#BUT it is not MADE OF MAGIC like a ghost or elemental or something

[pantestudines]

No one should care but ive been thinking about it and my take is that the root of the walrus/fairy question is one specific word used by the original poll: "surprised". The question is not which would change your worldview or which is more/less possible to really happen. The question is which *surprises* you more. To me, this means which causes a stronger immediate surprise reaction in you upon opening that door. In essence, how bad do you flinch?

This, to me, is why so many people (including myself!) choose Walrus. A walrus is an immediate situation! That's an animal larger and stronger than you are, one that I would say is potentially very dangerous, that many people have never seen in real life. And now it's your responsibility and on your doorstep! A walrus on a doorstep is a novel idea, at least to me. I don't think I've ever had an animal just appear at my door, and certainly never knock. Sure, after the gut reaction dies down, the mundanity of the situation is certain; a walrus is a real animal and the perpetrator is likely nearby, laughing at the world's weirdest ding-dong ditch prank. But for a few seconds, it's just you, your expectations upon opening a door, and a pinniped of unusual size.

Now let's examine the fairy; The term can be vague, but I think most people imagine a generally humanoid but very small creature with insect wings. First off, by being small, the fairy will likely not trigger a defensive response, unlike the walrus. This thing is not an immediate threat, at least to your subconcious. Also, by being humanoid, usually with a very human face and features, this changes the situation from "strange beast on my doorstep" to "strange person on my doorstep". Obviously this may be different from person to person, but I think "strange small person on my doorstep" would illicite much weaker response from my flight or fight reflex than a large, strange animal. This is nothing to say about the familiarity most people have with fantasy and fantasy ideas, and the lack of familiarity most people have with walrus' in general, but I think those are also factors.

#also? by seeing a fairy you have certainly NOT proved anything about the universe and how it works #this could be a weird puppet. an illusion or projection of some sort. a weird bug that you mistook for a fairy. #even if the fairy holds up to scrutiny it could be a here to unknown form of fully mundane life #like an alien or some weird human mimicking insect or some other thing you (and science) just simply arent aware of yet #a small person with insect like wings dies not inherently mean magic exists! #now if the fairy starts casting spells sure #but has the fairy who politely knocked on your door and is waiting for you to open it actually done anything supernatural? #anyways. i actually really enjoy this question and think the discussion around it is enjoyable and the question itself was perfectly framed #like for example if you used 'bear' instead of walrus? MANY people are suddenly able to rationalize seeing one. dangerous or not. #and fairy is like. kindve perfect for 'hard to excuse mundanely' because it is both very human like but also very small #BUT it is not MADE OF MAGIC like a ghost or elemental or something #it strikes a fine line between 'magic is inherently real now' and 'this is just a horse with a cone taped on its head' #both of which would be situations that i think ruin the conditions of the question

[evilminji]

I just had a Thought that smacked me upside the head and insulted my mother (o.o )

You know how in DC, much like in most media, all Forces have an opposing Force? Fire to Water, Yin to Yang, Order to Chaos, etc etc. Well.....

If you ADD in DP's The Zone?

That right there? Is a Realm. An Element Of Creation. Yes, the glue, the very lining, of the Multiverse. Buuuuuuuut? What is it CONNECTING? The FABRIC? The SHELL and FORM?

What, in a word, is it's Reverse Element? Just as the Speed Force has the Slow Force. As Chaos has Order. What does the Realm of Death have?

I hear you suggest "the living world?" But! Rightfully, you sound uncertain! Because! Death is INHERENT to the so called "living world". Everything is! Order, chaos. Ying, Yang. Fire and water and earth and air! All of it! It's the mid-ground. Shared and thus balanced.

So what sits on the other side of the coin?

I? Propose? Those fffffuckin IMPS! The 5th dimensional imps, known to haunt our beloved DC Heros. Immortal. Eternal. Life unending.

Driven to cruelty and boredom by it.

They are a brilliant, distorted, reflection of the Ghosts we know! Are they not? Not every Imp so powerful as the ones we've seen. But? If, say, Overgrowth or Clockwork? Wanted to just pop in to harrass their favorite Blorbo?

What's a little veil between Realms?

Only thing STOPPING them, is themselves. The Rules. You know... the ones THEY made. Because Goverment. Kinda like the Observants. Walker. Danny and his throne.

I bet they HAAAAAATE each other.

Both have Obsessions, but gods help you if you compare them. Because Ghosts Obsess with the steadiness of the Dead. The unchanging, unrelenting, persistence. While IMPS? Obsessions like firecrackers! Shifting, changing, sticking on this or that! Maybe for a nano-second! Maybe for eons! Who knows?! Not them!

They both think the other side are FREAKS.

The single most OBNOXIOUS, Irritating, Grating, Petty, PATHETIC group of LOSERS you will ever be unfortunate enough to meet.

You think Danny hates the Joker? Is On Sight with HIM? You know NOTHING of his hatred for those big headed little balls of nasally BASTARD energy. It's like weasels and snakes.

Clark loves it. Danny keeps getting free pie. Because EVERY time that Imp comes to harrass him? *unholy staticy yowl screech* *flying tackle out of the air into a cartoonish dust cloud fist fight* here comes the normally cheerful and polite Phantom, looking POSSESSED. To claw Mxyzptlk's throat out.

Of course, the Imps refuse to give up. They were stalking their targets first. PHANTOM should leave.

Phantom shouts something that makes them gasp, deeply offended, and the nearby magic users choke on their own spit.

Yep. Clark LOVES the newest addition to the team. Best decision they ever made, Bruce. He's DELIGHTFUL :D

@the-witchhunter @nerdpoe @ailithnight @hypewinter @hdgnj

#dpxdc #dp x dc #dc x dp #dcxdp #dc x dp prompt

[oceantornadoo]

IDK! HEAR ME OUT THO!!!

Simon, staging the break in and what not so he could push you back into his arms??? INSANE!

Delicious story. Thank you for the food! <3

so originally when i made that last fic (which unexpectedly blew up tysm everyone) i added in the creepy elements almost on accident?? but this and another reply has me thinking...

tw: slight humiliation (but you'll like it)=

simon riley wasn't a bad man. he also wasn't a bad husband. at least that's what he told himself.

when you had presented him with those divorce papers a bit ago (13 months and 4 days, but who was counting), he thought it was a bluff. a joke. he had gone too far in your last argument, and that was your reaction. when he told you he'd go to therapy, you stared at him with a look he'd only see on men in the battlefield. dead all the way through, a walking husk. so he signed them and went to therapy anyways.

the whole time, this whole 13-month break, where you had been 'building a new life' or whatever, he had been planning. internalizing the commentary his therapist would make, and then spitting it back out to you while you moved out of his place. every time you seemed to forget one extra box, and who's to say if he hid a couple in his room? he had a plan.

over time, simon really seemed to have learned so much from therapy. so much about communication. he had become open and welcoming, far from that man who would respond to your complaints with hard stares and a lack of words. so maybe you met for coffee a couple of times and that's how he knew about the cafe by your new place. maybe that's how he tailed you one night after a date, just to make sure this new guy didn't try anything (and not to figure out your unit number). whatever he did, he played a dangerous game by letting you have this illusion of freedom while balancing his presence in your life, just enough to make you want more. after weeks and week of stagnant progress, he needed one extra push. something small, not even a shove.

and if he happened to mention your unit number to a bunch of shady guys that hung out in the alley by your building? happened to brag about your pretty pussy and sweet-smelling panties? maybe mention your habit of not locking the window when you left for work? who's to say. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

and now here you were, back in his arms where you belonged. a little frightened but comforted in the knowledge that he could protect you. the ghost wasn't shed when he took his mask off, but you didn't need to know that.

--

your body was so used to being in simon's arms you didn't even realize you had been grinding on him for the past ten minutes. his boxers you wore were sticky with arousal as you grinded against his clothed cock in the dark. even in your dream, it was simon underneath you, no one else. "si." you panted, a near-whisper that only a military man could have heard. "dove?" he adjusted your sleeping positions, tossing the covers to give you more room to maneuver against him.

"i know i said that thing about the line not being crossed." he gave you a low chuckle. silly little girl. you had finally realized how much you needed him and he was going to milk you for all you were worth. "and?" you stopped. shit. he needed to seem more responsive. he moved you from his thigh to his boner using one arm, the other one snaking its way under your shirt to stroke your back. you moaned as he massaged the tension from the day's earlier events away, giving you sweet relief. the sweetness of the massage made a hard contrast to the friction in your core as he rubbed you against his hardened cock.

"spit it out, baby." he growled. "can you-fuck." his hand had moved to the back of your neck now, holding it in a tight grip. his hand was so large he could feel the pulse points on either side of your jaw, heart racing. finally. "can you get me off? just this once?" he snorted, moving you up and down against him faster, dragging your sensitive clit over and over. "what's the magic word?" he flipped you both around, pressing his body weight on top of you.

simon turned the light on, wanting to see how needy you were. you were panting, shirt sticky with sweat as your chest moved up and down with exertion. he hiked up your shirt and took off your boxers, exposing your sticky cunt to the cool air. he took a sniff of the fabric, noting your small gasp as if you didn't know how obsessed he was with you already. "magic word." your mouth dropped. guess you weren't getting off that easily. "please, simon." he clucked his tongue at that. "ghost?" he left out a short laugh, arms reaching out to tug his shirt off of you. your nipples were so hard, aching to be pinched and sucked just how you liked them. "not ghost." he reached over to his nightstand, pulling something out of the drawer. he fumbled with his hand for a second, then held yours up to the light as he slipped something on it.

"husband." the words left your mouth in a whoosh, eyes transfixed on your wedding ring that was on your hand. the one you had flung at him after he complained about the divorce papers, the one you said you'd rather die than wear again. and here it was, right back on your finger, sparkling in the lamplight.

simon captured your mouth in a rough kiss, entering you with his ring and middle finger at the same time. "so willing for your husband, hm? all puffy and wet. look at your cunt, darling." you both looked down at your pussy at the same time. it was squelching, your vibrator sessions not holding a candle to what your ex husband could do to you. you were almost embarrassed by how desperate your pussy looked, clit enlarged from its earlier friction. his fingers worked in and out of you, wedding ring covered in slick. you watched as he pressed his thumb to your clit in small circles, a tightening sensation in your lower belly rising to the surface. "simon, si-fuck" he gave your pussy a small slap, pulling his fingers out as you addressed him incorrectly. "husband, please." he entered you again roughly, drawing a low moan from you. he captured your nipple in his mouth, teething it just enough to make you hurt. punishment.

"please please please i'm right ther-" he pressed hard against your clit and sent you careening off the edge into your orgasm, back bowing off the bed. simon gave you small love bites as you recovered, hand still working your cunt to draw out your orgasm.

finally, he removed his fingers and drew back from you, forcing eye contact. he put both in his mouth, moaning at the taste of your arousal mixed with the metal from the wedding band. your jaw was still open, looking at him like you had never seen him before. like the sheep's skin had finally been removed, and now only the wolf remained.

"let's get you to bed, wife."

#simon ghost riley #simon riley x reader #simon riley x you #simon riley smut #simon riley wife #fluff #ghost call of duty #ex husband ghost #tornadothoughts #yandere simon riley

[loveemagicpeace]

🩵Poetic Neptune🧜🏼‍♀️

🩵Neptune represents the waters that contain all of a person's hopes, dreams, emotions, ideas and potential. With Neptune's help, we break through the current dilemma and dare to dream of a better future. That's when photography was invented, and the first scammers were using it double exposures produced photographs of ghost-like figures that were rumored to be phantom creatures. The development of hypnotism and basic began psychological theories. Neptune idealizes, but they are in his case, ideals based on dreaming about someone or something that would save us from pain separations. Basically, it's a longing to escape from cold cruel reality of the world.

🏠This is shown when we return home after a long, tiring day, close the door to the outside world, and immerse ourselves in a good book, movie, or other activity that takes us away from of the daily grind and at least for us for something time to escape. But Neptune can get lost in this relaxation and returning to the real world or knowing when enough is enough doesn't always go well for him. Then it can happen that we drink more wine than we intended, or that we stay up too long and then don't hear the alarm clock in the morning. Neptune can cause confusion in any given life, opening the way to our dreams and closing the door to reality. Neptune is also associated with addiction.

🧜🏼‍♀️People with a strong Neptune can be very daydreaming and are naturally inclined towards spiritual practices and mystical experiences. Many times they experience the world differently than other people. The planet also represents the longing for a benevolent parent who would protect us from suffering and make everything go well. It is necessary to watch out for longing, because it can quickly make us victims of our own emotions. Neptune's domain also includes daydreaming and longing for a perfect love that will satisfy every need and finally made us happy and complete. People with a strong influence of Neptune do not constantly dream of love that will save them and show them the way.

🩵Neptune can also indicate the constant childlike energy that is with us. Returning to the past and the desire to stay young forever. We idealize our favorite actors and other celebrities because we believe they have the perfect one appearance, relationships and lifestyle. Many of us dream of being famous and also living the perfect life. The realization that ideals are unattainable can lead to intense disillusionment with the world, and Neptune is associated with mood swings and destructive behavior when the truth is not matches our expectations. Neptune is the classic embodiment of the artistic temperament. Neptune is associated with the mysterious realms life, and questions that have no scientific explanation. The planet represents the invisible the laws of matching that bind us together and the inexplicable coincidences that happen in our lives. Theories conspiracies originate from Neptune's murky world, where nothing is quite as it seems and the layers of possibility are many.

🧚🏼‍♀️Neptune in 1st house-The presence of Neptune brings an element of glamour to your outer persona. It gives you a sixth sense with which to navigate the world. your imagination is very big and you can quickly fall into your dream world wherever you are. You can draw a lot of energy from your surroundings. Many times you can create places in your own magical way. You can idealize people's personalities and looks without realizing it. Your personality is very interesting and many times people can't read you or tell exactly who you really are. You have a mysterious nature that quickly charms people. People can see in you someone who is mysterious, spiritual and out of this world. Your appearance is magical and you can look like a cartoon character. Sometimes you don't even seem real to people. You can charm people with your presence and appearance. You can be whoever you want to be and people will believe it and see you that way.

💰Neptune in 2nd house-you can daydream a lot about money, material things, food, enjoyment, music, movies. With Neptune here, you can have a very high confidence in the things you have. Your value can also be high (but that's because you're just delusional about it). You can literally manifest money. This placement can indicate dreams and illusions surrounding wealth and possessions. Individuals with this placement might have a tendency to idealize money or view it through a spiritual lens. You can watch a lot of movies and then have the feeling that this is real life. Life can be a movie. You can also have your own style of music that you listen to and it can quickly take you over.

😶‍🌫️Neptune in 3rd house-a lot of your imagination is in your head. You can imagine all kinds of things. Many times you delve into the thoughts of others. Neptune has no boundaries, and when it is placed in the third house, it can be hard for you to be assertive when dealing with others. Sometimes you find it very hard to talk to others or listen to them because you can draw a lot of energy from them. But you can be very good at telling a story or acting out a scene. Individuals with this placement may have a poetic way of speaking or writing, often conveying deep emotions and abstract concepts. Your way of speaking and thinking can be quite mystical, different and interesting to others.

🎑Neptune in 4th house - you can dream a lot about a perfect home and family. You can idealize your home and imagine exactly the kind of house you would like to have. Whenever you feel lonely, your escape is the place where you feel most comfortable and understood. You can spend a lot of time there. People with this position have a need to have a place in which they can hide from others and which is only theirs. Neptune here suggests a search for the perfect sanctuary, a place of soulful retreat. A spiritual principle can be your inner and outer foundation stone. You can have a very beautiful and spiritual home. Maybe you spend most of your time at home. I also think that many people, when they come to the home, feel like they are in a dream and very comfortable. But you can also feel lonely many times.

🎨Neptune in 5th house-eternal child. You want to live an easy, dreamy life. You can put a lot of your energy into creating, showing your thoughts, feelings and yourself. People with this position draw very well from an early age or have a special ability in things that others do not. Neptune here can also mean that you become recognizable at a young age without even realizing it. You can have several different hobbies, but many times they are related to water. In this position, people have to be careful not to get too carried away by gambling. Because they can become addicted to them or use them to escape. Your escape from the world can also be drawing in which you express your feelings, various hobbies or even romantic affairs (these people can sometimes meet people just to escape from problems). But you can also make people dreamy- with you, they can feel like they are in a movie.

🧁Neptune in 6th house- Individuals with this placement often find themselves drawn to careers that involve creativity, spirituality, or working with the less fortunate. They have a deep desire to offer their services to the world in a compassionate and empathetic manner. You can live in a messy space but you can feel your best in them. The 6th house represents perfection while Neptune represents confusion. Here you can be very delusional when it comes to health and your body, many times you are not even aware of the problems you have. You are self-sacrificing when it comes to work or problems. Many times, however, your escape is the opposite of that. These people usually cannot do work unless it involves art and at the same time they will work better on their own. These people should not take drugs or any substance because they can quickly become addicted and it can affect their health.

🥰Neptune in 7th house- a longing for a perfect union is suggested here and it might be hard for you to see people for who they really are, rather than as you would like them to be. You can dream a lot about the perfect partner/relationship you want to have. You can spend most of your time fantasizing about people you imagine yourself. Your escape can also be an imaginary parterre or a relationship that exists only in your head. Here you have to be careful not to get into a relationship too quickly, because people can turn out to be completely different than they were at the beginning. Neptune can give you the illusion of a relationship that isn't there at all. But u can also meet your soulmate and having the most dreamy relationship. The good thing in neptune is that everything is an illusion and you can get everything you want if you believe in it.

Part 2 is comming🎸🫧🎨

✨Ig- bekylibra

-Rebekah🩵🦋🌊

#astrology #energy #zodiac signs #planets #my notes #astrological houses #neptune in houses #poetic neptune #love #dreamy vibes #ilusion

[fave-fight]

ROUND 2, MATCH 25

NO MAGIC, POWERS, WEAPONS, OR ADDITIONAL HELP FROM OTHERS

Perry the Platypus/Agent P:

“I can't submit Dr. Doofenshmirtz without also submitting his nemesis! Perry is just a platypus but he regularly beats up a full-grown man with nothing more than his little platypus fists. He's also a master of disguise as even when Dr. Doof sees him without his signature fedora, he has no idea its really Perry.”

“He always has the element of surprise”

“He's a semi aquatic Egg laying mammal of action (Doo-bee-doo-bee-do-bah) (Doo-bee-doo-bee-do-bah) He's a furry little flatfoot Who never flinched From a fra-ee-ay-ee-ay (Fray) He's got more than just mad skill He's got a beaver tail and bill And the women swoon Whenever they hear him say (Perry's sound) He's Perry, Perry the platypus (You can call him Agent P) Perry (I said you can call him Agent P) Agent P Agent P Agent P”

Reigen Arataka:

“he has so many silly anime special moves like . throwing salt”

“Well, he doesn't break the super strength rule, so he'll at least be allowed into the fist fight! That's something! As for why he'll win, he um. Well I'm not sure honestly, but I'm sure he'll do it somehow. Maybe he'll find a way to sneak some table salt into the match so that he can perform his special technique, the Banishing Salt Punch. Though, if he doesn't cheat, he'll be left with a plain ol punch. The special technique didn't so much damage, but that was on a ghost, and I'm not sure if there will be any ghosts here, and his punch has proved somewhat effective in the series. Maybe he'll somehow get the participants of this poll in a con or something. Maybe the charm that got him the title of the #2 Tumblr Sexyman and made him sweep so many polls will be enough for him to win. Maybe his patheticness will loop around and make him win somehow. He has options”

“Reigen is an "exorcist" who pretends to have psychic powers, but mostly gets his psychic employee(s) to do the exorcisms for him. His primary techniques include throwing salt at his problems, running away, and punching. My favorite technique of his is Self Defense Rush which is where he punches a terrifying psychic but yells "SELF DEFENSE!" in hopes of preventing legal trouble.”

“Remember that one time he dropkicked a psychic? that was fun”

“He’s such a loser he’d lose at anything”

#fight fight fight #round 2 #poll tournament #tournament poll #polls #poll #perry the platypus #agent p #phineas and ferb #reigen arataka #mob psycho 100

[dcxdpdabbles]

Have you seen the halfa cass post that's been floating around? I'd love to see your take on that

I'm going to assume you mean the au made by @phandomhyperfixationblog so I'll write about that but if I am wrong please let me know in another ask or message.

Cass was sent to Amity Park to investigate its residents' disappearance. Ghost towns in the USA were fairly common, often after they were abandoned, the earth would reclaim the land and would be left untouched for years to come until a lucky urban exploder discovered it again.

What wasn't uncommon was that everything was left behind when the town was abandoned. Cass walks down three more streets, eyes taking in everything around her. Although the lawns were vastly overgrown and the houses left to the elements, there weren't a lot of open spaces.

Empty cars were parked perfectly along the road or in a lot, chairs and tables on porches were left out, children's toys laid in driveways, and after squinting through a few windows, she could see fully furnished households- some even had a slight mess as if the owners hadn't gotten around to their household chores yet.

One house even had a dinner table set up. The meal was rotten and smelled, but she could tell it was a family dinner that was interrupted mid-way.

Yes, everything was covered in dust, as if years had gone by since someone was last here, but otherwise, it looked like a thriving community had been here only a few days ago.

Even the stores were fully stoked, aisled upon aisled of merchandise left untouched for who knows how long. Restuantants were similar, rotten food aside, everything was open and set up as like a normal bussniess hour.

Overall, it didn't seem like the residents willingly abandoned this place. They left literally everything behind. Nothing showed looting either, which indicated how uncommonly outsiders came here.

The fact Cass was investigating Amity Park at all was because she was doing a favor for Raven. The girls didn't talk much, but it was the least she could do as the magic-user had helped her with a fight in Hong Kong a few days ago.

Raven claimed that an abnormal energy pulse came from the town. It wasn't wrong; some places just had more natural energy to them, but she had always wondered what the cause was.

It is a low-level mystery that she put off exploring due to all other priorities, but about a week ago, Raven sensed another pulse-this one reeking of death- and had asked Cass to check it out while she went on a space mission with the rest of the Titans.

She was supposed to take picutes, do some scenes and get some readings. Cass was not expecting to find literally no one for miles.

Cass slowly made her way down streets, breaking into houses and stores, looking for clues. She found no signs of a struggle but that may be due to the time frame of when this happened.

It wasn't until she got to Fenton Works that she managed that she could figure out some parts of the puzzle. The building itself was a challenge to get into. It was rigged to the teeth with weapons and security measures.

Some were old and rusted, but a majority quickly powered up to shoot at her as she tried to get past. Ducking and weaving through the blast she felt all her muscles burn from the rapid dodge she was doing.

Through years of training, she turned a handstand into a run and then a leap to crash through the front window, and the weapons outside halted as soon as she rolled to a stop in what appeared to be a cozy living room.

Weary, she watched as the gun blasters slowly retreated back into the slight holes along the roof, the fake pathway, and the gnome. Once done the world fell silent again. It's now that Cass startles.

She hadn't noticed Amity Park's silence until it was broken. She hadn't heard birds or the wind blowing through the leaves as she walked. Something was terribly wrong in this place.

Maybe she can find out what it was in Fenton Works.

She began her search by examining the walls. They were lined with family photos- a family of father, mother, and what she assumes are the children of both based on facial features, one girl and one boy. There are art pieces every so often- primarily abstract. The furniture is nothing expensive- coming from a generic furniture store. The kitchen smells rotten food- like most houses- but there is a stack of books on the table.

Cass peers down at them, noticing that they all revolve around a psychology of some sort. An open book is lying next to a notebook filled with notes for teenage development. A pencil is even left over the last unfinished sentence.

Danny's need for acceptance may be due to living in my shadow. I should show him more support.

