#this has nothing to do with my dragon AU tho

[vaokses]

I worked the blade to make it deeper

Series Masterlist / General Masterlist

Pairing: Aegon x Rhaenyra's Daughter!Reader

Summary: Nearly two years have gone by since you left with your mother for Dragonstone, and yet your absence is as sharp as the first day. Rumors spread through King's Landing about how a Tyrell knight has captured your heart, and these rumors haunt Aegon, from the Keep to the taverns, leading him, drunk and reckless, to a brothel in the Street of Silk. Not in search of comfort, or in search of some illusion of you to keep him company through the night, but in search of something else.

Word Count: 4.4k 

Warnings: 18+. Smut (slight). Prostitution. Dubious consent. Drunkenness, alcohol consumption. Voyeurism. Self-harming or self-destructive actions/thoughts. Aegon's head is not in a good place at all. Descriptions/Allusions to panic attacks. A lot of angst, just a lot of it. Hurt and no comfort. Allusions to bad BDSM practices. I write this with sub!Aegon in mind, by the way, I don't know how explicit it is in this work, but it's there, and I'm warning you in case it's not your cup of tea. If I missed any warning tags, I apologize, and please let me know.

Some AU/Setting stuff: Same universe as How long this love can hold its breath and the Pirtir series. This takes place nearly a year before the beginning of the story, around four or so months before the other Aegon PoV chapter. You don't need to read either to read this tho.

A/N: So, I couldn't get this idea out of my head. It mixes some of book!Aegon's approach to intimacy/sex because I find it really interesting. This is just a lot of angst, but his character is so fucking sad, I can't help myself. I'll write some fluff for him at some point, I promise.

Title is from "Love opened a mortal wound. In agony, I worked the blade to make it deeper." by Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.

All of this would be easier if he could just forget, Aegon gathers. If he could just forget about you, about what he lost and what he didn’t have, then everything would be easier. The quiet of the Keep wouldn’t feel so deafening, the future ahead of him would be a tad less unbearable. 

And he wouldn’t be sneaking around like an idiot, eavesdropping on his mother and his grandsire’s conversation because he heard your name. 

“That boy will hand the Blacks the Reach if we do not step in,” Alicent argues, voice laden with worry. “His father is old, and he hasn’t inherited his judiciousness, his restraint.” 

“Lord Alisdair might still bend, once the Princess leaves Highgarden and his blood cools. Nothing makes a man as bold as a woman’s smile.” 

“Her smile, or the promise of her hand?” 

Aegon feels as if a weight had been dropped on his chest, and yet he does not even think about tearing himself away from here, about ceasing in his listening for any news of you. The closest he can get to you, nowadays. 

“No arrangements have been made yet, and if t-…” 

“My lord husband will approve if Rhaenyra asks this of him, you know this. He will wed her granddaughter to the Tyrell boy himself if it is her who asks.” 

“Has she asked?”  

A few beats of silence, the seconds before an executioner’s sword finds a neck. 

“It is a matter of time.” 

___ 

It is as natural as breathing, to Aegon, to escape the confines of the Red Keep by now, to evade his guards and sneak into the city.  

Now he sits alone -he shrunk from his usual company, he isn’t sure even why-,  nursing yet another jug of mead and chasing languidly for the welcome stupor of a stiff drink, and finds that not even here do you stop tormenting him. 

“My sister was there for the tourney in Highgarden,” A woman comments, carelessly loud as she speaks to the group of people sitting with her, a table away from Aegon’s. “She said the eldest of House Redwyne gifted the Princess a mare.” 

“As dragon food?” The man she sits on the lap of asks, prompting her to laugh. 

“I would like a mare as a gift,” One of the girls argues, at another’s scoff arguing, “What? What is wrong with that?” 

“The Princess rides Vermithor. What is a fucking horse against the second largest dragon in the world?” 

The wench that is sent to refill Aegon’s drink presses against him unnecessarily, and her hand traces over his shoulders as she moves away. He feels her gaze on him, watching raptly to see if he follows her with his own gaze, if he wishes to play along. 

He mislikes this, these games, playing pretend at seduction. It feels even more false than it already is, fucking a woman, if she likes pretending she wants something beyond the tenuous oblivion they can find in one another. 

“You gather she’s coming here anytime soon?” The man from the other table asks, diverting his attention to them -to you- once again. 

“I don’t think so. Everyone would be scurrying about in preparation. Whenever there’s something brewing up in the Keep we have more work months ahead.” 

“I hear she’ll summer in Highgarden.” One of the younger girls comments. 

The old woman’s laughter is shrill, grating. Gloating, almost. At least that is what it sounds like, to him. 

“Of course she is. Alasdair Tyrell has returned from the Shield Islands, and victorious at that. Made them swear to her cause, apparently.” 

“To Rhaenyra’s?” 

“No.” 

Silence follows the simple answer. Aegon motions for the wench to refill his drink, which she doesn’t do quickly enough. 

“Oh,” The man breathes. Short little chuckles escape his chest, and he praises, “Clever lad, eh?” 

“‘Tis quite a wedding gift, is it not?” 

Aegon takes fast, perhaps hurried, gulps from the flagon, but the mead isn’t enough to drown out their voices. 

“So she has agreed to it?” 

“She is a young girl, and he a knight who has more than proven his devotion. He doesn’t have her hand yet, but I’d bet he has her heart.” 

“So it isn’t just Vermithor she wants to ride,” The man boasts, followed by what sounds like a slap. “Ow!” 

“‘Tis the future Queen you speak of, you fool.” 

He should stop himself, but he doesn’t want to. Aegon turns to them and asks,  

“And the future wife of Lord Tyrell, no?” 

“My Prince.” One -or a few, he doesn’t really care- of them greets, and a few heads bow, but he motions their empty platitudes away. 

“It is a…a joyous thing, a betrothal. And one made for love, at that,” He smiles at them, but they don’t smile back. They look at him like he’s seen hunters look at cornered beasts, they look at him as if they’re afraid of him. “We don’t see much of those nowadays, do we?” 

“No, my Prince.” The older man agrees, still cautious. 

He isn’t an idiot, he knows that he wasn’t…that you don’t feel for him what he does for you, that you don’t think about him as often as he thinks about you. But some part of him, foolish and perhaps more than a little masochistic, still hoped the truth might be another. 

Still hoped, against hope, against reason, that you might one day return, that you might still choose him. 

“A cause for celebration then, isn’t it?” He asks, standing up and swaying slightly on his feet. Their faces are guarded, careful, and though he makes his best attempt at another smile, shameless and debauched, it seems they see through it. He pushes on, “Drinks for all! On me!” 

He plays along, he plays his part, for a while. The mead keeps flowing, and when it ceases, he switches to wine. Watered down and tasteless, but it washes away the ashes the memory of you leaves on his tongue. 

And the loud voices and cheers of the people in the tavern drown out even his thoughts for a while, but he finds that tonight the wine does not make his thoughts any easier to bear. It seems instead to make them louder, to make the ache deep in his chest sharper, worse. 

As the night goes on, his thoughts get louder and the crowd around him quieter as they return to their homes, and Aegon refuses to return to the quiet, the solitude, of the Red Keep. 

___ 

Long ago, years ago, he would come to places such as this and ask them to be soft with him, to hold him and treat him gently, to be what he imagined you would be -what he glimpsed at, what he had, for however short a while it was-, to grant him what he supposed he might have had, were you to have stayed. 

But he understood fairly quickly that it just made everything worse, that it made the absence much sharper, the emptiness gnaw at him with renewed strength; and so he started refusing them whenever they tried to offer anything gentle. They did it wrong, anyways, it just made him feel brittle and cold and alone, and he prefers the distance, and the oblivion it provides, over the hollowness that their false warmth leaves him with. 

The months and then the years went by, and you never returned, not even a glimpse of you and Vermithor on the distant skies, not even a short visit with your family, not even a fucking letter; and Aegon can no longer hold on to the fantasy that you might have wanted him, that you could have loved him. 

He gathers that it was for the better, that the illusion has shattered. It makes it easier, to find oblivion buried in some whore or another, to have his nights away from the Keep be the reprieve they ought to be. It makes it easier to make things quiet again, to lose himself when he can force his useless heart out of the way.  

But he often trips on it. His heart, that is. 

And sometimes his yearning overpowers his reason, and he finds himself searching for a shadow of you, a version of you that still wants him. Despite the ache and the absence, he still can’t bring himself to ask any of the women to pretend to care for him, to pretend to love him, anymore. 

He tells himself it is enough that they look like you when the lights are dim and wine clouds his senses, that they don’t say anything when it is your name he calls out. He tells himself it is enough to have this, and that to ask for more would be to ask to be torn open. 

But the absence remains, the hollowness remains, a void gnawing away at him, hungrier and hungrier the longer he indulges in foolish illusions, in tricks of the light.  

At his weakest, he asks them to prove to him what he already knows to be true. That you, fantasy or real, illusion or not, do not care for him, do not love him. That you, upon knowing what he has made out of himself, aware of what they will ask him to become, have come to hate him. So he asks them to hurt him, to refuse him, to turn away from him.  

He doesn’t understand why he does it, why he still chases after that when it leaves him just as empty as asking for anything else does. He doesn’t understand the part of him that finds comfort in his own ruin. 

He doesn’t understand why he comes here, why he is restless as he crosses the doors into the familiar brothel, why he feels his throat close up at the sounds and scents of this place, why his chest feels tight with something between desperation and dread as he sets out to…to do what it takes to make his thoughts stop, to make himself understand that he must forget. 

He finds the one he’s looking for fairly easily, long silver hair and deep red dress amidst a sea of heads of dark hair and half-naked bodies. Her back is turned to him, and the wine makes the sight resemble a familiar dream for a moment, and his breath catches. 

But when he reaches her and she turns to face him, the face isn’t a familiar one, the eyes are wrong, and the smile is a mockery of yours. 

He still extends a hand, wordless, to ask her to join him. 

It’s almost funny, that for all he despises his ancestry, what he has inherited; in the eyes of any of the patrons of this establishment he is but another Targaryen man, looking to get it wet only with the ones that, real or no, reflect the blood of a lost world. 

It is preferrable that they don’t know any better. He’d rather be his father’s son than the fool that yearns for a woman he cannot have. 

Aegon isn’t sure why he’s doing this, why he has come here, why tonight the wine has made the pain only sharper, more unbearable. He isn’t sure if he’s punishing himself, for being as stupid as to allow himself to hope you’d return to him; or if he’s just resigning himself to the truth that is, forcing himself to shatter with his own hands, before his very eyes, the fantasy of what could have been. 

But he wants this, he…he needs this.  

“And you,” He calls out, pointing to a well-built young man with warm eyes and chestnut hair. Quite close to a knight. Quite close to a Tyrell, even. Aegon offers him a smile, wide and lecherous. It is a lie, but it is one he himself believes, and the false merriment keeps him safe. “You will join us.” 

The man takes Aegon’s free hand, and he lets them lead him to a private room, of dim lights and of air heavy with incense. In the midst of the hanging curtains, the many candles, and the huge bed in the center of it all, Aegon feels for a moment as if he’s suffocating. 

“What can we do for you, my Prince?” The woman asks, voice low, sultry, dripping with false sweetness. 

A nauseating blend of anxiousness and dread rise within him, and though he reaches for the glass of wine on a nearby table, downing the drink in two gulps in an attempt to chase these feelings away, they linger. 

Aegon watches, numbly, as the man reaches for a pitcher and refills his cup without a word. It is welcome, almost a comfort, the weight of a full glass in his hand. 

“I…I want to watch,” Aegon admits, voice hoarse in what he absently hopes they confuse with lust. “The two of you. I want to watch the two of you.” 

There’s a chair near the bed but far enough, aimed towards it. He has the absent thought of how many must come here not for participation but for a show, and Aegon tries clinging to that small observation, amuse himself to thoughts of what others come to do in these places; but his mind, anticipating and yet dreading what is to come, lingers on the present. 

His gaze, unfocused and staring at nothing but the faint memories he wishes would leave him, cannot look at them as the man and woman undress and sit together in bed, looking at him.  

He cannot look at them, and yet he feels their gazes on him. He feels as if he were the one naked, the one on display, asked to put up a show. 

“My Prince?” The woman calls out, forcing his eyes to focus on her. 

She awaits instruction, and he finds he can’t give it. 

It is a painful reality, a mortifying truth, that he does not know how to offer softness, gentleness. Or how to receive it. Or how to witness it, even. 

In losing you, he gathers he also lost the part of him that knew of the softness of a gentle touch, that knew how not to shatter at the thought of warmth. 

And now he can’t even make this…this pretender, already a poor mimicry of you, portray your warmth, the gentleness of your affection; and Aegon cannot even witness a glimpse of the warmth and the softness that you surely now give freely to that fool on the far end of the world. 

It dawns on him then, that he has forgotten pieces of you, that he has lost part of you to time and to distance. And realization isn’t a weight dropped on his chest, or the ground giving in under his feet, no; realization is a slow pressure, a shrinking tunnel, an exhale that left him too late to realize he wouldn’t be able to inhale again. 

He grabs for the cup with shaking fingers, grips it so tight he fears it might crack, and downs the rest of the drink. But the numbness is escaping him, slipping like sand between his fingers, and the haziness has given way to something much worse, to a quickly-beating heart and thoughts chasing themselves in circles. 

And all the wine does now is make him feel as if he’s only further drowning, further losing whatever grasp he has at himself. He still drinks. 

What can he tell her? That he wishes to be hurt, punished, for his weakness, for his faults? That he wishes to see what he has lost, what he never had, what he never will have?  

That he wants for the thoughts to stop, for the pain to stop, and he only knows how to escape them with this, with sex; but the memory of you lingers too close, a knife wedged next to his heart, for him to even consider enduring another’s touch tonight? 

He tells her the truth instead, and if instead of a command it sounds like an accusation, he does not care. 

“You love him.”  

It is all the instruction he can give. He does not know what love looks like, what love feels like, so even if she doesn’t either and the act is a poor one, Aegon won’t know the difference. 

The man and woman fall easily into the parts they must play, pressing their bodies together and sharing a deep kiss, letting their hands explore each other slowly, with the pace of two people with all the time in the world, with the calm of those who have promised each other a lifetime. Aegon watches, and the nakedness of their bodies does not seem lewd, instead it betrays an intimacy, a warmth, that makes the void in his chest awaken with an oppressive sort of longing. 

