#she had asked on stream where people ARE with their art and set up a poll-- in which most people responded twitter

[blujayonthewing]

it's a testament to how much I love my friend and how strongly I feel about tumblr as an art-sharing platform that I recommended she come to tumblr to share her art even though her doing so would inevitably lead to her following me on main

[sokacoke]

Compiling some questions and information regarding indigo park from unique geese's live streams.

Some clips might not be long enough for the full answer due to YouTube only being 60 seconds so just keep that in mind.

A bit of the older ones could contain stuff that aren't up to date that I forgot to remove because I was making this in my notes for like 3-5 weeks so lets uh. ignore those!! (ill delete them later maybe)

IF I SCREAM THE STREAM ENDS

'I think comparing Issac to fucking Willam afton is such a sad comparison'

Credits to @lunozapp for the clip

INDIGO Q&A 

“Will there be any boss fights?”

‘That’s a hard thing to say. I’m gonna say no.’

“How old are Rambley and his friends?”

'They’re all over 18. Probably around there early 20s at oldest.  They’re younger but I don’t really have set ages for them.'

“Would Indigo park be rated M?”

'I would argue indigo park chapter 1 could get away as teen but I’d like to rate it up as a M by chapter 2.'

“Is chapter 2 going to take place under the park?”

'No. There might be parts under but chapter 2 won’t.'

“Rambley has been left alone since the park closed. Has he practically sat alone for that long?”

'In all technicality, he was sitting there alone and abandoned for many years. He’s not fully aware of what’s going on, but he is you know?” 

“Do you have any plans for future chapters?”

'The entire greater story has been set in stone for months and we don’t have any plans to change it.'

'There’s stuff in chapter 1 that people won’t realize are important to the plot until chapter 5.'

“Is mollie macaw an antagonist?”

'Depends what you’re saying when you say mollie macaw. Antagonist is a strong word.'

LAUNCH STREAM

“Is the raccoon evil?”

'No. You guys just buckle up. you’ll see.'

REACTING TO YOUTUBERS 

“Did you expect for Rambley to be popular with the furries?”

‘I made a joke that it would be popular within it but nothing in the game was designed to be furry. It was just like “hey we need parody’s of Mickey Mouse and Disney characters” ending up creating characters I really liked.'

“Do you know that there’s already NFSW art of Rambley?”

'It’s the internet sorry. If you make NFSW stuff I just ask you don’t send it to me or inject it to the rest of the community. Keep it separate, these are like my children.'

“How many versions of the railroad did u go through?”

'It took quite a while. We would get to a point where we kind of liked it and then be like “oh I don’t really like this it doesn’t flow really well.” I think the great thing going into chapter 2 we have a better understanding of what we want the game to look. Chapter 2s going to be mainly a lot of the rides. It was kind a deal where I wanted you to feel claustrophobic but it was hard to deal with those open environments. I’m not gonna announce anything crazy but chapter 2 will start in the queue and lobby for oceanic oddesy'

“How many chapters will there be?”

'The game plan is five.'

“Is this the last time we will see Mollie? Her death screen mentions she can copy voices but that wasn’t shown. Will be shown again to do that mechanic?”

'The voices were less of a mechanic and more of showing going on when she’s talking throughout the game. All the dialogue is something she’s heard during game,behind the scenes of the park or something that a guest has said.'

“Is Rambley the bad guy?”

'What part of the game made you think Rambleys the bad guy? No.'

“I trust Rambley with my life. If he betrays us I’ve already forgiven him.”

'Yeah, you don’t need to worry about that.'

“Whys the main character so jacked?”

'It’s just the character model I had I was using. We might change it.'

Critter cuff

'I was big against the idea of having one mechanic. They saw poppy playtime and instantly thought “every mascot horror needs a mechanic.” The critter cuffs important but I also want different fun mechanics that can be worked into it.'

“Do you plan to add more characters?”

'There will be more characters added into chapter 2. There may some returning characters. Obviously Rambley will be the focus of every chapter he’s ur buddy through ur journey. We do have a new set of characters.'

“Will there be another credits song in chapter 2?”

'We don’t want to start planning stuff until we know for sure how much money is there budget wise.'

“Where’s the cat?”

'There originally was just a regular ass cat that was in the and was in the game for quite a while. The model we had didn’t look like it fit the world and the animation looked stiff. Maybe we bring it back.'

“What were the stealth things in the files for?”

'Originally there was a section where Lloyd would follow you and you’d hide. I definitely want to do some stealth stuff where you have to hide under stuff I think that’d be a lot of fun.'

“Will Mollie return?”

'Do you think Mollie will return?'

“Is Rambley sentient?”

'He’s fully aware of everything around him but he’s programmed to behave a certain way. The best comparison would be GLaDOS or Wheatley from portal. Programmed to act a certain way, but also aware and able to see stuff around them and react.'

“How long will chapter 2 be?”

'We’re aiming chapter 2 to be just a little bit longer then chapter 1. We want each chapter to be a bit longer than before. I’d say for chapter 2, two and a half

'The only character that won’t have much influence is clearly Mollie.'

“What about Lloyd?”

'Lloyd’s cool and Lloyd will be important. That is all I can say.'

“Will there be other AI companions?”

'No. It’s just Rambley the main mascot.'

“Is there a possibility of a major overhaul of chapter 1?”

'There’s room to improve it a bit. In the future, I can see us doing a full on remaster of chapter 1.'

“Never make Rambley a creep I will not forgive you for it”

'You got it.'

“What’s the estimated gap between the chapters?”

'Year to Year and a half, maybe two. Chapter 2 is definitely 2025.'

“Don’t be fooled?”

'There was a lot more potential do something with that. If we had more budget then it would be really cool where you’re running through the pipes and you have to listen for Rambleys voice through the pipes and sometimes it would be mollies voice. It would be Rambley guiding you and then you hear Mollie trying to sound like Rambley.'

“It hurts Lloyd”

'That’s the funny thing. I don’t wanna get TOO deep into it but this was kinda just random text. I’ve seen 5 or 6 different interpretations of what people think it says.'

'Without spoiling anything I do think multiple ending’s for the final chapter would be kinda cool.'

REACTING TO MATPAT

“A lot of sexual tension between these guys”

'Shout out to the furries because I’ve seen every combination of characters being shipped and it wasn’t until today that a single female character was involved that all. Not mollie not Nonbinary with Salem it was literally just the 3 men'

“Does Rambley canonically sing Rambley review?”

'Yes he actually does. It’s in between chapter whenever ur going into chapter 2. The player could turn around and find a way out now but he actively wants to keep going with Rambley.'

TALKING ABOUT INDIGO PARK,FNF AND MORE

“The voice and creator of indigo park”

'I don’t voice anyone expect for Jackson and another character that no ones found yet.'

“Are you ever going to get a console support?”

'So we will eventually but to be honest with you I don’t want to do that until we have like chapter 3 out. At earliest if chapter 2 becomes massive then maybe as a bundle, but I don’t know.'

“Is chapter 2 free?”

'No it won’t be.'

FUNKAST THEN FNAF

'Other then a few minor tweaks we have the first few minutes of Rambleys dialogue at the beginning of chapter 2 written out.'

'I don’t think we’ll ever do a fox character. We were brainstorming some of the characters in chapter 2 and thought “oh maybe a fox would be cool” but we were looking at the role that this character would have to play if they were a fox and thought “at some point we’re just making knock off foxy from fnaf”'

“What the species”

'I cant disclose that sorry chief. There are other animal based cartoon characters in chapter 2 if that satisfies you. Furries rejoice I guess? I feel like it’d be harder to do a human villain.'

“How hard is it to make an idea of a character?”

'All of the characters we make need a purpose. It’s layers of talking through stuff and ideas to get stuff we like. The designs for them aren’t done but the idea for them is there and i am in love with them.'

“So the character design isn’t finished but have you made actual development of the game?”

'No. We’re working on chapter 1 right now. Again we’re looking at a year and a half or two years until chapter 2 cuz I’m not gonna rush it or my team. We’ll have little animations stuff and between yeah we’re not gonna do anything with that.

“Update is bug fixes, trying to get controller support working,revamping some of the environments and I’m bringing on a new modeler for some of the monster designs. Not confirming but i think Finley is going to get a full on redesign for chapter 2.”

“What chapter are you most excited for?”

'To be honest with you, i think chapter 3 is where we’re going to start doing the crazy shit possible and then chapter 4 is planned to be the most bad ass chapter i could ever think of. The story gets moving chapter 4.'

NEW FNAF GAME + INDIGO PARK NEWS

'It turned out that jakeneutron who’s my head animator, was going to Disney at the same time I’m at Orlando. We met up and we took so many pictures for reference. We went to universal studios and it was my first time we ever went to universal so I took so many pictures'

“Refs for what?”

'For indigo park bro. Dude I needed anything theme park and I got so many ideas for the future of indigo and stuff.'

“Salem news or I’m not here”

'Do I wanna put out Salem news..Salem is important 👍'

'I’ve kind of teased it a bit but we are working on some minor chapter 1 before chapter 2 just so there’s a bit of a quality jump so it’s a little bit more in the realm of where we want it to be.'

'We are working on some environmental updates. Working on some new assets to put into chapter 1. Which should make stuff feel cooler in my opinion? '

'To accompany that one thing we didn’t have a lot of is that environmental music in regards to what they would have in a real theme park. Like if ur waiting in a queue in a theme park there’s a lot of music and stuff that they play that is custom to that. Let’s say you were waiting for Rambleys railroads, what would that sound like? So maybe a little bit of new music?'

New potential song in clip link

FINISHING INTO THE PIT & NEW INDIGO PARK PLUSH LAUNCH PARTY

“Character hints?”

'I think you will be soft introduced or at least see the character designs before chapter 2s out. Right now at this point of development there are four new characters planned.'

“Is there gonna have a obby theme?”

‘Probably not really. I’ve talked about a little about a mechanic that we started to workshop and figuring out how it’ll work in the lore and gameplay elements but I probably won’t talk about it again.'

“Will there be a haunted house ride or a dark ride?”

'I want to do a haunted mansion parody hopefully chapter 4 or 5. Not in chapter 2 it wouldn’t fit.'

“Space mountain?”

'I have ideas for a space mountain and I can’t tell you what chapter that one will be in.'

'It’s funny cuz I’m reworking all of the chapter 1 environments and I’ve been thinking about it. There’s a fair enough of stuff that theorists haven’t caught onto yet that I hope will be super obvious in the future. I’m super excited to see what people do with chapter 2.'

HORROR GAME NIGHT & TALKING INDIGO PARK

“Will you be selling art prints maybe with posters?”

'We might do posters. There’s some new poster art coming for chapter 2 and I’m gonna leak, the (chap 1) update.'

“Now will they all have villain roles?”

'I dunno. I’ve already told you guys about some of them actually you guys just haven’t figured it out yet'

Talking about the 4 new characters

'I will say the chapter 1 update will have new secrets for you to find and some of it will help you figure out stuff in chapter 2. We are cooking is all I can say.'

“Whats ur favorite out of the 4 originals we know about since u said 4 new characters”

'Yeah let me just reveal one of the characters. No. You guys won’t- actually? You guys will know about some of the characters WAY before chapter 2 comes out.'

BACK FROM PAX! - WATCHING JACKSEPTICEYE PLAY INDIGO PARK & CATCHING UP ON FNF MODS

'there’s a little bit of the new queue! A little bit of a step up. I mean hot take but. Looks a lot better I think.'

Queue in clip

'We’re still working on it but this is what Mollies landing pad looks like now. This feels more themed.'

New mollies landing pad in clip

“Can you make an update trailer for the indigo park update so people know it exists?”

'Yea we will. We’ll change it.'

Extra notes worth mentioning:

it’s been said that there will be a meme ending for chapter 3 though I’m not able to find the clip at the moment so if anyone somehow has it u should tots send it my way

When he's talking about the 'Other character he voices that no ones found yet' it might be possible he’s yapping about the reverse Llyods Limos line Context:

Video is from forgottenstudios1987 on YT

The cat been brought back!

Another part of the new rambleys railroad queue song.

More of the New Rambleys Railroad Third link is just a very subtle railroads gift shop but it counts i think

Other landing pad clip

FEEL FREE TO ADD ANY OTHER CLIPS I MIGHTVE MISSED!

[small-sinclair]

More Band!Au Sinclair HCs that no one asked for:

Au belongs to: @arkunder

Bo and Lester had a drinking contest on stage. Vincent was so disappointed.

They play rock-paper-scissors if one of them has to do an interview.

Ask Vincent about his hidden goldfish snacks! He has them hidden everywhere. He’ll just pull a little bag out of nowhere sometimes.

Bo is, indeed, in therapy. Not for drinking but for mental health.

They once live streamed Bo and Vincent playing chess for a charity event. They are both really good at playing.

Lester went off stage for a moment and came back with nachos. He didn’t play the drums for a set, so the twins did the heavy lifting.

The three brothers had the world’s hottest soup to see who can eat more. No one was surprised when Lester won.

They actually love playing catch! They have baseball gloves and a ball they bring. Before a show, they play catch and chill.

Vincent has a base that looks like a mermaid tail.

They went to a nursing home and played for an elder fan. She was 97 year old and loved heavy metal music. She died a few days after later. In honor of her, Vickey wrote a song and named it after her: “Lilith”.

One time, someone passed a fiddle to the stage and Bo took it. He opened up the case and started tearing into it. The crowd went nuts.

They have sibling tattoos. Bo has a sun, Vincent has a moon, and Lester has a star. It’s on their back.

Bo once sung in French during a song out of boredom. The girls and the gays went nuts.

Vincent likes smoking lavender cigarettes.

A kid placed a flower crown on Lester’s head. He nearly cried.

During a meet and greet at a convention, Bo held a crying baby and calmed them down to let the staff member take a little break.

Whenever they go to award shows, Bo wears his black suit and tie; Vincent wears a three piece suit with a Vincent von Gough themed tie; and Lester is in his finest blue jeans, shiny cowboy boots, a nice plaid, and wears his Luisiana belt buckle.

During an outside show, Lester came on stage with an opossum in his arms. Where did it come from? No one knows.

Whenever Vincent goes out to do charity work and Bo comes with him, the twins like to have fun! They’ll color and play with the kids, let them draw on their arms, and put things in their hair. At the end of the day, they do a group photo with everyone they spent time with and hang the photo in the bus. Vincent puts one in his base case.

Bo has an emotional support stuffie named Snuffles. It’s an alligator.

Vincent stopped the show and hopped off stage. Someone brought their cat and he wanted to pet it.

Speaking of cats, whenever they do an outdoor show, Vincent found a kitten stuck in the sound system under the stage. He crawled under the stage and brought them out. Shes named Soundwave and is loved by Jonesy and the fans.

Bo loves playing the piano before the show starts. He’ll come out in his heavy metal outfit and sits next to the keyboard and play classical music like Mozart.

On Saturdays during the summer, they take the day to go to farmer markets and pop-up sales in the little towns by the city. They wear ‘disguises’ when they go. Some people are able to figure them out, some don’t.

When Louisiana flooded, the boys went back home and helped cleaned up the town (I’m assuming Ambrose is still an alive town). Bo helps rebuild houses and sheds, Lester helps cleaning the mud and the muck along with returning any loose critters to the DNR for recovery, and Vincent cooks d and pass out food at a crisis center. If they have to, they’ll give blood.

SIDE NOTE:

Whenever they go home to Ambrose, everyone treats them normal as if they’re not famous. It gives them some space to breathe.

They don’t stay for too long, maybe a weekend or a week. If they stay longer, Bo is down at the garage, Vincent is in the art and hobby store, and Lester cleans up the roads and road kill. They also take this time to help their next door neighbor, Mr. and Mrs. Lane. They’re like grandparents to them.

They live in their own house while Trudy and their father are in the house from the movie. Because Trudy doesn’t approve of them doing this, she doesn’t visit them, and Victor ignores them.

[lunardragon00]

Don't Save Her (she don't wanna be saved)

Masterlist

Peasant!Wooyoung x Princess!Reader

Fantasy Au / Elemental Au

Summary: Wooyoung has a younger brother who is not well, he needs medical attention but their family doesn't have enough money to pay for a regular doctor. The King of their kingdom is ready for marriage, so a town gathering is held where one of the Kings knights is asking volunteers to rescue the princess for a cash reward. Needing the money, Wooyoung volunteers and drags his friends San and Yeosang along with him on the journey. Should be an easy task, shouldn't it?

ACT ONE:

Nestled between the towering peaks of the Greyfold Mountains and the vast expanse of the Azure Sea, Elaria was a land of breathtaking beauty and hidden dangers. Its people lived simple lives, toiling in the fields, crafting wares, and serving the Crown.

The heart of the kingdom was the bustling town of Havenbrook, a place where the scent of fresh bread mingled with the salty breeze from the sea, and the cobblestone streets echoed with the chatter of merchants and townsfolk. At the edge of this town, where the forest met the fields, stood a small, unassuming cottage. This was the home of Jung Wooyoung, a young man known to the townspeople as a skilled cook, and to a select few as something far more extraordinary.

Wooyoung's life was a delicate balance. By day, he worked in the town's most popular inn, serving hearty meals to travelers and locals alike. But by night, in the privacy of his home, he practiced the art of water bending—a gift passed down through his family for generations. It was a secret he guarded with his life, for in Elaria, those with the power to command the elements were bound by law to serve in the King's Guard, a fate Wooyoung wished to avoid at all costs. He could not bear the thought of leaving his ailing younger brother, Kyungmin, nor could he risk the livelihood of their small family.

The first light of dawn filtered through the worn curtains of the small cottage, casting a soft glow over the modest room. Wooyoung stirred from his sleep, the familiar sounds of the morning already beginning to stir outside—birds chirping, the distant rustle of leaves, and the soft murmur of the nearby stream. He pushed back the thin blanket and quietly rose from his bed, careful not to wake his younger brother, Kyungmin, who lay sleeping in the bed across from him.

Kyungmin's breaths were shallow, a faint wheeze accompanying each exhale. The sight tugged at Wooyoung's heart. The illness had come suddenly, without warning, and it had clung to Kyungmin like a shadow, refusing to let go. The local healer had done what she could, but the treatments were costly, and their family's resources were limited.

Wooyoung padded softly into the kitchen, where his mother was already up, her slender figure hunched over a pot of boiling water. The lines of worry etched on her face had deepened in recent months, and Wooyoung could see the toll Kyungmin's illness was taking on her.

"Morning, Eomma," Wooyoung greeted quietly as he reached for the bread on the counter.

His mother glanced up, offering him a tired smile. "Good morning, Wooyoung. Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough," he replied, though sleep had been restless and fleeting. His mind was always turning, always thinking of what more he could do to help his family. "I'll take care of breakfast today. You should rest."

She hesitated, looking as though she wanted to protest, but finally nodded. "Thank you, dear. I'll check on Kyungmin."

As his mother disappeared into the other room, Wooyoung set to work, his hands moving with practiced ease as he prepared a simple breakfast. He sliced the bread, scrambled a few eggs, and heated some leftover rice. As he worked, he allowed his mind to wander, the rhythm of cooking bringing a strange sense of calm.

By the time breakfast was ready, Kyungmin had woken, his face pale but smiling weakly at the sight of his older brother. Wooyoung sat beside him, coaxing him to eat as much as he could, though Kyungmin's appetite was sparse.

"Hyung," Kyungmin said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you."

Wooyoung smiled, ruffling his brother's hair. "Don't worry about it. Just focus on getting better, okay?"

Kyungmin nodded, but there was a flicker of worry in his eyes that mirrored Wooyoung's own. The unspoken fear that hung between them was something neither of them wanted to acknowledge.

After breakfast, Wooyoung gathered his things, preparing for another day at the inn. He kissed his mother on the cheek and promised to bring home something special for dinner. The walk to Havenbrook was familiar, each step a part of his daily routine.

The inn was already buzzing with activity when Wooyoung arrived. The scent of roasting meats and freshly baked bread filled the air, and the clatter of pots and pans created a symphony of sound that Wooyoung knew by heart. He rolled up his sleeves and joined the kitchen staff, losing himself in the work.

