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loveissupernatural · 2 years

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**read chapter 1 here** - **read chapter 2 here** - **read chapter 3 here** - **read chapter 4 here**

Morpheus/Dream x fem!reader

In Your Dreams

Chapter 5

“Life is a sleep and love is its dream; and you have lived if you have loved.”

-Alfred de Musset

The following day felt longer than you would have liked. You were anxious for the sun to set, and with it, the answers that would quench the fire of burning curiosity in your mind. Why was the heart of The Dreaming rotting away? Why were you able to escape the borders of your dream and travel there, and why was Lucienne so obviously disturbed by it? Where was Dream? But, most importantly, why did you feel the need to be there in the first place? Why couldn’t you come to terms with this entire experience for the incredible magical adventure that it was and just let it go?

Even though you were filled with more questions than ever before, you could feel in the deepest recesses of your soul that the solutions to all of them lay in The Dreaming.

Your enthusiasm to return to the palace caused you to have trouble falling asleep for the first hour that night. The castle was your new Burgess house – mysteries hid there that tickled at your insides, that whispered to you in the darkness of the night to uncover them.

Finally, after tossing and turning, your eyes fluttered closed and stayed that way. Shifting shapes whirled behind your eyelids, flitting from corner to corner, until they gently settled into the outline of a horizon. A warm sun began to rise and filtered light onto the dark line, illuminating the scene for you. You instantly recognized the scent of poppies on the breeze.

That fragrant wind whipped through your hair lovingly, like the soft fingers of a curious child, swirling around your form. You spun with it, arms outstretched, grinning from ear to ear. How you wished with everything within your heart that this place was real, that this is where you could spend the waking hours of your life.

You opened your shining eyes to see the parting gate of horn and ivory before you. You hadn’t even needed to start the journey within the confines of your own dream this time – you were already here. Your path of glinting black and gold marble was still below your feet, humming with welcoming warmth.

You couldn’t contain your happiness when the dividing gates revealed a view to you that had shifted from the night before. The stretches of murky water were trickling into a singular crystal river, sparkling blue and immense. Where unforgiving rock and dark sand had suffocated the landscape, beautiful blades of grass and stretches of green ferns were beginning to emerge. You recognized your favorite flower, blooming white poppies, dancing in the breeze on the riverside. An enormous bridge was sliding into place over the river, cradled by gargantuan stone hands that surfaced from the crystal water.

Creatures were returning, beautiful and terrifying alike, flying through the milky blue sky and snaking through the growing grass around your feet. The air was no longer choked with an eerie silence; insects buzzed, water rushed, citizens of The Dreaming were laughing.

Life.

You followed the massive bridge of stone to the center, where the once-crumbling palace was being rebuilt in the gleam of glorious sunlight. Fallen walls and castle turrets were reassembling themselves brick by brick with meticulous accuracy, as if someone had hit rewind. Rusting spires were shedding their coat of orange muck and shining gold. Magnificent archways were mending their own cracks and rising tall, transforming from ashy grey to glimmering white.

The heart of The Dreaming was returning to its former glory. Pure joy blossomed in your chest like the rosebuds of a vine that was bending around the pillars of the bridge.

You walked into the castle entryway, still grinning like a fool, as you looked up and watched every shard of broken glass and every crushed stone float into the air and return to their homes. A beautiful stained-glass window was mending directly above your head. The colorful fragments gradually slid together to form the image of a Pegasus, and as the last piece fell into place, it sprang to life, neighing triumphantly and beating its wings.

“Not too shabby, huh?” came a proud voice from behind you.

You spun to see a tall scarecrow-like figure with the head of a pumpkin approaching you. His face was the cut of a jack-o-lantern, crooked mouth pulling up at the corner in a tilted smile. He stopped by your side and put his branch-like hands on his thin hips, gazing up appreciatively at the work of glass art. You tried not to stare too rudely at him.

You turned your head back toward the magnificent window, now casting rays of colored sunlight onto you and your Halloween-like companion.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” you replied truthfully.

He grunted in agreement, then looked down at you. His triangular eyes narrowed.

“Hey, ya know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around these parts before,” he said. “You new?”

Your lips upturned at his gutteral New York accent. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“Lotsa new folks all around this joint today,” he said, shaking his large head in amusement. “Guess that’s what happens when ya hammer a few nails and splash on a fresh coat a’ paint—everyone comes back to tha neighborhood.”

“It does look pretty inviting,” you agreed, turning to face him. You stuck out your hand. “I’m Y/N.”

The pumpkin-headed man stuck out his wooden hand and shook yours firmly. “I’m Mervyn, but everybody calls me Merv.”

“Hi, Merv.”

He chuckled and crossed his arms. “Well, considerin’ you bein’ new and all, why don’t I give ya a bit of a tour? It wouldn’t be my first one today.”

“I would love that,” you beamed, resisting the urge to clasp your hands together like a schoolgirl. Merv nodded and turned, motioning with his stick-like hand.

“Well, then, c'mon.”

He walked like a puppet would without strings, you thought, as you followed behind him. You struggled to keep up with his long strides. Mervyn led you through a hallway that had one wall built while the opposite was still floating together. One piece of stone almost hit him in the head on its way back to its appointed position, and he cursed at it.

Once through the hallway, you turned into a winding staircase that glinted with intricate gold. As you followed Merv’s spindly legs up the flight, you appreciated the view to your left of an assembling tower. After a few more steps, you reached the top.

“First things first, here’s our pride and joy,” Mervyn announced grandiosely, spreading out his arms for dramatic emphasis. Your jaw dropped. “This is the library.”

The room was warm wood, cozy sunlight, and beckoning shelves that stretched on for as far as the eye could see. Books were everywhere, of every size, color, and age. You ran your finger along a nearby shelf, tickling their spines. Some looked thousands of years old, others as if they’d come off the press minutes before.

“How many books are in here?” you asked in wonder, turning in a full circle to better take in the view.

“A helluva lot,” Mervyn answered slyly. “To tell you the truth, I’m not the one you should ask. Lucienne’s the librarian in charge.”

At the sound of her name, the woman that you had met the night before emerged from behind a nearby cascade of bookshelves. Her eyes smiled at Mervyn, but then they settled onto you.

Lucienne’s face paled.

“You’ve returned,” she breathed, striding toward the two of you with a haste in her step, “and so soon.”

“Oh, you’ve met before?” Mervyn asked, eyes shifting between the librarian and yourself.

“We have,” you told him, trying to make sure your grin didn’t turn into a grimace.

“Just last night, in fact,” Lucienne added. Her perceptive gaze wandered over your nervous form.

“Last night?” Merv repeated incredulously. He motioned over his shoulder. “But the boss hadn’t even started rebuilding yet! How’d she—?”

“A question we all would like to know,” Lucienne answered, fixing you with a penetrating stare over the top of her round glasses. She clasped her hands behind her back expectantly.

“Hey, I’d like to know too,” you said defensively. You crossed your arms, but then dropped them to your sides, not wanting to come off as defiant. “I’ve already told you everything that I know.”

“Lucienne, who is this?” Mervyn asked curiously, pointing a thumb at you.

The librarian sighed heavily but her eyes softened. Her tone was gentle, appreciative. “This, Mervyn, is the young lady that released Lord Morpheus from his prison.”

“No kiddin’?! That was you?!” he questioned unabashedly, shock evident in his wide eye sockets.

You shrugged, not a fan of the intense attention. “Well, yeah… but it’s really not that big of a deal…”

“Not that big of a deal?” Mervyn repeated, voice dripping in astonishment. “Are you kiddin’ me? This place would still be fallin’ apart if it wasn’t for you!”

“That’s why everything looked the way that it did the last time I came?” you asked Lucienne. “Because Dream wasn’t here?”

She nodded somberly. “He was captured for nearly a century and was unable to return. Everything was dissipating, disappearing… it cannot exist without him. He is The Dreaming.”

“But it’s been over a week since I helped him escape,” you said, confused. “Where has he been all of that time?”

“Lord Morpheus was traveling the realms on a quest to reobtain his tools.”

Something hopeful fluttered in your chest. Those nights where you’d been calling out to him and he hadn’t shown himself… it wasn’t because he was ignoring you, it was because he wasn’t even there in the first place.

“Look, uh… I hate to interrupt this conversation,” Merv cut in, scratching the back of his pumpkin head uncomfortably, “but… shouldn’t we tell the boss that she’s here?”

Joy sparked in your chest at his words.

Lucienne hesitated. “There’s still so many questions that remain unanswered. We don’t know how or why she is able to leave her dreams, let alone create a path from their border and through the waters to the palace.”

Mervyn didn’t have eyebrows, but if he did, you were sure he would be raising them in surprise.

“I didn’t have to use the path this time,” you told her, biting your lip. “I just kind of started at the gate.”

“You materialized here, in the heart of The Dreaming?” she clarified, voice filled with bewilderment and cut with that undertone of concern again.

“That ain't normal,” Mervyn shook his head.

“It appears that each time you fall asleep, you are somehow able bypass steps that you’ve previously taken,” she said thoughtfully, almost to herself. “You’re no longer appearing within the boundaries of your own dreams.”

An excited smile pulled at your lips. “Cool.”

“No, no, not ‘cool’,” Lucienne admonished, turning from you and Mervyn to start rifling through a stack of books resting on a nearby table. “This behavior is quite abnormal, even for a lucid dreamer such as yourself.”

“Lucid dreamer, ‘ay?” Merv inquired, crossing his reedy arms over his chest and leaning back against the shelf behind him. “Not too many a’ you guys left no more.”

“Really?”

“They’ve become exceedingly rare,” Lucienne confirmed, finally picking out a book from the pile. “Consistently lucid dreamers existed more commonly thousands of years ago. Now, well…” her eyes roamed over your confused face “…you’re the first I’ve seen in, at least, a millennium.”

“You always been able to do that?” Mervyn asked you. “Change stuff around?”

“Since I can remember,” you shrugged, pulling out a chair at the ornate table in front of you and sitting. “I’d sleep the day away just to keep dreaming.”

“But roaming through the dreamscape, you said last night that you had only just started?” the librarian asked, peering over the edge of the thick book in her hands. She joined you at the table.

Something caught your eye. The book that Lucienne had plucked from the bunch was bound in black with two golden words emblazoned on the cover: your first and last name.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what’s that?” you questioned enthusiastically, scooting your chair closer to her. “My name’s on there!”

A proud smile creeped onto the head librarian’s face. “This library contains every story ever written and unwritten, finished or unfinished, everything that has been and will never be.” She tapped the hard cover of your book with a manicured nail. “And this is yours.”

“Wow,” you sighed, resting your chin on your palm. Lucienne’s smile grew at your awestruck expression. “So, what all is in there about me?”

“Everything,” she answered simply.

You gulped. “Like, everything everything?”

She laughed. It was a harmonious sound.

“Relax, even your most embarrassing of moments pale in comparison to many of the things I read every day,” she assured you, eyes twinkling with amusement. She became serious again. “I thought it advantageous to find your book after your unexpected visit last night. I had to be sure that you weren’t a threat to The Dreaming.”

Your smile fell. “I’m – I’m not. I don’t want to be a threat to anybody.”

Lucienne sighed, expression trickling with pity.

“I know those aren’t your intentions. But the fact remains that your recent abilities are those that no mortal should possess.”

“Don’t worry, kid,” Merv said, standing from his perch against the bookcase to lean against your table instead. He grinned crookedly at you. “We’ll get this figured out. If anyone can sniff out what’s goin’ on here, it’s Lucienne.”

You let out a shaky breath, nodding. The thought of being some kind of danger to this beautiful place rattled you. All you had wanted was to find Morpheus, to make sure everything turned out okay after you released him. After all, being imprisoned against your will for a hundred years had to be traumatic for anyone, right? Even the King of Dreams?

You had more selfish reasons, too, but those would stay private.

Suddenly, a voice called out.

It echoed into the large room, gentle but authoritative, soft but commanding respect. With a wave of warmth washing over your skin, you knew that you would recognize that beautiful sound anywhere.

“Lucienne,” his voice called, “I believe it is time we review the findings from the census.”

All three of you froze in place.

The King of Dreams emerged from the nearest aisle, graceful stride filled with purpose. He donned all black, a sweeping floor length coat flowing behind him as he walked, regal. His alabaster skin almost seemed to glow against his dark attire. His hair was as black as his clothing, still so gloriously messy and wild.

He was in his element, thriving and flourishing in a way that radiated from his very being. This was his domain.

Morpheus’s icy blue eyes moved from Lucienne to Mervyn. Then, they locked onto you.

Your breath hitched as you stood, chair screeching back noisily. That feeling, that delicious humming in your bones, it was different here, more alive. It was starlight sparking in your spine. He stood at least ten feet away, impossibly still, but you could feel his presence as strongly as you would if he were inches from you. Time stood still.

A myriad of emotions flickered through his fathomless eyes at the sight of you, none of which you could place, but whatever they were made the air in the library thick. Your eyes drank in his face and his roamed yours, penetrating but swirling with something soft.

Mervyn cleared his throat uncomfortably. It just then occurred to you that you had no idea how long the two of you had been standing like that, staring at each other.

The sound seemed to bring Dream back to himself.

“Lucienne. Mervyn. Leave us,” he commanded quietly, but he didn’t look at them. His intense gaze never once broke from yours.

Their replies came quickly and in hushed tones, almost as if embarrassed.

“Of course, sir.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

They scurried away with heads down. As they reached the exit to the library, you could hear Mervyn mutter, “Well, talk about some tension...”

Morpheus blinked at the comment, but you didn’t miss the almost-imperceptible smirk that tugged at one corner of his lips. He was still staring at you.

With a smile that revealed every whisper of your heart, you broke the silence.

“Hi.”

Dream took a slow step toward you, measured. Then another. The curtain of dark lashes framing his endless eyes fluttered as he took you in, gaze roaming to your feet and back up again.

“Hello.” His voice was velvet.

You swallowed, begging the blush that you could feel creeping up your neck to go away. Couldn’t you have at least one interaction with him without your body betraying you? You felt like a fucking teenager.

“You, um, never answered my question,” you said, taking a step toward him as well. One of his dark brows rose. “You put me to sleep first. Rude, by the way.”

His smirk wasn’t nearly as well-hidden now.

“My deepest apologies. And what question would that be?”

You took another step closer, still not breaking eye contact. You clasped the back of a chair with one hand to ground yourself.

“You’re… you are alright, then?” you asked quietly. For the smallest of moments, his eyes betrayed everything. He was touched by your concern.

“You have journeyed through The Dreaming, to the heart of my realm, simply to ask after my well-being?”

His voice held an undercurrent of emotion, but he attempted to hide it with the slightest lilt of tease.

A playful glint sparkled in your eye. “Well, I did play spy for over a month just to get into that basement. What’s a desert and an ocean or two?”

The mischievous gleam in his eyes was shuttered by the weight of your words. It seemed that once Morpheus got past the initial surprise of seeing you there, the same realization dawned on him that concerned Lucienne.

“You traveled through the outer lands of The Dreaming,” he stated, brows furrowed in unease. “You left the confines of your dream and found yourself here?”

The general trepidation from everyone surrounding your ability to leave your dream world disturbed you. You saw it as a gift, but it seemed to be one that you were not meant to have. You let out a sigh.

“I created a path,” you told him. “It took me through the desert and through an ocean… and then I ended up on that dock out there.” You tilted your chin toward the windows. “The path ended at the gates, and when I touched them, they opened. Then I came here.”

Morpheus was close now, taking in every word you that escaped your lips with rapt attention. His powerful stare was not angry, but perplexed. His eyes were swimming with anxious confusion.

“How is this possible?” he whispered to himself. His pale hand rose, ever so slowly, to ghost the line of your jaw. The touch was barely there, so very brief, but it left tingling chills in its wake. He examined your every feature, searching for the answer. “For you are not a vortex.”

For a moment, you’d forgotten how to speak, mind still reeling from the fact that he had just touched you, and that it felt so indescribable. His fingers had barely brushed an inch of skin, but that starlight sparkling in your spine had overtaken every nerve ending.

“Vortex?” you asked when you found your voice. Your eyebrows came together. “What’s a vortex?”

To your dismay, Dream stepped away from you. He turned toward the table where you were previously sitting with Lucienne and Mervyn, delicate fingers flipping through the many volumes that were stacked over its surface. His hands settled on a red hardback, lifting it so that you could read the gold lettering on the cover.

“Rose Walker,” he replied, face impassive.

At your obvious confusion, Dream stepped back and motioned with a graceful hand toward the archway where Lucienne and Mervyn had disappeared moments before.

