#fantasy high western au
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Inspired by @puppetmaster13u and various dragon aus they have.
BUT! This is also a bit of a fantasy/DnD au I guess...? IDK BUT HERE WE GO-
Okay now so, I'm imagining that that Danny, Tucker, and Sam create a pocket dimension for their game via the use of reality warping (via scepter) and something given to them by Pariah Dark before he went off on that whole honey moon thing with Clockwork.
For the record, Danny isn't the ghost king here, Pariah Dark is he's just the prince.
Sam created a garden from the barren earth, that eventually grew into a great forest and spread out to the rest of the world, which technically made her the creator of life but anyways. So, she's holed up in said garden turned forest.
Tucker bestowed upon his subjects (after they were made of course) knowledge and technology and is regarded as the greatest teacher in that world's history.
Danny? Oh yea he became that one that giant dragon that everyone knows is there, is afraid of, and just sleeps all day in this one specific place. You'd have to cut him some slack though, because no one told him creating a world and its laws would be so hard even with help.
That and him, as the one with basically the most knowledge and resident fanboy of space, created the stars surrounding the place as well!
Of course, they couldn't stay there all of the time. What with work (Tucker), high-society (Sam), and studying (Why the heck did Danny decide to go to collage again?). That entire place was just made to play around in before they had to go their separate ways and be, you know, actual adults, so it was easy enough to let go of it really.
Except for Danny. Not of any great reason, really, he just needed someplace where he could quietly study in peace, nap, think or just get away from the Ghost Zone before he had to go through all that princely nonsense again. Plus, none of their creations in that pocket dimension really wanted to mess with the giant fuck off dragon who was said to created the place anyways.
For the record, Danny is more of an eastern dragon in design with a long body rather than western. So that probably just added more into his intimidation with his sheer length.
So, you know, of course he would have been none too pleased when someone actually did disturb his solitude (as stated by the dimension's residents) as soon as the world was thrown off-balance by an outside force.
Meanwhile, Klarion the Witch boy is having the time of his life coming across a whole world that somehow hasn't been affected by Order or Chaos. So he's capitalizing on that.
Then he came across a place that was said to be sacred, not that he cared, and then came across a boy who didn't look a day over his teens (which frankly doesn't say much in regards to immortals) with a frankly long tail that looked longer than he was tall and very majestic looking horns.
Danny was annoyed yet curious, Klarion was surprised yet delighted.
#dc x dp#dp x dc#dpxdc#dp x dc crossover#dcxdp#dc x dp crossover#Honestly I have no idea what I did with this#But#Dragon au les go or something#Will Danny and Klarion become friends? I don't know#Danny is technically an adult by human standards but he no longer ages#Physically at least#Probably because he became royalty too fast or Dragon immortality I guess-#Anyways have fun with this or something idk
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And the discord is OPEN, and artist creation has begun!
What has begun, you ask?
MCYTBLR Aufest is a Reverse Big Bang, where artists have a month to make an art piece, and then writers have two months to make a fic (5k minimum) inspired by the art. And then we all post all at once, in a big BANG of content.
Open to all of MCYTBLR, whether your smp is still airing or has been done for a while. Dedicated ctommy artist? Come, join us! Really into vitalasubzam? You are welcome! Witchcraft Cleo and Scott is just very important to you? Come on down and tell us! Art is the only way to express your feelings about the etho+gem combination? You're not washed up, you're welcome at the aufest. Need to spread your Ianite agenda? Have you considered doing so through an art plus fic combo? Wake up and go to sleep dreaming of Bagina? We welcome you to come art at us about it.
And the content rule is just that it has to be an au— what kind of au? Sky's the limit. Fantasy AU, Mecha AU, Miraculous Ladybug AU, High School Theatre Production, Lighthouse Horror, Western, Superhero, Vampire, Daemon, Witcher, Warrior Cats, Minimum Wage, Cyberpunk, Eldritch Abomination, Historical, Hunger Games, Murderbot, Survival Narrative— go absolutely crazy. Celebrate the highlights of the AU, subvert it, nod to canon or go off inventing your own new joys whole-cloth. All we ask is that your piece not be canon compliant.
Artist's creation periods start now! We encourage all artists to join the discord during the creation period, and you're also welcome to come hang out if you're a writer or a beta reader! Come and join us! Experience the beauty of aus!
DISCORD HERE
#countdown#mcyt#mcytblr#aufest 2024#hermitcraft#traffic smp#lifesteal smp#dsmp#empires smp#qsmp#fable smp#mianite#hermitblr#trafficblr#lifestealblr#dsmpblr#dream smp#empiresblr#qsmpblr#mcsr#mcytblrsource
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the pained peace treaty
fused with the foe, chapter one
a/n: oh wow, i have no idea how to introduce this beast of a story except to say hi, hello, welcome! i really hope you enjoy this story, as well as the rest of the trilogy, idk if i've ever gone as in depth and all out with any story as i have with these.
summary: “now, everything is already set into motion, so we don’t have time for any of your theatrics,” not looking you in the eye, he frostily told you, “you are to be married. A carriage has just arrived a few minutes ago to pick you up and transport you to Eflorr.”
warnings: king!steve rogers x reader, fantasy AU (monsters, but not much magic), original fantasy world, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, slow burn, innocent!reader, abusive father (like super bad. he is a garbage person), wedding, blood, injury
word count: 4813
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“Your majesty, I must warn you, if, gods forbid, our people come to discover the great lengths you’ve been willing to go in this disagreement over the past two decades, they might start an uprising. And if you keep going, then it’ll turn into a full-blown war and you know our kingdom wouldn’t be able to survive that, not with them. Our city’s walls may be high, high enough to keep out any beasts that may wander this far south, but it wouldn’t keep them out. You know better than most how people from Eflorr are. If you don’t wanna lose your crown, one way or another, then I’d strongly advise that we come up with some peace treaty.”
“I know, I know…” King Ivan leaned back in his gilded throne with a huff, the quality of his voice was as thin as his towering frame, “a trade I think should suffice.”
A different advisor then timidly pipped up, “but our mines ran cold ages ago, what could we possibly offer that would be satisfactory?”
Not lifting his cold gaze, the king stared at a fixed spot on the marble floor as he said, “I know one thing the king lacks that we may be able to provide for him… a wife.”
“A wife–,” both of the men’s eyes grew wide, “but do you mean–, your majesty, she is your only daughter, are you certain this is the fate you want her to have? Those people are barbaric! If one of the dangers that rule the north doesn’t get to her first, one of their citizens surely will. Sire, what if history repeats itself?”
“Then let it do so. In fact, perhaps this could have been her purpose all along and I just didn’t realise it. Couldn’t see past my own rage to grasp how useful she actually could be…”
Sharing a nervous glance, one of the advisors asked, “should we send for her? See if she agrees with the plans?”
“No, I’ll tell her when the time is right. Wouldn’t want her to do anything stupid and ruin the one good thing she could ever provide,” finally lifting his stony gaze, the king commanded, “make the arrangements, I’ll see to it that she doesn’t ruin it.”
Deep within the opulent halls of the gilded palace, standing grand and safe behind Ingorn’s tall city walls, twisting up towards the clouds, up in a window in the western tower, there you sat.
Book in your lap, you leaned back against the small pillow you’d propped behind you to make the wide windowsill more comfortable. Small paper butterflies hung from strings above and some dangled so low that the childhood craft that still decorated your window trickled the crown of your head. Flipping the page, your fingertips brushed down over the illustration that appeared in the agricultural tome you’d found in one of your brothers’ rooms.
As long as you put it back before Angus returned then you’d probably be good. And if he were to somehow notice, then as long as he didn’t rat you out to your father then it would be alright. Both Angus and a few of the others that were closer to your age, Oliver and Francis respectively, were always a bit of a gamble whether or not they would do such a thing. They didn’t always have the same spirit as the eldest pair of your older brothers, Xavier and Callum.
You missed them so much your heart ached. The older they got, the longer their diplomatic missions seemed to stretch out, making the quiet palace that much more lonely in your solitude.
A knock then suddenly boomed at your door, causing you to jump edgily in your seat before you slammed the book shut and nervously stuffed it behind the firm pillow.
“Come in!” you called out, swiftly straightening out your dress that had crumbled around your legs at the comfortable seat. As the door to your room slammed open, the figure that stood in it caught you by surprise, “Father–, oh, hello,” you straightened your posture that much further at his arrival.
Skipping over any niceties, King Ivan simply stated, “you need to pack up your stuff.”
Your brows knitted into a fierce furrow, “what?”
“Not everything, of course,” he cast a cold glance around the room though didn’t take a step to enter it, “just the things you are particularly attached to.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” your head lightly shook from side to side, “where am I going?”
When his eyes finally gave you the time of day, it swiftly dropped to the floor as a heavy sigh flowed from his lips, “why do you have to be the spitting image of her…” the muttering was unfortunately just loud enough for your ears to catch. His disappointment was always just loud enough for your ears to catch. When he entered the room and you moved to get up, he swiftly said, “stay seated, Y/n,” before he planted himself next to you on the wide windowsill, “now, everything is already set into motion, so we don’t have time for any of your theatrics,” not looking you in the eye, he frostily told you, “you are to be married. A carriage has just arrived a few minutes ago to pick you up and transport you to Eflorr.”
“To Eflorr?” your gaze grew wide, “you wish for me to marry someone there?”
“Not just someone, you are to marry their king.”
“I–… I–…” your chest rose and fell rapidly beneath your rosy dress, “but father, you can’t–, I can’t go live with the people who killed mom.”
“We don’t know if they actually murdered her. But I do know that you did,” his glare locked upon you as he let himself seethe, “if you hadn’t been born then she’d still be alive,” the fact that the only thing he blamed more for his late wife’s untimely demise then the kingdom she’d perished in was you, remained a point that the sovereign had never been shy about sharing with you for as long as you could recall, “your duty is to protect and serve this land, this crown,” your eyes naturally fluttered up to gaze at the twisted gold balanced upon his head, “if you don’t go through with this, then those savages will come pillage and ruin your home. You are, regrettably, the very last hope this kingdom has of survival. You have no choice, Y/n. This marriage is the only thing that can stop a war we would never survive,” exhaling slowly, he then dominantly nodded in a concluding fashion, “pack your stuff, you have an hour.”
You felt tears sting your eyes as your bottom lip quivered, “an hour? But–, can’t we wait at least a few days before I leave? Can’t I get a chance to say goodbye to at least one of my brothers? None of them are home yet.”
Regret instantly washed over you as your father’s nostrils flared angrily. Seizing your arm in a bruising grip, he yanked you close as he hissed, “you listen, and you listen carefully, you little brat. You have been the bane of my existence ever since you took your first breath. You took away the love of my life. You don’t deserve a goodbye, you don’t deserve anything. Do you think I got a goodbye when your mother suddenly went into labour on that diplomatic mission? No. All I got was you. Not another son, but a living, breathing reminder of what I lost that day,” your eyes squeezed shut as your cheek tingled at the memory of his strikes, “now, be a good girl and go wet his prick, give him a few babies, do anything he’d fucking please, so that him and his barbaric army doesn’t come here and slaughter everything you know and love.”
“Your highness, are you cold?” the high-ranking warden sitting across from you in the carriage noticed the shiver that your body couldn’t seem to shake.
Tearing your eyes off of the scenery along The Emerald Path that the narrow window granted you a view of, you glanced back at the warrior. The brown hair he had practically tied off at the base of his neck blossomed into a dark beard. A bare palm clasped over an inked one in his lap as you met his gaze and said, “no, I’m–…” in truth, you were scared, so scared that you were trembling like a leaf, but you couldn’t tell the foreign king’s advisor that, too much weighted on your shoulders, you couldn’t screw this up, “no,” glancing back out of the window, you only stared a moment at the sparse cottages that slowly came into view on the rolling hills before you turned your head again and let the nauseating nerves control your words, “pardon me, Barnes, is it?”
“Yes, your highness?”
“Sir, how much further till we get there?” your quiet voice echoed within the carriage, “it’s just–, it’s been days.”
“Oh, not long at all,” he shook his head lightly, “actually,” the knight leaned forward in his seat and cast his glance outside, “if you look out the window now, right there,” a small smile tugged at his lips as his finger shot up to point, “that river, that means we’re getting close to Borün city.”
As the river then suddenly curved before the dirt road, the clomping hooves of the horses that hauled the coach resonated as they trotted over a stone bridge.
Twisting your head, you glanced out to your right and spotted farmlands curve over the rolling hills that swiftly blossomed into thickets and towering flora you’d only assume was the southern perimeter of The Noll Woods. Books about this kingdom had been banned in your homeland for as long as you could remember, but even though you were essentially going in blind, you still weren’t completely ignorant when it came to the dangers that called that sprawling forest its home, not that you were an expert in the slightest, but your brothers had from time to time told you tales of the monsters who dominated in this part. From giant and twisted insect-like creatures, to mischievous pixies, to even the rare dragon, those stories had always been your favourite. Apart from the rare occasion where Callum would share stories with you about your mother. Being the eldest, he was the only one who truly remembered her.
Instinctively, your fingers fluttered up to fiddle with the opalescent stone that hung from a chain around your neck. In the middle of the milky jewel was a small rune engraved into it. You had no idea what it meant, but your fingers had still traced the carving countless of times before as it had hung from your neck for as long as you could recall. It hadn’t been till you were a ways into your teens that you’d come to discover that it had belonged to your mother.
Casting your glance out the other side as you passed a tall watchtower, behind the wide city stables unfolded a port town so quaint that it surprised you. Over the small valley of gabled roofs towered a central tree, and beyond all of that, the sparkle of the sea caught your eye, a sight you’d never beheld before, haven not only stemmed from a landlocked metropolis, but also not haven been permitted to leave your room as much as your heart had desired.
“This is Eflorr?” you asked as the carriage began to roll up the winding path to the stone castle that loomed on the cliff, granting you a new view of how the river that you’d crossed slid through the city and spilt into the ocean.
“This is Eflorr, your highness,” the corners of his lips twitched at the sight of how wide your curious eyes were.
“It’s–… it’s–…” your stare danced over the lush ivy that climbed the solid towers, “not what I expected…”
“What did you expect?”
Tearing your gaze away from the window, you blinked, “oh, I didn’t mean–,” suddenly worried that your shock had come out sounding rude, “I just–… I don’t know a lot about this land,” in the few tales you’d heard about this place, there had been a running gag that the people of Eflorr had lived so close to the dangerous beasts that called this part of the continent their home that they too had turned into monsters, “it’s just different than I imagined.”
Ascending the jagged hill and passing through the front gate, it opened up into a wide courtyard before you felt the carriage finally roll to a stop.
The wagon creaked gently as Barnes stepped out first, though when his boots were firmly on the cobblestone, his frame twisted as he reached an outstretched hand back for you to grasp in support of your own exit. Ever so apprehensively, you slid your own palm into his as your other twisted in your long skirts before you slipped out of the carriage.
Letting go of his gasp, the soldier's low timbre washed over you as your head tilted back to take in the vast stronghold, “his majesty, unfortunately, couldn’t be here for your arrival as there was a bit of a dryad problem further up north he had to take care of,” you gaze tore away from the fort and fell upon him, “but I assure you he should be back in time for the wedding.”
“Oh, alright,” you breathed, unsure if that fact made you feel better or worse about the entire predicament.
“If you’d like, I can give you a brief tour of the castle,” he offered as he led you towards the main entrance into the castle proper, “or if you’re exhausted after the journey, then I can just show you directly up to your chambers.”
Offering him a polite smile, you nodded, “a tour would be lovely, thank you.”
He only briefly went over the buildings surrounding the courtyard you’d entered into, as they were mainly designed as barracks and various other facilities for the local wardens, though the horses that stuck their heads out of the royal stalls in the corner did catch your eye before you moved on inside.
Barnes’ voice echoed in most of the chambers he showed you in the castle’s western wing. The vast stained-glass windows that were in the ballroom for instance took your breath away as you saw how the light streamed through them and warmed up the room with glittering little rays of colour.
Behind the great halls, squeezed in between and connecting the two major parts of the fort, there you crossed through a much more quiet and lush courtyard. The pebble paths that curved around the central fountain too curled around various topiary bushes that were trimmed to perfection like living sculptures.
Though as your guide showed you the eastern wing that crested over the foaming sea below, your curiosity got the better of you.
“Hey, Barnes?”
Slowing his leisurely stride, he tilted his head slightly, “yes, your highness?”
“What are dryads?” your brows knit lightly together, “you mentioned there was a problem with them, but what are they?”
“You don’t know?” he glanced over at you, clearly trying to mask his surprise as you shook your head, “oh, well, they are forest spirits, nymphs,” he explained as you roamed deeper down a broad hallway on the second floor, passing many private chambers both to your right and your left, “it’s not uncommon for them to wander and bother the folks who live further up the coast. Have you never encountered one? They are not as uncommon in Obelón as most of the other creatures that thrive this far north.”
“No, I’ve never seen one…” you shook your head as a low sigh flowed from your lips, “never really seen anything…”
“Not much of an outdoorsy person?” he guessed in a light-hearted tone.
Forcing a smile, you replied, “you could say that…” as you hadn’t been allowed to be one even if you wanted to. Passing a set of double doors that stood wide open, the sight inside made you halt your steps, “is this the library?”
Shadowing you as your feet crossed the threshold, he nodded, “yes, it is,” then pointed back over his shoulder, “and your quarters are right down that hall.”
Numerous grand bookcases stood lined up all the way down to where a tall window allowed the sunlight in and let it stream through the rows.
“Can I–… would it be alright if I read some of them?”
“Of course, your highness.”
“Would you mind showing me which ones I’m allowed to read?” you briefly peeked back at him as a bubble of anxiety fluttered in your belly, “I don’t wanna accidentally read something that I’m not allowed to.”
Barnes then blinked back at you a moment before he uttered, “your highness, you can read each and every one of them if you’d like. Why wouldn’t you be allowed to read whatever you wish? They are yours after all, or will be after the wedding,” the corners of your lips twitched upwards as he then asked, “would you like to peruse the titles now or do you want to see your chambers?”
“Oh, uhm,” you tore your gaze away from the tomes and turned back, “I’ll look later.”
“Alright,” he nodded, extending his inked arm to show you the way. As he pushed the heavy wooden door open to the room at the very end of the hall, his voice rang out once more, “this is the peacock suite,” following him inside, he settled to a stop near the exit for you to explore the space on your own, “you can, of course, change anything you’d like for it to match your taste.”
“Thank you,” you breathed as you slowly made your way deeper into the chamber. It was gently divided with a more formal area towards the front where both tufted couches and a crackling fireplace stood, as well as a set of doors that opened up to a quaint balcony. Towards the left, under a swirling archway, twisted a broad canopy bed up towards the tall ceilings, warm with blankets and furs, and in the corner, by a breezy partition, stood a deep cobber bathtub.
Haven not noticed that he’d moved, you then heard as Barnes creaked the doors to a close, “if you need anything, anything at all, I’ll be right outside.”
With a loud creak, the heavy double doors opened before you and revealed the grand hall. As soft music gushed out, you nearly didn’t recognise the space from your tour the other day as it was now decorated with vibrant flowers and flowing banners that dropped down from the high ceilings above, as well as being completely packed with a swarm of people. A thin path parted the giddy crowd right down the middle towards the opposing grand door that guards opened simultaneously to yours.
A shaky breath filled your lungs as you stared at the man crossing over the threshold. The flickering candlelight caught the honeyed shine of the locks that came down to tickle the nape of his neck. A bit darker, his short beard was full and warmed up the bottom half of his gruff features. He sure looked like a man who could slay a kraken with his bare fists, as the soft fur cloak that draped over his shoulders did not conceal his bulky physic one bit. The neckline of his indigo tunic stretched low enough for you to see the concave of his fuzzy chest and the impressive battle scars that broke up the rippling flesh.
You’d seen the portrait of the king that hung in the hallway that stretched up towards the throne room, but to see him before your very eyes, in flesh and blood and not precise paint, was something else entirely.
The long and embroidered train of the blue silk kirtle you wore dragged across the store floor behind you as both you and the monarch slowly stepped into the chamber to join in the very middle.
The enchanting music stopped as you reached one another and the parted paths to either exit slowly closed as the crowd gathered and enclosed around the sacred vow that was about to ensue.
Parting the sea of people like a divine force, an elderly woman, with a braided grey mane so long that it hit the floor, stepped up beside the both of you.
“People of Eflorr,” the crone’s calm voice boomed, “today marks a day of unity, a day of peace, and most of all a day of love. Like a seed planted in the soil, tonight we will all witness this relationship blossom and go on the journey of growing into a magnificent tree, with roots strong enough to endure any storm, to propagate new seedlings that will watch over and shade our kingdom when yours have fallen.”
Looking to the king, she handed him a small dagger from her belt and spoke, “blade across skin,” and he reached out for your right hand, “strike out your seedling’s love line,” your breath hitched as you felt him slice the top of your palm. Crimson blood trickled down onto his own hand as yours rested atop it, “and claim it as your own,” he flipped the blade around and handed it to you, before presenting you his own palm, open in yours. He didn’t even blink as you hesitantly pierced the calloused skin and traced the line already adoring his broad palm, “weave your lines together, so they become the same,” he then moved to clasp your hands together, his wide grip engulfed yours completely. Your teeth sank into just the faintest bit of your bottom lip at the fresh sting of your wound as it bled into his, “and may this scar serve you as a reminder, of the vow you made on this momentous day.”
And as the last of the matron's words flowed from her lips so did the roar of celebration that erupted throughout the crowd as the festivities of the night bloomed at an instant.
The feast had been nothing short of immaculate. Countless of dishes had been spread out on the crowded banquet tables ranging from the savoury braised legumes to the sweet and shiny pies. It was an impossible task to try and taste every one of them, but an excuse you still used to stay glued to your seat and not get up and mingle with the boisterous gathering of strangers.
As a stark contrast, you thought you only noticed the king take two bites before he rose to greet some latecomers who had arrived. Laughing and chatting with the sea of people, he hadn’t offered you a single word, barely even a brief glance the whole night. Though your gaze still followed him from your seat up at the high table as he moved through the crowd like they were all his dearest friends.
When the moon had floated up to be high in the sky, clearly visible on the other side of the stained glass, your head had dropped down into a propped-up palm as a deep yawn forced its way out of your frame.
“Are you tired, your majesty?” a deep timbre suddenly found your ears, a specific tone that caused your spine to straighten out at once.
Whipping your head to your right, your weary eyes grew wide as you saw the king again at his seat, “no, I’m alright,” you hastily coughed out, “I’m so sorry for behaving like that in your presence. This party is exquisite.”
