not putting an excess of thought into it either. After all, he wasn’t about to ask Bruce what Jason might like. Jason made a show of scorn and tossing the toy in the trash, but when Dick was gone he dug it back out. When he was sleeping, he clutched the dog protectively against his chest like it might be snatched away at any time. When he wasn’t sleeping, he kept it hidden in a box wedged under a floorboard beneath the bed, alongside his other contraband. It was there when he died and it’s still there now. Every time he’s in the manor, he thinks about sneaking into his old room to retrieve it, alongside some of his other old belongings, but he never does. His reasoning alternates between not caring, being too old for toys, not wanting to set foot in his old room, and not wanting to get caught caring after all these years.

He does however have an obnoxiously long bright red snake that Roy won at some sort of archery carnival game while they were supposed to be tracking a suspect. He’d griped at Roy for wasting time with frivolous games, a complaint that was very on brand for their relationship. He’s pretty sure Roy saw through him, though, and understood the real reason he was so antsy to leave the carnival, given his soft apology later that night. He also recently acquired a floppy stingray, a gift from Lian for his latest birthday. She told him that she’d gotten to pet a stingray at the aquarium where she’d bought it, and it reminded her of him. Specifically, she’d said he was, “Kinda dangerous and maybe a little scary, but actually really soft to anyone who’s nice enough”. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that description, but the gift had a place of pride, resting atop an old model of his helmet that Roy had “defaced” with a sweet message that always made Jason smile.

Cass:

Cass grew up without stuffed animals, and was honestly a little confused at first about why she might want one. The first one she ever got was a tiny key-chain cat that was given to her by a little girl she saved. She was unsure what to make of the object itself, but she treasured it as a symbol, proof that she was doing good in the world. It was Steph who convinced her to look for more, to look for stuffed animals in her “style”. Eventually, she got two of the most different ones she could find: an iridescent octopus packed tightly with beans and made of a coarse fabric, and a large fluffy goose that squished like a cloud and was made of the softest fabric imaginable. She likes tossing the octopus lightly in the air to feel the weight of it, and faceplanting into the giant goose. She also has a big bear holding a plush heart that Steph got her for their first Valentine’s.

Tim:

Tim’s relationship with stuffed animals is a bit more complicated. He had five growing up: a dog, a bear, a lion, a rabbit, and a lamb. They had names, stories, personalities, and they were his friends (his only friends, at the time). When he was seven, he woke up one day to find them gone. His mother scolded him for his tears, explaining that he was too old for baby toys, and that his attachment to them would only hinder his path forward. For years, he felt ashamed whenever he thought of his grief towards them, because he knew they were just toys, he knew he was being a baby about it, and yet…

It wasn’t until he was fifteen years old and stumbled across an article about autistic people and the projection of feelings onto objects that he understood why he had been willing to sneak out at night to search through pawn store after pawn store and – once – the landfill in the hopes of seeing his beloved toys again. As a teen in the Wayne household, he knew he could get as many stuffed animals as he liked, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so after what had happened before. He got one giant, floppy moose, barely half a foot shorter than himself, that he clings to like an octopus when he manages to lay down, whether he succeeds in falling asleep or not. Additionally, on a night after Jason made amends with the family, Tim returned to his room to find a fifteen inch plush latte with a cute little face on the mug portion and a sticky note on top that simply read: Sorry for trying to kill you a bunch. My bad :) He keeps it on top of his dresser, and while he doesn’t really hug it, he did discover it was the perfect object for chucking at his siblings’ heads whenever the situation calls for it.

Steph:

Steph loves stuffed animals. While she never got any of the fancy brand name ones, or the luxuriously soft ones, or the hyper-realistic ones, her mom had a tradition of buying her one for every birthday, Christmas, and Easter. She soon had quite a collection, and – like Tim – she gave them all names and personalities. She played out complex scenarios with them and the few dolls she had, designing an intricate world of wild concepts and plots. She also used her stuffed animals to conquer her fears, like thunderstorms and darkness, by pretending they were all more scared than she was, so she had to be brave for all of them. Steph still has her whole collection, as well as quite a few “nicer” (though equally loved) ones that she has acquired from various Waynes. At this point, pretty much everyone in the Wayne family has given her a stuffed animal at some time or other. For a couple of years now, she has taken to posing with her massive collection and making fake family Christmas cards to send out to everyone she knows, where she will update them on the well-being of any plushie they’ve given her.

Duke:

Duke also has a great love of stuffed animals, although he doesn’t match Steph for quantity. He only had a few beloved animals growing up, all of which he’s held onto (a panda, a penguin, a turtle, a frog, a leopard, and a pikachu). Since being fostered by Bruce, Duke has taken to searching out and buying only the rarest stuffed animals he can find: an anteater, a platypus, a manatee, a sloth, and an axolotl have made the cut so far. Bruce knows about this and has taken to keeping an eye out for anything interesting whenever he’s out. After accidentally mentioning it at a gala one time, it has since become his favorite topic, as getting drawn into an intense discussion with Bruce Wayne about where to acquire strange plushies for his son elicits one of two reactions from his guests: delighted awws or hilariously awkward attempts to steer the conversation back to high society definitions of business and pleasure. At Duke’s request, a large shelf was built around the top of his room, so that all of his stuffed animals can sit comfortably and be clearly seen.

Damian:

Damian was much like Jason when he arrived at the manor in more ways than one, but his determination to prove himself above stuffed animals was certainly on that list. He sneered at his siblings’ attempts to treat him like the child he swore he wasn’t. And honestly, even after he began to lower his walls just a little, he still wasn’t particularly fond of stuffed animals. Sure, he privately thought they were cute, and sure he might (might) find himself holding one at night if it happened to have been left in his bed by an annoying sibling, but in general he preferred live animals to fake ones. Real animals had personalities and feelings, fake ones did not, it was as simple as that, no matter what Stephanie claimed. But as time went on, Damian found himself acquiring a small army of stuffed animals against his will. Some of his siblings (Jason, Tim, sometimes Duke) gave them to him because they found it funny to watch him growl about how he was not an infant in need of deceitful comforts. Some of his siblings (Dick, Cass, sometimes Duke… sometimes his father as well) would give them to him because they knew he liked animals so they assumed he’d like imitations of animals as well. Steph would just give them to everybody, every now and then. But regardless of motive, Damian soon found his room overflowing with stuffed animals that were moderately cute but ultimately pointless.

It wasn’t until a patrol a few years after he’d taken on the mantle of Robin that he discovered a solution. Tim had hidden a tiny stuffed bear in the medical supply compartment of his utility belt, a felt bandage wrapped around its little head. He hadn’t been wounded, but the young girl he’d rescued had been bleeding from a wound that looked worryingly dirty. The bear had fallen out of the pouch, right into her lap, and she’d stared at it with wide eyes, surprise halting the flow of her tears. She’d held onto it the whole time he disinfected her arm and bandaged it, and afterwards he had insisted she keep it. For the first time that night, she’d smiled. After that, Damian began taking a few of his many stuffed animals out on patrol with him, ready to hand out to any and all injured, lost, or otherwise traumatized children once he’d rescued them from their troubles. Eventually he began running out of toys he’d been gifted, even though he kept getting new ones, so at some point he begins to regularly sneak out for the sole purpose of acquiring stuffed animals to hand out. He never tells his siblings, but he suspects they’ve found out anyway, when the presents they give him drastically decrease in size.

#batfamily #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #damian wayne #duke thomas #cassandra cain #stephanie brown #barbara gordon #jim gordon #bruce wayne #alfred pennyworth #jayroy #stephcass #my headcanons #i stole elements of the hc for dick tim steph and duke from my own personality lmao #also the only portion of this that draws on canon (to my knowledge) is the stuff about dick #i've seen stuff about him having a stuffed elephant with both of those names so i decided to just give him two #can't go wrong with extra elephants #but yeah i hope there's nothing that like blatantly contradicts any of this stuff #i'm trying to speed read a bunch of comics rn but i keep reading like 50s-80s era primarily #so there's a number of characters i haven't really gotten to yet #also i've discovered i find green arrow comics more entertaining so lowkey i keep reading those instead oops #i have a very convoluted list of what i need to read to hit the major plot points of batfam and arrowfam #but i also lowkey feel like major plot point comics are gonna tell me less about characterization #filler episodes are where its at #but there's no reading order lists that give me 'best filler issues' sorted by character

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dancingthesambaa · 3 years ago

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The Smell of Plum Blossom Tea Ch 3

Summary: Just like a butterfly wing, a single act of kindness can change the course of the future, it certainly did for MK as a black-furred monkey put out a hand towards him.

Rating: Teen and up

Chapter 3: Shadows of the Past

“Mhmmmmm,” Mei's eyes sparkled as she munched on the moon cake on the outdoor patio. “This is the most amazing thing I have ever eaten, I don’t even think the chefs can top this.”

“I seriously have to ask your parents what they do one day,” Macaque said as he ruffled her hair and picked up the empty plates with his hands and used his tail to set down the plate of mooncakes right beside an assortment of origami made by both Macaque and the kids. They were in the shapes of people, a vulture, monkey, jellyfish, rabbit, lion, and other varieties of animals and objects. They had a little too much fun making them all. After he put the dishes in the soap-filled sink he took off his apron and sat down next to MK, who was stuffing his face, “cause there is no way they can have normal jobs to have a chef.”

“I think they dig stuff up,” Mei shrugged her shoulders.

“Archaeologist,” he mused as he snatched up a sugar ring from MK plate, receiving an outraged ‘Hey’ from MK, “Didn’t think they were the down and dirty people, though...” The first time he met them was when Mei wanted to go visit MK at their house for his tenth birthday. Nice people, a bit cutthroat and sharp tongue, but nice people, especially when it comes to the safety of their daughter. “I have been wrong before.”

“It’s nice to hear you admit that,” a deep voice chuckled as both the kids jumped up in fright at the unexpected voice.

“Yeah yeah yeah, can it kitty cat,” Mac grumbled as he took a bite of the sugar ring, then wrinkled his nose at the sweet taste. “Can’t afford Raki to hear that.”

A figure softly leaped down from out of nowhere and by the lanterns' soft glow, they saw that the figure was dressed in an extravagant red robe that had rings of gold displayed all across, but the kids were more focused on the figure being a giant lion demon than anything else.

“I brought Eight Treasure Rice Pudding,” he tempted him as he held up the dessert in one hand and a floating lantern in the other.

“Well then you're more than welcome to join,” the monkey jokes, “Happy New Year kitty.”

“Happy New Year,” he said as he put the tray down and gave a smile as he noticed that Macaque was not alone, “and a Happy New Year to the both of you as well, I’m Ahmed.”

“MK!” The boy greeted him as his eyes went from the figure to the pudding.

“Mei the name and let me say that the pudding smells really good,” she drooled a bit.

“Well I hope it is, here,” he cut a slice for the two of them and sat down on the other side of Mac once the two began to dig in.

“Delicious!” They both said in glee.

“Bottomless pit I swear,” the monkey demon muttered.

“Your food is just that delicious,” Ahmed teased and gave a small nudge to his shoulder.

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Mac then took notice of his mane and gave a small eye twitch, “oi when’s the last time you took care of that mane of yours?”

The lion stiffens as he avoided eye contact, “oh not too long ago.”

“How long?”

“I don’t quite remember it could have been-,”

“How. Long.”

“....a few months ago.”

“I swear-what is with you guys and not taking care of your goddamn fur,” Mac grumbled as he forced the lion head to lay down on his lap as he began to fix his fur, “only can count on Bohai to take proper care.”

“But he doesn’t even have any fur,” the demon tried to refute, only to be met with a stink eye.

“And he can still take better care than the rest of you lot.”

“Does this happen a lot?” Mei pointed out the scene and MK nodded.

“Tons, usually it’s with Daiyu since she tends to get blood in her wings, the monkeys, or even me.” He can’t remember the first time he had his hair played with, but once it began it just never stopped. “He said that monkeys tend to the other fur when they care for the other.”

“Ohhh,” then Mei's eyes widened, and had to hold back a large smile as she realized that Macaque had been messing with her hair for the past month. He may be gruff, but he is just one big softy on the inside. Though she couldn’t help but take a longer look at the pair and noticed that the lion's eyes were closed in pure content...like a cat, she couldn’t hold back a giggle.

Ahmed's ears perked up and looked towards her, Mac's eyes didn’t even move from his grooming as he was used to both children's strange outburst, and he saw the young child just eerily smile at him. He decided that it would be better if he just ignored all of that.

Almost an hour later, Mei noticed that a soft glow of light was slowly flying above the forest. “Hey what’s that?”

They all looked in the direction of her pointed finger and it was MK who reacted first.

“Someone released their lantern! Can we do it now!” He eagerly said as he watched many more lights begin to emerge from the treetops.

Mac laughed as he pushed the purring cat off his lap, who didn’t take any offense as he stretched, and grabbed the lanterns, “yeah we can.”

“Yes!” He grabbed his lantern and waited by the edge of the patio with Mei.

“Don’t forget yours as well rocky,” he handed a lantern to the surprised Mei.

She blinked, a bit taken aback by the sudden action, but smiled brightly, “thanks fluffy!”

“Not fluffy,” he muttered as he slapped his tail at the back of the laughing lion's head. The two joined them with their lanterns and at once they all released it in the air as they all joined the small trove of floating lanterns in the air as the light almost illuminated the pink forest in its entirety.

They watched the scene until they could no longer see it anymore and when they thought it was all done they diverted their attention to the first crackle of fireworks and the kids cheered loudly as much more came.

“If I was a snake, where would I be?” MK hummed as he looked through the trees, hoping he didn't run into any creepy crawly spiders, as he tried to find his slithery friend.

The Qilin merely snorted as he laid down against the Yao grass, MK met him one day when he was visiting Whatever. He tried so many times to call him Shui Gui or Kappa, but the webbed spirit would just ignore him, and the horse-like creature trotted from across the lake and up to him, and after a moment of staring, just decided to take a nap next to him. Ever, MK managed to haggle that nickname out of him, once again busted out laughing and left a confused eleven year old.

“They have to be around here somewhere,” he grumbled as he searched further through the woods only to stumble upon an open clearing with an old house in the middle. “Huh, didn’t know anyone lived here.”

He walked closer to the home and he gave a cheerful yell “Hello! Anyone home?!”

No response.

“Doesn’t seem like they're here right now...let’s take a closer look,” he mischievously scurried over to the open window and peeked inside to see that it almost looked like he traveled back to the Tang Dynasty, see he has been paying attention to history, take that Dad.

“I wonder who could live here?” He pondered as he looked through the clean wooden and sun dried brick structure. “It actually looks clean, but everything is just so...well old?”

“What are you doing here kit?” He jumped up at the melodic voice.

“You scared me Ní!” He yelled at the Huli Jing, the brown nine-tailed fox.

“Well everyone needs a good scare every once in a while,” they said with a grin as they walked forward.

“Course I did,” he grumbled as he turned to face the shack, “so do you know whose house this is?”

Sadly, the fox smiled, “just one filled with fond memories kit, now come,” they nudged him away from the old home. “I heard that you were looking for our lost slithery friend of ours.”

“Yeah, they took my fidget spinner after learning that they could spin it on their tail,” he huffed as he once again.

“I presume you mean our Xian,” she hummed as they walked back to the trees.

“Who else?”

“Well there are our many reptilian friends amongst the trees, for all I know you could mean our biggest companion,” they teased.

MK looked at the fox as if they were crazy, “I don’t think that there even is a fidget spinner big enough for her.”

“You never know,” they swished their tails as they made it back to where the Qilin was and they took on a grin, “oh, it seems that we have found them.”

MK's eyes twitched as he saw that the snake was just chilling next to the horned horse beast as they played with the spinner, “Hey!”

All nine snakeheads lift at the voice and with a unison hiss, they promptly slither away with fidget spinner in hand, or rather tail in their case.

“Don’t you dare run! Get back here with that! I need it for class!”The boy yelled as he ran after the Xiangliu with much fervor.

“-but how?!” MK threw his hands in the air, “Monkey King has all these amazing powers, it doesn’t make sense that he can’t use them underwater.

“He is a stone monkey!” Mei pointed out to a section of the book as she leaned against MK’s bed, “stone sink, not float!”

“But he can still transform into all these different animals, can’t he just make himself a fish or something?”

“He is still stone!”

“But he can fly!”

“I don’t know magic,” she was half tempted to throw her book at her friend, she doesn’t have all the answers either.

“Then why can’t he use it underwater then?!” He was then hit by a thrown book as he fell off the bed, “you didn’t have to throw it at me.”

“Well maybe I did,” she crossed her arms and just laid down on top of him, “this is so confusing...maybe we can ask Mac, he knows a thing or two about magic.”

“He does,” the thirteen year old shot straight up, knocking Mei off, but then he slumped down when a thought occurred to him, “but he’s currently helping Ning right now.”

“Ning?” She asked as she sat back up.

“She’s a client,” he added.

“Oohh...I wonder what she’s in for?”

“When she sneezes or burps, she breathes fire,” MK easily answered. He already saw this happen when she first crawled in, she gave a wave to him, but quickly turned away when she sneezed. He is glad that the wood in the house has been enchanted to be fireproof, cause he doubted that there would have been a house standing after that fireball.

“She’s a dragon!” Mei got in his face, if there was one creature she loved it would hand down be the dragons.

“No, just a lizard demon.”

“Well technically dragons are reptiles,” she slumped down, her dreams of seeing the magnificent beast being thoroughly crushed. She then picked up the Journey to the West book and she gave an amused huff as she saw what page it landed on. “I still find it funny that your dad shares the same name as Monkey King rival.”

MK shared her grin, “it is pretty funny, like can you imagine him going toe to toe with the Monkey King.”

Mei’s grin widened, “the same monkey who let me put braids in his fur with ribbons!”

“The one who has a heart attack each time I get a bruise out in the forest,” he joined in.

“Who wears aprons when cooking food!”

“Let the baby monkey cling onto him!”

“He makes medicine for any demon or human that stops by!”

“He uses scented shampoo cause he likes the smell and it makes his fur soft,” the two couldn’t help but roll on the floor laughing.

“Do you want to hear something even more hilarious,” MK grinned.

“What?!” Mei asked after her laughter died down.

“There are some customers who even call him the Six-eared Macaque,” he snorted even louder.

Mei's face completely froze, “Huh?”

“Yeah,” he vigorously nodded, not taking any notice of his friend's change of mood, “I heard them call him with full respect and everything!”

“...what?”

“And what’s even better, he has six ears!”

“What?!” MK jumped up at Mei’s outburst.

“What was that for?!”

“You just told me that he has six ears?!” She began to shake him. “Do you not realize what you just implied?!”

“NoOoOo,” he shakily answered.

Mei then dropped him as she reached back towards the book and flipped through the pages until she found another, “oh my god, how could I have not realized it before!”

“What?” He asked as he managed to sit back up.

“Shadow manipulation, clones, stealthy,” she read out some of the powers, “they both share almost the same abilities! Hell, he even is a black-haired monkey!”

“Fur, but yeah and?” He still didn’t get what she was implying.

“And doesn’t he have super hearing?” She pressed further hoping that her dense friend would get it.

“Yes andddd?” He didn’t.

She pushed the book to his face, “Your Dad is the Six-Eared Macaque from the book!”

“What?! No he isn’t,” he snatched the book from her hands, “I mean it doesn’t make any sense, he may be grumpy, but he is not anything like the one from the story! He is downright mean and cruel!”

“Well, maybe he changed?!” She threw her hands in the air, “it won’t be that big of a stretch, I mean 500 years is a long time.”

“But I have never seen him fight before, not even when Daiyu would plead to him for a spar, he would just roll his eyes.”

“Maybe he just doesn’t fight when you're around,” she threw in her answer.

“But, but, but it just can’t,” MK threw the book away from him, “it just can’t.”

“MK,” Mei worriedly put a hand on his shoulder, “are you okay?”

“Yes-no-I don’t know,” he leaned on the ground with a groan. “He just can’t be the same one from the book okay.”

“Well, why not?”

“He can’t, he can’t because if he is then he has purposefully kept this a secret from me,” he whispered out.

“Then that’s more reason to ask him,” Mei insisted.

“No!” He shot up and grabbed her shoulders, “we can’t!”

“Well why not!”

“It might not even be him!”

“But what if it is?!” She countered back.

“But what if it's not,” he firmly stood his ground.

“And if it is?”

“It’s not!”

“It is!”

“It’s not!”

“It is!”

“It’s not!”

“MK, we have to ask him.”

“Ask me what?” They both scooted back in shock when the said monkey demon walked into the room. “I’m hoping by those reactions that you were just startled and not guilty of doing something you weren’t supposed to.” He decided to check out their yells after he had finished with his patient.

The two shot a look at one another.

“Right?”

“Yeah, nothing bad, nothing and at all,” MK nervously said as he scratched the back of his neck and avoided his golden eyes.

“You know that right there isn’t helping your case,” Mac deadpanned.

“It's just that we have a question,” Mei butted in as she grabbed the tossed book.

“Mei no,” MK tried to stop her, but she was determined to get her answers.

“Are you the same Six-Eared Macaque from the book?!” The pigtailed girl showed him the Journey to the West book up to him.

Macaque stilled at the question for a moment before easing down as he took a look at the book, “Huh, haven’t read this book in a while,” he said noncommittally.

“Well? Are you?!” Mei pushed him for the answer, she was not leaving until she got one.

Even MK was silently watching this whole interaction but didn’t move an inch, because deep down, even he wanted to know.

The monkey demon let out a sigh as he nodded, “yeah, I am.”

It was silent as the two kids took in that information.

MK's mind was racing, he didn’t know what to even think. The cruel demon in the story, the one who constantly attacked innocent people, killed so many, clashed fiercely against the Monkey King, is the same one who found him all those years ago and took care of him. It just doesn’t make any sense!

“Want to talk here or in the living room?” Macaque’s voice pierced through the silence.

It took a moment before MK finally responded, “living room.”

“Alright, I’ll go make some tea. This won’t be an easy talk,” he said as he began to reach out to ruffle his hair only to stop at his child's nervous stare. He puts his hands down and promptly walks out of the room and turns away to the kitchen, while he ignores the tight squeeze in his chest.

“So,” Mac sat down on the opposing chair from the couch that had the two kids on it as the pot of tea and a bowl of peeled mangos sat in the middle of the table, “where do you want me to start?”

“Were you ever gonna tell me?” MK blurred out first as he clenched his fist. “Or was this gonna be kept in the dark.”

“When you turned 18, I was gonna sit down with you and talk about this,” he firmly told his son. “I had no intention in hiding this from you forever.”

MK didn’t reply as he lowered his head.

“The beginning is usually a good place,” Mei tried to joke, but only the demon gave a small smirk as MK stayed silent.

“That’s as good a place as any, well before that book ever took place, before even the thought of the Journey took place, me and Sun Wukong were friends.”

“You were friends?!” This time MK didn’t stay silent as both kids shouted.

“Surprising right,” he mirthlessly chuckled.

“It never said anything like that in the books!” Mei exclaimed as she held up her book.

“Well first that’s a kid-friendly book of the story,” he pointed out the childish cartoon design on the front cover. “Don’t think they want kids reading books about graphic violence, especially with the disembowelment and all types of gore,” he muttered the last part quietly to himself. “And second, not everything you read or hear is correct.”

“Huh?”

“History is told by the victors and survivors, not by those who lie dead,” he softly said.

“Oh,” Mei shuffled at the uncomfortable thought.

“So how did you two meet?” MK prompted.

“When we first met, he looted some food from a shrine and got caught like an idiot, which pissed off the mountain god.”

“He did?!”

“Yeah, this was way before he met Subodhi, the one who taught Wukong about how to take on immortality.” He reminisces back to the scene where he met his first friend.

‘Shit! Shit! Shit!’ Sun Wukong leaped from rock to rock as he tried to get as much distance as he could from him and the deity. He spotted a cluster of rocks that looked like it had some amount of cover as he leaped behind it and waited. “All I wanted was some damn food! How was I supposed to know that it was supposed to go to a God?! It makes no damn sense to just leave food lying out!” He whispered angrily.

