#with my favorite gradient hiding under there! red/orange/yellow

[celiaelise]

A couple days ago I had the INTENSE urge to get (part of) my hair colored, which is something I haven't considered in years, and even then not very seriously. I'm also just generally averse to even temporarily modifying the natural state of my body in any way? But, like, I even un-archived a years old Pinterest board lol.

Anyway, considering what else was happening with my body at the time, it was probably hormones. I haven't completely rejected the possibility of actually doing it, though.

[thesilverdawns]

Flight of the Five

“Come and see the newest sensation ever to hit this side of Orologio- the Great Symphony of the Five Famous Airships orchestrated by the up and coming artist and pianist, Sascha Malikov! Come, come! Take one! Tell your friends! For you can only see him here, tonight at the Grand Theater in Saint Pyotr’s square!”

That teenager, barking in front of the theater and passing out fliers.

Vsevolod saw him there every single time he passed by the theater. He must have worked there. If anything, he looked more like a street urchin than someone who belonged at such a prestigious place. What, with his too-big ears and his sloppy stance as he towered over everyone so rudely-

“You there small sir!!”

Oh no-

There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide-

A flier was shoved into his face, and he pushed it down aggressively, lips curling back into a hiss.

“Flier sir??? Come see Sascha Malikov! I can tell already that a man of your stature would find the experience to be absolutely enjoyable!”

Vsevolod pushed him away from his personal space, furrowing his penciled in brows as he stared towards the theater’s entrance.

He had been planning to visit anyway… He reached into his pocket and pulled out his watch, snapping it shut after just a moment.

It would be fine. He would be back home in a while anyway.

And so, he ventured across the street towards the ticket booth, paid for a seat, and entered with a cluster of people who had arrived to see the show.

They moved single file down the row once they’d come to the correct aisle, and took their seats.

The velvet curtains were drawn, and the orange and yellow lamp light above was dim and easy on the eyes.

The inside of the theater never ceased to amaze him. With its beautifully painted ceiling and its very particular and fascinating architecture, to all the warm colors of the walls, the furnishings, the seats even.

It was warm and inviting, because of course it was. With the sheer number of performances they had weekly? They brought in people from miles around, from all walks of life, all over the city and beyond-

His seat jostled as someone behind his hit it with their foot. His ear twitched in annoyance, but he refused to turn around.

Instead, he glanced to his side to see a flier stuffed in between the seats. The same as the ones outside.

It was a simple illustration of silhouettes of the five famous airships, with a radiant dawn colored gradient behind it.

THE FLIGHT OF THE FIVE stretched across the bottom in big bold letters, along with the program for the remainder of the night directly under it.

He set it aside, resting his hands in his lap and waited.

Half an hour passed before the lights began to dim into darkness and a spotlight appeared on the curtains, pulling everyone’s attention to the announcer walking across the stage.

“A fine evening to you all, ladies and gentleman, and especially to our active and brave soldiers who sit among us tonight! We thank you for your continued service to Death, as well as to our beautiful and mighty city of Orologio! May she stand for ages yet to come!” The sound of applause gently rose from the civilians. Vsevolod sat up a little straighter and only clapped several times for the sake of it, despite being in full uniform.

“Tonight we’ve a special feature. One of our newest artists who’s become quite the sensation overnight! His hands have been said to fly down the keys of a piano as swiftly and gracefully as the Messenger himself. And perhaps, after tonight, you will be in agreement!

Not only an accomplished, master pianist at such a terribly young age, but also in possession of a brilliant mind! The Flight of the Five being his first published orchestral piece! Of which, my friends, will grace your ears on this very night, with its powerful leads and winding transitions- truly, truly a remarkable set…

Ah- but, don’t take my word for it!

Now, without any further ado, the Grand Theater of Saint Pyotr’s Square proudly brings to you Sascha Malikov’s Flight of the Five, The Black Fury.”

As the announcer shuffled off stage, the curtains lifted to reveal the conductor and his orchestra. Off to the side sat a piano and an empty seat.

Vsevolod shifted his weight and kept his hands in his lap. He could feel his palms sweating underneath his gloves.

Waiting for the orchestra to begin was always a tense moment, and an exciting one.

The audience never did know what was to come. And the anticipation was killing him. He kept his eyes on the violinists in particular.

The conductor took his position and waited, before lifting his arms in a swift motion. And as they came down, an explosion of noise assaulted everyone’s ears, and no doubt jostled their hearts.

It sounded like cannon fire.

Vsevolod gripped the seat instinctively and clenched hard, not having expected the sudden burst. It wasn’t chaotic noise or nonsense either. It was a note. A note that carried dread and wrath in its wake.