A couple of hours into the day, just as the morning rush was beginning to slow, the door to the inn swung open, and Kang Yeosang walked in, his arms full of freshly harvested produce. His face was flushed from the exertion, but he greeted Wooyoung with a warm smile as he approached the kitchen.

"Morning, Woo. Got some fresh vegetables for you," Yeosang said, setting the basket down on the counter.

"Thanks, Yeosang," Wooyoung replied, wiping his hands on his apron before inspecting the produce. "Everything looks great, as usual."

Yeosang nodded, his expression growing more serious. "Have you heard about the gathering tonight?"

Wooyoung paused, looking up with a frown. "No, I haven't. What's it about?"

"There's been talk that it might have something to do with the Princess," Yeosang said, lowering his voice. "She's been missing for a while now, and people are saying the King is getting desperate."

Wooyoung's thoughts immediately went to the reward that might be offered. It was hard to ignore the flicker of hope that kindled in his chest. "Do you think you'll go?"

Yeosang shrugged, his usual calm demeanor giving little away. "I'm not sure. But my next stop is the palace, so maybe San knows more about it."

Wooyoung nodded, his mind already racing with possibilities. "Thanks for the heads-up, Yeosang. I'll see you there later."

As the afternoon wore on, Wooyoung found it difficult to focus, his thoughts drifting back to the conversation with Yeosang. The idea of a reward was tempting, especially with Kyungmin's condition weighing heavily on him. By the time his shift ended, Wooyoung had made up his mind.

He left the inn as the sun began to dip toward the horizon, making his way to the town square. On his way, he spotted San waiting for him, leaning casually against a tree with his usual mischievous grin.

"Looks like you've got something on your mind," San remarked as Wooyoung approached.

Wooyoung let out a sigh, glancing around the gathering crowd. "You could say that. Let's find a spot before the hearing starts."

San raised an eyebrow but didn't press further, falling into step beside Wooyoung as they made their way into the square. The night air was cool, and the square buzzed with the murmurs of townsfolk, all waiting for the knight's announcement that could very well change everything.

The town square of Havenbrook had never been so crowded. Every available space was filled with townsfolk, their faces lit by the flickering torches lining the perimeter. There was a nervous energy in the air, an unspoken understanding that whatever news the King's knight had to deliver would be significant.

Wooyoung and San found a spot near the front, where they could hear and see everything clearly. The murmur of the crowd grew quieter as a group of soldiers emerged from the shadows, their armor gleaming under the torchlight. At their head was a tall knight clad in dark, polished steel, his presence commanding immediate attention. He carried himself with an air of authority, and as he stepped forward, the crowd fell into a tense silence.

The knight scanned the crowd before speaking, his voice deep and resonant, carrying easily over the heads of those gathered. "Citizens of Havenbrook, I bring a message from His Majesty the King."

The crowd collectively held its breath, and Wooyoung felt a knot of anxiety tightening in his chest. San stood beside him, arms crossed, his usual casual demeanor replaced with one of focused intensity.

"The Princess Y/N has been missing for 2 years," the knight continued. "Despite the efforts of the King's Guard, her whereabouts remain unknown. The King, in his desperation, has decided to offer a substantial reward to anyone who can bring her back safely to the capital. The reward will be enough to change the fortunes of any man or woman who succeeds."

A ripple of murmurs ran through the crowd. The idea of such a reward was intoxicating, especially for those who struggled to make ends meet. Wooyoung's mind raced—this was exactly the opportunity he had hoped for. The reward could pay for Kyungmin's treatments, lift the burden from his mother's shoulders, and secure a future for all of them. But the dangers of such a quest were undeniable.

The knight raised a hand to silence the crowd before they could get too carried away. "However, be warned: this mission is not for the faint of heart. The Princess disappeared near the Forest of Shadows, a place known for its treacherous terrain and dangerous creatures. Many who have ventured there have not returned."

Wooyoung felt a shiver run down his spine at the mention of the Forest of Shadows. It was a place spoken of in hushed tones, a dark and twisted part of the kingdom where even the bravest dared not tread.

"Any who wish to volunteer should present themselves at the barracks by dawn," the knight concluded. "May the gods be with you."

With that, he turned on his heel and marched back through the ranks of soldiers, disappearing into the night. The crowd erupted into a frenzy of discussion, some debating the risks, others already planning how they would spend the reward.

Wooyoung stood in silence, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. San watched him carefully, waiting for his friend to speak.

"You're seriously considering this, aren't you?" San finally asked, his tone devoid of the usual teasing.

Wooyoung nodded slowly. "Kyungmin... he doesn't have much time. This might be the only chance we have."

San let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair. "You know it's dangerous. More dangerous than anything we've ever faced."

"I know," Wooyoung replied, determination hardening in his voice. "But I have to try. For my family."

San studied him for a moment before giving a resigned nod. "Alright, if you're in, then so am I. Someone has to keep you out of trouble."

Wooyoung managed a small smile, grateful for his friend's support. He glanced around the square, searching for Yeosang. It wasn't long before he spotted the farmer standing at the edge of the crowd, his expression unreadable.

"Yeosang," Wooyoung called, motioning for him to join them.

Yeosang approached, his usual calm demeanor masking any concern he might have felt. "I assume you've made your decision."

"I have," Wooyoung confirmed. "But I could use some help."

Yeosang regarded him with a steady gaze before nodding. "You've got it. We'll do this together."

The three friends stood in silent agreement, the enormity of the task ahead of them settling in. The road would be long and perilous, but the bond between them was strong, forged through years of trust and shared hardship. And now, that bond would be tested like never before.

As the crowd began to disperse, Wooyoung felt a renewed sense of purpose. Tomorrow, at dawn, they would begin a journey that could change their lives forever. 

The door to the cottage creaked softly as Wooyoung stepped inside, the familiar warmth of home wrapping around him like a comforting blanket. The evening had grown late, and the town square had finally quieted down, leaving only the echoes of the night's events lingering in his mind.

His mother was seated at the small kitchen table, a half-mended shirt in her lap. The candlelight flickered softly, casting shadows across her tired face. She looked up as Wooyoung entered, her eyes searching his face for answers to the questions she hadn't yet asked.

"Wooyoung," she said softly, setting the shirt aside. "I heard about the gathering tonight. People are saying the King's offering a reward for finding the Princess."

Wooyoung nodded, pulling out a chair and sitting across from her. He could see the worry in her eyes, the fear she tried so hard to mask. "Yes, Eomma. It's true."

She hesitated, her hands wringing together in her lap. "And you're thinking of going, aren't you?"

Wooyoung took a deep breath, nodding again. "The reward... it could be enough to get Kyungmin the treatment he needs. It could change everything for us."

His mother's face tightened with concern, her voice trembling slightly. "But Wooyoung, the places you'd have to go... the dangers you'd face... You've never traveled so far from home. What if something happens to you?"

"I won't be alone," Wooyoung reassured her, reaching across the table to take her hands in his. "San and Yeosang are coming with me. San's a skilled fighter—he's been training since we were kids, and he's never lost a fight. And Yeosang... he knows the land better than anyone. He's traveled through most of the kingdom with his family. Between the three of us, we'll be able to handle whatever comes our way."

His mother's eyes softened at the mention of his friends, but the worry remained. "I know they're good boys, Wooyoung, but the Forest of Shadows... it's not like anything you've ever faced."

Wooyoung squeezed her hands gently, his voice steady and calm. "If it comes to it, Eomma, I'll use my powers. I've been practicing, and I'm stronger now. I'll do whatever it takes to keep us safe."

Her gaze dropped to their joined hands, and Wooyoung could see the conflict in her expression. She had always known about his abilities, the water bending that ran through their family's blood, but they had both understood the risks of revealing it. Now, he was offering to use that very power to protect them, despite the dangers it could bring.

After a long moment, she looked up, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I just... I can't bear the thought of losing you, Wooyoung. You're all I have left. You and Kyungmin... you're my world."

Wooyoung felt a lump rise in his throat, his own emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He leaned forward, pulling his mother into a gentle embrace. "I'll be careful, Eomma. I promise. I'm doing this for Kyungmin, and for you. I'll come back. We'll all come back."

She clung to him, her hands trembling slightly as she held him close. "You're so brave, my son. Just like your father was."

Wooyoung closed his eyes, the mention of his father stirring a deep sense of pride and determination within him. His father had been a strong man, a protector of their family, and Wooyoung was determined to carry on that legacy.

After a long moment, his mother pulled back, brushing a tear from her cheek as she forced a small, brave smile. "If this is what you feel you must do, then I won't stop you. But promise me you'll be careful. Promise me you'll come back."

"I promise," Wooyoung whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I'll come back."

She nodded, her hands lingering on his as she looked at him with a mixture of love and fear. "Then I'll pray for your safety, every day until you return."

Wooyoung managed a small smile, trying to reassure her. "And when I do, we'll have everything we need. Kyungmin will get better, and we'll be able to live without worry."

His mother nodded, though the worry in her eyes never fully disappeared. "Just... remember that no matter what happens, I love you. And I'm proud of you."

"I love you too, Eomma," Wooyoung replied, his heart swelling with affection for the woman who had sacrificed so much for him and his brother.

As they sat together in the quiet of the night, Wooyoung felt a renewed sense of resolve. The journey ahead would be difficult, but he would face it head-on, driven by the love of his family and the hope of a better future. And with San and Yeosang by his side, he knew he wouldn't be facing it alone.

The first light of dawn crept through the small windows of the cottage, casting a soft, golden hue across the worn wooden floors. Wooyoung stirred in his bed, his mind already awake, running through the plans and possibilities of the day ahead. Today was the day they would begin their journey—a day that could change everything.

Quietly, he slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Kyungmin, who was still sound asleep in the bed across the room. The sight of his younger brother, frail and pale, only strengthened Wooyoung's resolve. He pulled on his clothes and padded softly to the small kitchen, where he found his mother already awake, her hands busy preparing a modest breakfast.

"Good morning, Eomma," Wooyoung greeted her, his voice hushed.

"Good morning," she replied, turning to offer him a gentle smile. But her eyes held a depth of emotion that words couldn't convey.

Wooyoung stepped forward, taking the knife from her hands as he began slicing the bread. "You didn't have to get up so early. I could've done this."

His mother shook her head, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "You've always been an early riser, but today I wanted to make sure you had a good meal before you left. You'll need your strength."

They worked side by side in comfortable silence, the simple rhythm of preparing breakfast grounding them both. Wooyoung could feel the weight of what was to come, but he was determined to keep his spirits high for his mother's sake.

When the meal was ready, Wooyoung went to wake Kyungmin. The boy's eyes fluttered open, and he offered Wooyoung a weak smile. "Are you really going, hyung?"

Wooyoung nodded, ruffling his brother's hair affectionately. "I am. But don't worry, San and Yeosang will be with me. We'll be back before you know it."

Kyungmin's smile faltered, his small hand reaching out to grasp Wooyoung's. "Be careful, okay?"

"I will," Wooyoung promised, squeezing his brother's hand gently. "And when I come back, I'll bring you something special."

Kyungmin's eyes lit up with a flicker of excitement. "Something from the castle?"

"Maybe," Wooyoung teased, leaning down to kiss his brother's forehead. "But you have to promise to get better while I'm gone."

Kyungmin nodded, his expression turning serious. "I will. I'll get stronger, just like you."

The three of them sat down to breakfast, the atmosphere both somber and hopeful. Wooyoung's mother tried to keep the conversation light, asking about San and Yeosang, and reminiscing about the times Wooyoung had gotten into mischief with his friends as a child. But as the meal drew to a close, the reality of his departure settled in.

Wooyoung's mother reached across the table, taking both of her sons' hands in hers. "Wooyoung... remember what we talked about last night."

"I will, Eomma," Wooyoung said softly, his heart heavy with both the responsibility and the hope he carried.

She nodded, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I packed some food for your journey. It's not much, but it should keep you fed for a few days."

"Thank you," Wooyoung replied, his voice thick with emotion. He rose from the table, gathering his small pack and the provisions his mother had prepared. The time had come.

As he stepped outside into the crisp morning air, he took a deep breath, letting the coolness clear his mind. The town was still waking up, the streets quiet save for the distant sound of roosters crowing and the occasional bark of a dog.

San and Yeosang were waiting for him at the edge of the field, their figures silhouetted against the rising sun. Wooyoung turned back to the cottage one last time, catching sight of his mother standing in the doorway, her hand resting on Kyungmin's shoulder.

"I'll come back soon," he called out, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Go with the gods, my son," she replied, her voice strong despite the tears glistening in her eyes.

Wooyoung nodded, then turned and made his way across the field to where his friends stood. The three of them exchanged silent nods, the unspoken understanding between them solidifying their resolve. Without another word, they set off down the path, the road ahead stretching out toward the unknown.

As they walked, the first rays of sunlight began to bathe the land in warmth, the world awakening to a new day. 

The sun was just beginning to crest over the horizon, its soft light filtering through the thinning canopy of trees, casting a gentle glow on the path ahead. The three young men had been walking since dawn, their pace steady and determined. The sprawling wheat fields and dense woods of the previous day had gradually given way to the ominous silhouettes of the Forest of Shadows in the distance, the trees there looming like sentinels guarding an ancient secret.

Wooyoung glanced over his shoulder at the dark mass of trees, a slight unease settling in his chest. They had made good progress, but the thought of entering that foreboding forest in the dark was enough to make even the bravest man think twice. It was time to rest, to gather their strength before venturing into the unknown.

"We should take a break here," Wooyoung suggested, motioning toward a small clearing near a creek that babbled softly as it wound its way through the woods. The water sparkled in the early morning light, a welcome sight after the dusty road they'd traveled.

San and Yeosang nodded in agreement, their steps slowing as they veered off the path and set down their packs. The clearing was peaceful, the sound of the creek providing a soothing backdrop as they began to prepare a small meal from the provisions Wooyoung's mother had packed.

They ate in silence at first, each of them lost in their thoughts as they rationed out the food carefully, aware of the journey still ahead. The bread was a bit stale, the cheese hard, but they made do, appreciating the sustenance that would keep them going.

After the meal, San stood and stretched, his limbs aching from the long hours of walking. "I don't know about you two, but I could use a quick wash," he said with a grin, already making his way toward the creek.

Wooyoung and Yeosang exchanged amused glances before following him. The cool water was a welcome relief, and they wasted no time shedding their clothes and plunging into the creek, the shock of the cold making them gasp and laugh.

"This is freezing!" Yeosang exclaimed, his voice ringing out with a rare burst of laughter as he splashed water at Wooyoung, who retaliated with an equally large splash.

San chuckled as he dunked his head under the water, coming up with his hair plastered to his face. "Cold or not, it feels good to get all that dust off."

For a moment, the heaviness of their mission was forgotten as they splashed and joked around like the friends they were, the camaraderie between them easing the tension that had been building since they left Havenbrook.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, they eventually emerged from the creek, dripping and refreshed. They dried off with what they had and dressed quickly, settling back down by the creek to continue their rest.

Yeosang leaned back on his elbows, his gaze drifting toward the shadowy edge of the forest that loomed not too far away. "We should be in the Forest of Shadows by noon if we keep up our pace. From what I've heard, there are a few small towns on the other side. It's possible the Princess could be in one of them, hidden away."

San, who was sharpening a small knife he always carried, looked up at the mention of the forest. "Assuming we make it through in one piece," he said with a wry smile. "The rumors about that place... they're not exactly reassuring."

"What have you heard?" Wooyoung asked, leaning forward, curious but cautious.

San sheathed the knife and sat up straighter, his expression more serious now. "They say the forest is cursed. That strange things happen to those who wander in too far. Some people talk about disappearing trails, others about shadows that move on their own, leading travelers astray. And then there are the creatures..."

Yeosang snorted, though there was a nervous edge to his laugh. "You're just trying to scare us, San."

San shook his head, his dark eyes steady. "I'm not. I don't know how much of it is true, but it's worth being careful. We should stick close together, no matter what. If anything feels off, we turn back."

Wooyoung nodded in agreement, feeling a chill that had nothing to do with the water. "We'll be fine if we're smart about it. We're not going in blind—we've got each other's backs."

The reassurance in his voice seemed to settle them all, the quiet determination shared between them like an unspoken pact. They had made it this far together, and they would continue on, no matter what challenges lay ahead.

"Besides," Yeosang added, his voice lightening the mood again, "we've got Wooyoung and his 'secret' powers. If worse comes to worst, he can always wash the bad guys away."

Wooyoung chuckled, appreciating the attempt to ease the tension. "Or drown them in a puddle," he joked back, though the thought of using his powers in a fight made his stomach tighten with anxiety.

San grinned, clapping Wooyoung on the back. "See? We'll be fine. Just a quick walk through a creepy forest, and then it's straight to saving a princess."

"Tell me again how we got dragged into Wooyoung's bullshit?" Yeosang asked, his voice a mix of exasperation and teasing.

Wooyoung, standing at the edge of the Forest of Shadows, shot him an amused look. "Dragged? I seem to remember a certain someone volunteering."

San smirked, adjusting the strap of his pack. "He's got a point, Yeosang. Besides, it's not every day we get to be heroes. Think of the glory, the fame... the gold."

Yeosang rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Glory and fame don't mean much if we don't make it out of here alive."

Wooyoung chuckled, his gaze shifting to the dark entrance of the forest before them. The trees were tall and thick, their branches twisted together to form a canopy so dense that only slivers of light managed to break through. It was morning, yet the forest was draped in an eerie twilight, as if the sun had forgotten to rise in this part of the world.

"Well, standing out here isn't going to get us anywhere," Wooyoung said, his tone more serious now. "Ready?"

San nodded, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Let's get this over with."

The three men exchanged one last glance, a mixture of determination and apprehension passing between them, before stepping into the forest.

The moment they crossed the threshold, it felt as though the air grew heavier, thicker with an ancient energy that made the hair on the back of their necks stand on end. The forest was alive with the rustle of leaves and the occasional snap of twigs underfoot, but it was the stillness, the pervasive quiet that set them on edge. Every sound seemed magnified, echoing through the trees in a way that felt unnatural.

For the first hour, they walked in relative silence, the tension between them kept at bay by a mix of nervous anticipation and focused determination. The path ahead was narrow and winding, forcing them to walk in single file, with San in the lead, Wooyoung in the middle, and Yeosang bringing up the rear.

"This isn't so bad," Wooyoung said after a while, trying to lighten the mood. "We're making good time."

Yeosang grunted in response, his eyes scanning the trees. "Don't jinx it."

But Wooyoung's words seemed to fall on deaf ears. A few moments later, San slowed to a stop, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Wait... Haven't we passed this spot before?"

Wooyoung frowned, looking around. The trees were dense and nearly identical, but now that San mentioned it, there was something unsettlingly familiar about the way the path curved, the way the roots twisted out of the ground like skeletal hands. "I think you're right... Didn't we just come from there?"

Yeosang swore under his breath, his hand tightening on the hilt of his knife. "How is that possible? We've been walking straight this whole time."

San turned in a slow circle, his eyes narrowing as he tried to find something—anything—that would make sense of their situation. But the more he looked, the more disoriented he felt. "It's like the forest is playing tricks on us."

Wooyoung's heart began to race, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of his neck. The shadows seemed to shift and stretch, the underbrush rustling with a sound that was too rhythmic, too deliberate to be just the wind. "Stay close," he murmured, his voice tense.

They continued forward, but no matter how many steps they took, they kept finding themselves back in the same spot, the trees around them seeming to shift when they weren't looking. The tension grew, the once-friendly banter replaced by a heavy silence, their nerves frayed by the unexplainable loop they were caught in.

Then, there was a snap—a sharp crack of a twig breaking in the distance, followed by a faint echo that reverberated through the trees.

All three of them froze, their weapons drawn in an instant. Wooyoung's fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword, his breath catching in his throat. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah," San whispered, his eyes darting around, searching for the source of the noise.

Yeosang's grip on his knife was steady, but his voice held a note of concern. "We're not alone."

The forest seemed to close in around them, the shadows deeper, the silence more oppressive. The snapping sounds grew closer, echoing from different directions as if they were being surrounded.

"Keep your eyes open," San instructed, his voice low and calm despite the tension crackling in the air. "Whatever it is, it's trying to mess with us."

They moved cautiously now, every sense heightened, their weapons at the ready. The path continued to twist and loop back on itself, the once straightforward journey turning into a nightmarish maze. The darkness seemed to pulse with a life of its own, the whispers of the forest growing louder, more insistent.