“So you're the one who pissed him off,” Wukong managed to suppress a yelp as he noticed that he wasn’t alone in his hiding spot. It was a bit surprising to see that it was a Monkey demon like him, only with black fur and a red scarf hiding the bottom of his face. “One would think that you shouldn’t piss off a deity, but that is just my opinion,” he snarked.

“Well one shouldn’t leave food lying out like an idiot,” he shot back.

“So you decided to steal from a mountain God? Yeah, real smart,” Macaque drawled out. “Usually I steal from fields, but you took the idiot crown today.”

“How was I supposed to know that it was for someone!” He retorted.

“Just by looking at it dumbass, have you never seen a shrine before?”

“What’s a shrine?” He questioned.

“I’ll take that as a no,” he deadpanned. “How can you not know? Were you living under some kind of rock before?”

“No, I was born from one!” He cheekily grinned.

“...I don’t know if you're insane or if that’s just the weirdest thing I heard,” he then froze as he dragged Wukong closer to the rocks.

“Wha-,” he was about to break free but was hushed by his fellow hider.

“Shhh,” he silently pointed to the right of them and after a moment noticed that a shadow was getting larger. Wukong smartly decided, for the first time, to keep his mouth shut.

It was only after the shadow left did the two relax.

“So I guess we’re stuck here for awhile,” the brown-furred monkey sprawled against the rocks and made himself comfortable, “I’m Sun Wukong, but people call me the Monkey King.”

The other monkey let out a burst of laughter at his ridiculous name, “Ha! Yeah, no I’m not calling you that. I’m Liu Er Mihou.”

“Pfft, boring,” he grumbled back as he then got curious, “so why are you hiding behind this rock anyways? You certainly were here long before I was.”

“Well unlike you, I was taking a nice nap before this happened,” he smirked as he leaned back.

“Just napping you say,” his eyes happen to spot a bag filled with different goods and food.

“Well napping after I nicked off some things from the fields and market and unlike you, I didn’t get caught.”

“Would have been helpful, but-,” they were cut off when a huge explosion erupted from underneath them.

“You thought you could run from me you little ape!” The mountain God’s echoey voice boomed out. “I am one with all upon this mountain! Every pebble is my ears! Every rock is my voice! You can-,” he was cut off by a voice angrily yelling at him.

“I’m not an ape!” Wukong screeched as the two of them started to run.

“That’s what you're concerned about?!” Liu Er confusedly asked though it was laced with a twinge of amusement and fear.

“I have a tail!” He emphasized the tail carrying the bag of food. “Obviously not an ape!”

“You can’t run forever little ape,” the voice snarled out with every crushed rock booming behind them.

“You got one more time to call me an ape!” He yelled out as his eye twitched.

“And what are you gonna do about it little. Ape.” The voice mockingly said with a toothy grin.

“That’s it!” The angered monkey stopped in his tracks as he flung the bag over to Macaque, “hold this!” And with that, his eyes started to glow bright yellow as he flung himself at the God.

“What are you doi-,” he cut himself off as he noticed that the impulsive monkey that he was hiding with had suddenly begun to shoot lasers from his eyes. “Huh, maybe there was something about him being born from the stone that was true.”

“GHA stop that!” The Mountain God wheezed out as he was hit by another bludgeoning punch from the mortal monkey.

“Not so tough now are you!” He mocked as he sent a flying kick towards the immortal being, only for him to slink down into the mountain. “Oh now who's the coward! Come out and fight me!”

“This dumbass,” Macaque grumbled as he was half-tempted to just take the bag and run, but even he doubted that he would hold up against the enraged monkey like this. His ears twitched as he heard the lingering God about to move so he yelled to Sun, “you might want to duck, he’s about to strike from the left.”

Sun Wukong heard him and managed to leap high enough to avoid the Mountain God claws, “got you now fucker!” And with a couple of spins, he struck down upon the God and landed a killing blow upon his head. “That’s what you get.”

“Remind me never to piss you off,” Macaque said as he casually walked up next to him, tossed his stolen bag of food, and examined the dead God.

“Thanks!” He cheerfully reverted from his enraged form once he got his food and happily began to chew on an apple as he sat down against the fallen God. “So how did you know that the God was there?” He curiously asked as he took another bite.

Liu Er blinked at the odd scene and let loose a snort as he sat down a little ways away from him. “Well seeing that you managed to kill a God with your bare hands, mine is definitely not weirder than yours,” he said as he pulled down his scarf to reveal his two extra pairs of ears.

“Cool!” Wukong's eyes glisten as he immediately began to touch his ears.

Macaque only flinched for a moment at the unexpected touch, but became a little more at ease when he didn’t feel any sharp pulling or twisting the longer he touched them, but he batted his hand away, “Heard of personal space?”

It was after the two had eaten that Mac decided to speak again, “alright let’s make a deal.”

“What kind of deal?” Wukong hesitantly asked.

“You are shit when it comes down to stealing,” he bluntly told him.

“Rude, fair, but rude.”

“But I can.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“How about we team up for a bit, with your strength and my stealth, I think the two of us make out with a lot more goods than this,” he tossed up their near empty bags.

“Hmmm, I don’t know. How do I know that you can actually steal,” Wukong pointed out, but the six eared monkey smirked.

“Well you haven’t noticed this,” he tossed up the half eaten apple in his other hand.

“Wha-,” his eyes widened as he now noticed that the apple in hand had disappeared in a poof of violet energy. “How did you do that?”

“Misdirection,” he tossed his apple back to him.

Wukong blinked as he caught the apple then a large grin took up his face as he wrapped an arm around his shoulder, “I think that this is the start of a beautiful relationship.”

“And the start of so many headaches,” Mac couldn’t help but grumble out.

“Well you can only blame yourself.”

“I already am.”

“So you two had stuck together from that moment,” MK said as he stayed in his seat with his knees covering his face.

“For all of nine years, until he left to learn under Subodhi, then I was free roaming once more. Though I did learn a few things from Wukong as it made my travels a bit easier,” Mac said as he took a sip from his lukewarm tea.

“And he probably learned a few things from you...like how to steal so many things from the celestial realm,” Mei's eyes widened as the realization hit her. “Now that’s how he managed to do that! You taught him how to steal!”

The simian paused as that hadn’t occurred to him in the slightest, “...to be fair I didn’t teach him shit, he simply watched what I was doing and used it in practice. All the havoc he managed to cause in the celestial realm and below was his reckless ideas, I had nothing to do with that...for the most part.”

“But the Monkey King is an immortal being,” MK interjected, “and you're not...unless.”

“Yeahhh, I’m immortal too,” he sipped his tea at their dumbfounded stares.

“How?!”

“Once again, blame Sun Wukong for that.”

“I’m sorry, run that by me again,” Mac let the book hang freely from his hands as he listened to Wukong.

“You're immortal! You can thank me with words of praise and/or delicious food,” he cheekily grinned at him as he hung upside down from the tree branch above.

The monkey demon had to blink for a moment and take a deep breath before closing his book and putting full attention to his friend, “I’m almost scared to ask how the fuck you managed to pull that off, but also dying to know.”

“Well,” the simian jumped down to the same branch as Macaque, “I was kidnapped by Yama lackeys, which was uncool you know, I earned my immortality fair and square,” he huffed out.

“You got kidnapped by the emissaries of the God of Death...okay that’s kinda funny,” he cracked a grin.

“Well it wasn’t for me,” he crossed his arms, “so I kicked all of their asses and spoke with some old folks, who call themselves the ten kings which is a stupid title itself, to get things straight you know and they tried to do? They tried to pull a fast one on me and say that they meant to take another Sun Wukong, which I call bullshit on. I mean who else is a stone monkey that’s name is Sun Wukong?”

“No one,” Mac snorted as his partner threw his hands in the air.

“Exactly! So they take me to the place where they keep track of the ones dying and we all look around to find where those names happen to be and lo and behold, I found my name and you want to know what I did?”

“You erased your name,” he was getting more and more amused by this, he can only imagine the chaos that must have happened due to Wukong antics.

“I erased my name! And I also decided that I wasn’t gonna be alone in this so I decided to erase some of the other monkeys back at Flower Fruit Mountain and I found your name and I erased that too,” he proudly grinned. “You can’t believe the sheer amount of panic that was on all of their faces when they realized what I did.”

“I really can’t,” he chuckled as he then scooted over and wrapped his arm around his neck in affection, “thanks for immortality I guess, never thought I would ever get anything close to that.”

“Well a little more praise than that would be nice,” he teased as he felt the back of his head get slapped.

“Oh, I’m sorry your royal highness, did that harm your oh so precious fur of yours?” Mac took on a haughty tone, “let me be the first to go to my knees and bow for your kind gesture that you have bestowed upon me.”

“Shut up,” Wukong snorted as he nudged his friend's shoulder.

“You asked for it,” the black furred monkey tone returned to normal as he grabbed his book and began to read it once more. Though he was interrupted by Sun sprawling over his lap all of a sudden, “can I help you?”

“Read to me!” He demanded.

“Don’t you get bored with stuff like this? Actually, I’m surprised you haven’t already left to cause some sort of chaos at this point Sunny?”

“Meh, don’t feel like moving now, so read to me!”

Mac knew that when he got like this there was little to change his mind, so with a mockingly reluctant sigh he said, “As his highness wishes,” and began to continue where he left off. It was during that, when Macaque was lost in the book and Wukong was lost in the soft words, did two tails slowly curl up and intertwine with one another.

“You know, it’s a bit surreal to hear that the Gods are real,” Mei hummed out. “I mean reading about it is one thing, but knowing someone who actually met with a God is another.”

“If you think that’s surreal then that’s nothing compared to actually meeting one,” Mac pointed to her.

“Trueeee.”

“So what happened next?” MK spoke up as he managed to get out of his curled up position halfway through the story and was instead leaning in close.

“Well you know what happens next, he gets a position in the heavens, his infamous havoc in heaven, left the heavens, fought some gods, got tricked by Buddha and he had the mountain pin him down for 500 years or so,” he casually said.

“Only you would manage to screw it up big time huh peaches,” Liu Er said as he jumped off the top of the mountain and back down next to his friend. “I mean, what were you thinking?”

“Heyyy mango,” Wukong nervously chuckled, “I might have pissed off all the gods in the heavens, you know how it goes.”

“Yeah I heard, but how did they do this,” he gestured to the entire mountain.

“Well, that was maybe...Buddha,” he softly said the last part, but Macaque didn’t have six ears for nothing.

“You managed to piss off Buddha themself,” he said incredulously. “How in the fuck?!”

“I didn’t piss him off!” He said in defense, “I just maybe lost a bet with him.”

“You lost a bet with Buddha.”

“Look, it's complicated!” He huffed as he tried to wiggle under the mountain, “look there’s a seal on the top of this mountain, if you can just rip it off I can easily-,”

“Already tried that,” he showed him his blackened fingers, “didn’t quite work for me.”

“Well shit there goes that idea,” he muttered as a horrible thought occurred to him, “Flower Fruit mountain! The tribe-you have to-,” he was cut off once again.

“Already have a few clones stationed there since you got that position in heaven dumbass,” he whacked his head, “you don’t have to worry about them, now let’s think of a way to free you.”

Wukong let out a breath of relief as he lay his head against the ground. “It ain’t gonna be easy you know.”

Macaque grinned cheekily at him as he sat down next to him and his dark purple daxiushan flared out underneath him, “who said it ever was,” he joked as he began to groom his friend's fur.

“Might have to go against the Gods,” he said as he relaxed to the grooming.

“You can’t have all the fun,” he retorted back.

The Monkey King merely hummed as the grooming went, they can discuss more later, but he sorely needed this.

“But you didn’t free him,” Mei quietly pointed out.

“No, I didn’t,” he shook his head as his tail silently swooshed behind him.

“But you did something,” MK noticed that something was amiss by his relaxed position as he ate a peeled mango.

“Welll, let’s just say that there was a reason why Guanyin happened to find Wukong.”

“You tricked Guanyin,” Mei deadpanned.

“I wouldn’t say trick, more like a gust of wind in the right direction,” he knew that he teetered along the line when he subtly diverted the God's attention to his friend. He heard through some of his contacts that they were looking for immortals for the Journey, so he managed to arrange some coincidental happenings that maybe got the Goddess of mercy to float in Wukong’s direction.

“You tricked Guanyin,” Mei still bluntly told him.

“Anyways,” Macaque ignored Mei as he picked up his empty cup, “then you all know the rest, Wukong infamous Journey to the West and all that.”

“But that doesn’t explain how you went from friends to enemies in the book,” MK pressed and watched as his father's shoulder slightly slumped.

“I-,” he looked down to his empty cup and sighed, “I was an idiot, I-I thought he was being tortu-something cruel was being done to him. When Tripitaka used that sutra, I thought they had managed to enslave my friend and harm him,” he gripped his cup before setting it down, he refused to dive further in that memory. “Clearly I was wrong and you know how that went down.”

The two once again became silent as they took in the information.

“Okay, okay,” Mei nodded as she crossed her legs, “but here’s what’s confusing me. In the Journey to the West, it told you were ruthless, but I know that in some other books it is said that you are a minor deity of trickery and medicine and that you would help wandering travelers by giving them medicine and give them protection by tricking the bandits and Gods. So what is that about?”

“Okay that minor deity thing is just not true,” Mac pinched his nose, “I still don’t know who even put that down in the first place.”

“How did you change?” MK added as well.

“Well,” he let out a soft smile, “I met someone.”

“Ooooo,” the two couldn’t help themselves.

“No,” he firmly told them, “No. No-fuck no. Hell no. Hell to the no. By all the Gods-no just no,” he shuddered. “It’s not anything like that at all.”

“Who was it?” MK asked.

“It was a weird man named Ping who found me on the side of the road somehow and decided to just drag my body to his house,” he snorted at their confused faces. “Yeah, that was me when I first awoke.”

Macaque groggily came to as he heard the faint sound of clinking metals coming a little ways away from him, but as he got up a sharp pain emerged from his entire body as he fell back to the bed.

“Shit, what the hell knocked me ou-...oh,” his memories came back to him in a rush as he remembered just who exactly did this to him. “Fuck, but why? Why, why why!” He gripped his fur and then his right eye as he noticed that there was a distinct lack of sight from that one, “it doesn’t make sense! Why the fuck would he, just why?!”

“So you're finally awake,” he had to freeze as for the first time in a long while, he was snuck up on, “you were knocked out for quite some time.” The monkey turned to see a graying middle aged man wipe his hands on the cloth.

“Who are you,” he went on the immediate defense. He doesn’t sense any celestial or demonic aura coming from him, but he knows it better wary than dead.

“People call me Ping,” he gave a small bow to him, “it’s nice to see you awake.”

“...Are you blind by any chance,” Macaque couldn’t help but blurt out. “Cause there's no way in hell would someone be happy on seeing a demon alive unless they were a goddamn monk…” he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.

“Ohoho, believe me, I am no Monk,” the man chuckled as he began to pick up some materials from the side, “I have very little patience for just sitting around and meditating all day.”

“Can’t front ya there,” he grumbled as he tried to get back up only for him to wheeze in pain and cough viciously.

“Here, this will help your throat,” Ping handed him a steaming cup of tea that was next to a brown rabbit, which was a bit strange as he didn’t even notice it before.

The monkey hesitantly accepts it, he was unsure if the tea had poison in it, but decided that the human literally could have left him on the side of the road to die and spare him the troubles of killing him himself, so he took a sip of the tea and his nose scrunched up, “why is it sweet?”

“Not to your liking,” he chuckled as he sipped on his own cup.

“You know people-humans are usually terrified when encountering a demon,” he deadpanned as he realized that not only was he half clothed, but his six ears were out in the open. “Just saying.”

“And usually, most demons would have tried to take a bite out of me,” he retorted

“And that is usually enough to not even get close to one of us, let alone bring one to your home,” he emphasized.

“Well we're all a little bit crazy in this world,” Ping chortled as he ambled off to the other room. “You can leave when you want to!”

Macaque could only watch dumbfounded at what just took place as he loosely cradled the teacup in his hand. Though he could do without the rabbit gaze boring into him.

“So what happened next,” MK asked.

“I left,” he shrugged his shoulders.

“You just left?!” Mei shouted as she squished the fruit in her hand.

“Yep.”

“Why?!”

“I had no reason to stay with a man who just up and saved me for no reason, especially one who was so confident in his capabilities that I wasn’t going to attack him,” he pointed out.

“So where did you go?” MK asked next.

“A little bit of everywhere,” he lied a little, he may be spilling his secrets, but even he has a hard stop on some of his more personal ones. He was not about to tell them that he essentially stalked Wukong and his friends for a good portion of the Journey. “But, for some damn reason, I went back to Ping.”

“You went back?” Mei said as MK asked, “Why?”

“Curiosity? Boredom? I honestly still don’t know,” he sighed and leaned back in his chair. “But I just kept going back every few months and the strangest thing is, he would just give a slight wave and give me some tea. Each and every time, until eventually I stayed a bit longer.”

Macaque watched in interest as Ping began to crush some herbs together and mix them. He knows some of those plants and they tasted downright horrible. “What’s the point of making that? It doesn’t taste any good with food, old man.”

Ping simply chuckled as his rabbit laid silently to the side, “I'm not that old, unlike you. It helps with backaches, I know many of the elderly will need it in the coming winter, so it’s always good to prepare ahead.”

“Oohhh, that’s medicine,” Mac hummed. He hasn't seen much of it since he was able to heal fairly fast and also that usually medicine is one of the hardest items to steal due to it usually being hidden or secured.

“Would you like a closer look?” The graying man asked as he stepped a little to the side.

“Sure, why not,” he shrugged his shoulders as he watched with rapt attention to how the medicine was being made.

“He must have a lot of patience to be able to teach you,” Mei grinned.

The monkey huffed in amusement, “I honestly thought the same thing.”

“But how was he different?” MK hesitantly asked as all he heard was of Ping doing completely normal things. “How did he get you to...well change?”

“Does it matter that he was supposed to be some amazing being with special abilities,” he gave a small smirk.

“Well no,” he deflated a bit.

“Cause let me tell you that Ping was one of the farthest things to have anything godly about him. The only thing special about him was his strange ability to practically befriend anyone that passed him and that was it. He never went on any magical adventure, wasn’t appointed a great duty by a God, hell the man has never taken a single martial art or learned under any great sage before,” he couldn’t hold back laugh at their confused looks. “He never tried to force me to change into what he believed to be good.”

“Then why did you keep going back?” Mei jumped off the couch and leaned over the table. “If he didn’t have anything mystical about him, why did you keep going back?”

“Have you ever heard the age-old question on if you can teach a monster how to love?” He suddenly asks, throwing them all off guard.

“No?”

“Cause the answer is no, but rather you have to show them,” he smiled fondly.

“...what does that have to do with this?” MK whispered out.

“He may not have any special abilities, but there was something about him, something- I can’t say good because it’s not strictly subjective in that, but just something comforting about him. About the way he wouldn’t bat an eye at my appearance, the way he would simply give me a cup of tea, the way he would let me stay when I had my bad days, just the way he was just was comforting,” he breathed in as he unhooked his fingers that he unconsciously grabbed together. “He was just Ping and that was enough for a monster to change.”

“You're not-/Don’t believe-,” he cut off both kids.

“I know I did...horrible things in the past, things can’t be redeemable no matter how many times I may help those, I couldn’t forgive myself, but he showed me that I could.

“How?”

“I planted a seed.”

“What?”

“Oh yeah, I was just as confused as you guys were too,” he smiled as he leaned back. “He straight up told me to plant a seed each time my anger or frustration overwhelmed me.” He threw his hands in the air, “I didn’t know what he meant, by the Gods know how many of those things I planted even long after he passed.”

“So he did pass away,” Mei said underneath her breath.

“Humans tend to do that, especially with one as old as him,” he said with a small smile.

“You still kept planting,” MK huddled together as he wrapped his arms around his knees.

“...Yeah,” he wrapped his tail around his waist in comfort, “I didn’t know what else to do and I know I raged and cried, but I couldn’t just go down to Yama and demand his soul back or up to the heavens and just steal a peach. Not even the drunk old man could change fate,” he whispered that last part quietly. “I’m not that strong, so I did the only thing I could and just planted the seeds and plant and plant until one day I was interrupted.

“I’m terribly sorry to bother you, but did you happen to grow these yourself?” The woman asked as she carried her child upon her back.

“Yeah, and?” He didn’t feel in the mood to even attempt to snark back against a human as he tended to some of the flowers.

“Well let me tell you that they're simply beautiful,” she smiled at him.

“Huh?” Mac froze at the sudden compliment.

“Yeah!” He looked down to see a young girl with a wide smile, “they are super pretty.”

“Very pretty,” another child shyly piped up as he peeled from behind his mother's skirt.

The monkey demon could faintly remember their goodbyes as they proceeded to walk away from him. “What beauty is there in a bunch of seeds?” He turned to look at his plants and for the first time, he realized that they haven’t been seeds in a very long time as they sprouted into a giant, pink, flourishing Plum Blossom trees-no not trees a blossoming forest.

“Oh.” He then decided to slowly walk through it all as he plunked a plum from one of the branches. “Damn, I must have been really out of it for so many years that I didn’t even realize that it...that it grew…during all these years it grew and grew into something beautiful.” He paused as he now realized what Ping was trying to show him for all these years, that even when he got angry and made so many mistakes, they can turn into something beautiful. He let out a full body laugh as he just screeched and screeched.

“Only you, you fucking coot! Only you would think of such a weird ass idea and actually be of help, I swear if you weren’t already dead I would be yelling at you for this!” He screeches as tears or amusement and anguish filled his eyes, “you made me plant a forest of mistakes and did a fuck you and made it something worthwhile, something beautiful!”

He eventually laid down with plum in hand, ears out as he listened to the chirps of the bird and rustles of the leaves and his heart didn’t feel as empty as before. “Couldn’t have told me straight out his thoughts,” he huffed with a watery smile as he took a bite out of the plum.

“You made this forest-the Plum Blossom forest?!” MK asks shockingly despite listening to the story.

“A good portion of it, yes, the rest done simply by Hòutû herself.”

“So what happened next?” Mei said as she kneeled and put her elbows on the table.

“Life happened and time slowly crawled forward and I slowly began to change and probably still will,” he shrugged his shoulders.

MK fidgeted in his seat before finally speaking up again, “so...what happens now.”

“That’s for you two to decide,” he stood up and stretched, “You're the only ones who can decide for yourself.” He picked up the empty plates and cup, “Take as much time as you need kiddos,” he began to walk away with a heavy heart.

He knew that he couldn’t force their minds into completely accepting him, but he prays, one of the very few times he does, that he didn’t fuck two of the few good things he had. He can accept that they may not forgive him, but he damn hopes that there is still a sliver of affection-he stiffen as he felt two pairs of arms hug tightly around his waist. “Wha-?”

“You can’t get rid of us that easily Goldilocks,” Mei smiled as she cuddled her face in his soft fur, “No amount of scares can force us away from you.”

“Mei-,”

“At first I was angry,” he heard his son's voice even when it was muffled against his fur. “You kept secrets and I didn’t like that, but you told me and I was so confused, still am, but you aren’t the same mean monkey in the past, I don’t think you would have saved me if you were the same as your past self and I am happy about that. I am happy that I know you now, because I may have not liked you and if I didn’t like you then I would have never stayed with you and I really don’t like that,” MK looked up at him with tears in his eyes as he hugged him tighter. “I really don't like the idea of never being here, being with you Dad, so thank you for being you, thank you and I love you so much.”

Liu Er barely had the forethought to place the dishes down before wrapping his arms around them both with a tight grip. “Well I guess you're stuck with me.”

“Like old gum stuck in your fur,” MK squeezed out through the fur.

“I swear you spend way too much time with Minsheng…love you too Starlight,” he huffed as he ruffled his child's hair.

“And besides,” Mei started, “you may be a grump but you're our grumpy monkey demon now. And if anyone tries to say otherwise then I would need to have a few words with them,” she ended with a wide creepy smile on her face as her eyes promised vengeance.

“I’ll direct them towards you little newt,” he chuckled as he also messed with her hair as well and gave them both a gentle kiss on the forehead.

“Fuzz butt,” she shot back then got a gleam in her eyes, “a fuzz butt who can teach us how to fight.”

“No.”

“I’ll wear you down eventually,” she grinned, “sooo can we see what you really look like?” MK’s head shot up at that and shared the same gleam as well.

