#there will be vines the coming days somewhere anyway

[a-s-levynn]

"It's too late for me now, I am altered / There is something beneath" A Series of Small Offerings - III/7 - day27

[priyajoyyy]

Tangled

Clarisse la rue x repunzel!pesephone!fem!reader

Reader spent their entire life hidden away in a tower to protect her from the outside world wanting her for her powers, its only when a certain daughter of ares finds her scared and confused, that she finally gets to see the outside world like she always longed to.

Warnings:

Toxic parents, yandere!parents, oblivious!, Clarisse being stubborn, overprotectiveness, cannon typical violence, readers not got the best survival instincts 😭, reader is blonde, more to come maybe

Gods had a weird way of protecting people. And while you could confidently say they your parents were never intending to harm you or your siblings. They definitely went about it in weird ways.

Of course you never realised this, being locked away in a tower your entire life was all you even knew. You didn’t understand that your life wasn’t normal.

You didn’t realise you weren’t the only child your parents had hidden off in magical locations to protect them from Zeus and the dangers of the world in their own twisted ways.

And so you stayed where you were, waiting in your tower for the days that your parents would come and visit or the few creatures of the forest you had befriended came to your window.

With not much else to do but paint or read everyday in the same walls. Your hair growing and failing to ever stop, getting to the point of it being constantly in the way.

🍊☀️🪷

Clarisse was beyond confused.

She was 150% sure they had come the same way they had 100 times before. She was convinced. And yet there had never been a giant tower int he middle of the path all the other times they had taken this route.

Her brother suggested that maybe they took a wrong turning, surely they were just lost.

But Clarisse refused to acknowledge the idea she could even being wrong, no she was curtain they came the right way.

Besides they needed somewhere to camp out for the night anyway, so she took off towards the tower.

“Clarisse what are you doing?” Her brother shouted after her, the girl from the Hermes cabin turning to give him a look of annoyance.

The two followed after the girl, watching for a while as she searches around for some sort of entrance before giving up and turning back to them.

“Come on, we need to find a way up” Clarisse tells the two, not being able to find any sort of entrance other than the window near the top of the tower.

“Why?” The blonde girl asked in annoyance, “can’t we just go find somewhere to settle for the night?”

“Yeah clarisse it’s getting late, we can find our bearings in the morning” her brother added.

“This is somewhere to settle for the night” Clarisse stated plainly, rolling her eyes when the two stared at her in confusion, “it’s a giant tower in the middle of nowhere with no doors…no one’s living up there”

“I don’t know Clarisse…I mean this is meant to be a satyr trail, surely someone’s up there” the boy tried to reason.

“Aren’t you curious?” Clarisse asked, “I know we came the right way, this part of the route is blocked off, there is literally no way we got lost”

She was right, this small section of the trail was hidden away, you could only get in and out through two small entrance/exits, covered by plant life to hide it off.

They had been through the secret path a million times and never once was the tower there.

“Well how do you expect we get up?” The girl asked in defeat.

Clarisse looks around for a moment, before grabbing the bag off of her back and pulling out two daggers and holding them up to the two.

“No” the elder boy stated, to which Clarisse turned and made her way towards the walls of the tower, grabbing onto the vines to test their strength, “no no no Clarisse stop it right now”

The girl ignored him, stabbing the dagger into the wall inbetween the cracks and using both of them and the vines to begin to pull herself up the wall.

“I swear to god Clarisse get down right now!”

“I’ll see if there’s another way to get up once I’m up there” Clarisse calls down to them as they stare at her dumbstruck.

“I’m gonna kill you when you get down!” he called up to her.

“I hate your sister” the blonde said to the boy nonchalantly, collapsing to sit on the floor and wait for the ares daughter to be done you her adventure so they could get to bed.

“Tell me about it” the boy replied glaring up at her as she made her way to the top.

Clarisse made her way up, using the, surprisingly strong vines and plants growing off of the tower as her main support on the way up.

Once she made it to the window she pulled herself up on to the ledge, looking down to see her quest mates sat on the ground talking, rolling her eyes at the sight.

She quietly forced the shutters of the large window open, stepping on the flower bed as she climbed through into the room.

🍊☀️🪷

You hadn’t heard anything while Clarisse had been climbing up the walls, busy in your room painting as she entered into the main room of the tower.

Your hair was laid around the different rooms, leading through doors and hanging from ceilings in an attempt to keep it out of your way, something Clarisse stared at in confusion as she quietly wondered around the room.

She was clearly wrong about no one living in the tower, there were candles and lights lit across the room, and a fire lit int he fireplace.

The kitchen was full of food and everything was relatively clean. And not to mention the yards and yards of hair laid across the place.

That’s what confused Clarisse the most, surely no human had this much hair.

She was shocked out of her thoughts when she stepped backwards, tripped on some of said hair and fell onto the floor, alerting you in the other room.

You heard the noise and turned around quickly, your hair curling round you slightly causing it to tug, getting caught underneath Clarisse and yank on your head slightly. Making you squeak in shock.

Clarisse heard this from the other room, her eyes widening as she looking towards the doors that someone clearly resided in.

Both of you grabbed your weapons, Clarisse clutching one of her daggers, and you running to grab a vase off of a cabinet. Inching your way towards the door that separated the two of you as Clarisse stood up.

Clarisse started to walk up the stairs towards the door as you walked down the hallway, both of you stopping at the door before Clarisse decided to push through it suddenly.

You screamed as the mystery girl collapsed on top of her, hair covering your face as you flailed about, trying to get her off of you as she try’s to find the dagger that she lost on the floor.

“Get off of me” you grunted, pushing the hair out of your eyes and attempting to push her off of you, “who are you?”

Clarisse finally finding her dagger, held it to your throat, causing you to stop fighting back, breathless and staring at the weapon in her hand with wide eyes.

“Who are you?” Clarisse retorted, glaring down at the girl as if she wasn’t the one breaking and entering.

“You’re in my home” you say back in shock, frowning at how the knife gets closer to you.

“And I’m holding the dagger…see how this works?” Clarisse tells you with a smirk, flipping it in her hand as she kept it near your throat.

“I-I’m y/n…” you replied slowly, not knowing what to tell her. Looking at her with wide eyes as she huffs in realisation that it wasn’t the most helpful question to ask.

“Well why do you live here?” Clarisse asks noticing the way the girl looked confused and adding, “I mean you’re in the middle of the forest in a tower with no doors…”

“And I mean what’s going on with your hair, it’s so long” Clarisse continued, “and who uses a vase as a weapon?”

You didn’t really know what to say to any of that, looking at her blankly.

“I…don’t know” you answered eventually, adding in a small voice, “can you please get off of me”

Clarisse sighed, getting up slowly but still holding the dagger pointed towards her as she did.

“Why are you in my house?” You asked meekly, staring at the dagger in fear. Clarisse rolled her eyes noticing your wariness, putting the dagger down to her side to try calm you down.

“I’m not gonna hurt you unless you try anything ok?” Clarisse stated, “I was just looking to see if we could stay the night in here, I didn’t realised anyone lived here or anything”

“We?”

“My friends, well not really my friends but, well they’re just outside” Clarisse told you, “why are you in a tower by yourself exactly? And seriously what’s going on with your hair”

“I just live here…I don’t know what you mean” you answered, “and I guess it’s just my hair…my mum says it’s special”

“Your mum? Special how what do you mean”

“I don’t know it just is” you said, “w-wait, no, I’m not meant to tell anyone that”

Clarisses eyebrows furrowed at that, looking at you as though you were an idiot causing you to blush at her.

“Why can’t you tell anyone about your hair…” Clarisse asked.

“Mummy said not to” you said hesitantly.

Clarisse smirked at that, only seconds ago you said you couldn’t tell anyone and yet here you were continuing on with the subject.

“And mummy is?” She asked condescendingly, something you didn’t pick up on as you went to answer.

“Ummm Persephone…” you responded simply.

“What?” Clarisse asked in confusion, looking at you like you were mad. Sure, she knew you couldn’t be mortal, but a demigod?

She supposed the flowers and plants in full bloom in autumn made sense by that, it didn’t quite explain the hair but she was sure it had something to do with that.

“You’re a demigod?” She asked in confusion.

“What?” You replied, furrowing your eyebrows as you looked at her, “what’s that?”

Clarisse stared at you for a moment, you felt like she was scrutinising your entire existence as she looked you up and down.

Suddenly she grabbed your arm and pulled you towards the door, you stumbling as she continued down the stairs towards the main room of the tower and leaving you stood in the middle.

You watched her as she made her way to the window, opening it again and shouting down at her ‘friends’ she told you about earlier.

“It’s all safe” Clarisse shouted, before turning back to you, “do you have any rope?”

You looked at her in shock that she was just inviting people inside your home, speaking when she sent you a look of annoyance, “no?”

Clarisse looked around the room for a moment before settling on your hair that hung around the room, turning back to you with a new look in her eyes.

“You sure?” Clarisse asked, leaning down to pick up your hair and hold it up for you to see.

“W-what? No you can’t use my hair!” You told her, rushing forward to remove it from clarisses hands leaving you stood right in front of her.

She looked down at you with a smirk, taking the hair back, “come on, they won’t hang from it or anything, they just need something to hold for leverage to get up”

You rolled your eyes with a pout at that, looking up at her before walking towards the window, looking down at the two on the ground, who were now beyond confused at the blonde girl appearing.

You leant over to reach the walls of the tower then, Clarisse running over to hold on to you as you stumbled slightly, “be careful!”

You blushed feeling her hands on your hips, shaking yourself out of it and leaning down to touch the plants and vines attached to the stone.

Clarisse watched as the plants grew, covering the side of the wall all over and bits of vines hanging down for the two at the bottom to hold on to.

Once it was fully grown you turned back around to Clarisse, underestimating how close you both were when you did so.

You smiled up at the shocked look on her face, proud of yourself for figuring out a solution to the situation, hearing clarisses brother begin to scale up the side of the wall as you and Clarisse faced each other.

Taglist:

@slaggylemon @yourmom-25s-blog @l0veshellarcelia @asvterias @ashisabitgay

Wanna rewatch tangled now 🤩

Pretty sure this is shit but oh well

[minimujina]

you make me so nervous !

sᴛᴀʀʀɪɴɢ. heizou, albedo, wanderer/scaramouche x f!reader

ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ. reader has a dendro vision, and when you get flustered or injured your powers go crazy :0

ᴄᴡ. sickeningly sweet fluff, wanderer is given a name, wanderer’s is a bit different than the other two so specific warnings are right before his, ARCHON QUEST SPOILERS!1!

heizou had never met someone so easy to read in all his days of observing people.

the mere presence of the detective seemed to fluster you impossibly—and your dendro vision would react in accordance, much to your dismay.

take the time that you decided to go for a mid-morning walk—something you didn’t usually do. you were looking for easy ways to change things up, bored of the stagnancy that so often came with a rigid schedule.

upon seeing you, the detective was surprised, since he knew that you were usually in your garden at this time of day. he shrugged it off, though, approaching you eagerly. and i’m not saying that he had the intention of frightening you, but that’s exactly what i’m saying.

“my dear sweetflower!” heizou exclaimed, startling you with an obnoxious poke on the shoulder. sweetflower was an endearing nickname he’d come up with when he first met you. “what brings you here at this fine hour?”

mischief and arrogance seemed to just seep from his voice. but still, he was a good friend to you, and a good person. just a bit of a bastard.

you gave a loud yelp and a flinch—he had to steady you with his arms amidst good-natured laughter to keep you from smacking him.

after you’d calmed down and he stopped laughing, heizou noticed something peculiar and novel: flowers had begun to bloom in your hair. by the time heizou had released you from his grasp, the mess atop your head had become more than abundant with clusters of posies.

you were none the wiser, since you were too busy trying to sort out your muddled thoughts—but heizou brought the issue to your attention with a silvery hum and a grin, reaching behind your ear to pluck a single leaf from its vine.

“did i scare you that much, dear?” the detective’s voice was teasing, but kind, and his smile more than reached the marks under his eyes. he was clearly amused at this predicament of yours.

the next time, however, had nothing to do with you being startled. you simply took notice of heizou in the distance—and the next thing you knew, flowers were sprouting up like weeds all around you. the detective hadn’t spotted you, though, so you bunched up as many of the fresh sumeru roses and sweetflowers in your little arms as you could, scurrying away in a panic.

ever since then, this problem persisted relentlessly. you’d learned to control it more with time, but every chance encounter with the detective spelled your inevitable embarrassment—at least one plant would spring up somewhere in the vicinity, and more often than not it would be in your own hair. heizou honestly wasn’t sure what to make of it—he might have been good at discerning motives and teasing out evidence, but for the life of him, he couldn’t unravel your seemingly complex feelings about him.

it was the beginning of the end when the detective stumbled upon a peculiar path of flowers and droopy vines. it was painfully obvious that they did not belong there among the sakura, and heizou had a feeling that he knew just who the culprit was.

after following the trail for no more than a few minutes, he was confronted with an amusing sight—you, sprawled on the ground, snarled in the sheer abundance of plants that seemed to have tripped you. he wondered what you’d been running from that made you so afraid.

heizou flashed you a smug smile, but he leaned over to lend a hand anyways. and yet, more flowers sprouted to shroud you from his view, as if tucking you away. but the glimpse of fear he’d seen in your eyes was enough for him to finally come to a conclusion—it was him you had been running from.

but.. you weren’t scared of him. this he knew.

you liked him.

oh, what an ego boost this was for shikanoin heizou.

he sighed, almost dreamily. “oh, my little sweetflower, you can come out now—i know about your little crush on me, so there’s no need to keep running away.”

when you made no move to emerge, heizou smiled to himself. of course it wouldn’t be that easy.

“love,” he mused, “what i’m saying is that i—“

suddenly, heizou’s throat tightened. it came out of nowhere; he was so confident when he started, and this went so smoothly in his head. so why did his tongue suddenly feel so heavy? why did his chest burn the way it did?

it took the detective a moment to collect himself—he found it difficult to quell the sudden thought that maybe he liked you even more than he realized.

deep breaths, detective.

“what i mean to say is..”

another deep breath, heizou.

“i find you rather.. endearing.”

he cleared his throat, unconsciously stuffing his hands in his pockets. oh, if only he could see himself—he was being so obvious that even an amateur could see right through him.

“well, that is—i like you.”

he hadn’t meant to say it so plainly, but it seemed that his words, however hesitant they were, gave you the push of courage you needed.

the flowers parted ever so slightly to reveal your eyes again, less terror-filled, though still quite shaken.

but what was most surprising was the detective’s expression—you caught it for only a split second, but it was there. his eyes were blown wide, as if he were incredulous with himself. but a whimsical grin that could fool anyone quickly replaced all evidence of that uneasiness.

“…really?” you whispered, voice thinned and small, as if you’d swallowed your confidence.

a baffling, earnest sincerity crept into heizou’s expression—of all the times he’d been able to conceal his true feelings, this was not one of them.

“really.” his response was firm, his gaze softer than it had ever been.

“and..” you took a deep breath, looking anywhere but at the detective. “…you aren’t bothered by the whole…flower thing?”

heizou laughed mirthfully—“why would i be?”

under the cover of your plants, you fiddled with the petals of a sumeru rose as you spoke. “i don’t know.. it’s just embarrassing, is all. i thought it was overbearing.”

“oh, dear,” heizou tutted. “was it blatantly obvious? yes, yes it was”—your expression turned sheepish—“but overbearing? you? never.”

heizou reached out to part the sea of plants away from your face so that he could properly see you, letting one hand linger to lift your chin. “ah, there’s my lovely girl,” he grinned. “now, let’s get you out of here, shall we?”

and with that, your shaky little hand emerged to place itself in heizou’s steady palm, and he pulled you up, watching as the leaves and florets spilled all around your form like water.

and for once, heizou had nothing to say. all he could think about was the feeling of your small hand in his own, and how beautiful you looked in that moment. if he didn’t know any better, he’d think you were the long-departed goddess of flowers herself.

heizou very promptly decided that he could not tolerate the way his heart was acting. no, no, no, it was simply out of character. you were the one who was supposed to be flustered—not shikanoin heizou, the tenryou commission’s top detective, a young and brilliant genius whom nothing could unnerve.

the detective tugged you forward suddenly, fastening his hands around your waist as he stooped down—but he froze just before he reached your lips. he seemed to study you, admiring the brightness in your eyes, the dancing reflection of sunlight.

“wanna make out?” he asked out of the blue, a shit-eating grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

what you wanted was to slap him for his god-awful sense of humor.

but also yes, you did want to make out.

you decided to make this very clear by grabbing a fistful of his shirt and just making the move yourself for once. from the way he smiled into your lips, your intuition told you that he liked your spontaneous impatience.

when albedo discovered that his own presence regularly caused your vision to malfunction, his curiosity surrounding you became insatiable.

he would hum, stepping around you in a measured circle while he observed the various flowers that had sprouted from your vision. a thick vine had found itself stuck to the surface of your vision, almost as if it were trapped in the glass, not fully emerged. it trailed all the way to the ground of albedo’s workshop, branching off into more vines with sweet flowers, roses, and all sorts of pretty blossoms.

“how peculiar,” the alchemist murmured. “i’ve never seen anything quite like this before.”

yeah, me neither, you wanted to mumble and grouch, but you settled for a subtle pout instead.

albedo hummed thoughtfully again before completing a full circle around you, coming to face you eye-to-eye. you could see the mischief in his gaze, and your tummy fluttered with nervous anticipation—one could never know what the chalk prince would do next.

“i wonder… could we possibly encourage the vine to grow more? perhaps then it wouldn’t be stuck—which, again, is fascinating in itself.”

albedo was staring at you so intensely that you couldn’t make yourself meet his gaze. he continued nonetheless, “i’ve really never heard of someone’s powers emerging straight from the vision and manifesting that way. you are very curious—very curious indeed.”

seeing your blank expression and watery eyes, albedo decided to continue with his procedures in a more considerate fashion. he understood that you probably felt scrutinized, but he didn’t mean it that way, truly. he was filled with genuine curiosity about this predicament—though perhaps he did have an ulterior motive hidden somewhere.. but who’s to say?

“let’s go ahead and see if we can make it grow, then, shall we?” oh, there was so much mischief in his voice, and you did not like it one bit, nor did you like the way your stomach buzzed.

albedo suddenly leaned down very close to the side of your face—close enough that you could hear his gentle breathing and feel it fan across your blushy cheek.

“would this suffice to do the trick?” he asked lowly; you spotted his subtle grin out of the corner of your eye.

and sure enough, the floor all near ruptured with greenery, so many flowers poking up through the cracks of the dirt that it almost looked like a garden in the middle of this dry, frigid mountain.

“oh, my,” albedo chuckled, his mirthful gaze burning your face. “that did the trick indeed.”

you stepped back out of shame, though your flustered expression failed to escape him—nothing could ever fool those sharp eyes of his.

how endearing, he thought, amused at the manner in which your feet shifted and the way your cheeks bloomed a shade much darker than before.

hoping to quell your fears, albedo leaned down to pluck a single flower from its stem—a cecilia, native to mondstadt, yet fabricated by your own hand. he approached you to carefully tuck it behind your ear, his hand lingering for but a moment to brush your cheek.

another cecilia popped up from the ground, right next to albedo’s feet—your hands flew up to cover your face.

this prompted a warm chuckle from the alchemist. your anxiety subsided a bit at his comforting, familiar laughter.

his hand remained near your cheek, thumb just barely ghosting the skin; it was as though you were made of a delicate porcelain he was afraid to crack. and yet, oh, and yet, the way he was looking at you was so piercing that you thought you may fall apart at the seams. those eyes of his drilled holes into your face, but their gaze still held so much affection—how could he possibly analyze you with that cold calculation and still make you feel so warm inside?

“it’s still stuck in the vision,” he murmured without breaking eye contact, his even and composed voice dragging you out of a daydream; it took you a moment to realize he was talking about the plant. although.. his hand was still cupping your cheek. your heart thumped in your ears like a rabbit’s foot to the ground—why was he still touching you? this wasn’t like the distant, calculated albedo you were certain you knew… though it’s not like you minded.

the alchemist took a step forward with one foot, slow and careful. the other followed suit, bringing him ever closer, so that now you could feel his breath against your cheek again. it was a stark contrast to the frigid atmosphere, and a shiver racked through your body at his touch. and that was when you realized just how close he was—so close that your noses almost brushed; so close that he was craning his neck to meet your gaze; so close that you almost thought he might…

..well, albedo just couldn’t help himself, could he? archons, he knew he was supposed to be trying to fix the problem with your vision, but this entire experiment was his own self-indulgence at this point. but he would not be doing it if he didn’t already know that you were quite taken with him—your vision going haywire when he got close to you gave albedo all the evidence he needed to come to the conclusion that you were smitten.

and so, when the alchemist placed his other hand on your jaw, holding your face with that steadiness and carefulness you knew he possessed, more flowers sprung up around your feet. but neither of you cared.

“this should fix it, yeah?” albedo mumbled, and before you could even process what he had said, he was swooping down to capture your lips in a kiss.

it was gentle yet fervent, brief yet fulfilling. your whole body felt warm and fluttery, so when he pulled away, you found yourself leaning forward and standing on your tippy toes as if to beg him not to—but he did, just so that he could see the expression on your face: flushed, sheepish, happy, perplexed. he was satisfied knowing that his own affections were very obviously returned.

before you knew it, his lips were crashing into yours again, just a bit more eager this time. you had no idea the great albedo was capable of such a feat as this—you’d never even entertained the thought of him reciprocating your feelings. it was just out of the question to you, until now.

albedo’s lips were slightly cracked from the cold, but there was nothing unpleasant about it. he held your face so gently and rubbed his gloved thumbs over your skin so tenderly that you didn’t know what to do with yourself, but he took the liberty of grabbing your hands and placing them on his chest. you could feel his breathing, feel the air fill and vacate his lungs, feel how he shuddered when a sudden wind invaded the workshop.

the chilled air did not help your flustered state, for your knees had already buckled more than once, and albedo’s hold on you was the only thing keeping you standing. for now, though, his lips remained on yours, and plants continued growing in his workshop until there was literally no space to walk.

albedo didn’t mind. the vision had fixed itself due to your excitement, allowing the vine to mature properly. though not to mention…a few other plants had joined in on the process.

but he loved this. he loved the view, he loved your presence, and he loved how beautiful you looked when he pulled away: eyes shining, lips a bit swollen, cheeks rosy. the fact that he could no longer move in his workshop didn’t matter so long as you were here.

he was going to paint you like this when he got the chance, he decided—and there would be no lack of flowers to reference, that’s for sure.