“It’s alright, you can yawn,” you suddenly felt the need to look away now that his ocean stare was finally fixed upon you, “it’s late, I was about to retire for the night as well, so I can only imagine how you must feel. If you’d like, I could escort you back to your chambers. I’m not sure how familiar you’ve become with the castle since you’ve arrived, but even I can still get lost when the corridors are this dark and I’ve indulged in perhaps one too many goblets of wine.”
A flutter of nauseating nerves rushed within your belly, but even so, you still pushed through and forced a smile, “if that’s what the king desires, then sure, you can escort me.”
It was your wedding night. You knew what was about to happen.
Or, actually, you didn’t quite know what the marital act entailed, but you were sure a man such as Steve had enough of an understanding to take charge. All you knew was what little you’d been told. To strip down naked, not whine or scream, and do as he tells you.
The soaring butterflies within you only grew more ferocious as you followed his long stride throughout the castle. Out of the ballroom and through a cold stone hallway, when you crossed the bridge that linked the two wings over a part of the cliff that descended dramatically, you nearly doubled over the parapet to empty your stomach over the town of Borün that blossomed below.
But with a shaky intake of breath, your fist closed around the silk of your skirt as you settled yourself and forced your feet to keep moving. Even as you passed the threshold into the eastern part of the castle, you still shadowed the monarch up the many steps until his broad palm held the door to your chambers open for you to enter.
The fire had been lit while you were gone, and the room was encased in the warm glow.
“Did, uh…” you heard the door close behind you as the king attempted a bit of small talk, “did you have a nice time tonight?”
“I did, your majesty,” you kept your answer brief out of fear that he’d hear the tremble to your tone.
Slowly turning his back to you, his gaze washed over the room, “are you pleased with your bed chambers?” he settled to face the balcony, the door slightly ajar to let the night breeze seep through and rustle the sheer curtains, “because if you don’t like it, if you’d rather have a view of the town then the sea, then that’s an easy problem to fix.”
“I think the view is just fine from here, but thank you,” you answered politely as you gathered up the last bit of your courage and reached back to undo the long row of buttons that went down the spine of the light blue dress.
When the silky garment dropped to the floor, the quiet rustle was enough to draw the king’s attention.
First offering you just a quick glance over his shoulder, he then swiftly whirled around completely, “what are you doing?”
Weaving your fingers in the thin material of your chemise, you blinked back at his stunned features, “I’m sorry, am I doing it wrong?” sure that he could already see everything through the sheer, white fabric.
His feet didn’t move as he asked, “what are trying to do?” before he averted his gaze to the stone floor.
“Well,” you uttered quietly, “it’s our wedding night.”
“Oh…” was all he breathed.
“To be transparent, I’m actually not quite sure what’s to happen, but I do know it’s something,” reaching up, you took the gold and twisted circlet, that crowned your head, off and carefully sat it down on the side table to your left, “I don’t know the details, I just know that I should strip down. Do you know what we’re supposed to do?”
“Fuck,” he cursed, briefly squeezing his eyes shut, “yes I do, but, your majesty, please, keep your clothes on,” his gaze flickered back to you as you slowly began to hike up the last layer.
“Why?” your fingers froze, “isn’t it a tradition here for us to–”
“Well, yes, but–…” he let out a strained sigh before slowly stating, “I’m gonna go.”
A chill crawled up your skin, “…oh, I see…” you uttered quietly as he crossed the room, “did I do something wrong?”
Halting in the doorway as he ripped it open, “no, you–…” but the rest of his words crumbled as his gaze settled upon you one last time, instead letting a low sigh flow from his lungs, “sleep well,” and added nearly subconsciously just before the door slammed shut, “goodnight, dove.”
Even though a wave of relief washed over you, a sting of hurt also followed suit as the king left.
Had you done something wrong, or did he just find you that repellent, that hideous, that he refused to perform his marital duties?
© 2024 thyme-in-a-bubble
#lea’s writing#eflorr au#steve rogers x reader#steve rogers au#steve rogers series#king!steve rogers#steve rogers imagine#steve rogers fanfiction#steve rogers x you#steve rogers x y/n#steve rogers x female reader#steve rogers x f!reader#steve rogers fic#steve rogers fanfic#captain america x reader#steve rogers angst#steve rogers fluff#steve rogers smut#chris evans smut#chris evans x reader
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I've already actually had ideas similar to this but I've never really gotten around to writing it but!
Yuu AU where Yuu comes from a high-fantasy world. All kinds of creatures, whether mythological or not, exist in Yuu's world and aren't limited to humans. Additionally, humans aren't powerless because some of them actually have superhuman abilities and even magic. Kind of like the world building in 'I'm Not This Kind Of Hero' (check it out, it's a classic and makes me feel old) or Medusa and Futakuchi-san by Makise Shaun. Also, now that I think about it, it’s similar to Monster High but the atmosphere’s different. Monster High’s more on the creepy-cool theme while this one’s a more wider and diverse side. Same concept, different font.
Human, elves, dragons, dwarves, nymphs, slimes, fairies, humanoid, non-humanoid, whatever species it is, exists back in Yuu's world. Imagine Yuu belonging to one of these species.
Yuu as a giant merperson like Shirahoshi from One Piece. Of course they aren't in their true form when they arrive because they won't be able to fit in the Mirror Chambers otherwise. Yuu definitely has the advantage when the Octavinelle arc comes up because they just steamroll past through the twins with a flick of their tail, lmao.
Yuu as a harpy. If they're the type that can lay eggs, imagine having to explain to Deuce that no, the egg they laid wasn't fertilized so it wasn't going to turn into a baby, calm down. Oooo, now that I think about it, variations of harpies! Owls, crows, eagles, everything! Regardless, Harpy!Yuu probably puffs up threateningly every time Crowley's somewhere in the vicinity.
Yuu as a dragonkin. Are they the Western type with the more lizard features? Are they the Eastern type with the more noodle-like features? Are they able to completely turn human or are they the type who constantly has their draconic features out? Probably either sees Malleus as a threat because of territorial and hoarding instincts or tries to hoard Malleus themselves because kin instincts. Well, depending on the type of dragon Yuu's gonna be, that is. Some dragons are solo creatures while others are more social.
Yuu as a slime. Whether they're more humanoid or just a round ball of goo, this Yuu's just vibing. Virtually zero damage can be done to them since they always just reform unless they're met with their weakness. Of course, this also depends on what kind of slime Yuu's gonna be since there's like a ton of slime variants out there. Some are infused elementally, some are infused with something else like metal, poison, acid, whatever. Oooo, just imagine a tiny ball of blob that can fit on the palm of your hand. This Yuu would probably be used as a stress ball a lot, that is if Yuu allowed it. Imagine a Yuu slime variant that doesn’t speak but instead wiggles to communicate.
Yuu as a shadow creature. Which when faced off against the overblots just utterly decimates them immediately because not only are they a creature of the shadows, they are the shadows themselves. Kind of like Pride from Fullmetal Alchemist minus the eyes. Just imagine seeing your housewarden overblot and having this ink creature menacingly looming behind them and then see an even bigger creature appear and loom behind them.
Yuu as an android, kinda like Ortho. I feel like this Yuu is the type to give Ortho a gun and be like, “Go, commit crimes, child.” This Yuu is probably a walking, talking military-grade bioweapon. Was definitely a big headache for Idia in STYX because Yuu hacked and overrode the systems.
Yuu as an arachne (spider-human hybrid). They just arrived and someone in the Mirror Chambar already fainted, frothing at the mouth (It was totally Jamil). They get Ramshackle and was like, ‘Score!’ and now it’s full of spiderwebs everywhere. It looks even more haunted than before, they’ve made themselves completely home. I don’t know why but I imagine this Yuu being the cheerful and energetic type.
Of course, let’s not forget the possibilities for the human variants of Yuu. Mad scientist Yuu who likes creating androids and robots. Probably has these tiny drone things hovering around them that shoot out lasers and practically doesn’t step outside Ramshackle because they’re too busy trying to build stuff until Crowley forces them out. Magic user Yuu who, well, uses magic. Probably doesn’t need any wand to cast spells and their magic is probably more versatile than the magic in Twisted Wonderland because they virtually have no limits in casting whatever aside from their limited mana.
Anyway, High Fantasy!Yuu.
#high fantasy!yuu#high fantasy yuu#'tis simply a mini au#twisted wonderland#twst#twisted wonderland au#twst au#twisted wonderland yuu#twst yuu#twisted wonderland headcanon#twst headcanon#twisted wonderland headcanons#twst headcanons#twisted wonderland imagine#twst imagine#twisted wonderland imagines#twst imagines#twisted wonderland scenario#twst scenario#twisted wonderland scenarios#twst scenarios
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The Drifter: The Weaved Web (1.01)
Pairing: Chan x Demon!fem!Reader (future)
Genre: adventure, fantasy, romance, fluff
AU: western!au, fantasy!au, bounty hunter!au,
Word Count: 20k
Overall Summary: A demonic bounty hunter drifts into the sleepy seaside town of Levanter Bay, and there is where she finally finds a real home.
Tags: western!au, demon!reader, fantasy!au, high fantasy, kidnapping, child kidnapping, demon summoning, mentions of death, mentions of trauma/PTSD, arachnophobia, descriptions of violence,
Disclaimer: These works are completely fictious and for entertainment purposes only. They are not meant to reflect or label the members of Stray Kids. The events within never took place.
Please do not repost/translate!
****
Episode 1: Sacrifices.
Episode Summary: A rash of child kidnappings has unsettled the quaint town of Levanter Bay, Sheriff Bahng and his deputies are at a loss until a strange demon comes riding into town.
***
‘Welcome to Levanter Bay, The Sunny Side.”
Levanter Bay appeared anything but sunny. An overcast sky blocked any sunlight that might’ve shone on the open bay. The water washing up on the docks appeared gray and dark, small waves lapping at the wooden stilts holding up the port. From the top of the hill, the small town resembled a semi-circle of small buildings leading out to the docks far off. It did not seem any different than any other country town, and after a week of riding and camping, a warm bed and a hot meal sounded good. Giving gentle kicks to Summer's sides, the black mare started to walk down from the hills.
“What do you think, girl?” You asked your mount with a soft pat. “How does a warm night in a stable of hay sound?” When Summer huffed, you said, “I know we're low on money. With a bit of luck, this place will have a bounty board and we can get some coin. It'll all work out, I promise.”
Summer gave another snort, and you furrowed your brow. “Don't be bitter. That thing with the snakes turned out okay in the end. We got the reptile guy's amulet and returned it to the villagers. Everything was fine like all the other times. Whatever job we find next will be just as easy, and we can end the day with a good pint of ale and some hay….” You then scratched her neck, “And maybe an apple? A sugarcube?”
You smiled when Summer whinnied softly. Reaching the bottom of the hill, you saw the quiet town up ahead of the dirt road. People riding their own horses and driving wagons passed you on their way into town, likely on their way to the ships at the end of the main road. You considered taking one of them when you finish up business in town. The destination itself never mattered to you. Each location offered up more chances at new experiences and new lessons. The Shadowlands provided nothing but melancholy and pain. The mortal world teemed with life, and you wanted to feel it all.
Once you entered town, you saw the scope of the townspeople. People of all races, human and magic, lived side by side in harmony. You spotted a werewolf in human form, his ears and nose a dead giveaway, talking to an elderly man through a post office window. Out of the local bank came a blond man, counting bills before sticking them in his bill fold. Two women, one a feline werecat and the other a reptilian walked together to a market stall run by a young human. Back home, the only people around were other demons like yourself. Those who passed through The Mar already departed the mortal realm, therefore could not be considered “alive”. They’d been shadows who could do nothing but wail in their misery. You made eye contact with a skinny elf walking out of a barbershop, and grinned.
“Morning, sir,” you nodded at him as you rode past.
Townspeople in such a tight knit community tended to eye strangers closely, but they appeared extra suspicious of you. A young mother walking past with her children spotted you, and held them closer to her sides, rushing away from you. It's your horn stumps, no doubt. No amount of hair or hats could hide the two stumps on the front of your head. The first tell-tale sign of a demon was their horns, their markings being the second. You covered yours with your jacket and gloves, but if anyone did see them, they'd see the ancient fire runes inked onto your shoulders and wrists in adolescence. It’d been your markings that drew Him to you in the first place.
‘Children of the flames are mighty and strong. I can make you stronger.’
Summer gruffed when a reptilian woman crossed her path, but you calmed her down immediately. Clearly, your dreadsteed hadn't gotten over her last encounter with reptiles. You apologized to the woman, then asked:
“Excuse me, can you tell me where your inn or hotel is around here?”
“In the market square,” she said a tad affronted, closing her coat over her chest with folded arms. “The White Pearl, is the name. Ask for Changbin, he'll get you a room, Miss.”
“Thank you, and sorry again about my horse,” you patted Summer's neck, “She's…skittish.”
The woman gave a contemptuous huff, then walked away. Riding into the large town square, you pass vendors selling their wares until you find an inn nestled into a corner. You guessed it by the hanging sign that read “The White Pearl” with an open clam shell underneath. Through saloon doors and large windows, you saw patrons already enjoying a drink and a meal inside. The thought of a hot breakfast crossed your mind, and your stomach growled. Dismounting Summer, you tied her up to a pole next to other horses, and walked inside.
Nobody noticed you walk in, since everyone appeared focused on their own conversations. Good. You didn't want anyone seeing you. Crowded places tended to have too many eyes, and too many eyes also meant too many mouths. You've run out of enough taverns to know to keep a low profile until you've taken a good look around.
‘Mortals are weak and simple. They are meant to be beneath our feet.’
“Howdy there,” a voice caught your attention.
He stood behind the bar cleaning pint glasses. Seeing his muscled arms and short stature, you guessed a dwarf but he appeared a bit too tall. A forest dwarf, then. He wore a flannel shirt rolled up his forearms and a white apron around his waist. You gave a small smile and head nod as you approached.
“Welcome to The White Pearl,” he glanced up at your horn stumps, but did not linger long, “What can I get you? We have our daily lunch special, a hot sandwich with a drink of choice.”
It sounded good, but your light purse felt heavier than ever. “I'll take a bit of water for now, thanks.”
The innkeep went to work pouring water into a glass. “Just passing through, ma'am?”
“For the moment,” you answered, taking a drink from the cold mug. “I was wondering if your sheriff’s office had a bounty board? My horse and I came from Newport a few miles west, and we've gotten cleaned out since then.”
“A bounty hunter, hm?” The man nodded, taking you in for a moment. “Yeah, Chan has a hero's board outside the station. You won't find anything that pays well there though.”
“Poor town? I thought with the port nearby you'd be off better than some other places.”
“You'd think that right?” He noted, “But since our docks were invaded by pirates a few months ago, our mayor has been working on rebuilding it. You'll be doing quite a few jobs I expe-Hey, you!” He snapped from his friendly tone to a harsh one. You looked to see a child walking secretly out of the tavern, guilt on his face. “What did I tell you about pickpocketing, Eunwoo? Come here, empty them out.”
The young moon elf, detected by his high pointed ears and soft lavender skin, came over to the bar. From his pockets he withdrew a leather bill fold, two gold coins, a single dice and a silver spoon.
“A spoon?” The innkeep questioned, lifting the utensil. “Eunwoo, who could you have sold the spoon to?”
“People always need spoons, Changbin,” the boy shrugged. “There can be somebody eating soup and not have a spoon.”
“I've told you before,” Changbin slid the contents into a wooden box behind the counter, “If you're hungry, I'll give you a free plate and a drink. You don't have to steal.”
“Sorry, Changbin,” he pouted apologetically.
“Now, go on into the kitchen and tell Wooyoung to give you a lunch plate. You can feed Honey too, if you want.”
The elf child smiled brightly, then rushed through a door behind the bar. He turned back to you, “Seo Changbin, I own this place. You are?”
“YN,” you answered, “Just YN.”
“You're a demon? I thought demons had strange names? I met one during the war named Tarhez.”
You giggled, taking a drink, “I changed it when I decided to live in the mortal world.”
“Oh yeah? What is it?”
“Multak,” you said, your true name sounding rough and deep. You laughed at his stunned expression, “Told you it's hard on mortal ears. In my language it means ‘shield of fire’.”
“Interesting,” he replied sincerely. “If you couldn't tell from the patrons eyeballing you right now, we don't get many demons around here.”
“Not many of us decided to stay when the war ended.”
You almost could not go home when the war against Nor'goth ended. The evil, primordial demon lord escaped from your realm into the mortal one, claiming that all humankind deserved punishment and enslavement. While most demons joined him, a fair few of you went against him. The Blind One, Sakmarth, led a force to defeat Nor'goth once and for all. You might have not known mortals at the time, but you knew nobody deserved enslavement. It simply went against your code. The image of the mighty, dark demon sent a sickly chill over your body. Glowing orange eyes that saw into your soul and tentacles that tore down several men at a time came to the forefront. He’d been monstrous. Even now, so many years later, you still heard his guttural voice in your head.
‘You are mighty, shield of fire. Join me, and together we can bring this world to its knees.’
You’d told him ‘no’ before sending him back into the abyss.
“What about you? If I'm correct, you're a dwarf, no?”
“Woodland Dwarf,” he smiled, “And proud of it. I came down from the Blue Mountains far west, with nothing but a dream, my axe, and my bear.”
“Bear?” Your eyes widened.
“Yeah, my bear Honey. She's right there,” he nodded over to an open window where you saw a massive grizzly bear walk past. “I've had her since she was a cub. She's dangerous and looks like it, but if you give her some food and a head scratch, she’ll love you until the day you die.”
“Like my Summer,” you pointed out your own horse outside, “She's a dreadsteed. That's like a demon horse to mortals.”
“A dreadsteed? I think I saw those on the battlefield. Some demons I knew had them.”
“They're faster than lightning, stronger than oxes, and make good war horses,” you added. “She's gotten me out of a few jams in the past. I bet your Honey did the same.”
“She did. I took her into battle myself…Seems we both have war stories to tell,” he drawled, gazing over you again. “Listen, if you want a good paying gig, Sheriff Bahng always has open bounties in the station documents. If he thinks you're up to snuff, he'll pass on something to you. He should be there now.”
You finished your water, then nodded appreciatively. “Thanks, I'll go check out the board, then I can come back for that special.”
He gave you a nod, and you left the inn. Summer shifted her feet when you untied her. “The place seems alright,” you told her. “They got a pet bear, but I'm sure it's not in the stables.”
Changbin said you’d find a listing outside the sheriff’s office. Feeling your light coin purse and hearing your rumbling stomach again, you knew you’d need to find a job soon. Walking through the busy market square towards the sheriff’s station, you spotted the wooden bulletin board covered in different colored papers. Reading some of them, you realized most involved hunting down excess wildlife in the forests beyond the town, finding lost items or relatives, or helping settle disputes. Nothing particular stuck out to you, but mindless work was better than no work at all.
“What do you think, Summer?” you turned to the black horse you’d guided by the reins to the board. “Want to go hunt down some feral boars with me?” The black stead huffed and shook her long black mane, almost as if declining the offer. You chuckled, “Alright, that’s a no.” You looked at the board again, “Well, we gotta pick something. I might be demonkin and you might be a dreadsteed, but we have to eat too.”
You continued looking for a proper posting when someone came out of the office. He wore a beige button down and denim jeans with black boots. The badge on his breast glinted in the morning light, the word ‘sheriff’ across the top with the town sigil on it. Black curls kept back from his face, even with his big nose he was handsome. At least, other women might think so. You turned to him right as he stretched and basked in the warm sun.
“Excuse me, Sheriff?”
“Oh, good morning,” he smiled, noticing you standing there, “I've never seen your face around here before. You're new in town?”
“Just stopping here,” you explained. “I was checking out your listings board.”
He sized you up for a moment. You caught him looking over your black jacket, plain shirt and boots, getting a sense of you before his eyes landed on the crown of your head. Your horns were the price you paid to live amongst humans. His eyes stayed on them a moment, then he looked back at your face.
“What’s a demonkin doing so far from home?” he asked curiously.
The usage of your peoples’ true name surprised you. “Living.”
“Clearly, you’re not keen on doing it for long if you’re looking at our board,” he said, almost amused. “Do you have a speciality?”
“Warlock,” you answered, “Sort of goes hand-in-hand with my kind.”
He nodded again, “How long have you been drifting?”
“Since the war ended.”
“You fought?”
“Yes, sir. I fought with the Mortal Armies.”
“Against your own people?”
“Not all of us see other races as beneath us. I like to think of myself as one of the good ones. Now,” you stepped closer, “Does your office have any private work or do I help Mrs. Young with her feral boars? The innkeep at the White Pearl said you might.”
The sheriff gave you another once over, then said, “Tie your horse up there and come in. I think I have something up your alley.”
You tied Summer to a post outside the door, and followed the sheriff inside. “I’m Chan, by the way,” he introduced himself in the main hall, offering his hand.
“YN,” you replied, shaking it firmly.
“A demonkin named YN,” he mused, “Never thought I'd see one of your type around here.”
You looked around the small office to see two other men already in the room. One of them was short with cheeks expanded by the donut he’d stuffed into his mouth. By the long fluffy tail sticking from behind the chair and his black nose, you saw the squirrel hybrid immediately. The man jotting down notes in a book had two slits in his shirt that revealed the dark purple wings close to his body. When he looked up at you, his eyes matched his wings. A shadow fairy. The squirrel hybrid only nodded, but the dark fae sat stock still. You registered the stunned expression and realized he recognized you. Not many mortals knew you by sight, mostly by name and your demon name at that.
“YN, these are my deputies: Han Jisung and Lee Minho,” he pointed to the hybrid first, then the fae, “Boys, this is YN. She’s come looking for work. I thought she could help us with the Hook Clan.”
Both men also sized you up like their sheriff. Han spoke up first, “Speciality?”
“Warlock,” you answered again. To prove it, you flicked your wrist to make the donut in his hand disappear and reappear. “That’s nothing compared to what I can really do.”
“Hm,” Han stuffed the other half into his mouth before you could do it again.
“As I live and breathe…” Minho said softly, “Multak.”
“You know her, Minho?” Jisung questioned in surprise.
“Have we met before, sir?” you asked him next.
“Not personally,” he answered, “But every shadow fairy who was at the Battle of Incheon knows the fire demon Multak.”
Incheon, home of the dark fae race. You recalled it fondly: tall dark trees with their canopies of leaves hiding the light-sensitive species, and wooden houses sitting on stilts or floating on boats throughout the wide rivers and lakes. Shadow fae came in all shapes and sizes, but they proved to be fierce and formidable allies. Nor’goth’s forces kidnapped and drained the fairies of their powers to weaken them, even breaking their bodies to do it. Your heart had gone out to the wisps, the smallest and most gentle of them all. All they do is tell fortunes and guide people to their fates.
“Wait…” Chan stood still, examining you once again, “You’re the fire demon?”
“I’m a fire demon,” you said, not wanting to go into the differences between the demon clans in The Mar.