“Nosy, all of you,” he said as he gently pried them off of him, and in barely a flicker, he had transformed and he looked more...dangerous. His nails and teeth have become sharper, a few scars were more visible upon his hands and feet, the scar on his right eye was very prominent as it displayed a dull yellow pupil, even his ears seemed to add to his threatening appearance as the middle violet ear on the right was missing a portion of the upper cartilage.

“You look badass/So Cool!” Though he didn’t have to worry about scaring those two off as their eyes sparkled at his appearance and rushed to touch his fur as MK happily exclaimed as he put his face on his fluffy chest, “why does your fur feel even softer than before?!”

Macaque snorted loudly as he sat down on the floor and let them have a better reach, “shouldn’t even be surprised that was what you took away from this.”

“Seriously, now it looks like you actually know how to fight,” Mei ‘ooed’ as she felt some of his scars underneath his fur. “How’d this one happen,” she felt a faint scar right above the left shoulder.

“Well let me tell you that it all began by a river and I just found out that a certain monkey can’t fight underwater,” the two teenagers leaned in close as he began to tell the tale of the blood demon beast that rested underneath the river.

#monkie kid #mk #macaque #PlumTeaAU

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ryleigh-jae · 4 years ago

Text

Aching Soul

Nikki Sixx x Reader

Hey friends! I hope everyone is doing well during this crazy time. I thought I’d pop in with a Nikki Sixx fic! I hope y’all love it. Stay safe and have a great day!

TW: Language, Mentions of drugs/drug use, Mention of death

Her fingers toyed with one another, hands settled in her lap. It had been months since she had seen Nikki, six to be exact. He was busy on the ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ tour with his friends, but she would receive a call each night from her raven haired lover. Same time on the dot each evening and it was the most relieving thing to her. (Y/N)’s nerves got the best of her, knowing that Nikki was due home any moment and she’d finally be able to see him again. What she didn’t know was that Nikki would come in, fiending for his new flavor of choice: heroin.

Hearing the door unlock, the girl jumped up from her spot at the kitchen table, a grin sprawling from edge to edge on her lips. She rounded the corner, eyes narrowing on a completely drunk and partially high Nikki, heart dropping into her stomach. (Y/N) swallowed thickly, trying her hardest not to allow the grin to falter as she stood there, watching him place his bags down, digging something from the side pocket before starting up the stairs.

“Baby?” her voice asked softly as she watched him continue up the stairs, following behind him, “Nikki!”

Only when she raised her voice, he spun around, looking at her with a smile, “Give me like ten minutes okay? Then you have my full and undivided attention.” His words slurred, eyes heavily hooded and blown with a craving as he gripped the baggie in his hand.

“What the fuck is that Nikki? Zombie dust?” (Y/N) reached for the bag, only to have Nikki yank his hand back, “You know how I feel about that stuff. Especially when you’re home from tour.”

Something flickered in Nikki’s eyes, his whole attitude and demeanor changing, obviously annoyed that he wasn’t getting his fix right away like planned, “For fucks sake (Y/N). All you do is bitch and complain at me for doing what I want. Do you ever stop? Or is that the first thing you think about as soon as I walk through that front door?”

Fighting back tears, (Y/N) murmured a soft, “Nikki you don’t mean any of that..”

“Oh, but I do, (Y/N). It’s a constant fucking battle. Don’t you realize that this is the only shit that makes me happy and your constant bitching takes away from that?” He paused for a moment, continuing to the bedroom door, “So just fuck off and mind your business. I just got home and you’re already on my shit.”

“Nikki..please.” her voice cracked as she reached for him, her arm being smacked away by the fiending rockstar.

“Please what?!” Nikki shouted at the girl, throwing his arms up in frustration as he towered over her, “Just go away. I don’t have time for this right now.”

Flinching at his aggression, (Y/N) backed off, heading down the stairs, yanking her car keys from the hook. Slamming the door behind her, she didn’t care at that moment, all she wanted was to get away. Not only had Nikki upset her, but he’d genuinely scared her. Finding herself at Vince’s home, she got out and headed up to the door, knocking a few times, wiping the tears from her face. The sun had just fallen below the horizon at that point, the first stars starting to shine in the darkening sky.

(Y/N) looked up from her shoes upon hearing the door open, a soft sniffle falling from her as her watering eyes met Vince’s. She didn’t need to say anything for the blonde to realize what had happened, so they both opted out for a hug in exchange for words at that moment. Her hands clung to the fabric of his shirt, body shaking from the sobs that silently ripped through her. Vince gently tugged her frame inside, closing the door behind the two.

“Hey...Hey it’s gonna be okay. Everything will be alright. He just needs time alone to realize what he’s done. He’ll be here any minute.” Vince spoke calmly, wiping her tears away with the pads of his thumbs, “C’mon. Let’s go sit down on the couch and take a breath.”

(Y/N) nodded and followed after the singer, taking in a few shaky deep breaths as she took a seat on the couch, Vince occupying the spot next to her. She watched as he flipped the tv on, her body settling back into the couch. Shaking her head slightly, she wiped the tears from her eyes once again, glancing over at her closest friend.

“Skylar’s upstairs sleeping. I’m sure she’d be excited if she knew Auntie (Y/N) was here.” Vince smiled, trying to cheer (Y/N) up.

“I missed my lil bug. Sharise brought her over a few times while you guys were gone.” a smile peaked on (Y/N)’s lips at the mention of the sweet child.

The sound of an alert on the tv rang through the room as words fanned across the screen, (Y/N)’s heart falling to a stop.

“It’s a sad night for rock and roll. We’ve just received unconfirmed reports that Motley Crue bassist, Nikki Sixx, has died in Hollywood this evening of an apparent drug overdose.”

A cry of pain fell from the girl’s lips as she scrambled to the tv, hand resting on the screen as footage of Nikki played. Her pained sobs drowned out Vince’s panicked breaths and words, eyes falling shut as the news station went to commercial. (Y/N)’s hands fell from the screen, gripping her jean clad thighs as she simply sat there, unable to move.

“Daddy? Auntie (Y/N)? Are you okay?” the little blonde girl asked, gripping her stuffed rabbit to her chest.

“Yeah baby. We’re fine.” Vince bent down, gently hugging the girl, “Let’s get you back to bed.”

The small girl nodded, making her way over to (Y/N), placing the stuffed rabbit in her hands, “Tell Uncle Nikki that I said hi.”

Tears dribbled down (Y/N)’s cheeks as she nodded at the innocent little one, clinging to the stuffed toy in her hands, “Of course baby. I sure will.”

With that, Vince led Skylar to her bedroom, rejoining (Y/N) in the living room. He stood there, watching the girl weep on the floor at her loss. He hadn’t noticed, but tears had begun to pour down his cheeks, quickly moving to scoop (Y/N) up in his arms, holding her tightly to his chest. The blonde rocked the two back and forth, their sobs mixing in an aching synchronization.

“Vin, I have to go home. I have to go now.” She cried, shakily pulling from him, heading towards the door.

Ignoring his pleads and begs for her not to leave, he knew she was going to distance herself and fall apart even more, she closed the door behind her. Her fingers curled around the steering wheel, knuckles turning white as she sped down the road. One hand came to wipe the tears from her face, sniffles and sobs drowning out the music coming from the radio. She pulled into the driveway, stumbling up to the door, pausing when she saw a light on through the window.

Nikki never left lights on in the house, not even when he was strung out. Reaching for her house key, (Y/N) stopped, noting how the door was already unlocked. She crept inside, closing the door behind her as she made her way up the stairs, fingers tracing along the railing. The house was eerily quiet, something that it never was. She came to a stop on the last step, pushing the hair back off her shoulders that stuck to her neck and cheeks from tears.

Standing in the doorway to the bedroom, Nikki turned around, obviously worn out and in pain. Her hands shook as their eyes met, almost tripping over her own feet as she raced into his arms, burying her face in his chest as she clung to him. The feeling of his arms squeezing around her, pulling her closer was as she needed to trust that he was really there.

“Nikki…” (Y/N)’s voice cracked, “I thought you died.”

Resting his chin on the top of her head, the raven haired man closed his eyes, allowing a few tears to slide down his cheeks, “I couldn’t leave you here alone. Not after everything we’ve been through together. I couldn’t leave you. I’m sorry for what I said and how I treated you. I have to get clean, (Y/N), and I can’t do it without you. I need you. I love you.”

“And I love you too, Nikki Sixx. I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here by your side for the long run. You couldn’t get rid of me even if you tried.” A small smile spread across her lips as her hands came to rest on his cheeks, thumbs brushing away a few of his tears, “It’s gonna be okay. We’ll get through it. We always have.”

With that, Nikki leaned down and connected their lips, fingers tangling in his lover’s hair. A feeling that comforted him, the feeling of her. He had never met someone quite like (Y/N). Someone who healed and filled his aching soul.

#nikki sixx #nikki sixx x reader #motley crue #motley crue x reader #x reader #sixx #reader insert #fanfic #vince neil #vince neil x reader #tommy lee #mick mars

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libraryscarf · 5 years ago

Text

here is the piece i wrote for the @womenmadefullmetal zine, which i was profoundly honored to be included in! please check out their tumblr to see all the amazing art and writing that went into this project. i was asked to write about my best girl, winry, and i’m so excited to share this fic with you guys. <3

turning home

( ao3 / ff.net )

The Rockbell women have always breathed smoke, her grandmother tells her, not long after her parents die, but not soon either. We’re furnaces, you and me, she says. Anything that tries to go through us will need to melt.

Winry tries to swallow the lump of black metal in her throat. It sinks into her stomach, distending her insides, like the stretched belly of a snake after devouring a rabbit. That darkness will dissolve eventually, worn away by the passing years and the Resembool sunlight. But fragments of it will float in her system always, pulsing now and then with the heartbeat of loss. It will coat her lungs with iron. It will spike her blood with steel. It will surface in the blisters on her palms, toughening them like hide.

Winry learns at a young age that grief can serve her, both as her burden and as her armor.

: : :

“You shouldn’t be checking in so often. I’m fine. And even if I weren’t, Den knows who to fetch if I need help.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you calling, child?!”

“Well...I thought you might appreciate an update on how I’m doing.”

“Winry. You don’t think I have my own connections in Rush Valley? I’ve known how you were doing the moment you set foot in that wretched city.”

Winry smiles. The anxious bite in her grandmother’s voice hints that Pinako hasn’t been quite as collected as she likes to profess.

“Several people here have told me stories about you.”

“Of course they have. I’m a legend.”

“So you did attach automail fingers to Mrs. Wheeler’s foot instead of toes.”

“Who told you that?!”

“Mrs. Wheeler. And Mr. Wheeler. And Mr. Garfiel. And--”

“Oh, for goodness’ sake. She thanked me later. Made it easier for her to pick things up.”

Pinako’s laughter crackles over the line, and Winry joins her. If they were together, sharing this evening as they have countless others in that yellow house, she would see the spidery lines around her grandmother’s mouth smooth away, and Pinako would resemble the woman of so many years ago, her eyes bright as beads of mercury.

: : :

She sits on the wide windowsill of her room, one leg swinging over the shoe-beaten, dusty street outside Atelier Garfiel. The workshop is humid, ripe with male armpits whose owners are always traipsing in.

Heat rises from the ground in shimmering waves, and she pulls in a long breath. The air tastes like the burnished insides of a forge; the sun prickles in a glittering sky. Yesterday one of her clients had cracked an egg onto his metal knee to the delight of six local children. The sun above reminds Winry of the yolk: a perfect golden disc surrounded by sizzling white.

She loves it here. It isn’t the same love she feels for the sweeping countryside where she was born, a slow, soft thing layered with complications of old sorrow.

The love she harbors for Rush Valley is quicksilver and octane, a rush of searing air, a keen and yellow energy that wakes in her muscles each morning and blasts wild through her dreams each night. It is a rough town that Winry loves, but it fits her roughened parts, and Rush Valley loves her back.

: : :

“I’m happy you’re settled in. Tell the others hello from me.”

“Mei already said hi when she heard I was calling. Zampano and Jerso, too. Oh, and Ling suggested bringing you here to serve as the official court mechanic. They’ve apparently never had one before, but he said you could name your price.”

Winry’s grin stretches across her face. That sounds so like something Ling would suggest that she can nearly hear it in his voice.

“And Lan Fan’s thoughts?”

“She admires your work, but doubts you’d want to relocate so far just to take care of her arm.”

Winry’s fingers skim the pocked surface of the worktable. She knows every divot, every chip and scar, as though they’re carved in her own skin.

“I’d like to visit Xing,” she admits.

“There’s a lot of murmuring about a railroad across the desert. Goodness knows how long that’ll take—but then you and Granny could both come.”

His voice has changed, even since they last saw each other. Winry presses a knuckle to her mouth, her eyes stinging.

“Will you be happy there?”

“I think so.”

“Good.”

“...Winry?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

She chews her thumbnail, cursing her stupid throat for closing up.

“Don’t be stupid, Al. I’ve no idea what you mean.”

: : :

Wandering down the uneven rows, Winry’s eyes skim the names. She halts in front of two close-set stones, where others have left tokens. Her eyes fall on a wilting sprig of sweet violets and yellow honeysuckle.

She sinks cross-legged to the ground between the graves, her back and knees complaining after so many long nights of work. The violets’ brittle stems crumble under her fingers into fine gray dust.

Her father had adored sweet violets, Winry remembers suddenly. He had yelled in delight upon finding the first clumps of them in the spring, when winter still bared its teeth in the frigid midnights and ghosted the mornings with frost. He would gather handfuls, stuffing his nose into the velvet purple blossoms. Winry’s mother laughed often and openly, but never was it filled with more delight than when her husband doubled over, possessed by a fit of uncontrollable sneezing.

A warm drop slips down her cheek, and she swipes at it viciously. Another drop splashes onto the end of her nose. Then the sky opens, unleashing a violent spring tempest that sends Winry sprinting for cover. The overhang of the groundskeeper’s shed provides the closest thing to shelter and she crowds herself under it, blinking the lukewarm rain out of her eyes.

In her haste to escape the storm, she hardly notices the soft grit of the disintegrating violets in her hand. Following a vague impulse, she holds them up to her nose, inhaling their powdery, dying sweetness.

Then she sneezes.

: : :

“Hey, you actually picked up.”

“Don’t make me regret it.”

Winry’s voice is sharp, camouflaging the way her entire body melts at hearing his voice. A voice that is safe, and healthy, and--as usual--a bit too loud.

“Jeez. Is this a bad time?”

A telling pause.

“Are you crying?”

“No!!”

Her head feels like someone has packed it with wet paper. Ed chuckles ruefully.

“You’re sick.”

“I’m fine.” Her “m” s and “n” s are migrating toward “b” and “d” territory.

“You sound awful.”

“Right, I’m hanging up.”

“Okay, okay! Sorry!”

Slowly, Winry puts her ear to the phone again. And then sneezes on it.

“Maybe...a tiny bit sick,” she admits.

“Stop pulling all-nighters.”

“I don’t have an all-nighter to blame for this. And don’t tell me what to do.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Ed says, half-laughing.

The line crackles as he sighs. “You had to take care of me so much. I feel kinda guilty.”

“You were an extremely bad-tempered patient.”

“Well your bedside manner isn’t exactly welcoming!”

Winry hears the veins popping in his neck and forehead. Ed communicates everything of himself through his voice. He could so easily be sitting across from her.

She closes her eyes and imagines he is.

“You know I didn’t really mind,” she says.

A sheepish grunt from Ed’s side. “Is that because you got to boss me around and tell me what to eat and when to sleep?”

“That... was a contributing factor.”

“I knew it!” he crows victoriously. “You’re sadistic. Sick with power.”

“So was that your backwards way of saying, ‘Winry, I’m so sorry I’m not there to nurse you back to health and make up for all the times I was a stubborn jerk’?”

The pause before his answer is just long enough to worry her.

“It would take a hell of a lot more to make up for that.”

Winry’s smile evaporates, her heart twisting.

“Ed...”

“What? I can’t be sincere for a second?”

“It’s not that . I…I just--”

His laugh interrupts her. “You don’t need anyone to take care of you, Winry. You never have.”

“It might be nice, though,” she mumbles. “Once in a while.”

“Consider the hint taken.”

Her chest expands with relief, a warm wave lifting her on its crest.

“Come home soon.”

Ed hesitates. She is hard to lie to, and if he’s smart, he won’t try.

“I’ll hurry.”

Winry believes him.

: : :

When her head aches and her hands are chapped, Winry walks up the hill to the big tree, where an aged swing creaks against its ropes. The valley flows away from her feet in green, rolling swells.

Her mind is busy, though her hands are not.

She thinks of her newest customer: a girl, no older than Ed when he had his surgery, her right hand missing from a farm mishap. Winry had reassured her that with automail, she could still play her fiddle.

She thinks of how Ed mentioned over breakfast how nice a house would look, there at the top of the hill where the foundation of a burned building still lies.

She thinks of Al’s recent visit, when he brought silk and tea and bright, human laughter across the desert.

She thinks of how her daughter reminds her in a thousand half-painful ways of Pinako, asleep now next to her own children.

She thinks of the countless small responsibilities waiting for her at home: an electric motor to tune up, a bruise to kiss and bandage, a shipment invoice to file, a long-overdue call to Paninya, a pie crust to bake.

Winry listens to the birds talking in the branches high above her. She smiles.

Then she turns down the hill, beginning the walk back home.

#scarfwrites #fma fanfiction #fma #women made fullmetal

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treatian · 5 years ago

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The Chronicles of the Dark One: The Dark Curse

Chapter 42: A Very Magical Hat Trick

Blasted Cora! She never missed anything, not even when it had been decades. He had hoped that once Regina reached the King's castle, he would be able to use the mirrors as they were intended, but the witch had cast the same spell that he'd taught her once again, limiting his view. But it was of no matter. Not really. She was only supposed to be there for a short period of time before returning to their estate to make final preparations for the wedding and the move. Cora and Henry were both to come live with Regina and Leopold in the castle in only a few months, after the pair were married. According to Theseus, there were even plans to bring over the bodies in the mausoleum as Leopold was building her a very special replica to store them on his own grounds as well as a stable and an apple tree for his new bride. How very gracious of the King…

But without more of his blood Cora could not place a protection spell around the palace as she had the estate. And he hoped, more than anything, that someone would teach one of the family members his name so that he could gain access when they were back at the estate!

With all this travel, the world was full of wonderful new possibilities for getting to Regina. The future was becoming less and less of a riddle every day, or at least some parts of it were. He didn't know exactly how Prince Charming and the False Twin were one in the same and yet not. At least, he didn't know yet. But he had a spectacular idea for the mirror he'd been given as payment for that deal, and even better, he'd finally managed to track down its creator.

He'd been looking for that man ever since George had told him where he'd gotten it from. He believed in the prophecy and that things would happen as they were supposed to, but the way he saw things, it never hurt to be a little extra cautious. Having someone with the ability to turn objects into portals could be a good ally. Unfortunately, when he'd finally found him, it had been in the worst of ways.

He was dead.

But his powers had not gone to waste. The rumor was that the grandson he'd inherited in the last years of his life had been given something his grandfather had crafted, something he'd put all his abilities into before he'd died. Supposedly, it was a magical hat the boy was never without. The grandson wasn't at the funeral for the man, and trying to track him down had proved to be difficult, if not impossible. Sometimes, while trying to find him, he came up so empty-handed it was as though he did exist at all. At least not in this world. And that was enough to convince him the rumors he'd heard were true. But everyone always came home eventually, if only for a short while, and that was how he'd caught him.

Theseus was busy watching Regina so he'd employed one of his brothers to watch the house of the old man that the boy was supposedly known to return to now and again. He'd given him special instructions to summon him immediately should the boy make an appearance. He was, after all, a slippery little fish. He was difficult to catch. But one evening, he was delighted to find himself pulled away from David's pan flute lesson to the home of the old portal maker.

"He's in there," Theseus' brother informed him. For the information he held a gold coin out for the man, watched him transform, and carry it away in his foot. There was smoke rising from the chimney and candles lit inside. Indeed, the boy was home.

"I've been looking for you!" he proclaimed using magic to appear on the other side of the door. Immediately a figure by the fire stuffing something into a hatbox jumped up to look at him. "I'll take that."

A moment later, he held the hatbox in his hand and felt the magic from within radiate through his entire body. Neutral Magic, just as he'd felt with the mirror. For something so muffled it must have been an impressive piece of magic. And yet, he hadn't a clue how to work it himself. All he knew was he couldn't have the boy using the hat to run off now that he'd cornered him. And "boy" indeed! He was Regina's age! Perhaps give or take a year or so. With a bit of magic, he was able to light the remaining candles in the home so that his face glowed clearly in the dark. Yes, young indeed, with eyes covered in coal like the Milah's pirate's eyes, but he was clean-shaven, not a scratch or wrinkle on his pale skin. Square jaw, dark hair, no fear in his eyes now…he figured he hadn't long until some woman snatched him up and made a decent man out of this boy. If what he'd heard about him were true, that would be a shame. Were there any bounds to the destructiveness of love?

"Go ahead, take it!" the boy challenged with a shrug. "No one knows how to work it but me."

He laughed. "I hear your name is Jefferson, am I right?"

"It's what I go by. Who are you?"

He laughed again as he opened the box and looked at the funny hat the boy had stuffed inside.

"Top hat" the Seer whispered in his head as a vision from another world came into his mind. A man dressed in odd black and white clothes promising to pull a white rabbit out of his hat. A hat trick.

Though this was certainly not what that was for. Not that he didn't doubt it could be used for such a thing if properly directed.

"This is quite the magical trick your grandfather has left you with. Or should I say, quite the magic…hat trick! Shame it's not pointed."

"It suits my work just fine thank you very much!" Jefferson replied.

"And what kind of work might that be? Comedy? Pulling rabbits out of it?"

"My work," the boy smiled.

He let out a happy giggle at his response. Oh, he did like this boy. It was hard to pinpoint why exactly, but the little bugger had stolen his heart already.

"Oh…you are a tight-lipped one! I like that! I'm a man of my own as well!"

"Then why would one man of privacy seek out another of privacy?"

"Because…I'm interested in hiring you," he informed him.

Jefferson rolled his eyes at him and stepped forward, swiping the hat and its box out of his hands without a thought as to who he might have offended. Spunky this child was, and bold! He was impressed he hadn't yelled and hollered at him to get out of his house, which was why he'd allowed him to take the hat back. The boy had some interest in what he was doing here.

"I work for myself, not others."

Ah yes, that…he'd seen that in the few glimpses he'd caught of his business. But he also knew that everyone had a price.

"Funny thing, I thought you might say something like that so…I came prepared."

From the depths of his jacket, he pulled out a small but full drawstring bag that clanged when Jefferson caught it. After placing his hat on his head, he opened it up and upended it onto his other hand, and with a little bit of magic, what came out was five times more the gold coins than that small change purse should have been able to hold.

"Well, now…" Jefferson cleared his throat as he thumbed through the pile in his hand. "You have my attention Mister…Gold, I assume?" he muttered, raising one of the coins.

He laughed. "Catchy, but not quite right…at least not yet. Rumpelstiltskin!" he proclaimed, falling into his traditional bow. "The one, the only…Dark One."

Jefferson shrugged as he stood again, looking wholly unimpressed. "I've heard of you."

"Well, the whole land has, dearie," he commented. If nothing else, he was rather proud of the name he'd made for himself throughout the lands. It gave him hope that someone in the King's castle would tell Regina about it, but until then… "I'm the creature parents tell their children goes bump in the night, am I not?"

"I must have missed those tales," Jefferson smirked. "All I ever heard was…well…is it true you once turned a butcher into a pig?"

He snickered. "Well, I can't say I remember the specifics, but that certainly sounds like a trick of mine…though I can tell you that there is a young woman named Fern who was quite pleased with the outcome."

"Excellent," Jefferson beamed in amusement. Oh, the joys of being young and so easily entertained. Yes…this partnership had to potential to work well, even if he had a feeling he couldn't provide him with what he truly wanted.

"What…no fear?" he questioned of the boy. "None at all? Not a single little thought that if this conversation doesn't go well, it might be you who goes 'wee wee wee' all the way home?"