ᴛᴡ. ARCHON QUEST SPOILERS!1!!!1!1!! FROM HERE ON OUT !!1! ……… mentions of the reader being injured, not specified from where (nothing too descriptive); flowers grow from the reader’s wounds (again, not too descriptive); slight angst but it is immediately fluffified and everything else is good :] auntie buer basically assigned him a babysitter and thats you ehehyeyegeh

the wanderer had gone by many names in his lifetime, names that engendered fear into his enemies and allies alike.

though, had he ever really had an ally after the losses he had perceived as betrayals? in reality, scaramouche held everyone at arms length no matter what, never allowing anyone close enough to see, much less touch, the fragile shards of his psyche.

but you—an insignificant little woman, his appointed caretaker—you had given him a name.

it was unlike any of the other titles he’d been assigned. rather, this time, it wasn’t even so much that you had assigned it to him, but that it had been set aside for him—like you had let him step into it on his own, try it on for size, and decide if it suited him.

it’s a name that was reserved for him by someone kind. someone with good intention. someone who reminded him too much of the ones he had lost.

you called him junpei. pure. genuine.

the wanderer found it amusing how ironic your choice was. but upon seeing your eager grin, he could not bring himself to reject the name.

junpei.

was that how you saw him? or was it what you wanted him to be?

“junpei, would you help me with this?” sure, he would—did he have a choice, anyways?

“jun, have you eaten?” no. food was not a necessity to him, as he was a puppet. but you would make him eat regardless.

“you look tired, jun, did you sleep alright?” no. he did not sleep alright. but he felt a bit better after hearing those words come out of your mouth, truth be told.

after hearing the name (and its subsequent nicknames) on your lips day after day, it began to feel less strange. in fact, he even started to like the way it rolled off your tongue so easily.

and he liked the way you cared for him.

why did you do it?

he didn’t know. he couldn’t even begin to guess why you took on the task of watching after him. he knew how much a piece of work he was.

it turned out that you just genuinely believed in new beginnings and second chances for everyone—and to you, the wanderer, junpei, was no exception.

he was not aware, but the reason you named him junpei was because of the first time he fell asleep in your presence. his face—it was so quiet. his expression was subdued. he had become gentle.

if it was possible for him to look so peaceful in his sleep, then you were confident that he was made up of something much milder on the inside—something tender, something soft, something placid that he had carefully tucked and folded away, hidden from the prying eyes of anyone who would ever try to hurt him again.

but you did not want to hurt him. you wanted to show him beautiful things, wonderful things—things that require that benign temperament to appreciate. and if you had to give him the stars and the moon to make him open up, to make him show you that small, humane fragment of himself, then so be it. you weren’t going anywhere.

he never truly began to trust you until your own insecurities and weaknesses were exposed.

it was beyond the wanderer how someone so seemingly innocent and sheltered could be littered with so many wounds—so many wounds, and so many scars.

but then, under that short cape you never removed, there were the flowers.

pretty flowers that grew from your arms, that sprouted from the ugly gashes like beautiful weeds, that made you feel ashamed and gross. lovely flowers that were not so lovely to you. flowers that illustrated your pain. flowers that only served to make your skin crawl and remind you of what you had suffered.

it astounded the wanderer when you admitted that you had never shared this with anyone else, had never taken your cape off in the presence of another. this was a secret, something special, a sign of your trust and dedication to staying by his side. even if this was your job, he realized in that moment that this had never been just a job to you. you were there for him.

but.. still, he had his suspicions that you only wanted to “fix” him. so it wasn’t until he’d witnessed your composed display crack, fissure, and boil over that the wanderer began to trust you completely.

“jun,” you cried. it was such a helpless, pathetic sight—or, that’s what scaramouche would have thought. but junpei found himself rushing to your side, something inside his chest pounding wildly against the ribs caging it. a feeling of desperation began to claw its way out of his stomach when he saw your tears.

and the flowers. they crowded your arms, one of your thighs. were they lovely, or were they horrendous? he could not decide.

there was one tiny flower on your cheekbone. a small, yellow daisy, poised there as if your face had been its home all along.

the wanderer spat curses under his breath. “you idiot.. you stupid, stupid human..” his breathing became erratic as a violent panic overwhelmed him.

“what did you do?”

his voice was painful and strained. quiet. but most of all, it was angry.

you couldn’t give him a proper response, only shaking your head as more tears spilled from your eyes. and at this, a hole formed itself in the wanderer’s gut.

that old fear. that feeling. that horrible, dreadful, terrifying feeling.

suddenly, he was kunikuzushi again, watching the people he loved abandon him. break their promises to him.

you promised. you promised him.

but hadn’t they all?

what could a promise even mean anymore if it could be so easily broken?

you could see the gears turning in his mind, the rage that you hadn’t witnessed in so long shifting and blazing behind his eyes. and you knew you had to say something.

“i’m not going to die, you know,” you muttered, using what little strength you had to give him a watery smile. “i’m only crying like a little bitch because it hurts, okay, jun?”

his expression immediately shifted, as if the anger had been doused by a bucket of water—but it wasn’t relief you saw. it was sadness.

“i promised you, didn’t i?” you whispered, noticing how his face contorted into something distraught. slowly, painfully, you extended your pinkie from your arm’s limp place on the ground, and though it took him a moment to consider, the wanderer linked his fifth finger with yours.

“you did,” he replied, his voice no more than a whisper. then, humorlessly, he smiled, all color drained from his face. “so you better not break it.”

“is that a threat, my dear wanderer?”

he couldn’t fight the genuine upturn of his lips—you always chose the most inappropriate times to make an attempt at comedy. the wanderer shook his head, gently pinching your unwounded cheek while he chastised you with something like affection in his voice.

from then on, junpei tended to you as if curating a garden, as if you were a little flower he had planted and helped grow all along. not once would he allow you to put yourself in danger—and if you tried, he would flick your forehead and make you sit in the tent in time-out. but if you really pushed him, really, he could get genuinely angry with you, but only because he cared for you. the worst he’d ever do was raise his voice at you, and even then, you could hear in his tone how worried he was under the aggression.

at some point, you realized that junpei had only become this caring since the day he witnessed you so vulnerable. it was as if he had not allowed himself to trust you completely until he was certain that you needed him, too.

you couldn’t blame him for it—you were glad to know that he no longer viewed vulnerability as a weakness. it was a sign that he was healing and finding comfort in something other than the despair he’d harbored for so long.

“juunyyy,” you sang from your tent, where you had been forcibly stowed away under a nest of blankets and shoved into junpei’s suzukake (outer robe). you were sick, and dreadfully so.

when he poked his head through the flap of the tent, the way your face distinctly brightened upon seeing him made the wanderer’s stomach plummet to the floor. granted, you were a bit loopy from the fever, but it’s not the first time you’d looked at him like that. he felt himself falling in love with you all over again every time he saw you—now in particular, since you were bundled up in his jacket looking so awfully adorable.

“what is it?” he asked, trying with all he had to conceal the fondness in his voice with a scowl. your coy smile hinted at his unfortunate failure.

“i have something for you,” you whispered giddily, even though nobody else was around, and there was nothing you’d said that even remotely suggested you needed to whisper.

junpei sighed, entering the tent with an air of indifference despite how his chest fluttered. your childish grin was really making it hard for him to keep up the act, though.

and when you placed a flower crown on his head, taking the time to smooth down his dark, inky hair to make a place for it, junpei thought it was really going to be the end of him.

this is it, he mused. i’ve officially become soft.

what would scaramouche think if he saw himself now?

but.. that didn’t matter, did it? no, no it didn’t. it truly did not matter. he was no longer bound by the person he had been—or rather, the puppet. the heartless balladeer. scaramouche.

maybe you’d seen this in him all along. maybe you’d always known he would thaw out someday. maybe that was why you had called him junpei.

if that was the case, he suddenly realized that you were smarter than he gave you credit for. perhaps he had judged that dense pea-brain of yours too harshly, no?

..archons, but you were still so stupid at the same time.

he found himself scoffing at the conclusions he’d reached about you—and he had the sudden urge to wipe that goofy little smile off your face.

so he threw all caution to the wind, grabbing your chin, albeit a little rougher than he’d meant to. there was nothing stopping him from kissing you anymore, so he did just that. although he was a bit stiff about it at first.

after a few moments, his rigid posture softened, and he let go of your chin to instead cup your face, a surprising tenderness to his touch—at the same time, you recovered from your shock, becoming lucid enough to wrap your arms around his neck and reciprocate the way he pressed into you.

a few minutes later, the two of you were breathless and rosy-cheeked, and the wanderer’s steady hands held you closer than they ever had before. you remembered when they used to shake and tremble—it warmed you to think just how much you’d seen him grow.

even though you’d both surely had your fill of kisses, he kept leaning in and stealing more small pecks from your lips while you dissolved into laughter. every time a giggle managed to escape you, it was swallowed by a chaste, almost playful, kiss, something you didn’t know your grumpy little wanderer was capable of. more uncontrollable laughter soon followed each time his lips left yours.

the wanderer’s assault of smooches finally stopped when your amusement started to die down. the two of you were left with a tender moment as he held you firmly, closely, his eyes making a silent promise to you that he was the one you could depend upon now. that you didn’t have to babysit him anymore. his loyalty belonged to you.

well, it’s not like you couldn’t infer that from the way he’d just desperately made out with you. but the reassurance was nice!

he rested his head on your shoulder, almost in a defeated manner, as if all that affection had truly exhausted him to the bone. you found that very amusing. and of course, as always, you’d spotted the perfect opportunity to say something that would no doubt ruffle his feathers.

“ . . . you know i’m sick, right? ”

thank you for reading😳

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[m1d-45]

new sprouts

summary: chongyun in liyue, what will he find? the devil, maybe. god? certainly.

word count: ~1.7k

-> warnings: uh. injury? blood mention. minor spoilers for chongyun lore?

-> gn reader (you/yours)

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me

< prev || < masterlist >

chongyun ran as quickly as he could, weaving between the scraggly trees. the ground beneath him shook, shards of geo biting into the sandbearers around him. the vishaps were quick, more vicious than usual. he wasn’t here for them, having simply been going for a walk, but it seems like his day was about to be far more eventful than he expected.

he pulled himself up into a tree to avoid an attack, the branches shaking as the vishap ran into the trunk. he wasn’t strong enough for this, not by a long shot, not when they were clearly enhanced by whatever malicious energy was in the area. he’d be better off calling in the millelith, or an adepti to deal with the source of energy.

the vishaps clawed at the tree and he looked around, frantic. he didn’t have nearly enough elemental energy in his vision to pull off a big attack yet, and liyue was far more favorable to the vishaps’ claws. he couldn’t run, he couldn’t climb, he’d have to hide, but where?

he climbed higher into the tree, balancing precariously on slightly too small branches. the tree was close enough to a cliff he could jump to it, maybe making it to the top before the vishaps if he was quick enough, but what then? what if there was nothing up there? half the cliff was obscured by the leaves anyway, what if it was an impossible climb? what if-

the tree shook again, something cracking loudly, and he jumped for the cliff before he could think. he slipped a few inches, but was able to find holds easily enough, pulling himself up the rock as quickly as he could. still, it was steep, and he could hear the scrape of claws below him rapidly approaching. there was a dark crack in the cliff halfway between him and the top, but there wasn’t any negative energy bleeding from it. it looked thin enough the vishaps couldn’t get in, and as he got closer he saw light coming from it… with only a moment’s hesitation, he climbed inside.

he could hear the vishaps clawing at the entrance but didn’t try to turn back, pulling himself deeper. one reached deep enough to cut down his side, tearing through his clothes, but he didn’t focus on that. the crack led somewhere, he could see the room open up, he just needed a few more feet to get there. he reached for the edge, his fingers stinging where he’d scuffed them, and pulled. the stone walls bit into him, as if found their best to keep him out, but with a final push he was free, falling to the floor.

chongyun took a moment to breathe, vision pulsing as he cooled himself down. adrenaline pumped through his body, persistent even through his breathing exercises. his head spun, the coolness of the cave doing little to help. he should look around the cave, make sure he’s safe, but he didn’t sense any dangerous energy. the vishaps had stopped tearing at the entrance, and he could only hope it wasn’t because there was an alternate entrance.

wind ghosted over his face, something soft brushing his nose. he opened his eyes, met with the surprising sight of a geo crystal fly. they were normally skittish, fleeing from anything that moved… how strange.

he sat up, the crystalfly fluttering away as he turned. the cave was big, roughly circular, lush plants growing along the walls. light fell through cracks in the ceiling, lighting up the wings of crystalflies as they flew lazily, an impossible amount of life sustained by so little resources. in the center of the room was a stone pedestal, sides too uniform to be natural, a woven bowl of vines sitting atop it.

a quick glance with elemental sight revealed an obvious abundance of elemental energy, dendro lining the walls and floor. what was surprising was the fact that the stone beneath it, including the pedestal, contained far more geo energy than normal. behind the vine wall in the center was something brimming with energy, all seven elements flocking to a core he couldn’t make out.

was this was the vishaps were so protective of? if he felt for it, the core was giving off a peaceful aura, stronger than his own yang, but it was suppressed. the vines, perhaps?

he tried to stand and gave up just as fast, his side burning with pain. he pulled his first aid supplies from his inventory, checking the damage. the cut was shallow, thankfully, stretched down most of his side. he was lucky he’d gotten as far in as he did, or who knows what would have happened.

several crystalflies flew over as he patched himself up, watching curiously. he tried not to pay attention, focusing on keeping his hands steady, but it was hard not to be curious. while most of the crystalflies were geo, there were some anemo and dendro ones as well. it’s strange, this cave is strange, and he can’t tell if he should run for backup or try to deal with it himself.

he pools cryo in his hand and presses it to his side to help dull the pain, stumbling to his feet. the crystalflies stay around him as he slowly walks for the vine bowl. but they knit closer as he approaches, forming a bubble to hide the core from him.

“oh, come on…” he reached for the vines, but thorns sprouted in an instant. he tried to freeze them with his vision but they were resilient, refusing to die. when he pulled his hands away, the frost melted in the next moment, quickly returning to bright green. it was like they absorbed his cryo, feeding it into the core. for what it’s worth, the vines seemed to loosen slightly, at least slightly weakened. so to access the core, he’d have to…

he should probably leave, go find the millelith or call in an adeptus, but something about the core drew him in. he should feel afraid, that he was so attracted to something he couldn’t even see, but… archons, he couldn’t just leave.

he took his hand from his side, placing both on the area he’d frozen prior. the thorns had disappeared at some point, allowing him to press directly onto the vines themselves. with a deep breath and a quick reassessment of his injury, he drew on his vision once more.

within a few moments, his wound began to ache again, but he didn’t pay it any mind. he kept his breath measured and the flow of cryo smooth; a slight sting when he fully inhaled wasn’t anything. he needed to get to the core, irrationally so, something about it drawing him in. it couldn’t wait, he couldn’t stop, his injury would be fine as long as he kept going.

crystalflies began to land on the vine shield, drawn to either the core or the energy he was pouring into it. whatever it was, it was important, important enough that the bubble only began to recess once his vision began to flicker. he leaned on the stone pedestal, breathing heavily, fumbling for a popsicle from his inventory. the vines unknit reluctantly, revealing several layers of elemental energy. first hydro, frosted over in one spot by his cryo. then a thin film of geo, crumbling away, and finally a blue sheen of anemo. so many elements, all refusing to react with each other…

the anemo faded into pale mist, his popsicle nearly falling from his hand in shock. the core of this cave, the thing the vishaps were protecting, the thing drawing him in so strongly… was you?

you, the imposter? you were what the world wanted to defend so fiercely?

…what he had wanted to find so desperately?

he bit another piece from his popsicle, moving his hand from the stone back to his side to soothe the growing pain. he was torn, conflicted about your presence here. you were clearly well taken care of, without a speck of dirt on your skin, but.. you were supposed to be hated. you were the imposter, right? yet all this life, these elements, the vishaps just outside- it shouldn’t be possible. there already was a creator on the throne, and they wanted you dead and gone, but the only thing capable of keeping this cave alive-…

for the first time in his life, chongyun got chills.

(the weather is good in liyue. unusually so. the sun is warm and the breeze is cool, the waters lapping gently at the shore. it’s as if the world can finally breathe, relaxing from the tense storms of the past few months. people find themself with a bit more mora than they had before, or perhaps they find something long lost.)

(the adepti look down from the clouds, glancing at each other in unease. hooves meet the ground in nerves, hands tensing, ready to reach for weapons.)

(the elements are calm in liyue. for the past few months, they’d needed to call in the assistance of the anemo archon to relieve the winds that wanted to rage. the stone has settled, the key lines calm.)

(“what do we do?” nothing. “what did we do?” nothing. red ropes lay tight, a gloved hand set on a mask, both ready to fight against whatever storm comes after this calm.)

(the earth is at ease in liyue. the tianquan steps out of her jaded chamber, yuheng at her side. she watches her city, the port, the taste of imported wine still sweet hours later. the night is cool, the moon reflecting off the waves in rippling lines, and yet both are tense.)

(“perhaps the creator has calmed?”)

(a shake of the head, a twist of the lips.)

(the crystalflies fly calm in liyue. relaxed, happy, content. nobody knows why; nobody but one.)

[flowersandbigteeth]

Meeting your Changeling Boyfriend

A/N: This is a mostly complete, somewhat somber yandere story with some complicated emotions, flawed characters, and NSFW parts. I'll post the parts over a couple of days to not spam

Changeling (Clark) x Flower nymph f Reader

General Plot: You wake up in a strange place and meet a friendly changeling who is happy to help you adjust to your new home

TW: future nsfw, domestic violence, isekai, yandere, jealousy, fairy prejudices

Word Count: 6k

Next part will be posted soon.

You woke with a start, your eyes flying around the room you were in. This wasn’t your bedroom. Bolting upright, you took in the space you were in frantically. The walls were roughly hewn boards sealed with grout. You were lying on a lumpy feather mattress under a thread-worn quilt. A small woodstove in the corner warmed the room with a few dying coals. 

“Where? What?” you murmured, confused. 

Looking down, you realized you wore a long blue dress with a bow collar. It was simple but fit you well and was a pretty contrast to your skin. 

This was not your home. These were not your clothes. The last thing you remembered you’d gone to bed in your pajamas. You pinched your wrist, wondering if this was a dream, but no matter how hard you pinched, you didn’t wake up. 

Something smelled of jasmine, and you patted your hair, finding it wasn’t braided as you usually did before bed. It was also much longer than it had been, and vines of jasmine were worked through it. The length fell to just above your bottom in luxurious, thick piles. Trying to pluck one of the pieces of jasmine out, you winced as it stung, a drop of blood forming on the cut tip. The jasmine was growing out of your head! 

You hurried to your feet, hoping to find a mirror. There was a small bathroom with a metal tub, washbowl, and chipped mirror. Blinking at yourself, you found that you were still you. You had the same features as you’d gone to bed with, the same skin, only now you had jasmine winding through your hair. Pretty silver hair cuffs decorated with little pearls and shells shined in the candlelight.  Glancing at the tub, you found a few colorful bottles of oils, pots of cream, and a cake of soap that smelled like shea butter. 

You jumped at a large banging from nearby and hurried out of the bathroom. Making your way through the small one-story cottage, you opened the heavy wood door. A man was standing in front of you. He was quite tall, with dark, blue-black hair that was braided down his back and smokey gray eyes. Two pointed ears peeked out from the loose strands of his hair. 

“Good morning (Y/N)!” he said with a smile. 

“Do I know you?” you asked, utterly confused. 

You peeked past him at the forest surrounding the house. A field of beautiful flowers and juicy vegetables was enjoying the sunshine, butting up to a thick woodland. The man’s brow drew, and he looked at you more closely. 

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked. 

You shook your head. 

“I don’t know you…or…this,” you stammered, waving your hand at the field of flowers. “Where am I?” 

The man’s eyebrows jumped, and he looked around nervously before pushing past you into the house. 

“Are you playing a joke, (Y/N)?” he asked. 

You shook your head. 

“I went to bed somewhere else and woke up here,” you explained. “I have no idea who you are.” 

He frowned. 

“Oh my,” he hummed. “Have you met anyone other than me?” 

You shook your head. 

“I only woke up a few moments ago,” you said. 

“And all of this is new to you,” he finished your sentence, and you nodded. 

He moved around the small house as if looking for someone, finally coming back to you. 

“I think someone has bewitched you,” he finally concluded. 

You shook your head, confused. Bewitched? What the hell did that mean? 

“Bewitched? Magic isn’t real,” you scoffed. “Who are you anyway?” 

His head jerked back.

“You…don’t know magic?” he asked. 

You shook your head, and his nicely curved lips formed a thin line. 

“You came from somewhere else than Merida?” he asked, and you nodded. 

“I’m from (Y/C),” you said. 

“(Y/C)?” he grunted, rubbing his chin again. 

“Who…are you?” you asked again. 

“Sorry, I’m Clark. You and I have been…friends for many years,” he said. 

“How did I get here?” you asked. “Where is here?” 

He sat down heavily at the small table in the kitchen area. You could see the gears turning in his head as he worked through some inner puzzle. 

"You are in the province of Merida," he explained. "This little village is Alliet." 

Your mind was spinning, and you felt dizzy. 

Clark suddenly stood and helped you to a chair before pumping a cup of water out of a hand pump tap. 

"Here," he said. "Have a drink before you pass out. This must be quite a shock." 

Trembling, you lifted the cup to your lips and took a small sip. The water tasted fresh and sweet. 

"Wh-who am I?" you gasped. "My hair is…different…" 

He gave you a half smile. 

"I suppose the answer to that question is not so much who but what," he said, rubbing his chin. "Does your world have flower nymphs?" 

Your eyes widened. 

"In fairy tales, not in real life," you said. 

