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luxaofhesperides · 4 months

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Wings AU ; requested by @justwannabecat!

“Are you sure it looks good?” Duke asks for the sixth time in an hour.

Tim sighs and says, yet again, “It looks fine. Just give it to him! If he doesn’t love it, I’ll beat him up for you.”

“You wouldn’t do that.”

“I could! But you’re right, I wouldn’t. I would just psychologically torment him until he broke.”

“Don’t do that, please. I’d like to actually have a chance with him, even if he hates this.”

“He won’t,” Tim says. He actually stops typing to give Duke a severe look. “Go and give it to him. If you don’t go now, he’s going to think you bailed.”

Duke glances at the time, then jumps. “Shit! Thanks for your help, man!” He’s out of the door before Tim can say another word. He doesn’t bother with the front door, or even going down the hallway. Instead, he opens the nearest window and flings himself out of it, unfurling his tawny wings to catch the wind beneath them and ride them into the city proper.

He briefly considers stopping for a moment to change into his Signal outfit so he can fly above civilian jurisdiction, then decides that it’s far easier to just bend the light around him so he’s invisible. He wouldn’t want to be late meeting Danny, after all. Especially not for this.

He hadn’t been expecting Danny to be into traditional courting methods. Most people tend to go the more modern way of dating, but Danny had mentioned once or twice that he thought it was romantic. He had blushed, mumbling the words, but Duke heard them and went into researching courting methods to see which ones Danny might like best.

Sure, he could just ask Danny out on a date like he normally would if he liked someone, but if Danny wants to be courted, then Duke is going to court him!

It’s why he’s been planning this out carefully, gathering his primaries after his wings molted a few months ago so he could string them together into a thin wing covering.

Admittedly, this courting method isn’t super common, but the thought of giving Danny his feathers, making it look like their wings are one and the same, has kept Duke up some nights, wanting it so badly.

Besides, he thinks Danny will like it. Considering the state of his wings after the Accident…

Duke holds his handmade wing covers closer to his chest, flier lower as he leaves Bristol and enters Diamond District. The streets are busy, full of people. Most tend to stay on the ground, wings tucked close to their bodies, but there are plenty still flying above cars and buses that Duke has to carefully fly around.

It takes another twenty minutes to get to Robinson Park, where Duke drops down to the ground and takes a moment to make sure all his feathers are straight and neatly displayed. Then he walks into the park, heading towards their usual meeting place.

For once, it’s a nice, sunny day in Gotham. Everyone’s taking advantage of it. The park is full of couples and families, walking around slowly, and kids dart through the air, still unable to go very high with their wings not yet fully grown in. It’s nice to hear the laughter and general chatter of people wandering the park.

Duke doesn’t spend too long walking the paved paths through the park. He steps off of it near the second water fountain on the path, then heads into the trees, passing two moms on a picnic with their three kids rolling around the grass nearby.

Tucked away in this corner of the park is a small clearing surrounded by thin trees. The tile is dirty and cracked, no one maintaining it at all with it hidden away.

He sees Danny’s wings first, with long feathers that trail onto the ground, a black that shines dark blue in the light. He follows the lines of his wings back to his body, where Danny sits on a bench, leaning his weight back against his hands as he lifts his head up into the sunlight, basking in the warmth.

He really is so pretty. He insists that he isn’t, but Duke regularly spends time with the Wayne family, all who have modeled before, so he’s got a better idea than most about what pretty looks like, and Danny fits the bill.

“Hey,” Duke calls out softly, watching as Danny slowly blinks his eyes open and turns to give him a warm smile.

“Hey! I’m free for the rest of the day, which means we have so much time to complain about things today.”

“I didn’t keep you waiting, did I?”

“Nope,” Danny says. “I wouldn’t mind waiting, though. I like hanging out with you.”

Heart pounding in his chest, Duke walks forward. He doesn’t know if there’s something specific he has to say when presenting his gift, if there’s a courting tradition involved that he didn’t learn about. He’s terrified Danny’s going to reject it. He’s praying that Danny accepts it.

“Are you okay?” Danny asks, standing to get a better look at him. “You seem tense…” He trails off as he catches sight of what Duke holds in his hands, breath stuttering.

“I’m fine. I, um.” Duke steps into the clearing, entering the sunlight, and holds out his wing covers. “I made them for you. You mentioned before that you thought courting traditions were romantic… I don’t know if you like wing covers, but I thought you’d look good in my feathers… Only if you want it though!”

He’s trying so hard not to cringe away in embarrassment. He’s flirted with Danny before, half jokes and half serious, always playful. Duke was smooth then, delighting in how flustered it made Danny before he hit back with his own flirting. Now he’s a hesitant, stuttering fool, tripping over his words and struggling to find the perfect things to say. Maybe he should have thought up a speech, or something. Memorized a few lines to speak his intentions with this courting gift. Done literally any prep for giving the gift instead of focusing only on making it.

Danny doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t move either. He just stares, wide-eyed at the wing covers in Duke’s hands.

That’s a bad sign, isn’t it.

His hands lower just a touch, and he quietly prompts, “Danny?”

Just as he’s about to pull back, step away and try to fix things, messily attempt to salvage their friendship because clearly Danny doesn’t want to be courted by Duke, Danny’s hands snap out whip-fast and latch onto his wrists.

“This is… for me?” he whispers, awed.

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s for you.”

“And you’re courting me? Like, for real?”

“Yeah, definitely courting you for real. Do you accept?”

Danny throws himself into Duke’s arms, careful not to crush the wing covers between them. “In what world would I say no?” he laughs, bright with joy. He pulls back a second later, not giving Duke time to hug him back, and turns around, carefully stretching his wings out. “Put them on for me?”

“Of course.”

He starts by smoothing out some of Danny’s feathers. He doesn’t get to do this often; Danny hates having his wings on display for anyone, with how they spasm occasionally, and have empty patches where feathers will never grow in again. The Accident, all that electricity coursing through him, it permanently damaged his wings. There is no healing to be done.

His wings are lacking too many flight feathers and primaries for him to fly. He’s stuck on the ground now, unable to use his wings for more than a minute. Old burns are still visible closer to his spine.

Danny prefers hiding his wings away. He hates thinking about the Accident, hates how it’s taken his wings from him, how it’s changed him completely.

But Duke loves his wings. He loves the softness of Danny’s lower feathers, how they shine in the light, how they always puff up when it gets windy. He’s only gotten to preen them twice before, and he treasures those memories more dearly than anything else.

This easily outshines both those moments.

He gently combs his fingers through Danny’s feathers, straightening them out, then lays the first wing cover over his right wing. His own brown feathers drape over the top of Danny’s wings, hiding the featherless patches from view. He does the same to the other wing, then adjust both until they lay perfectly on Danny’s wings.

As soon as he lifts his hands away from Danny’s wings, Danny is spinning around with a grin, flaring his wings out.

“How do I look?”

“Perfect,” Duke answers. He was right; Danny looks good in his feathers.

He watches, fond and amused, as Danny spins, keeping his wings flared, admiring his new look. “I’m never taking these off,” he says. “I love them so much. I can’t really make one for you, though…”

“You don’t need to.”

“I can’t just accept this and not give you something in return!”

“Well… There is one thing you could give me. Something I’ve been wanting for a long time.”

“What is it?” Danny asks, leaning towards Duke. He’s eager, ready to please, so delighted to be courted.

Duke smiles. “A kiss.”

“Done.”

He doesn’t have time to react before Danny is pouncing on him, hands fisting the collar of his shirt as he tilts his head up and kisses Duke. He pulls back before Duke can kiss back, blushing and unbearably cute.

And all Duke manages to say is, “Cool.”

He’s so good at this.

Danny rightfully laughs at him, then grabs his hand and pulls him down to the bench. “Come on, I promised to complain about my teachers today and I intend to deliver. And maybe later, I could take you out on a date? If you want.”

“Danny, of course I want to go on a date with you. I’m courting you! I thought I made my feelings clear!”

“I’m just making sure!” Danny shouts over him, and Duke can’t resist the urge to pull him closer and pepper kisses along his cheek. “Okay, okay, I got it. You’ve made your feelings clear. I’m going to date you so hard.”

“You better. It’s about time you put some work into our relationship.”

“Excuse you?!” Danny gasps in mock outrage, and they start bickering lightheartedly as they always do.

Even with their feelings come to light, even with a courtship started and a date promised, it doesn’t feel like anything between them has changed.

It’s just them. Just as it always has been.

Duke couldn’t be happier.

#ghostlights #dc x dp #dp x dc #dcxdp #dpxdc #dc x dp fic #prompt fill #my writing #this was going to be longer bc i got into worldbuilding but then it got TOO long so i scrapped all that to focus on duke and danny #first time writing wing fic.... the amount of thought i put into how this world works had my head spinning #like this one: most people sleep in hamocks or have beds that are off the ground so they can stretch their wings out #regular beds like ours exist but mostly for kids/senior citizens/people with damaged wings who cant fly #like danny. so he has a normal bed and duke has a hammock which means the cuddling situation is Difficult #usually it ends with danny on his back and duke on his chest or danny completely wrapped up in dukes wings #just picture that. youre welcome :)

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playername-player-of-games · 9 months

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and here’s part 3! here’s part 1 and part 2 - and here it is on ao3! - once again inspired by @chrisrin ’s gemcyt au :D

What was he thinking?

Joel slips out of the palanquin with two gems in hand. When he gets a moment he’ll bubble them, but for now he needs to run.

What was he thinking?

He slips past soldiers- gems that are twice his size and eight times his weight, each one tougher than the last. How he managed to slip past them the first time is beyond him, but now he’s doing it again.

What was he thinking?

He chalks it up to the cloak- it’s making all his green-ness blend in with the night as he runs, and keeps his two new treasures from catching too much light.

What. Was. He. Thinking.

A topaz looks his way- he throws himself behind a tree trunk, holding as still as possible. He doesn’t move, doesn’t think, doesn’t do anything for a solid five minutes.

Seriously, what was he thinking.

He dares to peek at his treasures.

In his right hand, Pink Diamond’s gem.

In his left, her new pearl.

He’s SO dead.

“I’m going to be shattered for this,” he breathes, peeking out from his tree and taking off running again, a little sing-song despite his oncoming demise, “I’m so shattered for this! Grian’s actually going to shatter me this time!”

He’s done many a stupid thing over the years, (falling off cliffs, fighting a bear, the…arson)- but this takes the cake. Grian’s going to shatter him. Grian is going to take one of Iskall’s hammers, and he is going to put Joel on the table, and he is going to smash his gem up into little bits and-

“Joel!" a voice hisses.

Joel stumbles to a stop and looks to the brush to find his brother. Jimmy is gesturing for him to come here, NOW, so Joel dives for him and lands at his feet.

“Where were you?!” Jimmy demands, tugging Joel upright by the wrist and finding the pearl in his hand, “who’s this?”

“Nobody!” Joel hisses, bubbling the pearl with one hand and hiding Pink Diamond behind his back. He taps the bubble’s top and then it's gone, whisked away to his tent where hopefully nobody will find it, “it’s nobody, don’t worry about it!”

Jimmy doesn't press him for details, just tugs him down into the brush as another topaz patrol passes. Joel likes that about him, they've known each other for hundreds of years and Joel can still get away with whatever he wants because Jimmy is too nice for his own good.

"Come on," Jimmy climbs out of the bush and starts sneaking back towards base once the topaz is well out of sight, "they're wondering where you ran off to."

"I didn't run off to anywhere," Joel snaps, trying to keep his hands from shaking, (and failing miserably), "I just- got lost."

"Joel, you know this planet better than the gems who lived here before you."

"It's dark!"

A twig snaps. They each dive under the bushes again, laying as flat as possible. Jimmy raises an eyebrow at him, and Joel glares.

"What?" he hisses, "you've never seen an elite fighter gem get lost in the dark? It's not like I have night vision, Jimmy."

He rolls his eyes. "Sure, yeah."

Joel pokes his head up. The coast is clear. He rolls out of the bush and leaves Jimmy behind to fend for himself, (take that Jimmy), but then he falls into step next to him, one wing whacking him wetly on the head.

"Seriously Joel," Jimmy asks, "where were you?"

Okay, so maybe sometimes Jimmy does press for details. He never follows through though, so Joel doesn't answer. (He doesn't know how to answer.) He shrugs.

They're quiet all the way back to base. Jimmy glares at him for most of it, but he can't bring himself to care. His hands tremble under his cloak. If Jimmy is suspicious, he hasn't mentioned it. They're passing the warp pad, Joel has to act now, act fast, go go go-

"Oh, you know what?" he jumps onto the warp pad, "I've just remembered I was going to do something elsewhere for a bit! I'll catch up with you later, Jimmy!"