"Actually, I thought it was rather funny when I heard it. In addition…you said you wanted to hire me, and a pig couldn't work the magic of the hat, so I assume I'm safe. So, that brings us to the reason you're really here, which I assume isn't to talk about pigs but rather my hat," he explained with a suave smile before pulled a wooden chair that was positioned in front of the fire around to face him. He sat down, crossed one ankle over his other knee, then folded his hands across legs, and cocked his head in an interested matter.

"So…what can I do for you, Mister Rumpelstiltskin Gold."

"Oh, Sir…'Rumple' will do just fine," he commented in reply, calling forth a chair from his own castle to sit on. He enjoyed making a show of pushing his jacket tails out behind him before he sat. Different as they were, he had the very distinct feeling they were both enjoying this conversation. He was a smart young man. Jefferson knew he held power simply because he had what he wanted. But he was also powerful, far more than Jefferson was without his hat. One power to hundreds, and yet he found himself face to face with an equal.

"That hat of yours, it goes to any realm?"

"Any realm that has magic."

"Just as I thought." It was alright that he hadn't been able to take him to his son, in fact, he'd been expecting it. It was the reason why he'd tried not to allow himself to feel a lick of excitement when he'd first stood up and agreed without knowing the destination. But it was a funny thing about hope; it could jump and spark even when told not to. But now his heart was settling. Regina. He focused on Regina. On the growing resentment she had for her future step-daughter and her future step-granddaughter. That gave him hope. He hadn't expected this Hatter to be able to take him to see Baelfire, but he'd come anyway because he wanted to make him an ally. He knew there was value in him. He could certainly help him get to his son even if he couldn't take him to him.

"You looking to go somewhere?"

"Nowhere that you can take me and not at present, however…perhaps you would be willing to help me in another way."

"You have yet to state the original way."

"I seek a curse."

"Have you tried a wife?" The Hatter questioned with a suggestive smirk.

"Tried, already killed her!" he smirked back. To his benefit, Jefferson didn't flinch at his proclamation. It was one more reason to be impressed by him. "No…the curse I seek is a magical one, indeed. It's hidden somewhere…secret, probably guarded and protected."

"And you want me to find it?" Jefferson pressed.

"I want you to keep your eyes open!" he corrected. "I want you to tell me about all the lands you visit, the people you meet, the objects you encounter, and should you ever locate such a place or hear word of a curse…let me know."

The Dark Curse, he didn't like to think of it more than he needed to and hadn't in the last few years as he'd been busy making sure twins were placed properly and trying to figure out Cora's game. But the truth was he didn't like to remember the fact that it still eluded him after all these years. He'd been searching all over the Enchanted Forest and even beyond in places like Arendelle and Camelot for places of great fairy magic where the curse might be hidden and guarded, but so far he'd come up empty. Oh, there was no need to panic, not yet. Prince Charming and Snow White were still children who had never even heard the other's name. He knew there were still decades ahead of him before he had the child that would break the curse. He wouldn't need the curse tomorrow, but with Regina and Snow White's relationship evolving, it was becoming a pressing matter. He wasn't about to leave anything to chance. He needed to figure out how to make sure that curse was breakable once it transported him to the world Baelfire was in. And if that took time to arrange, he'd rather have more of it than less of it. Jefferson was a realm jumper, or at least the descendant of one who had learned to channel their power in a very different and unique way. Fairies could go between realms, if the Blue Bug had hidden that atrocity of a curse in another realm, Jefferson was the one to help him. But the boy wasn't exactly rising with excitement to the occasion.

"This could be a beautiful friendship, Hatter, but only if we let it, of course…"

With a snap of his fingers the coins that had fallen from his hands to litter the floor around him suddenly duplicated and then duplicated again and again until the entire floor was nearly covered in them. His eyes rounded at the sight of it, giving away his weakness. Riches motivated him. That could be arranged.

"Done!" Jefferson finally proclaimed.

"Wonderful!" he laughed, standing from his seat.

"Wait!" the Hatter called before he could make a move to leave. "If I find something, how do I find you?"

"Ah, well, if I'm not at home in the Dark Castle, you can always summon me by calling out my name three times! I shall come a-running! Bags a-clinking!"

Jefferson smiled as he offered his hand. "I look forward to our…friendship!"

He laughed as he took his hand and shook it. He was looking forward to it as well.

#Rumbelle #Rumple #Rumpelstiltskin #Dark One #Jefferson #Regina #The Evil Queen #Cora #Queen of Hearts #Snow White

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dreamerfae · 5 years ago

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Cook Off

Summary: Ichika wanted to taste her mother's cooking and it ended up making Touka upset. It's up to Kaneki to make things right.

Word Count: 1832

Rating: Teens and Up

Genre: Fluff

After hearing about how her friends' mothers would cook meals for them, Ichika wanted her mother to do so as well. In the 6 years she was born, it has always only been Papa cooking for her. Just once, she wanted to taste her mother's cooking.

"Mama! I wanna eat the food you cook!"

Touka's face paled at her daughter exclamation and she forced a smile before squatting down to Ichika's height. "Mama's not good at cooking so I can't cook for you, darling."

The girl pouted. "But my friends' mothers all can cook!"

Touka suddenly felt guilty about her lack of cooking skills. Just then, Kaneki walked into the room and Ichika ran over to her papa with a squeal. "Papa!"

He took his daughter's tackle with an 'oof' and hugged her tight. He shot a smile at his wife who returned the smile before grinning down at his daughter. "I heard something about wanting to eat mama's cooking."

"Mm! Actually, I wanna eat both of mama's and papa's cooking. Then we can compare!!"

Kaneki glanced over to his wife worriedly who only shook her head with a frown. "Your mama doesn't want to, Ichika. Maybe I'll just cook for you? Your favorite omelet rice."

"Eh????? I want mama's cooking too!!!" Ichika sat her bum on the floor, crossed her arms across her chest and started to sulk. "I want mama, mama, mama's!!!!"

The parents looked at each other worriedly and sighed in agreement. They just couldn't bear the sight of their daughter being unhappy since she was their darling baby after all. Kaneki patted his daughter's head. "Alright, but it'll take some time. Won't you go sit somewhere and play first?"

The little girl grinned and jumped up. "Okay!!!"

As they watched her run over to her toys at the living room, they turned to one another and Kaneki could see how panicked his wife was with the exasperated look on her face. "What am I going to do?!! I can't cook!" She exclaimed, but softly so Ichika wouldn't hear.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and smiled. "It's okay. I'll help you along the way. Get an apron."

—

Whilst Ichika played with her dinosaurs, the married couple walked around the kitchen, preparing the ingredients for their dishes and washed the cutlery. Touka stood at the counter, stared down at the ingredients that laid on the table before glancing to her husband. "What now?"

"Now, we'll start cutting them." Kaneki positioned himself behind her, placed his hands over hers which held the vegetable and the knife. His warm breath in her ear sent shivers down her spine and she elbowed him in the stomach. He choked.

"You're taking advantage of this situation to do this, aren't you?" Touka asked.

He squeezed her body in his arms tightly and grinned. "Yes. I'll take any chance to hug my beautiful wife."

She let out a happy sigh and allowed him to continue teaching her. With work and whatnot, they haven't been able to spend much time with one another. The cooking was coming along well, until Ichika spotted her parents leaning towards each other for a kiss and ran to them. "No! You're supposed to be cooking for Ichika!" She had her hands on her hips and lips out in a pout.

Kaneki chuckled because he thought that she looked like Touka when she was angry. "Papa!" She screamed, startling him into a flinch. Wow, she screamed like his wife did.

"Okay, okay. We'll stop! I'll do my cooking and mama will do hers, alright?" He asked softly.

The pout on her face turned into a grin. "Okay!!"

The little girl returned to her playing whilst Kaneki mouthed 'sorry' to his wife who gave him a pleading look and walked to his part of the kitchen.

—

After an hour, the dishes were finally done as the parents set them on the dining table beside one another. The left dish was Touka's which looked messy and inedible, while the right dish was Kaneki's which was full of color and looked delicious. Not caring about the appearance, Ichika's mouth watered and didn't notice her father holding her mother's hand because she was fidgeting anxiously.

"It'll be alright," he whispered and she relaxed slightly at his words.

"Thanks for the food!" Ichika exclaimed and stuffed her mother's horrible-looking dish into her mouth first. What happened next broke Touka's heart.

Her daughter wore a disgusted expression on her face and spat the food out onto the table. "Ewww! It's salty and spicy and bitter—"

"Ichika." Kaneki sternly said, and she kept her mouth shut. "It's rude to do that. Say sorry to your mother."

"Sowwy...but it's really bad, mama!" She apologized but still tried to justify her actions. But Touka had a sorrowful smile on her face and patted her daughter's head.

"I'm sorry mama can't cook and that you had to eat something so horrible. If you want to eat some nice food, get your papa to make it for you."

With that, she turned, headed for the bedroom and closed the door behind her. Kaneki frowned at his daughter, who pulled on the hem of his shirt. "I'm sorry, papa! I didn't mean to make mama sad!"

He placed a hand on her head with a hesitant smile. "Be a good girl and eat the food, okay? Mama cooked because you wanted to eat her food so make sure you finish everything, including my dish. Papa will go talk to mama, don't worry."

Kaneki entered their bedroom and closed the door gently behind him. He saw his wife standing in front of their cupboard with her head down. "Don't mind her. She's still a child."

"..precisely because she's a child that her words are not lies. My cooking really is horrible..."

"That's not true. Besides, you don't eat human food. It's normal that you don't know how to cook." He answered as he walked towards her.

"Still... I feel hurt. It makes me feel like I'm a failure as a mother. I can't cook, I can't do housework, I can't do anything right."

It was just one small drop, but he could see the tear that fell down her eyes and down her cheeks. He knew that she was speaking the truth, seeing as how she had one arm crossed below her chest, hand holding onto her arm. She did that whenever she was feeling insecure.

His arms came around her waist and he kissed her head. "It's okay. I'm not a perfect parent either. We promised that we'd learn together, right? To be good parents to Ichika. And I definitely did not fall in love with your cooking skills." He joked, earning a hit on the chest by his wife.

"This isn't a joke, you idiot. I'm talking about this seriously! I feel like I'm losing to you in the parenting thing. It's like you can do it better than me and it makes me feel stupid." She murmured, burying his face into his chest.

He pressed his lips into a thin line. "Yes, you may not be good in cooking, laundry, housework, and many other things—" he held back a grin when she hit his chest again. "But you only need to know that while I do have my strengths, I also have my weaknesses and you were the only one who was by my side in my weakest moments. You were, and still are my pillar of strength, and I love you for that. It's because of you that I was about to come back to you and Ichika."

Kaneki knew his words were working on her when he felt her smile against his chest. He cupped her cheeks and made sure to look straight into her teary blue eyes. "No degree of lack of cooking skills, housework and—Ow!" He groaned as another one of her punches landed.

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?!"

Despite the statement, she finally had a smile on her face.

He cleared his throat. "No, I am not. To continue, I was saying that nothing would make me love you less. You are my beautiful wife and mother to my children. So don't be upset anymore, okay? It makes me sad when you're sad." He says, wiping away her tears with his thumbs.

"You cheater. Why ask when you know that I can't stay upset after those words? Fine, I won't be upset anymore. But you gotta make it up to me for being so good at everything."

His eyes crinkled from his grin and he played with her violet strands. "And what would that be, my darling wife?"

"Kiss me, husband." She purred.

The kiss he gave her made her want to cry from its gentleness and simultaneously made her want to ask more from him that night. The way he pulled back with a smug look on his face told her that he had kissed her so passionately on purpose.

"You ass. You better follow up with that kiss tonight!"

He smiled, pecked her on the nose before turning. "I will!"

After Kaneki exited the bedroom, he found his daughter standing there with her head down in shame whilst her hands squeezed with the ends of her rabbit t-shirt. He settled the woman in the room, now he had to settle this little girl. "Ichika, do you know what you did wrong?"

"I insulted mama's cooking." Ichika answered, eyes not leaving the floor.

"That's right and mama's upset about it. Listen, I know you wanted to taste her cooking but just know that even though your mama can't cook, she tried her best and it wasn't very nice to do that to her. She's not good in a lot of things but she puts in her best effort, be it in housework and cooking."

Tears brimmed in her eyes. "I know. I'm sorry, papa. I won't do it again."

He sighed and squatted down to make sure he was on eye level with his daughter. "It's good that you know your mistake. Meet me in the kitchen tomorrow at 8am. I'll teach you how to cook."

The next morning...

Touka groaned in frustration when she stretched out her arm and found her husband's side of the bed empty. She rose, washed up and changed clothes before heading out to the living room. As soon as she entered the kitchen, she saw Ichika running towards her with a plate of weird-looking thing on it. "Mama! I tried to make what you made yesterday but I failed! I'm sowwy for saying that your food tasted horrible!"

Tears flowed down her small face as she sniffed and Touka patted her head with a smile. "You're forgiven. From now on, we'll both learn how to cook from papa, okay?"

She looked to Kaneki who nodded at her with a warm smile. Ichika grinned widely and tackled her mother with a hug. "Mm!!"

#touken #kanetou #kaneki ken #ken kaneki #kirishima touka #touka kirishima #kaneki #touka #ichika kaneki #kaneki ichika #tokyo ghoul #tokyo ghoul re #tokyo ghoul :re #tgre #tg #faewrites

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transboygenius · 5 years ago

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SE4SON: Chapter 20

Jimmy, Nick, and everyone else sat at the main dining room table, helping themselves to a bowl of warm soup, and leafy green salads. Diana refused to eat anything prepared in the king's domain. Benson was sipping his soup slowly. Rodent Girl slurped hers in one gulp, then asked when's dinner ready. Sally merely swayed her spoon back and fourth in the bowl. Jimmy and Nick hardly touched their soups, for they were too disturbed by the painted portraits of the king. He was even naked in some of them. Despite Nick's lost of appetite, he felt like he needed something to drink. He slowly reached his hand towards the wine glass, before having it slapped by Jimmy's. No matter what century they're in, Nick is still too young for the consumption of alcohol. Jason was getting testy over this silence.

"Hmmmm... Seems to be getting awfully too quiet in here. I know! How 'bout a little story to lighten the mood? *Ahem* One time, on a dull summer of July, I had evicted a family of six because of a two day rent due and-"

King Jason's story was cut off as the servants carried the dishes to the table. There were large assortments of meat, vegetables, seafood, and dessert. Some dishes looked scrumptious, while some looked disgusting. Although, the "disgusting" ones were considered normal to medieval standards. The new cook, Stuart, helped Jimmy and Nick to his special of the day: Stewed rabbit meat served in bread trenchers.

"It's really badger meat. I couldn't catch the little rascal. But hey, fast food isn't good for you anyways. Please don't tell the king."

Every meal made it to the table, but King Jason wasn't ready to let anyone eat yet. No, ever since that incident with the last cook, the king came prepared. He called in the royal taste-tester. The royal taste-tester was a skinny, pale 17 year-old young man who looked like he hasn't been fed enough. When granted permission by Jason, the royal taste-tester was very excited to check for poison, as if he hasn't ate all day. One dish by one, he took a tiny sample from each of the food, trying it, and savoring it. Jimmy and Nick were weirded out. After letting Jason know that the cuisine is safe, the king asked him to leave. Everyone, excluding Diana, dug in. Jimmy and Nick started with their stewed badger meat, which was very hard to work down due to its "unique" taste. Nick traded in his stew for a turkey leg, and managed to feed himself without revealing his face. He just stuffed the drumstick into his helmet, then 10 seconds later, he pulls out a clean bone.

Benson was trying to decide on what he wanted to eat, before Rodent Girl eats it first. Speaking of Rodent Girl, she's just enjoying herself like a hungry hog, with the most ghastly table manners Jason ever witnessed. Diana stubbornly sat in her seat, arms crossed, refusing to touch the tainted food in front of her. Butterscotch took big bite chunks out of any dish he looked at, without even bothering to finish the whole thing. He delivered a forthright critique to the king about how his cook's meals tasted cut-rate compared to Nick Dean's gourmet art of gastronomy, but of course Jason only heard "Neeeiiigh whiiiineeey." Sally, being such a child she is, decided to skip to dessert, and grabbed an entire plate of shortbread cookies. She then accidentally dropped her napkin. Sally dove under the table to retrieve it, when suddenly, she saw that Jimmy and Nick were holding each other's hands. It was out of intimidation, but it looked like intimacy to her. She covered her mouth to drown out her squeal of excitement. Meanwhile, the king spoke silently among his chancellor.

"Look at them, Richard. Look at them. *At Rodent Girl* Disgusting. *At Diana* Arrogant. *At Sally* Immature. They're all a bunch of circus freaks. Who ever gave them the right to exist? But it's okay. I can tolerate their actions a little longer, *Points to Jimmy and Nick* just as long as these two sickos will take me to my awaited treasure. You can't find the nest unless the PIGEONS lead you to it. After that, I won't have to deal with them, or their reject friends, anymore."

Jason shifted an eye to the right to find that Benson was sitting at the far right of the table, close to the king. We all know what he was doing.

"Were you eavesdropping on the king, peasant?!" Asked Jason, in a strict tone. "N-no, your greatness! I j-just wanted to get away from Miss Oona's messy station!" Stuttered Benson. "There are plenty of empty chairs around! Now begone, before I have my guards escort you out!" "Y-yes, your greatness!"

Benson got up and ran to the farthest seat of the table. Meanwhile, the king was ready to make his proposal. He tapped his spoon on his wine glass to get everyone's attention.

"Good now. As did promise-"

Jason was then interrupted by Rodent Girl's noisy eating. That died down eventually.

"As did promise-"

This time, he was interrupted by Rodent Girl's loud slurping. That died down, too.

"As did promise-"

Now Rodent Girl was hacking.

"SILENCE, VERMIN!"

Rodent Girl then hesitated.

"As did promise, we shall be discussing the other half of our negotiation! Richard! Present to them the diagram!"

Richard was excused from his seat, then he gave Jimmy a piece of paper with a sketch drawing on it. It seems that Jason has never improved, cuz the boy genius thought he was a bad artist himself. He couldn't make out the object in the sketch.

"You want us to get you a headband with a heart patch on it?" Asked Jimmy. "No." Replied Jason. "Maybe he wants us to draw a better picture." Nick added. "NO! You mean you don't recognize it?" "Well, sometimes we have trouble reading certain art styles. We're not saying it's bad. *Nudges Nick* Wouldn't you agree, my fair knight?" "For crying out loud. You should know by now, you made it! It's the Amulet of Bind!" "Oh! That! Now rings a bell! That thing I made, a long time ago! For a special happy time!" "I hope it isn't too much to ask, but, I need this amulet. Please, this amulet is worth more to me than my own life! Ever since as a child, it's all I've been thinking of! Please, noble ones!" "Alright, it's yours!" "You mean... ...just like that? You want me to take it off your hands?" "Yeah, of course! Why would we miss one piece of jewel? I make plenty of other jewels for a living, and thinking of opening a jewelry store! We allow credit." "If there's anyone who knows how to turn coal into diamonds, it's him!" Nick added again. "Then what, after we retrieve this so-called amulet, bright eyes? You'll 'redeem yourself and become a more gentle king of milk and honey?'" Diana questioned the king. "Nah! I wast bethinking of packing up everything I owneth, departure this fusty village, and then opening up a new kingdom someplace else! I couldst make a much bigger one, with the fortune pawned from that rare amulet! It's worth at least a billion nowadays!" "You mean... ...you'll be leaving us?!" "That, and thee shall be free to doth whatever thee wishes! I'm taking everything, and throwing away the key! You could even elect a new king!" "YIPEE! *Jumps up from her seat* Boy, that sounds-! Wait a minute, your greatness. Why the heck would you want to leave your own village anyways? You were here long enough for the cemetery to run out of spaces, and burial was replaced with cremation! You said so yourself that you devoted your name to this village!" "Well that devotion was a lie, woman! I'm tired of being cooped up in this stinking four wall prison you call a township!" "(Even though you constructed those walls yourself.)" "I wanna step up my game! I want a big land to take charge of! Millions of people to worship me! They will be my new walls! I want not to be superior of just some dinky dram village! I want to be superior of a whole land, and then allow my kingship to grow until I'm known throughout the world! Wherefore am I talking to you anyways, mistress?! I shouldst be talking to them!"

Jimmy hesitated for a moment, before he was ready to say something. Nick stopped stuffing bits of food into his helmet and joined his friend. Everyone laid eyes on the two carefully, except Rodent Girl, who was still eating. With the king gone, everyone can now live in peace. The Faithful Five may never have to steal again. Of course, they may need to elect a new decent king, just to keep the whole village system arranged. This sounded like a too good of a deal to demur at. Having Jason out of everyone's hair could be what the peasants need. Jimmy was about to come to terms, but then he began to have a second thought. Jason may leave these people alone, but will he put his newfound town through the same jeopardy? What if he resorts back to hanging, capitalism, and leaving misfits to die? Rulers like him, who commit terrible atrocities, don't change that easily.

"Your greatness!" Jimmy spoke up. "Yesssssss?" Answered Jason. "You can have the amulet if you promise your new citizens: No more strict rules with overzealous penalties! Nourishment, medical management, and housing must be affordable! You have to provide equality for all if you're gonna be a good republic representative!" "Well,I'll be blown. What shall befall of me if be true I hold not my gage?" "Then I'll... ...summon my magical spies on you! That's right! I have spies everywhere! In the trees! In the skies! Did I mention they're also invisible? Once they report your actions to me, I'll cast a spell that'll morph you into a big pile of cow pie!" "Besides, the more people die, the less of the population to worship you!" Said Nick.

The guards felt threatened, but the king managed to calm them down. After that, Jason got up from his seat, and walked towards Jimmy. The boy genius began sweating in anxiety. Nick also got up from his seat, then stood in front of his friend with his life. The king looked very menacing. Nick was so scared, his armor was clattering. Jason shoved the tiny knight aside, and then offered Jimmy his hand.

"It's settled."

Forcing a smile upon his face, Jimmy shook the king's hand out of respect.

"Alright! *Claps hands* Chop-chop! Dinner is officially over! Time to give me what I've been patient for!" Shouted the king. "You want it now?" Asked Jimmy. "No, I plan to wait another year- Of course, I mean now! We're heading straight to your Research Edifice!"

...............................

The king invited everyone on a carriage ride. Butterscotch, already being a horse, had to walk on foot. Jimmy read through Mr. Philips' diary again, so he could learn anything about this Amulet of Bind, and the history behind it. Sure, it's worth a fortune, but the king acted as though it was much more important than that. Not even Sally knew about this amulet.

"Are you really gonna turn the king into cow pie?" Whispered Sally. "No, but I thought I could scare him into believing me." Jimmy whispered his response. "Ughhhhhhh, I hope you guys gain your memories back soon."

The carriage eventually came to a stop, and everyone stepped out. They made it. They've reached the Wise Wizard's Research Edifice. At least that's what it said on the sign. Jimmy and Nick studied the building up close. It was shaped differently from all the other architecture in the village. This tower was built in a cylinder form. The building had been abandoned for so long, it was now covered in moss and flowers. It was also huge. Almost bigger than the king's castle. It was tall enough to reach the clouds. The boys were both surprised King Jason hasn't torn this place down yet.

"Sure takes you back, doesn't it?"

Sally accidentally startled the two boys. Jason then ordered everyone to enter the edifice, and then brought his guards in with him. The place was all gloomy from the inside. There was dust, cobwebs, withered flowers, and rats everywhere. Rodent Girl didn't mind. She made new friends. Sally looked around for a while. There were some painted portraits of the Wise Wizard and Silver Knight, either holding hands or hugging. Benson stayed close to Diana as possible, in case anything decides to jump at him. The building looked haunted from his point of view. Jason commanded the squad to stop sightseeing and said they should stay on task. The king then led them to a staircase. There were so many flight of stairs, they couldn't see the top. Rodent Girl just scurried up ahead. She was particularly fast.

"THIS ISN'T A RACE, VERMIN!" Jason screamed his lungs out. "Do this wizard and knight fella live like this everyday?" Nick sassed.

Later, the squad had been climbing up the stairs for about an hour. Even Diana herself was hitting exhaustion. Jason was being lifted up the stairs by his two faithful sentries, who are now in great pain due to how much he weighs. Richard was glad he didn't have to take part this time. Sally hitched a ride on Diana. Nick supportively carried Jimmy on his shoulders.