Aegon’s gaze lingers on him, on the ‘knight’. He finds he cannot look away, and it isn’t jealousy that overwhelms him, or anger; instead, all that fills his him at the sight is dread, and morbid fascination.  

The man’s fingers are buried within her, his lips at her throat, and Aegon feels as if a knife were slowly embedded somewhere within his chest. With each breath, the knife digs deeper, tears further at an old wound, and yet he doesn’t look away. Instead, his breath quickens. 

And he knows it’s an act, that they’re playing at sharing a love they do not know or have, but he doesn’t know it or have it either, and sitting here he only feels more alone.  

But he cannot join them. Because you do not want him. 

After what he isn’t sure if it is a moment or an eternity, darkened gazes flicker to him, awaiting his permission, his command, to go on, with quickened breaths. Though for a moment Aegon finds himself staring back, unmoored and uncertain, he quickly recovers and stutters a response to go on with it. 

The man grunts a curse against her breasts as he enters her in one swift motion, and she sighs at the feeling, hoarse little moan rumbling past her lips as she adjusts to having him inside her. 

They start moving together, and though the sight before him is an objectively alluring one, and if nothing else he should be able to focus on the sounds leaving their lips, on the sound and scent of sex filling the room, Aegon finds himself not even slightly aroused. 

Then again, he didn’t expect to. He might enjoy pain sometimes, and perhaps even seek it, but seeing a mirror -however muddied, however imperfect- of the woman he loves making love to someone else is something out of a nightmare, not something he might enjoy stroking his cock to.  

He didn’t think it’d hurt like this, though. He feels useless tears stinging at his eyes, and his breath hitches, because he expected it to hurt, but he didn’t think it’d torture him like this. 

And yet he can’t bring himself to stop them, feels undeserving of intruding upon their -your-, however false, love. With a breathed little laugh that only further blurs the lines between the reality of two paid whores acting out what he wants and the mirages of two people on the far end of the world, the woman switches their positions, straddling him. 

Unprompted, the man sits up, mouths at her neck as she aligns his cock with her cunt again. Slowly, sensually, she starts riding him. 

Aegon sniffles, tries hiding a stuttered breath, and leans forward. What he means to sound like an order, like an instruction, is voiced instead as a plea,  

“H-…I want you to hold him, while…while you ride him. Hold him against you.” 

She does as he commands, and the sight of their embrace is enough to force Aegon to look away, flinch away from pain as sharp as a hit. He reaches for the pitcher of wine, movements hurried and jittery, and pours himself another glass, uncaring that it spills. 

He gives another order, another command. One after another. He tells the man, for he is naught but a lucky fool that doesn’t even see the fortune bestowed upon him, how to touch you, how to make you feel good, how to make you his.  

They lose themselves in each other, waiting for no further instruction, exchanging caresses and kisses and breathed moans as they move together, as one. 

Aegon feels his composure, weak and brittle as it was already, begin to crumble. His hands grip at the armrests of the chair and tears burn at his eyes. He’s trembling, but neither of them stop, because neither of you notice, because you have each other, and he does not matter. 

He shakes his head, tries thinking clearly past the daze of alcohol and grief, and reminds himself it’s them. They’re strangers, they’re pretenders. He clings to that reminder. 

And yet each whispered word that they share, each shared breath, each tender touch, it feels as if it’s mocking him, taunting him with what he cannot have, what he can only watch from afar. 

The effect of the wine and the tears spilling from his eyes blur the edges of his vision, making the already stifling room seem smaller, the air thicker. Each breath feels pulled from his lungs, his body at the command of someone else, because he still cannot look away. 

He understands better than ever why Helaena presses her palms to her ears when the crowds get too loud. He wants nothing more than to cover his ears, close his eyes, hide himself and get away. Why is he here, why is he doing this? 

He doesn’t want this, he doesn’t want to see this. He doesn’t want this to happen. And yet he can’t stop watching, why can’t he stop this? 

She’s close to the edge, he can tell, and while he needs for this to be over, he cannot stand the thought of it at the same time. 

It is unbearable, and he stands from that chair, not to approach them but to step away. The room spins around him, his balance fails him, his voice fails him. 

She clings to him, hides her face in the knight’s neck and away from Aegon’s view. She looks like you, and she sounds like you, and he lost you he lost you he lost you. 

“Tell him you love him.” The voice is his, but not really, and he hears it from far away, from somewhere beyond the panicked cadence of his breaths, from a dream in which it is your love for him that Aegon asks to hear. 

You bring your knight closer to you, hand tangling in short tresses of chestnut hair. Your mouth is close to his ear, your voice a breath, a promise Aegon knows he shouldn’t be allowed to hear,  

“I love you.” 

You shatter, and so does Aegon. 

Her cry of pleasure and the knight’s mask the horrified sob that leaves Aegon’s chest at what he has done, at what he has tainted; and in their shared ecstasy they thankfully do not see him squeeze his eyes shut and cravenly look away, face crumpled in agony. 

He stumbles back onto the chair, some absent voice in the back of his mind reminding him it is unfitting of a prince to fall on the ground, that the people cannot see him on his knees. 

He thought he’d be in control, that if he commanded them, if he was… 

His thoughts matter not, what he expected matters not. The fantasy, painful as it was, has shattered, and the jagged pieces of it dig into him like glass. 

Aegon slumps in the chair, his body exhausted and worn. He feels used, wretched, and despite the weariness consuming his very bones, his mind remains restless, agitated. 

And the silence that lingers after they are done is worse, almost. He cannot bear to look at them.

“You…you can leave,” He tells them. A breath, two, and with a rush of energy he doesn’t have, Aegon stands up instead. The movement feels uneven, exaggerated, and he grabs at the back of the chair to keep himself from falling over. With his free hand, he gestures at them to stay where they are, and corrects himself, “I-I will leave. I’m…I’m the one intruding, am I not?” 

They don’t laugh, so he does. Or he tries to, but what leaves him is this manic little sound, this choked sob. 

He moves to leave the room, but he stumbles over his own feet, and thankfully catches himself on a nearby pillar. He needs to get out. 

Everything is too much, too bright, too loud, too painful, and he cannot escape it. In his head still resonates the breathed I love you. 

Why would you say that to him? He…he’s nothing, he doesn’t… 

No, no. Aegon squeezes his eyes shut and reminds himself that it wasn’t you, it was her. The impostor, that…that poor mimicry of you.  

And he instructed her to say that. Why did he do that? 

He wanted to fill the emptiness inside him, to…to quieten it all for a few moments, he didn’t want…he didn’t want this. But the void within him grows, and it hungers, and it tears away at pieces of him, breath by breath. 

He stumbles out of the pleasure house on trembling legs, but doesn’t make it far before his labored breaths become too quick, too uneven. The air that enters his lungs hurriedly, stutteringly, over and over, still isn’t enough for him to breathe. 

Aegon staggers into a nearby alley, clawing desperately at the brick wall in an attempt to keep himself grounded, to keep himself from breaking, from falling. 

He still does, between labored breaths and memories that taste of ash, he crumbles under the weight of his disgust and his hatred at himself, at what he does, at what he failed to do; and falls onto the cold ground. 

Back against the wall of the empty alley, Aegon brings his knees to his chest, and hugs them close to himself, head bowed and eyes shut tight as he tries forgetting.  

I would love to hear your thoughts on this! My askbox is always open for questions or comments, and soon I think I'll be taking requests.

I should have waited to post this (I posted the first chapter of Pirtir today) but I couldn't help myself. This was so fun to write. I find these themes really interesting, and I want to delve into them again in the future. I have some stuff planned but they're still a bit further ahead in the posting schedule.

Thank you for reading!

[dwampyverseawards]

FINALE: PFTONES VS WHEN GLASS SHATTERS

CONGRATULATIONS TO @pftones3482 FOR WINNING THE WRITERS SIDE OF THE FOR FUN TOURNEY, AND TO @local-dragon-haunt FOR WINNING THE INDIVIDUAL FIC/SERIES SIDE OF THINGS! THIS LAST ROUND IS BASICALLY JUST EVEN MORE FOR THE FUNSIES.

@/pftones3482

Relevant reason for being submitted:

not sure if it has influence on the fandom overall but it had an influence on me and I live by that

They create top-tier Phineas and Ferb content, from fics to thoughtful analysis of characters and episodes. The following link is a great showcase of just a portion of their current Phineas and Ferb fics;

Propaganda: Just their entire catalogue of Phineas and Ferb works on Archive of Our Own. This is my favourite fic of theirs;

And here are some of my favourite posts;

Vote for @/pftones3482!

Have you ever heard of the Secret Life of Candace? Aka best mermaid au ever? GUESS WHO WROTE IT?

I have been in the Phineas and Ferb fandom for over a decade - writing fics for it for 12 years, can y'all believe that? I'm one of the oldest "original" fandom members left on AO3, which is actually insane.

And to this day the things I love about the show have shifted a little - favorite characters, favorite tropes, ships, etc. Nothing drastic, but anyone who's been following me since the beginning has definitely seen those changes.

But the thing I have always loved most about this fandom IS the fandom. The PnF fandom is one of the most wholesome fandoms I've ever been in, and it's the reason it's one of the only fandoms I still interact with. Sure, there's been drama, and sometimes we don't all agree - no fandom will ever always agree on everything (if they do....run)

Overall tho this fandom is so kind and wonderful, and given how small we are, we are still obnoxiously loud about this show 😂 I love us for that

Regardless if I win or lose (and if I lose, I'm honored to go down to someone like @/inators, who is a very kind person and has a big presence in the fandom), I wanted to say thank y'all for getting me this far

Phineas and Ferb got me on Tumblr and started my writing career. The fandom is what helped me stay. If I could give y'all an award for "Best Fandom," I absolutely would 🧡💚

When Glass Shatters, written by @/local-dragon-haunt

Relevant reason for being submitted:

Propaganda: local_dragon has a fantastic way with words and unconventional story telling. AUs where Perry is revealed to the kids are frequent, but ones where he interacts with Linda and Lawrence too are few and far between and the concept has so much potential. I just love their writing

Vote for my bestie @/local-dragon-haunt they deserve it and they won't admit it

Contestants may add their own propaganda however they see fit, provided it does not put down the person they are against. All round 1 matches were randomly generated, and anyone may drop out at any time.

[writingforatwistedworld]

Ahem ahem Feel free to delete if it's forbidden to do this. I swear making you add a rule against this isn't my aim imma just a tinny bit worry that I won't have the chance to ask a continuation for this ask before a long time. But I understand if you don't want this to set a precedent. I wish to continue the player is a Disney princess ask but with different boys this time.

Could I ask how would Malleus/Kalim/Azul react to a player that is the definition of a Disney princess ? Animals flocks to them, they sing and dance, they're sickeningly sweet, pure and naive, and to top it off they're Neige level of beautiful and charming. The whole Disney protagonist™ package, of which everyone know that they should be in RSA.

Self-aware au

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, kidnapping, manipulation, religion, unhealthy relationship, hints at war, poison, overall just toxic relationships

Azul Ashengrotto/Kalim Al-Asim/Malleus Draconia-Player is the definition of a Disney princess

First of all, it's bad for his business

Imagine, all kinds of animals in a place that serves food (and I am not talking about beast men)

Not exactly hygienic...

But outside of that?

Sign him up!

You are just so easy to *cough* manipulate *cough* protect

You really are the ideal target for his manipulation

And worst of all?

He doesn’t even realize what he is doing

The second you seem to distance yourself he a internally panicking and asking you “if his company is so unbearable”

And thanks to you being so naive you don't snap at him but rather think that he is nothing else but hurt

Yeah, he is hurt... you “monster”

And don't even get me started about how things go once he witnesses the encouraging side of every single typical “goody two shoes Disney protagonist”

Oh boy, you are stuck

And if he can't manipulate because this has gone on for so long that this has become normal for you and you don't even realize it anymore that something is wrong?

Well it seems like he needs to roll up his sleeves and get to work like the sea witch did

Tho is a world with Alchemy and you can't tell me the judges over there don't have regularly cases in which a family sued someone because their member is the victim of a love potion

I would like to say that we now have two cinnamon rolls but no, we only have one

And it's not the one who is rich... I can already see the luxurious imprisonment...

Ok but there you are, putting some animal which was just walking in the parade he just held (Jamil is about to cry because of the work in that corner over there)

That was when it was even more over for you

Of course everyone knew that the kind Overseer was going to their school but actually meeting them was another thing

But there you are, right under his nose

Oh dear Overseer, how radiant you are!

It is as if he is someone lost in the desert and you are the Oasis he is seeing in the horizon

Yeah, he whipped for you

But that also means you need protection!

As much as wholesome Kalim usual is, he has experienced attempted assassination even from his closest family members so... at least we can somewhat see where he is coming from

Suddenly Jamil isn't only preparing food for the heir of the Scalding Sands but also for someone who is considered holy in some places

(Believe me when I tell you, his hands were shaking when he was putting the salt into the food)

And whoopsy, seems like he has prepared a room too much, do you want to stay

Yeah... you aren't leaving that room is all I can say

But hey, you are probably one of the safest people in their world... at least until the Valley of Thorns hears of this...

Are you seriously asking? Of course this would end in a tragedy (at least for you)

Ok, what do we have? Oh? A dragon and oh? Literally Aurora 2.0??!

Ok so, the first time you two met he would have probably thought that you are Silvers sibling or something by that by seeing that the whole forest is following you

But nah, he is literally in a religion that is about you so that was until you turned around and he saw your face

Cue one of the few times his chin hit the floor

He probably also accidentally slipped out his tail

But ok, you just made the literally fifth most powerful person in this world "a bit too interested" in you, so what?

I'm telling you “so what”, you, my dear friend, are about to be treated in a very luxurious manner

In other words, one kingdom, one room, a ton of followers who are capable of living very long

Nope, no way out, only one way in

But of course you wouldn't just run away from those hopeful eyes, staring with excitement up to you without blinking

Even if you had enough one day and couldn't take it anymore you wouldn't be able to escape

Malleus made sure himself that you can't escape him no matter what

You know that voiceline which says “easier than spinning threat”? He about to repeat what his ancestor did

At least his tail is nice to pet... cool and smooth

But yeah, prepare to sleep a looooong time

[luffythinker]

what do we think about this family tree?