“Where are we going?” you asked, walking in the direction he indicated.

Morpheus was tall at your side, right hand ghosting the small of your back, featherlight. The stars in your backbone twinkled at the touch.

His voice was euphonious when he bent to your ear.

“Follow me.”

**read chapter 6 here

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ghouljams · 22 days

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https://www.tumblr.com/kaalbela/662426563803004928/ron-hicks this is FaePrice and Witch!!

Oh oh oh

Ron Hicks puts something in his oils because I'm going feral over this.

So many long days in winter with snow up to his calves, the cold trying to creep over his boots, is it such a wonder that he clings to the warmth of summer? Even when he was hanging around your garden wall he soaked in the summer sun while flirting, enjoyed the warmth and humidity with a cup of tea, admired the flowers and the smell of sun on your skin. Now that he can actually cross over your threshold? He sits in your garden as often as he can. You've had to put a bench out for him, or perhaps it's better to say unearthed one.

The heavy stone previously consumed by vines, supporting squash and zucchini more often than bodies. You'd cleared away the vegetation and now found Price enjoying the sun each time you went out to water. He calls you over frequently, waves you closer and pats the seat beside him. Sometimes he pulls you down onto his lap, and sometimes he holds your hand and drags his lips over your palm, kisses the pulse in your wrist. Rarely, and perhaps favorite for you, you make it to the bench first. You tilt your face towards the sun and absorb her lovely rays until Price's shadow stand between you two.

It's then that you can offer your hand, pull him down to rest his head on your lap, and stroke your fingers through his hair. Price lets out a heavy sigh, his head cradled comfortably on your lap, his foot set on the edge of the bench to bend his knee, he closes his eyes with a smile and you can't help smiling back. Seeing him so relaxed, listening to the buzz of insects in your garden and enjoying the warm sun, makes your heart flutter. So often Price feels larger than life, a pillar of strength that you could never hope to knock down. Here in your garden with his head resting on your thighs, he feels like another life in your care.

You run your fingers over his brow, down the proud slope of his nose and across his cheekbones. You trace the lines of his beard, watch his face crease with his smile, his eyes shut peacefully as he enjoys the affectionate touch. His fingers grip your arm, holding onto you as you hold onto him.

"You've got more freckles," You tell him, touching your fingers against the little points over his nose and cheeks. Price hums, his thumb rubbing at your bicep. Gentle affection, always gentle with you.

"Been enjoying the sun," he murmurs. You lean down over him and pull his free hand from his chest to kiss his fingers. There's still a bite of winter chill under his skin, a whisper of tobacco clinging to him even without his usual cigar, your sunshine only banishes so much from him.

"She seems to enjoy you." You like the flush on his cheeks, the slight coloration from so much time in Summer, it makes him feel so much more. He must be drinking in the magic the same way you are.

Price shakes his head and turns to press his lips against your stomach. The fabric of your skirt prevents him from touching your skin, but he can feel your warmth just the same. The sun, his sun, cradles his head and strokes the worry from his brow. How could he not enjoy it? Summer is lovely, warm and bright, but he'd have no reason to keep coming back if it weren't for you. Pretty thing. His pretty thing.

You ask about trekking through winter sometimes, he knows you love the snow, but selfishly he wants to keep you trapped here. He's unashamed to admit it. You're too sweet, your magic too tempting, he's possessive not jealous, but that possession would keep you locked up if he let it. His little corner of summer, his treasure, tucked away behind all your wards where nothing else can bite you. His teeth are the only ones that should ever taste your skin.

"Or maybe you just enjoy this." You cup his hand against your cheek and Price opens his eyes to meet yours. He slips his hand behind your head and pulls you down, sitting up to press his lips to yours. All those monsters outside your gate can look on in jealousy while he enjoys his pretty thing. He'll never let you go.

#cod x reader #x reader #x oc #cod x oc #1fae1 #captain price mw2 #captain john price #captain price x reader #captain price cod #john price #captain price #price x reader #price mw2 #price x oc #oc: witch #fae!price

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loaksky · 1 year

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— 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦

the lowdown — the one where lo'ak misunderstands your friendship with his older brother.

the who — lo'ak x fem omatikaya!reader

the word count — 806

the tags & warnings — ANGST (as i sort through my drafts, i realize this is common theme lmaooo), miscommunication, language heh.

part two | masterlist

“You should tell him,” Neteyam says honestly, feet circling the pool of water below you.

He knows you all too well, knows that relying on his boneheaded brother to make the first move is like watching grass grow.

You sigh, swallowing down any excuse bubbling at the base of your throat. You and Lo'ak always watched the eclipse after dinner, quietly laughing amongst yourselves as you rehashed the days' events. Tonight, like many recent, you're submerged under the light of the bioluminescence, eclipse long finished and Lo'ak nowhere in sight.

“I'm just working on something top secret right now,” he told you a few mornings ago when you asked where he was sneaking off to.

Tonight, he didn't notice that you'd seen him sneak off with one of the elders' daughters.

“I'm scared,” you admit.

Neteyam gives you an incredulous look.

“There's nothing to be afraid of, ________,” he assures you. “It's easier to convince you to be brave. He's a coward when it comes to his heart.”

You sigh again, fingers fiddling with the hem of your loincloth.

“I don't know what to say,” you reason. “What if he thinks I'm stupid?”

He lets out a laugh, warm and comforting.

“Besides, we've all been friends since we were little,” you swallow. “What if he only sees me as a sister?”

His laughter hardens.

“Trust me, ________, he definitely does not see you as a sister,” he hums, brow bone raising suggestively.

You give him a sidelong glance, shoulders tense.

“Tell me what you'd tell him,” he says. “Do you think that would help you?”

You ponder it for a moment before shrugging.

“I don't know,” you whine, scrubbing your fingers down your face. “Maybe?”

Neteyam straightens, angling his body away from you.

“Here,” he says. “I won't even watch. Just say what you'd say to him.”

Your voice is lost for a moment, like you no longer have the breath or will to shout into the thin atmosphere that you desire Lo'ak Sully with every fibre of your being.

“I... I like you,” you say, voice shaky. “I like you so much, I feel infinite. Like I can touch the sky.”

You clear your throat, eyes latching onto a pattern of freckles on Neteyam's shoulder, willing the words to come out. You feel silly when the words catch on your tongue and your eyes cloud with tears.

“I can't imagine being with anyone but you,” you choke. “I want you more than every blade of grass, every flower petal combined. More than anything I want you to want me, too.”

Neteyam's neck cranes, face softening when he sees you reduced to tears.

“Please.”

“Aww, c'mon, don't cry,” he whispers, hand coming to wrap around the back of your head so that he can smush your face into his shoulder.

The chirp of the insects and the trickle of the water is shattered by the snapping of fallen branches. You and Neteyam part quickly, ears twitching as you survey your surroundings for any imminent danger.

You nearly sigh in relief until you catch a familiar glimpse of gold and hear the clicking of the stones beaded through his braids.

“Lo'ak!” you call, rising to your feet.

He'd come, he had finally come. But now he's weaving through the forest, climbing across logs, over branches and through thick vines.

“Wait, Lo'ak, where are you—”

He whirls around, fist shaking as he stares down at you.

“Are you serious?” he seethes.

He's mad, you realize, and your stomach ties itself into knots when you notice the fury blazing in Lo'ak's eyes. You'd never seen him like this. He'd never raised his voice at you, even when you hurt yourself so severely, the remnants of a gash roots from your achilles to your knee.

“Did you hear—”

“Yes, I heard!” he affirms and tears well in your eyes.

“I'm sorry,” is all you say, ashamed that the way he finds out about your affections is like this.

“I bet you are,” he laughs humorlessly. “Do you realize how embarrassing this is?”

You recoil at the venom in his voice, lips parting in disbelief.

“Embarrassing?” you repeat.

Lo'ak has been your friend for years, has talked with you through every milestone, every win, every defeat. To know that he's embarrassed makes your throat close and your heart fall.

“Yes, ________!” he spits. “I can't be friends with you knowing that you–”

“I didn't choose to feel this way, Lo'ak!” you cry, the back of your hand coming to wipe at your snotty nose. “I'm sorry.”

“Yeah, ________, me too,” he grunts, throwing what had been balled in his fist to your feet. “Fuck this.”

He storms off, and you're left standing in the middle of a quieting forest, the shaky beadwork of a novice choker staring up at you.

an — thank you everyone again for all the love on my first fic, i'm so appreciative. just trying my hand at some angst & trying to get the creative juices flowing. this is independent of the full one shot coming soon so if you'd like a pt2, lmk hehe.

#lo'ak x reader #lo'ak fanfiction #lo'ak te suli tsyeyk'itan #lo'ak imagine #lo'ak avatar #lo'ak angst #lo'ak sully #avatar way of water #atwow #avatar the movie #avatar the way of water #avatar

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notjustjavierpena · 11 months

Text

Three Times You Didn’t Kiss Joel - And One Time You Did (Part II)

A/N: A cute summer romance has started! Enjoy chapter two! See my masterpost for all chapters.

Summary: Joel helps you restore your grandparents' house over the summer. You trip on a stepladder.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Reader/You (No y/n)

Tags: +18 no smut but mature thoughts (minors DNI), pining, summer romance, DILF Joel, sexual tension, idiots in love

Word count: 2.1k

Link to this work on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/47914783/chapters/120864268

Chapter Two: Wasp

The school’s summer vacation wasn’t around just yet, and so you found yourself spending a few days working on the front of the house alone or with Joel. He came by with Sarah whenever they were free, but Sarah mostly just did her homework whilst he cut the grass, drank lemonade, swept the stone path to your front door, took a look at the water tap at the back of the house, wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of his gardening gloves… He was always eager to help you with whatever you had in mind as a project that day, but not scared either to tell you that the weather was great for painting the facade of the house.

So that is what he and you are doing. Sarah is at school still, but you don’t mind a moment with him alone.

You stand on your tippy toes on the stepladder that Joel assembled for you a few weeks ago. Weather wise, you are in a drought that makes coating the house in wood protection perfect because it’s not going to be raining for a few days (Joel’s words). On the side of the ladder, a bucket of the varnish hangs on a hook which you are continuously dipping the paintbrush into.

You have gotten clear instructions on how to use the brush, nearly getting scolded for going up and down in the beginning until Joel had grabbed your wrist to make you go from side to side instead. You had let out a sir, yes, sir, and you had been able to hear him roll his eyes at you with a chuckle.

“Looks good, like I taught ya,” Joel says as he walks up behind you, holding the ladder in place as you paint along the boards. You hum quietly in agreement, a little lost for words as his face is level with your thighs and his hands are level with your calves. He could so easily reach out if he wanted to, but you haven’t felt his hands on you yet despite several opportunities, which has made you hyper aware of how one-sided your crush is.

“I’m not completely hopeless, Miller,” you say as you continue working the brush from side to side. You’re glad that you didn’t wear a dress with the way that the soft summer breeze that rustles the leaves on the trees would have pulled at the skirt, exposing you more to him.

“I’m just making sure that you know how to do this, so you can do it yourself a few years from now,” he replies, tapping his fingers on the warm metal of the ladder. He goes silent for a moment, but you don’t notice him staring at your exposed thighs in your shorts, because you have your back towards him.

“That’s fine, but I won’t have any trouble finding someo—“ you’re just about to dip your brush into the varnish again when you spot a wasp close to your face. Your mouth falls open in a squeak, and you automatically take a step back to get away from the insect, “Joel, I’m allergic to wa— Ah!”

Your movement has made you fall backwards. You feel your ankle twist due to stepping too close to the edge of the step you’re standing on, causing you to lose balance and reach for the stepladder’s side, but you simply swing backwards to your right instead of saving yourself from the fall. You squeeze your eyes shut then tense up as you prepare for the impact of the ground.

It never comes though.

Instead, you’re caught in a pair of strong arms due to Joel’s dangerously fast reflexes. He has you in his arms, bridal style, looking down at you with big eyes as if he cannot wrap his mind around what he has just done. He doesn’t let go of you though, and the wild eyes that he is giving you almost has you courageous enough to kiss him right then and there, just to see if they’d widen even more or find peace. It would have made Sarah laugh, cringe visibly too, but mostly laugh at how cliché it would have been.

You’re pulled from your thoughts again shortly after, because despite how bad you want it to be fireworks, sugar and pointed toes, you can hear the buzzing of the wasp close by. It makes your heartbeat spike even more.

“Wasp! Wasp wasp wasp! Joel!” You slap Joel’s shoulder to make him notice, panicking at the thought of being so close to the stupid animal. Joel frantically grabs you tighter and carries you away from the spot where you had been working and you listen carefully before confirming that the buzzing is gone. Whew. Your EpiPen is inside the house in a kitchen drawer, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell him where it was before it would have been too late and he would have had to call emergency services.

“Perhaps a pretty decent idea to tell me that you’re allergic to wasps before we started working outside in the middle of summer,” he huffs, but his tone isn’t angry, but more concerned as well as flustered, “Must’a been your bright colored top. They like that, don’t they?”

It’s your turn to be flustered, steadfast in holding your gaze at his eyes and not let it drop down to his mouth like it often did. You are too close to him to hide when your eyes start to roam around his handsome features.

“Uh, Joel—“

“What?” Joel furrows his brows.

“Put me down, please?” You are blushing.

“Oh,” Joel splutters, but soon easily bends down a little to place your feet back on the ground.

It isn’t easy for you though. You wince as soon as your right foot hits the grass, making you nearly tumble to the ground, but Joel quickly supports you so it doesn’t happen, and you grab the front of his shirt. Perhaps emergency services aren’t such a bad idea after all.

You frown despite the opportunity to lean your whole frame into Joel’s strong body. He has an arm wrapped around your waist, so you can stand on one leg without tipping over. You take the time to stretch out your leg in front of yourself to look down at your foot and carefully try to rotate your ankle. Pain shoots out from your joint, and you whimper under your breath.

“Don’t let go,” you warn him anxiously. You notice that you have smeared varnish over his t-shirt from gripping it as you had nearly fallen.

“I won’t,” he absentmindedly rubs your side soothingly but it doesn’t make your heart rate drop.

“Oh no, I got varnish on your shirt,” you point out.

Joel gets a line in his forehead when his expression switches to confusion. He blows air out of his nose in a humorless laugh, “That’s your worry? Sweetheart, we should get that foot checked. Head too, maybe.”

The nickname seems so natural. You slap his shoulder again, but then remember that he has your whole body at his mercy; your legs will disappear from underneath you if he moves, so you decide not to protest too much.

“You can take my car,” you say but he already objects.

“Ain’t no way in hell I’m putting you on the front seat of your own tiny car. We can take my truck, and you can lie down on the back seat,” he doesn’t even give you room to argue, just leaves everything as it is in your front yard and crosses the street with you in his arms.

“You’re overreacting,” you want to have the last word, and Joel gives it to you, because he says nothing in return, focused and determined instead.

When you reach his old truck, he puts you on the bed to go fetch his keys. It gives you just a moment to process the way that your skin feels on fire where his hands have been, and you hope that no one at the emergency room wants to test your blood pressure or pulse with him in the room. You already start practicing a polite way of telling him to get out.

When Joel returns a few moments later, he unlocks the truck and turns on the engine before fetching you again. You allow yourself to wrap your arms around his neck and shoulders, trying not to look too interested in the way that one of his hands rests comfortably just underneath where your bra sits against your skin.

“Uhh,” Joel quickly turns on his heel as Sarah clears her throat, having arrived home from her walk from the bus stop to their home. You nearly bump your head into the roof of the car as Joel spins due to him being too startled by his daughter’s sudden presence to notice the space around him.

Sarah has on her school backpack, clutching the straps as she approaches the two of you. She raises a brow, “What is going on here? Should I leave again?”

You hope Joel doesn’t drop you at that.

“Nah, it ain’t like that,” he shoots her insinuations down a little too fast.

“Definitely not,” you add just as quickly to save face, and then reach out for the door handle from your position in Joel’s arms, “I’m just a klutz, think my ankle might be sprained or broken.”

“Oookay, whatever you say,” Sarah says, but doesn’t look very convinced with the way she grimaces as she removes her gaze away from you for a moment. When she regains her composure, trying not to make disgusted teenage eyes at her father, she goes on, “So should I wait up?”

“Probably not, s’not serious enough to be prioritized,” Joel says as he crawls half way into the truck’s backseat to place you down on it. You look up at him with a hitched breath, nod when he asks ‘this okay?’ with his eyes.