"I can walk on my own, Nick. No need for this." Said Jimmy. "No... You have... ...the shortest legs... I won't let that happen." Nick breathed.

As soon as the squad made it to the top floor, everybody, who'd been walking, laid flat on the floor, taking a break to rest for a moment. However, Jason wouldn't let them. Both Jimmy and Sally helped Nick back onto his feet. HIIIIIIIII! They heard Rodent Girl's voice. She was waving at them. The squad, seeing her, all groaned in annoyance. Not because she made it before them. Rodent Girl was waving at them, from the other side of a bridge, dangling over a black pit that led to who knows where.

"This is suppose to be their security system?" Nick groaned. "No, I think it's yours." Replied Sally. "Can you stop talking for 10 minutes? Please?" "Okay, everyone! Ladies! Gentlemen! Listen! This faulty bridge can only contrive enough density to hold together. It'll be safe if we all walked across one at a time!" Jimmy explained.

The squad agreed to Jimmy's notion. Jason made the children cross the bridge first, since they were the lightest. Jimmy went first, then Nick, Sally, Benson, Richard, guard #1, guard #2, Jason, Diana, now it's Butterscotch's turn. Diana was giving him emotional support from the other side. Nick promised he'd cooked something for him. Rodent Girl started motivating him like a gym coach, in order to get him to "horse-up." Jason then insulted Butterscotch, calling him a "filthy animal." That made the stallion mad enough to gallop across the bridge. His stomping hooves, combined with his rage, applied too much pressure.

"BUTTERSCOTCH! NOOOO! THE BRIDGE WILL-"

Jimmy tried to warn the horse, but it was too late.

"BUTTERSCOTCH!!!" Diana cried, trying to get to him.

The bridge broke, and then Butterscotch met with a falling fate. She dropped to her knees, with tears cascading from her eyes. Her friends immediately showered her with comfort, but Jason and his authorities were getting impatient.

"LET'S GO! We're way behind schedule!" Barked Jason. "Can you be anymore INSENSITIVE?! We've just lost a trustful steed!" Diana replied. "It's just a horse! You can just get a new one!" "Just a horse?! Mister, Butterscotch was family! You can not replace family, or a scrapbook full of memories!" "You can, if you were living the majestic life like me!" "That's it! I've darn had it with this skin flint ficklepuss!"

Diana was about to charge Jason with her fist, but her friends, including Richard, had to restrain her. The two guards pointed their spears.

"A BUNCH OF POINTY STICKS WON'T SAVE YOUR HIDE FROM ME! YOU'LL BE ALL OVER THIS PLACE BY THE TIME I'M DONE TEARING YOU LIMB FROM LIMB! HANGING OR NOT, DEATH WOULD BE BETTER THAN SHARING THE SAME PLANET WITH YOU!" Diana raged. "Diana! It's not worth it. You don't wanna prove you're just as bad as him. C'mon, we're almost there." Said Jimmy, trying to calm Diana. "But, Butterscotch! IF NOT FOR HIM, HE'D STILL BE HERE!" "I liked Butterscotch just as you did. He was the second best four legged friend I've ever made. When this is all over, I promise there will be a funeral arranged, in honor of a brave, fun horse." "Yeah, and we can invite everyone in the village! Horses, too! I'll even cook up a collection of his favorite foods! Anything for Butterscotch's good name!" Nick added.

Diana took a couple of deep breaths.

"Okay. I'll keep my cool. Butterscotch was a pacifist anyways, so he wouldn't like seeing me kill a man." Said Diana, with pride. "Maybe when your amnesia is cured, you could probably bring him back." Sally whispered to Jimmy.

The squad then entered the next room, which appeared to have light. It was an empty library, and the room was lit from the sun shining through a strained glass window, also providing some color. All the books had been packed, and the shelves were left empty. A big vault door sat in the center of the room. A door King Jason tried to open for years. When Diana turned the handle, it didn’t budge, not even from her strength. She tried harder, but only succeeded in tearing it off. The door can only open from a password. Jimmy found writing was increst on it. A hint, maybe?

A special profound charm, in no need of a spell, that unites us together. It makes the world go around. This emotion is the strongest fuel of human power.

"Go on!" Jason commanded. "What?" Jimmy blurted in confusion. "Feed it the password! You still remember it, right?”

Jimmy hesitated, while sweating. Nick placed an arm around him, giving the boy genius a pat. If Jimmy doesn't know the password, then they're sure to expose themselves as frauds. Jimmy decided to do what he hasn't done in a long time.

"Think... Think... Think..."

Based on the info he learned from Joseph's logs: The Wise Wizard, although happy with his formal life, was extremely lonely. The Silver Knight, a well known celebrity at that time, was one of the most miserable men in the village. Ever since they met, they found themselves to have comfort in one's company. They were both powerful in their own ways, but they also had flaws that the two acknowledged with one another. The knight would put his life against his wizard, and the wizard would do the same. They cared for each other very much, for it was fate that united them. The pair has made themselves one. The Wise Wizard and Silver Knight cared for each other romantically. Joseph cared for them like fathers. Diana cares for the Faithful Five as family. Jimmy and Nick cares for Diana, Rodent Girl, Benson, and Butterscotch like they were best friends. Jimmy cares for Nick from the pumping feeling in his h-

"BRAIN BLAST!" Shouted Jimmy. "Is that the password?!" Asked Jason. "No! But I figured it out!"

Jimmy cleared his throat before saying

"L-O-V-E! Love!"

A few seconds later, a golden light started illuminating from the gaps of the vault door. Everyone stepped back as the door slowly opened on its own. The glow eventually stopped, and the object was revealed. There was the amulet, sitting on a display. It was a beautiful golden chain necklace, with a heart shaped ruby in the center. It looked nothing like the one presented in King Jason's drawing. It was better than imagined. Shedding tears of joy, Jason grabbed the amulet for keeps, then placed it around his neck. Other than the amulet, there was also a piece of paper lying around. While the king modeled around with his new jewelry, Jimmy and Nick read the paper together. It was a log, written by the Wise Wizard himself!

Before the Wise Wizard and Silver Knight were ready to leave the village and travel the world, they presented King Todd with the Amulet of Bind, something they made together. Todd's 14 year-old son, Jason, seemed to have found interest in the jewel. The two had told the king that their love was extracted into the amulet, which possessed a far greater power known to man. It is to be used for an emergency only, in case the whole village gets caught under carnage. They also noted that the amulet must not fall into the hands of evil. If it does so, then the amulet must be touched by a pairing of two, who hold a strong built-up bond. It is their love that will drain the evil of its magic. The two then whispered the password to the king, for Todd could be trusted. However, they never thought about his power hungry son.

"Pffffffft. Magic." Jimmy joked. "Yeah. An amulet that stores powers made by love." Nick joked back. "It's absolutely ridiculous."

Just then, Jason pointed his finger at the two boys, and conjured up a chain, linking them together. A cage appeared around Sally. Diana was about to strike, but the king used a stun spell on her. Rodent Girl scurried over to Jason, ready to bite. With the magic point of a finger, Rodent Girl's leg was suddenly shackled, attached to this heavy ball. Also, her mouth was muzzled up. He didn't have to do anything with Benson. The man just got petrified with fear.

"What the heck is this?!" Questioned Jimmy. "It's magic, you bafoon." Replied Jason. "Not that! Is this suppose to be the other end of our deal?!" "Young man, when will you ever learn that there are certain people you're not suppose to trust? You should know that people like me don't change their heart overnight! It seems to me you don't really know me at all!"

Jimmy looked at the friends he got in danger, also he thought about the one horse they just lost. The boy genius was so up in his pride, he didn't bother with the facts. His friends tried to warn him about this man. The red flags were right there. All he thought about was outsmarting the king into having a heart with his psychology. Jimmy needs to learn that it's his friends he should listen to.

"You know what's so precious about magic, Richard?" "Uhhhhhhh, it can give you anything you desire by just a slight gesture of the hands, sire?" "Correct! You get a raise!"

The king snapped his fingers and a bag of money appeared in the chancellor's hands.

"Wow! Bless you, sire!" "Don't mention it. Magic could make me a whole new man! For instance, I could change my shape into something I've always dreamed of!"

The king turned his tubby figure into a more muscular shape.

"It can also enhance my senses! *Sniffs the air* Let's see, *Points at guard #2* you had a tuna hero for lunch!" Said Jason. "By George, he's got it!" Spoke guard #2. "And, uh... *Sniffs again* Hold on."

There's something about the way the "Wise Wizard" and "Silver Knight" smelled that puzzled the king.

"You're not the noble Wise Wizard and Silver Knight, aren't you?" The king asked in an ominous tone. "What makes you ask that? We are wearing the clothes, and my partner here did figure out the password!" Said Nick. "Silence! If you were the legendary heroes, you'd have their scent! I've been there, and you two smell nothing like how I remembered them! As a matter of fact, I think I smell a little fear in you."

Jason lifted up Nick's visor, so he could look at both of their faces of shame. He glared at the boys with red eyes.

"You two are just a pair of pathetic, scared, commoner children. And to think I let you go, trespassing in my domain, posing as fake authorities! If I knew, I would've had your skinny necks hanged by then. But good news: It's your lucky day today! Since you've led me to the power that's rightfully mine, I'll give you a whole day to live before I ready the gallows. Your friends can join you, like a big happy family! Now's the best time to use that dungeon." "Your greatness?" Asked guard #1. "What?" "How are we going to get them out of here? The bridge is done for, and there's no way I'm carrying her down the stairs. *Points to Diana*" "Have you fools learned nothing on what magic can do?"

King Jason then teleported everyone out of the library.

#Jimmy Neutron #Boy Genius #Nick Dean #Cindy Vortex #Libby Folfax #Sheen Estevez #Carl Wheezer #Season 4 #fanfic #romance #adventure #TVverse #TVEE

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ikesengoficss · 6 years ago

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December 23rd: Christmas Morning Imagines

Oda Forces:

Nobunaga Oda

Having been awake for hours, Nobunaga grinned as he watched the way your face lit up as you arouse from your slumber, realizing it was Christmas morning. He chuckled as you suddenly jumped upon him, a large smile stretching across your face, yours arms wrapping tightly around him for a warm hug. With his large hand gently rubbing soothing circles into your back, he stands from the futon, and your legs are wrapped around his waist. “Merry Christmas, little fireball,” he says, pressing a gentle kiss to the tip of your nose.

Nobunaga couldn’t wait for nothing more than to cuddle with you beneath the tree you convinced to be placed in the main hall. He couldn’t wait to see the way you glimmered even more as you opened the gifts he placed beneath the tree, and perform every Christmas tradition you told him of.

Hideyoshi Toyotomi

His nimble fingers gently combed through your hair, waking your from your slumber. The way your cheeks become more crimson, and eyes sparkled just a little more than usual, was enough to make the warmth that coiled in his tummy burn just a little more at your adorableness. “Happy Christmas!” He says cheerily, helping you to sit up and placing you upon his lap. He pulls and gift from behind it and places it within your hands. “Now, I know you told me gifts go under the tree, but I want this one to be just between us.”

You open the well wrapped gift to reveal a beautiful necklace; a bright red jewel molted in gold, and on the gold is both your initials carved. You spin around in his lap, wrapping your arms around him, with enough force to send you both back. You repeatedly kiss his face, and he laughs, rubbing your back and holding you tight. “This is the best Christmas ever!” You exclaim.

Ieyasu Tokugawa

He could feel your hands on his shoulder, pushing and shaking him lightly, and your soft voice slipping into his ear in attempts to wake him up. He groans and glares up at you, but he can hardly keep the stern look on his face when he sees how happy and excited you are. “You really are a child,” he huffs, pushing himself up on the futon to wrap his arm around you and kiss your cheek, nose, then your lips.

He can’t hold back a smile anymore as you pull over your stockings -- you introduced him to the tradition back home of stuffing stockings with little gifts -- and frantically began to open the gifts inside. He grins when you find the ring inside, and acts annoyed when you jump upon him and shower him with kisses to show your thanks. But in no way was he really annoyed. He likes this, ‘Christmas,’ as it is yet another event to create more memories with you.

Masamune Date

He was just as excited as you. There was no sleeping during the night as you two discussed what ‘Santa’ would have brought for you guys. The two of you joked into the night, about Hideyoshi dressing up as a jolly old fellow with a bushy white beard and red as a cherry suit, setting the presents all under the tree that as a family, the Oda Forces decorated. In the end, the two of you fell asleep curled up together around 2 in the morning, and slept till noon.

It was Ieyasu who begrudgingly came to wake you up, and cursed himself as the two of you screamed at what you’d done, jumping up and grabbing him to bring him down the tree. Masamune keeps his arm wrapped around you the whole time as you both ungifted, pressing gentle kisses every once and while under the mistletoe.

Mitsuhide Akechi

He sat up in the futon, hand elegantly combing through your locks as your eyes slowly peered open. The light gleamed through the window, illuminating your lover above you, smiling and grinning, and a red hat with a puffball upon his head. It took you a few moments, but then your eyes widened, sparkling even, as it finally dawned on you it was Christmas morning. “Merry Christmas,” Mitsuhide chuckles, a sly grin on his face, though he gently kisses from the bridge of your nose, around your face, till alas your lips.

“What is it that you’d like to do first, my darling?” he whispers against your skin. First on the list was giving everyone their gifts, and then you begged Mitsuhide to build a snowman with you, since it snowed during the night. A white Christmas! How could he refuse you when you looked at him with such doe eyes, pleading for his company? It was definitely a sight he would treasure forever, and Christmas was definitely something he found himself enjoying more and more as it approached and finally became. “Why, of course, when a girl is good, she gets a treat. I guess it will be a treat for me, as well.”

Mitsunari Ishida

The gentle soul never sleeps, and how could he sleep tonight when he had the mission to make this the best Christmas in Azuchi ever for you. Christmas morning, Kitty gently pawing at your forehead, and Mitsunari pressed a kiss to your lips to wake you up. “It’s Christmas!” you exclaimed, jumping up, your arms wrapping around your lover who sat before you.

“It is! I can’t wait to see what the day has ahead for us,” Mitsunari says, one hand going to rub Kitty’s head as she sandwiches herself between you two, and the other arm wrapped around you, snuggly. He presses a kiss to your head before helping you to your feet. Hand holding yours tightly, he leads you down to the hall where everyone waits before the tree, excited for their first Christmas in Azuchi.

Uesugi-Takeda Forces:

Kenshin Uesugi

His slender fingers gently caressed your soft cheeks, carefully luring you from your sleep. A few of his white, soft and fluffy rabbits encircled the both of you, their warmth radiating upon you to help awaken you. He smiled as your eyes peeled open, glimmering, before widening as you jumped from the futon exclaiming, “It’s Christmas morning!” He chuckles, grabbing your arm and pulling you to his lap before you can run through the door.

“Silly girl,” he mutters, pressing a quick kiss to your temple, “What makes you think I’m going to let you go and spend Christmas morning with everyone, before I’ve given you a most special gift.” He presents to you a beautiful bracelet, one he has noticed you eyeing at a market stop. The squeel you let out when you see the beautiful jewelry is enough to make this Christmas perfect for him, and his heart warm just a little more. “Merry Christmas, my love.”

Yukimura Sanada

He felt a heavy weight on his chest, lightly bouncing upon him, dragging him away from his sleep and the wonderful dream he was having. As his eyes peeled open, he saw you, his love, upon him with a big smile on your face, trying your best to wake him up. Looking towards the window, however, he groaned, and quickly rolled you over so his arms trapped you snug against his chest and you were to his side. “It’s not even light out yet, dummy!” he exclaims, his arms tightening around you to keep you locked against him. A hand moves to pet at your hair, and he buries his nose into the loose locks, smelling pine from the tree you both set up. “I know, I know. But I can’t help it, it’s Christmas! I can never sleep on Christmas.”

Yukimura snorts, pressing a kiss against your temple. No way would he be getting out of bed at this time, but he could understand your excitement. He’d never admit it, but he was just as excited. “Do I have to sing one of those Christmas songs you taught me to get you to go to sleep?” A bright blush appeared on his face. He might regret this. You nodded into his chest and he sighed, snuggling back under the blanket with you still against him, safe in his arms. “You’re such a kid, dummy… ok… I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need…”

Shingen Takeda

Mistletoe dangled elegantly from his fingers as he held it above you, the scent of the sweet leaves obscuring your senses. You awake to see your lover above you with the cheekiest of grins as he holds the mistletoe. “Merry Christmas, my heart,” he says softly before uttering, “Now where is my Christmas kiss?”

You giggle, lifting yourself up from the futon and wrapping your arms around him. You press your lips against his; gentle, and soft, at first, before more passionate by the moment, and the both of you pull away breathless. Shingen grins, his hand running up and down your back soothingly. “I know how excited you have been for this holiday. Let us go to the tree then, and see what the friend of yours, Saint Nicholas, brought.” He takes your smaller hand in his, pressing a kiss the the knuckles, before guiding you downstairs where everyone awaits before the tree.

Sasuke Sarutobi

He wanted to make this Christmas as perfect as possible, and make you feel at home, since he knew how much you loved Christmas. He thought for hours upon hours on how to make it as modern as possible, before he came to the conclusion alone in his thoughts, just being with him and with everyone else, was enough for you and as magical a Christmas. So you awoke in his arms, his loving gaze above you, a gentle smile gracing his face.

His voice was husky as he wished you a Merry Christmas, and told you the events he had planned for the day; Presents at the tree, some Christmas games for everyone to participate in, carols to sing, and a feast to be accompanied with the finest sake. “I want this to be a great Christmas for all of us, but… especially you. You deserve a wonderful Christmas and more.”

Other:

Kennyo

He couldn’t take his gaze away from you, watching you sleep peacefully below him. He promised you he would wake you up earlier than usual for Christmas morning, but he couldn’t find it within him to wake you. But one look at the tree, and imagining the sight of you, almost like a child, running to the tree to open your gifts, then spread the Christmas cheer to his followers, was enough to finally make him wake you.

He gasps when you throw yourself into his arms -- not that he isn’t used to his affection, just never something so forceful -- before he smiles and wraps his arms around you in return. “Merry Christmas, dear,” he says softly. “Merry Christmas, Kennyo,” you whisper back to him, pressing a kiss along his scar before his lips. “There is no one else I’d rather spend Christmas with.”

Ikemen Sengoku Advent Calendar

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ill-skillsgard · 6 years ago

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Patterns in the Ivy, Part 2 - Bill Skarsgård

Title: Patterns in the Ivy

Description: A continuation of Smoke & Money. Ghosts from the not-so-distant past come back to threaten her. She must choose between a lavish life of servitude or have everything she ever loved stripped away.

Warning: 18+ smut/swearing/mentions of drugs/kink & fetish themes

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12

I could not sleep. I was afraid there were people parked in cars on my street watching me. I feared somebody would try to lure Ivany away from me. Fretting and pacing, I wondered if Bill could resort to kidnapping. After all, I did not know what was he truly capable of.

I knew that he had the means but it had been so long since I saw him that I honestly thought he had given up searching for me. As usual, I was wrong. I wondered how he had found out her name and what sort of things had he done to dig up information about me. Did he pay off my boss to get facts? Had he hired somebody to track me down? I could not be sure.

Riddled by the fear of eyes being on me, I stayed up all night and into the morning. A full twenty-four hours of being awake and overwrought with crippling panic made it hard for me to conceal myself. When I went downstairs to wake Kiki she was already up and confused by my presence.

"J? Holy shit what time is it?" She squinted at me from my place on the stairs. "Are you okay? You look kind of..."

"Shook? Yeah. You could say that."

"Oh my God," she popped off the couch. "Are you okay? Did something happen at the club?"

"Nothing violent. No... Everything is okay. I just... Somebody was there that I didn't want to see."

"Who?"

"It was... Bill."

"What!?" She heaved.

I raised my hands up. "Please don't worry though. It's all good."

"Are you sure?" She continued. "You want me to take Ivy for a while?"

Her offer warmed my heart and I offered in return the smallest smile I could muster to try to cover up the fact that I was about to have a nervous breakdown. I hid my shaking hands behind my back, suddenly becoming aware that I was still wearing my work uniform and Ivany was going to wake at any moment.

"No... You live right next door. By now he probably already knows where I live anyway."

"Ooohh, is that the guy you told me about who is really rich and had you followed and stuff?"

I had divulged some of my life's secrets to Kiki before in a drunken stupor. She and I had partied a little too much once and I accidentally drank enough to get talking about the ghosts of my past. She knew that I had been on the run from him since I landed on the East Coast.

"J... Seriously... Are you in trouble? I have a cousin who has ties with gangs and the mafia... I can get you protection!" She exclaimed.

"Oh my God Kiki, no. It's fine! Don't fucking contact the mafia." I laughed. "For all I know, Bill might be in the mafia."

"How did he find you?" She asked.

"I don't know. He's not very... forthcoming with his methods or intentions." I lied. "To be honest I don't actually know him that well. We hooked up a few times but he wasn't really one to talk about himself."

Kiki blew out some hot air. "Alright well, just let me know if you need anything."

I smiled at her again, starting to feel a little fraction of a percentage better. "Just... Keep your eye out for some nice cars parked around here. BMW's or Lincolns or something and don't answer any questions. I don't know if he's got a private investigator on me or what. It could be anything. He has a lot of money."

"J... this sounds really serious. Are you sure..."

I let out a heavy sigh, feeling the tightness in my throat coming back. "Kiki..."

"What is it?"

I could no longer hold back my tears. "He's Ivany's Father."

"Woah... You never told me anything like that."

"I know," I sobbed. "I didn't want anyone to find out. Now he wants her and I don't know what to do. He said he'll take me to court if I don't go back out West with him."

Kiki offered as much comfort as she possibly could but there wasn't much that could be said to calm me down. I assured her over and over that I would be fine and that she didn't have to worry, that I would figure something out because I always managed to. However, if I was being honest with myself, I knew not a way to wiggle out of the hole I had found myself in.

When I drove Ivany to school I talked to her about strangers. I explained to her that she was not to speak to anybody she didn't know besides her school teachers and adults that she knew. Gazing at her lovingly in the rearview mirror, I feared the worst. I was exhausted but I wouldn't let on to that until I watched her enter the school doors. I needed to sleep desperately.

Sitting in my car, I waited until all the school buses had come and gone and all the kids filed into the building. I had to be certain that she was safe. I didn't leave until I was sure that her class had started. Shifting my eyes around, I checked out the cars parked along the street. I couldn't rule out a thing when it came to Bill. Once I was convinced there was nobody else hanging about, I started my car and headed for home to see if I could get at least a couple hours of sleep.

Sleep did not come easy and when it did, it didn't last long. I tossed and turned on my couch, having fevered dreams of people kidnapping my daughter. I would wake up and go to the window to look outside just to check for suspicious cars then go back to laying on the couch. When I finally did manage to fall asleep completely I ended up sleeping too long and when I woke up I had to scramble to leave. Ivany was due out from school in ten minutes and it took me nearly twenty minutes to get there.

The universe must have had it out for me that day because I hit every red light on the way and got stuck behind people who couldn't decide whether to turn left or right. I kept glancing at the clock and clutching the wheel, speeding when I had the chance and cutting people off but no matter what maneuver I pulled, I seemed to get stuck behind a truck, a car, a light or someone crossing the street.

When I pulled up I was already late. Kids were piling out of the school heading towards buses or parents. I scanned the bus loading area but I couldn't see her. I whipped off my seat belt and got out of my car. I searched for her frantically amongst the hoards of children and parents.

"Mommy!" I heard her shout.

I zoned in on where I heard her voice come from and there she was; running towards me, backpack bouncing up and down behind her, a stuffed animal in her grip.

"Mommy look what I got." She held out a velveteen rabbit with floppy ears, ebony eyes, an embroidered pink nose and a blue suit on.

"Oh...Where did you get that honey?" I asked her.

"That man," she pointed. "Over there with Miss Bayer."

I looked up and saw him standing there beside Ivany's teacher. Miss Bayer waved and smiled at me and so did Bill, the fucking prick. I felt my anger rising inside me like a pot about to splash its scalding hot contents all over the place. If I wasn't in a public place surrounded by people I would have shrieked at the top of my lungs until I popped blood vessels.