I like the idea that Kirishima comes from dragons because of the fantasy AU so he's got dragons in the family from his mom's side and his dad's side has rocks and metals

IDK WHERE TO PUT KOHAKU but shes blonde so i just sat her over there

I haven't gotten to the part where i meet kid yet but he has a metal power i do know

same power and they canonly used to be called "Meta abilities" in BSD they just call them abilities

villain father - hero student daughter, i like to remember Setsuna got in on recommendations ? i think she did and normally rec students are rich (Iida,Todoroki,Momo) so she's rich for a reason hjrtbdhxjstbg

ITS A STRETCH IDEA but step siblings with a age-gap (15 - 24 i think they are nine years apart? im bad at math)

Trumpet is Momo's father. Same father different mothers and Kai's mom abandon him? and the Liberation was trying to get ahold of him but Kai wants nothing to do with his "good for nothing father who only wants to mooch off his successes"

somebody on twitter told me "I guess I could see how disassembling and reassembling matter could be connected with transmutation of lipids if you assume the lipids are being disassembled at the subatomic level." so it must be the mothers quirk that's

TRUMPET AND AIZAWA ARE BROTHERS, MOMO IS TRUMPETS DAUGHTER AND OVERHAUL IS HIS FIRST CHILD

I don't know enough about one piece im only on season 1 but i go and look at a lot of spoilers but not so many i don't know anything about Sanji's family but i remembered either me or somebody else gave quirks to the One piece characters on your blog and labeled him with a fire quirk (i couldn't find it but i found it on my blog so i think it was me?? i have it tagged as #My treasure academia so maybe it was me??)

Quirk: flaming ankle: User can catch their legs on fire for fiery kicks. Only the legs nothing else

so Sanji as a todoroki jkgbdjtfghj

tho this is making me think about him being a Kaminari, DENKI HAVING A COOL OLDER BROTHER Sanji actually kinda reminds me of Kaminari ngl

and i just wanna say Nami - Ochako sister

Quirk: Navigation: User always knows where they are and where to go just by taking a moment to look around. Everything becomes familiar if they visited the place once. (Not very sure how this quirk works but i also feel like it could work if they spend a day in one place they automatic know the layout)

but i could change it to fit in with Ochako's family to this

Quirk: Compass/ true north: grants the user an innate ability to perceive their sense of direction and spatial orientation no matter where they are. The user can always pinpoint the exact location of true north and has an exceptional awareness of their surroundings once the quirk is active, making them naturally skilled in navigation. This ability extends to sensing the precise positions of objects and people within a certain radius, even if they are hidden or out of sight.

my sole reason: because they have the same voice actor and it would be cute for both the money girls to be sisters and Ochako having a troublesome thief sister is funny

Do you have any thoughts or add-ons? someone on twitter added someone who wasn't a mha character into Compress family tree so i had to put in my 5 dollars

oh my god this is a lot, okay let me think

first of all the idea that kidd could somehow be a distant relative of Kirishima makes so much sensenjdfjkdfkjf

as for aizawa and dazai, i LOVE those two and i think it says a lot about me that they are two of my fav (adult) characters

buggy and that girl i gotta be honest i do not remember herjdvfkjdfkj but i stand by u on that!

now momo and chisaki being siblings is something that makes sense to me, because momo's family is super rich, and nobody that rich is doing something clean with their money, so it would be interesting to see that her money comes from underground stuff like the yakuza

trumpt and aizawa brothers makes sense just bc they look alike tbhkjdfkjdfkjfdlk

and god u have no idea how right you are by saying that sanji would be in the todoroki family kvkmdkjckdfkjdfkdc but i like the idea of kaminari and sanji being siblings as well

NAMI AND OCHAKO SISTERS IS SOOOOO TRUEEE they sooo are, older sister nami my precious babygirl

im not sure i have something to add, but now I'm thinking about Kirishima meeting shanks, and i think they would hit it off so well lmao

[little-nugget-writes-stufff]

Pov your bully walks by and you stiffen up (something happened before that), how would they react?

genre: fluff, comfort

Very self indulgent srry

school au? (Forgot the name im srryyy)

characters: zhongli kaeya heizou venti tartaglia cyno (might add more because i want to)

heizou

you really think he didnt notice how you stiffend up the moment (bully name) walked past you? my my how dare you underestimate heizou, he's not a detective for nothing now is he? the next time your bully walks past you he tries to keep your mind of them by distracting you with little games :D puzzles ofcourse ;)

kaeya

oh this guy would deffinitly tease you." oh my what got you so frozen in place?'' if you tell him why you just got so scared because of them he will try to comfort you, however if you dont i think you would still receive teasing, but if ur not comfortable with that he will stop. afterall he doesnt want his beloved friend to feel scared of just some person who feels so insecure about theirself that they make others insecure aswell. would also probably go over to the bully and lightly (no) tell them to leave you alone.

tartaglia

If he sees it, next day the bully is gone, no questions asked :)

venti

would distract you with songs. maybe about you, or the nice view outside the window. would send a death glare towards the bully. "My muse, there's no need to fear, your favorite bard is here" (please idk why i wrote that help) has his ways of getting your mind of them tho 10/10 :D

Zhongli

Notices how you react, but doesnt notice the bully at first. He walks out of the room (teacher aproves, ofcourse he wouldnt do such thing as walking out without permission) and gets you some tea to get you to calm down a bit. He then asks what happened. If you tell him, he will listen and comfort you. If you chose not to, dont worry he would still comfort you. (Also dragon instincts telling him to teach that bully a lesson but he doesnt (cant scare you now can he?)

Cyno

Man would see it and just start making jokes. Oh but after class those bullies will regret their actions. Ye remember that one clip were he's dealing with enemies? Ye its about the same with ur bullies :)

(had to re-start this so many times bc i got so fcking scared when this person walks by (bully ofc) but anyways i hope you guys like this and there will probably be more characters in the futere

[pillowdrawz]

Ive been dragged into your au (Hamato's Umarekawari) kicking and screaming. The art is phenomenal. The oneshots brilliant. I dont know why i resisted for so long. I am converted. I must know more.

I got a couple questions tho! I think i missed the posts where you explained these. How did 18!Raph end up as the dad? Did no one else want them or did he look at them and his huge canon paternal instinct went "my babies now"? Why the names Ryu and Ryo? Do they know they're mutants or did everyone assume they were yokai? What does Umarekawari mean? Does Splinter love being a grandpa? Is Draxum there? What was their childhood like? Is April their aunt? Is Casey Jr there? Can you tell this au has consumed my thoughts?

Thts so many Questions I am willing to answer.

First you see The 2012 and 2003 Turtles where Reincarnated as baby turtles on a pet store then two oozequitos Bite them yes at the same time. The shop keeper Freak out and abandoned the baby boys. Rise Raph found them!. Yes Rise raph would be like "My sons now"

2003 Is named Ryu meaning is Dragon

2012 Raph aka Ryo meaning is Excellent,Succeed.

Splinter named this boys btw.

Donnie ran a few test and thats what they learn they are mutants.

Umarekawari meaning in japanese is Rebirth or Reincarnation.

Rise Splinter LOVED being a grandpa the twins loved him too.

Draxum is also there but also Big mama they are Grandparents. Big mama would let the boys (at 15yrs old watch at the battle nexus these twins love fighting yes they fought in the battle nexus not by force they wanted to fight)

Their Childhood Good 👍 (think of it as bluey and Bingo but more smacking /j) their Childhood is very fun loved it they enjoy to have fun. problem is the boys have a nightmares when they where little that makes them be so scared at Rise raph (Cough cough Slash/Hun). So rise raph wears a Mascot to hide his whole appearance a teddy bear Mascot. The kids like teddy bear Rise raph made them all the time when they want a new one. When Nightmares went away as they realized The Monsters from their Nightmares aka Slash and Hun are nothing like Rise raph. So they weren't scared of him anymore.(yes this was a reference to a movie i forgot what its called )

April their aunt? YES SHE IS A FUN AUNT

CASSANDRA? CHAOTIC AUNT EVER.

Casey Jr < Big Cousin/bro.

Also yes and thank you.

[pencilofawesomeness]

Hi! I'm Naeme from AO3, and I finally got the courage to use the ask thingie cause I had some questions. The thing is tho, I braved tumblr and managed to get to the end of the HTRYDS page(?) so some of the stuff I'm wondering might be totally outdated and the questions might be obsolete. Oh well, I'll ask anyway.

For of all tho, I have to have ask: What have you done to me? I am not kidding for the last two weeks I've just been rereading this AU and thinking about it. This is exactly how I felt after finding and reading your AU this winter. Gosh, I get so intense when I reeeeally like something. I reread your entire fics, proceeded to go play Genshin Impact to move on, then I started talking to my sister about your fic because I needed to FANGIRL and when I was done I was so excited THAT I STOP PLAYING MY GAME AND WENT TO REREAD EVERYTHING AGAIN. My sister thought it was the funniest shit ever, she said I gaslight myself into rereading your fic. What have you done to me. Or maybe I'm the problem. I've been rereading everything but this time with Fairy Tail music because your fic it just that good.

I want you to know, that this is all your fault for creating something so magical. Also I've been rewatching some Fairy Tail episodes because of you and half the time all I can think about is ''Gosh I wish this was HTRYDS''.

ANWAY. As mentioned, I've read your tumblr posts and responses from a while ago and I got some questions. You might not have answers anymore, maybe you moved on or changed your mind and it's all good. I don't really post, but I do write a lot, so I know how it can be.

I saw a post that was about your vague idea of the arcs for this fic and their order, I know it might have changed, you were clear that it was open to a lot of changes, but I had questions about that arc that you called ''Teambuilding Exercises''. I feel like you talked about it somewhere but I couldn't remember what was said. I'm just so curious about this one because for a while now I have been wondering if the dragon slayers were going to join teams. Because it seems like you made Erza, Jellal, Gray and Lucy a team, which confirms what I thought that the Tower Trio (for lack of better name, sorry babies) never became an official team, but it also seems that Natsu just isn't going to join. (which is interesting. I do find his relationship with Gray interesting in HTRYDS, especially when it seemed that Gray genuinely wanted to go with Natsu to Galuna Island in Demon Tale (you broke my heart there, it was great (AND WTF I JUST REALIZED THAT DEMON TALE IS KIND OF THE OPPOSITE OF FAIRY TAIL WHAT--))

Anyway, QUESTIONS!!! First of all, what is implied with ''Team''. Is it Team, or is it Teams. Is the Team the whole of Fairy Tail? In that case it would be the entire guild working together to become closer. If it's Teams, the known teams right now are Laxus', Levy's and maaaaaybe Erza/Jellal/Gray/Lucy? But I feel like the arcs have to be about one of the dragon slayers (we're here for them after all), so is it Laxus? Or will Gajeel join Levy's team? Or Natsu Erza's? Somehow those last two ideas don't feel likely. Sooo, is it that the dragon slayers will make their own team? Or multiple teams? Like the oldest together and youngest together? I feel like Acno won't join a team unless you decide to put the whole fam in one team.

I AM curious as to if the dragon slayers will join any team or make one, even if it's unrelated to that arc.

Maybe that arc has nothing to do with the teams of Fairy Tail and it's a metaphor for something I don't know yet. Or another type of team entirely.

I've also been wondering whether or not there would be a time skip at the end of the Tenrou Island arc, but I'm pretty sure the only way I'll know that is if I read it. So it will wait.

You know what, somehow, it feels like if you answer any of my questions it might just be too spoilery. In that case, just take all those questions I have about HTRYDS as me being very passionate about everything.

Huh. This is really just me loosing my mind over the teams, isn't it? I guess it's because I'm currently in the middle of rereading Demon Tale, I always start wondering during that read. (also love Lucy with Jellal in there, they are so precious in their together. Geek best friends. And then Levy join in on the fun too!)

Gosh I'm a rambling machine. I guess that's why it's hard to comment for me sometimes, especially of the bigger works like you HTRYDS, because I want to honor all the hours and the thoughts that you put into such a big project and it feels like a little comment wouldn't be able to do that. I truly genuinely feel blessed that you decided to take this endeavor and even tho you might feel like doing something else, it's fine because you still gave us such amazing stories to enjoy with this AU.

So again, thank you so much for this AU. Papalogia and his little dragons will now live in my mind forever, I just know it. <3

Hello! Now you can receive your gold star sticker for trying new things lol. And to be fair, nobody *really* knows how to navigate tumblr, we all just (bad pun incoming) tumble our way through. I try to tag all my stuff well enough but my page could probably use some better navigational tags. Oh well. We all persist XD

Anyway whoops. I am honored to be the source of brainrot but as always it's unintentional XD. As much as I would like to take credit for the neat trick, because I need to use that on myself sometimes lmao.

Haha I'm not *too* indecisive so most of my rambling about plot stuff is still up to date. The "Teambuilding Exercises" arc is still very much on my timeline (and still unnamed, rip) and I am still very much hyped for it. I just mentioned it in an ask a few days ago, which is probably what you're thinking of. Funnily enough though, none of the "teams" in that arc will be actual teams. It is 100% me coming up with a funny reason to make new people bond, and then those bonding experiences turn into accidentally Very Personal adventures.

It's funny, I have realized that I sort of made the dragon slayers the floaters of Fairy Tail. Laxus is the only one on a team (Thunderstorm) and that isn't going to change. They kind of act like a "team" in themselves, except not in a concrete way, just the sibling way, and there are groups they frequent, like Gajeel tagging along with Shadow Gear a lot. And, I mean, technically "Team Erza" (as much as I call them that) aren't an official team aside from Mira joking to put them down as one, they just also do things together. I like to play fast and loose with group dynamics and give them the freedom to mix it up sometimes. So, like, there are the official teams recognized outside of the guild as A Thing, and then the people who often squad up. And then me sometimes finding excuses for somewhat unique squads, like me throwing Natsu, Mira, and Happy together in Demon Tales.

Which. I am so stoked you noticed the naming thing XD. I very much did that on purpose lol. (I jokingly refer to their squad name as Demon Tail in my notes.) It's also a fun double entendre, because in addition to being a play off of the guild and a focus on our lovely demon members, the whole arc is also about tales that come from demons. It's Galuna's quest and their past and present and the myth about Apophis and about the Timeless Valley, and with also that fun emphasis that stories does not equal history, but they are adjacent to each other. (I actually agonize over titles too much sometimes I can be very annoying about it, thank you for giving me this opportunity.)