There was a rise that followed. Soft at first, with strange and ghostly sounds, giving the impression something much larger than the theater would be on the horizon soon. It grew louder and louder, drum beats only amplifying the largeness of it, until it began to rise again, higher and higher until the noise broke into recognizable, proud brass.

The anthem of the military, played triumphantly and boldly.

Vsevolod’s heart was already pounding in his ears, and his grip on the seat’s arm rests only tightened as the melody progressed, decorated by loud noises from drums that sounded so much like artillery-

He shut his eyes for a moment, breaking out into a sweat.

Thankfully, the drums died down somewhat, as the piece came to a close, giving the mental image of the Black Fury passing overhead and leaving them.

Then, just as all seemed quiet once more, there was a crack of sound more akin to lightning, as the next swell of music hit them again.

The Blue Lightning. Sharp, fast, strong. The tempo increased considerably as more types of drums joined the fray.

It was over as soon as it had come, dying down again and leaving them in the dark.

What kind of symphony was this? It was nothing like he’d ever heard before. Nothing like anyone had ever heard before.

It was experimental, daring, new. Exciting.

Despite all, he was excited.

Then came the Double-Edged Victory, bringing with it another uplifting and glory-ridden tune, carrying them along through the performance.

And then the howling and phantom sounds of the final push of the Tempest’s Howl, swirling and rising and falling from chaos into order, and then into more chaos, like a fearsome storm.

All the while, no one had come to sit at the piano. Not until the very end.

He could see someone walking to it from the side of the stage in the dark, taking their seat gently as the fourth piece slowly came to a close.

The audience was silent, and rattled. No one dared make a sound, and held in their coughs.

It was then that the spotlight came off the orchestra and the conductor, instead moving to the piano set off to the side.

The first thing Vsevolod saw was a mop of red hair, styled quite unusually. It was certainly popular with the younger crowd, he thought to himself.

Sascha Malikov looked like such a pushover. He was thin, almost lanky, and tall, and despite holding himself up as professionally as possible, he still looked like he could be snapped in half at any moment. It was an odd sight to behold.

This was him? The great, masterful symphony writer and pianist being bragged so much about?? He was so YOUNG…

He raised his hands and gently set them on the keys, inhaling slowly before beginning.

The notes that flowed from the piano were light.

Light and delicate, and almost floaty.

Strings faded in from the orchestra into an almost melancholy tune that eventually transformed into a bleak, yet hopeful sunrise.

The flight of the Silver Dawn. The smallest of the five, and Vsevolod’s favorite. It was not fierce like its counterparts, not swift, nor strong, but it was the first among them.

Despite all the glory and victory the others brought with them, the Silver Dawn carried with it the very beginning of it all.

The strings began to take on a haunting sound as the piano accompanied them in a sort of dance that was almost tangible on the stage. He couldn’t quite explain why, or what it even was.

There was…something about it…

All to soon, it ended, as silently as it had begun. And once the final dying whispers of the strings faded away entirely, the audience began to clap and stand, and clap harder. Some even whistled.

They were going absolutely ballistic.

Vsevolod on the other hand felt as though his legs had turned into jelly. Noisy…

Too noisy…it was too loud here…

He quivered as he stood from his seat, clapping a few times as the orchestra stood and bowed.

When Sascha Malikov did so as well? He clapped harder.

Before he knew it, people began to file out of the theater, no doubt awake and alive after listening to such a dramatic set.

He wasn’t quite sure where he was. Everything was swirling and disorienting, and his ears were still ringing. It was…

Amazing.

Scary, but amazing.

This Sascha Malikov…he was absolutely brilliant. The way everything happened… He couldn’t even put it into words. Not even in his head.

The pavement around the square shimmered and reflected the street lamps light. It had rained briefly while they were inside, and the sky was dark and cloud ridden.

It would take far too long to get home walking. And it was too cold. The wind was biting.

Somehow Vsevolod found his senses enough to hail a cab to take him home. He was very, very tired.

But not so tired as to not daydream about that mop of wild red hair during the entire ride back.

[rewriteverse]

The war that took my light

Leo’s backstory. I hope you enjoy!

Prologue:

Sans sighs softly as he naps in the warm arms of his star. He nuzzles closer as he hears a light chuckle above him. Grillby smiles down at him and holds him closer. He doesn't mind, more heat for him to bathe in, more to love. Sans softly yawns before lifting his head to look up at Grillby. He smiles and leans his skull into the warm hand that's on his cheek. Grillby gently rubs the Leo mark on Sans's cheek with his fire. He rests his forehead against Sans's as they stare into each other's eyes. Sans's star-shaped eye-lights focus on Grillby's bright, warm, loving, orange eyes. He gently croons to Grillby and Grillby responds with a smile.