"Wh- Joel!" Jimmy protests, but he's already warping, awash in a stream of light that sends him across the planet- away from Jimmy, away from base, away from the palanquin and his problems, and lands at the edge of a roofed forest.

And he runs.

He doesn't know where he's going, (Left, left, left, he's going in circles), feels like he's cornering himself each time he ducks around a giant trunk. He's grateful for his cloak, for the cover of night.

Pink Diamond's gem begins to glow.

"Not yet, My Diamond, please."

He's faster now, (he got a head start), and this time he goes right, dashing around a trunk, and finds himself in a clearing, catching himself before he trips over a stump. Moonlight spills over him as if someone tipped it out of a bucket, filtering through leaves and making the whole clearing glow like a hazy dream.

He takes a step over the stump- then another. Then three more. Pulls off his hood and falls to his knees when his legs finally, finally give out.

Did he really just do that?

He brings his hands in front of him- cupping Pink Diamond's gem in his hands. She's waiting for him. He doesn't know how to explain it- but he knows she's waiting.

He really just did that.

"Oh, what am I doing?" he whispers, pushing one hand through his hair, "I can't- I can't hide a Diamond."

Then, to his horror, she begins to glow.

He yelps- nearly dropping her- and sits in stunned silence as she reforms in front of him- her hair is longer, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her head bowed, her eyes closed.

There she is.

He falls into that familiar diamond salute, tears rolling down his face.

"My Diamond?"

Pink Diamond opens her eyes- they widen when they meet his.

And the world stops breathing.

"Pearl?"

"Joel," he answers, correcting on instinct, then backtracks- "ah, but you don't- you don't have to call me that, it's just the name I picked when- when I came to this plan-”

Her hand brushes lightly against his jaw, and he promptly shuts up. She tilts his head just so, brushes her fingers up along his jaw until she’s cupping his cheek.

"Joel," she whispers, brushing away his tears with her thumb. Her smile is subtle- the moonlight makes her own tears seem to glow- “that’s a good name.”

And he laughs, and he cries, and he drops his salute because she's still His Diamond, even after- after six hundred years-

"Thank you," he says, bringing his own hand up to cup gently around hers, "I was hoping you would like it."

She smiles, real and bright and lovely as ever, then uses her other hand to brush her fingers through his hair, "you changed your hair! It's all black now."

"Not- not all of it!" he says, and uses his other hand to string through his fringe, "this front bit's still green."

“It’s so much longer!” she brushes through it with both hands and playfully swats him in the face with the ends, “are you trying to steal my look?”

“No, no! I just like it long-!” he laughs as she squishes his face between her palms, “My Diamond, please-!”

Grief crashes over them like a tidal wave.

It’s been six hundred years. The garden is different now- what should be the laughter of humans is now singing crickets. Grief and fear morph into one, crushing them on all sides. They imagine this is what gravity feels like to most beings.

They don’t need to breathe, but they gasp for air anyway as they open their eyes, (all four of them), and tears spill onto the grass. The grief settles heavy in their chest, eclipsed by fear, then seemingly melting away- shadowed by- by-

“I missed you,” it whispers, its lower set of arms hugging itself tightly. Its upper set of hands reaches up to wipe away tears. It laughs as its eyes make rain, as fear melts into relief, “I missed you so much.”

It cries- they cry- and they laugh, all four arms wrapping around themself, and relief turns warm and floaty like this planet’s sun, and they’re encompassed by the warmth, by something that feels like- like-

(Stars, there is so much love.)

They tilt their head back- their eyes find the moon. A smile finds their lips. All at once, they’re home.

“Your planet is beautiful,” she whispers like a precious secret, “you-you’ve visited so much of it!”

And love turns giddy, and excited, and suddenly they can’t stay kneeling in the dirt.

“Oh, I wish I could- I wish I could go, right now,” he answers themself, and gets to its feet to search for flowers, picking up right where it left off. Its cape unfurls, drifting lightly behind it in a way that is impossibly comforting.

This is familiar, though this time they aren’t in a boat, or trekking through sand or stuck in an exhibit millions of light years away.

“These flowers will mean more than lily pads, or…dead bushes?” they murmur, then laugh, “it seemed like a good idea at the time! Everyone thought it was amusing, at least.”

Pink, blue, white, yellow-

“It’s a shame there’s no green flowers,” they begin to gather a bouquet, stashing it in their lower set of hands, “it’s alright! The leaves’ll make up for it.”

They find a boulder to sort out their flowers on. The bouquet fits nicely on one side, four hands make quick work. They sit, twisting stems together.

“How did you get to Earth?” she asks, and the fingers on their lower hands link together neatly as the upper two work.

“Etho took me,” he answers. He feels like he’s messing up this crown, but her gentle corrections are helping- (it’s weird, sharing arms)- “he ah- he has some friends, an emerald and a ruby, and they took me to earth.”

They hum, “do you like it here?”

He answers with memories of the first few days on this planet, Impulse’s tour, the three days spent in a little hole in the wall, of his chat with Jimmy, and everything that came after. Latching himself onto a new master, being taught to fight with a sword. Becoming a knight, all the poofing, changing his form. He pauses in the flower crown crafting to show them their gloves- only to be met with the watermelon-mesh that is them together like this.

They laugh, “You can show me later. I’m excited to see.”

And they fall back into memories, into stories- of falling off a cliff and catching himself with fusion. Of meeting Etho again, finally being able to see the gems who took him here after a hundred years. Of choosing his name. Of planting a garden, of taking down Homeworld gems, of fusing with Jimmy, for fun, for pranks, to make fun of Grian, how un-fusing had been sudden, a shock of-

It gently places the now-finished flower crown on its head, and remembers the horrified looks on the guard’s faces.

“Joel,” she whispers, suddenly distant, lower hands wrapping around them again- holding them together- “if there- if there hadn’t been guards-”

It’s her turn for memories now- in a single blink they’re back, sitting in the sunshine of the Human Zoo. He sees himself running away, the five ruby guards who sprinted after him and the two amethysts who stayed behind crowding around them.

Are you alright, My Diamond, they ask, but it can’t hear them. She looked down at her hands, trembling. Moments ago he’d- he’d been looking at her, terrified of her for the first time in a millennia-

“If- if there hadn’t been guards, I-”

He wouldn’t have run.

Another tear escapes- it wipes it away, laughing again. It would have been their secret.

They would have fused again.

“I wouldn’t have- I wouldn’t have turned you in,” she whispers, resting her fingers over his gem on their chest, “I missed you.”

Crashing- footsteps. Their head snaps up when an aquamarine appears with several gems in tow. He’s glaring at them.

“I knew it,” Grian hisses, then-

-Joel lands on his back, hard, and scrambles onto his feet.

“Grian- Grian this isn’t wha-”

“It’s exactly what it looks like!” Grian shouts, “you gem-napped a Diamond!”

Joel flinches. Mumbo and Impulse look deeply uncomfortable. Jimmy just looks disappointed.

“Okay, yes, I did do that, but it’s fine, Grian! She can just-”

“She can just what?!” Grian snaps, “Just go back to Homeworld? Fuse with one of our best gems in the force, learn all of our secrets, then go back to Homeworld and report to the other Diamonds? Can she, Joel?”

“When you put it like that-”

“IT’S BAD!”

The air between them is slowly frosting over.

“LOOK I just-” Joel shoves one hand through his hair, gesturing wildly with the other, “I missed her, okay? I wasn’t- I wasn’t thinking ahead!”

Her hand slips into his, giving the tiniest supportive squeeze.

“That’s the problem, Joel! You never think ahead! We get word that Pink Diamond is on-planet and suddenly you’re nowhere to be found!”

“Well, I’m sorry if I care about her more than your little rebellion!”

If he thought the air before was icy- this is an entire tundra. His voice hangs in the air like moments before a snowstorm, and Grian’s glare turns murderous.

Mumbo and Impulse share a glance, readying their weapons. Joel squeezes His Diamond’s hand.

“I mean that,” he realizes, though it’s always, always been true. He’ll fight if he has to. “I care about her more than anything.”

He can see the split second Grian considers bringing out his own weapon, but then Pink Diamond speaks.

“I could be talked into rebellion.”

And time comes to a complete halt.

What.

“E-excuse me?” says Grian.

“Your rebellion against the diamonds,” she smiles, “Joel had a very convincing argument.”

And like the sun at the end of a snowstorm, the tundra between them begins to melt.

“I-I see,” Grian blinks, looking to her, then to Joel, then back to her, “well- ah- welcome aboard, then.”

“Oh- oh! Do I need a disguise? I’ve always wanted to-”

She releases his hand and takes a step back- in one glowing moment she’s Pink Diamond- and the next she’s shorter, her hair curled, her dress shorter, her gem turned inwards to hide the point. When she opens her eyes, you’d never be able to tell she was a diamond.

She does a twirl, throwing her hair back with both hands dramatically, “what do you think?”

“Y-you’re beautiful, My Diamond,” Joel answers immediately, “but are you sure?”

“Of course!” she takes his hand again- much easier now that she’s only a head taller than him instead of three times his size- “I’m terrible at keeping secrets anyway.”

“You’ll need a new name,” Grian tells her. “You can’t be Pink Diamond anymore.”

“Rose Quartz,” she answers, flipping her hair again. Then she frowns. “I want a name like yours and Joel’s.”

“We’ve got some books back at base,” Impulse cuts in, (Joel forgot he was here), “you can pick a name out of those!”

“Your pearl can too,” Grian says, and oh stars, Joel forgot about her pearl-

“I don’t think Pearl will want a new name,” Pink Diamond- no, Rose Quartz- laughs, “but I’ll talk her into joining the rebellion.”

To that, Grian nods. Tension melts from Mumbo’s shoulders when Grian turns and starts heading back to the warp pad. Impulse offers them a bright smile before heading back himself. Jimmy approaches them, and punches Joel’s arm.

“Hey-!”

“That’s for keeping secrets,” Jimmy says, hands on his hips, “you’re an idiot.”

Joel sticks out his tongue. Jimmy returns the gesture, then offers Rose a diamond salute.

“Lovely to see you again,” he says, then stretches out his arms with the biggest smile on his face, “welcome to Earth!”

“Why thank you, it’s lovely to be here,” she answers, returning his smile. Joel offers his arm and she loops her hand around so he can escort her back to the warp pad, “and it’s lovely to see you as well, Joel thinks of you so fondly.”

“Aww, does he?”

Joel sputters, “no I don’t!”

“He thinks of you like a brother.”

Jimmy puts his hand over his gem and teases, “Aww, Joel, babe.”

“We are not talking about this anymore,” Joel insists.

“Joel talks about you all the time,” Jimmy continues, ignoring him, “at least twice a day since he came to Earth.”

“Aww, Joel!”

“We’re warping now!” Joel insists, “you’re going to ruin my reputation!”

And they laugh, bright as the sun, like siblings, like family, and Joel smiles before they’re all swallowed by a stream of light.

#gemcyt #bit awkward but eh. we chillin :D

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mynamesaplant · 7 months

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Great Risk, Great Reward

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PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS FIC CONTAINS: VIOLENCE TOWARDS ANIMALS AND CHILDREN, BLOOD, INJURY, AND ANIMAL DEATH - IF ANY OF THOSE THINGS MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE, PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION!

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I want to thank my pal Mons for being a constant inspiration for the PLA Mer AU and for beta reading this fic for me. Summary: Gaeric finds out that Dawn likes penguins, but their bonding times goes a little awry.

Don't want to read it on Tumblr? You can read it on AO3!

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“Hey-” Dawn began to scramble across the ground faster, very familiar with the voice and deathly terrified to have yet another bad encounter. “Hey, squirt! I’m talking to you.”

“Oh no, no, no, no-”

Dawn was almost across the room, almost to the same pool that Ingo had disappeared into with Calaba and Irida – where had Gaeric even come from and why hadn’t she heard him? He was so big and, mer or no, seals were not exactly graceful on land. A hand snatched her up with her fingertip’s inches from the frigid water. Enclosed in his warm palm, Dawn felt herself moving through space and mentally preparing for the worst. What was he going to yell at her for today?

To her surprise upon meeting Gaeric eye-to-considerably-larger-eye, he was beaming, looking genuinely excited about… Well, something. Dawn had only even seen him grumpy and tired, and he usually wasn’t awake at this hour.

“I thought we learned from last time,” his tone was chiding, and his expression momentarily reflected the voice, but clearly, he was too excited to permit the disapproving scowl to grace his face. “Stay out of the deeper water without an adult.”