Thank you for rambling! I always enjoy hearing it, and sometimes getting the chance to do it back. Also it makes me happy to know people are in the same brainrot pit I carved for myself and live in. It means a lot <3

[fixfoxnox]

Dragons!!!!!! Dragons!!!!!!!! I love it so much Im gonna throw up!!!!! DRAGONS!!!!! and Roach being all skrunkly ahwksgwkwgwkwhwh I LOVE ahhhhhhhhhakshsksjs

Red and Silver

Dragon AU! Soap/Ghost/Roach

Description: Two bonded dragons, who feel that something is missing in their bond, fly to a nearby kingdom to retrieve a stolen crown from their hoard. They find their missing piece there in the form of a prince. A prince suddenly finds his kingdom under threat by two large dragons. He finds that they call to him in a way he can't explain. Aka the Dragon AU Intro

Word Count: 10k

Warnings: Slight NSFW implications toward the end (can be read as not nsfw)

Pairings: Soap/Ghost, Soap/Ghost/Roach, Roach/James Ramirez (yes SiTO fans I am reusing James from the bar aka James Ramirez) (he's kinda a dick here tho) (Ramirez in sito would never)

The air of the forest is almost deathly still, no movement, no sounds. Every creature is quiet, they know to be quiet. There is something much larger than them moving around the forest, something much more dangerous. They know to stay quiet if they don’t want to fall into its gaze. The creature has to eat though, so it stalks quietly through the woods. It will find prey soon enough. 

It is quick as it moves, changing its size to allow it to scuttle through small gaps or cross an open field with only a few steps. Magic thrums through its veins, everything in the forest knows how dangerous it is. They stay away. It isn’t enough. It finds its prey, the shadows of the forest hide the glint of its silvery grey scales. It waits patiently for the perfect moment before pouncing. Claws sink into skin, and teeth tear at the deer’s throat, giving it a quick death. It doesn’t eat, not yet. It takes the animal in its claws, growing its size before taking flight. The trees bend with the wind from its wings. 

It soars through the air quickly, following an invisible trail it made for itself, making its way back to its home. The air is silent, it rises back into the clouds spreading its wings wide. The creature relaxes as it flies. It knows that the sky is its domain and no other creature would dare to attack it here. 

The air shifts, the creature can’t hear whatever it is, but it knows that something has changed. It can smell it, even if the wind carries the scent away. There is a moment where it tenses, it can do nothing though as a red blur tackles into its body, sending it spinning through the air. It quickly gains control of the flight, wrapping its wings together with the other creature. To any outside observers, they would assume this was a fight. 

These two creatures though, these two dragons, they do not fight. No, their bodies move together, joining as one as a warmth takes over their chest. They wrap their wings and tails around one another, allowing their bodies to begin a descent to the ground. They hold to one another, nuzzling closer until the last possible second when they split apart, their wings spread out to allow them to glide safely to the ground. 

The silver-scaled dragon drops the deer to the ground between them, a low rumbling purr escaping its body as the red-scaled dragon similarly drops a deer to the ground. The red dragon saunters over to the other, nuzzling against its neck with a low trill in its throat. “My love,” the silver dragon’s voice is deep and rumbling, and the red dragon leans into it. There is a warmth that builds between these two, a bond that rumbles deep in their chest and connects them with the string of fate. 

They were meant for one another, crafted from the stars with the other’s visage in mind. A kind hand painted them together, another tied the string between them, and another pushed them together on Earth. They were given to each other, a gift from the universe. There was something besides the warmth though, a cold emptiness that demanded to be filled. There was something missing from their bond, a part of their heart that hadn’t yet rejoined the others. 

They were patient creatures. They would wait until the universe guided them to their missing piece. They could be patient. For now, they would bask in the warmth of the other, in the bond that drove them together. 

They curled together in the open field, eating their meal before rolling together in the grass, wrapped around one another with a low purr building in their throats. The red and silver of their scales twinkled in the sunlight, blinking like the stars that decorated the night sky. They were meant for one another and, there in that field, they enjoyed one another. They took their leave, enjoying a brief break in their plans. They stayed until the sun began to set on the horizon, the chill of the night breaking through. Condensation from the red dragon’s fiery breath billowed in the air like smoke. 

They rose back into the air together, a dance in the sky as they flew around one another, following their scent back to their home. The red dragon was flying ahead, doing flips and twirls through the air as the silver dragon followed behind, amusement radiating from it. They grew closer to their home, spotting the winding spires of the castle they called their own in the distance. The red dragon began to pick up speed, flapping its wings harder and harder before, suddenly, it stopped. 

It hovered in the air, its entire body tense. As the silver dragon began to approach, it understood why the other stopped. The scent of humans was acrid, filling the air of their home dangerously. The scent moved into their castle, pervading the air. The two dragons did not have to speak, they moved toward their home in unison. 

They landed silently in the courtyard of their castle, shrinking themselves down small enough that they could comfortably make their way inside without knocking any walls down. They moved carefully, following the scent of humans with growing dread. The scent was going toward their hoard. The hoard they’d built together. 

They moved into the large open room that held their hoard, scanning along the piles of treasures, some gold, some fabrics, some weapons, whatever took their fancy. There was no life in the room, the humans who had been there were long gone. Other things were gone too, the red-scaled dragon was the first to notice. 

A wail-like roar filled the small room, shaking the walls of the castle. The silver dragon was quick to make his way over, fire roaring in his chest as he realized what was missing just as his bonded did. The first item they’d acquired for their shared hoard, a beautiful bejeweled crown that the silver dragon had gifted the red during their bonding ceremony. It was gone from its display. His angry screech joined the wail of the red dragon. 

Humans had stolen from them. The humans would now have to answer to them. 

Roach tries hard not to pick at his clothing. Really he does. His hands are meant to be folded behind his back, his head held high, and his entire body giving off a sense of regality. He’s never been good at following those rules. 

He tries not to slouch, he tries to keep his head held high, and he tries to present himself as the prince that he is. It hardly ever works. He’d received enough raps on the wrist and the small of his back over the years from his teachers to know that he isn’t good at this. He wasn’t his siblings, something about him was different. His family had known it since he was little. 

He’d been told time after time about how good his brothers were when they were his age, about how quickly they picked up the skills and rules of royal life. They were always perfect, standing tall as the shining crown of their family. Attention was constantly theirs, their names were spoken with reverence, with high praise following their every move, with eagerness for the country's future in their hands. They were good men, good princes, and good brothers. Roach had many fond memories of being taught to fight by them, to read and write, and to be the prince that he was meant to be. 

Even now, even when Roach had somehow failed at what he was meant to do, his brothers were kind. Edward, Eddie as Roach often called him, stood tall next to him, clearing his throat any time he noticed that Roach had begun to slouch or fall out of position. It was enough of a reminder for him to stand tall again. Jonathan, his eldest brother at the head of the pack, was more than willing to help Roach through any sudden questions that were directed toward him. Thomas and Richard were much the same, constantly helping him to avoid the scrutinizing eyes of the court. 

Roach wasn’t like them. None of it had come easy to him. Where his siblings took on their roles with ease, Roach constantly felt like he’d been born into the wrong family, like he wasn’t where the universe wanted him to be. There was just something about life outside of the castle that called to him, something about the winds of the forest that whispered for him to follow them. He was always drawn away from the castle when he was a child, trying to disappear into the forest to follow a flash of silver or red that seemed to beg him to come to find them.

He’d gotten in more trouble than it was worth when he was younger for trying to run off and it had eventually led to his parents assigning him several guards. Their only purpose was to keep him within the property of the castle. They still watched him now, his parents still knew that he was drawn to the forest. That he desired to run off chasing flashes of silver and red that he saw reflected in the sunlight. 

No, Roach wasn’t like his family. Even now, as he stood dressed in some of his finest clothing, with his family surrounding him, he was sure that he stuck out like a sore thumb. He couldn’t be what they were, he couldn’t even pretend. He had to try though. 

His family was lined up, waiting patiently. His father on the right and his mother on the left. They stand ahead of the family, their arms entwined as their crowns sit sparkling on top of their heads. They are the perfect picture of royalty, everything that Roach wasn’t. Lined up slightly behind his father were Roach and his brothers, placed in order of their age. Roach was the furthest right, the youngest of his family’s boys. Lined up behind his mother were his sisters, all standing just as pristine and proper as they were meant to. They were lined up by their age as well. 

They were waiting, waiting as they could hear footsteps approach the grand hall, waiting as the large doors were opened wide for five soldiers to make their way inside. The generals that were over their kingdom's recent military exploits had finally returned from war. Victorious, as usual. These men varied in age, from the youngest who was the same age as one of Roach’s older brothers, to the oldest who was nearly twenty years his father’s elder. 

They were all dressed just as pristinely as the other, each looking far more regal than Roach could ever manage for himself. Following them into the room was a servant. It wasn’t the appearance of the servant that caught Roach’s attention, but rather the ornate box that the servant was carefully carrying in his arms. Something about it was calling to him. Something about it had his attention fully. Something about it set the blood in his body alight, sending red and silver sparkling behind his eyes and forcing his heart to speed up. 

He only managed to draw his eyes away when the generals finally reached the center of the room and dropped into a deep bow, holding it until his father’s booming voice called, “Stand, men, stand.” 

The generals stood back up fully, stepping back in line with one another before finally, the youngest of the generals, the one that Roach was the most familiar with and the one he was the most excited to see, stepped forward. “My king,” he dropped into another quick bow, “We bring news of victory. Our kingdom has once again proven itself as the dominant force in the land. We’ve brought the spoils of war with us which we now dedicate to you and humbly present before our king.” 

Roach’s father stepped down then, moving away from his family to approach the generals, “We are pleased with the news of your victory. Tonight, we shall have a banquet under the night sky. The heavens shall look down on us and see our strength.”

One of the older generals stepped forward then, catching the attention of everyone with a smug grin on his face, “My king, I have brought a gift for you.” Roach’s father motioned for the man to continue, his gaze turned away from the youngest of the generals to this new man who spoke. “While on our way back, my army and I stumbled upon an abandoned castle with vast treasures inside. Much of it was useless hunks of metal, but nestled in the back we came across this. A gift of splendor fit only for you.” He motioned the servant forward. 

Roach’s eyes snapped back to the box, his chest constricting a bit as the top was pulled open and the general delicately lifted a gorgeous bejeweled crown from the box, holding it up so that it could shine in the light of the room. Roach’s eyes locked on to the crown, the air stolen from his lungs as he became lost in the twisting silvery flowers that decorated the metal and the blood-red rubies that sparkled in the light. Red and Silver. The colors danced in his mind, swirling together to paint the skin of his body with a low flush of pink. Something about the crown called out to him, begging him to reach out for it, to touch it and learn the secrets of its origins. Of the meaning that it held to its owners. He couldn’t understand why he felt so drawn to the crown, why his body nearly shriveled when his father touched the metal. 

He’d apparently shown some sort of reaction as he, to his surprise, felt a hand brush against his arm. He turned, meeting the concerned gaze of Eddie next to him. He tried his best to control his reaction then, giving his brother a small smile as he turned back to the scene in front of him, standing taller.

“Incredible,” his father breathed out, turning to hold the crown up to his family. “It shall go to one of my daughters,” he declared suddenly, “As a testament to their place as the flowers of our family.” 

Roach felt his chest lurch violently at the idea of one of his sisters wearing the crown. He felt as though the crown was calling to him in the way that the forest around his home often did. Flashes of silver and red that sparkled behind his eyes and set his heart aflame. That begged him to leave his life behind and follow their call to something else. 

His father turned, returning the crown to its ornate box before giving the general a strong shake of the hand, a pleasant smile on his face. “Now,” his father declared, “I implore you and your fellow generals to get some rest. I would like you to be able to truly enjoy the celebration tonight. It is in your honor after all.” 

The men gave a short bow and waited for his father to return to his place at the head of his family. From there a final bow was given before they were retreating from the grand hall. It wasn’t until the doors to the room were firmly shut that Roach’s family began moving from their places, finally released from the air of formality that they were forced to hold. Roach found himself immediately accosted by his older brother.

“Gary,” Eddie took Roach’s hands in his own, holding them gently before bringing one up to press against his forehead, “You’re warm. Are you alright? I thought you were going to pass out for a moment.” 

Jonathan was quick to join in on his worrying, stepping up beside Eddie with concern written on his face, “What happened? Are you ill?” 

Roach tried to wave them off, but he felt his body go tense as he heard one of his sisters call, “Father, which of us will you give the crown to?” 

Roach loved his sisters. There were seven of them in total, seven of the so-called “flowers” of his kingdom. They were known far and wide for their beauty. Men would come from leagues away just to get a sight of them. Roach had grown used to a constant stream of foreign Princes, princesses, lords, and ladies around the castle, each of them there in hopes of courting one of his sisters. He didn’t mind much, though he couldn’t imagine that it was fun for his sisters to constantly have people fawning over their every move. 

He and his sisters had never spent much time together, the different activities that they were forced into kept them apart. He was certainly much closer with his brothers than his sisters, but he loved his sisters. He loved his sisters, but at the idea of one of them touching the crown that seemed to call to him, he found that he couldn’t stand them. 

“I think,” he forced out, noticing Eddie and Jonathan’s growing concern at his lack of response, “I think that I should go lie down. I feel a bit faint.” He took a step forward, stumbling a bit as he heard his father respond.

“I’ve not decided yet. We shall have to see later my dears.” 

Eddie steadied him quickly, a hand grabbing at his arm to haul him into his side, “I’ll help you,” He muttered lowly, “Can’t have you falling down the stairs now.” They began taking slow and measured steps with Jonathan following close behind, ready to help if need be. Roach didn’t know what was happening to him. He didn’t understand why he felt such a connection to a crown he’d never seen before. He didn’t understand the silver and red that danced behind his eyes. He didn’t understand, but he felt terrible for all of the fuss he was forcing his brothers into. 

Though Roach certainly would have preferred it if he could have hidden in his room for the rest of the day, he did have to attend the celebration his father planned. He felt jittery the entire time he was being helped into his celebration regalia, the mere thought of trying to make it through the celebration had anxiety creeping up his throat. He did his best to focus on the good of the situation, after all, there was at least one thing for him to look forward to. 

