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moonlightguardianmoon · 2 years

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Assassin's creed Lost in Modern Ages

Crossover (SCP Foundation)

September 13, 1478 Venice

It was a cool night in Venice many of the citizens have all retired to their beds after a long day. The streets were empty, with so few wandering the streets, drunks from inns, and thieves that hid in the shadows, while a handful of guards patrolled from the roofs then streets, on the night shift. However, one peculiar plague doctor seemed to be the only current occupant to roam the torch-lit streets of Venice with a cane in hand and his trusty medical bag in the other. After a long day of working to perfect his cure, he decided to find a place of rest, as much as it pained him, eventually, sooner or later, even his own body and mind needed to rest. Besides his work will still be there when he wakes.

His walk was quite peace full, as Venice had nice weather this time of year. The cooling calm winds and... the sound of running footsteps? The doctor heard what sounded like running leather boots clicking against tile roofing. The Doctor looked up to the roofs of the Venice buildings, but saw nothing, only hearing the sounds of the roof tiles clanking.

The sound grew closer as the Doctor stepped carefully along the dim-lit streets, keeping an ear to the sounds of clanking tiles, eventually stepping back a little close by a nearby alleyway entrance, not even realizing that his back was to it. That is until he heard something fall from the roofs above it. Swiftly turning his full body around, he saw someone in hooded robing falling from above the alleyway. This fall was... Quite the systematic one. First, the figure hit his side against a wooden railing of a someone's balcony- "broken rib" -then went falling stomach first onto a metal pole- "lost of oxygen and abdomen damage"- then finally lands back first into the side of a hay cart, no doubt damaging his center spine and the side of the cart that's side was smashed into bits by the figure's fall.

The figure in question groaned loudly in pain as he laid still, trying to regain breath. The Doctor slowly walked over to the figure, leaning down over him to try and get a better look at the damages. It seems this man had already gone through hell before the troublesome fall.

Not only was he pretty sure this man had a damaged spine, cracked rib- well rib(s) now that he has a better look at him. Two arrows lodged into his right shoulder and one in his left outer thigh, a large gash on the right side of his torso, (from a sword no doubt from the size) and to make this matter worse for the man, (at least what the doctor could tell from the visible lower facial features from his hood), his ankle looks like it's seen better days than this. How does he know this? Well, it doesn't take a medical degree to know that ankles... don't normally bend that way for a human.

His ankle probably was what caused the man to fall from the roof, to begin with now that he thinks about it. The Doctor tilted his head curiously at the fallen man, if anyone else was there to see it the man would look more bird-like in comparison. The man's chest was still rising and falling, indicating that he was still alive, which surprised the doctor greatly. Especially after whatever this man had just gone through, including the three-story fall from the rooftops and the harsh landing... By all logic this man should probably be dead by now from the fall... but no. He was still holding on by a thread, but only a thread.

There was something odd about this man. This man seemed to be one of the few handfuls of people who didn't carry the pestilence... but there was something else there... something he couldn't quite place... he had sensed this once before, in another patient once before... something within him... Something ancient. He also looked rather familiar to the doctor, but he wasn't sure as to why.

So many questions.

The doctor decided to take his doctor's stick and try to use it to gently wake the man from his coma. With a gentle poke to the man's hip, hoping that it was the least damaged spot on the poor soul. The man began to steer, as he moaned in pain. The plague doctor backed away slightly to give the man in the hood some space.

Ezio tried to sit up but was hit with both dizziness and nauseousness almost rejecting his launch right then and there. He quickly laid back down with pain stinging with his every movement. He dared not move, for everything felt like it was getting stapped at.

Plague Doctor(049): (in Italian) ah, sei una veglia ora. Are you alright? That was quite the nasty fall you had.

Ezio slowly began to open his eyes for the first time since the fall, as he turned his head slightly towards the sound of the voice that was speaking to him. He would have jumped if he wasn't in so much pain, but he quickly relaxed when he realized that it was just one of the many doctors around Venice.

Ezio: (in his head) (What conveyance. It's not Leonardo conveyance, but it will have to do... wait... did this doctor... not know who I am?) Ugh... do-

Ezio tried to speak but was quickly interrupted by the sounds of shouting guards. This quickly grabbed the plague doctor's attention, as he swiftly turned his beak'd face in the direction from where the yelling was coming from. There he saw four armed guards coming this way, yelling in Italian; "Assassino! Find him! Find the Assassino!".

... so that's why he looked so familiar. The fallen man that was laying in pain before him was the infamous, "Assassino" he's heard so much gossip and talk over, the hooded face of every wanted poster in Venice if not all of Italy. The injuries and arrows logged in his body like a pincushion was starting to make more sense now. He must have been running from the local guards but ended up getting overpowered by them, and no doubt from the rooftops to make the matter worse for the assassin.

Ezio could hear the guards shouting for him. He tried to inch his way into the haybale that was so close to him, but the pain was incredibly unbearable for him to even move. He knew how this story was gonna go, the doctor will surely recognize him now, call the guards over to them, the guards would arrest Ezio, and he'll end up in a deep pit of trouble for this. And right before his latest assassination too. Maybe he can try and convince the doctor to aid him?

Ezio: (in Italian) Signore-! *grunts and heavy breaths* per favore... help me... hide me from the guards- *grunts* I need a doctor.

The doctor thought for a moment. The man didn't have the pestilence, but he definitely, needed a doctor to aid him. Famous wanted assassin or not, he still needed the help of a medical professional. And who better qualified a doctor than the plague doctor himself?

The plague doctor nodded, putting his cane and medical bag aside against the alleyway wall, as he carefully and swiftly grabbed Ezio from under his armpits and dragged him into the large haystack pile from the broken cart. Making sure to hide every inch of his body in it, while making sure not to aggravate his injuries any further.

Once the task was done, he grabbed his cane and bag just in time, as he saw the guards rush up to him. Their weapons were drawn in his direction, nearly inches away from his body. Unfazed by this action, the plague doctor began to speak calmly to them.

Plague doctor: (Italian) Greetings gentleman. How may I help you?

Gaurd 1: Have you seen the Assassino?

Gaurd 2: we saw the bastardo run this way and then fall through here!

Guard 3: you better not be hiding him somewhere!

Gaurd 4: calm yourself fool! Now tell us where he is!?

Plague Doctor: Hm... Well I do believe I saw him crash right here *lightly gestures to the broken cart* and then limp his way, down the end of this street, *faces his head to the right* then made a sharp left at the end of those housings over there. *points to a far distance corner* His condition is poor, he shouldn't be too hard to find.

Guard 4: Heh! He better!

Gaurd 2: We made sure the assassino couldn't run for long.

Gaurd 1: good thinking with spraining his ankle!

Gaurd 3: of course! And with the fall he took, he certainly can not run long.

Plague doctor: clearly.

Guard 1: Scusi?

Plague doctor: will that be all from you gentlemen?

Gaurd 3: ... You better not be trying to trick us you- *raises his rapier at the doctor*

Guard 4: *pushes Gaurd 3's rapier down* easy there, we got the information we wanted. Besides... there's something... *gestures for all the guards to lean in together* *whispers* There's something rather... uncanny about this doctor...

They all looked over at the plague doctor, as he stared right back at them. The plague doctor's grey-blue eyes holding the gaurds stiffly in place.

Plague Doctor: ...

Gaurd 3: ...

Gaurd 4: . . .

Gaurd 2: ...

Gaurd 1: . . . Uhm- *clears throat* right then, uh- thank you signore, that will be all. Have a safe night.

They take their leave down the street glancing back at the doctor every now and then, as the plague doctor stood silently in place, watching them intently as they walked away. Once far enough they soon continued to speed down the street after the assassin.

The doctor sighed, as he began to gently retrieve Ezio out from under the haystack. Laying him upright against the wall.

Plague doctor: are you all right?

Ezio: *hisses in pain* still in pain, but great full. Grazie dottore, I would have been killed or tortured if not for you.

Plague Doctor: of course. Is that not what doctors are for? To aid the sick and dying. Though I suppose in your case, were rather close to.

Ezio: *chuckles bitterly* *pulls his hood down* That bad is it?

Plague Doctor: could be worse my boy.

The Assassino was rather... young. Maybe in his late 20s, from his rather young apreance now that the doctor has a more closer look at him.

Plague Doctor: You might want to loose some of your armor if I am to aid you more effectively.

Ezio: of course. *starts to remove only his more heavier armor leaving his assassin robes and shoulder pads*

Plague Doctor: *goes through his medical bag and starts shuffling through it* Rather young to be living such a thrill seaking life don't you think?

Ezio: *shrugs* not like I had a choice... why did you not turn me in?

Plague Doctor: *pauses* hm?

Ezio: when the gaurds were yelling for me... why didn't you turn me in? Would it not been the safer option? After all, I am the infamous assassino of Italy. A wanted criminal. A killer.

Plague Doctor: ... why like I said before. A doctor's job is to help the people in need from whatever it is that they are suffering from. That includes those who aren't exactly, perfect angels.

Ezio: *chuckles* that's how it goes.

The plague doctor began pulling out what he needed from his medical bag, and began working on Ezio's ankle first. Slowly and carefully the Plague Doctor removed Ezio's leather boot off and started to Lightly touch the twisted ankle to assess the damage done to it. Ezio flinched and hissed at the lightest pressure applied to it.

Well this means the boy might not like what the doctor has to do to fix this...

Plague Doctor: *looks at Ezio with a serious look* you might want to bite down on something.

Ezio: . . . *nods* *takes off his lone glove and puts it in his mouth* *muffled* ready.

Plague Doctor: *nods* just one little readjustment and- *quickly shifts the ankle back into place*

Ezio: *muffled yell* AAAH! *hisses and tears up a bit* . . . Ow...

Plague Doctor: there we are. * pulls out some lavender sented paste and rubbed some of it onto the ankle before carefully wrapping up the ankle* The worst of it has been taken care of. The rest should come easy.

Ezio: *groans* *muffled* glade to hear...

The Plague Doctor began to work his way up from the ankle to the other injuries. He began removing the arrow from his outer thigh and patching up the wound, next he sowed up the large gash on his torso side, then got to the other two arrows stuck in his shoulder.

The assassin was lucky that his armor kept the arrows from piercing his skin any deeper. The plague doctor then took care of what he could from the outside for the ribs and back before finally bandaging the rest of his ribs in place.

Plague Doctor: there we go. With out the aid of surgery, I'm afraid all I can offer is out of body treatment for the broken ribs and back. However some simple rest should help heal both with time-

Ezio: *muffled* No! *takes the glove out his mouth and puts it back on* I have important business to take care of tomorrow, that requires me to be in top physical shape. I can not wait that long for me to make a full recovery.

Plague Doctor: hmm... There is... maybe something I could do that might be able to boost your body's recovery time... However, it is experimental and I have yet to find a suitable subject who's willing to test it and showed me any useful results other than... the usual results.

Ezio: hm... we'll I guess you're in luck Doctor. *slowly sits up a bit* I'll be willing to test it.

Plague Doctor: *perks up a bit* really? Your more then willing to test my new concoction?

Ezio: Sì. If it means I'm healed up quicker, then I'm more then willing. For much is at stake tomorrow.

Plague Doctor: Marvelous! I'll prepare it at once!

Ezio: Bene, the sooner I can move again the sooner I can get back to what I need to do.

Plague Doctor: of course, my boy! *begins to excitedly shuffle through his bag for everything that he needed*

The plague doctor pulled out two glass vials and a syringe. one of the viles was full of a mysterious black liquid substince and the other seemed to be half full with some kind of red liquid with a light shimmer to it. Ezio watched intently as the plague doctor stuck the needle into the vile with the back substince, filling it up only half way, before moving onto the other vile and only taking a small quarter of the red shimmery liquid.

The plague doctor then turned over to Ezio.

Plague Doctor: I will need a bit of your blood inorder for this to work.

Ezio: *nods* do what you must, Doctor.

Plague Doctor: *nods* lend me your arm.

Ezio: *lifts up his arm to the Plague Doctor*

Plague Doctor: You'll only feel a small pinch. *carefully sticks the syringe into the inside of Ezio's elbow*

The doctors fills the rest of the syringe with Ezio's blood as he takes the needle out and let's the three liquids mix together, creating a more shimmery lighter black liquid color.

Ezio: *puts his arm back up for the Doctor*

Plague Doctor: *chuckles* I appreciate the dedication, but that won't be necessary.

Ezio: huh? *confused*

Plague Doctor: inorder for this to have any possible chances of succeeding. The injection must be inserted into you back, specifically the spinal cord.

Ezio: I see... *takes a deep breath in and out* ... *carefully moves towards the plague doctor and turns around*

Ezio lifted up the back of his robes revenge his bare, scarred, back, sitting up as straight as he could.

Ezio: ready.

Plague Doctor: Bene. *takes the syringe and carefully injects the liquid in Ezio's upper spine, just under the neck joint and right on one of Ezio's nerve line*

Ezio: Gah!

Ezio would have flinch but for a moment he couldn't move, it wasn't untill the syringe was removed that Ezio regained his ability to move again.

Plague Doctor: *starts to quickly put away his things and pulls out a leather-bound journal* Do you mind if I write down the effects that this new cure has on you?

Ezio: Effects?

Plague Doctor: Of course, after all I did say this concoction was new. So, how do you feel?

Ezio: hm... we'll I feel fine-

Ezio was cut off, as he begain to feel strange. The injected area of his spinal nerves felt like they were on fire, slowly traveling down his back into the rest of his bones. Ezio grit his teeth, but even them, his teeth left like they were set a flame.

Ezio: Grr- but now I feel like my whole skeleton is on fire!

The Doctor quickly jotted down Ezio's sudden reaction in his leather-bound journal. Careful observing the effects the liquid mix has on Ezio.

The burning felt like it was getting worse as Ezio did his best to keep silent less the gaurds hear him and come back for them. Ezio's body suddenly started to shake like it was cold, even though his body felt like it was lit a blaze.

The Plague Doctor could only watch and observe. Already he didn't seem pleased with the effects.

Plague Doctor: ... (oh no. It seems the results will be the same again with this one. First the burning feeling in the bones, the uncontrollable chill like shaking-)

Ezio: *quickly breathing*

Plague Doctor: (quick and short breaths... then-)

Ezio: *breathing slows down before slowly starting slouch back*

Ezio's body stopped shaking and began to slouch against the alleyway wall, unmoving.

Plague Doctor: ... hm? usually they vomit the sryum out before passing... *sighs* *closes his journal* it would seem this one was nothing more, but a repeated reaction as the other specimens. Though I suppose the, not vomiting, was somewhat of a change... a poor young soul... though his passing was not left in vain, for it was for the good o-

Ezio: *groans* uh... *sits up fully and rubs the back of his neck*

Plague Doctor: *perks up in surprise* . . . mon Dieu... he's alive?

Ezio: *stretches* Uhg... did... did the medicine work?

Plague Doctor: *slowly stands up grabing his Doctor's cane and offers it to Ezio* only one way to find out my boy.

Ezio: ... *slowly reaches to take the plague doctor's cane*

Using the cane as leverage, Ezio pulled himself up using the Plague Doctor's cane and letting his hurt ankle take the first step on solid ground. Ezio winced for a moment expecting to feel pain, but the pain never came. Ezio straightened his posture as he handed the cane back to the plague doctor.

Ezio took a few small steps in place and began rolling some of his joints around, testing them, hardly believing what had just happened.

Plague Doctor: *smirks (if he visbly could)* Now, how do you feel?

Ezio: I feel... I feel... *unsheaths his sword and begins lightly spinning it around with his wrist motion only*

Ezio then proceeded to practice swing the blade at the air, before flinging it into the air, almost like the blade weighed nothing to him at all. Ezio almost with sharp pursition, catching it with just his his index and middle finger like it was a throwing knife.

Ezio: I feel like a whole new assassino! *chuckles* *re-sheaths his sword*

Plague Doctor: The boost effects of my cure seem to have kicked in rather quickly. *opens his journal again and starts writing things down* You have truly impressed me assassino.

Ezio: please, call me Ezio. You have earned my trust Doctor on this one. I can not thank you enough for this- cure. You call it? That you have given me. The boost effects are greatly impressive.

Plague Doctor: of course, Ezio. *puts his journal back into his medical bag* For my cure, is most effective.

Ezio: effective indeed. *flexes his hand joints* ...

Ezio starts shuffling through his pouch, pulling out a small pouch handing it over to the Plague Doctor. The Doctor took the small pouch, opening it to reveal a good amount of Florins with in the pouch. The doctor looked at Ezio with confusion, as he tilted his head.

Ezio couldn't help but compare the doctor's current look to a that of a crow. The plague Doctor then handed the money back into Ezio's gloved hand.

Plague Doctor: This is quite the portion of Florins. I could not except this I-

Ezio: I insist. For everything that you have done for me this day, for not just saving my life, but the many lives of Venice. You've earned this.

Plague Doctor: you testing my sryum was more than enough of a thank you.

Ezio: *sighs and put the Florins back on his pouch* Then my I at least walk you to your place of residency? Ro make sure you get home safe?

Plague Doctor: that will not be necessary. For I haven't settled in one spot for a very, long time.

Ezio: you travel?

Plague Doctor: indeed. For I have traveled over many places in Eroup, to eradicate a deadly disease, better known as, the pestilence.

Ezio: (does he mean the bubonic plague?) Hm... well if that is the case, then my I at least settle you to an inn? I know one of good quality that I stay in every now and then.

Plague Doctor: sí, I would appreciate that very much, thank you.

Ezio: it is no trouble doctor.

Ezio escorted the plague doctor to one of the Inns in Venice. Letting the inn keeper know that the plague doctor would be staying and to treat the man well.

Inn keeper: of course, Assassino! After saving my business, I'd be more then happy to aid you I anyway I can!

Ezio: Bene, Grazie! Take good care of this man while he is here. *pats the plague doctor's shoulder* you will be in good hands here doctor.

Plague Doctor: Grazie, assassin. I hope our paths my cross again in the future.

Ezio: as do I.

The inn keeper hands the plague doctor the keys to his room where he'll be staying in. The two begin walking towards the stair case when Ezio stops them for a moment.

Ezio: oh uh, one last thing before I take off.

Plague Doctor: what is it, Ezio?

Ezio: got any poison? I've been meaning to restock but, got turned around a bit, as you probably know why. *scratches the back of his head*

Plague Doctor: *nods* of course. *shuffles through his back and pulls out a small bottle of poison* will this suffice?