He pushes himself back and out of the car again by gripping the roof of the vehicle, turns to Sarah then leaves you with butterflies in your stomach.

“There’s still leftover pizza from yesterday,” you hear him say to her, and she replies with whatever. Knowing enough about her by now, you know that she will probably be cooking her own dinner.

She knocks on the window to wave at you before leaving, “Hope it’s nothing too serious!”

After waiting three hours to see a doctor at the emergency room, you are now the proud owner of a sprained ankle. It’s a conclusion that you could have made yourself, but Joel hadn’t wanted to take you back home and had argued that it was better to be safe than sorry. There had been no point in arguing about it because Joel is as stubborn as a mule, even now that the doctor is confirming your suspicions.

“Plenty of rest, ice packs, pillow under when you sleep,” the doctor tells you as she taps away on her computer to log your condition. She smiles softly at you and urges you not to try to put on your shoe again, “I will let a nurse wrap your foot soon, so just relax for now. Just regular ibuprofen for any pain or discomfort. I’ll make sure the nurse gives you a dose before you leave too.”

“Thanks,” you say as you scoot back onto the examination table, already determined to put your foot up. Joel sits on a chair with his arms crossed over his chest, resting his chin in one hand, and has his legs spread out in front of himself. He looks tired but he did carry you all the way through the hospital.

The doctor turns towards the two of you on her spinning chair, “So it’s no more house work for you the coming week. You’re lucky it wasn’t bad or your boyfriend may ha—“

“Not together,” you and Joel say in unison. You try not to be offended by hearing him say something you’ve just said yourself. At the same time even.

“Well, nevertheless, you’re lucky that it isn’t bad enough to have been four to six weeks of rest,” she says a little sheepishly.

You laugh softly at her comment, nodding in agreement, “Oh yeah. I’m terrible at sitting still.”

You don’t tell her that you feel lucky because four to six weeks without seeing Joel would have been torture. This is good. You don’t have to stop seeing Joel, and knowing his stubbornness, you guess that you’ll be allowed to watch him coat the rest of the house with varnish because the dry weather calls for it.

You guess right, spending lazy days on your porch with cool drinks and a nice view of Joel’s tall frame on the stupid stepladder. He had insisted that you stayed inside, but you’d told him it wasn’t going to happen. That was fine, but only if you had your EpiPen next to you.

#joel miller #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller x reader #joel miller fic #the last of us #joel miller x you #joel x reader #joel x you #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal fanfic #my writing #the last of us fanfiction #dilf!joel

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damn-it-a-hogwarts-legacy-blog · 4 months

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Skipping Stones

AO3 Link

Ominis has reservations about the future

Ominis x fem!MC

SFW

My angstiest fic yet! It still has a positive ending because I can't just make my characters sad and throw them to the wolves lol. Allusion to arranged cousin marriage

Word count: 2,758

A/N: First fic of 2024 baybeeeeeee. I've always loved the weird little stone-skipping feature in HL. I spend a lot of time in game imagining my MC and Ominis' conversations while sitting together and skipping stones. :)

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

The sun-dappled water of the Black Lake's shallow inlet sparkled in the springtime air. Birds sang as they flew overhead on the warm breeze, and various little insects hummed amongst the tall grasses and flowers. Every now and then, the chattering of other students would fade in and then back out as they passed on the nearby path beyond the shrubs and willows. A small, smooth stone danced over the water with a pat-pat-pat-pat-pat. The weight on MC's left shoulder lifted.

"Hmm, you're really getting the hang of that spell. Was that five skips I heard? I must say, I'm glad that I taught you that spell. You'll be far better than me in no time."

Ominis readjusted his position, nestling against MC's side once more. He pressed his face into her shoulder, savoring the moment with a contented smile and a deep breath. The delicate fragrance of cologne and perfume rose from the two school robes spread across the ground beneath them.

"So you actually are awake, then," MC smiled. She flicked her wand. Pat-pat-pat-pat. "Did you not hear me a moment ago?"

"I might have dozed off once or twice," Ominis happily murmured. "I can't help it if you're so comfortable."

MC let out a soft laugh and placed her wand down before she focused her attention on Ominis, gently running her fingers through his hair. He responded with a contented hum, appreciating the affectionate gesture.

“I said: do you ever think about the future?"

"As in what we might get for dinner tonight? I do hope it's another roast. The one last week was delicious. It's scarcely left my mind."

"Ominis." MC's hand dropped from Ominis' head and she rolled her eyes. She tried to convey annoyance, but her voice couldn't hide the hint of a smile.

Ominis leaned against her further, and MC felt his breath tickle her neck. "Then you're wondering what you might get for Christmas? Is it not a bit early for that? "

"Ominis, please," MC pleaded. Ominis could hear MC's smile fading.

"I’m talking about what we will do in just two short years... When we leave Hogwarts."

Pat-pat-pat.

A cool breeze caressed their faces, the water lapped at some nearby rocks and the merrymaking of students in the distance could be heard as they made their way to Hogsmeade.

Ominis sat up, leaving MC's comforting warmth behind. "I... don't know."

MC's heart was pierced with a surge of adrenaline. "What do you mean?"

Ominis sighed and turned his face away. "I'll have to return to my family eventually. Feldcroft can't be my home forever."

"But why?" MC questioned, her voice filled with increasing panic. "What is stopping you from staying here... staying with me?"

Ominis' body made a small twitch towards MC, but he stopped himself. "I can't hide from my family forever. Sooner or later, I'll have to face them."

MC reached a gentle hand out to Ominis' shoulder, yet her tone remained filled with urgency. "What would they do to you once you returned?"

"Frankly, I don't want to think about it. But, eventually," Ominis sighed, "they'll want to pick a bride for me. I can live in denial all that I please, but I cannot outrun my name."

"Then let me go with you," MC replied in her bravest voice.

Ominis hesitated. "MC, you shouldn't—"

"I can't let you go back by yourself when we graduate. Think about what they did to you as a child. Let me be there, too. I want to be with you, Ominis."

Ominis turned back towards MC. She could see his eyes brimming.

"Even if my family were to accept you over one of my cousins, you... don't want to be a Gaunt." Ominis faltered. "I cannot in good conscience subject you to that life. You deserve so much better than a bleak existence as little more than a broodmare to carry on the next generation of Gaunts. You would be miserable, and I cannot bear the idea of doing that to you."

"I could never be miserable with you," MC cried. "I don't know what I would do without you."

The young couple was engulfed in silent frustration. MC's hand weakly slipped away from Ominis. For a moment, Ominis could hear nothing. Then came a pat-pat, but it ended in a small splash.

A small, barely restrained sniffle landed on Ominis' ears. He tentatively felt around for her hand and held it. He listened to another sniffle and a single, small whimper. He turned away and squeezed his eyes shut.

"MC, please... trust me. I would rather we be apart if it meant you were happy. I won't let my family ruin your life, too."

“How could I be happy without you?” MC replied, making no effort to conceal the tremor in her voice. “I’m scared of the idea that, someday, we might say goodbye for the final time and never see each other again. I can't imagine a life without you.”

“It would hurt—tremendously—but eventually you would find someone better suited for you,” Ominis replied gently. He felt his own voice breaking, too, and he squeezed MC’s hand as he spoke. “You would eventually have your own, happy family. You would find a handsome husband who could see your beauty and fully appreciate it, and you would have as many little children as your heart desired. Knowing you were happy would be more than enough for me. You should not be required to live in a decrepit manor, surrounded by family-in-law that want you dead merely for being an outsider.”

MC stammered before giving up and clinging to Ominis’ arm, burying her face in the shoulder of his blazer as she wept. Ominis wrapped his arms around her and quietly hushed her as he tenderly swayed her back and forth, comforting her while gently caressing her back.

“I can’t just leave you,” she finally said through tears. “I don’t love anyone else—I love you, Ominis.”

“Then we should make the most of our remaining time together. Because I also love you, MC, and I always will—no matter where our lives lead us.”

“So you’ll give up? Just like that, without a fight? Ominis, you can’t,” MC replied, a fresh round of tears already rolling down her cheeks. "What would be the point of remaining together if we both know we're only delaying the inevitable? Am I to see you in the halls and in our classes and simply forget what we've built together?"

“Perhaps it would be pointless,” Ominis muttered dejectedly. “But I won’t let them hurt you.” His hand wandered up to MC’s face and held it, wiping at her tears with his thumb. MC suddenly went stiff at his touch, and he recoiled in surprise.

“Ominis Gaunt, you’re hurting me,” MC replied angrily through her tears. She pushed Ominis’ hand aside and stood. “I won’t allow you to be miserable, either. I want to help you. We could work together and find a way out of this. For Merlin’s sake, don't let your family do this to you!”

Ominis sat, stunned at her outburst. The only sounds in the air were the water lapping against rocks and the breeze through the trees. When MC heard no response, a sob escaped her lips, and she turned to leave. Ominis lowered his head, listening to the sound of her hurried footsteps fading away along the trail.

Ominis sat in the shade of the tree and listened to the birds and insects unaffected by the couple's argument in an attempt to distract himself. How he longed to join their carefree existence and never worry about his family again. The water continued to splash on the nearby rocks, and the breeze now felt cold against his skin. He let out a heavy sigh and curled up, hugging his knees tightly and resting his chin wearily upon them.

Ominis’ hand landed upon the robes he and MC had laid out. In her hurry to leave, MC had left hers there on the ground. He felt some dread at the idea of having to awkwardly return it to her while she was so distraught, but he dutifully sat up straight and plucked it from the ground. Perhaps it was necessary to break MC’s heart, but he was still a gentleman who could never let her lose her robe. He brushed the dirt off before neatly folding it, then held it on his lap as he crossed his legs. He imagined her heading back to the castle without it and how chilled she might feel. His heart physically throbbed with pain at the idea of her feeling both heartbroken and cold because of him.

MC’s words came flooding back to him—that they would eventually say their final goodbyes and part ways, never to cross paths again... never to chase away each other's nightmares, find solace in one another's arms or revel in their shared laughter and mischief. His fingers gently stroked the fabric of her robe as he tried to comfort himself, imagining how much happier she would be with someone else, but it shattered him to think about how she would share her life with anyone other than him. She would have a beautiful wedding, tenderly conceive and raise little children in a happy family, grow old and eventually pass away as a contented and fulfilled woman, with her heartbreak over Ominis becoming nothing more than an insignificant adolescent memory.

Ominis knew he could never be fated for a similarly happy existence, but he could also never bring MC into such misery, no matter how happy she made him. Could he even survive his own family as he tried in vain to please them as he had tried as a child when he tasted the cruciatus curse for himself?

Tears dropped heavily on MC’s robe as Ominis gripped it tighter. A quavering gasp leapt from his throat before he could stop it. He clung to the robe, pressing it tightly against his chest and granting himself a small moment to openly mourn.

At his next breath, as he tried to calm himself, Ominis steeled himself and stood. Cleaning and donning his own robe, he held MC’s folded robe to his heart one more time as he prepared for the long and lonely walk back to the castle to find MC and return her robe.

The delicate floral scent of her perfume on her robe threatened to break Ominis again. He could think only of MC’s affection: her unending love for him, despite his lineage and his past, and her sheer stubbornness in loving him. He mustered a faint smile at how insistent she was about remaining by his side despite everything, how she never flinched at the possibility of facing the other Gaunts, and her acceptance of him exactly as he was.

The Room of Requirement had felt too lonely. Trying to sit on the same sofas where she and Ominis had spent so many evenings curled up together only intensified MC's pain. Instead, she had found a serene, upholstered window nook high in a deserted tower in which to hide. There, she clutched a nearby cushion and quietly wept. Gazing out onto the lawn far below, she listlessly watched the other students mill around, happily going about their lives. She leapt when a gentle tap touched her shoulder.

Looking up, MC caught sight of Ominis. She opened her mouth to speak, and her thoughts quickly shifted from anger to protest, and then again to surrender and sorrow. Ominis appeared to be in a similar state, and despite her best efforts, she felt her heart thaw as she looked at his tired, exceptionally pale expression. His lower lip bore evidence of nervous chewing, and his eyes were slightly red.

“Ominis? Do you need something?” MC finally asked in quiet, gentle tones.

She instinctively swung her legs over the side of the nook's seat and made room for Ominis. She carefully watched him sit beside her as he held her folded robe in his lap and refused to turn to face her.

“You forgot your robe,” Ominis replied, equal gentleness in his voice.

MC’s heart sank as she slowly reached out to take it. She studied his face as it wrinkled to reveal profound sorrow.

“So this is goodbye?” MC murmured.

Ominis paused for an extended moment before giving a slow nod. He placed the robe in her lap, stood, and turned away to hide a fresh torrent of tears. MC's gaze dropped to the robe resting on her legs and noticed one of the smooth little pebbles from the pile she had been using down at the lake.

"What's this...?" She whispered.

"I don't want to part with any ill feelings. If you forget everything else from our time together, please—promise me you'll at least keep practicing the stone skipping spell and hold me in your thoughts whenever you use it."

MC clasped her hand over her mouth as the overwhelming pain of her heartbreak violently struck her. She leaned forward and began to cry as quietly as she could manage.

Ominis forced himself to move in the opposite direction. With each step, however, he felt something else slipping away. Beneath the agonizing pain of giving up MC's exuberant love, knowing he was walking into a reality where she would never be waiting for him with a joyful laugh and warm kiss and realizing how lonely he had felt before he met her, something just as significant was fading. He stopped, and his hand tightly clenched as he engaged in a fierce battle against his own thoughts. Finally, he turned back around.

"I can't," Ominis hoarsely cried. MC was taken aback as she looked up at Ominis, his face streaked with as many tears as hers.

"I can't do this. I need you." Ominis tentatively moved back toward MC. He slumped to his knees next to her, and his unseeing eyes gazed mournfully into nothing.

"You're too damned stubborn, and it's apparently rubbing off onto me," Ominis smiled amidst a sob as he wiped at his eyes. "Without you, I lose your love and your sheer enthusiasm... and I lose hope. A world where I can escape my family is almost inconceivable, but you offer me a glimmer of hope that we could find happiness together, free from their influence. Without you, hope eludes me. Merlin, that sounds ridiculous... I understand if you never want to see me again for hurting you this way."

MC fell silent, then she laid her robe and the stone aside, slipped to the floor and sat beside Ominis. She looked deep into his sparkling blue eyes and then, without warning, wrapped her arms around him and nestled her face into the warmth of his shoulder.

"You're such an idiot," MC uttered through tears and laughter that overtook her all at once. "But I need you, too. I need you the way I need the very air I breathe. I wish I could make you understand just how kind and selfless you are, or how rare your endless capacity for love is. But I will never stop trying."

Ominis slowly lifted his arms, encircling MC in his embrace. He slumped forward into her arms and rested his chin on her shoulder. It felt as though he had finally found his way back to where he truly belonged.

"I know you're scared of what might happen when your family learns of me—I'm terrified," MC murmured. "But I know we have the strength to overcome this. The Gaunts will simply have to come to terms with the fact that I'm not willing to let you go without a fight."

Ominis gave an exhausted laugh and held MC tighter. "If anyone can make them understand, I certainly hope it's you. I don't have your optimism, but perhaps someday, with enough patience and the right teacher, I will."

"I have no doubt," MC sighed happily.

MC broke their embrace and reached for the little stone that had been left on the seat. She placed it in Ominis' open palm and closed his fingers around it. Ominis tilted his head curiously.

"Will you still help me practice, too?" MC murmured. "It might seem as though I'm a fearless, ever-optimistic prodigy, but you still have much to teach me, too. I want to know your grace and gentleness. It may take a lifetime, but I'm willing to learn if you're willing to guide me."

"I think that can be arranged," Ominis smiled.

#hogwarts legacy #ominis gaunt #ominis gaunt x mc #ominis x mc #hogwarts legacy fanfic #angst and hurt/comfort™#Isabel Greymoore

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aylacavebear · 20 hours

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The Traveler - Chapter 10 - Levithar Labyrinth

You're from a specific dimension, Solaris Eclipse. It was a dimension of magic. When your kind, the Eldrathiren, turned fifteen, your unique power would awaken within you. Most times, it was something small, levitation, teleportation, creation, elemental manipulation, and things like that. Once in a while, a fifteen-year-old would just disappear, and those were called Travelers. None of them had ever returned. Your parents had told you stories about them, and you hoped that wouldn't happen to you.

Please don't take my work. I'll post warnings for each chapter. Will probably be 18+ I haven't decided yet!