The celebration had already started by the time Roach arrived, a small blessing as it meant that he didn’t have to stand up with his family in front of their guests and could, immediately, try to hide within the crowds. It usually worked out quite well for him as most of the lords and ladies of the court were too focused on trying to capture the attention of one of his siblings to truly try to speak with him. It was a bit of a blessing to be the least noteworthy member of his family. 

He found himself lingering by the entrance to the small garden. The area was a bit crowded, but from his position, he had a good sight of the courtyard fountain and the night sky above himself which was perfect for him. He could stare up at the stars for hours if need be and, considering the area was the first that the servers always walked by, he was set up for a relatively uneventful night of snatching up finger foods and marking out the constellations above with his eyes. 

He’d considered ducking off into the garden several times, but he’d been quick to spot the guards that his parents had placed around several of the exits. If he tried to sneak off, there was no doubt that his parents would know and he’d be escorted back to the party before he could get anywhere interesting. He would be stuck trying to avoid interacting with people for the rest of the night or at least until his arm was grabbed and he was abruptly dragged into the garden behind him. 

He wasn’t sure who was pulling him along or where exactly they were going, but what he did know was that within a minute or so he was pressed back against hard marble with a mouth attacking his own. The lips on his own were warm and he knew exactly who they belonged to. He was quick to wrap his arms around the other man’s neck, pulling him closer and allowing his mouth to open to the other’s prodding tongue. 

There was something about kissing the man, something about it that had Roach’s chest going a bit heavy. It was a combination of several things, but the one that stood out to him at that moment was the call he’d felt earlier. The draw to the forest, to the crown he’d seen, shouldn’t have an impact on his feelings for the other man, and yet it always did. Like always, he ignored it. 

He was the one to pull away from the kiss, dodging the lips that tried to find his again with a laugh. He pushed at the chest pressed against his own, a grin on his lips, “James, hey!” The man found his lips once again, but only for a moment before Roach was dodging out of his arms, backing away from him in the space of the small pavilion. 

The man, still dressed in his General’s uniform from earlier, followed after him. “Roach,” he called playfully, “I’ve just returned from war and you won’t even allow me to kiss you?”

Roach gave another laugh, “You just kissed me and, while I am ecstatic to have you back, you and I both know better than to be seen together in such an open place.” His hand met James’ chest again and the man was quick to press him back against the railing of the pavilion. 

James pulled him closer, pressing another short kiss to his lips before responding, “No one will find us here, they’re all too occupied with the celebration.” He began trailing kisses down his throat, trying to tempt him into giving in. 

“They’ll begin to wonder where you’ve gone,” Roach shot back, his hands pressed to the man’s shoulders, something ticked in his chest then and, though he didn’t want to start a fight with the man on his first day back, he couldn’t stop himself from adding, “My sister especially.”

James paused for a moment before he pulled back, just enough that he could fix Roach with a disapproving look, “Don’t start this, not now.” He pulled Roach closer to him by his hips, pressing a kiss to his cheek, “I’ve just returned, I want to enjoy seeing you again.” 

“Well,” Roach chimed simply, “You would be able to spend more time with me, see me more often, if you would only make your intentions clear.” He pressed his hands against James’ chest again, pushing him slowly, tension building in him. He didn’t want to fight, and yet it was as though he couldn’t help himself. Like the calling at his chest had set something off in him, something that wouldn’t let him push this off as he’d done so many times before. 

“Roach,” James warned lowly. 

“How can you say that you want me?” Roach asked, meeting the other man’s eyes carefully, “How can you say that you love me, that it’s only me that matters to you? How can you say those things in private, then pursue my sister in public.” Roach stepped away from the man, starting back toward the celebration. He’d been excited to see James, but now that he’d said the words that had been plaguing him for months out loud, he didn’t think he could stand to be around the man for much longer. 

“Roach,” the man followed behind him, “Come now, you know that I love you.”

“Then let it be known,” Roach responded simply. He continued walking.

A hand grabbed his arm, stopping him in place before turning him and forcing him to face James, “Roach,” the man started simply, “It is much more complicated than you make it out to be.”

“It isn’t,” Roach yanked his arm away, “If what you say is true, then court me instead of my sister.” 

James seemed to be growing frustrated, his brows furrowing together and his jaw clenching. He took a moment, but when he opened his mouth to speak there was a thundering roar, the timber of it shaking the earth around them. They looked at one another with wide eyes before turning toward the source of the sound. The celebration. 

They both took off at once, racing through the garden to reach the courtyard once again. When they arrived, James began pushing through the crowd, racing to where the rest of Roach’s family were gathered. He was quick to place himself between one of Roach’s sisters and the giant beasts that stood before the family, their mere presence commanding the attention of the celebration. 

Roach had stopped suddenly at the entrance to the garden, shock and awe filling his system as he stared up at the two beautiful creatures who had perched themselves on one of the low bridges above the courtyard. Something about the two creatures had Roach’s chest jerking, something that had his feet stepping forward slowly before he could stop himself. He had to grab onto one of the columns around the courtyard to keep himself from continuing toward them. 

The creatures were gorgeous, even under the dim lighting in the courtyard. One of them moved forward then, leaning its long neck down to leer at the members of the party before finally, in a resounding voice it growled, “Where is your king?” Roach felt his knees go weak at the sound, the voice rushing through him to settle with a simmer in his veins. He’d never heard it before and yet somehow the voice sounded familiar to him, like he’d known it all his life. 

There was a long pause before, hesitantly but with all of the regality of a king, Roach’s father stepped forward. “I am the king,” his voice was shaky, betraying his nerves, “Great dragons, to what do we owe this visit?” 

The dragon leered further, leaning closer before growling, “Your people have stolen from us, you have taken from our hoard and claimed something that does not belong to you as your own.”

Roach understood then and, he could see, that his father did as well. The castle that the general mentioned earlier was not abandoned as he and his men had believed and, in fact, the men had stolen from two dragons. His father responded with a breathy voice, “The crown.”

“Indeed,” the other dragon spoke for the first time, his voice nearly impossible to understand around the growl and the accent that seemed to be driven up by his rage. “You stole it from us! Greedy humans who can never have enough!”

The first dragon turned its head then, nuzzling the one in a surprisingly soft move that had Roach’s heart warming. He should feel terrified that his family, his home, had come under the attention of two large dragons, but he didn’t. He didn’t feel fear, he just felt sorry. Sorry that the dragons had been stolen from. There was something else there too, longing. An overwhelming sense of longing panged at his chest and demanded that he move forward, that he somehow comfort these two creatures. He kept himself in place. 

The first dragon turned back then, “We are kind creatures, we have no desire for bloodshed or destruction. All that we ask is for what was taken from us to be returned,” he leered down again, “And a gift, to show your regret for this insult to us.” He pulled back then, rising up to his intimidating full height, “You have three days.” He tilted his head back then, blowing a plume of smoke into the air above him. To Roach’s surprise, the air felt colder rather than warmer. 

With that, the two creatures rose into the air, the beat of their wings knocking Roach and many of the partygoers to the ground. Roach managed to lift a hand, blocking his eyes from the wind so that he could watch the dragons fly off toward the forest nearby where they would, no doubt, rest until the three days were up. 

There was no fear at the sight of creatures, only wonder and, as they flew further away, a growing sense of desire and longing grew in his chest. The call from the forest felt stronger than it ever had before and, as Roach closed his eyes, the red and silver of stars turned into the red and silver of glittering scales. 

The entire castle, likely even the entire kingdom, was alight with chatter about the dragons the next day. Roach’s entire family had been called into a “breakfast meeting” at the beginning of the day. They’d locked themselves into a meeting room with James and a few other generals and enough food for the entire group. 

“We cannot fight the dragons,” Jonathan sounded exhausted as he spoke the words, his eyes tired as he looked down the table at one of the older generals, “We would be fools to do so. After the war we’ve just undergone, if we were to lose any more soldiers other kingdoms would take note.” 

“So what is it you suggest then, my Prince,” the older man spit out, “Giving in to these malevolent creatures?”

“Yes,” Jonathan responded easily. “The dragons have made no move against us yet, all that they’ve done is demand we return what we stole from them and give them a gift of some sort.” He looked around the group carefully, “This meeting should be about what we could give them that would be sufficient enough as a gift.”

“My king,” The older general turned to Roach’s father, “Surely you cannot agree with this! The people would see you as weak!”

“Excuse me?” Jonathan responded, “No one with a brain, which our people have, would view my father as weak! The fact that you would even imply-”

“Jonathan,” Roach’s father raised his hand, quieting his son. He took a few moments, rubbing at his chin before his eyes locked on the man at the other end of the table, “James. What is your opinion on this?”

James paused for a moment, leaning back in his seat and letting his eyes move around the table. Roach noted with a heavy chest the way that the man’s eyes lingered on his sister before darting to him where they lingered as well. Finally, his gaze returned to the king, “I agree with Jonathan, my lord. The best option would be to comply with the dragon's request. It would be different if perhaps there was only one, but with two dragons we would be sure to lose.” 

“Right,” Roach’s father leaned back in his seat, a thoughtful look on his face. “We will listen to the dragons then. The crown has already been removed from the treasury, now we only need a gift.” He looked around the table slowly, “Any suggestions?”

Roach tried to go to sleep. He’d curled himself up in his bed, the events of the day running through his mind as he stared up at the canopy above his bed. Any other time and he wouldn’t have had trouble falling asleep. Any other time and he would have been able to ignore the call to the forest, the pull that always seemed present. It was stronger now. Stronger than it had ever been before. 

Where he would have been able to ignore the call as it pounded on his chest, where he normally would have simply slept, he now found himself pushing out of his bed. He moved quickly and quietly, something that he normally would have only done on rare occasions when he knew that the guard was particularly lax. Now though, now he took the chance. 

He threw on only a cloak and a pair of shoes, quickly darting out of his room and down the hallway of the castle. He moved carefully, checking around every corner and ducking around guards. He didn’t head to the front of the castle, instead, he moved toward one particular hallway, tapping at the wall as he walked down it until, finally, the sound changed. He pressed against the wall there, pushing open a hidden door and slipping into the dank dark tunnel that the door hid. He made sure to close the passage behind him. 

Without any light, he could only keep one hand on the wall, stumbling forward in complete darkness for nearly ten minutes before he could finally reach the other side. From there he pushed the wall open, finding himself just outside of the castle walls, the cool night air chilling him slightly. He wrapped himself up tighter in his cloak and pushed the hidden door shut behind him. He gave one cursory look around before racing forward, plunging himself into the darkness of the forest. 

It was far too dark for him to be reasonably walking around the forest. He could hardly see anything around him, the darkness of the night only added to by the shadows of the woods. He should have turned back, but the pull was too strong now. He couldn’t pull himself away. He followed his instincts, listening to some disembodied voice in his head guide him further and further into the woods. 

He stumbled through, scratching his arms against branches and bushes. He could feel blood trickling down his skin, but he didn’t stop. He kept moving. He followed that pull in his chest until finally, in the distance, there was a clearing. 

The moon lit up the clearing, casting soft rays of light down onto two large slumbering figures. Roach stumbled closer, catching sight of the scales that glinted under the moonlight. Red and Silver. 

His entire body felt like it was floating, his feet guiding him forward until, finally, he found himself at the edge of the clearing. He didn’t dare move closer, he didn’t dare disturb the dragons’ sleep, no matter what his chest was screaming at him. No matter how strong the pull felt to keep going, to creep closer and feel those scales under his fingers. 

He dropped to his knees, leaning forward against a large log for support as he stared on at the creatures. Their scales were glinting, blinking reds and silvers that gave the impression that stars had somehow fallen from the sky and landed on the earth, there for Roach’s eyes to consume in their entirety. 

The two dragons looked peaceful, their bodies twisted together and their heads pressed close. They seemed right together like they were made for one another. Roach wondered if he could fit with them, if he would fit perfectly in that little bit of space between their curled-together bodies. He could only imagine how warm it would be. How at home he would feel there pressed between them. His heart panged with longing and familiarity at the idea. 

He laid his head on his hands carefully, just staring ahead at the two dragons, committing the sight of them into his memory. He might not ever see these dragons again after they left. The thought pulled a harsh breath from his lungs, filling his eyes with tears that he couldn’t understand. He was going to commit these dragons to memory. He wanted to see the silver and red of their scales every time he closed his eyes. 

Time moved quickly for him and it felt like he blinked and the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon. The feel of the warmth of it on his skin was what finally shocked his mind into moving. He needed to get back to the castle before his absence was noticed. 

He jerked up from the ground and took one last look at the two slumbering dragons before turning tail and taking off into the woods, his quick speed causing him to run into various things, reopening his wounds from the previous night and adding new ones beside them. He was so focused on returning to the castle in time, that he didn’t even register how loud he was being or the fact that his quick movement was noticed by another creature, one who better understood the draw that the other felt. 

“Dear,” the silver dragon nudged the red quickly, his heart picking up pace as his eyes scanned the surrounding forest. He smelled something, something that set his heart alight. He nudged the red dragon harshly with his snout, “Soap.”

The words caused the red-scaled dragon’s eyes to begin fluttering open, its consciousness slowly returning to it. “Ghost,” it grumbled out, slowly beginning to rise, shaking its wings out as it did, “What is-”

The dragon paused suddenly, freezing in its place as it caught the same scent that the silver dragon had. They looked at one another for a few moments before, in unison, they took off into the sky, tracking the scent through the forest and back toward the kingdom where their stolen treasure had been brought. 

They flew above the kingdom for some time, trying to see if they could pinpoint where the scent was coming from and ignoring the cries of the people below them. The longer they stayed though, the more the scent of their bonded faded from their senses, taken away by the wind and the smell of numerous humans beneath them. 

The red dragon had taken to swooping low, attempting to catch the scent again, but the only thing it seemed to be doing was terrorizing the people. Finally, it was the silver dragon, Ghost, who spoke. “Soap, we’ve lost their scent.”

“No,” the red dragon growled out, “No, we must find them. They were here Ghost!” He flew up to where the silver dragon was hovering, his wings beating hard with frustration. “We cannot leave them. Not when we are so close.”

“We will not,” Ghost assured. “Their scent disappeared into the castle, it is likely that they are a worker there,” he nuzzled into the red dragon, calming Soap with his scent and soft touch, “We will find them before we leave. Believe me, love.” 

Soap still seemed upset, but he had clearly calmed considerably, “I believe you.” He began rising higher into the air then, the silver dragon following after him carefully. They were close to their bonded, they would find them eventually, no matter what it took. They would not be leaving without what belonged with them. 