Cass moves upstairs after confirming there is nothing else of value. There, he finds three rooms- a master bedroom obviously belonging to the parents, a slightly larger room belonging to the girl, and the smallest bedroom belonging to the boy.

Cass can confirm that the girl was tidier than the boy but while her room seemed less personal than the boy's. While the boy has far more personal touches to his belongings, nothing seems to be in order or so driven.

The parents' room was covered with either machinery that could be weapons or images of their children. Whoever they are- or were they loved the two deeply.

In the master bathroom, Cass found that the couple habitually wrote sticky notes with their to-do lists taped on the bathroom mirror's corner. She could tell the differences in handwriting and word choice- the mother wrote explanations while the father did short annotations.

Clean the beakers in lab zone 2. They are releasing gasses, so they must be disposed of properly.

Jazzy-pants slam poetry night. Nov 19th. 6pm.

Danny's sleep study. Dec 10th. Teachers said he's been falling asleep in class too often. It might be Narcolospy!

Dinner Date with Maddie. Nov 22. Classical music reservation.

Cass taps her chin. This happened before December but what year and where did everyone go?

She looks down at the sticky notes again, noticing that many speak about a "lab" downstairs. Seeing as she did not find a lab on the ground level, that only left a lower one.

Leaving the bedroom, she makes her way down to the basement, where she does, in fact, find a large lab. There is a clutter of tools for the eye to see, all surrounding what looks like everyday household items and weapons.

Cass's lips thin as she takes in the strangely shaped guns, staffs, and blades. A weapon maifator? But why here? She tried the computers she scattered about, but none worked. She didn't think so, seeing as the electricity had been shut down across the city, but she had hoped.

Thankfully, this family seemed to believe in paper and pencils because she could find multiple writings throughout the lab. It's mathematical, primarily formulas, a half-baked thesis of "ecto-being" behavior, and notes on "ecto-beings." portal.

A portal that is sitting at the far right of the lab. Cass walks around the perimeter checking to see if it has any traps, but finds none. Then she walks over to the controllers testing the power on it.

She pressed the on button waits forty seconds to confirm that it was not active before she entered the portal. It resembles an early design of the zeta tubes. Maybe the family here were trying to develop teleporting technology-

"GET OUT OF THERE!" Someone shouts. Cass jumps a good foot in the air, swinging around with her fists raised for battle. She hadn't heard him! Hadn't sensed him at all!

It's been long since anyone has gotten the drop on her. She is just grateful she is wearing a mask- not her batgirl or Orphan gear but rather a borrowed ninja outfit Damian had granted her- since it means her identity is protected from the glowing man at the stairway's base.

Wait, glowing?

She opens her mouth to demand to know who he is when the portal powers on. She only had a moment to bite back a swear before her world exploded in pain.

Cass can hear herself scream, but it's too far away from the agony of electricity being poured into her body. She is being ripped apart by it, pushed and molded, and put back together again, only to start the process repeatedly.

It feels like ages before she can't handle it anymore- again, it's been years since that last happened- before the world fades away and she falls into blissful slumber

She has smoke-grey hair and glowing opal-white eyes when she wakes hours later.

The man is leaning over her with snow-white hair and glowing green eyes, looking worried as Cass finds that her body can no longer stay solid. It seemed that she had died and now had the body of a ghost.

She knows who makes this.

"Hello, Danny," She says, pushing through the pain of her death. Oh gods, how will Bruce react when he learns about her stupid error. She doesn't want to think about it, so she pushes it away to give the startled man an empty smile. She had to at least figure out the mystery so that her death can not be in vain."I have some questions about Amity Park."

#dcxdpdabbles #dc x dp crossover #Cass the Halfa #Basically Cass made a mistake #Danny sensed her walking over his grave #He tried to save her but it was too late #Cass isn't aware that she is a halfa and thinks she fully died. #Amity Park went missing

[say-hi-intrepid-heroes]

alright let’s go over the junior year clues we got in the rick perry documentary thing (disclaimer: i’ve definitely missed stuff, but i think i got the big things, feel free to reblog and add with stuff that i missed though)

[at the bottom of this post I've typed out the decipherable words that plan out some combats and NPCs from Rick's screen. it's the most interesting thing but it's super long so it's at the bottom under a cut]

We get a blurry look at some minis. I’m seeing at least the PC’s minis, as well as what looks like Baxter the Gryphon.

There’s some major shots of this battle. Includes a Baby mini, the Hangvan with some kind of laser canon on top, a stingray-esque monster that is likely Night Yorb (see below), something that looks like maybe an ice elemental or the crystal (see below), and some large bugs and shirtless people. Clearly set in the Red Wastes. Detailed info of the planning for this battle below.

One of the shots had reference boards in the background. One is clearly for the Hangvan (see earlier screencaps), but the other is unclear. It looks like it includes some sort of tennis or tennis-adjacent sport.

Confirmation that Mordred Manor is a set piece.

Finally, one shot showed Rick’s computer screen with some critical info about planning. I’ve put what I’ve been able to decipher below the screencaps. and under a cut, as it’s very long.

EP. 701 DEFEATING NIGHT YORB CHASE (RED WASTES) Hangvan, Night Yorb is giant flying Manta Ray thing? Rainbow road, being chased by night yorb while trying to throw crystal into portal. Crazy gun on rough [roof] that gorgug made, I can’t get a lock on it. Just need one last final thing to defeat night yorb. Red wastes, chasing the night yorb around, flying bats teleporting onto rough [roof] of van, NPC allies, Balthazar, two other cars they are in contact with, tiefling bakers or sidekicks are reveals Stormchaser twister, trying to get a lock onto it, Night Yorb is escaping the world. Maybe night yorb gets away, why didn [didn’t] you get it? And Balthazar died? Murph invented the Night Yorb. Don’t fuck with the Night Yorb. Exploded out of riz’s chest, needs to be dumb as hell. it’s the jabberwocky, it burbled, hugely terrifying, Horrifying cursed thing. Unending night for two months. Dragon sized, bigger than the Hang Van, 30’ wingspan Stars and moon. While the night yorb flies it is night and not day. Not malevolent force, but everything on earth will die Have giant ghost busters canon, Honey I shrunk the kids cannon Driver, mechanic, gunner, navigator (using SW 5e mechanics) Hang Man - Fabian motorcycle Tether is attached to night yorb, either magic or harpoon Night Yorb could out pace them. Could smash van. Cultist of the night yorb appearing on the road, mad max style ”The night yorb is our god” Red Wastes Cultists: Riding skeleton horses, classic fantasy cultists, Manta ray night yorb masks Sword and Sorcery vibes, MUSCELY, oiled, black leather, rings Shadow of Night Yorb Tether must be reeled in over 4 rounds Success Meter - 4 rounds or it escapes Pop up cultists in the middle of the road 4 maps Straight away, gully bridge crossing, rap popping up, giant portal It’s going to another world but if it gets away thats just as bad Ayada [Ayda?] thing built in. Chekov’s gun. Gun has cool helix of energy that is getting cranked in. Gun is on the back and on the hood is a binding circle that Adaine does. Cultists are making the portal. YORBIES if they catch it, it gets bound into the paint of their van Gun is gorgug’s stuff and circle is adaine 6 cultist perusing them, 4 or 5 at the portal, 1 or 2 back up Single person traps, Vulture with cactus MINIS: Night Yorb - Giant shadowy manta ray, inky black dripping, made of liquid, different underbelly, deep indigo or bone white. Made of shadows, dripping aberration, flat plane, long tail, two weird eyes coming off front on stalks. Second set of PCs TERRAIN: Red Wastes! NOTES: favorite crazy dnd monsters, beholder, [unclear word, bu…ette] Fungal Black light portal battle! Dr. Strange battle set, pseudo pods of elder pod night yorb, day glow run fragments, purple stone castle night yorb temple, floor is octopus made of shadows. Starting mid battle. [blank sections] PROJECTION: Counter here of some kind?

POTENTIAL LOCATIONS Basrar’s icecream shop? Mordred Manor Seacaster Manor [crossed out] Strong Tower Luxury Apartments SAT Prep class [screen cuts off]

EP. 704 DENTENTION [detention] STEALTH CHASE SEQUENCE/ QUIET LIBRARY/ Aguefort chase sequence? Combine sets interrupted by having to make it past a hall monitor Underwater? Books suspended floating, everything is affected by water Don’t wake daddy? Start in Library to get to Aguefort’s office Hallway Classroom Bathroom Lockerroom [blank sections] DYNAMIC ELEMENT: Water

CONCEPTS Dicks! SPIRITUAL GUARDIANS - Full service on minis, summons, etc Psycadelic fungal giant, black light, trippy, beautiful Revisiting old set [screen cuts off]

[fyi everything past this point was very blurry, so I could only decipher pieces here and there]

EP. 706 OUTDOOR CONCERT COACHELLA Music feature? Flaming [?], giant [?] [???] Fig and Gorgug on stage [???] Lighting effects, [???] Floating stage or something [???] Demons? PROJECTION: Lasers?

NPCS/ VILLAINS/ MONSTERS/ ETC. PORTER CLIFFBREAKER is secret servant of nightmare king tactical battlefield combat that [?] 2-3 times larger than PCs LED buried inside him [???] Porter was [???] basketball player [screen cuts off]

[the rest was too blurry to make out anything other than a blank section titled ROLE PLAY/ NEUTRAL BOARD and a section that seems to be for EP. 708 and says EXTRA with some blurry words after it]

#dimension 20 #d20 #fantasy high #brennan lee mulligan #fhjy #rick perry #dropout #fantasy high junior year

[inthememetime]

There are plenty of posts where Justice League and Constantine sees Danny's Ghost King Form in all of its Eldritchy glory, from on being Lightning Based to one being compared to an event horizon, as he takes down the ghost that was giving the League problems and it basically freaks them out.

So when I stumbled upon this picture

I knew that this could be an excellent form worthy of a King if it was tweaked to fit Danny with ghostly elements, and maybe ice themes sprinkled with something Space related.

Like Vortex or Undergrowth is giving the League trouble, then this thing straight out of the Old Testament shows up, takes down the Ghost, and turns back to Danny who didn't know he just melted the League's brains.

Or, maybe during The Legion of Doom / The Light tries to summon the Ghost King for power/ take over the world, and Danny comes along looking like that and scares everyone there shitless.

How do you think that will go down?

I have had this in my drafts for So Very Long... Im sorry!!!

Holy *^$π, Batman!™

I LOVE the image, and 100% agree, it's an awesome base to work off with Danny.

I think it would be hilarious. Matter of fact, I wrote a fic about it. 😁 If you have an AO3, let me know and I'll gift it to you.

Ao3 here

Be Not Afraid- or Whatever

Summary: The weather god- though Constantine swore it was 'just' a ghost- had pinned down the entire Justice League. While they'd managed to trap Vortex in a two square mile area and evacuate civilians, and even arrested the cult responsible, they in turn were trapped in a small warehouse, protected only by the blood blossom spray and salt circle Constantine made.

With no way to fight it, they had only one choice: summon another ghost. Enter Ghost King Danny Phantom, stage right.

    Rain, wind, and hail pounded heavily against the metal roof and walls of the tiny back office of a warehouse. 

    Earlier today- just this morning, in fact- it had been a bright and warm summer day. The Flash flinched as a piece of hail broke through a window. Constantine didn't flinch, intent on his task. Superman was still unconscious, Batman picking out shards of kryptonite from a bullet that had hit its mark too well. 

    It was silent but for the occasional pained gasp from their Kryptonian friend, and Constantine's low mutters in what sounded like Ancient Latin to Barry's untrained ears. 

    Thunder roared, and the single lightbulb went out. Wordlessly, Batman cracked a pair of glowsticks, passing one to him so he could hold it up for Constantine. Clark groaned quietly. 

    A cult of summoners swearing fealty to Vortex, Lord of Storms, seemed easy enough to stop; Batman made the plan and coordinated with everyone. He and Superman rescued hostages and dock workers alike as Batman and Constantine took down the cult. 

    It was supposed to be easy. Simple. It was anything but. 

    The smell of the weird floral spray Constantine used- Blood Blossoms, the magic user had said- was beginning to fade. A drop of sweat fell down Constantine's face. His lips were pressed tight, white against the odd pallor of his face. 

    "John," Barry whispered, "how much longer?"

    Another window broke. Batman swore quietly. "Good news is, we've got the blood sacrifice ready," he joked under his breath. He winced then, and pressed his hand against the bandage on his arm. 

    It had bled through again, but the others were needed for Clark. In a rare event, the alien was the most injured on the team. 

    The cultists had purchased bullets laced with kryptonite from somewhere, which didn't hurt Constantine any more than a regular one. The same couldn't be said for Clark. 

    The magic-user hesitated until water started to bubble underneath the door, threatening the complicated circle of chalk and blood. He spoke, and this time it wasn't in Latin. Barry couldn't recognize it. 

    The temperature began to drop further while the air around the man began to shimmer, almost. Ozone gathered in the air, and the darkness increased until he couldn't see anything. Even the glowstick was a pinprick of light so tiny he couldn't be sure it was real. 

    A low rumble sounded and a radioactive green pool started to open. One massive clawed hand grabbed the edge. Constantine's voice cracked- but didn't stop. Another hand pulled out, and another, folowed by one more. 

    They were white as snow up to the wrists. One massive wing shot up, far too big for the office, followed by another, both black as night and covered with starry patterns. The next thing Barry made out was a crown of twisted black iron and glittering jewels, wreathed in green flame, atop two large horns, blue like sea ice. 

    The figure continued to rise as John spoke, revealing a second, then third set of wings and a mane of white hair which flowed in a wind he couldn't feel. Four sets of eyes opened, some solid green and glowing, some pitch black, some solid white, and the last a myriad of colors. 

    The thing's face was almost tan, almost the color of mortal flesh, but green scars like lightning bolts marred it. A thud alerted him of one massive foot, then another, both white and clawed. 

    The rest of its body except a shining white D was black as the void. When it opened its mouth, he had to look away, unsure if he feared or loved it, found it beautiful or terrifying. 

    Abruptly, the light from the sticks was back. He didn't dare look at Clark or Batman to see how they were doing; every instinct said he was in front of a predator, and showing the weak of the herd would be a death sentence. 

    Finally, Constantine fell silent. 

    "What's up? Kind of a weird place for a summons, you know," it said, and Barry swallowed. It sounded like a child, an old man, a windstorm, the shriek of a blizzard, the thunder of roaring waves all at once. 

    "I have summoned you, King of Ghosts, to take your servant back to your realm," Constantine managed, voice only wavering a little. 

    It leaned forward. "And the price?"

    The thing sounded almost teasing. Amused. 

    "What would you ask of us?"

    "Autographs," it immediately said. "From Martian Manhunter, Superman, Cyborg, and Wonder Woman."

    Wait. What?

    "I'm a big fan," it added. 

    "Should all of us survive today, we will do so," he agreed. 

    "Sweet. Gimme like 5 minutes. Maybe 10, Vortex is a bit of a bitch. Also, be not afraid or whatever. I'm one of the good guys."

    It was gone, then, and abruptly Barry sucked in a breath. Sounds of a fierce battle echoed from outside for several minutes before the storm abruptly stopped. 

    Slightly singed, the Ghost King returned. "Hey, does Supes over there need a doctor? I know a good one in the GZ."

    He swallowed. Batman cleared his throat. "We only need to get the kryptonite out of him, he'll be fine."

    "Okay!" It chirped, then reached over and, without so much as ruffling the suit, reached into the alien and pulled out a small handful of shards. "I'll be back in a few weeks for those autographs- I'd say tomorrow, but time is weird. Bye, guys!"

    "Wait- can I ask for a way to contact you? If you'd be willing to help in the future," Constantine asked. 

    "Yeah, sure. My Chirper handle is @realdeadguy, all lowercase, no punctuation," he said, "and you can call me Phantom if you want."

    -

    "Guys!"

    Sam groaned and Tucker covered his face with a pillow. 

    "Dude, we know you just got back from a summons, but it's 3 am."

    Danny rocked back and forth, wings twitching. "I met the Justice League! They're so cool! Batman was there! Batman!!!"

    "I thought you were all about Su-"

    "And I saved Superman's life, isn't that awesome?! I kept the kryptonite, look, real-life rock from space!"

    "Rocks aren't alive, Danny," Sam muttered. Then, a second later, "wait, what?! You met the Justice League? Was Wonder Woman there?"

    "No, but I asked for an autograph."

#danny phantom #inthememetime #danny phantom au #eldritch danny #ghost king danny #vortex #constantine #dp x dc #barry allen #the flash #batman #superman

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

What do you think constitutes as a 'monster'? In the scary monster Halloween event mummies, vampires, werewolves, skeletons and dragons seem to be monsters but there was also the ghost pirate, so do ghosts constitute as monsters? Is 'monster' a term used for creatures that aren't part of the main four species (humans, fairies, merpeople, beastpeople)?

I honestly don't think what counts as "monster" and "non-monster" is a huge distinction to make, nor is it strongly defined in the world of Twisted Wonderland. I also don't think it's something as simple as "these specific 4 races are not monsters and anything outside of these 4 are monsters" because that's just a really arbitrary decision. The labels themselves (if this is the case) are also extremely unfair, as it implies negative things about the non-dominant species when they really haven't done anything to warrant it and can't control the population of their species to come "out" of that monster label. I think it's much more likely that what makes something a "monster" is how it compares to a human in terms of life functions. For many of the "monsters" listed (vampires, mummies, skeletons, ghosts, etc.), they have unnatural means of coming into existence. These creatures are not "born" like a normal living creature would be. Rather, they "turn" or are "made" somehow. In the case of the werewolf, they're also "unnatural" in a magical sense because people are not able to shift into different forms on their own. Even beastmen cannot just assume beast form; Jack's the exception due to his UM. Merfolk need to take a special potion to maintain their human forms, and can only shift in cases when they want to revert back to their merforms from their human forms. They'd need to take another transformation potion to gain legs again. Because a werewolf defies these constraints, that may be what makes them "monsters".

Finally, we come to dragons, which is a particularly special case. We learn that Malleus himself, being a dragon fae, has ancestors who are real dragons. We also learn that beastmen are descended from real animals, and, from this, can probably also deduce that merfolk are also descended from various sea creatures. For this reason, some fae, beastmen, and merfolk are "monstrous" in some regard. However, the label "monster" is seen as derogatory, and is meant to be clearly distinct from just "animal" (see: Malleus's reaction to Rook saying he is "more monster than animal" in Rook's PE vignette). Therefore, beastmen and merfolk are off the hook for this discussion, since their ancestors are animals and not "monsters".

I also considered intelligence being a factor for the monster/non-monster distinction, but that doesn't seem to hold up when you consider that Phantoms and Grim are also called monsters or beasts. Buuut there are cases of intelligent Phantoms, and Grim himself is capable of human speech which is incredibly remarkable. We also don't know enough details about dragons themselves to know if they are "wild" and incapable of human speech. The one thing I could say about dragons that makes them different from humans (and thus fit into my earlier proposal) is that they probably produce eggs that have to be incubated to hatch (similar to chickens, I guess??), if Malleus's birth is anything to go off of. This creates a distinction between human reproduction and dragon reproduction--and since Malleus and other dragon fae have elements of both, it supports the idea that it can be difficult to reconcile with one's humanity vs being seen as something inhuman from the start. This could explain why Malleus takes such offense when Rook comments in the vignette I indicated: it's questioning his humanity.

#twst #twisted wonderland #Malleus Draconia #Rook Hunt #Jack Howl #disney twisted wonderland #notes from the writing raven #question #twst theory #twst theories #twisted wonderland theories #twisted wonderland theory

[crossroads-of-the-raven]

The Hands of Time, Morro the Elemental of Wind, The Cursed Realm, Who Sent Him There and how Chen is at the center of everything | Ninjago

So first off, I've had this theory for the longest time that Morro wasn't supposed to be in the Cursed Realm and besides that, that he was being taken advantage of by the Preeminent.

When Morro first appears at the very end of Season 4, we hear a voice say Morro's name in a whispered raspy voice.

Now, I've heard many people say that, that is literally just Morro announcing his own name but personally I always thought that the voice sounded similar to a different ghost, i.e. Bansha.

Bansha is a ghost who has the ability to control others from a distance and even communicate between Realms, as seen when she forced Misako to fight Wu and when she communicated with Fenwick, the Master Writer, to allow her, Morro and his ghostly entourage into the Cloud Kingdom. As well as, later when Wu and Misako are acting as distractions so the Ninja can sneak into Stix. Bansha is able to use herself to allow Morro to communicate through her to his old teacher.

This, along with Morro's change of heart at the end of Season 5 (even though ghosts aren't supposed to be able to change) is what initially made me suspicious; then something else came up.

Manipula-Chen (Chen Starts a Time War) by rinkunokoisuru on Ao3 brought up something that I knew in the back of my head but never really thought about.

rinkunokoisuru brings up that one little fact that Season 4 repeated so often that I'm surprised I forgot. Chen's manipulation of the Elemental Masters during the Serpentine War.

Now you might be asking - why is that important, what does that have to do with Morro? Well think about it, who else did Chen manipulate other than a young Garmadon.

Garmadon went to train with Chen and sometime after, Wu takes in Morro, eventually training him to become the Green Ninja.

We already know that Chen was intercepting Wu's mail, considering he was able to steal his love letter to Misako, so whose to say that he also wasn't spying on Wu and Morro's training sessions.

This brings me to another piece of information that was brought up recently by @ataraxixx - that information being that on Morro's back is the Japanese kanji for 'evil'.

Now I know that everyone has made their jokes about Morro being an edgy emo Hot Topic kid for wearing the kanji for 'evil' - but as I thought about it, I began to wonder, "why would a kid who wants to be the hero, die with the kanji for 'evil?"

(And incase your wondering, Morro originally had a dragon on his back just like Wu, when he was younger.)

Going back to rinkunokoisuru's story - in the story, it's suggested that Clouse's dark magic might have played a part in Krux and Acronix's betrayal and possibly play a part in the betrayal of the other Elementals.

With Morro I could believe that and I'll explain why in just a moment but with Krux and Acronix, something just wasn't clicking fully even though I liked the theory. Until I was rewatching episode 3 of Season 7 (A Time of Traitors) for my, 'Morro comes back to life' rewrite.

As I was watching the scene where Kai is discussing the Vermillion war helmet with Dr. Saunders, something came to mind. The helmet is definitely a Vermillion helmet but when Kai said it looked familiar he realized that Krux and Acronix were wearing the exact same helmet in the painting of their fight with Garmadon and Wu. At that moment I realized that they were also wear those same helmets when Wu is congratulating the remaining loyal Elementals on their victory during the Serpentine War.

Why would they be wearing Vermillion helmets?

Thinking back on Season 7.

When Kai first shows Wu the helmet in episode 3, Wu tries to say the line, 'time waits for no one' the same line is said completely by Krux during his fight with Kai at the Museum in the very same episode.

To be fair, it's a pretty common line but I think it was ment to indicate that Wu recognized the helmet as one that the Time Twins wore.

Now you might be asking, why wouldn't he recognize it as a Vermillion helmet?

To that I say, one of the best ways for something to be forgotten is for it never to be spoken of. Which is exactly what we find out in episode 7 (Secrets Discovered) when the Ninja - minus Kai and Nya - speak with King Scales in the sewers.

The Vermillion Warriors were the first generation progeny of the Great Devourer with the same instincts to consume everything, they were something that was so feared by the Serpentine that they were not spoken of, with Scale even going out of his way to find out where they are so his people could avoid them.

Now this is pure speculation, but I wonder, what if a non Serpentine/Vermillion wearing a Vermillion helmet could have an adverse or even corruptive effect on someone, considering Vermillion armor is ment for a nest of Vermillion snakes to nest inside of to form a single Warrior.