Word Count: 6541

Pairing Eventually Dean Winchester x OC Reader/You & Sam Winchester x OC Reader/You

Warnings: Angst, fluff. A/N: Don't think there's anything else in this one. It's fairly relaxed.

----------------------------------------- Chapter 10 - Levithar Labyrinth

The water wasn’t cold, nor was the air as you stepped on the shoreline. Looking at the plant life around you, you felt relatively small. Large, multicolored mushrooms scattered the nearby landscape, with tall tufts of grass dotted between them. You felt your body returning to its normal appearance, the scales disappearing, and the fur returning to your tail.

Your ears twitched with the many sounds that seemed to come from all around. None of them sounded threatening, just creatures doing their normal daily things. Small things like the rustling of leaves, chirping, hum of wings in the sky, and even distant songs of things you could only assume lived in packs. Some of the sounds you weren’t even sure how to describe.

When you looked skyward, the beauty of the duel suns almost made your jaw drop. The sky was a beautiful, deep indigo color, reminding you of the hour before twilight. One Sun was a pale yellow, while the other a soft, rosy pink. Hanging low on the horizon, the two cast long shadows and gave the landscape an otherworldly hue.

I’ll need to find shelter for the night.

The mushrooms were an array of colors. Some were shades of purples and blues, others were vibrant pinks and oranges, and some of the smaller ones were in pastels. Above the mushrooms were plants that reminded you of sunflowers from Earth. Their stalks were as tall as trees, and their petals were broad and vibrant. The flowers were in full bloom, providing sustenance for the creatures of this world.

You slipped out of your wet clothes, wringing them out, along with your hair. Finding jeans, a T-shirt, one of Dean’s flannels, socks, and shoes, you got dressed. You slipped your new knife on your belt loop before tying your damp clothes on your bag for them to air dry while you walked. Before moving on, though, you knelt at the water’s edge.

Here goes nothing.

At first, you looked down at the water. There wasn’t much under its surface: some small stones here and there, but no plant life or aquatic creatures. Tilting your head for a moment, you wondered if perhaps this was only a puddle as if it had just rained in this world.

Cupping your hands, you dipped them into the water, then brought your hands to your lips, drinking the water of this world. For a moment, your eyes glowed a soft blue as a warm, tingly feeling traveled throughout your body.

Levithar Labyrinth…

Images of massive insects, plants, and even larger reptilian creatures played through your mind. Then, there were other creatures covered in fur. You understood where each creature fit within the food chain of this world. At least with being as tiny as you were, the larger creatures would take no interest in you. You’d have to worry about other things, like the bugs, spiders, and smaller predators that would find you a tasty meal.

That was when you felt them, turning to look over your shoulder. Beautiful shimmering wings unfurled, reminding you of Fairy wings. They were translucent and delicate, with black lines between the shades of soft colors, almost like stained-glass windows from Earth. The intricate patterns along them was something you marveled at. Deep blue and purple colors edged them, shifting to hues of reds, pinks, and oranges closer to the base. You had an innate knowledge of how they functioned, but mastering their use would take practice.

It took a moment before you could feel the muscles controlling their movement. As you watched them open and close slowly, a smile came to your lips. Lucky for you, they didn’t glow or give off light. They even darkened as the light of the setting suns diminished.

I need to find some shelter. I can figure out the wing thing later.

With your spear in hand, you looked at your surroundings again and sighed. There really wasn’t somewhere in front of you that would make a decent place for shelter, not without building one, and it was clear that the suns would set before you’d find what you needed.

Which direction should I go?

Being as close to the ground as you were, it wasn’t like you could tell what was in any direction, not being able to see much of anything but the immediate plants around and above you. You looked up at the sunflower blooms.

That would give me a better vantage point.

You went over to the closest stem, which was as thick around as a tree, determined to climb it. Carefully tying your spear to your bag, slung over your shoulder, you used your claws and began the long climb. You’d climbed plenty of trees in your village in your home world, and this was just as easy. The last world had forced you to use your muscles in different ways, and you realized that your strength had grown considerably.

After an arduous climb, you finally reached a broad, sturdy platform formed by the base of the sunflower bloom. As you settled onto the expansive leaf, you took in the breathtaking view around you. From your new vantage point, you were surrounded by a landscape of incredible scale. Directly beneath you, the sunflower stem continued down toward the ground, but you could now see beyond the immediate area. The ground was a vast patchwork of flowers, mushrooms, and grasses, forming a mosaic of vibrant colors and textures. Towering mushrooms with caps as wide as horses dotted the landscape, their shades of purple, orange, and green creating a fantastical vista.

Clusters of flowers were scattered throughout the landscape, their petals shimmering in hues of blue, pink, and gold. Interspersed among the flowers, thick grass swayed gently in the breeze, creating a sea of soft greens that stretched out into the distance.

To one side, you could make out a dense forest on the horizon, the treetops rising like jagged mountains in the distance. The forest was a tapestry of dark greens and blues, giving off an air of mystery and wonder. Near that was a rock formation that didn’t look nearly as tall as the trees.

The sky above was an enchanting indigo as the two suns were setting in the distance on the other side of a vast mountain range. It would be night quickly, as you could already see the darkness creeping from the opposite horizon.

A forest would mean protection but also danger. Rocks could provide a safe shelter as long as nothing else lived in them. Although I’m rather small, perhaps there is a tiny crevice that would be safe.

You debated your direction and plan of action as the suns continued setting. With how far away the mountains were, those were definitely out of the question. You also knew you wouldn’t make it to the forest, either. The rock formation, though, was far more possible. What was making you question that was that you’d need to figure out flying.

Taking a deep breath, you stood, taking your spear in hand, then sighed. You tied your spear back onto your bag, then just held onto the straps as you flexed the muscles that controlled your wings.

Use the currents in the air. It’ll be easier.

You took what Aquanox had told you when it came to the water currents and equated it to flying. Being up as high as you were and being as tiny as you were, the air currents should be able to keep you afloat for a while. If you paid attention to where the currents were and how they moved, you figured you’d make it to the rock formation with little to no effort.

One more deep breath, and you spread your wings, feeling the gentle current in the air as you stepped off the sunflower's leaf. The air currents were very similar to the water currents. You moved your wings till you felt the current catch under them just right, and you began gliding along almost effortlessly.

Making sure to watch the skies, you shifted from current to current over what you could now see was a vast meadow. The pool of water you had emerged from was nothing more than a puddle, and there were several of them. Tiny, glowing blue lights drifted around the meadow, reminding you of glow bugs from Earth.

Lumifly.

The word played through your mind, watching the lights before fixing your gaze on the rock formation again.

Not a threat.

The currents took you further along and higher, now quite a ways above the meadow. You heard movement to your right and were astonished at the sight. They were beautiful, reminding you of horses of Earth, their hair in shades of blue in the moon’s light. An entire herd of them and the foals were playing in the field of flowers.

Moon Mares.

You smiled, floating on a current, just watching them for a moment or two before moving on. There were typically flying predators you knew you’d have to keep an eye out for. At least you were tiny; otherwise, you might have wanted to ride one of the mares.

Halfway to the rock formations, a dark shadow passed above you. Instinct kicked in, so you darted to the nearest sunflower, using the leaves at the base of the petals to stay hidden.

Well, this is going to make things harder.

Furrowing your brow, annoyed, you looked toward the sky again, locating the moon and then where the creature should have been. Although, you couldn’t see anything in the sky.

“Weird…” you mumbled, turning to look in the other direction, still not seeing anything.

The sound of beating wings made your ears twitch, and your gaze moved toward the sound. The creature was smaller than you expected yet still large enough to pose a potential threat. It looked like a young, black cat with wings that matched its coat, covered in sleek, inky black fur. The wings were broad and covered in furry feathers. You were far too small to enjoy it as if it were a cat from Earth.

Its sharp yellow eyes gleamed with intelligence and curiosity. Its whiskers twitched as it studied you, and its movements were agile and fluid, a graceful combination of feline and avian traits.

“Why are you hiding?” it spoke to you.

You tilted your head, completely flabbergasted at hearing a cat speak, and had no clue what to say to it.

“I’m not going to eat you. You’re like me, just different,” it purred.

You peeked out carefully from behind the petal you’d been hiding behind, blinking in confusion at the creature. “I, uh… How can you talk?”

“You’re funny,” it chuckled, landing on the ground near the sunflower you were hiding on. “All my kind talk. So do most of the creatures here. I’m Bakeshi of the Ket. Who and what are you?”

The moment it asked its question, it tilted its head, reminding you of a curious cat back on Earth. You’d seen plenty of them on TV. “I’m Y/N. I’m an Eldrathiren. I’m what’s known as a Traveler.”

“What’s a Traveler?” she asked you, utterly curious.

“It’s sort of a long story,” you mumbled, sitting down on the leaf.

“Then come with me. We can go to my home, and you can tell me all about it,” she offered.

“How do I know you’re still not going to eat me?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

She laughed hard, holding her paw over her chest, and needed some time to catch her breath afterward. “I like you, Traveler. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. I’m not going to eat you. I prefer the scaly things that climb the trees and hide in the rocks.”

You sighed, supposing that if she truly wanted to eat you, she probably would have already. “Alright. It seems like a better idea than staying out here,” you gave in.

Bakeshi turned so that you could use her wing to climb onto her back. Her fur was soft and warm. You situated yourself just behind her neck, holding onto her fur. Then, she took flight. Her wings were far stronger than yours, meant for lift and sustained flight. Yours, they were more for gliding and riding currents than truly flying.

You watched the herd of mares and smiled one last time before looking ahead. She was taking you toward the forest, which was massive in size compared to your tiny body in this world. The meadow was beautiful from the height she flew. Now, you could see how some of the mushrooms gave off a faint glow due to the moon.

“Are there things here that you worry about?” you asked, curious. It was clear that everything in this world was on a far larger scale than you, so predators were a concern.

“Not really. My kind stick to safe areas. There are predators, but they don’t come where we are and are only a problem when the mares aren’t in the meadow. It’s why I went to talk to you,” she explained.

“That makes sense,” you mused, watching the treeline getting closer quickly.

She weaved through the forest with ease. It was a beautiful place, an entirely different landscape from the meadow. Vines grew up some of the tree trunks, and stunning red flowers bloomed along them. The forest canopy was dense with deep, dark green leaves of varying sizes.

“We’re almost there,” she told you as the forest opened up to a small alcove.

Your jaw practically dropped. On the far side of the pond, there were rock formations. Numerous plants grew around and in the pond, and you almost didn’t see the small openings in the rocks.

“This is where I live. The others will want to meet you, too,” she chuckled.

“How did you even know I was here?” you asked, now curious.

“I felt it, like a vibration in the energy,” she answered fairly plainly.

“Oh,” was all you could really say. It wasn’t like you fully understood this particular world yet.

Bakeshi landed between the rock formations and the pond, “I’m back, and I found her.”

Several of her kind popped their heads out of openings in the rock formation. They were all sorts of colors and sizes. They gathered around Bakeshi in a circle as you stood to look at them all. They were quite adorable, and you wished you were bigger so you could pet and cuddle all of them, especially the little kittens.

“Now you can tell all of us your story,” Bakeshi chuckled.

One of the other Ket pushed over a flat rock to the center of the circle, to which you floated down and sat in the center. They all sat down, picking one side so you could look at all of them, and they all could see you. Then, you told them your story.

“Mamma, you think she could help us?” you heard one of the kittens ask, pulling your attention to the small orange-striped Ket.

“She’s small enough,” its mother replied, looking down at her kitten.

“Help with what?” you asked, now fairly curious.

“Something has felt off in our world, and it keeps getting stronger. I took a few others not long after it started, but none of us are small enough to get into the crevice where the feeling is coming from,” Bakeshi explained.

You thought for a moment, watching all their expressions, that little orange-stripped kitten looking hopeful. “Since all I’m doing is waiting for the scent I’m following to show back up, and you all are so kind by helping me, the least I could do is take a look.”

All of them looked hopeful, happy, and relieved. Half of them even purred. “That’s really nice of you, Traveler,” the little orange-stripped kitten told you.

The little kitten approached you, and you rubbed her head, “If I can help, I will.”

It purred as you rubbed her head and smiled softly. Bakeshi came a little closer, though, “It could get a bit cold for you since you have no fur, Traveler. I will share my home with you to keep you warm for the night.” “Thank you, Bakeshi,” you replied.

As you climbed on Bakeshi’s back, the Ket returned to their little cave homes. She then took you to a higher cave opening in the rock formations. At least you had eyesight like a cat, being able to see in the dark. Bakeshi’s home was roughly five times her size and quite cozy. There was a grass bed on one side of the small cave-like home. To the other was a small table with what looked like berries on it. On the floor next to the table were some stones of various colors and shapes.

“Come, Traveler,” Bakeshi told you, curling up on the bed of grass.

You set your bag and spear down on the table but kept the knife on your belt loop. Then, you curled up against Bakeshi, against her stomach but near her front leg. She was warm and soft. Even the grass under you was welcoming. Your wings were tucked neatly against your back as Bakeshi began drifting off to sleep, a low purr gently vibrating her body.

Oddly enough, you found yourself purring softly, smiling a bit as you closed your eyes. Your thoughts went to the brothers, and you wondered what they might be up to.

I miss you.

After a much-needed, peaceful sleep, you stretched, arms far above your head, and yawned. Bakeshi was still asleep beside you, and you could tell by her breathing. Rolling onto your side, you moved your head to look toward the opening. It was still slightly dark, reminding you of the early morning before the sun would be higher in the sky.

You carefully slipped off the grass bed and headed outside. It, indeed, was a beautiful place in the early twilight. From where you were, you could see fish swimming in the pond and a few frogs hiding along the shoreline. Of course, they didn’t look exactly like the ones from Earth or your home world. They had a uniqueness that belonged to this world alone.

“You’re awake early, Traveler,” you heard Bakeshi behind you.

As you turned to face her, she yawned and stretched, pushing her paws far out in front of her along the smooth entrance stone.

“It's beautiful here. Is the journey long?” you replied, curious about this particular off feeling all the Ket had.

“The journey is half a day’s flight from here. It can wait until tomorrow. You need to learn how to use those wings of yours, and then there is food,” she explained.

“Will you be taking me alone, or will others come?” you asked, unable to stifle your curiosity.

“I’m sure others will come. Safety in numbers,” she replied, giving you a wink.

You couldn’t help but chuckle when she did that. Watching a cat wink was pretty adorable. She motioned for you to follow her as she glided down off the rock formation, so you followed. Bakeshi retrieved what looked like food from another small cave near the base of the formation, setting a chunk down on the rock you sat on the night before.

Looks raw.

“Eat up. It’s the best,” she told you before biting into her piece.

Typically, you cooked all your meat, and this did not look cooked. However, you didn’t want to be rude, so you picked it up hesitantly and took a bite of it. It wasn’t cooked, but it also didn’t taste like raw meat. Huh, almost tastes like one of Dean’s burgers.

“It’s not what I was expecting. Thank you,” you told Bakeshi after swallowing the bite you’d taken. “It’s really good.”

She smiled proudly before returning to her meat, and you did the same. As the morning slowly dawned, bringing light to the little area between the trees, more of the Ket emerged from their cave-like homes.

They seemed to have a fairly decent routine. They ate breakfast, the kittens played with bugs, the adolescents did different chores, and the adults were now gathered around the stone, making plans for not only the day but also who would be going on the flight tomorrow. This was when you realized Bakeshi wasn’t the leader of their little group. It was an older, white Ket. He chose not only Bakeshi but three others near her age. They weren’t adolescents, but they weren’t quite at the age of settling down with a family.

Once they were done with their daily meeting, you went off to play with the kittens, finding them far more fun and laid-back than the others. There were at least a dozen of them, and they, too, could only glide, as their wings weren’t quite strong enough for full flight. They helped you figure out gliding and riding small air currents as you played tag with them around the pond and rock formations.

Watching some of them hunt a small lizard-looking creature was fascinating. They hunted in a pack, working together, even as kittens. You wondered how many times they’d seen or heard about their parents doing the same on some larger creatures. It wasn’t just the girls or boys who participated in hunting; it was both. The Ket went off who was good at what, and you found that heartwarming.

Lunch was an assortment of mushrooms, berries, and what looked like fish meat. The meat in this world was so weird. It clearly wasn’t cooked, but it didn’t taste raw either, and it was delicious. Dinner came and went just as quickly, with three different meats as the chosen meal. You slept in Bakeshi’s home again, curled up into her side like the night before. Only this time, you dreamt of the brothers and, upon waking the following morning, missed them.