The snapping sounds grew louder, more frequent, as if whatever was out there was circling them, toying with their nerves. The shadows seemed to grow thicker, creeping in from the edges of their vision, making it impossible to tell where the trees ended and the darkness began. Every instinct screamed at them to run, but they held their ground, weapons poised and senses on high alert.

"Stay sharp," Wooyoung murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. The forest had taken on an oppressive silence, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant call of a bird. But even those sounds felt wrong, as if the forest itself was watching them, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Wooyoung caught a flicker of movement—something darting between the trees, too fast to get a clear look at. "Did you see that?"

San nodded, his grip tightening on his sword. "Yeah. We're not alone."

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife, and every muscle in Wooyoung's body was coiled, ready to spring into action. And then, as if on cue, the forest erupted into chaos.

From the shadows, three creatures lunged at them, their eyes glowing with a malevolent light. They were vaguely humanoid in shape but twisted, their limbs too long and their movements unnaturally fast. They moved as if they were part of the shadows themselves, blending in and out of sight in the blink of an eye.

San reacted first, his sword flashing as he swung at the nearest creature. It dodged, barely missing the blade, but San was quick, pivoting to slash at it again. This time, he connected, the blade slicing through the creature's arm. It let out a shriek, retreating into the shadows before lunging at him again.

Wooyoung had his hands full with another creature, its claws swiping at him with terrifying speed. He ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding a swipe aimed at his throat, before thrusting his sword upward into its chest. The creature hissed, its eyes flaring with anger as it backed off, circling him like a predator.

Yeosang fought off his own opponent, his knife flashing as he parried its attacks. He was quick, his movements precise, but the creature was relentless, coming at him from different angles, testing his defenses. Yeosang managed to slice across its shoulder, drawing a dark, oily substance that might have been blood, but it only seemed to enrage the creature further.

The forest was a blur of movement, the three men fighting with everything they had. But the creatures were relentless, their attacks uncoordinated yet fierce, as if they were testing their limits, waiting for the right moment to strike the killing blow.

Wooyoung managed to land a solid blow on his opponent, his sword cleaving through its side. The creature let out a shriek, staggering back before collapsing into a heap of dark, writhing shadows that dissipated into the forest floor.

San finished his opponent with a powerful slash, the creature disintegrating into a cloud of black mist as it hit the ground. He was breathing hard, his eyes scanning the trees for any sign of more attackers.

Yeosang delivered a final, precise stab to his foe, the creature crumpling into a pile of shadows at his feet. He stepped back, chest heaving as he wiped his blade on the ground.

They stood there for a moment, catching their breath, the adrenaline still pumping through their veins. The forest was quiet again, the oppressive silence returning as if nothing had happened.

"Is everyone okay?" Wooyoung asked, his voice strained from the effort of the fight.

"Yeah," San replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. "But we need to keep moving. We're not out of this yet."

Yeosang nodded, sheathing his knife. "That was too easy. Whatever's in this forest, it's not done with us."

They took a moment to gather themselves before continuing on, the path growing darker and more twisted the deeper they ventured into the forest. The feeling of being watched was stronger now, the shadows seeming to move of their own accord, shifting and whispering as they walked. It wasn't long before they realized they were being followed again.

The first sign was the subtle rustling in the trees, followed by the faintest of whispers, like the wind carrying voices just out of reach. Then, as they rounded a bend, the shadows in the forest seemed to come alive, forming into shapes—dozens of them—creeping toward them with a malevolent intent.

"Not again," San muttered, drawing his sword. "But there are too many this time..."

The shadow creatures surged forward, their forms flickering and shifting, as if made of the very darkness that surrounded them. San and Yeosang struck out with their weapons, but to their horror, their blades sliced through the creatures like air, the shadows reforming instantly, unscathed.

"We can't hurt them like this!" Yeosang shouted, frustration and fear creeping into his voice.

Wooyoung's heart pounded in his chest as he watched their blades pass harmlessly through the creatures. The shadows were closing in, their numbers overwhelming. He knew what he had to do.

"Stand back!" Wooyoung yelled, dropping his sword. He focused, feeling the pull of the water in the nearby creek, the moisture in the air, even the sweat on their skin. He reached out with his mind, drawing the water to him, shaping it, molding it into a weapon.

A tendril of water snaked through the air, solidifying into a sharp blade as it sliced through the nearest shadow creature. The creature let out a high-pitched wail as it disintegrated into nothingness, the water cutting through it as if it were solid.

Wooyoung didn't stop there. He moved his hands, directing the water like an extension of himself, cutting through the shadow creatures with precision. Each time his water blade struck, the creatures dissolved, their forms unable to reform.

But there were too many. They kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless. Wooyoung felt the strain of using his power so intensely, the effort starting to wear on him. His breath came in ragged gasps, but he pushed on, knowing it was their only chance.

When the creatures began to swarm around them, Wooyoung changed tactics. He gathered the water around him, pulling from the creek until he had enough to form a sphere of liquid around the creatures. With a sharp motion, he froze the water, trapping the shadow creatures inside.

Then, with a final, desperate push, Wooyoung shattered the ice, the frozen shards crashing to the ground, obliterating the shadow creatures within. The forest fell silent once more, the oppressive darkness lifting as the last of the creatures vanished.

Wooyoung stumbled, exhausted, barely catching himself before he fell. San was at his side in an instant, steadying him. "You did it," he said, his voice filled with awe and relief.

Yeosang stared at the shattered ice on the ground, his expression a mix of disbelief and admiration. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

Wooyoung managed a tired smile, his chest heaving with the effort of what he'd just done. "I think we're safe. For now, at least."

They took a moment to catch their breath, the danger of the forest still hanging over them, but the immediate threat was gone. They were alive, and for now, that was enough.

But as they looked ahead, the darker part of the forest loomed before them, an even greater challenge awaiting. And this time, they knew the shadows were watching.

They burst out of the forest in a wild sprint, the oppressive darkness giving way to the light of day as they raced for safety. Behind them, the earth-shaking roars of the shadow creature echoed, a terrifying reminder of the danger they were fleeing. Wooyoung's heart pounded in his chest, his legs burning with the effort, but he didn't dare slow down.

San was right beside him, his breath coming in ragged gasps, while Yeosang ran just ahead, his eyes wide with fear and determination. But just as they thought they were clear, a massive claw shot out from the darkness, its talons hooking onto Yeosang's bag and yanking him backward with a force that nearly knocked the wind out of him.

"Yeosang!" Wooyoung shouted, his voice filled with panic as he skidded to a stop. Without thinking, he lunged forward, grabbing onto Yeosang's arm just as San did the same. The two of them pulled with all their might, their muscles straining against the creature's immense strength.

For a heart-stopping moment, it felt like the shadow creature might win, dragging Yeosang back into the darkness. But with one final, desperate heave, they yanked him free, the three of them tumbling to the ground in a heap as the creature's roar of frustration echoed through the air.

They lay there for a moment, gasping for breath, the adrenaline still coursing through their veins. The creature's roars faded into the distance, unable to pursue them out of the forest.

Wooyoung was the first to start laughing, the sound bubbling up from deep within him, a mix of disbelief and sheer relief. "We... we actually made it out alive," he said between breaths, his voice tinged with a kind of wild, giddy joy.

San joined in, his laughter rough and unrestrained, the tension of the past hours finally breaking. "I can't believe it. We actually made it out of there."

Yeosang, still sprawled on the ground, let out a breathless chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief. "I thought that was it for sure. I thought... I was done for."

The three of them lay there, laughing like madmen, the sheer absurdity of their survival hitting them all at once. It was a laughter born from fear and relief, from the adrenaline still coursing through their veins, and from the sheer, unadulterated joy of being alive. They shared a look, a silent acknowledgment of what they had just been through together. 

"Let's not do that again anytime soon," Wooyoung finally said, still grinning as he pushed himself up onto his feet.

San nodded in agreement, his smile wide. "Agreed. But if we do, let's make sure we have a better plan next time."

Yeosang, still catching his breath, just shook his head with a small smile. "I'm just glad I've got you two to drag me out of the fire... or the forest, in this case."

They pulled each other to their feet, dusting off the dirt and leaves, their spirits somehow lighter despite the ordeal they had just survived. The forest loomed behind them, dark and foreboding, but they had made it out. And now, whatever lay ahead felt just a little less daunting. The road ahead stretched out, winding through the rolling hills, a stark contrast to the dark, oppressive woods they had just escaped.

Yeosang adjusted his pack, glancing down the road. "There should be a town nearby. We can find an inn there and get some rest."

San and Wooyoung exchanged tired but hopeful looks, both of them eager for a bed that wasn't made of dirt and leaves.

"That sounds like heaven," San admitted, running a hand through his sweat-matted hair. "I feel like I've been run over by a cart."

"Same," Wooyoung agreed, a wry smile on his face. "I'm pretty sure we all smell like something crawled out of the forest and died."

Yeosang chuckled, nodding in agreement as they began their journey down the road. The idea of a warm bed and a proper meal motivated them, and despite their exhaustion, their pace quickened. The sun climbed higher in the sky as they walked, casting long shadows behind them, but the thought of a safe place to rest kept their spirits high.

After a few miles, they finally spotted the town in the distance, a cluster of buildings nestled in a small valley. As they drew closer, the sounds of daily life reached them—children playing, merchants haggling, and the clatter of hooves on cobblestones. The sight and sound of civilization brought a wave of relief over the trio.

They found the inn easily enough, a cozy-looking place with a sign swinging gently in the breeze. The innkeeper, a stout man with a kind face, greeted them warmly, though his smile faltered slightly as he took in their disheveled appearance.

"You lot look like you've been through the wringer," he remarked, eyeing them up and down. "Come in, come in. You'll want a hot bath and a meal, I'm sure."

As they entered the inn, the warmth and smell of cooked food embraced them, a stark contrast to the cold and dampness of the forest. The innkeeper led them to a small desk where they signed in and paid for their rooms. As they handed over their coins, the innkeeper glanced at them curiously.

"Must've been quite the journey. How long have you been out there?"

"Just a day," San replied with a shrug, "though it felt longer."

The innkeeper's brows furrowed. "A day, you say? You must've lost track of time in that forest. It's been three days since the last travelers passed through here."

The revelation hit them like a splash of cold water. Wooyoung's mind raced, trying to make sense of the innkeeper's words. Three days? But they had only been in the forest for what felt like a day, maybe a day and a half at most.

San and Yeosang shared a look of disbelief, and Wooyoung could see the same confusion mirrored in their eyes.

"Three days?" Yeosang asked, his voice filled with shock. "That's impossible."

"I'm afraid not," the innkeeper replied with a shake of his head. "The Forest of Shadows is known to play tricks on travelers, messing with their sense of time and direction. You're lucky you made it out at all."

The weight of the innkeeper's words settled over them as they were led to their rooms. Exhausted and overwhelmed, they each took their keys and offered each other tired nods of reassurance before parting ways.

Once inside his room, Wooyoung closed the door behind him and leaned against it, his mind reeling from the innkeeper's revelation. He took in his surroundings—a simple room with a bed, a washbasin, and a window that overlooked the quiet street below. The silence in the room was a stark contrast to the chaos they had just escaped.

He moved to the bed and sat down heavily, running a hand through his hair. Three days. They had been trapped in that cursed forest for three whole days, yet it had felt like only one. The thought sent a shiver down his spine. What else had that forest done to them? What other tricks had it played that they hadn't even noticed?

Wooyoung stared out the window, his thoughts racing. The journey was proving to be far more dangerous than any of them had anticipated. They had nearly lost Yeosang in the forest, and the shadow creatures had pushed him to the brink, forcing him to use his water-bending abilities in a way he hadn't in years.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. The memory of those shadow creatures still haunted him—the way they had seemed almost alive, their forms shifting and swirling in the darkness. He had never seen anything like them before, and the fact that his powers had been the only thing capable of stopping them left him uneasy.

He had been careful all these years, hiding his abilities, using them only when absolutely necessary. But now, on this journey, he was forced to rely on them more and more. San and Yeosang knew of his powers—they had been by his side through thick and thin, helping him stay under the radar from the palace. The three of them had worked together to keep his secret safe, devising plans and excuses whenever anyone came too close to the truth.

But even with their support, Wooyoung couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him. The more he used his abilities, the more he risked exposure. What if they encountered someone who recognized his powers for what they were? What if the King's Guard caught wind of a water-bender traveling through the kingdom? No amount of planning could protect them from that.

He sighed, rubbing his temples. He knew his friends would have his back no matter what, but the weight of the secret they shared was heavy. It wasn't just his life on the line—it was theirs too. And as the dangers of their journey grew, so did the risks.

Lying back on the bed, Wooyoung stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't afford to dwell on these thoughts. Not now. They had made it out of the Forest of Shadows, and that was a victory in itself. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but tonight, he would let the safety of the inn and the warmth of the bed offer him a brief reprieve from the storm that was brewing in his mind.

The past few days had blurred together in a haze of restless travel and fruitless inquiries. Town after town, San tirelessly questioned anyone who might have information about the missing princess. Yeosang kept a careful eye on their surroundings, his experience as a traveler guiding their steps. But despite their efforts, Wooyoung couldn't shake the growing doubts gnawing at him.

What if they never found her? The princess could be anywhere—if she was even alive. And what about his family? It had been almost a week since he'd left Havenbrook, and the thought of his ailing brother and worried mother weighed heavily on his heart. He had no way of knowing how they were faring, no means of communication. Each day that passed only deepened his anxiety.

It was late when they arrived in another town, the inn they found offering a modest but welcome shelter from the road. The others had retired to their rooms, but Wooyoung couldn't sleep. The worries and fears that had been building up inside him refused to let him rest.

He slipped out of his room, the door creaking softly as he closed it behind him. The inn was quiet, the only sounds the faint crackle of a dying fire in the hearth and the occasional creak of the wooden floorboards as he made his way to the door. Outside, the night was cool and still, the air crisp with the lingering chill of early spring. The moon hung low in the sky, casting a silver glow over the cobblestone streets.

Wooyoung walked with no particular destination in mind, his feet carrying him through the winding alleys and narrow streets of the town. The buildings around him were dark, their windows shuttered against the night. A few stray cats prowled the shadows, their eyes glowing like tiny lanterns as they watched him pass.

His thoughts were a tangled mess, each worry vying for his attention. What if they never found the princess? What if this journey was all for nothing? What if something happened to his family while he was gone? The weight of these questions pressed down on him, making his steps feel heavier with each passing moment.

As he rounded a corner, lost in his own thoughts, he suddenly collided with someone, the impact jolting him back to reality. There was a soft gasp, followed by the sound of items clattering to the ground.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Wooyoung blurted out, his heart racing as he realized what had happened. He quickly crouched down to help pick up the items that had spilled from the basket. The street was dimly lit, the light from a distant lantern casting long shadows across the ground. He reached for a jar that had rolled a few feet away, his fingers brushing against the cool glass.

The woman he had bumped into was already kneeling beside him, her hands moving swiftly to gather the scattered contents. Her hair fell in loose waves around her face, the ends brushing against her cheeks as she worked. Her hands were quick and practiced, as if she was used to handling fragile items. "It's alright, really," she said, her voice soft but tinged with a hint of surprise. "I wasn't watching where I was going either."

Wooyoung glanced up at her as they worked together to collect the items. She appeared to be around his age, with a calm but weary expression, her eyes shadowed by the dim light. Her basket was filled with jars of oils, soaps, and bundles of herbs—items that suggested she might be an herbalist or perhaps a healer. The faint scent of lavender and rosemary hung in the air, mingling with the cool night breeze.

As they continued picking up the scattered items, Wooyoung couldn't help but notice the quiet efficiency with which she moved. Despite the accident, she remained composed, her movements steady and deliberate. He handed her a small vial that had rolled beneath a nearby bench, and she accepted it with a grateful nod, carefully placing it back into the basket.

"Thank you," she said as they finished gathering the last of her belongings. Her voice was gentle, but there was a note of exhaustion beneath it, as if she had been carrying a heavy burden for far too long. She gave him a small, tired smile, her lips curving up at the corners but not quite reaching her eyes.

Wooyoung stood, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling a bit awkward. "I'm really sorry about that," he repeated, his voice laced with genuine remorse. "I should've been paying attention."

She waved off his apology with a dismissive gesture, adjusting the basket on her hip. "It's alright, really. No harm done." She paused for a moment, studying him with a curious tilt of her head. "You look like you've got a lot on your mind."

Wooyoung hesitated, then nodded, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Yeah, you could say that. It's just... a lot to deal with right now."

The woman nodded, as if understanding more than he had said. There was a kindness in her eyes, a quiet empathy that made him feel as though he could share his burdens with her, even if only for a moment. "Well, whatever it is, I hope you find some peace," she said softly. "The night has a way of making our worries seem bigger than they are."

Wooyoung smiled slightly at that, appreciating the wisdom in her words. "Thank you," he said, his voice sincere. "And again, I'm sorry for bumping into you."

She returned his smile with one of her own, a small, gentle curve of her lips. "It's really alright. Take care of yourself," she said, before turning to continue on her way, her footsteps light and almost soundless on the cobblestones.

Wooyoung watched her go, her figure gradually disappearing into the shadows of the quiet town. Her words lingered in his mind, their simplicity resonating with him in a way he hadn't expected. There was something comforting about the encounter, something that eased the weight on his heart just a little. Maybe it was the simple act of helping someone, or maybe it was the reminder that even in the midst of his doubts and fears, there was still a chance for kindness and understanding.

As he continued his walk, the town around him seemed a little less oppressive, the darkness a little less suffocating. He could still feel the worries gnawing at the edges of his mind, but they felt more manageable now, like a distant storm rather than an immediate threat.

With a bit more clarity, Wooyoung turned back towards the inn, his steps a little lighter than before. The road ahead was still uncertain, the challenges still daunting, but for now, he would keep moving forward. He had come this far, and there was no turning back. Not yet.

The streets were quiet, with only a few townsfolk going about their daily routines, casting curious glances at the newcomers. After hours of fruitless questioning and dead ends, Wooyoung and Yeosang decided to take a break. They found a small, dimly lit bar on the outskirts of town, a modest place with worn wooden tables and a barkeep who barely glanced at them as they walked in. The scent of ale and roasted meat lingered in the air, mixing with the faint smell of smoke from a hearth that crackled in the corner.

The two men took a seat at a table near the window, where the light filtered in just enough to illuminate their faces without drawing too much attention. Wooyoung ordered a drink for each of them, and they sat in silence for a while, both lost in their thoughts.

"This whole thing is starting to feel like a wild goose chase," Wooyoung muttered, finally breaking the silence. He took a sip of his drink, the cool liquid doing little to soothe the frustration that had been building inside him.

Yeosang nodded, his gaze fixed on the amber liquid swirling in his glass. "I know what you mean. But we have to keep going. We don't have a choice."

Wooyoung sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah, I know. It's just... what if we never find her? What if we're wasting our time?"

Yeosang looked at him, his expression calm but resolute. "We can't think like that. If we give up now, we'll never know. And besides, we're doing this for your family. That's what matters."

Wooyoung gave a small, appreciative smile. "Thanks, I needed that."

Yeosang nodded, his eyes softening. "We'll find her, Wooyoung. We just have to keep pushing forward."

As the afternoon stretched on, the door to the bar creaked open, and San walked in, his expression a mix of excitement and urgency. He spotted them immediately and made his way over, slipping into the seat next to Yeosang.

"I've got news," San said, leaning in slightly as if to keep his voice from carrying too far. His eyes darted around the room before settling on his friends.

Wooyoung and Yeosang exchanged a glance before turning their attention to San. "What did you find out?" Wooyoung asked, his earlier frustration momentarily forgotten.

San leaned forward, his voice low. "I was talking to one of the men down the road. He said he didn't know anyone by that name, but the description... it reminded him of a woman he knows, someone who goes by the name 'Arisa.'"

"Arisa?" Yeosang repeated, his brow furrowing. "That's not a name we've heard before."

San shook his head. "No, but it could be an alias. If she's trying to stay hidden, she wouldn't be using her real name."

Wooyoung's mind raced, the information clicking into place. "Did he say where we could find her?"