Dawn cringed and shrank in his outstretched palm, edging as far away as she could because her heart was positively slamming against her ribcage with a barely contained anxiety. She was less afraid of Gaeric after that last time Ingo dumped her with the warden. Despite how intimidating she still found him, his coat was very soft and fluffy, which was one point in his favor. It was practically irresistible, many other pups running their fingers through it with a reverent fascination. (And he had been pretty nice to her since then, doubly so after she quelled his noble with her flute.)

Still, this level of excitement for Gaeric was not in character. So, Dawn remained wary even as he propelled himself across the ice toward a different hole. She recognized it. It was a tunnel that led to the outside. A fresh wave of panic swarmed in her head like a cloud of wasps, buzzing irrational thoughts into her ears. She swallowed an anxious whine as it became abundantly clear that Gaeric intended to take her from the settlement. Dawn fiddled with her scarf, keeping her eyes low, and hardly listening as Gaeric chatted at her in amicable tones.

“Ga-Gaeric?” She interrupted him hesitantly. He was just about to set her down so she could follow him, in his excitement, he had even noticed how she was acting. “Wh-Where are you tak-taking me?”

“Hm?”

Oh, he supposed he hadn’t told her just yet. He was just so thrilled, so excited about the news. All the wardens were. Loathe as he was to tell the Diamond clan anything, he also shared the good news with Sabi, who he was sure would find some way to relay that to the rest of her clan.

Now, however, Gaeric was turning vaguely pink. He hadn’t meant to overhear. Honest! People just presumed that he, under his nice, warm stitched walrus skins, was asleep, and often he was dozing off, but it was a catnap like he had seen Lady Sneasler do. Half-conscious but ready to leap into action at a moment’s notice, especially given the strange changes in the sea recently and the encroaching of those humans into their territory.

“I, uh – I heard that you like penguins.”

Dawn’s jaw slackened in disbelief. She had only recently told Ingo of her travels to the northern shores of Hisui, an ice encrusted and ethereally silent snowscape, and witnessed several penguins waddling around. Either Ingo told his fellow wardens, and considering how close to the vest he kept most information concerning Dawn that seemed unlikely, or Gaeric had overheard, which made her nervous about what else he might have inexplicably overheard. Mentally scolding herself for being so careless of her surroundings and tongue so loose as to talk of her secret double-life on the surface.

“Er, yeah! I do.”

A gleeful glint came into Gaeric’s blue eyes, his next sentence actually made her perk up.

“Fantastic! Let’s go look for some penguins then.”

Dawn should have known that it was too good to be true.

The swim to the north shore was actually pretty nice. Gaeric was chatting with her amiably, grinning toothily while she swam around him, his eyes watchful for any potential predators, but they seemed to be getting along famously. That was, until they made it to the frozen tundra, and Gaeric threw out an arm to make her halt.

“Alright kid,” he said, flashing her a broad smile.

He did not notice her decidedly confused expression as he launched into an in-depth explanation of penguins.

“These guys are speedy in the water, but you probably know that already.”

The warden gently nudged her toward the distant penguins torpedoing through the water, zipping after silvery fish.

“If you need air, the clan has already made a few airholes in the ice. Just be cautious of any predators that might be on the ice if you stick your head out to get a look, alright? I’ll be right here if anything happens.”

“Uh, okay?”

Dawn replied, unsure why Gaeric of all mers would be so excited to show her something like this. Lian loved to show and share things with Dawn, but Gaeric? This was extremely out of character. That was when she started to realize things were not exactly as they seemed.

“This is my first time watching you, so don’t be worried about making any mistakes. We all know Ingo’s not the greatest of hunters.”

Hunters?

Did Gaeric… Oh, no.

Dawn felt another insistent little nudge to the small of her back. That’s why he was excited. He was excited to teach her to hunt because she had said she liked penguins. Gaeric was providing her helpful tricks and hints for her imminent hunt and Dawn could feel her insides roiling. Why did he have to suddenly be so encouraging? Her brain was screaming with panic, clutching her hands in front of her and nervously fussing with the edges of her scarf.

Sensing unease, he stopped pushing – some pups had performance anxiety, they wanted to impress or do well on their first hunt, but they got inside their own heads. Maybe that’s what she was feeling with his incessant chatter.

“Hey kid?” She twisted around to glance at him, and he gave her two thumbs up. “You’ve got this.”

With that final encouragement, Dawn swam forward, the warden unaware of the deep grimace etched into her cheeks. He wanted her to – what? Chase a penguin? He knew how bad she was at swimming. Yes, she had been getting better since she learned to dodge the frenzied nobles, but she was not fast, just better coordinated. She was trying to think fast. Gaeric expected her to try, and she had to do something to maintain her façade, so she would at least chase after some penguins. He would eventually get fed up with her failed attempts… but then what?

Gaeric genuinely enjoyed hunting. Not because he was a bloodthirsty maniac or anything (like Dawn seemed to think), he just felt more in his element chasing prey down, when building his sophisticated traps, when launching a spear into the hide of a seal – he said that it tickled the predatory part of his brain that few other activities seemed to even scrape. Teaching pups to hunt was always an exciting prospect. Pups had so much untapped potential that Gaeric loved to nurture. The next generation of Pearl clan hunters was a serious source of pride for the warden and, although Dawn could be a little weird at times, he was just as invested in teaching her as he was with any pup.

Dawn drifted, penguins and fish danced erratically in the water before her like it was some absurd ballet. Maybe if she had been here with Ingo, it would have been amusing, but not under her current circumstances. How could she make this look convincing? She thought about her excursions with Laventon and his advice on how to get closer to their target. A target was basically prey right?

‘Stay low and move slow. Don’t make any sudden movements or noises that might scare them.’

Maintain the illusion. She knew just enough about penguins to know they would quickly scatter once she started chasing them, probably hop back onto the icepack the moment they saw her advance. She dove down where the sunlight couldn’t reach and the water became even colder, watching the white bellies of the penguins flitting around overhead. Without realizing it, Dawn’s body was responding to an instinct she did not think she possessed as a human who transformed into a mer; muscles coiling, pupils blown wide in anticipation, hands curling and uncurling.

The warden watched with an ember of pride burning brightly in his chest. He waited with great anticipation for her to make her first catch.

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Gaeric watched her for about twenty minutes as penguin after penguin slipped through her clutches with startling regularity. He knew she wasn’t experienced, but even the most novice of pups was able to grab a penguin after a couple of tries. Now all the birds were making a beeline for the shore and there was no point for the pup to follow. If she was this bad in the water, she would have no chance hunting anything on the land.

Dawn actually snarled at him when he shifted himself between her and her quarry, the noise frustrated as she tried to dart around him.

“Pup, stop. You’re going to overheat. Go up and take a breath. Clear your head.”

The surveyor didn’t even realize how much heat she was radiating from physical exertion. Her slim chest heaving and muscles quivering – she didn’t realize how much her focus had consumed her. The large mer guided her to the surface, already giving her pointers as she tried to catch her breath. How long was she chasing the Adélies? She was able to recognize the brush tails and distinct two-toned coats from her previous excursions with the professor. She was genuinely trying to catch one… to do what with? She didn’t want to dwell on it, the mere thought made her shudder with a mix of disgust and horror.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” The warden murmured sympathetically, completely misinterpreting her expression as disappointment. “Catching them gets easier with practice. You stay here.”

No argument from Dawn, she felt exhausted as she watched Gaeric disappear into the gloom. The blood pounded in her ears, otherwise she would have noticed how quiet the surrounding water had become as a predator trawled through the sea.

He was gone for a little while, Dawn waiting idly for the warden to return, but making sure to practice scanning around like Ingo had taught her. She was very small and there were a lot of would-be predators like orcas, leopard seals, and polar bears patrolling for a tasty snack like her.

She smelled Gaeric before she saw him, or rather, she smelled the blood. Thankfully it wasn’t his, but it was putrid, clouding the water in a fine pink mist as he approached, which was when she heard the shrieks that sent a cold shiver up her spine. The warden had a woven net over his shoulder that was chock full of dead Adélie penguins, all except one, which was making those horrific noises.

Dawn covered her mouth, feeling saliva pooling beneath her tongue, but it had nothing to do with hunger. No, the penguin looked far from appetizing. A wave of nausea rolled through her, making her skin feel prickly hot and stomach roil when he came to a stop in front of her.

The smell of blood was all around her, sticking to the inside of her nose, bitter and metallic, while Gaeric rummaged through his catch of the day, seizing the sole penguin left alive, and dropped it before her with an encouraging smile. He had the realization that she would not only be hungry after all that swimming around, but she would also want a chance to prove herself to him. He had done a similar tactic with other pups, the younger ones especially; catch something of an appropriate size for them and injure it, then allow the pup to make the final blow. It was a good boost of confidence after a long string of failures.

The penguin flopped around, plumes of blood misting the water darker and darker pink with each flap of the poor creature’s unbroken wing, wailing in fear and agony. The scene was ghastly.

“Alright pup. Now, what you’re going to want to do is-”

The audible gag over the sounds of the penguin made Gaeric stop midsentence and he looked more closely at the tears collecting in her dark eyes.

“Ga-Gaeric, I c-can’t…”

A frown settled on his face. A new predicament. Dawn probably liked to eat penguins, but she had never been hunting before, certainly not with him and presumably not Ingo. This would be her first kill and, occasionally, pups would get squeamish. It didn’t happen often, but they would suddenly get cold fins, and just couldn’t follow through with a kill. He should have guessed that Dawn would be similar. Ingo had had a similar reaction, but he quickly got over it out of necessity. So, he told her the same thing that he had told all the others in the past.

“Dawn, I know it’s hard, but this is something you have to learn to be comfortable with.”

Gaeric gestured to the flightless bird flopping around. When she didn’t look, he lifted her head with a knuckle placed under her chin. Dawn wouldn’t have expected him to be so gentle. Ingo treated her like glass, which was not within the norm with mers. They bit and scratched and roughhoused. This was completely unexpected of Gaeric.

Dawn emitted a sickened gurgle, averting her eyes away from Gaeric, away from the bird – there was nowhere else to look. Gaeric took up most of her field of vision and the penguin took up what remained. Her eyes snapped closed.

“I can’t,” she moaned, more to herself than the warden, “I can’t do it.” Her hands moved to cover her mouth and nose, trying to block out the assault to her senses.

In her head, she was trying to calculate how badly this would make her look in Gaeric’s eyes. Just because she was able to quell his lord and he was treating her with less suspicion than he usually did, Dawn knew he did not trust her. That was when a thought came to her.

She was alone with Gaeric. Completely alone. He could have been grilling her the whole time about her deal, which he had done in the past, but he was so caught up with hunting that he hadn’t. Without that distraction, without that ounce of “goodwill,” Gaeric had her in a very precarious position.

A palpable wave of anxiety rolled through her, her eyes widening and her nearly hidden ear pinning back, whole body eerily still – and the warden didn’t even seem to notice, already steamrolling into a lecture about the necessity of hunting because it was about survival in this dog-eat-dog world. If Dawn wasn’t feeling so sick to her stomach with fear, she would have found a way to tease him about how he sounded very similar to a certain someone in his clan.

“Do you really want this poor bird to wriggle around in the water until a different predator comes around and does the exact same thing? Because that’s what’s going to happen.”

He watched her wince, cowering to avoid looking at the penguin. He sighed. This might require a little more persuasion. What to do… He considered for a moment. By this point most pups would have gotten over their initial reaction and kill their prey, but Dawn was still resistant. He knew she was picky, but this was something she needed to grow out of for survival purposes. It was all well and good that Palina and Iscan and some of the others were trying to accommodate her picky habits, but Gaeric was trying to look at this realistically.

Food was calories and calories kept you alive. Hunting was what kept you alive and, well… death was a part of life. It wasn’t pretty, but it was necessary.

And she needed to learn for her own good.

Gaeric sighed. A deep, weary sigh that made Dawn peek at him through her fingers.

“We aren’t going anywhere until you kill this penguin.”

“B-But-”

“We have all day. If this one dies, then I’m going to get another until you do what I’m asking you to do.”

The horror in her dark eyes was enough to solidify Gaeric’s resolve. If she didn’t want to be seen as a baby by the older mers, then this was the first step, so he wasn’t going to let her wiggle her way out of this with that silver tongue of hers.

He could have predicted the quick dart to his flank, trying to outmaneuver him with her speed, but he was used to pups. She smacked into his palm at full force and reeled back with a dazed oof! No amount of pleading and crying would sway him, and she could tell he meant what he said, they weren’t going anywhere until Dawn killed it.

