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yuri-is-online · 8 months

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Hi hi, Can you please to prompt 4 with Malleus,Vil, and Riddle?

4. You met someone really wonderful at the Masquerade Ball and have been ranting about how he was totally the love of your life to your abnormally quiet friend. Actually wasn't he invited too? Maybe you should ask him how that went.

Hello hello and of course I can, and I agree with the first ask you sent me. I was not really thinking of Malleus specifically when I wrote that prompt but it really does suit him doesn't it?

Oh also, welcome to the hell site. I noticed you're new from the few asks you sent me (I was so confused as to how a blank blog was talking to me), I hope you have fun with the content on here. New people are always welcome with me, I know all about being shy and uncertain of how to interact with people. I'll answer the other Malleus prompt you sent in after I have done some others, it was my bad for not realizing you were the same person haha.

notes: they/them used for Yuu, full shojo manga lack of self awareness here in Malleus's part (it is implied to take place before the Ch. 6 reveal), just don't think about it is Yuu's middle name. The rest of the requests can be found on my masterlist here.

Malleus

"Tsunotarou, you know a lot about gargoyles, right?" Such a foolish yet welcome question. Truly your unawareness of just who you are conversing with never ceases to amaze and infatuate him.

"Of course, I am something of an expert." He smiles, trying to keep it from showing the whites of his teeth.

"Oh well then you must be very happy to be in Diasomnia." Your eyes are sparkling, and he pauses. Yes he is very happy to be in Diasomnia, but not for the gargoyles. Briar Valley has long respected the legacy of the Thorn Fairy, and what better house could there be for the noblest of nobles than one that's very core is the spirit of nobility? But these are not exactly things he wishes to speak with you about, it would require detailed revelations he fears the consequences of.

"And what makes you think that, child of man?" Still there must be cause for your reasoning, and he does wish to hear it.

"Well your housewarden is one, isn't he?" You seem very pleased with yourself, but your mind is clearly very far away. Malleus stares at you, eyes wide in shock as he attempts to piece together what logic might have drawn you to such a conclusion. "I met him last night." Your dreamy sigh fills him with jealousy, just irrational enough that the thunder crack above you is quite small enough that he can convince you to remain outside of Ramshackle in conversation with him.

"Your mask is really impressive!" Your eyes always shone at the simplest displays of magic, it filled Malleus with a joy he could never quite find his fill of.

"Mask?!" Roars Sebek, his volume matching the pride rapidly feeling Malleus's chest. "Foolish human, this is more than a mere mask! This is a display of my lord's skill! A perfect recreation of old Briar Valley Masquerade tradition! His artistic talent has been woven though magic to bear his true face for the world to see-"

"That's quite enough Sebek." He does enjoy his retainers praise, but he has a task in mind that the over excited boy might- no will definitely endanger if he speaks further.

"But my lord!" Poor Sebek is torn between embarrassment, jelousy, and concern as he watches his precious lord observe you in the same manner one might a particularly expensive jewel.

"They have given me a most treasured compliment and I wish to reward them in turn." He bows, making sure to flourish his hand as he extends it, taking great pleasure in the little shudder that he only sees unaccompanied by fear in you. "May I have this dance, prefect?"

"Y-yes. You may." You seem in a daze as he takes you to the floor, just as unaware of the others around you as he is. It's wonderful, no matter how many times he visits you he has never had such a good excuse to hold you as this. Your scent, the weight of you in his arms, the way he can better familiarize himself with the subtle movements of your face is all much more real and overwhelming than he had ever imagined it being. It's all Lilia can do to drag him away, whispering teasing things about impropriety and duty to soothe the storm at his fingertips as he sees your friends scoop you up where he left off.

"He is a very handsome gargoyle. And so polite! But then I guess he is royalty so that makes sense..." The continued thunder has you inviting him in, mentioning something about tea he really can't be bothered to think about.

"No he isn't." Malleus pouts. "The nobility of Briar Valley has a reputation for being extremely dour and irrational."

"Oh. Well no wonder he seemed so happy I danced with him. Poor fellow must be very lonely." Oh if only you knew.

"Enough about my housewarden." Malleus declares without a hint of irony, bowing in a familiar fashion to prevent you from entering your kitchen. "He isn't the one you are talking to now is he? He isn't the one who you will be thinking about when you dream tonight." In a slight daze you take his hand, the living room fills with green fireflies as the storm outside slows to a halt as kinder, not softer emotions fill the young lord's heart. "He isn't the one your last dance is for, so focus on me, won't you?"

Vil

"This is why I told you to make sure whatever costume Crewel gave you came with a coat." Vil is beyond angry, with you certainly, but mostly at- life? The fact humans have an immune system that doesn't always work? You have no clue and your head is much too stuffed up to care. What you do care about is that Vil is here, and he really shouldn't be. Colds are contagious and Vil has so many things that he should be doing other than fussing over someone who is not in his dorm and not his responsibility.

"You could get sick." You say and he laughs, if you could see him, if he was not sat behind you on a bed in one of Pomefiore's empty rooms, you know the look he would have on his face. You would see his stupidly beautiful smug smile he has when he has something particularly cutting to say; instead you have to close your eyes and picture it as he pats your head dry just a bit more forcefully.

"Not my responsibility you say? You certainly seem to have a funny view of this." Vil has a word on the tip of his tongue. A word that's ambiguous, a word that would make his manager have a fit. If only she had been a fly on the wall during the Masquerade last night.

"My my, you seem a bit out of place." The tall stranger must be confused at your staring, but he seems more amused than offended. "Does my costume enchant you that much?"

"It reminded me of something." It would hard enough to explain to a friend what you are thinking of, harder still to a stranger. The scarlet costume could have been taken from a playbill, you find yourself looking him over for any sign of a folio. You highly doubt it's you the Red Death wants to capture tonight, but you cannot say you will protest too loudly if that's what he decides. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"Quite the opposite," the stranger does not ask you to dance, merely extends his hand and gracefully leads you off to the side when you take it, "so long as you praise me out loud you can look as long as you like."

"It's not like you got me sick." You sneeze into your tissue and Vil frowns, satisfied with your care but not with your answer. He had his suspicions that you may have made a... mistake in your assessment of your time at the Masquerade. But it did hurt him slightly to think that you did not know his essence well enough to have recognized him at once. "And I did get a costume with a cloak, I just gave it to the Red Death because it was too weird to see him without it."

"Mhmm I don't know." you say. It's such a shame Vil can only see your lips, he loves it when you tease him so much already it isn't fair he has to focus on something so tauntingly close and yet so far out of reach. "I think your costume is incomplete."

"Oh?" Vil makes sure to hold you close to him as the song ends, daring anyone to come close enough to try and steal your attention so he can laugh at the attempt. "What's your reasoning for that? Depending on what you have to say, I just might agree." You back out of his arms and make a frame with your fingers. "Kiss me." He begs silently. "Kiss me and leave a mark." But instead you unwind your cloak and fix it to his shoulder.

"Perfect. Now you really look like the portrait." And to his great despair you are gone.

Despite your earlier stated worries, you fall back into Vil's chest, tilting your back to look up at him. "When I'm not sick remind me to tell you about the Phantom of the Opera? I wanted to spend more time dancing with him, but I was feeling too much at home and got scared he'd vanish." Vil's eyes shine with a strangely familiar light, and he gently guides you under the bed's covers. Just before he leaves he kisses your forehead so gently it's all you can do not to cry.

"I think your phantom might be closer than you think." He murmurs against your skin and leaves you to sleep, tucking you under a mysteriously familiar red cloak as soon as your eyes are well and truly closed.

Riddle

"You will be too tired to do anything after the ball, so make sure to shower and go directly to bed."

It was good advice based off of a reasonable assumption, and technically you were not in fact physically doing anything. You were also quite tired, you had expected to spend most of the ball on the outskirts observing the display of feathers and paints but that was far from what actually happened. You don't think you had ever danced in your life as much as you had in the past six hours. It would be extremely reasonable to assume that after scrubbing yourself free of makeup and sweat you would be down for the count.

But you weren't. Your mind was running a mile a minute, eyes constantly glancing at your phone on your nightstand. It's an odd feeling, wanting to call someone and not being able to. It is also a feeling you have become deeply familiar with, the ache it produces might as well be permanently woven into your heart, you should be immune to the pain at this point.

This time though, this time the person you want to call could theoretically be within reach. This person was someone you could touch, someone you could hold, someone whose touch still lingered against your hands.

The little knight was just as awkward as you were, if he didn't immediately stutter out a protest you would have thought he was just as inexperienced with the whole formal party thing as you were.

"I know what I'm doing I just-"

"Then can you show me how to dance? I've been practicing but I'm not great at it." He stares at you, and you are worried you said something wrong until he laughs, it sounds smug you think but you can't be sure.

"That's the proper way to ask for a dance." He takes your hand in his as he bows, kissing it so gently you half think it was your imagination. "This is."

You pick up your phone before it buzzes, immediately sitting up in shock when you see just who is messaging you at 3:30 am on a Friday.

[Riddle] Are you still awake prefect?

[Yuu] Ace is that you.

[Yuu] I'm not covering for you if Riddle finds out you took his phone again (¬_¬)

[Riddle] What do you mean again?

The little knight's dance is stiff at first, but he relaxes as you continue. He has been guiding you to the center of the room, you belatedly realize. You must have looked frightened once you did. "It would be rude to stay in the corner during the slower songs." He squeezes your hand to bring your attention back to him. "It isn't against the rules to be bad at dancing, but it is to monopolize other people's space."

"Aren't you doing that right now?" You tease and he stops leading you, almost as if he hadn't even considered that.

"Are you not enjoying yourself?" He almost sounds afraid and you find yourself having to take over the direction of your movements.

"I didn't say that." Your knight almost seems to grow ten feet tall at your praise before he becomes aware of himself again and gets a bit bashful. But he does not take over again, content to let you set the pace of your dancing for the rest of the night.

[Riddle] Actually disregard that. Since you are awake, would you mind coming to your window? I understand throwing rocks is considered romantic but breaking a window would be most unfitting behavior for a housewarden.

You are tempted to tell him you are waiting for a message from someone else, but the unusual behavior has you at your window before you can even full form the thought. You almost drop your phone at the sight you see below you.

Riddle expected to have difficulty making eye contact with you. He expected to be teased about his failure to follow his own good advice, his costume has got to be a mess between the dancing he did with you earlier and the pacing he did once he got back to Heartslabyul.

But neither of those happen. Neither matters, instead you see him and the familiar scrap of paper you had given him with your number and a heart and fly down the Ramshackle steps into his outstretched arms.

"I'm so glad it was you I danced with tonight."

#twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #malleus draconia x reader #vil schoenheit x reader #riddle rosehearts x reader #500 followers celebration #malleus is just delulu enough to be jealous of himself and you cannot convince me otherwise #also i understand that malleus and vil's voice actors were actually in a production of phantom together before being in twst #as the phantom and Raoul respectively? or did i hallucinate that #anyway i just think vil suits the phantom role and will be making more references to that in the future

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the-broken-truth · 3 months

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Shattered Fragments [1] - [Papa Crewel] [Big Brother Sam] [Enma Yuuken/Male Yuu]

Summary: After an accident at Night Raven Campus, the Prefect of Ramshackle, Enma Yuuken, is left severely injured and in a coma. Crewel and Sam decide to take matters into their own hands and protect Yuuken from danger. When Yuuken wakes up, he has lost his memory, and Crewel and Sam make a vow to help him regain it, but with a few modifications.

An Accident.

Those were the words Crowley used to describe what happened when Crewel arrived at the scene after hearing what happened when he stopped some First-Year Students running through the hall of Night Raven College; they seemed panicked and Crewel asked them what had happened. The words they spoke caused Crewel's blood to run cold and his eyes to widen before he bolted out of his classroom with fear grasping his heart like a rodent in the claws of a lion.

What were the words that caused him such panic and fear?

"Prefect Yuuken fell out of the window and hit his head on the ground; he's not moving!"

Crewel arrived at the scene and looked around to gather information. The second-floor window was shattered, with glass shards scattered all over the courtyard ground. A large pool of fresh blood stained the ground, indicating that the body of the Ramshackle Prefect had been taken to the infirmary. All the First-Years were present and asking questions among each other to figure out what had happened. The Dorm Wardens and Vice Dorm Wardens were questioning the First-Years who were present at the time of the accident, but they were not satisfied with the information they were getting. Surprisingly, Headmaster Crowley was there and speaking with the Dorm Wardens of Savanaclaw and Diasomnia, Leona Kingscholar and Malleus Draconia.

"Crowley!" Crewel barked as he marched over to the Headmaster, getting his attention and the attention of the two Dorm Wardens. "What happened here?! What happened to the Prefect?!"

"Calm down, Crewel. It was just an accident." Crowley tried to speak to Crewel in a calming voice but that only set Crewel off even more; he was sick of Crowley's Nonchalant Attitude when it came to the safety and well-being of Prefect Yuuken, but this was the worst injury Yuuken sustained since arriving at Night Raven College; that boy possessed not a single ounce of magic within him but Crowley was constantly throwing him at every single problem that arose to act as a shield for Night Raven.

"Crowley, I am not in the mood for your nonchalant attitude! I want you to tell me what the hell happened to the Prefect, now!" Crewel roared at Crowley, making the Headmaster take a step back; never before had Crowley seen this much anger from Crewel. It was rather scary.

That was when Deuce Spade of Heartslabyul walked over to Crewel, gaining the Potion Teacher's attention as the blue-haired boy looked at Leona and Malleus with a glare before looking at Crewel.

"Professor Crewel, I saw everything that happened." Deuce pointed at Leona and Malleus while keeping eye contact with Crewel, "Those two pushed Yuuken out of the window."

"What do you mean they pushed him out of the window? What happened?" Crewel asked with his teeth locked like snarling fangs.

"Yuuken, Ace, and I were leaving class when Leona and Malleus started arguing. Yuuken tried to intervene and calm things down, but the argument kept escalating. Yuuken tried to push them apart, but they pushed him away with too much force, causing him to crash through the window. They didn't even stop arguing until Yuuken hit the ground, which scared Kalim and Jamil. I looked out the window and saw that Yuuken had passed out and was bleeding from his head. Jack took Yuuken to the Infirmary a little while ago." Deuce explained.

Crewel looked pissed.

His fists were balled and he was shaking with rage. He glared at Crowley, Leona, and Malleus as the Dorm Warden of Diasomnia walked over to the Potion Teacher.

"Professor Crewel, I wish to sincerely for angering you and..." Malleus was silenced by Crewel's Hand in his face.

"Don't. Another. Word." Crewel growled as he turned on his heel and started marching away from the group and started down the path toward the building's infirmary; the menacing aura around him caused the students to part away from the warpath the Professor was on.

[Moments Later - The Infirmary: Yuuken's Section]

"I managed to stop the bleeding and stitch the wound, but upon proper examination, there is a high probability that Prefect Yuuken will suffer from traumatic brain injury and could experience memory loss to a certain degree; whether it is minor or major will not be known until he wakes up. Currently, he is in a comatose state but he is stable." The Nurse explained as he read from Yuuken's Medical Chart.

Crewel stood at the edge of the bed, looking down at the unconscious Prefect of Ramshackle with sadness swimming in his silver eyes, eyes shining with unshed tears as he looked at the body of the 16-year-old boy he considered to be his son.

Enma Yuuken was an incredibly responsible first-year student. He was always taking notes in class and recording sessions with the permission of the teachers to ensure he didn't miss anything important. His work was consistently exceptional, and his potions were always professionally made. It's not surprising, considering that Yuuken and Crewel would have private lessons to learn more about ingredients or new potions. Despite not being from Twisted Wonderland, Yuuken was preparing himself for the possibility of not returning home and was ensuring that he was adequately prepared to have a career in Twisted Wonderland.