"He mentioned that she lives in a house at the edge of town, near the old mill," San replied. "He didn't seem to know much else, just that she's been here for a while, keeping to herself."

A spark of hope ignited in Wooyoung's chest, though it was tempered with caution. "It's worth checking out," he said, glancing at Yeosang, who nodded in agreement.

"We should be careful," Yeosang added. "We don't know much about this princess, other than what we've heard from rumors. If this Arisa really is her, there's no telling what we're walking into."

San leaned back in his chair, a slight grin tugging at his lips. "When have we ever been careful?"

Wooyoung let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "True, but let's not take any unnecessary risks this time. We barely know anything about her, just that she's supposed to be pretty and... well, innocent. If Arisa is really the princess, we need to approach her with caution."

The three of them fell into a brief silence, each lost in their thoughts. 

The shop was modest, its wooden sign barely visible in the dimming light of the evening, creaking gently as it swung with the breeze. Nestled between the warm glow of a baker's storefront and the steady hammering from a cobbler's workshop, the shop seemed ordinary—hardly the kind of place one would expect to find a princess in hiding.

Wooyoung, San, and Yeosang stood just outside, the weight of the mission pressing heavily on their shoulders. The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting long shadows that stretched across the cobblestone streets, adding to the growing tension in the air.

San adjusted the collar of his jacket, his expression serious. "I'll go in alone," he said, his voice low but steady. "If she's the princess, I might recognize her. We passed each other a few times in the palace halls."

Wooyoung nodded, eyes flicking to the shop's door. "We'll stay out here and keep watch. Just be careful."

San gave a brief nod before stepping through the door, the small bell above it tinkling as he entered. The sound seemed to hang in the air, almost mocking in its lightness as Wooyoung and Yeosang remained outside, the tension between them palpable.

Wooyoung leaned back against the wall, his gaze fixed on the door. "Think he'll know her on sight?" he asked, trying to distract himself from the gnawing anxiety in his gut.

Yeosang shrugged, though his eyes were narrowed in thought. "If she really is the princess, she might recognize him too. But we've barely got anything to go on—just rumors and whispers."

The minutes dragged by, each one slower than the last. They exchanged uneasy glances, the bustling sounds of the town contrasting sharply with the sense of unease settling in their bones.

Then, the peace was shattered. A loud crash echoed from inside the shop, followed by a sharp cry of pain. Wooyoung and Yeosang snapped to attention, their bodies tense, ready to spring into action. The door burst open before they could react, and a hooded figure bolted from the shop, moving with a speed born of desperation.

"San!" Wooyoung shouted, peering inside the shop. His heart dropped at the sight of San on the floor, holding his head, surrounded by shards of broken glass.

"She's getting away! Go, find her!" San yelled, his voice a mix of pain and urgency.

Wooyoung shot a quick look at Yeosang. "Stay with him—I'll go after her!"

Without waiting for a reply, Wooyoung tore off after the hooded figure, his boots pounding against the cobblestones. The town was a blur around him as he raced through the crowded streets, his eyes locked on the fleeing woman. She moved with the agility of someone who knew how to evade capture, darting between people, skirting around carts, and slipping through narrow alleyways.

Wooyoung's breath burned in his lungs, his muscles screaming in protest, but he pushed himself harder, his determination fueling his every step. The gap between them closed, inch by inch, until finally, with a surge of effort, he lunged forward.

He tackled her to the ground, the impact sending them both rolling across the rough cobblestones. She fought like a cornered animal, her limbs thrashing as she tried to break free, but Wooyoung held firm, using his weight to pin her down.

"Stop!" he shouted, his voice rough with exertion. "Just calm down!"

For a moment, she continued to struggle, her breath coming in ragged gasps. But then, as if realizing the futility of her efforts, she went still, her chest heaving as she lay beneath him. Wooyoung kept his grip firm, his heart pounding in his ears, before he cautiously reached up and pulled back the hood that concealed her face.

His breath caught in his throat as recognition dawned. It was her—the woman from the night before, the one he had bumped into in the quiet street, with the basket of herbs and oils.

"You," Wooyoung breathed, his voice filled with disbelief. His mind raced, trying to piece together how this woman, the one he had only just met, could be connected to the princess they were searching for. "It's you..."

The princess's eyes widened in recognition, the shock evident in her gaze as they locked onto Wooyoung's. For a split second, the world seemed to stand still, the weight of unspoken questions hanging heavy between them. But just as quickly as the recognition flickered across her face, it was replaced with cold determination.

Without warning, she drove her knee sharply into his groin, the sudden pain exploding through his body. Wooyoung gasped, his grip on her loosening as the breath was knocked out of him. A guttural groan escaped his lips as he doubled over, the searing pain spreading through his abdomen.

The princess seized the moment. With a swift push, she shoved Wooyoung off her, his body collapsing onto the cobblestones as he writhed in agony. The edges of his vision blurred, but he forced himself to stay conscious, his mind barely processing what had just happened.

Through the haze of pain, he watched as she scrambled to her feet, her movements quick and fluid. With one last glance over her shoulder, she unlatched her cloak, letting it billow out behind her like a shadow before it was caught by the breeze. The fabric fluttered to the ground, a final taunt as she bolted down the alley, disappearing into the maze of streets.

Wooyoung cursed under his breath, his voice strained as he struggled to push himself up. The pain was still radiating through his body, but his mind was racing. She had recognized him—he was certain of it. But more than that, she had escaped again.

"Damn it," he muttered, forcing his body to move despite the throbbing pain. He clutched his side as he staggered to his feet, his eyes fixed on the direction she had fled. 

to be continued....

Taglist: @00iheartmingi00 @yuyamihi @mountiiny

[eiloveir]

𝖙𝖎𝖉𝖆𝖑 𝖜𝖆𝖛𝖊.

🔞 definitely ain’t for minors (contains frequent strong language and alludes to sexual content)

none are affiliated with the canon naruto series; this is solely an alternate universe of my own creation, purely fictional and set in a modern context compared to the original manga and anime plot.

pairing: uchiha itachi x female reader

gently bathing the streets in hues of reddish neon, an almost beautiful ambiance enveloped tokyo, a city that lived day and night. a woman glided with grace and elegance amidst the steady stream of people. everywhere she went, her appealing appearance attracted admiring looks from those nearby. driven by a thirst for attention, excitement, and power, she smirked quietly beneath her veil of black mascara. she had mastered the art of overcoming life’s challenges by leveraging her beauty in a society that often rewarded charm and appearance.

she understood the harsh realities of their world: those with the face of an angel were granted privileges others could only dream of. it was a brutal truth that even when harboring hatred or committing crimes, they could escape consequences with a mere flutter of their eyelashes.

her beauty was her shield, her weapon, her means to an end.

her heels clicked in time with the pavement as she moved, her movements purposeful yet worn out. she was surrounded by a plethora of sounds and images from the city, yet she didn’t lose focus because she knew where she was going. she eventually found herself at her designated spot after what seemed like hours of dealing with the streets that resembled a maze. she took a moment to compose herself before skillfully removing a phone from her sling bag.

“dei, are you there?” she inquired, her voice barely above a whisper.

the connection crackled, and after a moment of silence, a voice responded tersely, “hm. what is it?” she grimaced and rolled her eyes, a subtle display of frustration meant as a signal that her task was nearing completion, yet all she received was a nonchalant nod in return.

irritated, she demanded, “what am i supposed to do here, idiot?”

“didn't the boss brief you?” deidara asked, his voice is steady with amusement. her frustration seemed to amuse him rather than bother him. “so, are you already there?”

“god, deidara, just tell me!” she commanded firmly, her tone uncompromising. deidara chuckled softly, clearly enjoying her irritation.

“y/n, you need to infiltrate that place. the club is owned by kara. your mission is to gather evidence to bring them down. they’re our rivals, and you know how things work in the mafia world.” deidara’s explanation was concise, devoid of hesitation. almost as an afterthought, he added, “don’t worry, i believe someone’s already there to assist you.”

she exhaled slowly, her annoyance simmering beneath the surface. the implication that she needed help stung her pride. it seemed the leader’s decision was not without some disregard for her capabilities; she prided herself on being competent and self-sufficient.

“it’d better not be hidan.”

she prepared herself for the challenge ahead. glancing at her phone one last time before returning it to her purse, she straightened up and made her way towards the club’s entrance. above, colorful lights flickered ominously. with her senses sharp and her mind focused, she was ready to step into the lion’s den.

the game was on, and she intended to play by her rules.

pausing for a moment in the midst of the crowd, she took in her surroundings. her eyes scanned the scene: older men leering at dancing women with predatory gazes, friends sharing a joint enveloped in a cloud of smoke, and a couple lost in a passionate kiss cheered on by their friends.

nothing appeared overtly suspicious yet.

she ascended the stairs towards the second floor, where secrets might lurk. just as she was about to climb, a hand unexpectedly tapped her shoulder. she turned to see a man, visibly intoxicated but well-dressed, not much older than herself.

“oi, deepa, do your damn job! boss will kick your ass!” a red-haired man suddenly appeared beside him with a commanding voice that cut through the noise.

boss? she wondered, intrigued by the possibility of a potential asset in her investigation.

“don't interfere, code,” deepa retorted sharply, pushing the red-haired man aside to approach her with a drink. she hesitated, cautious of the drink’s contents, but accepted it with a feigned smile. perhaps playing along could work to her advantage.

“thank you,” she purred, adopting a coy grin as she prepared to adopt a new persona. “but what about him?” she teased, gesturing towards the red-haired man, mischief twinkling in her eyes.

“damn it, you’re insufferable.” code muttered to himself, glaring at deepa, flipping him off, and ruffling his hair in frustration before walking away.

she found herself face-to-face with deepa, the man she intended to exploit for her ends. his invitation to retire to a private room seemed to be an attempt to lure her into a familiar situation. yet, she maintained her charade with a smile. as they settled onto plush sofas, deepa poured drinks, offering one to her.

“so, what’s a pretty girl like you doing here?” he asked, his compliment catching her off guard.

“can’t girls have fun?”

clearly enjoying her banter, deepa smiled at her witty response. “of course. you’re welcome here.” he said, pouring himself another drink. he extended another offer to her, though she refused to sip from the glass, knowing they might be poisoned.

“you know, i’ve never seen you here before,” deepa said after a moment, breaking the silence. “are you new in town?”

she shook her head slightly, projecting a shyness. “just passing through,” she responded firmly yet gently. “i heard there are some exciting spots around here.”

“and what do you find exciting?” deepa chuck as he leaned back, studying her intently.

lowering her gaze playfully, she murmured, “you know, good music, interesting company,” she paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. “and perhaps a few surprises.”

he grinned, clearly enjoying her company. “surprises? i like surprises,” he said, locking eyes with her. “and i guess you do too, otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.”

raising her gaze, she met his with a playful glint. “you could say that. and what about you? you seem to know this place well.”

“you could say i have a vested interest in this place, i’m responsible for its operation, after all.” he replies, swirling his own drink in his glass.

"so, you’re the boss, huh? that makes sense, considering how well you know the place.” with slightly raised eyebrows, she pretends to be surprised. she just caught the largest fish to aid her in her quest. with slightly raised eyebrows, she pretends to be surprised.

deepa chuckled softly, amused by her assumption. “let’s just say i have a... role in the operations here,” he corrected her. “i’m not the official owner, but i do have a fair amount of influence.”

bingo.

as y/n prepared to advance her mission by cornering him, an abrupt and silence fell over the room. in an instant, he moved swiftly behind her, pressing her against the sofa with a deadly quickness. stepping onto the back of the sofa, he loomed over her, the cold barrel of a gun unforgiving against her temple.

his breath was hot on her neck as he whispered, “you’ve played a convincing game of innocence so far, but i’ve always had a sharp eye for deception.”

heart palpitating, y/n’s thoughts whirled as she considered what to do next. though she had been waiting for this moment, the realization that he was so close still made her shudder. remaining composed, she cocked her head slightly, letting her hair cascade down like a curtain to partially veil her face from his inquiring stare.

“funny,“ she replied softly, her voice laced with confidence that masked the tension within her. “i could say the same about you.”

deepa’s grip tightened on her shoulder, a subtle warning of his control over the situation. “don’t mistake my curiosity for ignorance. who sent you here, and what do you want?”

y/n stayed composed, her thoughts racing to reassess her strategy. when she was this close to getting the information she needed from him, she could not afford to give away too much. she answered his focused look with a measured glance, her eyes narrowing slightly as she considered how to respond.

“does it matter?” she countered smoothly, her tone measured with defiance. “you’ve clearly taken an interest in me. why spoil the fun with unnecessary questions?”

his fingers tightened on her shoulder before he released her, a flicker of irritation crossing his features. he straightened up, his expression hardening as he regarded her with suspicion.

“you’re playing a dangerous game.” he warned, his voice low but firm.

y/n leaned back against the sofa, her posture relaxed yet poised for any sudden movement. “aren’t we all?” she quipped, her words a reminder of the balance they both maintained in the world they inhabited.

before deepa could respond, the door to the private room swung open abruptly, startling them both. standing in the doorway was a tall man with long raven-black hair, his silhouette imposing against the dim light of the bar beyond. his manner emanated an authority that immediately altered the atmosphere in the room.

“deepa, you should know better than to handle your guests so roughly.” the man spoke—a calm yet authoritative voice.

deepa’s gaze flickered between y/n and the newcomer, his jaw tightening with restrained frustration. “who the hell are you?” he demanded, his voice edged with disbelief.

the man’s eyes, dark and piercing—met deepa’s with an intensity that left no room for doubt.

“i’m here to ensure she gets what she came for.”

y/n didn’t have any idea who this man was, but she played along—better than having someone pull the trigger of their gun on her head. she looked at the man, examining his face; she didn’t recognize him at all. but thanks to him, deepa’s attention was diverted.

“y/n of the akatsuki, you surely didn't come here unprepared, did you?” deepa asked, her heart skipping a beat with a sinister edge as he spoke her name. it was unsettling that her membership in the akatsuki was acknowledged; she had never disclosed it to anybody outside the group.

“you’re underestimating me, aren’t you?” she said confidently, getting closer to his face. she grabbed his hair and yanked it, making him wince in pain. “bitch.”

y/n cautiously stepped away from deepa, feeling a sudden coldness against her arm—a sharp pain from his stab. shock momentarily froze her, her mind struggling to grasp the sudden violence. “when did he?”

before she could react, a gunshot rang out, breaking the tense silence. the sound reverberated in the club, blending with screams and the abrupt cessation of music that intesified the panic that gripped the air.

her eyes widened as she saw the man, gripping a blazing gun with a tense expression. her voice shook involuntarily, confusion clouding her thoughts. “what have you done?”

“you’ve already messed this up,” he retorted sharply, drawing his gun swiftly. his intense stare unnerved her. ignoring her questions, the man grabbed her arm and guided her through the panicked crowd of the club. “let’s go before they catch us.”

the earlier atmosphere of the club had collapsed into anarchy within. screams that were high in pitch with the smell of alcohol and perspiration. the unexpected hush that followed the music’s abrupt cessation, which emphasizes the seriousness of the situation—fueled panic like a wildfire.

a police megaphone exploded, sending a strong voice resounding off the walls with its urgency among the chaotic scene. the words hung heavily in the air. “this is the police! immediate evacuation is mandatory! leave now to avoid any involvement!”

the man hurried y/n through the crowd and out into the parking lot, his focus solely on escape.

as they drove away, y/n tried to collect her thoughts, adrenaline still coursing through her veins. glancing at the man beside her, she finally spoke, “you can slow down now.” eyes flicking from the road to his unreadable expression. the changed from city life to the quiet of suburbia was abrupt; the car suddenly parked in a secluded spot surrounded by tall trees and silence.

the man complied silently, cutting the engine with a decisive click. stepping out into the cool night air, he opened his door, the quiet rush of the breeze filling the silence. as she took in their surroundings, y/n trailed behind, her footsteps leaving gentle imprints on the ground. contrary to the earlier chaos, her breath formed little clouds in the cold air.

the shock of the sudden events began to subside, replaced by curiosity and a need for answers. turning to face the man, y/n’s voice broke the quiet of the night. “how do you know this?”

for a little period, the man stared at her, his face difficult to interpret in the low light. with his cigarette shining brightly in the dark, he took a contemplative drag. his face was lit by the glow from the ember, which produced deep shadows that showed his features. he let out an exhale, the smoke curling around him like thin, spectral tendrils before vanishing into the evening air.

“i cleared your mission.”

“who are you?”

the man turned to face her, his black eyes meeting hers with a gentle, yet intense, stare. his features’ distinct contours were brought to light by the way the shadows moved across his face. he carefully extinguished his cigarette, allowing the flame to disappear into the night. his presence was dominating and mysterious as he moved to close the distance between them with a subtle ease. he took off his suit jacket and draped it around her shoulders. the material smelled warm, somewhat smoky, and very much like him.

“you might catch a cold.”

she silently exchanged emotions with him as his gesture made her heart skip a beat. she felt oddly protected and at ease because of the jacket’s warmth in comparison to the cool night air.

“i’m uchiha itachi.”

[aurora-daily]

How Aurora awed Billie Eilish, met Leonard Cohen’s lover and sang her way out of the Norwegian woods

The secret star of Frozen II on why she chose music over molecular science – and the reason ‘art without politics is a bit boring’

AURORA for The Telegraph, interviewed by Neil McCormick (May 26th, 2024)

“I’ve always known how to sing,” says Aurora Aksnes, in her soft, clear Norwegian accent. “I never really get tired. I can sing for 12 hours. And have a pint of Guinness. And still sing!”

There is something very special about the 27-year-old singer, songwriter and producer known simply as Aurora. Her music is extraordinary, but in person she is enchanting too: warm, witty, intense and slightly unearthly. She dresses with colourfully eccentric flair, and her wide eyes lock on to yours as if she is trying to peer into your soul, or let you see into hers.

The youngest of three sisters, she was raised by her mother, a midwife, and father, a salesman, in remote western Norway as a “person of the forest”, as she puts it, playing piano, writing songs and dancing from an early age. Her intimate and original compositions soon found an audience online and, at 18, she was given a record deal by Decca. Her breakthrough 2015 single, Runaway, has had more than 870 million streams on Spotify (where she has more than 12 million monthly listeners) and in excess of 640 million views on YouTube. Among her early fans was a young Billie Eilish, who has since said “When I saw Aurora, something inside me clicked, like, that is what I want to do.” 

While Aurora tends not to trouble the weekly singles charts, her atmospheric music has appeared on the soundtracks to countless video games, TV series and films – and that’s her you can hear singing Into the Unknown, the most irresistible earworm in Frozen II, alongside Idina Menzel. Or you might know her from the 2015 John Lewis Christmas ad, for which she invested an interpretation of Oasis’s Half the World Away with her signature gentle intensity.

Yet her true talent is most evident in her own poetic songs that range from the intimate to the epic and provide a showcase for a clear, high, expressive voice that seems able to go anywhere she wants it to, in productions that blend folk, classical, techno and pop. Enya, Björk and Kate Bush are clear influences, but you could throw into that mix the world-funk blend of Peter Gabriel, the shiny electronic dance spirit of Robyn and the synth psychedelia of The Chemical Brothers. “It’s very hard when people ask what kind of music I do,” she says. “I just like to say I make good music. It’s something I bring from within, like a human organ. I’m an organ donor!”

Released next month, Aurora’s fourth album What Happened to the Heart? is her strongest yet – a vividly emotional set grappling with loss, grief and recovery that somehow shines with a spirit of positivity. “It is not a breakup album,” she insists. “Well, not in the traditional sense of breaking up with a lover. But it has a lot of the same sentiments: saying goodbye, accepting change. It’s about the healing process, and how we deal with pain.” Although she has previously claimed that she doesn’t write from autobiographical experience, she acknowledges that, on this occasion, personal upset (about which she doesn’t wish to go into detail) was involved.

“Usually, I don’t write when I’m sad,” she says. “I don’t want to write in a way that worships the pain; I feel I should heal first, and then I can put light and wisdom in there. But this time it was very urgent. I really felt the need to pour out a lot.”