On a fundamental level, she knew this was a teaching moment that was meant to strengthen the bond between her and the warden and to hone her hunting skills, but Dawn was also Laventon’s research assistant! She had spent nearly two weeks alongside the professor studying all the animals that the mers ate! She couldn’t do it. Not in good conscious to her researcher nature.

She tried anyway. Grimacing at the bird with a tightness in her throat as she turned her gaze to Gaeric, mouth open only to be cut off.

“No.” He said preemptively. “You’re going to do this. I know you can do it – so do it.”

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There was a long stretch where Dawn just couldn’t move, unable to look at the writhing Adélie and trying to ignore it as it made the more horrible screeching noises. She was hoping that a different predator would swoop in and snag the bleeding penguin by now, but Gaeric was an active deterrent.

The warden seemed to possess infinite patience, preventing her escape with such ease that Dawn found it frustrating. Even when she thought she was being slick when she tried to clamber onto one of the chunks of ice when she was permitted to take another lungful of air, he instantly scooped her up and plopped her back in front of the bird.

In a test of wills, Dawn knew who the winner would be; Gaeric could and would throw his weight around to make her commit the gruesome act. She actually started yelling at him when her frustration at the situation boiled over and, still, he remained resolute, nudging her back toward the penguin indifferently even as she tried to push back against his hand with every ounce of strength in her small body.

“Kid, you have to do this. That bird is suffering, you need to put it out of its misery.”

“You’re the one who hurt it!”

Dawn wriggled, squirming between his fingers, but he held her tail fast between his middle and pointer finger. He swung her back around and that’s when she started baring her teeth at her in a poor attempt to assert herself. Gaeric didn’t let that stand. A low growl resonated in his throat, leaning into Dawn’s space, and narrowing his eyes with a snarl on his lips. She wasn’t intimidating him, and she was quick to cower at his display.

When Gaeric didn’t release her tail and held her in front of the penguin, Dawn knew she was out of options and that frightened her. Her chest and throat grew tighter.

“I can’t – please don’t make me.”

“It’s for your own good, Dawn. Trust me.”

He sensed the change in her demeanor, his perseverance had worn her down, and, although she was trying to stifle her sobs, she was trying to reach for the penguin.

“It’s going to try to snap at you, but you need to take it with your hands by its beak and twist its neck until it snaps. It’s going to seem like a lot more, but also somehow less, pressure than you think you’ll need, but that’s something you get used to.”

She sobbed as she clamped the bird’s beak shut, scooping up the Adélie’s body in up against hers. She nearly vomited as the penguin writhed desperately, its heart pounding so fast and hard that it almost made her drop it in fear. The encouragement over her shoulder was not helping, even if it was meant to be.

Her hands shook violently, unable to perform the motion Gaeric described and unable to open her mouth to beg him to let her go. It was pointless, he wouldn’t, she had to do this. Dawn whispered an apology to the struggling bird and was about to jerk her limbs to get it over with, but that’s when she noticed Gaeric’s grip had loosened.

She cautiously turned her head only to see a look on Gaeric’s face that shook her to the very core. Dawn only saw him in profile, but his ears were pressed nearly flat against his head, his eyes opened wide with dark pupils shrunk to three-quarters of their size, and – she had never seen so many sharp teeth.

Without a word, Gaeric scooped her and the bird up, and moved fast. Dawn barely had time to ask what was happening, he unceremoniously shoved them into a niche in the blue white of the glacial ice.

“What’s-”

“Stay here. Don’t come out until I come get you.”

“But what’s-”

Dawn tried to say, deliberately ignoring what Gaeric had said by trying to slide out, but he was quick to push her back in the crevasse.

“Stay put.” He growled and, this time, Dawn obeyed, fear rooting her to the spot. She did catch Gaeric hissing something under his breath just before he darted out of sight. “Those damn ships…”

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Gaeric was sufficiently deep that the ship sitting atop the wave would have no idea what lurked beneath them. A fury was burning inside him, his eyes narrowing as the ship moved closer in the direction of the settlement. He had been too distracted by Dawn to notice the ship sooner and it was far too close for comfort, just beyond the sheet of ice like they had been following the coastline from their settlement.

The humans weren’t paying attention.

So, he would make them pay attention.

Irida had asked him to deploy nonviolent methods and, thus far, he had obeyed his mentee out of respect for her and for her title as leader. He had dragged many ships to their doom against sharp, rock outcrops and glaciers, some he had capsized with the motions of his massive tail, and other times just used his immense strength to snap off vital pieces to stop their forward progress.

The ships kept coming though. It’s like the humans never ran out of the damn things! He knew Mai had handled one or two that got too close to the Diamond clan and he had disabled or destroyed more than he could count on his fingers, and they still didn’t stop coming.

Gaeric thought it was high time to be proactive about the human situation.

Even at this depth, Gaeric could hear the crew moving along the creaking wood, he could identify each one by the pitch and timbre of their voices. The crew wasn’t large. The water was absolutely silent and eerily still, nothing but he and the ship in the vicinity. The warden edged closer, remaining right beneath the craft, or at least, as much as he could manage. As much as he wanted to bust through the hull and give those arrogant humans a really good scare, he pushed down those instincts.

This ship was going to be demolished, smashed into smithereens to make a point – one that was jagged and razor sharp. His lips were pulled back over his teeth as he watched the prow cut through the glass-like surface of the water. It was a good day to be sailing, or it would have been if the ship had been anywhere else.

He was poised and ready to strike. Every muscle in his body coiled as he went over his plan again in his head. Gaeric would strike with his heavily muscled tail, using it like a battering ram to shatter the ship in two. What about the crew? A voice that sounded suspiciously like Ingo whispered in the back of his head (sort of an oxymoron in itself which helped Gaeric ignore the impending ramifications of his actions). The warden growled under his breath, shaking his head as if to loosen the thought’s hold on him.

Nothing was going to stop him. He would accept whatever punishment Irida dished out because he was doing this for the continued protection of his people. It would be worth it if his clan could survive another day. This ship and every other one that came into their territory – he would break each and every vessel until the humans had nothing but logs lashed together with hemp to take on the rough seas.

Gaeric surged forward with a blinding speed, ready to make his steep descent back into the depths to maximize the damage on the clueless vessel. The silence of the water would have felt deafening, had his ears not picked up a noise that made him stop dead in his tracks. A panic struck the warden like lightning as he heard the noise again. Instantly, his attack on the ship was forgotten, the crew none the wiser of the near miss as Gaeric tore off in the direction he had come from as another scream reached his ears.

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Dawn hadn’t exactly meant for this scenario to be playing out as it was. The second she heard Gaeric saying something about ships, she knew that it had to be one of the Galaxy Team’s, a research vessel or fishing boat. The Ginkgo Guild didn’t head toward the northern shores for much of anything, it didn’t intersect with their trade routes, so it was extremely unlikely to be one of their trade ships.

She panicked.

Gaeric would no doubt be pissed, but Dawn needed to stop him. He had already done a lot of damage and that only made Kamado double down on his efforts to map out the icelands so fewer ships would be lost. It was a never-ending cycle.

She was peeking out of the crevasse that Gaeric had unceremoniously stuffed her into for her own protection. Nothing to see, nothing to hear – the ocean around her was lifeless. It was creepy. Even the penguin behind her was silent, but she was afraid to look around at it. Dawn didn’t want to see if it had finally succumbed to its wounds.

The idea of sharing a small space with a dead animal made her almost as sick as she had been as Gaeric had been encouraging her to snap the penguin’s neck. Blindly reaching behind her, Dawn flapped around to find the carcass to shove it out of there. Over her internal mental anguish, she did not realize there was one sound she was hearing, ears flicking in the direction of it but listening passively.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

She mumbled, nearly in tears as she managed to get a hand on the Adélie and was about to push it out of the crevasse when she heard the noises that she had subconsciously been hearing but not registering. Dawn jerked her head, a clicking that sounded familiar but also sent a chill down her spine. Ingo made those sounds sometimes. The sharp squeaks when he attempted to communicate with someone (or ones) no longer at his side. If she could hear it, then it was already too late.

All her disgust was instantly replaced with terror, and she wasted no time, grabbing the Adélie and shoving it out of there just as a massive shadow blotted out the light. Dawn slapped her hands over her mouth, squelching the scream that was pressing against her lower ribs. From her vantage, she could see the penguin floating in the water, its form lifeless and slowly sinking. A dark snout nudged it curiously, a second snout appearing on the other side and nudging it in confirmation.

There was a voice in her head screaming at her that was a mix of her own, Ingo’s, Laventon’s, and every other mer she had ever spoken to get out of there. Not safe. Danger. Predator. Move. Escape!

What had Gaeric said earlier? If she needed to breathe, the clan had made air holes.

Dawn raised her eyes to the top of the crevasse and, true to the warden’s word, there was a small shaft of light. Thank Sinnoh for the foresight of the clans. She moved quietly, not that the orcas could do a whole lot if she was up on the ice, but she didn’t want to attract any attention whatsoever. She reached the hole, a smaller one that had partially frozen over but was clearly made for a mers smaller than Gaeric, Ingo, or even Mai and Adaman, and poked her head out, taking a deep breath of cold air.

She was about to put her hands on the ice to clamber out when she felt her whiskers twitch and something deep in her gut told her to stay low. The sheet of ice seemed barren, but something was setting off a danger alarm in her brain.

Time slowed, all other sounds fell away, even the sounds of the orcas in the water, and Dawn heard something crunching the snow under its feet. The crunching got louder, the sound blurring into one as it got closer, and Dawn did scream this time, ducking back into the water and getting as far away from the air hole as an enormous paw reached through to swipe at nothing. A furry paw as pale as the ice around it fumbled for the prey it knew was down there and Dawn couldn’t stop screaming, alerting all the predators around her.

The polar bear was just able to shove its head through the hole, thank the gods it had shrunk from its previous size, and it blinked at her, beady black eyes following her movements as she tried to get further away. The orcas, now quite alert of one prey in the water, and most likely the bear on the ice, were crowding around the crevasse, squeaking and pushing their snouts into the crack. The bear must have also registered their presence, but seemed to hesitate, weighing its options before two-inch long claws began to tear through the ice. The promise of an easy meal that had nowhere to run just below the ice – if it could make a hole big enough for it to get through.

The orcas were of no consequence to the large land mammal, they couldn’t move tons of ice to force their way into the crevasse, but it did make Dawn a sitting duck. All she could do was scream. Trapped between a rock and a hard place, so Laventon was wont to say. Stuck between two mouth loads (possibly more since orcas moved in pods) of conical teeth and four paws decked with razor sharp claws and a mouth big enough and strong enough to crush her skull.

She was going to die.

Ice crunched all around her, the bear’s paw slapping the water as it excavated the ice piece by piece. Behind her, the orcas squealed and kept throwing her into darkness. Fear was tightening around her lungs and heart, making it hard to think about anything due to lack of oxygen. Everything had finally been going so well! She had quelled the frenzied nobles and the seas had stopped slowly rising. Jubilife was safe for a little longer. People had stopped looking at her with suspicion and she finally felt comfortable in the mer communities that had opened their arms to her.

Now it was all about to come to an end because she couldn’t kill an already doomed penguin.

Dawn didn’t realize she was crying, her tears just mixed with the cold water while she sank lower into the crevasse, as far away from either party as she could get from, but it wouldn’t matter. Gaeric was going to destroy a ship in broad daylight and Dawn was going –

Outside, the orcas were squeaking in agitation as she picked up something with her sensitive ears. Something massive tearing through the water at a breakneck pace.

“Gaeric!”

Dawn had never screamed so loud in her life. The sounds of the bear and the cetaceans were drowned out by her deafening cries.

The fear in her voice only spurred Gaeric to go even faster until – there! Two orcas were poised and waiting in the exact place he had left Dawn, the ignored remains of the penguin he had caught drifting into the abyss with their attention focused on the alive and panicked prey hiding within.

Orcas, like all their cetacea cousins, were intelligent. Orcas in particular are adept hunters and they enjoyed playing with their food before they ate it. Gaeric wasn’t exactly sure why. He wasn’t sure if animals were capable of cruelty like mers and humans were, but he knew that they acted beyond what was necessary to acquire prey. This wasn’t a particularly favorable match up, Gaeric was big, but orcas weren’t exactly small, and they had numbers on their side. Admittedly less numbers than would be normal for the species, but Gaeric wasn’t about to question it, and he hoped, in the back of his head, that that didn’t come back to bite him.

He launched himself like a missile through the water, leading with his shoulder to slam into the unprotected flank of the closer orca. By this point, the warden wasn’t even speaking intelligibly, just hissing and spitting and roaring – because how dare they. How dare they attack his little protégé when she was already going through her own emotional turmoil. He had been so caught up with the creaking and sloshing of the ship in the distance, Gaeric hadn’t noticed the threat around him, and by extension, Dawn.