Ezio: Bene! Thank you. *takes the poison and stores it away* are you sure you don't need any flo-

Plague Doctor: *waves his hand a bit dismissively* no need my boy, as I had said before that you testing my latest cure was good enough of a thank you.

Ezio: very well then. I wish you safe travels Doctor.

Plague Doctor: and I wish you luck as well, Ezio.

Ezio: *smiles and waves goodbye before heading out of the Inn*

The plague doctor begins walking up the stairs to find his room in the Inn. Once the plague doctor finds and unlocks his room door, he opens it and walks into the room. He began setting his things down when he noticed something sparkling from his windowsill from the corner of his eye. He turned and walked over to get a better look at what it could be. He was then met with what looked to be a small leather pouch full of Florins inside as well as a note on top of it. The Doctor picked up the pouch with one hand then took out the Note from the pouch to read it.

It read as follows.

To the doctor, thank you for the service you have done for me this night. You have saved many more lives then just mine. I hope these Florins help you well enough on your journey.

From, Ezio.

The doctor snorts a bit. A stubborn boy. He thinks to himself. Something told the doctor that the assassin would be just fine on his own journey. He took a glance around to see Ezio was still somewhere around, but saw no one along the empty streets. Seeing as finding the assassin to bring the money back would be a fruitless task. He is most likely hiding no doubt, because the plague doctor could still sense a familiar presence somewhere close by. With the shake of the head the doctor went to go put the given Florins into his medical bag, then walked back to the window to close it shut.

Ezio watched as the plague doctor closed his room window, smiling as he went off to Leonardo's place to rest for the night. He had a big day tomorrow, and he had one heck of a story to tell Leonardo in the morning at breakfast.

Welp! I hope you enjoyed this mini crossover of Assassin Creed and The SCP foundation! I have actually been proofing and rewriting it for some time now, I do hope you guys enjoyed it!

Stay safe and see you in the next post! 👋 🌙

#assassin's creed #headcanon #assassin's creed lost in modern ages #scp #scp foundation #scp fandom #crossover #scp 049 #049 #the plague doctor #plague doctor

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olivia-anderson-fanfic · 3 years

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Canary, Part 1

It was a good day. Why did stuff always have to go wrong on ‘good days’, Marinette thought bitterly as she rushed through the city, the rough edges of her phone digging into her palm. The message she’d been sent was burned into her eyelids.

She pushed the spiraling thoughts from her mind as she stared at the street sign nearest her. Only a minute and she’d be there and her fears would be either confirmed or denied.

She leaned against the wall to gather her thoughts. If she had messed up it had to have been today because, otherwise, he would have done something earlier. Did she mess up? She allowed her eyes to flutter closed as she thought back.

She’d woken up on an uncomfortable mattress on the floor and rolled off of it, the sheets sticking to her sweaty skin. It had been a particularly hot day for Gotham and she had been too concentrated on typing up a report for work to turn up the AC before her impromptu nap (translation: she’d passed out).

She rubbed her eyes until she managed to get her brown contacts out and set them in the weird not-quite-water that she had never bothered to learn the name for so her eyes could rest while she took a quick shower and changed.

Then, she’d waited. She sat in the window, eyes barely poking over the sill as she watched the building across the street. She didn’t feel like moving for a long while but, alas, the meeting was supposed to be that day and she was running out of time for that thing with Calendar Man and… yeah. Unfortunately, Marinette had to be productive that day unless she wanted more enemies.

She saw movement and her face lit up. She might get everything done soon, at least, and then she could pass out for a hundred years like she oh-so-desperately wanted to.

She checked that her gloves were firmly in place, pulled on the plague doctor (gas) mask that had accidentally become her trademark, and toed on her boots.

Then, she made her way up to the alleyway next to the building she had been watching. She’d been lucky enough to have a job right next to one of her safe houses and she kinda wished that it would happen again. It was nice to not have to travel a half-hour or more just to listen in on one boring conversation.

She pulled out her knives and, after testing to make sure they were still strong enough to hold her weight, began picking her way up to the roof.

She set everything up for the thing with Calendar Man. It took approximately five seconds. Yay her.

Alright, next thing: listening in on a boring conversation that, if she was lucky, would end in someone getting shot so it wouldn’t last too long. It was going to be even hotter inside the vent and she did not want to end up cooked. That would be embarrassing.

She crawled into the vents and dutifully wrote down everything they said on a notepad. They were negotiating a drug deal and her client wanted to intercept it to try and get both the money and the (… Big D? What the fuck is Big D?) drugs. From the sounds of it, it wasn’t possible but, hey, her job wasn’t anything more than gathering intel. If her clients wanted to die stupidly that was on them.

… maybe she’d kill her client herself, she thought angrily as she readjusted in the vent in hopes of not getting stuck to the metal. It was easy money but wow was it awful.

Or, at least, it was awful until a hand grabbed her by the hood of her leather jacket and started dragging her out. She tipped her head back, grin on her face in seconds.

“Signal. Hi.”

He sighed and pulled her the rest of the way out. She let herself hang from his grip like a reprimanded cat.

“So, what’s up?” She asked brightly, as if hadn’t just caught her listening in on a private conversation.

“Great, thanks for asking,” he said. “Even better now that I’m taking the famed Canary to Arkham.”

“We both know that’s not going to happen.”

He leveled her with a cold look for a few more seconds before splitting into a grin. “Yeah. Probably not. Got a backup plan?”

“Of course.”

“Is it even worth trying?”

“Probably not. But who knows? You could get lucky.”

She waited for a minute as he mulled over the idea in his head before he sighed. “I gotta ask: what’s with the egg?”

She swatted at his hand until he let her down and then led him over to her science experiment. “Know how there’s that expression that says ‘it’s so hot out you could make eggs on the sidewalk’ or something?”

“Yeah…?”

“Well, the pavement physically can’t get hot enough to do that and also we’re up north so: aluminum foil to try and get the process to work a little better.”

He stared at her for a while before snickering. “Need a magnifying glass? We can ‘kid with an anthill’ this.”

“Sure.”

He reached into his tool belt and started looking for his spare. Unfortunately for him, it seemed to be gone.

She could feel his sharp gaze turn on her even if she couldn’t see his eyes behind his helmet. He wasn’t stupid and magnifying glasses don’t usually just disappear into thin air unless they’re Plastic Man in disguise. She held up her hands for a quick search but, when he couldn’t find it on her, he just sighed and looked down at the science experiment. It didn’t seem to be going well. The egg was still distinctly not cooked.

Eventually, he groaned and sat down. The light around him flickered and started to move at his will. Marinette watched intently.

Ten minutes later, they had a cooked egg. They high-fived, delighted. They weren’t going to taste it, obviously, it had been out for a while without supervision and who knows what could have happened to it… but it was an egg! Yay them!

“My old science teacher would be so proud of me,” Marinette joked.

“My current science teacher would be proud of me.”

“Oooooh, going back to school?”

He smiled. “Yep! Robin is finally in college and Red Hood convinced me to go with him. You should, too, it’s actually not that bad.”

“Please. If I was going to do that I’d go back to my home country. American school is expensive and not all of us are sponsored by billionaires.”

“... aren’t you a millionaire?”

She grinned. “Of course. But why would I want to spend that much of my own money?”

He hummed his understanding. Then, she pushed herself up with a groan. “Right, we both have jobs. See you later.”

He hesitated and then held a hand out for her notepad. “Is it bad?”

She held it out of reach with ease. “Nah, just drugs. Unless someone got shot while I was gone but I doubt it. They’d been almost as bored as me last I heard.”

“If it’s nothing then let me see.”

“Ugh, do you really want to fight? It’s too hot for that,” Marinette complained. He started to square up and she, after a second’s thought, added a little something to convince him: “Also, there’s going to be a breakout today so you should really save your energy.”

“... really think I’m going to fall for that?”

There was an explosion in the distance.

“Yeah. I’d hurry. I’m pretty sure it’s Joker’s turn to get out.”

She waved him off with a smile… only for her smile to drop when she remembered her other job. She groaned again and stretched out while she still could.

Tikki floated over the side of the building, a magnifying glass as big as her head in her tiny paws.

Marinette rubbed the kwami’s head. “You’re the best.”

Her kwami sighed. “That I am,” she said.

Marinette grinned and sent the film of Signal using his powers to her computer so she could give it to Calendar Man when it was due.

People were always so predictable in Gotham.

She supposed she really had been tempting fate when she’d thought that. Still, that didn’t mean she liked it that Fate had called her bluff.

But, actually, it seemed that Fate was the one that was bluffing. That had been her entire day. She had finished up her work and then went to one of her more stocked safehouses for a nap. She’d woken up to the buzzing of her phone when she’d gotten the message. She didn’t think she had messed up anywhere…

Her shoulders relaxed. She was probably fine. Which meant it was just Oswald Cobblepot being annoying. As usual.

Marinette flung the doors to the Iceberg Lounge open. Every eye in the room fell on her, but she only cared about the eyes of one person.

She stalked through the lounge, pulling one of her twin karambits from its sheath and pointing the curved blade towards him.

“What the fuck do you want? You really think that, after almost seven whole years of rejecting your wrinkly ass, I’m suddenly going to say ‘oh, yeah, I guess I’ll work for him now’? Leave me alone!”

Cobblepot wasn’t concerned even as her knife came to rest under his chin.

“Canary,” he greeted, regarding her cooly through his monocle.

Guards surrounded them. Marinette somehow managed to look unimpressed without anyone being able to see her face.

Everyone present held their breath… except for the two with weapons pointed at themselves. They knew that they would never follow through with it, especially not in a place as public as this. It was little more than a warning, a reminder, that either of them could kill each other at any given moment and chose not to.

For now, at least.

Cobblepot dismissed the guards with a wave of a gloved hand and she, after a few seconds, lowered her knife.

“What do you want?”

“Currently? For you to get off my table,” said Cobblepot.

She snorted but hopped down with ease. “I meant: why did you call me here?”

“... we should go somewhere else to discuss this. I assume you don’t do all of your business meetings in public?”

“Only if I know ahead of time that I’m going to say no,” she said.

He motioned for her to walk with him to a private room and, reluctantly, she followed. He had to think he had something on her, otherwise he wouldn’t have tried calling her there. She was curious.

They came to a room with a metal door and she cringed a little. Fun.

She dropped eight knives down into a tray and Cobblepot put down a gun, a knife, and his umbrella. She let a female goon pat her down and then checked Cobblepot over herself. Nothing she could find, but she was sure he had found some way to hide one somewhere.

They stepped inside as a pair and each took a seat on opposing ends of the wooden table stationed awkwardly in the middle of the room. She leaned back in her chair and propped her feet up.

“So, what’s the job?”

“I’m surprised you’re even going to hear it.”

She shrugged. “I’m curious.”

He nodded slowly before leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table, steepling his fingers in front of his face.

“Power poses don’t actually work, you know, that’s just lies so companies don’t actually have to deal with all the discrimination.”

“Is that true?” He asked.

She shrugged again. “Probably. I’ve never worked for anyone, so…”

He chuckled. She didn’t like that.

But he didn’t say anything on that subject. Instead, he just smiled a smile that looked weird on his face and gave her her mission briefing: “I want you to figure out the bats’ identities for me.”

Marinette stared at him for a minute before breaking out into laughter. She couldn’t seem to stop. She stood up to leave, still giggling. Really? Did he really think that would work? People had asked many times, of course, and the bats’ identities weren’t common knowledge so she had to have said no. Why would she suddenly do it for him? She didn’t even like him.

She rested her hand on the knob but held off on leaving for just a second. She flashed a grin at Cobblepot. “Interesting offer. Bold. But no. Couldn’t pay me enough to do that.”

“Good thing I have no intentions of paying you, Marinette.”

~~~

And behold a new section I call ‘Marinette is a menace to society why would anyone let her on twitter’

(… the name may need a little work)

OliverQueenOfficial: Why does that one Gotham villain go by Canary? Black Canary already exists.

TheBetterCanary: if youre gonna vague tweet maybe dont put my name in it

TheBetterCanary: but anyways someone else named me that and it stuck before i could think of something to change it to

ScareCrane:… @/RiddleMeThis she’s dissing you

RiddleMeThis: LISTEN UP. IT WAS THEMATIC. DON’T ANY OF YOU KNOW ANYTHING OF DRAMA? EVER HEAR ABOUT CANARIES IN COAL MINES? FUCK ALL OF YOU AND YOUR UNCULTURED, UNEDUCATED ASSES. NOT TO MENTION IT WAS MAKING FUN OF THE BIRD THEME ALL THE VIGILANTES HER AGE SEEM TO HAVE. (1/14)

TheBetterCanary: @/ScareCrane why would you do that you knew he was going to do this

ScareCrane: Joker just broke out so Arkham is boring… needed to entertain myself somehow

TheBetterCanary: fuck you im not visiting this weekend

OliverQueenOfficial: Wow do I regret asking. I didn’t need all this family drama in my comments.

~~~~~

Perma taglist: @nathleigh @peachmuses

#alright strap in babes it's another longfic #no one is surprised #why do i change my format with every fic?#no clue #im dumb #anyways ive finally started writing this #canary #maribat #timari #timmari #timinette #shutterbug #marinette dupain cheng #ladybug #tim drake #red robin #i like timinette best as a ship name #idk why

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curious-menace · 3 years

Note

Have I really ever requested one thing of you (the pegging telltale Riddler h/c)? Time to change that; let's see how the Eddies would respond to being told by their partner that they're a "bad boy" and "need to be punishment" (sexually, of course) - Pegging Anon.

I really enjoy these kinds of asks. honestly just give me a blank check for mayhem, unleash me upon the riddlers like a plague of locusts

nsfw below the cut

Arkham! Riddler

please be careful with this riddler. He has problems reading peoples tone and if he thinks youre angry at him you're liable to send him into a panic.

he really doesn't like dirty talk. dont call him a slut or a whore or anything like that. Not only is it demeaning and humiliating( 2 things this riddler doesnt deal well with) its just a terrible way to get him to do what you want.

again, the idea of punishment in a sexy setting is a turn off for him. He’s afraid of being strangled or choked and he doesn't find being hit sexy.

to put it simply, this riddler reacts better to the carrot than the stick. if you want a good reaction out of him, praise and affection work better. call him a good boy, give him pets and rewards.

IF you were to coax him into it, safeword, soft restraints and reassuring from you that everything will be ok, he’ll still probably cry. he might enjoy himself but the emotional stress will still leave him in an utter state.

i know some people use BDSM to cope with trauma but maybe dont try this on him. pitch the idea and let him mull it over. dont bring it up more than once or twice and let him decide

he always needs a lot of aftercare. he needs to be constantly reassured, not just after sex, that you love him , that he’s done well. lots of kisses and soft words and let him rest from the heavy stuff for a little while.

Blacklight riddler

another riddler you need to tread carefully with. he’s a kinky shit but like...a soft kinky shit who bruises easily.

He wont need coaxing. its either a hell yes or a hell no and you shouldn't push that. He likes sex games but he’s got trauma, sometimes something that was fine yesterday is triggering today so please be gentle and respectful with him.

He doesnt mind being called a bad boy, just not too often. mix it up and don't patronise him all the time . you can tell him off without treating him like a kid.

he likes edging and orgasm denial as a punishment. just dont ruin his orgasm or he wont let you do it again.

please don't ever hit him during sex. a playful thump on the arm when he’s telling a bad joke is one thing but if you touch him roughly during the act, even if he knows its coming, he finds it triggering.

He’s pretty exclusively a sub but don't think that means he’s into punishment all the time. mostly he just likes his dominant to take care of him.

BTAS Riddler

i feel like it would throw him for a loop. he’d be confused as all hell, even if you said it in a sexy voice he might not get the message.

he’d probably scoff at the idea. the notion that he’s anything other than perfect is laughable. he’s certainly not some sort of bad boy. you should sit on his lap and get him on the same page as you. watch his mouth go dry and his eyes go wide as you explain all the things you're going to do to him for being bad. he’ll do his best to stay composed but we both know its you who’d be wearing the pants by the end of the conversation.

he’d want to be tied up. he’ll be gibbering and rambling the entire time, desperately trying to stay in control of the situation. He’ll try to do things for you but a gentle reminder that you’re in control and if he doesn't anything he’ll be punished more will have him biting his tongue.

I think humiliation works best on this one. im imagining something with rope or his suits since he’s so fond of them. maybe try and make him cum while still clothed? maybe some shibari under his suit jacket? i’ll let you decide.

he doesnt have a safeword bc he thinks its strictly a bdsm thing and refuses to admit he’s into that. he prefers to use the traffic light system. although you probably had to teach him that. before hand he was using some nonsense riddler made system involving humming different songs. ode to joy for fun/keep going and vivaldi winter for slow down. you will have to gently explain what a batshit insane idea that was.

Original Riddler

I imagine he’d be into it, moreso initially than the others. He doesnt have so much emotional baggage and he’s game to try anything once.

I dont know if he’d find the idea of punishment sexy but he’ll try it for you. he’d probably just prefer you to frame it as impact play or degradation or whatever “just because” you wanna try it. something about it being a meant as a punishment just seems weird to him

he does like being called names but in a cute playful way. he’s not liable to take offence at anything you say, inside or outside the bedroom but digs at his appearance do sting a little. even if youre “in character” so to speak when you say them. just reassure him after that you dont really think those things.

He’s one of the tallest riddlers and also has zero shame so you’ll need to be inventive when thinking of punishments. tying him up could actually hurt him with his circulation, he runs around in glittery spandex all day anyway so good luck trying to humiliate him.

Because he is so tall and strong, its hard to hurt him. you could try spanking him, ask him to count out the spanks and listen as his voice gets higher and more unsteady with each one.

actually in that note and given his penchant for dress up maybe you could try sub/dom roleplay? pretend you're a doctor/nurse or something and you're punishing him for his bad diet? if the punishment thing doesn't work out at least you’ll both get a giggle out of it.

Telltale Riddler

Oh he is absolutely going to fight you on this one “i think YOU'RE the one who needs punishing , love.” . if you want to punish him you’ll have to fight for that right

he’s never really subbed before he met you. He’s happy to show you how to punish a sub but he really needs practice letting someone else hold the reins.

he pretends he doesn't like dirty talk. if you get him riled up and start whispering filthy things in his ear he’s going to melt a little.