Roach had to fight against his heavy eyes, his body jerking every time his head would begin to tilt forward at the table. He knew he wasn’t being subtle, at the very least Eddie and James had both noticed his exhaustion with a mix of concern and suspicion. Still, he needed to stay awake, to help his family at the very least. 

They were still trying to decide what would be the best gift to give the dragons. The creatures were set to return tomorrow at dusk for the crown and their gift and fear of angering them had only risen. Just that morning the two dragons had reportedly been flying around the castle, and swooping down at people in the streets. His family wanted to make sure that they were doing things right and that none of their people would suffer for a mistake they had no part in. 

“The dragons likely already have more gold than they know what to do with,” Jonathan spoke simply, dismissing the idea of Roach’s second eldest brother, Thomas. “Based on the description given to us by our former general, the dragons have statues, the finest clothes, gold, jewels, books…what would our gold mean to them?”

“A good point,” Roach’s father spoke quietly, his face twisted up with stress. Roach’s mother had been fretting over him all morning, worrying about the pallor of his face. She insisted that the stress was making him ill and Roach believed her. He’d never seen his father look so exhausted. “Does anyone else have any ideas?”

One of Roach’s sisters cleared her throat kindly, pulling the attention of the table to her before gracefully standing. “Father, we have been talking,” she motioned to the rest of Roach’s sisters who all sat up taller, “And we think we have come up with a satisfactory gift for the dragons, though, it will be a sacrifice.”

“Isabella, dear,” his father tilted his head at her, “What is it that you and your sisters have discussed?”

“One of us should be given as a gift to the dragons.” Those words woke Roach up completely, his body shooting forward as anxiety filled his chest. Similar to the crown, the idea of one of his sisters being taken by the dragons made his chest ache painfully. He recognized the feeling for what it was now, jealousy. 

“My dear,” Roach’s father started lowly. Everyone else at the table had gone pale at the suggestion. 

“We all know the stories,” Another one of Roach’s sisters, Edith, sat forward, “Dragons who take princesses as part of their hoard or lock them away in towers to guard. It is in their nature.”

Another one of his sisters, Euphemia, nodded grimly, “We have all discussed it Father, it is a sacrifice we would be more than willing to make for the safety of the kingdom.” Out of the corner of his eye, Roach could see James’ hands balling into fists, his eyes locked on to another one of Roach’s sisters, Constance, the one he was publicly courting. It made Roach’s chest ache again, though this was nothing in comparison to the idea of one of his sisters being taken by the dragons. If any person in his family should go with the creatures, it should be him.

That thought startled him, feeling as though it was ripped from the depths of his mind to be presented on a platter. Why did he want to go with the dragons? Why did he feel such a call to the silver and red of their scales?

Roach’s father was quiet for a moment, looking over his daughters carefully. “And you’ve all agreed to this, truly?”

“Yes,” Constance sat up taller, her eyes trailing carefully toward James, “It is a sacrifice we are willing to make for the good of our home.” 

Silence fell over the room, everyone waiting patiently for the declaration from Roach’s father. Roach begged whatever gods were out in the world that he would say no. That he would deny his sisters and find something else to gift to the dragons. The gods did not listen to his prayers. “Alright. It is a sacrifice that we must make. My brave girls.”

Roach only remembered the feeling of blood draining from his face before the world went black.

Roach didn’t wake up until well past the middle of the following day. His eyes opened to bright light streaming through his windows and a cool towel on his forehead. He was, thankfully, alone in his room. It allowed him to take a moment and remember the events of the meeting. It allowed him to be alone when tears started to stream down his face, his eyes watering for a reason he couldn’t be quite sure of. 

He was, naturally, upset at the idea of losing one of his sisters, but there was that other feeling too. That feeling of hot jealousy burned through his skin and threatened to consume him whole. He couldn’t understand why he would be jealous, why he would want to be the one taken away by the two creatures. He had to ignore it. His sisters would need his support and he intended to give it. 

Still, he couldn’t bring himself to leave his room until it was nearly time for the dragons to arrive. He dressed himself carefully, making sure to choose something with long sleeves to hide the cuts on his arms from his time in the forest. He didn’t need his parents learning that he’d managed to sneak out. He tucked a perfume pouch into his vest as a final touch before heading out, his legs wobbly as he moved.

He tracked his way to the large bridge where his entire family was lined up. His sisters were all dressed in their very best, each with brilliant flowers decorating their hair. Roach was greeted by them with big smiles and concern in their voices as they checked in on how he was feeling. He made a point to assure them that he was feeling fine and that the most important thing for him at the moment was being there for them. 

He went down the group, giving each of them a hug and soft words of reassurance. It wasn’t until he reached the end that he noticed one of his sisters was missing from the group. “Where is Constance,” he asked carefully. He already had an idea of where she was, but he wanted confirmation. 

“With James,” Isabella told him, “Just down the hall. They stepped away to say their final goodbyes just in case she is chosen.” His sister shook her head with a sad sigh, “For his sake, I hope she isn’t.”

Roach nodded to his sisters, his lips pressed into a firm line as he disappeared back inside and down the hallway. He stopped when he could hear their voices, peering around the corner to watch them speak soft words to one another. Constance’s hands were clasped softly in James’ and the two were standing quite close to one another. He only turned away when they moved to share a kiss. His heart hurt with the sight, but he maintained his composure, getting himself under control before popping around the corner to call, “Constance?”

His sister was quick to turn away, her face dusted with pink. Joy lit up her eyes when she saw him, “Roach! I wasn’t sure if you were going to be here.” She left James’ side, rushing forward to pull him into a sweet hug. 

“I had to be here, for you guys,” he spoke the words kindly, squeezing his sister tight. He took a few moments with her, short kind words spoken between them quickly. It was Constance who broke away, starting toward the outside with a smile at him. “I’m right behind you,” he told her, waving her forward. 

It wasn’t until Constance was fully gone that arms wrapped around his waist lovingly, he was quick to step out of their grasp, shooting a quick glare at James. “Roach,” the man muttered lowly, his voice laced with guilt, “When this is over. When things have settled and if everything falls into place-”

Roach scoffed, “If everything falls into place. You mean if the dragons choose Constance.” 

“Roach,” James insisted with a shake of his head, “That isn’t what I mean. I want to be with you, you know that.”

“Well,” Roach turned away from the man and started outside, “I don’t want to be a second choice.” A hand grabbed his arm, roughly turning him back around in his grasp. He yelped a bit at the harsh touch against the scrapes on his skin. There was a pause as he met James’ eyes, that suspicion from the previous day back in them. Before Roach could snatch his arm away, the other man was shoving his sleeves up, and freezing at the sight of the long cuts across the skin. 

“Roach,” James tugged him closer, his face serious, “You went into the forest.”

Roach yanked his arm back, stumbling away from the other man and shoving his sleeve down, “It doesn’t matter.” 

“It doesn’t matter?” James' voice rose slightly, “Roach you could have gotten lost, someone could have followed you. Do you not understand how dangerous it is for you to roam around the forest.” 

“I am fine,” Roach insisted, “Perfectly fine!”

James stared at him for a long moment before beginning forward, marching past him with quick words, “When this is all over, I’ll inform your parents about this.”

“You can’t!”

“When it comes to your safety,” James wheeled around, his face serious as he spoke, “I can and I will!” With that, the man turned back around and started outside, leaving Roach alone with a growing sense of dread building in his chest. 

Roach’s family was nearly knocked to the ground as the two dragons landed on the bridge in front of them. They were just as glorious as Roach remembered and he quickly found himself back in that amazed stupor that he’d fallen into the night he’d gone into the woods. He had to latch his hand onto his brother’s arm to not only steady himself but keep himself from just walking toward the two creatures. 

“Humans,” the silver dragon's voice was still that deep timber that nearly rumbled the earth, but something about him was much calmer today. It was like something had happened to ease his nerves. The same was clear to see of the red dragon. “Have you brought what we requested?”

Roach’s father stepped forward, the ornate box that held the crown in his hands, “We have indeed.” He took several careful steps forward before setting the box before the dragon and moving back in line with the rest of the family. They watched with bated breath as the red dragon carefully tilted the lid off of the box. After a moment of the two dragons looking over the crown, a low trill filled the air, one that, somehow, Roach could tell was a good thing. The sound filled him with warmth. 

The silver dragon nuzzled into the red for a short moment before turning its attention back to Roach’s family, “And our other request?”

There was a pause before Roach’s father stepped forward, his daughters following him. “We are ever grateful for your kind understanding and choice of mercy toward our kingdom. We greatly regret the insult done to both of you and, as a gift for your kindness to us, we offer you one of my children as a gift.” He motioned toward Roach’s sisters who all stood up taller. 

There was a quiet moment, silence filling the air as both of the dragons stared down at Roach’s father. Roach got the impression that they were judging him quite harshly, watching him as though he was the stupidest creature they’d ever encountered. After a moment, the red dragon gave a low chuckle, tucking itself against the silver dragon as though trying to hide its laughter. “You,” the silver dragon started, its voice flat, “Offer us one of your children as a gift?”

“Yes,” Roach’s father motioned to his daughters again, “Each of them is known far and wide for their beauty. Many people come just to get a look at them. They are the flowers of our land and now I offer you one as a gift. Rest assured, we shall make no attempt to retrieve them back once they have been chosen.”

The red dragon gave another chuckle, its wings shaking with the force of its laughter. Roach was sure at that point that the dragon was laughing at his father. The silver dragon seemed equally as amused, watching Roach’s father carefully for several moments. Finally, it began to duck down, leering its head as close as it could get in a move that was certainly quite intimidating. “I assume,” the dragon began carefully, “That this little gift idea of yours came from stories of our kind.” He gave a harsh huff of air followed by a strong breath in, “Stories which-” He paused suddenly, tensing.

Roach found himself pinned in place as the gaze of the silver dragon seemed to land squarely on him. There was no fear that burned through him, only a quickly beating heart as he felt himself flush completely. The gaze of the creature was hot on him and his body was practically begging him to move forward, to approach the creature and offer himself in place of his sisters. 

The silver dragon reared up then, nudging at the red dragon with its snout. The two creatures seemed to have some sort of silent conversation before, suddenly, the red dragon was ducking down as well. A deep breath in and suddenly Roach found the creature's gaze on him, just as it had been with the silver dragon. He felt equally as stunned by this creature’s eyes watching him as he did the firsts. Now, with the added heat from the silver dragon’s gaze still beating down on him, he found himself going shaky, his entire body burning at their presence. He took a step forward without realizing it, only stopped by the hand of his brother grabbing his arm to stop him. He could feel the concern there, even without looking. 

Finally, the red dragon stood back to its full height, but its gaze was still on Roach. The silver dragon leered down at his father again, “We humbly accept this gift, great king.”

Roach’s father beamed up at the dragons brightly, a sigh of relief passing over the entire family. Roach felt his heart lurch in his chest, tears springing to his eyes as he realized that these dragons were going to take one of his sisters. They were going to take one of his sisters and leave him there, never to see them again. 

Roach’s father motioned to the girls, “Please, take your pick.”

Roach watched as the red dragon gathered the small ornate box up, holding it delicately in his claws. The silver dragon, if possible, appeared to be grinning. A breathy chuckle pulled from it as it responded, “Gladly.” With that, the creature reached forward and, to the surprise of the entire group, scooped Roach up into its claws, holding him gently as it began to rise into the air. “Thank you for the gift, dear king.” With that, the red and silver dragons took off into the air, Roach firmly in their grasp as they marked their course for home.

Roach wasn’t sure how long had passed while he was in the Dragon’s grip. The dragon was big enough that, with its claws closed, Roach could sit comfortably inside his fist, blocked from the air and wind rushing around him as the dragons flew for what felt like hours. 

When they finally stopped, Roach wasn’t prepared in the slightest. He couldn’t even tell that they had stopped, not until the claw that held him suddenly opened and he was sent rolling forward into soft plush grass with a yelp. He could hear matching rumbling chuckles from behind him and, before he could get his bearings, there was a warm snout nuzzling into him and a moment later a colder snout doing the same. 

He managed to roll over, quickly pushing himself away from the two dragons who had been nuzzling at him, both now much much smaller than they just had been. “You,” Roach started, his eyes wide, “You’re smaller!”

Both of the dragons seemed to find his confusion amusing. It was the red dragon who moved forward first, quickly dropping itself to lay between Roach’s legs, its head rested on his chest as it stared up at him, “That is all you wonder about?” The dragon asked with a laugh.

Roach felt his face go bright red and, a moment later, the silver dragon was curling up behind him, its snout pressed against his neck carefully. Roach shivered at the chilly feeling. “Careful now Soap,” The silver dragon rumbled, “He’s likely confused. We need to be gentle with him.”

“Gentle,” The red dragon, Soap apparently, scoffed. “I am being quite gentle.” 

“I don’t,” Roach took in a nervous breath, his body feeling fiery at the touch of these two dragons. Despite that, he noticed that, for the first time in his entire life, that call wasn’t there in his chest. There was no longing, no desire to run. There was only a strong sense of belonging. Like this was where he’d been meant to be his entire life. “You were supposed to take one of my sisters.” He offered the words weakly and it was clear to hear in his voice that he wasn’t actually upset. 

The silver dragon huffed, “Foolish stereotypes.” He moved closer to Roach, nosing against his cheek lightly, “It is rare that dragons actually collect people as their hoard. If it hadn’t been for you, we would have denied your father's gift, perhaps with a bit of destruction to teach you humans not to stereotype our kind.”

“Now who needs to be gentle,” Soap teased lightly. He was gently nibbling at the corner of Roach’s vest. “Probably not a good first impression to tell him you would have destroyed part of his kingdom, Ghost.”

The silver dragon, Ghost, gave a hum, “My apologies little human.” 

“So,” Roach started hesitantly, trying to keep his hands from stroking at the scales of the red dragon or reaching back to feel the leathery wings of the silver, “I’m not part of your hoard then?”

Soap chuckled, “No, you are not.” Roach gasped suddenly as the red dragon took hold of his vest in his teeth and yanked it open, popping the buttons on it off. His nose shoved under the fabric and, a moment later, he retreated with the perfume pouch Roach had put there clasped between his teeth. “Disgusting,” he crooned before tossing the pouch away. With that, he turned to bury his snout in Roach’s neck, both of the dragons taking deep breaths against his skin. 