Crewel's fondest memory wasn't during class or private lessons; it was on Father's Day. Crewel was chatting with Mozus Trein, the history teacher, while Trein held his black and white cat. Trein was telling Crewel about the gifts his daughters had given him when Yuuken appeared with a box in hand. Yuuken presented it to Crewel, who was confused and asked what it was for. Yuuken explained that it was his Father's Day gift to Crewel, surprising both Crewel and Trein. Even Lucius, the cat, seemed surprised. The box contained six strawberry cheesecake muffins, which Yuuken had baked himself. Yuuken had promised to let Crewel try some of his desserts after a study lesson, and this was his way of saying thank you for being a parental figure to him. Yuuken wished both men a happy Father's Day, bowed his head, and left.

Trein looked at Crewel's expression before chuckling, "If he wasn't so attached to you, I would have made him my son; but I can settle for being the Grandfather.".

Crewel was pulled from his thoughts when the door burst open and Crewel along with the Nurse turned to look in the direction of the door, coming face to face with a panicked Sam and Grim, who was in Sam's arms.

Sam was The proprietor of Mr. S's Mystery Shop, a school store on campus. Yuuken was one of Sam's Best Customers and one of Sa's Best Friends; they were so close that Sam would often call Yuuken his 'Little Brother'. Yuuken would often go to the shop, not only to purchase goods and food, but he would also spend time with Sam or just help him with the shop when he was free and wasn't swarmed with responsibilities from Crowley or schoolwork. Sam cared for Yuuken and would often give him discounts or give him free stuff that he wasn't going to use.

"How is he?!" Sam panicked as he walked into the room, sweat dripping from his face and his pupils jumping in pools of magenta he called his eyes. Sam walked over to the bed and stared down at Yuuken's still body as Grim jumped out of his arms and landed on the bed before getting close to Yuuken's face, snuggling under his chin, and laying his body down with tears flowing from his sapphire blue eyes.

"He's is stable, but there is a high possibility that Yuuken will suffer from some kind of brain damage; he could lose his memory but we aren't sure how much his memory will be affected." The Nurse said before looking back at the group, dismissing himself and walking towards the door, but he was stopped when Crewel called out to him.

"Do not allow anyone else into this room; none of the students, not even the Headmaster. My Pup needs his rest." Crewel called out, The Nurse nodded, took his leave, and stood outside of the door.

"'Your Pup'?" Sam asked with a raised eyebrow.

Crewel exhaled and placed a gentle hand on Yuuken's forehead, his gloved fingertips running along the bandages wrapped around Yuuken's head.

"I know I've called my students 'puppies' because I saw them as little pups with no guidance in the world, but I've never had a pup of my own; none of them felt like my own. Until I met Yuuken. He was the only one I felt like I wanted to protect, to guide and give him a better chance in this world; even if he ended up leaving me in the end. He was the only one who sat and listened to me, who gifted me with a gift on Father's Day because he saw me as his parental figure. This is my pup. My son. That will never change." Crewel said.

"I understand... Yuuken is more than a customer to me; he's more like the little brother I never had. I know I have my shadows to keep me company...but there is something about him that makes me happy to see him. To see him like this... Darn... I'm trying to keep calm." Sam said as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Ngh..."

Crewel and Sam looked over at Yuuken's face to see his black eyes open and looking around, as if trying to understand where he was before he looked at Crewel and Sam with a weak gaze.

"Pup. Keep still. You hit your head rather hard." Crewel said.

"Pup?" Yuuken asked in a weak voice before blinking slowly, "Is... Is that my name?"

"Your Name?" Sam asked before he and Crewel looked at each other before looking at Yuuken, "No, your name is not Pup, that's just a nickname. Your name is Yuuken, Enma Yuuken."

"Where am I?" Yuuken asked in a weak voice.

"You're in the Infirmary Wing at Night Raven College." Crewel answered.

"And... Who are you two? You both look...familiar." Yuuken questioned as if trying to recall who these people were before him.

Crewel and Sam looked at each other again as if they were having a silent conversation; they held their gaze for a few seconds before turning back to Yuuken with tender smiles on their faces. Crewel placed a tender hand on Yuuken's forehead while Sam grabbed Yuuken's hand tenderly.

"I am Divus Crewel, Night Raven's Potion Teacher. I am your teacher, but I am also your Father." Crewel spoke in a low voice.

"F...Father?" Yuuken asked.

"Yes, Pup. I am your Father." Crewel nodded.

"And I am Sam, owner of Mr. S's Mystery Shop, and I'm your Big Brother." Sam smiled at Yuuken.

"Brother?" Yuuken asked before looking at Crewel, "Father? Father and Brother... Here for me?"

"Yes, Pup. We are here to make you feel better." Crewel smiled.

"And we are going to make sure no one ever hurts you gain, Little Brother; we're gonna protect you." Sam said.

Yuuken looked between the two of them and smiled weakly.

His Father and His Brother.

They were there for him.

They were going to make him feel better.

They were going to protect him.

[END]

#twisted wonderland #divus crewel #twst sam #papa crewel #enma yuuken #yuu loses his memory #big brother sam

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honourablejester · 2 years

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More (SPOILERS) on Nydas Okiro, because I don’t think anyone broke me more in Episode 4:

Brennan: Nydas. In your last moments, you hear a sending from your brother.

Eaedalus: Nydas, this is Eaedalus. We’re on the flagship. Where are you? Have you made your way, have you made your way to safety?

Nydas: … Yes, brother. All will be well.

Brennan: You feel a different sending in this moment. Your brother, with his latent magic, connecting to your heart. You see two young boys on the deck of a ship, looking up under a clear blue sky, to a city in the clouds.

Eaedalus: You think we’ll ever get there one day?

Nydas: Of course we will. We’re the Okiros. Nothing’s going to stop us.

Eaedalus: Eh, some things might. I don’t know why I say you should get there, your head’s already in the clouds.

Nydas: Brother! It’s important to dream!

Brennan: It’s important to dream. As the life leaves from the wounds put on you by your own creations, you got those kids out. You got the ships to those people. When you think of the future and what people will say of this time, do you think anyone will talk about how beautiful your dream was?

Nydas: No. But that’s all right. Because it was real for us. For those who survived, they will remember, and it will inspire them to dream of things far greater.

--- Exandria Unlimited Calamity, Episode 4

I want everyone to know that I did not give permission for this, and I only barely survived it. I cried for everybody, but I could not see during this bit.

Nydas blindsided me so completely. So completely. He starts out this rich, ebullient, effusive merchant prince, this more-than-slightly-shady mostly ex-pirate, Patia’s partner in memory wipes and backroom deals.

And then … there’s his awe and wonder at Laerryn’s workings. There’s his speaking with the kids from his school, making time for them despite running out the door. There’s his love and friendship with Zerxus. There’s him holding the party together at so many points, nudging them along the way he nudges his guild along.

There’s him hearing the prophecy. Snapping at Zerxus, knocking him back, because of his fear. There’s him defending the tree.

There’s him dropping everything to get the ships to the people. There’s “Gold means nothing, if you do not use it to lift people up. Gold is a resource by which mortaldom climbs.” There’s him taking the candle gently from Alessander’s hat at the man steps up to lead the guild through the evacuation.

There’s him, in response to Zerxus checking if he’s alive on his brother’s behalf, cheerfully roaring very much so when he has like 2 HP remaining. There’s him, when he can’t even look Zerxus in the eye, still putting a hand on his shoulder and checking if he saw Elias, if Elias was safe.

There’s him saying to Laerryn at the last: You were meant to pilot us to the future, but now you will pilot us to salvation! For Avalir!

There’s him promising not to let Zerxus turn, and keeping that promise even through his own death, making sure he would not miss.

He did so much. He was so much. He blindsided me so absolutely. I can’t breathe for love of this man.

And then the last dragon of Avalir breathes his last, knowing that there’s a ship out there full of children and one man with a candleless hat that he set flying. Listening to his brother say he’s safe, and lying that he is as well, so his brother won’t be distressed. Remembering the dream he and his brother had as children.

And thinking that it doesn’t matter if no one remembers it or calls it beautiful, because it was to him, and because there are survivors, and they can dream their own far greater dreams now.

I don’t know if I’ve ever cried this much in my life.

I did not give permission for this. But I am so, so glad I witnessed it.

#exu calamity #exandria unlimited calamity #episode 4 #spoilers #nydas okiro #this man broke me into pieces #in the best way

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cyncerity · 2 months

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I am becoming a utter bitch for Jackmanifold so I was curious if he is in your Epic au and if so tell me about him

Hi hi hi!! I know this ask was sent like a year ago but uh in case you’re still curious, he’s basically Tommy’s nanny! Phil got tired of Tommy running off so he’s been hiring people to try and keep an eye on him (keyword: try)

Anyway Jack is my comfort streamer so I always want to include him in stuff, so I wanted to write a short little thing to show his dynamic with Tommy and Niki. This “short little thing” turned into a full story and character designs because I have no self control! Hope you enjoy!!

(btw anyone who can pick out the song quote in here and tell me what it’s from gets a cookie)

“Hold on, get back here!” Jack yelled running after the young prince, who stopped his sprint down a hallway to turn and look back at Jack with a disapproving stare. Jack stopped and took a few deep breaths from exhaustion before continuing through pants. “I promised his majesty that I wouldn’t let you out of my sight, and I intend to keep that promise. The last thing I want is the fuckin king mad at me…again.” Tommy simply rolled his eyes, hands on his hips as he took a few steps towards the older leafmen. “Ooo King Philza this, King Philza that,” Tommy said in a mocking tone. “Let’s be honest with ourselves here Jack, if Phil hasn’t fired you yet he’s not gonna. The last guy got kicked after losing me like 4 times and you’re already way past that. The only reason you still have a job is cause you’ve got connections in high places.” “Is not!” “Is too!”

“God you’re so immature,” Jack said, having finally fully caught his breath. “Maybe if you could actually be responsible and not fuckin disappear every day then the king wouldn’t need to assign you a-“ “Babysitter. You’re a babysitter.” Tommy cut him off, only angering Jack further. “You’re such a fucking child! Why can’t we have one normal conversation about you disappearing under my watch, it’s like you want me to get exiled or something!” “Oh my dad’s not gonna exile you,” Tommy responds nonchalantly, “Niki likes you too much for that.” “There are only so many times you can lose the crown prince before his dad will get fed up. Niki isn’t more powerful than the fucking king, Tommy.” “No, but she’s one of his best soldiers, which means her and her happiness is important to him, and for some unexplainable reason you’re part of that happiness. Phil isn’t gonna risk losing his General cause he dismissed her best friend like he dismissed the rest of the fucks he hired to watch me.”

That made Jack pause. He knows Phil; they’ve had plenty of talks personally (well, personally with Schlatt in the room too, as if Jack would ever pull something with the ruler of the whole goddamn forest). In all the talks he’s had with Phil, he’d never guess that anyone’s personal happiness was important to him. The kingdom’s happiness? Sure, of course, that was his fucking job, after all. But, personally? Jack just always assumed that Phil was kind of a cold guy. To hear that he valued Niki’s happiness personally, even for his own gain, was…an odd thought. “Phil cares about Niki?” Jack asked, though he wasn’t quite sure why. Tommy seemed just as confused, before shrugging it off. “Yeah, ‘course he does. She and Schlatt are, yknow, his friends.” That genuinely shocked Jack. “There’s something in that guy to befriend??” He questioned, though as soon as the words came out of his mouth he regretted it. Tommy’s face wore absolute shock, and Jack quickly slapped a hand over his mouth as they both stared at each other in silence.

“I- I’m so-“ Jack’s poor attempt at an apology was cut off by roaring laughter from Tommy, the teen bent over to his knees wheezing as Jack stood terrified. He’d almost forgot that he was in the presence of the second most powerful person in the forest, magically and politically. That the boy in front of him was just as capable of exiling him to The Bogs as King Philza was. And, just as a bonus, Tommy never let Jack doubt the fact that he didn’t fucking like him. And now he’s just gone and insulted the king and gave his son a free pass to get rid of him for good. Oh fuck.

But, to his shock, when Tommy righted himself his face was absolutely beaming. He wiped a tear from his eye as he slapped a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Ok, I take it back, maybe I can see why Niki likes you, just a little bit though.” “S-so you’re not…gonna tell Phil..?” Jack asked, his fear only slightly relieved. When Tommy’s face morphed from humored to smug, though, that fear was immediately back. “Well, I think that can be arranged…for a price.” “Price?” “Yeah, let’s put it like this; you let me go right now and don’t make me tell you where i’m fuckin going, and I don’t report you for lèse-majesté.” Tommy stuck out a hand, and Jack shook it before he could even fully fathom what he was agreeing to. “Deal, a hundred times deal, your dad would fucking kill me.” Tommy just laughed. “Good man. Well, i’ll see you later then, Jack! Good luck with Schlatt when he comes to ask where I am!!” Tommy chuckled as he began to walk away.

“Wait, your majesty!” Jack shouted, and Tommy turned, seemingly slightly annoyed that Jack was still trying to talk to him when he so clearly wanted to fuck off to wherever he went to when he disappeared for hours. Jack knew he had to be careful with this; he’d just made Tommy like him a little bit, he couldn’t lose that yet. “Just…when you get back, can we talk about this? A bit? I don’t care where you go, for fucks sake you can do magic, I know you can protect yourself, but can we like…work out when you leave or don’t? So your dad doesn’t absolutely fucking hate me? He may be a bitch but he’s still my boss.” Jack hoped that insulting Phil again (as horrified as it made him feel) would open Tommy’s mind to the idea since it had seemingly worked before, and given that Tommy seemed less annoyed, it apparently worked. “You mean…you’d cover for me? Without even knowing where I’m headed off to? You would lie to the king for me?” “I mean, sure, man, why the hell not. Right now I don’t know where you are and I get in trouble, I’d much rather not know where you are and not get in trouble. Plus, who’s gonna turn me in for lying, you? You’d be turning yourself in.”

Tommy stood in shock, like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and that scared Jack. Shit, had he overstepped a boundary somewhere? Was Tommy angry that he would advocate a scheme against his dad? Did he just fuck himself over?? But Tommy, ever so full of surprises, just smiled at Jack. “We’ll see, let me think about it. I’ll let you know when I get back.” He said, and held a fist in front of him. Jack smiled unsurely and fistbumed him, making Tommy chuckle as he turned and continued down the hallway.