I cant think of a specific he’d like or something he’d find egregiously offensive, so i think you've got a blank cheque for mayhem here. do what you like and he’ll tell you then and there if he’s into it or not.

but no blinders or restraints though. he’s claustrophobic after being in that icebox. He IS an escapartist mind you. even if you put him in something he’ll have wiggled out of it before you can blink . he MIGHT tolerate something just there for aesthetics or because the fabric feels nice, like maybe his tie or your hair bow tied loosely around his arms.

in the same vein, he’s sensitive so maybe you could lightly torture him with some sensory stuff. ice cubes or wax play?

Zero year Riddler

i Cannot stress to you enough what a horny fuck this one is. at the mere MENTION of sexy punishment he’s like “oh yes punish me ive been bad “ wiggling his ass in the air like a target. will call you Daddy regardless of your gender because we all know he has issues.

He’s 100 percent going to lean into it, goad you and taunt you to punish him more, get angrier or hit him harder. he gets off on the pain, yes but he also just really enjoys being an insufferable shit.

“EDWARD THIS IS PUNISHMENT YOU ARENT SUPPOSED TO ENJOY IT” - you, probably.

i dont think the traditional sexy punishment things will work on this one. youre going to have to get creative. like tell him you are in charge of his wardrobe and death traps for the week.

something that MIGHT work would be forcing him to wear a toy or even just some lingerie under his suit. He’s going to be embarrassed as all hell because this riddler is a big buff cheeto puff who takes his appearance seriously. BUT he cant deny the thrill of maybe the lace poking out over his waist band when he bends or the outline of a bralette being seen under his shirt, isnt a little arousing.

please dont be surprised when he turns around a week later and pulls this exact same shit on you.

there you go nonnie ! this one was quite a lot of fun! i have a rule of trying not to write more than 6 points for each but it was hard to compress down this time around. so much variety in personality and temperament in the one character there's a lot to write about

got something you wana talk about? send me an ask or a dm! im always game to talk about our favorite curious menace 💚💜

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fuckinuchihas · 3 years

Note

hi can i please emergency request 1-3 haikyuu boys comforting their s/o who’s just really anxious. not panic attack anxious— more so just unable to function properly & unable to stop overthinking? you can choose whichever characters.. thank you. <3

I’m so sorry you’re feeling anxious and probably overwhelmed. Unfortunately I know that feeling quite well so I’m happy to do this for you and who knows, maybe I’ll even help myself out in the process! Fingers crossed!!

For you I have a Tsukki scenario and HC’s for Yams and Kuroo!

Tsukishima Kei

I’ve said it a thousand times but Tsukishima isn’t good at comfort, not really. He’s the first one to make a sarcastic comment or poke a stick at any insecurity he can find, but you’re not doing the thing where you fight back and it’s all banter and fun. Instead he made some remark, doesn’t even remember what he said now but one minute you were laughing and the next you were curled in on yourself and giving him some half assed attempt at a fake smile; like he wouldn’t see the difference.

He doesn’t like it.

He wants to apologize but he’s not really sure what he did wrong, only that something he said wasn’t as funny to you today as it has been in the past.

“What is it? What’s with you today?” he asks, with much less of a bite to it than normal. He’s usually obnoxious and loud about it, and then teases you for spacing out. This time, his voice is much softer than you’re used to and when you glance up at him, his eyes are calculating but warm.

“Nothing, I’m-”

“No you’re not,” he says, huffing out a short breath.

He pulls you in against his chest, softly stroking the back of your head a few times before he speaks again. “Want to try that again? This time with the truth, please.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong I’m just...I’m really overwhelmed right now. I can’t stop thinking about everything in my life falling apart,” you answer, trying to take in a deep breath of his scent. The cologne you got him for Christmas matches perfectly with his natural scent and it smells so much like comfort that the words keep spilling out. “Every little thing I do feels like a hundred step process and I pick apart each step looking for ways I can or do mess it up. Even when I finally finish something it doesn’t help. I either move onto the next thing and start stressing about that or I get caught up in how much more is left unfinished.”

“Like what? Tell me what you have left to do, all the things that are plaguing you right now, in this moment,” he says, as if it’s simple. As if you can even get all the words out.

You start making a list of all the things you haven’t completed, chores you haven’t done, people you haven’t contacted. It takes a few minutes but he listens patiently.

“Okay and how long would it take you to do these things if you weren’t having so much anxiety about it?” he asks, eyes curious but there’s something hiding in the warm golden gaze you’re used to.

“I don’t know...not long probably...anyone else could have already had it done…” you say, biting your lip.

He kisses the top of your head and shakes his while looking down at you. There’s a lot of these things that I obviously can’t do for you, but there are some I can. And until you feel better, I’ll take care of those. In the meantime...everything else can wait.”

“WHA!WHAT?” you say, looking at him as if he’s insane.

“It can wait.”

“Are you….are you insane? I can’t just put off everything in my life.”

“Yes you can.”

“Kei I can’t-”

He pushes his lips to yours with force but only long enough to shut you up.

“Yes, you can. I’m giving you permission. Take some time away from everything, including your thoughts. We’ll go somewhere together, have a little fun, relax...just the two of us. I know it won’t solve everything, and that the same stress and worries will be waiting on you when we get back but for now, you can leave it behind.”

You think about it for a few minutes, it’s tempting, God is it tempting but… can you really do that? Can you just take off for an unknown destination for an unknown amount of time and just leave your whole life behind you?

“So, you coming?” he asks, holding his hand out to you with a knowing smirk.

As if you could ever refuse him.

Tadashi Yamaguchi

Tadashi would notice immediately that something was different. He’d let it go for a little while, thinking maybe it’s just a temporary shift in mood but your smile isn’t as bright or wide anymore and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better so he brings over some of your favorite snacks and finally gets the nerve to ask what’s bothering you.

When you tell him, he holds you in his arms. He tells you that he understands a little about what you’re feeling. But while he doesn’t know exactly what you’re going through, he’s been plenty anxious before and he just wants you to feel a little less alone.

He offers any help he can provide and as hard as it is to do, you take him up on the offer for anything at all that you can put off, even if it’s just straightening up the apartment or letting him cook a meal or two for you.

Anything helps, and he’s happy to be of use.

He tries to keep you distracted unless you’re actively working on something. He wants you to get everything done but he doesn’t want your mind going a million miles a minute for no good reason.

He offers to facetime with you every night until you fall asleep, unless you want to invite him over so he can make you cocoa and tell you bedtime stories. He’ll blush and stutter a bit but if it means that he gets to take care of you even in the smallest way he wants to do it.

When you’re not together he’s constantly texting you and trying to make sure you have something other than your anxiety to keep your mind occupied, eventually it does help and you’re able to get some things done and you start to function a little better.

If it goes on for too long, he will shyly ask you if you’ve thought about seeing a doctor for it. He just doesn’t want you to suffer if you don’t have to.

He silently hopes things get better soon because he just loves you so much and it hurts him to know you’re hurting.

Kuroo Tetsuro

Kuroo has been busy with work so you have to tell him what’s happening before he notices, but once you do he drops everything to see if there’s any way he can help.

You tell him all you really need is a distraction from time to time and he comes through brilliantly.

He plans out over a dozen little mini-dates for the two of you that you can share daily or every other day at least. It’s honestly one of the most romantic things he’s ever done for you.

There’s a coffee date in the morning which usually just consists of him dropping off your favorite drink and some kind of pastry from the cafe nearby on his way to work. He leaves it on the nightstand if you’re still in bed and kisses your forehead at least once before he takes off.

He texts you pretty much hourly and mid morning you always get a quick selfie of him while he’s at work, just a little something to brighten your day. If you’re feeling up to it you can always send one back but he makes sure you know that it’s okay if you don’t.

He calls you on his lunch break without fail, and you chat for at least ten minutes of it, sometimes he pushes you to vid chat so he can see that you’re up and eating something too.

He asks you to find one song that makes you think of him every day, and you enjoy going through different playlists and stations on your phone to find the right thing that fits, it’s actually a really good distraction.

Every time you make progress on something he asks that you tell him about it and no matter how small the task, he always praises you as if you’ve just won the Olympics.

He buys a dozen puzzles, not huge ones with 5000 pieces but smaller ones that you can work on together and finish in one evening (usually) He gets coloring books and crayons too and you give a weird look but he promises they’re more for him than you, and you realize quickly he wasn’t lying about that.

He is genuinely fierce with some Crayola.

Dinner is usually takeout for you both but he makes sure that you have some healthy options as well as some of your favorite comfort foods, and that you eat a little of both.

When bedtime rolls around he tries to pull himself away and go home but more often than not, you invite him to stay and he’s never been so pleased, even if all you want to do is cuddle up and listen to him sing to you.

It is a very good way to fall asleep.

MASTERLIST

#not naruto #not knb #haikyuu!!#my stuff #kel answers #kei tsukishima #kuroo tetsuro #tadashi yamaguchi

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vicecityhq · 3 years

Photo

██████████████]99% LOADING...SUSPECT INTO THE APD DATABASE...

WITNESS(ES) SAY HE REMINDS THEM OF: autumn, forestpunk, cottagegore, darkest academia . With a slight resemblance to PAKORN THANASRIVANITCHAI of/the ACTOR.

CLICK BELOW TO VIEW ENTIRE FILE.

FULL FILE:

Last Name, First Name: Suwannarat, Briar Alias: Pan (codename for his job), Ari (more of a nickname than an alias) Realm of birth (if earth, nationality): Earth realm, Thailand Age: 29 Date of Birth: November 23rd Gender: Male Preferred Pronouns: He/Him Species: Children of the Twelve - Sagittarius Occupation: Police Detective Sexual Orientation: Homosexual

VISUAL FILE:

Skin Color: Tanned, burnt orange hue with a smattering of chocolate freckles along his face. He has the same freckles throughout his body, but has bigger white spots along his shoulders, the backs of his ears, and his outer hips. Eye color: Honey Brown Scars: None that have a significant story Piercings: None Tattoos: None Hair color: Dark chocolate brown Abnormalities: Fawn-like ears Horns/ wings/ etc: Small, stumpy antlers that stick just above his hair Transformed form: He does not have a transformation.

PERSONAL FILE:

RELIGIOUS BELIEF: Agnostic, but was raised Buddhist SINS: greed / gluttony / sloth / lust / pride / envy / wrath VIRTUES: chastity / charity / diligence / humility / kindness / patience / justice KNOWN LANGUAGES: English, Thai, Latin SECRETS: Teen romance can be rough, right? It’s like two colliding whirlwinds of emotions, hormones, and desires. One minute you’re together, the next you’re broken up for no reason. Now when that volatility is coupled with doubts about sexuality, it’s just a disaster waiting to happen. Most people didn’t accidentally melt half of their boyfriend’s face off and cause him to have to undergo grueling, expensive reconstructive surgery that would never quite make things right, though. Briar had told him the gloves had to stay on, but kids were reckless and foolishly believed in their own infallibility so it didn’t take much convincing to risk it all for some skin on skin. Then next thing they knew, Briar was babbling some half brained excuse about a science experiment gone wrong while his boyfriend’s blood curdling screams echoed in his ears. It was believably enough… until a month after - when the swelling from some of his injuries went down - his former lover was able to unintelligibly mutter “Briar did it.” Then suddenly an ‘accident’ turned into a full scale investigation of malicious intent. All Briar could do was tell the truth. He didn’t know which was more difficult - coming clean about his powers or coming out of the closet. But the officer sitting across from him and his distraught mother in the cramped interrogation room didn’t seem particularly disturbed by the confession. His bushy brows only furrowed in disappointment over the entire situation. In the end, Briar was only charged with obstruction of justice for initially lying to police, but the damage to his reputation was irreparable. His mother decided it would be best to relocate, which is how Briar came to finish his last years of high school in Agdoeg.

SAVVIES: hiking, gardening, camping, sightseeing, investigative work, problem solving, riddles and puzzles.

Powers & Abilities: Zodiac Empowerment (Sagittarius: enhanced accuracy, vision, tracking), Zodiac Physiology (see above appearance), Animal (deer) Spirit Summoning, Fthinóporokinesis (Autumn manipulation), Rot Inducement/Decaying Touch, Body Part Erosion, Luck, Evolution Manipulation, Supernatural Bowmanship.

Traits: (positive) Determined, intelligent, neat freak, health conscious, animal lover, usually down to earth, assertive, responsible, (negative) Sarcastic, impatient, untrusting, can have a temper when someone pushes him too far, distant, prioritizes work over everything else.

BACKGROUND CHECK:

Date of Birth: November 23rd

Date of Death: N/A

Crime Record: Most would assume someone has to have a clean slate to enter law enforcement, but that would leave slim pickings in a city like Agdoeg. Briar doesn’t have any outstanding criminal record, but he did have a couple of dings on his juvenile one that were expunged once he became a legal adult and, therefore, they can no longer be found in most databases.

Background/Biography

(tw miscarriage, tw immaculate conception by some strange god XD, tw domestic disputes, tw divorce)

Briar’s parents had been struggling to conceive a child for many years, since their prompt marriage right out of secondary school. These sweet hearts had longed to have a cookie cutter life and family, but fate seemed to inhibit that every step of the way. His mother have seven miscarriages due to the condition of an incompetent cervix and was told many times that she may never be able to carry a child to full term. This had been devastating news to the couple, who had no means of affording everything that went into surrogacy and were now facing the reality that they may never be able to have their own children. In spite of these odds, though, they kept trying and praying that whatever Gods that were out there might grant them a miracle.

Their prayers never seemed to be answered, though, and this put an understandable strain on their marriage. It was when his mother was thirty three and beginning to lose hope that she was plagued by a strange dream. She was floating in a vast emptiness, unable to move or even scream. This might have terrified someone else, but she somehow felt safe blanketed in the darkness. It was as if the entire universe lay bare before her, starlight dancing between her outstretched fingertips. Except she didn’t have fingers. She didn’t even have a physical body. There was a sense that she had become a part of something greater or perhaps been broken down into a form akin to what they had all been before the universe collided together in some cosmic firework show to create all that they knew. After what seemed like an eternity if time even passed in that world, the stars began to slowly take shape before her, pulled together by gravity or some other force she would never quite understand. As they converged, the light became so bright that it was nearly blinding, but she was space dust so how could she look away? She remembers trying to rationalize it with that absurd thought as the light shifted around her and the sound of harps and a heavenly chorus interrupted the sacred stillness that she’d been immersed in until then. Heralding the coming of something… or someone. The light came together at the peak of the crescendo, shapeless but she somehow got the sense of a shapely figure wrapped in a gown the longer she stared into it. This motherly figure bent over her and she recalled the warmth as its tendrils of light stroked over her cheek before urging her mouth open. In that moment, she didn’t feel any sense of unease as the being urged her to partake of its light. It traveled past her lips and through every corner of her being, rushing into her fingertips and even the ends of her hair. It was the first time since being in that plane that she had any sense of where she ended and the rest of the world began. The last thing she remembered was that light condensing, forming into its own little star in the lower part of her abdomen and radiating such soothing warmth…

Then she woke up and that was the first time she really had any sense of unease about the strange dream. As someone who had experienced how odd dreams could get during pregnancy, though, she took it as a good sign. Sure enough, when she took a test three weeks later, she was pregnant! Unlike prior, when she’d lost her children around the three month mark, this child was growing strong and without the complications she always worried about. Everything seemed to finally be falling into place. Their marriage and hope in the future was revitalized! And after nine months of perhaps the most physical and emotional pain she had ever been in in her entire life, she was welcoming a beautiful, healthy baby boy into the world and never once thought about the unsettling dream at the start of it all.

Admittedly, Briar was certainly a unique baby. His ears had always been a little odd since birth - bigger than usual - but his parents figured he would just grow into them and found it one of his most endearing traits. However, when he was three years old, that’s when his antlers started coming in. His mother found them one night when she was reading him a bedtime story and running her fingers through his unruly mop of wavy hair. Understandably, she freaked out and brought him to the doctor the next day, who took a biopsy and found the strange growths to primarily be made of calcium. It was unusual, but they decided to simply keep an eye on it since it seemed harmless enough. They only became more noticeable as the years went by, poking through his hair, and Briar recalls the Chinese Buddhists of his neighborhood always telling his mother it was a sign of good fortune. At the time, Briar had always thought it was annoying how they’d always want to lay their hands on him, but he realized as he’d gotten older that they believed the cow was Guanyin’s reincarnated father and the stubby little nubs atop his head made them think he was blessed. But horns and antlers are two different things - one being keratinous and, the other, bone - but he supposed it was easy to confuse them at first glance. Going into adolescence, those things grew like crazy. As if puberty and having velvety twigs growing on your head wasn’t stressful enough, that was when Briar first noticed his parents beginning to drift apart. One night, when coming home late from a friend’s house, he overheard a heated argument between them in the kitchen and his father’s accusations would forever be etched into his mind... “You thought you could trick me forever? I don’t know who knocked you up, but I can’t pretend that thing is my son!” The words drove through him like a knife. Yet after the initial shock subsided, Briar felt for the first time that all the little confusing pieces he’d chosen to overlook his entire life began to make sense. At first his parents had simply assumed he’d taken on more features of his mother, but his father had begun to grow distant as his otherworldly features and powers emerged. The reality was that two humans couldn’t possibly have made a half-deer-whatever-he-was and the only logical explanation was that he wasn’t his father’s at all. He only wished he’d come to that conclusion sooner instead of deluding himself and becoming foolishly attached to the man… The divorce was relatively swift. The judge didn’t even demand a paternity test when his father rebuked having to pay child support. All he had to do was look across the courtroom and he could tell that the speckled, big eared, horned child standing there wasn’t his. It was a dirty, unjust move that besmirched his mother as a disloyal wife and watching her go through that emotional rollercoaster was perhaps the toughest thing of the whole ordeal. Thirteen year old Briar comforted her through the fits of tears and had a strong upper lip when she insisted that she’d never betrayed his father… What bothered him the most was that he couldn’t believe her, but he also couldn’t be angry or blame her either. He had always been closer with his mother and he promised her in those moments of weakness that he would always take care of her. Of course, a single mother with a bad reputation was not an easy gig when trying to support a family. They were forced to move from their smaller town into the teeming metropolis of Bangkok for her to find work and Briar was honestly quite happy with leaving the past behind him. He thrived in the city with its far more diverse population. No one looked at him like he was a freak when he rode the bus or went to buy groceries. It was the first time he felt like he could truly be himself. He had his fair share of rough patches, just like any hormonal teenager, but having otherworldly powers and no one to teach you how to use them certainly caused a few catastrophic, social life obliterating faux pas. His mother thankfully was able to transfer within her company to the Agdoeg branch. It meant not only relocating in the middle of high school for Briar, but moving to an entirely new country. The level of diversity and integration of the supernatural community within Agdoeg was even better than what he’d experienced before. They were in government, owned small businesses… But not all of them were reputable or honest. Briar quickly learned that there were parts of the city that he shouldn’t venture to if he knew what was good for him. However, in spite of the seedier things going on in the underbelly, he was able to find a youth center which helped him to get a better handle on his powers and met his role model who would eventually lead him into his career as a police officer.