(Side Note: this is where all you Snake!Jay fans can come in as to why your boy wasn't affected when he put on the helmet in episode 3. And on that note, shameless plug for my theory post as to there being a Serpentine curse on the Jiang/Smith family - on Ray or Maya's side - as the reason why Jay and Skylor both were turned into snakes thus implying that the same thing has happened to Maya or Ray and as such using this convoluted theory as to why Kai wasn't affected when he wore the Vermillion helmet, implying that like the Snake!Jay theory, that Kai and Nya might have some Serpentine passed down to them from one of their parents' own transformation.)

Getting back to the matter.

Where would Krux and Acronix get a Vermillion helmet in the first place - the answer, from a man who find war entertaining and has a vast collection of hard to find/hard to get artifacts with a particular fascination with Serpentine warriors.

A.k.a. Master Chen.

Even if you go with the theory that the Vermillion helmets are not corruptive, there is still the matter of Clouse's dark magic.

On that note, let's get back to Morro and his connection to Chen and Clouse.

Imagine if you will.

You are mad Cult Leader, anticipating the eve of war between the Serpentine and all of Ninjago. While your pupil, the Elder son of the FSM, may or may not stay on the side of evil, you have been watching his younger brother train his first student to become the Green Ninja, something, which if he is successful, could be a possible problem.

Now again, speculation.

Wu was able to gather every Elemental to fight in the Serpentine War, even if some of them eventually turned traitor. I wonder if during Morro's training, if as part of Morro's training, if he was introduced to the Elementals as a sort of know your allies interaction. Basically, baby Ninja Morro getting to meet the Elementals who were all probably older then him (teen to elder) considering how old Morro looked when he ran away.

Continuing the speculation.

Let's say that Chen's spies told him that Morro was outside of Wu's protection. Let's say that Chen had already begun seducing a certain Elemental to his side (traditional methods or magical methods, you decide). Now let's say Chen had this Elemental go to Morro with a present - a medallion of protection. Let's say that Morro accepts this medallion because it's from his allie and let's say that the medallion has two images - one on top that would soon crumble away and one beneath (the kanji for evil) that actually held a curse that would send the wearer to the Cursed Realm.

And who do we know that can send people to the Cursed Realm - the answer, Clouse.

In Season 4 episode 8 - Clouse attempts to send Garmadon to the Cursed Realm, only for said Sensei to kick the sorcerer into the Cursed Realm, the portal closing behind him.

Later, to defeat Chen's Anacondri Army, Lloyd uses a spell from Clouse's magic books to open a portal to the Cursed Realm, thus allowing the Anacondri Generals to curse Chen and his army, sending them all to the Cursed Realm.

Considering all this, what if Chen had already been luring Skylor's mother to his side and convinced her to give a young wandering Morro a false seal of protection that would send him to the Cursed Realm upon his death (what if Chen had laid hints to lead Morro to a swift death in the Caves of Despair, not long after or even had Skylor's mother unknowingly give those hints when she gave him the medallion)

(Two Side Notes:

First: I personally I think Skylor's mother would have been tricked by Chen into giving Morro the medallion but if you want her to have been evil and do it willingly then that's your call.

Second: I don't think it's too farfetched an idea that the symbol transformed into a large medallion that was tied around Morro when he became a ghost. Almost like it shifted to chain itself to him.)

Now consider, the speculative Green Ninja is dead and the Serpentine War begins. The Elemental Alliance has gathered and some question are asked of Wu.

Where is Morro?

How long has he been gone?

Why didn't you go after him?

War continues, Garmadon goes to help his brother and after some time Chen see the war begin to wane so he sows discord among the Elementals and soon the alliance has fallen apart with only a few Elementals remaining loyal.

Gravity survived an attack by Clouse's pet Serpent and Earth while having briefly turned traitor has returned to the Elemental Alliance - but that's fine because the Time Twins are still wearing the Vermillion helmets.

The five tribes are being locked away (the Venomari by Water/Maya and the Anacondri by Fire/Ray) and the Serpentine War has ended. The Anacondri Generals have been sent to the Cursed Realm, Chen and Clouse are now confined to Chen's island (possibly having already hidden Skylor's mother there). But all that is still just fine. For someone so incredibly fascinated by the Serpentine, one has to wonder how much he knows.

Chen has spies and willing pawns everywhere, how else could he open a successful restaurant chain on the mainland.

Did he know about the prophecy of the Golden Master. Did he know that when the Serpentine are released from their tombs, that they would unleash the Great Devourer. Did he know that the Devourer would head straight to the stone army where her Venom would bring the warriors to life.

Or possibly, I wonder.

If when Krux came out of the Time portal not long after entering it - his younger twin brother, nowhere in sight and personally desiring revenge - did he go searching for a way to get vengeance, possibly from the one who first gave him and his brother the helmets.

Was Chen the one to set Krux on the path towards using the Vermillion Warriors.

In Season 7 episode 3, Krux tells Kai that his parents were traitors who worked for the Hands of Time, however, in Season 4 episode 7 Chen tells Kai that there are dark secrets about his parents.

Of course, Chen could have been lying, however ...

Did Chen know that Krux had kidnapped Ray and Maya?