Oh Prime, what has he got himself into?

~~~

“So, Jack, where is my son?” King Philza said, sat at his desk in his chambers, and Jack could barely utter a word. Schlatt stood behind Phil on his right, face as stone cold and intimidating as ever. Niki, bless her heart for arguing to be in the room with him for this, stood behind Phil on his left, eyes pleading with Jack for him to think of something. But, truly, in the dozen or so times he’s had to do this because Tommy fucking sucked, he’s never had an excuse. He’d always just apologized and Phil had disappointedly sent him home for the night with the command that he’d better be able to do his job tomorrow. That he’d better know where Tommy was the next night. It never happened, he never did, and this “i’m not mad i’m just disappointed” routine with the fucking king had become a nightly routine. Jack was getting kind of sick of it.

“Jack?” Philza repeated, and Jack sighed. “Your majesty, I-“ The door was kicked in suddenly, scaring the shit out of Jack and no one else in the room (fuck the royals and the guards and their unnatural lack of fight or flight), the prince in question proudly standing in the doorway, panting and exhausted but excited looking. “Holy shit!” he shouted. “You were right Jack! This was a tough book to find!” Tommy chuckled only mildly unbelievably before chucking a book at Jack, who quickly caught on. “Ah, yes! I was just about to tell his highness your father that you were down in the library grabbing a book on…uh, gardening…yeah! Yeah, we…we gardened today.” Jack lied through his teeth. “Yeah, we were looking into where the best place for crops would be so the bugfolk have a good harvest this spring! Y’know, doin some charity work, spreading peace and kindness and all the shit you preach, yeah?” Tommy continued, waltzing up to the king’s desk and leaning on it. Jack had to keep himself from gasping, reminding himself that Tommy was the prince and therefore wouldn’t be harshly punished for showing such disrespect in a royal’s presence. He himself was a royal, after all, though that didn’t make his lax behavior any less unexpected in an area that Jack had come to know as strict and horrifyingly stressful.

“So you were…out gardening.” Philza repeated, seemingly not buying a word, and Jack felt his heart stop. Tommy, however, was unfazed. “Yeah!” Tommy exclaimed, ignoring his father’s skepticism in favor of pulling a map out of the book in Jack’s hand. The map was a hand-drawn top view of the forest, with doodles, circles, arrows, and written notes scribbled all around it. He proudly came around to Phil’s side and excitedly began rambling about every little thing on the map. If Jack didn’t know that Tommy was his son, he’d assume that Phil was on the verge of exiling him based on his face alone. He seemed…more than annoyed, he seemed straight up miserable sitting and listening to Tommy talk. Yeesh, maybe this was why he had to hire someone to be around him. It seemed like an overreaction to listening to his kids talk about plants, he looked like he wanted to die right then and there.

“-so I think the best place for the sugar cane would be this spot where there aren’t any trees so it gets super hot, and it’s close to the lake but not too close so the soil doesn’t get waterlogged, which means the dirt will be ideal fo-“ “Stop!!” Philza shouted, slamming his hands on his desk and startling everyone in the room, even his guards. He dropped his head into his hands and sighed, fully missing the reaction of everyone in the room. Schlatt’s eyes were wide and Niki looked panic. Tommy looked…scared. Well, scared for all of .2 seconds before his expression shifted to something smug. Phil looked up at him with pity and Tommy’s reaction quickly changed into innocent confusion, slipping a mask back on to continue his act.

“Just…just stop. Listen, Tommy, I’m glad you think you’re helping. I am. But we can’t involve ourselves in the bugfolk’s problems. Their crops provide absolutely nothing to us, it’s a waste to fix what they need to be fixing amongst themselves.” Jack saw Tommy’s mask crack a bit. “But they’re like us, dad, they’re our people! This winter has been rough for them and they need all the help they can ge-“ “No, Tommy.” Phil interrupted, eyes turning hard, any and all pity gone. “They may be our people, but they’re not like us. They will never be like us. They’re in our land, and we allow them to be, with all of the benefits that come from living here. That’s all we owe them, nothing more, nothing less. End of conversation.” Tommy’s facial expression was blank, though if looks could kill, Jack was sure that Tommy would have needed a coronation by the next morning. He was pissed at Phil. A bubbling, festering anger that was sure to explode and cause permanent damage at some point in the near future.

However, it wouldn’t today.

Tommy, ever the actor, breathed out deeply to compose himself before rolling up his map. “‘Course, dad. Whatever is best for our p-…for the forest. You know best.” “You’ll learn, Tommy.” Philza said, reaching out to hold Tommy’s fists that curled around his map. “You’ll be a great king someday. A wise man once said: ‘the line between naivety and hopefulness is almost invisible.’ You just haven’t found the line yet, and I don’t expect you too at your age. In time you’ll learn just as I did exactly what needs to be done to keep the people you care about safe.” Tommy just stood, pointedly not answering. Philza sighed. “You are dismissed, Tommy. And Jack, good work today, keep this up. You are dismissed as well.” Tommy, deadpan as ever, walked back towards the entrance as Jack bowed in response. Well, tried to. Tommy yanked him by the shoulder and dragged him out of the room midway down, almost making him drop the gardening book.

As soon as they were far enough away from the chamber, Tommy dropped jacks arm and started screaming with clenched teeth, yanking on the petals on his head and kicking the nearest wall to him. Jack figured it was best to just…let him have his moment. “UUGGHHH, just, who does he think he is?! ‘oH Tommy they’re not liKe uS, they’re our people but they’re woRsE cause they’re not LeAveS’ it’s fucking ridiculous!! He barely knows anything about them, who is he to just decide that we just shouldn’t help with their crops?!” Tommy yelled, kicking another wall. “I- i don’t know, man.” Jack whispered, unsure if any of what Tommy said was rhetorical. Tommy looked over at him and just sighed.

“Sorry, it just drives me up a fucking wall. He thinks he’s the prime example of a fucking king and meanwhile he hates like half his citizens, and 3/4 of the forest as a whole, it’s fucking ridiculous.” Jack stood for a minute, eyes wide. What did he say? 3/4 would imply that he was upset that Phil hated…the enemy? “Well…he, uh, at the very least protects us from the boggins, but yeah…all that stuff about bugfolk, that wasn’t, uh, that wasn’t cool, man.” Now it was Tommy’s turn to be shocked, before he quickly tried and this time failed to put a mask back on. “Oh, yeah, ha! Whoops, sorry, I, uh, yeah, no fuck the boggins. Totally, yeah they suck. They’re, ha, yeah they’re horrifying, i’d hate to ever have to face one of them, thank god Phil keeps ‘em out!” Tommy rambled awkwardly, which led to a far more awkward moment of silence between Jack and Tommy after he finished.

“Look, man,” Jack finally broke the silence, “I appreciate you helping me out of that. I think Phil was really done with me that time.” “Well, I figured it was a good enough idea. Would benefit both of us, anyway. You wouldn’t get in trouble, my dad gets to think i’m doin’ shit, it’s foolproof.” “So, it’s official?” Jack said, offering a fist. Tommy laughed and fist bumped him back, a genuine smile on his face. “It’s official. We’ll work out the details tomorrow, though, I’m tired as shit. See ya, man.” Tommy said as he turned away, waving with one hand and holding a map in the other…

He was still holding a gardening book.

“Wait, Tom!” He didn’t know when he decided that it was ok to call the crown prince by a nickname, but given that Tommy didn’t correct him when he turned in response, he supposed the nickname was accepted. “You forgot your book.” He said, holding it out to a very relieved looking Tommy. “Shit, right, thank you! Can’t believe I almost forgot this.” He said, unrolling his map and placing it back in his book. “I gotta say, man, that’s a lot of effort to put into a map for a bit.” Jack said. “Where did you even get this gardening book? I’ve never seen it in the library.” “Oh, it’s not from the library, it was a gift from a friend. And the map wasn’t for the bit.” Tommy said gleefully, ignoring Jack’s shock for probably the fiftieth time that evening. “I wasn’t lying this time, that’s genuinely what I was out doing all day. I didn’t have time to think of a fake out story. But don’t expect me to tell you everything from now on, that’s just a thank you for helping me out. Night Jack!” Tommy said, waving and running down the hall towards his room, leaving Jack in confused shock. Jack huffed and shook his head as he started in the opposite direction towards the castle’s exit.

“Jack, wait up!” he heard a familiar voice call as his best friend caught up with him. “Hey Niki, don’t you have important General shit to do?” “C’mon, you’ve been a personal hand to the royal family for almost a month now, i’d say it’s important to make sure you’re escorted home safely.” She snickered, and Jack rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, as if the king would care if I got home safe.” “Well, he might start to if you make a habit of keeping track of the prince! It’s been a while since he’s even told us how his day was.” “Has it also been a while since his highness had a freak out like that or is that a regular thing?” Jack whispered. A pause, before Niki sighed and whispered back. “He’s stressed. I…I haven’t seen him get like that in a long while. Phil is my friend, I know him, I know how he is, and that isn’t him.”

Ok, so getting the confirmation that Phil and Niki’s relationship wasn’t strictly professional and was an actual friendship was unexpected, but that wasn’t the topic right now. “Was it Tommy? Does he really hate the idea of gardening that much? Does he just…not like being with Tommy? Is that why he needs me?” “No, not that, definitely not that.” Niki responded urgently. “He loves Tommy, I know he doesn’t show it well, but he does. I…I think it was more the topic. Not the gardening, more the idea of who it was for.” “The bugfolk? Why?” “Beats me, but Phil doesn’t ever really like to talk about them. If we’re trying to be more specific, though, something happened recently. More territory shit, some leafmen got hurt, we’ve been dealing with it so it doesn’t turn into an uprising. It’s been getting handled, but I think it was just bad timing, we haven’t told Tommy about that incident because it’s contained, so he wouldn’t have known that talking about helping the bugfolk would set Phil off.” “Prime, man, that’s…that’s rough. Not like it’s Tommy’s fault, though, felt kinda wrong for King Philza to snap at him of all people. Plus, some of that other shit he was saying was…how do I put this…..distasteful.”

Niki looked…uncomfortable, to say the least. “I know, and I agree with you,” she sighed, “but he’s my king. He’s my friend. He has his reasons to be like this and frankly? Our kingdom is thriving, so what’s the harm?” The harm is that he might hurt bugfolk like he’s hurt others, Jack thought. The harm is that he could exile an entire species out of the forest to a place of rot and death and savage beastly occupants and the worst part is that it wouldn’t even be the first time he did that. The harm is that he’s destroying his relationship with his kid and making said kid standoffish to anyone who attempts to befriend them. And oh, didn’t that just make so much sense? Maybe it wasn’t that Tommy was just brash and rude, could it…could it be self defense? Was he pushing people away on purpose? Now that he thought about it, he’d never actually seen Tommy talk to…anyone. Prime, did this kid have friends? He doubted it, if his general approach is the same one he used with Jack. He would have given up with the prince a long time ago if it weren’t for Niki and the fact that a royal job pays well.

“Jack?” Niki said, snapping him out of this thoughts. “Sorry, sorry Niki, I’m just…I’m just tired.” “I can only imagine,” Niki laughed, elbowing Jack in the arm, “you’ve got to be exhausted if you were out gardening with Tommy all day.” And oh, Jack hadn’t thought of this part: he’d have to continually lie to his best friend for this plan to work. Fuck his life. “Yeah, yeah, ha..takes a lot outta ya.” He laughed uncomfortably, though Niki didn’t seem to notice. “Well, you’re almost home and I’ve got to get reports in from the soldiers in my unit. I’ll talk to you later Jack! Good night!” She gave him a quick side hug before turning back towards the castle, leaving Jack alone in his thoughts.

Ok, so new notes for the day: the prince is…tolerant of him. Dare he say kind of likes him. He’s kind of still reeling from the realization that Tommy may just be acting out due to daddy issues and loneliness. The king likely knows they’re full of shit and just doesn’t care, Niki trusts him and he’s going to have to break that trust and lie to her because the prince is a secretive prick, and, oh yeah, the king might be a fucking bigot. Great.

Fuck.

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ashesandhackles · 2 years

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The Mirthless Laugh: Sirius and Harry

When we are first introduced to the stories around Sirius, we get this:

Anyway, they cornered Black in the middle of a street full of Muggles an' Black took out 'is wand and 'e blasted 'alf the street apart, an' a wizard got it, an' so did a dozen Muggles what got in the way. 'Orrible, eh? An' you know what Black did then?" Stan continued in a dramatic whisper.

"What?" said Harry.

"Laughed," said Stan. "Jus' stood there an' laughed. An' when reinforcements from the Ministry of Magic got there, 'e went wiv em quiet as anyfink, still laughing 'is 'ead off. 'Cos 'e's mad, inee, Ern? Inee mad?"

And this laughter gets contextualised in the ending chapters of POA:

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Pettigrew shouted shrilly. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"

Black started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room.

In the second scene, he is laughing at the sheer gall of Peter to accuse him after everything.

I have interpreted this contrarian impulse as a habit from his home life - designed to piss people off when they accuse him of something, most likely unjust. And it is the same response that happens in his breakdown over James and Lily's death on the street - it is the mirthless laughter that begins because of audacity of Peter, the situation he found himself in, and it goes into breakdown over James's death.

But you know who else carries these impulses? Harry! There are many small moments in Dursley chapters where Harry has to fight the desire to laugh in a highly tense situation. Sample:

The Dursleys rounded on Harry like a pair of angry wolverines.

What is this?” growled Uncle Vernon. “What’s going on?”

“They — they’ve tried to get here by Floo powder,” said Harry, fighting a mad desire to laugh. “They can travel by fire — only you’ve blocked the fireplace — hang on — ”

But there are more. Here is after Sirius' death, quite a parallel to Sirius' own response, isn't it? Go after who is responsible and then laugh in a hopeless situation:

"Well, you’re going to have to kill me, because it’s gone!” Harry roared — and as he shouted it, pain seared across his forehead. His scar was on fire again, and he felt a surge of fury that was quite unconnected with his own rage. “And he knows!” said Harry with a mad laugh to match Bellatrix ’s own.

(....)

"LIAR!” she shrieked, but he could hear the terror behind the anger now. “YOU’VE GOT IT, POTTER, AND YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME — Accio Prophecy ! Harry laughed again because he knew it would incense her, the pain building in his head so badly he thought his skull might burst.

And we see it here too. Boy has morbid streak like his godfather:

For the first time, Harry imagined Mad—Eye’s body, broken as Dumbledore’s had been, yet with that one eye still whizzing in its socket. He felt a stab of revulsion mixed with a bizarre desire to laugh.

I am sure there are many other examples within series of Harry's morbid, dark humour. But worth making a small post of it.

#sirius black #harry james potter #sirius and harry

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booburry · 3 months

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Madison's Folly// Part 2 // a Gale Dekarios Fic // WC 4.2k // Part 1 / Part 3 / Series Complete

Series Summary: Madison did not have a life of substance nor a life that invoked jealousy of the passing mind, but the few good things she had, she held dear. So when the man she loved unequivocally was left heartbroken by a goddess and a magical curse within his body, Madi found herself searching for any means to rid him of his life threatening burden, no matter the personal cost. For all magic, no matter the greatness, comes with a cost to match.

AKA Madison does something foolish to prove her love for Gale without seeing the stark irony of the situation until it's far too late to step back.

A/N: this fic has an iron grip on my heart, finished this one and am already partially completed with part 3 - I hope to have that out within the next few days. ♥ thank you to all who have read so far! I hope you continue to enjoy it (I honestly have loved writing the party banter so much! haha).

Tags: Angsty, Emotions, Unrequited Love, Established Friendship/Connection, Dialogue Heavy/Driven, Gale is moody and desperately in love, so much so that the guy isn't entirely thinking straight

“I don’t suppose you are coming to sit with me just for the company?” Gale asked Elminster as the old man groaned into a seated position.

“You know me better than that, my boy.” Elminster softly advised, a small twist of his hand causing the flames to rise and roar before settling into a calmer state. The old man gave a soft reminiscent laugh. “There was a time when a simple trick like that would have you two stop fighting.”

“Yeah, well…I gather we have grown more complicated since we were nine.” Gale muttered as he watched the flames continue to dance while still stuck in his own personal misery.