"Well, here, flower nymphs are an essential part of the economy," he said, pointing out the window to the lush garden. "You cultivate all of those flowers and sell essences and stems in the village." 

"I don't know anything about flowers," you said. 

"Yes…" he hummed. "Though your magic is still intact, I'm sure. You haven't lost your blooms." 

He nodded to the vines of jasmine falling over your shoulders. 

"How…how do I get back?" You asked, clutching the clay cup in your hand. "I can't stay here." 

A flash of recognition flared in his eyes, but he looked away. 

"I'm afraid you can't," he said. "A soul-swapping spell can only be done once. If people could come and go at will…it could be chaos. Whoever did the spell did it at great expense to themselves. Usually, they require a sacrifice." 

You gasped. 

"Who would have done something like that?" you asked. 

He blinked at you and then shrugged. 

"The other (Y/N) is the most likely culprit," he said. "Perhaps she had something she wished to escape." 

"But what?" you asked. "You said you were friends. You must know-" 

He held up his hand. 

"I cannot guess why she would have done that. Perhaps she simply wanted to experience something new. But that's not the issue at hand…the key issue here is that you need to be introduced to this world," he said, sliding a chair next to you and sitting down. "I'm happy to help." 

You chewed your bottom lip, completely at a loss. If Clark was willing to help you, you were sure you should let him. He said he was the old (Y/N)'s friend. 

"Aren't you sad?" you asked. "You lost your friend. She ran away!" 

He sighed and gave you a sad smile. 

"The old (Y/N) was always troubled. I'm sorry it is at your expense, but I'm glad she found where she wanted to be," he said. "I hope your world is all she dreamed it would be." 

You blinked at him, wondering if you should tell him that Texas was not exactly a paradise. She would probably end up in a hospital if she ran around trying to do magic.

Deciding not to, you got straight to business. "I guess if I'm trapped here, I should learn how things work," you sighed. "I don't expect you to help me for free. You don't know me. I'm sure I can find something to trade." 

His hand raised, and his thumb brushed your cheek. 

"I don't mind helping you," he said. "The village is rather boring, and I'd like to honor my friend."  

"I'll find something for you," you assured him, but he only gave you a bemused smile. 

"First things first, we ought to reintroduce you to the village," he said. "This is a small town. People will notice you are not the same. It's best to be direct. We’ll start at the doctor and make sure the soul transfer didn't harm you in any way." 

He stood, but you winced a bit. 

"Are you okay?" he asked. "In pain?" 

"No," you sighed. "Just nervous." 

He gave you a wide smile, revealing pointed teeth. 

"Do not be worried," he said. "I'll help you along." 

He held out a hand to you, and you took it. His fingers were long and strong with black nails. 

"Um…can I ask you something?" you asked as the two of you walked down a dirt path leading away from the house you woke up in. 

"You can ask me anything," he said. 

"I don't mean to be rude, but what are you?" you asked. 

He chuckled. 

"Of course, you would wonder," he said. "I’m a changeling.” 

You blinked at him. 

“Oh…I’m sorry, I don’t know what that means,” you said. 

He smirked. 

“I’m a type of fae,” he said, and before your eyes, his body morphed into something that looked like an orc, then a wolfman, then back to himself. “I change shape.” 

You gasped, blinking in disbelief. 

“Was that real?” you asked, forgetting yourself entirely and pinching his cheek. 

It felt like normal warm flesh. He gave you a playful smile, pinching your cheek back. 

“Yes, that’s all me,” he said. “I’m also a mage.” 

He held his palm up to the sky, and black fire burst from it. You jumped, squealing, and he quickly put it out. 

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to frighten you. This must all be very strange and new, hm?” 

You nodded and gave him a wan smile. 

“You’ll get used to it,” he said. 

You looked down at your hands. 

“Can I make black fire?” you asked, and he chuckled. 

“No, no, you are a simple nature spirit,” he explained. “Not to diminish your value. You are extremely valuable; every town wants flower, tree, and water nymphs, but your magic is limited to growing plants and blooming flowers. Most villages take your protection to heart as nature spirits aren’t common and are very delicate.” 

“Oh,” you said, not sure how to process that information. “I don’t feel particularly magical.” 

“It will come to you,” he assured you, taking your hand. 

The sound of people laughing and the creaking of carriages drifted through the trees, and soon you were walking through what looked like a quaint medieval village. Your heart pounded as Clark led you through the hustle and bustle, and you squeezed his fingers. He glanced down at your joined hands, his lips parting before he returned his gaze to the road. 

“Morning (Y/N)!” a man with horns curving over his ears and hooves for feet shouted. 

You gave him a wary wave, not wanting to be rude. Clark winked at you. 

“Don’t worry,” he said. “Once we visit the doctor, word will spread quickly.”

As you walked through the village, magical beings you’d only seen in storybooks went about their day. Fairies with gossamer wings fluttered about, and you even saw a centaur unloading crates off a cart. Clark stopped in front of a little shop with a heart on the sign. 

“Here we are,” he said, nudging you inside with a hand on your waist. 

You noted that the office was very messy, with books and scrolls filling the tables and shelves. 

“Doctor Meriel!” Clark called deeper into the building. 

“Be right there!” a female voice shouted, and a few moments later, a tall, lithe woman with pointy ears and pink skin appeared. 

Her white hair was pulled into a tight bun on top of her head. If you had to guess, based on your knowledge of fantasy books, you’d guess she was an elf. 

“Oh, hello (Y/N),” she said, then glanced at Clark.

Her eyes drifted down to your hands entwined, and she frowned slightly.

“Clark... Is everything okay?”

“I think we should speak in an examination room,” he said, and she nodded, waving him back. 

This room was spotless compared to the front office. Clark nodded for you to sit on the examination table, and he turned his attention to the doctor. 

“(Y/N) has gone through a soul swap,” he explained. “This (Y/N) comes from…”

He looked at you. 

“(Y/Country),” you filled in. 

Dr. Meriel’s mouth fell open, and she hurried over to you, her lips forming a deep grimace. 

“Oh dear,” she hummed, looking you over. “That can be jarring on the body. Who would have done such a thing?” 

She pulled a wand out of her coat, and the tip glowed. 

“Follow the light,” she said, holding it in front of your eyes. 

You followed her directions as she examined your vision, ears, and throat. 

“My guess is our (Y/N),” he said, and she turned to look at him, an eyebrow raising. 

“You don’t suppose it was because of Harri?” she asked. 

Clark shrugged. 

“Who is Harri?” you asked. 

Dr. Meriel gave you a worried look. 

“Um…he used to be a member of our village. He left for the capital to join the King’s guard,” she explained. “Goddess bless us. I certainly hope he stays there.” 

“Why?” you asked, and her mouth opened and closed.

She and Clark exchanged a glance. 

“Harri…isn’t a nice fellow,” Clark explained. “But you don’t need to be worried about him. He’s gone.” 

“Oh,” you said, wondering why they all seemed so concerned. “I’m sorry.” 

They both looked at you, miffed. 

“Why are you sorry?” Clark asked. 

You wrinkled your dress under your fingers, your eyes getting a little misty. 

“I feel like the other (Y/N) was well-loved,” you said. “I feel like I stole her from you.” 

“No, no, no, no, no,” Dr. Meriel said, giving you a comforting squeeze. “Don’t think that, dear. Of course, I’m sad that she is gone, but it’s not your fault. In fact, I’m a little angry with her. She forced you into a soul swap against your will. It…doesn’t seem like something she would do…but perhaps she felt desperate. It was not fair to drop you into this world so abruptly. Many people don’t handle that shift well. People go mad, convinced their world isn’t real. It can…get messy. What she did was quite cruel.” 

“Am I going to go crazy?” you asked, and she gave you a sympathetic smile. 

“I think if you’ve gotten this far and not melted down, you should be okay,” she said. “Most people lose it the moment they are presented with an entirely new world. However, if you begin feeling…off…please return. There are therapies we can try to help.” 

“Is she okay…physically?” Clark asked. 

Dr. Meriel sighed. 

“Yes, she appears to be perfectly fine,” she said. “I’ll inform the mayor that we will be welcoming a new (Y/N) into our town. It’s best you take things slow. Don’t try to do too much all at once. The last thing she needs is more stress. Perhaps save the introductions until the village has been informed of her…condition.” 

Clark nodded and helped you off of the examination table. 

“You can come back to my house, and we can have lunch,” he said. 

“Thank you, doctor,” you said to the elf before Clark shuffled you outside. 

“(Y/N)!” a cheerful orcess squealed the minute your feet touched the cobblestone of the main avenue. 

She picked you up and spun you around in her arms. 

“I was just at your house!” she said, glancing behind you at the clinic. “Is something wrong? Are you hurt?” 

You looked up at the tall female, her thick dark hair falling over her shoulder and her head shaved close on one side. 

“I-I’m sorry…I don’t-” you mumbled, not sure what to say. 

You had no idea who this person was, but they obviously knew the old (Y/N) very well. 

“Neia!” Clark said. “This…this isn’t (Y/N). Well, the (Y/N) you knew.”

Neia’s brow furrowed, and her face took on a thunderous look. 

“What the hell does that mean?” she barked, her large fists on her hips. “(Y/N) and I have been friends since we were kids. You know that. I think I know what my best friend looks like.” 

Clark put a hand on her arm. 

“Dr. Meriel was going to announce it to the town all at once, but the old (Y/N) performed a soul swap,” he said. “I’m sorry Neia, the (Y/N) you knew is gone.” 

Neia’s mouth fell open, and her eyes grew shiny. 

“That’s not true! You’re joking,” she turned to you, and you trembled under her gaze. “You know me! Tell me you know me!” 

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled, looking at your feet. “I’ve never met you before. I don’t really understand where I am.” 

Neia’s face fell.

“But…I’m your best friend,” she said, her voice scratchy with tears. “You wouldn’t…she wouldn’t do that without telling me!” 

“I’m sorry Neia,” Clark said gently. “That’s the way it is.” 

Her eyes narrowed on him, frowning. 

“(Y/N) would never do that,” she said, crossing her arms. “It couldn’t be. Someone else did this to her!” 

“I’m sorry,” you muttered, tears slipping down your cheeks. “I’d go back if I knew how, I promise.”

She blinked at you, her face softening slightly. 

“I-I’m sorry…I- this is probably terrifying for you…” she hummed, brushing a large hand over your head. “I just…I can’t believe-” 

Again, her gold eyes focused on Clark, full of mistrust. 

“I don’t believe (Y/N) would do that herself, Clark. I don’t buy it for a second,” she snapped. “Goddess, bless whoever the culprit is when I find them!” 

“We all just have to get used to it,” he said, shortly. “I miss (Y/N) too, but think of her feelings. This is all new to her. Please treat her kindly.” 

Neia huffed. 

“Of course I’m going to treat her kindly,” she hissed, then looked down at you, lifting your drooping chin with a finger. “You ought to come home with me.” 

She glared at Clark, then glanced at you, holding out a hand. 

“You shouldn’t be left alone with him,” she said. “My family knew the old (Y/N) well and can care for you. This one can’t be trusted!” 

You blinked at her, not sure what to say. You knew nothing about the social life of the old (Y/N). Would she have mistrusted Clark as well? You had no way of knowing except that the doctor hadn’t seemed concerned that you were together. 

“I don’t want to be rude,” you muttered, “but I don’t know you.” 

Her head snapped back as if you’d slapped her. 

“How long have you known him?” she asked. “A few hours at most?” 

“I-um…” you mumbled, unsure what to say. 

“You’ll get plenty of time with her,” Clark hissed. “She’s only just arrived, and you’re confusing her! The doctor said to keep introductions minimal until she’s informed the town. You’re not questioning Dr. Meriel, are you? She left her in my charge.” 

Neia frowned but pointed a finger at Clark. 

“You’re lucky Dr. Meriel is a kind soul, or I would carry her back with me on my shoulder,” she snapped. “If I catch you mistreating her, I won’t hesitate to end you. Doctor’s orders or not.” 

“Um…thank you for your concern,” you murmured, trying to diffuse the situation. “And…I’m sorry for your loss.” 

Neia gave you a sad smile. 

“Still a kind nymph, even from another universe,” she murmured. 

She shouldered past Clark, sure to knock him over with her bulk. He looked after her, annoyed, as he brushed himself off, getting to his feet. 

“Damn orcess,” he muttered under his breath. 

“She doesn’t seem to like you much,” you pointed out. 

He sighed and drew up a smile for you. 

“Changelings aren’t well-liked,” he said. “It’s a stereotype that we’re all spies and thieves. Neia always hated me. We’ve all grown up together…but her parents told her I was bad when her dad found me in the woods the same day she lost her younger sister during birth and…well, the legend is changelings steal babies. It’s all nonsense.” 

“I guess racism exists everywhere,” you sighed, feeling sad. “It must have been so hard to grow up as an orphan.” 

He gave you a long, gentle look. 

“Yes…it was difficult,” he agreed. “But that’s enough sad stories. I owe you lunch.” 

He pulled you by your hand through back allies, avoiding any more villagers, until you reached a small castle, much grander than any of the other buildings. It was built with bright blue stone, and people wandered around the courtyard doing chores dressed in navy uniforms. 

“This is where you live?” you asked, and he smiled as he pulled you through the front door. 

“Built it myself,” he said. “Being a mage is a rather prolific occupation.” 

“It’s beautiful,” you commented. 

He led you into the foyer, which was decorated with lovely, carved wood furniture and large tapestries depicting mythical beasts. You stopped at one, brushing your fingers over the gold threads. 

“This is all like it’s out of a dream,” you murmured. 

You felt the heat of Clark’s chest behind you and his arms wrapped around you. 

“I wish I could make it easier for you,” he said quietly, kissing the top of your head. 

You sucked in a breath, and the scent of incense filled your lungs. 

“You smell nice,” you murmured, and he gave you a squeeze before pulling you by your hand to what must have been the dining room. 

“What sort of things do you eat at home?” he asked, and you thought for a moment. 

“Most everything,” you said. “Meat and vegetables, rice, bread…the normal stuff, I guess.” 

He nodded and grinned. 

“Got it,” he said, disappearing into the kitchen. 

A few moments later, the scent of roasted meat drifted to you, and a short man emerged with two plates full of what looked like a roasted bird and some toasted roots. 

“That was so fast,” you commented. “But it looks delicious.” 

“Magic,” he said as he took his seat nearby. 

The man bowed to him silently and disappeared. You looked down at the food, unsure where to start. 

“Is something wrong?” he asked, frowning. 

You shook your head and blushed. 

“Is…is it okay to eat food with magic in it?” you asked, and he blinked at you before bursting into laughter. 

“There’s no magic in it,” he chuckled. “I just used magic to make it cook faster. It’s very safe. I’d never feed you something that would harm you, (Y/N).” 

You nodded, feeling rude. 

“Of course, you wouldn’t,” you said, taking a bite of the chicken. 

It was delicious, seasoned with rosemary. 

“Thank you so much for all your kindness,” you hummed, feeling happier the fuller your belly got. 

He gazed at you with a smile on his face. 

“I’ve waited so long to spoil you,” he murmured, and you blinked at him. 

“You have?” you asked, and he straightened, appearing as if he hadn’t meant to say that. 

“It’s nothing,” he muttered, then changed the subject. “I’ve been wanting to visit the capital to do some business. Perhaps you’d like to join me and see more of the countryside?” 

You had nowhere else to be and were curious to learn more about this land, especially what a city looked like. This little town was very different than what you were used to. You also felt very anxious about meeting more of the town, based on how Neia had reacted to you. The people already knew and loved the old (Y/N); you were simply an imposter. 

When lunch was finished, he showed you the many rooms of his mansion, seeming especially proud of his laboratory. 

“This is amazing,” you gasped, looking at the glowing liquids in glass vials. 

He had a real-life cauldron, bubbling away with something smelly inside. The notes he had posted to the wall were written in some strange language. You paused on a small painting sitting on the desk. It was of you. 

“What’s this?” you asked, pointing to the picture, and he blushed. 

“Oh…just a painting I had made long ago,” he hummed. “When I was an orphan, you were my only friend. Nymphs survive rather independently in the old wood. It’s a different place than the forests near our homes. We met when I was hiding from Neia and Harri, and I brought you into town. Convincing the younger you to stay was my path to acceptance in this village. Otherwise, I would have forever been an outsider.” 

“Why did you have to convince me?” you asked, and he sighed. 

“Um…it’s a little complicated. As I said, nymphs can survive easily in the old wood. The animals see you as a flower or a tree and are quite fond of you. That’s where most nymphs stay,” he explained. “They don’t like fussing around with our affairs. Convincing one to move into town and using their magic to support the economy is…challenging. 

You do more for us than we could ever do for you, and you have much more to lose by our hands. The earth, the water, and the forest are filled with wild magic and difficult to tame. Those who venture into the old wood, rarely return. Though I can heat food and conjur fire, I can’t make a meadow bloom or trees bear fruit. No spell I can perform will bring a fruitful harvest or cleanse a poisoned well. Only you can do that sort of magic. Nymphs bring food, plentiful game, and clean, fresh water. Some would capture you and try to force you to do their bidding.” 

“Oh,” you said, chewing your lip nervously. 

“Why did I stay?” you asked, and he smiled wistfully. 

“I’d like to think it was for me,” he said softly, “but I probably will never know the reason. Many things happened since you moved in. It would be hard to explain in a sitting, but that’s enough talk of a past you will never truly understand. We must think of the future now.” 

He hustled you out of his laboratory and out of a rear door, heading down a small path. 

“Where are we headed now?” you asked. 

“To your home,” he said. “You ought to pack. I was thinking we could leave tomorrow.” 

“What about the villagers?” you asked. 

He shrugged, looking away. 

“They don’t deserve you,” he muttered, looking bashful again as if he hadn’t meant to say that. “It will be fine,” he finally decided. “This is about you. Not them. They’ve had years with the old (Y/N). You must choose on your own if you would like to stay. Don’t feel pressured because they want you to be her. You are your own person with your own needs. You may like the capital or wish to return to the wood.” 

He stopped at your front door. 

“I need to go home and make some preparations,” he said. “Pack whatever you like; there is plenty of room for your belongings. We’ll be gone a month at least.” 

You nodded and smiled at Clark. 

“Thank you for your guidance,” you said. “I know Neia had bad things to say about you, but I appreciate your patience with me.” 

He gave you a somewhat sad smile and then folded his body down to peck you on the cheek. 

“Pack and then have a good rest,” he said before turning to head back towards his mansion. “I’ll come get you in the morning.” 

You spent the evening sorting through the old (Y/N)’s belongings. They were simple enough, clothes, potions for your skin and hair, combs, and other utilitarian items. You hoped you’d find a journal or some other diary to learn more about her, but there was nothing like that. 

By the time the sun set, you’d filled a bag with the clothes you’d found in a chest and whatever pots and bottles seemed useful. 

You were just about to lay down for bed when you heard the front door open. Heavy footsteps moved through the front room, and scared, you hid in the small closet. 

“(Y/N)?” you heard a heavy voice ask. It was not Clark’s, but deeper and more raspy. 

Whoever it was moved through the house slowly before a dark figure blocked the light from your bedroom. A large hand jerked you out of the closet, pulling you into the light. 

“Why are you hiding from your own fiance?” the stranger demanded in a sharp bark that made you tremble.

He was much larger than Clark, with gold skin. Shaggy blonde hair fell to his whiskered jaw. Blue eyes bore down on you. Though he was unnaturally large and wide, he looked rather human. 

“Who…who are you?” you gasped. 

He smelled awful, like sweat and burnt tires. 

Your question seemed to infuriate him. 

“What game are you playing (Y/N)?” he shouted, tossing you to the floor. “Hurry up and start some dinner, you stupid wench. I’m starving!” 

“Don’t throw me around, asshole!” you huffed at the man, pulling yourself to your feet. “I don’t know who the hell you are, but no one calls me out my name! Get the fuck out of my house!” 

The man loomed over you, looking furious. His gold skin turned red with rage. He jerked you up in his grasp, tossing you easily into the kitchen. Your shoulder hit the stove, making you shout as pain shot up your arm. 

“Don’t talk back to me, woman!” he snarled, stomping towards you. “I see you haven’t been properly disciplined since I left!”

A heavy hand came down on your cheek, making you see stars. 

“Keep arguing, and you’ll get worse!” he snarled, marching out of the room. 

You had no idea who this man was and didn’t appreciate getting tossed around and beaten. The moment he turned his back, you fled, wiggling out of the kitchen window. It was hard to find in the dark, but you managed to locate the path that Clark had walked you down from his house, sprinting down it. 

When you reached the blue stone building, you banged on the front door, frantically looking over your shoulder to ensure you hadn’t been followed. 

“Miss?” the short man from before asked, dressed in his pajamas when he opened the door. 

“Please, I need help!” you gasped, your cheek and shoulder still aching. “Some man showed up at my house and started tossing me around!” 

His eyes narrowed, and he glanced over your shoulder, hustling you inside. When you were past the threshold, he was certain to drop the large piece of wood that barred the door. 

“Come with me, Miss,” he said. “I’ll wake the master.” 

He set you on a plush couch in the living room and brought you a glass of something that smelled alcoholic. 

“Some brandy to help with the pain,” he said, his eyes dropping on your swollen cheek, then scurried away into the dark house.

A few minutes later, Clark came rushing in, picking you up and examining you from head to foot. 

“Harri came home, didn’t he?” he snarled, looking just as furious as the strange man. “Bastard must have failed his entrance exam.” 

“I don’t know who he was!” you gasped, tears leaking down your cheeks. “He said he was my fiance then slapped me. I climbed out of the kitchen window.” 

“Shhh, shh,” he said, scooping you up in his arms and carrying you toward his laboratory. “I’ve got something to help. I won't let him get to you.” 

He set you down on a chair while he gingerly examined your cheek with his fingers. 

“Who was he?” you asked as he looked through his potions for the right one. 

Clark took a few minutes before he answered. 

“Harri is the mayor’s son,” he said through gritted teeth. “He got it in his head you were meant for him and moved in. The old (Y/N) was incredibly kind. Instead of abandoning the town and escaping to the forest, she accepted him into her home, thinking if she gave him what he wanted, he’d be…kinder…I suppose. They had some sort of…silly moment when they were children that made her heart soft to him. She thought he was a misunderstood malcontent, not the abusive man he is.”