"good morning, Love."

"Good morning, Leo."

Sans chuckles softly, he loves it when he hears his real name from Grillby. He doesn't like hearing 'Castor' all the time. He likes the occasional calling of his font name. He doesn't mind, but still, Grillby somehow makes his name sound... Special. Sans pecks Grillby on the cheek as he sits up. He stretches before getting out of bed. He makes his way to the closet and grabs his robes. He smiles as he feels the heat from them before running his thumb over the embroidered patch of their kingdom. Right under it is his favorite embroidered mark. He smiles softly at the mark, soon. So soon he'll be complete. With the dreams they wanted so much to come true, he really can't wait. He smiles as pride fills his soul and chest. He turns his head to look at Grillby as his cheekbones glow a soft orange with a tint of deep royal blue at the end.

Grillby joins Sans in getting ready for the day. They both know that they can't wear their normal robes today, today is the day the kingdom holds its breath. Not that it would matter for Sans, Sans hasn't worn his normal robes in a long time. But today is when everyone is on edge. It's the day where the other growing kingdom could attack and start the war. So, they must wear light clothes to be ready. Sans sighs, he's so tired of this. The last war took their parents and if this war does happen, he hopes that he and his brothers will make it. No way would he let Grillby fight. It's too risky. No way is he risking losing his Sun.

"Such a shame, I love these robes. oh well." He puts the red to yellow gradient robes back to grab his yellow tank top. Once that's on, he grabs the orange half-shirt and puts it on over before the red sleeves. Along with the red to yellow to red gradient sash, before putting on his red to blue pants. He sighs before turning to Grillby with a worried smile. He's so nervous, even if he just woke up, he can feel the nervous energy everywhere in the kingdom. "are you sure about this? the last war took most of the zodiacs. it's just Gemini and I left. this war could end us."

"Leo." Sans stops as he feels the two warm hands on his shoulders and he looks up at Grillby. "It's okay. I have a feeling that this isn't going to end badly. Maybe they will be merciful. Perhaps they will spare us, and we will do the same. Okay? Hold onto your hopes for me. Be brave my loyal Leo." Grillby kisses him.

"Okay, my love, okay. for you, my star." Sans smiles a little more before heading to the door. "I'll go and check with my brothers. don't worry, we won't be far. perhaps to the kitchen for some tea and coffee. I'll heat some coffee for you as well. I'll let them know to stay close today." Grillby nods and Sans smiles softly back at him.

With a soft sigh, Sans uses his magic to hide his mark before looking down at his hand with soft pride. He smiles down at it before touching the embroidered mark of Grillby on his robes for everyone to see. So soon, his star and he will be together till the end of time. Even though it's been, how many years in human years? Ah, seven years. He smiles as his bare feet click against the warm tile. As he makes his way down the hallway, he hums a soft tune. He looks out the windows as he walks past it and to the kitchen. He smiles as the smell of pancakes wafts to him.

That's Papyrus then.

The smell of fresh earl grey tea means that Dings is up as well. He smiles. oh Gemini, I just don't understand how you think tea is above coffee. He chuckles softly as he walks into the room with a knock on the doorframe.

"knock knock." Gaster turns his head to Sans with a smile. Papyrus stays focused on the stove instead. "what's shakin' bacon?"

"Ah, Good Morning, Leo. How Are You Today?" Gaster looks Sans up and down as he takes a sip of tea. The tea smelled so fragrant today. Maybe a sip or two, but he still wants his coffee. Coffee is a gift from the gods themselves. He shrugs.

"eh. i could've been better, could have been worse. just... 'm on edge, ya know?" Sans smiles and Papyrus turns around with a bright smile. He holds out a plate of pancakes to Sans.

"AH, GOOD MORNING BROTHER! I MADE MY SPECIAL PANCAKES THIS MORNING!" Sans smiles as he sits down at the table.

"Thanks, Sirius, i'm sure that neither of us could do any batter." Papyrus groans as Gaster and Sans chuckle at the bad pun. Sans stands up to get a small cup of tea and starts the coffee machine. "what? there're so many good puns to cook up in the kitchen." Sans smiles as he places a hand on his robes with another groan from Papyrus.

"Leo?"

"hmm? yeah, Gemini?" Gaster flickers his eye lights from Sans' hand to his eyes. Sans catches the movement and shakes his head as he chuckles.

"BROTHERS? IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?" Papyrus turns to Sans with a worried expression. Papyrus' eyes land on his hand and linger for a moment before looking back at Sans's face.

"yeah, pap. I'm okay, I'm just excited. and tired, it feels like my magic reserves are lower than they should be."