INTERVIEW QUESTION (para sample): “Just run us through what happened that night”. - Officer

Briar squeezed his eyes shut tight in an attempt to chase away the spots dancing across his vision from the overbearing fluorescent bulbs that bore down on the table in the center of the interrogation room. It was so intense that he could hear the hum of the electricity going to it and, somehow, he mentally processed that before the weight of the officer’s words. Words he’d uttered himself many times when the roles were flipped. Normally, this was the point a smart suspect would clam up and demand to talk to a lawyer, but clearly this was some kind of joke and he’d just missed the punchline. “Ha. Ha! Very funny.” He gruffed, devoid of amusement as he reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose to ward off the pounding headache settling in like someone was playing the bass drum behind his eyeballs.

The precinct had all been out drinking the night before, celebrating closing a case that had been busting their proverbial balls for the last six months, and there was a point after countless shots of tequila that Briar didn’t even know what was up and what was down, let alone why they were even there anymore. Now, he didn’t doubt that many profoundly stupid things had fallen from his lips and been done, but he hardly would have thought it would be anything illegal. Officers protected their own and someone less inebriated surely would have stopped him before he did anything he’d regret. Trying to wrack his brain, Briar bent to press his forehead to the cool metal of the table with a pitious groan. He remembered waking up in one of the cells to the sound of the door noisily being opened and before he could even get his bearings, two uniformed men were hauling him up and dragging him down the hallway toward the room he sat in now. None of it made a lick of sense.

“I’m afraid this isn’t a joke, Officer Suwannarat. Something very serious happened tonight and we need you to tell us why.”

The brutally stern voice sobered Briar up really quick and he lifted his head up from the table to narrow his eyes on the man that sat across from him, his fawn-like ears flicking in annoyance. He’d worked on the force for many years now and he wasn’t about to be hassled by some nameless rookie who was probably forced in here by his supervising officer, like a lamb being pushed into a cage with a bear. “Listen- no. What is going on?” He demanded with surprising eloquence for someone who’s tongue felt like a dried up sponge in his mouth. Drunk drought be damned. “Am I under arrest? ‘Cause if I am, you better tell me the charges or else I’m walking right out that door and finding your commanding off-”

What was likely going to be a memorable tirade was cut short as the door to the interrogation room swung open and a handful of officers poured into the small space like salmon all fighting to spawn upstream. All Briar could do was stare wide eyed where he was glued to his seat and watch with no small amount of mortification while a cake was set in front of him with messy lettering iced on top that read ‘Congrats on your Promotion! Now you’re their problem.’ Feeling the mixture of rage and bewilderment quickly begin to ebb away, the corners of Briar’s lips twitched into a crooked smile and he shook his head in exasperation. “You’re fucking kidding me. Who’s terrible idea was this?” He demanded with a mirthless laugh as he deflated back into the hard metal chair and glanced around at the familiar faces of the men and women he’d worked with for the past ten years. God, how had he survived their crazy antics and made it this far?

“What do you mean? We had to give you a memorable send-off.” His partner mounted his defense and slunk out from the crowd to give Briar an encouraging clap on the shoulder. “Besides, do you know how hard it was to carry your heavy ass into the cell to pull this off? The least you could do was say thank you. Geez. Too good for us already, Detective?”

Briar should thank him. That much he’d already mentally concluded. But shoving his partner’s smug face into the cake was also a tempting option. Instead, he reached up to gently pat the other’s hand with his gloved one. “Never.” He assured him gently before a chorus of obnoxious coos from the peanut gallery made sure to not only kill the moment but beat it once it was down. Pushing himself up from the chair, Briar swayed unsteadily and shamelessly grappled a couple of his friends for balance on his route to the door. “Ugh. Alright, get me out of this room before I literally end someone and get stuck here forever. That cake better be chocolate, I swear-”

#vcaccepted #vccivilian

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sunflowersseemhappy · 4 years

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main 6 with an apprentice who’s blind? also, i hope you have a lovely day!

Thank you anon for the request, sorry it took so much time but I was melting in the heat here and had a bit of writers block. Despite that I have had a lovely few days since I got your request!

I really hope this is alright, obviously take it with a grain of salt as I am not blind and have no clue what other people who are blind go through.

This is more based on an apprentice who wasn’t blind before resurrection but it could be either way. But I think it makes sense for the Apprentice (as the Fool) to be blind due to the classic card in tarot... (but I won’t get into that now!)

As always I hope you enjoy! REQUESTS ARE OPEN and up next is;

Main 5/6? react to an Apprentice who is trying to cheer them up about their histories by talking about their own history with Lucio. (A better title to come.)

Asra

Some of his travels involved looking for treatments, never really gave up looking for something or someone who could help you.

Begged the Magician to help restore your sight, it was hard enough you no longer had your memories but without your sight Asra didn’t know how you would cope.

Baby proofed everything, all the furniture is nailed down and the heaviest items are on the lowest shelves, he put railings on both sides of the stairs and did consider putting the bedroom downstairs.

Faust is now a guide dog snake, she takes her duty very seriously but her warnings can come a little late because snake’s vision is slightly different.

Placed magical runes around the city so you could find your way, it took him a while but they work well and act with your own magic

Hired a caretaker at some point, who was great but as you learned you didn’t seem to need the help as much.

Removed all the doors (except those that lead outside) so you wouldn’t walk into them, though you still fumble with the curtains he put up on them instead.

Enchanted a mirror to check in on you while he’s away, he can see and speak to you if needs be.

Hummed or sang songs when you were frustrated with your impairment.

Considered not teaching you magic, but couldn't bear to deny you that part of yourself - so he taught you to use it to strengthen your other senses.

Lets you know when he wants to touch/kiss you, because he’s so light footed he’s surprised you one too many times.

Was and still obsessed about you touching his face to let you know what he looks like, needless to say you are obsessed with how fluffy his hair is. The both of you just sit there opposite one another and he lets your hands roam over him, he was so pleased when you asked him if he wanted to do it to you.

Finds it hilarious that the clothes you wear often end up gaudier than his own and clash terribly. He always lets you know and helps out if you need it.

Everything is a mystery when it’s placed in your hands by Asra, a potion bottle? Tea? Faust? No matter how many times he does it Asra always forgets to let you know what he’s giving to you. You just stand there and try to work it out.

Knows that you use your blindness to get out of chores, but he just loves you too much to confront you.

Nadia

She looks for possible treatments, but doesn’t let you know. She doesn’t want to get your hopes up, there’s nothing worse than false hope.

Nadia’s both a countess and a princess, she has some major pull so surely she could find something? However her efforts are as fruitless as Asra’s but she is determined to make you as happy as possible.

You can’t see her face but when she realised she could not do anything she cried right in front of you without you noticing.

Asks you if you wish to have a handmaid/foot servant as your guide/helper (like Portia is to her), if you say yes she will personally hire them and make sure they are the kindest person she can get.

Got all of the palace labelled by the doorways

Made your room minimalist and very cushy

Searched for braille books you could read, it was a nice gesture but you hadn’t learned it yet so the two of you learned it together.

Chandra became your silent watcher, at first she was very unamused at looking after you but after a few good pets she’s glued to your side.

Makes sure the palace is kept impeccably clean.

Do you want a guide dog? Because she’ll get you one or even three.

Some of the courtiers, not naming any *cough* “Valerius” *cough* may make some rude comments and Nadia may imply that if they don’t apologise their tongue may find it’s way out of their mouth...

She buys you delightfully tasteful clothes, but when she gets around to describing the colours you get confused because Asra just used the simple terms like blue. “There are egg-shell’s on this?!” She laughs and realising her mistake she takes the time to describe the variations of colours to you (like so).

At least her surprises for you always stay a surprise.

She finds it quite endearing that you wake up and never really have much care for what you look like, but she does insist she at least brushes your hair so it’s not sticking up in places.

When you ask to ‘see’ her by touching her face she forgets herself and nods (before realising you didn’t see that and saying yes), she is very flustered when you tell her she’s pretty. Other people have said it, but something about you touching her face and finding out in your mind what she looks like is different...

Very gentle when touching you, her hand often slips into your’s when you are unaware but it never makes you jump. A lot of the time it’s like you can feel her presence as she enters the room.

Guides your lips to where she wants you to kiss, always with a gentle touch.

Julian

He tried so hard to use his mark to take away your blindness, so much so he actually passed out from the effort. You were very scared and didn’t want him to try again, you lied about seeing him for a brief second.

In his own mind Julian wants so badly to heal you, he’s a doctor and that’s his job! But he can’t, it feels worse than when he tried to cure the plague.

He may not be able to heal you but he’s had experience with others who were blind, he makes your life so much easier.

Tried out giving you a white cane to figure out what was in front of you, you may have accidentally hit him in the shins a couple of times.

A lot of supervision, it’s not that he doesn’t trust you its just that he’s seen you pick up flour to put in your morning coffee one too many times.

Tries to cook (empathise on tries).

Lets you know what his expressions are when he’s talking about things, very good at communicating his thoughts and feelings.

Malak takes advantage of the situation, stealing any shiny objects when Julian’s out and you (obviously) can’t see. After a precious possession went missing Julian climbed up into the rafters to steal them back.

He shoulder bumps you, just to let you know he’s there if you need him. Although you sometimes get confused and apologise thinking he’s a stranger that just passed by.

Finds it adorably cute when you apologise to an inanimate object that you bumped into, his face just says ‘gods I love you’.

Very needy and wants you to touch his face all the time, he’ll just grab your hands and place them on his face. You’re very confused about the eyepatch. He loves it when your hands find his lips and trail down his chin, he just melts.

Within reason he jokes around a lot, his favourite thing to do is to stick his very cold hands down the back of your shirt and make you jump.

Absolutely loses his s**t when you make blind jokes to people who are completely unaware (ie. “Look at this!” “I would but my eyes don’t seem to be co-operating right now.”)

Muriel

Muriel knows that Asra tried everything to restore your sight so he’s very aware that if Asra, the most powerful and wilful person he’s ever met can’t help you, then he can’t do much else.

He even says it outright to you. Sure he’d want to try and help you but that’s just not something he’s able to do, but you would appreciate his honesty.

He’d make up for it through all his actions, and to be honest that is all you could ask for (at this rate it’s a breath of fresh air not being poked and prodded and slathered in ointments and tonics).

Muriel found you smacked your head on the door frame/beams of the hut one too many times (he used to do it a lot but he came to expect it). For you he pads them with fur lining, or just does some heavy lifting and prop them up higher.

Gave you a rune that rumbles when you’re about to smack into something (kind of like echolocation but magic)

Inanna is such a doll, she lets you gab the fur between her shoulders and guides you wherever you ask. Often escorts you back to the shop if Muriel can’t

Speaking of which, although he doesn’t like it Muriel will brave Vesuvia’s streets to make sure you get back to the shop in one piece.

Whittled you a cane, he made sure he didn’t get hit in the shins.

Although he can get a bit flustered at physical touch, he’ll always hold your arm if you want him to. Heck he’ll carry you if you ask.

Makes a sound/word, taps you before touching you, he’s a big guy and although he knows you don’t mind he really doesn’t want to scare you.

Takes you out and describes the places in the forest you visit, he really likes to describe the animals to you because your reactions are awe-struck.

When you asked to ‘see’ him he was confused, but when you described it he was hesitant. It’s one thing people seeing him and another people touching him, but your face is so innocent and he knows you don’t mean to make him uncomfortable. So after mentally preparing himself he sets you on the bed and sits in front of you.

His eyes were closed as your hands roamed his face but he let out a sigh as you traced the shape of his face and ran your fingers over the stubble of his cheeks and chin. He actually enjoyed it. Until you let out a shocked sound at the feel of his scars, “What is this?!” He very stiffly answered what and why they were there You then apologised profusely.

He can be deviously quiet without meaning to be so it’s a shock when you realise he’s been behind you the past ten minutes.

Makes you carvings of animals when you want to ‘see’ them too, you gave them names and called the wolf Mini-Inanna and the bear Muriel, because of reasons...

Portia

Feels very much the same way as Muriel does, at the end of the day she’s a servant not a powerful magician, a wealthy count or a skilled doctor like her brother.

Her main focus is to make you happy despite your blindness, it doesn’t have to change anything about your lives.

That being said if she heard about a magical object from one of Mazenkalias stories that could grant wishes or something she’d be on the next boat out of Vesuvia with you to make an adventure out of it.

Quickly realised she needed to hide the good china after knocked a tea cup over and off the table.😂

Put a bell on Pepi’s collar so you don’t step on her.

Pepi picked up fast that if you were going to sit on the chair she was on she’d have to mew or get out of the way! She forgives you and has on a few occasions raced to meow at you to let you know you might trip over something on the floor.

Learned braille with you when Nadia sent you some books after Portia told her that she wished you could read the books she had.

She makes you tons of blankets and pillows that have embroidered accents for something to fiddle with while you’re bored.

Always has a first aid kit handy, her cottage is messy and full of odds and ends and unfortunately accidents happen.

Created safe spaces, the bedroom and the living area are both devoid of anything apart from cushy furniture.

When Portia’s working at the palace she and Nadia invite you to escort Nadia during her duties so you can ‘see’ Portia at the Palace but be watched after by the countess.

Very giggly when you ask to ‘see’ her, she can’t stop smiling and thinks it’s amazing that you can piece together an image of her in your head. She loves it when you press your fingers to her cheeks and makes funny sounds to make you laugh too. When she mentions freckles you are awe-struck, because you didn’t know people’s skin could have them.

Accidentally remodelled the cottage without telling you, resulting in you falling flat on your face after tripping over a stool when you entered.

Also loves the blind jokes you use on others, she’ll retell them to Julian and they’ll just laugh over your comedic genius.

She’s too loud to sneak up on you so you know when she’s coming, but she warns you all the same by saying what she’s about to do. If she shouts “HUG!” prepare to be squeezed by her deceptive strength.

Once blindfolded herself and tired to experience the world like you do, fell over and hurt herself. You couldn’t stop crying with laughter as she tried to explain.

Lucio

Appalled at the thought! He feels very sorry for you and would probably try to make another deal with some demon, you have to drag him away by the ear while lecturing him on how bad of an idea it is.

It was really awkward having to deal with the healers, magicians, advisers, etc... he hired to ‘fix’ you. You actually had to give him a few stern words and ease him down, the determination is appreciated but you’d much rather have his attention than let him fuss over restoring your sight to you.

In the end he’s glad you did because it was only then he got to love and dote on you the way he wants to.

Tried and failed to train Mercedes and Melinchor into suitable guide dogs, those two are too headstrong and stubborn (kind of like a certain count you know).

Insists on escorting you to wherever you want to go before he goes to where he is supposed to be, does not care if he’s late for a meeting so long as you are where you want to be.

Mercedes and Melinchor are actually helpful, they keep their distance but if you’re lost you’ll feel them tug at your sleeves and guide you or they’ll guard you from possible foes (e.g the courtiers).

Commissioned paintings/sculptures you could touch so you could ‘see’ the exotic places he described to you.

Stopped wearing the sharp plates on his prosthetic arm as when you touched it you would get hurt by the sharp metal.

Tried to learn braille with you but he found it super hard with his prosthetic arm as it didn’t feel things like a normal hand, but you both took your time and succeeded together.

Can’t believe you can ‘see’ him by just touching his face but lets you and asks what you think about how he looks. Has never felt more self conscious than he does now. He sit’s very awkwardly but can’t help but mumble a little as you trace his nose and up to the ridge of his brow. “You’re very handsome.” That’s enough to make him splutter a thank you.

You ask at one point to feel his stump where his arm was and he’s pretty reluctant but lets you all the same as you find out about his scars and ask him about it. Afterwards he gets cocky and asks if you want to ‘see’ anything else, you smack him on the shoulder but laugh anyway.

Actually forgets you’re blind sometimes, he’s accidentally; smacked you in the face with several objects (pillows, hairbrushes, eyeliner...), asked you to pass him his dressing robe (you passed him yours and he got trapped in it), told you to look at the cool albino turtle he got and you just deadpan said “Wow.”

He’s seen you talk to statues after brushing past them and thinking they are people.

Sneaky like Julian will definitely scare you every once in a while, jokes on him if he doesn’t dodge your hand in time. But when he wants to touch you he’ll make his footsteps more pronounced and ask you if he can give you a hug or a kiss.

#the arcana #lucio #asra #muriel #nadia #portia #julian #apprentice #julian devorak #arcana #blind #headcannon #headcanon #mc #react #story #prompts #ask #anon #requests

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thelittlesttimelord · 3 years

Text

The Littlest Timelord: The Fall of the Eleventh Chapter 35

TITLE: The Littlest Timelord: The Fall of the Eleventh Chapter 35 PAIRING: No Pairing RATING: T CHAPTER: 35/? SUMMARY: Elise Smith is now a teenaged Timelord. In addition to losing the Ponds, the fields of Trenzalore are calling. But first they have to figure out exactly who Clara Oswald is.

It’d been a few weeks since the Doctor had dropped Elise off with Madame Vastra.

Of course, she’d teased him saying he only wanted alone time with Clara. He’d blushed and stuttered and then sent her on her way.

She wasn’t worried however. He’d come back for her eventually. He always did.

“Elise, come to the conservatory dear. We have a visitor,” Madame Vastra told the young redhead.

“I fail to see how this concerns me.”

Vastra had to keep reminding herself that this Elise wasn’t the shy and timid girl she had first met. This one was flippant to anything that didn’t have to do with her father, Clara, or herself.

“I believe it may have to do with what drew your father here in the first place.”

Elise relented and followed Madame Vastra to the conservatory.

A man, Mr. Thursday, was waiting for them.

Jenny stood on one side of Madame Vastra, while Elise stood on the other.