Yet if the new album draws on individual sadness, it also taps into Aurora’s sense that “something is seriously wrong in the world. While I was writing and recording, wars were breaking out. I could not contain this anger and rage on behalf of the underdog. The music got quite wild and dark.” 

As her audience grows, Aurora considers it her responsibility to speak out about the issues that matter to her, whether the state of the environment or LGBTQ+ rights. “It’s not the 1940s any more, a modern star should be in touch with the world,” she says, adding, “Art without politics is a bit boring.”

When Aurora was young, she wanted to be a scientist, perhaps in the field of “molecular technology”, she says – “I still might; life is long!” – but then music took over. “I listened to Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, because that’s all the music we had in my childhood home, in the forest countryside in Norway. So when I started writing, I thought that music should say something big.”

She notes that during the 1980s when Cohen’s career was failing in the rest of the world, he was sustained by his popularity in Norway. “He had something otherworldly, that felt like an ancient reminder of kindness and grace in a world that can be very ungraceful and unkind.” Aurora tells me with delight that she knew Marianne Ihlen – Cohen’s lover and the subject of his classic 1967 song, So Long Marianne – who died in 2016, aged 81. “She was from the same village as my grandparents. She was so beautiful.”

There is something discernibly Norwegian about Aurora’s own music, full of allusions to long, dark winter days and the return of the light brought by spring. “It’s funny how deeply the sadness is rooted in the darkness,” she says. “You hear it from way back in our history, in every children’s song; they are all super sad, with heavy melodies, a dead mother, a dead child, a troll in the mountains that’s lonely. When the darkness comes, we hibernate. I read and sleep and cook and light candles, I ask of myself nothing. When everything blossoms, I write a lot; from February to October is [when I’m at] my most creative. Even though the winter months are hard, it’s worth it, because spring is just bliss.”

She believes that music is the ideal medium not only to express that bliss, but to inspire it, too. “I think it reminds people that they have power and hope and potential,” she says. “There’s so much fear in the media, and it makes us very easy to control, because any animal or human in fear makes bad decisions. Music can speak about the same things, but it’s fuelled by love.”

When I point out that images of death and mortality haunt the new album, Aurora laughs – “Well, I am Norwegian!” – before insisting that, ultimately, she won’t allow the gloomy state of the planet to crush her positive spirit. “I’m not pessimistic, but I can sound like it,” she says. “It’s an odd world, that’s all I really want to say. I find it very strange, but also very beautiful.”

[ac3-76]

Legend of korra headcannons🐌

warnings: brief mention of drinking(kinda alcoholism), other than that nothing

(Most of these are in a modern setting)

Wing Beifong is a motorcycle guy and posts Aushen Ride type videos

Varrick is a coffee addict and he has awful coffee breath

Korra got a stingray tattooed on her upper back. the tail goes down her spine and the wings(?) are on her shoulder blades

If Formula 1 is a thing in their universe, Future Indistries is one of the og teams

Asami would have future industries make a feminine car for the races taking place in Women's History Month (march)

And for the cars used by the drivers outside of March there'd be something feminine on it, like a lip stick kiss mark

She started it because she wanted a more feminine touch in the sport to show that you can be a girly girl or a girly person and still enjoy and partake in something that's traditionally masculine

I feel like in general she uses her cars to bring awareness to things occurring in society

When Bolin got paid for the Nuktuk series one of the first things he bought was a high quality gaming set up that he had his eye on for years

Now he streams him playing video games and makes a fair bit of money from it

Sometimes the others will play games with him and make apperances on his streams

the fan favorite is Asami because she has the best builds in Minecraft and the best strategy in Call of Duty

Mako likes to watch Criminal Minds and other law/criminal shows to see if he can figure out where it's going and solve it before the characters do

Wu photoshops everything that he posts and is very active on all social media platforms

when Korra went on her own for 6 months after Zaheer tried to kill her, she started drinking because it made her sleepy

she didn't have to be awake and deal with her hallucinations, and when she slept it was nothing, no dreams, no nightmares, just hours of being away from her trauma

being with Toph in the swamp for a couple of weeks(or days?) was the start of her recovery from becoming reliant on drinking to avoid dealing with trauma

Opal collects cool rocks and crystals she finds in the places she travels to

She gets them as gifts for her mother

Also because she's an Air bender and thus follows the air nomad life style, she's always sure to say thank you to the land for allowing her to give the rock to her mom

Huan has had his art in museums and has sold some pieces to well known rich people

He gives most of the money to charity

Mako sleeps on silk sheets only

he was fine with cotton and other cheaper materials until he became Wus bodyguard

Wu insisted he sleep on silk sheets after Mako told him that he had never slept on silk, and now Mako needs silk sheets

Korra's had the same black 21 oz hyddroflask since she was 15

she refuses to buy another waterbottle

it's also covered in stickers

Bolin got Pabu a bed that was specially made for Pabus size, weight, and measurements

Kinda like the one Princess Anneliese had for her cat, Serafina, in Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper

Korras favorite thing to do when she sees a book or something with words is to ask how much spice in it

She's at a restaurant with Asami, they just got the menu, Korra picks it up and displays the front cover to Asami before asking "Booktok girlys before I read this how much spice is in it?"

She thinks it's the funniest thing ever

Wei and Bolin stream and play video games together, Wei has very severe anger management issues when it comes to video games

Not punch a hole in the wall bad because Su got mad at him the one time he did punch the wall, so he's practiced restraint, but still pretty bad

Su has a wax warmer for the scented wax cube things in every room of her house

She makes sure the scent is changed every week, and it has to be the same scent throughout the whole house

Tenzin avoids using social media and most technologies, as do the air nomads and monks, but Kya did get Tenzin to allow her to make a social media account for the air nation

it's mostly run by Jinora and owned by Kya on Kyas phone

it's used to spread information about the air nation, their culture, beliefs, customs, history, etc.

Lin wears boxer briefs

Asami has endometriosis

Mako doesn't handle spicy food that we'll, which is odd considering he's a fire bender

Wei's really into photography and always has a compact camera on him

His favorite compact camera is his Panasonic Lumix TZ95

Wings not super into photography but knows his way around a camera because Wei has rambled on about cameras and angles to him so many times

Wing also has to take pictures for Weis Instagram so he's had training on how to use cameras from Wei

Korra goes through a lot of interest that last for a couple of months, one of those interest was wood working/carving

Korra made Jinora a wooden claw clip for her birthday once

it's the only claw clip Jinora has and she loves it

Makos biggest guilty pleasure is cross stitch and other embroidery styles, but mostly cross stitch

Bolins bed has an uncountable number of pillows on it

After Korra and Asami come back from their spirit world vacation, they decide to travel the world

They both only ever traveled for world saving business, and even then it was earth kingdom and water tribe areas only

So they spent the next year or two traveling the world to see it in a tourist way and not a fighting war way

[yumeparadox]

Grand Fest Recollections. Thank You For Two Years!

My heart feels so heavy today. As I woke up to see a sunrise that matched the one we finally have in Splatoon 3, reality settled in.

Life has to go back to normal after a splatfest weekend but this celebration truly changed everything.

The Grand Festival was such a wonderful celebration of Splatoon in its entirety. 

I felt the most unbridled joy experiencing that magic brought to the in-game performances, the live renditions of each song in carefully crafted set-lists and seeing Liquid Sunshine choreography and its vibrancy for the first time.

On and off stream the three stages are where I spent the most time during Grand Fest when I could. I sat around the venue and just took in the details of the concerts and the setting; enjoying that moment in time was how I kept myself grounded.

But I think what had me start to unravel is realizing that I let the actual splatfest battle experience slip away.

I’d seen a Twitter comment on Sunday while I was taking pictures of Three Wishes that mentioned again how we would be able to return to the venue because of a datamine (granted I knew of this from months ago) about the amiibos.

I had no idea when the feature would drop and when we would be able to revisit the Grand Festival Grounds again. It could have been a week from now for all I knew. 

We got the confirmation almost instantaneously. I was overjoyed to be able to go right back but I also felt a little ridiculous for not playing the fest more if this would be the case.

I want to give a massive thank you to everyone who did play matches with me for Team Present though—especially my homies @Chandlier1229, @mxntymoon, @semisentientseafood, @epicyoshimaster and @kosirenn

Big ups to @CJHyperfresh and @Jasbiskus for inviting myself and my partner @squidryder to collab on an amazing stream. It was an unforgettable time and we had so many laughs.

Thank you Ryder for joining me in Tricolor and reacting to the results! You make me smile so much and your presence is a present.

Emotions were high throughout this whole event for a lot of us but personally, I wasn’t able to fully process it until things were ending.

I know I got overwhelmed with the vastness of everything and other more existential thoughts. So, I can only imagine what developing all of this was like.

Admittedly, I felt my reaction to Three Wishes was lackluster. The whole reason I went for an IRL stream was in case I didn’t say much and so that some emotion was visible. 

I cried the first time I heard the song and saw the lyrics but the tears weren’t happening that Saturday.

Granted, there’s a lot happening the first time you experience Three Wishes in-game, but the way the VOD turned out is something I can’t change much like my splatfest team.

While I had my reasoning for joining Team Present, perhaps I was too logical about it. Although that’s what the theme asks of you, I can’t help but lament on this a little bit. I want to work through this feeling.

I went in thinking that the present is where I can experience all of time. It’s a difficult concept and a part of me wishes I had treated it differently. Seeing clips from people playing the splatfest also got me in my feels, too. I wonder if I did enough.

As someone who chose Team Marie and fawns over her the most (Frye is probably a close second at this point), I thought about joining Past simply because she was fighting alongside Callie this time. 

The Squid Sisters had the most compelling splatfest art by far for the event and I know their Grand Fest outfits were my favorite. 

Their music saved me from the moment I played my first Splatoon 1 splatfest. I cried over the Plaza, over seeing them back in the DLC, over hearing City of Color leitmotifs to this day.

The Rainbow Color Inkantation version of it has so much urgency and emotion in the vocals, as if they’re urging you to remember them and fight for the past.

That’s not to say Off the Hook isn’t also meaningful to me, however. They are the reason I was able to pursue voice acting as a hobby in the first place, starting out with voicing over their splatfest dialogue. 

And of course, we all know their formation is still so closely linked to the Squid Sisters existing. Anyone who watches my streams can tell which group I go crazy over the most but choosing in terms of the passage of time may not let your choices align and check both boxes. I agonized over teams for a while.

Ultimately, I stuck to the question as best I could. 

Which is the most important to you?

Experiencing the now. Finally reaching that promised day. 

My memories are never super clear for me unless I preserve them in some form of writing, video or photo. Skill issue on my part but all brains are different. 

So, I repeated this a lot that fateful weekend: the present moment will always become the past so make it count. Choosing one doesn’t mean the other isn’t important but again it was truly difficult.

My past self got me where I am now and every decision I make in the present sets me up for success in the future. 

I grew up hearing that we don’t know what tomorrow looks like and you can’t obsess over it. Although, when you have good things to look forward to you can’t help but anticipate how they’ll play out. 

Past, present and future are intertwined and if you look at the splatfest theme graphic, you’ll see that all the ink swirls connect despite being different colors.

I think that’s why they called the second night of the Grand Festival the Day of Unity. We were all together to witness that performance regardless of team choice.

Music will always be the core of Splatoon and it will carry on across the sea of time, imbued by our passions and joys.

Good games, well played to everyone! I’m really grateful to have been here and seen every splatfest from the beginning this time around. Splatoon has been with me through every season of my life and it's ink-redible.

I have so much appreciation for everyone who stopped by the streams over the weekend. Doubly so for those who shared messages about when they first found my videos and the impact they’ve had.

I’m glad my enjoyment of Splatoon could resonate with you and go so far as to brighten your day.

We reached 3K followers on Twitch (another yearly milestone) with everyone’s support and I met so many new people. To those who know me from my videos only, I hope you’ll stick around for the ride.

Looking back, I started broadcasting there in late 2022 so I’ve streamed every Splatoon 3 splatfest since the World Premiere (aside from the ice cream theme since I was visiting family).

Thank you for letting me share my thoughts this weekend. It had been a rough few weeks leading up to Grand Fest, so, once again I’m glad I could be there in any capacity.

Thank you Splatoon team for everything you’ve created and I hope we can continue to show just how much this series means to us. It’s time for me to finish up some projects from the past.

This is my first post on this side blog but I plan on sharing more of my writings here so please look forward to it!

Sending you all so much love and strength, Yume 

[vkylociferart]

“Wives”

Both this fan art and fan fic were made for @tdvzine

This tale is set in a universe where Mel (my oc) is already a vampire and lives in the chateau with Marius, Pandora, and Bianca. Though a vampire, Mel is still her old, curious, messy self. But her curiosity might get her in trouble sometimes.

Loosely based on the "Blue Beard" folk-tale.

By VKyloCifer

"It was meant to be a joke," Mel kept repeating in frustration. She tried to see the irony and humour in the whole thing, but it wasn't working. In any other situation, she would be laughing with everyone else.

It all started one night some weeks ago. She was working on one of the chateau's murals. Bianca was reading on a nearby couch, and Pandora played the piano. It seemed like a coincidence, but the real reason they were all there was for him. They wanted to be near him, near the one they all love, their beloved master, Marius, who was painting by Mel's side.

His concentration was unbreakable; he stepped into another world when he painted. Though she knew this was only in appearance, like any good teacher, he was always quite aware of everything that was going on around him. He showed it by coming out of his trance now and then to correct her work. It didn't bother her. On the contrary, she welcomed him whenever he wished to share his expertise.

She cherished these moments, the peace and safety she felt, and revelled in the loving company of her new family. She hadn't known Pandora and Bianca for long, since long since Marius had only recently brought her to the chateau. Not that he hadn't wanted to get her earlier, but she had delayed it. She was far too shy, and meeting new people made her nervous. Yet she took a liking to them almost instantly. Both had been extremely kind and welcoming to her, and she quickly responded to the outpouring of love. Also, it was always easier for her to relate with people with whom she shared common interests; in their case, they all have Marius in common.

In the chateau, everyone referred to them as Marius's two "wives", even though there had not been any official ceremony. And lately, there had been rumors that the court's Prime minister had brought with him a new wife. That would be her, Mel, Marius's third wife. Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she started giggling. Though it hadn't been her intention, her amusement pulled him out of his concentration.

“Gold for your thoughts," he asked.

"It's nothing," she bit her lips, trying to suppress her humour despite her large grin.

"Come now, little nymph, tell me what's going on inside that imaginative little head of yours". It still struck her as strange that he called her pet names like "little nymph" since, in terms of mortal years, she had been older than him when they met. It does not precisely fit the term "little" or nymph (usually characterized as younger women). But then again, she guessed mortal age meant nothing to beings like them. After all, she was considered a fledging, a baby bird, a mere child in their world. And her short height made the pet name stick more.

“Ah ah! I won't go into a stream of consciousness until you tell me what you were giggling about," Marius lightly scolded.

"It's just, I was thinking. You're like Dracula now."

Pandora stopped playing, and Bianca peeked up from her book. Now, she had everyone's attention, which she exclusively disliked.

"And how am I like Dracula, little Minx?" Marius asked with a touch of sarcasm.

If the same scenario had happened with any other group of people, she would've retreated into herself, unable to handle the pressure. But these were her new family, the ones she was supposed to trust and feel safe with. So she swallowed hard, somehow finding the courage, and continued to explain: "Because Dracula was famous for having three brides, and everyone around here says you have three wives now."

There was an uncomfortable silence; maybe she had rushed too quickly to be her whole, weird self. But suddenly, Pandora and Bianca burst into soft, lovely laughter. She smiled brightly at both. Then she turned to face Marius, who was looking intensely at her, face flushed.

She feared she had angered him.

But then his demeanour melted to a gentle, warm expression. He chuckled and placed his hand on her head... "That mind of yours is a bottomless source of the most amusing thoughts; you're. You're going to make eternity so much more interesting for me." He joined the rest in laughing—a contagious, harmless laugh from an irrelevant and harmless joke. Or so she thought.

A couple of days later, an unknown vampire arrived at court. He delivered a letter from his master, an ancient vampire named Lord Conomor. In the letter, he expressed his interest in coming into the court with his three wives, and as a showing of his goodwill, he invited any court member to meet him in his castle.

This was unusual; everyone knew that all immortals were welcome to the court; they were free to just walk in. However, there had been some rare occasions when potential new members had been reluctant to come. After all, the entire place was filled with powerful immortals. So perhaps this Lord Conomor was just exercising cautious caution.

Everyone present decided that a small commission welcome committee should welcome him to the court.

That’s when Bianca reminded Marius about little Mel’s joke. Didn’t Lord Conomor mention that he had three wives in his letter? It may be a good idea for him to go along with Pandora, Mel, and herself. To make the party even in numbers and to build relations between them.

Everyone thought it was a good idea. However, when brought up to Mel, the reaction was the opposite.

“Absolutely not!” she protested. Marius folded his arms and raised a brow in that gentle yet disproving gesture of his "And why not my nymph?".

"You know why! How am I supposed to pass as a court representative? I know nothing of how to behave as royalty or an ancient vampire. I would only be a burden and make you all look bad".

“Tsk, always with the self-doubting!" said Marius disapprovingly. "It's beneath you. No one is expecting you to be anything but who you are: a kind, well-mannered, and very unique young woman—the one I feel fell in love with."

Such a smart choice of words, so typical of him, scolding her while praising her at the same time before finally disarming her with a declaration of love, smooth bastard. She wanted to protest further, but what was the point? Whatever objection she comes up with, he'll find a way to refute it, and what's worse, he knew very well many ways to persuade and convince her to do it.

A week later, she found herself at the doors of a medieval castle in the middle of a wild forest, making her feel like she had been transported into a gothic novel. Though, unlike when Marius had brought her to the chateau, she didn't feel dazzled this time; she felt hazed. The previous flight didn't help either, as she was the only one in the group without the Cloud Gift. So she had to fly in Marius's arms. Even though he was always careful and protective of her during the flights, she still couldn't get used to them. A soft hand pressed gently into her shoulder, and she turned to meet Pandora's beautiful face, smiling sweetly. "Don't worry, I've never got used to either", she spoke inside her head, probably so Marius could not hear her. She nodded and smiled back at Pandora, feeling some anxiousness slightly ebb.

As the castle doors opened, they revealed an inner corridor that heavily contrasted the gloomy outside view with its bright red carpet, polished marble columns, and glossy wooden walls. This place wasn't that bad after all.

Lord Conomor and his three wives were waiting for them in the reception room. He was a tall man, not quite as tall as Marius (few were as tall as Marius), though sturdier built, with hair as black as her own. A broad, generous smile that shined through his bushy beard, but there was no friendliness in those deep crystalline eyes that seemed somehow… cruel? His skin was like marble, lustrous and hard-looking, like Marius and Pandora and all the ancient ones she had met, thought it was of a darker hue. Her own skin was slightly caramel. She wondered if her skin would, one day, look like this-

"Stay focused!" commanded an authoritatively familiar voice inside her head. She looked at Marius, who was speaking amiably with their host, but it still stunned her how he could retain his perfect pose while scolding her mentally.

"I'm not scolding you, little nymph; I'm just helping you stay on the path." Sweet Heavens! Even inside her mind, he managed to gently dominate her. If only she had been made by him, at least she would have had her mind for herself.

"And if you pay more attention to my thought-blocking lessons, you would, little minx.”

"As always, you're the master" " she answered him mentally, forcing back a chuckle. "Thank you"

"For scolding you? As you put it."

"For helping brightened my mood."

This time, he forced back a chuckle; she knew him well enough to notice it.

"You're welcome, my love", he replied, flooding her mind with warmth.

Later, while chatting around the fireplace, she looked deeper at their host's wives; they must've been ancient since they all shared the same ivory skin. Their hairs were all long and wavy, in brownish tones that barely differed from each other. For mortal eyes, they would all look identically brunette. It's been months after her transformation, and still, she was finding new colours she didn't even know existed; it was beautiful, especially when looking at paintings. There were many hanging on the walls, ancient ones, primarily portraits, some of which depicted the Lord of the castle and his wives dressed in beautiful medieval garments. The level of detail in the fabrics and jewellery fascinated her, and she wondered if the painter had been human.

“Beautiful, right?” She awoke from daydreaming to find one of their host's wives by her side, smiling brightly at her. With teeth lustrous as pearls, her sharp fangs stoop grimly out.