“Mmm…yes.” Elminster agreed, mulling over something in his mind. “It is a wonder it worked back then, even, but I find one’s mind always does venture to thinking of the more pleasant times, hmn? Especially when one may be,” he drew out the ‘e’ long enough Gale’s ears rung, “mmm, looking at bleaker outcomes, hmn?”

“Yes, yes!” Gale groaned at the insistent way Elminster always followed a fact with ‘hmn?’ as if it was a question or a proposed view that was meant to be disputed. He also groaned at the fact he knew the topic couldn’t be avoided and despite Gale being aware he should be grateful to be able to speak to a person who understood the subject matter at hand as intimately as Gale did himself, it only made things worse.

All of this only continued to feel worse.

“She shouldn’t have been so stupid.” He had better words to choose from, better choices of what to say, yet these were the first to force themselves through his lips. He regretted them, as he regretted many things in his life—seemingly more every day—but he would be dishonest if he didn’t admit it was the thought constantly racing through his head.

“I fear it is the destiny of many mortals to lack the necessary foresight when it comes to matters of the heart—it is one of the many things that separates us from the gods.” Gale was growing impatient, not wanting to be lectured or chastised by yet another for his unconventional relationship with his goddess, nor on how he was stupidly blind to Madison’s affection until he was cursed with this orb and far too unstable, both body and mind, to be with her.

Nobody, except for Tara perhaps, understood the pain it brought him to hear Madi’s countless confessions of love, of the promises to care for him, to accept him as he was, to not wish for Gale of Waterdeep or some child prodigy of magic, nor Mystra’s Chosen, but just Gale Dekarios…the mortal man. Never had he thought anyone capable of seeking him without the whimsy and power he brought, for the resources he had and what he had to offer.

But even when he managed to feel worthy of such compassion and embrace, he was reminded by the sinister voice in his head that if he wasn’t good enough for a goddess, then how could he be good enough for anyone else?

“You don’t understand.” Gale finally grumbled, feeling more like his boy-self than he had in ages as he dragged one of his legs so his knee was raised, his hand resting on top to act as a cushion for his chin. All he needed was a stick to draw runes in the sand with and this would be reminiscent of every night he camped under the stars with Elminster and Madi in his childhood.

He only needed, desperately, one piece to make the image complete.

Someone he expected to never see again.

“You don’t get to my age without understanding a little,” Elminster grumbled, offended at Gale’s claim before humming and straining his voice in contemplation before continuing with his point. “It is not I who you need to discuss these things with Gale, and we both know this.”

“I can hardly talk to someone who silenced my very words.” Gale retorted, still stuck in his misery and defeat. Silence lingered between the men, the light cracking of wood mixed with the rustling of leaves as Elminster hummed over Gale’s response and attitude. None of this did anything to settle Gale’s temperament.

“I know she will not appreciate me sharing, but I hardly see how I cannot,” Elminster stated, harshly clearing his throat, and handing Gale a small piece of parchment before continuing. “Here is a spell, crafted by Addy and I for the time she was searching for you in the Under Dark and out of reach of my sending spell—”

“She went to the Under Dark?” Gale asked, his curiosity overpowering his anger and discontent as he unfolded the parchment to read an incantation meant for one to visit another in their dreams.

“She thought you were going to…well—”

“Blow myself up?” Gale concluded, feeling guilty that it was the very thing he had intended to do if he wasn’t able to keep the orb stabilized. Further guilt was added with the realization of how well Madi really knew him, recognizing the connection he had brutishly squandered.

“Well…yes, but she had travelled there prior to you leaving your tower as well, Gale. It’s where she made some very short-sighted promises that she cannot walk away from. It is best,” Elminster quickly continued, seeing Gale open his lips to ask a question he could not answer, “that you ask her what was done, but I would warn you with being so quick to judgment and anger, my boy, for if you look closely enough you will see she has only done what you did for another.”

Elminster dipped his head to look at Gale directly, knowingly, with a peaked brow to emphasize the obvious, and truthful, point he was making.

“The question is then: Will you also cast her aside, as was done to you, for this folly of hers?”

~X~

It had been three days and the bloody spell hadn’t worked. Three days!

Every night Gale would cast it and sit in a meditative state, or mindlessly pace as his anxiety rose, as he waited to enter Madison’s dream. He knew he cast the spell correctly, spoke the words the right way, there was no doubt about that—so why wasn’t it working?!

It didn’t help his growing frustrations that he hadn’t slept for three days either, his companion's constant nagging for him to rest starting to piss him off to no end.

“We could really use a fireball right about now!” Astarion called out while they faced off against some spider monstrosity of a man. Gale just glowered at him, annoyed that Astarion chose right now to pester him about not regaining his more potent spells from resting, ensuring to cast Fire Bolt to prove a point. Astarion just groaned before cloaking himself in shadow and reappearing elsewhere to shoot a goblin dead.

The height of Gale’s frustration came from watching all of his companions huddled by Shadowheart’s tent, whispering together while Karlach flashed worried and determined glances toward Gale—something was coming his way. He peered at the parchment resting on the ground in front of him, feeling miserable in this sudden sea of loneliness he found himself in. Not only had he been chasing to speak with Madi to no avail, but he had also felt the absence of Mystra since the day he attempted to reach out to Madi and he didn’t entirely understand why.

Yes, she was there for every spell cast. Still, it was minimal, never a lingering touch or caress as she would have before…and it pained him, angered him even, that she would be so spiteful towards him so shortly after having ordered him to blow himself up to gain her forgiveness.

He cast the spell once more, paying attention for Mystra’s presence yet it was so faint and fleeting that he almost missed it.

“Curse you…” Gale muttered through gritted teeth and clenched fists—was she really taunting him with his unworthiness right this moment? Was she the thing stopping this spell from working? Or was he just that inept without her favour?

“Look, Gale...” Tav broke Gale’s fixation on his misery to look up and realize all of his companions had walked up to him, Tav leading the pack holding a wooden club. “It’s for the best, okay?” Tav moved before Gale’s sleep-deprived mind could catch up, a swift swing to the head and he was out cold—finally asleep.

~X~

“About time!” Madi called out to Gale as they stood in the open glade of her dream state. “It’s like you don’t sleep or something.”

“What?” Gale muttered as he slowly became present, absently rubbing his head expecting it to be sore or bruised, even bleeding, yet it was nothing but his curled hair. Only a short moment until his eyes went wide as they fell to Madi and he lurched up to his feet. “It worked?!” He exclaimed, giddy as a schoolboy.

Madi laughed, watching him with amusement and disbelief as she realized he never went to sleep after casting the spell each night, which is why she felt his calling to meet but he never arrived—but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him of his mistake, not wishing to bruise his fragile ego or wanting to start the conversation on the wrong foot.

“I guess Elminster gave you the spell?” Madi softly inquired, staying still where she stood while watching Gale take in his surroundings.

“I feel like I have been here before.” He muttered, no longer paying attention to anything other than his racing mind as he tried to recall what was familiar about the fabricated space they stood. In truth he had been here before, it was a glade within a forest they frequented with Elminster when going on ‘field studies’. It had been the place where Madi had felt most at peace, and where she had grown to fall in love with Gale.

"It's a dream, Gale—none of this has a purpose.” She lied, a pain of guilt striking her chest as she watched Gale quickly accept her words as fact.

“It doesn’t matter.” He told her with a smile. “I’m just happy to be able to speak with you.” Madi knew her anxiousness at the prospect of what he wanted to speak of was visible in her reaction to his words, Gale immediately hesitating his step towards her. “That is…if you wish to speak.” He corrected with a small laugh. “For all I know, you only came here to tell me off. Rightfully so…” he muttered at the end, casting his gaze down to the luscious green grass beneath his feet.

“It would feel unfair to turn you away after such dedication to reach me.” Madi kindly offered, giving way to the softer part of her heart and mind, pushing away the fear that Gale would abandon her. He just scoffed at her words.

“Three days hardly compares.” He clarified, his expression immediately wracked with guilt and before Madi could tell him to stop he launched into everything he had been stirring over. “I am so sorry Madi, I never should have done anything that I did when you—” Gale stopped speaking as if silenced by a spell as he reached to stand in front of her, his arms outstretched to hover beside her arms, his eyes wide with grief and regret, his mouth open in shock.

“I was selfish for longer than I should have been, more foolish than I ever thought myself capable, to not see you.” He confessed, one of his hovered hands raising to cup Madi’s tear-stained cheek. “I hardly feel worthy of it, your feelings for me, past or present—if still standing, that is—but I want to be, and whatever mess you got yourself into—”

Madi huffed a laugh, breaking her silence at how understated the word ‘mess’ described her situation. Something Gale seemed to catch onto as he pulled at her face until she looked directly at his large, desperate, eyes.

“I love you Madi, for longer than I ever realized, and I refuse to lose you now. We will figure it out—I promise.” This would have been the perfect moment to kiss him, to laugh and smile in joy, if it weren’t for the fact that Madi burst into tears and crumpled against Gale’s chest. He held her tightly as she wailed against him, Gale feeling his robes becoming damp, feeling her muscles tremble and shake when her voice failed her, finding himself unable to do anything else than continuously whisper, “I’m so sorry.”

It was hard to tell how long they stood there, Gale holding Madi with the intensity only a lover could hold one with, but they remained like that until her tears stopped and her eyes dried.

“I, uh…I think I am waking up.” She managed to mutter, still tightly gripping onto Gale’s robes. “I don’t want to go.” She meekly added, her fingers curling into tighter fists.

“May I visit you tomorrow night?” Gale softly asked, Madi simply nodding against his chest.

“Just make sure to fall asleep this time, silly.” She teased him through a sniffle, finally pulling away to look at him through puffed eyes. He smiled at her, soft and sweet, as he brushed a hand against her cheek before cradling it.

“Only because you asked so nicely.” He told her, hesitating for a moment before slowly leaning towards her but before their lips could connect, his eyes opened to look at the ceiling of his tent, letting out a long sigh yet finding himself feeling less burdened than before he was knocked unconscious by his friends.

A smile slowly spread across Gale’s lips as he thought of what tomorrow night could bring him.

~X~

“Do you understand the meaning of the word ‘irony’, Gale?” Astarion dryly asked a question everyone knew the answer to. “Because you’re doing it right now!” He wined, Gale’s head twisting in confusion.

“I’m doing irony? My, Astarion, for being as old as you are I would expect you to hold a basic understanding of the common tongue.” Gale chuckled, feeling himself in a much brighter mood than the past days he went sleepless, however, his companions weren’t quick to forget his refusal to sleep now that he was constantly asking them when they would take a break for the day.

“Let’s just put him to sleep already!” Astarion groaned to Tav, whose fingers already danced with pink light. “He’s becoming insufferable again and I hate it.” He continued but Gale only smiled and opened his arms wide.

“So long as you promise not to leave me laying out here in these cursed lands, I will gladly accept the assistance,” Gale advised, gleeful at the idea of being back with Madi. Even if she would not be asleep for some time, he would at least be waiting for her in a place where time would move quicker and he would be without this bickering.

“We’ll at least drag you out of the curse before dumping your body somewhere.” Tav encouraged with a toothy smile, Astarion belly laughing behind them.

“Reassuring, thank you.” Gale groaned, crossing his arms as he looked at the two chaotic lovers in front of him before turning to Karlach and Wyll who gave Gale a reassuring nod.

“Now that I won’t burn you to a crisp, I gotcha!” Karlach enthusiastically gave Gale a thumbs up to seal her promise to him.

“Let’s just…finish the task at hand then,” Gale concluded as he felt uneasy about trusting Karlach’s ability to embrace and hold another person without injuring them—not that she wasn’t trustworthy but rather the machine that was slowly killing her in her chest was untrustworthy, and Gale knew better than most to trust any unstable thing lodged in one's chest.

Astarion was the only one to dramatically groan at the change of action and Gale knew to just let him have his moment. Instead, he focused on the other matter that called his attention the moment he joked about not being left in it—the Shadow Curse.

The moment he stepped foot in these lands, his nose burnt from the smell of the magic that lingered and shaped their surroundings. At first, it felt threatening, and hungry, and how everyone else except Shadowheart described it: like invisible tendrils reaching out to grasp at you and drag you away. And it had continued to feel as such except for today—today was different.

He did not feel threatened or sense its hunger, nor did it try to grasp at him, yet he was still uncertain of what it was doing if it was doing anything at all. It was that thought that had Gale truly wonder if he was feeling the absence of the curse instead of an embrace or protection from it.

No matter what, it was strange, and Gale had no idea why it was happening. He only hoped it wasn’t because he fell from Mystra’s Grace that Shar’s magic now embraced him.

Shadow Weave. Gale thought to himself, his mind racing so fast he stopped in his tracks, his eyes fixated on an obsolete pebble on the path they walked as he leapt down a rabbit hole of thoughts that started with him recalling Madi’s confession, reliving the guilt of his reaction, jumping to last night and the happiness he felt, them reconnecting, and now the change in how the curse, powered by the same magic Madi called upon, reacted to him.

But…surely Madi did not have such powers or sway—this curse was old and powerful beyond even Gale’s comprehension or ability to cast; even at his prime. And for all of Madi’s magical prowess, she never bested Gale’s talents, so it was a preposterous notion…surely.

“Let’s keep it moving, soldier.” Karlach’s voice came from behind Gale who was then suddenly bear-hugged by large tiefling arms and lifted right off the ground. “We’re almost back at the inn, then you can have your little nap.” She told him, speaking to him like one would a baby.

“I am not a child!” Gale protested, pointlessly struggling against Karlach, who had more than double his strength.

“Says the man being carried by a tiefling that calls herself ‘Mama K’, ha!” Astarion chimed from the front, flashing a toothy and sarcastic grin at Gale, who just glowered as he fell limp within Karlach’s grip, surrendering himself to the moment. Instead, he took the moment to search within himself for a place of inner peace until they arrived back at the Last Light Inn.

“You put me down before the bridge,” Gale grumbled to Karlach.

“You got it, boss!”

~X~

Even though it was barely past supper, Gale could find no reason he wished to remain awake and promptly snuck away to where the party was to sleep, quickly taking a potion to ensure he found slumber quickly while placing a note along with a potion to wake him, should there be trouble, on the nightstand next to him.

Slowly Gale settled into bed with a deep sigh, feeling a mixture of excitement and longing for what was to come once his eyes fell shut. Something that, thankfully, arrived quickly.

“Eager to return, I see.” Madi greeted him with a playful tease, Gale waking to the sound with a weightless smile, wondering if he had ever heard anything sweeter.

“Truthfully, I wished to sleep the moment I woke but I also didn’t want to look completely desperate.” Gale laughed as he turned to look at Madi who was already a foot away from him, her inviting lips parted into a perfect smile, her eyes dancing with anticipation and desire.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing a bit of desperation from you,” Madi whispered to him as she found her way between his arms, her own sliding around Gale to hold him tightly.

“Oh, well…in that caseI have plenty, I assure you,” Gale announced all too enthusiastically, hesitating as he questioned if he should correct himself before he felt Madi lightly shake with a chuckle, his body immediately relaxing into equally embracing her. Once again the two of them stood in silence, holding the other and even though they may not physically be in the other's presence, it still felt real.

Gale was quickly reminded of what he had attempted to do the night before they were disconnected, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat forming at the idea of gathering the nerves to attempt it again, questioning if he should wait, or ask first, or if Madi even wanted such a thing. Surely she did by the way she held him and watched him with her beautiful and inviting expression.

Madi laughed, breaking Gale’s train of thought.