“Thank you for agreeing to this meeting. I'm told you are the investigator to see if there are strange goings-on.”

“I read of your brother's death. Another victim of the Crimson Horror, I believe?”

“So it is claimed. He was a newspaper man. He and a young woman were working undercover. Tell me, Madame, do you know what an Octogram is?”

Elise had no idea what that even was.

“It is a silly superstition, sir. The belief that the eye can retain an image of the last thing it sees.”

Thursday pulled out a picture and handed it to Jenny.

Jenny handed it to Vastra who removed her veil to see better. “Good grief.”

“Oh, god,” Mr. Thursday gasped and fainted. Once Mr. Thursday had been removed from the home, the three women went down to a darkroom where Jenny and Vastra enlarged the picture.

“Well, I'll be blowed. I think, Madame, that we'd better make plans to head north,” Jenny said.

Staring back at them from the picture of the dead man’s eyes was the Doctor.

Elise sighed. What had he gotten himself into this time?

They quickly assembled what they would need for their rescue mission and started their carriage ride to the North.

“According to my research, Sweetville's proprietor holds recruitment drives for her little community. She is only interested in the fittest and the most beautiful,” Madame Vastra explained.

“You may rely on me, ma'am,” Strax said, causing Elise to roll her eyes.

“I was, in fact, speaking to Jenny.”

“Jenny. If this weak and fleshy boy is to represent us, I strongly recommend the issuing of scissor grenades, limbo vapor and triple blast brain splitters.”

“What for?”

“Just generally. Remember, we are going to the North.”

“I think I should go with Jenny,” Elise said.

“Absolutely not,” Vastra told her.

“Why not?” Vastra sighed.

“Because your father put you under my protection and frankly dear, your temper would get you in trouble.”

“My temper? I don’t have a temper!” Elise settled back into her seat and crossed her arms over her chest and sulked like a small child.

Vastra smiled to herself. It didn’t matter how old the Timelord got, she still acted like a spoiled child when she didn’t get her way.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A day or so later, Mr. Thursday came around and had to be dragged into the drawing room.

“He faints an awful lot. I’m not human and I know that’s not normal,” Elise said.

“It asked for permission to enter and then it fell over. What are we to make of it?” Strax asked.

“I imagine Mister Thursday wants to know what progress we are making. The question is, how did the Doctor's image come to be preserved on a dead man's eye? It's a scientific impossibility. I wonder how Jenny is getting on.”

“If she hasn't make contact by nightfall, I suggest a massive frontal assault on the factory, Madame. Casualties can be kept to perhaps as little as eighty percent.”

“I think there may be subtler ways of proceeding, Strax.”

“Suit yourself.”

“Why do you keep him around?” Elise asked.

Vastra sighed. “Because he’s a surprisingly good butler.”

Vastra and Elise headed to the morgue to find out more about this “Crimson Horror”.

“Them new manufacturers can do horrible things to a person. Horrible. I've pickled things in here that'd fair turn your hair snowy as top of Buckden Pike,” the morgue owner said.

“You know what I'm looking for.”

“Oh, aye. All them bits found in t'canal. The Crimson Horror.” He handed Vastra a large bottle about half full of red liquid.

Vastra turned around and threw off her veil, examining it. “It hardly seems possible.”

“What is it?” Elise asked her

. “I think…I think I've seen these symptoms before.”

“You have? When?”

“A long time ago.”

Elise narrowed her eyes at the lizard woman. “How long ago?”

“About sixty five million years.”

Elise took the bottle from Vastra. “How the hell is something from that long ago surviving today?”

“That’s precisely what we need to find out.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After getting lost and picking up a small boy for directions, they finally made it to Sweetville.

They infiltrated and found the Doctor.

Elise strode in with Vastra, brandishing a sword. Instead of wearing a leather outfit like Jenny, she wore her signature leather jacket, black skinny jeans, blank tank top, and black combat boots.

The Doctor had to admit, the previous Elise had looked odd with any weapon in her hand but this Elise looked born to handle a sword or a gun.

“Let's go,” Vastra told them.

“No, ma'am. We're not escaping. We've got to help the Doctor with Clara,” Jenny said.

Vastra looked at the two Timelords.

“You didn’t tell her?” Elise asked her father.

“I thought you were gonna tell her!” The Doctor looked at Vastra. “Long story.”

“What now, Madame?” Strax asked, “We could lay mimetic cluster binds!”

“Strax,” Vastra said.

“Or dig trenches and fill them with acid.”

“Strax! You're overexcited. Have you been eating Miss Jenny's sherbet fancies again?”

“…no.”

“Go outside and wait for me until I call for you.”

“But Madame, I…”

“Go!”

“I'm going to go play with my grenades.” Strax left.

The Doctor soniced the cubicle in front of him. “Okay, I think she's about done.” He opened the door and there stood Clara. “I know who you think she is, but she isn't. She can't be.”

“I was right, then. You and Clara have unfinished business,” Vastra said.

Clara fell forward into the Doctor’s arms.

“There, there. Hello, stranger.”

“Doctor,” Clara said, poking the Doctor on the cheek. She finally realized they weren’t alone and turned to look at Jenny, Vastra, and Elise. “Hi. What's going on?”

The Doctor put on an accent. “Oh, haven't you heard, love? There's trouble at mill.” He dropped the accent and pointed at Vastra. “She's a lizard.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As they walked around the factory, the Doctor turned to Elise. “You didn’t…use that on anyone did you?” He couldn’t bear the thought of her killing someone.

Elise laughed. “Of course not. Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

“Theodore Roosevelt.”

“Yep.”

“You know we should visit him some time. My good ole pal Teddy.”

“Of course you’ve met Roosevelt.”

“Course I have. Who doesn’t want to meet Roosevelt?”

“My people once ruled this world, as well you know, but we did not rule it alone. Just as humanity fights a daily battle against nature, so did we. And our greatest plague, the most virulent enemy, was the repulsive red leech,” Vastra said, interrupting the duo’s conversation.

“Ooo, the Repulsive Red Leech. Nah. On balance I think I prefer the Crimson Horror. What was it, exactly?” the Doctor asked.

“A tiny parasite. It infected our drinking water. And once in our systems, it secreted a fatal poison.”

“If it's been hanging around, lurking in the shadows, maybe it's evolved. Or maybe it's had help.”

“Doctor, I've been thinking. The chimney…” Clara started.

The Doctor waved his hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Way past that now. Yucky red parasite from the time of the dinosaurs pitches up in Victorian Yorkshire. Didn't see that one coming.”

“Yeah, but the chimney…”

“But what's the connection to Mrs. Gillyflower? Judgement will rain down on us all. An empty mill.”

Clara put her hands on his shoulders and for a second, Elise thought she was going to kiss him like Victorian Clara had.

“A chimney that doesn't blow smoke.”

The conclusion finally made it’s way to the Doctor’s brain. “Clever clogs.”

“Missed me?”

He grabbed her face and kissed her forehead. “Yeah, lots.” He let go and looked at Elise.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

He pushed past her mental barriers for just a split second.

Shut-up.

#eleventh doctor imagine #eleventh doctor #eleventh doctor fanfiction #doctor who #doctor who imagine #Doctor Who fanfiction #clara oswald #clara oswald imagine #Madame Vastra #strax #jenny #the littlest timelord #the littlest timelord: the fall of the eleventh #the crimson horror

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theelliottsmiths · 4 years

Note

Why is Schneider a nasty bastard rat man?

I'm glad you asked

Watch this. He seems pretty innocent, right? Harmless, sensible, some might even say the most mature band member.

It's a front.

Watch the beginning of the Pussy making of for a prime example: Tell me that's not a bastardly action. Watch the Mutter and Engel making ofs. Watch that interview where Paul says slimy into the people (if someone asks I'll go find it I just can't as I'm in the process of making this)

He wants us to believe he's the normal one and maybe even question how he puts up with the shenanigans, but if you pay attention its patently clear that, especially off camera, he's just as bad. He's a nasty rowdy dirty boy like all the others.

Also, the reason I say specifically Nasty bastard Rat man:

His handsome little face is always shrewlike in some respects, but that's a nasty rat man right there. 0/10 unlike real rats he probably did spread the plague. Wouldn't look out of place in full plague doctors robes. Would poke you with a stick.

Ps. No this has nothing to do with the fact my partner wants to be ended by him.

#okay so a lot of this is Dom Top rivalry and id say this to his face if it would end in mud wrestling but still is that #not the face of a nasty rat bastard?#sidenote i miss his curls Schneider in haifisch is gorgeous and he seems to prefer it #his femininity is #amazing and i wish he would go back to the ahoi look #me rambling #nasty bastard rat man

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l-a-gage · 4 years

Text

The Arcana Apprentice Fanfiction

Hey! So I wanted to finally share my apprentice, Asterin, with the world. This story starts before the in game death of the apprentice and will tell an altered version of what happened. I plan to base most of the events off Asra’s route and this will eventually turn into a full plot with some fluff and angst along with way. Thank you guys for stopping by and reading, enjoy!

The Stars Are

Our Guide

Chapter I: A Traveler

An eagle cried from above. The white bird circled above three times before descending down onto the traveler’s shoulders. Deep black eyes stared at it’s handler. Though the winds of the open plains drowned out any sounds there was unspoken words between the magician and the familiar. They softly stroked it’s head.

“Good work Benedict.”

The eagle cooed under his handler’s soft touch.

They looked out into the horizon just south of where they stood on a cliff looking over miles of plains. In the fading light of the sun, city lights glowed turning orange skies purple. Magic seeped from the city ahead. A white wall stretched from end to end, circling the city, ending at the sea. Vesuvia was known as a coastal city after all.

“So, we keep walking?”

Benedict ruffled his feathers, burrowing his head under the traveler’s hood and hair. They chuckled and picked up their staff to continue on the road,

“You can rest the rest of the way there. But remind me to put you on a diet, we had too much fun in Neval.”

He lightly nipped at their ear,

“Ah! Sorry, sorry!”

His hands trembled around the scroll as he spoke. Why did it have to be him? Couldn’t someone else have drawn the shortest stick? Maybe they rigged it to get back at him for the little slug prank. Was this karma? He promised to recite three prayers a day and start visiting his mom every saturday if he walked out alive.

“Doct-doctor Devorak has currently found no solution to the plague. He requests more time and a shipment of catsborrow, ginseng, and chamomile.”

The infamous count drummed his fingers on the baroque chair’s armrest. Except for the servant’s frantic breathing tolling bells were the only sounds echoing around in the throne room. Every living creature, even the nonliving, were silent and still, not brave enough to draw attention. The man dressed in rich white and red clothing stood from his throne. White fur trailed behind him as he descended the stairs. Before he knew it the servant was staring at shiny black boots.

“Do you have anything slightly useful?”

He flinched.

“No-No Count Lucio.”

“Then get out of my sight.” He turned on his heel with a flourish.

“But sir, Dr. Devorak needs-”

“Just get him whatever he needs. My job is not to deal with such boring matters.”

“Yes Count!”

Seeing his chance to escape the servant took off. Once the door to the throne room closed behind his back he sighed in relief. Just being in the same room as the Count made his heart tremble in terror. Why couldn’t the Countess be in charge of this whole plague cure thing? At least she didn’t terrify everyone to their core. The servant scurried off mumbling the first of many prayers to come.

Back inside the throne room Lucio fell back into his chair and let out a heavy sigh. It echoed off the walls. At the perfect time the door to his right opened. A dark complexioned woman and young man walked in. His face lit up. Lucio threw his head back and groaned,

“Noddy, Asra! You guys won’t believe the awful news.”

“Julian didn’t find a cure.”

“However did you know?” He raised a brow at the young magician, “don’t tell me your psychic too?”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes, “No, the sounds of your distraught sighs gave it away.”

“I am simply worried about the lives of my people.”

“Justified,” the woman cut in, “but we must prepare for our meeting with court. I’m sure you will want time to prepare yourself.”

“Ah!” He clapped his hands and jumped out of his seat, “I can show off my new cape directly from the mountains in the south. Vlademir will simply adore it.”

Without another word Lucio strode out the door talking to himself, fretting over the clothes he would wear. Would he do a different hair style or just freshen it up? He should definitely touch up his eye make up. Once the door closed Nadia and Asra relaxed. Nadia shook her head,

“That man will never stop giving me a headache.”

“I can take care of it for you.”

She forced a smile back and sighed. The chandeliers above were slowly illuminating signaling the sun’s disappearance below the horizon. Already bright moon light shone onto the floors.

“What will we do Asra?”

Asra looked at the countess.

“Dare I admit I’m scared?”

She stared at the floor, her hands held tightly in one another. He couldn’t recall ever hearing her so lost and unsure. Then again how couldn’t she be? Months have passed since the first victim died and the bodies keep piling up and not one doctor has found a thing. Not even the so claimed best one they could find has managed to find anything.

A small voice whispered his name. He instinctively reached for the deck nestling at the top of his satchel. He slipped the cards out of their velvet bag and pulled the top card.

“What do the cards say?” Nadia asked curious.

“Confusing as usual,” he held the card up, “The Hierophant.”

“What does it mean?”

“Honestly, I really don’t know. The cards have proven a point to be especially cryptic lately. I think they have a vendetta against me.”

Asra put the cards away and started for the door they entered through, but the double doors at the back creaked open drawing their attention. A round faced woman poked her head through. Fiery ginger hair bounced as she spoke.

“Milady, I’m so sorry to bother you but there’s a strange woman asking to speak with you.”

“A strange woman?”

“Yes milady, a traveler I think. They got this eagle and a weird looking staff.”

“Well,” she sighed ready to go to bed, “invite them in. I cannot deny an audience in good mind.”

*Disclaimer: All characters except my own belong to NyxHydra*

*All images belong to respected artists and are not my own.*

#the arcana #the arcana asra #the arcana lucio #the arcana nadia #the arcana julian #the arcana apprentice #my apprentice #custom apprentice #asra x apprentice #fanfic

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millennium-thejiaqiverse · 5 years

Text

Chapter 1: The “Angel Plague”

Summary: Inspired by a real life fungus, I present to you the “angel plague”, (a very unofficial name, taken from the shape of the mushrooms). Miles is even infected by this fungus when he’s at school (probably not in the way you’re thinking of). He is rescued by the mysterious young woman from Chapter 0–but her identity is no longer a mystery in this chapter... well, only partially.

“Alright, this is the spot, into the water,” Rose cheers, “way to go everyone! The green flag is not more than 300 meters away in the mangroves, we’re almost there, stay safe!” “Oh, great... gosh you’re loud.” Tyler roles his eyes as the team holds on to the float they built whilst waist deep in water. Tinaye sighs and gives him a pat on the shoulder, “C’mon, let’s tie our float down.” “Last check, we have enough fresh water, handy tools...” Elly checks with everyone, “and we’re right on time; yup, we’re all set.”

Miles cannot really pay much mind to the group assignment, he cannot stop thinking about the cancerous plane, and the mysterious young woman who fueled it.

“Watch out for crabs and alike, just a heads up.” Rose calls out to everyone, poking a stick at the path ahead. “Are we there yet?” Tyler impatiently follows her footsteps. “We have enough time before the tides rise, what’s even the rush dude?” Remarks Adele. Before Tyler can make an annoyed grunt a shadow dashes over their heads, closely followed by Miles’s yelp. “*gasps* Miles!” Rose stops. “Woah are you ok?” Ryan quickly rushes to his aid. Barnacles, of course. “That was stupid, I got startled.” Miles shakes his head. Just as he says this some bird noises sound from above. “Ooh, the pied imperial pigeon agrees with you.” Nick winks. “Cut it out!” Miles snickers. “Sit down on this plank for us Miles,” Tinaye pulls out a wooden plank from his pack and lays it down onto sturdy ground. “We’ll just check your leg,” Ryan calmly gets to work, “Nick, would you take a step back? And watch your step please.” “K I’ll let you two do your thing, take care of my boy!” Nick swiftly backs away. “You’re lucky it’s just a small bruise,” Ryan sighs, “but this will still cost you some points on this assignment, be careful.” “Thanks, I know I need to pay more attention.” Miles agrees. “Ha, looks like the nerd is not always perfect! Now he’s slowing us down!” Tyler boos at Miles. “Hey!” Nick crosses his arms. “Tyler!” Ryan retaliates, “we’ve still got work to do, so the next thing coming outta your mouth better be useful! I’m being serious!” “Pff, fine!” Tyler throws his arms up in defeat.

After that is more wading through the mangrove growth, keeping hydrated and in the end climbing a tree to fetch their flag.

“Is this it for today?” Adele asks. “Yes, we’ll carry on further tomorrow.” Elly confirms. “Wow it’s so easy working with you guys, my last team sucked so hard.” Adele comments. “Haha, we liked you too girl!” Rose smiles. “That’s nice to hear, well I’m going offline.” Adele tells the team. “Catch you tomorrow!” Nick waves to her, “so what about the rest of you? Shall we all log off?” “Finally!” An answer from Tyler. “Sheesh, Ty...” Nick frowns.

After taking off their VR equipment (i.e. everything they experienced was simulated for the assignment, including Miles’s bruise) and exiting the group projects hall, Nick sprints up to Miles.

Miles is now thinking hard about his bday dreams, mindlessly walking forwards. “Hey Miles, what’s up?” Nick nudges Miles with his elbow. “Huh?” Miles jumps a little. “Tell me! What’s on your mind?” Nick presses, “is it your bday dream?” “Yeah, it’s nothing major, do you really want to hear it again?” Miles laughs. “I’ve known you for more than 10 years, I am positive I know everything about you, like how I can just tell something’s different with this last dream!” Nick is very confident. He’s right, but for one Nick never knows about all this “magic” stuff, however that must remain secret for safety reasons, Miles thinks. Only Nick’s constant begging does make Miles tell him about a little of what happened, “... just like that, she woke up, stood up, and before I could react disappeared along with the whole place. I barely got out before all is gone myself.” “Dude, what?” Asks Nick, “that was your dream?!!” Well, it was not exactly a dream, part of it was very real, Miles thinks to himself but decides to go along with it, “yeah, just a regular dream...” “You’ve got to write this down! Like as a novel or something, your dream is crazy stuff! Good stuff!” Nick says with excitement. “That’d be nice, but I don’t want to forget everything else and type away nonstop like a lab monkey all day,” Miles can’t help but think of his writer dad, “guess it’s not my lifestyle.” “Pshh whatevs,” shrugs Nick, “you coming to the cafeteria today?” “Nah, I’ll be in the lounge as usual, I really need some rest.” Miles replies. “Well ok, don’t let those dreams get carried away.” Nick teases him. “I won’t!” Miles says as they go their separate ways.