Without even looking, he knew the other orca was coming toward him. They were faster, but Gaeric was smarter. Just a few well-placed hits - claws digging into sensitive spots like eyes and enough whacks with his heavily muscled tail, then the pair would be on their way.

“Gaeric!”

He could hear her yelling, but he didn’t understand why. He was managing the threat. The whales would be gone soon and then he would take her back to the settlement. This and the penguin were enough trauma for one day.

His claws raked into the underside of the orca, tinging the blood pink as it wailed. What he didn’t need was for them to attract others, he needed just enough time to get Dawn and hightail it out of there because taking on a pod was out of the question. Even if he had Ingo by his side, orcas were meticulous and savage when they chose to be.

“Gaeric! Help!”

Can’t divert his attention now! The orcas were falling back, fleeing into the gloom with high pitch whines that were sure to draw in others in their pod.

“BEAR!”

Bear?

That’s when Gaeric heard the low grumbles and huffs, something big splashing into the water. Like it was in slow motion, he saw Dawn dart towards him as the whales fled, only to see her get jerked back violently.

A polar bear.

An old and all too familiar dread suffocated him. His body was moving even before the electrical impulses raced from his brain to his limbs. His fury blinded him, only allowed to because his thoughts weren’t there. Gaeric was lost to time. Frozen in the memory of another young protégé in mortal peril because he acted stupidly.

Gaeric had promised himself – promised himself – that this wouldn’t happen again.

And yet.

No more blood. No more traumatized pups. No more mistakes.

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Dawn was too busy trying not to get mauled to see exactly what Gaeric was doing, but the polar bear was alternatively swiping at her and ripping up chunks of ice to get better access to her. The surveyor just kept screaming for the warden with each swipe that came closer, with every scoop of ice that provided a bigger hole for the arctic predator.

It was getting dangerously close now, its head and shoulders almost squeezing through –

There was an agitated squeaking that only grew more distant. Gaeric must have run the orcas off. She just needed to get to him. Dawn darted for the crevasse, even spotting the blue haired warden beyond, looking uninjured, but quite agitated himself.

“BEAR!”

She shrieked at the top of her lungs, but it was too late. The sheet of ice that had been protecting her finally caved in and the polar bear was in the water with her paddling toward her with urgency. A massive paw slammed into her side, knocking the wind out of her and five claws bit through her uniform and into her abdomen.

The last thing she really saw before a flurry of colors was Gaeric’s expression. She had never seen him look scared before. He prided himself on being strong and brave for the sake of the clan, but that heartbeat before he was on top of the pair, Dawn had never seen that look on his face. A haunted look in those blue eyes.

It was a flurry of limbs, the water churning, and the bellowing that almost deafened her, but she saw it all. Her head might have been spinning because of how much she had been flung around (and blood loss), but she watched Gaeric take the bear’s neck and, exactly as he explained to her with the penguin, twisted it sharply.

The snap was the most sickening thing Dawn had ever heard. It made each individual hair on her body stand up and she did actually vomit this time (although, that also might have been her body’s reaction to the severe trauma). Things were moving much too fast. Gaeric was quick to drag her and the bear away, grab his net load of penguins that was swaying in the current at the bottom, and hightailed it out of there before anything else could happen.

So, Dawn saved a ship, at the cost of having a nasty gash through her uniform, unaware just how bad the injury beneath was.

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Gaeric physically cringed as Ingo got in his face. It was the first and only time the larger warden had ever gotten confrontational with any member of Pearl clan, and it was downright frightening. It was easy to forget just how dangerous Ingo could be if he only chose to. It was easy to grow complacent with that knowledge in mind, that Ingo chose kindness and patience when he didn’t have to be.

Right now, Ingo was not choosing to be anything other than pure rage. A deep, foreign growl resonated in his chest as he demanded to know what happened because his pup was hurt and Gaeric looked remarkably unharmed.

To his credit, Gaeric was willing to take whatever Ingo had to dish out at him on the chin. He failed as a guardian. He failed to keep a pup under his watch safe and now she was getting treatment for wounds inflicted by the polar bear. So, he was willing to accept whatever punishment Ingo was inevitably building toward. In all his years of knowing Ingo, he had never seen him so angry, but before this last year, he never had anything he cared so deeply for. Yes, Ingo was loyal to the clan and devoted to his ward, but Dawn was different. For him, Dawn was family, and for Gaeric to be so careless - it was tantamount to something happening to Irida on Ingo’s watch.

Ingo listened to the story, his hands curled into tight fists as Irida watched on, cautioning him by repeating his name because she didn’t want nor need infighting between her wardens, not with how the sea was so intent on swallowing up the region – humans and nobles included. With a shaking hand, Ingo jabbed a finger into Gaeric’s chest, right in the center of his clan crest, and rumbled dangerously low,

“You had better pray to Sinnoh that she recovers.”

They all knew that Dawn would be just fine, Ingo was just veiling his threat – if anything like this happens again, I will not be so forgiving. Gaeric had narrowly avoided Ingo’s considerable wrath. The cavern was silent in the wake of Ingo’s departure, everyone collectively holding their breath until Irida exhaled slowly. Her wardens followed suit. Catastrophe avoided, they all waited for the medic to be done tending to Dawn so Ingo could see her and start to calm down.

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 1 year

Text

A Glitch in the Matrix

This is a Shroud brothers age swap AU that I’ve been wanting to write for a long time!!

Idia basically has the same backstory (except Ortho is the dead older brother and Idia is just a bratty like… 10 year old) 😂 This model of Ortho is significantly older (think late teen) because I’m operating under the assumption that kid!Idia built a version of his brother “grown up” so he can have the experience of growing up with him. Slightly different coping method than the OG, but I thought this would be something cute and silly to explore.

Young children are notoriously known for being brutally honest and lacking a filter, so kid!Idia is even sassier than OG!Idia. As for adult!Ortho, I kept him being sneaky, but I also made him super big brotherly!

This is meant to take place during episode 1 of the main story (more specifically, the scene when Trey is explaining the different dorms to Yuu and co)! ^^ Yes, the joke is that Diasomnia’s introduction is forgotten about because they get caught up on Ignihyde—

Imagine this…

“Hey, who are those guys?” Grim pointed at the far end of the cafeteria. “They feel kinda different from everyone else.”

Your eyes followed his paw, landing on a lone table that had been maneuvered to the farthest corner of the room.

A few students—pale as death and donning blue vests—hunched over it, their frames made so small that they barely registered as people. A veil of gloom seemed to cling to them like spiderwebs, hollowing their faces and darkening their eyes. It was like they had been unearthed from their graves and unceremoniously dropped into the school.

“Oh, them?” Trey chuckled faintly. “They must be from Ignihyde. Students from that dorm have a strong grasp on magical tech, but they aren’t exactly the most sociable guys. A lot of them can’t handle talking face-to-fa—”

“Hello!!”

“Whoa…!”

Everyone at the table startled as a blur of blue and silver bounded into view. Forks and spoons clattered, food leapt up from its trays, some of it catching onto clothes and flecking onto skin.

“Sheesh, don’t scare us like that!” Cater groaned, wiping a dot of applesauce from his cheek. “Riddle-kun will have our heads if even one hair’s out of place!”

“Ehehe, sorry! I was just so excited when my visual receptors picked up on unfamiliar faces!”

"M-Myah?! Wh-What the heck, this guy came straight outta nowhere!!" Grim cried.

“Who’s…?” Your voice trailed off as you took a closer look at the stranger.

Sapphire flames in the place of hair danced upon his scalp, a stark contrast to his pallid face. His amber eyes were so striking, so bright, it was like electricity coursed through them. Everything about him was sharp, as though he had been cut out of something tougher than diamonds. But his body—

It was decidedly not that of a human.

Perhaps the most “human” thing about him was the pair of headphones casually slung around his neck—an accessory to pass as a teenager. The rest of his tall, lithe frame was carved out in a silvery white metal, glowing blue lines running down his torso. The joints at the young man's fingers, knees, and elbows were visible, and where his heart should have been was another haunting blue flame.

His feet were particularly strange; too chunky to be made of flesh and bone, but formed like platform boots. And then you realized why his initial appearance had been so odd: he had not walked, but rocketed over. He hadn’t even touched the ground.

You assumed that he smiled at you—you couldn’t tell for certain, as his mouth was concealed behind a black guard of some sort, a skull-like pattern printed on it.

“You are…?”

“Ortho. Ortho Shroud.” He pulled down his mouth visor, showcasing cobalt lips arranged in (as you had suspected) a grin. It was both innocent and mischievous, as though he had a secret yet to be unleashed. “It’s always nice to get to know the new blood~"

“You’re a student too?” Deuce asked excitedly. "Oh...! That would make you our upperclassman, wouldn't it?!"

“Duh, of course he is,” Ace said with a roll of his eyes. "What else would he be, a janitor? The local handyman?"

You shot him a sideways glare for the jab.

“Better a janitor or a handyman than a kid that got put in time out,” you shot back, gesturing to the enchanted collar chaffing Ace’s neck.

He frowned.

“I am present at Night Raven College to monitor and to support my younger brother during his studies,” Ortho replied. "He is a first year in Ignihyde."

His response, you noticed, didn’t fully answer the question.

"What, so there's another big guy lumberin' around campus with his hair on fire?" Grim snickered at the thought. "Must be real easy to spot him in a crowd then!"

"Heheh. Wouldn't you like to know?"

There was an ominous undertone to his words, sending the ghost of a chill crawled down your spine.

"Alright, alright, that's enough of that. You didn't come all this way just to tease the freshmen, right?" Trey adjusted his glasses knowingly. "If I know you, Ortho... you're looking for something."

"Foiled me already, huh? You're no fun." He stuck out his lower lip in a playful pout. "But yes, that is correct. I wanted to ask a little favor of our new friends!"

"You’re already charming your way into getting free labor from your juniors? So mean~ What kind of heartless monster would do such a thing?"

Trey raised an eyebrow at Cater. "I seem to recall someone shirking his unbirthday party duties and dumping the workload onto the underclassmen."

"Ehhh, are you seriously putting me on the spot?"

"Better watch out, Loosey Deucey," Ace smirked to his classmate. "If you're not careful, Cater-senpai's gonna work you ragged!"

"I wouldn't fall for something like that!" Deuce stopped, reconsidering "... Unless they really, REALLY needed me! It's the duty of an honors student to lend a helping hand when asked to!"

"Dude, you're making it too easy to dupe you.”

“I-I’m not easy to dupe!! I could turn down any request if I wanted to!”

“Grim? Prefect? Back me up here.”

You tensed at the suggestion of being tricked. You'd been fooled once by cruelty disguised as kindness—Ace's taunts masked as friendliness—and you wouldn't be fooled again.

"Sorry, senpai. I'm not sure if there's anything I can do for you. I'm just trying to focus on learning the campus and my schedule, so..."

"There's no need to worry! I am at least 20.8% less deceptive than the general student populace of Night Raven College."

"Where did you pull that statistic from?" you wondered, suspiciously eyeing Ortho.

He accepted it in stride. "I am an advanced artificial intelligence. I'm able to run a number of advanced calculations in seconds. There are several other functions only I am capable of—so please believe me when I say that if there were a method for me to resolve this issue alone, I would have."

You hesitated.

The argument Ortho provided was compelling. Maybe too compelling.

"... What do you want?"

Ortho stared directly at Grim.

"H-Hey, what're you lookin' at me for?"

You felt Ortho’s smile under the visor widening. "I'd like to play a game of cat and mouse."

“You can’t find your little brother?”

You briskly walked by Ortho's side, the two of you traversing a hallway which opened into a sunny courtyard. A squirming Grim was tucked under your arm.

The furry gremlin had been taken against his will, whisked out of the cafeteria and away from his plate of mashed tuna, abandoning the Heartslabyul boys to the remainders of their own meals.

"I'll help you, Prefect!" Deuce had promised, only to be shut down by Ace's teasing. ("Oi, what happened to 'I can turn down any request if I wanted to'?")

Not that they would have been of any use, you thought. A statue set on fire, Ace trapped under a cauldron, and a shattered chandelier dancing in your mind.

By now, Grim's loud whining had (thankfully) eased into unhappy grumbling.

Ortho nodded. "I would regularly be able to locate Idia-san by running a campus-wide scan for all living organisms, then isolating by biometrics. However, I can't seem to find him no matter how many times I run the program. He must be using a device to jam my detective capabilities from afar."