“She stopped Nor’goth almost single handedly-”
“-Almost-” you emphasized, “It was a group effort.”
If the Orcs had not distracted his people with their fiery catapults and if the elves had not shielded you, you wouldn’t have been able to strike. Your sword, a runic blade of fire, struck Nor’goth right in his heart.
“I don’t know,” Minho said in a sing-song tone, “It was your flaming sword that vanquished him in the first place.”
“You have a flaming sword?” Jisung’s eyes widened with wonder.
“It’s a runic blade,” you turned to Chan, “So, who is this Hook Clan?”
Minho sensed the change in subject, but you knew he wasn’t done. Nor’goth and the war are the last things you wished to discuss in detail. You did not agree with the Shadow Lords about Nor’goth’s sentence; banishing him to the underworld prison, The Abyss, will not hold him forever. You didn't care how weak they'd made him.
“They’re outlaws at the edge of town,” Chan answered, going over to a desk where he kept a stack of folders. He brought it over to you, withdrawing reports and documents for you to see. “They started off with stealing cattle or crops from the farmers, but they’ve escalated in recent weeks.”
“Escalated how?”
You noticed the three men appeared apprehensive, a tension starting to stiffen between them.
“They started kidnapping children,” said Minho. “The last kidnapping was Wang's little girl, Hyeyoung. Before that was Seo Dobin, and before that was Lee Sanghee. The only connections we’ve been able to make,” he flipped through his notebook and found a page. He walked over to you and showed you the page, “All three were between eight and ten, taken from farmlands, and in broad daylight. We don’t know where they are, why the clan is taking them, or what they plan to do with them.”
“What makes you think it was them?”
“The clan always paints a red hook somewhere when they’ve struck. It’s been found at each scene.”
“That’d be foolish of them to do,” you noted, reading more of his notes. “That’s basically telling you that it was them.”
“They’re not the brightest bunch, if I’m being honest,” Minho replied.
“Which means they’re least likely to have done it,” Chan told him. “Kidnappings like this require a thought process and planning. The Hooks have always operated loosely: pick a target, slaughter anyone who gets in the way, and take what they want. If they are kidnapping these children, they would’ve slipped up at some point.”
“They could be hired by somebody else,” Han chimed in from his desk. “Red Hook will work for whoever pays him enough. If they’re taking kids, it’s likely someone is paying them to do it.”
“Then who?” Chan looked over to ask him.
One person came to mind, but you’d sound foolish. Nor’goth is currently imprisoned in the Abyss, an island floating in a dark void, powerless and useless to anyone. You read Chan’s reports and cross-checked them with Minho’s notes. You hated to think it, but some dark warlocks and shadow magic practitioners use children in their rituals. Just because a ritual lists ‘innocent blood’ or ‘innocent souls’ does not mean the caster needed a child. Even demonkin preferred using animals over defenseless children.
“-I think it’s just too easy to scapegoat a group because of their reputation,” Chan’s voice caught your ear. “I want to catch Red Hook and his band of outlaws, but I want to arrest them for crimes they actually committed.”
“His mark’s has been found at each scene-”
The outlaws must be hired to help. They reminded you of a band of thieves back in the capital city who were stealing resources from a nearby mine. It turned out they stole them for greedy goblins.
“Do you know anything about this clan aside from their crimes?” you interrupted them. “Their leader? Anything significant?”
“We don’t have a name, but he calls himself the Red Hook,” Chan told you. “According to people who’ve seen him, they say he’s a magic user.”
“Human?” you directed this at Minho.
“Can’t say for sure, since the clan is a mixed bag,” he replied, “But the people we interviewed said they didn’t see any magical distinctions.”
“Where do they hide out?”
“Around,” Chan shrugged. “Last location was an abandoned farmhouse northwest of here. We checked it out already, and they’re no longer there. They tend to drift around to keep us a step behind them all the time.”
“My friends in the forest tell me when they see them,” Jisung said, “But they’re pretty well hidden a lot of the time. It’s likely Red Hook is concealing them somehow.”
“Friends?”
“The animals,” he explained. “The rabbits, squirrels, gophers, moles, and the like. I can talk to birds sometimes, but not always. It helps to have eyes in the trees,” he grinned mischievously, picking up a bag of trail mix.
“I’d like to talk to the families,” you said, seeing the children’s names once more.
You didn’t see anything peculiar other than they’d taken two girls and a boy so far. Some rituals called for a certain number of souls, but never spoke about sexes. It can certainly be a coincidence. Although, you rarely came across those in your line of work.
“We already did,” Minho told you, “They don’t know anything.”
“I’d still like to talk to them myself. Their children might have something in common that you missed.”
“Does this mean you’ll take the job?” Chan asked, and you detected a glimmer of hope in his voice.
“For a fee.”
“Naturally,” he nodded.
“With a demon on our team,” Minho said, “We’ll have this case wrapped up by supper.”
“I don’t know about all that, but I’ll do my best,” you insisted.
Chan moved to his nearby office when the door opened. In walked a rotund, dark-skinned man in a blue suit, wearing a bowler hat and checking his pocket watch. He didn’t look at the men at first, but when he looked up, his eyes settled on you. Shock took over his broad, square face and brown eyes widened with realization.
“Good afternoon, Mayor,” Chan intervened before the man could speak, “What can I do for ya?”
“Chan, there is a demon in our station,” he said, voice quivering slightly.
“She’s a bounty hunter,” he assured him. “She’s come to help with the missing children.”
“Demons don’t like children.”
“We do, actually,” you retorted, arms crossed. “And no, not to eat them,” you added disdainfully.
“YN's a bounty hunter, Gerald,” Chan said. “She's just agreed to help us with the missing children. I think it'd be beneficial to have someone like her helping us. YN, this is our Mayor, Gerald Wallace.”
“Nice to meet you, sir,” you tried keeping the annoyance from your voice.
“I don't know, Chan,” the mayor said, “You know folks around here. They won't take kindly to a…demon being in town right now.”
“I only want to help,” you fixed your jacket, “But if you don't want me here and want your children to keep being snatched up, then I'll be on my way.”
“Wait, wait,” Minho came to your side and faced the mayor, “Mayor Wallace, this demon isn't a normal demon. She's the demon who ended the war.”
Did he really have to keep telling people that?
“Impossible,” the mayor scoffed, “There's no way that demon stuck around after the war.”
“I did,” you said. “Do you want my help or not?”
“We do,” Chan answered quickly. “We do.”
“Chan,” Mayor Wallace turned to him stiffly, “May I speak to you in private, please?”
“Of course,” he gestured to let him pass, “This way.”
He shot you an apologetic glance, then followed the mayor into an office.
“Sorry about that,” Minho said, “I promise our townspeople normally aren't this prejudiced. Things have been uneasy around here, so you can imagine a newcomer strolling into town concerning people.”
“Explains everyone's apprehension,” you replied, seeing Chan and Mayor Wallace through a window. You can see both men starting to heat up during the conversation. “It doesn't bother me as much as it used to,” you said, “I understand my people did heinous things when they came here. Not everyone is so quick to forgive.”
“But not everyone is like that here,” Han reassured you. “They'll warm up to you soon enough.”
You didn't particularly care if the little people liked you. You didn't plan on staying too long anyways.
“Where are you staying in town?” asked Minho, walking over to a small bookshelf behind his own desk. “The White Pearl?”
“I need money for a room and a stable first,” you told him, feeling that rumble in your stomach again. “I hoped I might get at least an advance. We've rode a long way.”
“We can talk about that when Chan finally finishes with Gerald,” he casted a glance over to the window. Chan appeared to have quieted the mayor down, but the man remained unconvinced. “You can go on ahead and tell Changbin I sent you. He'll give you a room, and some feed for your horse.”
“Appreciated,” you nodded, “Tell Chan he can find me there.”
“-Chan, I'm telling you this isn't a good idea!” Mayor Wallace said, coming out of Chan’s office. “We already got the docks to rebuild, the town council is on my behind about the merfolk situation and now we have our children going missing! Then, you got Han over there who'll tell anybody that'd listen that we got a demon and cause a damn hysteria!”
Chan appeared more amused than upset by now, and asked, “Han, you planning on causing a hysteria?”
“Not today, Chan.”
“See? Gerald, you put me in charge of the safety of this town,” he patted his shoulder, “Trust me.”
Wallace's shoulders sagged, and he gave you an uncertain glance, “Alright. I trust you. You never let us down before.”
“There you go,” Chan concluded, steering Mayor Wallace to the door. “You tell the council we have our best people on this…”
“He really knows how to de-escalate a situation, huh?” you asked, impressed.
“That's why he is the sheriff,” Han nodded. “Come on, I'll take you back to the inn. You can get settled before the work begins.”
Han led you out the door, and you untied Summer. “Looks like we got a job after all,” you grinned, petting her side. She huffed and you said, “No, no snakes this time…I think.”
“Wow,” Han marveled at Summer, taking in her fiery eyes and black mane. “A real dreadsteed.” He wiggled his nose at Summer, who nodded her head. When he gave a grin, cheeks puffing out, he said, “She's a tough cookie, huh? She says you guys just came from Newport.”
“You can talk to her?” You guided Summer back to the inn.
“Animal hybrid,” he pointed at his own chest. “I can talk to all kinds of animals, even demonic ones.” He glanced at her again, “Summer is an interesting name for a dreadsteed. Is that her real name or a new one?”
“It's her name,” you said. “I gave it to her when we came back to the mortal realm. I named her that because summer is my favorite season. We don't have seasons where I'm from.”
“How dreadful,“ Han frowned, “I can't imagine living anywhere that is so desolate. I used to live in the forest before Chan found me and brought me here.”
“Found you?”
He scrunched up his nose guiltily, “I might not have been the most law-abiding squirrel at the time. I'd been caught stealing food from different farms, and rather than send me up the road, he gave me a place to stay and a job.”
“During or after the war?”
“After,” you both reached the steps of the inn, “A group of demons attacked my village and destroyed everything. I didn't have anywhere to go, so I ended up outside town. Chan found me hiding in someone's boat and took me in.”
“That's awfully kind of him.”
“That's the kind of guy he is,” he shrugged. “He really cares about everyone.”
Han and Changbin helped you and Summer settle into The White Pearl. By the time Chan arrived, you'd devoured a hot sandwich and given Summer hay and an apple for her patience.
“Everything squared then?” You asked him. “Your mayor seems…”
“He's only being cautious,” Chan insisted, “But with a bit of convincing, he's willing to pay the 50 gold price.”
Fifty sounded more than fair to you. After that, he insisted on taking you to the childrens’ families himself. You both mounted your horses and headed towards the first farm.
“What can you tell me about their families?” you asked him, riding Summer alongside him on his own horse.
“Seo Dobin, the first kid taken, lives at the Seo vineyard not too far out of town,” he began. “His parents grow grapes and berries and are part of the Seo pack.”
“Pack? He's a werewolf?”
“Yes, but don't worry. Junhwan and Eunji are good people. Dobin's dad can be a bit of a hothead; I’ve had to put him in holding once or twice, but he’s usually a nice man. His mother, Eunji, does some work at the bakery here from time to time.” He noticed your pensive stare, and said, “They’re all good people. Each and every one of them.”
“Good people can have enemies too,” you replied. “Enemies that they don’t know about, even. What do the other families do for work? Minho said the children were taken around farms?”
“The farms are the least guarded parts of Levanter,” he said, “Since they’re owned by the families and not the town. The Seo family mainly deals in grapes and berries to make into wine; The Wang family grows wheat, and the Lee family grows corn.”
“All crops where the stalks can grow high,” you added to your mental list of notes.
“Where the children can be snatched without anyone seeing them,” Chan added, nodding to himself. “I thought the same thing. It’d be harder to take them from a pig, horse or cattle farm because there’s always people patrolling those types of places. A crop of plants? Easier to walk through them and wait for the kid to go right by them instead.”
“Are there any other farm-”
“-I already told them not to let their kids go running off into their fields or in the woods,” he answered ahead of your question. “I told the kids at the schoolhouse to go straight home after school, and don’t talk to any strangers they meet on the road.”
“Did you instill a curfew?”
“I’ve considered it, but I don’t think it’ll help much. These kids are taken during the day off their families’ own land. I’ve asked a few of our local hunters and mountain men to keep an eye and an ear out for anything suspicious too.” He hesitated, and you worried what question would follow it. “Minho’s convinced it’s the gang, but it’s not them.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“And I think you already have an idea who it is.”
“The idea that magic casters use children in their rituals was a myth perpetuated by religious zealots who fear magic and everything it can do,” you said, keeping the bite out of your voice. “While innocent blood or souls are called for in a good chunk of blood magic rituals, anyone who truly knows magic and reads magic texts will know that it means an animal. Whoever this person is either is a magic user who doesn’t care about translations, or a magic user who doesn’t understand the magic they are trying to wield.”
“You say ‘magic user’. Do you mean, like, a human using magic?”
“Yeah,” you nodded. “Fae, demons, merfolk, some species of hybrids are all born with magic already inside of us. It’s in our bones, and in our blood. Our specialty, if we have one, is just a choice we make in using our magic. Humans…No offense, Sheriff, but humans were not meant to have magic.”
“Really?”
“That’s not a jab at humankind. I’ve met plenty of human mages and warlocks who use their gifts rightly,” you said quickly. “I mean, physically. Their bodies are not meant to hold it. Yes, they can perform little rituals and incantations and make potions, but real magic? No. It'd kill them, so they likely wear trinkets or charms that harness their power. I think whoever is taking these children plans to use them for something, otherwise you would’ve found their bodies by now.”
“Perhaps they're using them to gain more power?” He suggested.
You considered the idea. “It's a possibility.”
You both arrived at the Seo farm, where you saw a farmhouse, barn, and a chicken coop. Beyond the house, you saw rows upon rows of vineyard bushes. The barn door wide open, you saw two young men pouring fermented grapes into a barrel. Briefly you pictured a young wolf pup running around the front yard area, maybe with a toy plane or a kite while his mother watched over him from a window. The same woman who happened to be outside the house with a tub and washing board.
“Sheriff!” She gasped, dropping the board in the water and coming his way. “Sheriff, have you found him? Have you found Dobin?”
“I'm sorry, Eunji,” Chan frowned, getting off his horse and removing his hat. “But, I have someone here who'd like to speak with you about that day.”
“Who?” she looked at you. Even with the crinkles on the sides of her eyes, Mrs. Seo looked younger than you expected. Her wolf ears perked at the sight of you, and you saw her nose twitch slightly. Her claws long and black, led to furry arms underneath her linen dress. “A demon? What's a demon doing here?”
“I'm here to help, ma'am,” you answered, dismounting Summer and standing in front of her. “Sheriff Chan told me about the children in the area, and I want to help you.”
You expected her to question you like so many others, but instead she breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness! We need all the help we can get. Dobin has been missing for three weeks now, and nobody can find him.”
Worry filled her eyes and you spotted the shaking hands she wrung together. You pitied her and said, “Where was the last place you saw him?”
“Back here. Come with me.”
She led you both around the house to a backyard. You saw the typical horse and wagon tied up outside the barn in a stall, calmly eating hay. The vineyard started behind a wooden fence that bordered the entire crop, and seeing the uniform rows stretching for acres made it the perfect kidnapping spot. You imagined a small boy being snatched without anyone seeing him or his kidnapper.
“He was down there,” she brought you both behind the fence to point down a middle row, “Helping one of our pickers gather grapes. He always loves helping pick the grapes,” she smiled fondly, “We know he sneaks some, but we let him. Our picker, Taeyong, said he turned his back to put some buckets in a wagon, and when he looked back, Dobin was gone. At first,” she wrung her apron in her hands nervously, “At first, we thought the little rascal was hiding from us. You know, the way children play hide and seek? He does that from time to time and it worries me something awful,” you heard the panic in her voice even speaking about it, “But when it…it started to grow dark,” her eyes began watering and her lip trembled, “We…Oh, why did I let him go?! Something told me not to, but he was with Taeyong! He was safe! I should've been more careful! Why?! Why didn't I pay more attention?!”
Chan embraced her as she started to sob. She reminded you of the women in the villages during the war. Women who grieved for their fallen children, who begged you to find their lost sons and daughters. Their pain radiated onto yours, stinging your eyes and bringing a bout of helplessness. This warlock, whoever they were, needed to be stopped.
You nodded at Chan, then proceeded into the vineyard. Cautiously, you walked outside of the trodden path where you saw dozens of footprints having worn down the grass into the dirt. Wheel marks told you they'd just finished collecting ripe grapes for the day, and it's unlikely you will find any child size footprints here. Taking a whiff of the air, you only smelled freshly toiled earth and ripening grapes, not flesh. If you concentrated, you caught wisps of human sweat but nothing of a child. Time would’ve drowned out any proper scent. You envisioned a small boy, eight-years-old and greedily munching on grapes he'd picked off the vines. He'd have walked away from Taeyong. What could make him walk away from the safety of an adult? Standing in the middle of the row, you scanned over the vines to only see more grapes. He had plenty to pick from here, so why did he walk away?
“Taeyong,” you sensed Chan walking up behind him, “Did you ever interview him?”
“We did.”
“What's his story?”
“Exactly what Mrs. Seo just told you,” he said, “He was picking, turned around, and the boy was gone.”
That sounded too convenient. “Any idea why the boy would walk away?”
“More grapes? Berries, maybe?”
You started walking alongside the path again. Turning to face one of the hedges, you noticed breakages in the foliage.
“He went through here,” you said, seeing a break between two stalks. You then spotted small footprints still in the dirt. “Yes, yes, he went through here. Otherwise Taeyong would've seen him walking away.”
You pushed through the vines to the other side without another word. Dobin didn't stop here. He kept going. You inhaled deeply, trying to mesh through the various earthy scents for something human. Scanning the floor in the second to last row, you saw them. Embedded in the hard packed dirt were small paw prints. Four toes with a palm, they went one in front of the other through the dirt. You crouched to touch one, and realized they were cat prints.
“Do The Seos have any pets?” You asked Chan, who just broke through a brush behind you.
“A dog, some chickens and two horses.”
“No cats?”
“No cats.”
Slowly, you followed the cat prints until they went out past the fence. “He followed a cat,” you concluded, “Into the forest.”
“How did we miss these?” Chan wondered, following the prints with his eyes.
“Because they were hidden,” you answered simply. You took a few sniffs, then said, “A cat. Yeah, definitely a cat.”
“So, our kidnapper can turn into a cat,” Chan said, standing beside you at the threshold of the forest. “Clever. Most children like animals, especially children who live around them. Dobin likely saw the cat and followed it.”
The image of Dobin, innocent and cheerful, following a cat before being snatched gave you shivers. Stepping further, you let your sense of smell guide you, but sadly it wasn't as strong.
“Deputy Han,” you looked at Chan, “He's an animal hybrid.”
“Yeah, obviously.”
“How good is his sense of smell?”
“Pretty damn good.”
“Have him come here. He can help me track down this cat.”
“I'll have Eunji call the station.”
You saw a rush of adrenaline pump through him. He finally had a lead. According to his notes, Dobin, a werewolf, went missing three weeks ago; Sanghee, a garden fairy, disappeared two weeks ago, and Hyeyong, a werecat, was a week ago. Two girls. One boy. All from farm families outside of town. All of them are magical. The connections seemed too close to be a coincidence. Thinking of the timeline again, you realized they'd taken a child each week. They'd need a fourth, if they follow their pattern. Problem? You had no idea which farm they'd strike next.
****
“Alright, children, remember what Sheriff Bahng said. You're all to go home straight after school, and don't talk to strangers.”
A rustle of books and papers sounded at dismissal. Slyvia followed the other children outside of the schoolhouse, her lunch box swinging from her clawed hand and books to her other side. She saw classmates rushing ahead of her to the general goods store for sweets, while others waited for their parents to retrieve them. Her own mother had taken to coming for her since the disappearances began, but not today. She had too much work. Slyvia immediately thought of all the chores waiting for her back at the ranch. Her mother will need help with the washing, and then she has to muck out the stables. She hated cleaning the stables, but with her brother and father away in the big city, there is nobody else to do it. Walking past The White Pearl, her sensitive nose already smelled the manure.
“Hey Slyvia! Wait up!”
The reptilian child turned around to see a boy running to catch up to her. Barney Pebbles was a lumpy elf halfling boy who lived on the farm next to her family's ranch. Sandy blond hair fell behind his pointy ears, and she saw the run bring pink into his cheeks. Slyvia smiled a toothy grin at him regardless.
“Want to…Want to walk home together?” He huffed, catching his breath as he came up beside her. “My Ma says it's safer if there's two…two of us.”
“Sure!” Slyvia beamed. “Sheriff Bahng says we need to look out for one another.”
The pair continued walking together. “Did you hear about the demon?” he asked, pushing blond hair from his forehead.
“Demon? What demon?” She wouldn't deny the pang of fear that struck her. “Where?”
“My Pa was leaving the bank when he saw a demon on a big horse riding past him,” he explained as they reached the end of town, “He says she had these stumps on her head, and her horse had flaming eyes!”
“But don't they have wings? My Uncle Sithlin says some have wings.”
“I didn't think to ask,” he grew quiet, then said, “Do you think they're behind the other kids?”
“But that started happening before they came.”
Slyvia thought about her missing classmates. Dobin, a boy slimmer than a tree branch, once offered to split blueberries they found near the school. Sanghee, a garden fairy, always radiated kindness and befriended her on her first day. Hyeyoung, a werecat kitten, helped her find her bonnet when it flew off her head. Their disappearances worried everyone. Slyvia hoped her friends were okay, and that Sheriff Bahng would find them in time. Her father told her Sheriff Bahng was really smart and made of tough stuff.
The other kids said he could talk to sea creatures.
Slyvia and Barney walked down the dirt road leading out of town. They passed by merchants going in and out of town, and greeted neighbors they saw along the way. They continued talking about the newcomer, and she couldn't stop the bundle of nerves in her stomach. She remembered the stories her Pa and uncles told her about demons. They're supposed to be evil made into flesh. Thinking about a winged monster gave her jitters.
“-Mr. Edwards says that the demons he saw were super tall! As tall as trees, and they could breathe fire.”
Slyvia listened to his story while she looked up the forest lined path ahead. She saw the crossroads where it split between the town, another village and the capital city. The tall directory signs were her first milestone back home.
“Maybe they're helping whoever is taking the other kids,” she suspected. “My Nana says they use babies in their rituals, and feast on newborns.”
“You think?”
‘Meow!’
The two children stopped in their tracks at the sound. When it sounded again, they realized it came from the forest bushes nearby. Slyvia's nerves stood on end. Barney stepped closer to the threshold, bending to peek into the bushes.
“Barney…”
“It's a cat,” he said, “I think it's hurt.”