A few students are napping in the lounge already. Miles finds an empty spot and climbs in for a nap, he gets tired and needs sleep too often, much to his annoyance.

As soon as he’s asleep, Miles exits his body as he usually does—the best way for his physical body to unconsciously recharge when at the same time his consciousness has the freedom to carry out other tasks. With his consciousness out of his body, Miles brings questions about his bday dreams and the young woman to his mentor. While he’s getting the answers universes away, a sense of something being out of ordinary brings him to promptly return to the school lounge. Miles watches as a battered shadow person tries to take over his currently vacant body, one of their hands grabbing onto his ankle. “No, you can’t do that,” he says to them. The being turns to look at his out-of-body consciousness with surprise. “You’re not even supposed to be getting onto this plane of existence, you need to go back to your plane.” Miles tells them as he pulls them away from his body, “people will freak out when they see you, let’s get you back home.” The mention of “home” seems to freak the shadow being out, but before they could retaliate Miles is already on their plane with them. “There you go,” Miles drops them off. The shadow person gets into fetal position the second Miles removed his hand from them. “Huh, ok?” Miles is a little confused at this, “you take care of yourself.” Then he leaves and gets back to his body, not thinking much about the glittery dusts floating around that plane.

Waking up, Miles readies himself for his last personal assignment before midterms, which he planned to complete this afternoon. Unexpectedly, Miles started feeling quite sick before he puts his VR equipment on. “You good Miles?” Nick is right next to him preparing for his assignment. “I don’t know,” weirdly, Miles feels more tired after his nap, “maybe I didn’t rest well this time somehow?” “You look ill, and you’re never ill, *snickers* my mom jokes that germs and stuff burn off before reaching you.” Nick says, “my point being you should take this afternoon off and rest at home, if you still feel ill then go to your doctor. I mean, you are in no condition to nail your last assignment anyway.” “You’re right Nick, guess this is all for me today,” Miles smiles, “good luck.” “Thanks, get well soon!” Nick says as he puts on his headset.

“Afternoon son!” Max calls out from his study. “Hey dad,” Miles slams into bed as soon as he enters his room. He is ready to sleep it all off, however, a little too late for his liking he senses a intruder who’s blended in with the room almost perfectly. Not knowing who’d be there, Miles jolts up and throws an attack at the intruder, only to witness his attack pass straight through her like she’s not really there. “... You?” Miles realizes it is the mysterious young woman again, but before he could ask why she’s here, he’s already suspended in midair. Max doesn’t hear all this commotion as there’s a “bubble of silence” around the room. She then proceeds to pull something white and shining out of Miles’s body, which quickly withers and turns to dust, and afterwards drops him to the floor. “Before you sensed my presence I was going to wait till you’re asleep, as silly as it sounds now as I learnt you’ll discover me anyways;” she explains, “you were infected by a fungus that latches onto one’s consciousness in order to drain one’s life energy to produce it’s spores.” “What?” Miles cries. “Apologies if I frightened you, as I’m only here to help, I’ll be on my way as I have work to do.” She turns to leave. “How was I infected? Wait!” Miles asks. “You were in contact with its spores when you ventured to an infected dimension, the dimension I plan on taking out altogether before the fungus crosses over and grows all over this universe.” She explains in a hurry. “You can’t take out a plane like that,” Miles tells her, “some creatures might need those places to reside at the very least.” “A plane?” She raises an eyebrow. “You call them dimensions, I think,” Miles then suggests, “wouldn’t removing just the fungus be a better option? I’ll help with that.” “Yes, you’re not wrong,” she accepts the suggestion, “this will take longer than my original plan but it’ll do.” She rushes off, ignoring Miles’s offer to help. Well, feeling much better now, Miles decides to follow her and check on things; but how to repel the spores if they infect one’s consciousness? That’s when Miles hatches an idea.

Miles goes out of body again, but this time, using the Junction, Miles sends only his physical body onto the young woman’s trail, to the other plane with the glittery dusts he’s just visited not long ago, his consciousness doesn’t go with it and stays at this plane right in his room.

She’s already busy pulling the fungus off of suffering creatures, and gathering spores from bursting fungus growths, meanwhile making sure no creature is sneaking off to another plane with this ongoing infestation. “This dimension is dangerous for you...” she says, then suddenly pauses, “you sent your physical vessel?” Hearing this question from afar, Miles controls his body to give her a nod with its head. “That’s pretty creative,” she continues drawing all parts of the fungus away from any present consciousness. Guessing what she should be up to, Miles controls his body to make a sphere of fire, meanwhile keeping tabs on the whole plane from the outside himself to make sure nothing exits. She sees the sphere and uses it burn the parts she gathered, very soon the plane is clear of this fungus.

“All done!” She calls out and extinguishes the flaming sphere, “you should have seen this—the growing fungus looks like some messed up angel wings.” Upon hearing her call, Miles quickly gets there, back into his body, “Great job, the problem’s solved.” “Yes, great job to us.” She smiles, “hello Miles.” “Hello Ray,” Miles greets her back. “Funny how we’re now introduced to each other again,” Ray says. “Yeah, considering the fact we’ve met not long before on a cancerous plane, and not to mention in a previous life too.” Miles adds. “You know about your reincarnation.” Ray is surprised to hear what Miles said. “I asked my mentor when I napped today,” Miles says, “well, I asked why I kept having the same dream with you in it every time on my birthday up until we met in person and how I think I know you, I guess I didn’t think too much about that before.” “Your mentor?” Ray wonders. “Atlas.” Miles replies. “Oh,” Ray pauses for a while, “How much do you remember?” Ray asks then changes the subject, “and thank you for waking me up back when we met face to face.” “No problem.” Miles then answers, “I know we were friendly with each other because you wanted to help me, I know you are a very powerful energy folder as Atlas had told me so; but I can probe further, your highness...” Miles probes on, “Crown Princess Ray of... hold on...” his mind blurs out of nowhere. The cause of that was Ray’s interference. “I’m sorry,” Ray turns away. “That’s ok, I don’t really have to know.” Miles shrugs it off, but she’s disappeared away to somewhere else by then. Miles sighs, lowering his head... and sees the same shadow person grabbing onto his ankle, again. “You seem to be doing ok,” Miles looks at them. After staring at each other for a while, the shadow being lets go without incident.

“So how did school go? I assume you finished early today?” Max asks his son at the dinner table. “Well, I didn’t finish my personal assignment yet, I guess I was a little too tired.” Miles digs in to the simple but nutritious meal, “that’s not a issue though, I’ll be fine.” “I’m not too worried there son, we have 2 more days before Orientation Day, I’m sure you’ll manage just fine.” Yup, Miles assures himself, finishing up this assignment is surely easier than almost dying from then having to dispel some angle-wing-shaped-fungus plague.

#original #original story #original character #fatasy #mystery #magic #scifi #scififantasy #fiction #thejiaqiverse

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eurydice-khthonios · 5 years

Text

There was an animosity that persisted between them in the days following the encounter at the library. There was ice in the air between them. It didn’t go unnoticed, the cold anger aimed at Eosphorus and the distaste aimed towards Asra. There was some questioning of course, towards Asra. None from the other courtiers, none from the Count. There was no need, it was of little importance. Though for fate, it always kept forcing them together.

Asra’s very presence was a point of contention and the latest reason for Eos’ newly stoked ruthlessness in her duties. It was the reminder of Hyperion, not the man himself. Though his words in the library would’ve been more than enough to earn her ire by themselves. The fact that Hyperion was part of her life, again, and tainted it even beyond the grave was infuriating. She’d made something of herself in Vesuvia’s court. She’d become important all on her own! Yet here he always was, always in someone’s spotlight taking her opportunities away from her. Hyperion always had the last laugh.

They’d had a few arguments on Hyperion. She stood by her stance of how selfish Hyperion was, that he could never truly love someone as much as he loved himself. Asra spoke differently on him.

Eos knew well enough that no one knew Hyperion like she did.

“You can give and give and give, and there’ll always be someone who never gives back.”

There’d been moments where they’d been forced to interact. The courtiers worked close with the progress of the plague. Vulgora with the eradication of the red beetles, Volta detected plague in food and people. Valdemar… Dissected. Eosphorus meanwhile handled the public. Specifically ‘ensuring’ that water was clean, and public baths were running.

She did not do a great job at that. Though it was hard, the plague infected everything. The best she could do was ensure that nothing was falling apart and let the virus take its course.

It was such thankless work. Always people demanding more.

“The water is filled with beetles and plague!” “The aqueducts are filling with red water!” “We can’t keep drinking this!”

At least these people had something to drink. Could they not be grateful for that?

In the moments where Asra and Eos were forced to work together, there seemed to be moments where Asra wanted to speak of things that did not include snide remarks that could be dismissed and on topic comments. The first syllable of Hyperion’s name built up in his throat before he forced it away. He would raise his hand to almost touch her shoulder, to gain her attention. Moments where they were left alone filled with a silence that anticipated something from him yet left unsatisfied. It was forming into an annoying itch in her mind.

That did not always colour their interactions. When they could both remain on topic, there turned out to be far more workarounds to her usual method of using the system as a diversion than she’d anticipated. Though Asra, by all means, was supposed to be working with every other ‘honored guest’ to cure the plague he always found some time to poke holes in her solutions. In the end, they only saw each other during her meetings with concerned citizens and when Lucio decided to hold banquets to check on the progress of the cure.

The banquets always glowed with golden light, and the smell of rich food and delicacies from other lands that ladden the long table they all sat at. The courtiers sitting on either side of the table nearest to Lucio. Surrounding him like a hoard of the red beetles that now plagued Vesuvia’s waterways and food stores. On the opposing end from Count Lucio, sat his wife the Countess Nadia. From there, other guests filtered in and found their own seats among them.

Asra sat nearest to the courtiers, forced to sit across from Eosphorus. A glare aimed at Lucio and Eosphorus both scarcely hidden. She knew not what Lucio had done, but with a glance towards him at the corner of her eye, she could still understand the animosity. When it came to Lucio, one either lusted after him or despised him. Sometimes it was both; That’s when it got really interesting.

The conversation at dinner largely consisted of the search for the cure. Lucio was getting worse and worse by the day, or hour more like. His hair becoming greasier, the red more and more obvious. It was becoming disturbing to be around him for some. The servants tried to limit contact for fear of catching the plague. Eosphorus herself wasn’t so sure if The Devil’s bargain would keep her from catching it either, it certainly hadn’t saved Lucio. Rather, a deal was the cause of it.

The conversation remained largely on the plague. It made for unappetizing dinner conversation. Eos taking more to pushing around various items about her plate. In truth, she got sick of this. She had it better than most, but she’d rather not eat herself silly to the point of being overstuffed. This was not of some feign or shallow ‘I am far too rich and aware of my superiority to possibly eat this way’ behaviour. She merely liked the idea of moving after a meal.

There was a discussion between Asra, Doctor Devorak, and The Count. About their progress. Admittedly the conversation was largely lead by Devorak as he talked on his theories, about how the plague could be blood or black bile based. Leeches, to Lucio’s chagrin, were his main method of a cure attempt.

Eos speared a piece of meat, marinated in one kind of sauce or another, and began to lift it to her mouth. Eyes glancing up.

A flash of red came across her vision, a beetle crawling its way into the cup seated in front of Asra. Without looking at it he reached for it, bringing it up to his mouth. The beetle just barely peeking up over the rim.

If that insect bit him, or worse, if he swallowed it. He’d be infected with the plague, with no deals with magical beings to prolong his life. He’d die. That would be the last person to link her and her brother.

Fate’s weave had been torn apart, the course that lives should’ve gone on had been diverted from their original paths. Despite that, there was something inside of Eos. Reminiscent of the young magician that should have of lived in Vesuvia for years in her aunt’s old shop, who kept her hair in a ponytail for as long as possible before brushing and redoing it and preferred old clothes to expensive furs and silk. An Eos that might have been, but wasn’t.

She lunged forward, hand extended to close over the cup and bring it down. Her knuckles brushed against his lips, just barely managing to shoot her hand into the space between his mouth and the cup before slamming it down. The wine inside spilled up over the edges, wetting her palm and the beetle crawled out between her fingers. She snatched it, holding it between her thumb and index finger.

Asra was staring at her. It could’ve been so easy to let him get bitten, to end the itch that he was. To end the last reminder of Hyperion.

She pushed away from the table, crushing the beetle in her fist.

“Volta, Vulgora, check for others. Where there’s one there’s more.” Volta jumped at the chance to investigate further the feast that had been set before them, and Vulgora seemed more than ready to crush any other bugs that happened to be hiding among it all. The table erupted in conversation and panic as Eos left. The remains of the beetle sticking to her hand and cloak billowing behind her. She had to wash her hand, had to boil it. She would not allow herself to end up like Lucio had.

She headed for her office. The best place to barricade herself in until she dealt with this mess. She slid down the door once she had it locked, holding her wrist in her other hand.

There was something inside of her that responded to the feel of Asra’s lips brushing against her knuckles, to the look in his eyes as she slammed the cup down and crushed the red beetle. Something that should’ve begun in different circumstances a long time ago, but was only growing now.

There was something disconnected in her mind, and it worried her.

#courtiers au #eos.txt #asra #asra the magician #the arcana #lol

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gaycatpark · 6 years

Text

Birds of a Feather Stick Together

[for @rainghoul!! featuring his plague doctor, charles, and my gremlin son, elbie. minor warning for death/light gore and mentions of mild body horror]

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He had rumor that there was a new doctor in town. Unfortunate, really, though certainly the town was big enough. Still, he had claimed this place as his and did not appreciate the intrusion. Either someone was feeling rather brash, or worse—he was dealing with a human.

Charles sighed as he made his way down the street, stick clicking with every other step. He did not seem to be in a hurry as he strode easily, watching the citizens shrink back in fear. Only a week in and they already knew to revere and fear his presence. Delicious.

Of course, Charles had more pressing matters on his hands than basking in their quiet terror. No, he was off to find this little intruder and have pleasant little chat. Maybe over some tea. Yes, some tea would be perfect to calm his nerves after bludgeoning the fucker to death. Charles let out a small chuckle at the thought. Wouldn’t that be just lovely?

The newcomer was not hard to find. Charles smelled him first; even beneath his herbs he picked up the stench of rot and sickness, something sweeter and heavier than that of plague. Then came the sound- wet and rhythmic, a squelching thwack, thwack, thwack. Charles picked up his step. The people recoiled, but not from him. No, their sunken eyes flickered back to something else, something that scared them more than the imposing doctor.

Charles rounded the corner and nearly met with the end of a stick. And it was a stick, not a proper staff such as his, but merely a branch stripped of leaves and moltings of bark. Charles reeled backwards and watched as the thing in front of him beat at a pulpy corpse. It wore not the same black and leather as he did, but a costume that seemed to be cobbled together by burlaps and leathers of browns and a sickly green. It was a disgusting shame. Charles reached up as the stranger arched their stick. He caught the tip and yanked, tipping the small creature back. They screeched as he grabbed hold and dragged them deeper into the alley.

“What do you think you're doing?” He hissed. The small doctor writhed against his touch, shrieking and hissing like some sort of animal. Though it wore a mask, it was poorly constructed, made of the same material as it's robes. The beak was gnarled and thin, flopping as they struggled.

“Stop your shrieking,” Charles pressed harder against the smaller doctor, choking out the terrible noise, “now you stop that and behave, alright?”

The small doctor nodded, their struggles now ceased.

“Thank you. Now tell me, what are you doing here? Don't you know this is my town?” Silence. Not even the slightest movement from the green little goblin. Charles sighed, “you're not human are you? But not one of us either, hm?”

More silence. This creature was getting on his nerves. Charles straightened to his full height, easily towering over the smaller plague doctor. A low growl rumbled in his chest as the beak of his mask split apart, revealing a hungry mouth. The creature stared at it, transfixed. They reached up a glove hand and ran it along their own beak. Charles heard a ripping noise and the stitches stretched to reveal a twisted mouth still sewn nearly shut.

He chuckled, “so you are one of us? I've never seen anything like you.”

“Elbie.” The creature croaked, their voice the rasp of a dying thing as they poked their chest, “Elbie.”

“Elbie, is it?” Charles mused. The little one nodded and pointed at themself again. “You may call me Charles. It is a… pleasure to meet you.” Though he purred, there was no kindness in his voice. This Elbie creature did not seem to pick up on nuances, and instead let out a happy little croak. By his blood, this one had come back wrong. Charles almost pitied them.

“Now Elbie, you do know this is my town, right? Whatever are you doing here?” More silence, a dead stare. “Don't you know what happens when you intrude on my town?”

“Dead.” Elbie croaked. Charles huffed in amusement.

“Well, certainly I don't have to kill you if you leave-”

“Dead.” Elbie repeated. Charles pinched the bridge of his beak. Communication was going to be a problem here, wasn't it? Well, there was no use arguing out where the whole town could hear. He grabbed Elbie roughly by the shoulder and dragged them back towards his office.

He would get to the bottom of this.

--------

That had been a week and a half ago, and he was no closer to the bottom than when he first met the wretched thing. Grilling Elbie for any explanation had proven futile. Though they grasped his words well enough, they spoke few of their own. Mostly it was their strange little noises blank stares. When Charles has suggested they move along, their reply had been a single, insistent word:

“Help.”

And begrudgingly, Charles let them. Elbie proved a surprisingly quick learner, is the instructions were simple enough. They followed Charles about, helping drag victims back to his office, or retrieve his ingredients- willing he described them. The creature did not seem to grasp reading very well; something Charles vowed to fix.

He sat facing Elbie, his fingers steepled under his beak. They did not seem to understand the basic concept of a book. He had watched in frustration as they first stared it down, then flipped through the pages without even glancing at the text. No matter how hard he tried to get them to actually look at the words, they seemed more preoccupied with the whoosh of pages as they turned.

“Rat!” Elbie croaked. Charles almost fell out of his chair. Elbie was pointed at an illustration of, well, a rat. They repeated the word excitedly and reached under their robes. Charles swallowed back a scream as they produced s rat- still living- from the depths of their cloak.

Eagerly Elbie held up the writhing rodent up to Charles. He tried to decline, but Elbie was insistent. So he gingerly plucked the creature from their hands and found a large jar in which to put it. The rat scrambled hazily for a few moments as Elbie excitedly watched. They turned back to Charles. Though he could not see their true face, he could sense the smile. He gave a begrudging smile in return.