“Yes, so detailed," Sheshe said, sounding as relaxed as possible.

“I see one of your wives is interested in paintings," said Lord Conomor to Marius.

"As do I" he replied.

"Ah! Then you must come to see our entire collection!"

Minutes later, they were all walking through a succession of long paintings-covered galleries, Lord Conomor and his wives chatting amicably with Marius, Bianca, and Pandora. The place was filled with intercrossing twists and turns. It was eerily beautiful, though Mel wondered how they never managed to get it.

Every painting she passed by was unique and gorgeous. There were so many that it would take a lifetime to appreciate them all. At this fast pace, it was a shame that she couldn't enjoy them properly as they deserved.

A miniature portrait at the end of a corridor caught her attention; it depicted a pale lady wearing a brocade and velvet dress. The details were stunning, and she wanted to look at it closer, if only for a moment. And that's how she ended up like this: lost. Marius was right; she should've stayed on the path, just a slight deviation, and the next thing she knew, she'd lost track of her group and found herself wandering around in this labyrinthic place.

She went up and down countless stairs that seemed to go nowhere, sinking deeper into the gasping darkness of this place, which now didn't seem friendly or welcoming at all. The places she had been in earlier had looked clean and well cared for, filled with immaculate fabrics, lustrous marble, lavished wood, and shiny metals. Now, everywhere she turned, she saw mould, dampness and rags. There were almost no lights except for some old gas lamps scattered around. If she had still been mortal, she would've been unable to see anything and would've been forced to stumble blindly around in the darkness. She tried to count her blessings. B, but it needed to be helping. This place was ghastly; it didn't matter to her the irony of a vampire scared of a gothic castle; she just wanted out of there!

She could call them, she thought, either mentally or just scream. No matter how big this hell hole was, they could hear her. Marius could listen to her even if she were on the other side of the world. But that would cause a terrible impression, and she spent the dead dream here instead of ruining this for them. "OhOh, hell no," she said to herself, "I don't want to spend the dead dream in here". She kept going, making use of all her preternatural speed; there had to be a way out of here.

Eventually, she saw a light coming from the bottom of a long stair. It was very dimmed, but it was different from the light of the gas lamps from the previous rooms. She felt some warmth coming from there, but the sensation was so faint that she would've missed it if she were still human.

Maybe this was her way back to the better part of the castle, back to her family, and out of this nightmare.

She hastily descended the long stairs until she came face to face with a closed door. The dimmed light she had seen was coming from a small opening bar-covered window in the door. She peeked inside and saw a single torch placed in a dark rock wall opposite the door. She tried to see further inside the room, but she couldn’t as the window was too small.

A strange smell came from that room, something she couldn’t discern. What this could be? The door was tightly shut, but another thing that had been enhanced, besides her senses, by the Dark Blood was her physical strength. So she pushed harder against the door. But it barely moved.

She was about to turn around and give up when she noticed something else—a sound coming from that room besides the odour. It was a familiar sound, yet she could not put her finger on what it was.

What was in there?!

She decided to try again. This time, she didn't just push but leaned her whole body against the door, using all the strength she could muster.

The door gave in just enough for her to go through.

Once inside, she found the room was bare except for the lamp she had seen through the window. Four boxes were divided into two and two, each pair placed in each lateral wall. Whatever the strange smell and sound she had noticed before was coming from those boxes because now they surrounded her, entrapping her as invisible tendrils tangling themselves all around her body. Suddenly, she didn't want to be in there anymore.

This place felt wrong, worse than any other part of this accursed castle. She was about to turn and leave when something in her mind clicked, and she recognized the sounds.

Heartbeats!.

Not one, but many. They were so faint that it was strange they could keep beating. No wonder she had trouble placing it before. Now, she couldn't leave without knowing first what was in those boxes.

She went to the nearest one and tried to open it, but it was tightly shut. She used all her strength, but, unlike the door, it wouldn't give in. Mel thought hard. She could go, find the others, and tell them.

Tell them what, though?.

She didn't know what was in these damned boxes; at least, she wasn't sure. The confusion from her scattering thoughts made her realize she wasn't thinking clearly. That smell and those beatings suddenly didn't seem faint now.

When had they gotten so loud?.

They were piercing through her ears, and their rhythm was hypnotic. Was this drowsiness—the dead dream?

Impossible; it was too early for that.

“Shhh it is not too early; sleep now", a voice spoke inside her head.

“Who are you?”.

"It doesn't matter. Sleep now, little invader".

But it did matter, didn't it? Maybe not… maybe it was better to sleep.

“What are you doing to her?!”

A familiar voice woke her from her stupor. She looked around, still confused and unsure where she was, until she saw the torch, the dreary boxes, and Bianca fighting with one of the vampires' wives they'd met earlier. She hurried to Bianca's help; between them both, they managed to push her outside and locked themselves within the room.

Bianca turned to face her. "Sweetie, sweetie, are you okay? When I entered, she was dragging you across the room!”

"I think so, I lost consciousness. But there's something here, inside those boxes”.

They turned, and one of the boxes was half open now. Mel approached it, drawn by the morbid curiosity of finally knowing what was there.

But she was interrupted by Bianca’s scream. Mel turned. It was Lord Conomor. He was grabbing her by the wrists. Mel stormed against him, but he was too strong. With only one hand (the other kept Bianca in place), he forced her on the ground. His boot stepped on her rib cage and started pressing down. The pain was unbearable. She cried out like a wounded animal.

"You're quite strong for a fledging. Too bad you turned out to be such a nosy woman," Hehe said as he kept pressing against her chest.

Bianca yelled threats at him, swearing if he kept hurting her, he'd know the wrath of Pandora and Marius and her own.

Lord Conomor laughed. "My other wives must've taken care of them already. Pity, I was looking forward to seeing your court, but I can't tolerate meddling women. Now you'll stay here with the rest".

She felt her bones grinding and breaking. The pain became so terrible that she started losing her conscience.

As she fell into oblivion, she noticed there was no pain anymore.

Only darkness, it was peaceful, maybe she should stay there…

"No, you shouldn't."

A voice reached her through the darkness. It was loving and embracing.

"Wake up, my dear".

Something warmed filled her.

It felt wonderful. Like light. Like life.

… Like love.

"Maybe it's because I love you".

She opened her eyes to meet the gentle gaze of her beloved master, Marius. Her head was pillowed against his knees. His hand softly caressed her temple and hair. It felt so comforting. The other was pressed over her face, the torn wrist against her lips as he fed her his Blood. His powerful Blood quickly worked its magic on her, healing her broken body and making her whole again.

The memories of what happened came rushing back into her mind.

She sat and looked around. They were in the same fireplace where they'd been gathered earlier that night. Pandora and Bianca were sitting next to them, both smiling at her, mentally telling her that everything was alright now.

She remembered how Bianca had been attacked earlier.

"I'm alright, dear; you don't have to worry about me", Bianca reassured her before she could ask.

Mel then turned to find Lord Conomor and his three wives, all of them on their knees and tied up with heavy iron chains. Gregory and Thor were standing before them. She needed clarification. They hadn't come with them, had they?

Having read her thoughts, Marius smiled and said, "You didn't think we would be coming here without taking some security measures, right, little nymph?"

"Oh! But why didn’t you tell me?” She asked.

"Because you're still too young in the Blood, and they were old, they might've been able to read your thoughts", He answered.

She felt a pang in her chest. "So little is your trust in me? I don't blame you. You told me to stay focused, to stay on the path, and I deviated and almost got myself and Bianca killed," she said, turning her face aside, not wanting to meet his eyes, fearful of what she might see in them.

"Yes, you did all that, and it was reckless," Hehe said sternly. But then he captured her chin between his thumb and index finger and forced her to meet his gaze. To her surprise, she saw only kindness and love.

"And by doing that," he continued, "you helped us uncover the truth about Lord Conomor and his wives, all seven of them."

Her brows frowned in confusion, and then the image of the four boxes returned to her mind.

Marius smiled. "Oh yes, his other wives were hidden in those boxes. Trapped and starved until they lost consciousness and become nothing more like sleeping corpses."

"He must've done something else to them," Pandora said, "since they are not waking up, not even with our Blood. Whatever it is, I'm sure our resident vampire scientist will find it very interesting."

Marius cradled her face lovingly between his two big hands. "So you see, by disobeying me, you did the right thing for us".

She mustered a sad smile. "But it was only by chance, and you know it".

"Yes, but you're missing the point." He said, not letting her break eye contact with him. "I know you; I know you can't help that beautiful mind of yours from wandering around, and that often makes you wonder." Then, bending down, Marius placed a loving kiss on her lips. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"So, you're not mad at me?" she asked timidly.

"As much as I should," he said sternly "I'm not".

"Thank you," she said. "Still, I'm sorry for wandering around. I'll be better next time. I'll be the wife you deserve."

"Don't!" he said. "I don't want you to change despite the headaches your ways bring me. Continue to be my little wanderer, my love. Even if it wrecks my nerves for all eternity. I love you as you already areare.”

With these words, he placed another kiss on her lips, vanishing any doubts she had left in her heart. She felt safe, warm, and loved. She let herself be cradled back to his knees as he opened his wrist again and pressed it, once more, against her mouth. His rich warmed Blood flooded her mouth, filling her, nursing her, and making her stronger than before. She closed her eyes and revelled in the beautiful feeling of knowing she was loved by her master.

[yourbelgianthings]

taz november celebration fic four: prompt bakery au

sorry this is a day late but i'm also kind of not because of how long it is it evens out, i went with modern taakitz (feat. some other balance peeps) and may or may not have gotten a bit carried away, but i hope y'all enjoy the fluff! ~3.8k words @taznovembercelebration (in fact it's so long i will have to post in multiple parts oops)

Before the sun had even begun to dawn in the sky, Taako was starting all the different doughs and batters for the day and preheating the large double oven. He loved working in the early morning quiet and solitude, every measurement memorized and every movement second nature. His bakery was called Sweeten It Up with Taako, and it had become a popular fixture in the city. In the beginning, he just made things for his friends, then had a stand at the farmer's market, and finally saved enough to buy a brick and mortar shop. On either side was a dog training school and a combination plant/metaphysical/book store. A big buff guy with reddish hair and a beard named Magnus who was a bit younger than Taako ran the dog store, and a short, older white-haired gentleman with medium brown skin named Merle was the proprietor of…whatever the deal at his store was. Taako himself was tall and slim with long platinum blonde hair and sandy brown skin, he always thought the three of them must look straight out of a goofy buddy comedy on the days they took their lunch breaks together. They were pretty funny, and he didn't mind the company sometimes, but he was there to work and hone his craft, not make friends.

That morning, like every other, Taako made sure the display case was set up perfectly before flipping over the open sign. Croissants, muffins, éclairs, lemon bars, his signature elderflower macarons, and every other enticing treat imaginable were arranged in layers on cake stands and in trays. "Once again, perfect," he said to himself with a smile, now open for a day of business. The first customer to arrive, opening the door with a little jingle of the bell, was Lucretia, the curator of the city's art museum. She had dark skin, and her gray natural hair was cut very short. Even wearing just the museum uniform polo shirt, nametag, and khakis, she exuded a sense of elegance and grace. "Morning, Lucretia!" Taako greeted her cheerily. "Let me go grab your order, one sec," and he was gone before she could reply. She gasped when she saw the box of cutout cookies frosted to look like watercolor paintings. "Taako, these are gorgeous! I don't know if you can make it to the opening we're serving these at, but there's a ticket for the exhibit with your name on it at the front desk whenever you're free." Taako and Lucretia weren't necessarily close personal friends, but they talked a lot about art whenever they got the chance, and that can tell you a lot about someone. They thanked each other and he promised to be over soon. After Lucretia left, the rest of the morning passed normally, with a steady stream of business people, parents and children, and retired folks.

Around noon, though, a customer he had never seen before caught his eye as soon as he entered. He was a little shorter than Taako, dark-skinned with cool undertones, his locs up in a ponytail and wearing a long black coat. Taako was stunned, but he quickly blinked and snapped out of it. "What brings you in today?" he asked. "This is a bakery, yeah? Presumably I'm buying some of your baked goods," the stranger replied, with a twinkle in his eye. "Yes, yep, it definitely is!" Taako was not used to feeling flustered, let alone at work, where he was at charge and could do what he was best at. All of a sudden, it seemed much warmer, and he quickly freed his hair from the braid down his back and swept it up into a bun with a purple scrunchie. The stranger asked which muffin was best, paid in cash (and tipped!), and left, but waved as he turned to go at the door. Taako waved back dumbfoundedly, kicking himself for not having thought of anything witty to say as he watched the door close. What on earth was that, anyway? He saw plenty of hot guys every day, there was no reason to waste time thinking that this might be anything different. Still, his mind kept wandering back to the stranger the rest of the day.

After he locked up, he called Lup, and she picked up right away. "Hey, Taako! Are you off?" "Yep, just heading out. Your place or mine tonight? I will have you know I don't feel like cooking, so don't let that influence you." Lup laughed. "No worries, carryout is fine, but we're redoing the bathroom, so yours is probably better." "Got it, see you at 7." click Taako didn't want to cook?! There's another point for the list of reasons she'd been worrying about him lately. She sighed as she headed to her car from the studio, brushing dust and bits of dried clay from her hands and clothes as she went. Lup looked a lot like Taako, except her hair wasn't as long, and she dyed it starting at the top of her ears red, and then orange halfway down. She often wore it in two Dutch braids so it was neatly out of her face while she was working.

Taako was secretly disappointed he was hosting. He always felt bad that his apartment didn't live up to Barry and Lup's cozy little house that actually felt like a home. His apartment was just where he crashed when he wasn't at work, the only room with any effort actually put into it was the kitchen. Even though it had been a while now, it was still hard to get used to the idea that he wasn't going to have to leave soon. He loved that he and Lup and Barry regularly spent time together though, so it was worth it to have them over.

"Barry?" Lup called as soon as she walked in the front door. "One second, honey, let me just get off the ladder!" A pale chubby man with light brown hair and a beard wearing glasses and paint stained jeans and a tshirt emerged with his arms outstretched for a hug. As they embraced, Lup exclaimed, "You didn't need to work on the bathroom after school, care bear!" "I don't mind. Really anything quiet after the day I had with those middle schoolers is fine by me, and of course, they still don't even understand the weather cycle!" They laughed and headed to their room to get changed for Taako's. Barry pressed the buzzer in the lobby, the speaker crackled and then projected Taako's voice: "Welcome to Chez Taako, darlings, let yourselves in." His apartment was on the third floor so Barry and Lup took the stairs, opening the door to see Taako flopped on an armchair reading a book. He put iit down as soon as he heard the door and ran over to hug them.

"Ooh, whatcha reading?" asked Barry. "Some book Merle gave me, I don't really get what it's about. Most of the stuff at his shop is weird, but all the plants are somehow always in perfect condition." "That reminds me," said Lup, "I was going to ask if you wanted to invite Magnus and Merle to hang out with us sometime. They seem pretty cool, and we have more spots open in our video game tournaments." Taako bristled and glared at her. "Fuck no!" he snapped. "They're two guys that happen to work next to me that I eat lunch with sometimes. Hardly the same category as my sister and my brother in law, don't you think?" "Jesus, Taako, you could just say you don't want to, calm down." He collapsed onto the armchair again. "I'm sorry, Lulu. I guess I'm just a bit on edge."

Lup went to sit criss cross on the floor next to the chair, and Barry sat on the futon. "Why, what's up, bud?" she asked gently. "Why not?" He gave her a tired smile. "Shit, I was supposed to order food for us already, wasn't I? Sorry, guys." Barry stood up and grabbed his phone. "No worries, Taako," he reassured. "We all have those days, I'll do it. How's Chinese?" The twins nodded gratefully, as much as the three of them were a family and Barry and Lup were a couple, Barry was good at reading when they needed their own moments as well. "Hairbrush, Taako?" "Should be on the dresser."

Returning with it, Lup scooted Taako off the chair onto the floor right in front of it, and she sat in the chair, putting her legs around him. She silently began to brush his hair, and when it was perfectly soft and smooth, she braided it too. They had done this a million times, it almost always worked to help Taako relax. When Lup needed the same, her and Taako sat across from each other on the floor and held each other's hands, and he instinctively knew how much pressure he needed to squeeze with. But Lup was helping him right now, so he got up, still without a word, and sat on her lap. They held each other until Barry said the food was good to go and asked if they wanted to play Mario Kart. The rest of the evening passed like it always did: easy, comfortable, and filled with laughter. The next day at the bakery, the stranger returned, and did so for the rest of the week. He and Taako chatted every time; Taako learned that his name was Kravitz and he worked at some kind of therapy place nearby. On Friday, he slipped a business card in the paper bag, but it had his own phone number written on the back.

"Have a good weekend, Kravitz! Hopefully I'll see you again!" he called as his new favorite customer opened the door to leave. Kravitz smiled. "You too, Taako. I'm sure you will." As soon as he left, Taako ran into the freezer and screamed. "I'm sure you will"?! What did that mean? Was it good? He thought so, but he wasn't quite sure, and now he had all weekend to worry about it. Or not, honestly, this was ridiculous. He wasn't a middle schooler with a silly crush, he was just providing good service at his job and a new regular said he would be back, that was all it was. Definitely just that for sure. He took a deep breath, realized he was still in the freezer, and quickly left it to warm up and continue his day. When the bakery closed, Taako texted Lucretia: exhibit tonight? always more fun when you can show me around <3 We already have an event booked tonight :( Tomorrow at noon? sure thing, thx lucretia!

Well, that was something for tomorrow, but he was left with no plans for tonight. He thought back to what Lup said, maybe it would be a good idea to hang out with Magnus and Merle more. It wasn't like he had to tell them his life story, but the amount of time he spent alone probably wasn't great, as much as he liked to try and convince himself otherwise. Did he even have their numbers? That could be a goal for next week Taako, and apparently tonight Taako was going to get drunk alone. A classic Friday night activity. He just needed to get home and make it to tomorrow. You'd be surprised how hard that could be. However, to his surprise, after his first glass of wine, he got a text from an unknown number. It read: Do I have Taako? This is Kravitz "Holy shit, that actually worked," he thought. yep it's me ✨ You know you could have just asked for my number i figured a little surprise would be more fun! Taako couldn't believe this was happening, he pushed the bottle of wine aside and laid down on the futon. He definitely did not want to end up drunk texting right now. His instinct was to tell Lup right away, but he decided to wait and see where things went. You're right, I think you're very interesting, Taako um thanks?? Yes, it's a compliment, I don't get to choose who I talk to all day at my job, so I'm quite selective outside of it huh well that's something in common i don't talk to a lot of people either but idk if we're coming from the same place on that one…anyway what's your job like, what happens at a therapy place? Well, I'm actually specialized in grief counseling, so I help people through a lot of heavy stuff dude how do you deal with that i could never You just have to be able to leave work at work, it was hard at the beginning but I've had a lot of practice impressive that makes sense though you seem like a good listener hey i need to go make dinner ttyl? Yes, I'll be here, this was nice

Success!! Texting wasn't the same as real life interaction, but this was a good start for sure. Taako suddenly felt full of energy, he practically skipped around the kitchen getting everything out for beef stroganoff. In his apartment, several blocks away, Kravitz was in a similarly good mood. His roommate, Lucas, saw him looking down at his phone and smiling and asked, "Talking to someone, are we?" with a knowing smile. "None of your business," he retorted, and jokingly stuck his tongue out at him. Taako's text reminded him that he hadn't eaten yet either, but he honestly hadn't even been thinking of that. All day, as soon as he had seen the card left in his bag, he had just been waiting to be able to get home and send that first message. He was rarely so distracted, especially with his line of work, but there was just something about Taako that stuck in his mind and stayed there. His reverie was interrupted by Lucas's voice from the kitchen: "I made stuff for tacos, but if you don't get in here, there won't be any left!"