Did Krux ever have the Jiang/Smith parents do work for Chen in payment for the Vermillion Warrior eggs?

~~~~~

Like many of my post ideas, this one got kinda long and rambling.

Something else I wanted to include was that I recall that someone was lamenting that Morro didn't have fangs like the other ghosts and I wondered why, but then I thought of this.

Cole, Garmadon, Chen and Clouse - four people who were cursed/sent to the Cursed Realm (only two of which were evil) and all four of them, in ghost form, are lacking fangs; just like Morro.

(Side Note: Admitably, Garmadon might just be a special case of - Son of the FSM. Personally, I'm in the boat of, give the Dragoni fangs but that's neither here nor there at the moment)

One more thing before you ask if the other ghost have a kanji for evil on them, I checked. Most ghost with a visible (or partially visible) symbol on their back all have the same Cursed Realm emblem - Morro is the only one with kanji.

#Ninjago #Ninjago Hands of Time #Ninjago Possession #Ninjago Tournament of Elements #Morro #Morro Wu #Morro Ninjago #Ninjago Morro #Chen #Master Chen #Ninjago Chen #Chen Ninjago #Krux #Acronix #Krux and Acronix #Krux Ninjago #Ninjago Krux #Acronix Ninjago #Ninjago Acronix #The Serpentine War #Hostess Analysis #Ninjago Analysis #Hostess Analysis - Ninjago

[ceruleanwhore]

As I've been working on outlining the shit out of my Winx rewrite, I've been thinking a lot about how all the villains in the series desperately need to be treated like actual characters and given real motives. I know everyone loves Valtor and the Trix and the wizards of the black circle, but they're all equally boring as fuck because they're all just generically, black-and-white evil for no real reason. As such, I've started to come up with some potential backstories/motives for all of them, and I thought I'd share since I'd also love some feedback.

Something I think the series set up like it was going to do something with is the idea of the Trix having some sort of connection to the Ancestral Witches. If we keep what seems like the most canon timeline they appear to have settled on in the show, that the fall of Domino and everything happened about 18 years prior to season 3, then it wouldn't be unreasonable for the Trix to be the witches' granddaughters. I like the idea of that connection to the Ancestral Witches being the main thing that originally brought them together into their coven and that, as soon as they discover Bloom's true identity, their primary goal is killing her to finish what the witches started. With this, of course, would be the omission of bullshit rivalry between fairies and witches, though their ongoing conflict with the Winx could still start with Stella's ring, like in the original.

With Valtor, I would want him to be a person rather than a physical manifestation of the dragon flame that was made by the Ancestral Witches. I just think it would make him more interesting for him to have an origin story as a human, living in the world, that leads to his eventual corruption rather than him just being made evil by evil for evil. I have this vision of him coming from some country that was an ally of Domino but when something happened and they needed Domino's help, their allies turned their backs on them, inspiring Valtor's blossoming hatred for them as he personally suffered and watched the fallout of that betrayal. This all would've happened with the previous king and queen before Oritel and Marion btw, but it would take him a hot minute to learn the dark arts in order to pursue his revenge.

What I'd love to see is Valtor actually learning dark magic from Darkar, since I do also think Darkar should be a bigger deal than he was in canon. By learning from the Shadow Phoenix, who is the opposite of the Great Dragon, I feel like his magic would be both better suited to going against the dragon flame and more vulnerable to it. That would also bring back in some sort of dragon flame element without Valtor being a spark of the flame itself like in canon. So Valtor would gather the witches and attack Domino for personal revenge, with his focus being on ending the royal family, hence the way it all turned out with Daphne being a ghost, Oritel being a statue, Marion being sealed in his sword(?), and Bloom getting dumped out of a portal to spare her from the culling.

As for the wizards, I want them to be from Earth and for all their beef to be with Tir Na Og instead of just... all fairies, for no real reason. What I'm thinking is that Tir Na Og is the bridge between the Magic Dimension and Earth, so I take that to mean that Earth doesn't have any real magic of its own and what they have all comes from through Tir Na Og. Because of this imbalance that's so different from how the Magic Dimension is, that could put Earth-dwelling magic users in a position of power over non-magical people, and perhaps that all really starts with and is encouraged/exacerbated by the king and queen of the Earth fairies. I'm thinking it would be the sort of thing where they would've convinced all the non-magical people of Earth that they are deities of some kind and then abuse the shit out of the power and trust that gives them.

The wizards would've seen all the problems that would come with this abuse of power and would seek to destroy it. Knowing that all magic on Earth comes from Tir Na Og's connection to the Magic Dimension, they would decide to target Tir Na Og and take away the magic of all the magic users there before sealing the kingdom off from the Magic Dimension entirely. Their mission when they show up in s4 then becomes keeping Roxy from reconnecting Earth and the Magic Dimension and bringing back all the issues they originally sought to end.

Lastly, just to touch on Darkar, my main thing with him is that it really should be all about how he's the opposite of the dragon, so where the dragon flame creates, Darkar's shadows can only either mimic what already exists or destroy. Just as much as the creative nature of the dragon flame contributes to the dragon's desire to create, the nature of Darkar's powers contribute to his own desires to deceive and to destroy. It's not just that he's evil for the sake of it, he's evil to us because of the inherent nature of his magical abilities and how he himself is the living embodiment of what his powers represent, which I think adds sufficient depth for him to stop being so fucking boring. Also, Relix wouldn't just be the home of some McGuffin he's been chasing the whole time, I think it would actually be the resting place of the Great Dragon and his main goal would be the absolute destruction of everything (including himself) that could only be achieved by killing the dragon.

Thoughts? Feelings? Opinions? Should I go on and also dither on about villains from later seasons?

#winx club #winx #winx rewrite #winx club rewrite #the trix #valtor #wizards of the black circle #ogron #winx anagan #winx ogron #winx gantlos #winx duman #darkar #winx villains

[clunelover]

Okay book rec - I’m obsessed with this series, Rivers of London, about a young London police officer who meets a ghost and then ends up being inducted into the magic arm of the police. Then the books are sort of combination crime and sci fi/fantasy? I’m always hesitant to tell people about them cause they’re not Literary Fiction (🙄) but - they’re funny and interesting and exciting and unique…I can’t speak to what it’s like to just read them, because I do them as audiobooks, which I really really recommend - they’re read by a Ghanaian-British man with the most amaaaazing voice that IMO is essential to the books as I’ve experienced them. Anyway, without giving too much away, some of the things that make them unique:

- the protagonist is biracial, his dad is a white British guy and his mom is from Sierra Leone. The author is himself a white guy married to an African woman, and they have a biracial son, so I think he draws from that, in a way that feels…idk, like, smart about race, but in a casual way that sometimes comes close to skirting the lines of what is PC, but always stays on the right side of that, and seems true to the character, and nobody is a stereotype? Very deftly done.

- the protagonist has an interest in architecture so there’s random sprinklings about architectural styles and history of London that again feels true to the character and not forced, but also very unique and interesting

- the supernatural elements are very well realized and not hokey

- Like the pitch perfect way race and class are handled, there’s a similarly deft touch to addiction, sexuality, gender identity, etc. (but again not in that heavy handed “there are Diverse Characters in this book!” way). Like…okay I am going to spoil one little moment from like the 8th book in the series because I keep coming back to it as a great example:

The detective is meeting a group of people and identifies one as “a white woman with short brown hair” and then when the introductions are made (paraphrasing this to the best of my memory):

“She said, ‘my name’s Victor,’ with a particular emphasis on the name, as if to say ‘here’s a clue, let’s see if you get one.’ I shook his hand and said I was pleased to meet him.” Like - it just felt so real, he thought it was a woman, he found out he was wrong, he switched pronouns in his mind.

- And then the intrigue and suspense and all that across the books is great too

So, I’ve listened to all 9 of these books (and am DYING for the next one) multiple times, just like any time I’m doing something and need something to listen to, I re-listen to one of them because repetition is so soothing to me. I strongly recommend them AS AUDIOBOOKS

Oh also I think they’re being developed into a tv show, so get on it now so you can say you liked the books better!!

#oh and the second one is uncharacteristically smutty #but it’s for a REASON #so don’t worry if you get to that one and think it’s weird #rivers of london

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Halloween Fics (MFLs) [October 2023 Edition]

See also:

Halloween Fics (Oct 2018)

Halloween and Ghosts (updated Oct 31/21)

Vampires (Dec. 2020)

Ghosts / Figments

Hybrids and Shapeshifters

Hey everyone!! Hope you're having a wonderful day! Today I thought that it's been a long time since I've posted an update to my Halloween fic list, but I haven't read many new fics since, so I though for today's post (because I don't have anything ready anyway) I would go through my MFL List and post up the ones that have been recommended to me throughout the years! Please note I have not read any of these, these are just based on a tag search on my offlline list :)

And because I haven't actually been asked this year for some new fics (I usually do so I am sad lol), I guess I shall make a new list without one!

As usual, please feel free to add your own fics!

========

Mummy by ChrisCalledMeSweetie (T, 901 w., 1 Ch. || UAP Canon Divergence, Halloween, Meeting the Parents) – Meeting your boyfriend’s parents for the first time can be a bit scary. Especially when your boyfriend is Sherlock Holmes. Part 12 of the Spooky Johnlock Stories series

What Didn't Happen by Katzedecimal (T, 1,213 w., 1 Ch. || Costumes, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Halloween, Texting, Case Fic) – There is a very short Conan busying about the flat. He's threatening me with a sword if I don't eat something.

Until the final breath escapes by meet_me_in_samarra (M, 1,875 w., 1 Ch. || Halloween, Domestics, Established Relationship, Mild Gore, Kissing) – In a world turned hostile they hold onto their love until the final breath escapes.

John Watson and the Curse of the Were-Kitten by  ChrisCalledMeSweetie (G, 2,193 w., 2 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Supernatural AU ||  Halloween, Spooky Fluff) – Limping away from the crime scene, John glanced up at a nearby rooftop. His mouth dropped open at what he saw: Sherlock, silhouetted against the rising full moon. Realising that he was gawping like a fool, John looked around to make sure he wasn’t being observed. When he turned back, Sherlock had vanished. All that remained on the rooftop was a small black kitten, padding between the chimney pots. Part 1 of the Spooky Johnlock Stories series, Part 5 of the H.I.A.T.U.S. Prompt Fills

These Hands of Yours by okapi (E, 2,700 w., 1 Ch. || ACD Canon || Supernatural Elements, Horror, Hands, Anal Fisting / Fingering, Halloween) – Holmes has casts made of his hands. Watson falls in love. So do the hands.

His favourite pizza (delivery guy) by thewallflower07 (G, 4,298 w., 1 Ch. || Teenager AU || Flirting John, Annoying Mycroft, Med Student John, Horny Teenagers, Halloween, High School Student Sherlock, Pizza) – Sherlock is staying at a hotel on Halloween with his family and keeps insisting they order pizza because he is infatuated with the very cute, blonde delivery boy.

Wanted: Empath by nutmeag83 (T, 4,886 w., 1 Ch. || Supernatural Elements AU || Empath John, Ghost Hunter Sherlock, Halloween, Haunted Houses, Pining John, Resolved Romantic Tension, Friends to Lovers) – Sherlock is a ghost hunter and John his empath assistant. Near Halloween, they investigate a ghostly sighting at a mansion in the English countryside. The events of their investigation bring their feelings for each other to the fore.

Food goes on the food shelf by avalanching effect (G, 5,283 w., 1 Ch. || Halloween, Pre-Slash, Crack/Humour, Cannibalism, Magical Realism, Witches, Light Gore, POV Sherlock) – John, (without conferring with Sherlock) implements a system of organization in the kitchen. There are areas designated as 'experiment' areas, and others as 'food safe' areas. Crossover, however, is bound to happen.

In a manner of speaking I'm dead by fellshish (T, 6,372 w., 1 Ch. || Halloween, Mystrade, Angst With Happy Ending, PIning, First Kiss, Drunk Idiots, Drinking Games, Humour) – Sherlock and John accidentally dress in matching outfits for Lestrade's Halloween party. Things only get worse: someone pushes them to play 'Never have I ever'.

A Beautifully Frightening Revelation by 221b_careful_what_you_wish_for (M, 6,486 w., 2 Ch. || Supernatural Elements AU|| Ghosts, Haunted House, First Kiss/Times, Frottage, Fluff, Halloween, Mutual Pining, Bed Sharing, Spooky) – John and Sherlock are investigating an isolated country manor haunted by a mischievous ghost. A series of spooky incidents brings them together in a candlelit bedroom, the night ripe for revelations and facing fears.

The Babadook by CatieBrie (T, 6,886 w., 1 Ch. || Babadook Fusion || Post-TRF, Horror, Demonic Possession, Violence, Halloween, Grief, Angst with Happy Ending) – “A children’s book,” John mutters as he flips it open. The pages are scrawled with beautiful charcoal lines and thick black ink. The cover, bright red, edges the open pages and something tugs at the back of John’s brain. It’s a familiar feeling, black and tarrish and thick in his thoughts. He shakes it off and picks the book up off his bed, turning so that he can sit on the edge and spread the book out across his knees. If it’s in a word or it’s in a look, you can’t get rid of the Babadook. He turns the page, ignoring the pressure building beneath his chest. There’s a closet on one page; paper doors meant to be opened by the reader flutter as John reads the text on the other page.

The Spirit Child by VelvetMace (M, 7,287 w., 1 Ch. || Psychological Horror, Disturbing Themes, Horror, Gore) – A small wooden box filled with clay and feotus bones yields more than just clues to a violent murder. A Halloween Story. Read at your own risk -- and I do not say this lightly.

Were it Well by merelypassingtime (G, 7,496 w., 6 Ch. || Shapeshifter AU || Crack, Halloween) – When moving in with the world's only consulting detective John is concerned he won't be able to keep his secret. Turns out he need not have worried.

In the Shadows of 221B by CarmillaCarmine (E, 8,299 w., 5 Ch. || Halloween, Friends to Lovers, Spooky Smut) – On a stormy, Halloween night, Sherlock appears changed, but John isn't about to complain about anything Sherlock wants to do to him. Part 10 of the The Stories of Angst and Heartbreak series

Let's Say I Let You In by kedgeree (E, 9,972 w., 1 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE|| Halloween, Costume Kink, Established Relationship, Humour, Smut, Vampire Sherlock, Bloodplay, Biting, Romance) – It's Halloween and Sherlock's vampire costume is turning John on, but Sherlock doesn't quite get the idea of a sexy vampire. At least…not at first. Part 4 of the Holidays series

The Subtenant by khorazir (T, 12,238 w., 1 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Canon Divergence, Post-TRF, Halloween, Magical Realism, Humour, Ghosts, Banter, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss) – When you have ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Hence, there can be no doubt about it: 221B is haunted. Sherlock and John set out to investigate their new subtenant and find out more than they bargained for.

Hallowe'en Homecoming by earlybloomingparentheses (T, 12,594 w., 1 Ch. || Unconventional Relationship, Halloween, Sherlock’s Childhood, Family Videos) – Sherlock and John are solving a case when Mycroft turns up and persuades Sherlock to return home for his mother's Hallowe'en celebration. John thinks that seeing where Sherlock grew up will help him understand the detective better; instead, he finds himself more confused than ever. But it's John Watson's job to look after Sherlock Holmes, come hell, high water, or Hallowe'en, so that's just what he's going to do.

Looks like something the cat digged out by HOverSeas (T, 12,876 w., 1 Ch || Magical Realism AU || Post-TGG, Canon Divergence, Halloween, Hurt/Comfort, Werecat John, Temporary Character Death) – The bomb at the pool goes off, and takes both Sherlock and Moriarty with it. John doesn't agree with the outcome, so he decides to bring Sherlock back from the dead. But, of course, there is a price.

Zing and You'll Miss It by Raina_at (M, 14,980 w., 2 Ch. || Hotel Transylvania AU || Vampire Sherlock, Crack/Humour, Rom Com, University Student John, Love at First Sight, Magic, Soul Mates, Minor Mollstrade) – Every year, the monster community meets at Halloween for a big party. Sherlock is bored out of his mind as usual, when suddenly a handsome human stumbles into the monster party. Eyes meet, sparks fly, and Sherlock's entire world is turned upside down as he has to decide whether that tingly feeling is lust, love, magic, or a combination of all three.

The Masquerade of the Red Death by okapi (E, 16,800 w., 14 Ch. || Friends to Lovers, For A Case / Case Fic, Kink Exploration, Orgy, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Bum Worship, Shotgunning, Daddy Kink, Corsetry, Cock Worship, Praise Kink, Hand Jobs, Oral Sex, Drugging, Wrestling, Love Confessions, Pet Play, Rimming, Public Sex/Blow Jobs, Shibari, Exhibitionism/Voyeurism) – On the hunt for a serial killer, Sherlock & John attend a masked orgy. Inspired by "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe. Part 11 of the Spooky & Kooky (the Halloween fics)

One Good Scare by blueink3 (M, 17,386 w., 1 Ch. || Post S4, Holmes Family, Parentlock, Misunderstandings, Family, Fluff and Angst, Jealousy, Halloween, Happy Ending) – Mummy invites Sherlock, John, and Rosie to the country for her birthday, which just so happens to coincide with the annual Harvest Festival, an event Sherlock loathes. With John seemingly making the wrong move at every turn and with ghosts hiding in each of their closets, what will it take for their (Halloween) masks to finally come off?

The Halloween Party by XistentialAngst (M, 19,044 w., 3 Ch. || Halloween, Sexy Sherlock, Vampires, Costumes/Disguises, Mutual Masturbation, BAMF John, First Time, Humour, Romance, Frottage, Friends to Lovers) – Sherlock and John attend a Halloween party on the trail of a vampire killer -- a man who's been seducing his victims and taking all their blood. Sexy costumes, bad puns, hideous danger, frantic sex in hidden places and some Halloween-flavored fluff are all on hand to "treat" you. Boo.

it's not always black and wight by elldotsee (M, 21,385 w., 7 Ch. || Supernatural Elements AU || Ghosts, Halloween, Case Fic, Victor Trevor) – By the time he turned eight, Sherlock had had more supernatural experiences than he could count or recall. He’d grown used to flickering lights, the whispers in the night, the sudden appearance of apparitions in the corridors. The dead were just as much a part of his life as the living. He went about his business, never disrupting theirs.Sometimes he talked to them, but they never talked back. Sometimes, he heard their stories second-hand, in the snippets of conversation between his parents at the dinner table, but they were never spoken about like real people. They were simply characters that formed the tapestry of the house, bumps and flickers of a life stuck in the in-between. That is, until he met Victor.

Haunted by Vulpesmellifera (E, 22,369 w., 4 Ch. || S4 Fix-It/Post-Canon, POV John, Child Endangerment, Halloween, Nightmares, Bed Sharing) – Plagued by the past, John moves himself and his daughter to a new flat for a fresh start - and it's not 221B Baker Street.While he grapples with new knowledge and old guilt, he's confronted with odd neighbors and strange noises in the night. But is it the new flat, or is John Watson losing his grip on reality?

the napoleon by darcylindbergh (E, 24,823 w., 4 Ch. || 1980′s AU || Halloween, Action & Romance, Costumes, Costume Parties/Masquerades, Mutual Pining, First Kiss / Time) – Halloween, 1989: John and Sherlock both have big plans for the night, but serial killers have the worst possible timing.

From a Well, Dark and Deep by Vulpesmellifera (M, 32,691 w., 18 Ch. || Post S4, Supernatural Elements, Horror / Milld Body Horror, Bed Sharing, Possession, Hand Holding, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Coming Out, Alternating POV, Nightmares, Caring John, Happy Ending) – Sherlock Holmes is desperately trying to reconcile his newfound memories and feelings within his transport—a transport that won’t quit with the nightmares and the strange, fiddly anxieties that crop up at the most inopportune moments. On the advice of his psychiatrist—not that he’s thrilled to be taking the man’s advice, but needs must—he's going to mark the anniversary of Eurus’ torments. That explains why he visits the well. What he finds at the well, though, is entirely unexpected. Meanwhile, John Watson has finally come to terms with something he’s ignored his entire life. He’s ready to share that something with Sherlock, except Sherlock isn’t acting himself. It's not the time for confessions, and John determines he must get to the bottom of his best friend's affliction before he can reveal anything. Part 3 of Vulpes' Halloween Johnlock

This Is Family by SaraStarchild (T, 39,840 w., 16 Ch. || Hereditary AU || Psychological Horror, Body Horror, Demonic Possession, POV Third Person Limited, Protective Mycroft, Cults, Mycroft Whump, Sherlock Whump, Major Character Death, Graphic Violence, Retelling) – When the Holmes family's secretive mother and matriarch, Ellen Holmes, passes away, the family she leaves behind – father Martin, sons Mycroft and Sherlock, and daughter Eurus – begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. The more they discover, the more they find themselves trying to outrun the sinister fate they seem to have inherited. This is, pretty much, a word-for-word retelling of the 2018 Ari Aster film, Hereditary. Part 1 of Sherlock Halloween Stories

A Sharp, Dressed Man Series by sgam76 (T, 50,221+ w. across 6 works || Series WiP || Vampire AU || Halloween Fic, Protective Mycroft, Kidnapping, Injured Sherlock, Psychological Terror) – Every once in a while, Mycroft Holmes is called upon to take matters into his own hands. It doesn't always go exactly as you'd expect. And he enjoys it more than he will ever admit.

FictoberLock 2018 by FinAmour & unicornpoe (M, 60,875 w., 31 Ch. || Halloween, Protective John, Smitten Sherlock, Fluff, First Kiss, Injured Sherlock, Various Prompts) – 31 different prompts, 31 Johnlock fics: one every day for the month of October! Each chapter is a stand-alone story. Some are written by unicornpoe, some by FinAmour, and some are written by us both! They range in length from ~500 words to ~3500 words, and there’s something in here for everyone.

Johnloctober by prettysailorsoldier (E, 169,945 w., 31 Ch. || Assorted AU’s || Alternate First Meetings, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, 30 Day OTP Challenge, Prompts, Halloween / Autumn, Assorted Tags) – 31 days of autumnal Johnlock with prompts from all of you! There will be a bit of everything, but you can check the tags for more specifics.

Skeletons Series by flawedamythyst (T, 174,262 w. across 3 works || Nightmare Before Christmas Fusion ||  Implied Character Death) – Sherlock's refusal to talk about his past hides far more skeletons than John could ever have guessed at. Halloween-esque AU.

#johnlock fic recs #fic rec sunday #halloween fics #my fic recs #fics to read #marked for later #long post

[ganondoodle]

Hi Doodle! I just wanted to say that I love your art and that it's so nice to know there's more people who were as confused and infuriated by how TotK turned out. My brain has unanimously decided to adopt most of your TotK Rewrite into my headcanons for game and manifest them into reality lol. I was just reading your post about your ability wheels ideas (awesome btw) and how you were unsure about what power Link would get from the Yiga and it made me wonder if you knew about the Yiga Clan side quests. If you collect all pieces of the Yiga set, they let you into the hideout where you can take a Blademaster exam and get the Earthwake ability. I was just curious to whether you actually knew about it or if you just didn't like that particular power, hope I didn't spoil it for you

Thank you and Thank you!!!! im still so glad that my rants seem to be more validating for people who feel the same rather than plain annoying xD

as of now im pretty sure i want to use the clone ability to be the one you get from Koga as it would be something more unique to him, references my HC of him having been a monk as old as Miz Kyoshia, and replaces the distraction and support in combat that youd lack since i removed the sage ghost buddies constantly being around you :D

the yiga stuff was literally my biggest motivator to keep playing bc i love them so much, i spent the majority of my playtime running around in the yiga set xD which is also why i never realized until way into the game that i wasnt a genius at sneaking around them nor that they are just so dumb they wont spot you ever but bc i had been wearing the set the entire time in the underground; the underground was one of the few things i pretty much 100%ed, excluding some annoying bossfights

i do know of the earthscroll and tried to use it alot but its but its got a very limited usefullnes due to the way its controlled and you having to unequip your weapon, which made me sad bc it was so cool to be able to interact with the yiga like that, its one of the few shiny good parts of totk imo, tho i think it was a huge missed opportunity to keep them as seperated from the main story still, they have so much lore and story potential you could have used or expanded upon :(

in my rewrite i had considered making your yiga ability related to it but it didnt quite work, partly bc they otherwise didnt seem connected to that element at all and shadow seemed like a better fit, so i assigned the earth magic more to ganondorf actually, due to him causing those massive earthquakes and having, somewhat literally, spread his roots into every part of hyrules underground, it connects well to the way i rewrote the memory system and ganondorfs bossfight too :3

i hope that answers your question!

#ganondoodles answers #ganondoodles rewrites totk #i know i havent posted about the rewrite in a bit but i havent stopped working on it #but i only got the time i got #i really want my comics first chapter done #spent more time with my parents and also help them more #then theres me wanting to learn gamedev #and also i got a job that takes half my day away #and currently im having like .. headaches every day bc of the weird ass weather here

[sorryimananti-romantic]

Horizon (Chapter 3)

series masterlist

faerieprince!san x oc

royal/fantasy au, soulmate au

chapter wc: ~22k

chapter warnings: fluff, angst, tragedy, violence warnings, mention of death/su!cide, past traumas, atz interactions, suggestive

chapter synopsis: gaeul goes to her hometown ascella with the 8 princes and yena. san and gaeul reveal their feelings to each other amidst the confusion of their connection. when gaeul visits her uncle to get answers and learns the nature of her bond with san, she mourns what could have been a normal life with san and her cold fire element becomes dominant. As they all try to make sense of the events that led to gaeul's present, they come up with a plan to make things right- which would involve san and gaeul being dimensions apart.

manager-nim: @eightmakesonebraincell (roasts the f outta me but also makes sure i am doing a good job <3)

“I can’t believe we decided to bring them all,” Hongjoong muttered, drawing his dark cloak further down his forehead and Gaeul, who was walking beside him, snickered. “So much for staying anonymous.”

“It was your idea,” Gaeul pointed out, making Hongjoong scowl further. “Besides… the group of you really don’t look like a normal group, I’m sorry.”

Hongjoong paused with Gaeul, turning around to look at the rest of them who were… well, anything but normal. Each one was dressed differently for starters and it didn’t look like they were travelling together or even to one place. Mingi looked like he had gotten out of bed, Seonghwa looked like he was going to a party, Yena and Yeosang stood out too much as they walked together- it would be obvious they were twins and twins among the fae were a rarity in the first place. Wooyoung and Jongho looked like they were trying to hide from the public, making it painfully obvious, and San and Yunho were dressed casually enough to pass as normal people. Hongjoong sighed and Gaeul raised a brow.

“I mean… you also look like you’re trying too hard. Don’t you guys travel in public?”

“I think it’s the first time after Yena’s marriage we’re all travelling publicly like this,” Hongjoong resumed walking. “We won’t be able to travel undetected, and we can’t portal because we don’t know how portalling would react with your magic. I just wish we could leave some of them home-”

“You should have stayed home!” Wooyoung, who had somehow made it to the front from the very back, said. “You attract the most attention.”

“Says the loudest one,” Hongjoong muttered. “Let’s just try to stay quiet until we reach the damned river.”

Gaeul and Wooyoung snickered at that- it was Wooyoung’s very own idea to walk to the river since it was near and they would have to ditch their rides anyway. It was barely forty minutes of walking through the town but already quite a few people had recognised the royals, and Gaeul had a feeling that even though they were masking their magic, they just had a certain aura to them that caught people’s eyes. It made her feel out of place.

Gaeul decided to make small talk with Hongjoong in an attempt to wipe the frown off his face since Wooyoung somehow kept finding ways to annoy him, to everyone’s amusement. Gaeul sent a glare in Wooyoung’s direction before matching Hongjoong’s pace and asking, “I’ve always wondered how light magic is different from the other elements, because we haven’t really heard of instances where a person with nature magic could control light- or dark, for that matter. What makes it unique?”