"Really? You look... complicated," you commented carefully. "Your brother sounds like some kind of a genius if he's able to pull that off."

"He is," Ortho said sunnily.

"... Well, that's putting you in a bind right now, so I don't think we should be happy about his big brain cells."

“It shouldn’t be an obstacle. Idia-san may be highly intelligent, but I have a trump card now thanks to you!” Ortho snuck a peek at Grim and graced him with a firm head pat. “A cute kitty cat!”

“I’m NOT a cat!!” Grim protested, swiping at Ortho’s metal hand.

“Because you said your little brother likes cats?”

“Yes. I’m sure that we’ll be able to lure him out with this!” Ortho waved a hand into the courtyard. “This would be an optimal spot. It’s a relatively wide open space, so it would appear more innocuous to set our trap here.”

You slowed your pace and scanned the outside, seeking out a blue fire that matched the android's. It was notably empty, with most students away for their lunch break.

“Oi, can ya stop talkin’ about me like I’m your bait?!”

“Quiet, Grim,” you shushed, setting him down in the grass. “You are our bait. Now get your tail out there and try to act natural!”

With that, you rushed to hide yourself behind a column. Ortho chuckled to himself, joining you behind an adjacent one.

“Grrr…”

Grim begrudgingly got on all fours and padded onto the lawn. He glanced around the courtyard and cleared his throat. “Uh… ‘meow’?”

There was silence.

"Meow, meow, me-ooooow!"

The silence grew staler.

"... Okay, that's enough of a stain on the great Grim-sama's reputation for one day!" He stood on his hind legs and stretched his arms to the sky. "I'm headin' back to get my fill of fish!"

"Not yet!! Try doing something cute like licking yourself or playing with a ball of yarn!"

“Not if you’re gonna watch, minion!!”

"I can look away if you're embarrassed."

"That's not the problem here!!"

"What is the problem then?"

"Shh! Wait—” Ortho gasped. "I'm detecting movement from the opposite side of the courtyard. There, in the bushes!"

You looked where he indicated.

Indeed, one of the shrubs seemed to be quivering, causing a few of its leaves to dislodge and fall to the ground. Seconds later, there was a flicker of light, and a small boy clutching a handheld console emerged, followed what appeared to be a floating skull.

He was dressed in a frumpy, oversized black and blue striped sweater. The rest of his outfit was just as comedic and childish, with a pair of pants sporting many pockets and a pair of sneakers splattered with the colors of the night sky. Colorful characters and shapes adorned his footwear: three eyed green aliens, stars, spaceships, and astronauts.

But most importantly, he was just like Ortho. Eyes the same color, fiery blue hair that fanned out behind him, mouth a shade of cyanide poisoning, and skin that looked like it hadn't seen the sun in years.

"That's your brother? Your first year brother? He doesn't look any older than an average elementary schooler," you hissed to Ortho.

"Genius, remember?" He shrugged. "Night Raven College made a special exception for a child prodigy to enroll in its ranks."

So Idia is a child prodigy... and Ortho's a supercomputer that's supposed to babysit him? Wait, how can a robot and a human even be related? Can a human even have fire for hair? Just what kind of a family dynamic is this?!

Your brain hurt from trying to fit the details together. They were like puzzle pieces that didn't quite connect.

A strangled scream resounded in the courtyard.

You snapped to attention, leaping out from your hiding place. Horror clenched your throat, your stomach—

Idia had Grim trapped in a death grip, smushing the poor creature against his face. The little boy wore a silly, toothy grin, revealing that his teeth were pointed like an imp's. His console was shoved into one of many pockets, long forgotten in favor of the cat.

"Hihihihihi, it must be my lucky day," Idia mumbled to himself. "I thought some annoying normie finished stuffing their face with food early and started stomping and shouting, but no! It turned out to be a talented talking widdle kitty witty interrupting my private gaming session... It's okay, I'll forgive you cuz you're seriously sooo fluffy and cute!!"

"Be careful, you're hurting him!!" you called out, charging at the child. You were but a few feet away when Idia noticed you, and his excitement waned.

"E-Eep!! Are you the kitty's owner?"

"I'm NOT a cat!!" Grim moaned desperately.

"Er, no... yes... maybe..." You paused. "It's hard to define, but we live together, so that means I have a say in how he's treated!!"

Idia's expression immediately twisted into a look of total disgust. "Ew. Gross. Go away. No one asked to see your dumb face. I found the kitty, so he's mine now. You should've kept a better eye on him if you cared so much."

"Wh-What..."

What's with this sassy lost child?!

"Now you listen here, mister—“

"Idia-san!!”

Ortho flew right by you, stopping your tirade before it could even start. He practically tackled Idia, smothering him in a hug that was warm and hummed like a generator.

(Grim let out another scream as his body was compressed between the two brothers.)

"O-Ortho nii-san...!?"

"Thank goodness I found you! I was so worried when you disappeared on me!!" Ortho released Idia, but kept his hands firmly on the young boy's shoulders. "It was bad of you to run off and go into hiding like that. My circuits almost fried from the shock!!”

Grim fell to the ground in a furry heap and scrambled into your arms. “G-Get me away from that crazy kid…!!”

You held him to your chest and stroked his back comfortingly, warily eyeing Idia and anticipating another smarmy remark.

He bashfully stared down at his shoes. “………………….. S-Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Huh?! Since when was he all shy and innocent?! His personality did a complete 180!

“It’s alright! What matters is that you’re safe and sound.” Ortho happily ruffled the flames on Idia’s head. “But promise me that you won’t do that again. I know you’re anxious since it’s your first week of school, but that’s no excuse for holing up for the day.”

“… I-I don’t wanna go to class or eat in the cafeteria,” Idia whined stubbornly, clinging to Ortho’s arm. “I saw. Th-There’s too many people.

He vigorously shook his head. "But I don't want to. I only wanna hang out with you, Nii-san... and the kitty.”

“You know that’s not healthy,” Ortho tutted. “There’s a big, bright, beautiful world out there, full of lovely people waiting to meet you. You won’t be able to experience that if you keep to yourself all year.”

"S-Sounds scary..."

"It's not scary at all! Look, your big bro met these nice people today." Ortho indicated you and Grim. "They helped me out when I was in a pinch. It's because of them that I was able to find you."

"Uh, hi?" You awkwardly waved.

Idia shuffled behind his brother's leg, glaring at you from behind it.

"Don't be like that." Ortho's eyes glimmered with cheer. "Hey, I know! Why don't you introduce yourself to them?"

"D-Do I really have to?"

"Would it help if they introduced themselves to you first?"

Idia said nothing, but his stare turned expectant. Ortho looked at you hopefully.

You sighed and relented. "... I'm the Ramshackle Prefect, and this is Grim."

"That's the GREAT Grim-sama to you, minion!"

"......................... I-Idia. Idia Shroud... I'm a first year in Ignihyde... a-and its dorm leader..."

... Huh?

"I'm sorry, what did you just say? I swear I must have misheard you." You laughed, cupping an ear.

"I'm dorm leader."

... HAH?

"Y-You're... You're a kid though?! And didn't you literally just start school at NRC? How's it possible that you became dorm leader so fast?!"

"Feh!!" Idia smirked, tapping his temples. "Unlike you simple-minded noobs, I've got the brain of a genius inventor up in here! There's nothing I can't achieve, hihihihi!"

He sealed the deal by blowing a raspberry.

Am I seriously being talked down to by a grade schooler?! You took a breath to calm yourself. No, I'm better than this. Don't get mad. Be the bigger person.

"Now, Idia-san... Bragging isn't very kind," Ortho gently chided. "Still, I'm proud of you for managing to get through giving your introduction!"

The android clapped, his face lighting up with excitement. "Since everyone's acquainted...! That makes us all brand-new friends!"

"I don't know if I'd go THAT far," you muttered. "It depends on how loosely you define 'friend'... though it sounds like your definition of it is very loose."

"Friends are friends!!" Ortho insisted. "And do you guys know what friends do?"

Oh no.

There was that odd smile of his again, clearly visible in spite of the visor hiding it. Half innocence, half mischief.

Your stomach sank. You had a bad feeling about this.

"Friends hang out together on their lunch breaks!"

... You should have listened to the warning signs Trey had pointed out.

“Alright, who wants snacks?"

Ortho placed several large bowls before you, each offering up something sweet or salty. There were chips in various flavors, candies in all colors, popcorn, and plain pretzels with a variety of dips. It was a rainbow of treats, definitely an upgrade from all the canned tuna and tap water you had been living off of for the past few days.

"Take your pick of drinks too! Plenty to go around." He pointed to a pyramid of canned beverages as he settled in comfortably next to you. This close, you could sense the heat radiating off of him, could see your reflection in his shiny coat.

"Myah?! You sure are livin' the high life!! You have so much stuff!" Grim crawled around on a fuzzy carpet, his eyes darting around, taking in all the shelves of games and merchandise, the consoles arranged in front of a large television.

"I-I have a kitty... I have an actual kitty in my room...!!" Idia looked like he was going to pass out from happiness. A first for his seemingly bloodless self. "N-Ne... d-do you want to play a game? C-Can you play games...?"

"Can I? Don't underestimate the great Grim-sama!!" He stood up and put his paws on his hips. "I won't go easy on ya just cuz you're a lil' brat! Name your game, buster!!"

“Ahhhh, I get to play with a kitty…! Th-This is pure bliss!!”

“For the last time, I’m NOT a… Oh, whatever!! Show me to your games already, I’ll fish out the best one!”

The duo dug into a cabinet, tossing out several discs and cartridges. Grim’s pitchfork-shaped tail sailed in the air as he rifled through titles. The tips of Idia’s hair were tinged pink.

You bit into a chip as you watched the scene unfold.

Grim’s acting like a little kid himself. All Ortho had to do was dangle toys and food in front of him and he instantly caved…

A cold wetness came upon your cheek.

You startled, relaxing only when you realized it was the sensation of a cold bottle being pressed against your bare skin.

“Living organisms such as yourself need to maintain adequate hydration levels for proper functioning,” Ortho advised. “Please do take care.”

“Thanks.” You cautiously accepted the drink, keeping your eyes trained on him.

He’s more cunning than he seems. Ortho talks himself down, but orchestrating all of this takes some serious computing and forethought.

Dangerous, you concluded. He’s dangerous.

“… Oh? You’re staring.”

“No, I’m not.”

“I can tell,” Ortho chirped. “Your iris and retinal activity indicates that—”

“You definitely tricked us.”

Without missing a beat, he nodded. “Yes. Are you upset that I did?”

“How much of it was planned?” you demanded, pointing the water bottle at him accusingly. “Was there really a jamming device preventing you from finding Idia on your own? When you stopped and said the courtyard was the perfect place to search… did you already know he was there?”

“Hehe. When I saw you and Grim-san in the cafeteria for the first time, I saw an opportunity to make use of our meeting, so I took it!

“My brother would have such an easier time opening up to a creature of the feline variety. I formulated a believable excuse to acquire the target.” Ortho chuckled, coy with his words. “I’d say it was a successful mission. Wouldn’t you?”

“Why didn’t you be honest with us? We would have helped if you had just…”

“I wanted it to be as close to a naturalistic simulation as possible.”

You blinked, taken aback by the immediate and blunt response.

“In a simulation,” Ortho continued calmly, “we imitate a situation in a controlled environment. Multiple factors are considered in the process. By running multiple simulations, we can collect more data and come closer to accounting for a simulation which is most closely related to the randomness that is a real-world system.

“In this situation, it was the inverse. I wanted a scenario in which less information would yield a more natural outcome.”

“You… wanted it to feel ‘real’ for Idia,” you said slowly. “It wouldn’t have worked like that if we knew what was going on and pretended like we were there by chance. You needed us to be in the dark.”

“Correct.”

Ortho had confessed to his guilt, but try as you might, you couldn’t detect any malicious intent.

“Idia-san is special—but he’s socially anxious and has a hard time getting along with his classmates. They don’t like that a young child has been enrolled at this school, or that he has taken on such an important role at it.

“As the one that has been assigned to oversee his school life, I worry. I would like Idia to enjoy his time here to its fullest, yet… the year has barely begun, and I’ve already been instructed by the headmaster that firing a laser is ‘not an appropriate defense protocol’ for dealing with bullies and other instigators…”

“… Crowley’s right about that part,” you interjected.

Ortho laughed, and the fondness and the fluidity of it stunned you. For a second, you forgot that he was not human at all, believing that he was a real boy.

“This will be the first step of many for Idia-san. I hope to be there for the rest of that journey.”

“Ortho-senpai…”

“I’m glad that our paths crossed, Prefect-san.” He flashed a winsome smile. “Thank you and Grim-san for helping me—and for indulging him.”