The next morning, Taako woke up excited to go see the exhibit with Lucretia. He had actually forgotten what it was even of, but that would just get to be a surprise! Once he had selected his museum outfit (a pastel pink fuzzy sweater with a long swishy pleated skirt in an eggplant color with heeled boots and several gold necklaces) and gotten dressed, he sent a picture to Lup, as they often did with their fashion choices. lulu, fit check! ooh love it 🤩 you're up early for your day off though what's up? museum with lucretia yay that's great! have fun tell her i said hi :3 "Taako, you look gorgeous!" exclaimed Lucretia when he arrived at the front desk. "And perfect timing, things aren't too busy yet. Let's go!" They strolled through the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition, marveling at bones, flowers, and desert landscapes, all painted in bright colors and blue strokes. "Which one is your favorite, Lucretia?" "I like the bone paintings the best, I know the flowers are her most popular works, but I love how she also found beauty in the morbid and unconventional. Most people would consider an old bone too boring to even give it a chance as their subject. What about you?" Taako paused to think.

"Probably The Sky Above The Clouds. The different perspective is oddly peaceful." Lucretia nodded. "So much of her work has a sense of solitude, but not loneliness," she observed, and he knew what she meant, but not what the feeling was actually like. When they reached the end of the gallery, Lucretia had to go give a talk, but Taako had nothing else planned, so he wandered to the sculpture garden and sat at one of the small tables. He absentmindedly pulled out his phone to check his messages, and then decided to text Kravitz. hey handsome are you free at all today? Ten or fifteen minutes later, a reply came. Oh, handsome? Thank you very much, and I'm going to a concert later tonight if you want to come? yeah i'm down! who is it? My friend Johann's band, they're called Voidfish and he's the violinist oh, i've never heard of them but that sounds cool Kravitz sent him a location and time to meet, and he figured this was probably enough to tell Lup about now.

luuuppp guess whatttt what taako? i think i'm going on a date? i'm not sure if it's a date but this guy i've been talking to invited me to a concert tonight! omg! you didn't even tell me you were interested in someone, rude, but i'm so happy for you 🩷 hey now! i was waiting to see where it went and it still might not be anything that's true, but taako, you deserve to have fun with someone you like, it's been a long time, so try to just stay in the moment and take it as it comes, okay? what are you lulu, our mom? oh wait lmao haha very funny, seriously though i'll try, love you love you Not sure what to do with the rest of his time before meeting for the concert, Taako took the long way back to his apartment, enjoying the feel of the air and taking in his surroundings in a way he never really had before. When he got back, he decided to take a nap so he would be ready for the potential late night out.

At his apartment, Kravitz was also carefully selecting his outfit for the evening. He wore the same thing to work every day: black pants, a white button down, and a red tie, so he never had to worry about it getting ready in the mornings, but this was a weekend and a special occasion at that. He settled on a band shirt Johann had given him at the last concert and his dark blue denim jacket covered in a large collection of raven patches and pins. The dark and eerie birds had always fascinated him. Sitting on his bed, Kravitz took a deep breath. Normally, he wouldn't make plans like this so spontaneously, but there was something about Taako that oddly put him more at ease. It was certainly a new and strange feeling, but not an unwelcome one. He quickly texted Lucas saying that he would probably be out late, and headed for Bumbershoots to meet Taako. Since Kravitz lived closer, he arrived first, but he only had to wait about five minutes for his companion.

"Hey, Kravitz!" Taako called. "You look stunning!" "I could say the same for you," Kravitz replied as he took Taako's hand and they entered the bar together. Voidfish played a great show, and Johann was amazing on the violin, but the baker and the therapist spent most of the evening simply focused on each other. They sat at a table in the back drinking cocktails (old fashioned for Kravitz, blackberry bramble for Taako) and talking for the whole show. Kravitz told Taako the names of the different songs as they were played, and Taako critiqued the band's outfits like he was a famous fashion designer, which made Kravitz laugh more than he had in a while. When the show ended, they paused outside the building, unsure what to say and neither one wanting to leave. Taako looked at Kravitz and asked, "Was this a date?" "I think so," Kravitz smiled as he replied. They both started laughing and pulled each other into a hug. As he continued to visit Taako at the bakery, Kravitz started to find extra items in his bag, usually new recipes being tested out. No matter how wild something sounded, it always ended up being delicious. He recommended Sweeten It Up with Taako to all his clients and Coworkers. One Friday afternoon, he got an unusual text from Taako.

hey krav, do you want to come over? my place is nothing much, so don't get your hopes up, but i'd love to have you It would be my pleasure, Taako, and don't worry about any of it okay? Taako sighed with relief. He still hadn't had anyone but Barry and Lup over to this apartment, but this could be the chance to make what he really wanted of it. Some of the decorations from his last place were still in a box, and he decided to get them back out; stringing the fairy lights up around the living room, hanging the pride flag on the wall, and putting the vase of fake flowers on the coffee table. It almost looked like someone lived here now, and like someone else would want to visit. He smiled and went to the kitchen to start getting dinner ready. When Kravitz arrived, he brought a fancy bottle of champagne with him, which he offered to Taako upon opening the door. "Kravitz! You didn't have to do that! This stuff is really nice too, oh my gosh…but since we have it, I think it'll go perfect with dinner. Since I forgot to ask what you wanted, I hope pizza is good." "That's excellent, yes." They had a delicious meal of Taako's signature homemade pizza, including dough made by hand (of course) and fresh mozzarella cheese, and glasses of sweet, refreshing champagne. Afterwards, they watched some terrible movie that was on TV, cuddling and making fun of it the entire time. As the credits finally rolled and Taako reached for the remote, Kravitz stopped him, taking both of his hands and staring into his warm brown eyes. "Can I kiss you?" he asked in a low voice, serious and sincere. "Yeah," Taako whispered without hesitation, surprising himself. The kiss was perfect, tender yet intense, warm and hungry. It wasn't just one either, they pulled away, smiled at each other and agreed with just their eyes, and then they were making out the best either of them had ever experienced. Being in one another's arms and pressed into each other's bodies was such a comfort that it more than made up for the old futon they were on. For a moment, there were no clients or macarons or roommates or sisters or anything else in the world but Kravitz and Taako and their hearts and bodies. Finally, Taako rested his head on Kravitz's shoulder, lazily looking up in his direction. "So, are you my boyfriend now or what?" Kravitz just smiled and pulled him in for another kiss, and they both understood that meaning perfectly.

[nikolaiar]

I’m just put my Homestuck headcanon a cause I can fuck you:

John:

Okay so he so would’ve watched buzzfeed unsolved y’all do know that right?

He used to watch those “top 5 cryptid” videos when he was a kid and gave himself nightmares

He’s jewish

He wears only those really uncomfortable looking sweaters cause his dad says they make him look handsome

He was bullied so bad

When he gets older he smokes so much godbless

He has those glow in the dark stars on his ceiling and has a UFO nightlight

He has a slight 1950’s accent cause of his dad (you know what I mean)

Rose:

She watched Twilight. That’s basically fact.

She had a huge thing for Wednesday Adams and wanted to be her so bad, she got mad at Mom for liking pink and stuffed animals cause she wanted her to act like Morticia

She was in a gifted child program

She would’ve listened to Lady Gaga and lost her mind

She knits sweaters for John

She always packs a pillow for when Jade passes out

She has albinism and is arab. She’s also black and Hispanic but she doesn’t really relate heavily to it.

She’s no sabo and Dave makes fun of her for it

Dave:

He used to watch Teenage Mutant ninja turtles all the time as a kid

He grew up around a lot of Hispanic/Latino kids so he was really in touch with his Hispanic side

He talks so fucking fast you can barley understand him, and it’s even worse in Spanish

He was homeschooled until middle school (horrible decision)

He would always sticks up for other people at his school that were getting made fun of cause they reminded him of John (plus he was kinda bullied for having albinism but he’ll never admit it)

Bro would only talk to him in Spanish and couldn’t read English so Dave was a translator really young, hence why he knows so many big words and all that

He has ADHD so bad

He makes fun of Dirk for being allergic to avacados

Jade:

She always has an extra pair of glasses cause she breaks them so much

She draws furry art and is surprisingly good at it

She used to read yaoi when she was younger and when Dave came out she asked if he was a Uke or Seme

She frequently asks Rose to write her ABO centric fanfiction

She’s Polynesian and Brazilian and she’s really in touch with it

She is a polygot like her g-pa

She patches her clothes up all the time because she has so many holes in them from miscellaneous activities

Her and Dave played all the Sonic games and discuss shipping dynamics

Jane:

She stans John Constantine

She makes all her friends play Clue with her and do escape rooms

She gets Jake to sample her new recipes because he has a sweet tooth

Jane and Dirk do TV show analysis’s on everything they watch they can’t help it it’s just fun

She got them into pretty little liars and Glee

She listens to musicals so hard shut up

She’s black and Korean y’all know that right?

Roxy:

She loves Zatanna and cosplays her all the time, she tries to get Jane to join her as Constantine

She watched supernatural and lost her mind when diestiel was canon

She has those cat ear gamer headphones and streams constantly

She has albinism

She is Mexican and can’t understand Dave’s Spanish cause it’s so fast godbless

She would listen to Doja Cat

She always has her LED lights on and set to pink

She had a huge Harry Potter phase, Jake had all the movies so they’d all watch it while Jane and Dirk would say how it differs from the books

She can’t keep a plant alive to save her life

Jake:

He’s a polygot, dude knows like 80 languages

He knows how to play bass but is shy about it because Jade is better

He has an Australian accent and no one knows where it came from

He does Muay Thai and is actually pretty accomplished, he is teaching Dirk

Dirk beats his ass frequently in boxing and he gets angry about it

He sleeps naked and everyone finds this out the hard way

Dude has so much body hair good lord

He understands Dave when he speaks Spanish and by proxy Dirk

He cosplays with Dirk and Roxy

He has so many plants cause they remind him of his grandma but he forgets to water them frequently

He loves Janes pumpkin pie so much

Dirk:

He is Columbian and is the only one other than Jake to understand Dave’s Spanish

When Dave first met Dirk and he understood him he high key wanted to cry

Dirk is obsessed with Batman so bad and got all of his friends into DC comics

He makes Jake cosplay nightwing for “obvious” reasons

He and Jane have frequent gossip sessions over tea and baked goods

He has every My little pony figure you can think of

He gets really clingy in his sleep

When he first slept with Jake he held into him like a koala and wouldn’t let go until Jake woke him up

He gets his ass handed to him when he practices Muay Thai with Jake, but gets payback with boxing

Him and Roxy frequently troll on toontown and used to scam in animal jam

He watched American psycho and had a phase that he still gets bullied for by his friends

He waxes EVERYWHERE except his armpits and legs

He listens to Marina and the diamonds

He had a hardcore scenephase that he still isn’t completely out of

[pancake-breakfast]

Took me longer than anticipated to get back to this. Let's see how far I can get through Volume 3 tonight. Hopefully, I'll at least pass Puppetman up....

Archive

Trigun Volume 1: Covers + 1-3, 3 Detailed Thoughts, 4, 4 DT, 5-6, 5-6 + DT, 6 DT, 7-8, 9-10

Trigun Volume 2: Covers + Extras, 1, 1 Supplemental Research, 2-4, 5-6, 7-8

TriMax Volume 1: Covers + 1-2, 2 DT, 3-4, 3 DT, 5-6

TriMax Volume 2: Covers + 1, 2-4, 5, 6-7

TriMax Volume 3: Covers + 1-3

Stream-of-consciousness thoughts for TriMax Vol. 3, Chapters 4-5 below.

Chapter 4: Emilio the Player

Oh, hey. We're starting back with Brad instead of with Vash or Wolfwood or the girls.

"Something must've happened to them." Do I want to know? I probably don't want to know. Am I gonna find out anyway? Of course I am.

I still don't know who Emilio is. But it just occurred to me that "player" can also mean "actor," and Puppetman thinks of what he is doing in terms of a play, so that might be it.

Puppetman is talking about winning, but Vash has already lost. He has lost so much already. This isn't a fight where Vash comes out on top. It's one where he tries to survive while somehow keeping the core of his being intact. But I'd hesitate to call the bare basics of getting through this a true "win" scenario.

Ugh, Vash with the girl he accidentally shot. I love how his coat is just... going nuts behind him. What is physics? It doesn't matter anymore. Coat is now a part of him and it reaches out both like a defensive shell and like grasping claw, ready to tear apart whatever threatens them next.

Oh, good. I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't know who the heck Emilio is.

LOL, NOBODY knows who Emilio is.

Dude. Did Vash just get in Puppetman's brain??

Ooh, Puppetman didn't like the name Isabel. What's more, Vash knew he wouldn't like it, and deliberately paused before delivering it.

Puppetman's having a meltdown. Good for him. Please melt more.

VASHU ZA STAMPEEEEEEDOOOOOOO!!!!

🎵 It's raining men! 🎵 🎵 Hallelujah, it's raining... wait, those are just doll parts. That's not as fun.

"Why are there so many?" Please, Brad. Stop asking questions neither of us want the answer to.

Mmm, that's bad. Looks like maybe Puppetman got the doc. Oh, gods. Just thinking about what the equivalent would be in Stampede makes me want to curl up into a little ball and die.

I wonder if in all this, some part of Vash wished Wolfwood was just a bit closer to speed things along. Then again, I don't think Vash would linger on such a thought. Not while cradling a girl he accidentally shot in his arm. Not when Wolfwood might make a similar mistake with a far greater chance of fatality.

Oh, so Emilio doesn't know he's Emilio. Dang. NO ONE. NO ONE KNOWS WHO EMILIO IS.

LOL, he forgot about his little doll boy whose name I already forgot.

Is... Puppetman melting? I thought Ninelives had the monopoly on self-inflicted body horror this round.

Where'd the girl go?

Did... Vash set off the sprinklers?? With a Molotov cocktail???

Tasty shot of Vash silhouette in the sprinkler rain. Pure art, this.

Six miles of string? That's too much string.

Wet, angry Vash!

Don't grind your teeth until they crack, kids. You need your teeth for the rest of your life.

RIP Puppetman's hands. I bet he wasn't a fan of his own blood circulation, anyway.

Wet, tired Vash. Someone get this man a warn towel and a hot beverage.

Vash isn't doing so hot, is he....

Uhhh, what are all these little cross boxes???

Thank you, Brad, for asking a question that's actually helpful this time.

Oh, that must be Isabel.

Chapter 5: The Long Goodbye

Oh, shoot. She's awake.... -ish.

Ah, let's just upgrade that "oh, shoot," to an "oh, shit." Brad's in, like, the WORST possible place to be right now.

Eyyyy, it's my boi Wolfwood! He looks tiiiiiired. But maybe Ninelives is out of lives? Maybe? Possibly???

Ew, he has PEOPLE in him!

LOL, Wolfwood just punching the shit out of the weird little people. I don't blame him, TBH. I'd have had enough of this creep show already.

Strangling the old man-baby thing.... As priests do....

GoshDARNIT, this thing won't DIE!!!

Ms. Bingo?? I don't know if that's supposed to be her name or if Brad's making a pun on how she's the thing they needed to find in all this.

Oops, Puppetman knocked over all his precious boxes 'cause he was pissed at Brad.

Ah, that box does not, in fact, appear to be full of doll. Brad's reaction to its contents is... reasonable.

I know Brad is kind of a jerk, but I do hope he gets out of here ok. I'm glad he's keeping his head about him in spite of everything.

Ok, I don't know what's going on here. The... ship is... coming apart... I think??

Ah, yeah. There goes a chunk.

Puppetman, saved by his strings.

Wait, Vash!? Ugh, babygirl....

Messy-haired Vash! Messy-haired Vash!!!

Yeah, there's a reason we don't tie MILES of string to our fingers. You can take a little physical pain to your hands, Puppetman. And losing your doll lady, too. I'm cool with that.

WTF, now there are mini-puppets? And they're attacking Vash?! No! Go away, mini-puppet!

I guess that's one way to commit suicide.

Wolfwood, behind you. WOLFWOOD, BEHIND YOU!!!

AAAAHHHH!!!! GIrls! Milly looks like she's having a blast. I'm so proud of them!

LOLOL, Wolfwood is shook.

And Vash is here, too! The party is back together! Hooray!

I mean, THAT sure went from agony to pure silliness fast.... I might need a moment to process....

[thessalian]

Thess vs MCM Comic Con, Day 3

So before I start with the rundown of today, I will say this:

It was worth it.

I may not entirely believe that now, when everything fucking hurts and the stress and frustration of that level of people and noise and exertion and pain is still pretty much flattening me? But I know it was. The memory of how worth it this was will stay fresh long, long after the pain of the actual doing of it is gone.

So. Anyway. Day 3. Starting from after I made sandwiches and prepped to get an exchange on my d20-less gold sparkly dice.

We managed to get there in good time for the Critical Role panel. Now, obviously not in good time to get a seat in the main stage area where they were actually doing the panel, but giving it some thought, we didn't really want to be there anyway. We'd already been up close and personal with the Critical Role crew; we didn't need more than that. Plus the noise would have been way, way too much. So instead, we went over to one of the stages that was streaming the panel on their big screen. Which was better because the camera crew zoomed in when a question was directed at a particular person so we actually got to see them. And the panel was really good. It was so endearing when an audience member asked how they managed the whole thing with being business partners and friends and they talked about how Matt insists that they all hang out just as friends outside of the game space and the business space, and how Travis is this really supportive protective Big Poppa Bear of a CEO, and how it's easier with a group of friends than it is with a two-person partnership or trio because you've got people who can step in and mediate when tempers run a bit high ... and most of all when Ashley said she literally didn't know what she'd do without them (and then had to hand off the mic because she was about to start crying) and Sam said how he really just wanted them to be doing this - being the friends and family they'd become - for the rest of their lives ... and to wear a T-shirt with Matt's face on it at Matt's funeral. I honestly have zero worries about Critical Role LLC and its potential effects on their friendship. Seems like they're doing just fine.

There were no problems with taking my dice back. Thankfully, I got the same guy who sold them to me in the first place, though given the ambient noise and low light levels in the area, it was a bit of a struggle to get him to understand the problem. When he finally understood, he did go the extra mile finding me a replacement set. I repaid that kindness by stopping him when he went to put the dice set I was returning back into the box of merchandise for display / sale. Didn't want him to go through that again, y'know?

(Side note: turns out that the little golden shinies in my Alisaie-themed dice set are, in fact, small golden capital As. That's serendipity on a ridiculous level, right there.)

After that ... I admit it all caught up to me and on top of the body aches, spasms, and migraine, I remembered just how difficult it is to wander a convention hall with someone whose interests in terms of art and entertainment kind of vary from yours. So I suggested to Marion that we split up for an hour and a half, and meet up somewhere to devour lunch and see where we were going from there. I browsed a bit, but mostly I just found a place to sit down and watch the cosplay go by. I mean, I did make an attempt to go outside, partly for a smoke but mostly for someplace where I could be more than two feet away from any human being ... but it had started to rain and so I still ended up crammed under the awnings with my fellows who also wanted fresh air and/or nicotine.

By the time I met up with Marion again, I was getting to that "I am struggling to form coherent sentences" level of migraine, holding it at bay with some co-codamol that I took with the first can of A&W root beer I've had in years, and it was just what I needed, thank you. So we scarfed down lunch. I was honestly ready to leave right then, but Marion wanted one last turn-around to look for a couple of things she hadn't spotted in her first trip. I couldn't really deny her that no matter how much I wanted to go home, so we agreed to meet up in about an hour at the "Reset Room" (they had a room especially designed for people who just needed to decompress; probably the most useful thing they actually did in terms of accommodations, I have to say).

In that time, I caved and bought a copy of Flavours of the Multiverse - a D&D themed cookbook. It wasn't my only purchase of the day, mind you. I also got three pin-badges - one "That's How I Roll" one, one "Shiny Math Rocks" one ... and one that just reads "They/She". That and a "They/Them" nonbinary flag-coloured lanyard. At least there, I could wear those things without being too afraid. Anyway, after my few purchases and another trip outside (where, thankfully, it had stopped raining), I read my new cookbook until Marion rejoined me and we headed home. Unfortunately, on top of all the stairs at London Bridge and Elephant and Castle stations, there were a surprising number of people cramming themselves on the 363 at 5pm on a Sunday. So my Time of Squishening unfortunately got a little bit extended. Still, I am now home and have had coffee and more painkillers and I feel a bit better.