“Thank you for that, uh, gift, Elbie. It's much appreciated.”

“Rat!” Repeated Elbie.

“Yes, I know it's a-” Charles paused. An idea came to him and he sat back down at his desk, dragging Elbie with him. He pointed to the drawing of the rat, then to the words printed under it,

“Rat. Elbie, this reads rat. Can you read it?”

Elbie stared down at the page. Or at least Charles hoped they did- he could not see their eyes from under the dark lenses.

“Rat.” They repeated. Maybe, just maybe they were having a breakthrough at last. Elbie, however, only softly repeated the word and began to rub their beak against the paper. Charles let his head sink into his hands.

He had a long road ahead of him.

#clerval writes #ocs #original fiction #plague doctor #:0 #long post #the cut wont work :(

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vaguelyrotten · 3 years

Text

Like a Lily in a Flood

Title: Like a Lily in a Flood Artist: @myulalie Beta: @another-random-stranger Pairings: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, mentions of Jimon and Reyhill Word Count: 70k Warnings: Mild Gore, Beheading, Nearly being eaten alive and burned at the stake, Discrimination, Sickness Summary: Alec returns home to find his town plagued by a mysterious illness. Unable to find a cure, he ventures into the woods to seek help from an unlikely source. We must not look at goblin men... This fic was created for the Shadowhunters Mini Bang 2021: Presented by the @malecdiscordserver

Chapter Three

The morning sun hit Alec’s eyes and he groaned, throwing an arm across his face in a pathetic attempt to shield himself from the light. “What time is it?” He mumbled, the sound muffled against his sleeve. He typically found it a lot easier to get up early, but he’d never slept quite this rough before.

“Nearly nine,” Magnus replied, snapping his finger and extinguishing the remainder of the flames as Alec pushed himself into a sitting position. “We’ve only been asleep for a couple of hours. We returned to camp late last night.”

Alec rubbed the last of sleep from his eyes, his gaze finally falling on a spread of pastries and sausages. He blinked, surprised to find nice china and a full breakfast this deep into the forest. “Uh...what’s that?”

“Breakfast, Alexander. Surely you’ve had it before?” Magnus’ voice was light and teasing. Alec could only imagine how long he’d been up this morning preparing this.

“Where did it come from? We’re in the middle of the woods.”

The half-goblin’s cat eyes sparkled as he held up a hand, blue sparks dancing playfully around his fingertips. “Magic, of course. Where else? Eat up — I’d hate to have my hard work go to waste.” Magnus handed him a plate and began to pick and choose items for his own meal. “Now, am I taking you back to the entrance today?” He asked in between bites of an apple.

Alec shook his head, loading the offered plate with a few croissants, some fruit, and a sausage. “I need to find some more ingredients to try. The flowers… they didn’t have much of an effect. If anything, they just stained my fingers for a few days.” He sighed. “I’m getting pretty desperate here. There must be something that I haven’t tried.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a little color,” Magnus replied, gesturing to his outfit. He was wearing a deep blue today, with small accents in gold and maroon. Alec found he missed the purple but this…

This outfit was something different. He found it hard to look away.

“Maybe for you, but I’ll stick with black,” he replied, trying to focus intently on his food so that Magnus didn’t catch him staring. “It’s practical.”

The half-goblin hummed and switched the subject (much to Alec’s relief.) “Did you bring your list again?” Alec nodded and reached over to pull it from his bag before handing it to Magnus.

“Isabelle said to see if we can find some of the non-floral ingredients. Do you recognize any of them?”

“Isabelle?” Magnus asked as his eyes scanned over the parchment.

“My sister,” Alec replied. “She wants to do something in medicine but my parents have prohibited her from studying it. They want her to focus on more ladylike aspirations — like finding a good husband and having children.” He snorted, thinking back to his sister’s wild appearance as she practiced with her whip in the barn. “She’s...a firecracker. She does what she wants, and she studies medicine in secret. She’s been the one helping me test possible cures.”

“Well, if the doctor ordered it, then I suppose we must do our best to please her. I know where some of these are and some that you should try that aren’t on your list. Once you are ready to go, we’ll head out. There’s a stream over there if you’d like to bathe. I’m going to double check the wards once more and see if I can get Elias’ attention. It will be easier if we don’t have to ride double today...and I’m sure your poor horse will appreciate the reprieve.”

Leaving Alec to wash in peace, Magnus disappeared back in the same direction he’d gone last night.

----------

Alec bathed quickly, neither wanting to waste precious time when they could be trying to find a cure nor wanting to spend more time than necessary in the frigid stream. He dressed in the same clothes that he had been wearing the previous day and was working on tacking up Flame when Magnus re-appeared with Elias trotting at his heels. He was holding a crushed purple ribbon in his hand and had a sour expression on his face. “Is everything alright?” Alec asked, concern slipping into his every word.

“Something triggered the wards last night,” Magnus replied, holding up the crumbled, dirty ribbon. “It should have woken me up. If it had pulled another one down, it would have gotten through the perimeter.”

“What do you think it was? Wolf? Bear?”

“Oh my dear, Alexander. Wolves and bears don’t take the time to diffuse part of a magical barrier. I think this was something human...or vaguely human. Regardless, it’s probably time that we move on. I’ll just have to find another place to make my camp tonight.” He sighed, pocketing the ribbon and dismantling the rest of the site with a wave of his hand. “It’s such a shame; it was nice here. I can hardly stay a week before I have to move again these days.” He pulled himself onto Elias’ back effortlessly and Alec followed suit with his own horse.

“I’m sorry. I hope my presence isn’t what caused something to trigger your...wards?” Alec replied, hoping that he got the last word correct since he wasn’t up to date on magical lingo.

“No, don’t you worry. This has nothing to do with you and everything to do with Asmodeus’ interest in me. He may even have discovered his missing amulet.”

Alec nudged his horse into a walk, following after Magnus. He frowned as he passed a purple ribbon that was tied from a low-hanging tree branch. “Hey, Magnus?” The half-goblin turned at the sound of his name. “What are the purple ribbons anyway? Something to do with your wards?”

“Yes and no. The wards themselves are just simple spells. They’re invisible to the eye and once I raise them, they’re free standing. If I want to keep you out, the wards will keep you out. Unfortunately, magically sensitive creatures can sense them. It does sort of give me away but it also keeps me safe. The ribbons are...more like an early warning system. I set them outside of the wards. It helps me find my camp and it tells me if anyone is poking around outside of the wards.” Magnus grabbed one off a branch as they passed, and slowed Elias until he was side by side with Alec’s horse.

“Here, take a closer look.” He handed the ribbon to Alec and waved his hand with a sparkle of blue. Alec glanced behind him, watching as the last of the ribbons that he could see disappear to who knows where and a shimmer in the air descend towards the ground. Magnus chuckled at Alec’s startled expression. “Those were the wards, my dear. No reason that we need to keep them up since I have no plans to return to this camp anytime soon.”

With the last of Magnus’ tasks done, he continued forward, humming a tune that was unfamiliar to Alec under his breath and allowing the human to finally take a closer look at the scrap of fabric in his hand. To the naked eye, it didn’t look like anything special. Like the one that he’d stumbled across his first time in the woods, this one was still made of a fabric that Alec couldn’t begin to name. It was a deep purple, with barely noticeable strands of silver and metallic blue that he could only truly see when it caught the light in the right way.

That wasn’t what Alec noticed the most. The fabric nearly seemed to buzz in his hand. The sensation wasn’t painful, instead it felt warm and safe and...curious? He transferred the fabric into his other hand and was surprised when the tingle didn’t fade. “Why does it feel...alive?” He asked, reaching over to hand the ribbon back to Magnus.

“Alive?” Magnus asked, an expression that Alec couldn’t decipher written across his face. “How do you mean alive?”

“You know, alive. It’s almost buzzing when I hold it. And it uh...feels. It’s happy and curious. I know that probably sounds dumb. And impossible.” Alec replied with a blush, already regretting his choice of words as they were leaving his mouth.

“It’s magic, Alexander. Nothing is impossible,” Magnus answered, turning to give the other man a bemused look. “Still… it’s interesting that you feel anything at all, let alone feel that my magic is alive. Most people aren’t that sensitive. Are you sure that you don’t have any goblin blood in you?”

“Not to my knowledge. I’m just a normal, run-of-the-mill human. I had to do a report on our family tree when I was still in school. I traced it back generations; there was nothing out of the ordinary that I could find.”

Magnus hummed, tapping a finger against his chin in thought. “Still...it’s curious. You truly are a mystery, Alexander, and one I cannot wait to unravel.” Alec blushed and Magnus grinned before turning his attention towards the ground in front of him. “Now, as much as I would love to investigate this further, I do believe we are out here on a mission.” Elias came to a stop and the half-goblin slid from his back. “And I do believe I’ve found our first specimen.” He plucked two handfuls of a rather plain looking leafy green. “Sage. A hardy plant that can thrive in some fairly harsh conditions outside of the wood. Your ancestors thought it was a cure-all.”

He handed the plant to Alec and watched as the human gently wrapped the plant in a soft, grey cloth and placed it gently in his bag. “Is it? A cure-all, I mean?”

“Unfortunately, not in the way that they originally thought. Sage does have a lot of uses but it certainly isn’t a miracle cure.” Magnus pulled another couple of leaves off the plant and popped one into his mouth, holding the other out to Alec. The human sniffed it curiously before following suit.

“I think our cook uses this. It smells familiar.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s an excellent seasoning, especially fantastic on chicken. I’ve got a fantastic recipe for Lemon and Sage Chicken that is absolutely to die for. I’ll have to make it for you some time. If you’re amenable, of course.”

“Uh… yeah. I’d like that; once we find a cure and this whole thing is behind us.” Alec replied, a small smile playing on his face. “I’d like to have you over for dinner as well. As a thank you for helping me. I definitely couldn’t do this without you, Magnus. I’d be lost out here...and I’m definitely not any sort of plant expert.”

Magnus glanced up at Alec, searching his face for any sort of malice or alternative plan. “I’m not sure having a goblin over to dinner would go over well with your parents. Most people in that town of yours don’t take kindly to my kind.”

“Please, you’re half human too and they should be throwing you a feast if we manage to find a cure. You deserve the recognition for the part you are playing. I don’t care what they think. I’m going to make sure that we appropriately thank you. All of us.”

Magnus blinked. In his four hundred years he’d never had anyone outside of his closest friends show the sort of care for him that Alec was showing after only two meetings. “You continue to amaze me. You have no reason to trust me and yet, here you are inviting me to dinner.”

“Well, why wouldn’t I? You decided to trust me despite your wards keeping my people out of the forest. You have no reason to trust me either.”

Magnus couldn’t find the right words to reply. Elias lifted his front fetlock and Magnus used the offered limb to pull himself up on the kelpie’s back. “Come on, let’s keep moving. The day is still young and we still have plants to find. We’re playing this one by ear — I can’t say I remember where every single plant in the forest is.”

----------

By the time the sun started to set, Alec’s bag was nearly overflowing with various herbs, mushrooms, and a few more flowers. He glanced up at the darkening sky with a frown on his face.

“Shall I accompany you back to the path?” Magnus asked gently. They’d enjoyed a nice, relaxing day in each other’s presence. It hadn’t felt like work to either of them. There was still the mysterious illness plaguing the town and Raphael’s curse looming, but today hadn’t seemed rushed or stressful.

It had almost been fun.

“I think it’s too late tonight. My sense of direction is sorely lacking out here but we seem deeper than we were the last time I was out here.”

“You aren’t wrong,” Magnus mused. “However, I don’t mind taking you to the entrance. I’m sure you’ve got very important human tasks to get back to...and won’t your family be worried? I don’t want the fine people of Idris coming after me with pitchforks because they think I’ve done unspeakable things to you and your honor.”

Alec snorted. “I don’t think you have to worry about that. Only my family knows that I came back to town and my mother left for Alicante as soon as I got back. I made my brother and sister promise to give me a few days before they came looking.”

“Well then, if you’re not in any rush, I would love to invite you to stay with me again tonight. I know a perfect little clearing right next to a stream that would be ideal for setting up camp.”

Alec glanced up at the sky and the sun that was now beginning to disappear behind the treetops. No, there was definitely no chance of making it home before night completely fell and he didn’t want to chance running into the goblins again.

He’d also get to spend a little more time with Magnus, pretending the outside world didn’t exist and getting to know the half-goblin better. Surely, that couldn’t be a bad thing. “That sounds like a great idea,” he replied, a grin spreading across his face. “Lead the way.”

----------

The site that Magnus had picked for his new camp was somewhere they’d passed by on their earlier adventure. Alec hadn’t paid much attention to the small grove of Yew trees when they had stopped earlier to pick a leafy green plant with small pinkish-purple flowers that Magnus had called herb-of-the-cross. The half-goblin had explained that it was great for general aches and pains as well as being used in numerous purification rituals and Alec’s mind had already been racing with a thousand different ways he could try the herb in a possible cure to truly notice what was around him.

The circle of trees opened to a small clearing. It was about half the size of the camp that Magnus had previously made but that didn’t seem to bother him. Skirting around the north of the camp was a stream.

“Make yourself at home,” Magnus stated, jumping off Elias’ back. The kelpie ambled towards the stream, took a sniff and walked away. Magnus frowned but said nothing, turning his attention back to Alec instead. “I’m going to set the wards. Then I’ll snap us up something to eat and get a fire going.”

“Can I help?” Alec asked as he dismounted and began to untack his gelding.

“Help with?”

“The wards...and setting up camp. I know I don’t have magic myself but you shouldn’t have to do everything and I’d like to watch you set them...if you don’t mind, that is, and if you don’t think I’ll...break them or something. Your magic is the only magic I’ve seen. I’d like to get a closer look.”

Magnus studied him for a few moments before nodding, a fond expression on his face. “Of course, setting the wards isn’t a secret. Magic puts them up and magic takes them down, there’s no way they could be ‘broken’ as you say, by a mere human. It’s just not entirely that exciting. I didn’t want to bore you.”

“Nothing you do is boring, Magnus,” Alec replied, his back turned as he placed his saddle on the ground and out of the way. He tied Flame’s reins loosely to a young tree. “I’ve never learned so much nor enjoyed myself as much as I have when I’m with you.”

Magnus stood shocked as his mind raced to catch up with Alec’s words. The man had spent just a few simple days with him but already Magnus could feel himself becoming attached to this human. Alec dusted his hands off on his pants and turned around, waiting for Magnus to lead the way or give an order. “You never cease to amaze me, Alexander. Magic is more about intent than practice. Come, I’ll give you a brief explanation on ward magic and we can walk the perimeter and set the early warning markers afterwards.” He stepped through the yew trees and he knew without a doubt that Alec would follow.

----------

After they had taken care of their safety for the evening, Magnus led them back to the clearing. True to his word, a simple snap of his fingers and that now too familiar sparkle in the air brought a crackling fire with the same blue flame from the night before. “I’m going to fill my water skin and wash up,” Alec stated, already pulling off his jacket and moving towards the stream.

“I wouldn’t,” Magnus replied, snapping his fingers again and producing a bucket and a simple cloth while the water skin miraculously (magically) had filled itself. “There’s something...odd about the water.”

“How do you know?” Alec asked as he dipped his hands into the bucket and began to scrub his face. “It looks like a normal stream to me.” He’d also filled his waterskin from there earlier in the day and thus far he felt fine.

“Did you see Elias walk over to it?” Alec shook his head, he’d been too preoccupied with taking care of his own horse earlier to notice if the kelpie had done anything strange. “Kelpies are water horses. They’re born in the lakes and rivers when lightning strikes the water. The water keeps them alive...if he wanted nothing to do with the stream, then I don’t trust it either.”

Alec tensed at the half-goblin’s explanation. Everything he had said made sense but that still didn’t change the fact that Alec had in fact been drinking water from the stream all day. “What do you think is wrong with it?” He asked idly, trying to keep his voice calm as he focused on the task at hand.

“There’s no way of telling without running some diagnostic spells on it and, unfortunately, those are more my dear friend Catarina’s speciality instead of mine. If something nefarious were at foot, I’m sure we would have found out sooner. It’s probably something as simple as a dead deer up stream. I wouldn’t worry your pretty head too much about it.”

Alec would worry about it, though he couldn’t stop the blush from forming on face from Magnus’ comment about his pretty head. He’d try to keep a closer eye on any symptoms or weird feelings that may begin to show themselves. For now though, he felt fine. Thank the angel for that at least.

“Now then!” Magnus said loudly, pulling Alec from his reverie and making him jump. “I believe we’re both owed some dinner. Any requests?”

“Magician’s choice,” Alec replied.

“Well, how do you feel about a nice steak? There’s this little place just over the mountain that makes the best steak I’ve ever had in my long and lonely life. Would you like to try it?”

Alec couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a nice steak, let alone ‘the best steak that someone had ever had.’ “That sounds absolutely perfect. I can’t wait to try it.”

Magnus grinned at his response and snapped his fingers.

----------

The steak and potatoes that Magnus had summoned had indeed been the best that Alec had ever had — and that was even compared to some of the famous taverns that he’d eaten at during his stay in the city. The steak practically melted in his mouth and he wasn’t sure what seasoning was on the potatoes but wherever it was, it was absolutely to die for.

They’d set up their bedrolls after they had finished eating and Magnus was currently propped up on his elbow, watching the glow from the fire illuminate Alec’s face. “What?” Alec asked when he noticed the half-goblin was staring at him. “Do I have something on my face?”

“I can’t be interested in your pretty eyes?” Magnus asked, amused. “I was just thinking…”

“About?”

“Every time you and I have met, the conversation focuses largely on me. Now, I do love talking about myself an awful lot but I know hardly anything about you.”

Alec hadn’t intended to withhold information from Magnus. He hadn’t been lying the other night when he said that he had trusted him, he just didn’t find his life that interesting — not compared to Magnus’, where there was magic and mystery in every waking moment. “I’m afraid I’m not that interesting,” Alec said after a moment, giving the half-goblin a sad smile and a small shrug. “But I don’t have secrets. What do you want to know?”

A smile spread across Magnus’ face that Alec could feel down to his very soul. “You said you had siblings? Tell me about them.”