“Barney, don't go in there.”
She could smell it the closer she came. Barney, ever the animal lover, ignored her warning and walked further into the forest.
“Slyvia, come quick,” he said worriedly. “It's hurt.”
Slyvia came up behind him, and sniffed the air. Most cats smelled according to their environment. Barn cats smelled like horses and pigs; house cats smelled like coffee and linens. A wild cat carried the scent of leaves and trees. This cat didn't have any of those. She walked behind Barney, her heart starting to race.
“Barney Pebbles, you come back here,” she said, panic building in her voice. “We're not supposed to wander off.”
“It might be really hurt, Slyvia,” he replied over his shoulder.
Feet crunching the forest floor, Slyvia tried peeking into the shrubs from behind him, but couldn't see anything.
“Come here, kitty,” Barney crouched in front of it, “It's okay. I won't hurt you. Hey! Wait!”
The sound of rustled leaves told her the cat scurried from the bushes. Barney went after it, and Slyvia followed. A downward wind brought a scent to her flat nostrils. Not a cat. Not a dog. Not a bird, rabbit or wolf. She gasped. It was human. She saw a flash of black and white dart behind one of the trees, Barney only a few paces behind.
“Barney Pebbles! Come back here now!”
“Calm down, Slyvia. It's only a-AH!”
“Gotcha!”
“Barney!”
Slyvia cried out his name as an arm grabbed him from behind a tree. She froze in place, her breath becoming haggard and drying her throat. She could hear Barney struggling, and a man’s voice drowning him out. The sound of snapping twigs came from her right, and she spotted them. Three men wearing red armbands stepped out from behind the trees, malice on their faces. Slyvia ran. Her heart pounded in her chest with each foot step. Panic put them right on her heels, and she beat the ground harder.
“Get her!” She heard the silvery voice say from the distance. “Don't let her get away!”
The young chameleon ran through dense shrubbery, the tiny branches snagging on her dress and scratching her colorful scales. She'd do what her Papa taught her. With a quick glance back, Slyvia dove into a nearby bush and closed her eyes. She envisioned herself turning from her usual pale green and yellow to a dark brown. She brought her knees to her chest and tucked her head and tail inwards. The footsteps charging after her came right beside her bush, and she stuffed her face into her dress to muffle her breathing.
“Where'd she go?” One of the men asked. “She can't have gone far!”
“If Maurice hears we lost her he'll burn us alive!”
“Ah shoot, Suho, does it really matter? That was a girl, and Maurice only needed a boy.”
“She can go blabbing to the sheriff and his deputies,” the other man retorted. “We're so close, Baekhyun. I can taste it now. If we help that old man with his ritual, he'll give us whatever we want. That means gold and women!”
“I…I don't know, Suho,” a higher voice said uncertainly. “They're kids. I thought we didn't harm youngins.”
“We're not harming them. Maurice says they'll be fine. It'll only hurt for a little bit.”
“You believe that?”
“Of course, I do. Now, you go that way; Chanyeol, you go that way and I'll check down here. She can't have gone too far.”
Slyvia heard the men split up. The last image of Barney being lifted off the ground came to her, and she shivered. The men, whoever they were, also kidnapped the other children. She needed to tell someone quickly. When the coast was clear, Slyvia gingerly climbed up the tree behind her. Her fingers sticking to the branches, the child moved from one tree to another with ease. The Seo family lived not too far from this spot; she can go to them to call the law. She needed to find Sheriff Bahng. He needed to know that Barney is in trouble.
****
Han and Minho appeared some time later, the pair having appeared through a portal.
“I thought it'd be faster than horses,” Minho explained, closing it with a wave of his hand. “What have you found?”
“There's paw prints,” you told Han as you both walked to the blocked off spot in the dirt, “But no animal scent.”
“You think it might be a hybrid?”
“It doesn't smell like an animal or hybrid,” you said. “It's…I don't know. Chan said you have the best nose, so I thought you could track what I can't.” You stopped right by the forest entrance, “They go about three or four yards into the woods, then it goes cold.”
Han nodded, “It shouldn't be that hard. If we can't track the cat,” he pulled out a small handkerchief from his pocket, “We can track Dobin.”
“What's that?” You eyed the blue and white cloth in his hand, seeing grape vines stitched into the border.
“Dobin's head scarf,” he answered. “He wears it when he goes into the field. His mother thought it might help.”
You watched him take a deep inhale of the scarf, closing his eyes in concentration. Soft black nose wiggling, tail twitching at the new scent, Han immediately glanced up to the tree ahead. He started walking without saying anything to anyone, sniffing occasionally as he went.
“You think it's a human shifted into a cat then, huh?” Minho asked, coming up beside you.
“I can't pick up anything to the contrary,” you told him. “My sense of smell isn't very strong here. He might find out what I can't.”
Minho grew quiet while Han stuck himself into a bush. “I was looking through my library at the station. I keep it there for research purposes and all that, you know? I thought while you and Chan checked out the different locations, Han and I could try finding any magic rituals that require sacrifices.”
“Psh, that's a lot. What did you find?”
“That the shadow casters of yesteryear really enjoyed sacrificing things to ancient gods,” he snorted. “But I did come across a few rituals of interest. One in particular intrigued me.”
“What was it?”
“The Secrets of the Mystics by Arnold B. Miller described this group of ancient mystics who called upon gods to sustain their power,” he began. “They regularly sacrificed people to a god named Yuth’ik. I couldn’t find anything that gave any background on Yuth’ik other than that he was defeated by a warlock named Vivian Moon and several others centuries ago. They banished him into another realm, where he’s likely laid dormant for thousands of years. If the Hook clan are really working for someone, it’s someone who wants to release Yuth’ik.”
“For what purpose? More power?”
“Most likely.” He gave a slight scoff and shook his head, “If they’d gone to an actual magical being, we’d tell them what a stupid idea that is. I will say this: I pity whoever this person is.”
“Why?”
“The ancient gods weren’t known for their kindness,” he said. “A lot of the stories in the book mentioned the summoner having to give something in return.”
“Four souls isn’t enough?”
“That’s just to open the cage. If Yuth’ik really is a god, they'll expect gifts. The person behind this doesn’t understand that once you summon a god or a demon or any powerful being, you’re their servant for life,” he looked over at you, dark eyes serious and stern, “For life.”
You couldn’t stop yourself from laughing. Shaking your head, you said, “Will they ever learn?”
A part of you expected Minho to take your words offensively; he does live amongst humans, and is close to them. Yet, you heard him snort and say, “Never.”
The three of you traveled further into the forest. Han sniffed every bush, tree and flower patch that carried a wisp of Dobin’s scent. You admitted his sense of smell must be incredible if he can follow a trace three weeks old. His bushy trail flicked and wiggled whenever he caught a particularly strong scent. Both you and Minho kept your eyes on the trees around you, searching for the slightest change or movement.
Underneath the canopy of leaves and sunlight, you took in the vibrancy of the world around you. Nothing grew in The Mar. No trees, flowers or grass thrived there; the only animals around were the vicious beasts lurking around the mountain ranges and rocky canyons. A cool breeze wafted through the trees, brushing your cheeks and hair, and you inhaled deeply. Why would anyone wish to destroy such a glorious place? Nor’goth’s armies tore down trees, burned wheat fields, and polluted rivers to keep the mortals from feeding themselves. He believed cutting off their supplies left them powerless, but the people you’d met proved the opposite.
“Did you guys hear that?” Han sprung up from the newest bush, whipping his head side to side in a panic.
“Hear what?” Minho asked, irritably. “Jisung, we’ve been walking for ages. Have you found anything yet-”
“-Shush!” he interrupted him, putting a hand up for silence.
The two of you watched the hybrid carefully walk sideways, his head pointed up into the trees. A feeling of apprehension came over you when he stopped underneath one of the thicker trees. The smooth motion of an arrow being notched caught your attention, and you turned to see Minho’s bow armed and ready to loosen. Han braced his hands up against the rough bark, and sniffed. The immediate image of an enemy dropping onto him had you withdrawing your sword from your back.
“Jisung…” Minho whispered harshly, but Han ignored him.
“Slyvia?” Han said, confused. “Honey, what are you doing up there?”
Both you and Minho shook when a figure jumped down from the tree onto their feet. Minho unleashed his arrow, but thankfully it stuck into the tree inches above the child’s head. Skin the color of the trees, the chameleon-hybrid’s scales gradually changed to light green and yellow in seconds. Bulbous, beady eyes were on either side of her nose, full of fear and worry.
“Deputy Han!” she cried, immediately wrapping herself around his middle, “Deputy Han, you have to help me!”
Han bent down to her level right as you and Minho reached her. Her heavy breaths making her chest rise and fall, you saw tears spilling from her black eyes and shoulders shuddering in every sob.
“It’s Barney!” she sobbed, voice cracking at the end. “They took him! The bad people took him! You have to help him! Sheriff Bahng has to get him!”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Han said, hands rubbing her shaking shoulders, “Just take a deep breath, honey. You mean Barney Pebbles? Fred’s little boy?”
“Yes! We were walking home together, and he-and he saw this cat in the bushes and I told him, sir, I told him to not wander off but he did! Then, we chased it-it- in-into th-the woods and this bad man picked him up and these other men started chasing me! We have to save him! We have to!” she fell back into Han’s arms, sobbing into his shoulder as his eyes met Minho’s.
“Where did this happen, Slyvia?” Minho asked next, bending down to look into her face. “How far?”
“That way,” she pointed behind him. “I don-don’t know where!”
“Alright, alright, you go with Deputy Han and talk to the sheriff,” he said to her gently. “My friend and I will go look for Barney.”
Slyvia took one glance at you, then buried her face in Han’s neck. You expected that reaction. Crouching beside Minho, you said, “We’re going to find your friend, and bring him back, okay?” She flinched when you met her eyes again.
“You’re a demon…” she said, voice muffled by Han’s shirt collar.
“I am,” you nodded, standing with Han and Minho, “And you want to know what that means?”
“You’ll eat my friends!”
“No,” you giggled, “It means bad guys are scared of me. The bad people who took your friend will hand him right back to me if they know what’s good for them.”
This seemed to calm her slightly, though not enough for her to look at you. “I’ll take her to Chan,” Han said. “We can get in contact with her folks, and Barney’s parents.”
“I’ll give him a heads up.”
Minho reached into a pouch on his belt and withdrew dark blue dust. Putting a pinch between his fingers, he blew it out into the air. Rather than disappear or fall to the ground, the glowing swirl of dust stayed in the air.
“Chan, we found Slyvia Eleon. She says Barney Pebbles was just grabbed. Han’s bringing her to you; YN and I are going to scout the area.” With another puff of air, the dust cloud quickly darted away from you and down back to the farm. “We should go to where he was taken,” he said to you, “We could check it out while their footprints and scent are fresh.”
“Good idea.”
“Slyvia,” he addressed the little girl again, “Sweetie, do you remember any details about where he’d been taken? A tree or flower or a specific place?”
Slyvia turned her head, sniffling, and thought for a moment. “It was near the direction sign. I remember because I live past it.”
“On which side?”
“The…left. The left side of the road.”
“Alright, thank you, Slyvia,” he petted her head, “Don’t worry. My friend and I are going to find Barney.”
“They’re going to kill him,” she broke back into a sob. “They’re going to kill him and eat him!”
“Nobody is killing and eating anyone,” Han assured her, rubbing her back as he began walking away. “Mrs. Seo just came back from the bakery too. She can give you a snack and you can tell Sheriff Bahng…”
Watching Han take the girl away, you looked to Minho, “Do you know the sign she’s talking about?”
“I do. It’s far though. Take my hand.”
You didn’t question it. Taking his hand, you watched the dark fae aim his outstretched palm to the ground. Glowing and sparkling a bright purple, you recognized the spiraling and crisp winds of a teleportation circle. In a flash of light, you and Minho left your spot in the forest. You could feel yourself being thrown into a tornado, spinning and spinning through gushes of wind, before landing on soft grass.
“Here we are,” Minho said, removing the circle with a closed fist.
You found yourself on the dirt road a mile from town. On the crossroad corner stood a tall post with different directions on it. ‘Levanter Bay 1 mile’ ‘Gold Rush 5 miles’ ‘Sunwind 10 miles’ went in various directions.
“Slyvia said they saw the men down towards town,” Minho started walking in that direction. “Their footprints will still be in the dirt; we can follow those.”
“This Barney kid,” you caught up with his quick strides, “What do you know about him?”
“A bit simple-minded, but a really nice kid,” he answered. “His family owns a pig farm. He loves animals, so it’s no surprise he followed a cat into the woods despite all sense.”
“They took him from off the road instead of a farm,” you noted. “They’re getting desperate. This ritual of theirs must be happening soon.”
“Yuth’ik’s ritual can happen at any time. They just need the four souls and the right words,” he said. “They need all four in order to open the portal to let him through.”
“That explains the rush. It’s risky to be snatching kids from the side of a somewhat busy road,” you nodded at a passing wagon, “Someone might’ve seen the two of them going off the path.”
“Perhaps, but if they went deep enough, nobody would’ve heard them.”
You both stopped when you reached two sets of clear footprints going off into the grass. Minho and you walked along them, and that’s where you picked up a scent. Barney Pebbles must sweat pretty heavily if you could pick it up so quickly. It started by one of the trees at the edge, then carried off through a large bush. When you looked inside, you saw tiny prints in the dirt and a breakage in the leaves.
“The cat hid in here,” you told Minho, “And he followed it.”
“There are more prints over here,” Minho called from nearby. You saw him standing between two large trees, looking at spots behind them. “The shapeshifter had accomplices. Two or three by the looks of the sets.”
“What were they planning to do? Ambush the kid?”
“To make sure he didn’t escape,” he examined one of the trunks with his hand.
Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a small piece of blue chalk. Well, at least you thought it was chalk. Minho started rubbing the blue stick onto the thick brown bark as one might a piece of paper. You came up to him, and saw the blue chalk having outlined handprints along the edge of the trunk. You counted two large hands on one side, then two more on the other.
“Two over here,” Minho went and did the same to the other tree, “And one more over here. Three culprits.”
“What is this?” you asked him, wiping some of the chalk with your finger.
“It’s a little invention of mine,” he said, putting the chalk away. “I enchanted a few pieces of chalk so I can lift prints. It’s damn helpful when investigating scenes. I got a fingerprint off one of them,” he said, putting a thin piece of film into the pouch, “I can cross check it back at the station. If it’s one of the Hook Clan, we’ll know who.”
“Intriguing,” you nodded, “I never heard of an enchantment that can do that.”
“I like to experiment with magic,” he shrugged. You both walked back to the scene of the kidnapping, “Magic is so versatile and fluid. It can be used for anything, if one puts their mind to it.”
“That bit of powder you used to contact Chan,” you said, “You invented that too?”
“I wish,” he said, “It’s one of the ways fairies communicate away from home. Fairy dust,” he petted the leather pouch. “Can transport messages or people from one place to another.”
“Just think happy thoughts?” you joked, remembering the stories.
Minho laughed, “No, no happy thoughts required. Just a deep breath before you teleport.” He stopped at the spot where you smelled Barney and his kidnapper the strongest. “What can you smell?”
“Male,” you sniffed the air, and let the aroma linger in your nose, “At least 30-years-old. He’d been standing right here,” you pressed yourself against the tree. You put your nose to the trunk, catching a bit of his sweat on the skin. Something then threw you off, “Coal.”
“What?”
“Coal,” you sniffed the spot again, “Or something like it. He had some sort of dust on him.”
“The clan sometimes hang out in abandoned mines or lumber yards,” Minho said, putting his fingerprint dust on the bark next to you. “That might be where it comes from.”
“We should tell Chan and Han,” you advised, “Then we can see what they learned from the little girl.”
“Alright.”
He took your hand a second time, and opened up a transport circle once more. In another howling winds, you left the wilderness for the hustle and bustle of Levanter Bay. Stumbling forward a moment, you caught yourself in a deep breath. Hardly anyone appeared bothered by the demon and fairy who’d just popped up in the middle of the town square.
“Minho,” Changbin came down the steps of the inn, wiping his hands with his apron, “Is it true? Was Barney taken?”
“News travels fast, huh?” he quipped.
“His dad is in here,” he nodded to the inn behind him, “Hollering about someone taking his boy and that he was gonna hunt the bastard himself.”
“Oh god, no,” Minho groaned. “Don’t tell me he went into the woods?”
“No, no, I talked him down, but he’s more pissed off than Honey when she can’t catch any fish,” he said. “You didn’t find him, did you?”
“We didn’t, but we have leads,” he answered. “Just…make sure they don’t do anything stupid.”
“People know the clan is involved,” Changbin said seriously. “Fred was talking about going to the Brandstone Mine south of here.”
“The mine?” Minho looked over at you, then back at Changbin, “Why there?”
“Rumor has it that Red Hook and his boys are up there,” he answered, looking between the both of you. “It’s only a matter of time before someone takes it upon themselves to take them out.”
“That’s a dumb idea,” you snapped. “It can cause them, or whoever they’re working for, to do something rash.”
Like kill their captives and dispose of their corpses. Minho was about to give Changbin instructions when a voice called out from behind him, “Lee! Hey, Lee!”
A big burly man with a thick blond beard and short blond hair came storming down the steps towards him. From his red face, you could tell he’d been ranting for a good while now. Minho sighed irritably, “You go to Chan. I’ll handle Fred.”
You nodded, and watched Minho reach Fred first. Fred, standing several inches above Minho, started shouting right away. You thought Minho might flinch at the sudden rush of anger, but the deputy remained cool. Deciding Minho and Changbin could handle the distressed parent, you walked ahead back to the station. Inside, you found a group of people sitting in the middle of the room. Slyvia sat on the lap of a woman who could only be her mother, and another chameleon hybrid who must be her father. A slender woman with blond hair was beside them, anxiously listening to everything they were saying. Barney’s mother, no doubt. Chan and Han sat in front of the girl, talking to her softly and gently.
“-Did you see what they looked like?” Chan asked her. “Anything particularly different or noticeable about them?”
“No,” she shook her head. “I was hiding.”
“Could you hear what they were talking about?”
“They said that they’d get burned alive for not getting me,” she said. “But the other man said they didn’t need me.”
Slowly, you approached and put the pieces of her story together. “Did they say any names?”
“Suho, Baekhyun and Maurice.”
“Kim Junmyeon,” Chan grunted, “How’d I know he’d be involved?”
“And Baekhyun too,” added Han.
“Who are they?” Slyvia’s mother asked.
“Part of the Red Hook clan,” Chan told her. “We think they’ve been taking the kids. But, Maurice…I don’t know any Maurice around here. Jisung?”
Han thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Nope, nobody comes to mind. Does that name mean anything to you?” he asked the parents, and they shook their heads.
The moment Slyvia’s parents spotted you, they gasped. Her mother clutched her tightly, while the male stood in front of them. You didn’t make any move towards them, instead deciding to keep your distance.
“That must be who they’re working for,” you finally spoke up. “Minho and I found four sets of prints on the trees near where he was taken.”
“That’s a demon!” the man said, “Sheriff, you got a demon in here!”
“She’s a friend, Salazar,” Chan insisted, standing up to put himself between you and the father. “A friend.”
“That’s a damn demon! There ain’t no demon that's friendly! I’ve seen what those things can do! I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the one taking all the children!”
“I’m only here to help, sir,” you said from your spot.
‘Their kind will never accept us! They know nothing of respect or obedience! They must be subdued!’
You shut out Nor’goth’s voice from your head. “Minho and I found some information that backs your daughter’s story,” you said.
“She’s his niece,” Barney’s mother said, stepping in front of him to address you. When she tucked hair behind her ear, you saw a point at the curve. A Sunwind Elf. “You’re here to…to help us?” you heard the disbelief in her voice. She looked at your horn stumps, then back to your face. “With Barney?”
“Yes, ma’am. I take it you’re his mother?”
“I am,” she nodded. You noticed her puffy eyes, and trembling lips. “Slyvia says he was taken by a shapeshifter.”
“We believe so,” Chan answered.
“Your husband is a human, isn’t he? I saw him outside,” you asked her, coming closer.
“He is,” she nodded. “I’m from Sunwind. What does that have to do with anything?”
“So, your son is a halfling,” you looked to Chan, “Dobin is a wolf pup. Sanghee is a garden fairy, and Hyeyoung is a werecat. They’re all children with magic inside of them.” You turned to Minho’s desk where you found a book left open. When you turned a page, you saw a chapter titled: ‘Yuth’ik: God of the Trees’. Rather than tell Chan that these magical children are likely being used for their magic, you said, “There has to be a connection, right?”
Chan glanced at the open book, then at you, “Yes, there might be.”
“It was those damn bandits in the woods,” Mrs. Pebbles snapped. “They did this. They must have. Who else is vile enough to kidnap innocent children? On a count of them being magical, no less!”
“Them, and someone they’re working for,” Chan told her, putting up a hand to calm her. “Wilma, go find Fred. Lord knows he’s bound to do something crazy.”
“Too late, Sheriff,” Han said with a deadpan voice as he looked out the window.
“What?”
Everyone converged by the window where a group of people on horses started kicking up dirt. Their calls and cries mixed together, and you knew what happened by their angry faces.
They started a damn mob.
“Damnit!” Chan cursed, grabbing a rifle from beside the door and rushing outside. With all of you behind him, he called out to the crowd, “Hey, hey, hey! What the hell's going on here?! Minho!”
Minho and Changbin tried closing off the horsemen, but there were too many. Fred Pebbles, sat upon a white palomino, glared down at Chan.
“They got my boy, Sheriff!” he said, voice hoarse and deep. “Those bastards have my boy!”
“We know, but there’s a way to go about this!” Chan shouted over the ruckus, “Hey now! Hey!”
“Pebbles, damnit man!” Mayor Wallace appeared from the mercantile with a few other customers, “What are you doing?!”
“I'm gonna make this all right!”
“Like hell you are!” the mayor blustered. “We are civilized people! Not animals!”
“So what are we supposed to do?! Let those filthy sons of bitches take our children?!”
“Of course not, but Fred, riling people up and going out there like this can make stuff worse!” Mayor Wallace wiped his brow and said, “Let's all go into the town hall and discuss this-”
“-I'm tired of listening to y'all. You ain't don't nothing-”
Chan cocked his rifle and fired it into the air. The loud gunblast caught everyone’s attention, some of the people ducking and others whipping around angrily. The crowd focused on him, Chan walked up the steps of The White Pearl, and he glared down at them.
“What the hell’s gotten into all of you? I thought we were people, not animals!”
“They keep taking our children, Chan!” one woman shouted from her horse. “Somebody’s gotta do something!”