I knelt down in front of her and whispered, "Ivany, what did Mommy just tell you about talking to strangers, huh? What did I say?"

"But mommy... He said he was your friend. He knows my name."

"Yes, but you don't know his."

"Yeah I do, it's Bill."

I swallowed and prepared myself for what was bound to be an excruciatingly awkward conversation with her teacher and Bill. "Stay right here. Don't move a muscle."

He was wearing a thin white shirt with a deep V neckline underneath a charcoal gray blazer with matching pants. His hair was styled back, pulled away from his face in subtle waves. His striking profile was difficult not to appreciate. His lips, his upturned nose, his big green eyes; all those features had stuck so clearly in my mind with the help of Ivany, a constant reminder of him. There was no escaping him. He knew it too. That devilish smile spread across his face as I approached. Without a doubt, he knew the pain I was in from trying to conceal my shock that he had shown up. It made him look all the eviler.

"Hello, Miss Bayer. How are you?"

"Good! I just wanted to make sure Ivany had her usual way home."

"Yeah," I chuckled nervously. "I am running a little late."

"I was just saying to Ivany's teacher that we were both going to convene here to pick her up for ice cream."

The lies coming forth from his mouth were enough to make me cringe but I didn't want to raise any red flags. The last thing I needed was a call to child protective services. The teachers had a reputation for sounding the alarm at even the most minuscule of things when it regarded the safety of the children in attendance at the school. Mrs. Bayer was the stout little ring-leader of the whistle-blowers too. She was so full of self-righteousness that it practically leaked out of her ears when she spoke. All it would take would be one phone call from Mother Goose if she thought I was putting Ivany in harm's way.

"Yep! Well, here we are. I guess we better get going." I said through clenched teeth and a fake smile.

"It was so nice to meet you," Miss Bayer gushed to Bill.

"Likewise." He replied.

I turned and quickly made my way back over to Ivany who had been waiting patiently with the stuffed rabbit under her arm. "Okay honey, let's get heading home now."

"But I thought we were going to get ice cream," she whined.

"No, not today-"

"Of course we are!" Bill interrupted.

"Yay!" Ivany cried out.

I threw daggers at him wordlessly. I could not believe the unbridled audacity. He smiled at me and then at Ivany who took her turn smiling at both of us.

"Fine, but we're taking my car," I said.

The awkwardness was heavy when all three of us got into the car, at least it was for me. Ivany seemed ecstatic and Bill hardly paid me any attention. He looked back at Ivany sitting in her booster seat and told her about where the rabbit came from. No doubt it was some insanely overpriced vintage doll he had picked up somewhere to tempt her with. She listened with ears perked at everything he was saying, absorbing his words and his charm as most any girl would. I watched her smile and nod her head to his story and I could not believe what I was seeing.

Witnessing them both together was the strange thing I had often thought of when I was alone or daydreaming. The inevitability of it all belittled me. To think I had banked on never encountering Bill again in my life. After months turned into years with no sign of him I had let my guard down and allowed him to find us. Now he was already winning Ivany over and I couldn't do anything but sit there and scream inwardly for it all to stop. But it wouldn't stop.

I drove to the closest ice cream parlor and followed the both of them in, eyes on the back of Bill's head. He was in constant conversation with Ivany and I felt almost betrayed that she had already taken such a liking to him. I suppose any good-looking man that came around with nice things and sweet words could worm his way into a heart or two but Bill... Bill had a parasitic charm that painted the rest of the world in black and white, leaving only him as the pinnacle of attention, impossible to ignore. I couldn't blame her for liking him immediately.

Bill, of course, bought ice cream for Ivany and we went outside to sit in the sun. Ivany chose to sit on the ground with her new rabbit to pretend like they were having a picnic. I sat at the corner of a picnic table that had been painted a dozen times over but still had initials and hearts carved into it like scars. He sat in front of me and stared at me when I refused to acknowledge him.

"J... You can't stop this from happening so why don't you embrace it?" He asked me.

I sighed, unable to put into words all of the things I wanted to say to him.

"Look at me." He demanded.

I looked at him for a moment and then looked away. "I don't know what to say to you."

"Say anything you want."

My nerves crackled every time he spoke. That voice that I had never forgotten was speaking to me again and I faltered. Ivany wasn't paying attention to our conversation but I leaned in and lowered my voice just in case. "You didn't need to make a spectacle at her school. What did you tell her teacher anyway?"

"I told her I'm a family friend and that we were meeting for ice cream," he admitted.

"I thought you were going to give me some time to think about everything."

Bill smiled. "I just... I wanted to meet her."

My solar plexus felt like it was caving in when he said that to me. I did not anticipate that I would feel anything but contempt for Bill after the way I left things between us but there I was feeling weak to him again. I had wanted to keep Ivany away from him so that she would never find out what kind of person I had been. Now I just felt selfish.

"Are you alright?" Bill asked me.

"Yeah." I barely whispered, feeling tears heating up behind my eyes again.

"Hey," he tried to get my attention. "look at me, J."

I looked at him sitting across from me and felt two heavy tears fall down from each corner of my eyes. He looked at me with sympathy for the first time ever.

"She's beautiful," his voice lowered.

I nodded. She was beautiful because she looked like him. It was a fact that had haunted me from the day she was born. Whenever I felt safe it only took a look from her eyes to remind me that Bill was out there. Now he was right in front of me and I was crying.

"I should really be getting home. I have work later," I sniffled.

"No, I want you to stay with me. Call in sick."

"I can't."

Bill narrowed his gaze on me. "Please."

I rolled my eyes in an attempt to stop my tears from rolling down my cheeks. I quickly wiped them away so Ivany wouldn't catch me crying. Shaking my head at the ground, I sighed and met his eyes again.

"Why?"

"Because I want to talk to you."

"You already made yourself very clear last night."

"No," Bill said. "I want to actually talk to you. I want to. Please. Let's just talk."

There was no refusing Bill. I relented quickly for the sheer curiosity of what else he had to say to me. We put Ivany back in the car with her sticky hands and her new rabbit and got in ourselves, Bill in the passenger seat and me behind the wheel. I drove in silence towards home. The closer we got the more I dreaded what was to come.

Compared to Bill's estate, our townhouse seemed like a crack in the wall. I feared he would be judging every single thing from the crumbling stone steps to my sticky lock that took a lot of wrestling to get open. Ivany held onto his hand the whole time as they waited for me to open the door. I stepped aside and allowed Bill to enter first with Ivany.

"Do you want to see my room?" She asked him.

"Yes, of course. You lead the way."

I shut the door behind us and watched as Bill looked around our meager living room. He didn't look like he was too disgusted but then again he was being pulled to the stairs by an enthusiastic four-year-old. I stayed in the living room and sat on the couch, still exhausted and so hungry it hurt. Our daughter's excited voice echoed throughout the entire house. It wasn't long until I heard footsteps coming back down the stairs.

He looked out of place to me. I assumed Bill had never set foot in a townhouse before. The entire structure could fit into his mansion half a dozen times. I had nothing fancy or vintage or elegant like he had. I was almost embarrassed to look at him. After having borne witness to our tenuous little home, he must have felt even more convinced that he was going to take Ivany away from it.

"What is she doing?" I asked him, trying to make conversation.

"She's tidying up her room."

"Oh," I replied.

Bill sat down on the couch next to me. My first thought was to move away but I was frozen in place. Even more so as he reached his hand out to tip my face up. I did all I could to keep myself from getting caught up in his stare. I knew what he could do to me with just one look.

"Tell me you missed me a little," he urged, voice smooth and low.

"Bill..."

"Tell me," he whispered, bringing his face closer to mine. "Come on."

"There was nothing to miss."

I thought he was going to kiss me but he stopped inches away from my face. "Tell me... Tell me you missed Daddy."

I shivered and looked away from him. I did not want to admit that I felt a spark shooting up from my loins. I could not let him gain control over me. This man who's upscale jacket clashed painfully with the cheap microfiber sofa, who had paid me once to indulge his sexual fantasies, who had gotten me pregnant was using his hands to force me to stare at him just like he used to.

"Don't say that shit to me. Not while she's around." I berated him.

"She's upstairs. She can't hear a thing."

"I don't care. Not while she's here."

Bill sighed and dropped his hands from my face. "So you haven't told her I assume?"

"Haven't told her what?"

"About her Father."

"She's never asked," I admitted.

He blinked profusely like he had just swallowed something unpleasant. He stood up from the couch and paced over to the window, turned back to look at me for a moment and then continued to stare out at the street, shaking his head.

"Bill?"

I nearly jumped when he whipped around, anger evident on his face.

"What did I ever do to you besides give you the fucking life you wanted, huh?"

"Bill, lower your voice... Ivany."

"I don't care! I want to know what the Hell is going on in that little fucking head of yours. Why? Why!?"

I shrunk into the back of the sofa, afraid of how he might escalate. After all, I hadn't seen him in years and one of our last encounters he had almost pulled a gun on me but instead of him reddening, his expression melted into one I had never seen before.

"I gave you what you wanted and you ran from me and had our child... And you haven't even told her about me?"

There was a moment of silence before I could think of the right thing to say. "I didn't want that life. I didn't want to be that person anymore. I had to run."

"So instead you became a liar? Tell me that little girl hasn't asked you about why other kids at school have dads and she doesn't! Why are you constantly lying and hiding things? Don't you realize that your actions impact other fucking people around you? Or are you just so self-absorbed that you're incapable of feeling remorse?"

"You seem to forget that you stalked me to my place of work and threatened to take my child away from me. How dare you accuse me of being self-absorbed!"

Before Bill raised his voice higher, he suddenly held his tongue, attention pulled to the other side of the room. I looked behind me and saw Ivany slowly edging down the stairs.

"Are you guys mad at each other?" She asked, voice small but not afraid.

Bill and I looked at each other, our glares softening as our daughter came down the stairs with her new velveteen rabbit tucked safely underneath her arm. "No Ivany. Everything is fine. Come here." Bill said, motioning for her to come down.

Ivany hopped up onto the couch beside me and held out her new toy. I smiled, successfully masking all of the emotions running rampant inside me. With her presence, our conversation was cut short and I was relieved because I didn't have the energy to continue arguing with Bill. The last thing I wanted was for Ivany to overhear something that might confuse her.

Once the tension mostly dissipated, Ivany suggested we eat pizza for dinner. A good portion of the time I obliged her every suggestion. If Ivany wanted pizza for dinner, we had pizza, if she wanted to watch Frozen for the eightieth time, we watched it and sang every word together. When she felt like drawing or colouring I would get down on the floor with her and hand her each coloured pencil she asked for. Ivany was the little dictator that decided nearly everything besides the appropriate time to go to bed. Now that Bill was there, I felt a strange conflict. I wasn't sure if I should indulge Ivany's whims or if I should have looked to Bill to see what he wanted. He didn't seem like he had plans to leave any time soon.

"I think that's a great idea," Bill said, causing Ivany to smile profusely.

I narrowed my sight on Bill for but a moment. Was he already starting to work Ivany over to him, priming her to choose him over me? It was hard to be sure of his motives. It was hard to be sure of anything. On one hand, I believed what he had threatened at the club, that he would win Ivany over with toys and other such Fatherly affections, in turn driving a wedge between me and her. On the other, I could see a real sparkle come to his eyes when he looked at her. It was a mixture of amazement and pride and I could see how much Ivany absorbed it. The way he looked at her was genuine, there was no mistaking that.

Tell me you missed Daddy.

I squirmed a little when I thought of him grasping my face, forcing me to come close to him, close enough to feel his soft breath on my cheeks. Close enough to help me remember the filthy things he had done to me all those years ago.

I want you to come back home with me.

I pondered in silence. Could we become a little family? Was I acting on selfish impulse to hide Ivany from him or was I doing right to protect her? Now everything I had done up to that point was in question. Who was I to take a little girl from her Father? Who was I to deny her to him? Was protecting myself robbing her of a better life? All these questions beat me down mercilessly and all I could do for the moment was curl up in a ball and hope that they would leave me alive.

#bill skarsgård fanfiction #bill skarsgard fanfiction #bill skarsgård smut #bill skarsgard smut #fanfiction

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rosekard · 5 years ago

Link

It had been five long years since the pizzeria had been abandoned. The animations and the five souls left alone and untouched. But what if there was a way for all ten of them to be free?

Tumbr version under the cut

A brown bear sat at the edge of a stage, a microphone in his hand. An animatronic, yes, but soft enough for children to hug. His eyes were shut tightly, and a small, sad smile graced his face. He remembered the animatronic’s memories from before he had been killed. They were allowed to free roam, talk to the kids. The kids would sit on their laps and they would tell them all sorts of stories. Back when Foxy and Pirates Cove hadn’t been ‘out of order’ as they called it. Back before the bite. Before, well, before he had been killed.

The bear opened his eyes as he heard the sounds of gears walking towards him. Out of the corners of his eyes he saw yellow, purple, and red sitting down beside him. “Hey guys.” He said, just loud enough to be heard by the three surrounding him. The faded yellow chicken spoke up first. “Hi Freddy. Hello Gabriel.” For just a moment, freddy’s eyes grew white as a little white creature with black eyes flew out of him. “Good evening Miss. Chica, Susie. Same to the rest of you.” The other three animatronics took a deep breath before doing the same.

Quickly, three other white beings joined the first. The first held a microphone, the second had long hair, a ribbon holding it back. The third had bunny ears, and the fourth had an eyepatch. The four beings, most likely souls, sat next to each of their animatronics silently. “So, Chica. Anything interesting in the kitchen?” The purple bunny asked. “Nothing new Bonnie. I mean, they abandoned this place, what, five years ago.” “Aye mate” The Fox spoke up “I ain't seen any of ‘em landlubbers in years.” His voice was distant. Sad.

“I know Foxy, but we will get out of here someday. It may be a while but I’m sure we can figure it out.” A growl was heard “Oh come on Freddy, it's been five years! Were gonna get outta here? When? Another five years?” Chica backed up just a little. “Bonnie? Please relax, yelling won't help.” tears brimmed in the rabbits eyes “Then what will, chica? We killed guards. Nothing has worked. We can’t just walk outside and be all like ‘Hey everyone! Don’t worry about the fact that were living animatronics, and we have the souls of children whose corpses were stuffed into our exoskeletons. No big deal!’”

Freddy snapped his head to look at the rabbit “Bonnie, you are a genius! We need to find Goldie and Cassidy!” “Freddy, mate, what is that gonna do? The lads have been missin for a while” Foxy questioned. “When was the last time you went into storage? The two are hiding away in there. Lets go!”

The limp Golden bear looked at the little white girl with a top hat and bow tie. “Cassidy, do you think that they will come back for us once they find a way out? I mean, they never really visit us.” She sighed “I mean, Freddy and Gabriel came by and visited about a year or so ago. You’re right, it's probably bad that I have to think that far back.” “Yes I do believe it is.” Just as the two finished talking the door opened. Four animatronics and four spirits stood at the door.

“Goldie, brother, I figured it out!” The white pupils darted from the girl to the bear “You figured it out? This means that I’m going to have to go something absolutely insane.” Freddy shook his head. “Not necessarily. I need you to get us hair samples of ten different people. Five adults, and five children. We can all leave and start a new life as a big happy family!” Goldie sighed as he used his magic to lift himself into a standing position. “It may take me a few trips but I can get it for you. Cassie would you come with me? I don’t want to be left stranded if my magic gives out.” The soul nodded and followed the bear through the walls of the building to the outside world.

“What? How in the Atlantic ocean can he leave the building? Aye, I mean. The lad and lass can leave but we be trapped here!” Freddy shook his head “Goldie is using his magic again. I’m glad to see him use it again.”

*Timeskip because I have no clue what to write*

Over the next few days Goldie and Cassidy had collected the hair samples. The animatronics began working to create body out of the dna. Using Goldie’s magic they were able to make the bodies unique to them. Eventually the bodies had been created. Foxy was the first to go. He took a moment to balance himself before he stood up, with the help of bonnie and chica of course. He had messy red hair, an anchor T-shirt a black jacket and ripped jeans. They then sent Fritz, the child who was with foxy into his body. The boy looked like Foxy’s son. Without a second thought he pulled Foxy into a hug. Initially it startled the fox, before he slowly wrapped his arms around the boy. “It works. I feel the heat coming from him. It works!”

The group became excited as they slowly went through everyone. Freddy and Goldie wore matching suits, the colors being gold and brown respectively. Chica had a yellow shirt with chicks printed on and Bonnie a Purple shirt with a red guitar print. The Children looked like miniature versions of their respective animatronics. Bonnie walked over to the old counter and slowly opened the old cash register. Inside was a one hundred dollar bill. Chica walked into the security office and found three twenties.

They decided that the small amount of money would be able to feed the ten of them as long as they were careful. The next morning the group left through the back door. After a few hours of walking they reached the next nearest town. Goldie used his magic to get all of them identification and birth certificates. After that the animatronics got jobs and the children began going to school.

The group of them began living a normal life, as any people should do. Eventually the group started to get themselves into romantic relationships. Bonnie and Chica fell in love and later married. Foxy and Freddy the same. Goldie was perfectly content staying single. The group still lived in the same house together, not worrying about the marriages.

One day all ten of them went to the park. It had been five years since they had left the pizzaria. “Do you remember when we were still animatronics?” Foxy laughed at the comment “Do I remember mate? Of course I do. Aye ye were all mopey an’ all but we made it. Goldie laughed “How could I forget. I mean, Being a limp piece of fabric is sorta hard to forget. At least now we aren’t.”

“Ya know guys?” Chica spoke up “I think that after all of that we can face any challenges that come our way.” Bonnie nodded as the children came running up to them. It was getting late anyways. So they packed up and drove back home, home is where the heart is.

#fnaf #fanfiction

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anonymouswriter2311 · 6 years ago

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Little Robin prompt! She’s experimenting with magic and accidentally sends herself to an alternate past timeline in the Wish Realm, just after Gothel cursed Nook’s heart. She hears Little Alice calling for help and climbs up. It’d be cute to see them meet as kids. They find a way for Alice to escape the tower. You can decide how it ends. Little Robin takes her back to Storybrooke. Or, if you don't want Little Alice around for the rest of the series, send her off to Wonderland on her own for now.

Thanks for the amazing prompt!

Little Robin’s Adventures, Chapter 4: Little Robin vs. Magic Part 2

Little Robin woke to the sounds of screaming from above. Peeking her eyes open, she took in her surroundings, she had never seen such a beautiful place before. The trees towered above, providing much-needed protection from the harsh sun, the ground was wet and mossy, and the singing voices of birds and insects filled the air…until the screaming started again.

“Papa! Papa! Please come back to me, Papa!” An English twine flew around her, engulfing her in memories of her friend Alice, who up until a few moments ago had been holding her, protecting her, until her magic pushed her away. Looking around Little Robin tried to find the source of the crying, hoping that maybe she knew a way for her to get back home, it was almost her bedtime after all and she knew that her Mother was already a little bit upset with her.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Little Robin called out as she finally picked herself off the ground.

“Hello?” The voice shouted back, she sounded close, but Little Robin couldn’t see anyone nearby.

“Where are you?” The brunette called out, as she stood on her tiptoes thinking that it would give her a better few. It worked, for a few seconds until she lost her balance and fell backward, only being held up by some sort of brick tower.

“I’m up here!” The voice called out, prompting Robin to move away from the tower and look up. Sitting at the edge of a small window, was a girl around about her age, with beautiful blonde hair.

“Hey! I’m Robin!” She shouted while waving her hand excitedly forgetting for a second that she had magic. Within the second wave of her hand, the brunette was quickly engulfed in a cloud of green smoke. As it disappeared, Robin came face to face with the girl from the window, only Robin now seemed to be inside the tower and within arms reach of the girl.

“Magic…stay away from me!” The blonde girl screamed as she scampered away, jumping over her bed and quickly tucking herself underneath it.

“Hey…I’m not gonna hurt you.” Little Robin explained as she got down on her hands and knees to look at the blonde shaking under the bed.

“Promise?” The blonde cried.

“I cross my heart.” Robin reached her hand out for the blonde. Nervously, the blonde girl took Robin’s hand and allowed her to help her out from under the bed and back up to her feet.

“Magic is scary…the witch used magic to keep my Papa away from me.” Little Alice explained as she led Robin over to the small table surrounded by tattered cuddly toys.

“I won’t use my magic, I don’t really know much about it…only how to pull pranks on Big Robin!” Little Robin bragged, as she pulled a chair out for the blonde, whose name she still did not know.

“Big Robin? So that makes you Little Robin?” Alice asked as she leaned forward to listen closely to the brunette.

“I guess so, but you can just call me Robin.” The brunette winked at the blonde, something she had seen Robin do to Alice many of times and she seemed to like it.

“I’m Alice…” The blonde extended her hand out to the gobsmacked brunette.

“Alice? Alice Jones?” Robin asked excitedly.

“How did you know?” The blonde asked in confusion, completely intrigued by her new brunette friend.

“It’s a long story.” Robin giggled as she sat back in her seat, ready to fill Alice in on what had been happening since Pretty Alice and Big Robin came to town.

“Tea?” Little Alice smiled brightly, as she poured a cup for herself and Robin.

***

“How could I let this happen!” Robin paced outside of the small walk-in closet, as Alice hunted for something suitable to wear. Zelena had run off to find Regina so that they could do a locator spell, Robin had insisted immediately that she and Alice would track her down and get her home safely, knowing that if Zelena went after Little Robin, magic or not some bad things would happen to some not so bad people.

“It’s not your fault love, she’s young, too young for magic and she lost control.” Alice peeked her head out to smile at the brunette.

“What if something horrible happens to her…to me! She only a kid!” Robin shouted, tears now forming in her eyes, as much as she claimed the small brunette annoyed her with her clinging to Alice and all the mischief she seemed to get into, Robin loved the little brunette like a sister.

“Regina will cast the locator spell, then we will go and get her…I promise, that nothing bad is going to happen to Little Robin.” Alice stepped out of the closet dressed in the same red skirt, white blouse and brown corset that she had worn the day she met Robin. “Now, calm yourself down and get dressed!” Alice clapped her hands together, snapping Robin’s eyes away from how sexy the blonde looked in that outfit.

“Fine…” Robin mumbled as she quickly undressed, before pulling her old hunting gear on. “I hope Little Robin hasn’t gotten herself into too much trouble…I mean, it’s only been an hour.” Robin commented as she was pulled her boot on, wincing as her socked foot came into contact with something wet, cold and sticky.

“What is…Oh.” Alice covered her face with her hand as she tried not to laugh at her love.

“I’m gonna ki…” Robin paused, breathing deeply to calm herself down. “Is it bad that this kind of makes me miss her even more?” Robin’s facial expressions softened as a stray tear released itself from the prison that was Robin’s eyes.

“Aww love…” Alice hugged the brunette tightly, as she rubbed soothing shapes on her cloak covered back. “You do care.”

***

“So, you think that I’m the younger version of your Alice from Storybrooke?” Little Alice asked as she sipped on her tea, enjoying that fact that she has actual company for her tea parties, as opposed to just her and her stuffed animals.

“Yep! She’s my best friend…oh and Big Robin, she’s the older version of me!” Little spoke excitedly, as she munched on another one of Alice’s cupcakes.

“How curious…what is she…me…like?” Little Alice reached over to pour more tea into the brunette’s cup, before grabbing Mr. Rabbit from his usual seat, to cuddle with.

“She’s amazing! We are always playing, having tea parties, baking cookies! And she’s pretty too…just like you.” Little Robin blushed, as she saw Little Alice duck her head into Mr. Rabbit’s fur.

“Thank you…you’re pretty too,” Alice mumbled, as the small clock struck 7 pm.

“Aww shucks…Oh, I’ve got to get home, Mom is going to kill me!” Little Robin jumped, starling the smaller girl ever so slightly.

“Careful…” Little Alice warned, as she quickly reached to grab the shaking teacups.

“Oops, Sorry.” Robin smiled apologetically, as she shrugged her shoulders sadly.

“It’s okay…it’s just that my Papa got me this…before.” Little Alice’s eyes filled with fresh tears, it had only been a couple of weeks since her Papa’s heart had been poisoned and she truly missed him dearly.