Bakeshi was already awake and outside when you found your way out, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. The sun hadn’t even started lighting up the sky yet, but at least six Ket were sitting around that rock, supplies gathered and having a discussion. You grabbed your stuff and floated down to join them.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Bakeshi teased you, “We’ll leave after you’ve eaten.”

“Why did you let me sleep so long?” you yawned.

“We need you alert for the flight,” she replied as one of the other Ket set a piece of meat in front of you.

One more yawn, and then you began eating quietly as your thoughts wandered, wondering what kind of thing you’d find inside this crevice. Each of the Ket had a pouch around their neck with their supplies. You guessed it was probably food, so they wouldn’t have to attempt to hunt while also taking on this journey.

Settling yourself near Bakeshi’s neck, the six of them took flight. There were the four from the day before and two older Ket, adults. They flew in a diamond formation, with one adult in front, one at the rear, and the younger ones in the middle. You didn’t question it, as this wasn’t your world, and they knew far more about what was out there than you did.

They skimmed the tops of the trees, not flying higher. The twilight of the morning was just beginning to push away the darkness of night. Your ears twitched with the sounds of the early morning. What sounded like wolves in the distance, singing a song of some sort, caused you to look in that direction. At least it wasn’t near the direction you were headed.

“How many creatures here are friendly?” you asked Bakeshi.

“Lots. All the creatures here can talk. There are predators, but we’ll avoid those,” she replied, staying focused on the flight.

The dense forest below seemed to stretch on for miles, but the mountains were getting closer. There were also other small clearings in the forest, like where Bakeshi lived. They were other Ket communities. When the sun finally peeked over the horizon, it was like the world below seemed to come to life, as did the skies.

The group of Ket caught a wind current, taking them higher, now moving much faster than before. You tucked yourself as close against Bakeshi as you could and hung on. You could feel her twist and turn, following the current, before she slowed again. Looking up again, you saw another large meadow coming into view, the mountains much closer now.

They landed near the edge of the meadow, staying just inside the forest. “We will have to be careful crossing the meadow since there are no mares,” Bakeshi explained.

“Why?” you asked, slipping off her back.

“There are no mares nearby. They keep the predators away,” she replied.

They ate in shifts, two of them always keeping an eye on things. Then, four of them went scouting in different directions. While they were scouting, the other two kept watch while you went to the edge of the meadow, looking at the mushrooms again. You just loved the vast array of colors and shapes they grew in.

What felt like almost an hour or more later, the four returned as the calico spoke, “We’ll have to stay inside the forest and skirt the meadow. The Schlange and Raubvogel are hunting.”

“That’s going to make this difficult,” Bakeshi sighed.

Bakeshi lowered her wing so you could climb onto her back again, where you nestled yourself in the crook of her neck. The six of them took flight, but they darted and weaved slowly through the thick leaves of the canopy, using them as cover. It was slow going, but there were times you could have sworn you saw movement, both above in the skies and to the side in the meadow.

Traveling around the meadow took far longer than if they’d been able to just fly across it. They ended up having to go the long way instead of the side closest to the mountains, as that was where the Raubvogel were. None of the Ket made a sound during this part of the flight, even managing to keep their wing beats mostly quiet.

Near the far side of the meadow, the group of Ket moved deeper into the forest, turning back toward the mountains and staying clear of the meadow entirely. They traveled another hour before they flew back above the forest canopy. It took your eyes a moment or two to adjust to the light when you saw them—large shapes in the sky with wings.

“They are Löwin, similar to Ket. They hunt in packs and are not a threat,” Bakeshi told you, almost as if she could feel you tense up.

“If you say so,” you replied, watching them gracefully glide through the air. “Are they hunting or something?”

“Yes. They are hunting in another meadow,” she answered.

You watched them a bit longer before focusing on the mountains, which looked to be only an hour's flight away now. They were massive, with plant life covering them. The group of Ket didn’t go toward the Löwin; although part of you wanted to see them up close, you knew you had something more important to take care of.

You noticed a river coming from the base of one of the mountains, leading through another small meadow with the thick forest on either side. At least you could see the mares in this meadow, knowing it was safe to travel through. You also happened to notice other small animals resembling Earth rabbits but didn’t ask what they were called.

The group of Ket flew further, though, up the mountain from which the stream was coming, landing on a ledge. It was cooler here but not cold, and you could smell the fragrance of flowers nearby. You hopped off Bakeshi’s back, slinging your bag over your shoulder, spear in hand.

“It’s through there,” Bakeshi said, pointing to a small crack in the rock.

To you, that small crack could have been a small cave. “Then, I’ll see what I can find, and I’ll let you know,” you replied, giving her as reassuring a smile as you could manage.

I can do this. What could possibly live in such a small crack?

You took a deep breath and ventured inside. It wasn’t snug, as there was plenty of room on either side of you so that two of you could have walked side by side. However, it was dark, and you were thankful for seeing in shades of grey. The crack looked completely empty, not even a tiny bug anywhere to be seen.

The further along you walked, the more you realized that you were descending. The grade of it wasn’t really noticeable at first. Reaching out and running your hand along the wall of the crack, you found it to be smooth, almost glass-like, or polished.

Your ears twitched, hearing what sounded like faint whispers, but you couldn’t tell where they were coming from. Sometimes, they sounded far away, behind you, in front of you, or even right next to you. Goosebumps danced down your body, but you were determined to figure out what was at the end of this crack.

Beyond the whispers, there was the occasional scent that would catch you off guard. It ranged from flowers to dirt to water, but there was nothing like that inside this crack. You refused to give into the pounding of your heart or the apprehension that had begun creeping in. You’d said you’d help the Ket, so pressed on, further down the crack and deep into the mountain.

You had no idea how long you’d been walking before something shimmered faintly off the polished stone of the walls. It still seemed to be far away.

Huh. Wonder what that is?

Your curiosity was now piqued, adding to your determination as you continued further. The light grew brighter the closer you got, and the odd part was that it was pulsating gently. When the crack finally did open up to a small chamber, you cocked your head to the side. There, on the far side of the chamber, was a small, round, pebble-looking object. It shimmered with all sorts of colors, swirling within it and then out from it when it pulsated.

Reaching down to pick it up, you pulled your hand back slowly, having second thoughts about touching it momentarily. You debated for a second about leaving it there.

I said I’d help.

You clenched your hand, then relaxed, and picked up the small object, which fit in the palm of your hand. It was definitely giving off an energy of some kind, you just couldn’t pinpoint what.

I’d better take this back to Bakeshi and the others.

Closing your hand around the orb, you began the assent back up and out of the crack. By the time you made it back out to where Bakeshi and the others were, it looked as though several hours had passed.

“You’re okay,” Bakeshi said, sounding relieved.

“I think I found what’s been causing the problem, too,” you replied, opening your hand so she could see the small pebble-shaped object.

All six of the Ket just stared at it, speechless, for several moments. With where the crack was situated in the mountain, it was in shade for now.

“It’s kinda pretty,” Bakeshi said, tilting her head.

“We need to take this back to Ghost. He’ll know what to do,” the calico adult stated.

You sighed and put it in your pocket before climbing on Bakeshi’s back for the return flight. They did stop in a similar area to eat one more time before finishing the journey back to their home. You’d also found yourself getting quite sleepy during that last hour. At least there hadn’t been any issues for the return flight, as the mares had been in the meadows this time. When the six landed back at their home, all the Ket were gathered. You carefully slid off Bakeshi’s back, noticing that all their eyes were on you.

“Did you find it?” Ghost asked.

“Yes,” you answered, pulling the small object from your pocket. You held it in the palm of your hand so that he could see it, along with the other Ket.

There were murmurs and whispers from the Ket as Ghost looked at the object, but he never touched it. “There is nothing like that on our world.”

“When did the strange feeling start?” you asked, finding yourself curious about the entire situation.

“About six months ago,” one of the kittens said.

“Did anything weird happen before that?” you asked.

The Ket thought for a while before you noticed a small group of kittens looking rather guilty. You looked sidelong at them curiously as your tail flicked slightly. Ghost took note and followed your gaze.

“Is there something the four of you would like to share,” he asked them, now all eyes on them.

A little tabby spoke up but looked at the ground, “We were up and out of bed when we weren’t supposed to be. We were sitting on the top of the caves, looking at the stars, when something like a streak of light came out of nowhere. It looked like it landed on the mountain.” Half of its explanation was mumbled, but you understood it.

Ghost sighed, animating his entire face before he looked back over at you, “Traveler, when you leave our world, would you take that with you?”

“Of course. It doesn’t seem to bother me like it affects all of you,” you replied, somewhat surprised he’d just let you have something so unique.

“Thank you. There isn’t much we can do to repay you except offer you our home till it is time for you to move on,” Ghost explained, and you could hear the gratitude in his tone.

“That’s very kind of you. I’d like that,” you replied happily.

You opened your pouch and tucked the small object into one of the inner pouches, and the Ket almost looked relieved when you closed it again. After hopping off the stone, several Ket retrieved dinner for everyone. There was laughter and a lighthearted nature during the meal, and afterward, the kittens played with the little light bugs around the pond.

“Bakeshi, do any of your kind go to different communities?” you asked her later that night as the two of you lay down for bed.

“Sometimes. At least once a year, we gather in the spring in the central meadow. Sometimes others will move away or come live with us,” she replied before yawning.

I wonder how long I’ll be here for. It's not a bad place. I just miss them. When it's time, will I get to see them again, or will I end up somewhere else?

You had questions no one had answers to. As you drifted off to sleep, you thought of the brothers again. It hadn’t crossed your mind that you might meet another Traveler along your journeys either, even after your time in the last world. To you, fate had other plans.

Three months. You spent three months with the Ket in this world. By now, you were adept with your wings, even being able to use them for more than just gliding. The air was beginning to get chilly as if fall or winter was coming, and you noticed that the Ket’s coats were getting thicker, changing with the weather.

You’d spent a lot of time with the kittens, who were now adolescents, and learning other things. Bakeshi had even found a mate, which everyone celebrated. As far as Ket’s went, he was handsome, a dark calico around her age. She moved into his cave, leaving hers to you for your stay. His name was Keesha.

One of the younger adolescents joined you to help keep you warm. She was fun and playful. The two of you stayed up late, laughing as quietly as possible over silly things. Her name was Zivira. The two of you were spoken to more than once about going to sleep and not staying up. However, once alone again, you two would burst into quiet laughter about getting talked to.

It was a chilly morning when the scent woke you gently from a peaceful sleep: the mix of leather, old books, a hint of alcohol, and a feeling of home. You smiled as you opened your eyes, Zivira stirring next to you.

“Too early,” she mumbled, not opening her eyes.

You chuckled a little, wondering if cats from Earth thought things like that when they napped. “It's time for me to go, Zivira. I need to get ready,” you told her, turning your head so you could look over at her.

“You won’t get to see the snow though. That sucks,” she grumbled before stretching but hadn’t moved to get up.

“I know,” you sighed, getting up and going to your things.

You pulled out one of Dean’s flannels that he’d put in there when you’d last seen him. His scent was long gone now, but wearing it still gave you comfort, and it was warm. Your wings were tucked down and against your back, so the flannel fit comfortably. With your bag over your shoulder and your spear in hand, you headed toward the opening of the cave. The scent wasn’t present at the moment, and you wondered if you’d shift the moment you went outside.

“I’ll help you get down since your wings are covered,” Zivira told you fairly lazily. She enjoyed sleeping in past sunrise if she could get away with it.

“Thanks,” you replied, smiling a little.

She leaned down, and you climbed on her back near her neck. Then, she headed outside and glided down to the rock, where you slid off her back. Zivira went and woke up several other Ket, who then woke up the rest.

They gave you some food, which you tucked away into your pouch. Then, you hugged almost all of them, saving Bakeshi for last. She was your favorite, your first friend there, and you were going to miss her dearly. The scent drifted across the breeze just as you pulled away from the hug.

“It’s time,” you told them, giving them a small smile, “I’ll miss all of you.”

“We’ll miss you too, Traveler,” Ghost told you.

You waved one last time at them as you walked toward the forest, following the scent. Knowing now that it was the brothers brought a smile to your face. You weren’t entirely sure when the shift would happen, so you just kept walking. When you came across two small saplings along either side of the dirt path you were walking along. Somehow, you just knew this was it.

The scent beckoned you forward, and with a deep breath, you walked between them, the entire scene changing. There were cars in stacks all over the place, and it was barely beginning to get light in the sky. In the near distance, you could see a two-story house, bringing a smile to your face and an excitement to your soul.

----------------------------------------- Chapter 11 - Earth 1999 pt. 1 (coming 5/5/24)

Link to the series Masterlist.

A/N: If you'd like to get in on the Dimensional Traveling, go to this link and leave me with a comment, or several, with as much or as little detail about the dimension you'd like the Traveler to end up in. If you'd like to have something specific happen, share that too. I'll make sure that you get credit for the idea you shared in the chapter in which your dimension is featured. I'd love to have as many readers involved as possible. I think this could be a lot of fun.

As always, if you'd like to be tagged, let me know and I'll add you to the tag list.

Tag List: @littlemadamred @mxltifxnd0m @foxyjwls007

8 notes · View notes

iceman-kazansky · 1 year

Text

Luckiest man, luckiest Woman

Pairings: Daniel Jackson (SPR) x F!reader

Requested by: @first-husband-lipton

Request: Okay because I really love Private Jackson (SPR) and he is Catholic AF... can I request a one-shot with him in a garden wedding seeing his bride for the first time as she walks down the aisle...and kiss her for the first time?

Settings/Au's: Wedding, relatively Modern

Warnings: f!reader, mentions of Christianity, two lovestruck fools, I've never written for a wedding or been to one so probably inaccurate depiction of a wedding, pure Fluff :)

Summary: You love Daniel and Daniel loves you, and you've decided to tie the knot in your relationship. Although, Walking down the Aisle, he realizes just how lucky he is to even be graced by a woman like you.

A/n: I BORE THROUGH THE COUGHING AND SNEEZING TO GET THIS FINISHED! I WAS DETERMINED TO FINISH IT >:D

Sorry I also kinda tweaked the request a little 😅 And, after writing this, I realized just how inexperienced I am in WEDDINGS. I've realized now I've never been to one and never had one myself :0

So uh, Google helped me write this quite a bit.

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The day he had been waiting for was finally here. The day he; Daniel Jackson could claim you as his legally wedded wife. Daniel had picked a few best buds from his hometown to be his groomsmen, each had played an important role in his life to be deemed with such honor.

One by one, family members and close friends filed in and Daniel watched as his friends who served in the military alongside him were seated close to the front rows.

As the audience waited, the small chatter filling the air like the pleasant hum of insects on a hot summer night, Daniel couldn’t help but remember the first time he’d seen you. He’d gawked at you from across the street, where he had seen you laughing with your friends. His friends noticed —the same friends that stood behind him now —and had played a game of matchmaker. They had arranged for you two to meet again and officially talk. As embarrassing as it was, Daniel had been glad that his friends had gone out of their ways to tie you two together. Without it, He wouldn't be standing underneath the green foliage framed with ivory wood beams and the warm sunlight basking his back as he waited for the love of his life to arrive.

Finally, as the last car pulled into the parking lot, the wedding was ready to begin. Daniel watched as you moved forwards towards the aisle, and he could feel his jaw drop. The elegant white dress you wore was stunning, the silky fabric with a long train that flowed along the stone pathway that Daniel could only imagine to be the most refined fashion for women there could be, hugged you tightly and highlighted your curves in every right way. Daniel could feel his heart race at the sight of you, still as pretty as the first time you met, walking down the aisle. He could only imagine how God had somehow poured a little more love over you when he was creating the beauty walking towards him, and he thanked God for blessing him with such an amazing woman he would be sure to treasure if she said yes one more time.

Daniel was so entranced that he hardly recognized the priest had begun talking beside him, holding a large book open in one palm while reading out intricate verses. The priest finished and moved onto the vows,

"Do you, Daniel Jackson, take Y/n Y/l/n to be your wife?"

Without hesitation Daniel replied, "Yes"

"And do you, Y/n Y/l/n take Daniel Jackson to be your husband?"

"Yes." You answered.

Daniel felt your hands slip into his and he squeezed them lightly. He was Really doing this. He was settling down hopefully forever with you. He was 'tying the knot.' And all Daniel wanted to do right now was kiss you, in thanks, in love, in appreciation, in confession, and the priests "You may kiss the bride." Was all he needed to capture your perfect lips in his in an endearing kiss.