“I understand that, but if we went around hanging every single person we thought was guilty, we’d be no better than them,” he remarked. “I know you’re all worried. I know you’re all hurting, but we need to be smart about how we handle this. Red Hook might have his morals-”
“-Horse shit!-
“-But the person he’s working for doesn’t,” he continued. “Now, thanks to Slyvia and our bounty hunter, we’ve discovered some new information.”
“Such as?” Mayor Wallace asked.
“They’re operating in a coal mine,” Minho said, getting up onto the porch beside Chan. “Anybody know any abandoned mines around here?”
“There’s the Willfire mine up north,” the woman on the horse called out. “My husband used to work there before the war.”
“The old Brandstone mine too,” said Mayor Wallace. “But, that was gold, not coal.”
“The coal could be dirt,” suggested Changbin, the woodland dwarf. “If they’re living in there, they likely got the dirt on their clothes and hands.”
“It’s a long shot,” an elderly man said from atop his horse, “But they could also be at my family’s mine. It’s gotten run over by spiders, but if they could’ve exterminated them before moving in.”
You shuddered thinking about the large arachnids.
“Alright,” Chan nodded at their answers, “I say we split into groups and search these mines while they’re off guard. Deputy Han will lead a group to the Brandstone mine; Deputy Lee will lead one to the Willfire mine, and I’ll take a group up to Mr. Choi’s mine. If you find them, do not engage,” he said these words firmly, “We need to catch them off guard. Whoever is helping them will not hesitate to kill anyone who opposes them. We need to be vigilant and patient.”
“And I will stay with the rest of the town here,” Mayor Wallace said to Chan. “Changbin and I will organize something for the children and the families. You know, keep everybody calm during this whole thing.”
“Sounds good…”
“They’re going after magical children,” you whispered to Minho and Han. “They plan to use their magic to open the gates.”
“Makes sense,” Minho nodded.
“Those poor babies,” Han frowned worriedly.
“We need to find them quickly,” you told them. “Now that they have four children, they can start their ritual.”
“Seungmin! Seungmin, where are you?” Chan’s words interrupted you, as he looked through the crowd.
“Right here, Sheriff.”
Dressed in a pin-striped shirt with an apron around his waist, Seungmin fixed his glasses on his nose and looked up at Chan. Just by the golden eyes, black wolf’s nose, and furry pointed ears, you realized Seungmin was a werewolf.
“Where’s your pack at?” Chan addressed him.
“Likely back home at the den,” he answered. “We’ve been looking ever since little Dobin was taken. He’s one of us, you know. I’ll get word to my father about your search parties.”
“I’ll call on the wisps!”
A young fairy came floating up to the steps. Black hair in front of his face, the garden fairy’s bright green wings batted as he landed on the floor. You noticed he held onto the medical bag across his body. “They can fly faster than light and move between the different parties if they find something. The trees may have information too.”
“The trees?” the words left your mouth before you could stop them.
“They don’t say much,” he said, “But they will speak to me.”
“Jeongin,” Han said to you, “Garden fairy. He’s also our doctor, believe it or not.”
“And who the hell is she?!” another woman in the crowd asked.
“That’s a demon!” the elderly miner gasped, taking a few steps back. A couple others did the same, but you did not react to their shock. “Sheriff, Sheriff, did you know you got a demon next to you?”
“I do, and she’s been extremely helpful since she arrived this morning,” Chan said.
“I told you,” Mayor Wallace hissed at him. “I said they wouldn't take kindly to her.”
“How do you know she ain’t got anything to do with this?” asked Fred, taking a few steps back on his horse. “Their kind eat children!”
“We don’t eat human flesh,” you rolled your eyes, annoyed. “I don’t know what human started that rumor, but demons who still hold up to our code never harm the young.” You briefly recalled the children who’d get lost in the afterlife, and end up in the terrifying Mar. “I’m only here to help,” you said.
“For some gold, I expect!”
“And because whoever is doing this is harming children, and children are sacred to my kind,” you replied sharply. “Their souls are pure and precious.” Whenever a lost soul passed through your gates, a demon always took them back over to the heavenly cloud world of Divinity.
“Get your heads out of the sand,” Changbin said to the group, “She’s good people.”
“How would you know?” the old man asked.
“Because I've met dangerous people before, and she's dangerous in a different kind of way.”
“That's just her demon magic working on you!”
“Alright, if you don't believe me then let's get someone else's opinion.”
Changbin whistled through two fingers, and from behind the inn came an enormous grizzly bear. Far too big to be a normal bear, you suspected. Honey came right up to Changbin’s feet, sniffing for a scrap of food. It was when she smelled your scent that she moved over to you. Yes, it was silly of you to reach out to a bear, but you put the back of your hand to her wet nose. She gruffed once, nudging your hand with her nose, and then putting her head underneath it for a few scratches.
“Honey’s never been wrong about anyone before,” Changbin gave them a satisfied smile.
“Plus, she’s a war hero,” Minho said, “She killed Nor’goth.”
The name sent a ripple of uneasiness through the crowd. Even you, who defeated him, couldn't help shifting at the words. Skin hard as rocks and dark purple Nor'goth towered several feet above anyone else. Burning orange eyes stared at you with hate as you challenged him. If it weren't for your allies, you may have died trying to defend your people and the mortal world.
‘I will not suffer your insolence anymore, Multak! Prepare to meet your doom!”
“Is that true?” One man said with wide eyes.
“It is,” he answered for you. “I don't know about you all,” he said, going down the steps, “But I think it's pretty handy having a demon around.”
An agreement mumbled amongst the townspeople, but you didn't care. “Chan, we're running out of time,” you hissed at him. “The longer we wait, the closer they get to completing their ritual.”
“To do what?”
“What else? Summon a being they have no business summoning,” you said. “It is going to blow up in their faces, and a lot of people can get hurt if we don't get a move on.”
“Alright,” he nodded.
All the groups split evenly, everyone mounted their horses and began riding out of town. You looked around for Summer, realizing you'd left her at the Seo farm. No matter. You whistled a three note tune, and a burst of fire came from across the square. Summer dashed through the portal, charging past other people and horses to get right in front of you. She kicked the ground, head swishing as the commotion riled her up. Taking her reins, you held her still before mounting her.
“YN!” Chan rode up to you on a white horse, “You’re with me. We’re checking the Choi mine.”
You gulped thickly, “Isn’t that the, um, spider one?”
“It is…” he then smirked and your cheeks burned, “Is our strong fire demon afraid of itty bitty spiders?”
“They are not ‘itty bitty’ and they’re gross!”
His laugh made you grumble, and you charged ahead of him. Summer snorted, making you kick her sides lightly. “Hey, I didn’t pick on you about the snakes.”
Running behind the group headed to the last old mine, you already pictured the eight-legged creatures likely waiting at the end. The old man mentioned that they’ve likely been driven out by the gang, so you clung onto that. Your skin crawled at the idea of having to fight ginormous spiders when a flash of white caught your attention. Chan’s horse, snowy white, came up to you once again. You got a good look at the animal, seeing the shimmer in its white coat and strands of silver streaked through its mane. Rather than fully black, the beast’s eyes glimmered a dark green color.
How did Chan get his hands on a sea steed?
“Where’d you get it?” you asked over the clopping feet.
“What?”
“Your horse! It’s a sea steed! How’d you get it?”
He gave you a proud smile, “My Ma gave it to me!”
“Your Ma?!”
“She's a mermaid! You should meet her sometime!” He added.
“Your mother is a mermaid?!”
“Yeah, from the Southern Sea,” he said. “My Pa worked as a fisherman, and that's how they met.”
“You're a halfling then?”
“That's usually what people call me.” He then turned to you with a grin, “Not all of us halflings are so obvious.”
“What can you do then? Besides gathering search parties and solving crimes,” you smirked at him. For once, you're not the one under scrutiny.
“Nothing extraordinary really,” he shrugged. “I used to sing whenever I worked on my dad's boat, since the fish would always come to me. But then I felt bad about luring them to their deaths so I stopped. I can breathe underwater…I could live in Hydrus if I wanted.”
“Hydrus?”
“It's the merfolk capital of the world,” he said. “My Ma sits on the city council. She's a healer there and has her own apothecary. She told me I could always come live with her, but I prefer being on land.”
“How come?”
“My Pa mostly,” he answered honestly. “He needs me more than her. She has her family down there; he's only got me and our dog. My sister lives with her, but she and my cousin come to visit sometimes.”
“Your sister?”
“Hannah. She's got more mermaid than human, so she struggles living on land. Do you…Do demons have families?”
You gave it a thought. “In a way?” You decided, “We have our clan, which is a family. The Keepers are our parents, and everyone your age is a brother or sister; anyone older is an aunt or uncle.”
“Are you allowed to visit home or are you banished or something like that?”
You shook your head, “I can go if I wish. My horns…” you hesitated, “They're what I traded to live here, but I'm not exiled like some of my kin.”
“So, in a way, you fought against your family.”
“I did. I wasn't happy about it, but I did what I had to do.”
You pictured the demons you fought against during your ride. Brothers and sisters, standing on the other side of the field, severed their ties with the Shadowlands and became Nor’goth’s servants. It hurt you to fight them; you'd grown alongside most of them, and saw them as family. But, Sakmarth said those who break their vows are no longer part of the demon realm. You found that easy to understand but hard to carry out.
The Choi mines happened to be several miles outside of town. Dusk began to set by the time you reached the outskirts of the mine. The trees around gave almost no sunlight. Whatever light did come through broke through the dark leaves in the canopies. The same canopy where you saw the thin, silver strands of webs. Cobwebs hung from the dark branches and stuck to the tree roots at the bottom. Apprehension settled into your stomach seeing them so high. Already, you felt their pincers snapping close to you and their furry legs skittering when they rushed around. However, seeing Chan and the other townspeople getting off their horses, you knew showing fear would disappoint them. You are Multak, fire demon and vanquisher of Nor'goth. You can't be afraid of anything.
“Mr. Choi,” Chan looked at the wizened old man coming over to him, “What direction do we take from here?”
“Down this dirt path to the end,” he pointed at the path leading further inside. “My family sold the land when those damned tentaculars started nesting there. If the gang's anywhere, it is right here.”
Chan nodded and let him take the lead. He and several others kept their pistols and rifles ready as you carefully moved through the dead forest. One false step or loud twig might send a signal to any beasts in the area. You kept your hands firmly wrapped around the sword handle, doing your best to not tremble. You peered between thick patches of webbing; tricks of light and shadows created long legs and thick bodies creeping behind the silvery webs. There’d be no way for the gang to survive in arachnid infested woods; they’d be cocooned and devoured in minutes. Their warlock must have cleared them out; you might run into nothing along the way. At least, that’s how you comforted yourself.
“I thought demons weren't scared of anything,” Chan teased.
“I'm not scared.”
“Then why are you shaking?”
“Am not.”
“Don't worry, YN. If a spider comes, I'll kill it for you.”
You rolled your eyes, but the image left you feeling nauseous. Going deeper into the dense forest, you began hearing small cracks of twigs or rustling of leaves on the ground. The clicking and clacking of the tentacular species pinched your ears; you thought you might throw up right there. There used to be dozens back home, and you always avoided their nests. This forest is their ideal environment.
“Wait,” Mr. Choi whispered, putting up a hand, “I see lights. Yeah, they're right there.”
A glowing orange light broke the darkness of the forest on your left. Everyone turned to see it hiding behind dense bushes and trees. Anxiousness stiffened your bones when you saw thicker webs in the trees above you. They must have scared them off not long ago if the webbing appeared so fresh.
“Fred,” Chan called the burly man, “You take Ryu, Harold and Donny and flank them on the right. Mr. Choi, Samantha, and Jenny will take them from the left.”
“And you, Sheriff?” the woman, Samantha, asked.
“YN and I will draw their attention.”
You hardly heard Chan’s orders. You didn’t keep your eyes off the trees for a moment. Phantom hissing and clicking sent shivers up your spine, leaving you in a cold sweat that wet your palms. Back home, clearing out spider nests or infestations was left to the newest soldiers. Shadowland spiders looked nothing like mortal ones. Their venom burned through flesh and bone, and their pinchers stabbed like sharp knives. You hated them. You pushed them from your memory as Chan encouraged you forward. Steeling yourself, you tried keeping your fears deep in your gut instead of on your face. You’re supposed to be a big, scary demon. You are a demon of the fire clan, a warrior forged from rock and flame; not a baby afraid of a few pests.
Very large pests
Carefully, you both walked towards the firelight. Chan kept his rifle pointed ahead and you kept your sword at the ready. The sounds of chatter and laughter caught your ears first. When you and Chan reached a small bundle of bushes, you crouched down to peek through the foliage.
Around a campfire sat four men. One of them, broad and wide, turned sausages in a skillet over the fire while another, slender and narrow, poured more ale from a barrel nearby. One lounged back against large sacks, his hat over his face and a fourth sat on the floor arranging coins into small piles.
“I got twenty gold here, Suho,” the one with the gold said. “That’s five pieces each. I thought you said Maurice would make us rich! This ain’t rich!”
“The real money’s coming soon,” Suho, turning sausages, said. “After he’s done with those kids, he’ll hand over the rest.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Idiots…” you whispered to yourself. The realization came to you right away, and you shook your head. “They’re the gifts.”
“Gifts?”
“In order to appease Yuth’ik, the summoner has to offer gifts to the god. This warlock did not really need lackeys to kidnap children; they could have done it themselves. They hired these bandits to then hand them over to Yuth’ik.”
“A double-cross…Suho wouldn’t like that.” He thought for a moment, then said, “Follow my lead.”
Chan stepped out through the bushes first, casually walking into the light. You went right after him, eyes sticking to your surroundings. From the rocky face behind them, you guessed they must not be far from the mine entrance.
“Evening, y’all,” Chan said in a friendly tone, “How’re you doing tonight?”
The four men scrambled to their feet. They each reached for a nearby weapon to hold up, but you noticed the shock in their eyes. Only Suho appeared calm and easy.
“Evening, Sheriff,” he replied in a casual tone, “We were just enjoying a nice campfire, some ale and the night time breeze. Care for some?”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to pass. I’m here on sheriff’s business tonight.”
“Is that so?” Suho glanced at his members, who sneered back at him. “That’s a shame,” he cocked his pistol, “Because I’m in the mood for bandit’s business tonight.”
“Do you happen to know anyone named ‘Maurice’, Suho?” Chan took a step forward, unafraid of the gun pointed at him.
“Nah, don't ring a bell, I’m afraid,” Suho shook his head.
“Hm, that’s strange. A little reptile hybrid said you might, and a few friends of mine have been looking high and low for him.” You heard his friendly, polite tone turn serious. “I thought The Hook clan didn’t harm children.”
“We don’t,” he said.
“But the person you’re working for does, and that’s okay by you?”
“I don’t work for anybody but myself,” Suho said.
“Stop with the games, Junmyeon,” Chan cut across him. “I know you and your gang have been kidnapping children from the town. You might be a thieving, no-good outlaw, but I never thought you’d be the type to hurt kids.”
“We don’t have anything to do with that.”
“We have your fingerprints on the trees where Barney Pebbles was taken,” he said. “Who’s Maurice and what is he doing with the kids?”
“I don’t know a ‘Maurice’.”
“Junmyeon…these children could be in serious danger. They’re innocent, and I know you wouldn’t let some psychotic warlock kill them.”
“Again, Sheriff, sorry to disappoint you, but we don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Do you even know the man you're working for, Junmyeon?”
“I only work for myself, so yeah, I do know the man I work for.”
“Whoever he's summoning tonight is going to expect human sacrifices…and it's not the kids.”
“What'd you mean?” Asked the shortest one, wide eyed and worried.
“He needs the kids to open the portal, but he has to have gifts to offer the tree god thing. I'm guessing that's you and your boys. Now,” he took another step, “You can tell us where he is and we stop him or you become an ancient being's dinner.”
You heard a small twig snap from somewhere behind you, and every nerve in your body stood on edge. It could either be a friend or a foe. A big, furry, hungry foe. Up in the sky, you saw the russet colors slowly fading to black. You’re running out of time.
“I still don't know what you're talking about,” Suho declared, but not as strongly.
“-Junmyeon,” Chan came closer, “Don’t make this harder on yourself. Tell me where Maurice is, and you'll be free to move on.”
“Ha, I doubt that. You’ll have me cuffed before I even talk.”
“You're telling me you want to get eaten then?!”
You grunted and walked past Chan into the light. Eyes glaring at him, you let the fire light wash over you to give them a better view. All four men froze in place at the demon standing on the other side of their campfire. The cracking, burning wood crunched under your boots when you kicked their skillet aside and stood in the fire. The burning flames licked up your legs to your thighs, but you hardly felt them. You might as well have stepped into a warm bath.
“Listen, scumbag,” you growled, making sure he heard it, “Tell us what you know about the warlock and where he is before I pull you into this fire with me.”
Suho, clearly not one to back down easily, pointed his pistol right at you. “Stay away, demon,” he said stiffly, though you could smell the sweat coming through his pores. Fear. Your demonic roots savored the fragrance, “Or I’ll shoot!”
In a swift motion, you reached out and brought the heavy man right to the edge of the fire. High pitched screams followed his panic kicking as flames danced close to his ankles. Suho tried uncurling your fingers from his shirt collar, but to no avail. You bore your eyes into his as you spoke.
“Where is Maurice, human?”
Too afraid of being burned, Suho did not answer you right away. You quickly looked to the men around him, seeing how they’d backed up and away from you. “I asked you a question,” you grunted, lowering him closer to the fire, “Where is he? Where?!”
“Pl-please!”
“Innocent children will have their lives sucked out of their bodies, and you’re standing there refusing to help them?!” You dragged him into the fire at last, though kept him above the lowest of the flames. The sound of running feet told you his members left him behind to be tortured. “Do you know what we do to people who harm children in the Shadowlands? Hm?” You brought him in closer, “We burn them!”
You dropped him into the fire, and Suho screamed hysterically. Rolling away, he rustled around on the ground to put out the tiny flickers on his back. Panting and sweating, the gang leader stared up at you in horror. Most likely because the fires burning inside you had finally reached your eyes. Their mortal hue turned into burning coals, and your fingers itched to set him aflame.
“In the mines!” he screamed, cowering under your fiery gaze. “He’s in the mines! He has his little pets helping him! Please, don’t eat me! Please!”
“Where’s the entrance?”
Suho whimpered, not answering.
“Where’s the entrance?!” you demanded.
“Tha-th-that-t- wa-ay!”
He pointed to his left, and you nodded. Storming off into the nearby path, you already saw the sky gradually becoming darker and darker. The warlock could start their ritual at any moment.
“Hey!” you heard several pairs of feet coming up behind you, “Hey, what was that?”
Chan came up beside you, but you kept on moving. “Intimidation,” you said, “You weren’t getting answers, and we’re running out of time, so I stepped in.” You smirked over your shoulder, “Nothing makes a man talk more than under the threat of eternal flames.”
“You weren’t going to actually kill him though, right? That…That isn’t how we do things here.”
“Of course not,” you scoffed. “Yes, people like Suho deserve whatever fate they have coming, but when that happens is not up to me.”
“Oh…”
You knew why he asked that. “I’m not that kind of demon, Chan,” you told him, “I might be a demon, but I’m not a thrill killer. I only do it when-”
You stopped at the sight of metal tracks some yards away. The mine entrance was on the other side of them, dimly lit and foreboding. Empty cargo carts sat on the tracks, and you saw crates stacked on top of one another. Whoever worked this mine abandoned it long ago, and several residents had taken it up. All the fire from before extinguished when you saw the gargantuan spiders roaming the area. The stinging sensation of bile crept up your throat, and your skin started crawling again. Big and hairy, most of them varied in colors of white, gray and black. You almost turned back, but knew to do so now would be abandoning the children and also negating any perceived toughness.
“Kind of hard to intimidate a wild beast, huh?” Chan asked, humored by your weak attempts. “Especially big ones with several pairs of eyes-”
“-Nothing needs that many eyes or that many legs!” you harshly whispered. “How can we get past them?”
“Fire,” Mr. Choi croaked from behind, pulling out a large matchbox. “It’s how my grandfather used to do it back in the day.”
“Works for me,” Chan shrugged, turning back to you, “YN? Would our fire demon like to handle the big nasty spiders?”
You stuck out your tongue at his smug smile. “I’d love to,” you responded pointedly. “Let me show you how it’s done.”
“Please, be my guest.”
He then made a hissing sound that made you punch his shoulder. You knew he was only teasing. Any other time, you’d tease him back but the sight of a spider coming down from the mountain with a bundle between two legs caught your attention. Fire. Warmth and light always scared off nocturnal beasts.
Taking a step out of the treeline, a prickling sensation went up your legs, most likely the formation of goosebumps all over your body. You searched for a starting point for the flames, which happened to be the light shedding of webs along the tracks. In a single thrust of your hand, a bolt of red-hot fire shot from your palm and onto the metal tracks.
Like a spark to gunpowder, the fire quickly began spreading. The beasts sensed the fire right away, and scurried away from the light. When one of them spotted you, it screeched loudly and scuttled over to you. With a high scream, your entire body went into a panic and you shot both hands out. Shrieking screams pierced your ears as the flames engulfed the creature, whose cries died out along with a few others. Your comrades, not wanting to miss out, started shooting. Gun blasts added to the fires scaring off the spiders; some of them took several shots while the proper marksmen got them between the eyes.
“Come on,” Chan took one of your wrists, “Let’s get inside.”
“Inside?!”
You imagined more spiders awaited you in there, “This is no time to be a baby! Let’s go!”
Guiding you through the scorched earth, you kept your eyes peeled for any more spiders, but they’d appeared to have been killed or scared off. You’d gotten right into the entrance when your party came up behind you.
“There’s more where they came from,” said Mr. Choi, “But don’t you worry. I grew up in this mine. I know it in and out.”
“Yuth’ik is an earth god,” you deduced from research, “He’s likely far underground where there’s roots.”
“I know the right place,” he nodded.
Chan and Mr. Choi led the group, and you did your best to keep your shaking legs moving normally. Someone came up beside you.
“You really showed Suho.” It was Fred, carrying his rifle across his chest. “I ain’t ever seen a man scared out of his wits like that before.”
“Being the good cop wasn’t working,” you shrugged, “So I played the bad one.”
“We could have used someone like you when this all started.” Once he realized how that sounded, he recovered, “I mean, the sheriff and his deputies are great at their jobs. It's…Things weren't being done quick enough.”
“I understand,” you said. The amount of webs did not match the spiders outside. There are more of them. “He was doing the best he could with what he had. I'm glad to be of some use here.”
Fred moved to talk again, but the group then stopped. In the spacious coal mine, you saw them right when everyone else did. High above the floor, cocoons hung from the ceiling and stuck to the walls. Bundles long and short were covered in several lengths of sticky webbing. You gulped back the fear burning in your throat, and stepped over to a nearby cocoon. About the average size of an adult, you poked it with your sword. When it didn't move, you looked at Chan with a worried stare. Your suspicions proved true when you cut a hole in the head to see the corpse of a young elf maiden inside. Sickly pale and blue, her paper thin skin and hollowed cheeks suggested she'd died ages ago.