“I get it…I never knew my Dad, he died when I was a baby…he left me this amazing bow, but I don’t get to have it till I’m older, like Robin! She says she’ll teach me one day, but Alice keeps shouting at her…I miss Alice.” Little Robin felt herself grow small, not in size, but in confidence. She was worried about the Alice she had left behind, she didn’t mean to hurt her and she was so sure that Big Robin would be mad at her because of it.

“Big Robin sounds fun…” Little Alice commented, “If she’s anything like you that is.”

“Ha, I’m nothing like her…she always so moody and she hates it when I’m around most of the time…” Little Robin huffed as she started to grow tired, it was around about this time when she would curl up on the sofa with her Mom and watch cartoons, plus the added strain of using magic all day had really taken its toll on her.

“I’m sure that’s not true…I can’t imagine having someone like you around and not enjoying every second of it.” Alice blushed as she wrapped her arm around the brunette’s shoulders.

“She’s probably happy that I’m gone…I only ever get in her and Alice’s way.” Tear’s began to run down the small child’s face.

“I don’t know this other Robin, but if she doesn’t want to have you around then she is missing out! I haven’t had this much fun stuck in her in…I don’t even know how long!” Little Alice quickly wrapped her other arm around the brunette, pulling her in closer as Little Robin sobbed.

“T-thanks Alice…I’m glad I got to make a friend like you…again.” The small brunette, wiped away the tears as she mumbled into Alice’s shoulder.

“I’m glad I got to make a friend that isn’t a stuffed animal…or a hat.” The blonde blushed as they pulled away, arms still loosely draped around each other.

“I wish that you weren’t stuck in this place…”

“I wish that you didn’t have to go…can you come back and see me again?” Little Alice begged as she smiled a toothy grin.

“I’m not sure if my Mom will let me near magic again…but I promise that we will meet again.” Robin smiled as she thought of the stories Big Alice had told her about all her and Robin’s adventures in the enchanted forest. “One day, you’re going to be spying on your Papa, you’ll hear a twig break behind you and come face to face with the best archer in all the realms.” Little Robin winked proudly, content in leaving the girl, knowing that someday soon they would be together again.

“I’d like that…” Alice blushed. “Goodbye Little Robin.” Little Alice gently leaned forward, placing a friendly kiss on the small brunette’s cheek. Suddenly, a wave of magic took over them, sending flashes of bright colors around the tower. Unsure of what was going to happen, the two girls hugged each other close, eyes shut and trembling…

TBC

AO3

#Little Robin #Little Robin’s Adventure’s #robin mills #robin hood #alice x robin #Little Alice #mad archer #curious archer #zelena mills #once upon a time ff #once upon a time #tbc #prompt

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the-elf-mahat · 7 years ago

Text

Solace

(( A sort of sequel/”one year later” companion piece to Solstice, the first IC story I posted on this blog. A lot has changed since then, for both me and Mahat, almost all of it for the better. We’ve both been moving from just surviving to actually living life, and it’s a rough journey sometimes, but having friends along for the ride makes all the difference. Special shout-out to @coldwall-collective, all you nerds are my family and I love you and you’re gonna have to live with that. Thank you also to all of you who have taken the time to get to know ‘Hat in game, or to read the stories here on Tumblr. It means so, so much to me. I hope you all have a beautiful and bright New Year. ))

-music-

It was the longest night of the year, and Mahat wasn't alone.

They made their way up the mountainside together, the three of them—two dark-sighted elves helping along a small, half-human child when the path grew rocky and steep. Their progress was much slower than the last time she had come this way by herself, but Mahat didn't feel the need to rush a single moment of it. She kept looking back over her shoulder and smiling at her two most beloved: the tall elven man, lean and strong, long white hair dripping over his shoulders like moonlight while silvery stubble did nothing to hide the crooked grin on his face, and the little girl holding his hand, bouncing and bubbly even at that late hour, her dark curls as abundant as her eager questions.

“Are we a'most there? Have you ever been 'ere, Mister Jaoyn? I en't gone cuz Mum said I were too small an' couldn't make the climb but I'm a really good climber now, see? I kin almos' do it all by m'self! What kind o' tree is that? D'you like countin' stars, Mister Jaoyn?” Her sweet, fluting voice flowed around and over Jaoyn's softly amused answers, as easily as a creek over stones, darting from one subject to the next with barely a pause for breath.

Eventually, the terrain leveled out, before dipping them into the small, deep bowl of a clearing. There was a lake at the center, black and gleaming like obsidian under the night sky, while the rest of the crevice was lush with mountain grasses and moss, sheltered from the winds by the high rock walls. The trio unrolled a thick wool blanket onto the ground and curled up together, Saera in the middle while Jaoyn and Mahat framed her like parentheses.

They lay like that for a long time, watching the stars drift by above them, telling each other stories about the things they saw in the sky. Jaoyn gave his rendition of a Tarauhe legend about how the moon fell in love with a white stag, and Mahat recited an ancient tale about a sky goddess that no one else in the world would ever remember. Saera, meanwhile, regaled the adults with the exciting adventures of her stuffed rabbit Ham and her rag doll Paedru, as they set out to steal a star for their very own and ended up jousting with an ill-tempered dragon and answering riddles set for them by a harpy queen, before finally succeeding in their quest and coming home just in time for a crucial tea party.

“Saera...” Mahat said cautiously, as the story drew to its close. “I 'ave a question fer ye.”

Sensing in her mother's tone that this would be a Very Important Grown-Up Question, the girl immediately sat up straight and folded her hands in her lap, nodding solemnly, her grey eyes wide with interest. Mahat covered her mouth briefly to hide a smile, before collecting herself once more.

“I know ye an' Jaoyn is still getting' 'quainted wi' each other, but I reckon ye two is on th' way ta bein' good friends, eh?” Identical eager nods from the man and the child greeted her statement, and she almost lost her composure to laughter again. “Aye, an' I feel th' same abou' th' both o' ye. Matter o' fact, I love both o' ye ver' much.” She took a breath to steady herself, hoping against all evidence to the contrary that this, all of this, was the right thing to do. “I asked Jaoyn ta marry me. Wha' d'ye think abou' tha'?”

Saera's expression crumpled in sorrow and Mahat felt her heart seize in her chest. “But he's no' my da!”

“Oh, love—nay, nay, 'e en't but--” Mahat reached out to her daughter without thinking and plunged onwards, trying to ignore the churning in her gut and the stricken look on Jaoyn's face. “But I swear, 'e loves ye an' me both, jes' as much as yer da e'er did. I bloody—I miss yer da like crazy, ev'ry damn day an' I know ye do too. But ye know… y'know 'e wouldn' want us t' stay sad an' lonely f'ever, eh?” Her voice softened as Saera's lips quivered and her eyes swam with held-back tears. “There, love… 's all righ'… nobody's fergettin' yer da, or replacin' 'im… there's more'n enou' love in my 'eart fer ye an' him an' Jaoyn too, an' I reckon… if ye look, ye'll find there's more'n enou' in yers too. Ye didn't stop lovin' Ham jes' cuz Jaoyn gave ye Paedru, eh?” The child sniffled heavily and shook her head. “Aye, 'course no', e'en though ye love Paedru too, jes' as much. It'll be like tha'. Ye'll always 'ave yer da wi' ye, watchin' o'er ye, bein' a part o' ye. Ye won't lose 'im—neither o' us will, I promise. We's jes' lucky, ye an' I, cuz we found one more person we kin love, who loves us.”

Saera wavered, looking hopeful but still hesitant. Jaoyn spoke up then, hastening to soothe the child even through his own worry and mild horror at her reaction to the news. “Miss Saera, everything your mother says is true. Your father… I never met him, but it's clear he loved you and your mother very, very much. I would never—I would hate for you to think I wanted to steal him from you, in some way. All I want is for you and your mother to be happy and safe… and to be there to make sure of it.” His odd, gentle formality seemed to sway the little girl, and she nodded slowly.

“I think—you're nice, Mister Jaoyn. I don't think you would do mean things or try an' steal my da. I think Mum loves you a lot an' Ham an' Paedru both like you and think you're funny.” Saera gained some confidence as she spoke, though she was still a bit unsteady and the tears in her eyes hadn't entirely vanished. “Um. I would like it ver' much if you married my mum. But if you en't my da then wha' is ye?” Her brow furrowed in deep concern.

“Whatever you'd like me to be, Miss Saera… an uncle perhaps… or simply Jaoyn,” the man replied, meeting her gaze with equal gravity.

“I have a uncle a'ready,” she said dismissively, before brightening suddenly, the tips of her half-elven ears flicking up to peep through her mass of curls. “Oh! You can be my an'da.” She used the Darnassian word for “father” blithely and firmly, as though that settled the matter. Jaoyn and Mahat exchanged a brief look of desperate relief—was it really just that simple?--before the girl spoke up again. “Does tha' mean we kin live t'gether, Mum? Like we used ta? Like a, a family?” She was nearly breathless with excitement all of a sudden, her eyes gleaming in the night almost as brightly as a true Kaldorei's.

Mahat felt the back of her throat drop out and her insides plummeting into endless void. “N-nay… nay, lass. No' yet. It en't safe--” Her voice was dry as the dust of a tomb as she watched the shining hope in her daughter's face twist itself into despair and then an instant later, furious anger.

“Why no’?!” Saera shrieked, eyes welling with tears once again. “Ye said—you said—he loves us! He wants to keep us safe, an', an' happy! We should be happy an' we should be together! It en't fair!” The child's howl of grief echoed off the canyon walls, cutting into Mahat deeper than most knives she'd felt.

“It en't, it en't, y'right love...” Mahat mumbled, trying to keep from cracking to pieces while her daughter needed help, needed her to be strong. “There's nothin' 'bout this tha's fair, an' ye kin be angry, ye 'ave ev'ry right t' be angry, at—at th' world, at me—I's sorry, I's so damn sorry, I's doin' ev'rythin' I kin--” Her voice cracked on a harsh sob just as strong arms settled around her shoulders and pulled her in close.

“It's all right, my love,” Jaoyn murmured in her ear, holding her tightly as she clutched at his shirt and struggled to calm her erratic breathing. It was only a moment, but it was enough, the kiss he pressed to her forehead centering her, making the world swim back into focus. She squeezed his hand gratefully and glanced at Saera, who seemed about an inch and a half away from total meltdown herself, only momentarily stalled as her rage vied with concern for her clearly stricken mother.

Jaoyn nodded in understanding, and gently released Mahat, turning his focus to Saera. “Indeed, it's all right to be angry, Miss Saera. Sometimes it's even good to be angry, because it helps us fight against the bad things. But sometimes you get angry and there's no bad things around to fight, so you know what I do then?” he asked conspiratorially, drawing a suspicious yet curious headshake from the girl. “I fight a tree.”

Saera let out a stifled little giggle, and Jaoyn widened his eyes and waggled his ears in exaggerated emphasis. “It's true! Them barky sorts have to be taught a lesson, always lookin' down on us shorter folks. I go out and give 'em a proper beatdown, even though they try to fight back by puttin' all their splintery bits in my knuckles.” He offered her his hand, rife with the callouses and scars of millenia, a stark, massive contrast to her tiny, soft palms. “In fact, I think I spy an aspen gettin' all snobbish on the other side of the lake. Come help me show it what's what?”

The child nodded eagerly, getting to her feet and scrubbing the moisture from her eyes. Hand in hand, they headed off to fight the trees, Jaoyn shooting Mahat a soft, encouraging smile over his shoulder as they went.

Mahat couldn't help but smile in return, drawing her knees to her chest and hugging them tight as she watched the two figures recede into the distance. “I do no' deserve tha' man...” she whispered wryly to her knees, her panic ebbing away as her heartbeat slowed to a normal pace—until it was sent spiking by a too-familiar voice in her head.

“Damn righ' ye don't.”

“Fuck off,” Mahat growled, shoulders slumping in exhaustion. She didn't need this too. Not tonight.

“Ye always need me. 'Specially t'night. Wha' th' fuck is ye thinkin'? Playin' houses like a damn schoolgirl? Ye know 'ow this story ends, 'ow it always ends.”

“It don't always 'ave t' end th' same.”

“Sure it does, an' ye know it. Ye's on'y lyin' ta y'self by pretendin' diff'rent.”

“Sometimes lies become th' truth when they's believed in hard enou',” Mahat murmured, weary but still defiant. “Ye weren' born wha' ye is. Ye made y'self—ye lied t' yerself abou' wha' ye was 'til it became true. I kin do th' same.”

There was a bark of cruel laughter in her mind. “Ye think ye kin lie yer way inta bein' a good person? Fool y'self inta bein' a lover, bein' a fuckin' mother? Y'stupider'n I thought. Tha' kinda shite's beyond us.”

“Beyond ye. But I en't ye.”

“Aye, so y'keep sayin'. But 's jes' another lie ye tell y'self, eh? Elsewise… why en't ye tried ta get rid o' me, if y'so sure I's summat other'n ye?”

“It en't poss'ble.”

“Horseshite. Ye en't tried. Ye know all manner o' fancy magic spooks an' mindfuckers, y'tellin' me ye don' think a single one o' 'em cou' do summat? Don' bother lyin', I know th' truth. Ye's scared. Ye know if ye lose me, ye lose y'self. An' th' damn irony is, ye's gonna lose y'self one day anyway. One day soon, when yer playhouse comes crashin' down around y'ears.”

Mahat bit the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted blood, her vision going red at the corners. “Shut y'fuckin' mouth.”

The other voice turned suddenly, absurdly, gentle and earnest. “'S th' both o' us t'gether, love, an' tha's all we'll e'er 'ave. Bes' accept tha', accept us, afore ye lose summat else y'held close an' then lose y'mind entirely. Ev'ryun else kin break. Ev'ryun else kin die. From th' greatest t' th' smallest...” A child's cry carried across the dark water of the lake, and Mahat bolted upright, every sense and instinct frozen in place by a bolt of perfect, horrifying fear.

It was a laugh, she realized a second later. She could see the two figures in the distance under the aspen tree. Jaoyn had punched the trunk and was miming a dramatically pained reaction, and Saera was cackling in delighted laughter, her tears and anger forgotten. Mahat dropped back down to the blanket and curled in on herself, adrenaline making her heart pound and her shoulders shake. The rush faded quickly, leaving her numb and empty, but when Jaoyn and Saera returned, she folded the latter swiftly in her arms and leaned back into the other's embrace.

The three of them cuddled together on the blanket again, Mahat in the center this time. Jaoyn kissed her neck and softly stroked her hair as she whispered an apology to Saera, who accepted with sleepy amiability, yawning and burrowing into her mother's side like a heat-seeking kitten. Fighting to crawl from beneath the shadow of her fear, Mahat found herself emerging into starlight, surrounded by love and comfort, suspended in a moment that was untouchable, inviolable by whispers, by lies, by secrets. It didn't matter who she was, or who she'd been. The past was an echo and the future a question; only the present, only that moment, was real.

Saera murmured a request for a song, a lullaby that had always been her favorite. Mahat's lips parted, voice hesitant and creaking with emotion at first, slowly building to something smooth and strong and sweet. Jaoyn knew the song, she'd sung it to him before, and his warm baritone voice came rolling in, supporting her and filling out the lower notes. Saera let out a happy sigh, radiating peace and contentment as she drifted off. Mahat soaked in that peace, drowning her fears and her senses, relishing it like the Light itself.

It was the longest night of the year, and she wasn't alone.

#I wrote a thing #Wyrmrest Accord #wyrmrest rp #about the elf #jaoyn #mahat's infinite playlist

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fableweaver · 7 years ago

Text

Arc of the Dragon Keeper

Spring was young and snow still lay in the upper keeps of the mountains of the highlands. Iounn stood at her husband’s grave musing over the strange winter she had. They had buried Goran up above his hall on the mountain side, a small goat trail leading to the chagrin. Iounn looked out at the view, glad that Goran would have such a wonderful vista to himself. The hall lay at her feet, the smaller buildings huddling close to the great stone structure. Beyond the small valley between the great peaks spread. Fields of barley rested under the snow, but barley was not the wealth here at Goran’s steading, called Stóstund.

Goran had been a minor lord of Nyrgard, Baron of Stóstund, a small barony that had several mines and mountains upon it. Yielding more iron than gold, the mines still turned a fair profit in Nyrgard. Neither rich nor poor Goran had inherited after the death of his elder brother in the King’s Wars. He had returned from battle, aged already thirty winters, seeking a wife for his new steading. Of course he had chosen the pretty daughter of a smith, a flaxen haired girl barely sixteen springs.

Twenty years later Iounn had proudly given him three sons and two daughters, not including the three lost in infancy. Now Goran had reached the end of his rope, dying in his bed of a fever none had seen coming.

Iounn shivered as she thought over her husband’s last moments. His death had seemed easy until the last moment he had sat up in his bed and sang. The words had disturbed Iounn, and still rang with her yet she had been the only one to hear him. She had not spoken of them, even to Sif the Sect of Tempest and semi-Bard that resided in their hall.

She looked to the pass to keep her mind away from troubling thoughts. The snow still had yet to be cleared from the pass, meaning her sons Sigur and Jori still could not return. It was tradition in Nyrgard that young men were fostered out to other houses to learn the responsibilities of a house. Word had not even been sent yet to her sons that their father had died.

Life went on though, and Iounn turned back to the path. She gave one last look at her husband’s chagrin, the rough stones piled on him looking strange to her somehow. Turning away she walked back down to her husband’s hall. The challenge of the path claimed her attention entirely, and she couldn’t look up until she was on level ground outside of the hall.

There was only a low stone wall around the hall and its outer buildings, the mountains a more effective barrier than any man could build. Inside the low stone wall the ground was muddy from the foot traffic. Iounn passed a few withered trees which sheltered the many small huts that housed the honey bees. Many Nyrgarders loved mead, and to make mead they needed honey. The hives were almost silent in the winter cold, but thick covers and several ovens kept the small occupants alive for spring.

Past the hives were the stables, these buckled down as well for the winter. Next to the stables were the pens that housed the slaves. Both shared an oven to keep the buildings warm, smoke rising from the chimney. Past these was the square where the smith and the post met with the entrance to her husband’s hall.

Even in the bitter air people still went about their business. The sound of metal being forged rang from the smith, a sound that resounded so strongly with Iounn that she instantly felt at home when she heard it. Her brother worked that forge now, inherited after their father’s death so long ago. The post was much like any other post, a small tower for messenger birds and a cottage like building for the trade goods they could not get from the land here. The post was desolate now; they had not seen a merchant since the snows began.

The hall loomed over everything. Made of mortar and stone, the walls stood a good three stories before ending at the peaked roof supported by great redwood logs. The entry was two heavy redwood doors enforced with iron bindings. Iounn didn’t have to worry about opening them as one already stood ajar.

She was greeted by warmth as she entered, three great fireplaces burning coal and wood. The fireplaces were spread out in the hall, one along the south wall, one along the north, and one in the middle of the room with a special chimney. The room was smoky from the fires and the many candles that lit it, but wonderfully warm after the chill outside.

The walls were hung with hunting trophies, from all the men of the family. The stone floor was covered with knotted rugs and swept clean. Several tables sat in the hall, men sitting at them and drinking. Women walked between them, serving ale or mead to those who needed it. Half the men were miners while the other half were guards for the mines. The free miners were hardly ever put in difficult situations and were paid a fair wage. Some were even freed slaves who had worked their way to their freedom only to decide to take hire here.

Goran had been a fair man and gave fair wages. He made sure all his mines were safe; he saw no point in killing men just for a few ounces of iron or coal. The mood was relaxed in the hall, a lone minstrel playing a low tune on a reed flute. Walking to the other end of the hall, Iounn had guards and miners alike stop their talk to bow to her. She nodded in return, but kept her course for her husband’s table.

Goran’s banner hung on the wall over the table, a pick ax crossed with a shovel. She sat at her place on the right of Goran’s chair, and one of the serving girls set a trencher of roasted venison and a horn of mead before her. She waited for the bread before she dug into the food, knowing it wouldn’t be long before she was interrupted.

Sure enough after only a few bites Ingrid sat next to her. Her eldest daughter looked just like Iounn had at her age, shapely and tall with a handsome face and long blonde hair. She glared at her mother defiantly, she was reaching her own marriage age now and Iounn knew very well what the cause of this pensive mood was.

“Well Ingrid,” Iounn said mildly. “I know you’ve been dying to let it out so go ahead.”

“You know nothing about me,” Ingrid said hotly and Iounn laughed.

“Dear you sound just like I did at the time,” Iounn said. “Only I said it to my father. Now he really knew nothing about me, a man never really understands.”

“If you really understand me then why are you making me get married?” Ingrid asked angrily.

“Ingrid, I haven’t even found a match for you yet,” Iounn said tiredly. “I am just making sure you are ready for your household when the time comes. My mother had died when I was young, so I was unprepared to become the wife of a Baron. I want you to have the advantages I did not.”

Looking at her daughter though she could tell only about half of that actually sunk in. All she was probably hearing was that Iounn was forcing her to do something she didn’t want to do.

“It’s so unfair,” Ingrid said pouting and Iounn sighed wearily.

“It is as fair as can be Ingrid,” Iounn said and then remembered something. “My father never asked me this but I wished he had. So Ingrid, if you don’t want to marry what do you want?”

Ingrid seemed suddenly startled by the question, and a puzzled frown crossed her brow. Iounn remembered a time when she would have shouted she had wanted to be a smith. Of course she soon learned that though she was married she could still pursue her own hobbies. Goran had been kind in that regard, as an older man with a young wife he had been surprisingly leant with Iounn.

“Whatever I say you won’t be mad will you?” Ingrid asked at last and Iounn nodded. “I wish to be a Bard.”

That shocked Iounn greatly, mainly because a woman had never been a bard before. Certainly Ingrid had a lovely voice, but her attention always seemed to wander to Iounn. In her lessons she had never paid much attention to her writing or mathematics, both essential skills for the woman of the household who kept the finances of the house.

“Sif has been teaching me stories,” Ingrid said, rushing on. She even started to recite a tale before Iounn stopped her.

“Ingrid I do not doubt your ability,” Iounn said. “But a wandering life is no life for a woman.”

“I can defend myself,” Ingrid said, her cheeks flushing.

“From rape?” Iounn asked, knowing she had to be harsh. Ingrid looked away then, her eyes filling with tears. “What if you could marry a bard?” Iounn asked and Ingrid blushed. “I know Sif is no interest for you, he’s a eunuch.”

“No, but…” Ingrid trailed off, and Iounn realized what afflicted her.

“All those tales made you think of love then,” Iounn said with a little smile. “You want to find love don’t you?”

“I would be nice,” Ingrid said. “You loved father.”

“Not when I married him,” Iounn answered. “But I will let you at least have some say in the matter. Just remember that while a man may not be handsome it doesn’t mean his heart is not great.”

“Yes mother,” Ingrid said sounding relieved.

“And it may still be some time until we cross that bridge,” Iounn said. “Your brother will have to marry first.”

“Sigur is not going to like that,” Ingrid said grinning impishly.

“Like what?” Jorn asked as he sat on the other side of Iounn in his father’s chair, his feet dangling. At ten her youngest son was just starting to leave boyhood, his dark brown hair like his father’s. Lofn had followed him, at the youngest of all Iounn’s children Lofn was only eight summers old. She was a quiet child, still holding onto her favorite stuffed rabbit made with real rabbit fur. She had inherited her father’s looks, dark hair and a plain face, yet her eyes were a blue as a summer sky like Iounn’s.

“Marriage,” Iounn answered and like all boys Jorn made a face. He had yet to find interest in the opposite gender, and having only his sisters around had made him resistant to the idea. “How are your riding lessons going?” Iounn asked Jorn who brightened as he began chattering about riding. Iounn listened for a time, until Sif arrived in the hall.

The Sect of Tempest and semi-bard was a man entering his forties. His black hair had begun to show silver, and his pudgy face was rosy. He couldn’t grow a beard like most men, yet he managed to keep most weight off unlike some eunuchs. He wore the robes of the Sect, lined with gray to show his denouncement. He bowed to her respectfully and smiled when he rose.

“Good marrow to you milady,” Sif said pleasantly. “How are you today?”

“Weary as always Brother Sif,” Iounn said. “I would feel much better when a messenger could be sent to my sons. You are sure a bird cannot be sent?”