“How long are you going to think about kissing me before you actually do?” She teased him and Gale responded immediately by throwing all hesitations aside and diving into every desire he held for her. Tight was the grip his arms pinched her body with, a hand snatched to the back of her head, pressing her lips to his in such a heavenly moment Gale forgot it was in a dream.

Madi, with her own dire desires, did not need Gale’s encouragement or guidance as her tongue slipped between his lips, a soft moan escaping along with the motion that curled Gale’s insides into knots that would take a lifetime to untangle. It felt intoxicating to hold her, to feel her lips against his, more than any spell he had ever cast, more than any time in the Astral Plane—which was something far greater to contemplate than he could allow at this moment.

Something he very well intended to do, mind you…just not right now. Not while he held every object of his desires, not while he kissed her and soaked into her vast well of love.

Gale had never felt more lonesome than when her lips parted his.

“Did you mean it?” She asked him, her warm breath against his face as she asked him the vague question yet he immediately knew the subject of which she spoke of.

“I have been foolish in many ways, but never so foolish as to throw the l-word around without intention,” Gale informed her but he saw the flicker of doubt flash across her eyes. “I promise.” He pleaded with her, his visible and audible desperation making them both smile.

“I believe you now.” Madi half-heartedly teased but she wasn’t able to truly hide the lingering worry she felt.

“I want you to know that you could tell me anything. I promise not to react like the pompous idiot I was the last last time we spoke.” Madi chuckled, a brightness returning to her smile for a short moment before it faltered.

“Did…did Elminster tell you how this all came about?” Gale could sense her hesitation before she even pulled away from him, sitting down on the pillowy grass that covered the open glade. Gale took a deep breath before sitting next to her.

“No,” he paused, “I think he felt guilty enough giving me this incantation…besides, he said it was best I speak to you about it all.” Madi dipped her head at Gale’s words, her face twisting into an unreadable amusement.

“I betrayed him in worse ways, he could have told you the entire truth and I wouldn’t have held it against him.” He confessed after a breathy laugh.

“Will you tell me the whole truth?” Gale was quick to ask, immediately wanting to know what she was dealing with, wanting to begin devising a way to get her out of whatever and whoever she had promised, while also aware it was unfair of him to ask of such a confession. He was mostly aware of this fact when Madi hesitated before responding.

“Not yet.” She finally confessed. “I’m sorry,” she softly whispered, sorrow painted across her features, “I need you to wait a bit longer, but I am here in these lands Gale, and until we can be together in the flesh, it is not safe for me to speak of it.”

Gale leaned towards her the moment her face turned to look at him and he could see the tears welling in her eyes, immediately becoming weak and unable to resist the overwhelming desire to comfort her. Once again he embraced her, this time on his knees hunched over her as if to shield her from a world of pain.

Only when she seemed to settle did he pull away.

“I will not abandon you,” Gale promised her in all the seriousness he could muster. “I will find you and we will settle this,” he continued as he looked desperately at Madi, her eyes welling with tears once again as she listened to his words, “I will protect you and I will save you, I swear it!”

Gale watched as Madi smiled at his words, the tears falling fiercer than before, but the thing he noticed most was how she didn’t react, didn’t respond, to his promises. She nodded and smiled to appease Gale, but he could tell, to his deep horror and grief, that she didn’t believe a lick of it possible.

Tag list: @fangbangerghoul, @bearlytolerant, @endersnailz ♥ Hope you all enjoy!

#gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #gale x oc #gale bg3 #gale romance #baldurs gate 3 #gale fanfic #gale dekarios fanfic #astarion ancunin #karlach cliffgate #elminster #my homies hate mystra #booburry writes

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felixsfishnets · 24 days

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Just this one - Xander x Spike (18+)

Preview:

Takes place after Xander sees Anya and Spike going at it in the magic box. Feelings bubble up and he wants to take them out on Spike, who has also been having a bad time recently. They take things out on each other in an unhealthy but sexy way.

AO3 link for warnings, tags etc

Despite his vampiric reflexes, Spike hadn’t expected the fist connecting with his jaw. He stumbled, more from shock than from force and braced himself against the wall of the magic box. Another blow to his stomach.

“Get up! Get up!” Xander was roaring at Spike, rage trembling through his body, lowering his inhibitions making him hit harder.

“Xander!” Anya got in between them. There was a flurry of insults and accusations, voices pitching high in hurt. Standing up straight, Spike recovered from the sudden blows.

“You left me Xander, at the altar,” Anya shot back at him, indignant.

“So what you go out and bang the first body you can find?” Xander asked in disgust.

“It was good enough for Buffy,” Spike spoke for the first time, a smug smile across his face.

“Shut up and leave her out of-“Realisation hit Xander, he looked to Buffy who avoided his gaze. If looks could stake, Spike would be dead about now.

The confusion allowed Spike to slip away, avoiding more of the scoobies theatrics. He felt like a fool, like a child who refused to learn that fire is hot and it will burn. His jaw stung, his veins felt like they were trying to worm their way out of his skin and Anya had left him hard up and frustrated after backing out of their wordless agreement to use each other for comfort.

A guttural, primal sound erupted from Spike and he drove his fist into the nearest surface. Powdery, red brick coated his hand.

“Spike! I’m not finished with you Spike.”

Xander had followed him. The gaggle of idiots seemed determined to drive him to the brink and test the very limits of the chip implanted firmly in his head.

“Bugger off Harris.” That’s all Spike could really do, fling barbs and get pissy. Any real action would bring him to his knees, convulsing in pain.

“I am so sick of your crap Spike.” Xander’s voice was wavering, his face shiny with tears reflected from the pale-yellow light in the alley. “You think you can keep meddling in our lives? Toying with us just because you’re all neutered?”

Xander was on him fast, faster than Spike had seen the boy move before and he was brandishing a stake. He swung and Spike caught his wrist. The sharp, wooden weapon was pressed firmly against his chest. Xander had almost dusted him, and may still as he struggled furiously bringing himself closer and closer to jamming the wood through Spike’s heart.

He was panicking. He had never expected any of the scoobies to follow through on their threats of offing him. Using both arms, he gripped Xander’s wrist, twisting so he would drop the wooden weapon and spun him. Pinning him face first against the rough stone walls of the alley. He braced himself for the piercing jolt in his brain but it never came.

Perfect.

Xander was struggling against Spike’s grip, thrashing kicking and swearing. Listing out every insult he could think of, wriggling biting spitting. He was bigger than Spike but vampire strength won out and eventually Xander stood slack against his grip, panting.

“Are you quite finished?” Spike asked.

“Let go of me.” Xander's voice was uneven.

“I don’t think so Harris, you almost staked me. Left me to be picked up by the street sweepers?”

“You deserve it,” he spat back. “Can’t believe either of them let you touch them. You’re disgusting.”

“Is that some jealousy I’m sensing?” Spike moved in closer, pressing his chest up against Xander’s back. “Did you wish it was you getting pumped on the table at the magic box?” His voice a salacious mix of mockery and seduction.

The boy was panicking, his already elevated heart rate continued to raise creating a glorious thrumming that only Spike could hear. He denied it, of course, Xander would never want to be touched up by a vampire much less Spike.

"You're sick Spike," Xander protested weakly.

“Oh, don’t be so coy now pet, you have me right where you’ve always wanted me.” Spike used one free hand to grab a handful of Xander’s ass, meaty and surprisingly firm.

“You don’t know wha-“Spike cut him off, he had heard enough of the boy’s incessant babbling to last a lifetime.

“Living a couple hundred years teaches you a thing or two about humans, why they do the things they do, what makes them tick.” He continued to grope Xander. “How to get them to follow you down a dark, lonely alley in the middle of the night, like horny little happy meals with legs.”

All of his rage, his righteous fury at the woman he supposedly loved and the man who she had cheated with churned inside and turned to panic, shame, embarrassment. Xander was no longer fighting against the vampire’s grip. He went slack, his forehead pressed against the grimy walls. The sharp, icy thrill that ran through his heart and up his neck felt so intense that he could barely even feel Spike’s hands on him.

“Come on then, when did you realize? Was it the librarian? Did you fantasize about him taking you into the stacks and making you call him daddy?” Spike was taunting him, pressing up against him harder his crotch mashed up against Xander’s ass. “Or maybe it was Angel? Did you wish he was stealing away into your bedroom at night? Did you wish you had given him the happy that made him lose his soul?”

The tears that rolled down his face were no longer from anger but now instead ones of shame and disgust at himself and at Spike. He pressed his head harder against the rock, bearing this, hoping that it would end. Spike ran a cool hand under his shirt and groped his chest. He continued to taunt Xander, whispering filth into his ear, licking and suckling at the lobe.

“Did you think about soldier boy too? Wanted to see just how well he put all that military training to use?” Spike’s hand moved away from Xander’s chest and down towards his crotch. The boy tensed as he felt the cool hand grip his stiff cock through his trousers. He wanted to vomit. He hated himself for being hard, he hated Spike for being right. With a quick skilled movement, Xander was spun to face the vampire. There was a brief moment of eye contact before he looked away in shame, face burning with humiliation.

“Just tell me to stop and I will,” Spike used his free hand, turning Xander’s head forcefully to face him. The boy looked delicious, blood pumping hot, eyes swollen with sparkly tears. Weak, ready to be molded by vampiric hands.

Xander met his gaze once more, his eyes a mixture of defiance and pleading. Spike couldn’t read his mind but he didn’t need to, he could feel the lust radiating from Xander in waves.

“Please Spike,” his voice barely above a whisper.

Spike brought his lips to Xander’s, his cold lips warming against flushed skin. It was messy, wet and desperate. Years of longing, repression pressed up against the vampire in a way that felt more satisfying than draining any victim of their life. He loosened his grip, knowing that the boy wouldn’t run from him. Spike guessed he wouldn’t be able to pry him off, vampire strength and all. Xander’s hands immediately set to work. Rough hands earned from his last few years working construction. He moved greedily, almost panicked as they moved from his bleached curls to his waist, up under his shirt and then down to his ass.

With practiced hands, Spike swiftly unfastened Xander’s belt, opened his trousers and gripped his cock. Gasping into the kiss, he bumped his head on the brick wall trying to get away from the vampire’s mouth and catch his breath. This was only encouragement for him, he wanted the human drained in every way Spike could drain him with a chip in his brain. He wanted Xander begging and desperate and exhausted.

Xander’s hands pressed warm against Spike’s cool chest, his skin tingling under the heat. They separated, the human gasping with heavy eyes.

“On your knees,” Spike commanded. Without protest, Xander sank to the ground. Knees pressing into the wet concrete. His hands were shaking as he undid the silver buckle, metal clinging as he fumbled. Oh, Spike was enjoying this. The boy had been so superior and demeaning, acting like he was so much better than Spike. And now here he was on his knees, desperate to suck his dick.

He hissed when Xander gripped his cock. Groaned when he tentatively put the head in his mouth. The head rested on Xander’s tongue has he began stroking, licking, kissing, tasting. Hands gripped the back of Spike’s thighs when he began to suck in earnest, testing his limits with an eagerness that reminded Spike of the fledgling vampires draining their first victim.

“Where did you learn to do that, you naughty boy,” Spike purred, looking down. Xander tilted his head up and to the side, cheeks hollowed and their eyes met. The vampire moaned as Xander slid the cock further down his throat, taking the entire thing without breaking eye contact. Who knew the boy’s mouth had a use other than spouting remarks of varying humor.

“Get some practice? What was it? A banana? An ice lolly?” Spike chuckled to himself, imaging a horny and confused Xander fellating various objects out of sheer desperation. Xander hummed around his member, the rumble of pleasure caused him to grip the boy’s head. His fingers wove through the warm wet locks gripping firmly as he removed his cock in fear that he’d cum before he had finished playing with his new toy.

A trail of saliva stretched from the head of Spike’s cock and lead to Xander’s mouth, who looked up at him expectantly. Awaiting orders.

“I like you so much better like this,” Spike smiled down at him, admiring the view. Xander’s face and hair were a mess, slicked wet and puffy all over. His shirt open, leaving a line of skin connecting down to his cock. He hadn’t even touched himself while he was sucking, enjoying himself too much to focus on his own please. The vampire raised his boot and rubbed the toe against Xander’s cock. He whined in response. Spike continued the movement, pressing the entire sole against the boy’s cock and balls. Xander rutted against it, feeling grateful for any form of friction.

He was pathetic. He knew this. As Xander continued to grind against the boot, he couldn’t help but think of how low he was in this moment. But Spike had managed to break through his defenses.

Defenses that other people didn’t even know Xander had raised. After everything, Buffy dying and being brought back, the disaster of a wedding and then finding out that Buffy and Anya had gotten off with Spike. He was already teetering on the edge but then Spike had pushed him, sank his fangs into raw nerves that Xander rarely even touched.

So, he gave in. He had fucked so many things up that this would just be another one to add to the list. This would be his rock bottom. On his knees in a grimy alley blowing a vampire. He would allow himself this one time, to get it out of his system. To explore and then compartmentalize those feelings so he could bury them again. And he would focus on what he was meant to be doing, finding a wife and having 2.5 children with a picket fence. But for now, he was at Spike’s mercy.

“Please,” Xander begged.

“On your feet and turn around,” Spike didn’t have to wait long before the human was on his feet, braced against the bricks. He ripped the other man’s trousers and underwear down unceremoniously. Admiring the round, pale buttocks peppered with black hair. Spike couldn’t resist giving them a few slaps, watching them jiggle and turn red. Xander moaned, arching his back.

With his cock resting against the cleft of Xander’s ass, he held two fingers at the boy’s mouth. Xander took them without question, sucking as diligently as he did the vampire’s cock.

“I assume you’ve done this before too, have you pet?” Spike asked, gently rubbing his slick fingers over Xander’s hole. He had the boy moaning, rocking against his digits, while his other hand pulled and kneaded at his ass cheeks. Xander let out a long groan as the first finger slipped inside.

“Oh, you have done this before,” Spike sounded smug, and a little bit impressed. The boy was tight but he managed to take Spike’s fingers without much resistance. “Did you let the demon bint slip one in every now and then? Or was this more of a private affair?” The questions were met with a gasp as Xander threw his head back, nearly headbutting the vampire. Spike grinned to himself, and raked his fingers over the same spot again.

“Come on pet, who were you thinking about when you played with your hole?” He worked his fingers harder, rougher stretching Xander’s pink hole.

“Ah, fuck- You… God,” Xander gasped, causing Spike’s bleached brows to raise in surprise. Unsure if the boy was being truthful or saying that just to appease the vampire, he grinned. In the pocket of his leather duster was a bottle of lube. Xander winced when Spike removed his digits, panting. Then he scoffed when he heard the click of a cap and the squelch of lube.

“For just such occasions.” He said as he slicked his cock and applied a generous amount of the gel on Xander’s hole.

He rubbed the head against Xander’s entrance, making him groan in anticipation. He pushed in slowly, agonizingly slow, and held the boy in place so he wouldn’t push back against him.

With his cock fully sheath inside, Spike leaned against Xander’s broad back. Taking time to enjoy the boy’s warm, wet inside warming his cock. Fucking his fellow undead was always an enjoyable experience, they could take much more punishment than the average human. But nothing compared to the pulsating heat of a willing person.

Spike drew his cock out slowly, admiring the way Xander gripped him. Even the black hairs that circled his hole seemed to be clinging onto his length. He rammed back into the boy harshly, earning him a strangled croak. The pace he kept was slow, steady. Enjoying the mewls Xander made when his dick was fully sheathed in him. Trailing hands lightly up the boy’s shirt, Spike found his nipples. He began rolling and pinch the nubs, flicking them.

Picking up the pace, his pounding began making a wet slapping that echoed down the alley only interrupted the boy beneath him babbling in pleasure. Xander was pushing back to match Spike’s him, his arsecheeks turning red at the repeated slamming.