“Then why wasn’t he here when I woke up?” you asked. 

His cool fingers spread a spicy-smelling gel on your cheek. 

“He decided he was good enough for the King’s guard, and he went to take the examination,” he said. “My guess is he failed and came home in a bad mood.” 

“No one stopped him from abusing the old (Y/N)?” you asked, and he looked solemn. 

“He’s not the way he is with you with the rest of the town,” he grumbled. “They see a charismatic, charming man. He hides his temper well, and (Y/N) covered for him. He and Neia are very close. (Y/N) refused to let me…do anything about it. Only Doctor Meriel and I knew because she often treated the old (Y/N)’s bruises. She thought she loved him. She thought she could fix him. The whole town supported the match. They were going to be married when he was accepted into the guard.” 

“Is that why she soul-swapped me?” you asked, and he gave you a long look as if he were thinking deeply about something. “To get away from him without upsetting the town?” 

“Yes, that is likely,” he said but didn’t elaborate. 

“Well, I don’t want to be married to him,” you said, tears filling your eyes again.

“Where else does it hurt?” he asked, looking down. 

You rolled up your sleeve, and he also applied the soothing gel to your shoulder. 

“I won’t let him have you,” he muttered, gazing into your eyes with his stormy irises. 

You heard a banging and winced. 

“Stay here,” he said sharply, and before your eyes dissolved into a puff of smoke. 

You couldn’t just sit there waiting for something to happen, so you hurried back down to the first floor, peering out of one of the windows. Clark was standing in front of him, preventing him from entering

“Hand over my wife, changeling!” Harri barked at Clark.”I know you have her!” 

You would have been frightened to stare down such a massive man, but he seemed unmoved. 

“She’s not your wife,” he snapped back. “(Y/N) knows nothing of you. She doesn’t love you, and I’m sure she hates you after tonight.” 

“Of course she loves me,” Harri hissed. “She’s always loved me! You’re just bitter she didn’t pick you! Bring her out before I break the door down!”

“She came here to hide from you,” he said. “She doesn’t want to go back. You ought to drop this before you get hurt.” 

“Like you could hurt me!” Harri boomed, pulling a heavy sword from the sheath strapped to his back. “I’ve already called the town guard. It’s only a matter of time before we chase you out!” 

Clark chuckled. 

“You know she soul-swapped herself to get away from you,” he said, smug. “The (Y/N) you’ve abused tonight has no memory of the accident that tied you together. The old one left you for another world so she’d never have to see you again.” 

At that, Harri looked hurt before his face returned to a stony grimace.

“You have a lot of nerve calling it an “accident.” Just another one of your lies! All you’ve ever done is lie! I’ve told my father we ought to chase you out, and now I have a reason. This town should have never accepted a filthy changeling to start with!” 

Suddenly Clark morphed into a version of Harri, right down to his big sword. 

"You have a lot of nerve calling it an 'accident'," He jeered, parroting the real Harri's words. "You're just sour your own pitiful attempt to chase me out blew up in your face! The accident was letting you live! You've lost, just accept it."

Harri charged him, sword raised, and before your eyes, Clark transformed into some creature you’ve never seen before. It looked like a ghost floating above the ground but was solid. Long gnarled fingers were tipped with massive claws, and his mouth was impossibly wide, filled with razor-sharp teeth. His red eyes glowed, seeming eager for the fight.  

He easily knocked the sword Harri was clutching out of his hand, long claws slicing his skin like butter. 

You gasped as blood sprayed into the dirt, and the hulk fell to the ground, still hanging on to enough of his pride to glare at his enemy. 

“The town guard is coming!” he gasped, pressing his hand to his chest to slow the bleeding. 

Clark disappeared into a cloud of smoke again and appeared beside you. 

“I told you to stay put,” he growled,  back to his more humanoid form. 

“How could I?” you asked, and his face shifted from annoyance to soft concern. 

“Ready the carriage!” he boomed, his voice echoing through the mansion. “Quickly!” 

Servants appeared from seemingly nowhere, hurriedly packing bags and rallying the horses. 

“We need to leave now,” he informed you, pulling you by your elbow out the door. 

As you passed, you stared at Harri, who was panting in the dirt. 

“(Y/N) please! Whatever he’s told you is a lie!” he shouted at you, his voice losing its volume at the end. “You belong to me! You love me! That changeling has bewitched you!” 

His golden skin was going gray, and his chest heaved. You turned away from him, finding it hard to have sympathy for a man who’d thrown you into a stove the moment he returned home. Clark cradled your head as if to shield you in his arm as he led you to the carriage his staff was preparing. 

“Is he going to die?” you whispered when he’d settled you on the lacquered black carriage bench. 

He plopped down next to you, slapping the side, and you heard the driver click at the horses to drive them forward. 

“Not likely, unfortunately,” he snarled. “The bastard is half ogre. They heal quickly. He’ll tell his father I tried to murder him, however. Which is why we need to leave.”   

“How could the other (Y/N) decide to marry that guy?” you murmured, utterly confused. “He’s horrible.” 

“I don’t understand it either,” Clark said quietly, stroking your head with his arm wrapped around you. “As I said, the old (Y/N) was troubled.” 

He brightened a bit, smiling at you. 

“But you have a whole new life ahead of you, darling,” he said. “There’s no reason for you to live in her past. I should have never let you stay in this village in the first place. You don’t belong here.” 

You gave him a wan nod, leaning into his warm chest. There was so much happening around you that you didn’t understand, but Clark felt like an anchor in the storm. 

“Will they come after us?” you asked, and he shrugged. 

“I bespelled the carriage,” he said. “They cannot see us. You are safe.” 

“But what about all your things?” you asked. “Your laboratory?”

He smiled at you. 

“All of those things can be replaced,” he said. “Your life is far more important. There’s nothing to worry about.” 

“Where are we going?” you ventured, and he looked thoughtful. 

“To the coast, then we’ll take a ship out of Merida,” he explained. “Across the sea, there’s a province named Ilirion where you will be safe. Enough questions; you need to rest.” 

The last four words were said in an odd lilt, and you felt your eyes getting heavy. You notched your head in the crook of his neck, and his arm wrapped around you. You fell asleep, the spicy smell of incense filling your breath. 

[yayakoishii]

Before I send my request your way lemme tell you how much I loved reading your recent Sanji Fics!! I enjoyed them a lot!!

And as for a request, I don't have anything specific but a vague scenario in my head. The strawhats dock at a lone mysterious island. And they as usual disperse off to do their own things when Sanji happens to stumble upon the reader. Perhaps caught in some trouble, going around with a hidden identity? I'm sorry this is cringe. But it's been in my head for a while now. Whether this ends up interesting you or not, I just wanted you to know, it's been a lot of fun reading you! Have a good day! Or night :D

Unfortunate Encounters | Sanji x Reader

Fandom: One Piece

Pairing: Vinsmoke Sanji x Reader

Word Count: 5,997 (that's practically 6k)

Genre: Light Fluff, more Angst, happy ending ofc!

Warnings: Plot heavy, light swearing. Slightly ooc crew maybe? I'm still new to writing for OP, please excuse any mistakes!

A/n: First off, thank you so much for the sweet words anon ;-; they really made my day <3 As for the request, this was not cringe at all!! I got super into it and I had like 3-4 mental drafts of how this fic could go (the og ending was even more angsty lol, but I decided to cut back...) I may have focused too much on the 'lone, mysterious island' part because this was more plot heavy than romantic. The inner plot writer in me emerged because of your prompt; I'm not a romance writer so I struggle with that in this fic >< However, I did enjoy writing it so I hope you enjoy this one too! Thanks for sending such a fun request ❤️

also available on ao3!

The log pose had brought them to another island, but even before they had touched down, Sanji could feel something was up with it. The island just gave off some vibes he couldn't place and he wasn't one to chalk it off to a mistake. His intuition told him something was going to happen here.

"There doesn't seem to be a town here," Nami frowned, looking at the island. All they could see for miles and miles was a dense tropical forest, with trees that seemed larger than their usual size. When they got off the Thousand Sunny, Sanji realised that it was too silent. There were no sounds of birds or any animals that he could hear from the shoreline. "Be careful, guys."

They decided to separate and cover the island quicker. The log pose needed time to reset and it was a curious little island anyway. They could cover it within a day, maximum. Something in Sanji's gut twisted in protest but until he could explain it, there was no way he could stop the chaotic crew. So he let it be and started hacking a path to somewhere.

The trees were dense and the forest was dark, lit up on random intervals by sudden sunbeams that looked like nature's spotlights. Sanji hummed to himself as he studied the plants around him. He walked for a while, noting all the things he could use but not picking anything because the island just rubbed him off the wrong way. It felt dangerous to pick any part of it.

Sanji walked for a while, pausing only when he felt he had heard something – something that sounded like a rustle of leaves, but he couldn't sense a person. He couldn't sense anything but the wind, a gentle breeze drifting through the trees. Strangely, he had not yet come across any of the other Straw Hats either, even though he had been walking for well over an hour and the island wasn't that big in the first place.

There was another rustling, but this time, Sanji could feel a presence. Multiple ones, to be precise. He tensed and cautiously moved aside the curtain of vines blocking his views. The clearing revealed in front of him shocked him– it was like all the animals of the entire island had gathered in one place. And they were all looking at something that he couldn't see.

The moment he stepped in, the animals all turned to him, some of them baring teeth or growling and it was so much sound after so much silence that even Sanji couldn't help the shiver running along his back. A human shout of, "It's okay guys! I'm okay now!" distracted the animals and they turned back to whatever– or rather, whoever, they had been looking at.

Sanji held back, not quite sure what to make of the whole situation, until he heard a barely audible, "Disperse."

Almost like a flip was switched, the animals scattered and Sanji was left incredulously staring at the vines in the middle of the clearing, from where a figure gracefully jumped down. You straightened up and patted at your hair to check for any stray leaves or twigs before you walked over to him.

"An intruder?" You asked, smiling amusedly. "Been a while since we had one."

"That's a harsh word, beautiful," Sanji couldn't hold himself back from calling you that way, after he had gotten over his shock enough to note your features.

"Would you prefer 'uninvited guest'?" You cocked an eyebrow, not cutting eye contact as you straightened out your clothes.

"Ah, you hurt my poor heart," he said, a little bit dramatically as he leaned closer but still at a respectable distance. "Am I unwelcome in your home, goddess of these woods?"

"Wh-?" You couldn't help the chuckle that left your lips at his words. "You're quite something, alright. And as fun as you are, you really are unwelcome here, sorry."

"Why?" Sanji asked curiously. The entire experience felt like some weird fever dream to him, and he couldn't quite make head or tails of anything that was happening but the one thing he was sure of was that there was something about you that piqued his curiosity in all the ways.

"You can't stay on this island," you shrugged and walked past him, expecting him to follow you. Sanji did not fail, falling in step behind you as you started walking somewhere. "2 days, that's all you get. Any longer and… well, it's better if you don't find out."

"Alright, then I guess I'll let my crew know," Sanji sighed, figuring he wasn't getting any more out of you after seeing your guarded expression. The moment he finished his sentence though, you froze in your step and turned around to face him in horror.

"Did you just say… crew?" Your voice sounded a little hoarse and Sanji paused, looking at you in concern. "Please tell me your crew is not on the island."

"If I said that, it would be a lie, sweetheart," Sanji's brows furrowed even as he said it. Something was wrong. Your expression melted into one of full-blown panic, anger and horror.

"Not again!" You cried, burying your face in your hands.

"What's wrong?" Sanji would really, really like some answers today. The entire day had been confusing and eerie vibes and the growing chill in his stomach was now an unnecessary addition.

"What's wrong," you snapped, looking wild and terrified for a second, "is that your entire crew is fucking loose on a cursed island! If they do not get off this island in 3 nights, they will turn into animals and never, ever turn back to humans."

Sanji just stared at you for a few seconds before he dropped the unlit cigarette he had pulled out of his pocket. You were pacing around in circles and he had so many questions that he didn't even know where to begin.

"Then I'll just tell them when we all meet back?" He said unsurely except you turned to face him with eyes full of unshed tears.

"That's a great plan," you said a little sarcastically, "except for the part where this island is cursed and anyone who isn't an animal can't find their way out. Ever. They literally cannot find the way back on their own."

Sanji's jaw dropped. He stared back at you in equal parts horror.

"This has to be the Moss Head's curse spreading," he whispered to himself.

Half an hour later, the two of you were making your way through the dense foliage, exchanging questions and answers– although Sanji was the one doing the asking the most.

You had calmed down after finding out that the crew only had 9 members. You could probably find 8 people in less than 3 days. The island wasn't that big.

Sanji's first question was about how you weren't affected by the curse.

"Because I'm not fully human," you had replied off-handedly and not offered more. It only added to your mystery but despite all your secrets, Sanji could somehow feel inside him that you weren't a bad person. You were going out of your way to help out so that their crew won't turn into animals– if the curse didn't affect you, then you could have very well done nothing.

Then he asked about the other things on his mind. Were the animals in the forest also humans? To his horror, you had replied with a sad yes.

"The log pose doesn't take pirates to this island much," you had explained as you expertly and gracefully made your way over the thorny plants and overgrown roots. Your movement was almost like a mystical dance and Sanji couldn't take his eyes off of it, thankful that you were walking in front of him and couldn't see his ogling. "It's rare but it happens sometimes. Mostly single man boats tossed through storms end up here, but there's been two small crews who came here after me. There were already some animals on the island before though, and I'm pretty sure they were once humans too."

"And there's no cure for this?" Sanji swallowed, his heart hammering from a weird mix of fear, nervousness and excitement.

"Nothing as far as I know," you confirmed, pausing to close your eyes and feel something. "That direction, I can sense someone."

You ran over without waiting for Sanji and he was left to catch up by taking long strides. Before he could show himself though, he felt the presence close in on you and automatically moved in to defend you. His boots rammed against the blunt hilt of a familiar katana.

"Love cook?" Zoro's eyes widened in surprise and he immediately tucked his swords back in. Sanji ignored him in favour of ensuring that you were okay. He found you staring behind him curiously at Zoro, as if the swordsman fascinated you. It didn't mean anything, but it left him feeling a little irritated at Zoro. "Who's this?"

"Um." Sanji realised he had never asked you for your name. Or given you his.

"Inconsequential," you waved it off. "It's not like we're to know each other longer than a day or two. Let's just go and search for the rest. Blondie here can explain everything to you on the way."

"Sanji," he blurted out, reeling back when he saw your surprised face. "Forgive my insolence, sweetheart. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Vimsoke Sanji."

"Well, Sanji," you smiled at him, already walking like you knew where you were going, "get your friend to join us and follow me."

Gladly, his heart answered for him.

✿

You knew this was a mistake. It never ended well when you met other people and liked them. And as you collected more of the Straw Hats, you couldn't help but like them all more and more. You knew this was a mistake, but you couldn't bring yourself to regret it because you knew that if you didn't help them, they would be cursed too.

You had eventually acquiesced and given them your first name, careful not to offer your last name in case any of them recognised you. Zoro seemed to be staring at you quite frequently, but maybe it was just a Straw Hat thing? Sanji had been staring at you the whole time too. Or maybe you looked hideous and they were all politely staying quiet. You didn't quite know, but the thought of looking terrible in front of them (in front of that beautiful blonde boy) was a little mortifying to you.

All those thoughts took a backseat though, because you were on a mission. By the time evening rolled around and the sky had turned to pitch black darkness, you had found a cyborg and a rubber man called Luffy, who was the captain of the ship. He didn't really feel like a captain, or somebody who commanded everyone, but the Straw Hats didn't seem like a typical group of people. They were… unique.

"Let's stop for tonight," you said after assessing the darkness. Of course, you could see everything clearly even in the darkness, but they didn't need to know that. The less they knew about you…

"Shouldn't we keep going?" Zoro asked, looking around.

"Trust me, we're better off waiting the night out," you answered, already settling into the clearing for the night. You had to get a fire going and find food and there were things to be done.

"So I can't eat the animals?" Luffy pouted for the fifth time, asking the same question.

"No, Luffy," you sighed, waving a stick at him. "They might look like animals, but they are people. Please don't kill them or try to eat them."

"They won't attack our crewmates, would they?" Sanji asked, looking worried. You finally managed to light a fire and carefully structured a ring of stones around it to ensure it won't get out before answering.

"The curse lets them have their brain for most of the time," you fidgeted on the spot. "But sometimes, if you harm them, or if they get really hungry, or, y'know… their animal instincts kick in and then they are more animal than human. But it's rare, and won't happen if you don't harm their survival."

The crew fell silent and you watched them whisper amongst themselves a bit. They probably wanted to talk things out, so you got up and said you would go grab something to eat.

"Please don't leave this clearing," you warned them as you walked away. "Finding you again would be so much trouble."

You heard footsteps following you though and turned around to find Sanji trailing behind you.

"Sanji?" You asked, confused. His tall, lanky figure in the forefront of the golden orange light spilling from the fire you started was a picturesque scenery that left your heart thumping a little louder than usual.

"Would you be okay with some company?" He asked quietly. "I'm a chef, so I could probably help you gather some food."

"Alright," you nodded. The two of you walked a while in silence until you found the spot where there were a bunch of large fruits and flowers that you started gathering. Sanji observed what you collected in the little moonlight that was shining through the trees, but you could see him struggling.

"You can see in the dark?" He asked after a beat of silence.

"Mm," you were exhausted from the day. Lying and avoiding things was tiring as it is, and you really weren't in the mood to play the game. If Sanji knew who you were… would it really be that bad? He had been kind so far, always at a respectable distance but with honeyed sweet words that tugged at your heartstrings. You had never had anyone flirt with you, but Sanji was the first. And it left you feeling giddy and warm, the attention he gave you without losing any of the respect and your need for secrecy. If he knew… would he hate you?

Sanji didn't say anything for a while, just offered up his arms for you to stack all the food you had collected.

"Who else is remaining?" You asked, finding the silence was eating at your insides. You had spent so long in silence. And now that you had people around again, you wanted to make the most of it before they had to leave. Just for a while, you could forget and pretend that you're one of them. Just for a while.

"Nami-san, Robin-san," Sanji said, "Brook and Chopper. Wait, Chopper!"

Sanji clapped his hands like he had just thought of something. You looked at him curiously.

"Chopper is a reindeer," Sanji said hurriedly.

"You have a reindeer in your crew…?" You were confused. The Straw Hats were definitely one of a kind, alright.

"He ate the Hito Hito no Mi so he can talk and walk," Sanji explained. "He's our doctor but that's not important right now. He's an animal, right? So he wouldn't be affected by the curse?"

"Highly likely that he isn't," you confirmed.

"Which means he must be the only one back on the ship," Sanji murmured to himself. That's one person (animal?) less to search for, you mused. "He must be scared."

"I hope he's okay," you said quietly. The animals on the island knew each other well. If Chopper ran into them… You didn't really know what would happen. Animals could be scary when they were territorial.

The two of you finished collecting as much as you could carry and walked back, and you asked Sanji to tell you about their adventures. He indulged you, colouring a vivid and humorous picture of the crew in the short while it took you two to get back.

You came back to find Zoro sleeping on his side while Luffy was springing around in the clearing, howling about being hungry and crying for Sanji. Franky sat against a tree, fiddling with something on his body that you didn't wait to see despite your curiosity.

As Sanji started portioning the food to serve to everyone, you stood back and watched the crew interact quietly. It was strange, how at home you felt with them despite not knowing them– but you attributed it to your loneliness.

Even if you wanted to be one of them, you could never curse them like that.

The next morning, you found Nami at the top of a tree. You had seen her when gathering some flowers for breakfast, asleep. You decided to get Sanji to recognise her before you woke her up and got her down. Seeing Sanji fawn and fret over her made you insanely jealous; but you forced it down under a smile and led them back to the camp that had already been cleared up.

You gave the crew a few minutes to catch up and celebrate before you started the search again.

"So…" you searched for a topic as the six of you trudged through the forest. "A reindeer, a cyborg, a gum man, an ex-pirate hunter… Who should I expect next?"

"A skeleton!" Luffy excitedly yelled as he swung past you on the vines, nearly making you stumble from the shock.

"A… what?!" You turned to stare at Sanji in shock, who just smiled softly and shrugged.

"Brook is…" he explained the whole story without getting tired and you couldn't help but be fascinated by everything. The more you learned about them, the more they intrigued you, the more you wanted to beg them to let you join them. But you didn't let those thoughts come to life in words, just helping them find the said skeleton from where he was surrounded by some of the island's animals growling at him.

"Down, guys," you shouted and the animals immediately backed off, all staring at you with innocent eyes that made you huff in laughter. "Don't pull that on me, I just saw you. I know you mean well but it's a little scary when you're surrounded by animals."

One of the deer whined and bumped its snout into your hand. You could feel the Straw Hats staring as you petted it and whispered it to leave the skeleton to you. When the animals had dispersed, you shot a grin at Brook.

"Hi there!" You held out a hand, "It's my first time meeting a skeleton!"

Once the pleasantries were out of the way, you started covering the northern part of the island. It was the only place remaining, aside from the centre. You found Usopp and Chopper there, the two of them hugging each other and bawling.

As it turned out, Chopper had in fact gone back after finding nothing on the island only to find out that no one else had returned. So he had stayed the night in the ship and then came back in search of the others even though he was scared.

"That was very brave of you," you patted him on the head. The reindeer blushed and glared at you.

"I'm not pleased by that at all!!" So he said, but you could see the smile on his face. With almost all of them collected, you started your way to the centre of the island when you heard the clouds rumble.

The sky was full of grey clouds and you were ready for rain, since this was the season on the island.

"There's an underground cave near here," you told the crew as you led them through the thick canopy of trees. "I usually go there when it rains so let's wait it out before we search for… Robin, was it?"

Zoro grumbled something about constant waiting but you chose to ignore it. You knew this island better than any of them. Rains were harsh and the droplets were like bullets on the skin. You couldn't find Robin on the way to the cave but when you reached its opening which looked like a hole in the ground, surrounded by overgrown grass, you felt a presence inside.

The last Straw Hat member was inside the cave, much to all of your relief. This time, you truly stepped back and let the crew reunite, feeling like a true outcast for the first time. Your time together with them was over. Once the rain was gone, they would be out of here and you would be alone again.