“No milady, while snows trap us upon the ground the storms trap the birds as well,” Sif said sadly. “But there is hope yet, I measured the snow today and it looks as though there is enough melt that by the end of the week we can send a message out.”

“That settles my heart greatly Brother Sif,” Iounn said relieved. “The Duke Genson should be told as well so the title may be transferred.”

“Of course milady,” Sif said. “Will you write the missive?”

“Yes Sif I think I should,” Iounn answered as she wiped her fingers on a napkin before standing. “I will see to it now.”

“Yes milady,” Sif said with another bow. She wondered sometimes why he was a eunuch; it was a practice frowned upon in Nyrgard. She had never asked, and now didn’t seem the time.

She put her curiosity aside and left the hall up the stairs. The passages in Goran’s hall were narrow and small, the rooms large and great. It didn’t take Iounn long to walk up some stairs and down some narrow passages to reach her quarters. They had been rooms she had shared with her husband, and that were in the process of being cleared out. Sigur would move into these rooms, and Iounn would take the rooms once belonging to Goran’s mother.

Various things were in trunks or boxes, some would stay some would go. The room smelled of dust and memories, Iounn pausing to stare at all the clutter. Goran’s hunting bow lay un-strung, her old knitting needles lay in a bundle of yarn, and heaps of paper still needed to be sorted through. Iounn stopped when something caught her eye and she laughed. Pulling it out of an old chest of her wedding clothes, Iounn found Goran’s wedding gift to her.

A dragon egg, she had forgotten all about it. It was a fossil of course, dragons long dead and forgotten in all but tales. The egg seemed more like a stone, but the texture was smooth and swirls could be seen on it. Goran had found it in one of his mines and rather than selling it he had given it to her as a wedding gift. It had been one of the things that had won her over to him, his shy look when he gave it to her still fresh in her mind. Iounn cradled the egg fondly, thoughts of Goran still with her.

She started humming the song he had sung when he had died, not even sure why. The words then came unbidden to her lips, and she sang in a rich tenor.

“Charge to the bells and march to the drums

We’re off to war for the battle comes

Haro haru! Haro haru!

Fare thee well! Fare thee well!

Horu hera! Horu hera!

Fare thee well! Fare thee well!

Sing we now, to the battle we go

For broken hearts and so much woe

Rain may fall and wind may blow

And many more leagues to go

To the battle we march to and fro

Lost on the paths we never know

Haro haru! Haro haru!

Fare thee well! Fare thee well!

Horu hera! Horu hera!

Fare thee well! Fare thee well!

So charge to the bells and march to the drums

It is off to war for the battle comes.”

The egg suddenly twitched and Iounn would have dropped it if she could move. Her body seemed frozen, a tingling warmth spreading through her. Suddenly the egg no longer felt like stone but like a real egg, warm and alive. A light spread in it, pulsing like a heartbeat. Iounn felt like she could move again and she slowly sank into a nearby chair still holding the egg.

She watched the pulsing light for a while, but when it didn’t hatch she put it down. The light faded and she quickly scooped it up again. The light grew, and Iounn guessed then that the egg needed warmth. She was mad! This couldn’t possibly be happening. A tap of the door nearly made Iounn drop the egg.

“Mother?” Ingrid said through the door. “May I come in?”

“N-no dear,” Iounn said suddenly worried. “I am busy now; go see to your studies.”

“Yes mother,” Ingrid said sounding a little hurt, but there was nothing Iounn could do. She suddenly felt very selfish then, wanting to keep the egg to herself. It was so strange, but she suddenly felt like a little girl again, hiding a secret from everyone.

So she spent the week cloistered in her rooms. She wrote the missive to her son, but slipped it out through the door. She claimed melancholy for her absence, and everyone let her be, it was a common thing after the death of her husband. As long as she gave it up after Sigur arrived they let her be.

Still it hurt Iounn to hear her children at the door, sometimes begging her to come out. One day she relented at the silent begging of Lofn. She had been out there for hours, and Iounn could almost hear her silent pleading. She let her in and showed her the dragon egg.

“What is it?” Lofn asked in awe as she hesitantly touched the glowing egg on Iounn’s lap. It had grown; from being the size of a child’s head it was now as big as a babe, Iounn unsure how it had grown so big. It occasionally moved shaking as the dragon inside shifted.

“A dragon’s egg,” Iounn said, her eyes glowing in the dim pulsing light of the egg. “Your father gave it to me as a wedding gift. I only just found it now, and when I sang to it, it began to glow.”

“Will it hatch?” Lofn asked as she rested her cheek on the egg. “It’s so warm.”

“I think it will hatch,” Iounn said. “And I think it will be soon.”

Lofn nodded and they sat for hours huddled over the egg. It was just that night when the egg began to move erratically. Iounn pulled Lofn away as the egg started to jump around. It seemed like age until a sudden crack sounded, telling her that the egg was hatching. She held onto Lofn as they watched the dragon emerge from the shell, struggling through a clear goo.

Iounn stared in awe as it emerged, it looked nothing like she had imagined. It didn’t look anything like a lizard, but rather like a naked cat. Its eyes were closed, and the wings looked more like lumps of flesh on its back. It had a horn on the tip of its nose, and even just from the egg its claws looked sharp. Yet it was tiny and naked, it’s wrinkled gray skin covered still in the goo from the egg.

Iounn approached it hesitantly, holding out her hand to it. The baby dragon sniffed her hand blindly, and its tongue flicked out. Its tongue was forked like a lizard’s and a dark purple color. Iounn picked it up gently and the dragon squeaked and mewed.

“It’s so tiny,” Lofn whispered in awe.

“Help me clean up dear,” Iounn said and Lofn nodded. It took them a while to clean up the goo of the dragon’s birth and the egg shell. Iounn made sure to save the shell, knowing it could be valuable. Cleaning the baby dragon was easier, it had already licked itself mostly clean by the time Iounn started to wash it. When she was done she wrapped it in a blanket and sat it by the fire.

“What does he eat?” Lofn asked.

“Milk most likely,” Iounn answered. When she had washed it she found no sign what gender the creature could be, and wondered at that. “Run to the kitchen and fetch some; have the cook warm it too.”

Lofn ran off and Iounn turned back to the dragon. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw its eyes were open. The dragon’s eyes were stunning, silver and gold with pupils shaped like an iron poker. It raised its head and opened its mouth, a dry hiss coming out. It took the dragon a while, but finally Iounn realized it was saying a name.

“Hors,” It said quite clearly, without hissing or stutter.

“Hors,” Iounn repeated and the dragon nodded. It looked at her expectantly and Iounn realized it wanted her name. “I am Iounn, Baroness of Stóstund.”

“Iounn,” it said with a nod.

“Are you hungry Hors?” Iounn asked and the dragon nodded. “Would milk be to your liking?” Again the dragon nodded but did not speak. Iounn sat near it by the fire, unable to look away. Lofn returned with the milk and stopped when she saw the dragon was awake.

“Come here dear,” Iounn said and Lofn approached. “Hors, this is my daughter Lofn. Lofn, this is the dragon Hors.”

Lofn set the milk before the dragon; the cook had warmed it in a cup. Hors lifted its head and lapped at the milk like a cat.

“How did you know its name mother?” Lofn asked as the dragon drank.

“He told me,” Iounn said. The dragon finished the milk and returned his regard to them.

“Are you a boy dragon?” Lofn asked then. The dragon made a little noise, and its mouth spread in a strange expression, he was laughing.

“Yes,” he said amused. “Are you a girl human?”

“Yes,” Lofn said blushing deeply. “Are all dragons so small?”

“No,” Hors answered.

“He was just born dear,” Iounn said. “Of course he is small.”

“How long will it take for him to get bigger?” Lofn asked and Iounn looked to Hors. He sighed wearily, sounding almost frustrated.

“Long,” he said. His vocabulary seemed limited, not out of ignorance, but more like it was hard for him to get the words out. He looked at Iounn, his eyes burning suddenly. “You sang the song.”

“Yes,” Iounn said surprised. “My husband sang it when he died. I don’t know why I sang it.”

Hors seemed to know why she had, a story hovering on his lips, yet Iounn could tell that he could not get them out. She saw his frustration at this, it was like he was fully grown in his mind and spirit yet his body was obviously that of an infant.

“What will we do with him mother?” Lofn asked and Hors raised his head, his ears perking up.

“Protect him of course,” Iounn answered. “I expect that to be no easy task.”

“No,” Hors said and Lofn laughed a little. He looked at her, eyes glowing with pleasure.

From then on Iounn cared for Hors as she could. Lofn seemed more interested in playing with the dragon rather than cleaning up after him or feeding him. Iounn wasn’t surprised; children were that way with pets. Not that she thought of Hors as a pet, he was far too intelligent for that.

Only a few days after his hatching Hors grew a fine fuzz over him. He looked more like a cat with bat wings than a reptile, and he moved with a grace despite his age. He seemed hesitant in both action and speech, as if he were controlling his temper as he adjusted to his form.

Regretfully Iounn realized her isolation could not last, and that she was needed once more in the hall. The message to Sigur had left and it hadn’t been long until the pass was clear. Snow was cleared from the roads of the valley, and Iounn had to oversee the opening of the mines again.

The slaves were let out of their pen, not for the first time of course. Goran had treated his slaves like humans, giving them the chance to work off their debt and have a chance at freedom. He said it made them work harder, and many of them did. He made sure they were taken care of too; a sick slave couldn’t work as much as a healthy one. They had always let the slaves out during the winter, and it was them who had helped clear the roads.

The slaves were soon marched off to the mines to begin their work and Iounn was charged with taking up the accounts. She like most women kept the accounts of her husband’s business and needed to know who owed what. That was one of the many things she had tried to teach Ingrid, but she refused to learn.

It was a bitter spring morning when at last Sigur and Jori arrived home. Both came barreling in on their horses, fur lined capes flying behind them. Both looked every inch a brother, almost identical despite the two years that separated them. They looked more like Iounn’s father than either her or Goran, broad noses and blonde hair. Sigur dismounted and hurried over to Iounn kissing her on both cheeks.

“Say it isn’t true mother,” Sigur said plaintively. “Is father really gone?”

“He is in Cael’s care now,” Iounn said mildly. “Kneel.” Startled Sigur kneeled before her. “A Baroness of Stóstund I pass the title of Baron of Stóstund to you Sigur Goranson as you are the child of my womb and my husband’s seed the Baron of Stóstund Goran Grison. Rise now, Baron of Stóstund.”

Sigur rose looking a little stunned.

“A feast!” Iounn bellowed and a cheer went up from the gathered crowds. “A feast for our new lord!”

Sigur followed her back into the hall where servants were already scrambling to make things ready. Sigur started for his regular chair, but Iounn motioned him to his father’s chair. Sigur took the chair hesitantly and sat with his back stiff. People began to file into the hall, all talking and chatting.

“What now?” Sigur asked nervously.

“There will be things to do later,” Iounn answered. “You’ll have to make Jori your heir for now, should anything happen to you. Then we’ll have to handle your marriage.”

“Marriage?” Sigur asked nervously.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have at least a year to honor your father’s death,” Iounn answered unconcerned. She needed to put up a brave front; if she was calm her son would be calm. “But we need to begin the search for a suitable candidate.”

“Am I to just marry without even meeting her?” Sigur asked heartbroken.

“Yes, that is how your father and I married,” Iounn said. “We got along just fine didn’t we?”

Sigur didn’t answer that, she could understand that. He knew she and Goran had gotten along very well, and he was trying to come to terms with what that meant for him. She let him be and took over the servants and the feast. Soon Sigur and Jori were heavy in their cups, no doubt to come to terms with their new status.

Iounn left to check on Hors and Lofn. She found Lofn asleep in front of the fire, but Hors was at her desk. They had at last moved out of Goran’s old quarters and into Iounn’s new rooms, but they had yet to fully unpack everything. Hors seemed to be leafing through her account book, his eyes bright in the candle light.

“What are you doing?” Iounn asked. “Can you read?”

“Not in your tongue,” Hors answered. “But I am puzzling it out.”

“How do you know how to speak Nyrgardic?” Iounn asked, just realizing this.

“I listen,” Hors answered.

“You said not in our tongue, do dragons have writings?” Iounn asked.

“The Phay do,” Hors answered. “Though we did not have to write things down as often as you, nor in the same way. It is rather interesting though, this material.”

“Velum,” Iounn said. “It is made from animal skins. Why are you trying to read my accounts?”

“Is that what these are?” Hors answered. “Well I was just trying to learn your writings.”

“I can teach you,” Iounn said. Hors looked at her then, Iounn unable to read the expression on his strange face.

“Thank you, I am not in the habit of this.”

“Of what?”

“Learning,” Hors answered. “My kind are rarely reborn, we live a long time. I had never been reborn before this so I have only been through my infancy once before. I have the knowledge and experience of my past but now I must wait for my body to grow.”

“How long will that take?” Iounn asked.

“How long does a human live?” Hors asked.

“Some can live to almost eight decades,” Iounn answered. “I am near my fourth.”

“You will not live to even see me into my adolescence,” Hors said almost sadly. “Your daughter will not see me past my childhood. My kind can live longer than mountains. We do not die of age, it is not our way.”

Iounn could hardly imagine a creature that lived so long. And she was sad as well; she would not be alive to see Hors become a full dragon. Hors seemed to see this and continued.

“I will be sure to find you when you are reborn, and help you remember. It may take a few lives but I will be sure you will see me in my prime.”

“Lives?” Iounn said startled. “But after we die we go to Empyria to be with the gods.”

“Our souls, all our souls even yours, are immortal,” Hors said. “Your soul maybe smaller than mine but it is just as everlasting. When your body dies your soul goes into the paths of the aether, known as the lay lines. There rests Fors’ Wheel, who gave her life to be the guide to the lost souls of the mortal. She guides souls on to Tir Aesclinn where they will rest for a time before Fors calls them back to find a new body and life again.”

“This is not what the Sect has taught,” Iounn said.

“Believe what you will,” Hors said unconcerned. “But I remember my past life, my death, and my rebirth. I think my word is a bit more accurate than those that do not know for themselves.”

“You remember your past life?” Iounn asked to test him.

“Yes, I can show you if you wish,” Hors said. Iounn decided to humor the little dragon, maybe when he failed to show her she could teach him about the Gods of Aeri. She nodded and Hors beckoned her over. She went and sat at the desk. Hors leaned over, his neck extending until the tip of his nose touched Iounn’s forehead.

His nose was dry and warm, and at first nothing happened. Then Iounn felt her vision blur and shift. She saw a great cavern full of fire and molten stone. The ruddy glow of the earth filled the air, strange smells reaching Iounn. Her vision blurred again and she was flying, looking out over vast mountains spread below her so far away they looked like ripples in the sea. She herself felt as though she was flying and her stomach heaved.

Her vision returned to her own as Hors withdrew, Iounn shaking badly. Somehow she had also gotten a general sense of what Hors had looked like then. The tapestries she had seen depicting dragons gave them no justice. Hors had been as large as a mountain when he had died, his scales like stones. His form had been elegant despite his size, something between a serpent and a cat. Vast horns had crowned his head, and his eyes had burned with a fire of their own.

“So you see my frustration,” Hors said. “I will not even grow scales in your lifetime.”

“What of fire?” Iounn asked just to ask something or else her awe would get the better of her. Hors opened his mouth and made a sort of hacking noise. Iounn had expected sparks or maybe a flame like a candle. Instead Hors spit up a sort of glob of liquid that burned red and yellow. He held it on his tongue a moment before depositing it in the ash tin on Iounn’s desk. It burned there for a while, glowing with an occasional flicker of a flame.

“Not very impressive,” Hors said wryly. “And I cannot make more for another hour or so.”

“Why does it take you so long to grow?” Iounn asked.

“Besides the fact that we live so long?” Hors asked. “Well my kind, those you call Dragons but are known as They Burn Within by our kin, were the first to find Miread. We had more power than the rest of the Phay so when we came here we were able to control our form longer. The first to arrive in Miread had been Kur, She Brings Forth. She chose her form upon entering Miread, but the rest of us were not strong enough to follower her as such. So she made eggs for us to build upon.

“We were born as you saw me born, but we were still powerful in the ways of the aether. We learned to improve our forms by imitating the elements around us. Of course to do this we needed to go into a deep sleep. Our bodies then took on the attributes of the ground upon which we slept. I believe it was Gildion the gold who liked to sleep upon a bed of gold that made the myth that all of us horded gold popular to men.

“When the time comes I will gather what I wish my scales to be made of and sleep upon it for several years. When I wake I will have not only grown in size but will have shed my baby fur. I won’t need gold however, that won’t work well for my first sleep. Dragons can be very vulnerable in this sleep; I hope you and your decedents might agree to guard me when the time comes.”

“Of course,” Iounn said. “But why do you not just sleep now?”

“Can you chose when you grow?” Hors asked wryly.

“No but I can when I sleep,” Iounn answered.

“Well I sleep as well, it is this hibernation that I cannot control, at least while I am so young,” Hors answered. “I would not choose to sleep now even if I could.”

“Why not?” Iounn asked. Hors looked out the window, seeming almost sad now.

“The song has been sung,” Hors said cryptically.

“You said that before,” Iounn said. “What does it mean?”

“The song you sang is a sign that things have been set in motion,” Hors said. “Things I doubt you would believe. For now it is best you remain ignorant.”

“These things, will they be starting soon?” Iounn asked worried.

“No, but I am sure you will live to see them happen,” Hors said.

“If so how do you plan to help?” Iounn asked. “You are still an infant.”

“I know,” Hors said frustrated, his claws digging into the wood desk. “Until then I have to learn and grow, what is this letter here?”

Iounn began to teach him to read, feeling a strange sense of normalcy with the little dragon. He had a fast mind, and Iounn soon enjoyed teaching him, none of her children even Lofn liked to read or enjoyed mathematics. It had been Goran’s mother that had taught Iounn how to keep the accounts after she had married Goran. Gertrud had been patient with Iounn, who had resisted much of her teachings at first. Success had won Iounn over to the letters and numbers of writing, the feeling of accomplishing something like balm to a young girl with little confidence in herself.

The spring started to grow older, and the snow melted at last. Iounn helped Sigur through his new duties, glad to see he had at least learned something under the Lord Genson. Word had to be spread to their neighbors and soon gifts flowed in to honor Goran. Iounn made sure Sigur sent a proper letter in return to each message and gift, especially those that hinted towards marriages. She had him turn each down politely, at the same time Iounn made a list of all the names.

Many were worthy candidates, Iounn surprised to see one from the Count Ferris. He must have had many daughters if he was considering a marriage with a lowly northern baron.

“I think she will be the best choice,” Iounn said over the books that night. Sigur sat before her desk with a horn of mead in his hand. Drink had been Goran’s one iron rule with his sons; they were never to become roaring drunk. Goran had told her his brother had been a drunkard and it had been what had killed him when he went into battle drunk. Since then he hardly ever touched mead, and he made his sons do the same despite their protests.

Now Sigur took to drink often, never enough to get overly drunk, but right now his cheeks were slightly flushed. Iounn knew he was grieving in his own way, and trying to deal with the responsibility suddenly set on his shoulders. She had neither the heart nor the authority to make him stop. She hoped a few mornings of waking with a hangover would convince Sigur that over indulgence was not for him.

“Is she beautiful?” Sigur asked. Like most men he seemed more preoccupied with looks. Iounn had tried to teach her children that looks did not matter, it didn’t help that she was beautiful. All of them had inherited her looks in some way; Goran had been average but not displeasing.

“I don’t know,” Iounn said with all her patience. “I does not matter. She maybe the seventh daughter, but she is the daughter of a Count. It is a bond you cannot put aside, and her dowry alone would fill our coffers to bursting.”

“Money mother?” Sigur said pained. “Can you not think of how I feel about this?”

“I am making a good match for you Sigur,” Iounn said, wishing her son would put aside the foolish notions of love. She had been young once and knew how he felt, before her marriage it had all seemed so dire that she marry for love. Years of marriage to Goran taught her that what seemed so important in youth mattered little over time; happiness was something you made not something you found.

She knew Sigur and the others would grow to learn the same lesson, she just needed to be firm with them so they did the right thing and learned. Her father had known the same thing, and she was glad he had been firm with her. She even got the chance to thank him for his guidance before he died.

“Mother, I know you love me,” Sigur said patiently, Iounn relieved to hear him say so. “But cannot I just write her that I would like to meet first?”

“Sigur when accepting a horse as a gift is it not rude to look at the horse’s teeth?” Iounn said, knowing the Count would take offence at such a suggestion.

“She is not a horse mother,” Sigur argued.

“She is not I know,” Iounn answered. “She is a woman that would be hurt that you would say ‘I wish to see if you are pretty enough before I marry you.’”

Sigur flushed with shame at that and Iounn felt bad to have won a mark like that.

“I will send a letter to her mother,” Iounn said with a softer tone. “I will say my foolish son needs convincing for our cleric has filled his head with ideas of love. I will ask that she and her daughter pay us a visit so that he may fall in love with her at first sight before he marries her.”

Sigur looked at her a little hurt at her words, but when he saw her grinning at him he laughed.

“You mock me mother,” Sigur said.

“I was young once Sigur I know how unfair this all seems,” Iounn said. “You forget that I was only sixteen when I married your father, who was twice my age. Think how I felt at the time.”

Sigur obviously did his eyes suddenly sad. Iounn remembered her wedding, how she had nearly stolen a horse and rode away from home. Goran had not been displeasing, but to a sixteen year old girl he seemed like a dirty old man. Sigur was obviously trying to imagine his mother as a young girl forced into a marriage to an older man. Iounn knew it was hard for him, most of his life his parents had been close and in love.

“I wish he were here mother,” Sigur said tears falling now. “Father would be so happy I couldn’t bear to disappoint him.”

“He is here,” Iounn said. “Just by you thinking of him he is here. Make him happy Sigur, I know you can.”

Sigur put down his cup of mead as if suddenly realizing he was holding it. Iounn felt so suddenly proud of him that she felt tears of her own.

“I will,” Sigur said dashing away his tears. He stood and left, Iounn feeling tired. But she had a letter to write.

“Children are wondrous sometimes,” Hors said. Iounn saw him crawl out of the shadow of a tapestry and walk up to her desk. He leapt up, every move seeming like a cat’s. He sniffed at the mead curiously, before taking a drink.

“Careful,” Iounn said and Hors snorted.

“Strange brew,” Hors said. “You know it has been centuries since I had seen your kind. I was here just as your people landed in Miread. You were brutes with brains the size of a walnut. Battling you though, your kind put such pride in it. I remember one warrior ran at me practically naked, no armor, and he only held an ax. I was the size of a mountain and he still charged at me like he didn’t care. I gave him the honor of being eaten.”

Iounn stared at Hors suddenly aware that he was a dragon. All this time she had thought him as little more than an intelligent strange cat.

“Ah I have startled you,” Hors said. “Don’t worry; I believe our peoples are well past these barbaric wars. Your kind have grown much, I am pleased to see you’ve matured well.”

“Not as well as you may hope,” Iounn said. “The Sect wouldn’t be pleased to see you Hors.”

“Religion?” Hors said tipping his head to the side.

“Yes, they have a lot of power in the kingdoms,” Iounn said. “The greatest power they hold is belief, many believe in the Gods of Aeri. You go against those beliefs and many would see you die for it.”

“I’ve not heard of this,” Hors said, sounding more curious than afraid. “What are these gods?”

So Iounn told him about the gods, she wasn’t a cleric so she couldn’t tell much. She listed the gods and demi gods, and how they lived in the sky watching over their children. Still she was sure she got enough across that Hors understood.

“I see, so this is just faith,” Hors said.

“The gods are real,” Iounn said offended. “They love even creatures like you.”

“Well,” Hors said, his tail twitching, “I will keep that in mind. Still, I think I admire your kind.”

“You mean Nyrgarders?” Iounn asked.

“I mean humans in general,” Hors said. “From what I’ve gathered all of you have come farther than me and my kin though. Maybe there is hope yet.”

“Hope for what?” Iounn asked.

“I’ll tell you in time,” Hors said. “It might be too much for you now.”

Iounn let him keep his secrets, after all there seemed little harm in them. What kind of trouble could such a small creature be hiding anyways?

#dragon #fantasy #my writing #writing #series #please read #fairies

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