“How horrible…” Samantha frowned, opening another to find an old man.
“Donny,” Chan looked at Fred’s farmhand, “Stay here with Samantha and start cutting the bodies down.”
“Harold and I'll keep watch,” Fred said, pulling out a flint to light a nearby stick.
“Good idea,” he nodded his approval.
As the other four started removing bodies, the rest of you went further into the mine. It didn't take much longer to reach the heart of the mine, and it was there that you thought you might scream. Dozens of spiders small and large covered the walls, and stood on the ground around a platform of rocks. None of them caught your scent yet, but one false move will have you setting the place on fire in a panic. You flinched when a warm hand grabbed yours.
“Stay with me,” Chan whispered, his fingers gently taking your wrist this time. “We need to stick together.”
“The kids!” Mr. Choi gasped, pointing at the platform.
Wrapped from the neck down in white webs, four children wriggled around an archway carved into the stone wall. You heard their sobbing pleas through the unrest amongst the beasts, and you forced out your fears. They needed you. It was then that you finally saw the warlock named Maurice. The top half of his body was a human torso, aged but strong with white hair braided back from his face. The bottom half was a spider's form, eight legs keeping him standing high above the children. That explained why the creatures hadn't killed any of the clan members.
“My children!” He said, his voice a delicate hiss, “Tonight we bring forth the power of the old magic! We bring forth our salvation! We bring forth our victory!”
The beasts approved, clicking and clacking in their language.
“For centuries, mortals have feared our presence! They run from us! They hunt us down and kill us!” He continued, “But tonight, sweet children, the old god Yuth’ik will give us our redemption. We will have our revenge!”
“Ugh, disgusting creature,” Mr. Choi scoffed. “Let's get him-”
“-Not yet,” Chan stilled him with a hand. He scanned the area and shook his head, “There are too many of them. They'll overpower us. We have to be smart about this.”
“Or extremely dumb,” you said, a thought coming to you. “You stay hidden and wait for my signal.”
“YN!”
Your knees wobbled walking towards the entryway into the main area. A human would be of no concern to the spider hybrid, but a demon from The Mar might keep him distracted.
“-No more will you cower in your nests, feeding off scraps! You will have fresh meat!-”
“I wouldn't say my meat is fresh!” You shouted over the chatter of the room, “But demons are an acquired taste, I've been told.”
Maurice paused in surprise at the sight of you. Black eyes held you in their gaze. He had four of them. Nobody needed that many eyes.
“Ah,” he grinned, teeth sharp and white, “Here's the demon I've heard so much about. Was it you who harmed my children outside?”
“They were in my way.”
Confidently, you walked through the horde, which parted to make way for you. Glittering black eyes stayed on you as you moved. Having them all in one place suffocated any fresh winds coming through the tunnel passages. Your skin prickled having them so close to you. You kept a tight grip on your sword at your hip, gripping so tight the pummel dug into your palm. No fear. Show no fear.
“You know summoning an imprisoned god is against the celestial laws, Maurice,” you continued. “The Blind One doesn't take kindly to people who disobey him. I suggest you release those children and take your spider friends back where they came from.”
Maurice gave a mocking laugh, “As if you could do anything to stop me. Once my ritual is complete, no mortal alive could stop me.”
He turned away from you to face the archway. “You'll have to give him something in return,” you said, “And be in servitude to him for life. I don't think you want to be someone's puppet, do you?”
“I will do anything I must,” he said. “I shall be the ultimate supreme lord. Everyone will bow down to me or suffer the wrath. The weak mortals you so eagerly helped will be scum beneath my feet.”
“Please, help us!” A red-haired girl with leaves in her hair cried. Sanghee, no doubt. “Help us!”
“Please!” said the werecat Hyeyoung.
“He's going to kill us, please help!” pleaded a blond boy with concurved ears. “Help! I want to go home!”
“Silence!” Maurice shouted angrily over his shoulder.
He lifted his head towards the arch and began muttering the incantation. It brought forth a vortex of black and blue, and gradually a white light broke through. You gasped at the recognizable swirls of The Abyss. Unrest rippled throughout the horde, who'd begun moving away as the portal opened.
“Children,” the warlock called out to the spiders, “Dinner.”
You screamed as several spiders hurried towards you, some clawing over others to reach you. Fear and panic set inside you again, and erupted on its own. Bursts of fire cracked and burned the ground around your feet, keeping a protective circle as you started launching fireballs at any beast in sight.
‘Bulgakgan!’
Flames shot out continuously from your hands, and as you moved in a clockwise circle, spiders were incinerated. One minute there, the next a stumbling ball of fire. Sensing a greater foe, the rest of the spiders began crawling away. This boosted your confidence significantly, and you switched to your sword. With another command, the dragonfire runes on your sword burned red and heated up the steel blade. Swinging and slashing the air, the spiders burned from the flaming steel alone. You hardly noticed the grunting and struggling occuring on the platform above you.
Chan was locked in a struggle with Maurice. He blocked the hybrid's long legs with his arms, then gave a swift kick to the steady legs on one side. Maurice shot bolts of gray and black shadow magic at him. One barely grazed his bicep, and you heard his loud painful cry. Maurice, believing him finished, sent more shadow bolts at him just as Chan rolled away. Getting onto his feet, you watched through your own fight as Chan turned around. Mr. Choi, holding his own against his own foes, tossed him a rifle. Maurice chuckled right as Chan raised his weapon.
“For Levanter Bay!”
You heard the war cry from behind you. Fred, Samantha and Donny appeared, sweating and fueled with adrenaline as they covered the front entrance. A gunshot bounced off the walls, though the thick webs kept the sound suppressed. Chan's bullet missed, which amused Maurice, who curved his hands until more dark matter materialized between his palms. Chan quickly reloaded, but Maurice rushed at him. With another shadow bolt, he knocked Chan squared in the chest and launched him back several feet.
You hurled a fireball at his legs, causing him to fall against the wall. This split second diversion was all Chan needed to shoot a bullet into Maurice's forehead from the ground. Their leader defeated, propped up by his legs, the other spiders disappeared from battle up through ceiling tunnels leading further into the mountain. You took deep breaths, heart pounding in your chest as you rushed over to Chan's side.
“Chan, are you alright?” you asked, looking him over.
The shadow bolt singed his shirt, the black mark vibrant against his chest, but otherwise no blood. It hadn't gone through completely.
“Thick skin,” Chan winced through a laugh. “Merfolk side, they say.”
You both stood up on shaking legs, “Still, shadow magic is nothing to sniff at. You need to get that checked out.”
“Yes, ma'am,” he saluted halfheartedly.
The thought of Chan being mortally wounded by shadow magic came to you. You'd grown to like Chan. You felt glad for his merfolk blood. His eyes glimmered even in the dim torch light, and his soft smile warmed your cheeks. You turned from him to see Mr. Choi cut the children out of their cocoons. To avoid more butterflies, you started helping him.
“Papa!”
Barney Pebbles ran to his father the second you freed him, weeping and reaching out before the man embraced him tightly. The other children took comfort in the adults who'd saved them.
“Sheriff Bahng!” Dobin, furry with a black snout, ran over to him, “I knew you'd come! I told everyone you'd come for us!”
“Of course I did.” Chan hugged him and patted his back. “Your parents have been worried to all hell about you. Let's not keep them waiting.”
“Or stick around for more of those things!” You added, shuddering and sheathing your blade.
The rest agreed and walked with you out of the mine. You took in deep breaths of fresh air, feeling the breeze cool down your body. Heat never bothered you, but it still felt nice to fan your flames. You watched Barney and Fred riding back on his horse, the young boy protected by his arms. Being raised in The Mar by the warrior fire clan, people thought your clan were cruel. In fact, it'd been the opposite. You sat on your horse, remembering the time an air demon healer soothed your cries after a particularly nasty spar in the yard.
“Ma'am?” Hyeyoung sat on Samantha's horse, tearful and shivering. “Are you a real demon?”
“Yes, I am.”
“But demons are supposed to be mean.”
“I'm only mean to the bad guys.”
She grinned at this, but said nothing else as she leaned into Samantha's embrace. When you reached the main road, you caught up with Minho and Han towards town. Minho found nothing at his mine, and Han only ran into vagrants with nowhere to live. What you really anticipated was the missing children with their parents. Word spread about your mission while you'd been gone, and as you rode to the town square, all four children rushed to their parents. Cries of joy and smooching kisses reached your ears, and it brought warmth into your chest.
“Oh, thank god!” Mayor Wallace appeared from the school house building, which doubled as a meeting hall apparently. He hustled over to Chan, “Chan, Chan, thank goodness you came back safely! And you got the children back too!”
“It wasn't all my doing, Gerald,” Chan insisted, dismounting his horse. “I had help.”
Mayor Wallace looked at you once more. You expected words of suspicion or caution, but instead he held out his hand, “Thank you, YN. We wouldn't have our children back if you'd not stepped in on time.”
“I was only doing my job, sir.”
“And a fantastic one you did.”
Someone called him from afar, and he excused himself. The weight of the battle, using your own magic, and the adrenaline wore you down. The hazy feeling of exhaustion came over you within minutes. You looked on the townspeople being reunited with friends and loved ones fondly, similar to scenes you'd come across during the war. The fear of the past few weeks lifted at the return of the four children. Taking a seat outside The White Pearl, you continued observing them.
Nor’goth used to claim that humans were selfish beings that knew nothing of loyalty. They were animals that killed each other needlessly. The people of Levanter Bay proved him wrong. The mortal world proved him wrong. When the tides grew high and the odds stacked against them, mortals banded together under one flag. They created The Allies, and stood as one against a common enemy. The Shadowland cities did no such thing until the war, and Sakmarth liked to say mortals had much to teach them. You couldn't help being in awe of them at that moment.
“Hey there, Honey,” you said kindly as the bear waddled up the steps towards you. She sniffed your palm once more, then licked it. “You should've mentioned you liked spiders. I would've brought back some legs.”
“They're too boney and don't have enough meat for her.”
With the pet came its tamer. Changbin stood at the door a foot away, leaning on the frame.
“She usually eats salmon or roots and berries I pick up on my hunts,” he took a seat beside you to watch the community. “You really pulled it off, huh?”
“You doubted I would?”
“Not for a minute,” he shook his head, “But it's amazing. The kids are saying you had a flaming sword?”
“It's a rune blade.”
“Interesting,” he nodded thoughtfully. “You'll make big money off of this. Saving children from a spider hybrid must be-Haha, what's with the shudder?”
“I hate spiders,” you grumbled. “Why did it have to be spiders?”
He laughed and patted your back, “Come inside, hero. We cooked up a feast to celebrate. You look like you could use a drink or two too.”
“Good, I'm starving!”
You went inside with him to find tables of food laid out. You went in right away, sneaking apples to give to Summer later on. As you tore into a chicken leg, Han and Minho appeared in front of you with their own plates.
“Spider hybrid, huh?” Minho sniffed, “I suppose we were wrong about the human warlock theory.”
“Very,” you nodded, taking a huge bite of your chicken leg before turning it over. “He hardly got a chance to summon Yuth’ik.”
“Chan said you got there in the nick of time,” Han said, forking mashed potatoes into his mouth. “He said he might have gotten killed if you hadn't come along.”
“And that he inherited his mother's skin,” Minho sipped an ale cup before saying, “Well done, Multak. I told you we'd have this thing finished by supper.”
You both grinned at one another before digging into your supper.
****
The festivities carried on through the night into morning. You crashed into your bed upstairs and passed out instantly. When you left your room for the common area downstairs the next morning, you were met with applause. This reaction startled you, But not as much as the praise.
“Thank you, YN!” Fred Pebbles came over from the bar and lifted you into a bear hug. “From me and mine, thank you!”
“Woah, okay!” You laughed out your surprise.
“We mean it,” Wilma walked up from behind him, holding out something to you. “Here, take this as a thank you.”
Made of pure tiger's eye, someone engraved the blazing sun into the small charm. It hung from a thick string that glistened in the sunlight.
“It's a tiger's eye,” she explained. “My people wear certain stones for different things. This charm will protect you on future quests.”
“Appreciated, Matriarch.”
She smiled at the elvish title. “No, thank you. Barney is our only son. When we heard he'd been taken, we thought he'd be dead for sure. It was by the light's grace that you showed up when you did.” You saw her watery eyes and hugged her tightly.
It then occurred to you that The Pebbles' weren't the only ones with tokens of gratitude. When Wilma and Fred left, the other parents met you outside. Sanghee’s grandmother gifted you a valerian plant, meant to bring strength and knowledge to you. Dobin's father and mother gave you a wolf tooth, a special gift given to allies of specific werewolf packs; Hyeyoung's werecat parents did something similar with a cat claw. But, it was the children who warmed you the most.
“There's the demon lady!” Dobin said from across the square.
They'd all been standing in the middle of the market with Han, who smiled at you. “Well, go on,” he encouraged, “Jump her.”
You flinched at the gaggle of children coming your way. They didn't jump on you, but they surrounded you.
“Do you really have a flaming sword?”
“Can you make people turn into dust?”
“Hyeyoung said you set the spider man on fire!”
“Ms. Demon Lady, did you die?!”
You didn't know which one to answer first. However, their barrage of questions ended when Chan appeared.
“Come on now,” he said, shepherding them away, “Don't crowd YN. You got school.”
The children groaned in disappointment, but still walked away. You fixed your jacket on your shoulders, watching them going towards the schoolhouse. Most people you helped handed you the money, and then sent you on your way. The people in those towns usually didn't know you'd helped them at all; they only cared when their own people rushed into danger. Yet, the cold reception you received when you arrived turned warm and friendly.
“You've become pretty popular around here,” Chan told you. “You're all the kids have been talking about.”
“And clearly their opinion is the only one that matters,” you smiled in amusement. “How are the kids doing?”
“They're still shaken up, since, you know, a spider hybrid kidnapped them and planned on sacrificing them to a tree god,” he answered, “But they're happy to be back home. Thanks to you.”
“And you,” you added. “How's your chest? That bolt hit you pretty bad.”
“Minho took care of it for me,” he shrugged, though you noticed the slight wince when he did. “It just stings. Nothing to worry about.” He then fished in his pocket to withdraw a leather pouch, “The mayor wanted me to pass this onto you. Your payment.”
You opened the pouch to see dozens gold and silver coins in the bottom of the bag. With an approving nod, you already budgeted what amount went to what expense.
“So, um, where do you plan to go now?” Chan asked you, hands in his pockets as he walked with you to the stables behind the White Pearl. “You can always pick up other jobs around here. Someone always needs help. Mrs. Young still has a boar problem; she says they keep eating her cabbages. I didn't know they even ate cabbage,” he added with a soft laugh.
You chuckled, coming up to Summer's stable. Your horse kicked the ground gently, a greeting. “As tempting as Mrs. Young's boars sound, Summer and I were planning on heading to the capital.” You pet Summer's snout, smiling softly as she huffed. “Don't worry. We'll take a ferry there.”
Chan stayed silent, then said, “Um, that might be a problem.”
“How come?”
“The ferry isn't running right now,” he said, thumbs hooked in his pockets. “Our local sea serpent has been seen close to the bay, and the King declared the ferry closed to keep people safe. You know these sea monsters. They like knocking boats over and eating people.”
“The King said this?” You faced him, arms crossed in disbelief. “I didn't hear anything about that.”
“It came in an hour ago,” he said. “Private government papers and other boring stuff. The damn thing nearly swallowed a whole navy ship, so imagine a little transport ferry. Psh, they'd stand no chance.”
Not once did you ever hear a royal decree not being posted or spoken about anywhere. Looking over Chan, you noticed the slight curls in his black hair, pushed back from his face and left to grow out. Brown eyes looked at you with a twinkle of hope inside them. You supposed you could stay a little bit longer. It isn't as if you had important business anywhere else. Levanter Bay did not seem to be a terrible place; the sunshine is something to be desired, but the people were actually nice. You touched the tiger's eye necklace you'd been given, as if rubbing it might produce an answer.
“I guess we can hang around here,” you said casually. “What do you think, Summer?” You asked your horse, “Want to hang around here for a bit?” You laughed when she grazed on the hay inside a feed bag. “I guess that's a ‘yes’.”
“Great,” Chan grinned. “That's really great.”
“Looks like you're in luck then,” you walked up to him, casually, “You'll have someone help your station get out from under the bounties up on that board.”
“I'm not proudful. We could use a demon in this town. Except, maybe one that doesn't burn down a whole cave because of a few spiders.”
“There were more than ‘a few’,” you punched his shoulder, but he only laughed. “There were hundreds, and I took out a good amount before everyone else joined in. I noticed you, Sheriff, didn't fight any spiders.”
“I was fighting the biggest one!”
The two of you talked about Maurice and his disgusting army on the way back to the inn. You had enough gold to buy you food and board at the inn, and you actually liked Changbin and Honey didn't scare Summer.
It's not such a bad place after all.
***
A/N: Wow, my first Stray Kids fic (well, a real one. The last one doesn't count too much to me). I hope you guys really enjoyed this one! I have one for each of the members coming up soon! Like, comment, and reblog! it keeps posts alive <3
Episode 2 >
#stray kids#bang chan#han jisung#seo changbin#yang jeongin#kim seungmin#lee felix#lee minho#hwang hyunjin#stray kids fanfic#stray kids fanfiction#stray kids fantasy au#bang chan x reader#chan x reader#chan x female reader
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I know it's incredibly late, but at last! My piece for the Yeehawgust prompt "Yee-caw."
Additionally, I have no justification for making Jack Seward cool and capable of befriending corvids. I just thought that in a high fantasy western au, purely for the aesthetics, he could be a suspicious surgeon type.
Close up because I'm trying new brushes
#Yeehawgust#Dracula#Jack Seward#John Seward#nabiscart#I usually make Jack very pathetic baby but I'm sick of that what if he were cool now#Meaning I've been thinking he might be desperate for authority#I like to think he was born a nobody and was picked on for most of his life#So he compensated for his weaker stature and lower social status by climbing the social ladder tooth and nail#To own an entire asylum at an incredibly young age#Just to feel as though he has some amount of control- authority- maybe even respect if he's lucky#He has a complex now and it's constantly battling with his emotionality and compassion#Do I be ruthless and cruel to get authority or do I be kind and risk looking like a softie#He just breaks down and looks sad and insane instead
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i’ve read over 100 ky//man fics, here are ones i like ❤️
(WARNING: KY/MAN, OOC, OPINIONS, CRINGE - not the authors, me for spending so much time reading)
To Be Wanted by Verimakea - my most recent fave, i love it smmmmm. it’s a historical western au. kyle is a bounty hunter, cartman is a criminal, they get snowed in and shit progresses. it’s too freaking good. // 56,400 6/6 chapters
Abraham’s Son by Satine89 - this has been a WIP since 2014 but recently updated and OP said they’re planning on finishing by this year so for sure it is a worthwhile read. hunger games au, kyle is a capitol traitor banished to district 12, eric is the 47th games’ victor. kyle and bebe get chosen as this year’s tributes and have to deal with the fear of dying and trying to continue the fight started by eric the year prior. a lot of sad shit happens but it is goooood. very much recommend. // 57,158 23/28 chapters
something about the chase by grossalien- drag cartman au. i LOVE drag cartman. // 11,299, two oneshots
the “Im with stupid” series by numbknee - established kyman relationship. kyle and cartman have only just gotten together and try to navigate their new relationship and the shit that comes with it (plus the crazy way they got together in the first place 😭). it’s just cute and i like it. // four oneshots, 46,099
kyle isn’t anything by suzie_tempest - end of high school romance au. kyle is discovering himself and what he wants right before graduation. cartman plays a big role in that self discovery. it’s rlly cute i like it. // 89,801 12/14 chapters
be still my (virtual) heart by mewtwos - college au. this is for the losers out there who agree with me that the main 4 are losers too and need to be portrayed as such more often in fan works 🙌 kyle is a little rich boy at college who’s completely normal except for the fact that he’s in a parasocial relationship with a v-tuber named erica chan (you’ll never guess who it is 😳) . he’s gotta work on a school project with cartman. the sexting between erica chan and kyle is excruciating and that’s what makes it so good. i love this one and hope it gets more updates in the future cus it’s so funny. // 18,802, 4/? chapters
it was destiny anyways by galaxy_friday17 - i am not a big fantasy person and not into lore heavy fics but this one was rlly frickin good 🥳 was i confused half the time? yes, but it’s my fault cus i’m the type who skims through long paragraphs if there’s no romance 😭 it’s a stick of truth au, angsty as hell with multiple time skips. i recommend // 53,847 19/19 chapters
It could be wrong, could be wrong (But it should've been right) by grossalien - this follows tweek and craig’s povs but it is a kyman fic. basically tweek and craig accidentally become the last straw that ruined kyle and cartman’s first date and cartman haruhi suzumiya’s himself and everyone around him into a time loop until the date goes well. only tweek and craig are aware of the loop and are forced to make the date go well if they want to leave the time loop. it’s rlly good and rlly funny. // 19,843, 6/6 chapters
in a mirror, festively by synapticfirefly- this is a basic rec in the fandom but it rlly is just too good. it’s the perfect mix of funny and smut and genuinely heartfelt with a surprising emphasis on facebook relationship status(?) 😭 it’s a mirrorverse au where cartman is a little bitch who just wants to do his holiday charities and everyone around him is absolutely batshit evil, esp kyle who just wants him to come to his hanukkah party. // 36,337, 10/10 chapters
put out the fire on us by i_already_forgot - i don’t like to recommend unfinished fics bc i don’t wanna get someone disappointed but this fic is genuinely too good to not be recommended. kyle and cartman get pranked by clyde and they accidentally get handcuffed, fall down a waterfall and get stranded in the woods 🤷♀️ it’s funnier if i don’t elaborate. they gotta survive and make it out and their friendship develops and it’s so cute and i love it. if op ever posts another chapter i will be jumping up and down. // 139,167, 11/? chapters
if i were honest with you by creamdream98 - imma be fr, this is my fave kyman fic ever. probbo one of my fave fics of all time. i starting reading it from the first chapter and i was SEATEDD for every update. it’s a regular high school au but sum abt it is just so endearing and sweet and makes you root for eric and kyle. like the kiss scene made me audibly cheer out loud. basically cartman is a freak and bc he’s in love with kyle draws weird drawings of him in his notebook AT SCHOOL (i would NEVERRR). stan catches him one day and makes a deal with him that if cartman helps him get wendy, he’ll help cartman get kyle. it’s adorable i’ve reread it like 10 times. highly recommend if you’re into that sorta thing. // 150,655, 19/19 chapters
i have more but i don’t wanna do this anymore ❤️
#kai man#south park kyman#sp#kyman#kyle x cartman#eric cartman is my regrettable fave#the at this point millions of words that i’ve read have rotted my brain
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Fic Finder
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1. Hi I’m looking for this specific fic:
I remember there’s mpreg and lan Zhan is the one pregnant.