“… It’s no problem, but next time you’d better not pull another dirty trick like you did today.”

“Next time?” The smile turned slightly cocky, and you vaguely regretted your reply.

“I assume we’ll be seeing you around campus, not necessarily hanging out.”

“Aww, it’s not nice of you to snub your new friends like that~” There was a nip of wickedness to his teasing tone. “… I’m not a formal student, but you might still see me hanging around my little bro. Come by and say hi again sometime, will you?”

You blinked. “You’re not a student?”

Ortho gave no response. His eyes trailed over to Grim and Idia, who had seated themselves before the TV, controllers in hand.

The screen sparked to life with color and light and sound. A night sky speckled with stars blinked into view, along with bombastic blue font.

Star Rogue ~The Road to Being a Hero~

Traced by the glow of the game, the uncanniness in Ortho’s appearance became apparent. The lack of pores in his rubbery skin, the sharp metal sheen of his body, the abnormal lines running in his irises. Even his fire was just a swaying projection, a trick of the light.

Beneath his mask, fake lips moved, producing a close approximation of a human voice.

“… I can be at Night Raven College because of Idia-san.” He cupped the flame that burned in the place of his heart. “That alone… brings me happiness.”

If Ortho was a flame burning brightly, then he had dimmed to mere embers, his voice but a contemplative whisper. Cold, hard logic had been dispelled, leaving only the ashes where a feeling had once been.

Pressure welled in your chest.

I… shouldn’t pry further than this.

“N-Never mind that!” You cracked open your bottle and took a big swig out of it. Slamming it down, you wiped a stray dribble of water from your chin. “Let’s watch the game!! How does it even work, anyway?”

“Star Rogue? Oh, it’s a classic.” Ortho crossed his legs and leaned back against Idia’s bed. “You go…” He pointed a finger at you and pantomimed a firing, then a kickback. “Pew, pew!! And everything in your way explodes! You shoot down the boss and save the galaxy!

“Er… You have way more of a casual attitude on violence than you initially let on.”

Ortho shrugged. “Like I said, the headmaster forbade me from firing lasers on campus. This is the next best thing.”

“Well, as long as you’re not obliterating any real people... I guess that’s fine.”

“It’s better experienced than explained. We should go for a round after those two!” Ortho inclined his head towards Grim and Idia, eyes glued to the television and caught up in an intense round of button mashing.

You chortled. “Okay, you’re on.”

“Great. Prepare to get crushed and left in my space dust!” His eyes twinkled like the stars on the screen, the traces of sadness that had once been there gone.

So human, so real.

The feeling behind them.

Almost like his entire being was lighting up from the inside out.

Huh, so he can smile like that too.

“Hey,” you said slowly, “Ortho-senpai?”

His eyes cut to you, the alien features in his profile still illuminated. “Yes, Prefect-san?”

“I may not entirely understand your circumstances, but for what it’s worth… you have a big heart.”

He looked at you fully, pupils dilated. The fire of his hair and in his chest flared up, as if expressing surprise.

“Really,” you stressed, your brows upturned sympathetically. “Anyone would be lucky to have someone like you in their lives.”

Ortho's gaze sharpened, carefully analyzing you. Your features, your feelings. Contemplating the sincerity behind them.

After what seemed like an eternity--but was surely just a few seconds in real time--he spoke. It was a single, simple word as sweet as the taste of victory.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." You gave him a playful light tap on the shoulder.

With a soft laugh, he returned the favor. When his fist made contact with you, you could feel the warmth emanating from him.

The wires and electricity running through him. His heart pulsing.

“… But don't think this means I’ll take it easy on you,” Ortho warned. “I can get super competitive when it comes to games, you know!"

“Wouldn’t dream of it, senpai.”

256 notes · View notes

neonross · 1 year

Note

your WH royal au reminds me of the diamonds from Steven universe so much and i cannot get enough of it!

this, this is what i thought of when i first saw this au^^

oh! well that's an unexpected comparison- maybe not that much since they're both some type of royalty ahah-

and oooo- the diamonds singinn!!

#wh royalty au #welcome home au

116 notes · View notes

kattystripes14 · 1 year

Text

Kk, so I'm a little obsessed with the Fusion Mayhem AU @teenagenutant made- And I have a bunch of personal hcs and I remade T.I.T.I.A.N. into Masaccio... Soooooooooo- Time to post about that now-

Anywhizzle, have this Fusion Mayhem AU short I made called "Favorites". ---

Mikey: Y’know, with this new fusion ninpo stuff- it kinda feels like we have 6 new brothers! Leo: Well, kinda. I agree with Mike, this fusion thing is pretty sick!

Raph: Yeah! It’s kinda like when we fuse we get a better understanding of each other. Even if our fusions are different from us. I think-?? That’s what Draxum said, right Don? Donnie: Affirmative, it would seem that despite being literal fusions of our personalities, habits, thoughts, physical traits, et cetera, in these new forms we act like new people. We feel like new people. Mikey: So crazy!! And it feels kinda weird too, haha. Raph: We haven’t really used 'em much outside of fighting. Leo: Meeeeeh- Gal was kind of an accident. We didn’t mean to fuse, we were just making fun of Warren and Hypno. Raph: True! But that was the case for most of em.

Donnie: Okay but can we all agree that Masaccio is the most fabulous out of everyone? Mikey: Hah! You wish! I personally think Nino is the most dapper if I do say so myself! Leo: Yeah! Plus he’s the only one with luscious locks, unlike the others. Raph: Hey, hey, lets not pick favorites- Donnie: -Scoff! At least we have real eyebrows! And cool explosions! Leo: So? Who needs explosions when you have magic and portals? Raph: Guys, c’mon I just said-

Donnie: Aaaand we don’t look like Gene Wilder. Mikey: *Gasp!* What’s wrong with Willy Wonka?! It adds to the trickster-y magician vibe!!

Leo: Yeah!! Plus what about you? You stole our diamond look! And you guys just talk about how great you are whenever you’re Masaccio! Not gonna lie, you’re kinda self centered. Donnie: You realize you’re the turtle currently speaking, correct?

Leo: Pssh- and?

Mikey: *Wraps his arm around Leo* Face it Dee! You guys are just jelly of how magical we are! Leo: And our dripping good looks. Raph: Seriously, can we not make something a competition for once? Mikey: Says the one who’s losing the competition. Raph: Wh-! … *gets an idea* …Fine. You know who my favorite is? I like Angelico’s vibe. Mikey: Say what?! For realsies?! Donnie: Gasp!! Betrayal Raphael!!! Leo: Mikey! Remember Nino! Raph: For real, big man! He’s a pretty cool dude. And plus, who doesn’t love mystic maces with fire power, huh? And he’s got this like- “cool anime sensei” thing goin on! Mikey: Yeah he does, baby!!

Leo: Oh yeah-!?! Well- *grabs Donnie* Our double bladed ninja staff is way cooler than your mace. Pssh, who even uses maces anymore. Amirite? Mikey: You take that back, Leo!! Maces are the bomb!

Donnie: He does have a point though. Together, we can portal in useful tech from my lab into battle like my attack drones or even the escape pods if we needed them. His portals become more accurate and stable while my ninpo constructs become more complex and powerful… In other words, Gali rules! Mikey: Wha-!? *he smirks, gaining the same idea as Raph* Fine then! What about Newton? I think he’s the most productive out of any of our fusions! Plus, he’s like the best of both artsy and science-y worlds! Newton’s pretty much a super geniusLeo: (Way to toot your own horn…) Raph: *Actually getting sucked into the argument now* Hey- wait- what about Anime Sensei?! Mikey: Does Anime Sensei have a cool theme song? I think not, Raphie! *Slides over to Donnie*

Leo: Okay, as cool as you may think he is, you guys almost blew up the lair once. At least Gali’s a chill scientist. And we’re productive too!! Raph: Not really actually. Mikey: Yeah, you guys are more into space stuff than anything else. Leo: Wh-?! You don’t know what’s going on in our heads! We get so much done. Ask Donnie! Donnie: Surprisingly, while we do get a lot done, it’s still not as much as Newt. Leo: Traitor! *slides over to Raph and climbs on his shoulders* What about the amount of times Gio’s gotten you two out of trouble? Mikey: Psssh, you guys just become one big worry-wart whenever you fuse. Donnie: *Chuckles*

((Both look away at the comment)) Leo: No! Well- maybe, but that’s because of how much destruction comes with all of your “Super-Genius” energy. And you can’t even keep up with yourselves half of the time! Raph: Yeah, you two always crash after you fuse! I don’t think you’ve ever stayed together for more than 2 hours. Gio is the ultimate big bro and the best leader. *he fist bumps Leo* Donnie: Hey!! Mikey: Not our fault even we can’t keep up with how sick we are! Leo: Nino could beat all of you in a magic-off. Raph: Oh really? Well Masa looks cooler than all of you combined!

Donnie: And, Newton could out-create any of you. Mikey: Well Angel could razzmatazz and punch his way out of anything!

((A while of arguing later April walks in on them.)) April: Uhh… What’s this whole situation about?? Leo: APRIL!! Quick- tell them all of my fusions are the best! April: What? Donnie: Negative, Leonardo. My fusions are better, and you know it. April: What are you- Mikey: -Uh-uh!! Ain’t no way you’re turning April against us! Your fusions may be smarter, but my fusions have pizazz and flare, baby!

April: Guys.

Raph: No way! Raph’s fusions are the coolest. Who doesn’t love my big brother energy? And they’re all the strongest! April: HEY!!! …What are you guys talking about?! What do you mean by fusion??? Is this a game??

((All of them pause and light up again, almost forgetting about the argument.))

Mikey: We haven’t told you?!

Leo: Come sit down, we’ll fill you in!

Donnie: According to Draxum we’ve acquired a new ninpo ability called ‘Fusion’!

Raph: It’s so weird, but here’s the rundown- basically it combines our powers-

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dreamdragoness · 8 months

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After discovering @neonross 's Royalty WH Au, this version of Stacy popped into my head. I chose to make her a maid after reading a couple of Manwhas where the main character works as a maid in a castle. In the Royalty AU, Stacy Flannigan is a castle maid who makes it her mission to work hard for her pay while staying as far away from the nobles as much as possible. Especially King Wally, Frank, and Queen Julie. This often has her working in the kitchens as if she were still a scullery maid. This confuses the staff, but nobody complains if she wants to do such work. Stacy wasn't born in the Kingdom of Hearts, Clubs, or Diamonds. She's not even from the Spade Kingdom. She's actually from a secret kingdom that remains hidden to this day: The Joker Kingdom. When Hearts, Clubs, and Diamonds began to grow in power, the Joker Kingdom, who preferred to remain neutral and would rather find peaceful solutions, feared the growing power of the three kingdoms. So in order to protect themselves, the Joker Kingdom cast a power spell that made the entire land vanish. To this day, no one knows if the Joker Kingdom even exists.

Stacy, a native of the Joker Kingdom, is chosen by her monarch to go to the Hearts Kingdom to evaluate the state of the royal families and their rule. If nothing's changed or things have gotten worse, then the Joker Kingdom will remain hidden. This is something that happens with the ascension of a new monarch every generation. And Stacy is the Joker of Wally's generation. Of course, things get harder for her once the king discovers this pretty mysterious maid by chance one day and takes a keen interest in her.

If I have to describe the Joker Kingdom in another way, then I choose the Kingdom of Monsters from Undertale.

Royalty AU: @neonross Stacy Flannigan: Me Welcome Home: Party Coffin/Clown Illustrations

#original character #welcome home au #welcome home #wh royalty au #royalty au #maid #maid uniform #joker card #wild card

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kimoi-00 · 1 year

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WELCOME HOME AUS

Henlo Henlo!

I have a few Welcome Home Aus in mind, and 1 is in the making already! But i have a few here so i just have to blurt it out so i wont forget about them 😭

WH SHOWMAN AU:

• This au is basically Welcome Home mixed with my absolutely favorite show! The Greatest Showman! I will have to remake the plot, but the jist of the lore is there but i do have to add some or edit some.

WELCOME HOME DAYCARE (ANIMATRONIC AU) :

• Besically a FNAF take on Welcome Home! The crew will be animatronics of Welcome Home Daycare!

WH DIAMOND AU:

• Yes by the title of this au, Its a Steven Universe Welcome Home au! I will change some of the plot from the steven universe, i will base some of the lore from the show since it was my inspiration to this au.

WH DESSERT AU:

• Its just Basically like a desert version of the crew! Think of it like Cookie Run Kingdom! Its still the original WH, its just that they are all desserts!