When Spike had adjusted his position slightly, he could tell that he had found what he had been looking for. It only took a few more pumps before Xander shot his load. “Oh, you are a dirty little pervert,” Spike mocked, impressed that Xander managed to come just from being fucked. Pulling his cock from the boy’s hole, he spun him around. He could tell Xander was exhausted and spent but he wasn’t finished, Spike hadn’t come yet. Using his inhuman strength, Spike lifted Xander from the ground. Pressing the boy’s back against the wall and hoisting his legs up onto his leather clad shoulders.

Spike plunged his cock back into the boy, setting a steady pace. Dragging the full length of his member out before slamming it back inside. Xander’s neglected dick began to grow again. The vampire began suckling and kissing the boy’s neck. However pliable he may be at the moment, he imagined drinking from the human would cause the chip in his brain to cripple him with pain. But feeling the boy’s elevated pulse, the thin straws of blood running through him with his lips was the closest he could get.

“Of fuck, Spike… Do it,” Xander panted. There was a familiar sound and crunch, Spike tentatively pressed his fangs into the warm flesh. Hot, coppery blood filled his mouth for the first time in months. He slammed into Xander a few more times before coming inside the boy. Still holding him, cock still inside the boy, as he drank from his neck. Spike knew better than to completely drain him, he was sure the chip would prevent him going too far and he didn’t want this memory tarnished.

Xander’s head bobbed lazily when Spike pulled away. He was completely passed out, exhausted in every sense of the word. A small sense of regret crept up the vampire’s spine as he observed the unconscious human. Perhaps it was knowing he couldn’t undo what they had just done together, given the boy another burden to bear.

With far more care than the boy had ever shown him, Spike dressed him. Pulling his trousers up and buckling them, buttoning his shirt. He liked the bite on the boy’s neck once more, causing it to scab over. Unable to leave Xander unconscious on the grimy floor of the alley, he scooped the boy up into his arms. The slayer’s house would probably be the best place for him. Safe. Make sure no other beasties find him an easy snack. And his friends may help him deal with the emotional fallout.

Xander would definitely lie to protect himself, protect his pride. Say that himself and Spike got jumped and Spike saved him. Being saved by the vampire would be a more tolerable hit than admitting the truth.

Spike left the boy slumped against one of the chairs on Buffy’s porch. He banged furiously on the door and rang the doorbell repeatedly before fleeing. The girls would panic. Then they’d haul Xander in and try to rouse him. When that didn’t work, they’d put him on the couch, take off his shoes and jacket. Throw a blanket over him and leave him to rest.

By the time he woke up, Spike would be gone. His crypt emptied and Sunnydale would be behind him.

#spike #xander harris #spander #buffy the vampire slayer #fics #my fics #spander fics #buffy fics #william the bloody

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floating-in-waves · 9 months

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Story time 🙃

This afternoon I attended a workshop, let's call it "energy centers activation". I know for most will probably read that first sentence will think woowoo shit and scroll on and that's fine. It's really not about that it's about things that are flowing now because of it.

I don't think that most people realize we, our body, shit, everything around us and in us is energy. And within all our interactions and just our human experience can cause blockages in our energy fields. Trauma ( and we all carry it, every single fucking one of us, carries trauma) is one of the biggest blocks and most of our trauma is buried deep in our subconscious. I'm getting way off topic, if you have made it this far hang tight I promise Im going somewhere with this. We specifically spent time on the lower energy centers , sacral to solar plexus, focusing a good portion of time on our womb. Then lastly our heart. Magical I tell ya. I can't even express how light (and that word is lacking) I feel. When we closed our activation we were told to be aware of things that come to the surface and make note. Well ya'll are getting the note because my first one just came through.

17 years ago almost on the dot. I waddled my way into the hospital, stopping every few steps and saying "Fuck fuck fuck this hurts" quietly under my breath then moving forward. They have me arriving into labor and delivery at 628pm. My boy was born at 645pm. What's funny is after my epidural experience with my first, I wanted to have my 2nd naturally. But as I marched my ass up to L&D( which apparently is not the standard protocol) I had every intention of getting one but yeah 2 pushes and he was out. My momma always said if you can make it until you have to push it doesnt hurt anymore. Feeling that boy leave my body was hands down the most amazing, beautiful, fucking magical moment of my life.

If you made it this far, you may want to leave now because this is where maybe some unconscious anger is going to come out and should come out because WTF is going on? My body has carried and developed two human beings. My body sustained those teeny humans and provided nourishment for them for a total of 29 months. Over two years of my life, my breasts fed those babies. Those moments of feeling a baby kick for the first time to completing a full on summersault in your belly, to the first time they latch on to your breast, is something unexplainable. And something only women can do. I am not a birthing person. I am not a fucking chestfeeder. I am a fucking woman!!! A few years ago body shaming was a thing. I definitely do not believe in body shaming. What the fuck are they doing to women these days? It's an insult, and honestly if women are standing up to this it must be silent or more than likely being banned because I don't see it.

To think of the womens lib movement (which we will not go into my thoughts about that...okay maybe a little like the beginning destruction of the nuclear family) but it was all I am woman hear me roar. Where is that now? It started with our sports, to beauty pageants, to the very single magical and scared gifts we given. Not all of us choose to become mothers and I get that. Shit, at 28 I had no plans of settling down and being a parent. Truth is I saw where the world was heading and didn't want to bring children into it. My life had other plans for me. It's not about that. It's more about embracing the beautiful and miraculous things that women can do and it can never be replicated and standing up to that. And more than that realizing how fucked up all of this is and opening your eyes to what it really is?! An attack.

Now Im gonna go and shake that one off because holy shit, that came from a place deep inside and something I did not realize I was even carrying but fuck all of that I am woman hear me roar

#that felt good #sometimes it goes on paper #sometimes it goes on here

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amethystunarmed · 3 months

Note

Okay I absolutely MUST know what 'Behold!' is.

Ooh! I was hoping someone would ask about that!

So 'Behold!' is a yet-to-be-named epic fantasy novel series that I am working on with @little-engineer-who-cant. The two of us wrote a novel together in like 8th grade and we recently reread to laugh about how... inexperienced we were, to say the least.

But we started talking and realized... we could fix it. Oh my god we could fix it, and it became a story about fae courts, the specialest boy to ever live being a tired 27-year-old barista, the most toxic polycule in all recorded history, and a changeling who was stolen in the nineties wanting to know all about what the Backstreet Boys are up too!

Have a snippet of my lovely characters from the Summer Court!

The moment Nightshade slits the Summer Queen's throat, he can feel the power flowing through him. It feels like the pounding of his feet as he runs through the desert dunes, constant, scalding, and unstable. He can feel it licking inside the confines of his rib cage, burning black stripes about the bone. It burns at him, at his magic, destroying what existed to create room for something new. He grits his teeth, clenching around the miniature sun that had begun to roost in his lungs.

“Wonderful work, now release the power to me!” Aziz says. Nightshade can barely hear them over the roaring swell of power in his ears.

It is all encompassing, the power. Nightshade is struck by the thought that he could remake the world in his image, that he could sculpt mountains and burn through enemies and glass the very sands surrounding him.

It is terrible and he wants it out.

“Now!” Aziz shouts. Nightshade is certain it is supposed to be an order, but they are too desperate to be convincing. The roiling sandstorm in his head nearly blocks out all his vision, but he manages to focus on Aziz’s face. They look terrified.

Nightshade barely manages to stay upright as he reaches for Aziz. They catch him, holding him up beneath his armpits. “Nightshade?” They ask, sounding less scared. That is good, Nightshade thinks, though he can’t remember why. He presses his hands to Aziz’s cheeks. Their skin, once so brilliantly warm, feels like ice in his grasp.

“Take it!” he gasps, pulling together the ramshackle remains of his telepathy from the ashes. He links with Aziz, desperate and sloppy. Aziz hisses in pain as Nightshade barrels his way into their mind. He can see all of it, the way Nightshade had lit up with golden power, hair, skin, eyes all radiating light, heat, power. He can see Aziz’s despair when Nightshade didn’t respond, the utter certainty Nightshade was going to betray them and take the Court for himself. And, most powerful of all, he feels the deep, overwhelming desire, like nothing Nightshade has ever felt. He doesn’t know if he has ever felt an emotion as strongly as Aziz has, if he has ever wanted anything as badly as Aziz wants the power currently scorching its way through his veins.

The magic feels it too, the raw ambition that stands as a pillar in Aziz’s psyche. It is drawn to it, bubbling and bounding around it like an excited puppy. Nightshade gives it a choice, and the magic chooses its next host, running from his body, down his arms and into Aziz. His arms scream against the funneling magic, it’s too much, too much power in a confined space, he fears they will explode from his body, he needs more, more contact, more anything, he is burning, oh stars-

As you wish, he hears Aziz’s voice in his mind. And Aziz is kissing him, mouth and nose and chest pressing against him. They wrap their arms around his neck and run fingers through Nightshade’s hairand his body sings with relief. Magic lights up every point of contact as it soaks into Aziz’s skin and Nightshade can feel them growing warmer and warmer in his grip. The last trickles of the magic pour into Aziz and Nightshade’s own magic swirls back into his now empty vessel. He nearly sobs in relief as the cool shadows roll through him, and he easily feels the absolute triumph exuding from Aziz’s every pore, before he is shoved out of Aziz’s mind entirely. Nightshade opens his eyes and is awed by the sight before him.

Aziz is brilliant, radiating heat and light with the power of a thousand stars. It suits them, glittering through the scales on their cheeks. Their braids whip around from a self-made gale and Nightshade watches in horror as the gold beads melt from them, trickling into puddles on the floor. The curtains set alight, the food set out on the table chars to embers, but Nightshade feels nothing more than the comfortable warmth of lying in a sunbeam on a summer afternoon.

Aziz opens their mouth and lets out a loud shaky sound. At first, Nightshade thinks they are sobbing. But a brilliant smile splits their face and Nightshade realizes they are laughing. They reach up, and press another gentler kiss to Nightshade’s lips. He unconsciously returns it, sinking into the comforting heat like a warm beverage on a cold night.

“You brilliant, beautiful creature,” Aziz breathes against his mouth, “I am going to give you everything you want.”

Nightshade can’t wait.

#my writing #behold!#ask game #oc: nightshade #oc: aziz

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emeraldzephyr · 1 year

Text

Glory Days: A Baseball AU Fic

Part 1 of my Baseball Player Steve Harrington Fic!

Eddie Munson was at the last place he thought he would ever be on a Wednesday afternoon.

After arriving in Chicago for the next stop on Corroded Coffin's Raising the Dead tour, their manager, Nancy Wheeler, presented them with suite tickets to the Chicago Cubs game.

"One of the player's brothers is a huge fan" She said as she passed over the envelope, "It would mean a lot to go, and it's good press."

"Nancy," Eddie started, and the rest of the band sighed, preparing for his rant, "We are not sports sorts. In fact, it was those same types that made our lives such hell in school. And yes, that was 10 years ago but I have a very good memory, and even a few scars to remember it by!"

"Look, it's 3 hours tops, there will be food and drinks in the suite, and if you get pics at the game I bet you sell out the rest of those tickets before the show on Saturday. Chicago loves the Cubs, and Steve Harrington is their golden boy."

Eddie looked to his band members, eyes darting between the three of them.

Gareth shrugged "Might as well, maybe it could be fun."

Eddie frowned, and glared down at Jeff, "Weirdly enough, I kind of like baseball."

Eddie gasped, murmuring traitor under his breath.

Finally, he leveled his gaze to Frank, who gulped before sputtering out, "I mean, free food and drinks is nice."

" Ugh… .fine!" Eddie snaps, throwing his hands up and flopping down on the couch in the hotel suite," but don't expect me to be happy about it."

Which brings us to the present, where Eddie sits in the cushy Legends suite at Wrigley Field. At least the day was nice, the sky a bright blue with fluffy clouds, a chill breeze just enough to cool the warm rays of the sun.

A bat cracked, and Eddie flinched. He knew there was netting keeping the balls from getting to them but that didn't stop his anxiety from expecting every single one of those fuckers to come flying at his face like some kind of jock powered magic missile.

“I would say you get used to it, but you really don’t.”

Eddie turned to see a woman with short brown hair and blue eyes seated two seats over. Her long legs were propped up on the seat in front of her, and she wore a white and blue striped jersey with HARRINGTON across the back.

“I mean, I’ve been going to Steve’s games since college and I still flinch every time.” She said, chuckling to herself, “I’m Robin, by the way.”

“Ah, so you must be Harrington’s lucky girl!” Eddie exclaims, sweeping his hands open in a dramatic bow, “Eddie Munson, pleasure to meet you.”

“Eww, no.” Robin clips, “Steve is my very platonic best friend. And roommate, but I am but a humble graduate student and he makes fuck you amounts of money.”

Eddie barks out a laugh at that as the loudspeaker in the stadium crackles to life.

“Batting Number 4, Your Shortstop Steve Harrington!!”

The crowd roars to life, Robin cheering enthusiastically next to him, and Eddie’s jaw drops open as he hears a familiar drum and guitar riff before his own voice shouts through the stadium “I don’t need your crown!!”, the fans echoing his words as the guitar and drums kick into a fast and heavy riff. When Jeff explained the concept of walkout music to him earlier in the game he never expected to hear one of their own songs blasted through the stadium.

“Holy shit!” Gareth shouted, shaking Eddie by the shoulders “Harrington has our song as his walkout music!”

Eddie looks up to the jumbotron screens to see a close up of Harrington as he steps up to the batter's box, a beaming smile on his face as he taps the end of the bat on each shoe before bringing the bat up and squatting slightly to get in batting position, his eyes focused like a laser on the pitcher.

The first pitch flies in just below the strike zone, the second in the dirt.

“Ooo, they’re scared of him.” a curly haired man says, plopping into the empty seat between Eddie and Robin.

“Scared of him?” Eddie questions, tilting his head at the new arrival.

He turns towards Eddie and a look of recognition crosses his face, “Holy shit, you’re Eddie Munson! Steve said he was giving you and the band tickets but I didn’t think you’d actually come! I’m Dustin, his little brother!”

Dustin grabs Eddie’s hand, shaking it enthusiastically as Steve fouls off the third pitch.

“They’re scared of him because he’s a damn good player,” Robin fills in, sitting up just enough to make eye contact with Eddie over Dustin’s head.

“Yeah, they don’t want to give him anything he can get ahold of,” Dustin muses as the crack of the bat against the ball rings out through the stadium.

The ball rockets up the middle, cutting between the second base and shortstop and rolling through center field. Steve takes off at a sprint, rounding first base and making it comfortably to second before the ball flies in from the outfield.

“Hell yeah Steve!!” Dustin shouts, with Robin whistling.

* * * * *

Eddie spends the majority of the game talking to Dustin and Robin about a variety of topics. Eddie learns that Dustin is working at a tech company that does…something with radio waves. Honestly Eddie was lost on that one after about three words. He also learns Robin is studying linguistics at the University of Chicago. Eddie talks to them both about his music, their tour, and a few early ideas for songs.

The group always stops when Steve comes up to bat. It’s endearing how much the pair cares about Steve, contrasting with how little they care about the rest of the game. It honestly surprises Eddie how good of a time he is having.

Steve’s next two at bats are a sacrifice fly, putting the Cubs on the board but still behind. His second at bat ends in a double play, giving Eddie precious little time to admire the man as he ran the bases. And Eddie was a weak, weak man, and those baseball pants hugged just right. He should honestly know better than to crush on the straight jock, but looking was fine, right?

It was the bottom of the ninth and the Cubs trailed 4-1 when Steve came to bat, bases loaded. After Steve’s walkout music cut off you could hear a pin drop in the stadium. Pitch one was a fastball, rocketing in right down the center of the strike zone. Steve stood completely still, taking the strike. The next, a breaking ball down and left, outside the strike zone. One and one count.