Except Sanji turned to you and offered you his hand to invite you into their awkward group hug that Usopp had initiated. You didn't want to intrude but they all looked at you with similar grins and smiles and you couldn't hold it back. You joined them, savouring your first hug in years.

✿

As it turned out, the runes you had found on one of the walls of the cave actually had some sort of meaning that Robin had been able to decipher in the while she had spent in the cave. She had apparently found the cave the previous night and stayed in, then worked on the runes in the morning when she found them.

"It's about a curse on this island," she explained. "Like (y/n) already told us, if anyone spends 3 nights on this island, it turns them into an animal forever. There's a piece of it missing at the end, but the last line says 'the answer lies in the satisfaction of life and a prayer answered'."

"What does that mean?" you asked, confused.

"I'm not really sure," she admitted, running her fingers over the runes. The whole crew mulled over the words as you waited for the rain to stop. You didn't join into the conversation, just letting your mind work quietly with their suggestions as background.

Satisfaction in life… A prayer answered… None of it seemed to make sense. The Straw Hats didn't need to help the animals out, but they were still trying to figure it out. The crew was clearly good at heart and you were glad that you helped them out, even though you would only be left with hurt after they were gone. That pain was worth it.

A squirrel scampered up to you while you listened; the rain outside seemed to be slowing down. You knew the squirrel was the girl around your age who had ended up on the island after a shipwreck. You scooped her up and let her sit on your hand, where she tried to shake off the water from her soaking body. The water sprinkled onto you and you let out a fake indignant "hey!" that made her laugh. Not that you had ever seen squirrels laugh, but you could always understand the animals on the island.

"We found something here," you said quietly to her, bringing her close to wipe off some of the water from her body. "It could be an answer to turning you all back to humans."

She tilted her head and stared at you.

"But none of us understand the riddle," you continued, feeling apologetic to them. You had been the only person on the island who was unaffected by the curse, so you felt like it was somehow your responsibility to help them all turn back. And yet, you had failed at that over and over again. Saira, as the girl's name had been, simply shook her squirrel head and placed a tiny paw on your chest where you had tucked her close.

"It's alright," you could hear her saying in your head. To the others, it probably sounded like a bunch of squeaks. "It's not that bad. I long gave up hope of turning back. Being a squirrel is not that bad. Being able to spend everyday with you who looks out for all of us… I'm happy. All of us are."

Your chest swelled with the emotions and for the first time in a long while, tears streamed down your cheeks. You had held it all in for so long, not wanting to burden the helpless creatures that always kept you company. But knowing their faith in and love for you made your insides warm.

"All we want is for you to be happy too," Saira continued, turning her head to look at the crew. You glanced at them, noticing that Sanji was looking over at you two. "I know you. Go with them."

"I can't," you said in a choked whisper. "Even if they let me, I can't do that to them. I'm not… I'm a curse, Saira. I can't risk it."

The squirrel looked at you helplessly as you cried a little more. Eventually, you wiped away the tears and let your eyes shut to listen to the pitter patter of rain outside. Saira scrambled off your body and over to Sanji, who had watched you the whole while but hadn't heard what you had said.

When you opened your eyes, the rain had stopped. You looked around blearily, and found the Straw Hats all lying around, looking upset.

"You guys should have woken me up when the rain stopped," you said, rubbing your face as you stood up. "Come on, you must be missing your ship, yeah?"

"(Y/n)," Sanji started, looking a little nervous. You looked at him quizzically, but Zoro spoke up before he could say what he wanted.

"Or should we say Kuroneko no (Y/n)?" The familiar words made you freeze in horror. "Harbinger of Death? A 30 million bellies bounty."

"That's…" You took an involuntary step back, bumping into the cave wall. They knew. They knew the secret you had tried so hard to hide. They knew… and they were still looking at you with badly hidden curiosity and grins. None of them looked scared, or upset anymore, like they had been when you were asleep. "I'm… I don't want to lie. That's me. But I swear, I'm not going to do anything. I mean, I don't even actually do anything, all of those incidents just happened–"

"(Y/n)," Sanji placed a hand atop your head, effectively stopping your rambling. You looked up at him, afraid to see him look at you differently, but if anything, his eyes had only become softer. "It's okay. I wish you had told us before, but we get it."

"You do…?" Somehow, it felt too good to be true. People were usually upset when others lied and kept secrets. The secret of who you were could essentially have been a matter of life or death. Kuroneko no (y/n), or rather, Black Cat (y/n) was a name based on your Devil Fruit powers that let you turn into a cat. But they were also a result of you being the only survivor in 4 separate incidents– the annihilation of your home island, the mass genocide in a war town country and the two small crews you had once been a part of. Every single time, all the people had died and you were the only one alive left behind. You had never belonged anywhere, so how could you believe now would be any different?

"It must have been very lonely," Robin's sorrowful eyes reflected that she understood you on some level. You didn't know what to think or feel, unwilling to let yourself hope for anything beyond acceptance.

"It was," you admitted, more to yourself than to them. You had never let yourself truly dwell on the thought, but you had been so, so lonely. "I won't stick around for long. I'll take you to your ship and you'll be free of this island's curse, and of my own. So if–"

"Your curse?" Sanji looked at you, confused.

"It's not exactly a curse," you hesitated, "but there's nothing else I can call it for why… the people I care for end up dead."

"That's not true," Luffy frowned, walking over to you. "Everyone here is still alive. Everyone on this island is alive, we are alive. You are not cursed."

"You were like a blessing in disguise," Usopp said from where he stood, not looking you in the eyes. "I was of course not afraid at all, considering my heavy list of achievements, but you brought us all back together."

"I'm…" you didn't know what to say, feeling overwhelmed.

"You're not cursed, sweetheart," Sanji gently held up your hand, squeezing it to comfort you. "You just had a string of… unfortunate events."

Sanji's struggle to find the right term made you let out a small giggle. Maybe you should extend a hand. Maybe this time…

"Maybe I'm not cursed?" You said hopefully, looking up into his clear blue eyes. Sanji nodded, carefully tucking back a lock of hair behind your ear. The action made you flush, suddenly realising the proximity you two were in.

A flash of light startled all of you and you turned around to find Saira, the human, standing in the place of where the squirrel was. The girl was staring at her own hands and body, like this was a dream. You blinked, unable to believe your eyes either.

Outside the cave, you could hear shouts. Human shouts.

"What just-?" You ran out to find the people who had been turned into animals were back to human. "How…"

"Satisfaction of life and a prayer answered," Robin's voice from behind you was startling. You turned to look at her, and she smiled down at you. "Perhaps the answer was just for the animals to be happy with who they are, with no regrets."

"Then… Then why didn't it change them back before?" You said, voice barely above a whisper.

"Perhaps their prayer wasn't answered back then," she placed a hand on your shoulder and patted it. Did she mean that it only happened now because your one wish through life had been answered? To be free of the curse you had…

With much enthusiasm, the crew got out of the underground cave and everyone was celebrating. The sight of everyone back made you feel like this was the happiest day of your life. You participated in it, letting yourself enjoy the moment without worrying or thinking of anything.

The sun was already setting when the party started and it went on for hours as everyone laughed and danced and ate. (If you were fascinated by how much Luffy could eat, you kept it to yourself to be polite.) It was probably getting close to midnight when Sanji sought you out to where you were sitting by yourself and just watching everyone with fond eyes.

He didn't say a word at first, just sat down next to you. At that distance, you could feel the warmth of his body and you subconsciously leaned closer to the source. For the first time in a long while, your heart felt at peace.

"How did you end up on this island?" Sanji's question made you look over at him. He wasn't demanding an answer, just looking down at you with deep blue eyes that seemed to flash golden as they reflected the bonfire.

"I was on the run from the Marines around a year ago," you hummed, feeling safe and comfortable enough in his presence to finally talk about yourself. After years of not being able to share anything with anyone, it felt freeing to tell him something even as simple as this. "I had just escaped the battle between the crew I was in and this one big pirate ship that I don't even remember anymore. I was wounded but I reached this island on a small boat somehow with a half broken log pose. I shifted into my cat form, which looks less like a cat and more like a black jaguar if anything, to ensure that no one recognised me– because my full transformation is not known by the Marines. I stayed in that form for quite a while, too scared and shaken at that time to turn back into human. Only after a few days of exploring the island did I realise there are no humans here.

"I thought… if there was any place I could not affect anyone with my curse, it would be here. Away from any humans who would get affected by it. At that time, I didn't know about the curse. Looking back on it, I suspect that maybe the curse never affected me because I was in my animal form for 3 nights. Or maybe it was just because that form is like my second skin. I was never disappointed or dissatisfied with it. I only found out about the curse after Saira came on the island and turned into a squirrel. And then two other pirate crews."

"That must have been hard for you," Sanji's voice was quiet but there was no way you could miss the low timbre of it over the excitement all around you. Not when it was the same voice that set your heart off; you wanted to hear everything he had to say. Wanted to know him more and more, as much as he would let you. "(Y/n)-chan."

"Mm?" You turned to look at him, breathless at the proximity from where you could no longer smell the perfume he smelled of the first time you met. The smell coming off him now was something purely him. It was a little intoxicating when coupled with the warm atmosphere and the gooey feeling in your stomach.

"Would you… like to join us?" Sanji seemed a little nervous asking you that. The question gobsmacked you and you stared at him. He… wanted you to join them? As a part of the crew? "I asked Luffy and he said that if you want it, then he's all for it."

"Sanji…" you bit your lower lip, unsure once again. Even though you felt free of the curse, the mentality couldn't be erased in a day. The what ifs, the fear, the apprehension was all still there. "What if we're wrong, though? What if I really am cursed and this has just been a really long build-up to something worse? I might be a risk to your–"

"You're not," Sanji interrupted you for the first time since you had met. The quiet but firm determination blazing in his eyes surprised you. "I believe in you. (Y/n)-chan, if you would let me, I would gladly prove it to you by staying by your side for the rest of your life. I'll stay alive and well, and show you that it's not your fault. I'll be by your side to the very end, so place your fears in my hands and… trust me on this, even if you don't trust anything else."

That little crush you had developed on him at the start seemed to blow up in that moment into a gigantic furnace of emotions. He was ready to take the risk of death, and saying every word with such sincerity that any inhibitions you had went out the window. You couldn't stop yourself from wanting him any longer– he was like the sun, taking your world by storm.

"Really?" You didn't realise when the tears started streaming down your face until his gentle hands came up to wipe them. "You'll stay?"

"I will," and that genuine sincerity was something you couldn't help but believe in. "I will be there for you, as long as you need me."

"Sanji." His name felt both urgent and at ease from your lips.

"(Y/n)-chan," he whispered, voice open and vulnerable again. "Do you… want to be a part of the Straw Hats?"

You swallowed and wondered if you really deserved this much happiness after everything. Yet the moment you looked into his eyes, you felt like there was nothing you could do but be a moth chasing the sun– running after something that you knew will only end up in flames.

"I do."

°•❀•°

[oh-snapperss]

is this entertaining?

<Join Game?> 

The text on his communicator is odd–Mumbo can’t remember the last time he had been asked to join a server, not since Xisuma had sent him the invitation to Hermitcraft. Ever since, season hops had been done differently, with Xisuma sending the server address privately so that Mumbo could join on his own time. Nothing else about the day seemed off–the sun shone brightly overhead, with the ancient monument casting shadows over half his shulker boxes. The vines growing over it seemed to have gotten twice as long overnight, which Mumbo personally felt added to the atmosphere of his base. 

Then again, that didn’t really matter now, did it? Season seven was coming to a close, and most hermits had already headed offworld to visit private servers, other friends, or just explore. The ones left were simply wrapping up, preparing for the move to season eight. Grian hadn’t left yet–Mumbo was sure he’d stop by later to check in first. 

Except–

<Grian left  the game>

Mumbo frowns, his eyebrows creasing. Surely Grian hadn’t just left? 

<GoodtimewithScar left  the game> <Etho left  the game> <Bdoubleo100 left  the game>

That…that was odd. For a fraction of a second, Mumbo glances down at the glowing purple text still taunting him on his communicator and wonders. 

And then he tucks it away with a shrug. Whatever the invite, he had no idea what it was, so maybe he’d ask X about it later. Or something. 

The others would be back soon anyway. 

They would. 

--------------------------------------

<Join Game?>

Oh, hell. Mumbo stares down at the purple text, not nearly as confused as he had been last time. 

Season eight was underway, with the Boatem crew growing closer and closer. Mumbo had found out fairly quickly what the glowing text meant when Impulse, Grian, and Scar had seemed distant, only for Grian to come flying into his bedroom late one night in tears. 

“A game…” Grian had whispered, face tucked away into Mumbo’s chest. In the moment, Mumbo’s face was a mixture of bafflement and concern for his friend, but as Grian had whispered out his actions, whispered out the alliances and deaths and kills, he’d started to understand. 

Now, Mumbo stands, gazing down at it. Easy decision. Not pressing that join button. And he was quite sure nobody else would press it either, not following the aftermath of the first game. 

But then again, Mumbo should have known Grian couldn’t ever turn down a chance to press a button. 

He should have known that to some it was only ever a game to some, should have known that it had never been a game to others, should have known there was unfinished business drawn in the sands of a desert he’d never been to. 

<Etho left  the game> <Bdoubleo100 left  the game> <ImpulseSV left the game> <Grian left the game> <GoodtimewithScar left the game> <PearlescentMoon left the game> <Renthedog left the game> <Tango left the game> <ZombieCleo left the game>

“Seriously?” Mumbo feels lightheaded, watching the chat fill almost instantly. “Whatever for?” 

The other hermits are talking, wondering and worried. Mumbo should join them, chime in with what he knows. 

Instead he does what might quite possibly be just his dumbest decision he’s ever made, and that’s saying a lot. 

<MumboJumbo joined the game>

--------------------------------------

<Join Game?>

“We can still be friends, Mumbo!” Grian’s crazed smile doesn’t slip from his face as he stalks forward, pickaxe clutched in his hand so tightly Mumbo can see it shaking. “There’s a way we can still be together!” 

That text shouldn’t be there. He’d disabled any and all chat messages from his comm the moment he’d arrived on the singleplayer world he’d found. 

He’s alone, he’s on a world right at the edge of the universe, somewhere caught between the past worlds and ones not yet created. There’s experimental elements, plants Mumbo is sure shouldn’t exist in the overworld or any realm, combined with elements that he’s also sure disappeared many, many servers ago. The world itself is unstable, and it’s perfect. Nobody would think to look for him here, and in this way, Mumbo can have his much needed solitude. 

He’d reassured Grian it had nothing to do with Last Life. 

It didn’t. That was months ago, after all! Months! And they’d been on season nine for weeks! Moon crash and all that aside, he was quite alright, he just needed a break. 

And it had absolutely nothing to do with Last Life. 

Definitely. 

So when he takes his communicator and tucks it into a shulker with shaking hands, before deciding to explore the opposite side of the world instead of even thinking about clicking that damned Join Game? button…it’s only because of his interest in the experimental elements. 

He wonders how many of them went back this time. 

--------------------------------------

<Join Game?>

“No thanks, I’m good mate!” Mumbo shakes his head, already turning back to the flooring of his definitely full vault. 

(Although…) 

“No, no,” Mumbo keeps his hands away from his communicator. He knows at this point nearly everyone will go back, having heard about it from Grian and the others when he’d come back from his break. Honestly, he still doesn’t get it. Out of everything they could be doing, between base work and pranks, he can’t imagine why everyone consistently chooses to go back. It doesn’t make sense. 

Maybe he ought to ask someone other than Grian, since his friend seemed to enjoy them in some sort of sick, twisted way–almost as if the red life in him had never fully left after enough times. 

But not this time. 

--------------------------------------

<Join Game?>

One more time. He just wants to understand. 

And maybe…maybe he missed using those end crystals more than he’d like to admit. 

<MumboJumbo joined the game>

W̵̱̻̭͇͎͚͚͕͇̣̲͚̤͇͔͑͆̋̑e̵͔̞̮̹͓͗̍̐̿̊̓̀̔̉ͅl̸̢̡̲̯͚̭̺̝̞̘̇̐͗̐c̴͔̯̟̭͔̠̝̦̻̮̜̟͕̪̠͋̉̾̑͂͐̾͑ơ̵͎̭̟̹̪̦̳̻̮̩̥͉͖̹̑̊͋̈́̔̍̃̄̈̕̚m̶̨̛͖͕͇͕̬̟͍̪̾͋̊͆́̃̓̀̽͝e̵̬͎͌̆́̊̆̎͐̿̂̕͠ͅ ̴̧̡̡̛̘̥̮̗͓̞͕͇͈̺̫͊͛͑̉͑̾̂̍͂̎̓̚͝͝b̷̨͍̲͓̖͎̣̉́́̾͋͑͊̄͋̏̈́͂̃̕ḁ̸̡͙͚̬̜̫̔̑̏̓̀̇́̅̈́͋͒̈̒̚͠c̵͓̰͈̙̼̝̺̪̱̍̍̋́͊̏͊̕ͅk̶̬̘̦̟̙͖̩̭͇̻͇͚̥͊̒͐͑͐̕͝!

this is an addition to this fic!

[adore-laur]

GOLD RUSH: EPILOGUE

— part one | part two | part three

——

Four Months Later

Spectral shadows now haunt the vacant house in Tennessee. They are ones of yourself and Harry appearing as nebulous figures wistfully retracing the steps of every memory played out in each room. 

Every wall you were sensually backed into. 

Every floor you collapsed onto with heartache. 

Every dark corner that sheltered your fears. 

The wilted vines of romance that grew under the carpet and ascended toward the roof are surely felt by whoever exists there now, trapping their feet and trying to pull them down into their depths of despair. Their once vibrant color pales from perennial neglect, and they yearn for a single drop of love. 

The two lovers are no longer the providers of such an arduous task. 

You have broken free from the poison ivy and moved to untethered fields. The deadly nightshade that crawled over your body is no longer lethal, and your stitched heart is now thriving with unburdened lungs. Harry willingly took the needle and delicately sewed each open wound with threads of honeysuckle and lavender, patiently waiting for the crevices to bond back together until they blossomed into feelings of certainty and candor. He never pushed the process, always letting you grow at your own pace and sharing his sunlight when you needed it most. 

You adapted nicely to the new soil. You left your dirt behind and pulled up your roots to bury them elsewhere. Somewhere more nurtured with eternal blue skies. 

Harry's roots have always been grounded, so the day he left his home pierced thorns in all he's ever known and left him bleeding until you tore off your petals of armor to seal the gash. The cure was in you all along.

You wonder where he is now. 

As you sit alone on the late January grass, no snowfall settling across the blades in rural South Carolina this time of year, you miss his warm presence beside you. The knitted cardigan you wear replaces his skin, the breeze finding secret passageways through every petite hole in the fabric. Your arms, terribly sore from moving boxes all day, could use his own wrapped around them. 

The lake past the lush, rolling hills is grey from the reflection of the clouds above, and the water looks inviting. No other house can be seen for miles. It's what you've dreamed of — a perfect place to start afresh and continue raising your family away from camera flashes and prying questions. You have privacy at last. 

A sudden soft plucking of guitar strings draws you from your thoughts. The acoustic melody plants seeds in your bones, coursing through the marrow until they lovingly consume your soul.

There he is. 

Music follows him wherever he goes. Even when an instrument is absent from his versed hands, he still carries a symphony with his words. Either sung or spoken, they slip off his tongue with entrancing ease. 

"Look what I found," Harry says in a way that exudes childlike wonder. 

You smile and turn your head, finding him treading toward you while wearing your cardigan and holding a green resonator guitar by its neck. The heavy black case is in his other hand. 

"What box was that in?" you ask, admiring how his hair blows in the wind. It falls into place perfectly. 

"The huge one that I totally didn't have trouble carrying." He smirks at you, narrowing his beautiful green eyes. The light in them is finally back.

Laughing, you watch him set the case down next to you before sitting on it. He then places the guitar on his lap, its curve naturally fitting along his thigh. "Wonder if it's still in tune," he murmurs, twisting the tuning pegs and strumming random chords with his jeweled fingers. 

You're waiting for him to mention how you kept it even through the divorce, but it never comes. You should have a little faith in him for not bringing up that withered phase of life, but it was so miserably monumental that it permeates your mind anyway. 

"Hi," Harry whispers with a hint of shyness as if he's acknowledging you for the first time. You bask in his natural incandescence. 

"Hi. I wanted to talk to you about something." 

He inhales and nods, absentmindedly playing a few dissonant chords. "Okay." 

"I know this move has been hard on you," you say while looking into his eyes, "and I just want to know how you're feeling." 

The fatal flaw in your relationship's early stages was lack of communication. A bit ironic, considering marriage is built on the mere foundation of it. Perhaps that's why it didn't work out the first time. 

"I feel good." He lightly slaps his hand on the guitar to stop the strings from vibrating. "Really good, actually." 

You could cry from relief. "Yeah?" 

His lips quirk up. "Yeah. I obviously miss Nashville, but I'm starting to love it here." 

You nod understandingly. "It's quiet, you know? So different from the city." 

"I think this move is exactly what we needed. To leave all those bad memories behind." 

Leave your dirt behind. Bloom somewhere new. 

"Can I say something I don't tell you enough?" you ask, tucking strands of windswept hair behind your ears. 

Harry lays the guitar down and begins picking at the dead grass by his feet. "Will it make me cry?" 

"It'll probably make me cry." 

He looks at you for a moment before patting his lap twice. "C'mere. I don't like it when you're far away." 

You stand and then settle sideways on his thighs, his arms instantly circling around your waist. His touch is something that took you a while to allow yourself to accept. It started with longer hugs and holding hands, then soft and lingering kisses on the cheek. They all led to bigger things like kissing his heart-shaped lips and letting his hands rest on your hips or neck. Making out like teenagers on the couch to make up for lost time felt more purposeful than ever. It felt different this time around, more significant. His touch was a telltale sign the petals could still be saved from wilting and falling to the frozen ground. 

It was a slow blossoming of sprouts, but he was understanding. That's all you could've asked for. 

"What's on your mind, baby?" Harry quietly asks. 