It’s a modern day AU where they’ve been hooking up in hotels. So friends with benefit to lovers to husbands eventually. Lan Zhan quits his job eventually to be a stay home and there’s conflict of interest between their two jobs.
Thank you so much!
//
Hi I’m looking for a fix where lz can get pregnant and eventually does. I recall it’s a modern au where they’re in rival companies. LZ eventually leaves the company to be a stay home dad for their kids. They meet up in hotels to have rendezvous frequently before their relationship was open.
They got eloped as well.
Thank you!!
FOUND? sweet as cherry wine Series by cicer (E, 81k, WangXian, Modern AU, Business rivals, Intersex, Mpreg, Barebacking, Pregnancy kink)
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2. hello! for fic finder, may i ask for a great tumblr meta that i cant find anywhere? (i feel like i should disclaim that ppl should read what they find hot. i just saw a recent mxtx interview that said like the exact same thing as the meta and thought it was cool)
the meta talks about how mxtx specifically choosing to write lwj as a top WAS the gnc option. i think op was just frustrated about some people insisting that switching/top wwx was 'less heteronormative' (as a justification for liking it??). i think op mentioned that this seems like a western take on mdzs?
basically, in the meta, they expand on how lwj is gnc-coded. like how touching lwj's headband equals staining his honor like how a cdrama man kissing an unmarried woman would be (this is what mxtx also said herself in the interview), and a bunch of other things (handling money, etiquette, lwj keeping track of wwx's tastes as opposed to wwx buying him spicy food, the incense burner domesticity, and idk more stuff i cant remember)
i *think* they wrote something like "all mxtx couples come with the gnc already built in" which was a cool point imo (one example is hc flipping the gege kink), but i tried searching for that and i couldn't find it for the life of me. thank you! (Huh, I feel like I remember this one faintly 🤔 ~Mod L)
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3. Hi there! I appreciate all the work yall do 🥰 I'm trying to find a fic where LWJ has to do an ascension trial in the moral world and WWX accidentally fucks it up. WWX has to break LWJ's heart in order for LWJ to still pass the trial. I remember that WWX takes the option to forget the trial but LWJ doesn't. Might be a foxxian fic? Thank you!!! @la-voce-to-me
FOUND! Keep Me on Your Pillow by catbrainedschemes (E, 42k, wangxian, fantasy au, pillow book au, high immortal LWJ, red fox WWX, pining, angst, fluff, eventual smut, slow burn, feelings, first meetings, misunderstandings, happy ending, sharing a bed, first kiss, oblivious WWX, oblivious LWJ, sexual tension, hero worship, falling in love)
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4. A) This fic is a modern au, I think that both LZ and WY are cultivators, WY specifically is kind of a witch (?), he messes with dark magic and lives in a haunted town or something like this. There's a reencounter between the two (I don't know if by chance or if LZ tracks WY) and at some point LZ gets worried that WY is sorrounded by ghosts/resentful energy, but he is aware of the situation. I think WY even has a pet crow/cat, but I'm not sure. And the plot may envolve him being isolated, running away or being expelled because of his methods of cultivation. Also, I'm pretty sure there's a fanart featured in the story that has Wangxian and the haunted place WY lives/takes care.
B) The second one is also a modern AU, LZ father is very sick, almost dying and stays in the hospital all the time, but LZ refuses to visit him because of the resentment caused by the situation with his parents. He meets WY in this same hospital, I don't remember if he works there, but I think it has something to do with Yanli. They connect through this situation, LZ eventually goes see his father and I think WY has some part in convincing him to do so.
C) Another modern AU, Lan Qiren is a priest/owns a church, the Lans are very religious and that includes LZ. WY is kind of a delinquent, he starts to go to the church and begins a friendship with LZ, who is very upright and frigid like in canon, plus the super religious part. I think LQ even says WY is a bad influence bacause of his behaviour and the things he did/does, but LZ realizes he is not that bad and there's probably some toutoring/disciplining envolved from his part. They are both teens or young adults and I specifically remember a scene when the two have sex inside the church with LZ being on the receiving end.
Thank you in advance and keep up the awesome work!
4B)
FOUND? 兔死狐悲 (tù sǐ hú bēi) by Anonymous (M, 14k, WangXian, Modern AU, Getting Together, Meet-Cute, Doctor WWX, Hospitals, Canonical Character Death, (But a minor character - not the ones listed), Angst with a Happy Ending, Misunderstandings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort)
4C)
FOUND? Say Amen by Wuxian_Biscuit (Charlie_Biscuit) (E, 6k, WangXian, Religion, Internalized Homophobia, Church Sex, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Oral Sex, Hand Jobs, Bottom LWJ)
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5. Hi! I love your blog and I have found it really helpful in the past. I was wondering if you could help me find a fic? It does have wangxian as the endgame. With wwx and lwj being opposing generals on opposite sides of a war. However, they both respect each other and have worked together to save innocent lives in the past.
In the end the Lan win the war and lwj takes wwx under his protection as a sort of war prize. This fic is very heavy on the Jiang and Jin bashing and in the end I think the Jiangs and Jins have to stand trial for their crimes during the war. While wwx is under lwj’s protection and never committed any crimes thus is not punished. I don’t think it is terribly long and I thought it was finished or almost finished at the time when I was reading it. If you could help me find this fic I would really appreciate it! @kjwaikiki
FOUND! Crossing Paths by Ilona22 (M, 21k, wangxian, shapeshifter au, graphic depictions of violence, war between sects, war crimes, not JC friendly, happy ending)
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6. 👋 I am looking for a time travel/kid fic among thousands. This one LWJ travels back to being a kid, rescues his mother and they escape cloud recesses. He takes then to save WWX from the streets of yiling and they all grow up together I think in Meishan yu sect elser house before war happens. Cam you help this lowly one? 🙏🏻 @the-untamed-stole-my-heart
FOUND? The Dreams of Youth by sami (E, 86k, wangxian, time travel, fix-it, family, not lan sect friendly, canon typical violence & gore, childhood friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, mothers who live, some people live/not everyone dies)
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7. Hi for the next ficfinder please help with this request. This came as a random thought that refuses to leave my mind. I really only remember one scene. Which is someone, I believe it’s lan xichen, remarking that lwj would walk all over jyl. Not in a bad way just that he was more assertive and her being more demure i guess. It was a wangxian fic though. Not sure if it wasabi. Please help @lilly-420
FOUND? In Love and War by Cataclysmic_Calamity (E, 68k, wangxian, ABO, canon divergence, alpha LWJ, omega WWX, arranged marriage, slow burn, enemies to lovers, sexual tension, menace to society WWX, doing his best LWJ, miscommunication, past emotional abuse, dubious consent, consensual non-con, semi public sex, dom/sub)
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8. hiii it's me again I'm sorry I can't seem to find anything rn and you guys are literal lives savers I'm looking for a fit where lwj was raisin A-Yuan and I just remember that they were talking about wwx and lwj compared him to a butterfly going in a dark forest to bring back treasures for other but each time he made the trip he lost some of his light until one day he couldn't come back. that all I have can you help ???🙇🏼♀️ thank youuuuuu✨✨ @ihaveasoftspotfora-yuan
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9. Hi, thanks for your time! I'm looking for a(n older), well-written fic where wwx takes the wen away from the cultivation world after breaking them free from qiongqi road. Lan Zhan decides to follow after them. They settle far away, I think, on a mountain. Living conditions are harsh, at some point I believe mud floods washed their crops away and they had to move them elsewhere. Wwx was quite weak for some time. At the end of the fic was a grand scene where wwx and lwj destroy the tiger seal together, almost dying while trying. They don't rejoin the cultivation world. Any idea? @kesterling
FOUND! wide enough and wild by impossibletruths (E, 64k, wangxian, canon divergence, Getting Together, Canonical Accidental Baby Acquisition, Families of Choice, References to Depression, Canon-Typical Violence, Happy Ending, Noping Out Of Society With Your Boyfriend And Your 50 Wen Refugees: The Novel, Overzealous Use Of Imagery, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Well Except Wen Ning But He Was Already Dead So, Fix-It of Sorts, Podfic Available, Spanish Translation Available)
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10. hello mods! I am looking for a fic where wei wuxian is taken over by a phoenix god (?) and is locked up post-sunshot in the cold pond cave so as to not kill everyone with his new phoenix powers. lan wangji willingly enters the cold pond cave as well even though he knows that wei wuxian is being controlled by the god.thank you in advance!! @yourancestorsarefrowning
FOUND? Breathing Firestorm by ladyshadowdrake (M, 110k, wangxian, angst, fluff, captivity, creepy WRH, no non-con, dreamsharing, politics, people making the best decisions they can, epic length, mythical creature WWX, canon-typical violence, dark, happy ending)
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11. Hi! I was actually searching for a mdzs meta blog here on Tumblr . i have been scrolling for hours now but i can't seem to find the blog.I am very sure that they write a detailed meta on the last scene of the untamed where Wwx says to lwj " You are indeed hanguang jun " and lwj replies with " you are indeed wei ying".They had a lot of other posts too .
I understand you do not find blogs / posts but if you know anything any account like that i would gladly appreciate it .
Please feel free to ignore this ask if you wish to ! Thank you.
FOUND! number eleven might be https://hunxi-guilai.tumblr.com/, with this being the post they mention
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12. Hiya, im hoping you guys can help me find this fic? The only things I remember is it was canon setting, lwj pov, where he kept hiding/fidgeting with his hands in his sleeves and the author kept bringing attention to it to show him being nervous. It was also complete and definitely longer than 10k at least. Thank you!
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13. Hi! I’m looking for a wangxian fic about right-hearted and left-hearted people. In the story, hetero couples have men with hearts on the left side and women with hearts on the right side of their bodies, and gay relationships were either both on the right side or a combo. I just remember that wèi yīng had a right sided heart. I remember that wèi yīng and lán zhàn got together before it was revealed that wèi yīng was about to be in an arranged marriage. I think wèi yīng turns the girl down and she shoots spiritual energy to his right side in an act of rage and almost kills him and because he and lán zhàn had, like become mates(?), he is the only person who could save him. I’m pretty sure it’s not a/b/o, and it is in the canonical time period. Thank you! @fries-n-salt
FOUND? Right-Hearted by 0_Heta_0 (E, 22k, wangxian, heartmark au, canon-typical homophobia, internalized homophobia, hurt/comfort, falling in love, fluff & angst, smut)
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14. Hey ! For the next fic finder i am looking for a work where wei wuxian was a god and so was lan wangji .I think it was a Hades and Persephone au .the clans still existed . Also i think lwj was the god of flowers and wwx the god of death and when lwj visits the underworld he makes flowers grow for ayuan who is wwx adopted son
FOUND? Flowers Blooming in the Dark by TheLegendOfChel (T, 65k, wangxian, WWX & LSZ & LWJ, Gods & Goddesses au, Inspired by Hades and Persephone, Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, but it's still in a xianxia/wuxia setting, Pining, Courtship, Forbidden Love, Kidnapping, kind of, Smitten LWJ, Smitten WWX, Courting Rituals, Secret Relationship, references to wwx's canonical kinks, Child LSZ, Fluff)
FOUND? there will come soft rains by infinite (recursion) (Not rated, 14k, wangxian, gods & goddesses au, Hades/Persephone au)
FOUND? The Radish and the Pomegranate by MissMagus (T, 15k, wangxian, WWX & LSZ & LWJ, Inspired by Hades and Persephone, greek mythology au, kid fic, fluff & angst) could also be this, but in it ayuan is the God of flowers and makes them grow in the Underworld
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15. Hi! It's me again. It's for fic finder. On this fic, Qin Su dies and Jin Rusong lives. Before QS dies, she told JRS to never trust JGY and a few days after she said that, she dies because of drowning (i think). That happen in the flashback. And JRS indirectly help NHS in his revenge. Thats all i can remember. Thank you!!! @idontknowwhattowriteforusername
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16. Hello! I’m looking for a fic and I can’t for the life of me find it… I believe the plot was branching off after qiongqi path or nightless city, and it’s wwx running away from the cultivation world and lwj pursuing him. And while this is happening wwx meets xiao xingchen and lwj meets song Lan on the way. And it goes along with song Lan and lwj tailing wwx and xiao xingchen hoping to find them and explain everything and make up. I know wwx and xxc end up at baoshan sanren’s mountain and that lwj finds mo xuanyu during this and takes him with them. I remember the detail that a-qing brings song Lan to Lan wangji bc she knows they’re looking for a cultivator dressed in white with a white cloth “over his eyes” and she mistakes the forehead ribbon for that description. Any help is appreciated I have such a hankering to reread!
FOUND! These Things Unseen by bonyenne (T, 34k, wangxian, WWX & XXC, WWX & LY, canon divergence, fluff & angst, accidental baby acquisition, getting together, happy ending, found family, alternating pov, pining, kid fic)
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17. Hi, hope you guys are good. I'm looking for a fic I read that I forgot to bookmark. I remember WWX never got adopted by the Jiangs and was instead raised by BSSR. One day he got caught sneaking into Cloud Recesses while helping to pass messages between her and LY. When asked why he was there he panicked and claimed he was a Jiang disciple and JYL rolled with the lie for the drama of it all. I also remember the Wens attacking and he helped defend the place with the help of the other guest disciples
FOUND! Become Tomorrow by ShanaStoryteller (Not rated, 39k, wangxian, alternate universe, cloud recesses study arc, WWX is BSSR's disciple)
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18. hello!
i was trying to find a fic but it's as if it disappeared from the internet.
it's one where wei wuxian 'died' at qiongqi path and lan wangji goes to pay respects in burial mounds but turns out he isn't dead.
thank you.
FOUND? Also it’s possible 18 is my fic? in this place where we don’t have a prayer by Cerusee, Mikkeneko (T, 42k, JC & WWX & JYL, WN & WWX & WQ, wangxian, JYL/JZX, JC & WQ, JC & WN, future JC/WQ, character death (WWX), JC shouting, humor?, JZX is ok for a Jin, necromancy)
FOUND? End Racism in the OTW | The Fire Lapping Up the Creek by notevenyou (E, 66k, wangxian, canon divergence, hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, blood & injury, injury recovery, respiratory illness, major illness, fever, grief/mourning, angst w happy ending, implied/referenced suicide, hunger & food scarcity, surgery, Fix-it of Sorts)
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19. Hello! Please help! 🙏 I've been going crazy trying to find this fic. It's post-canon, married wangxian in wwx pov, where lwj is under a spell/curse which makes him emotionless (i think its a long one-shot). I remember a scene where wwx thinks lwj just fell out of love w/ him in the beginning until he sees lwj interact with sizhui and a very robotic sex scene that ends with wwx feeling very uncomfortable. @littleladysilver
I just read #19, I wanna say it was on a recent fic finder ?? it was a 2 part fic, I think it was tagged for curses rather than amnesia
FOUND? Does anyone even read work titles? idk what to call this by Nighttdust (M, 14k, WangXian, Curses, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, though not to much, Both get hurt both get comforted, Established Relationship, Post-Canon, Happy Ending, Protective WWX, Insecurity, a bit only)
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20. Hi!
So i read a canon divergence fic long time ago that wangxian were betrothed to each other since young and wei wuxian always had to wear a mask and besides the jiang family no one was allowed to see his face, also he lived in a mansion in yilling with mian mian and xue yang, plus wei wuxian and lan wangji were pining hard in this fic. Also for the sake of her family wen qing married lan wangji. I feel like it was deleted from ao3 cause i searched a lot but i wanted to get help from you guys too.
Thanks!
20 might be a deleted fic. I've seen people asking about it before, but I can't think of the name.
FOUND? I think #20 might be Price to Pay by Wangxianist and unfortunately it is a deleted fic. I also don’t think it was ever finished.
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Gifts for WitchlingsandWyverns!
From your ACOTAR Secret Santa! @witchlingsandwyverns
I have had so much fun working on a story for you and getting to send you gifts and sneak peeks over the past few weeks! I have always loved your art and creativity and I really hope I can give you something you'll enjoy this holiday season.
I got inspired early on to lean into the fantasy and do a sort-of Lord of the Rings AU. This story takes place during the war 500 years before ACOTAR against the human slave lands and the human-faerie alliance. I imagine Feyre as a Spring fae, and she and Rhysand meet for the first time in the Dawn Palace's House of Healing. I was inspired by one of my all-time favorite fantasy couples, Eowyn and Faramir.
Blossoming in Winter - Chapter 1: Under the Wings of the Shadow (on AO3, the first part of Chapter 1 below) and tagging @acotargiftexchange
A million thanks to @witch-and-her-witcher and @temperedink for being my amazing beta readers!
Your story is mostly complete and will be four chapters long. I hope to publish every few days up until Christmas, but be patient with me if the final edits take a bit longer!
I've had so much fun being your secret gift giver and learning more about you! I hope you have an amazing birthday, and holiday season, and that you enjoy all the ACOTAR riches coming our way!
Love,
PopJunkie42
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
To Thesan, High Lord of Dawn and Commander of the Peregryn Legions:
Esteemed High Lord,
It is with great thanks and humility I write to you on behalf of Lord Tamlin, third son of Spring.
The Peregryn legion you sent to our aid was invaluable in our victory on the coast of the western Spring lands.Through whatever grand insight you possess, they arrived in the knick of time, as our armies were on the verge of being overwhelmed. The turn of the tide led to a grand victory on the side of Prythian. Though casualties were great, the land has been held successfully by our warband and will, we believe, provide strategic ground for both monitoring Hybern’s forces and maintaining a foothold on the shore, to prevent further ships and troops from docking in Prythian and adding to our troubles.
Indeed, if you’ll forgive me for my storytelling, I can tell you the sight of feathered wings will forever bring a surge of joy to the hearts of the Spring warriors, and the tales of the Peregryn’s bravery will long be told in our lands and at our tables. The legion’s arrival at dawn after the long night siege, the rising sun at their backs, was the stuff of grand tales, and seemed to us a blessing from the Cauldron and the Mother. Lord Tamlin (and myself) sincerely hope that his future court and the Dawn Court may remember this great victory and the strength of our combined partnership in the days and years to come.
Lord Tamlin wishes greatly to speak with you and the other High Lords further, once battles have ceased and Prythian is free of the stain of Hybern, about the future of our illustrious court and the question of leadership therein. Though the Prince has always valued the leadership of his father and wisdom of his brothers, their choice to ally with the King of Hybern shows their loyalties and interests lie outside of Prythian. After this war is won, Prince Tamlin wishes only to treat with those loyal to the lands of Prythian.
Though I write to thank you for your great kindness, I also am afraid I must use this letter to beg another courtesy. It has been heard that your illustrious Court has opened its doors to the High Lord’s families and those in greatest need of healing, to be blessed by the grand bounty of your powers and knowledge. It is with this in mind that Lord Tamlin humbly asks you to take in another patient: Lady Feyre Archeron, an archer in his personal guard.
Although Lady Feyre boasts no direct relation to the High Lords, perhaps word of her bravery has already reached your lands. For it was Lady Feyre who dared to enter the Middle and defeat the fearsome Sylvanus, the forest god, the last of the old gods walking among us. We know that all the High Lords and generals have knowledge of this beast, as he has split the land in two and his wrath and magic had prevented the joining of the northern and southern armies in our long-standing war. Although rumored to be immortal and impervious to death, even by the hand of a High Lord, the monster was single-handedly defeated by Lady Feyre. We have no doubt that her name will long be known throughout Prythian, and the grand tale of her conquest will be the subject of songs and poems. Perhaps if taken under your healers, you will get the entire story firsthand from her, as she has not spoken of it since returning to Spring. Such a tale would be the envy of the land, and certainly of your neighbors in Day.
Lady Feyre, though brave and strong, returned to the Spring Court wounded by the deep magic of the god. Her spirits fail her, and her body withers under wounds our healers cannot touch. Lord Tamlin beseeches you and your healers to care for her with your powerful magic, as her hurts go beyond the body and perhaps into the soul.
With much gratitude and hope in battle,
Lucien, Emissary of Spring
on behalf of Prince Tamlin, the rightful heir
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
“Please, Lady Feyre…”
The warden of the healing wing scuttled behind the female, her steps brisk, his own faltering as he rushed in his voluminous robes.
But both came to a pause in front of the wooden door, one of many in the hall of healing. A cold fog of darkness, whirling and flecked with stars, was pouring from the crack at the bottom.
Feyre Archeron, her face pale and jaw set, looked upon the tendrils of darkness now lapping at her feet. With a deep breath, she knocked loudly and opened the door.
She did not pause at the wave of cold night that washed over her at the threshold, nor at the brisk “What?” bitten out by the occupant. She only paused when the shadows cleared and she saw the patient clearly.
The Prince of Night sat up in bed, framed by outstretched, massive black wings. The span of wings was echoed in swirling black tattoos on his expansive bare chest, split by a wound covered in bandages across his shoulder. His face was fine, if a bit wan, and adorned by a vicious frown. His eyes quickly snapped to Feyre as she stood in the door. But it was the wings, gleaming iridescent in the light, that took her breath. It looked as if he sat upon a throne ensconced by those vicious and beautiful tokens of death.
At least, it did at first. Now that she took a breath she noticed the way his wings were scaffolded by light fabric tethers and a framework of wooden dowels. Covered in bandages and oily with salves whose scent filled the room and her nose. Blood, too, dripped to the floor and across his white silken sheets, and bled through the starched bandages. She saw gashes and holes in the thin membrane of his wings, the skin raw and irritated and covered in healing ointments.
Just like that, her determination wavered at the sight of his injuries. She had spent enough time in Spring’s healing tents to know his wounds were fresh, and to recognize his pallor and sheen of sweat upon his brow as tokens of his pain.
Feyre realized she had been frozen on the threshold of the room, staring at his wings. Dropping her eyes, she met the menacing stare of the son of Night.
The warden bustled past her and into the room, bowing deeply at the waist.
“Apologies, my Lord. She…”
“I thought I ordered you to let me remain undisturbed,” the Prince bit out, his voice hard and impatient.
“Yes, my Lord, but -“
“Are you Rhysand? Prince of the Hewn City and son to the High Lord of the Night Court?” Feyre asked.
The Prince’s eyes were upon her again, glowing in the dim light of the room. “I am.”
“Good. I’ve been looking for you.”
“And to whom do I owe this unwanted disturbance to my peaceful convalescence?”
Feyre swallowed. This was not going as she had planned, if she had a plan at all. She was the one who was angry, she was the one with demands.