A ghost of a smile crept up Hongjoong’s face as he thought. “Light magic might possibly be more diverse than nature magic. Nature magic is unique because every ‘natural’ element can be controlled by nature users to some extent. Light magic… it’s ambiguous. Like nature users can feel if something is wrong with nature itself, I can feel it too- as long as light in one form or another touches it.”

“So you could feel my magic because of that?” Gaeul asked and Hongjoong nodded. “But how does light magic come in handy in battle?”

“Well, apart from the obvious which is blinding everyone, and I mean literally,” Hongjoong smirked and Gaeul ooh-ed at that. “Light magic is the most dangerous because it can… heal.”

“What?” Gaeul frowned. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Imagine eating more medicine than prescribed,” Hongjoong said, “Everything in excess is a poison. Light magic- mine, specifically, can enter anyone’s mind even without direct contact and heal- or ‘un-heal’, as I call it.”

“Basically he can just drive anyone mad with a little bit of his magic,” Yeosang commented. “Hongjoong is the last person you want in front of you in a fight.”

“It’s also why your magic resisted so much,” Hongjoong explained. “My magic could heal whatever’s wrong if your magic would simply let me- if there is a possibility in the first place. Your magic didn’t even let me try.”

“Which makes me want to applaud your new magic,” Yeosang was grinning. “It’s quite something, if I have to say.”

Gaeul made a face. “I just can’t get used to it. I feel sick.”

“You’ll get better with time,” Hongjoong assured. “You used to be skin and bones, no? Look at you now. You’re as normal as us.”

“Again,” Gaeul laughed. “You’re anything but normal.”

“What is normal?” Hongjoong raised a brow. “There’s no definition of normal in this world, Gaeul. As long as you believe that, you’ll never feel out of place.”

Gaeul made an impressed face, meeting eyes with Yeosang who was mirroring her expressions. “Wow. I should write this down. Hongjoong rarely says something so wise-”

“Hey!” Hongjoong yelled and the two burst out laughing. Wooyoung told them to shut up if they didn’t want to attract more attention than they already were, also pointing out how they could see the river now. Gaeul sighed when she spotted it- the last time she had been near the river, she wanted to die.

Somehow… this time, she wanted to live. Simply live. The empty pit in her heart told her it might not be possible, but the company she had for weeks now… it was the most heartwarming. Even though they could end her in a heartbeat, they were also the ones urging her to live and not give up. Gaeul’s heart warmed- she couldn’t be so pessimistic when she had all of them around.

As they neared the river, they could spot the yacht prepared for their three day (barely two if Yunho would help) journey following the river to reach the outskirts of Gaeul’s hometown. Yunho thanked Wooyoung for arranging a transport that could speedily take them along the river without him having to expend most of his magic. Hongjoong took the lead as they settled in the yacht, arranging their bags inside, Mingi immediately taking out his sleeping bag because apparently he hadn’t been able to get proper sleep since he arrived here. Yeosang and Hongjoong followed Mingi’s lead, the rest laughing and calling them old but everyone knew they were just tired from travelling the most.

“I feel sorry for Yunho,” Hongjoong said as the guards took leave, Yunho operating the yacht from the bow alone. “He’s probably as sleepy as us but he’ll never leave guard if we’re all in his territory.”

“Territory?” Gaeul asked.

“As long as there’s even a tub of water,” Jongho laughed, “It’s Yunho’s ‘territory’. Don’t even try arguing with him unless you want to be drenched.”

“Wake me up when we reach,” Yeosang muttered, shutting the sleeping bag and earning a kick from Mingi. 

Gaeul watched the rest- San was pouring some drinks, meeting eyes with Gaeul and offering her one. Wooyoung was handing out the glasses to everyone who was awake, taking what looked like a huge glass of coffee to Yunho who was already yawning. Jongho looked like he was deep in his thoughts as he stared at the land they left behind. 

San handed Gaeul her drink. “How are you feeling?”

“Better than ever,” Gaeul smiled and San nodded, looking like he was about to say something but then Seonghwa called and he left with a nod. Gaeul stood awkwardly at first, wondering if she should just sleep as well but then decided to give Yunho some company since he was alone and sleepy.

“Can I…?” Gaeul stood near him and he smiled warmly, patting the space next to him and Gaeul carefully sat, letting her legs dangle, grinning when she felt water droplets splash her bare legs. She stared at the endless river for a few moments, wondering what kind of a person Yunho was- she really hadn’t interacted much with him so far.

“I hope you’re not seasick,” Yunho asked cautiously.

“Oh, not at all,” Gaeul assured. “For some reason, I feel more relaxed.”

Yunho raised a brow at that. “That’s something I haven’t heard in a while.”

“Really?” Gaeul smiled. “Don’t people feel relaxed when they’re travelling in the sea?”

“The endless water terrifies most,” Yunho chuckled. “But… perhaps because you’ve lived next to the sea all your life. Even your anti-magic can’t deny that.”

“True,” Gaeul grinned. “Actually, I always wished I had some affinity for water magic- the beach was a chaotic place to live in. Sometimes I wished I could make the waves softer. Sometimes I wished the opposite.”

“That’s understandable,” Yunho nodded. “Didn’t you say the ying-yang bloodline possessed at least two affinities for other elements?”

“One other apart from their nature magic,” Gaeul corrected. “Usually two, Rarely three.”

“And you only had an affinity for earth magic?” Yunho asked.

“At least that’s what I’ve been told,” Gaeul said and Yunho frowned in confusion. “For some reason, my mother never let me test more elements, saying I was too young. People usually only focus on mastering one element and earth is the safest for us to practise in public without revealing that we’re from the yin-yang bloodline.”

“Interesting,” Yunho scoffed. “I can’t believe I- that we didn’t know about the yin-yang bloodline. I really thought I knew everything about this world until I met you.”

“Oops,” Gaeul grinned guiltily. “Must be a shocker.”

Yunho laughed. “Do you think you have- or had another affinity? It might not be too late to know.”

“Well, it might sound weird because I think I’m just obsessed with water bodies in general,” Gaeul dangled her legs nervously. “But sometimes I did feel like I might have a teeny tiny affinity for water. I always felt a deep connection with water- and sometimes, if I tried hard enough… I could make water droplets rise in the air.”

“That’s… definitely a water affinity, Gaeul,” Yunho shook his head as he laughed. “Did you think you were crazy and were only imagining it?”

“Well,” Gaeul pouted. “I thought it could be air too. Can’t Wooyoung make water rise in the air?”

“Plausible,” Yunho nodded. “You need to master it to use that part of your magic, right?”

“Yep,” Gaeul sighed. “With earth magic… it’s the easiest for us. People who had air or water affinities had to struggle a lot to actually be able to use it, unless they’re under distress-”

Gaeul’s mind went down memory lane- the day she had tried drowning herself… had her magic simply resisted her death or was it her water affinity that saved her?

“What are you thinking?”

“The day I tried to… drown myself,” Gaeul looked at Yunho. “I… I think it might have been the water affinity in me that tried to keep me alive too.”

“That’s a theory that I really don’t want to test again,” Yunho grimaced. “If you did possess water magic before everything happened, shouldn’t it have turned into something opposite now? Like with your nature and earth magic?”

“What’s the opposite of water?” Gaeul asked and Yunho almost passed out from confusion, turning around and spotting Jongho nearby.

“Hey Jongho! What’s the opposite of water?” 

Jongho looked at the two as if they were crazy but the way they looked so eager for an answer, he sighed. "I don't know. Land?"

The two turned to look at each other. "Land means… earth. And your earth magic already changed. So where did the water go?"

Gaeul almost cried. "I'm learning about my possible water affinity after I died and came back to life. Great."

Yunho laughed, patting her once. "That's okay. Once we figure out how to deal with your dominant magic, who knows? Maybe you'll have a different kind of water magic than anyone else."

"I can't imagine…" Gaeul muttered. "But tell me… does possessing water magic make you feel safe in the sea too?"

"The sea, it feels like home to me," Yunho smiled. "Whenever I use my magic near a water body, it both tires me and gives me strength."

Gaeul nodded, asking about what else he could do with his magic and while the two talked, Wooyoung caught San stealing glances at Gaeul. Wooyoung sighed, kicking his elbow lightly to grab his attention. “Are we gonna talk about how you keep staring at Gaeul?”

“I don’t keep staring at Gaeul-”

“Bullshit,” Wooyoung muttered. “What are you not telling me, San?”

San looked at Wooyoung, biting the inside of his cheeks as he thought about it. “I don’t want to say it out loud. Don’t make me talk about it, Wooyoung.”

“I do have a hunch,” Wooyoung began. “I just don’t see how it’s… possible.”

“Exactly,” San sighed. “It can’t be possible, right? It’s just a big old coincidence, right? Because if Kieran killed my- If she’s going through all this because of me-”

Wooyoung watched San’s voice almost crack and he turned around, staring off into the distance, trying to control his breathing. Wooyoung looked at Gaeul- she looked so innocent. She had no idea about how twisted everything was if their theory was true. Wooyoung let San have a moment before he patted his back.

“You know we’re here for you.”

“I know,” San nodded, his eyes glazed as he looked at Wooyoung. “And I’m… scared. If she can’t control her magic, what are we going to do, Wooyoung? What am I going to do?”

—-----------------

“And… it’s another win!” Yunho high-fived Jongho and Gaeul while the rest of the yacht burst into groans and protests.

“Who paired Yunho with them!” Wooyoung was the first to speak out, his scars from the previous time Gaeul and Jongho had been on a winning streak against him still fresh. “Who let Yunho play!”

Mingi put a hand over Wooyoung’s mouth and the three laughed as they watched. Seonghwa only slapped the two on their heads as a punishment for losing again. “I should have paired up with Hongjoong.”

“That’s what you get for betraying me!” Hongjoong stuck out his tongue at Seonghwa. “At least we came second.”

“That’s what you get for betraying your wife too,” Yena was clearly enjoying the chaos. “We could have kicked Hongjoong out of this team for you.”

“Hey!” Hongjoong threw a card at Yena which she sent through a portal to hit Hongjoong square in the face, making everyone holler and Gaeul gaped at that- she hadn’t seen this sort of magic in her whole life. Yena noticed that, smiling. “Portal magic comes in handy during such gatherings.”

“I bet it does,” Gaeul laughed, glancing behind Yena at San who was sitting at the edge, unfazed by the noise. 

If Gaeul was honest with herself, she was avoiding San a little. It wasn’t anything he had done- it was just her own guilt eating her up because after everything San had done for her… she had almost killed him. But to her surprise, the more she avoided him, the more restless she became. 

If she was completely honest with herself, she was sure she needed San to send her magic through her. Something about his magic, his touch alone without the magic was simply healing. And perhaps… she was addicted. After all, she hadn’t been sick ever since he arrived. But it hurt him, and she couldn’t have that.

Whatever their connection was, she needed to find a way to break it to keep him safe. She didn’t want him to hurt when she did. She wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. And San had been so awfully kind that it caused her heart to ache at the thought of putting him in danger again.

But she also needed him, she knew that deep down, for as long as she was trying to figure out whatever was wrong with her magic. She felt it was horribly selfish of her to cling to San- or perhaps, she was clinging to life itself.

That empty pit in her heart reminded her time and time again that she shouldn’t hope for something so foolish, threatening to swallow her whole if she so much as dared hope for more. But…

As if he had felt it, San turned around and met Gaeul’s eyes and she immediately whipped her neck away but it was too late. When she looked back, San looked mildly amused. Gaeul raised her brow but San turned back to staring at the sky.

Was this an invitation to join him or was it an indication that she should leave him alone? Perhaps he hated her. Perhaps he wished she’d left him alone too-

San turned around again, this time his brows furrowed in worry. Gaeul’s heart sank- had he somehow felt the deep regret and guilt threatening to swallow her? San nudged his neck and Gaeul made her way up- he sure had chosen a nice spot. Gaeul stood awkwardly but San patted the space next to him.

For about half an hour, none of them said a word, just sat in a silence that was awkward at first but then turned comfortable as each of them tried to figure out what to reveal and what to hide. When the rest had dispersed and mostly disappeared, San looked at Gaeul. “What’s eating you up alive?”

Gaeul turned and halted, realising how close they were. Cautiously and smoothly she slid away so she could meet eyes with him without feeling like she’d turn into a puddle by his gaze alone. “You know what it is, don’t you?”

San raised his left hand, a half smile on his face as he showed her it was just fine. Gaeul shook her head. “You hate me, don’t you? Just admit that you do.”

“And why would I have a reason to hate you?”

Gaeul looked away, biting her lips as she tried to stop herself from just bursting out and telling him that it had only been two days but she missed him, she missed him so very much, him with his smiles and warm eyes and constant touches-

“I hurt you- not just that day. I hurt you everyday.”

“Gaeul-”

“No, let me speak,” Gaeul raised a hand, locking eyes with him. “I’ve been hurting you before I knew who you were. And I’ve been using you just because you calm me down. Because of you… I’m hoping to live again when I get a reminder everyday about how I’m not supposed to be even breathing in the first place.”

“Didn’t I warn you not to say stuff like this?” San sighed, drawing his hand up to her hair as if to tuck it behind but then hesitating, searching her eyes instead. “If I tell you that it doesn’t bother me, this pain? That feeling whatever you are feeling doesn’t bother me?”

“Then you’re either lying or you are strong enough to dismiss it as nothing.”

“But I’m not strong enough to dismiss it as nothing, no one is,” San let his hands trail like a whisper along her hair before sighing and dropping it. “And I’m not lying. Whatever’s happening is not your fault in any way, Gaeul. I know you can’t help but feel that way, but you are the victim here. I feel like it’s my fault- that it’s our fault that you’re going through this. I- we should be the ones apologising to you.”

Gaeul passed a sad smile, “You’re all helping me. That’s more than enough.”

“Then there’s nothing to be worried about, eh?” San smiled, about to get up when Gaeul grabbed his sleeve, surprising him.

“Why do I feel like you’re avoiding me then?”

There it was- the deep sigh he let out that sent a shiver down Gaeul’s spine, the furrowing of his brows and clenching of his jaw as if he was trying to stop himself from saying something that he shouldn’t. San sat back down, facing her now.

“Because I needed to clear my head.”

“Why do you need to clear your head?” Gaeul tilted her head as she asked. 

“You confuse me, Gaeul.” San’s lips curved into a smile and Gaeul felt as if she could finally breathe because she missed this. “This… bond that we have, it confuses me so much. I needed to think.”

“And… did this ‘thinking’ enlighten you?” 

“It may have,” his deep voice made her raise a brow. “And it has only confused me further.”

“Well, that means you don’t need to avoid me to ‘think’ anymore. You don’t need to get more confused than you already are,” Gaeul laughed and he shook his head in amusement. “And… I-I miss you, San. Please don’t think too much from now on, will you?”

San threw his head back as he laughed deeply and Gaeul was tempted to slap him anywhere at this point. San shook his head again as he looked at her. “You missed me? I’ve been right here-”

“Yet you’ve been so far,” Gaeul pouted and San shut up at that. “You haven’t talked to me in two days. You haven’t… sent your magic through me and it’s rattling me- could I have become addicted to your magic?”

“Gaeul-”

“You haven’t touched me ever since I hurt you, and it’s killing me,” Gaeul admitted in a voice so quiet San was afraid he had imagined it. “I don’t know why. Maybe I’ve become addicted to it. I shouldn’t have, right? I mean, we have to part ways one day or another, I’m asking too much-”

The cautious brushing of San’s fingers against hers sent that familiar comforting jolt through their bodies, more intense than ever and Gaeul relished it- she couldn’t believe it. It was like a drug, this need to touch him and feel this burning sensation course through her body that told her she was more alive than she could ever be in that moment. San must have felt it too because he was biting his lip so hard he was about to draw blood. San moved his hand to hold hers and let that jolt course through them a second time, not realising that they were one in that moment.

Gaeul opened her eyes and let out a breath she didn’t realise she had been holding. San was hesitant but sent his magic through her and she readily accepted- almost embraced it. He wasn’t in danger anymore. It was a relief.

“I’m sorry if I sound too… demanding,” Gaeul’s head was down in embarrassment. “But… if you could feel half of what I feel when your magic meets mine-”

“I feel all of it,” San’s voice was hoarse and Gaeul looked at him. “I feel it in every pore of my body too. And I…” He drew closer, holding her other hand in his as if to prove it that he felt the same. “I think I might be addicted too.” 

Gaeul wondered why it had to be him. It felt so right and so wrong for him to hold her hands in his and brush his fingers again and again to feel alive. It felt so right when he drew even closer and left both her hands, only to tuck her hair behind- he had been itching to do that ever since she came near him- it felt so right when he cupped her face and looked at her as if she could both heal and destroy him beyond repair. There was relief on his face but worry in his eyes.

“Let me show you something.”

San joined his forehead with Gaeul and she shut her eyes, for a moment inside San’s mind and seeing the world through his eyes- brighter, better. Then San touched her hand and made her feel what he felt-

Gaeul never thought the sensation he felt when they touched was this intense- it was different for him. It was so intense for him- Gaeul’s was muted in comparison and it baffled her because even what little she felt compared to him made her feel like she was in the clouds. San felt it so wonderfully- with every vein in his system, a tickling feeling that was so irresistible- it truly was addicting. If San felt this every time he touched her…

Gaeul gasped as she drew back. “I… I had no idea we were feeling it differently.”

“I realised when I first saw your memories,” San admitted. “I think if you were… normal- without this anti-magic and coming-back-to-life thing, you would have felt it like I do too. But your body reacts differently now. Your anti-magic tries to deny it but your body… it can’t. It means… this bond isn’t new.”

Gaeul felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her. “What do you mean it’s not new? It existed before I died? What bond could make it through death and try to surface and fight the anti-magic if you’re right?”

San smiled knowingly, his finger trailing down her temple and stopping at her jaw near her chin. “It’s a theory. I’m not sure yet. You don’t need to worry about it- I’m doing enough of that. Just focus on training your magic and getting healthy, okay?”

“But-”

“Promise me,” he cupped her face and Gaeul sighed internally as he met eyes with her. “Promise me you’ll stop worrying so much. That you’ll stop thinking you don’t deserve to live. Promise me that you’ll try your absolute best and not give up.”

Gaeul didn’t answer at first, lost in his deep brown eyes. “You’re asking too much of me.”

“I’m doing all the worrying for you, Gaeul. I’ll find the answers. I’ll protect myself. Don’t worry about hurting me or protecting me. Promise me.”

Those two words reverberated in her entire body, making her wonder if he entered inside her head to say it, to scream it at her. She felt compelled to nod, and she did, which was when San drew closer, hesitantly, his eyes fluttering before he tilted his head and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Gaeul had forgotten to breathe.

“I’m just… sorry,” San kissed her again, this time so near her lips Gaeul almost groaned. She resisted the urge to grab his collar right where she could see his throat bob and- “I’ll be the one protecting you. So you don’t need to worry about anything. Everyone’s here for you- I’m here for you. If I ever hear you talk about your life like that again-”

San paused and Gaeul scoffed. “Didn’t you say something like this on the mountain too? ‘If you ever say something like that again’ and-”

San grinned devilishly as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, his lips and breath caressing her, “If you ever say something like that again… I’ll make you forget how to breathe.”

If San had been someone else, it would have definitely sounded like a threat, but his sultry tone and the underlying meaning didn’t make it less of a threat- in fact, it made Gaeul’s body burn. She noticed him smirking and she scoffed in disbelief, pushing him away. “Shut up!”

San watched her flush a million shades of pink before she ran away, leaving him smiling more widely than ever as he watched the river glow a beautiful purple.

—----------------

What sort of bond could survive death?

The question was like a plague in Gaeul’s head, replaying over and over as soon as she was left alone with her thoughts. She tried to shake it off- San had asked her not to worry about it. He had promised to find the answers, so she should let him be. 

But… it was more curiosity than anything else that made her wonder if such bonds did exist in the first place. Perhaps it was something similar to a magical bond- something like the yin-yang magic in her blood, that could still be a part of someone’s existence even in death.

And perhaps… perhaps San was wrong. Maybe this bond did not exist before- she would have known if it did, right? 

Gaeul shook her head, throwing another pebble in the river- the pebbles courtesy of Jongho who had noticed her fidgeting and scratching at her hands and had handed her a bag of pebbles to throw at the river if she got frustrated. 

It was almost evening- they were one day away from their destination. The rest of them spent their time either sleeping or chatting, and Gaeul was mostly giving them space, making up excuses not to intrude- after all, they shared a history together. She had nothing on them. She mostly observed what sort of a relationship they shared and it was all so… natural. They just fit beautifully with each other. It reminded her of her parents- how naturally they interacted. 

What also intrigued her was Princess Yena, whom none of them knew (except for Seonghwa and Hongjoong but in the form of vague childhood memories) until about three years ago. It looked like they had known her forever. She had heard them talk about how their magic was ‘linked’- they could feel each other across lands, across oceans. Perhaps that was why Yena fit in so well and Gaeul could never. Perhaps… the bond Gaeul shared with San was something like that. 

But Gaeul was an ordinary faerie- as ordinary you could be while coming from a powerful magical bloodline- her parents, her uncles, her grandparents that possessed the same magic were also ordinary people. They lived ordinary lives, as far as she knew. What changed with her?

Gaeul tossed another pebble, sighing. Another thing that plagued her was this whole timeline mess that was beyond her- or anyone’s understanding for that matter. How was her death any different from Seonghwa’s? Why did he continue to simply live while she apparently stayed dead but then came back all… broken and dark-

“If you stare at the river any harder, you’ll split it into half.”

Gaeul turned to look at Yena who looked amused and she smiled- Princess Yena was incredibly pretty and… had an ethereal air to her, like Yeosang. Perhaps because of their magic- Princess of Space and Princess of Spirit. They did look otherworldly. 

“I’m just… confused, is all,” Gaeul sighed. “As I’m sure everyone else is too.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Yena huffed, staring at the river like Gaeul. “I was as confused as you once, if not more. I know it’s the most frustrated I’ve ever felt in my life.”

“How did you… deal with everything? I’m sure it took you a long time to find answers.”

“It took me a lot of time to find all the answers I was searching for- and some questions I didn’t even realise existed,” Yena said. “But… thanks to everyone’s help, I was able to get through it. And I think that’s why nobody leaves you alone, Gaeul. We’ve all been here once in our lives.”

Gaeul nodded- she was sure the Princes had problems too-

“Though, I must say, I don’t think anyone’s had it as bad as me,” Yena chuckled. “Ignorance really is bliss.”

“How did you find out you were the Princess?” Gaeul cautiously asked and Yena smiled to let her know it was okay to ask.

“I was just another girl, in Fomalhaut, of all the places,” Yena said and Gaeul raised her brows in surprise. “I think there was a reason why I was in Fomalhaut- the island with no ruler- no Prince. If I had been in one of the continents, they would have found me sooner.

“I was ordinary- portal magic is unique but in Fomalhaut, there are many people with unique magic abilities. I knew a shapeshifter and someone who could twist dreams. Unheard of, right?”

“Shapeshifters are very rare,” Gaeul agreed, “but dream-benders? I’ve never heard of that.”

“I think it’s kept a secret for obvious reasons,” Yena nodded. “Anyways… I was in a similar situation as you. I knew nothing about who I was before the age of 6. The block in my memories made my magic act funny- portal business is dangerous as it is. So I went to San’s kingdom in search of a healer, where I encountered San on the road, out of all the people in the world.”

“That’s… a huge coincidence… isn’t it?” Gaeul asked. 

“I still don’t know,” Yena sighed. “I’d like to think it was. San knew I was different from the moment he saw me, which was why he so readily suggested to help me. So began my journey of countless healing sessions, San challenging my magic and me- but thanks to him, I got most of my memories back and learned how to control my magic better. We went to Jongho’s kingdom, Wooyoung arrived there only to tell me I smell like Yeosang- I think that’s how they realised it might be true.”

“You smell like… Yeosang? That’s a very Wooyoung thing to say,” Gaeul laughed, shaking her head.

“It is,” Yena scoffed. “I didn’t want to accept it at first- I had found out I had been kidnapped when I was 2, and the person who kidnapped me wanted me to learn time travelling for his selfish reasons. He wiped my memory clean and dumped me in Fomalhaut. I was not ready to accept that I was Kang Yena of Space- just like you… are not ready to accept that your magic has become something else entirely.”

Gaeul nodded- Yena was definitely the most relatable person here, she realised. She told her and Yena admitted that she had never related more to someone before Gaeul as well. 

“I’m telling you my story so you can learn from it,�� Yena said. “Patience… not impulsivity will bring you to your conclusion, though we might slip one day. I still wonder if my decision was more impulsive when I decided to bring Seonghwa back.”

“How did that work out? I still don’t understand that part- and I think nobody here does,” Gaeul admitted.

“All I understand is that you must have been killed right when the time travelling happened- and Kieran figured it out quick enough,” Yena looked grim. “To understand this… I think I should tell you about how I was destined to time travel in the first place- and for that, Seonghwa was destined to die. When I had no idea what was going to happen and hadn’t even met Seonghwa yet, the future Yena had already travelled back in time- it’s a loop, isn’t it?”

“Ah,” Gaeul finally understood but then frowned. “But… how do you prevent a time travel loop in the first place?”

“For that, you have to be aware of all the timelines. I wasn’t aware- it was only when I travelled back did I realise that everything was supposed to happen in the first place. To understand this… there was the present Yena who travelled with Jongho, San and Wooyoung to Hongjoong’s kingdom. There, she met Seonghwa and Yunho. But Seonghwa and Yunho had already met the future Yena and they had to pretend they didn’t know the present Yena in order to avoid creating a mess.”

Gaeul clapped. “I finally understand… or at least I think I do.”

Yena smiled as she nodded. “So when the present Yena went back in time… she became the future Yena. She miscalculated and dropped herself in the middle of the ocean. Yunho saved her, they went to Seonghwa’s kingdom, and together they went to Hongjoong’s kingdom where she hid from everyone else until it was time to change everything- to merge with the other Yena so that there would only be one version of me, one timeline- where Seonghwa isn’t killed by Kieran and gets to live.”

“I think you should explain this to the others too, because they were very clueless after hearing this from Hongjoong,” Gaeul laughed. “He couldn’t explain very well.”

“Pretty sure he’s still a little confused,” Yena winked. “Actually, time travelling was a secret kept for generations. Only the closest friends of mine know- and you. How you got involved in all this mess… is it safe to say you were destined to? Are we now a part of something big that we don’t know yet?”

“Uh, I hope not?” Gaeul grimaced- she did not want to get into more trouble than she already was.

“It could be something good too, but I have this sinking feeling in my heart, if I have to be honest,” Yena admitted. “Because Kieran planned this, it means the game has been going on since two years ago. What I thought I finished… it’s still not over.”

“Where’s this Kieran guy now?” 

“His home,” Yena sighed. “The planet of darklings- if he’s still alive.”

“So darklings did move from Earth like we did?” Gaeul asked.

“Apparently,” Yena nodded. “I have a darkling… friend. Maybe I should ask him.”

“And how would you do that?” Gaeul frowned. “Don’t tell me you can portal there too-”

“I don’t even want to try that,” Yena put a hand on her heart as if the thought of it scared her more than she would admit. “But… I do have control over dimensions. The other darkling- he has a similar magic as mine. We are able to meet in another dimension, but I really don’t know how to contact him. Oh, and I think we could train you in that dimension too.”