Unwarranted tears form in your eyes as you look at the man you almost entirely let go of. When your gaze traces the features of his face, you wonder how you would have lived without him. How does someone possibly keep from loving him? You're glad you didn't fall victim to that. 

"I just... I'm so proud of you," you shakily whisper, a teardrop sliding down your cheek. 

Harry's chest deflates. He breaks eye contact, visibly swallowing and rolling his lips in before responding, "I know you are. You've never made me doubt it." 

"But it's not just with your job. Even when we weren't together, I was proud of who you were." 

"You shouldn't have been. I was a mess." 

You shake your head. "The way you still tried to mend things while grieving is something to be proud of, Harry. You should be proud of yourself." 

"I did it because I love you," he says with shimmering eyes. "I did it for her." 

Her, meaning your daughter. She's away with your grandparents for the day while you and Harry unpack and set up the necessary furniture. He does everything for her, and you firmly believe she was the single ray of light in his phases of deep depression. 

"I know, but I was worried about you. No matter how angry I tried to be, I still cared about you so much." You take a deep breath before continuing, "When you would come over during the first few months," — you pause and let out a weak sob — "you scared me. You didn't look like yourself, and it fucking terrified me. I remember your cheeks were so... so hollowed." 

Harry looks out at the lake, almost ashamed. His thumbs rub soothing circles on your hips, and you've never been more grateful to see the supple apples of his cheeks today. 

"We never really know grief until it happens to us," he says, laying his head on your shoulder. "I didn't eat for days. Didn't shower. Barely left my bed. I lost myself completely." 

You know you shouldn't apologize, but you do anyway. "I'm sor—"

"Don't," he interrupts. "Please don't." 

"It killed me. I had never seen you so sick." 

"But it led me back to you, didn't it?" He softly kisses your arm and smiles against it. "All that pain led me to this moment, love." 

You rest your hand on his stomach. "That's not the point, though." 

"I think it is," he remarks. "Everyone goes through shit, and everyone learns something from it." 

You sniffle as Harry takes one of your hands and blows warm air onto it. "What did you learn?" 

He stares at you while pecking kisses onto your wrist. "That your love was worth the fight. That I don't regret fighting my goddamn life for it." 

His love-laced words rush through you like liquid gold and heal every stitch on your heart, only scars left behind.

You don't regret diving into his waters anymore. 

——

[dmwrites]

It was silly to be nervous. Impulse knew that, kept repeating it the whole journey over, and yet, standing in front of Bdubs’ monolith, he felt exceedingly nervous. The diorite building (Impulse had always wondered how Bdubs had managed to make diorite look good in a build- but then again it was Bdubs, he could make anything look good) towered above him, both intimidating in stature and welcoming in its lived-in state. Impulse took the small bag out of his inventory and just kind of held it in his hand. He still felt nervous, but it didn’t stop him from walking up the worn steps and knocking on the monolith’s front door.

It took a while for Bdubs to answer the door. Impulse heard him yell “coming!” from somewhere, and then the echoing sound of cursing and muttering at Bdubs made his way from somewhere in his base. Impulse knew that Bdubs had hugely expanded his base from just the monolith, but it seemed to take a comically long time for Bdubs to get to his front door.

“Etho, I swear if it’s- oh, Impulse! Hello, hello! How are you doing, baby?”

Bdubs gave him that signature wide grin, the one that made Impulse feel like he was the only important person in the world. He was dressed in a canvas jumpsuit and leather gloves, coated in what looked like red paint and sawdust.

“Hey Bdubs, sorry to bother you… didn’t realize you were busy,” Impulse replied, still nervous, maybe even more then before.

“Never a bother when it’s you, baby,” Bdubs drawled. “Probably needed a bit of a break anyway- I’ve been doing some of my patented perfect redstone- which of course you would know because you know redstone prowess when you see it.”

“Of course,” Impulse echoed, smiling.

“So, what brings you by?” Bdubs asked, unbuttoning the top part of his jumpsuit and shrugging it off, revealing a clean white tank top underneath. He leaned against his doorframe casually, the polar opposite of how Impulse felt.

“Well, I don’t know if you’ve looked at a calendar recently, I know you’ve been busy, but today is actually… well, it’s been one year since Double Life,” Impulse said.

“One year… ain’t that something,” Bdubs replied thoughtfully, eyes fixed on Impulse’s face. “Seems like only yesterday.” His face was unreadable, just that soft smile that he often seemed to have when Impulse talked to him.

Impulse let out a breath. “Yeah.. and, look, I know it’s kind of cheesy, and I keep doing it every time… but, here.” Impulse held out the bag. “For you.”

Bdubs shucked off his gloves and took the bag, brow furrowed. He gave Impulse a confused smile, then opened the bag. He pulled out the golden clock, which Impulse had polished to a perfect shine right before he’d flew over.

“Oh… Impulse…” Bdubs breathed, examining it from every angle. Impulse knew the clock like the back of his hand, had agonized over the details (much to Gem and Pearl’s chagrin, as he’d bugged them for their opinions constantly). The hand-painted day and night scenes- Bdubs’ Hermitcraft base in the sunlight, the mid-century modern house in the moonlight. The gold and copper vines decorating the outside, dotted with emerald specks for leaves. And the back, which simply read “For Bdubs- The Lover”.

“It’s… listen, I know I keep making them, and every time they mean something different, so I wanted to make a clock just to say… being soulmates with you was really awesome. You’re…” Impulse didn’t quite know how to finish the sentence, because he wasn’t quite sure that words could begin to even to describe his admiration for Bdubs, much less the whole soulmate thing.

Luckily, he didn’t have to. Bdubs stepped in and hugged him tight. Bdubs smelled like paint and wood and sweat in this world. There wasn’t that bitter taste of fear, the shaky elation of bloodlust. In this world, it wasn’t Impulse and Bdubs against the world. This was Hermitcraft, where death meant nothing but a good laugh at best and inconvenience at worst. But the games never quite left them, and Impulse held Bdubs tighter, hoping the other man understood it, all of it.

And hey, maybe he was a little too sentimental. But this was Bdubs, and Bdubs would always be special to Impulse. Maybe a little sentimentality, and a clock whose meaning kept changing, was what they both needed.

——

The obligatory one year later homewreckers fic, because impulse and bdubs are so dear to me lol

[lets-try-some-writing]

After seeing the post where OP is arguing with Unicron (whose his real dad in that au) all I can think of is how bizarre this would look to the humans especially because I don’t envision OP arguing in English but rather whatever dialect of Cybertronian comes most naturally so Fowler and the kids are just hearing OP make angry garbage compactor noises at a tree for an hour in the distance. Or how deranged it would look if Unicron picked a lady bug and landed on OP hand and so it just looks like he’s screaming at his own hand unprovoked.

Pfft. That would be really funny. Now I have no choice but to write about it. However this is probably going to be somewhat angsty considering the previous part of this au.

Off-putting Sounds

Optimus's relationship with his creator is... strained to say the least. He appreciates that his father made him and cares for him, but he is not the biggest fan of Unicron's desire to see everything destroyed. Even when returned to his base nature, Optimus has no desire to see earth burn since HIS humans live on its surface and require its resources to survive. As such his "talks" with his creator are anything but civil.

Even before Unicron fully awoke, Optimus could feel his father's presence and the thrum of his spark. He could sense Unicron's desires and wishes, often leading him to be unable to hear his own thoughts with Unicron's overwhelming him on bad days. On such occasions he tended to go out somewhere private and scream into the void, letting out all of his frustrations and demanding his creator shut up and leave him alone. Of course Unicron could not hear him, but it brought Optimus a degree of comfort anyway to be able to yell without fear of retribution. And since the team never followed or bothered him on such excursions, Optimus didn't worry much about his habit.

However after Unicron began to wake and he had to go force his father to return to his slumber, also causing Optimus's identity to be revealed with a great deal of fanfare, things changed a bit. After the initial reveal, tensions were high in base as the team struggled to figure out how they were supposed to feel about their leader. And so to vent his frustrations and deal with his far more volatile emotions due to his father's partial waking, Optimus left to go vent his frustrations more often.

At first his ravings were always loud and angry, cursing Unicron for waking, for revealing his identity, and for ruining the life he had built. Those times Unicron never talked back, merely allowing his creation to cry, leaving the chaos god guilty beyond measure as he saw his son's tears of anguish. The children only saw Optimus's angered raving once when they wandered through the groundbridge behind him with the intent to comfort him. However just that one time was enough for them to see how much the Prime was suffering. While yes, his rather terrifying screams in Cybertronian were frightening at first, they could see just how upset he was as he cried out. Optimus only noticed them long after he had fallen silent, exhausted from everything. He returned them to base without a word and left for his quarters too tired to even explain himself. The children didn't begrudge him that.

After a few months of the prolonged agony that was his ostracization, Optimus's ravings became calmer. He was till angry, lost, and upset, but no longer as vengeful. He began to take comfort in knowing his father could hear him as he left for quiet places on earth to vent. In response to his calmer approach, Unicron began to answer his sparkling's pleas. Controlling the body of an organism, he would communicate with Optimus using the creature as a vessel. When Unicron used plants, they pulsated purple as dark energon flooded them, causing them to grow large enough for the dark god to wrap branches or vines around his son in a hug of sorts. And when animals were used the creatures always died in the end, but while they lived Unicron had them rest on Optimus's frame to serve as a comforting presence. He rarely actually spoke through his highjacked avatars for fear of outright killing them, but when he did, it always comforted Optimus immensely.

Optimus: They hate me father. It does not matter what I have done for them, they look at me in fear and disgust.

Unicron: Precious creation of mine, do not heed their words or take note of their actions. No matter what they say, know you are loved, if by no other being than me.

His conversations with Unicron became special to him, so much so that he began spending more time away from base than within. When he was required at base it felt suffocating with the glares and fearful stares that were thrown his way from his team and the grown humans. To cope Optimus began bringing Unicron's vessels back to base with him. He couldn't leave for too long, not while the Autobots still needed his leadership and wisdom. So depending on the day and the circumstances, sometimes a small insect would remain on his shoulder, too small for most bots to notice as Unicron used it to whisper assurances to his sparkling. Other times a cat or another small creature was brought into base under the guise of being a rescue or something of the like (must to Arcee's disgust as she was now sure Optimus's kindness was all a hoax). The small organic creature was always sat upon Optimus's work station, hissing at the passing bots and resting on Optimus's plating as a kind reminder of the simple fact that he was loved.

House plants also began to appear in the base, usually around the console but with the odd one or two appearing the middle of the base in a large pot. They were always exotic in origin and covered in all sorts of different scents and chemicals to hide the dark energon flowing through them. No others could feel the waves of Unicron's essence that radiated off the plants since the dark energon within was miniscule, but Optimus could. He always took comfort in the feeling of his father's field, no matter how diluted it was as the team drew further and further away from him.

With time, Optimus simply stopped caring about hiding his abilities and origins. It was an open secret, the team knew the truth and they hated him for it. Optimus felt little remorse as he openly began conversing with the creatures he brought in and the plants he kept maintained in pots. His mutterings were quiet at first and only really spoken around the children who tended to watch in interest as the plants wrapped around his digits or the creatures responded to his words with frightening intelligence. But as the months ticked by, Optimus grew more bold, opening chatting with his father's vessels as no one aside from the children dared speak to him for more than a minute at a time. His loneliness overcame any other desire he might have had for subtly.

Optimus: *unicron's cat vessel knocking a pot over* Father! Please keep control of your vessel!

Arcee: *shocked and fearful* What the frag-!

Optimus: *raising his voice* By Primus, are you so old you can't keep your vessels in line?!

The whole team: *stops to watch in growing fear and confusion*

Unicron: *speaking through his spark bond to optimus using the cat as a medium* I will have you know that I am perfectly in control of my vessel. I simply had no desire to stop it from knocking over the pot.

Optimus: *vaguely irritated angry garbage compactor noises* You are the worst.

The team: What just happened?!?!

The children did not understand a word of what was going on, but they began to find it downright hilarious to watch as Optimus began yelling at whatever vessel Unicron was using over the smallest inconvenience. He tripped? The sound of shredding metal echoed through the base as Optimus cussed out his creator. He had to fight with Megatron? Somewhat terrifying gunfire sounding grumbles followed the Prime as he grabbed the nearest plant and shook it like it owed him money. He had a particularly bad day of being ignored and glared at by the team? The sound of something akin to a jet engine combined with a kettle squealing filled the main part of the base as Optimus raged as whatever vessel Unicron was using as he held it in his servo.

It was terrifying for everyone besides the children who rapidly got used to Optimus's methods of letting off steam, even joining in at time and blaming Unicron for everything as they went about their day. While it was a bit over the top, they did it nonetheless as it always got a faint smile out of the Prime, an increasingly rare event with the team avoiding him like the plague. June and Fowler were less than pleased with the children hanging around Optimus more and more, but did not do anything for fear of having Optimus lose his composure. He would never hurt them, but their fear remained despite that.

[keicordelle]

Chiluc Fluff ✧✧゜

"Doesn't that bother you, to have your hair all tangled up like that?"

Diluc twisted in the bed, further tangling the red snarl that twisted under his back and caught in his armpits. Childe beside him watched him with bright eyes, one hand pillowed under his cheek and his own mop of ginger curls a cowlicked mess. Diluc fought down the smile that rose -- it was too early in the morning for teasing. "No," he answered simply, though he did reach behind himself to tug it free. Childe's eyes traced the movement, stroking like a palm along his tricep and over the fiery hair in the hollow of his arm. "I'm used to it."

Childe's eyes flicked back up to his. "But wouldn't it be less annoying if you tied it back or something? You do it during the day anyway."

Diluc shrugged -- or at least made his best intimation of one while lying on his side in bed. "It tugs on my scalp if I keep it tied up that long. Besides, I thought you liked it down. You're the one who's always telling me to let it loose." The growing collection of hair ties Childe had stashed somewhere was testament enough to that.

"Well, yes," Childe hedged. "I just thought maybe I could braid it for you. I bet you'd look good in a braid. I could weave flowers in it, or grapes! I bet a grape vine would weave perfectly through your hair."

Diluc arched a brow, opting to ignore the second half of his foolishness to ask the more surprising question. "You know how to braid?"

"What do you take me for?" he asked in mock-affront. "I'm the best big brother in all of Teyvat. Of course I know how to braid hair! I even learned a bunch of fancy styles. My sisters loved it. It was-- nice. To get to do that together. It's been a while since I've seen them."

Diluc watched him for a moment, a longing of a different sort passing over his face. He could understand that. It had been years since he and Kaeya-- Well. It had been years since there'd been someone around to braid his hair. "Alright," he relented. Childe perked up, his worries forgotten, or at least shoved into that little box in the back of his mind that Diluc knew he carried. He had one just the same, and he shoved his own ancient memories in it to focus on the man sharing his bed, his eyes alight like an eager puppy. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad to tie it up at night."

Childe smiled at him, warm and contented. The expression sent tingles through Diluc's chest. Who knew he could be so sweet?

Until he opened his damned mouth and ruined it.

"Plus then I won't have to wake up with your hair in my mouth anymore!" Childe finally admitted with a grin.

Diluc laughed. "Ah, now the truth comes out!"

[imaginedreamwrite]

Since today is headcanon kinda day, I would like to suggest something I thought about few weeks ago.

I was hit by nostalgia and rewatched few videos about bookcanon of Game of Thrones. One of them was about real size of Winterfell and it made me think about Exile.

I don't know if the castle in the Exile is big - you didn't specify it I think (but maybe, I should re-read it since it is one my favorite fics of yours), but... If it is big or there is free space, my headcanon is that Steve would plant a little forest within castle walls like a godswood in GOT universe. He knows that Reader would be content living in the forest for the rest of her life if she wasn't stolen by him. Her connection to nature, her ability to live off the resources the forest provided fascinated Steve and (I think) he would want her to have that land of solitude, where her soul could rest. So, he would ask to plant lots young trees as a start (I think it was possible even in medieval times to replant trees that has grown for some time), maybe also some wild flowers and forest berries to create beautiful glade in the center of the forest.

idk - but reading how devoted Steve is and how much he loves Reader even when she fights with him, made me think he absolutely would do that for her.

(Tumblr, please, don't make the ask disappear 😢)

While I didn’t specify how big it was, I love this idea of Steve giving her her own forest in the interior grounds of the castle. Its her own private escape and it helps mend bridges between them

“I told you not to look.”

“I told you I’d cut your hand off and feed it to the crocodiles.” You spur him and his attempt to scold you almost playfully, and jut back against him when he gets a little too close to your back.

And that still doesn’t stop him.

“There’s no crocodiles in this area.” Despite your warning, Steve still leans in close enough to whisper in your ear, a husky drone that elicits a shiver.

“Where are you taking me anyway? To a torture chamber? A bottomless pit?” Your spite draws a laugh from him and with his hands still covering your eyes you’re forced to put a little faith and trust in him.

“I think I’ll suspend you from the tower, make an example of you.” The teasing continues and Steve is decidingly coy about how eased he is now, and much to your dismay you find yourself relaxing around him.

Instead of commenting on the teasing nature as you perhaps should have, you avoided the immediate easement of your relationship to comment on the surprise that he had for you.

“What are you doing? Where are you taking me? And if you don’t tell me in the next few minutes, I’m going to-”

“A surprise, spitfire.” Steve embraced you fully, drawing his hands from your eyes to place them on your hips, and as your vision had come to fruition you had seen an encased forest and meadow before you.

“Your own private meadow and wilderness. Somewhere for you to feel safe with nature while being home-”

“I remember these flowers.” You departed from him immediately, drawing toward a bushel of petals and greenery that reminded you of the brook you’d cross every morning on your walk.

“And these vines…” you were at a loss for words, truly and wholly unaware of how much detail Steve had picked up on when he heard you talk about missing your freedom away from this all.

It was overwhelming to see it, no small amount of space for you to experience life as you once had and yet you were safely nestled within the confines of the castle walls. It was endless, a seamless and even compromise between the nature that raised you and the man who would be your husband.

“Steve-” you turned on your heel, silence befalling you as you watched him, gazed at him with some unreserved and unfiltered emotional shift reflecting in your eyes.

It was as if you were seeing him cast in an entirely new light, as if every ounce of bitterness had been carved away to reveal true person lingering beneath his animosity and heavy guard he had held in place.

“Do you…want to walk with me?” It wasn’t what you really wished to say, but it was something akin to the truth bubbling on your tongue.

[fullstcp]

"Amidst the Chaos" by Sarah Bareilles Sentence Starters

FIRE

"Won't lose much sleep."

"He/she/they never went that deep."

"Let me hold your ego while you get your bag packed."

"Don't take this the wrong way."

"We were never gonna catch fire."

"We'd've burned up in flames."

"Talk, touch, kiss, then this one's just like all the others."

"I know all too well that I want deeper waters."

"Shallow shores aren't safe enough to dive in."

NO SUCH THING

"I feel you."

"It's like you're in the next room."

"At any given moment, you could appear."

"You're out there in it somewhere."

"If I could only get there, I could breathe again."

"Tell me how to start."

"What comes after you?"

"I am in the dark."

"No such thing as over you."

"I don't want it anyway."

"I've tried to get over you, but I think there's no such thing."

"You're Rome, I am the ruins."

"You're on your mind, all the time."

"But I can't fix it by fixating on a rewind."

"Hold on, 'til there's something else to hold onto."

ARMOR

"Let me tell you something you'll understand."

"Only little boys tell you they're a big man."

"All my armor comes from you."

"You make me try harder."

"That's all I ever do."

"You brought the flame, here comes the phoenix."

IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU

"You tell me that you're leaving."

"I had a feeling this day would come and leave me reeling."

"I just want to run back in your arms again."

"I'm thankful that I held you at all."

"I miss you every morning."

"I count the seconds between the thoughts of you."

"I'm getting better, baby, I'm almost up to two."

"Some folks are seasons, they got to come and go."

EYES ON YOU

"And the world's on fire."

"Life, it gets louder now."

"All I can do is keep my eyes on you."

MISS SIMONE

"The only thing on my mind is you."

"We were stars of some old classic film."

"In the glow of the candlelight, we danced all night."

"No one needs to know a thing."

"I've never quite been here before."

"Finally made a house feel like home."

"The years are flying past us now."

WICKED LOVE

"You twist around me like vines."

"You sold me a future from the ones you had in the trunk of your car."

"You said I think too much."

"You said I always mess it up."

"It was so easy to believe."

"I've always said the same things."

"I don't want your wicked love."

"You thought I didn't notice."

"But I won't forget this moment."

ORPHEUS

"My love, I see you're growing tired."

"Set the bad day by the bed and rest a while."

"I know you miss the world, the one you knew. When everything made sense because you didn't know the truth."

"We're all just hunters seeking solid ground."

"Don't stop trying to find me here amidst the chaos."

"Just stay here."

"We did not give up on love today."

"I'll show you good, restore your faith."

"I'll try and somehow make a meaning of the poison in this place."

"You were written in the stars that we are swimming in."

"I hope my love was someone else's solid ground."

POETRY BY DEAD MEN

"By the time you hear this, I'll be in the rearview mirror."

"Go and take some more time, but me and mine must go."

"I wanted to be your girl/guy in a white t-shirt."

"I wanted to be your girl/guy with your hands on my skin."

"By the time you hear this, who knows where I might be?"

"I was ready, but you weren't."

"The two of us, oh, what we could have been."

"How can I make you remember?"

"Would you turn to me if I say, I still want to be your girl/guy?"

SOMEONE WHO LOVES ME

"Could I rest here for a while?"

"I can't go face the world."

"My bones won't hold me up."

"Surrender's just a word 'til you try it out."

"I'm the worst I've ever seen. Afraid of almost everything."

SAINT HONESTY

"We're leaving all the windows open."

"We don't even mind the rain."

"We won't settle for the silence."

"We won't drown in the tears."

"We'll say every single word even if we think they'll hurt."

A SAFE PLACE TO LAND

"The ocean is wild and over your head."

"You don't know who will catch you, but maybe somebody will."

[sassenach77yle]

"What are you doing?" he asked. His hands rested gently on my shoulders.

"Looking for that plant," I answered, sticking a finger between the pages to mind my place. "The one I saw in the stone circle. See…" I flipped the book open.