Roach felt burning hot at the attention and completely unsure of what to do. A part of him was overjoyed by the fact that he was pressed between these two dragons, their attention focused solely on him. The other part of him demanded that he let his hands stroke across them, to feel the smoothness of their scales against his hands. The largest part of him, though, was still filled with confusion about what on Earth was going on. 

A gasp was pulled from his lips suddenly, his body shaking slightly as Soap quickly ran his tongue across his fiery skin. On instinct, his hands moved out, latching on to the scales at the dragon's neck for support. “I, ah, sorry,” he went to move his hands away, only for the dragon to give a low growl against his skin.

“Do not apologize. Feel and touch as you like.” A moment later and Ghost’s tongue was laving across his neck as well. He could have died happy at the feeling, one of his hands raising to skate across the silver dragon’s scales, pulling a purr from its lips. The two dragons took to laving their tongues over his neck, wetting his skin but making his mind go blissfully blank. Something about the feeling was both too much and not enough for him. They seemed to enjoy his touch as much as he did theirs, purrs racking through their bodies as his hands skated across the smooth scales that covered them. 

“What,” Roach managed to get out finally, another gasp pulled from his body as Ghost gave his neck a quick and gentle nip, “If I’m not part of your hoard, why did you take me?”

The dragons didn’t answer, instead, Ghost asked, “What is your name, dear one?”

Roach answered shakily, “My name is Gary Sanderson, but I,” he gasped as Soap gave him a quick nip as well, “I prefer Roach.” His voice was high and airy and embarrassment burned through him as he felt both of the dragons chuckling against him. 

“Roach,” Ghost answered calmly. Hearing the dragon say his name had Roach tilting his head back, delight running through his system. He was hardly aware of anything around him, only the dragon's voice registering in his mind as it continued, “We took you because you are ours to take. The universe made you for us. We were born from the same star, crafted with the others in mind. You are ours. We are yours. So we have taken you.” 

Roach couldn’t find it in himself to respond, his brain too fuzzy with the feelings of the dragon’s tongues and teeth dancing over his skin. The feelings that they pulled from him were like nothing that he’d ever felt before. He didn’t know if what the silver dragon said was true. What he did know was that here, wrapped up between the two creatures as they laved attention over his body, he felt that it had to be true. He was theirs. They were his.

[crazylittlejester]

Coming over here to bother you about my EAH AU thoughts because I want to write but this stupid fatigue wall let me write my daily prompt and nothing else today. Spent a good chunk of time staring at the document file.

I'm thinking about the Zeldas. Obviously most of them will fit in as the miscellaneous princesses for their respective Links, but not all of the stories even have princesses in them.

Artemis/Athena: Obviously I could just have her be Athena, but I feel like she could also do a Mulan story. She could match with Warriors, they could be Greek mythology buddies.

Flora: I think the thing that really sets her apart is her role in TotK, but there aren't any old fairytales about princesses that turn into dragons, so the best I've got is this book by E. D. Baker that I read when I was a kid. It's probably close enough? I'm already going to have to fudge things for Wild anyway.

Sun: Her whole thing is being the reincarnation of Hylia, so I feel like she should be either a full-on mythological goddess or the avatar of one. I feel like there aren't really any good real-world mythology equivalents because LoZ lore has such a distinct vibe to it. Since Sky's story is going to be about fighting the Jabberwocky, she's probably also from Wonderland, I just need to figure out her role.

Fable: I feel like she'd fit into one of the Charming families alright. Alternatively she could be one of the princesses from Oz, most likely Gayelette if she's related to Legend because they both would inherit magical abilities and Gayelette was both a princess and a sorceress. No clue how that's going to work with Camelot. Maybe Legend could have dual citizenship or something. Although I could be mean and say she's a human princess who fades into obscurity because he outlives her.

Dusk: I can't find any good old fairy tales about princesses that involve puppets or wolves. I'm probably going to have to fudge the entire thing. Which shouldn't be horribly difficult since TP is literally just a fairytale anyway, but I was really hoping to find something.

Tetra: Definitely a pirate. Probably Blackbeard or Bluebeard. Maybe one of those lady pirates that were 100% lesbians. (Side note: The Great Sea could totally be the ocean that Atlantis is under. Wind's divine parent could be one of the gods that sunk it or something.)

Dawn & Aurora: I feel like being miscellaneous princesses actually works in their favors because that's pretty much what they are in canon. I can probably just gloss over the details a little bit and say they're cousins and that Hyrule helped rescue them while he was out killing giants.

Dot: I'm just going to say she's the princess from the story about the four brothers since it fits perfectly. Least amount of work to give her a role. Honestly sort of wish she could be Dorothy from The stories about Oz because of her nickname, but that wouldn't work. She deserves a QPR with Four so that's what she's getting.

Lullaby: I don't think she really does much in OoT other than be Sheik? So my best idea is Mulan, but with the whole ocarina thing she could also be a type of magical princess like Fable, but those are in surprisingly limited supply.

Honorary mention of ST!Zelda: She should be a ghost. A victim of train assassination, maybe Orient Express style. Ends up befriending ST!Link and they get along like a house on fire and she helps him get used to being a ghost after he dies in a tragic train accident.

- A MULAN STORY OH MY GOD THAT SOUNDS AMAZING FOR ATHENA/ARTEMIS

- I am still so so so so so obsessed with Sky and the Jabberwocky I am absolutely just eating that up dude, and I can’t wait to see what you end up deciding for Sun

- A PRINCESS SORCERESS FOR FABLE GOES SO HARD and you’re right that is mean >:( im eating it up tho

- I suppose red riding hood wouldn’t work for Dusk? There’s gotta be SOME fairy tale about wolves out there, I dunno the rules of EAH but there’s gotta be at least some vague one

- YEAAAAAAAH LESBIAN PIRATE TETRA MY BELOVED 😭

- Dot as Dorothy would be soooooo good, and slay her havin a qpr with Four

- Any Mulan story I see I will absolutely eat up and encourage, that’s one of my favorite Disney movies

- ORIENT EXPRESS STYLE. I LOVE IT.

dude i am so excited for all this I love it soooo much!!! please come bother me about it whenever!!

[sunpinktulip]

okay you said sent bkdk ideas & BET

1. The climax of she-ra w/ catra’s “dont you get it? I love you, i always have! So please, just this once, STAY!” speech and I actually can’t decide if it’s katsuki begging an unconscious deku to wake up or izuku begging an unconscious kacchan to wake up. But either way.

2. Bakusquad singing She’s In Love from the little mermaid stage show — again can’t decide if it’s about katsuki or deku (with the other one as flounder who is Most Upset about Ariel being in love w someone) (only this time it’s themself that is the love interest) (I have both sets of lyrics divided up and available upon request)

3. Say the Word from the mad ones (sorry yes I’m a theatre kid mb). That’s all. I’m tentatively working on an animatic but I can’t draw

4. Bksquad singing fixer upper from frozen. Bakugou is Kristoff & Deku is Anna obviously. I haven’t thought any further at all so just spitballing here but kirishima sven todoroki Elsa (obviously) aaaaand idk for hans. I feel like shindo yo would be the popular pick for a fake love interest?

5. Bakugou singing Granger Danger from a very potter musical.

6. Okay this is actually kiribaku but you by dodie, bkdk were fwb but deku caught feelings & bakugou starts dating kirishima

7. Atalanta (Greek myth) au — bk was raised by wolves/bears/dragons probably, then gets hunted by a king (mitsuki) who recognises him as his (her) son and takes him back to be prince. Tells him he has to get married, he says okay but Only someone who can beat me in a fight (in the myth it’s a foot race) and if they lose they die. Deku gets help from all might and wins (in the myth aphrodite gives the winner golden apples which distract atalanta, not sure how this would play out in this ver)

8. Howl’s Moving Castle au (book ver). Controversially, I have deku as howl, katsuki as Sophie & sentient OFA as calcifer. I can and Will back this up. (Kaminari as Martha/youngest sister who wants to marry rich and be a mom) & Uraraka as Lettie (middle sister who wants to be rich off her own hard work) (I actually have the whole cast planned out)

9. I’m currently writing a Carrie au. Deku is Carrie obvs. Katsuki is both Sue and Tommy, w Kiri coming in for some of Tommy’s advice giving moments. Decided Toga can be Chris and originally I had aged down!Dabi as Billy at a friend’s request but not 100% sure. Considered switching to mustard but like. We know nothing about him.

10. Barely fleshed out but I’ve seen a bunch of parallel universe swapping quirk fics where fantasy!bkdk or future!bkdk get swapped to the canon verse, including at least one w pregnant izuku and. Pregnant katsuki gets swapped to the canon verse because I think it’s WAY funnier

Okay I’m done now sorry

These were A LOT and as a uni student I don't have the time to do all/organise all in one post (but I will draw if more people insist on the asks (please submit your ideas separetly, it's a lot easier for my little pea brain)

BUT, i will give my piece about the songs, since I included them in my BKDK playlist

2. She's in Love - I see it as bkdk friends talking about Deku's (Ariel) clear crush while an oblivious Bakugou (Flounder) has barely been able to tell Izuku is in love and it's annoyed about it because he thinks it's not him (it is tho)

3. Say the Word - This is such a Katsuki-coded song about his feelings, it actually hurts me inside

4. Fixer Upper - Submitter's suggestion is good, BUT HAVE YOU CONSIDERED: Fantasy AU BKDK, where Kiri is the weredragon and Shouto is a prince and I would suggest Toga Himiko (my daughter) for Hans (would change some more of the story tbh, but that's the OG plan)

5. Granger Danger - COUNTERPOINT: Fem!BKDK in a ball, bkg is Draco, dk is Ron and they're talking about each other

6. What if She from Dodie but it's Izuku's POV cause he is enamoured by Katsuki buthas no clue what the other feels

Anyway, feel free to send more asks now !! I'll promise I'll get back to them, I just took a long break because of personal shit, but I'm back stronger than ever

[autistic-fool-with-ideas]

Hello! I feel like you love answering asks so I've come up with a few that sound kinda stupid but also now that I've asked myself this I can't get it out of my head.

Predaprince is biological, right?

If he is, then what was Bulk's and Jackie's reaction to Boulder being sparked + Boulder being in a relationship with Predaking?

Heatwave's and Miko's reaction to being an uncle and an auntie?

How did Ratchet find Undertone?

Are we gonna have the oppurtunity to meet Fast Track someday? I kinda wanna see his reaction to Salvage and Hoist.

Luv you take care of urself ♥️

Oh yes come here let me explain the amorphous au lore to you

While Predaprince is biological, there was no sparking process as neither Boulder or Predaking knew if it would be safe for either of them. So instead they went to Shockwave (who at this point has had his empurata procedure reversed) and they decided on making Predaprince in a test tube as it was the safest option

When Heatwave is told he just kinda disassociates for a moment because it gets dropped on him at burns family dinner (which at this point is: Burns, Bulkhjack, KOBD, Wave, and also High Tide is there, dinner) randomly. He’s chill about it tho but isn’t really too close with Predaprince until he joins the academy

Miko is overjoyed and immediately takes this baby dragon guy under her wing and shows him many things including heavy metal and rock.

Ratchet found Undertone shortly after catching a criminal. Undertone was just sneaking around in the criminals base and Ratchet immediately took the guy with him because that’s a whole ass baby why is there a baby in a crime boss’s lair

And I do have a fanfiction idea where Fasttrack and Piston find Blurr on Earth. Currently there is nothing written down yet but I should be working on it soon. If I write it as planned Fasttrack will get shot on accident it’ll be great

[narnianvalkyrieofberk]

New year, new me! ... Or at least continuing to try and build a me I like progressively more and more. Today's step? Starting to kill the part of me that fears being cringe by posting my @comicaurora self insert OCs even tho they're super self indulgent and occasionally lore-breaking (sometime because I misread/misremembered something from the lore page; sometimes because I use them in RPs and I like watching Erin lose his shit over something that makes no sense to him :P )

One of my earlier ones. Metalcaste because y'know. Wanting to be a cool metal lady like Tess. Ended up making an AU of the og version because the og version leaves Zuurith immediately after being released from prison and ended up being @nogenderonlyvoid's self insert's bodyguard. I wrote a ficlet that involved Icarus turning down Shrike's offer to take them to breakfast their first full day outside of prison, but Icarus turned her down and left Zuurith all together instead. Of course eventually I started wondering what if she took Shrike up on her offer and that's when the second version happened.

Can you tell I have a thing for wind-fire-lightning as a tri-element combo? :P

Oh hey, this one cursed out Caliban to his face. And for once we didn't do a wind-fire-lighting combo! Progress! Expanding to new horizons! :P

This one was a wind mage until I remembered that younger races don't do elemental magic. So she ended up obsessed with lacrima instead. Frequently mistaken for a freshman his entire time at the academy. Great way for me to vent my frustrations over how people responded to my baby face in college! May or may not have a starmetal dagger in their boot.

I keep doing AUs of this one. OG version was "adopted" alongside Tess and had to hide her full-leopard form because Galen was scared of it. Then did a version where The Ruunasers only knew about the leopard form and kept her as a pet until Falst enters the mix. And more recent AU has been "Snowspot" running away from the Ruunasers shortly before Tess sparks and running into Falst and chilling with him. Ruunaser twins (Erin and @nogenderonlyvoid's oc) don't find Falst's shifter buddy is Snowspot until Petrichor

Ah yes, nothing makes a possessed elemental magus trust you more than slapping a sealing cuff and ropes on him while he's passed out from fending off a primordial void dragon! In the Junior Champion's defense, they were badly injured from the battle and wanted to make sure the Void Dragon couldn't run away with his vessel while she trying to clean and bandage her wounds. Wrote a ficlet for this one that takes place shortly after he loses his status and his arm. Got to project my obsession with looking at the moon at night.

Narni Chaosbringer who I definitely did not forget to add until after initially posting :P ^^"" God of "everything fun" or "everything chaotic and destructive" depending on if you ask them or Zuurith :P Has one (1) emissary who is also an elemental magus because I reeeaaaally wanted to fuck with Erin.

[enlighten3d]

i know i said id write this post four hours ago but i had to do the merge dragons event. anyway.