And as he reminisced over the first time he had kissed you, atop the ferris wheel at the carnival a few years ago, how your lips had been so soft and had treated beyond what Daniel could've interpreted back then, he couldn't help but compare today's kiss and the first kiss all those years ago.

"I love you." He heard you whisper, just above the cheering of the crowd below.

"I love you, too."

Daniel Jackson was the luckiest man alive, he got to have you, a woman he believed was beautiful enough to be considered a God. And You? You were the luckiest Woman to be alive because you had just tied the knot with the most handsome, and kind man you had ever met that you had totally fallen for the moment you saw him, walking with his friends on the opposite side of the road.

#x reader #female reader #y/n #saving private ryan #daniel jackson #wedding #garden wedding #fluff #two idiots in love #marriage #requested #iceman kazansky #SPR #♤ Requests

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sheafrotherdon · 2 years

Text

Joe finds her on the back steps of the house, sitting quietly, staring into dusk with a cup of coffee in her hands.

“Boss?” he asks softly.

Andy hums.

“You want company?”

She says nothing, but pats the step beside her once.

Joe settles himself beside her, elbowing her gently before he stills and soaks up the cool evening air. There are already stars winking into existence above them; the world has curled in on itself and it’s peaceful, quiet—there’s nothing to hear but the low song of frogs and the chirping of insects. Joe can feel the slight heat of Andy’s body, the cool of the steps. He tips his face up to welcome the breeze blowing in from the south.

They sit together comfortably. Joe watches the pale blue at the horizon deepen with every passing minute and casts about in his mind for the medium that could capture that lovely, aching light. Andy drinks the last of her coffee and sets down her cup, rubs her hands over her arms and leans to close the tiny gap between Joe and herself.

“I’ve been thinking,” she says.

Joe turns his head toward her, but doesn’t say anything.

“I want to give Nile what she needs to . . .” Andy lifts a hand and gestures, as if to encompass everything around them. “Before I go.”

Joe nods and holds out his hand, palm up. Andy takes it, wraps her fingers around his and squeezes a little.

“Thing is, I thought I’d have more time,” she says softly.

Joe’s heart squeezes. None of them are strangers to loss. They’ve outlived so many, hundreds of people, country by country, who were dear to them for a time. They’ve delivered death; they’ve tended the sick; they’ve comforted the grieving. But none of it makes this easier now. Joe swallows against the knot in his throat, closes his eyes for a second before he opens them again.

“Remember the greeting-card store?” he asks. “In Pasadena?”

Andy frowns at the non-sequitur.

“We went looking for a Christmas ornament. Beauty and the Beast, without the beauty. For Booker.”

Andy laughs—Joe smiles to hear it—and nods her head. “Okay, yes.”

“You bought me a magnet.”

“Jesus.”

“It said something about courage being when you get up the next day and try again.”

Andy grins crookedly. “That’s right. You and Nicky had had that big fight.”

“Mmmmhmm.”

“Did it work?” she asks. “The advice?”

“No,” Joe says, grinning.

Andy cackles delightedly.

Joe smiles at her and threads their fingers together. “I’m just saying. However many next days,” he offers. “We’ll all try again.”

Andy lets out a long breath. “That’s what you’ve got for me?” she asks dryly. “Pasadena magnet wisdom?”

“Yep.”

Andy nods and quiet spools out between them again. Joe looks out at the wash of stars he’s known by a dozen names in so many languages and tries to fix this in his memory—the deep, warm silence, the rough stone step, this woman who has known him since an infancy he didn’t know was a gift.

Andy leans her head against his shoulder.

Together, they wait.

#andromache the scythian #yusuf al kaysani #friendship #found family #tog #cw: loss #laughter #company

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lightning-of-farosh · 9 months

Text

Incurable Homesickness

AU: Marin wished the world of BOTW into existence

A fox appeared to a woman in a dream.

I am a spirit of the magic that resides within this land, they told her. An echo of things that were, that are, and that could be.

You must go to the mountain where the lights of the night come from the earth instead of the sky. Climb to the praying peak to the pond that holds an ever-blossoming tree.

The woman held everything and nothing close for she could fit her whole world in her dream-hands even though they stayed empty. What about my son? What about our lives? We have a home, here. We have a future.

Black eyes looked up at her and the edges of the fox’s body swirled away into soft, crimson smoke. It was whisked away by darkness and the faint, kind melody of an ocarina. Trees passed by in her mind’s eye; tall ones with broad, sliced leaves and ones with heavy branches baring round, red apples. They were swallowed up by the sea, by a storm, by a crack of lightning and the massive shadow of a beast she couldn’t see.

The woman woke to the cry of a seagull and clutched her blanket to her chest. The wind howled against the stone walls, battering at the wooden shutters and the frame of the door. Rain pattered against the roof and she could feel the humidity sticking to her shoulders and neck even as she wound her long, red hair into a bun.

Beside her��curled up on a bedroll of reeds and feather down—a boy slept through the rumbling thunder.

oOo

It did not rain the day they left their home behind. The woman managed to gather enough rupees by selling herbs and insects and uncut gems scavenged from the cliffs to get enough funds for a single, old horse. A few people stopped by—but only a few. She was on the outskirts of the village, a stranger to most and an outsider to even more with her long, red hair and freckled, pale skin.

With a small goodbye to their neighbours, they were off on an adventure; the woman, her boy, and their horse.

oOo

A campfire crackled beneath the moon, sparks rising from the wood to become small, glimmering stars before they vanished into nothing. Sitting beside it was a young woman who was on her way to find answers to questions she didn’t know she had. In her lap was a small boy. He had been wrapped in various blankets to keep him warm in the stray night chill and keep his arms pinned at his sides. It didn’t seem necessary as he sat still without complaint, letting deft fingers braid wildflowers into his almost-gold blonde hair. Together, the boy and his mother hummed a song that had been lost to the ocean’s waves; one of shipwrecks and storms, of dreams and wishes.

Wandering through the trees, their horse snorted and pawed at the ground. Rain had left the dirt soft and there were tracks from beasts peppering the woodland trails.

“Mama?” The boy leaned his head back to look up at the woman. Petals drifted from his makeshift crown with the movement: one even slid down his nose, fluttering on his breath.

“Yes, Link?”

He curled against her. Various birds cawed in the trees as insects buzzed and sang in the underbrush. “Can you tell me a story?”

“A story?” She tapped a finger against her chin and tilted her eyes to the sky, pretending to be in deep thought. Stars winked between the leaves, watching them with billion-year amusement. “It’s very late,” Her voice was soft. “And you told me you were so tired that you couldn’t move another muscle.”

“But I won’t be moving, Mama,” Link grinned at her with a small, impish smile that made the corners of his eyes squint and his nose crinkle. “You’d be the one telling the story!”

The woman laughed in surprised delight, and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I suppose that’s true,” she said and wrapped her arms around his little torso, holding him close to her chest. “What type of story would you like to hear?”

Link leaned up, lowering his voice to a whisper-that-wasn’t. “The one about the seagull and the island,” he said, eyes wide and reflecting the amber of the fire. “Please?”

“Again?” His mother gasped, ruffling his hair and sending petals flying everywhere. He giggled, unable to squirm away from her hold as they toppled backward onto their bedroll. “I suppose I could tell it again.” One hand ran down the boy’s back, counting his breaths as he wiggled closer, pressing against her ribs as if he could curl up next to her heart.

Silver moonlight dripped through the leaves, trickling down the jagged, arching trunks of durian and palm trees. The sounds of the night filled the shadows and stone, creating a music that sung of heat and lightning and rain. The fire continued on as the horse snorted and settled.

“Once upon a time,” the woman said, her voice drifting between shifting plants and night birdsong, “There was an island, a boy, and a seagull...”

#The legend of Zelda #fabulist tales #Link's Awakening

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noisyquokka · 2 years

Text

Little Oasis

pairing: Hyunjin x Reader

genre: Howl’s Moving Castle AU, Fantasy, Fluff

length: 2.2k

warnings: None that I could think of but please let me know if I missed anything 💛

Anonymous asked: hiii!! could I request a fanfic with hyunjin but he's howl (from howls moving castle). idk 🥲 I just really like that film and hyunjin reminds me so much of howl!!

A/N: Oh boy, was I excited to see this in my inbox! I feel like this request popped up at the perfect time since I spent the weekend at my aunt’s cottage. My imagination may have gotten the better of me but I’m fairly certain that this is my most detailed piece to date, so I hope you enjoy! Also, I might have sprinkled some of my personal “Hyunjin as Howl” headcanons in here, I couldn’t help myself 🥰 Enjoyy!

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Your heartbeat thumped in your chest, keeping rhythm with your weathered boots as Hyunjin pulled you along behind him. His coat draped over your shoulders, swaying every which way as he swung the both of you around the corner and through the empty alley.

You should have seen this coming, really. It seemed as if you found yourself in this predicament more often than not, racing behind the tall raven-haired man down various alleyways of the village. From what? Well, whoever or whatever may be looking for him. The war may have ended but Howl Jenkins Pendragon was still a very sought-after wizard. Of course, it wasn't always for the right reasons. Hence, your current situation.

"This way, darling!" His grip on your hand was firm as he led you down another dimly lit alleyway. "Hurry!"

You followed without hesitation, doing your best to keep up with the man's much longer strides. You didn't know who was chasing after you two, and you knew better than to stop and ask at such a moment. Hyunjin knew what he was doing, and after the numerous times he'd saved you, you trusted him with your life. Even so, when you saw the pathway come to a dead end, you couldn't help the dread that crept into your veins.

He turned back the way you had came, just as the shadows of the pursuers cascaded across the stone walls. They were very much on your tails and Hyunjin was not about to put you in any sort of danger. His grip on you tightened, and before you could say a word, the sapphire pendant that hung around his neck began to glow and you were ascending to the rooftops in the arms of the powerful wizard.

"Hyunjin!!" You screeched, feeling your stomach drop as the ground got farther and farther away and you soared higher into the air. Your hands found his, holding on for dear life.

"I've got you, you know what to do." He murmured in your ear, lacing his fingers with yours as you began the usual waltz across the rooftops. It wasn't like you hadn't experienced this before. Hyunjin would take you on late night rooftop escapades every so often, but that didn't usually involve being chased back home. There was always one unlucky outing though, and it seemed tonight was one of them.

Your anxiety spiked, but as your feet hit the cobblestone streets once again, you felt the adrenaline kick in. The two of you booked it for the familiar abandoned building that would miraculously turn into the inviting place you called home once you breeched the entrance. You didn't care who it was that was chasing the young wizard beside you. Just as long as the two of you found shelter in the safety of the castle.

Once Hyunjin's fingers gripped the door handle, your legs almost gave out. The door slammed shut, that familiar bell chimed, and you took a moment to catch your breath on the stairs. Home sweet home, at last.

Or, it should have been. However, you weren't in the familiar warm and cozy castle that you had called home for the past year. Instead, your hands sunk into rich soil. The sounds of songbirds and insects hummed through... a forest, lush and fragrant.

"H-Hyunjin, what is this place?"

You rose to your feet, taking in the world around you. The sunlight filtered through the low hanging branches of the trees, casting an ethereal pink glow throughout the quiet forest. Birds sang their songs as they fluttered from branch to branch, plucking ripe, juicy berries from the juniper and elderberry bushes not too far away.

Hyunjin cleared his throat, a sheepish expression settled over his features once you turned to him.

"My apologies, I never introduced you to this place. It's my, er... secret oasis." He replied, glancing up to the swaying canopy of the trees. You watched as the wind played with his hair, blowing the raven-colored strands behind him. A few fell into his line of sight as he seemingly reminisced about this beautiful dream-like world he had conjured up. "I kind of forgot I created it, if I'm honest."

"How did we manage to get here, then?" You breathed, completely enamored.

"I'm not exactly sure... I can get us back home without an issue, though. So," He held a hand out in waiting, gaze falling upon you with a soft smile. "Shall I give you the grand tour?"

Your lips upturned into a smile of your own, nodding in excitement as you took his hand. With a gentle squeeze, Hyunjin pulled you along down the mossy path of the heavily wooded area. The paths were surrounded in high grasses and wildflowers, most likely the work of magic as the trees blocked out much of the sunlight. The rattling of antlers resounded somewhere in the deep brush of the forest and you glanced towards the way it had came, catching sight of two young bucks that seemed to be in the midst of a sparring session. They paused in their fight, alert and observing as the two of you passed by.

"Watch your step." Hyunjin's soft voice pulled you from your haze and you glanced down. A large tree trunk protruded from below the forest floor, home to a cluster of glowing fuchsia mushrooms. You blinked at the unusual sight.

"This place is something out of a fairytale." You whispered, stepping over the trunk before you kept on your way through the forest. Hyunjin chuckled, smiling to himself. He adored watching you explore. It didn't matter what it was, the real world or one of his magical ones. You always saw them in a way no one else was able to. With a sort of childlike bewilderment that glimmered in your eyes no matter where you'd look. He wished he would have shown you this one sooner. Even Markl never got that excited.

As you continued on, the forest soon opened into a clearing. Hyunjin paused in his tracks, nodding his head in a forward gesture. You held his crystalline gaze for a moment before you found yourself entranced once again. The scene before you was something to behold. The path of moss softly transitioned into gray slate, contrasted by the bright purple-pink blooms of creeping thyme. Your grip on Hyunjin's hand loosened, falling away completely as you made your way further into the garden. The woody, citrus scent tickled your nose as you disturbed the aromatic groundcover beneath your feet. A stone birdbath sat in the center of the path just a few meters ahead, watched over by a large stone statue, it's feminine features cascading down to the water as if pondering when the next songbird would offer her a fleeting moment of its company. Around her, various species of flowers bloomed, an invitation for the buzzing bees searching for sweet nectar and, perhaps, to rest among the silky petals. You reached out as you waltzed through the garden, allowing the swaying branches of the willow trees to flow through your fingers.

"This place... It feels like a dream." You said with a smile. "It's so breathtaking!"

You scanned the rest of the clearing, searching for anything else hiding in the over-grown garden. An easel sat by the edge of the river, leaning against one of the massive willow trees. A few feet away was a wooden swing that hung from one of the willow's stronger branches. Hyunjin followed you down to the river's edge, grinning at the sight of you reaching for the thick rope that supported the swing.

"I haven't spent time here in quite a while now." Hyunjin spoke up, leaning against the trunk of the old tree. You sat down on the swing, glancing up toward the sky where the branches danced with the breeze. You turned to the wizard with a furrowed brow.

"Why not? It's so beautiful here, peaceful." It was true. Whatever adrenaline that had taken hold of you before falling into this unknown world had dispersed. Contentedness was what you felt now, your chest fluttering with a sense of calm and peaceful delight.

Hyunjin sighed heavily, his eyes settled on the sun that sat just above the horizon. The jewels that adorned his ears caught the light of the early morning sun, casting rainbows of light along his jawline. You followed his gaze across the river, taking in the vastness of the picturesque valleys in the distance.

"This place used to bring me such unspeakable peace. I'd spend days at a time here practicing spells, painting, daydreaming..." He trailed off, closing his eyes briefly. You took note of his words - that he used to get peace from this world - and wondered what had changed. As if he could read your thoughts, he spoke up.

"Sometimes reality can be more than we bargain for. When it became too much for me, I came here as a means of escape."

Hyunjin traipsed slowly behind you with long, flowing strides. The silk top fluttered along his skin as he moved closer, light and arid. Like the water that bubbled over the rocks in the riverbed. Like the clouds above, awash in the shades of burnt peach and lavender. He may as well have been air personified, you thought.

"Have you noticed the sun hasn't moved on the horizon?"

You hummed an affirmative, swinging lightly as he spoke.

"Mornings have always been sacred to me. The world is just waking, the sun rises to kiss the delicate petals of flowers. The forest sings a symphony to welcome the new day, as if danger is a passing bubble of thought that holds no threat. It's playful, in a way."

You felt the warmth of his hands on your back as he gave you a gentle push, allowing the momentum to propel you forward and back. Hyunjin continued and you listened with fervor.

"The wilds of the forest live on, and the song birds, the foxes, the deer... they don't worry much about anything. I had an epiphany as I would watch them, that they are very much what I aspired to be for a long time. They live life through discovery. And they learn through experiencing."

The young wizard stepped out of the way of the swing, his celestite eyes glimmering at you as your boots began to lightly skim the grass below them. His hands linked behind his back in a boyish manner, glancing about the overgrown garden with the same admiration in his eyes that he would often bless you with. His fingers grasped the ropes of the swing after a moment, bringing you to a halt altogether. You shared a long glance, no words exchanged besides the whispering winds in the trees.