"It could be in the Campanulaceae, or the Gentianaceae, the Polemoniaceae, the Boraginaceae—that's most likely, I think, forget-me-nots—but it could even be a variant of this one, the Anemone patens."

I pointed out a full color illustration of a pasqueflower. "I don't think it was a gentian of any kind; the petals weren't really rounded, but—"

"Well, why not go back and get it?" he suggested. "Mr. Crook would lend you his old banger, perhaps, or—no, I've a better idea. Borrow Mrs. Baird's car, it's safer. It's a short walk from the road to the foot of the hill.""And then about a thousand yards, straight up," I said. "Why are you so interested in that plant?" I swiveled around to look up at him. The parlor lamp outlined his head with a thin gold line, like a medieval engraving of a saint."It's not the plant I care about. But if you're going up there anyway, I wish you'd have a quick look around the outside of the stone circle.""All right," I said obligingly.

"What for?""Traces of fire," he said. "In all the things I've been able to read about Beltane, fire is always mentioned in the rituals, yet the women we saw this morning weren't using any. I wondered if perhaps they'd set the Beltane fire the night before, then come back in the morning for the dance. Though historically it's the cow herds who were supposed to set the fire. There wasn't any trace of fire inside the circle," he added "But we left before I thought of checking the outside."

"All right," I said again, and yawned. Two early risings in two days were taking their toll. I shut the book and stood up. "Provided I don't have to get up before nine."It was in fact nearly eleven before I reached the stone circle. It was drizzling, and I was soaked through, not having thought to bring a mac. I made a cursory examination of the outside of the circle, but if there had ever been a fire there, someone had taken pains to remove its traces.

The plant was easier to find. It was where I remembered it, near the foot of the tallest stone. I took several clippings of the vine and stowed them temporarily in my handkerchief, meaning to deal with them properly when I got back to Mrs. Baird's tiny car, where I had left the heavy plant presses.The tallest stone of the circle was cleft, with a vertical split dividing the two massive pieces. Oddly, the pieces had been drawn apart by some means. Though you could see that the facing surfaces matched, they were separated by a gap of two or three feet.There was a deep humming noise coming from somewhere near at hand. I thought there might be a beehive lodged in some crevice of the rock, and placed a hand on the stone in order to lean into the cleft.The stone screamed.I backed away as fast as I could, moving so quickly that I tripped on the short turf and sat down hard. I stared at the stone, sweating.I had never heard such a sound from anything living. There is no way to describe it, except to say that it was the sort of scream you might expect from a stone. It was horrible.The other stones began to shout. There was a noise of battle, and the cries of dying men and shattered horses.I shook my head violently to clear it, but the noise went on. I stumbled to my feet and staggered toward the edge of the circle. The sounds were all around me, making my teeth ache and my head spin. My vision began to blur.I do not know now whether I went toward the cleft in the main stone, or whether it was accidental, a blind drifting through the fog of noise.Once, traveling at night, I fell asleep in the passenger seat of a moving car, lulled by the noise and motion into an illusion of serene weightlessness. The driver of the car took a bridge too fast and lost control, and I woke from my floating dream straight into the glare of headlights and the sickening sensation of falling at high speed. That abrupt transition is as close as I can come to describing the feeling I experienced, but it falls woefully short.I could say that my field of vision contracted to a single dark spot, then disappeared altogether, leaving not darkness, but a bright void. I could say that I felt as though I were spinning, or as though I were being pulled inside out. All these things are true, yet none of them conveys the sense I had of complete disruption, of being slammed very hard against something that wasn't there.The truth is that nothing moved, nothing changed, nothing whatever appeared to happen and yet I experienced a feeling of elemental terror so great that I lost all sense of who, or what, or where I was. I was in the heart of chaos, and no power of mind or body was of use against it.I cannot really say I lost consciousness, but I was certainly not aware of myself for some time. I "woke," if that's the word, when I stumbled on a rock near the bottom of the hill. I half slid the remaining few feet and fetched up on the thick tufted grass at the foot.I felt sick and dizzy. I crawled toward a stand of oak saplings and leaned against one to steady myself. There was a confused noise of shouting nearby, which reminded me of the sounds I had heard, and felt, in the stone circle. The ring of inhuman violence was lacking, though; this was the normal sound of human conflict, and I turned toward it.

Cap 2 Standing Stones~ Outlander

[descendantofthesparrow]

POYW Rewrite V2 - Harry Hook x reader - P1

=

Music plays as the camera pans on a purple book with a bright red apple pictured on the cover, swirling gold vines and a gold capital D are placed on and around the apple.

The book opens to reveal a tablet, and a purple painted finger swipes up on the tablet to ‘flip the page’-revealing the title of the ‘book’; Descendants.

‘once upon a time-long long ago~’

Naaaah well get to that in a moment, right now! We have some backstory to get into! Meet (y/n)! 16 years old, a Disney fan since she was a baby(sleeping beauty was the shit when she was old enough to remember movies), and now-a huge descendants fan. It’s July 31st, 2017, it’s been 10 days since Descendants 2 had released-and now (y/n) is hunkering down on her couch to watch the first movie again, and then watch D2 again-just for funsies~.

Harry Hook had quickly and easily stolen her heart as soon as he appeared on screen, and she couldn’t wait to start up D2 again. But as the opening credits began to play on her screen-it started to…glitch out, Mal’s voice overpowered by a ‘new’ one, deeper, male-and Scottish.

Before (y/n) could react to it properly-her TV turned to blinding white, the light overwhelming her eyes and living room; something grabbing at her body and tugging her into the screen, the teen was just barely able to grab her phone and bag before she was dragged in screaming to the Descendants world.

What adventures await her there? Only time will tell, for now~ let’s get back to those opening credits-shall we?

Mal; “once upon a time, long long ago-well, more like twenty-” Mal gets shoved over, a crashing noise indicating she hit something hard as someone scrambles to sit on the chair Mal was sitting on, a soft snicker coming from the intruder. Mal; ”Harry?! I was in the middle-“

Harry Hook; “oh shut it pixie-it’s my turn ta narrate! Now go be a bitch somewhere else-anyways~!” Mal storms off in a huff-most likely to complain about Harry to Evie or anyone that would listen. “Twenty years ago, king beasty and his Belle married front’ of all six-thousand of their mates-that’s a big cake hells bells. Anyway! Beasty united all tha’ kingdoms and declared hi’mself king of tha’ united states of boreadon~

He rounded up all tha’ villains, sidekicks, petty thieves, drug dealers, anyone he could think of that was even slightly bad-and booted em’ off ta’ the isle of the lost; with a magic barrier ta’ keep ‘em there.

This is where I live. No magic, no WIFI, no fresh food, and no.way.out….or so we thought~ hol’ up hol’ up, yer about ta’ see me pretty face~ but first-this happened, and ain’t she pretty~ no not belle-the one sitting in the chair behind prince beasty.

Prince Ben stares out to the isle of the lost from his room at Beast castle, so much to do in so little time, and his coronation was in just a month-hardly any time to do all he wanted before he was crowned king. Ben let out a small sigh, catching the eye of his newest and now closest friend, who sat on a comfy chair behind him-doodling away as Ben’s tailor got to work fitting his coronation suit.

“Are you sure this’ll work (y/n)?” Ben asked the girl, who nodded absentmindedly, getting the last details of a certain pirate down before closing her book, and sitting up to give Ben her proper attention. “I’m sure of it, it’s your first royal proclamation, it’s Auradon law for it to pass with no barriers, be it from your parents or the council-we’ve been over this beasty boy, just stand your ground and those kids will be here sooner than you can say codfish.”

Ben let out a small mutter of ‘codfish’ with a teasing smile, laughing as (y/n) took a balled-up sheet of paper and chucked it at him, grinning as it bounced off his head and hit the tailor on the shoulder. He just shook his head at the two teens, standing up to bow as King Beast/Adam and Belle walked into the room-both looking ever so proud of their son.

“How is it you’re going to be crowned king next month!” King Adam exclaimed, looking almost star-struck as Belle, who was walking by her husband's side with her hand tucked into his arm. “You’re just a baby!” Adam insisted, chuckling as Belle stepped away and grabbed some of Ben’s discarded clothes, tossing the shorts in Ben’s hamper and folding the tourney jersey. “He’s turning sixteen dear!” Belle reminded, rolling her eyes fondly as Adam went on.

“That’s far too young to be crowned king!” (y/n) looked up from her sketchpad, looking as if she wanted to say something but shook her head, going back to her doodles. “I didn’t make a good decision till I was at least-forty-two.” Belle looked a bit offended at Adam’s words, narrowing her eyes up at him as Ben smiled in amusement-knowing his mom had a few choice words about his father’s choice of words.

“uh, You decided to marry me, at twenty-eight.” Belle reminded, shaking her head as she made eye contact with Ben as Adam sent a teasing grin down to his wife of 20 years. “it was either you or a teapot.” Belle just glared at him, two seconds away from smacking his shoulder. “kidding.” Adam looked back at Ben with wide eyes and Ben just laughed-knowing his mom still had his dad wrapped around her finger, even after all these years.

Ben glanced back at (y/n), who gave Ben an encouraging smile and he took a deep breath, stepping towards his parents-“mom, dad?” his tailor stopped him, making Ben step back and face his parents on the pedestal. “I’ve chosen my first official proclamation.”

Adam and Belle looked very interested, Adam nodding for Ben to go on. “I’ve decided that the children of the isle of the lost, be given a chance-to live here in Auradon.” Belle’s jaw dropped along with Ben’s shirt-and Adam’s jaw clicked. (y/n) sat up slightly, while she knew Adam wouldn’t hurt Ben, he still had some anger issues and would not let anything happen to her friend who had so graciously let her into his life two months ago.

Ben kept rolling forward, now that he finally got those words out-he wouldn’t stop until he had his first set of VK’s in Auradon. “every time I look out to the island, I feel like they’ve been abandoned.” (y/n) snorted slightly from her spot, thinking that was the understatement of the year. Ben just glanced back at her, making her go silent, knowing it was not the time for jokes.

“The children of our sworn enemies, living among us?” Adam asked, almost like he was trying to convince his son that his proclamation was a stupid idea-a dangerous one. But Ben stood strong, he would not let those kids be punished any longer, not for their parent's crimes. “we start with a few at first, the ones that need our help the most.”

Belle nodded, truly listening to Ben’s idea-he caught that nod and pushed forward-knowing he had his mom’s support-and (y/n)’s. he just needed his dad's. “I’ve already chosen them, I have Auradon guardians signed up to claim them in case anything happens and I’ve already spoken to FG about them being enrolled at Auradon prep.” Adam nodded, it seemed his son already had everything planned out.

“You’ve done all that eh?” Adam muttered, looking down at his son. “And why should we give these-villain kids-a chance?” Belle took Adam ‘s arm, turning him towards her. “I gave you a second chance” Belle reminded Adam that he, was once seen as a villain, a monster-only to be redeemed by the woman before him. she turned to Ben when Adam calmed down. “Who are their parents, and how many?”

“Six,” Ben answered immediately, wringing his hands together slightly. “Two girls and four boys. Cruella De’vil, Jafar, Evil Queen, Captain Hook-“ Ben paused, knowing the last two villains were two his dad would not react well too-especially the latter. “-and Maleficent and Gaston.” Ben rushed out, taking a step back as Adam stepped forward-his voice rising and scaring the tailor who quickly bowed out.

(y/n) planted her feet on the floor.

“Maleficent?! Gaston!? They are the worst villains known to us!” Ben held his hands up, trying to get his father to calm down “Dad-just hear me out here-“ Ben pleaded, closing his eyes for a moment as Adam lifted his hand to point at the isle through the window. “I won't hear of it! They are guilty of unspeakable crimes-Gaston tried to murder me and take your mother! You really want to invite his-spawn-to our kingdom?!”

“They have done nothing wrong!” Ben insisted, finding his voice and overpowering his fathers “They have done nothing to us to condemn them to the isle! Gaston yes-he deserves to be there-but his kids? The other kids? They’ve done nothing wrong! Nothing except being born to those who have wronged us-they’re innocent in the eyes of the law and to me.” Ben straightened out, lifting his chin as he stared his father down. “This is my proclamation dad. And as future king, it is my duty to do what I think is right for my people-that includes the people of the isle. And it’s right to give those kids a chance.”

Adam and Ben held each other's stares for a moment, then Adam stepped away-nodding. “I suppose the children are innocent,” he admitted-he simply didn’t want to admit he had condemned children to a life of imprisonment-but his son would right his wrongs even if Adam never did. Adam turned and walked away, straightening his suit as Belle took Ben’s collar and fixed it-giving him a proud grin. “well done.” She whispered, turning to her husband and leading him out of the room “shall we?”

Ben let out the biggest sigh of relief as he stumbled back, holding his chest as (y/n) clapped from her chair, setting her sketchbook aside as she joined Ben at the window; clapping her hand on his shoulder. “Well done beasty boy, well done. You sure we can't get one more kid? From Yensid’s notes-Hook, Gaston, and Ursula’s kids are all quite close-It’d be a shame to pull them apart?”  (y/n) asked, not wanting to separate the three pirates, but Ben shook his head sadly. “you heard the council, even numbers, No more-no less. besides-I only got six guardians to sign up, one for each kid.” (y/n) let out a raspberry, crossing her ankles as Ben gazed out towards the isle, playing with his class ring as he remembered the purple haired girl with emerald green eyes from his dreams.

“Well, what are we waitin’ for?” (y/n) asked, pushing Ben towards his closet. “get changed! We gotta get those letters to the isle!” Ben grinned with a nod, taking his fitting jacket off and tossing the stack of letters to (y/n), who slipped out of his room to wait for him to get changed.

It was time to invite the villain kids to Auradon.

-

Two days later: the isle of the lost-the wharf.  A rough punk-like dubstep beat echoes as the camera flies through the isle of the lost-through the wharf marketplace place-through tattered sails and broken lamps-to find Ursula’s chip shop.

It zooms in to show a petite black girl with long teal and aqua braids, a nasty grin on her lips as she tosses a tray onto the table-which was the wrong order for the customer she delivered it to-as they complained, the girl ignored them, instead throwing the tray up in their face and pointing at the sign that said ‘you take it how we make it’ with a rough cackle.

Uma; They say I’m trouble-they say I’m bad-they say I’m evil~ and that makes me glad!”

Uma, the daughter of Ursula, grabs an empty tray and throws it into the kitchen, disrupting the work and making a crashing noise as Uma laughs and throws her apron away-leaving the chip shop after retrieving her sword. Her mother yelled after her-a set of tentacles snapping after Uma-curling away as Uma disappeared down the wharf.

Gil; A dirty no good-down the bone.

 Gil, the son of Gaston, leaped between building gaps, a small group of teens chasing after him-yelling for him to give back their loot. Gil just grinned, making sure his bag of new loot was secure before disappearing behind the wharf fence-leaving the group behind-who had thought Gil was helping them steal from the market place.

Gil; Your worst nightmare-can’t take me home!”

Harry Hook, son of Captain Hook, strut through the wharf marketplace-pirates and others alike backing away in fear of the young pirate-fear for the glint in his eye and the sharpness in his grin. He snatched jewelry and whatever he could see as he walked through-a giggle escaping him as he pocketed several rings.

Harry; So I’ve got some mischief~ in me blood-can ya blame me? I never got no love~”

Harry blew a kiss to a younger girl with dark red hair-who giggled and hid her flushing face behind her bangs. It was no secret that many girls, and boys-of the isle had a crush on Harry-but he had yet to find a spark with anyone-other than with his friend Uma-who he would defy the gods for. Harry laughed to himself, dipping beneath a rail and grinning as he saw Uma; greeting her with his hook as they always did.

Gonzo-a member of the wharf rats-Harry’s crew of misfits-bolted through the wharf-a bedazzled jacked in hand as Bonnie-another crew member-laughed as she ran behind him, holding several handfuls of good loot.

Gonzo; They say im callous.” Bonnie; a lowlife hood~ I feel so useless”

Bonnie stole a half-eaten week stale donut from a younger pirate as she bolted by them, cackling as she and Gonzo disappeared into the wharf, meeting up with Gil, Uma, and Harry as they ran about causing chaos.  

Gonzo/Bonnie; Misunderstood!”

Uma and Harry grinned at each other as they walked on the highest set of the wharf, laughing as they watched their wharf rats cause chaos and steal all they wanted.

Uma/Harry; Mirror mirror, on the wall-who’s the baddest-of them all? Welcome to my wicked world-wicked world!

The pirates burst into a pillow factory and ripped it apart, feathers, fluff, and fur flying everywhere as the pirates cackled and jumped about-enraging the workers as they had fun. They made all the noise they could as they ran out of the factory-Harry scraping his hook along the metal pipes as they ran.

Pirates; I’m rotten to the core, Rotten to the core-I’m rotten to the core! Who could ask for more-I’m nothing like the kid next-like the kid next door! I’m rotten to the core-rotten to the-I’m rotten to the core!

The camera pans away from the laughing pirates, focusing on Harry and Gil before zooming towards the main isle market-revealing a girl with shoulder-length purple hair and a snarky grin-holding a spray paint can. The daughter of Maleficent.

Mal; Call me a schemer-call me a freak-how can you say that?! Im just-unique!”

Mal spray painted a large purple M on a shower sheet-pushing it aside and giving a falsely sweet grin to a passing isle inhabitant who ran away in fear. Mal laughed, spotting her ‘friend’ Evie and running over to meet her-who was pushing through the clothing section of the marketplace-pocketing things she liked.

Jay; What, me a traitor? Ain’t got your back? Are we not friends?! What's up with that!?”

Jay, son of Jafar, dropped into the marketplace from the panels above, hanging from the support beams as he flipped over to the floor and landed in front of two people enjoying some tea. He took the bronze teapot and politely poured them their tea, they smiled and thanked him-yelping as he leaped over the table with the pot and ran off, cackling as he did.

Evie; So I’m a misfit~ so I’m a flirt~ I broke your heart? I made you hurt?

Evie, daughter of the evil queen, strut through the fabric of the clothing section of the marketplace-Mal close behind as Evie grinned and stole a scarf from one of the shoppers, winking as he stared after her-in awe of the young princess as she disappeared within the fabrics, Mal laughing as she followed the blue-haired princess away from the market.

Carlos; The past is past~ forgive forget! The truth is, you ain’t seen nothing yet!”

Carlos, son of Cruella De’vil, casually strolled on top of the tables on the outskirts of the marketplace, knocking over baskets of apples and other goods as shop keeps and customers alike yelled at him to get down. He just laughed, knocking over another basket of apples and dropping a smaller basket on a woman's head-tossing some hay at her as he hitched a ride on a cart.

Mal/Evie; mirror mirror, on the wall-who’s the baddest-of them all? Welcome to my wicked world-wicked world!

Mal and Evie smiled down at Carlos and Jay as the boys caused some havoc in the market's bakery, laughing as Jay knocked over a near-empty bucket of flour and Carlos began to pull at a crane-like mechanic-Jay leaping on for the ride and laughing as Carlos pulled him along.

The vks flooded the streets and wharf, bouncing and weaving between pirates and villagers-laughing as they disrupted the peace. The pirates danced with their swords as Mal and her gang banged their heads and stomped their feet.

VK’s ; I’m rotten to the core-core, Rotten to the core-I’m rotten to the core-core, Who could ask for more? I’m nothing like the kid next-like the kid next door! I’m rotten to the-I’m rotten to the-I’m rotten to the core~”

Harry fixed his hat as he and the wharf rats showed off their stolen loot, Harry eyeing the cracked ruby necklace he had snatched from the market-it looked expensive and still in good condition, he could resell it for a high price-or get that Tremaine brat to repurpose it for him-maybe make himself a new ring.

Harry’s grin widened as he noticed a passing kid with a candy apple-he snatched it up and pushed the kid away as they cried, holding up the apple in victory as his crew laughed with him. Uma rolled her eyes, mostly out of fondness as she took a seat on a nearby barrel, playing with her teal and red beaded bracelet as Harry tried to eat his new prize. But isle candy apples were more like actual rocks instead of candy. “a candy apple, stolen from a kid, truly you are the embodiment of evil Harry.” Uma teased, grinning sharply as he pointed his hook at her, a glint in her eye that always made her giddy.

“Ah~ Uma~ ye know this is only tha’ beginning of me evil plans, first-a candy apple-then!” Gil interrupted Harry, a habit Gil had that he had never been able to kick-he interrupted a lot of people actually, and got in himself in trouble quite a bit for saying before thinking. “the candy store?” Gil asked, looking giddy at the thought of stealing from a whole candy store.

Harry just stared at Gil blankly as the crew snickered softly, Uma rolling her eyes again. “I was goin’ ta say the world, Gil.” Harry said, his shoulders slumping in disappointment in Gil’s lack of want for world domination-he’d rather eat all the eggs in the world than take it over.

As Harry talked to his friends, the crew all froze and stared down the wharf-two men walking towards them. Harry noticed his crew’s frozen expressions and went to ask them what the fuck they were doing-when he realized why they froze. Harry swallowed, dropping his shoulders and head as his father, captain Hook-came strutting towards him-his scarlet red coat flowing behind him and his icy blue eyes shaded by his large captain's hat.

Harry glanced at Uma-who held his stare-worry deep in her eyes. Visits from his father were never good news, and never ended well for Harry.

“Stealing apple’s boy? How-juvenile.” James sneered, hooking the apple and taking it from Harry’s hand. Harry winced, shuffling on his feet. “It was from a lost boy?” Harry said meekly, his loud personality always seemed to disappear around his father. James just rose his brow, tossing away the candy apple, landing in the dirt; ants quickly covering the hard caramel.

“not a real lost boy, they’re all on neverland” James sneered again, reaching out with his right hand and taking Harry’s shoulder-the teen flinching at the action-his father’s eyes were glinting oddly again-flashes of red circling within the ocean blue. Harry stayed quiet-knowing if he talked it wouldn’t end well. “ah! Speaking of-“ Harry was turned in his father’s hold, James’ hook pointed out towards Auradon that lay across the sea.

Harry blinked-wondering what the hell was going on-seeing Gaston talking to Gil-Gil looking…very confused as always. His father continued speaking-demanding Harry’s attention. “-Neverland, will soon be ours!” Harry furrowed his brows, looking at his father. “what do ye mean?” Harry asked, leaning back as his father got into his face.