“Is it necessary to train me?” Gaeul pursed her lips.

“Chances are you have to live with this magic for the rest of your life. Every magic is poison if not utilised well, just like yours. So you need to master this… anti-magic. And we need to figure out what to call it because anti-magic is a stupid, stupid name-”

“It makes sense!” Jongho, having just come out from the cabin, overheard. “I named it.”

“Of course you did,” Yena pinched the bridge of her nose. “Hongjoong said there are no records of such magic, right?”

“But nature magic- or at least, I can do something similar- but to a very small extent,” Jongho said. “Watch.”

He plucked a flower out of thin air, making both Gaeul and Yena wow. After showing them the flower, with his other hand he concentrated his magic into his fingertips, making the flower wilt and eventually die. “Not exactly the same, but similar. I un-heal it.”

“I think we should just see what she can do with her magic before we think of a name for it, because if she has to live with this… we better have a good name for it. And a cool name, okay? Not anti-magic or anti-nature.”

Jongho glared at Yena but nodded, sighing. “Let’s hope she gets used to it.”

Gaeul nodded, turning to watch the river flow calmly, Yunho finally catching up on his sleep so he could drive the yacht at full speed tomorrow. 

One day. One day until she would know just what went wrong with her.

Yena patted her back as if she could hear her, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

—---------------

“I think we should have left Gaeul home…” Mingi looped his arm with Hongjoong’s as he grimaced. “I can literally feel her burning from within.”

“I’m thinking we should have too,” Hongjoong almost hugged Mingi back as the two walked away in fear.

“It’s not that bad… is it?” Wooyoung frowned, scratching the back of his neck as he watched Gaeul hurl in the basket again, throwing up but she had already emptied everything. She only choked on her own breath now. “Nevermind. It is.”

As soon as the yacht had entered Ascella, Gaeul had started feeling sick all of a sudden. She had already thrown up thrice and looked and felt horrible. San’s magic couldn’t do much, and it had all of them wondering if it was the black hole being so near that made her sick, and if the distance had made it better for her.

After Gaeul was done, she went to wash her face and rinse her mouth, gulping water down hungrily. She felt parched- and cold. In the peak summer, she was feeling cold for some reason. San and Yena watched her wrap her shawl around herself, almost shivering. 

“Does she have a fever?” Yena asked. “Should I check? I think I can’t feel her magic.”

San nodded- he couldn’t feel her as well- not as strongly as he did before. Yena went ahead and put her hand on Gaeul’s forehead- she was literally cold. Yena bit her lips, looking around and grabbing the first scarf she saw, wrapping it around her neck. Gaeul muttered thanks, looking helplessly at the two. 

“Get Mingi,” Yena ordered and San hurried outside. He almost had to drag Mingi inside but as soon as he saw Gaeul, he exhaled- she looked like death.

“She’s feeling cold,” Yena looked at Mingi. “Can you do something about it?”

“I don’t think I should,” Mingi sighed. “I can feel her magic burning. What if I agitate it?”

“Can you try and see if it works?” Yena asked and Mingi nodded, cautiously walking to Gaeul and touching her forehead, examining what exactly was going on-

Her body felt cold but her magic felt hot. He could make her feel warmer physically but he could do nothing about her magic. Mingi looked at San. “Is your magic not working right now?”

“Not as it should,” San was biting his nails nervously. “What’s wrong? Can you feel it?”

“I can only make her physically warm,” Mingi sent an ember of warmth inside Gaeul, watching her immediately relax as the shivering stopped- but she still looked a footstep away from death. “Her magic is not reacting well to whatever’s… waiting.”

“Well… it’s unavoidable anyway,” Gaeul finally said, clearing her throat. “I feel better now. Thanks, Mingi. I’ll manage, just… be careful. All of you.”

Yena nodded- Gaeul definitely had her wits about her and she was not giving in. This was good. “It’s going to be okay soon. San… keep doing your thing, please. We’ll look for a ride before we call you, so stay inside.”

San nodded and Mingi and Yena left, leaving him with Gaeul. Gaeul smiled weakly at him and he shook his head. “I wish I knew what was wrong so I could do something about it.”

“It’s okay, just… come here,” Gaeul patted the space next to her and San sat down beside her, holding her hand. Gaeul couldn’t say she felt better but it definitely made her feel safe. She put her head on his shoulder, surprising him. He didn’t say anything, just kept caressing her hand for a few minutes until he thought she was asleep, but then she spoke.

“I’m so tired, San. I want this to be over soon.”

San wasn’t sure if he could feel her heart breaking or if it was his own breaking at how little her voice sounded. He sighed deeply, removing his hand from her loose grip and before she could protest, he had his arm around her, caressing her head and his other hand holding hers, bringing her close. Gaeul’s head rested on San’s chest and she could hear his heartbeat-

He was definitely feeling nervous.

“Everything is going to be okay soon,” he wasn’t sure if he was saying it for her or for himself. “You stay strong, okay? We’re with you, all of us.”

Gaeul nodded, cuddling into him. She sure as hell was privileged to be with San right now, she thought. San kept caressing her head and it made her more relaxed than ever. She even felt better now- and she wondered if it was crazy that a little skinship with the Prince of Earth made her feel better. 

She couldn’t cling to him forever- she had to find answers. She had to get her magic under control.

Gaeul was about to draw apart but it was as if San had read her thoughts- he held her tighter. “You’re not going anywhere until I let you. And no- you’re not a burden. Don’t ever think that.”

“How did you know I was thinking that?” Gaeul made the mistake of looking up, finding his face so incredibly close that she could see the shades of brown in his eyes, see the freckles on his neck and his face-

“I know exactly how you think- even when I’m not holding you,” San smirked and Gaeul pursed her lips, admitting guilt. “In fact… I rather like it when I hold you, I’m finding.”

“Now is not the time to flirt, Prince San of Earth-”

“Don’t pull rank on me,” San’s body shook with laughter, making her smile and hide her face as best as she could. “I’m only San when I’m with you.”

“Are you this casual with everyone you meet?” Gaeul dared to ask. “I’ve heard how the Prince of Earth is a casual flirt-”

“I’ve never been this casual with someone, mind you,” San’s voice was low and it made Gaeul’s stomach flutter with butterflies. “I’m experiencing a lot of firsts with you, Gaeul. As dangerous as it is.”

Gaeul’s defence mechanism kicked in- as soon as someone flirts or makes her overwhelmed, she resorts to sarcasm. “Ah. So you are flirting with me. Don’t tell me you like me, Prince San.”

San tugged her hand, making her look up and a shiver ran down her spine as she saw his eyes glaze with- 

“Am I supposed to deny that I find you attractive?”

Longing. That’s what San felt.

“Even when I look like death?” Gaeul challenged. She had made the mistake of glancing at her reflection when she came inside after hurling her guts out thrice, and she looked absolutely horrible. 

“Especially when you look like death,” San teased and Gaeul smacked his chest, making them both laugh. 

“I can never tell when you’re joking and when you’re not. You make me so confused!” Gaeul sighed, breaking apart and resorting to holding hands. She could not go back to cuddling him- she was on fire, and it was not because of her magic burning or Mingi’s magic warming her.

San pulled her hand, making her look at him until he was mere inches away from her face. “I don’t joke about this stuff, Gaeul. I find you very attractive. And I might even like you. I’m still figuring out that part.”

“Well, keep your thoughts to yourself while you figure it out,” Gaeul blushed furiously and a devilish grin creeped onto San’s face.

“Do you find me attractive too?”

Gaeul did. Oh hell, she did. But she would never admit it. As San continued to grin at her and her face continued to grow pink, Gaeul rolled her eyes. “Yes. I do. All of you are damn attractive, you’re not the only one. I think it’s your magic that makes you all look so damn-”

“We’re talking about me right now, Gaeul,” San teased.

“Oh, get over yourself,” Gaeul rolled her eyes again but she couldn’t hide the twitch of her lips. San grinned in satisfaction, not noticing Wooyoung enter, but Gaeul did and she decided to get revenge. “Wooyoung’s more attractive.”

Wooyoung halted, looking from San to Gaeul. He looked back at San. “You heard that? I’m more attractive. Get over yourself, San.”

God bless Wooyoung’s ability to read the situation, Gaeul thought, and Wooyoung threw a wink in her direction, making her laugh in acknowledgement while San sulked. “You’re lying.”

“If you want me to go into the details,” Gaeul turned. “Wooyoung is definitely more charming-”

“Go on,” Wooyoung sat in front of them, face in his hands, smiling widely. “I’m also prettier, right?”

Gaeul grimaced- not because he wasn’t pretty, Wooyoung definitely was. But the puppy eyes he was making right now- “...Right.”

“She hesitated!”

“You hesitated!” Wooyoung looked betrayed but Gaeul laughed, shaking her head. 

“I’m only teasing. I was just telling San how all of you are really attractive- I mean, there is a certain air about all of you. All of you have your own charms. I, personally, am smitten by how ethereal Yena and Yeosang look.”

“Ah, no one can deny that,” Wooyoung nodded furiously. “They look different especially when they’re together, don’t they?”

“Right,” Gaeul nodded. “And Seonghwa! He-”

“Don’t even start,” Wooyoung interrupted. “I hear enough about Seonghwa from my Right Hand- you don’t need to.”

“We were talking about me!” San pouted, folding his arms and kicking Wooyoung’s leg, asking him to get out. 

“What do you want me to say?” Gaeul batted her eyelashes innocently. San shook his head in defeat.

Yena entered, asking them all to come out and grab their bags- the ride had been arranged. Wooyoung took off, and San offered to hold Gaeul’s bag. She let him, tugging at him before he went outside and grabbing his attention.

“I… was drawn to you the moment I saw you- and it was before my magic got drawn to you,” Gaeul admitted in a quiet voice and San almost dropped their bags. “Just so you know.”

“Well,” San licked his lips, wondering how to respond. He looked away- it was his turn to blush. “Good to hear.”

Gaeul smiled, slapping his arm before dragging him out. “You better shut up for the rest of the ride.”

“Oh, now I will,” San nodded and Gaeul realised she had left him speechless- and it made her heart flutter wildly.

—------------------

The two carriages they had arranged led them to one of Wooyoung’s guest houses- his parents used it often whenever they travelled to the sea to get a breather while they were alive. It was also the same house Wooyoung and San had stayed in when they were 10. 

Gaeul didn’t feel any better, but she wasn’t shivering and wasn’t throwing up anymore- she had nothing to throw up anyway- and with San’s constant touch and everyone around her, she was distracted enough to stick her head out of the window and watch what had been her hometown pass by as a blur. The others inside her carriage let her have her moment- they only watched her expressions change from longing to confusion to regret and other emotions- to sum it up… she was nostalgic, and they weren’t sure that it was the good kind of nostalgia.

After all… this was the place where everything began- twice. 

When they reached the house, Gaeul was surprised to find that it was just a normal house, big enough for a few families to stay but nothing unusual- people in Ascella usually had family houses like these, such as the one Gaeul used to live in when her parents were alive. Gaeul told Wooyoung she thought the house would be more grand.

“Well… glad to know it looks casual because we don’t want to attract attention,” Wooyoung smiled in satisfaction.

“But do you think the faeries will be able to feel all of you present here- or me?” Gaeul paled at the thought of the people who once knew her look at her with horror or worse, disgust. “I don’t think I want to attract attention as well…”

“We’re masking our powers, so we’ll pass as normal faeries. We’re also masking your power, you’re welcome,” Wooyoung saluted and laughed when Gaeul visibly relaxed. He hopped out of the carriage first, offering Gaeul his hand which she took to jump down on wobbly legs, holding her shawl tighter as the strong wind- the characteristic of Ascella- blew her hair.

“Home,” Gaeul whispered. “Smells like home.”

“Who, me?” Wooyoung teased and Gaeul rolled her eyes so hard she felt a sudden throb in her head. Wooyoung laughed, telling her he was joking and Gaeul said she was sure he was. 

“Though, technically, if my territory smells like ‘home’,” Wooyoung said as they walked, the rest falling behind, “I must also smell like home-”

“You smell like bad jokes and arrogance,” Gaeul muttered and Wooyoung laughed harder.

“You know what? I like you. You’ll get along with Mingi and Yeosang well- they share just your type of humour. All sarcasm and stabs.”

“Really?” Gaeul was suddenly interested- she hadn’t really interacted with those two much. “Mingi looks like he’s scared of me though.”

“He’s not scared of you, per se,” Wooyoung corrected, shouting a thank you at Jongho who was making the grass and plants come back to life after years of being untended. “Just like San can feel you, he can feel your magic as if it’s an entity.”

“Wow,” Gaeul turned to look at the tall male who looked so carefree in that moment. “Has he always…? Isn’t that hard?”

“He couldn’t always,” Wooyoung sighed. “But anyways, fear not. He can incinerate you in a millisecond anyway, so he’s got nothing to be scared of. You can approach him and talk to him if you want- he’s not the one to make the first move, by the way.”

Gaeul, however, almost fell when she heard that. Millisecond? Gaeul gulped. “Thanks, Wooyoung. I feel so much better now that I know he can end my existence with a mere thought.”

“I can too, just so you know,” he was smirking and Gaeul paled further, smacking him on his arm when he laughed. “I’m not going to- unless… it calls for it, but we’re friends, right?”

“Where’s San again?” Gaeul looked back, leaving Wooyoung howling like a hyena. She spotted San, a good few steps behind them. “San! Wooyoung’s scaring me!”

San saluted as he jogged to them and Wooyoung put an arm around Gaeul’s shoulder, whispering something in her ear that made her stop in her steps. San frowned, smacking Wooyoung’s head. “What bullshit are you feeding her?”

“Nothing,” Wooyoung shrugged, the smirk still plastered on his face. “Just make sure she’s not feeling sick after knowing she only needs to call you if she wants to die the scariest death-”

“Why would you say that!” San yelled, laughing in disbelief and holding Gaeul’s hand to make sure she was okay. “I don’t practise that method, it’s just a theory-”

“That has been proven to be right,” Wooyoung pointed out. “Come on. It’s cool, isn’t it?”

“That he can bury me alive?” Gaeul sighed, squeezing San’s hand. “Very cool.”

“Just so you know, Wooyoung,” San poked his arm, “Gaeul can make you die the most painful death. So think about this little death ranking again and revise your list- it looks like it needs some changes.”

“Oh, I totally forgot,” Gaeul stood straighter. “Maybe I should start practising torturing methods soon-”

“Hey!” Wooyoung yelled. “I was joking, okay! No need to go all anti-magic on me!” 

San and Gaeul laughed as they finally came to the porch after walking the long path from the gate through the garden. Wooyoung took out a key from his pocket after a minute of fumbling nervously, sighing in relief that he hadn’t misplaced it. Unlocking the door, he asked them to pause before he went inside first, cleaning the air and checking for threats in seconds- it truly impressed Gaeul, the power and control all the Princes had. 

“Come in,” He bowed, and everyone entered, Hongjoong scolding Wooyoung to stop being so dramatic. 

“Welcome to the Jung Residence,” Wooyoung led them to the living room while everyone looked around- it was cosy, to put it simply. The earth tones of the interior made everyone feel warm instantly. Mingi patted Gaeul’s shoulder and pointed at the fireplace, lighting up a fire that was warm enough for Gaeul but cool enough for the others present. Gaeul smiled widely, thanking him and Mingi shook it off as nothing.

“Should I get us some food?” Yena asked and the rest paused in confusion. “I might have asked my chefs to prepare some because I knew none of you blockheads would have remembered.”

Everyone clapped both sarcastically and out of pure gratitude at her thoughtfulness, and Yena gave them all a glare, opening a portal to what Gaeul presumed could only be her kitchen, gasping and watching with a wide mouth as Yena stood in the middle of the two rooms, taking food from the staff and passing it to Seonghwa who set it all on the table. Gaeul looked at the rest- they seemed pretty used to it now. 

“How can one person just be standing… in two different places at the same time?” Gaeul asked no one in particular and Yeosang, who was nearby, chuckled. 

“Only Yena, it seems.”

“Do you guys often do this? Does Yena visit like this?”

“Pretty convenient, isn’t it?” Yeosang asked and she nodded. “Still, the little brat doesn’t visit as often as she could.”

“I run two castles, in case you forgot,” Yena shut the portal.

“Technically, you run none of them-”

Yena gasped while the room boomed with laughter. “The audacity!”

“I mean,” Yeosang laughed, “Seonghwa runs his kingdom fine without your help, and your kingdom… Taeyong has been complaining-”

“I’ll see to it that he never opens his mouth again,” Yena smiled sweetly, a fire behind her eyes and Yeosang shook his hands furiously, doubling up with laughter. 

“I’m only joking- don’t give the poor soul more trouble to deal with than he already has-”

“Yeosang, you little-” Yena ran for Yeosang and the two ended up running around the house, Yena making Yeosang trip and Yeosang making Yena bump into things she couldn’t see. Gaeul, thoroughly amused, looked at Seonghwa. He seemed unfazed by all of this. He caught Gaeul looking. 

“Oh, don’t mind the two. The personal attacks and the careless fighting will never end- not even when they’re old and wrinkly.”

“Good to hear,” Gaeul shared a grin. 

“Stop it, you two!” Seonghwa clapped. “Get to the table, right now, or else I’ll make sure you two have a good night’s sleep-”

“Okay, okay!” The two said simultaneously, immediately sobering up and sitting side by side by the table, elbowing each other. Everyone gathered around while Jongho passed bowls of rice. Thus began a dinner of various dishes, as rich in taste as the food Gaeul had so far at Wooyoung’s palace. 

After small talk while they focused on eating, Yunho asked Gaeul if there was anyone in Ascella she would like to meet.

“I’m not so sure anyone would be pleased to see me- especially in my current condition,” Gaeul pursed her lips. “I would like to avoid them altogether, but they’re also the people who can help us know more about my bloodline… if they cooperate.”

“Oh, they will,” Hongjoong was sure and Gaeul had no doubt they would- they couldn’t deny anyone in this room other than her. “Are there other people from the yin-yang bloodline residing in Ascella?”

“Only my family here, there are more in the Kingdom of Cancer and Libra for obvious reasons,” Gaeul looked at San and Jongho. “We didn’t move because we got too attached to the beach.”

“Rightly so,” Wooyoung nodded. “It’s beautiful there.”

“It really is,” Gaeul’s smile was sad.

“Do you miss living there?” Mingi asked.

“It’s the only thing I miss about my life- other than my magic,” Gaeul admitted. “I’ve lived by the sea my entire life, watched it glitter a beautiful green and then mix with the purple glow of the night. It’s… a part of me. And I like the sea anyway, so…” Gaeul looked at Yunho.

“She might have a little affinity for water, by the way,” Yunho commented, “Or at least, had. I don’t know what’s become of it now.”

Hongjoong almost dropped his bowl of ice cream. “What do you mean she had water affinity? Why am I hearing about this now?”

“Uh, it’s only a theory- no way to confirm it now,” Yunho raised his hand in surrender. “Don’t even ask me- I’ve been too out of it ever since we started travelling.”

Hongjoong looked at Gaeul for an explanation. “I might have had. I could raise a few drops of water in the air if I tried hard enough- it could be air magic too, couldn’t it?”

“It could,” Wooyoung nodded. “But… chances are it was water. You don’t look like an air kind of person.”

Gaeul made a face before she returned to Hongjoong. “I never got to discover it, much less master it. It’s gone, right?”

“Let’s see,” Hongjoong placed his bowl on the table, folding his arms as he thought. “Your nature magic turned opposite, as did your earth magic, which are kind of similar so it’s basically one at this point. Now what could become of water if it turned like your magic did?”

“See? I gave up after that,” Yunho laughed helplessly. “What’s the opposite of water?”

“Ice?” Seonghwa suggested. “Though it’s not exactly the opposite if we talk about magic…”

“Land? But then it’s earth and she already had earth magic,” Jongho shrugged.

“Uh…” Wooyoung had paled- it was a first for Gaeul. “Don’t you guys remember seeing snow among the ashes when Gaeul’s magic exploded? San? Jongho?”

The two frowned, looking at each other. “I thought it was… cold ash.”

Yeosang snorted at San who slapped his thigh but Jongho nodded. “I didn’t think it was ice. It didn’t exactly feel like ice.”

“See?” San pointed at Jongho. “You’re dumb, Wooyoung.”

“Wait-” Mingi caught their attention. “Ice and ashes together? In one place? Ashes as in… like the one after something burns, right?”

Everyone shut up after that and Gaeul squirmed as they all stole glances. “Opposite of water… fire, perhaps?”

“Have any of you heard about cold fire?” Mingi asked and Hongjoong looked ready to cry. “I wish I’m wrong about this because cold fire is a magic that exists in theory among fire users- kept from ice users as well, since they like to create mischief anyway. My father was working on that theory before he passed away- he wanted to see if cold fire could really exist.”

“But… we only have a few ashes and snow to support this theory, so let’s not get our panties in a twist, right?” Yena looked at everyone. “No point worrying about something that couldn’t be. Not saying it isn’t plausible, but let’s just focus on what we came here for- we’ll have plenty of time after to worry about snow and ashes later, okay?”

Everyone nodded, though silent as they processed what it could mean. Yeosang, who was sitting beside Gaeul, leaned in a little as he said, “You could be an ice princess. I’ve always wanted to be one.”

“What, a princess?” Gaeul teased and he snorted. “What’s stopping you now?”

“Yena took all the limelight before I could manifest it into existence,” Yeosang pouted.

“You really want to be a princess so bad?” Yena scoffed. “Go ahead. Maybe I should send you to one of the parallel universes where you’re a Princess and I’m… a Prince.”

The rest laughed at that. “Princess Yeosang of Spirit,” Wooyoung clapped. “I like the sound of it.”

“Alright, that’s enough now,” Hongjoong gathered everyone’s attention, smiling at their jokes to Gaeul’s relief- she really did not like a serious Hongjoong. “Let’s go to sleep. We will get up early tomorrow.”

“There are 5 rooms, so I guess we’re pairing up for rooms-” Wooyoung announced and was immediately interrupted by Yunho and Mingi calling dibs on being roommates, followed by Wooyoung himself going for Yeosang who pretended to run away but then gave in. Seonghwa and Yena- no one bothered to separate the couple, but Yena looked at Gaeul- they were the only women in the crowd of men and she wasn’t sure if Gaeul wanted to tag with her. 

Gaeul looked back at Yena, more nervous than ever, but Hongjoong muttered something to San at which he nodded, looking at Gaeul and her stomach swooped dangerously.

“I guess we’re roommates- you’re still sick and I need to make sure you’ll be okay while you sleep,” San said and Gaeul pursed her lips, nodding. “But if you’re not comfortable, we can do something about it-”

“It’s- it’s okay,” Gaeul realised she had interrupted a bit too soon but thankfully, only Wooyoung and San seemed to realise- or if the others did, they weren’t smirking shamelessly like the little brat. “I don’t think I’ll get any sleep anyway.”

Wooyoung put a hand on his mouth and finally earned a hard slap on his head from Yeosang. “Get your head out of the gutter.”

Gaeul couldn’t help it as she giggled, making everyone laugh as well- it looked like everyone had some sort of clue about how San and Gaeul had something different going on. Hongjoong cleared his throat. “Well then. If we’re done fooling around, let’s try to get some rest. This house is magically warded, right? We don’t need to worry about the night watch. Tomorrow is going to be a… busy and difficult day.”

—----------------

“I’ll… sleep on the couch?” 

There it was. Gaeul had said the most cheesy, most overused line ever. At times, she wished she had read less romance books because it was obvious she got some of her cheesiness from there. 

“Gaeul,” San rolled his eyes though his grin got wider. “Let’s not be weird about this. You know I need to hold you to keep you and everyone safe- your magic has been restless ever since we arrived in Ascella.”

Gaeul bit her lips- the two of them had gone to their room at the end of the hallway about half an hour ago and changed into pyjamas- San’s plain black ones and Gaeul’s plain emerald. Gaeul only fidgeted while San washed up, looking around the room which only had necessary furniture,including a queen sized bed along with a few tables and a couch. 

And now that Gaeul was back after washing up, a towel on her head as water slowly dripped, she bit her lips as she stared at the bed as if she could burn it, and then at San who was clearly enjoying this. He chuckled helplessly, getting up. 

“When you’re nervous like this,” he paused in front of her, picking the towel and throwing it on the couch, drying her hair and her wet shirt with a swipe of his hand. “It’s cute.”

“Shut up,” Gaeul scoffed, trying to hide her smile but failing as she pushed him, going to her side of the bed. San drew the curtains, leaving them a fraction apart for the faint light to fill the room. Gaeul could feel him as he made his way onto his side of the bed, drawing the covers over the both of them. 

“Can I ask you one thing?”

Gaeul looked at San- they could see each other in the faint light well. She nodded and San continued. “Would you have been this nervous if it was someone else tonight?”

San didn’t miss how Gaeul smiled at that. “You seemed pretty concerned about what I feel about others and you.”

“I am,” San rested his face on his hand, propping himself up on his elbow as he turned to face her. “I like to know what you think of me.”

“Well, Prince San of Earth,” Gaeul started and San chuckled deeply at how she always mocked him (jokingly, of course) with his title as she mirrored his position. “I think you care too much for me to pass it off as normal. I also think you’re flirting. Sometimes I think you enjoy confusing me, but sometimes…”

“Sometimes?” San wasn’t sure he was breathing anymore.

“Sometimes I think I’m delusional,” Gaeul simply said, turning and facing the wall instead of him- such dangerous lines they were treading on. She wasn’t sure it was right.

“Why would you think that?” San started to play with her, occasionally sending that mini-shock whenever he touched her head- Gaeul was pretty sure he did it more on purpose.

“What am I supposed to think when you do and say stuff like this?” Gaeul almost whispered. She wished she had a power like Yena so she could disappear- or maybe she should just cleave open the earth-

“Easy, easy,” San drew closer, holding her hand and sending his magic- he could feel how nervous she was. He grew worried- perhaps he had been pushing her too much- but when he tugged at her and watched her smiling at him… 

She liked it. And it drove him crazy.

“If you don’t like anything I do, you know you can tell me, right?” San was concerned. “I want you to tell me if I’m being too much-”

“No, no, you’re not,” Gaeul turned to face him now, her heart breaking a little at how worried he looked. “You’re… perfect, San. So perfect that sometimes, it annoys me, if I have to be honest.”

San laughed at that, more in relief. “That’s good to hear.”

“You can… keep doing whatever you think you’re doing,” Gaeul glanced at him. “I’m… okay with it. And don’t worry about it- I’ll let you know if you start to really annoy me.”

The two of them were grinning like kids as San absently caressed her hand. Gaeul was the first to give in, smacking his chest lightly. “Just stop looking at me like that, will you?”

“Does it make you nervous?” San laughed.

“Yes, it does!” Gaeul almost shouted, turning away in frustration. 

“Well, if you want me to do whatever I deem fit,” San said and Gaeul gasped when she felt his arms snake around her waist and pull her to him- her back now connected with his chest. He took that chance to snuggle his nose between her neck and shoulder, his nose and breath trickling her. “I think we should both be comfortable when we sleep.”

Gaeul sighed internally- wasn’t this dangerous for her magic? Why was her magic sleeping now? She shook her head at the thought, too aware of how relaxed, safe and… good she felt in his arms. He was practically hugging her. For a few moments, the two of them were quiet, just relishing how they could feel each other’s frantic heartbeats, how their bodies coursed with the tingling sensation. 

“Thought for a thought?” Gaeul asked.

San shifted a little, spooning her. “You first. No lies- I can smell them on you anyway.”

Who allowed him to say things like that-

“Well,” Gaeul exhaled. “I’m thinking I like whatever we have right now. I’m not sure I’d like to break this bond- whatever it is. I like what it does to me. I like you. But at the same time… I want to break this bond if only for the sake of clarity, because San… you confuse me even without the bond acting up. I want to break it because I don’t wish you to be associated with someone like me. I don’t want to hurt you, and I don’t want you to worry about me. I’m in a dilemma and I don’t know what to do.”

San’s grip around her waist tightening was the only indication that he was still awake. Gaeul caressed his hands, trailing her fingers with little breaks in between, feeling alive in that moment. San finally moved a little. 

“Look at me when I tell you my thoughts.”

Gaeul gulped, shifting in his arms. San made her use his arm as a pillow, his hand caressing her head while his other hand rested on her waist. His gaze could have melted her like wax and Gaeul was glad it was dark. 