"And then I met you and I... I realized that you, my dear, you live life as the creatures of the forests do. Not only here, but in the real world, too." You tilted your head at his words, curious as to what he meant. He exhaled at the sight, wracking his brain for the right words. As if they didn’t want to flow easily within his head.

"Try as I may, I can't seem to articulate my words without coming off as a fool." He said, a small breath of laughter accompanied by a shake of his head. Your eyes flitted to his tensed shoulders, his cheeks blooming as he distracted himself with the rings that adorned his fingers. You took a chance, raising your hands up to where Hyunjin's gripped the swing, slipping your fingers under his in a comforting manner. Hyunjin visibly relaxed from your touch and you smiled when he gathered his courage, looking you straight in the eye with a newfound confidence as he spoke.

"What I wanted to say is..." Deft fingers brushed along the expanse of your cheek, falling to the tip of your chin. "You have a way of making life, mm, enchanting. Wonderous!"

You couldn't help but to laugh at his words. You? Wonderous and enchanting?!

"Enchanting... Isn't that in your job description, Great Wizard?" You teased, ignoring the heat in your cheeks from such a high compliment. Hyunjin chuckled, pulling you up from the swing. You still had questions, though.

"I still don't quite understand. You said you don't find peace in this world like you used to. What changed?"

For the second time that evening, Hyunjin gave your hands a firm squeeze. You took the moment and admired the man in front of you, his smile slowly fading until his earrings caught your attention. The emerald gems shimmered a moment and you felt your chest flutter as those crystalline eyes melted into the familiar rich brown that you knew so well. Only you. Hyunjin blinked softly, humming in contentment at the sight of your upturned lips.

"Perhaps I've found something that brings me the same feeling without my added dose of magic..." He whispered, placing a chaste kiss to the back of your hand.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Psst!! If you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read my work 💕 I appreciate you!

#stray kids #hwang hyunjin #hyunjin x reader #howls moving castle au #skz #stray kids imagines #stray kids drabbles #stray kids fluff #hyunjin x gn reader #quokkawritings🌻

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magic-is-something-we-create · 8 months

Text

Goddess-Touched Snippet - (15/?)

happy late MSM!! post-labor day edition

Word count: 601 Content warnings: This one starts rather soft, but dips into a bit of horror at the end (don't know the exact words, but there are implications of impending attack from unknown things in the darkness) POV: Ember In which Ember wakes from a nightmare and seeks comfort from Gab.

When I wake with a cold sweat dripping down the back of my neck like the water of the ocean floor on the third night [of our travels], I go to Gab as soon as I’ve caught my bearings, and take up my post as secondary guard at his side.

“Another?” he asks softly as I tuck myself up to him, resting my head on his shoulder. When I nod, he hums lightly, concern underlying his voice as he brushes one of my ever-lengthening locs from my face and wraps his arm around my side. “Anything new?”

“No,” I croak. Clear my throat as gently as I can, and he reaches for his waterskin without me even needing to ask. “I mean, they’re all different, but...”

“Cryptic bullshit?” he guesses as I take a sip.

I nod again, finish wetting my mouth, and snuggle closer to his side. We sit in the quiet of the night, listening to the chatter of the nocturnal insects all around us and the scurry of animals through the distant patches of brush and frail trees. As I grow more alert with each passing moment under the light of the moons--Delta’s is full, though I can’t recall ever learning which belonged to which Goddess--he seems to get more drowsy, his breathing slowing and his ears drooping.

And eventually, he falls asleep with his head resting on mine, his breath steady and full, his body warm and comfortable next to mine.

I’d wake him if I felt any threat of falling back asleep myself. But my track record for failing to do so after the hissing omens of the Deepfolk has yet to run out, and under the open sky with a fire burning at the barest of coals behind me and all of the wonderful, new horizon ahead, I am enough to keep watch on my own.

Time passes. I woke just after midnight, by the height of Delta’s moon in the sky, and as the hours slowly creep toward our before-dawn start, I watch the unfamiliar stars march past the world, trying to come up with my own constellations.

It’s around two thirty in the morning when the first of the strange sounds in the distance tickles at my ears, fainter than the intermittent bird calls that have peppered the night thus far.

But this sound quiets everything but the bugs.

Unease settles in my stomach like a stone, hearing the world fall silent.

Instinctively, my ears perk, straining for some sign of something beyond the rattling of the insects. My muscles tense as the silence drags on, some basal, innate part of me knowing something’s wrong.

And then the sound bubbles up again, closer.

And I could swear it’s a peal of laughter.

All hesitation to disturb Gab’s peaceful sleep dissipates in an instant as the cackling in the distance trails off. I’ve shrugged myself away to string my bow and peer out into the darkness within a matter of heartbeats, letting him startle awake from my sudden motion, no communication beyond a sign for him to keep quiet, pay attention.

I wait, squinting into the shadows that stretch all the way until the very furthest reaches of the star-blanketed sky. Cock my ears in different directions, trying to listen for footfalls, breathing, anything quieter than the laughter itself.

Just as Gab draws breath to presumably whisper, another guffaw breaks through the air somewhere to the east.

Gab’s breath hitches. He’s on his feet too in hardly a second.

“Pass me my quiver,” I tell him quietly, eyes trained on the horizon. “And start waking the others.”

#writeblr #writers on tumblr #writing excerpt #goddess-touched #snip #q

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writerwithbrainrot · 2 months

Text

Chapter 2: An Exit to the Sun

Reader and Vaati venture through the door to the world of light, intending to see what this so called 'great world' had to offer. Maybe a few spur of the moment plans are necessary for the journey to power.

Warnings: Swearing, violence, murder, let me know if I need to add more!

｡☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆｡

"This is it." Reader said, standing in front of the ruins of an old church, overgrown with dying vines and broken, only a few walls left, glass broken and a carved door against the cliff, warn down and almost smooth.

Vaati and Reader were deep within Reader's domain in shadow forest, where many do not roam.

"I see. . ." Vaati began, walking forward, stepping on a mix of stone and soil. "And I can tell you opened it, there is a disturbance around it."

"Yes." Reader said, following behind him. "I heard something around here, and I found it. I opened it out of curiosity and I just felt this. . . rush of power and warmth." they sighed "I didn't go through, I was unsure if I should so I closed it again. I didn't realise it would cause a disturbance."

Vaati hummed, thinking his options, before turning and stepping close to Reader. They blushed, looking at him but not stepping back. He knew that this was a sign of their trust. "I praise you for letting me know of this, Reader." he said in a low tone. Reader went scalding red as he pulled out a blade, with a silver handle with amethyst jewels on it. He took Reader's hand and placed it in their palm. "Do be a dear and opened it."

Reader nodded and rushed to the door and started to work the lock with the knife. Vaati watched behind them, wiping the hand he used to touch Reader's hand with with a look of disgust.

"What ever kept him in their good graces." Vaati thought to himself.

The lock clicked and Reader stepped back, returning Vaati's knife. He took it and they both looked at the door and Reader placed both hands on the cold, stone doors, moonlight hitting every thing, and pushed.

In an instant, warmth enveloped both of them, like protective hugs. Vaati felt a rush of power, filling every vein in his body, and he couldn't help but throw his head back in a feeling of pure bliss.

Reader squinted, a strange white light blinding them, forgien to them. They slowly entered, and that unfamiliar warmth turned to a warm comfort as they stood with their eyes closed. Their bare feet hit solid stone flooring, and the sounds of life surrounded them. Chirping, humming of insects, a toad or two croaking.

"Oh. . ." Reader gasped, looking around the old church covered in a bright warm light, intact and visibly taken care of, stained glass coloring the room a bit.

Vaati emerged, and the door closed behind them, both overlords turning to watch. Vaati looked around, silently adjusting to everything.

"So, this is sunlight." he said, and Reader brgan walking around, marveling at everything. "Look at this place, Lord Vaati!" they exclaimed, "It's magnificent! It's even more pretty the the church in Lorule!"

"Yes. . ." Vaati said, examining the stained glass of a beautiful woman with blond hair and in white, the sun behind her head.

His attention turned to Reader trying to open the dark oak doors of the church, only to hear the doors jiggle. They hummed and looked around. "It would be a shame to destroy it. . . however-" they punched through the door, and blindly started to fight with the door handles on the outside. Vaati said nothing, yet watched in disapproval at the barbaric way Reader was fighting with the door. "An overlords gotta do what an overlords gotta do!"

The doors swung open and more light came in. Reader stood, letting the sun light hit them, and they held their arms as the warmth cascaded over their body. Flowers began to grow around their bare feet, breaking through the stone and beginning to bloom. "It's. . . so bright." Reader said softly.

"Too bright." Vaati said, stepping out onto the dirt path and beginning to walk, following the path to a very green and alive forest. Reader rushed to follow, yet marvled at everything

"This place is teeming with life!" Reader exclaimed, rushing to a tree with fruit and growing vines below to use as steps up, pulling on the juice red fruit and taking a bite. They groaned at the taste. "Vaati, you must try this!" they exclaimed, pulling another fruit down, however he just sent her a bit of a glare.

"This may be poisonous." he said, tossing the fruit on the ground, causing it to break open. "Yoh may be immune to poison, but I am not. Are you trying to insult me?"

Reader began to panic "N-no! I'm sorry, Lord Vaati!"

he continued forward, and Reader scowled. They followed Vaati, mood dampened as they bit into their juice treat.

»»————-　★　————-««

Zelda shuttered, and she felt the hairs on her neck stand up. She turned around, looking at the bustling town full of the citizens of Hyrule, a glint of fear in her eyes. Link had immediately noticed Zelda had stopped and stopped as well, causing Impa to stop and look. "Princess?"

"I feel it again." Zelda muttered, and Link held his hand to Zelda's to hold and comfort her. "That feeling but its worse. Like there's. . ."

"Princess." Impa said, and Zelda looked up at Impa. "I understand your concerns, but I have already alerted the guards to a potential threat. Would you like to return to the palace?"

Zelda shook her head "No, no I don't. I apologize for the hold up." she said. Link squeezed her hand and both of them blushed. Impa chuckled.

"Lets continue to the garden stalls." Zelda said. "I'm sure they'll have some nice new flowers for your garden, Link!" she said, before rushing off, dragging Link with her.

"Wh- Hey! Slow down!" Link said, feeling like his arm would come off. Impa followed behind, smiling at the two young hylians.

Princess Zelda was a descendant of the Goddess Hylia, and weilded the triforce of wisdom on top of having the blood of the goddess. She had to be guarded at all times, despite the kingdom being safe, as someone may try and take her and her powers.

At the stall, they saw a person, pale and in thin clothing, marvling at the little plants in pots. "And this is a carnation? Marvelous! How beautiful!"

"Excuse me, please." Link said, also wanting to see the plant the person covered in plants was looking at. The person smiled and moved back a bit. "Oh! what a kind little child!" they turned and rushed off, "Vaati, the people here are so-"

Their voice was silenced in the Loud crowd, and Zelda stared in the direction the person. ran off in. "I do hope that person is okay. . . they were bone thin and in such thin clothes. . ."

"I'm sure they're fine." Impa said "Your kindness knows no bounds, princess."

The group explored the festival, Zelda falling inlove with glass crafts and and Link was interested in the garden stalls. But both wat he'd a blacksmith working away in a forge, hammering a sword that was scalding red.

"It hurts my eyes to look at." Link said, squinting yet continuing to watch. Zelda nodded. Impa sighed, and caught the two young hylians attentions.

"Lets go. I'm sure the performers will be starting soon." Impa said, and Zelda practically ran off, leaving Link and Zelda behind. "Hey!" Link exclaimed, "Wait up!"

»»————-　★　————-««

"This place is so beautiful! So perfect!" Reader exclaimed happily as the two walked around the festival town. "Look at how the different races work together! Oh, it must be wonderful here!"

"Indeed. . ." Vaati said, yet he showed no emotion. "The amount of magic energy in this street alone is enough to fuel my spells for weeks on end." He glanced around and immediately noticed that Reader had vanished. Most likely they were distracted. Good riddance.

What was the cause of this power? The warm sun on his skin? What made him feel so. . . godly?

"Ah, the princess is so lovely." A voice said, catching Vaati's ear. He stepped closer, his back to the two hylian women speaking.

"Indeed." the second woman said. "I wonder when she will come down to join in the festivities. My son said the princess may today."

"Ah, well, with her having the blood of the goddess, the king may not let her go." the first one said. Vaati stopped listening, and a wicked grin arose on his face. A princess with such power? It was as if the goddess has dropped his a golden gift in his lap.

Reader was at a stand full of gorgeous plants, marvling at the beautiful Petals and delicious fruits. "Oh my! How fertile the soil is!" they said. The elder woman smiled at the young nymph and picked off a tomato, red like fire. The elderly woman held out the fruit to them.

"What?" Reader asked.

The elderly woman spoke. "My child, you are skin and bone, ans pale as paper. Take this, you need it more than I." The old hand of the woman gently took Reader's hand and placed the tomato in their hand, and closed Reader's fingers on it.

Reader thought about the difference between this stranger who was so gentle and motherly, and Vaati who they had known since they had become an overlord over a decade ago. This Woman was so kind, and Reader didn't even know their name.

"Might I ask for your name?" Reader asked, and the elder woman chuckled, "My name is Madison."

Reader gently shook Madison's hand. "Thank you. Your kindness, while forgien to me, is very much welcomed and appreciated. May your life be long and prosperous."

The woman giggled. "You are very kind, my child. I hope your Karma is good to you."

Reader stayed and asked about all of the plants, happily munching on the tomato. "My people would never go hungry with this kind of food." Reader thought.

"So this is a carnation?" Reader asked, "It is very beautiful."

"Excuse me, please." A boy's voice said and Reader looked down to see a boy with dirty blond hair and brown eyes, and a girl with blond hair and a pretty dress with him. Reader stepped back "Oh! What a kind little child!" Reader bowed to Madison and rushed off "Vaati! The people here are so kind!" they exclaimed, looking for their overlord friend.

They found Vaati looking at little coin puzzles, and called his name. "Vaati! This place is perfect, the people are so wonderfully kind! And the food is bountiful!" they started to tell him, Vaati still examine the coin puzzles. "And the magic I saw on the way here! And the music the musicians play sound of smooth and calming and you don't need to pay a rupee to listen!"

"We shall take this world." Vaati said. Reader let out a happy sound "Yes! We must! It is too perfect to go back without the knowledge-"

Vaati glanced at Reader, eyes devoide of any readable emotion. "From what I have heard, the princess of this land has holy blood within her veins. The powers of a goddess. if I take it, I shall be the most powerful overlord and mage-"

"You mean we?" Reader said, coldly. Vaati waved them off. "Yes yes, WE shall become even more powerful."

"I don't understand." Reader started. "But this seems so sudden. Isn't it dangerous to go in head first?"

Vaati finally faced Reader. "The foolish people are busy and distracted. Like any guard shall be prepared for an attack. I can already tell this place is just as naive and overly trusting as you are."

Reader smiled maliciously, chuckling as Vaati began to walk towards the castle, before stopping. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" they exclaimed, rushing after him.

»»————-　★　————-««

The king sat on his throne, lost in thought. What Impa had told him of what Zelda had said was troubling him. Every version of the hero of legend had the princess of the royal tell the hero of an on coming danger. Was if this was just that? A warning.

He worried for his child, his little girl was only 11 for goddesses sake! So young, so vulnerable. . .

To have this happen now, when she was so young. . .

And there was no potential hero in sight. . .

A gaurd ran in, bloodied and panting. Gardening around the king went into a defensive stance as the guard at the door spoke, the king rising from his throne.

"YOUR MAJESTY!" The garden shouted in terror "YOU MUST FLEE, WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! WIZARDS HAVE-"

His eyes widened and blood dripped from his mouth as a vine grew from the floor and shot through his chest, dark, thick, and full of thorns. Sounds of shock were heard as the guard went limp on the plant now dripping with blood.

"My King!" a head guard said, "We must evacuate-"

The palace shook, and vines thicker than the one that had killed the guard grew over the doors, and windows were blocked as well, only letting in hints of sunlight as laughter echoed. a thinner vine shot up and wrapped around the necks of several other guard and pulled them down, and the echoing of snapping necks were heard by all within the room.

Two people entered the room, and Wind began whipping within the room, shattering the covered windows and causing things to fly as a purple haired man and a person in thin clothes and covered in vines entered.

Reader's arms were glowing green, and they were laughing, stepping on the vine that had shot through the guard like they hadn't just murdered people.