"Well then, we'll just have to whisk that." Two warm arms snake around Sans's waist and hold him close to the warm body behind him. He smiles and laughs at the bad pun. Papyrus only groans softly before hearing Sans purr softly.

"Hello, my love." He sinks into the warmth of Grillby as he feels the two hands rest on his stomach heat up with soft flames. He softly groans as the heat fills his magic. "thank you my love, but even just drinking some of your special coffee helps me with my magic. ya know?"

"Oh yes, I know love. But I like this way as well." Sans croons softly as Grillby softly kisses his neck. Papyrus turns away and Gaster rolls his eyes.

"Please Refrain From PDA In Front Of Sirius. Alright, Leo?" Sans rolls his eyes as he wraps his arms around Grillby's neck. Grillby carries him and the coffee back to the table.

"like you're one to talk. i think all of us saw you and asgore yesterday making out in the middle of the kitchen." Gaster flushes a deep purple as he adjusts his glasses.

"W-Well. At Least We're Not Too Loud, Unlike Some People Who Can Usually Be-"

"OKAY! YOU TWO, PLEASE STOP RIGHT NOW! THIS IS EMBARRASSING ME!"

They both turn to Papyrus who is holding his bright orange skull in his hands. Sans chuckles as he turns to watch Grillby. Grillby smiles sympathetically at Papyrus as he grabs the milk and creamer to pour into Sans's coffee. Gaster nods as he goes back to reading his book. Papyrus sighs as he waves his face to cool down. Grillby finishes mixing the coffee before bringing it up to his mouth and softly blowing into it to heat it even more. To the right temperature that Sans likes it and to where it would help his magic fill. 

Sans goes back to humming as he mixes his tea with honey. He slowly starts to eat the pancakes and notes that Papyrus had indeed grown with making his pancakes perfectly, just the way Sans and Gaster taught him. He smiles at the memory and continues to eat. Oh, how he would give anything to go back to the days where they weren't being faced with the threat of war. Gaster stands up after wiping his mouth and putting his plate, fork, and cup in the sink.

"Well Then, I'll Be With Asgore For Now." 

"you mean your boyfriend?" 

"You Know How To Reach Me If Something Happens. Please, Be Careful. I Have A Feeling About Today. Stay Close Together. Don't Leave Without Your Weapons." Sans nods and grabs his spear out of nowhere, and Papyrus summons his two-bone staff. Grillby just nods. "Stay Near Leo, Leo Knows How To Use Both Of His Shortcuts Well Enough To Get To Me If Something Happens." They all nod.

Gaster smiles at them before hugging them tightly. He doesn't want to let them go. He doesn't want this for them, and he has a bad feeling. And his 'feelings' have always been right up to now. He hates these feelings since they come with bad nightmares of this war happening over and over again. He's scared that something could happen in a matter of seconds like it did in nightmares #10, #38, #58, #225, and #249. 

He has his youngest brother to look after, and his Leo is in no condition for, nor should be fighting should something happen. His Leo needs to be extra careful right now. This is... This is too much right now, he needs to leave. He needs to cuddle against Asgore right now. Gaster smiles before short-cutting close to Asgore to talk and destress. Sans sighs before continuing to eat. Papyrus sighs as well as he stares at Grillby and Sans.

"BROTHER, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO TELL OUR OTHER FRIENDS? OR ASGORE IF GEMINI HASN'T ALREADY? MOST KNOW ABOUT ONE BUT NOT THE OTHER." Papyrus stares directly into Sans's eye sockets and Sans freezes.

what? why would I tell the others? Sans stops thinking and takes a deep breath in. "i dunno Sirius. soon, soon. mainly so it won't surprise them, but hopefully soon." Papyrus nods as Grillby rests his hand on Sans's shoulder. Sans smiles as he finishes eating and stands up. "so, what should we do today? dunno about you, but if we stay in this house all day, i might go crazy." Grillby thinks for a moment.

"What if we go to Waterfall? And hang out with by the water?" Sans shakes his head as he puts his plate in the sink. He understands that Grillby is strong enough to not get hurt by the water and mostly evaporate it before it comes too close; however, Leo has to stay extremely warm right now.

"sorry love, that's out of bounds."

"Oh right... So maybe Hotlands?" Papyrus shakes his head.

"NO WAY! THEIR METHODS OF GETTING AROUND ARE HORRID!" Sans smiles as he shakes his head.

"Alright, how about this... we go to the door that leads to the ruins and explore the ruins? that sounds good to you two?" Papyrus nods and Grillby nods as well. "ok. so now we have a plan, now let's go."

Sans smiles as they start to get ready for their adventure.