“I’m thinking… that I’m falling, bond or no bond. I’m thinking that I’m the burden here. I’m thinking…” his hand trailed up her arm. “I’m thinking that I was destined to meet you because I’m not sure I could feel what I feel with you with anyone else. I’m thinking…” his fingers traced Gaeul’s cheekbones, resting there. “That no matter what happens tomorrow and in the future, I want to stick with you, through thick and thin. And I’m thinking…” San wiped the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. “I’m thinking that you deserve an ordinary life and that I will hold you back from it. That I’m somehow involved in whatever happened with you, and you’re going to hate me when you find out. I don’t want you to run away from me or hate me, Gaeul.”

“I could never hate you,” Gaeul cautiously, hesitantly brought her hand to his face, running her fingers through his soft hair before tracing his cheekbone and then daring to run her thumb over his plump lower lip, earning a sharp intake of breath. “Why do we feel like this? Isn’t… liking each other supposed to be simple? What’s really holding us back?”

“Guilt,” San admitted, relishing the feel of her hand resting on his face, absently caressing his hair. “Regret. Fear.”

Gaeul understood- there was no guarantee what tomorrow held for them. She was a walking time bomb. As much as San wished things were simpler… he feared something irreversible would happen. “Well… after we find answers… will you still be there for me?”

“I will be right there, but I’m not sure you’ll like me very much after you find the answers.”

“You know something, don’t you?” Gaeul asked and San didn’t respond. “You must have a good enough reason that you’re staying quiet about it.”

“I’m not sure, which is why I’m quiet,” San looked like he was in pain. “But… I don’t know, Gaeul. I want it to be true as much as I want it to be false.”

“That makes… no sense,” Gaeul chuckled and San joined, sighing. 

“Let’s not talk anymore tonight,” San caressed her cheeks. “Let’s just… forget who we are. We’re only San and Gaeul tonight.”

“I was only Gaeul anyway, it’s you who has this big scary title with your name-”

“Hey,” San smiled, scanning her face as his gaze changed- Gaeul could practically feel it in the air as he gazed at her. “I’d kiss you right now if you let me.” 

San could feel her magic roil within her as he said that and he chuckled deeply, shaking his head. “I guess you want to kiss me too.”

“Wait till you do and find out you died,” Gaeul hid her face in San’s chest. “Not a good time, San. I don’t want to hurt you accidentally.”

“You won’t hurt me,” San tilted her chin up. “Not now, you won’t. And if you hate me after tomorrow… I want to kiss you once before that happens.”

“I told you, I could never hate you-” Gaeul paused as she realised he wasn’t even hearing her anymore, his gaze fixated on her lips. “San.”

To say that she was on fire was an understatement- this must be the cold fire Mingi was talking about- San’s touch both cooled her and set her ablaze. He drew close, planting a lingering kiss on her forehead, sighing heavily and Gaeul wondered just what he hid from her. Then he was kissing her eyelid and Gaeul practically groaned, fisting his shirt in her hands. 

“Tell me to stop and I will,” San trailed his lips down her face and Gaeul squirmed- she didn’t want him to stop. Never. At least not for the entirety of the night. 

“Tell me to stop,” San whispered again as he kissed her cheek, and Gaeul wasn’t sure he meant it like earlier- he wanted her to tell him to stop. 

“Don’t stop,” Gaeul managed to whisper. San opened his eyes, searching hers for a few moments, making sure she was okay before he leaned in and kissed her where they wanted it the most.

The touch of his lips on hers made them both sigh and it had them going on for more, San’s hand snaking behind her neck and Gaeul bringing him closer and on top of her so they could kiss better, ditching the simple pecks and going for open mouthed kisses because this feeling- this sensation-

They could never get enough of each other, they both realised with dread. But they kept going, San swallowing Gaeul’s moans as he kissed her again and again, never breaking apart, his hands squeezing where they held her at the neck and the waist- it wasn’t enough. He needed to hold her closer, needed to feel her body on his-

Gaeul felt the same- she was sure whatever they felt wasn’t normal and was heightened due to whatever reason she didn’t care for in the moment- she couldn’t hold him close enough. She cupped his face, running a hand through his hair and arching into the kiss when he made it deeper-

“San,” she moaned into the kiss, breaking apart for a moment to catch her breath but it hitched again when he started pecking her cheeks while she caught her breath. She brought him in for another kiss this time, their tongues colliding and exploring each other’s mouth, their hands a frantic mess as they trailed everywhere and anywhere, and San shifted on top of her, his leg going in the middle of her parted legs unconsciously-

He hadn’t even touched her. Only a brush of his knee on her inner thigh made her whimper into the kiss and San broke apart in confusion-

Only to see a flushed Gaeul, out of breath and so beautiful with her lips parted for him. His chest heaved with deep breaths, taking a moment to just look at her and tuck her hair back.

“Is it normal to- to feel everything so intensely?” Gaeul managed to ask, “Do you have any idea of what I’m feeling right now?”

San joined their foreheads, making her feel what he could feel as he pecked her lips- Gaeul was surprised once again by how San felt it perhaps twice more intensely than Gaeul. 

“Is this normal?”

“I’m not sure,” San whispered, “And right now… I couldn’t care less.”

Gaeul’s heart swooped dangerously. “So much for getting some sleep, huh?”

San chuckled, lying down and bringing her close, kissing her slowly this time, as if he really was going to spend all night doing that. And perhaps he would- but after a good few minutes of lazily kissing each other, San broke apart. “Shall we sleep now?”

Gaeul grinned sleepily, pecking his lips one last time. “Now we can.”

San hugged her and Gaeul settled into it, deciding she liked this position with their tangled limbs. The caressing of her head finally put her to a peaceful slumber, and for once, and perhaps what could be the last, San put aside his worries and welcomed sleep.

—-------------------

San couldn’t really sleep all night- not with the way Gaeul had her face hidden in his chest, holding on to his shirt- he loved it. He absolutely loved it but there was a feeling of dread within him, and it prevented him from falling into a deep sleep. And perhaps, because Gaeul was so tired, she slept better. 

An hour after dawn, San gave up trying to sleep. He carefully untangled himself from her, his heart breaking a little at how small, how fragile she looked right now. How defenceless. He covered her with a blanket and went to wash his face with cold water before going out and finding the roof, lying on the bench there and watching the cloudy sky.

He wondered if it was true- his theory about Gaeul. A bond that could survive death. A bond that might have brought her back from death, and something that didn’t change even after her magic and her whole life did.

The bond that soulmates shared. 

Soulmates, in the world of faeries, wasn’t like the concept humans had, though much of the misconception among the faeries currently was due to the similarity of the concepts and the literature. He remembered how his parents had told him that there are certain souls that are bound to be together- perhaps, in some place that all souls came from and go to after death, these souls are able to recognise each other.

San had once chatted with Seonghwa and found out that the eldest Prince did indeed know more about this concept. He believed that some souls are bound to like each other like some are bound to dislike- just like an instant ‘connection’ or spark people feel when they click with someone immediately, or the feeling of disdain they get when they don’t get along with a person no matter how much they try. Seonghwa also believed that soulmates came in various forms- friends, family, or romantic interests. In Seonghwa’s case, he believed Yena was his soulmate because even after Kieran had wiped Yena’s memories of Seonghwa, he couldn’t erase the love she had for him. And before that- Seonghwa falling in love with Yena was inevitable- he fell in love with her over and over again, even with the change in timelines. 

So in San’s case… he hadn’t really felt Gaeul before she died, and he wondered if Kieran had masked Gaeul’s magic when he killed her so San couldn’t feel her die if she really was his mate, but after she came back to life… he had been able to feel her- not her magic, but her. Her state of mind and heart. He had felt sick when she had been sick. And as soon as he saw her… he just knew something about her was different. The bond had physically tugged at his heart and he instantly knew this was the person he had been waiting for all his life. This was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. 

But her anti-magic thing… it was trying to break the bond- he could feel that too, and perhaps Gaeul could feel it too. It was trying to erase any trace of Gaeul’s past. Perhaps because of her bloodline, she had been lucky and her bond was more powerful- after all, the yin-yang inheritors used their mates to fully master their powers. If San was her mate…

San sighed deeply, running his hands through his hair. He shouldn’t have kissed her and made her confused- he had been so, so incredibly selfish. They were going to find the truth soon, and if Gaeul and San really were soulmates, she would find herself in a bad place- she clearly disliked her magic right now. If she were to embrace her anti-magic, would it, perhaps, break the soulmate bond?

That’s the one thing that made San restless. She couldn’t live without embracing her magic. And if she did, there was a good chance their bond would break, since her magic was trying so hard to erase it anyway. He did not want the bond to break, but he thought that even if it did… he might love her anyway. He was already falling- bond or no bond.

He couldn’t say the same for Gaeul. And he wished he hadn’t confused her. He didn’t want her to give up trying to control the magic for this bond- or maybe… she didn’t care. Maybe she would choose living instead of dying painfully. Maybe San was thinking too highly of himself-

“You’re going to shake the whole damn planet if you glare at the sky any harder than this.”

San scoffed, getting up and patting the space next to him for Yunho to sit. “For someone who had been complaining so much about not getting enough rest, you’re up early.”

“For someone who can’t stay away from Gaeul, you’re up and alone early too,” Yunho commented, earning a smack on his arm. “Slept well?”

San rolled his eyes but Yunho caught his ears turning red. “Or maybe you didn’t get enough sleep-”

“Shut up,” San laughed, shaking his head. “Nothing happened. I just couldn’t sleep.”

“Nothing?” Yunho leaned in and wiggled his brows and San gave in, pushing his face away. 

“Okay, maybe a little something happened. Happy?”

“Then why are you sulking? I thought you liked her?”

“I do,” San admitted, “It’s just so complicated, Yunho. I don’t even know where to begin.”

“I guess we’ll know soon,” Yunho said and San looked at him.

“You’ve figured it out, haven’t you? Smartass.”

“I might have,” Yunho nodded, patting his back. “It must be hard for you, this whole… predicament. Does she know?”

“I don’t think she does,” San sighed. “It’s just… a theory, right? I know I overthink everything and might have made up fake scenarios to deal with every situation that might arise today, but… what are the chances that it’s not true?”

“If it’s not true, you have nothing to worry about,” Yunho thought about it and San realised he was right. “But if it’s true… isn’t there a chance that the bond might break since her magic is reversing?”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” San nodded, not surprised that Yunho had pieced it all together. 

“I’ll tell you something interesting,” Yunho shifted, facing San. “We were trying to examine all the black hole occurrences- it had left a trail. Do you know where it strayed from the pattern? Around your kingdom. The black hole- it must have circled the entire continent because of you- or at least something to do with your magic, we thought. There were more occurrences around your kingdom than the rest combined. It made me wonder…”

“If it was some bond that made it happen?” San finished and Yunho nodded.

“There definitely is something, seeing as you are immune to her magic and all,” Yunho concluded. “And it might be good. It might be bad. It might be what made Gaeul come back to life. When we find the answers… let’s not lose our calm, okay? We have to make sure Gaeul doesn’t take it badly because it wouldn’t end well for anyone.”

San nodded slowly and Yunho patted his shoulder. “There might be a way to make things right. Don’t overthink, and don’t give up either, okay? We’re with you.”

“She’s still so ready to give up living,” San bit his lips and Yunho understood this was what he was most worried about. “I fear it will become worse.”

“Would you want to live if you lost the one thing that kept you alive all these years? Your magic?”

San felt cold all over- Yunho was absolutely right. The relationship between a faerie and its magic went deeper than anything- it was a part of the soul. Losing one’s magic was unimaginable, and having your magic change into something that you hated? San could finally understand why Gaeul wasn’t so keen about living anymore. Why she was physically sick- perhaps even the thought of living with this magic made her sick. 

“Am I not allowed to help someone I care for?” San asked quietly. “Am I not allowed to help her find a reason to live?”

Yunho didn’t reply- he didn’t need to. San scoffed, looking up at the sky.

“I can’t force her to make the decision to live, can I? Bond or no bond.”

“I’m sorry, San,” Yunho sounded sad. “It’s her decision. We’ll try everything, but… in the end, it’s her decision.”

San wondered why it wasn’t raining- he wanted the skies to cry with him.

—-----------------

Gaeul woke up to an empty and cold bed- she wasn’t sure how much she had slept but she wasn’t tired- she felt fresh for once. She looked around, and the events of last night came crawling back in her mind-

“Tell me to stop and I will.”

“Tell me to stop.”

“Don’t stop.”

Gaeul covered her face with the blankets, letting herself feel giddy for a good few moments, kicking her legs as she laughed to herself. She couldn’t believe it- perhaps it had been a dream. 

But it wasn’t. She… San had kissed her. He said he was attracted to her. Her. 

Gaeul decided to freshen up, washing up a bit and looking at her face when she was done- she looked better than she ever had since she came back to life. Her cheeks were flushed with colour and she wasn’t pale anymore. Her eyes were twinkling. Gaeul smiled as she combed her hair- she couldn’t believe it. The Prince of Earth was attracted to her.

And it had something to do with this bond they shared, the pit in her heart tugged at her. Gaeul sighed- this wasn’t the time to be all giddy. She was going to learn the answers to why she was in this state. Everything was supposedly going to change and…

San thought she might hate him. Why would he think that? What did any of whatever she was going through have to do with San? She really couldn’t make the connection- and she wanted to ask someone- not San, he would never tell her unless he was sure.

Or maybe she should just be patient and wait. 

A knock sounded on the door and Gaeul watched San cautiously open the door and peek inside before relaxing and coming in, halting when he saw Gaeul on the dressing table, all ready and… 

So pretty his heart hurt. 

“You’re… awake.”

Gaeul gave him a tight-lipped smile, looking around nervously before going back to combing her hair, wondering what she should say. She turned and looked at him, “I-”

“Did you-”

The two of them paused, chuckling and Gaeul urged him to go first. San nodded, “Did you sleep well?”

“I did,” Gaeul smiled. “I was wondering if you did too.” She noticed San poke his tongue on the inside of his cheek. “For someone who was all about getting a good night’s sleep, you don’t look like you did.”

San raised a brow, pleased to see Gaeul was teasing him- it meant she was in a good mood. “I didn’t sleep well for some reason. I gave up trying at dawn.”

“Was it something I did-”

“Oh no, no, you were perfect-” San paused, scoffing when he saw her smirk. “Ah, it might have been all the snoring you did-”

“I do not snore!” Gaeul gasped and San laughed. 

“I just… I guess because it’s a new place, and I’m nervous and worried,” San rambled on, slumping down on the couch. “Stress kept me awake, you could say.”

Gaeul nodded slowly, scanning him. “Are we… going to talk about last night or pretend it didn’t happen?”

“What happened last night?” San tilted his head in confusion, earning a flying comb in his direction and Gaeul huffed as he laughed, starting to go out of the room when San grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her and she nearly slammed in his chest, looking at him with eyes wide in surprise. 

“As much as I’d like to remind you again, maybe with a reenactment,” San licked his lips as his gaze fell on hers, “I think it’d be better if we put it aside until all our confusions are cleared.”

Gaeul rolled her eyes but nodded, and San’s gaze softened as he said, “I’m sorry about last night- I might have been too pushy-”

“Not at all,” Gaeul interrupted, bringing her hand to caress his cheek before she rose to her tiptoes and pecked his cheek. “We’re still the same, okay? San and Gaeul- or rather, San with his scary title and ordinary Gaeul-”

San laughed, shaking his head at her when she grinned. He spread his arms and Gaeul readily hugged him, wrapping her arms around his torso and he held her head to him as he swayed. “Thank you for understanding. Really, thank you.”

“It’s okay, San,” Gaeul said, not breaking the hug. “I know you’re confused. I am too. But whatever happened, we’re still the same, okay? I’m still going to tease you to death and I’d like it if you still shamelessly flirted and teased me like you used to- I don’t want you to suddenly draw away, because I know you’re the type of person who will. Just be… the same for me, will you?”

San nodded in the hug, letting go and patting her head. “You look really good, by the way. Alive, even.”

“See? That wasn’t so hard,” Gaeul laughed. “Just say it. Say that I look less like a zombie.”

“I’d say that, but you’d smack me- ow!” San rubbed his arm where Gaeul had practically punched him. “I can never understand how a tiny thing like you still has so much force in her.”

Gaeul ignored him, grinning as she motioned that she was going out. In the kitchen, she found Wooyoung, of all people, leading the others to cook their breakfast. Gaeul sat on a stool, resting her face on her hands, elbows propped on the table as she watched him expertly slice, cut and throw vegetables in what looked like a stew. Wooyoung noticed her, winking at her and purposely showing off as he put in the spices-

“You’re turning me off now,” Gaeul sighed when he sprinkled the salt in a rather weird way and Wooyoung laughed his famous hyena laugh.

“I’m still doing good, right? I look good in the kitchen, don’t I?”

Gaeul pretended to throw up but nodded- she had to acknowledge it. “I wonder why you like cooking- I didn’t picture you as someone who could actually even hold a knife.”

“Obviously, to woo,” Jongho sighed and Gaeul snorted. “But he’s the best cook out of us all.”

“I wonder who’s the worst,” Gaeul said but when everyone looked at her, she gasped. “Hongjoong?”

“Who else could it be?” Seonghwa laughed. “You’re quick, Gaeul.”

“Pretty obvious when you all looked at me like that,” Gaeul laughed. “Good to know Hongjoong’s not good at everything.”

“I am.” Wooyoung put the dish in the middle of the table, clapping loudly twice. “Everyone? Breakfast!”

Gaeul ate silently while the rest of them chattered away, more amused to see everyone interact. She was positive she wouldn’t find anything more amusing than the 9 of them bickering like kids and not letting anyone complete one single sentence-

“Pass me the-”

“Hey, you remember when we went to Mingi’s place-”

“Don’t push me!”

“I wanna go to the beach to swim…”

“Ugh, I’m so tired, shut up-”

Gaeul tuned them out, stifling her smile as she finished eating. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was the last normal moment she was going to have with everyone. She watched all of them eat and make small talk, imprinting it in her memory in case she’d never have a memory like this again. 

However, she didn’t remain in a good mood for long. As soon as they reached the beach and she spotted the familiar faces of her neighbours and family, she immediately cowered back, bumping into Yena and practically hiding behind her.

“What’s wrong? You know these people?”

“I know everyone who lives on the outskirts of the beach- we were a small community. And… everyone knew me too. They’re going to be… concerned.”

“Concerned? The bad kind?”

“The bad kind,” you confirmed. “Maybe all of us shouldn’t go…”

“You’re right,” Yena nodded, turning to the rest of them who were busy admiring the clear sky and sea. Yena clapped to get their attention, and she scanned each of them before pointing at-

“Hongjoong, San and Wooyoung- and Jongho. You’re coming with us. The rest of you better lay low while we’re gone- we don’t want the whole town to know all of us are here.”

“Thank you,” Hongjoong groaned in relief, scowling at the rest for good measure. “I better not hear town gossip when I come out.”

“You’re taking Hongjoong when he looks like this?” Jongho scoffed.

“Hey! What do you mean by that!”

“You just stand out too much,” he dismissed him and Gaeul grinned- Hongjoong really did- and it was not his appearance to blame, he just had a certain… aura to him. A certain sass that only he possessed. Gaeul had no other way to explain it.

“Lead the way,” Hongjoong urged her and Gaeul gulped before doing exactly that, Yena by her side. 

“Let me know if you feel… jumpy or anything,” San said.

Gaeul led the five along the beach, some of the people spotting her but not really recognising her- or anyone else. Their powers were well masked so Gaeul was sure they couldn’t really feel anything from the six of them, which, in her opinion, was more suspicious if someone realised they really were feeling no inkling of any magic from them. She finally spotted the familiar face of her uncle outside the house she had lived in all her life and she paused- he looked and felt the same and yet… she felt a bit scared.

Her uncle paused fixing the window when he noticed them staring at him. He turned and scanned each of them, almost not recognising Gaeul but then he frowned.

“Gaeul?” 

His voice was still the same, with a stern tone to it. Gaeul felt her heart sink- she nodded and he stepped forward but then paused, taking in her companions again. “Where have you been? We thought something happened to you- you never returned.”

“I just…” Gaeul started but then paused- what should she tell him?

“Your niece was in an accident, which caused some memory problems- she couldn’t recall her name for the longest time either,” Yena began and Gaeul relaxed- thank goodness. “We’re her… friends. Maybe we should take this inside- we need to talk about a few things.”

“Alright,” he nodded, a bit shaken because he really hadn’t expected Gaeul to pop back up out of nowhere. He led them inside and Gaeul inhaled the familiar scent of coconut that was the staple of this house. Once they were settled in the living room, the man stood awkwardly, scanning them again. He looked at Gaeul, “Do you want me to call your aunt? She’s in the backyard.”

“Uh, maybe after we talk?” Gaeul said hesitantly and he sat. 

“I’m sorry, I just-” he rubbed his face. “I thought you ran away- you never seemed very happy here, especially after my brother passed away,” he was referring to her father. Gaeul nodded in understanding and he continued. “I believed something must have happened to you- you weren’t the type to just disappear, and you still had work here- you never left your business unfinished.”

“Did you look for me?” Gaeul asked hesitantly.

“We did- my son and I,” he nodded. “We took the path you took but lost your trace altogether in the middle of Nunki. I thought it was very strange and after a while, I just gave up, wondering how I would face my brother.”

“I’m sorry,” Gaeul bit the inside of her cheek- she knew her uncle cared- not much, but in his way, he did. “I lost my memory, just started regaining it recently and decided to come back. And… I have a problem with my magic too.”

“You do look different,” he scanned her- she still had the same dark hair like his, but her eyes- they were never so light. “What’s wrong?”

“We can’t exactly tell you what is wrong with her magic,” Wooyoung began and her uncle looked suspiciously at him. “We just need to ask a few questions about the magic that your bloodline possesses. The yin-yang magic, and how it interferes with the natural flow of magic.”

“And who might you be?” He narrowed his eyes. “Are you from the yin-yang bloodline? Or did Gaeul tell all these secrets to you?”

Gaeul sighed internally- he was still the same, alright. Wooyoung smirked almost dangerously, unmasking his magic for just a second but it made her uncle gasp despite his usual stiff demeanour. “I think you recognise me, sir.”

The old man looked from Wooyoung to Gaeul and back. Then he looked at Gaeul. “Don’t tell me this is who I think he is.”

“He is,” Gaeul nodded and he paled. “The Prince has helped me a lot- because my magic hasn’t been very stable.”

“I apologise… Your Highness,” Gaeul watched her uncle get up and deeply bow. “I’m sorry for the trouble my niece must have caused for you to come here yourself-”

“Your niece isn’t responsible for that,” Wooyoung urged him to sit and Gaeul stifled a smile- she was amused with the way Wooyoung was clearly going to use his authority to get the answers. “Beside me is the Prince of Nature himself- I think he’ll do a better job at asking the questions of this magical bloodline you possess. I’d appreciate it if you answer truthfully and don’t leave anything out.”

Her uncle bowed to Jongho who had raised his hand to let him know he was the one. He rose up. “Should I get you all something? You must have travelled a long way.”

Wooyoung and Jongho looked at each other. Jongho nodded, “It’s going to take some time, so tea would be nice.”

He rushed to the backyard, probably to let his wife know just who was here. Gaeul pursed her lips as she looked at the rest of them and San, who was sitting beside her, scoffed. “You look like you’re enjoying this.”

“I just- I can imagine what must be going on in the backyard,” she smiled- they must be panicking right now. “Can the rest of you pretend that you’re normal? I don’t think he’ll take it well.”

“Of course, unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Hongjoong nodded. “I prefer to lay low anyway.”

“We look pretty normal, San and I,” Yena laughed. “Hongjoong though… I’m pretty sure the man’s suspicious of you, not us.”

“None of you look normal,” she told them and before they could protest, her uncle was back and took his seat. He looked at Jongho and asked him what he would like to know.

“Do you know how many generations the bloodline has been running in your family?”

“We’re… the original bloodline- if you can call it that,” he said and Gaeul raised a brow- she didn’t know this. “We’re descendants of the first Prince of Nature himself- that’s why we call ourselves the original bloodline- there are others, of course, but our generation had it different.”

“That’s…” Jongho looked at Gaeul. “We’re descendants of the same person then, aren’t we? But hasn’t every descendant of the first Prince been a royal?”

Gaeul looked in disbelief at Hongjoong, equally in disbelief, if not more. Her uncle cleared his throat. “Not everyone liked being royal, it seems. The first Prince had the yin-yang element- he was born with it. In that sense, it was a part of his magic. He had two sons, but only one of them inherited the element- his son did not like what his family wanted to do with this magic and how they wanted to wield it as a weapon- you know how the situation on planet earth with humans and darklings wasn’t ideal back then. He gave up his royal title and disappeared.”

“Why do I not know of the history? Has it been kept hidden from the royals on purpose?”

“At first, probably,” Gaeul’s uncle nodded, “but now we just keep it a secret from the whole world, and I’m sure most of the royals now do not know about this magic.”

Jongho nodded- it made sense. He had only heard his parents talk about this once, and that was it. Even Hongjoong couldn’t find any records- a secret kept well-hidden. Dangerous. “You called yourself the original bloodline- but isn’t anyone possessing the yin-yang element an original?”

“We are pure, is what’s the better term, though we don’t use it,” he shifted in his seat. “Our bloodline has never had a human touch- we kept it strictly within faeries. The other bloodlines have all mingled with humans, and some with darklings. A faerie’s soulmate can only be a faerie, but not everyone finds their soulmate- it’s considered a myth now. Our bloodline… it has gone to great lengths to preserve the powers- going as far as to travelling the whole planet for their soulmate to keep it ‘pure’.”

“Wow, that’s…” Yena looked at Hongjoong. “You’ve taken great measures. Do you possess this element too?” He nodded and Yena continued, “Did you meet your soulmate?”

“I was lucky to find her so near me,” he admitted, and on cue, Gaeul’s aunt came, her blonde hair longer than she had ever seen on her. She set a tray of juices and tea on the table, bowing to all of them- then she rose up and beckoned her niece forward. Gaeul smiled before she went and hugged her. She had never known she was her uncle’s soulmate.

“It’s really good to see you alive and well,” she squeezed her shoulders and Gaeul nodded.

“I hope you have been well, aunt,” she meant it. She nodded and glanced at her guests once before urging Gaeul to sit and left. Gaeul took the glass of mint juice- it was always one of her favourite things her aunt made, and she was good in the kitchen. When she settled down, it was San who spoke.

“Did your bloodline focus on soulmates for the sole purpose of extending their powers?”

“Soulmates, in general, are a blessing,” he said and everyone nodded. “Though today, they are considered to be myths. Some people meet each other without knowing they are mates, simply believing that they just get along really well and… vibe with each other, as you youngsters call it now,” he said and everyone chuckled at that. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be a romantic partner, they say, but with us… in our history, it’s always been that. That’s what makes us different- we literally find our other half, and our magic doesn’t feel complete without meeting them. For the rest of you, a soulmate can be a sibling, a friend, but for the yin-yang bloodline specifically, it’s this.”

Everyone sipped on their drinks as they let the information sink in. Gaeul wished she had known these things earlier- clearly even Jongho or Hongjoong didn’t know these details. Wooyoung leaned forward, glancing at San once before asking, “How do you know someone is your soulmate, in your case?”