“Well?”
“I am Feyre.”
“Well, that explains everything.” Her face turned to a scowl as his eyes roamed over her body, full of haughty judgment. A pang of embarrassment, and then anger tore through her as she considered her rumpled tunic, cut and tied to fit around her bandaged arm, her plain pants, her weather-stained leather boots.
Before the warden could start his bumbling apologies again, Feyre forged ahead.
“I am being kept here against my will. I wish to leave. And the warden,” she looked to him with what she hoped was utmost disdain, “told me you were the highest ranking fae here, while the High Lord of Dawn is away.”
Rhysand laughed. It was a bitter sound.
“Do I look like I am giving orders here?” he asked, spreading his arms against his outstretched wings. “Do I look like a lord of Dawn? I am as much a prisoner as you. Moreso, as I’m being kept in chains.”
The warden stood straighter as Feyre clenched her jaw. With High Lord Thesan gone for what could be the end of the war, and the nurses’ endless vigil in front of her door, she had no means of escape.
From his bed, Prince Rhysand sighed. She watched him wince slightly at the movement of his shoulders.
“And why would you want to be released from this gentle hall of healing? You look as if you’re in need of it’s services,” he said, his eyes again on her body.
She knew what he was seeing. Had seen it herself in the glass this morning, before she tilted it away from her bed in dismay at the grayish pallor of her face, her skin papery and thin, the blue veins beneath giving her a sickly hue. Her eyes had charted the scratches on the left side of her face and neck that refused to heal, stark red slashes on her skin.
Of her arm, bandaged and tied closely to her chest. Only her pale fingers, chalky white and withered, gave any hint as to what lay underneath.
“I wish to return to battle,” Feyre said, willing confidence and command into her tone. Surely a High Lord’s son couldn’t deny the war one more willing soldier. “I did not wish to be sent here and I do not wish to waste time waiting to heal. I only wish to fight.”
“Why do you not wish to be healed? A wounded warrior is of little use on a battlefield. And haven’t you heard that we all talk of victory and peace now?”
Feyre lifted her chin high, poured all of the confidence and pride she could muster into her face. Thought of Lucien, of Tamlin addressing his armies.
“I am an archer in Lord Tamlin’s personal guard. And battle is where I belong.”
The prince regarded her further. His anger had softened and the blackness swirling about the room had dissipated to soft shadows. He tilted his head. “Again, an archer who cannot use her bow isn’t much use to an army.”
“I have other skills to use, my lord,” she said, the last words dripping with ire. “Not everything heals. And I do not fear our enemies nor death on a battlefield. Indeed, to die in battle is an honor, is it not?” She wished desperately for him to heed her words. Every hour she felt the final battle rushing further away from her, like the ships traveling swiftly across the sea. Surely, a High Lord’s son would not deny the war another willing soldier.
Prince Rhysand swallowed. “An honor?” he laughed, low and dark, the sound pulsing across her skin. “I suppose it is. Certainly those bleeding on Prythian’s fields no longer have to face the horrors of what we have done or what will come next. Is that what you wish for, Lady Feyre?”
Feyre bristled at his tone. Whatever future waited for Prythian had little to do with her now. “I am a warrior pledged to battle, and the battle still goes on, and yet I am here.”
She wasn’t sure what it was, now, that look on his face. Silence filled the room.
“Well, Lady Feyre,” she chafed again at the term. No matter that she had explained to her nurses that she was not a lady, the epithet had followed her through the halls. “Whether it was the Cauldron, the Mother, or the old gods, our lives have been spared. And, as I have explained to you, I have no authority here in the halls of the Dawn Court. Even if I would grant you my blessing to send you to your death, the sentiment is meaningless here. So I am afraid we both will remain imprisoned, and live to see another glorious day.”
Feyre took in a deep breath through her nose. A second.
“Then you will not help me?” Rhysand wore a frown.
“Not in this.”
“Fine. Apologies for disturbing you, my lord.” she said, and turned on a clipped heel out the door.
Read the rest on AO3
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Fantasy High Dungeon Meshi AU ideas
Adaine: A Western elf sent away to a very far away magic academy as a punishment by her parents. Eventually she ran away to the dungeon and has been serving as a mage in parties in order to make money. Is waiting for the day her parents get word of her escape and send people after her. I think she’d be the first hired by Fabian as he recognizes her name from western elves his mother used to know. Aelwyn is a Canary warden (but will eventually be sentenced for using ancient magic).
Fabian: Half-elf. Bill Seacaster was a notorious pirate and adventurer that has now been forced to hide and live in the dungeon to escape consequences. Fabian and his mother live above ground and live lavishly using Bill’s past and current riches. They visit Bill frequently. Has been aging inconsistently. Wants to form a party using his riches to go deeper than any ever before and establish himself as a great adventurer.
Riz: Possibly a half-elf and not a goblin? There isn’t much info on dungeon meshi goblins so idk how similar they’d be to FH goblins. Either way, he’s been trying to establish himself as a detective outside the dungeon. One bout of curiosity leads him to trying to investigate the dungeon. Once their party forms he’s the first to suggest eating monsters in order to avoid returning to the surface for more supplies (the grind never stops!!!)
Gorgug: An orc that was abandoned for being a runt and taken in by the Thistlesprings during their adventuring days. He has never felt very accepted by other races because of the tensions between them and orcs. He begins adventuring in his local dungeon to try and connect more with his orcish heritage but has not been down far enough to meet any orcs yet.
Fig: A half ogre/elf. Gortholax is an ogre from the east. She lived with Sandra Lynn and Gilear (somewhere not in the west) until her ogre traits started growing in (was a late bloomer) and has been aging at an unstable rate. Has now just been living with her mom and pursuing music. Decides to start adventuring into dungeons as a way to rebel.
Kristin: From a human village, similar to Laios and Falin’s. The village worshipped a sun god and Kristin was chosen as a priestess. She ran away to become an adventurer after feeling stifled. Originally she used gnome magic as was taught in her village, but now she is challenging herself to learn elven magic. Starts adventuring as a way to make money after running away.
#fever says#dungeon meshi#delicious in dungeon#fantasy high#dimension 20#adaine abernant#fabian seacaster#riz gukgak#gorgug thistlespring#fig faeth#kristin applebees
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It is TIME to countdown!
Winterhawkhood-tober starts October 1st! To prepare for this incredible event where we will flood the world with winterhawkhood content, check out:
-The SEVEN bingo theme cards
-Prompt Request list (will be updated as requests come in)
-31 Days of Prompts Master List
The AO3 Collection
Friends, foes, family - this is going to be epic.
Bingo Cards:
Prompt Requests:
Prompt Requests from fellow fans! These are free to use and can be used as much and in as many ways as possible:
If you send in requests to this blog we will continue to update the list!
From blubblesandink
-Mr. And Mrs. Smith AU/ mistaken identity
-soft spot for animals(willing to act heinous towards humans, but saves a puppy)
-Bro you really live like this? (Ie, break into their house and then make it better)
-Eiffel Tower
From Taxi-cab-to-slowtown:
-Jason/Clint/Bucky/plus one or more
From Claraxbarton:
-Rule 63: different gender(s)
------
31 Days Prompt Masterlist
Below are 31 Days worth of prompts. These are very general, with each day featuring one (1) dialogue prompt and three (3) other prompts. Feel free to respond to as many or as few as you like! There is some overlap from bingo cards to these prompts.
Day 1:
“You were right.”
-Different Robin
-On the run
-Friends with benefits
Day 2:
“You lied to me.”
-Royalty
-Friends to lovers
-Breakfast in bed
Day 3:
“How long have you known?”
-Healing
-Karaoke
-High School Reunion
Day 4:
“I wish I’d never met you.”
-Fake dating
-sex toys
-stakeout
Day 5:
“Wait, are you ticklish?”
-Wedding
-Avengers Team
-bad pick up lines
Day 6:
“Do you trust me?”
-Enemies to lovers
-backstory connection
-seeking/wanted ad
Day 7:
“Miss me, sweetheart?”
-cardigan
-kissing in the rain
-being in a crowd
Day 8:
“Please.”
-shaving
-stargazing
-mission
Day 9:
“You don’t have to say it”
-clothes sharing
-picnic
-beach
Day 10:
“I’m not a monster.”
-dating app
-baking
-identity porn/mistaken identity
Day 11:
“I told you not to touch that.”
-Sleeping
-canon divergent
-late
Day 12:
“You weren’t supposed to laugh.”
-sexting
-time travel
-co-workers
Day 13:
“Did you hear that?”
-autumn
-one bed
-matchmaking
Day 14:
“I deserve it.”
-coffee
-dancing
-secret dating
Day 15:
“I want to take care of you.”
-house/pet/baby sitting
-meet ugly
-hobby
Day 16:
“Is that my gun?”
-sex work
-modern/canon fusion
-love triangle
Day 17:
“I don’t remember.”
-size difference
-historical
-bets
Day 18:
“I remember.”
-Accidental
-military
-hand holding
Day 19:
“I’ve missed this.”
-Urban fantasy
-neighbors
-intimacy
Day 20:
“It’s three in the morning.”
-Sports
-horror
-vacation
Day 21:
“I can explain.”
-Writer
-shopping
-movie night
Day 22:
“I thought you were dead.”
-FUBAR
-arranged marriage
-hugs
Day 23:
“Then tell me the truth.”
-parent
-haunted
-sacrifice
Day 24:
“How much of that did you hear?”
-Academic AU
-bad luck
-savior
Day 25:
“I hate this feeling?”
-Olympics
-injury
-conflict resolution
Day 26:
“Don’t you dare walk away.”
-ballet
-allergies
-family
Day 27:
“Tell me a story.”
-Gotham
-costumes
-apologizing
Day 28:
“One last kiss.”
-pornography
-uniforms
-platonic
Day 29:
“Go fuck yourself.”
-blind date
-holiday/special occasion
-Western AU
Day 30:
“You left me.”
-surprise party
-bar
-drunk
Day 31:
“I can explain about last night.”
-pining
-lingerie
-one night stand
#bucky barnes#clint barton#hawkeye#jason todd#red hood#winter soldier#winterhawkhood#winterhawhoodtober#winterhawk#winterhawkhoodtober
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So one of my fav fic author, just wrote a non-power AU of GoYuu (gojo/yuji) & SukuFushi (sukuna/ fushiguro) and...... I don't know what to feel. Like, have you know someone who ship them (it's the first for me) ? The fic's not underage, yuji's and megumi's age had been aged up by the author, but still the age gap, the dynamics, right? Can you think the reasons to ship them? Well, creativity really knows no bound.....😂😶
Oooh I have actually come across both of these ships very often on ao3. The ItaJun tag has a bunch of them on top hehe. I actually used to ship Sukuna and Megumi a little back when the anime was first airing(not anymore though).
For Gojo/Yuuji
I think the first episode scene where their faces are super duper close probably kickstarted it
(Gojo: tf is personal space??? what's thaaaat???)
GoYuu has a very popular ship dynamic I've observed in many fandoms; Student x Teacher. There's always a kind of jaded, aloof and distant teacher-figure who's shipped with the cheery, open-minded and sunny student-figure. I've heard that dynamic is really popular in East Asian fandom spaces(it appears a lot in danmei novels I've read). GoYuu was apparently the most popular ship in Japan (it beat out SatoSugu). Gojo argued to keep Yuuji alive and gave him time, so that's probably a point of appeal too. Gojo usually has no serious reactions to anything, he could have easily killed Yuuji and been done with it but he wanted him to live(Megumi did but eh, technicalities). What made this distant and carefree person take interest in the well-being of this stranger? Why would he risk the world for this one boy? That's probably the start of it. And then in the development, it's probably about how Yuuji can break down Gojo's walls and make him be more honest in his emotions.
2. Sukuna/Megumi:
I used to ship it because I thought Sukuna was interested in Megumi as a person, assumed he'd be someone who can give him a good fight or wanted him as an ally.
Also this probably, look at that aesthetic appeal:
(Damn Mappa had a thing for these, ItaJun also had this. Why???? Fuel fujo-bait??? I thank them for the ItaJun version)
Right before this Sukuna's all giggling laughing asking Megumi to give him more(to fight against, but like, SukuFushi enjoyers probably enjoy taking that to mean something different). I think we all assumed he was interested in Megumi's evolution as a sorcerer. He takes joy in fighting and if anyone can catch his interest, it'd be someone who's struggling to get stronger and sees him as a rival.
It seems like he doesn't give a shit about anyone but Megumi. Like that one time he verbatiom said "Aside from him, I truly don't care". Also in Shibuya arc he heals Megumi and fights Mahoraga and everyone though it's because he cares about him(I was a fool).
On Megumi's end, okay idk what the current SukuFushi shippers expect but I personally wanted Megumi to kill Sukuna even when I was shipping them. Enemies to lovers except one of them is permanently in the enemies phase. As far as I've seen, there's always this non-con element to it? Like Megumi is extremely reluctant, Sukuna is unrelenting in pursuing him, and Megumi goes through a bit of a corruption arc and Sukuna.....well he isn't redeemed but he tones down because Megumi asks. A Beauty & The Beast situation.
I was talking about it to my bff and she was (rightfully) roasting me like we were joking around.
Me: "Sukuna wants him for his body.....but like literally he wants to be inside him."
My friend: "You mean possess him???"
Me: "That's the word yes!"
The age-gap thing for SukuFushi feels more okay because I grew up on a bunch of fantasy shojo manga where a high school girl fell for an ancient spirit with a minimum age of 100. This isn't even an animanga thing, it's there in western media too(....Twilight). A lot of people just don't see the point of mulling over age gaps when the differences are centuries, even if the other half is a minor.
As for GoYuu, well I guess it's fiction, they're just lines on a page at the end of the day and it's less about the legalities of the gap and more about the dynamics it brings to the table that people can find interest in. The power difference, the difference in ways they view the world, the younger one is always more innocent, etc.
I personally don't find these to be my interests 99% of the time but I get why others would enjoy it (my few exceptions are Scum Villain and ErHa but if I start trying to explain THOSE messes we'd all lose it).
I guess people would be confused why I'm still hung up on ItaJun too huh? XDXD But as you said, fanon and creativity has no limits and people do as they like and enjoy.
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In a recent interview, Eiichiro Oda said that he probably won't do any more manga after One Piece (or at least nothing huge) because the world he constructed for One Piece inadvertently allowed him to explore pretty much every type of story he wanted to: Mock Town was a Western, Egghead is both a sci-fi and a murder mystery, Thriller Bark was a horror, etc. He never did it, but Oda probably could have found a way to work in a high school drama or romantic comedy if he'd really wanted to. I would argue that's how the Hungry Days promotion came about, he probably wanted to see it explored at least a little bit but couldn't quite find a good excuse for it
Undead Unluck, as I think at least one of us has mentioned before, is very similar: it can be whatever it wants to be whenever it wants to be. A sci-fi horror against the emotion-eating aliens on the space station, a zombie apocalypse Western against Spoil, a wuxia against Feng, competitive gaming against Spring, sports against Void, and now of course the high school AU centered around Chikara; Undead Unluck can do it all! If we end up going into Lucy's mind and it becomes a swords and sorcery fantasy with Lucy captive in a castle by a dragonified Ruin, would any of you really be surprised? Would any of you even complain? I wouldn't, and in fact I hope it happens now. That'd be such a funny way to get both Ruin and Lucy back into the main story
I don't know if I've ever really talked about it before, but there are certain niches that Jump manga fill. I don't mean in the sense of genre like sports or gag manga, I mean more thematically. When My Hero Academia started, the consensus was that it was the "new Naruto," with its plucky underdog protagonist competing with a cruel and prodigious rival and a society that discredits him for the circumstances of his birth. Black Clover draws inspiration from a ton of big name manga, but Bleach is probably the one that it best resembles in the structure of its world (the Clover Kingdom resembles Soul Society, the Magic Knight squads resemble the Thirteen Court Squads, and the Grimoires are basically simplified Zanpakutou)
Over the years, I've seen many things take major inspiration from Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball, etc., but shockingly, there was a long stretch where I never saw anything try to emulate One Piece, at least not in a way that was particularly obvious. The closest was Toriko, creating wild and imaginative animals, plants, etc. the same way that One Piece creates its islands, but nothing had a cast that felt reminiscent to me
Interestingly, the first one that I noticed that felt like what I was looking for was Dr. Stone, and that only sunk in for me when Senku had his group build a boat and put up a sail with their own unique symbol. I realized in that moment that where Toriko had covered the spirit of adventure that One Piece had, Dr. Stone covered the spirit of friendship and togetherness: every time a dilemma came up, the solution was almost always finding a new ally and awakening their talents, applying them in a way that they'd never thought to before, or reconciling with an old enemy for the sake of progress. "My friends are here to do the things I can't, and I'm here to do what they can't." This is one of the core tenets of One Piece, and while it took me a while to notice, it was equally a part of Dr. Stone's core as well
Undead Unluck does something pretty similar, though not as overtly, since the cast don't really have neat roles like "navigator" or "doctor" or "chef;" instead, everyone has their areas of expertise that can be used in multiple situations, so the individuals best suited for each situation are carefully selected, and if none are available, the hunt begins for someone who is. I think this didn't sink in because it didn't become nearly as prevalent until after the timeloop, but in retrospect, the first half of the story was like the pre-timeskip Straw Hats', unprepared and unable to reach the world's ceiling when finally faced with it, only to come back stronger and wiser in their journey to come back together
Coupled with its ability to be (Chucky voice) genre-fluid, Undead Unluck has unexpectedly become in my opinion a more than worthy successor to One Piece's particular niche in Jump. I've had this thought for a while now, but I think that Undead Unluck might actually be a good glimpse into what One Piece would have been like if Oda had been able to stick to his original five-year plan. It isn't able to take nearly as much time to flesh out its world, but its streamlined approach elegantly allows us to get to know enough about the cast to be invested while still allowing attentive viewers to pick up on fine details. Where One Piece ballooned to be a 30-year venture because Oda kept having more ideas he wanted to share and angles he wanted to analyze, Undead Unluck seems to have a stronger clarity to its vision and commitment to ensuring that vision is realized ASAP without sacrificing any of the essentials. Neither approach is wrong, it's just good to see that there is in fact a world that exists where One Piece would have been able to be just as solidly executed even without entertaining every whim and flight of fancy that its author could dream of
Of course, One Piece is still going, and likely will be when Undead Unluck naturally concludes, so calling UU its successor is definitely a bit of an overstatement, but my main point is that I'm glad that we're starting to see authors who aren't afraid of sharing One Piece's niche, and more importantly are doing it in a way that's fairly subtle, but identifiable. It's an extremely comforting sign for the rapidly approaching post-One Piece world, and I can't wait to see what fills the coming power vacuum
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wip tag
ty for the tag @kaaaaaaarf <333
Rules: In a new post, post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.
okay so here’s the thing… I’ve pretty much dropped all of my wip’s and don’t have plans to do anything but the wolfstar multiverse au for the foreseeable… (and bc it’s episodic basically any idea I have is just going in there) SO. here are some of the potential au’s instead:
1. soggy bartender
2. pagan village
3. vampires
4. pirates
5. western
6. high fantasy
7. medieval royalty
8. bandfic but make it woodsy sadboys
9. magical realism
10. selkie remus
11. canon
12. atla-inspired
13. antichrist
14. post-apocalyptic
15. spaceship
tagging @plecotusauritus @neongreenllama @fruityindividual @spindrifters @kaleidoscopexsighs @mostlyoptimisticdinosaur @wanderingdonut @colgatebluemintygel @divinerapturee @pinklume
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My thoughts for that AU are this:
Luz: She ends up going to Camp Reality Check....and considers it the worst summer of her life, finding the whole experience boring. But, he next year is one of the best of her life as, due to her going to buy a new copy of her Azura book, she meets a girl whos just as weird and into fantasy as her. Then, she meets two kids named Bridget and Mike (the two kids from the first episode of season three) and Marcy Wu (who due to not going to Amphibia, didn't delay her dad's job move and thus was moved to Conneticut). The four then become a friend group who doeverything together including LARP, Watch movies and even do their own amateur video making. Luz eventually starts dating the bookshop girl and the two go on to get married with Luz going on to become a teacher and aspiring writer.
Anne: Due to Marcy being gone, Anne and Sasha's friendship fell apart (especially after Sasha suggested "replacing" Marcy) and, while they pretend to be friends when Marcy checked in or visited, the rest of the time they stayed away from each other. Since she wasn't out with Sasha, Anne spent more and more time at her parents restaraunt and began developing an interest in cooking and food. By the time of the summer before their first year of high school, Marcy found our about their falling out and spent the whole time getting them back together, leading to their friendship being restored....and the relationship of the three to become a romance. After high school, Anne was encouraged by her parents to attend culinary school and sharpen her cooking skills. Despite being nervous, Anne goes and hones her skills. After graduating and a few years of training at her parents place, Anne opens up her own casual Thai-fusion cuisine restaraunt based on serving food that combined the Eastern and western flavors she grew up with.
Molly: Molly continued moving from place to place over the years, at first starting to get to her more and more. But she eventually decided to simply savor the time she had in the places she went. So, she started going around and touring the numerous different areas she moved to. Once she reached adulthood, she began working as a travel writer, writing for her blog "Place that Enhappify you." She also ends up meeting Ollie on her travels while he was on a case hunting a ghost in a hotel.
Interesting. Not much to say other than I’d need to see it in action
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I doubt people would want to keep up with it but Godbreaker is both a specific story I'm working on, and the name I group anything related to it under, including alternate universes.
So basically there's Godbreaker the story, which is a high-fantasy story mostly about found family and what faith means, both religious and otherwise. It features Shay, who is in her early 20s and has long hair (for most of the story).
Then there's the many alt universes. There's modern, which is just Shay from Godbreaker but if she was in the modern world (she's a barely employed MMA fighter). There's Shayaa, which is "if Shay hadn't been abandoned as a child" as an AU. Then there's modern Shayaa, which is "if Shayaa was in the modern day" (she's a former corporate heiress turned streamer). Then there's one where Shay wasn't abandoned but she's actually kind of evil. And then she's also in my Pathfinder campaign, so there's that version of her as well.
Generally, Prime Shay dresses in a blue robe, gi, thing, and has long hair. Shayaa has shorter hair, cropped on the sides, and is generally thicc compared to Shay. Evil Shay is called Crusher and dresses like a 1940s gangster. Modern Shay has long hair but dresses in heavily branded clothing from her fight promoter. Modern Shayaa has short hair but dresses in whatever is trendy (or is straight up naked sometimes, because you gotta please the fans). Pathfinder Shay is an oddball and is usually dressed more like a western cowboy, but with a sword.
I am a fan of my own work and make AUs because I love drawing my dragon baby.
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Last Seen Blogs
cs81sstuff
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Exactly what it says on the tin