“Holy shit this is stressful,” Eddie said through clenched teeth, twisting the rings on his fingers nervously.

“No kidding,” Robin mumbles, her knee bouncing anxiously as Steve stepped back into the batter’s box.

Pitch three was a fastball that floated just outside of the strike zone, pitch four a curve ball fouled off into the first base stands. The count was even, and it felt as if the stadium itself was holding its breath.

Pitch five was where the pitcher made a grave error. It flew straight down the center of the strike zone, but Steve was ready for it this time. The ball cracked off the bat, soaring towards right field. The stadium erupted, growing louder and louder the further the ball flew, until it landed in the right field bleachers.

“HOLY SHIT THAT WAS A WALK OFF GRAND SLAM!!” Dustin screamed, as all of them jumped to their feet, shouting and cheering as Steve and his teammates all rounded the bases.

The entire stadium was whipped into a frenzy, the team included. Steve rounded third base and beamed as his entire team waited for him at home plate, where they instantly swarmed him, multiple coolers of gatorade dunked on his head as the team celebrated.

Eddie and the Corroded Coffin boys couldn’t help but be swept up in the kinetic atmosphere of the stadium, jumping and cheering. His eyes locked with Gareth’s when the entire stadium began to sing.

“Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey, Chicago, what do you say, The Cubs are gonna win today!”

“They have their own theme song?” Gareth exclaimed, “We gotta do a cover.”

“Wouldn’t be the first!” Jeff shouted over the crowd, slinging an arm around Gareth’s shoulders, “Pantera wrote a song for the Dallas hockey team that they play when goals are scored.”

The crowd continued singing as they all filtered out of the stadium, while the suite that Eddie and the others were in continued their libations. After a few minutes, the door swung open and a chorus of “Steve!” rang out from the box.

Eddie may as well have looked right at the sun with as bright as Harrington was beaming as both Dustin and Robin threw their arms around his shoulders, both speaking lightning fast at him in their excitement. His eyes darted between the two of them, trying to keep up with the separate streams of conversations, when his eyes finally settled between the two of them on Eddie, Gareth, Jeff, and Frank.

“You must be Corroded Coffin!” He greeted, slipping between Robin and Dustin and walking over to shake hands, “I’m really glad you could make it, Dusty and I are both big fans.”

“Gotta say,” Eddie started as he shook Steve’s hand, “I didn’t expect a pretty boy jock like yourself to be a metal fan.”

Steve flushed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck, “Yeah, well Dustin was the one who got me into it in all honesty. That plus a smidge of teenage rebellion was the right combination I guess. Plus, it makes great workout music.”

A woman’s head popped into the door as the group chatted, “Steve, we have a presser in 5.”

“Guess that’s my cue,” he said, thumbing over his shoulder at the door, “If you don’t have plans after the game, we are doing a barbecue at my place.”

The Corroded Coffin boys all looked between each other, Jeff nodding enthusiastically. Frank shrugged, and Gareth smiled mischievously at Eddie. He didn’t like that look one bit.

“I guess we can swing by,” Eddie said, eyebrows knitted together in confusion at Gareth’s expression, then turning to smile at Steve.

“Great!” Steve beamed, clapping Eddie on the shoulder, “Robin can give you the details.”

Steve walked up to Nancy just before leaving, giving her a hug and lifting her slightly off her toes.

“It was good to see you Nance Pants,” he grinned, “See you at the barbecue!”

"Nance Pants?" The band choruses in unison.

"We are NOT talking about it."

#baseball player steve #musician eddie munson #steddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #steve x eddie #stobin #baseball!au #stranger things #emerald writes

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romeoandjulietyouwish · 1 year

Note

"Don't watch." Empire Siblings?

empire siblings neighbor au

Since their reunion, Beau has gotten a sense that Bren- That Caleb, still thinks of her like the little girl he left so many years ago. Whenever they're in combat together, he keeps any eye on her, striking down anyone who gets too close. It's not that she minds that, it's more the fact that it's so clear he can't see her as the grown up woman she is.

It becomes even clearer when the two of them are separated from the rest of the party. Of course rocks just so happened to fall that just so happened to separate her and Caleb from everyone else.

"You okay?" Beau asks as she stands up, dusting herself off as she picks up her staff.

Caleb sighs, "Ja." He looks back at the rocks and then forward where the tunnels continues. "Forward, then. It must loop around somewhere."

"Yeah maybe," Beau begrudgingly agrees.

The two of them walk in uncomfortable silence, neither quite sure what to say to the other. That's how it's been in the weeks since they met in that bar. What do you say to the man who was your only source of love for so many years? What do you say to the girl you abandoned without a word?

Fortunately any opportunity for conversation is cut off when a man bursts out of one of the alcoves, swinging his swords wildly as he attacks Beau. Caught off guard, he slices her arm up pretty good before she can whack him with her stick to get him the fuck away from her.

Clutching her bleeding arm, Beau stumbles back as Caleb takes up the fight, his hands swirling with magic. In no time, the bandit is unconscious on the ground, bleeding and burned but still alive.

"We should go," Beau tells Caleb as she finishes wrapping a torn piece of cloth around her arm.

But Caleb just shakes his head, "We can't have him waking up and following us." He looks back at her, his face hard and serious in a way she has never seen before. The man before her looks nothing like the kind boy who taught her how to do math and how to fold paper into swans and cats. "Don't watch."

"What the fuck, man?" Beau asks. "I've seen people die before. Just get it over with."

Caleb shakes his head, "Listen to me, Beauregard. You don't want to watch this, I'll catch up with you."

She sets her jaw, "I'm not a fucking child anymore, Caleb. Stop treating me like I am."

"That's not what this is about." She can tell he's getting upset, his hands shaking and sweat forming on his brow. There's something seriously wrong. "Please, Beauregard."

She stares at him for a long moment before muttering, "Whatever," and continuing along the path, leaving Caleb and the bandit behind.

Behind her, she hears the brief roar of flames and a strangled cry. Then nothing. But she just keeps walking.

dialogue prompt list

#empire siblings neighbor au #critical role #mighty nein #empire siblings

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xatsperesso · 1 year

Text

Iruma is taken

Part 2/4 Previous / next

It's been a long while since we've left the school. I don't know how much has passed, and absolutely no idea of where i am or where I'm being taken to.

I still can't move an inch, can't utter a world, can't see a thing. The panic attack wasn't fun. At all

At least Atori didn't see me having it.

Small mercies

Atori seems to be slowing down now. That's not good, But! I have ali-san's ring! And it's filled with grandpa's magic! The second I get out I can-

"Iruma-chan~, we've arrived!" Atori said as he came to a stop.

alright, alright. I only have one shot. one chance to escape

one chance to survive.

And I've always been good at surviving

He opens a door

i steady myself

"Baal-chan~, I'm back with a present~"

"Atori," wait. That voice

" you're back so soon." The voice continued

I know that voice

"can you tell me why you're back so soon, when you're supposed to infiltrate the school?"

that's one of the thirteen crown's voice

"i got what you asked for~, and brought a little present too~~"

No time to think. Even against one of the thirteen crowns, grandpa's magic should at least help me squeeze by

But what if there are more

The second atori unravelled the webs, my hands flew to my ring to set it on the highest level.

"Iru-boy!" Ali-san appeared screaming and charging at baal

"Don't hurt my kid!!"

A Fire roared from my hand at atori who looked surprised, I'll run away while they're distrac-

Everything moved slowly around me

Ali-san looked at me. He looked horrified. Why does he look so scared?

He started dissipating right in front of my eyes.

Why

Sharp pain slithered it's way across my arm.

What happened

I looked down

My finger was cut off

The finger that held the ring was cut off

I could hear screaming in the distance

"That wasn't a nice surprise, iruma-chan~"

Oh, I'm the one screaming

A sudden hit to my neck, and my vision started to black out

The last thing i saw was Baal's annoyed face

"I'm not dealing with crying brats"

I woke up with jolting pain, clutching my right arm

It burns

Why does it burn

Oh. Right

he cut my finger off

I lost Ali-san

I lost my only chance to escape

Something coiled around me, restraining me into the table I'm laying on

"Tt, don't do that, Iruma-kun" a voice called out "you've lost quite some blood, you can't afford to lose more"

I looked around and saw a demon wearing a white coat, long white hair tied back. His face hidden behind a surgical mask.

Every inch of my being is screaming

This guy is dangerous

I tried moving, but the restraints only got tighter

"Ah-ah~ the second I let go of you you'll just run away" the demon got closer, a certain shine I can't decipher in his eyes

"You know, Iruma-kun" he put on a pair of latex gloves "I've always been fascinated by humans!

So when Baal said he would bring me one" fear and pain mixed together causing tears to fill my eyes "I simply couldn't believe him!"

"But now," He kept coming closer, grabbing a syringe off a table "now you're here!"

My breath got caught in my throat. I can't utter a sound

Not when he grabbed my arm

Not when he inserted the syringe in

Not when he keeps looking at me with that expression

I can only let the tears flow

"Now I can know everything there is to know there is to be about humans" oh

That shine in his eyes

It's curiosity

"Isn't that great, Iruma-kun"

And as my blood is being taken from me, I couldn't help but wonder

Was the cat curious,

Or was it someone else's curiosity that killed it?

"Alright!" he exclaimed, suddenly lifting the tension in the air as he took the syringe out

"that's all I'll need for now!" I flinched away from his approaching hand, but he still put it on my head to

ruffle my hair?

"See you later, Iruma-Kun!" And just like that, he left me alone

What happened?

He's dangerous. I know he's dangerous

So why didn't he do anything?

Maybe he's biding his time

Maybe I was being dramatic

Maybe I can win him over

Maybe I could convince him to help me.

He didn't do anything bad, so maybe if I look scared enough he'd let me go

Hours went by, and all I could do is stare at the ceiling. No one ever talks about how being kidnapped is so boring.

My hand hurts like hell, but I'm slowly, oh so slowly, getting used to it

I'm almost wishing that there was another demon in the room. At least the fear could dull the pain a little

creak

Wait I was kidding I DIDN'T MEAN THIS LITERALLY-!

"Hiya, Iruma-kun" Kirio-senpai! He saved me from falling at the festival! Maybe he could help-

A cold chill runs down my spine

His face

He's looking at me with pleasure

", but that's gonna make Kirio-kun so mad" right. Atori said that

Kirio knows I'm a human

"I heard from Ani-sama that you're here, so I thought I could pay my little kouhai a visit" he closes the door behind him and smiles, displaying sharp teeth and fangs

"aren't I such a good senpai, Iruma-kun?"

"K-kirio-senpai-"

"You know, Iruma," he cuts me off "last time you didn't show me that expression I've wanted to see" oh.

oh no

I have to find a way

"But now, I know a little secret of yours~ "

I have to stop him

"Kirio-senpai, please-"

"I heard that you're a human" he's now standing above me. "And I've been wondering ever since"

"Please," I can't stop shaking "please, I don't-"

He puts his hand on my neck

Please stop coming closer

"Would you give that sweet, desperate face of yours if I take a bite?"No no nonono

"Kirio-senpai don't please I'll do anything please please please" I feel his jaw on my neck

He opens wide

and

I scream and kick and writhe under him, but this makes his teeth sink harder

"Kirio!" He's suddenly thrown away from me, but a chunk of meat is still hanging from his mouth

It hurts

It hurts it hurts it hurts and my tears mix with the blood and it hurts even more

"What are you doing?!" The doctor screams "you can't just eat him now! We still need him to revive Delkira!"

That's it?

Is this why I'm here?

Why I'm still alive?

"You could have just told me and I would've cut you a piece"

"I'm sorry, Kira-san" there voices started to fade, all I could think about is the growing pain, the blood I'm losing, and how tired I'm feeling

Oh so tired

How could I forget

These are demons

They will never help a human

----------------------‐-------------------------

I am not ok, This is not ok

A mentally sane person wouldn't write this

Anyway 2 more parts to go

Previous / next

#mairimashita! iruma kun #welcome to demon school iruma kun #iruma kun #mairimashita manga #mairimashita iruma kun #amiy kirio #amy kirio #ami kirio #baal #baal sabnock #atori (m!ik)#atori #angst no comfort #angst no happy ending #angst #violence #gore #cannibalism?#they're demons so

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chibi-celesti · 1 month

Text

Twisted Tonelico (A Twisted Wonderland x Ar Tonelico AU) pt 4

Phase 01: Book 01: Dia rosa rudje pt 4

Previously: Meyru righted herself back up just as the beast loomed over her. Its pickaxe arm raised above its head.

She was trapped and all alone.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!”

~Twisted Tonelico~

“I CALL UPON, CAULDRON!!!”

Suddenly, a huge cauldron falls on top of the monster before it strikes Meryu. Making it completely immobile, and giving the trio a chance to get her out of there.

“Melenas-san, are you ok?” Deuce panicked, checking for any injuries.

“Y-yes. I-I’m fine.”

Ace helps her up to her feet, grabs her wrist and runs back the way they came again with the others in tow. ”

She was shocked. She didn’t think they would come for her considering finding the Magestone is more important than her life. At least that’s what she thought… ‘They came back for me…without the stone…’

Meryu felt a bit touched.

~Dwarf Mines: Mine Entrance~

The group made it as far as the entrance to the cave. Once getting bearings, Meryu confronts the trio in front of her. The heart and spade saw her face go through emotions of confusion and… disappointment? Why?

“Why did you come back for me?!” she yelled at them. “You could’ve gotten the stone and gone back to Crowley! Instead, you… WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!”

Ace couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What! You wanted to die by that thing?!” This shocked Meryu. “Even if we didn’t find the stone, you thought dying would be the better option in this situation!!”

“I-I-”

“It was obvious you were trying to help us out back there, but I would rather not have a girl killed by a monster on my guilty conscious!”

“Mr. Trappola…” Meryu was at a loss for words. What he said was true, but she didn’t think he’d care if she died. But Time is of the essence and they still are a Magestone short! “Finding the Magestone is important! You guys deserve to be a part of this place more than me!”

“...So?”

“Huh?” She looked at Ace, puzzled.

“I’ve been thinking of calling it quits all night. You on the other hand, and Deucey over here are hard headed beyond belief on giving up.” He said annoyed. “And yeah, I have to admit. I hate to get grilled by my folks for getting kicked out on the first day.”

Blinking like a curious bird, Meryu stared at the red head before her. Next to her, Deuce started to speak. “Compared to us, you really were more focused on figthing the monster, and getting the stone than us fighting over who’s more right…” He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t wanna lose this opportunity to be in Night Raven, either!”

Grim added his two cents. “And I wanna prove to that bird brain that I am the greatest mage at this school, too!”

She shook her head at these three. They kinda remind me of him… “Ok.”

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!

A roar echoed through the mines once more. The beast is on the prowl again!

“SERIOUSLY!!! WHEN WILL THAT THING TAKE A HIKE?!”

“Not until we’re no longer a threat!”

“Nyahh!! What do we do?!?!”

The Reyvateil, while as panicked as the others, knew something needed to be done, and fast. “I have an idea.” she said aloud. “But I need you boys to trust me on this!”

Faces will determination, Ace, Deuce and Grim nodded in unison.

~A few moments later~

The Blotted beast dragged itself out of the cave, hunting down the trespassers that dared to enter its domain. “nnnnnNNO ONE TOUCHES STONES!!” It howled into the night, threatening all critters who dwell within. It bellowed before trudging down the path into the woods, closing in on the vacant dwarf home. It searched about, noticing that there was no sign of life here.

It was quiet. Too quiet…

“TAKE THIS!!/ NYAHHHH!!!” Suddenly, the beast was jumped by a sudden combination of wind and fire magic. Both spells rained down on its location. Halting the monster in its tracks.

It was a perfect set up.

It roared in anger at the attacks thrown its way, swinging its pickaxe to strike. But the barrage of wind and flames would not stop.

“Nyah-hah!! It’s working! We’re actually doing some damage to this thing!” Grim exclaimed.

“Got you right we want you! Hopefully girly has some singing in her still.” Ace added.

Before the beast could get its bearings-

“I CALL UPON THEE, CAULDRON!!!”

-a cauldron fell on top of it again. Followed by another melody.

“Was zweie ra papana fountaina bister grandus herra!”

And a strong tsunami-like water spell hits the beast, tumbling it over on its back.

As the water fades away, the students all gather together, knowing that the fight is far from over. “Ok, I just need to concentrate on singing my song from earlier again. While I do that, work together on hitting the thing with your combination spells! Don’t stop until I’ve finished!”

“What’ll happen if you don’t?”