WINGS ! how the fuck would they be treated on smps where theres pvp? (this is an au where Everyone has wings. and talons but well get into that Later. this is about the wings sdhkjgl)

(context post btw: here)

they are very much a weak point in combat, id saying. if you fuck someones wings up, they are done for. cant fly away, permanent damage. and theres not many ways to defend them (beyond putting armour on the flesh and bone part of the wing - which would do a lot more than it sounds like!). so i do think that it would be social taboo to go for someones wings in battle.

but even if it is social taboo.. accidents happen, and it works differently on different servers, right? and thats what this post is about ! focusing on smps where theres actual Combat (sorry hermitcrafters and kww collab fans)

first off, my beloved.. the dream smp. honestly! i think people would NOT go for the wings. there may be wars and actually genuinely fucked up stuff, but going for the wings in a fight is taking it too far. accidents have DEFINITELY happened tho, what with the sheer amount of withers and explosions. like phils wings being fucked up! yes i know thats a canon thing but im using it to prove my point here. the EXCEPTION to this 'people not intentionally going for the wings' thing is, well. c!dream. the fucker would INSTANTLY go for the wings whenever he has an opportunity. its a weak point, of course he'd abuse the fuck out of it, like. its impossible to expect anything otherwise.

lifesteal!! this ones fun to me because i think theyd have Concrete Rules on this. like they already do! from off the top of my head, i remember that netherite armour is banned, for example. i think going for the wings would just be... another thing thats banned. and no matter how deep into the Lore that people get, those rules are GEEENERALLYYYYY followed. the wings one for sure is. it may be the dEaDlIeSt SeRvEr, but theyre all there willingly. getting their wings fucked up is not something ANYONE wants. i dont know enough about lifesteal to pinpoint specific times that Accidents wouldve happened but! whatever. this is one rule that they always follow i think. (please dont kill me for this one if you disagree, i havent watched enough lifesteal)

now the life series... naturally, going for the wings is banned. ..but only nominally, really. all bets are off when youre on red, right? i really dont think there could be anything to stop people on red from going for peoples wings in fights. i mean, depending on your interpretation of the life series (as in, does being on red actually make someone Bloodthirsty like most common fanon, or is it just a Thing that lets someone attack others?), this can change, but i like the first one, so with that in mind... yeah nothing would stop people on red from going for the wings. this only gets MORE INTERESTING if you believe life series and hermitcraft to be connected in some way... with the inevitable wing injuries that would come from the life series, if they just... go back to hermitcraft and other servers afrterwards... if those injuries are permanent (which i do believe they are), then... oh that would be Something hehe. keeping this in my back pocket a fic idea, yall are free to yoink it.

and last but not least, bcs i dont actually watch that many smps (esp not with fighting) or whatever... unstable universe. pretty much what i said for lifesteal! like! i dont see any reason why itd be any different. yes unstableverse doesnt have Rules like lifesteal, but... theyre mostly the same people. if they can follow that Rule in lifesteal, combined with the social taboo thing, i think that they wouldnt really go for the wings. thats just a line you dont cross. (..also wemmbu did canonically yoink Most of the elytras on the whole server at one point, and in this context i think it would be funny if he just somehow managed to disable flight for a while, but thats a whole other thing unrelated to wings in combat lmao)

ANYWAY YEAH THATS THAT. I HAVE SOOOO MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW WINGS IN COMBAT WOULD ACTUALLY WORK. might write a post about that.

this is all headcanons !! im making shit up, as always !! o7

[oddogoblino]

oooh share your oc list? :D

Oo ooo okay!! ^^ Sorry I don't have images at the ready but I'll give basic summary of them tho. Sorry long post

Fnaf OCs:

The Galactical Prince (or just Prince for short), drawn him a few times, he's my theater oc. He's a comet with old poet and prince themed clothes & wears a star mask. Has never met anyone other than staff that don't want to talk before, legs are buggy from being unable to move often. Abandoned animatronic but happy to talk when he can.

My Stars- Spica, Tauri, and Orion. They're like Helpy but...for daycare training specifically. Spica represents the entitled, tantrum throwing, spiteful kinda bully kids. Tauri represents the more rambunctious, hard-to-keep-track-of, loud, kind of a wild child kid. Orion represents the more sensitive, easily overwhelmed, quick to spook/cry, kind of shy kid.

Dennis Drake, haven't posted them before but they're the arcade animatronic! They're a wingless dragon and talk like uh...Fresh from Undertale AUs to paint a picture of that. They watch over kids and make sure no one gets lost & confused or left without smth to do.

Sergio Hernandez- my nightguard oc, they're not necessarily lazy but he's always sleeping on the job bc he hardly ever gives himself a break. He's got a rough family but no real traumas, his only reason for working himself to exhaustion & avoiding home is so he can save up enough money for an apartment. Reason? Their last girlfriend told him no one wants to date a guy who lives with their family still. He's pretty chill overall, Monty, Moon, and Roxy find him annoying tho.

Sonic OCs:

Stickers the mountain goat , my just normal/general sonic oc, a background character hehe, very chill and kind of awkward but he likes wandering.

Cauli the Occult Lamb , a sonic boom oc so you can kinda get an idea of how he is. He's not mean but he's not nice either. He's a mute kid and ofc practices the dark arts.

Geode the Hedgehog, my sonadow tube child, very curious and a bit excitable. He just kinda wants company, but overall a surpsingly calm hedgehog considering his parents. He's named Geode for a reason and it's because his quills are funky colored under the dark quills.

Vega The Starprancer , a powerful hedgehog from a kingdom far out in mobius. He's the nephew of a powerful queen (in their region at least) who currently has sent him out on a quest to gather all the chaos emeralds and bring them home to finally defeat a rival kingdom that's gone too far. He doesn't talk much, he doesn't emote much, but he cares about his home and family more than anything and nothing will stop him from saving them. He has the ability to summon weapons and shields with his bare hands (one item at a time) and makes platforms to walk on with his paws.

Camp Camp OCs:

Nyx , Nocturnal camp kid who just seriously can't win at life but he's not losing completely either.

Mortimer, Taxidermy camp kid who has the perfect homelife yet is comedically, deeply into death and other dark things.

Callum, my camp counselor who is just kinda chilling there for the money, he's alright with kids but doesn't care much. He cares so little that he doesn't even react to many things tbh.

Griffin, my camp counselor who is way too proud of himself and only working there to prove he really is good at absolutely anything thrown at him. He likes to pick on David and Harrison especially...

[peachieflame]

Do you have any ither zukka fic recs? I’ve been trying to discover some new good ones:)

Yess I love giving recs! A little warning tho, all the fics Im gonna mention are more than 5k+ words long cause I don't like short one-shots and a lot of them are multi-chaptered with over 40k+ words. Also I'll update this as I read and discover more faves!

Expand to see the list cause its long....

Lighthouse Beam: Sokka’s breathtakingly beautiful and he’s smart and makes other people laugh. Zuko has a half-burnt face and a deaf ear. It’s not rocket science. Or, Zuko falls in love with the boy in his Philosophy class.

🍑: I really like college/highschool AUs and even more zukka fics where Sokka is actually described to be smart. Sokka is one of the smartest characters in the whole show Idk why he's been branded as a dumb, dense character by the fandom. Anyways, loved that this fic had Zuko being the one to fall first as-well.

In the Soft Light: As the newly appointed cultural liaison to Northern Water Tribe, Zuko is the first Fire Nation Citizen to step foot inside the city's walls in nearly a century. He's determined to prove himself—to the Fire Lord and to his father—even if the Water Tribe's spirit-touched prince seems to want nothing to do with him. Or Moon Spirit Sokka AU.

🍑: Enjoy this authors' writing style, really engages me in the story. Also ahhhh fanfic based on my moon spirit Sokka... im very grateful 😭. I didn't include this one in an ask about moon spirit sokka au cause I hadnt known about it at the time but now I reread it whenever I can.

7 Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have): How Zuko and Sokka collided through ill advised means—or approximately seven (7) acts—is beyond them. In just a year, they will trudge through the unorthodox conquests of youth (see #2: The Late Acquisition of 2 gallons of Arizona Peach Iced Tea) or capitalist schemes (#5: Bought A $4,550 Jacuzzi). But how they manage to Allow Aang to Become Vegan (#1), Host The Mr. Teen Universe Contest (#7) and, um, Set The Classroom on Fire—Again (#6) to eventually fall for each other, is still a mystery to them.

🍑: Although this one hasn't been updated in almost a year, the 2 chapters that are posted is some of the most fun I've had reading a fanfic! I admire the coding put into it so that it has a creative, unique structured. Also cute little things like the scrap paper or the scrollable email box (which blew my mind when I first saw it, I didn't even know it was possible to code something like that) just engaged me more in the writing.

Kiss Me To Just Shut Me Up: Zuko proffers the card, and Sokka takes it, their fingers brushing. Sokka tries to cover up the way he shivers at the contact by turning the card over and squinting at the text written on the front. Zuko Sozin. Tattoo Artist. The Jasmine Dragon. A single dragon curls around the characters in red ink. — There's a new tattoo and piercing shop on Ember Island Beach.

🍑: Oh beau... you're so multitalented. This was the fanfic I was recommending to everyone that bought a zukka print from me at cons like I had no shame I just wanted everyone to read Beau's amazing work. And you all should read it if you havent yet.

Five Times Zuko Wanted to Die (and One Time He Didn't): “Sorry about that,” the voice says, and suddenly the curtain has been pushed aside, and Zuko is speechless. “What can I help you with?” He stares. “Um— ” The boy has to be around his age, he’s sure of it. He’s got the most perfect tan face Zuko has ever seen, with blue eyes so brilliant it’s hard to form words. Or the college-age AU in which Sokka fixes watches, Zuko struggles through engineering, and everyone's nervous about the cute boy from the jewelry shop.

🍑: Modern settings fics that aren't like cafe/barista AUs are kind of hard to find (or at least ones that I like cause im picky) so I was surprised to see this one! Again it's an enjoyable fic where Zuko is smitten first and Sokka is not written as dumb. I also remember wanting to draw fan art (one of the scenes) so maybe I'll go dig that sketch up and finish it.

At the Top of the World: Zuko is sent in disgrace to Alaska's Northern coast to ensure nothing stands in the way of Sozin Oil Company’s new offshore drilling project. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make his father see he’s worthy, even if it means fighting against the one person he's met who actually seems to give a damn about him.

🍑: I'll never shut up about this fic, its beautifully written, well paced and realistic characterizations. As an Indigenous person this fanfic tackled Indigenous struggles better than any other fanfics I've read so far and it shows the author did their research. ATLA fandom tends to sweep aside Katara and Sokka's indigenous identity a lot. It's even more frustrating when most fics acknowledge colonialism and racism and yet brush aside Indigenous discussions or theory because they're either scared of touching the topic or don't care. Even fics that do mention their Indigenity is brushed aside with surface level discussions you can tell the author is just parroting from whatever twitter thread they skimmed. Im definitely not saying that fanfic should be an educator for social political issues or that it should be written in a way that it could replace theory for whoever stumbles upon it. Im just baffled that so many authors will mention colonialism only to explore it's effects on Zuko and not the actual Indigenous characters.......... that's all.

[heartfeltletters-written]

20 questions for writers tag game!

tagged by @widebrimmedhatsblog (thank you so much!!)

Total number of AO3 works

Six 

Total AO3 word count

150,968

Fandoms I’ve written in

Empyrean, Harry Potter and One direction

Top 5 fics by kudos

we never knew peace; here at your doorway; the ghost scar; when the flames burned green the dragons danced; between me and louis (this fic is a fever dream I do not remember it lmao)

Do I respond to comments? 

I always do !! or at least i try my best. I absolutely love receiving comments it's my motivation to keep sharing my writing tbh the least I can do is answer my readers !! i reread the comments an obscene amount of times so yeah I always answer

What has the angstiest ending? 

when the flames burned green the dragons danced. i mean it is inspired by blood & cheese of hotd so obviously its very very angsty and sad and just tragic.

What has the happiest ending? 

idk about happy fics, since i haven't finished my big fics but maybe here at your doorway has the happiest ending.

Have I received hate? 

Yes both in HP fandom and in the Empyrean (although I have to say this fandom is much more chill) and it's awful lmao. stopped me from writing for a few months and it was just so ??? because it's always hate about how I handle my characters and my plot and just ... omg go write your own fic then ?? But yeah if you have nothing nice to say then don't say it

Do I write smut? And what kind? 

I have written smut but most of it isn't published lmao. I write all kinds of smut like idk what u mean by that lmao. kinky, soft like idk

Do I write crossovers? 

I haven't written any !!

Have I ever had a fic stolen? 

Nope! and thank god for that

Have I ever had a fic translated?

Nope! My fics are not worthy of a translation lmao

Have I ever co written a fic? 

Yes I have !! but tbh we were both on the verge of sleep when we did it it was like 3am and I remember almost nothing of the process except it was so much fun. 

What is my all time favorite ship? 

According to Ao3 its Daemyra and Riorgail but i will always have a very special place in my heart for both hinny and jily. like those are my first loves fr and what got me into fanfiction

A WIP I’ll never finish?

I have a few thousand words of a riorgail canon divergence au where violet figures out venin are real after reading the note from her dad and confronts xaden about it. i started writing it before iron flame came out but at this point I don't think I'll ever finish it lmao.

Writing strengths? 

I get a lot of comments saying I write trauma responses really well (what does that say about me lmao) and also characterizations which is baffling bc I've always thought that was one of my weaknesses so I'm really happy.

Writing weaknesses?

I really struggle with writing dialogue i overthink it too much sometimes trying really hard to not sound cringy, Sally Rooney has helped a lot with that btw !! and I would also say I sometimes forget what I wrote in previous chapters so it can be hard to follow along some plots I introduced. I think I have the same problem as GRRM I want to create so many storylines and lore that I sometimes lose myself and idk what to do with so much information but oh well

Do I like foreign language dialogue? 

I do! Especially when i speak the language the character is speaking lmao. but one thing that annoys me is pronunciations, like for example hangrid and fleur like omg just write it in English or make her speak french !! but other than that I do love it. i don't think I'll ever write it tho

First fandom I wrote for? 

One direction (i was 15 guys and deep into the larry lore)

Favorite fic I’ve written? 

We never knew peace definitely. That's my baby, i work so hard on it and I think it's coming together much better than I expected. My writing has improved a lot and I think that fic is the prime example of that. I also really like what I've done with both violet and xaden in there.

I'd like to tag: @creative-girl; (and i feel like every other writer i know has done this already so yeah if u haven't feel free to)