Alec laughed. “Alright...well, you already know a little bit about Izzy. Let me tell you about Jace…”

Alec spent the next two hours spilling details of his life and regaling Magnus with tales from his youth until they both drifted off to a gentle sleep, not noticing the sound of pipes and drums playing in the distance.

----------

When Alec woke the next morning, it was to curious golden cat eyes watching him with interest. He yawned, rubbing his hand over his eyes to try to rid himself of the last few remnants of sleep. “Good morning. What time is it?”

“Good morning, sleepy head,” Magnus replied, a hint of laughter in his voice. “It’s still quite early, but we should probably get a move on if we hope to make it back towards the entrance by a decent hour. I’m sure there will be plenty to distract us on the way there. More flowers to pick, etcetera, etcetera.”

The corner of Alec’s lips turned up as he pushed himself up to sit and began to tidy up his bedroll. Magnus started to do the same, waving his hand to vanish his own bedding and doing the same to extinguish the fire that had remained burning through the night. “If I recall from yesterday, you are the one who gets easily distracted Magnus,” Alec replied. “You spent quite a bit of time staring at a beetle.”

“It wasn’t just any beetle, Alexander. It was a particularly lovely jewel beetle specimen. The way the light reflected off his carapace was breathtaking. I needed inspiration, obviously. I’ve been stuck in such a rut lately.” He sighed dramatically, summoning a fresh set of clothes for himself with another snap of his fingers. “Well, what do you think?” He asked, executing a twirl so that Alec could take in the whole outfit.

The half-goblin’s new attire, like the wings of the beetle that they had observed yesterday, was a shimmering cobalt blue tipped in a deep, metallic purple. He was wearing another long coat and a black vest with a dark brocade pattern. His make-up was in bright, glittering colours that matched his jacket.

“You look great, Magnus,” Alec replied, turning to begin tacking his horse up, using the action to hide the blush he could feel forming on his cheeks. “You always look great. I don’t think you needed me to tell you that though.”

“Alas, my dear Alexander, I am a vain creature. I do appreciate hearing it.”

Alec had finished tightening Flame’s girth and threw the last of his saddle bags over the gelding’s withers. He turned towards Magnus to see if the half-goblin was ready to leave and found the other man looking at him with a curious expression. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

“No but I do think a change of clothes is in order for you too. We’ve been out here for a few days and you don’t have the luxury of magic.” He waved his hand and Alec jumped as the worn leather and plain cotton that he had been wearing was instantly replaced with soft, supple leather in a quality that Alec had never seen before, and a deep blue fabric that was so dark it was nearly black. “There! That’s much better, don’t you think?”

“Magnus! Where did this even come from? You didn’t have to do that, I would have been fine in my old clothes...I am going home after all.”

“Secrets, Alexander. I have to keep some of them,” Magnus replied, giving Alec a wink as he pulled himself onto the kelpie’s back. “Let me spoil you a little; consider it a parting gift. A memento of our days together. I would hate for you to forget about me once you return to the city.”

“I could never forget you, Magnus, trust me,” Alec replied, taking Flame’s reins in his hand and hoisting himself into the saddle. “And I’ll never forget the last few days, you can count on that. But thank you — the clothes are wonderful...and I’m serious about wanting to have you for dinner to properly thank you once all this is said and done.”

Magnus merely nodded, seemingly at a loss for words for once in his life. “Well then!” He exclaimed loudly, nudging Elias into a brisk walk and heading towards the tree line. “I do believe we have some ground to cover before it gets too late. Let’s get to it.”

It was early afternoon when they finally reached the edge of the woods. “Alas, you’ve got some cures to try and I’ve got a curse to try and lift. But before I truly leave you…” His voice trailed off as he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a fluffy purple bloom with a bright yellow center. “For you. I left you with a flower last time and I would hate to disappoint you this time.”

Alec took the flower and twirled it in his fingers. “Knowing you, I’m sure this is more than just a simple flower.”

Magnus laughed — a joyful sound that had Alec wanting to stay here with the half-goblin longer. “A few, but none that would be suitable for your purposes. It makes a good tea though, if you’re curious, and it’s edible.” He reached back into his pocket and Alec could see his fingers linger for a moment before he pulled something else out. “I would also like to leave you with this.” He reached over with his palm down and placed a silver coin in the palm of Alec’s outstretched hand.

“What is it?” Alec asked as he turned it over in his hand. One side was emblazoned with an intricate cat and the other had a simple arrow.

Magnus hesitated, eventually shaking his head and glancing up at Alec. “A token of my own appreciation for your help in rescuing the amulet...and a safety measure of my own. That coin is imbued with my own magic...and magic is unique to the one who wields it. If you come looking for me again and you hold that with the cat side down, it will lead you right to me. No more wandering around in the woods and getting lost for you. As much as I’d love to be your knight in shining armor every time, preventing those sticky situations is honestly the best thing that we can do.”

Alec ran his fingers gently over the coin, finding comfort in the warm metal in his hand and the electric buzz that he was beginning to recognize as the presence of magic. “I…” Alec didn’t know what to say to a gift like that. The coin was not only thoughtful but it was dangerous. Magnus had told him that he’d been hunted before — by both humans and goblins — and if this fell into the wrong hands, it could lead to his death. “Magnus, thank you, truly. I know what this means for you. I’ll keep it safe, I promise.”

Magnus gave a timid smile, looking shy in a way that Alec had never seen in their brief time together. Finally, the half-goblin seemed to pull himself together. He gave an awkward half bow from the back of the kelpie. “Until next time, dear heart.”

He winked one last time before turning Elias and prodded him back in the direction that they had come. Alec sighed, gently sticking the stem of the flower in the front pocket of his jacket and making sure it was secure, before turning his own horse in the direction of home.

----------

Alec, luckily, made it home before either of his siblings had begun to organize a search party. He had cut it close to the deadline that he’d arranged with them - he was slightly surprised that they weren’t outside already getting ready to ride to his rescue. He cooled down and untacked his horse as the light began to fade and went to track down Jace and Isabelle’s whereabouts.

The house was quiet as he slipped inside, though that much he had expected. His family had never been one for an abundance of guests or fancy parties unless they were truly necessary. With his mother gone, the tension that was normally hanging heavily in the air was gone. He assumed that wherever his siblings were in the house, they were together and were taking advantage of the much more relaxed atmosphere.

“Anyone home?” He called out, setting his bow gently by the door and stepping farther into the house. The quick patter of smaller feet coming from the kitchen had Alec turning quickly in that direction.

“Alec!” Max yelled, running into his brother’s open arms. “You’re home! Jace and Izzy were worried — they said we might have to go find you. I already packed my stuff and everything!”

“Hey! I definitely did not say that, little man,” Jace replied, stepping out of the kitchen as well. “I said that I might have to go look for him and that you would be staying here with your sister, especially after that stunt that you pulled earlier. Now go wash up, you’re a mess. Now that Alec’s home, we can eat.”

Max grimaced but did as he was told, running up the stairs and disappearing into his bedroom. Jace pulled Alec into a hug. “He was right about one thing; we were starting to get worried. I was ready to head out sooner but Izzy said to give you the benefit of the doubt. If you weren’t back by morning though, all bets were off.”

“I didn’t intend to stay so long,” Alec replied, leading Jace back towards the work room to drop off the specimens that he’s collected and not surprised to find his sister already there elbow deep in books and plants. “It took me a while to find Magnus. He doesn’t exactly have an address.” He set the bag on the table next to his sister and grinned as her face lit up with the prospect of new ingredients. “Here you go. We didn’t find everything we talked about, but hopefully this is enough of a start.”

She dove into the bag and began pulling out the delicately wrapped parcels, organizing them into some unknown categories into small piles on the table. Once she was finished, she glanced back at Alec and a mischievous grin crossed her face. “That’s not the only thing that you brought home, big brother.” She plucked the flower from his pocket before he could argue and held it between them. “This is an aster. Do you know what that means?”

“Magnus said it wasn’t exactly useful for what we were trying to accomplish here,” Alec muttered, trying to snatch the flower back from his sister’s grasp without crushing it.

“Oh, it’s got plenty of medicinal uses. That’s not what I asked, Alec. Use your head. Do you know what an aster flower symbolizes.”

“How would I know that? That isn’t exactly something I studied at school, Iz.”

“Love. New beginnings. Beauty. Passion. I think your goblin has a little bit of a crush on you.”

“Half-goblin,” Alec muttered, tucking the flower safely back into his pocket as his sister laughed. He couldn’t hide the fact that he was starting to feel something for Magnus too. He’d always known that the marriage that his parents were hoping for him would never be on the books. That was another reason that he’d left for the city as soon as the opportunity arose. He wanted a chance to learn who Alec Lightwood really was without his parents and their expectations breathing down his neck.

Isabelle’s attention moved from the flower that he had placed back in his pocket to the clothes that Magnus had conjured him. “Flowers and a new wardrobe? He’ll make an honest man out of you in no time, Alec. Is this Zustrean silk?” She asked, picking at the soft, dark blue fabric of his shirt. “This must have cost a fortune. I’ve never even seen Zustrean silk.”

“It didn’t cost anything, Izzy, he used magic. Stop looking too much into it. We slept rough for a few days and Magnus said something about the water in the stream being...wrong...or so his horse told him. He summoned me some new clothes because I’m sure that I probably stunk to high heavens.”

“Alright, Alec,” Isabelle laughed, turning her attention back to whatever was bubbling away in the pot over the small fire. “You keep telling yourself that if it makes you sleep better at night. I still think your goblin is courting you.”

Alec opened his mouth to argue with her but was saved by a shout from Jace. “Can you two hurry it up? I was promised dinner and I’m starving!”

----------

Once they’d finished dinner and Alec had sent a very grumpy Max to bed, he, Isabelle, and Jace returned to the work room to begin going through their notes on the plants that Alec had brought back with him.

“What’s this weird-looking thing?” Jace asked, holding up a fluffy white mushroom that Magnus had pulled off a tree. “It looks suspicious.”

“Magnus called it Satyr’s Beard though he did say we might know it by something else. I don’t remember that being anywhere on our list.” He replied, flipping through the original book that he’d found during that first night of research. He’d retrieved the book shortly after dinner from the drawer that he’d hidden it in in his room and was pleasantly surprised to find that Jace and Isabelle had come across a few more possibly helpful tomes in the library while he had been gone. “It’s a mushroom, he said. And it’s edible though he said something about making it into a tea...I’ve got notes here somewhere.”

He reached over the table to grab the back that he’d abandoned earlier and heard a heavy thunk of something falling out of his inner pocket and rolling across the old wooden table. He winced, quickly abandoning his search for the parchment he’d been looking for and scrambling ungracefully after the coin instead. The coin had rolled to Jace’s side of the table and the blond picked it up. “And what the hell is this? Did you find some lost treasure while you were out in the woods, Alec? Are you holding out on us?”

“No!” Alec stuttered, frustrated, trying to take the coin out of Jace’s hand. His brother was quick and he darted to the other side of the table to put some more space between them. “Just give it back — it’s nothing that can help us find a cure, I promise.”

“You’re still holding out on us, Alec. What’s so important that you don’t want to tell us what it is?” Jace handed the coin to Isabelle and they both watched as she held it up to the flame to get a closer look at the symbols. “A cat and an arrow...did Magnus give this to you? You said he had cat eyes, did you not?”

“If you two must know since you insist on being so damn nosey, then yes. Magnus did give it to me but only to help me find him if I have to return to the woods in the future.”

Jace snorted. “How’s a stupid coin supposed to help you find him? Do you toss it in a well and make a wish? Will your Prince Charming come and spirit you away just like that?”

Alec blinked, scowling at Jace’s words. “Obviously not, you moron. It’s magic. Can’t you feel that?”

“Feel what, Alec? It’s just a boring coin. You can’t even spend it anywhere.”

“That...electric buzz? It feels like you're holding lightning...you mean you can’t feel that?’

Both his siblings shook their heads and Alec took the coin from his sister’s hand. As soon as his fingers brushed the metal, the magic in the coin called to him. The buzz was warm and familiar. It welcomed his touch and it almost felt...happy to be in his hands once again.

“I can’t feel anything, Alec. It feels maybe a little warmer than I’d expect from metal but I’d chalk that up to it being in your jacket pocket for who knows how long,” Isabelle replied, picking up a leafy green stalk with a small yellow bud and examining it carefully. “Not to cut this exhilarating conversation about Alec’s love life or lack there of short, but I’ve seen this plant somewhere.”

“I should hope so,” Jace muttered, “You only kept me up nearly all night going through practically every single book in the damn library.”

“No…” Izzy replied thoughtfully, handing Alec the wooden spoon that she’d been stirring the pot with. “Stir. It needs to boil for another thirty minutes, after that take it off the flame and we’ll let it cool overnight before we add the final few herbs in the morning. From there, it’ll need to sit for a week before it’s ready.”

“I don’t think we have that kind of time, Iz. Isn’t there anything we can do to speed this whole process up?” Alec asked, stirring the pot exactly like she had ordered him to.

“Unfortunately, what we’re doing is a bit unprecedented. It’s going to take time. I’ve got to check the library for something. Don’t forget to stir.”

She left the room and Alec could only do as he was told. He stirred.

----------

Once Isabelle had left the room, Jace slid closer to Alec. “Alright, spill.”

“Spill what, Jace? Surely you don’t mean Izzy’s experiment because I’m not certain she’d like that very much.”

Jace rolled his eyes, reaching over the table to tap his fingers on the surface in front of Alec to get his brother’s attention. “Spill about your goblin. I know there’s more you’re not telling us. You probably don’t want to say anything in front of Izzy because we both know that keeping secrets like that isn’t her forte but you can tell me. I’m your brother, we’re supposed to talk about stuff like this I’m told.”

Alec fixed Jace with an unimpressed look. “You’re adopted.”

“Not what I meant, stupid,” Jace responded fondly as he rested his chin in his hands like an excited schoolgirl. He was acting like one too, Alec had to admit to himself, with the way he was trying to pull the best gossip out of Alec. “You disappear into the woods for a few days, then you come back with a flower, some fancy coin, and new clothes made out of fancy fabrics. Not to mention, you’re smiling. You never smile. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen you truly happy.”

“I smile plenty, Jace. I’m not heartless.”

“You smiled when Max was born. You smiled when you got accepted into University. You smiled when Iz punched that guy who tried to kiss her and broke his nose…” Jace’s voice trailed off as he tapped a finger against his chin in thought. “And you gave me half a smile the first time I came home from a job. So that’s three and a half times. Four and a half if you count right now.”

“What’s your point, Jace?” Alex asked tiredly, suddenly finding the pot in front of him entirely too interesting.

Jace must have sensed his frustration and exhaustion because his playful tone changed quickly. “Magnus...he makes you truly happy?”

Yes, Alec thought to himself, he makes me happier than I could ever imagine. “How did you know…” he started cautiously, trying to choose his next words very carefully. These sort of conversations were uncomfortable and unfamiliar for him and actually voicing what he wanted to say was difficult, to say the least. “How did you know that you and Simon...fit? That you were right for each other?”

Jace blinked, his brain rapidly trying to catch up to what he had just heard. “He’s the first person I want to see when I wake up in the morning and the last person that I think about at night. A moment doesn’t go by when I don’t want to be by his side and when he takes a job without me, my heart hurts that we have to part. I knew that Robert and Maryse wouldn’t approve —for a whole slew of reasons — and I just didn’t care. He makes me happy and that’s what matters most.”

The only sound in the room was the flickering flame and the wooden spoon scraping against the metal of the pot. “You deserve to be happy too, Alec,” Jace added softly.

Did he deserve to be happy? He certainly hadn’t done anything but become the family disappointment. His parents still expected him to get his law degree, come home, marry a woman from a good family, take over the household, and continue on as so many of his ancestors had before him but...that’s not what Alec had ever wanted.

He’d given up on the law degree in favor of architecture as soon as he’d gotten to Alicante. He’d never wanted to come home and join the Council like his father and his father’s father. There would be no marrying a woman from a good family and fathering a child to continue the family name in his future. He’d known that for years now.

The only item on his parents’ list of expectations for him that could possibly be in his future is coming home...as long as he could have Magnus by his side.

“He makes me very happy, Jace,” Alec replied quietly, resting the spoon on the side of the pot and giving his brother a small smile. “Happier than I’ve been in a very long time. It’s like he’s the brightest star in the night sky; the compass pointing me north. Everything is clearer than it has been in a very long time. I...don’t want to lose that now that I know what I’m missing.”

Jace reached across the table and gave Alec’s arm an affectionate squeeze. “Then I think you have your answer...and Izzy and I will be here for you anyway we can.” He let the conversation drop and Alec went back to stirring knowing that there would be a lot of decisions he’d need to make about his future in the coming days and he needed to be prepared.

----------

Alec woke the next morning to find that Isabelle was the only one who remained in the manor, despite the disgustingly early hour. From what he could gather, Jace had left before the sun had risen: called away to take care of some apparent monster or demon that had escaped Edom Forest and was apparently terrorizing a local woodcutter and his family. Max had shoveled breakfast in his mouth and had dashed out the door saying something about going fishing with a friend.

Isabelle had finished preparing the possible cure and had bottled it up to finish fermenting in a dark room for the next week. She’d already prepared another of their possible cures — a paste made of herb-of-the-cross and Rue and a plethora of other things that Alec had lost track of and had been waiting for her brother to awaken so that he could help apply it to their father’s stone-like skin.

“Is this one of the ones on our original list or is this an Isabelle special?” Alec asked as he applied the disgusting and sticky green paste to his father’s arms.

“A little bit of both,” she replied as she did the same for the other arm. “The ingredients themselves were listed in two of the books that we found: The first one that you found and one that Jace and I stumbled upon, but it had no suggestion on how to use them. I was going to try a tea so you can thank Magnus for the suggestion of the poultice...even if it is rather disgusting.”

“How long are we supposed to wait before we see, or more likely don’t, any sort of reaction?”

He wiped his hands on an old cloth and frowned at the green tint of his skin the paste had left behind.

“No idea. This is a bit of an experiment but that’s why medicine is a science. It won’t hurt him to leave it for a while...we’ll see if we get any sort of reaction over the next twenty four hours,” she sighed, accepting the rag that Alec had handed her and wiping her own hands. “In the meantime, it won’t hurt for me to get started on what we want to try next...but to do that I’m missing a couple of ingredients. I’ve made a list. Is there any way you can ride into town and see if you can find what else we need?”

#shmb2021 #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #fanfic #like a lily in a flood

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