“A chance to freedom boy, a chance to reclaim what is ours-you-along with-“ James gestured to Gil, who still seemed to struggle with what Gaston was explain. “what's his face-have been invited to attend a new school-in Auradon!”

Harry ripped away from his father's grasp-hearing Uma and his crew’s gasps of surprise as Harry shook his head wildly. “What?! hell no!” Harry snapped, crossing his arms stubbornly, anger overpowering his fear for a moment. “I ain't going ta’ no boarding school with-pathetic spoiled princes and snooty pink princesses!? What would tha’ point be? Learn how ta sip tea?” Harry huffed, tensing as his father used his hook to grab his collar-bringing him closer to James’ face.

“The wand. Boy.” James hissed, his eyes flashing red. “the wand. With it you-will free me, us. And then-we retake neverland-then-we claim the world and all its riches-That. Is the point. Understand?”

Harry just nodded, then he frowned-turning back towards Uma-was it just going to be him and Gil? what about Uma?  “what about Um-“ Harry nearly asked if his oldest friend was coming along, but was quickly silenced with his chin being grabbed. Harry swallowed harshly-losing his voice as he stared into his father's eyes.

“You get the wand, you not only free me and your sisters-but your little sea witch friend as well. Is that not good enough?” Harry nodded, squeaking a little as he spoke. “Yes sir,” Harry rubbed his jaw as it was realized-his father walking back towards his ship as Gil finally arrived at the station.

“Pack your things, boys, you leave for Auradon in two hours.” Gil and Harry’s jaw dropped, staring wide-eyed at their fathers as they walked away as if they hadn’t just dropped the biggest life-changing news in their lives. “what?!” Harry yelped, feeling Uma’s hands on his arm as his father gave no further information, instead just turning and glaring at him.

“Boy!” Harry pressed his lips together, sharing a look with Uma before slowly following after his father, his head dropping between his shoulders as Gil went to follow Gaston to their house.

At least his father hadn’t come to tell Harry to get to ‘work’, he’d take randomly going to Auradon over ‘working’ any day.

-

“So you’re both leaving without me, eh?” Uma asked quietly as she sat on Harry’s bed-watching as he packed his things-he was going to only pack maybe a week's worth of clothes-but James told him to practically move out-as they wouldn’t be coming back to the isle after Harry got the wand.

“Not forever, we’ll be back fer ye.” Harry said with a smile, one only reserved for his best friend. “I promise Uma, I would never leave ye behind-as soon as I get tha’ wand, I’ll get ye and me sisters off-with our own ship-and we’ll rule the seas-like we planned.” Harry reached out, taking Uma’s clenched hand, smiling down at her as she looked up at him from behind her lashes.

She smiled, standing and hugging him, a moment just between them-friends since they could remember. They stayed like that for a moment, before they heard James stomping around on the deck-yelling at his crew. They pulled apart, holding each other's stare before Uma took out a gold bracelet made of hardened seashells she had collected from the isle shores. “here, something for you two, for good luck.” Uma mumbled; Harry held out his left hand to let her slip it on.

“I have one for Gil as well,” She handed him the 2nd bracelet for him to give to Gil, showing off her matching set that sat on her right wrist. Harry had to hide his smile, knowing Uma would get flustered if she knew how much he loved them, she always did when he complimented her crafts. Such as her pirate hat-or any of her outfits.

“Boy! Hurry it up!” Harry and Uma jumped at the sound of James' voice, and Harry hurried to pack up the rest of his things-throwing on his red leather jacket and grabbing his hook-zipping up his bags and making his way out of his room-Harriet, his older sister, taking his duffle bag from him. “I can carry it myself,” Harry muttered, but let her carry it. Then he, Uma, Harriet-and their little sister-Cj, all followed his dad off the jolly roger and towards the center of the isle.

“uuuh da?” Harry asked, his brows furrowing as Bargain castle, the home of Maleficent herself, came closer as they walked. “Why are we goin’ ta Bargain castle?” his father didn’t bother to glance at him-only clicking his tongue. “I suppose I forgot to mention it-it’s not just you and Gaston’s boy going to Auradon-Maleficent’s spawn and her crew will be going as well.”

Harry stopped in his tracks, a look and feeling of disgust and anger bubbling up. “oh fuck no,” Harry cursed, shaking his head and pointing at the castle, Uma sharing his same look of disgust at the thought of Mal. “I’m not going anywhere-or working with tha’ dragon bitch or her goons-not in a million years!”

His father sighed, one that meant danger, and turned-curling his lip as he spoke “I didn’t say you had to work with her-nor get along. The six of you are simply all going to the same place-I wouldn’t expect you to work with anyone but Gaston’s boy anyway-why let that brat get all the credit? This is a job for pirates after all.” With that-his father continued into the castle, passing up the lower floor clothing shop and ascending the stairs-Harriet, CJ, and Uma were forced to stay below as Maleficent’s knuckleheads stopped them.

“Guess we’ll see ye before ya go off,” Harriet muttered, handing him his back and patting his shoulder. “Don’t blow this, got it?” Harry nodded, pushing CJ away as she faked a sob and tried to hug him, cackling as he pushed her away. “Stop tryin’ ta steal me shit.” Harry grumbled as CJ continued to try to grab his wallet.

“But I must have something to remember you by!” CJ cried dramatically, reaching for his new gold shell bracelet now. “how else will I get by while you’re gone?!” Harry just rolled his eyes, pushing her off him for the last time.

“you’ll live ye lil shit-n stop talkin’ like da’, ye sound like a nut.” With that, Harry made his way into the castle-Gil and Gaston right behind him. Harry slipped Gil his bracelet-showing off his own when Gil looked a bit confused at it. “From Uma, just wait ta’ put it on after we leave-so yer dad doesn’t blow his shit.” Harry muttered, knowing how Gaston felt about jewelry-even if it was painted with gold. Gil nodded, pocketing his new bracelet in his thigh bag and setting his two large bags at the door as the two teens and Gaston entered the main room.

Mal looked absolutely thrilled to see them, turning to her mother with seething eyes. “what are they-” she pointed at them, almost baring her teeth at them as Harry glared back, his hooked hand twitching with the want to pin her to the Jolly Rodger. “-doing here!? you said-“

“I said you for and two others Malsy, now put your listening ears on my nasty girl.” Maleficent tapped Mal’s nose-causing Mal to screech and continue to complain about Harry and Gil. Harry snatched a vile of black nail polish while the two dark fairies bitched at each other.

Harry and Gil were forced to stand with Mal and her ‘friends’ as Maleficent finally silenced Mal’s screeching and sat down on her ‘throne’, filing her nails as she went through the details of her evil plot for the six teens. “You will go, you will find the fairy godmother, and you will bring me back her magic wand!” she blew her nails, winking at her daughter with a nasty smirk. “easy peasy!”

“what's in it for us?” Mal asked, and Harry was actually surprised to hear that-us? As in more than just Mal? That was surprising. Mal never cared about anybody other than herself. “Matching thrones? Hers-and-hers crowns?” Maleficent cooed-assuming Mal meant her in Mal’s ‘us’ talk. “I think she means us?” Carlos said, gesturing between him and Mal, and Mal nodded-gesturing between the four of them, completely ignoring Harry and Gil.

Maleficent just tossed her nail fire and beckoned Mal closer-who obeyed like always. Harry rolled his eyes, inviting Gil to sit at the back of the room near the balcony, plopping down on the ratty old black couch stained with purple and green.

As Maleficent chattered off to her daughter, Harry and Gil practically zoned out, not caring for what was going around them at the moment-well, Harry zoned out, Gil was bouncing his legs and looking everywhere he could-remembering everything to the last detail.

“And with that wand and my scepter-I will be able to bend both good and evil to my will!” Maleficent exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air in a dramatic gesture. EQ quickly shot down Maleficent’s solo act with a sneer and quick words. “Our will.” Cruella pointed at EQ, nodding as Jafar looked up at those words-giving Maleficent a look of disappointment for the fae already forgetting their deal.

“Our will, our will,” Maleficent waved the notion off-snapping to regain Mal’s attention. Harry went back to ignoring them, letting his head fall back and his eyes close-knowing Gil would nudge him if anything happened.

The villains all started to chatter away, EQ giving Evie a small lesson on princes and mirrors(no smiling, wrinkles!), Cruella forbidding Carlos from leaving, giving the pup hope that his mom would actually miss him for loving reasons(she just needed someone to scrape her feet-gross), and Jafar needing Jay to stay to stock his shop’s shelves(half of which Harry stole from only to sell back, but that was Jafar’s whole business).

Harry peeked as Jay started to take the loot he had scored that day, ending with a bronze lap that Jafar dropped everything for and started to rub-only for Jay to mutter that he already tried. The lamp now boring, Jafar scoffed and threw the object back at Jay, which nearly hit him in the face if he hadn't leaned back to catch it.

“Well, Evie’s not going anywhere till we get rid of this unibrow,” EQ muttered, taking a pair of tweezers and plucking the offending hair from Evie’s forehead-to which Harry wasn’t even sure there was a hair there-Evie’s brows were practically perfect.

“what is wrong with you all?! people used to cower at the mention of our names!!!” Maleficent screeched, taking Mal and throwing her from the stairs to the table, Mal slammed her hands on the surface to regain her balance as she stared wide-eyed at Carlos, who shared her expression as the grown villains all stared at Maleficent.

Hook and Gaston looked offended, as they hadn’t been against Maleficent’s plan nor had they plans to keep their boys here. “For twenty years, I have searched for a way off this island-for twenty years, they have robbed us from our revenge!” she turned to EQ, and began to list off the revenge the villains’ felt they deserved. “Revenge on snow white and her horrible little men.” EQ just grimaced as Evie plucked a hair, looking a bit offended for her mother as Maleficent continued on.

“Revenge on Aladdin and his bloated Genie!” Jafar puffed up, going to attack Maleficent with his spoon in anger as she spoke of his worst enemies-only for Jay to stop him. “Revenge on those sneaky dalmatians-who escaped your clutches!” Cruella cackled, shaking her head as she pet the stuffed dalmatian puppy that sat on her shoulder-Carlos hiding behind her to protect himself from Maleficent.

“Oh but they didn’t get the baby~ but-but they didn’t get the baby!“ she laughed manically-causing Maleficent to back away in concern as Cruella continued to cackle about her stuffed toy. Maleficent turned to Gaston- “Revenge on Beast and his belle.” Gil shivered at the look of darkness on his father's face-knowing what he intended to do if he got revenge-and it wasn’t pretty for Belle. “Revenge on Pan and his lost boys!”

Hook’s eyes turned red and Harry shuffled towards Gil, glancing away as he crossed his arms. He hated when that happened-it always hurt when his father's eyes went red-he had the scars to prove it. “and I! Maleficent! The evilest of them all~” Maleficent purred, sitting on EQ’s lap and stealing her mirror, admiring herself in it. “will finally get revenge, on sleeping beauty…and her relentless little prince.” Maleficent hissed, turning back to the villains.

“Villains!” they all snapped to attention, Jafar swallowing the food he had been making in the small kitchen of Maleficent’s flat. “yes?” Maleficent smiled, one that made all the teens shiver-they hated that smile-even Mal. “Our day has come~ EQ?” the old queen hummed, taking the small mirror as Maleficent handed it back to her, looking towards Evie as she got off EQ’s lap “give her the magic mirror.”

Evie was handed a handheld mirror-cracked at the edges and missing some pieces. Evie looked disappointed. “This is your magic mirror?” Evie asked, admiring herself in the broken glass. EQ just hummed, nodding. “Well, it ain't what it used to be, then again- neither are we?” EQ joked, laughing with Maleficent. “But it will help you find things,” Evie’s eyes lit up and she interrupted her mother in her excitement. “Like a prince~!” EQ chuckled, glancing up at Maleficent “Like my waist line-“ she joked, laughing still as Maleficent groaned and rolled her eyes-wanting to get to the point already. “like the magic wand-hello?”

EQ pursed her lips and nodded, agreeing they had gotten off track. “My spell book, my book-I need my-that book” Maleficent turned as EQ snapped her fingers and pointed back at the fridge-which Maleficent deemed her ‘safe’. Harry blinked, watching as the mistress of all evil struggled with a damn refrigerator. Mal just looked embarrassed, her ears turning pink as her friends and shrimpy’s boys saw her mother make a fool of herself.

“Queen help me! I can never figure this thing out!” as EQ helped Maleficent, Hook grabbed Harry’s shoulder and dragged him towards the balcony, giving the two some privacy. “da?” Harry asked quietly, unsure of what he wanted, his brow’s furrowing as his father handed him a large blank piece of paper that folded over itself multiple times. “A piece of paper?” Harry flipped it over, opening it and then turning it over twice more. “A blank piece of paper?”

James rolled his eyes, tapping his hook on the paper that looked and felt very old. “Not just any piece of paper, this map-like the mirror-is magical, I’ve only used it a handful of times myself-but as I say-any good pirate knows how to read and use a map.” Harry just stared at his dad, closing the blank paper and licking his lips. Was his dad having another episode?

“This?” Harry held up the re-folded map. “is a map?” James nodded, tapping the map again with his hook. “yes, magic. It doesn’t work here, but it will in Auradon. It’ll give you a detailed map of wherever you are, nicked it from some magic school in Scotland about forty years ago.” Harry slowly nodded, pocketing the map and grabbing his backpack as a horn sounded from outside. James grabbed his neck and Harry froze, his breath stopping with him as James muttered in his ear the password and lock to the map. Along with a threat.

“if you fail me, you will never see your sisters or sea witch again. Understand?” Harry nodded, swallowing down his fear. “Good. Go.” Harry bolted off, grabbing his bags as he and Gil raced down the stairs and back out into the main square-where a long black car was waiting for them.

Harry let out a whistle, handing his bag to the driver and bumping his sisters goodbye, squeezing Uma’s hand with a hidden smile before he and Gil slid into the car. “Tell me smee’s I’ll be back before they know it.” Harry called out to Harriet-who nodded, backing up as Evie and Carlos ran out-the pup jumping into the limo to avoid his mother who was screeching at him.

Carlos tumbled to the floor, hitting Harry’s legs and grunting as Gil lifted him into the seat next to him-Evie and Jay climbing in after Carlos. Jay and Harry glared at each other, making Evie and Gil sigh as the two thieves had a small stare-off. “Oh quit it,” Mal snapped as she slid into the limo, taking her spot at the end of the seats next to Evie. “Go flirt somewhere else-I do not have the stomach to watch you two make eyes.” Harry and Jay sputtered, Jay’s cheeks going red as Harry rolled his eyes, catching Uma’s gaze as she stared at him and Gil. Harry offered what he hoped was a comforting grin-jolting as the car began to move-leaving the isle-and Uma, behind.

Uma watched as her only friends drove off without her, her fingers playing with her golden bracelet as Harriet and CJ stood with her-the three staring as the limo disappeared from view.

“Please don’t forget about me,” Uma whispered, feeling a small pit of dread in her gut as the barrier flashed gold.

-end of p1-

Here it is~! P1 of the Rewrite revise! Again-just doing D1 since im happy with D2 and 3~!

Taglist!

@sephiralorange @queer-cosette @lunanight2012

@musicarose @daughter-of-the-stars11 @random-thoughts-004

@anythingbutmar @dai-tsukki-desu @imtryingthisout

@rintheemolion @remembered-license @thecaptainsgingersnap

@thetrueghostqueen @littlewierdalien

[wingedblooms]

the quiet dreamer

“You should come with me,” Elain went on. “Nesta won’t go, because she says she doesn’t want to risk the sea crossing, but you and I … Oh, we’d have fun, wouldn’t we?” I glanced sidelong at her. My sister was beaming, content—prettier than I’d ever seen her, even in her simple muslin gardening dress. Her cheeks were flushed beneath her large, floppy hat. “I think—I think I’d like to see the continent,” I said. And it was true, I realized. There was so much of the world that I hadn’t seen, hadn’t ever thought about visiting. Hadn’t ever been able to dream of visiting. [ACOTAR]

I gazed again at that sad, dark house—the place that had been a prison. Elain had said she missed it, and I wondered what she saw when she looked at the cottage. If she beheld not a prison but a shelter—a shelter from a world that had possessed so little good, but she tried to find it anyway, even if it had seemed foolish and useless to me. She had looked at that cottage with hope; I had looked at it with nothing but hatred. And I knew which one of us had been stronger. [ACOTAR]

“And what is this court?” I asked, gesturing to them. The most important question. It was Cassian, eyes clear and bright as his Siphon, who said, “The Court of Dreams.” [ACOMAF]

“There was a time when the Night Court was a Court of Nightmares and was ruled from the Hewn City. Long ago. But an ancient High Lord had a different vision, and rather than allowing the world to see his territory vulnerable at a time of change, he sealed the borders and staged a coup, eliminating the worst of the courtiers and predators, building Velaris for the dreamers, establishing trade and peace.” [ACOMAF]

The Court of Dreams. I had belonged to a court of dreams. And dreamers. [ACOMAF]

She said, “I can hear the sea. Even at night. Even in my dreams. The crashing sea—and the screams of a bird made of fire.” [ACOWAR]

Azriel stepped forward. “But you heard something else.” Elain seemed about to nod, but only backed away. “I think I was dreaming,” she murmured. “I think I’m always dreaming these days.” [ACOWAR]

Seer. The word clanged through me. She’d known. She’d warned Nesta about the Ravens. And in the chaos of the attack, that little realization had slipped from me. Slipped from me as reality and dream slipped and entwined for Elain. Seer. [ACOWAR]

Hybern had hidden the majority of its force somewhere. Our scouts could not find it. Azriel could not find it. And Elain … She could not see that mighty army, she’d said. In her dreams awake and asleep. [ACOWAR]

And even though Elain could not see the Hybern host … It was worth a try. Her tent was dim, and quiet—the sounds of slaughter far away, dreamlike. She was awake, staring blankly at the canvas ceiling. [ACOWAR]

She had no mental shields, no barriers. The gates to her mind … Solid iron, covered in vines of flowers—or it would have been. The blossoms were all sealed, sleeping buds tucked into tangles of leaves and thorns. [ACOWAR]

If Elain’s mental gates were those of a sleeping garden, Nesta’s … They belonged to an ancient fortress, sharp and brutal. The sort I imagined they once impaled people upon. [ACOWAR]

My dreams were a tangled garden, thorns snagging on me as I stumbled through them. I dreamed of the Suriel, bleeding out and smiling. I dreamed of the Weaver’s open mouth ripping into Ianthe while she still screamed. I dreamed of Lord Graysen—so mortal and young—standing at the edge of the camp, beckoning to Elain. Telling her he’d come for her. To come home with him. That he’d found a way to undo what had been done to her—to make her human again. [ACOWAR]

“The Cauldron,” I breathed. “The Cauldron was fading away—going somewhere—” Nesta was already moving, sprinting for where we’d heard that voice. Luring Elain out. I knew how it had done it. I’d dreamed of it. [ACOWAR]

But Rhys stared at all of us, somehow assembled here in the sun-drenched open grasses without being given the order. Our family—our court. The Court of Dreams. […] Rhys pushed his shoulders back, elegantly folding his wings behind him. “I believe everything happens for a reason. Whether it is decided by the Mother, or the Cauldron, or some sort of tapestry of Fate, I don’t know. I don’t really care. But I am grateful for it, whatever it is. Grateful that it brought you all into my life. […] And then he said to my sisters, “We have not known each other for long. But I have to believe that you were brought here, into our family, for a reason, too. And maybe today we’ll find out why.” [ACOWAR]

Elain nodded, smiling up at me, and it was tentative joy—and life that shone in her eyes. A promise of the future, gleaming and sweet. [ACOWAR]

To the stars who listen, Feyre. I brushed a hand over his cheek to wipe away the last of his tears, his skin warm and soft, and we turned down the street that would lead us home. Toward our future—and all that waited within it. To the dreams that are answered, Rhys. [ACOFAS]

Elain, to my surprise, held Amren’s gaze. Amren said after a moment, “Are you asking out of curiosity for my past, or your own future?” [ACOFAS]

But Elain, it seemed, was as sleepless as me, especially after my stinging talk with Nesta that even the wine I’d returned home to drink couldn’t dull, and she wanted to see if I was game for a walk about the city, providing me with the perfect excuse to head out for more shopping. [ACOFAS]

Elain is pleasant to look at, her mother had once mused while Nesta sat beside her dressing table, a servant silently brushing her mother’s gold-brown hair, but she has no ambition. She does not dream beyond her garden and pretty clothes. [ACOSF]

Yet the terror still gripped Nesta, waking and asleep: the memory of how it had felt in those moments after hearing the Cauldron’s seductive call and realizing it had been for Elain, not for her or Feyre. How it had felt to find Elain’s tent empty, to see that blue cloak discarded. [ACOSF]

The House’s only answer was to slide the still-open drapes shut. By the time they’d finished swaying, she was again asleep. Elain had been stolen. By Hybern. By the Cauldron, which had seen Nesta watching it and watched her in turn. Had noted her scrying with bones and stones and made her regret it. […] Elain would surely be tormented, ripped apart body and soul. […] Dream, she told it. Dream and memory. Go away. [ACOSF]

Her sister’s delicate scent of jasmine and honey lingered in the red-stoned hall like a promise of spring, a sparkling river that she followed to the open doors of the chamber. Elain stood at the wall of windows, clad in a lilac gown whose close-fitting bodice showed how well her sister had filled out since those initial days in the Night Court. Gone were the sharp angles, replaced by softness and elegant curves. [ACOSF]

Sleep, they seemed to whisper in his ear. Sleep. I wish I could, he answered silently. But sleep so rarely found him these days. […] But even the silence weighed too heavily, and though the shadows kept him company, as they always had, as they always would, he found himself leaving the room. Entering the foyer. Soft steps padded from under the stair archway, and there she was. The Faelights gilded Elain’s unbound hair, making her glow like the sun at dawn. She halted, her breath catching in her throat. [ACOSF bonus]

She found Feyre and Elain waiting halfway down the hill, Nyx now dozing peacefully in Elain’s arms. Her sisters beamed, beckoning her to join. [ACOSF]

is a promise of the future.

@elainarcheronweek