“...Just focus on the monster.”

Ace and Deuce did not like that answer, but willed themselves to fight. Grim, on the other hand, is still revved up to fight. Meryu clasped her hands together and began her son once again.

~Was yea ra exec hymmnos PAJA sos yor!~

~Wee granme ra hymme corle mea grandus marfo yor!~

The giant rose from before appeared again, its vines ready on the attack. And now the real battle began.

Everyone was giving it their all against the monster, each spell striking without fail. Fighting the very end to survive. It retaliated in turn, leaving some nasty bruises and cuts on each fighter, but that did not deter them at all. The anthem of this battle echoing loud from the girl leading the charge.

~Amyure dyyal gatyunla bister gott!~

~PHANTASIA << ADDR <- Enter sphilar herra gyusya en messe siss hyzik fountaina kapa dazua!~

Almost in an instant, the monster writhed in agony as the girl’s command began taking over entirely. “Now guys! Finish it off!”

“YOSH!!!!” With one final blast from each mage, they blasted at the beast with a powerful storm of fire and cauldrons. Raining down onto the beast, causing a blast of smoke to cover the area. Everyone braced for the blast before it knocked them on the ground. While not unconscious, the oddball group was exhausted from the fight. Trying to catch their breath and cope with the aches and pains finally catching up to them.

Once the smoke had lifted, the monster was no more, but there was something else in its place. “Hey… what’s that?” Grim

“I-is that a…?”

“Is it what I think it is?”

A magestone was left in the ruins of where the monster once stood. It shined an aurora glow in the dark of the night.

“That’s… it, right?” Meryu panted. “The magestone we needed?”

Ace walked over to pick it up, looking carefully to make sure it was exactly a real Magestone. He turned over to the others, a face splitting grin on his face. “It is!”

The other threes’ eyes widened before collective shouting together:

“WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!”

~Meanwhile, Night Raven: Headmage’s Office~

“What’s this?” the Dire, finishing up his process of filing the expulsion forms, heard a strange melody just now. “Was that… was someone singing just now?” He does not know who but he had heard it loud and clear. Who could be singing at a time like this? And so far away... He wondered.

~Phase 01-Book 01: Dia rosa rudje- tes biron~

Hymmnos Note(Rough Translation):

*Amyure dyyal gatyunla bister gott!

PHANTASIA << ADDR <- Enter sphilar herra gyusya en messe siss hyzik fountaina kapa dazua!

(Your judgement day is here, foul monsters from Hell!

Phantasia, enter into the mind and hearts of the Phantoms. I command their lives to end and drown them into the blotty abyss!)

#twisted wonderland #twst #ar tonelico #twst x ar tonelico au #twisted tonelico

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pokemonispain · 5 months

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Hi again! This is the same anon as the Jamil ask <33

I love your take on that so much!! Honestly i love the thought of all of the boys going through rough overblot symptoms like - take Leona next.

I imagine that adrenaline ran him through the Spelldrive Tournament and didn't fizzle out even later because Cheka came by and he finally crashes late at night in the infirmary. That's literally such a perfect set up too like - Ruggie, Leona and Jack are all in the infirmary for their wounds so the doctor/nurse let's them be on their own with their number in case they need anything.

At first Leona can't tell apart the soreness from getting beat around from the feverish aching. He refuses to eat and Ruggie, still hesitant from being attacked by King's Roar doesn't force him.

I also love the idea of Leona eventually feeling so sick that he simply sits at the edge of his bed and throws up, the sound of which wakes Ruggie up and for a moment Ruggie decides to forget that Leona hurt him and decides to help him out anyways.

I feel like Jack would also be really caring despite not really being very happy with Leona or Ruggie, because somehow he gives me very responsible little brother vibes.

Anon, anon👁️👁️ did you know that I am an enormous Leona yume/simp, (same for Azul) but oh my lord I love this just YES😵‍💫 I may need to write another fic for him😭

Leona definitely put himself through the wringer in regards to his overblot and then proceeding to do like incredibly intensive magic based sports afterwards as well.

Him winded up in the infirmary afterwards was the least surprising thing ever😭

I can definitely picture him aching everywhere when the adrenaline runs its course and then he practically jumps crashes hard. Just kinda curls up in what comfortable position he can manage and tries to sleep through it but the pain and fever that’s setting in is kinda keeping him just awake enough.

Ruggie and Jack chatting about the match, and just usual stuff maybe while occasionally looking at their phone or something.

I can definitely imagine when like dinner arrives Leona’s eyes kinda open a bit and he glances over at Ruggie who’s like grabbing his own food, Ruggie like just sensing Leona’s eyes on him and him hesitantly looking over after a second or two before asking him if he wants some of the food.

Leona would probably just shake his head a bit close his eyes and tries going back to sleep. Eventually like managing to doze off for a bit wakes up feeling worse😭

I figure like Jack would probably be knocked out until he actually hears like Leona start puking and then he wakes up completely startled, his fur on his ears and tail bristling and everything 😭

Ruggie probably was nearly asleep as well when he hears like Leona shifting in bed, something interesting is that since Leona like using King’s Roar on him I feel like maybe Ruggie would have a tiny bit of trouble sleeping with his back to Leona, ie basically exposed, where as before that it was fine.

He may not even realize he’s doing it exactly but just that he feels more comfortable/safer that way😭

Him opening his eyes and seeing Leona moving to sit up, thinking that Leona’s probably just getting up for water or finally eating dinner til he just sees him lurch forward and retch😂

Ruggie’s eyes would be so wide before like he kinda rushes over to hold Leona’s hair and help him. Realizing he’s running a fever while Jack comes over too to help probably calls one of the medical mages over.

I can see both Jack and Ruggie being more than a little worried especially considering like Leona’s had an overblot so recently. Ahhh I love them a lot❤️❤️

#authors note #intermission #twisted wonderland rambling

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btpbyalison · 5 months

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Brandon+Alex

There aren’t enough words to fully explain how much I love shooting weddings.

I am incredibly selective about which ones I shoot. And I’m thorough in the planning process. This includes a dinner a week or so before the big day to go over everything. Alex & I took care of that the Monday before the big day.

Jason Squared and I arrived in Hannibal on Thursday night so I could get settled in. My myriad of battery chargers were set up, and I cleaned my gear. I learned quickly I would find Mark Twain…aka Samuel Clemens EVERYWHERE.

Friday morning we headed to the Rialto to check out the space. I knew I wouldn’t get to see it before the ceremony, so this was necessary. A girl’s got to have a plan. Again. I'm thorough.

The space was being decorated for another event, but I got what I needed. All my favorite things would be doable.

After I went mural chasing, we drove to Brandon’s chosen park, I made a plan for the big day and a timeline. I knew if we were to get sunset shots, I would have to stick to the plan. I needed the wedding party to be on board.

Then came the rehearsal at Central Park. The fall leaves were gorgeous, and the bandstand created the perfect backdrop.

The wedding party learned I didn’t play, and realized why I was brought in from Saint Louis.

Then it was time for dinner. We ate. We drank. The Mother of the Bride gave the best speech describing Alex and Brandon’s love.

Their love is a sweet one that started during the Pandemic. Alex thought she’d give Facebook Dating a try, and only messaged Brandon. Brandon told her, at that moment, he was listening to what would be their recessional song "Renegade" by Styxx....which she had referenced in her profile. Listening to this story on the wedding day, I knew it was just magical enough to be true. Brandon couldn’t make that up. And he sure wouldn’t lie about it.

He proposed on a Bingham family trip to Ireland. The wedding reflected that trip: a ring-warming ceremony. A guardian of those rings, complete with a Celtic sword and dagger. The wedding was so "them."

To add another touch of them, there was a ring bear. Roar.

I sure fell in love with the bridesmaids. They understood their role.

To be frank, at times, the groomsmen drove me nuts. But they wormed warmed their way into my heart by the end.

Alex has two sets of parents, and both of those guys at the first look. Then the moms. Y’all. C'mon!

Watching Rob, Alex’s Dad, officiate the ceremony, warmed my heart to no end. He loves that girl.

And Brandon sure does, too. This is the moment I lost it.

After the “I do’s” we made our way to Riverview Park. A spot special to Brandon, and it provided an absolutely BEAUTIFUL view of the river.

The wedding party played along nicely as I did my thing making sure to capture the magic that was the day.

Then we partied. Boy, did we party. Brandon & Alex hadn’t practiced the first dance at all which would be to “Satellite” by Guster.

Rob & Alex boogied to “Sweet Child of Mine.”

Brandon & his gorgeous Mama Veronica swayed to “Mama Said.”

The cousins opened the dance floor with the Cupid Shuffle.

And the dance floor was hot for the rest of the night.

Alex’s Mama is one of my dear, dear friends. One of my besties. So, I have had a front seat to this love story from the beginning.

I remember when they found each other. Everyone knew Brandon was it. I would hear stories and say, “That’s not boyfriend stuff, that’s a future husband move.” I feel like we have talked about this wedding forever.

And here we are. They are married. The day was absolutely spectacular.

So many sweet memories. Then some memories that will make for great stories. Who knew it would take my going to a Hannibal wedding to witness a homeless man crashing a reception? And, to top it off, the Best Man dropped his pants and got down next to him.

Just another Saturday in the life of a wedding photographer.

Congratulations to one of my favorite couples.

Getting to capture this day was an honor. I laughed. I cried. I danced. I drank far more tequila than I’m used to these days. And I ended the night forever grateful for Aunt Charlene.

I’m incredibly thrilled for you two. Remember a good debate makes things fun. But, sometimes you do have to just go to bed after an argument. You can be right or you can be happy. Keep things sweet and respectful, as you already do.

Love you both. Big.

#btpbyalison #stlouisphotographer #storieswanted #tellyourfriends #weddingphotographer #weddingphotography #makestories #hannibalmo #showmestate

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leesielex · 2 years

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Magic Awakens | Jon Snow XIII

Summary: Jon says his farewells before traveling beyond the Wall.

A Preview:

Jon felt burdened by holding the truth of it all within himself. And he knew Aemon believed in magic from the letters of Dany. This Marwyn spoke of fire magic and glass candles, even dragon dreams. Eventually Jon concluded he should confide in the Targaryen, in his kin and own great, great, great Uncle.

“Maester Aemon, what do you know of green dreams and wargs?” Jon inquired, barely above a whisper, leaning in so only Aemon could possibly hear.

Aemon’s unseeing eyes widened at the question, then a half smile followed as his eyes took on a sullen look. “I know a little. The Starks were said to be Warg Kings. They could warg into their direwolves.” Then understanding filled his features. “Jon, are you a warg? Is this why your direwolf is so close to you?”

Jon nodded out of habit, then verbally affirmed the question. “Yes. It isn’t just me. Most, if not all of my siblings have wolf dreams. When we sleep we dream we are our wolves. We see the forest through their eyes and can smell the rich scents of the earth and pine trees. Our mouths water at the scent of smaller prey in the breeze. And we taste the blood and raw meat of those we hunt and kill. Hear the tear of muscle and tendons as we bite into the animals,” Jon described it to him.

A little disgusted at himself as he listened to his own words recalling the memories. “Interesting. Very interesting.” Aemon looked deep in thought, the wrinkles on his forehead creased as his brows furrowed. “Magic has begun to awaken.”

A childlike expression appeared. “The Others have returned. Glass candles burn bright. Daenerys has hatched dragons. And the Starks are wargs once more. Though perhaps the magic within was always there, just dormant while the magic in the world died out. But now that it has been brought back, magic of all kinds has gained strength. It is alive and strong again.”

Jon mulled over his words. It did seem like what he was saying had merit. That was not the only thing he wanted to share though. “I think I dreamed of your grand niece. But it was more than a dream. It was like my warg dreams. LIke I was truly there. And she knew I was there,” Jon confessed, running his hands through the stubble on his chin as he spoke.

Aemon scooted his chair closer while still in his seat, shuffling, the wood scraping upon the floor. “Tell me, boy. Tell me of my grand niece.”

Jon couldn’t help the wistful smile that appeared. “She is magic too. Though she could not see me, she knew of my thoughts. She is beautiful, if not a little small. Hair that shines gold like the sun in the day and as silver moonlight in the night. Her eyes dance like amethysts catching the light. And she is fierce, kind, and funny. Though…she has the loyalty of those around her, she feels quite lonely.”

Aemon’s smile matched Jon’s own, though his hand twitched at the mention of her loneliness. “How? Do you dreamwalk?” Aemon queired, always eager to learn more.

Jon shook his head, but verbalised his thoughts. “No…I don’t believe so. I am not even sure. She called me a skinchanger. I think, I think I was one of her dragons. A green one with bronze spikes. I can hear the dragon’s mind as I hear her own. And when I look at my feet and arms, I see scales and claws and giant leathery wings,” Jon says, looking at his own hands.

“And when I try to speak, growls and roars, clicking and purring comes out instead.”

“Fascinating. That speaks to a powerful gift if you skinchange over such a large distance, and into a dragon,” Aemon said, the awe evident in the inflection of his voice.

Jon frowned. “Why do you and Dany call it skinchanging? It is just another name for warg, is it not?”

Aemon shook his own head this time. “A warg is what those of the North call it, because they skinchanged into wolves. It is specific to the Starks and the Warg Kings of old. Skinchanging is a universal term, which could mean one could do it with other animals than wolves, or many types of animals,” he explained. Then he smiled, “Dany, eh?”

Jon huffed out a laugh. “Aye. It was the only name I had for awhile. Dany and Vis is what they called each other. Though I made the connection. Hard not to as you see the dragons.”

“What were the dragons like?” Aemon queried. Jon could see the boy who was best friends with his brother Egg, and imagined hatching their own dragon eggs alight in the old Targaryen’s face.

“Magical. Fearsome. Intelligent. Besides the green one she named Rhaegal, she has a black one with red spikes and crimson blood eyes, and a cream colored one with gold flecks. I hear their minds as well, though not as, loudly, I guess is the right word?”

He rubbed the nape of his neck. “Like their minds are all connected but I can hear Rhaegal the best. Like as if he was giving a speech at a feast, and Dany and his brothers are having a side conversation in the back, just faint whispers in the background,” he tried to elucidate.

Jon could see the gears in Aemon’s mind working and turning. “Perhaps you have the blood of dragons in your veins as well as the blood of the first men. It sounds to me you may have a bond to this Rhaegal. Tell me, does Daenerys seem more bonded to a particular dragon and how is the dynamic of the dragons?”

He wanted to tell Aemon who he was. It had been on the tip of his tongue on several occasions but never so much as this, as Aemon nearly outright asked him. Jon looked around the small, cold room.

Ned Stark took his secret to the grave, confessed to a crime he knew in his heart he didn’t commit, and paid for it with his life. It was said the Master of Whisperers had spies all over Westeros and beyond. Could they be in Castle Black as well? He sighed, knowing it was not safe, mayhaps it never would be, but he would not risk it today, of that he was certain.

Before he could speak, Aemon’s eyes bulged from his face as he gasped. “It couldn’t be…” he whispered. His milky eyes became watery and a grin spread across his face. “Could you come closer? My eyes no longer see, but I have other senses that work well enough. Might I learn your face properly?”

Jon gulped, his pulse quickening, knowing Aemon could have worked it out. Despite his thoughts before, he wanted the Targaryen maester to know the truth. So he scooted his chair in front of him, sitting down, while he let the older man bring his wrinkling hands to his face.

They shook as he slowly raised them, taking his time to trace every nook and cranny; the slope of his brow, the fullness of his lips, the shape of his cheekbones. A gasp then left his mouth, barely audible. He pulled his trembling hands away, as if he touched the fire burning brightly in the hearth. A series of different emotions played out in a matter of moments.

When he finished he placed his hand atop Jon’s own and spoke quietly. “You know, Rhaegar used to exchange letters with me.” His cheeks became wet and his voice cracked. “We often spoke of a prophecy, of a promised prince to banish the long night and bring the dawn.”

Click here to read full story on AO3

#jon snow #jonerys #jonerys endgame #daenerys targaryen #fanfic #jon x dany #daenerys deserved better #ao3 #magic awakens #aemon targaryen #maester aemon

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