That was probably my last MCM Comic Con. It's definitely the last one I go to for all three days. The accommodations were insufficient (though in all fairness, that's entirely down to the organisers - the stewards were so nice and tried so hard to make things work when it was clear that the original organisational scheme was a shit-show), and the attendees ... well, most of them were really nice but I cannot count how many people I had to nearly throw myself at a wall to avoid because they were walking through a crowded convention hall while looking at their phones. Or just anywhere but straight in front of themselves. And public transport ... well, some of that "step-free access" is only on a technicality, put it that way, and it's actually easier to just struggle with the stairs if you can. I think the worst part of this has been that it's basically opened a window on another part of how hard my life is going to be now.

But never mind. I'm going to decompress a bit. I am going to make breakfast-for-dinner in the form of French toast and bacon, I am going to sit Marion down through the rest of Arcane, and I am going to enjoy my last evening with my houseguest. And at some point I am going to look into the work of the Hire A Bard guy I saw at the convention, who will set your character and/or campaign to music for a fee. This might be worth considering as a Christmas gift (however delayed) for the Cupcake Coterie.

Anyway. Yeah. I hurt. I am very much not at my best. But it was worth it.

[dontmindmyshadowhunting]

Art by the wonderfully gifted @high-warlock-of-brooklyn

Read the first Chapter of my contribution to the TSC What If Bang 2022 on A03!

The prompt I was given was the following: What if Kit claimed his throne as a teenager and met Ty years later, when he’s the King of Faerie and Ty is a Centurion?

Sneak Peek:

There was chaos in King Arawn’s throne room. The Seelie Queen had barged in just as prince Ash Morgenstern had been ordered to execute the Unseelie sovereign’s youngest son, Kieran Kingson. Mostly because, unlike his father, he was loved by their people. 

Why? the blond boy had asked, his lips trembling and his grip on the heavy sword as faltering as his resolve. 

Whatever little choice he had in the matter was taken from him when a moment later, Annabelle Blackthorn, Shadowhunter witch, dragged him through an interdimensional Portal, dooming him to a life in a lifeless world. Thule.

The Seelie Queen’s cry as her second child was taken from her had pierced the room. The Unseelie King, shaking with rage, had ordered his Riders and guards to kill her. 

And just as everyone in the room believed the most unexpected had occurred, King Arawn’s command died in his throat, replaced by gurgling noises. Blood was streaming from a gruesome gash slashed across his neck. The gathered faeries and Shadowhunters stood in horror as his head simply fell off his body to roll down the few stairs and halt in front of the crowd. The worst half exposed.

Behind the throne, a young boy - he looked no more than fifteen - was standing with a blood drenched dagger in his hand and he was wiping the weapon against his blue jeans. His mouth was set, his expression resolved, as if he had been working up the nerve to be where he was. To do what he had just done. 

Who was the Kingslayer? He was a puzzle to look at. The sharp facial features of the Fair Folk, although he didn’t have pointy ears. The bearing and muscular figure of a Shadowhunter although he did not bear any Runes. Most peculiarly, he was dressed like a mundane in a plain black T-shirt with holes in it and a pair of used sneakers under his faded jeans. It was clear though that he was much, much more. It wasn’t only that, despite his attire, he looked more kingly than everyone else in the room, sovereigns included. It was in the way his authority appeared undisputable, his rule, ineluctable. In the way he exuded power. 

His gaze swept the room before resting on the Queen, and locked. Her own eyes - the same blue as his - widened as she raised a trembling hand to her mouth. Auraline, she whispered in awe, but in the eerie silence, the single word carried across the room. Murmurs broke among the fair ones who now all wore masks of shock. The First Heir. Auraline’s child looks just like her. The First Heir’s alive. The Unifier. The Peace bringer. The news seemed to elicit equal terror and joy among the Seelie and Unseelie subjects.

The boy’s expression was unreadable as he moved to sit on the now deserted throne, his bare elbows gracefully positioned on the armrests. He extended one leg and tilted his head to rest a cheek on his left fist. 

“The King is dead…” He proclaimed in a cool voice.

As one, the fey assembled in the stone room dropped to their knees. The boy’s lips curled into a crooked smile.

“Long live the King,” he concluded. 

*****

Tagging @tsc-what-if-bang @high-warlock-of-brooklyn and my lovely beta reader @amchara

So glad to be back! Dearest 😍 @rinadragomir @gabtapia @noah-herondale-lightwood @spooky-drusilla @morgansmovingcastle @nicotheangel17 @deep-fried-brain-cells @of-same-steel-and-temper @immortal-enemies @babbling-brook-of-books @i-sold-my-soul-to-house-wrath @mferraz @belise5 @drmindduct @krisimarcheva @t0wergirl @lettersfromthecorvids @fluffy-bacon363 @insertwittyandsmartnamehere @ahumanbeingtryingherbest @hherongraystairs

[libermachinae]

apologies for the random Dragon Age hyperfixation 😭 t4t M!Adaar/Casandra hit me like a freight train this morning and I need to be able to function at work tomorrow so this is going up now.

CW: internalized transphobia, religious trauma

---

Adaar pressed a hand to Cassandra’s chest. It was warm, just like the rest of him; a quiet reassurance she had become familiar with at some point, though she could not say exactly when.

“Wait, before we go any further,” he said. “There’s something you should know.”

Here it came. The inevitable heartbreak, the one Cassandra knew had to come at some point. Things like this didn’t happen to her. Not people like her; her specifically. The florid romances were things that happened safely just on the other side of a book page, not here in real life, the world of flesh and blood. She braced herself, trying to put on a brave face. She might have been a bad liar, but damn if she wasn’t going to try.

“What?” she asked. Not accusatory, she hoped. They were long past that. Adaar of all people had to know, if she acted with suspicion, it was only because the world at large had proven itself a duplicitous place. Though she trusted this man far more than any other, there was a reserve of herself that would not be convinced, no matter how thoroughly he proved himself. And he had proven himself, time and time again. Why else would she have ventured out here with him?

“I’m not like other men,” he said. “My body is different.”

Cassandra’s mind leapt to some of the more lurid tropes she’d encountered in her reading, but she quickly dismissed the thought. Though Adaar seemed to have an endless stream of quips for every situation, she knew by now when he was speaking sincerely.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“When I was born…” He grasped about for words, then gave up with a shake of his head. “I haven’t actually had to explain this before, the other mercs always just accepted it. Do you mind if I just show you?” He touched the waistband of his breeches, indicating what that would entail.

“...Go ahead,” she decided.

When she had, in moments of indulgence, imagined watching the Inquisitor undress for the first time, she had never pictured herself with feelings of trepidation. He moved quickly, removing first the formal jacket Josephine had pressured him into, followed by the thick belt buckle. There was nothing sensual about his movements, and yet there was no intimacy lost for the way he carefully coiled the fine leather and set it aside. It was vulnerability, she realized. The Inquisitor, the Herald of Andraste, the man who had taken her courtship as a challenge, was nervous to undress before her.

That realization was what scared her. She had seen all manner of terrible things done to living bodies, and the idea that such a thing might have befallen Adaar as well was distressing, but not insurmountable. Andraste (and Andraste alone) knew what she had endured. But that was the very reason she felt afraid now. Nothing he could show her now could be so terrible as the secret she herself held. If this, whatever it was, was enough to shake him, she could not begin to imagine how he would react if he ever found out her deepest shame.

She wondered, now, what she had been thinking, following him down here. Bringing attention to the flirting at all. She had known where it would lead, what it would mean for her, and she had allowed herself to get caught up in the fantasy of it, the delight at finally living out one of her most cherished hopes. A suggestion to forget the whole thing was on the tip of her tongue when Adaar dropped his pants.

What she saw there was not monstrous. The basic shape was as she might have expected, and it was handsome in the way miniatures accentuated all the greatest details of a work of art. For a brief moment, all of Cassandra’s other fears were banished, chased out by a far more solvable one: she wasn’t quite sure how to pleasure such a penis.

It was in trying to solve that conundrum that her eyes settled on what should have been the more obvious detail of the display: just underneath Adaar’s member, where she would have expected his scrotum, and covered in a dense nest of hair, were the lips of a vagina.

Cassandra stared. Her thoughts were whirling in a rush, too fast for her to even realize she should say something.

“I know it’s different,” Adaar said. He was still wearing his fine shirt. “It’s all fine, perfectly safe. It’s just my body, and it’s a little different from other people’s.”

“...I’ve never seen magic like this,” Cassandra said. It was a terrible thing to say, and she couldn’t even properly berate herself with how her head was pounding. How could he possibly…?

“Oh, yeah, that’s a good place to start actually,” Adaar said. “It’s not magic. I take a daily tonic that makes my body… well, a man’s body. I’m not sure exactly how it works. I’ve heard there’s pig urine involved.” He tried to laugh, the sound crashing down before it could fully take off.

A man’s body. The words rung like chantry bells in Cassandra’s head.

“So if you didn’t take it?” she asked.

“Well, I’d look like you,” he said. “I mean, taller, of course. With horns.” He’d been looking down at this genitals as he spoke, but now he looked up again and caught her eye. “Um.”

Cassandra didn’t know what her expression was doing and felt helpless to control it. She turned away, pacing away from the Inquisitor—not back to Skyhold, just away. She needed space. She needed to think. Her traitorous mouth was forming words she had promised herself she would never, ever say, the part of her that had fought to protect her for so long at war with the new part that wished desperately to protect this one incredible, invaluable person.

“Should I leave?” Adaar asked.

“No!” Cassandra snapped around, closing the distance between them too quickly and nearly running into the half-naked Qunari. She took a half step back. “I’m just—I’m trying to find a way to tell you… How do you make this look so easy?”

Adaar’s eyes widened. Realizing what she’d said, Cassandra took another step back.

“No, wait,” she said. “I—I’m sorry, my lord. I am—I never intended to deceive you.”

“Cassandra, stop.” Adaar reached out and placed a heavy hand on her shoulder, ending her retreat. How could that touch remain so comforting, given the enormity of what she had just done? Her secret was out. Everything was over. The life she’d built, the future she’d hoped for—

“It’s okay,” Adaar said. “Just breathe.”

She did that. Willing all her training to her side then, she found her center of balance amongst the cluttered wreckage of her thoughts. She picked it up, dusted it off, and returned it to its rightful place, opening eyes she hadn’t even realized she’d shut.

“I apologize. My emotions got the better of me for a moment,” she said. “Thank you for grounding me. Perhaps you should put your pants back on while we discuss this?”

“Sure, if that would make you more comfortable,” Adaar said. “For the record, I don’t really care either way.”

“It would, but I will keep that in mind,” Cassandra said, and then was surprised by her own laugh. Adaar caught her eye as he pulled his trousers back on, a sparkle of familiar mirth there. Even in light of all this, then, he still had that inexplicable effect on her. She made note of that and set it aside for closer examination later, settling back down in the place they’d started. Adaar joined her so they were facing each other, within reach but not touching yet.

“Just so I understand,” Cassandra said, “if you didn’t take this tonic, you would be a woman?”

“Well, I’d look more like one,” Adaar said. “I’m not actually sure exactly what would happen. I’ve taken it since I was a young man, my entire adult life. Even before that, no one ever would have thought to call me a girl. I don’t know what me but a woman would look like.” His face said he didn’t want to, either.

“Quite different, I’m sure,” Cassandra said. “Does that mean you’ve known since you were a child?”

“Yes,” Adaar said. “As far back as I can remember, honestly. There was never a time I didn’t know who I was supposed to be.”

“That explains a great deal about you, doesn’t it,” Cassandra said. Cautiously, she reached out toward Adaar’s hand. Their fingers interlocked, a much-needed anchor of stability. “I knew, too. Or, I thought I did. When the dust settled in the wake of my parents’ betrayal, I was finally living as a lady, as I had always dreamed of doing. But the reality was nothing like I’d hoped. It was like I was being strangled by all my mother’s fine golden chains. Every day, I wondered if I had made a mistake, and yet I could never bring myself to ask to return to the life I’d led before. It was… terribly confusing.”

“It sounds like it,” Adaar said softly.

“I thought I was an abomination,” Cassandra went on. “A real one. I thought a demon must have been possessing me, to make me want such unimaginable things.”

“Is that why you became a Seeker?” Adaar asked.

“Not entirely. But I would be lying if I said it didn’t influence my decision.” She shook her head, feeling a familiar mixture of remorse, pity, and anger at her past self. “I know now that whatever causes me to feel as I do is not a danger to anyone else, unnatural as it may be. But it is not how one is supposed to be. I do not expect anyone else to understand. Or, that is to say, I didn’t.” She found she could not keep looking at their clasped hands, turning to the still scenery of the mountains around them. “I thought I was the only one like me.”

“Not in this way, you’re not,” Adaar said. Even when he couldn’t get her to look at him, the flirty smile still came through in his voice. “There were women in the Valo-Kas like that too. If you’re interested, they had treatments similar to mine.”

Cassandra tried and failed to hide her alarm.

“Pig urine?” she asked.

“No, no!” Adaar reassured her. “Theirs came in some sort of powder, I’m pretty sure. I knew one member of our company who would take hers as her morning tea.”

Something about the image sent a shiver up Cassandra’s back. Womanhood, distilled down to the contents of a teacup… She had to shake it off before she became too engrossed in the fantasy.

“That certainly sounds like something I would be interested in learning more about,” she said. “Later.”

“Sure, whenever you’re ready,” Adaar said sincerely. “So, what would you like to do right now?” There was a question layered inside that question, a tone of voice that sent another, warmer shiver through Cassandra. But it was a genuine question.

“Could you read another poem?” she asked.

He could, and did, happily. And when he finished, he started another. And when for the third time in a row he succeeded in finding the least romantic poems in a book that had supposedly been banned for its prurience, she at last brought him to a stop with a kiss. A kiss that went on, and on. And when at last she felt his hands on her body, when he gentled and caressed and felt over every (and only) the parts she wished to share with him, she felt the chains start to loosen from every place he touched. And from underneath them, her skin began to breathe.

[aspiringsophrosyne]

Episode 5: Pass Through Fire

Is it hot in here? It seems hot in this theatre. Maybe their air conditioning's on the fritz. Better get yourself a drink, because it seems like the temperature's going up and staying up.

The Good.

Janet Varney. Of course they got Korra to voice Keyleth's mom. Of course they did. This whole opening sequence screams Avatar, and I'm here for it. And it's nice to see such tenderness between Keyleth and her mom, given their separation. Also, just seeing Good Parents in TLOVM is a joy, given the majority of the group comes from less-than-ideal families or home situations.

Raven Queen's not the most tactful conversationalist, is she? I like that this is something that just won't let Vax go until he deals with it; it might be easy for him and the audience to think it'll go away without those little flashes. Similarly, it fits that he cannot get the armor off; there's no escaping it or what it represents. 

Yay, Vex and Scanlan banter. I love what the runes say if you look close enough. Nice nod to Viridian, too. I'm happy to see more between these two in particular. Laura has talked about how they both put up fronts and that this was something Vex recognized in Scanlan and related to. They have their own interesting dynamic it's good to see more of.

I like that the show portrays Keyleth and Vax's concerns as equally valid. They are trying to fight something that could affect everyone in Tal'Dorei and perhaps even the world, but Vox Machina had previously backed each other up in their personal quests.

Very cool getting to see Keyleth just beat on something. Her magic is always a treat for the oculars, but there's something fun about watching her hit a monster in the face.

Yes...! Flashback to Allura and Kima's adventuring days!! I would watch an episode focusing on that group. It's also nice to see it so quickly and casually established that the two are a couple. In the original, they had been together before the stream, then split off to do their own things. Matt left it up in the air whether they would get back together or not. They eventually did, but that left us with hours and hours of ambiguity until it became clear that Allura and Kima were very much in love.

Hey, Robbie! Robbie Daymond was a player on Exandria Unlimited and a guest player for Campaign 3 of Critical Role. He's fabulous, and I didn't even realize that was him playing Cerkonos.

Keyleth's whole transformation scene is beautiful and cathartic. She spends so much time unsure of herself or struggling to control her abilities, but then she gets that extra bit of confidence to let loose, and it's awe-inspiring. Her surrendering to the fire has a certain painful, uncertain beauty. You don't know if she'll be able to do whatever she needs to without hurting or destroying herself.

Neal's score compliments the moment perfectly; it's a musical epiphany spliced with the triumph of a battle won. There isn't anything more I can say about the music without repeating myself; it's always amazing.

Keyleth gets a little costume upgrade, yay! I like that the characters' looks change to represent their development and growing power. We saw something similar with the character art starting in C2, and it was always fun to see the new looks.

The Bad. (Or at least, not great.)

Grog and Craven Edge

So here's the thing about the original shitting scene. And yes, that is a sentence I just typed.

Originally the second Sphinx was not on the same continent as Vasselheim, and the crew went back to Tal'dorei to meet with Osysa's mate, to get the Vestige and some other treasures Identified, and to rest for a bit. Whitestone, in particular, was where the scene with Grog and Scanlan happened. Even if you didn't see the original, you might be able to guess it was transplanted from a more populated setting because Grog asks Scanlan for a song so that no one else will hear.

When they're in the woods. Away from the group and far away from any other people.

Grog's dumb, but he's not that kind of dumb.

It's not a huge deal, but it's one more instance on a growing list of the writing CRew's inconsistencies.

To fix it, I'd change the line to something different (Grog asking for mood music instead, perhaps) or, hell, have it chronologically take place in Whitestone when they first escaped the Conclave. Just have Grog flashback to it in this episode. You'd have to change some things in a few episodes, though. Have Grog fight some residual undead or monsters hanging around the city so he can see what the sword is capable of first, for instance. But you could make it work. 

Nitpicks:

I need more damn banter.

Not just because we had more banter in the original stream and not just because it would be a great way to organically world-build and establish and develop these characters and their relationships...

But because none of these people have books, iPhones, or music to listen to while they travel, presumably for hours if not days. All they can do is talk. So it makes sense that they would.

There's another reason, but I'll get into that next episode.

~ * ~

Again, I wished they'd added some visual effect to indicate Allura was at least trying to cast a spell when those rocks fell. If you know the original story, you know she lives, and if you know D&D wizards, you know they have tricks for that kind of thing, but if you're new, it can look cheap that they got out without any previous indication that they had.

Aramenté

So...to pass through the fire.

For various reasons, the way this moment was presented in the Campaign can't happen here. And even if there was no getting around that, it breaks my heart that the way it went down, so much of the original meaning of this phrase was lost.

The long and short of it was that it was part of a pep-talk for Keyleth that was a metaphor for enduring adversity. And it's such a disservice to Kiki's anxiety and her struggles with her confidence to just have her suddenly understand the concept out of nowhere when we have everything we need to give it more weight.

We have the whole prior season.

Instead of Keyleth just suddenly realizing what she needs to do, what she's capable of doing, have her flashback to the Blue Dragon she helped kill. The badass magic she used on the road to Whitestone that saved Vox Machina's lives while they were chasing after Scanlan. When she healed Cassandra. Her ice magic against the zombie hoard. When she killed Sylas. Hell, you could throw in her escaping the Conclave, which was her almost literally passing through fire.

Then hit us with her mom's voice. Because then both she and the audience can connect her mother's phrase with all she's endured up to this point. Hammer home what it means.

And then it's clear that Keyleth's already done what Air Ashari are made to do. So she can do it now.

Pyrah And Future Conflicts

Keyleth is told that Thordak had help getting out of the Fire Elemental plane, which led to the death and destruction that's come to Pyrah. In the stream, the confrontation between Keyleth and the being that provided that help was electric, charged with her anger and outrage in a moment where all her lack of surety fell away and was the foundation for some incredible moments later. There could still be more coming to set up for it....but as it stands, I can't see this episode providing the same heft that its stream counterpart did.

Mainly because, in the stream, we got to visit Pyrah before the attack. We saw it thriving, calm and peaceful. After the Chroma Conclave's initial attack, Allura showed Vox Machina the devastation the dragons had wrought outside Emon. Pyrah had become the sight of a smoking crater and mounds of dead. It left Keyleth and Marisha both in tears.

We're not getting the same impact here, but maybe we could've gotten closer to it by having Keyleth's flashback with her mom occur in Pyrah. We could see how the city was meant to be, and then we could've further empathized with Keyleth when she gets there and sees how devastated it is.

Heading into the next show, we've got one hell of a performance coming up. Don't miss it!