Gaeul’s uncle glanced at her, wondering if she had perhaps found the one. None of them missed the look- not even Gaeul herself. He looked back at Wooyoung. “Soulmates… you feel them before you even look at them. Everything is heightened with them- their touch, even a brush of their fingers make you shiver. Their voice is so compelling you feel as if it’s reverberating in your skull. And when you finally let your magic connect with theirs, you find a certain… sense of peace, if that makes sense-”

Wooyoung felt it then- Gaeul’s magic. She had paled visibly after hearing him and not even the Prince’s magic masking her magic was enough now. He watched Gaeul look helplessly around, wondering if anyone else had made the connection as well, but everyone was looking at her in… understanding. It looked like she was the last to know. 

How could she have not made the connection? She looked at San who sat emotionless beside her, probably stifling them to not let her uncle make the connection. He tried holding her hand- tell her it was okay, but she flinched away and hurt flashed in his eyes. Gaeul looked at her uncle, her eyes steel. “How powerful is this bond? Please be honest with me- just what is the extent of this bond?”

Her uncle looked at Jongho- there was obviously something he was hesitant to share. Jongho looked at San and Gaeul, “I think you should take her outside for now. Gaeul… I don’t think you should be here right now.”

He was talking about her magic getting out of control and Gaeul almost rushed outside. Yena tried to follow but Hongjoong stopped her- now was not the time. San stood but paused, looking at Jongho. “I think I should hear what he has to say.”

“I’ll let you know, I promise,” Jongho nodded, looking queasy. “Just go after her before something happens.”

San nodded and did exactly that, leaving the four of them inside. Jongho said, “You can tell us. That’s the Prince of Light and Princess of Space with us- your secrets are safe. We only need to understand because we suspect someone might have known your secrets and exploited Gaeul’s magic.”

The man paled- he really hadn’t expected half the royals in his room. San- that had to be Prince San of Earth as well. He almost got up again but Hongjoong urged him to keep sitting, and he settled with a nod of his head to the two. “I’m sorry but… that’s impossible. Even my wife doesn’t know the extent of this power, and she’s my soulmate. We keep this secret to ourselves, only telling those who inherit it at the right time. No one could have known- everyone with this magic has always understood the gravity of it.”

“We understand, but there’s always someone with loose lips,” Hongjoong sighed. “And… I bet you’re not immune to the magic of illusion or the magic that wrings the truth out of you,” he said and the old man sighed. It seemed Hongjoong was right. “Let us know everything.”

—-----------------

Gaeul couldn’t hear the waves of the sea crashing at the sand.

She couldn’t even feel her feet get wet as she walked along the shore.

Soulmate. That’s what San was. Her soulmate, and she didn’t know. Or she did, but wasn’t aware.

She had felt San before she had seen him, that night he had arrived in Rukbat. She had immediately been drawn to him. His touch… the way it messed with her new magic, the way it was a drug that was both keeping her alive and killing her-

Why had the darkling killed her? Had he known too? How? Why was she the only person who did not know? 

San thought she would hate him after knowing the truth- he knew. She hated the fact that he knew and didn’t tell her- but then… would it have made a difference? 

Gaeul found herself going to the caves where she hid whenever she felt overwhelmed. She marched towards the cave, climbing the rocks and scratching her hands in the process but not caring. She went inside one and made way to the little corner that she used to cry in as a kid and felt just like one as she brought her knees to her chest and buried her face in between.

She really would have liked to meet San under normal circumstances- her, with her nature magic, with her innocence. As a faerie- she wasn’t sure she was even that anymore.

She didn’t notice her breath quickening but soon she was sobbing as various thoughts attacked her- why did she come back to life? Why was the soulmate connection still alive? Had it perhaps brought her back? Was it the only thing keeping her alive then? Her magic was killing her- that was a fact, but something was also keeping her alive and if it was this bond… this was all so messed up.

“Gaeul.”

For a second she thought she had heard this voice in her head- she had, but San was here. And when she raised her head-

She almost screamed in surprise- the cave was covered in white… snow. Or ashes. 

Cold fire.

Gaeul put her head back, slumping against the wall as she put a hand over her mouth and started crying again, this time because she was so, so done. One surprise after another. She couldn’t meet eyes with San who was standing cautiously near her.

“I’m sorry, Gaeul,” he sank down beside her, mirroring her position. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Gaeul wanted to tell him it wasn’t his fault, but she couldn’t control her sobs at that moment. The ash started floating in the air, making San feel like he was inside a snow globe. It was both dangerous but beautiful- that’s what Gaeul was. San didn’t look at her as he said, “I wasn’t expecting it to be true, if you can believe me. I just thought it was unbelievable, and if it really was true, the thought that Kieran killed my soulmate… you have no idea how angry that makes me.”

Gaeul’s stomach swooped despite herself- she hadn’t expected this side of San, but she supposed he, too, had a right to be angry. 

“The fact that I didn’t feel you before, that makes sense, but I know I would have felt my soulmate… die. There’s no way I wouldn’t have- and I think that’s what’s so twisted about all that happened,” he let out a short laugh. “That Kieran must have somehow known and masked it with his magic. Truly the Prince of Illusions, that bastard was. I don’t know if he understood that you would come back, but if he didn’t… both of these thoughts make me want to go find him and bury him alive.”

“It’s… it’s not your fault,” Gaeul managed to say but his head was down as he shook it in denial. 

“That’s even sadder. That none of this is my fault, and none of this is your fault either,” San finally turned to her. “We just got involved in this mess. Gaeul… don’t let Kieran win with this.”

“I’m just so tired, San,” Gaeul wiped her face, extending her hand and watching what had to be ash fall on her hand- but cold like snow. “This mess of a reality that I have to live with… I don’t want to.”

“Not even when you have me?” San asked, his voice trembling. Gaeul finally glanced at him- if she put herself in his shoes, she could tell why he was so vulnerable right now. 

“You don’t deserve to live with this either,” Gaeul smiled sadly. “I died. I shouldn’t have come back- and if I had known you before I died, I would have wanted you to move on and live a happy life.”

“That’s kind of funny,” San scoffed and Gaeul raised a brow- San was getting angry now. “Do you think you could have moved on and lived happily if I died?”

Could she have, if her soulmate died? Of course not. And that fact made tears roll down her face again. She looked away, biting her nails nervously as she tried to sort it out and control the raging explosion of magic that was making way up her throat.

“Look at me, Gaeul,” San must have felt it too because he took her hands and made her face him. “You can ignore this bond. You have every right to do so. Just don’t give up on your life- that’s the least you can do for me, understand?” He wasn’t asking at this point, he was ordering. “You have died once- you don’t need to kill yourself because of that worthless piece of trash. You have to live on. You will learn about your magic, you will master it, and you will live, Gaeul. You will be strong, and you will win, you hear me?”

“How can I ignore this bond when it’s you?” Gaeul almost whispered and his heart sank. “You’re my soulmate- I think deep down, I knew. How can I live if not with you by my side? How can I simply ignore you when you’re keeping me alive and also giving me a reason to live?”

San didn’t hold back the tears that slid down his face, he simply looked down at their interlocked hands. Gaeul sniffed. “You- I know it’s the bond that brought me back to life. There’s no other explanation, is there?” San nodded and she continued. “You gave me a new life then. I can’t simply waste it. My magic is trying to kill me and this bond, you are the only thing keeping me alive. The two… they are clashing within me. Kill the bond and I might be able to live with my magic. Make my magic stronger… and it might kill the bond. That’s what it’s going to come down to, isn’t it?”

“I’m sure there’s a way,” San sniffed and looked up- he was determined. “We just need to find the balance in all of this.”

“The balance in the chaos- is there ever such a thing?” Gaeul smiled sadly. “Do you love me, San?”

San hadn’t expected her to ask this but he nodded. “I do. Before I knew about the bond, I did.”

“And that’s why I don’t want you to go through this again,” she caressed his hands. “Because I love you. Because you shouldn’t have to go through the pain that’s going to come with being with me. Because if I can’t take this and I die again, this time for good… I don’t want you to be sad. I wish I could make you forget about me.”

“Don’t even think about it,” San squeezed her hands. “I’m supposed to lessen your pain. I’m supposed to share your burden. I wish you could let me do that, at least. I know it’s all too much for you, but at least let me be there for you.”

Gaeul crawled into his arms and let him hold her as they both cried for what could have been a possible, normal future for the two, now stolen and filled with pain and misery. They cried for the other because none of them deserved this. They cried in fear of what the future held for them. San kissed her head repeatedly, hugging her so tightly as if he could make the pain go away, but he couldn’t take all of her pain. The ash circled and settled around the two- she was calm now. She had her arms wrapped around his waist, tears staining his shirt. She wished she could die right now, but she felt so alive when she was with him, like this. 

What a mess these two were.

—-------------------

Jongho, Wooyoung, Hongjoong and Yena stood at the shore, letting the waves crash at their feet as they processed just what they had talked about with Gaeul’s uncle, and how confusing all of it was.

“They are… soulmates,” Wooyoung was the first to break the silence, glancing at the rest who looked equally in disbelief even if they already had an inkling before. “San’s soulmate died and then came back. I’m so wrong for saying this, but I’m glad she’s alive- I don’t know how San would have lived with himself if he learned that his soulmate just… died.”

“I’m the last person who would say this, but I’m glad too- even if it is so dangerous,” Hongjoong nodded. “I can’t imagine the pain they must be feeling right now.”

The sea crashing harshly at their feet seemed to be the answer. They really couldn’t fathom it- but Yena looked like she was in pain- after all, her soulmate had died too before she got him back. She pursed her lips. “What should we do?”

“I don’t know,” Hongjoong sighed. “Keep her alive? Train her magic so she’s not a danger to the people around her?”

“I wish I could go back in time and make it alright for San,” Yena wiped her eyes and Jongho patted her back. “But… I don’t want to relive anything from those few months again.”

“Of course you don’t,” Wooyoung brought her in a side hug. “Nobody will ask that of you- not even San. We just need to… find a better way. Not everything can be solved by going back in time, and I’ll suggest we never do that again- look at the aftermath of it.”

“I feel like it’s my fault- I brought Seonghwa back, only for Gaeul to die-”

“No, it’s not that,” Hongjoong’s tone was final- he wasn’t going to have Yena doubting herself now. “The only thing that would make sense is that Kieran found out that Gaeul was San’s soulmate- he may have accidentally encountered her, or he could have sensed her. With you… we couldn’t sense the soulmate bond because your magic is stronger and masked it well, but Gaeul was just another faerie, and to have such a powerful soulmate- maybe it’s because she descended from the Prince of Nature himself that she could take it. Anyways, Kieran must have masked her powers when he killed her so San couldn’t feel it. That is the only possible explanation- there’s no way he knew she’d come back to life.”

“He’s right,” Jongho nodded. “Even we didn’t know that- and I don’t think a soulmate comes back to life just like that- that would make them infinitely immortal. I think it was the timing of it all and the yin-yang element that brought her back- she was very lucky- or unlucky. That’s it.”

“It’s all so messed up,” Wooyoung groaned. “Gaeul’s still standing at death’s door- I bet it’s the bond that’s keeping her alive in the first place. How do we get her to master all of that? How can we even help her when she has magic that has never been seen before?”

The sound of the seagulls and the waves grew louder as silence overtook before they heard the familiar steps of the rest of them. Yeosang was the first to ask how it went, but they all looked so grim that they decided to let them be for a moment. Yena went to Seonghwa, hugging him and crying because even though it wasn’t her fault that San and Gaeul were in this mess, she felt responsible.

“She’s not feeling very good right now,” Mingi shivered even though it wasn’t cold. “I think Gaeul’s cold fire magic has become dominant.”

Hongjoong sighed, asking them to wait for Gaeul and San before they could plan this further. After about an hour, they came back, hand in hand though the both of them looked very tired- cheeks hollowed and circles beneath their eyes. They really needed a break- but now was not the time. They decided to go back to the house and everyone sat in the living room, silent and either thinking or waiting to hear all of it while Hongjoong worked with Jongho to sketch out a plan. Wooyoung and Yena were in the kitchen, making tea and arranging some snacks to eat. Mingi and Yunho were discussing just which domain cold fire belonged to- ice, or fire. Seonghwa and Yeosang were cautiously glancing at San and Gaeul who sat side by side, each staring into the distance- they had never seen San sit so still for such a long time.

When Wooyoung and Yena finally settled and Hongjoong and Jongho finished, Hongjoong urged them to fill their stomachs before they lost their appetites.

“I might throw up anyway,” Gaeul shrugged and Hongjoong was pleased to see she was teasing- that was a good sign.

“I’d rather take that risk than remain with a grumbling stomach, so eat,” he ordered and Gaeul made a face before she drank a sip and took a cookie.

“Hongjoong,” Yunho smirked. “Cold fire- doesn’t it belong to the domain of ice? It literally looks like snow.”

“But that’s when it’s in the form of ashes, and ashes come from fire- besides, cold fire can also take the form of a normal fire instead of snowflake-like ashes,” Mingi challenged.

“Can cold fire burn?” Hongjoong asked and Mingi nodded. “Can it freeze you?”

“I think it can- we haven’t tested that out yet,” Mingi answered. Hongjoong sighed.

“Sorry to rain on your parade,” Hongjoong scoffed at the two, “but I think we might have a new element.”

Yunho gasped, slapping Mingi’s arm in disbelief. “We have something like Earth and Nature’s link then, don’t we? It could be the bridge to ice and fire.”

“That’s a very far-fetched idea,” Seonghwa commented. “We all have healing abilities, right? Does that make it a bridge to all of our magic?”

“That sounds stupid, Seonghwa,” Yeosang scoffed. “Even if you don’t have any elemental magic, you still have a little affinity for healing.”

“Shut up, all of you,” Hongjoong had finished his tea and started arranging his rough plan. “Here’s what we learned today.”

Hongjoong began with explaining the properties of the yin-yang element, all the things San and Gaeul had heard- he explained how it connected with their soulmate bond and how it might have brought her back but with consequences. 

“Fate works in twisted ways, but in the end, it always makes sense,” Hongjoong looked at San. “I think no one is to blame anyone for that- only Kieran, because he had this idea at the worst timing. Still, no point crying over spilt milk- we have to look forward to the future now, and how we’ll deal with this.

“We need to make Gaeul independent, first and foremost,” Hongjoong continued and Gaeul frowned in confusion. “Gaeul, you depend too much on San- it’s not normal. No pair of soulmates should have to depend on each other’s magic to live, do you understand what I’m saying?”

Gaeul nodded- she knew this was wrong. “It’s like a drug- I can’t help it. It’s both killing me and keeping me alive.”

“Exactly,” Hongjoong nodded. “You need to spend time away from San, in which you’ll have to master your magic- let yourself have control over it, not the other way around. To be away from San… you’ll have to train in another dimension- that way, your magic would not be able to sense him and act up. That would also be safer for all of us while you train with your magic.”

“It’s unavoidable,” San nodded in agreement, even though the thought of staying apart from Gaeul for a good amount of time made him shiver. “Which dimension exactly?”

“The one where time goes faster than here,” Yena smiled knowingly at San- she knew what he felt. “Only Gaeul would be experiencing the amount of time passed. For you… it shouldn’t be that long.”

“That’s sad,” Gaeul laughed as she looked at San and everyone joined, loosening up a bit. “Can’t we make it the other way around? I’d like for him to suffer with me.”

“You don’t want to come back to a wrinkly cranky old San, trust me on that one,” Yena laughed. 

“Alright, next…” Hongjoong changed the page. “Here’s what we know of Gaeul’s powers so far. Unhealing- nothing like natural death. That’s what became of her nature element, so anti-nature is about right. As far as her earth affinity is concerned… I’m still confused about that one, if I’m honest. How would earth magic reverse itself?”

“I think it was there in the first place because of San- isn’t that a plausible theory?” Yeosang mused and everyone nodded- it was. “Her soulmate bond is still in place- maybe her entire earth affinity ended up making sure the soulmate bond remains intact. Or maybe we’ll get a little surprise one day- though if I get one more, I’m positive I’ll pass away.”

“That does make sense,” Wooyoung slapped Yeosang’s head at the last unnecessary remark. “What else do we have?”

“Cold fire,” Gaeul looked at Yunho and Mingi. “Though so far, it’s only been in the form of snowy ashes. It could manifest in cool flame later on as well- probably a result of my water affinity, right?”

“Yes,” Hongjoong nodded, “Still something we’re not sure of, but there’s something else.” 

Everyone caught Hongjoong glancing at Jongho, Wooyoung and Yena- the ones who had heard it all. San tensed and Gaeul braced herself for what was about to come. San met eyes with Hongjoong and urged him to speak up.

“Uh, your uncle said that a lot of people have been going missing in Ascella too. There seems to be no specific victim pool yet- just faeries of any age or possessing a variety of powers. They’ve also mentioned an eerie feeling that something that’s not supposed to be here is now prowling this land. That means our theory might unfortunately be correct. There is a gateway, and there might be creatures. Gaeul might be connected to it, and if she is… she could be the means to either end this or worsen it.”

“That’s why I said I shouldn’t eat,” Gaeul rubbed a hand on her throat. “I could throw up right now.”

San put an arm around her. “Try to keep it in. We’re still not sure, right?”

“That’s right,” Hongjoong sighed. “We’ll look into it more tomorrow. Her magic is very dark in nature, I must say. Shall we call you… the Princess of the Underworld?”

Yeosang was the first one to clap while the others gaped at Hongjoong. “I say that sounds fitting. She practically came back to life- I bet with a little training she can even control the creatures if they exist. She might possibly even be the gateway to another dimension, though…'' The room fell silent and everyone paled, and even Yeosang shook his head furiously. “Let’s pretend I never said that. We have enough to worry about right now.”

“Let’s pretend it doesn’t exist, shall we? Let’s never test that theory,” Gaeul hid her face behind her knees. “Underworld, I understand, but Princess? That sounds too…”

“The first faeries that were born, each with an elemental magic, there were 9 of them,” Hongjoong smiled as he recalled the history. “They were called Princes and Princesses of their element for the sole reason that they were the first. After a few generations and mixed blood, we got a larger variety, but we,” Hongjoong motioned around the room, “continue to remain Prince and Princesses because we are direct descendants and hold the major elemental power. There has been no faerie with your magic, so I think a princess of your element sounds fitting- besides, you are a royal anyway.”

“She is?” Seonghwa gaped at them.

“I think I forgot to mention earlier,” Hongjoong laughed and Jongho nodded- they had forgotten. “But she’s the direct descendant of the first Prince of Nature, and their bloodline is purer- in the sense that they only mated with their soulmates- faeries. Purer than even Jongho’s.”

The four who hadn’t known of this burst in a chorus of disbelief and wonder. Gaeul hid behind San, overwhelmed by their outburst and the rest laughed. Jongho looked proud though. “She’s basically a very, very, distant relative of mine. She’s family.”

“But Jongho,” Yeosang looked confused. “You and San are distant cousins too. Does that make her San’s relative as well?”

Everyone burst into a fit of groans after that and Jongho, after he stopped laughing, said, “I think Gaeul and our families are separated by a whole lot of generations. In that sense, all of us are family- after all, there were only 9 of us in the beginning.”

“Let’s not make this more confusing than it has to be,” Hongjoong swatted the air. “Jongho and Gaeul are just more closely related than the rest of us- maybe even more than Jongho and San. Anyways, Princess of Underworld sounds nice, doesn’t it?”

“Sounds scary,” Mingi grinned. “Welcome to the royal gang, Gaeul.”

“This is so embarrassing,” Gaeul muttered and San chuckled, patting her arm as she hid behind him.

“Now… we only have to train her. I think Yunho and Mingi need to be there- cold fire is dangerous. Yena will be there to make sure the dimension stays intact and to take care of everything. As for the anti-nature…”

“I have no idea how to deal with it,” Jongho raised his hands in surrender. “I think someone with that magic specifically might be able to teach her better- and it is essential because she cannot go around with that magic out of control- it’s not only going to hurt others, it’ll hurt her too.”

“What do you suggest?” Seonghwa asked. “Is there a faerie here on this planet who might possibly possess something similar?”

“I’ve checked the archives, and there is none- the closest we have is what Jongho can do, and even that is different,” Hongjoong sighed and looked at Yena. “I think… we might need help from a darkling.”

There was a moment of silence before everyone burst into an argument about how unsafe it was, how Neve- the darkling Prince of Space and Spirit that had helped Yena- wasn’t that trustworthy and could manipulate them and take Gaeul or worse, use her. Yena had to shut them all up when she threw a pillow at Wooyoung, who was the loudest.

“Neve can be trusted- I can assure you of that,” Yena scowled at everyone who had a problem with that- including San. “It’s going to take some time and Yeosang’s help to contact him, but I’ll ask him if he thinks there is someone who can help. If there isn’t… we’ll have to make do with what we have. It is a matter of Gaeul’s life, and as someone who is partially responsible for the mess she is in, even though all of you refuse to admit that… I think I shall do this. For San- for someone who found me and the reason I am here with all of you.”

Seonghwa squeezed Yena’s hand, nodding at the rest. He also felt responsible- it was his death Yena tried to prevent for which she had to time travel, and which led to Kieran finding Gaeul. San looked like he could cry but he was shaking his head furiously. “I would never ask that of you, Yena. You don’t owe me anything.”

“I know you would never ask that of me, which is why I took the matter into my own hands,” Yena smiled pointedly at him. “It’s okay. Neve can be trusted- Mingi can attest to it. We’ll be fine- we could even get some answers from Kieran if we’re lucky.”

“Alright, that’s for later,” Hongjoong nodded and Yena sat down. “Now… I suggest we all take a day or two to breathe before we execute this plan. Seonghwa will take care of Yunho’s kingdom while he’s gone, I will take care of Yeosang’s, Yena’s and Mingi’s kingdom, and Wooyoung and Jongho… please look after San and make sure he doesn’t try anything stupid.”

“We got this,” Wooyoung smirked as he clapped Jongho, making Gaeul giggle. She was leaving San in good hands- he wouldn’t even get the time to think about her if he was with Wooyoung and Jongho.

“Are you sure you can take care of the entire continent?” Yena asked. 

“My palace can run itself,” Hongjoong assured Yena and she relaxed, knowing she wouldn’t have to worry about a thing, but-

“You know your court runs your kingdom anyway since you’re always dozing off- maybe you should think before boasting-”

The flying cookie aimed for Yeosang’s head shut him up and made everyone laugh. Gaeul looked around, her eyes glazed. “Thank you for doing all of this for me. I don’t know how I’ll ever pay you back.”

“Just try to come back alive and intact with a good control over your magic,” the eldest Prince smiled warmly. “That would be enough for all of us.”

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[lightflame]

Tagged by @bagadew (Also tagging in @waermeflasche because you tagged me weeks ago and I didn't get back to you)

Last song I listened to: Soap by The Oh Hellos. I burn CDs and listen to them in my car. (The first few I tried to give themes and titles, and select the perfect song orders, but ended up kind of bad and the other was cursed and wouldn't play even though I remade it three times, so I just switched to throwing a ton of songs together on "Random Mixes" and enjoying.) I was listening to my very first random mix on the drive home from work and this one came up. It's a pretty snazzy song. I think Theseus and Hello, My Old Heart are my favourites from the band.

Last book I read: Can I do a couple? I just recently finished Play of Shadows by Sebastien de Castell. It's the first book of Court of Shadows, the sequel series to his Greatcoats series. Greatcoats is one of my favourite series, filled with swashbuckling action, clever humour, and an absolutely miserable protagonist, Falcio val Mond, who always manages to get back up and keep going anyway. I read everything de Castell writes, and after a string of books with severe pacing problems (check out The Malevolent Seven for a book that doesn't have a second act) and other problems (I have a hard time seeing any book topping Crucible of Chaos as the worst book I've read this year), he finally seems to be back. The book didn't pack quite the emotional punch of some of his other books, but it definitely made me want to jump up and cheer for the heroes at the end.

The other book I just finished is The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden. I liked her Winternight Trilogy (look it up and be prepared for some absolutely gorgeous covers, with prose to match), so I was excited to see something new from her. This book was about World War I, with some fantasy elements used for magic realism. (Portraying a soldier's struggle with addiction and PTSD through the lens of him losing his soul to the devil was a brilliant idea.) I most subsist on a steady diet of fantasy books, but this one had me hungering to read a few more historical books. I might have to pick up some books about the Halifax Explosion.

Last film I watched: I haven't watched much on my own for a while, but my friends do a movie night every Sunday. The last two times I tuned in, we watched Jesus Christ Superstar and Pokemon 3: Spell of the Unown. They were both fairly cute movies. I liked Judas's actor.

Last TV series I watched: I've been making my way through The Office for the first time. I'm on Season 3 and this happened to me, actually. There was some stuff I was like, "Wow, that was funny. I should tell my coworkers about it," but then I realized that I can't be the guy who tells his coworkers about this funny new show called The Office.

Last video game I played: If visual novels count, Umineko. I've been working my way through it slowly for about five and a half years and I'm finally closing in on the end. It's peak fiction and the greatest love story of the twentieth century. It's also funny I picked a game this insanely long for my first visual novel. Other than visual novels, I just finished Pokemon Legends: Arceus, after putting in 104 hours this year. Completing the Dex is my favourite part of any Pokemon game, so having it be more involved and include a big checklist made the game basically crack for me. I've also been casually playing some Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005) with my brother. Every time we play it, I'm always amazed by how good it is and how much content it has. I want to take command posts forever.

Last thing I googled: "Dandadan Aira". I just started the manga the other day and I like her best, so I wanted to double check her full name, I think? Other than that I'm mostly looking up when books are available at my local stores. I've been religiously checking when The Book that Broke the World will be available and I'm not even sure if I'm buying it.

Last thing I ate: A few snacks from my snack drawer. I also had a Quaker yogurt bar at work. I bought a big box of them last year, but I had to throw them out because of the Salmonella. (Chewed through a lot of them before that came out, though, including eating three on an airplane.)

Amount of sleep: Supposedly seven hours, since I went to bed right after finishing The Warm Hands of Ghosts last night. The only problem is that if I get to bed at a good time, I sleep fitfully, so I'm either sleeping poorly or sleeping well, but not getting anywhere near enough sleep.

Currently reading: I started Empire of Silence, the first book of The Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio, at work today. I've had the first three books sitting on my shelf for a year or two and I finally got around to starting it. (I'd resolved to do both this series and Kushiel's Legacy this year, after having both for so long, and I got that one done at the start.) I'm not very far in, but I enjoy the writing style a lot, even if a lot of the worldbuilding is obviously cribbed from Dune. (Whoa, look, mentats.) I've heard it picks up a lot in the second book, so I'm excited for what's in store for me.

Passing this on, I'll tag @somerunner @lyssq @soulsinshadow @lunawithsocks and @dancerladyaqua. (They also have currently watching and sweet, salty, or savoury as questions, which I didn't do.)