"WHO'S READY TO DIE?!" Reader exclaimed, and Vaati levitating in the air. Both had malicious, evil smile on their faces.

The king was pale.

The evil had come back into the light.

｡☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆｡

Chapter two done! yaaaay! I hope you enjoyed, have a good day/night!

#gender neutral reader #legends of zelda #reader insert #legend of zelda villains #morally grey reader #how do i tag this #vaati the wind mage

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whumpzone · 2 years

Text

Lost Property - 26

(masterpost)

Previous - Next

CW: dehumanisation, pet whump

The minute Colton stared up at the path ahead, his legs felt like they were going to give out. He couldn’t, surely he couldn’t walk all that way?

Lydia noticed his poorly-hidden anxiety and placed a hand lightly on his shoulder. “Once you find your rhythm, hiking is really fun. It’s calming, and satisfying when you reach the top. Look how nice and quiet it is today, too. Hardly anyone around to bother us.”

That was nice, he had to admit. Lydia’s belief in him seemed to strengthen his legs once more. He nodded, once, and replied, “I’ll do my best, Ma’am, and try not to hold you up.”

Lydia had opted for an easy, gently rising path that meandered lazily along the edge of the mountain. Spring was just beginning, some trees were reaching their still-naked branches towards the blue sky, while others sported their very first green leaves. The wind carried scents of wet earth and greenery.

“Look, Colton!” Delightedly, Lydia pointed out a fat bumblebee flying in low circles. “It must be a queen! She’s been sleeping though the winter, and now she’s looking for a good place to build her nest.”

The pet looked at the insect with interest. For once, he seemed more curious than scared.

He was being good. Lydia was pleased with him. She wasn’t walking very fast, stopping now and then to admire a plant or the view. The breeze had a bite to it, but the sun was warm. No one that he knew from… from before could reach him in this foreign place. But wasn’t this too much of a human enjoyment, going on a walking trip, talking together? Well, mostly Lydia talked, but he did hum his agreement and offered a word or two from time to time. Wasn’t this a thing that people did? Still, she had said that she had planned to take Coriander. And dogs went on walks too, didn’t they?

Lydia looked so serene, taking in the world around her at her own pace. Colton felt something in his chest, alongside his never-ending anxieties. He wished he could experience this the way she was.

He couldn’t. Pets and humans were too different. Lydia was his superior, she was free, she was her own master. Wanting to be like her was so foolish only a silly pet’s brain could have come up with it.

“Here Col, have some water.” Lydia unfolded a red, rubbery cup printed with the conference logotype and handed it to the young man. Then she unfolded a blue cup for herself. “Finally some useful merch.”

Spring water cascaded from a metal pipe set into the rock down into a stone basin and disappearing under the ground again. Green moss and feathery fern fronds surrounded the spring. Lydia put down the cup on top of her rucksack and reached out to wash her face and hands underneath the cool flow. When she filled her cup and drank, the water tasted fresh and wild.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Colton copying her actions almost exactly, washing his face and hands and then drinking deeply from the cup. He was eying her nervously, but when she smiled and nodded approvingly, he gave her a tentative, shy nod in reply.

“That’s good, right?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Here, have a sandwich too.”

He hummed, like he wanted to protest, but stopped himself. He was letting her be kind to him.

Lydia sat down and leaned against the big rock flanking the path, the reddish stone sun-warmed against her back. Amid the trees in front of her she could catch glimpses of the view. A river meandering through the valley and catching the sunlight in crystalline sparks. There were strands and streaks of forest, a few houses, scattered fields that were still bare, some darker brown where the soil had been overturned, some lighter brown where the soil had not been touched.

After eating her cheese sandwich, Lydia leaned back against the stone, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth and the sunlight. She let herself doze off for a moment, when some small noise suddenly alerted her.

She opened her eyes. Col was standing up, every muscle taut, staring fixedly into the forest. A moment later, she heard it too. Something was moving. Her breath caught. For a panicked moment, she remembered the man from yesterday. Had he followed them? An icy hand closed around her heart.

Colton leaned forward subtly, trying to see further through the trees. His hands tightened into fists.

A moment later, with a rustle, a pair of startled deer threw themselves over the path. Lydia caught a glimpse of dark eyes, russet fur and slender limbs. Then, they were already past. Their white tails bobbing away in the undergrowth.

Lydia let out a breath she didn’t know that she’d been holding. Meeting Col’s green eyes she laughed with relief.

“They gave me quite a fright, too. But all is well.”

. . .

The hike had continued at its drowsy pace. Col’s legs occasionally wobbled, Lydia noticed, and she made sure to casually suggest another quick stop every time. She was hardly surprised- Cory didn’t get out much, either. It was something she was hoping to gradually improve on.

Slanting, reddish rays of afternoon sun warmed the pink wall of the café, reflecting warmth on Lydia and Col sitting in patio chairs. Lydia was enjoying a fresh, slightly tart lemon sorbet. Colton had just stared in bewilderment at the array of colourful flavours when she’d asked him what he would like, so she had made the hopefully safe choice of strawberry and chocolate ice cream for him.

“So,” she said, “What do you think of today, Colton?”

The pet swallowed a spoon of sweet ice cream and met her smiling brown eyes with shy hesitation. When she smiled, her eyes squinted into crow’s feet at the corners. It made her look genuine. She was genuine, he was pretty sure.

“It was… it was a nice day, Ma’am.” He was surprised to discover that it was true. It had been a busy day with some very stressful moments, but on the whole, he had enjoyed it. Were pets even supposed to enjoy things? It was a strange feeling, but one the time with his Master had made him more accustomed to. “I am very grateful for it.”

“I’m glad you liked it.” She pushed a wayward lock of brown hair behind her ear. “I liked it too, I’m glad you wanted to come with me.” Lydia smiled. “And tomorrow, we’re going home.”

Fun facts:

Bumblebees early in the spring are always queens, since they are the only ones to hibernate over the winter. They have already mated in the autumn, so in the spring they are ready to start to lay eggs that hatches into worker bees.

Bumblebees can fly in colder temperatures than other bees , as their fur keeps them warm. (Bumblebees look round, but underneath the fur they look similar to other bees.)

They are very important pollinators and bumblebees are used commercially to pollinate crops like raspberries and tomatoes. Unfortunately, this causes some problems by risking the spread of diseases to wild bumblebees and that nonnative species can become invasive. Scientists in Switzerland have discovered that bumblebees can make flowers start to bloom faster by biting them: https://www.livescience.com/bumblebee-bites-make-flowers-bloom-early.html

taglist part 1:

@cupcakes-and-pain @whump-em @wh-wh-whu @neuro-whump @carnagecardinal @cowboy-anon @whump-me-all-night-long @redwingedwhump @myst-in-the-mirror @haro-whumps @eatyourdamnpears @bloodsweatandpotato @pinkraindropsfell @whumptywhumpdump @theydy-cringeworthy @whump-in-progress @whumpsy-daisy @nicolepascaline @whumpcreations @briars7 @shiningstarofwinter @whumppsychology @alex-ember @miss-kitty-whumptastic @whumpy-writings @in-patient-princess @youtube-fandoms-bands @goblinchildindabog @mazeish @distinctlywhumpthing @inpainandsuffering @canniboylism @incoherent-introspection @kim-poce @broken-typewriter @the-monarch-whumperfly @whumpers-inc @grizzlie70 @lil-whumper @writingbackwards @sunflower1000 @wingedwhump @thecitythatdoesntsleep @thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @onlybadendings @rabass @wolfeyedwitch @melancholy-in-the-morning

#fluff! fluff #lydia and linden #lost property #pet whump

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kkeidawrites · 1 year

Text

KNY: S&C

Chp. 8: Introduction of the Hashira

⚠️Please be aware that there are spoilers ahead! ⚠️

Once everything settled, Ubuyashiki turns to the twins once more. His warm smile still on his face.

“Since you two have arrived, I will have you stay in the quarters that the Corps have cared for since your mother was here last. You will stay at my home until the battle ends.” Ubuyashiki says and the twins nod.

They bow to him.

“Thank you for your hospitality.” They say in unison.

Waving his left hand, two female servants are quick to appear from the inside of the house and bow to Ubuyashiki.

“Please, follow us.” They say and begin to walk on to the engawa, guiding the twins to the right of the house. Stepping onto the engawa, the twins follow behind the women, as they were leaving the obvious feel of multiple eyes continued following them until they turned a corner and the feeling disappeared.

After a short time, the servants guided them to a ryokan telling them to remove their shoes at the door and asking if they would like something to eat.

“Tempura should be fine for me.” Aicha tells them as she removes her bag and sits on the cushion in the tatami room.

“Just a big bowl of ramen.” Amara includes to their order and sits across the table from her sister.

The servants nod then bow, closing the door behind them. Once their footsteps were gone, the twins looked around the new area.

“Very nice place. I’m surprised mother hadn’t told us that we would receive our own quarters.” Aicha mentioned and Amara nods in agreement.

“Maybe she wanted us to figure it out on our own? This is our journey we have to embark on.” The older twin comments.

“True.”

There was suddenly knocks coming from the shoji doors behind Aicha. Raising a brow to who that could be, Amara stands to her feet and walks over to the shoji door, slightly opening it to find pink and green hair.

“Eh?” Amara utters then her eyes follow up until she finds the beaming features of a young woman. Her green eyes were literally pulsing with heart eyes and her excitement could be seen from a mile away.

“Hello! I’m Mitsuri Kanroji the Love Hashira! May we come in?” She says excitedly.

Amara’s eyes looked to the left to see the butterfly woman from earlier and a tall man with scars making a ring on his forehead. He was blind Amara noticed, along with his prayer beads clanking on his left hand as he put his hands together.

“Namu-Amidabutsu.” He utters quietly making Amara hum in thought.

“Ummmm, I guess you can come in?” Amara questioned and the pink haired woman squealed in excitement.

Amara allows the shoji door to open up more and all three came into their quarters. Aicha watches in interest as the three people came inside and made themselves comfortable at the chabudai.

Closing the shoji door, Amara walks over to her sister’s side and sits next to her watching the three new guests bow before them.

“Hello, my name is Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira. Pleased to meet you both.” The butterfly woman introduced.

“Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira. Blessings to you and your family.” The large man bowed.

“I am Amara and this is my sister, Aicha.” Amara introduced them and Aicha bowed to them.

“Well, the reason that we are here is that we became fascinated with your presence.” Mitsuri explains and that makes the twins raise an eyebrow.

“Fascinated?” Aicha parrots.

“Yes! I have heard many stories about Ikkoku clan and being in the company of the daughters whose mother almost destroyed Muzan? I just had to meet you both!” Mitsuri rhapsodized.

“We’re not celebrities. We’re just here to help.” Aicha says.

“Oh but you must be! Surely you have been destroying demons since your arrival here!” Mitsuri beams and the twins sigh.

“Actually we have barely interacted with demons on the way here; it would seem since the beginning of our mission, the demons had already been killed by the Corps or there wasn’t any demons at the villages we have passed through.” Amara explained and the Love Hashira hummed in understanding.

“If I may,” Shinobu speaks up as she places her hands neatly on her lap.

“By coming to the Corps, do you think that you will follow in your mother’s footsteps?” She asked and the twins give her a confused look.

“Why would we do that?” Aicha asked.

“We are here for the same reasons I’m sure you all here for as well. We’re not here to collect trophies, celebrity status, or notability. We too have faced the horrors of demons and made a vow that we would make the world demon free. We care not if our lives will be taken, if it will benefit for a better cause.” Amara asserts, Aicha nodding in agreement.

“A suicide mission?” Shinobu questions and the twins give her a hard glare. Mitsuri squeals in surprise.

“Call it what you wish, but we have already made up our minds.” Aicha tells her.

“What of your reasons of being in the Corps? Your position as a Hashira seems to be of high ranking and I assume with that title, you all are on a suicidal path yourselves. Why should our mission be any different from yours?” Aicha asks and the three Hashira are silent.

Amara then sighs and shakes her head, the feeling of a migraine was blooming in the right side of her head.

“I wish not to repeat our reasonings for being here at the Corps, nor is it our business to know what you are here fighting for but, if you do not understand our commitment to the Corps or our clan, then you may leave.” Amara says.

“We didn’t mean to offend!” Mitsuri’s hands raise to show she meant no harm.

“What will you do once the war is over?” Gyomei asks, changing the subject.

The twins thought for a moment and then turn to answer Gyomei.

“Return home, or perhaps leave our village to find another place to live and work.” Aicha says.

“I want to open a blacksmith shop. I’ve always had a knack for making weapons.” Amara tells him.

“And you?” Amara asked the Stone Hashira.

“I…I am not sure what I would want to do after we defeat Muzan.” He said.

“Ohhh, you could run a temple Gyomei!” Mitsuri chimed in and the blind man hummed in thought.

A knock was heard at the door again, and everyone shifted their gaze to the shoji door sliding open to show the servants from earlier knelt by the shoji door.

“Excuse us. We have returned with your meals.” The brown haired woman says bowing.

“Oh, we didn’t mean to interrupt your meal!” Mitsuri said and the twins shook their heads.

“It’s fine. I’m sure if you would like you may stay for a meal as well?” Aicha offered.

“Hopefully with a more pleasant atmosphere than earlier.” Amara’s eyes cut to Shinobu who was smiling with her eyes closed.

Caw! Caw!

A crow flew over the to the door and flapped its wings in alarm.

“The Hashira Meeting is beginning! Please report to the Master’s quarters immediately!” The crow announces and the three Hashira stands to their feet.

“I’m sorry that we have to cut this short but, duty calls!” Mitsuri says excitedly and the twins stand to their feet as well.

“Well, I should say that it was a pleasure to meet you all. Please, if you would like to come by, do not hesitate to.” Aicha says politely.

Mitsuri nods happily and the three Hashira bows to them. The twins return the bow and the Hashira leave out the opened doors, passing the servants who kept their heads bowed and brought over two trays of food.

Sitting back down, the twins thank the two servants and immediately start eating.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The illuminated lanterns in the tatami room were the only light source that was allowed to show the Ubuyashiki family’s faces and the Hashira that sat in front of them.

“As you have reported, the demon’s carnage has increased more than ever.” Ubuyashiki says his smiling face dimming a bit at the news.

“Meaning that the threat to human life is greater than it’s ever been. We must bolster the ranks of the demon slayers. What are your thoughts?” He asks the Hashira.

Sanemi is first to speak, “The incident on Mt. Natagumo made the reports crystal clear. Our caliber of demon slayers have been dropping tremendously. Most of them are rendered useless, I question their trainers, they must be blind.” He guffs.

“You’d think they could at least tell if someone’s competent or not.” Sanemi carrying on.

Uzui Tengen, the bedazzled Sound Hashira smirks and places a hand under his chin in thought.

“That kid from earlier seemed competent to me, that blow he landed on you was quite flamboyant, Shinazugawa. He’s got potential.” Tengen says and Sanemi grits his teeth.

“With the increase in the human population, it becomes harder to control and unify them. The times have changed in this era.” Shinobu chimes in.

“Other than those who had their loved ones brutally massacred, or joined the Corps, or those who have hunted demons for generations, to ask anyone to harness as much or even greater resolve and drive to produce results would be cruel.” Gyomei said.

“Considering that young boy ran into the Twelve Kizuki so soon after joining the Corps. He could have the power to draw them in! We barely get the chance to confront even one of them! It makes me envious!” The fiery red and blonde hair Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyoujurou exclaims.

“Agreed. But the fact that a Lower Five caused such a drastic move, indicates that Muzan is nowhere near Mt. Natagumo. In the case of Asakusa, whenever Muzan wants to hide something, he creates a diversion to throw us off his trail.” Ubuyashiki sighs.

“It’s really quite frustrating. But demons are still devouring humans, gaining strength and surviving. For the sake of those who have died there is one thing for us to do:

I believe that, with who are present today, the Corps’ Hashira and the Ikkoku clan’s members involved, I’ve assembled the finest unit since the first Breathing swordsmen of the feudal era.

Uzui Tengen. Kyoujurou Rengoku. Shinobu Kocho. Mitsuri Kanroji. Muichiro Tokito. Gyomei Himejima. Sanemi Shinazugawa. Obanai Iguro. Giyu Tomioka.

My children, I look forward to your success.”

The meeting was adjourned an hour later and the Hashira leave their master’s residence to return to their respective homes.

He tells his daughters that they were free to leave as well and Ubuyashiki sits quietly in the dark, a smile still graced on his lips.

“Muzan Kibutsuji, I swear I’ll defeat you if it’s the last thing I do. We will bring you down without fail.” He vows quietly.

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