WH CORRUPT/E̶̜̒̓̄͊̈́͘R̸̡̗͓̗̈́́̂̋̀̅̕R̶̺̳̙̀O̵̺̙̗̼̟̓̎̇͋̿́̚̕̕̚͜R̷̡̞͓͙͕̝͙̯̆̇̄͛͘̚̚͝AU: Forgotten Memories

• Ę̶̜͖͇̘̹̒̓̄͊̈́͘R̸̡̗͓̗̈́́̂̋̀̅̕R̶̺̳̙̀O̵̺̙̗̼̟̓̎̇͋̿́̚̕̕̚͜R̷̡̞͓͙͕̝͙̯̆̇̄͛͘̚̚͝....ʀᴇʟᴏᴀᴅɪɴɢ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ..

Weird..what happened there.. Oh well!

This au is a little different from the rest..While the others will have ocs of mine included, this one has an specific oc that will be very dear to me. Basically a little protion of RL me will be in my oc.

The original WH but with a little twist- WH is a puppet show, but what if someone came before them? Can the crew save them? Or will it slowly cosume all of them or will they be able to find them and solve the problem of the mysterious glitching area, their little community has.

WH BOOK OF LIFE AU:

• Basically the WH cast as he character in Book of life. I already have planned who wally would be.

Either Manolo or A Male Version of La Muerte 😭💕

(UPDATE: I made a few edits in some of the AU's, especially the titles so if you see some differences, that means I changed it :>)

#welcome home oc #welcome home au #welcome home puppet show #welcome home fanart #wally welcome home #wally x oc #wally darling x reader #welcome home art #wally darling welcome home #wh wally #welcome home headcanons #wally #welcome home

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sunshines-bee-farm · 6 months

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You're On Your Own Kid [Agere Minecraft Fic] [APTR AU]

Trigger warnings: disownment, agere hating, there will be a happy ending and more parts

____

PUDDLES WASN’T USED TO BEING ON HIS OWN. He was raised as part of a large family, with six sibling pups who were all bigger, more confident, and apparently nicer than Puddles was. Puddles had an attitude, apparently, and wasn’t always in touch with reality. Apparently.

Sprinkles, his sister, barged into his room one day when he had forgotten to lock the door. It was the biggest mistake of his life, because the moment she saw the adult paci in his mouth and the toys on the ground, she turned on her heels and was gone in an instant. It felt like moments later he was packed and on his way out of Silvermount.

He had only managed to save one of his little items, one he begged and cried for until his ex-mother acquiesced, shoving it in his hands and then slamming the door in his face. It was a raggedy stuffed rabbit, one that used to be cream but was now a light brown. It had a faded, soft-from-time yellow ribbon around its neck. Puddles hid his tears in her fur.

He wasn’t going to lie and say he loved his family. At least, he wouldn’t say it was cut and dry. As the runt of the litter, Puddles had to fend for himself his entire life, and while Sprinkles grew up on a fluffy pillow, he had to fight for scraps of food. He was used to being on his own.

But he wasn’t, too. Because at least they pretended. At least they tried. One adult pacifier later, and they weren’t. One wooden train later, and he was alone.

It didn’t feel much different.

Silvermount was a tiny village built along the peaks of a tall mountain, with a rough path winding down to the valley. The valley in which Star and oliver disappeared into three years ago, after they were found out by the others for their lifestyle. No one understood the age regression, and they didn’t care to try. Puddles didn’t know what happened to the two.

He wandered for days, until he was too tired to hold back the sobs anymore. He curled up on the forest floor for so long a pig laid next to him, plump and serene, not at all spooked by the pup’s unnatural blue fur or loud cries. He named her Bailey.

“Puddles?”

He jumped ten feet in the air. Bailey ran, squealing, to hide behind a tree. He sat up with his pack of useless adult stuff weighing on his shoulders, only to find Oliver, Star’s caregiver, standing there. He held a basket of apples, a diamond axe at his side. It sheened with enchantment.

“Oliver?” His voice cracked.

“What are you doing all the way out here?” Something in his voice told Puddles he knew Puddles would be lying if he said camping. “They didn’t…”

It was all it took. Oliver sat next to him and held him while he cried, which was more than Puddles ever had or ever would deserve. Oliver had always been nice to him. He was a natural caregiver, in any capacity. Puddles would never be like him.

“Hey,” Oliver said softly after a while. “Hey.”

Puddles looked up. Oliver wiped the mud from under Puddles’ eye.

“Come stay with us.”

Puddles’ eyes widened. “Wh-what? No, I can’t— why would you even offer that? After…”

“Because it’s my house and I make my own decisions.” He smiled. “And I forgave you a long time ago.”

“But what about Star?”

“She’s mad at you, she’s not evil.” He laughed. “She won’t let you suffer just because you made a mistake.”

Puddles’ heart was pounding. How was he meant to accept this? He couldn’t. But Oliver was stubborn, and after arguing for half an hour, Puddles was too tired. He just wanted to sleep. Maybe in a bed.

Oliver led him through the Muted Valley, birch trees towering and bees buzzing over tulips and sunflowers. Bailey followed. They came across a decently sized house, clearly handbuilt but done very well, made of baby blue terracotta with a dark oak roof. Mossy cobble lined the dirt path. A few mushroom trees had grown, whether intentionally or unintentionally Puddles didn’t know. Oliver would truly go to the ends of the Earth for Star. What was it like to have someone who loved you that much?

“Little star,” Oliver called when they entered. “Puddles is here.” Something crashed to the ground. Oliver laughed. “You okay?”

“Did you say Puddles?” She poked her head through a doorway. “Is that a pig?”

The living room was covered in toys. Drawings by Star lined the walls, both from when she was big and little, it looked like. Puddles was astounded that they lost everything for littlespace… and kept it. They didn’t seem ashamed or embarrassed. This was just how they were.

Puddles stared at the ground, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes and hugging his bag. Oliver placed a hand on his shoulder as he explained.

“Yeah, I mean,” Star shrugged, looking uncomfortable and definitely not little anymore, “you can stay as long as you need. But… you better be telling the truth.”

His eyes watered. “I am. I promise.”

“I believe you.” She sounded genuine, but he couldn’t fathom why. “You need some little time. Come on, we’ll set up your room later, let’s have a tea party.”

She turned and walked briskly over to her toybox, pulling out a handmade wooden tea kettle and some cups. Puddles hesitated so long she stopped to turn and ask, “You coming? Your pig can join.”

He felt silly sitting at the tea party dressed in trousers and a leather tunic. He missed his onesies, his flare skirts. Star noticed, because after a moment of pouring fake tea she stood and demanded he follow her.

“Play nice, baby,” Oliver called as they left.

Puddles swallowed. They entered the bedroom and Star started going through her little closet.

“You’re a femboy, aren’t you?” She asked. Puddles hesitantly agreed. “So skirts don’t bother you, even though you’re trans?”

“I like skirts,” he said quietly.

“Okay, then I have something you can borrow.”

She pulled out a skirt made of light wool, pastel blue with little fluffy white clouds. She tossed it to him with a white long sleeved blouse. He changed in the bathroom, and when he came out, he felt strange because he felt like himself again.

Star grinned. “You look great! Perfect for a tea party. What about your little guy—what’s his name?” She pointed to his rabbit.

He gripped her tighter. “Delilah.”

“Oh, a girl bunny?”

“Mhm.”

“And did you name your pig?”

“Bailey.”

She crouches down and pets Bailey’s head. “Who’s a good girl? Who’ll probably eat some of my clothes if I’m not careful? You are!”

They went back to the living room and Oliver read a book while he watched them play. Puddles had trouble regressing—a lot of trouble—but found himself slowly sinking into the headspace as Star made conversation and offered him toys. They raced wooden cars along the floor. His favorite was a pink one, made of cherry wood. She gave it to him. Like, for good. He almost cried.

It wasn’t happy tears, though.

Because he was used to being on his own. He was used to fending for himself and keeping his shield raised and his head high, but now? He was crumbling under any small gesture of kindness. He dropped his walls and showed them everything, made himself completely vulnerable.

And they accepted him. They didn’t seem to want to take advantage of him.

And that… he was not used to.

#sfw age regression #a place to rest au #did system #age regression #agere #sfwagere #sfw agere #minecraft #minecraft agere #fandom agere #age regressor #agere writing #agere fic #my writing

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autumntouched · 1 year

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Day 26 of Ode to Phoenix

Summary: Part of the Hannix Football Rivalry AU Series in which Jake is a Cowboys fan (lol like Glen) and Natasha is a 49ers fan (like Monica and me)

Jake and Natasha's Wedding, Pt. II - Husband & Wife

Pairings: Natasha "Phoenix" Trace x Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Warnings: None for this part, just fluff

A/N: This fic got really long so I'm posting it in three parts. I'm sorry this took awhile, and I'm a little nervous about it but needed to stop rewriting and get on to your ACTUAL requests. Thank you so much to everyone who submitted song suggestions! As you'll see, I may have gotten a little carried away. Also, clearly some of these songs are homages to Top Gun and TGM. Please don't judge my song picks too harshly. A note that they had everyone do their toasts at the rehearsal dinner the night before. Okay, hope you enjoy!

I'm sharing the full Hannix Wedding Playlist here, but the key songs are also included when they appear in the fic.

The Wedding | Pt. II - Husband & Wife

The next hour is a whirlwind of pictures with all of their loved ones and then finally, they escape to a quiet moment to themselves. Only a half hour, but it’s everything. Jake closes the door of the suite behind them. It’s been decorated with flowers for the occasion, and a small table with motif candles and flower petals waits with their meal.

But before they sit down, Jake pulls her into another kiss, this one so heated that it leaves her feeling almost tipsy. He cups her face in his hands, eyes bright. “I haven’t had a chance to tell you today how stunning you look.”

“You like the dress?” she murmurs, only inches from his mouth.

“So much I want you out of it so bad,” he groans and kisses her forehead.

“I could say the same for you.” Natasha spreads her fingers across his chest. The fading sunlight catches the diamonds on her rings. Jake places his own ringed hand over hers, and she stares like she’s seeing their hands for the first time.

“Maybe we could skip the reception,” he suggests, only half joking. Before she can scold him, he swoops in for another kiss and Natasha finds herself very nearly persuaded to agree. He kneels on the floor to help her out of her bridal heels, pausing to kiss each of her ankles cradled between the strap and the lace detail on the counter.

It’s not until they sit down to eat that she realizes she’s starving, and although he must be just as hungry, Jake lets her have everything she wants from his plate.

—

They enter the reception to “Take My Breath Away” and a thundering standing ovation. In the soft blue tinted light, Jake dips her again. Natasha stares up into her whole world with his scintillating green eyes, deep dimples, and imprinted laugh lines. The cacophony of clinking glasses begins already, and he murmurs, “I think they want me to kiss you, Mrs. Seresin-Trace.”

She grins back at her new name and cradles his jaw. “I think we should give the people what they want, Mr. Seresin-Trace.” Natasha kisses him and nearly bites his lip when he swings her back to her feet so he can finish it properly.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Gabby says into a mic, “that’s my incredible big sister and now another big brother for me to annoy. Jake, you can’t say you didn’t know what you were getting into.”

Everyone laughs, and Natasha looks over to a little stage beside the head table where her sister and Rooster stand ready with guitars over their shoulders. For weeks, Natasha and Jake argued about their first dance song. Some couples bond over their taste in music, but theirs could not be more different. She was on the verge of digging in her heels when Gabby reminded her that Jake had made his proposal everything she wanted. All he was asking for was a song to let her know the life he wants to build with her. That was enough to persuade her to agree, but then Gabby rearranged the song and sent a recording of her and Rooster performing the duet. That was when Natasha finally understood that Jake wanted the song because of its conventional portrait of love, because he’d never imagined wanting that with anyone until her.

Gabby starts to play while Rooster sings the first verse. “A few days before he turned 80, he was sittin’ out back in a rocker. He said, ‘What you been up to lately?’”

Jake holds her so close that their knees brush as he leads. They’ve practiced this dance in their living room until they flow through the steps as one. Only now, there is an audience of their friends and family circled around them. Although she knows the lyrics by heart, as both Gabby and Rooster play and sing the chorus, it hits her that the man she can’t live without is now her husband and the one with whom she truly gets to do what she loves and call it work.

She spins at his gentle prompt, her skirt swirling out around her feet, and whirls back into his warm hold. His smile is radiant when the palm he rubs up and down her exposed back presses her closer into the line of his body. She can feel his brass buttons on her chest and stomach. They no longer bother with the choreography and instead sway together. “You know why I really wanted this song, sweetheart?” he breathes over her ear.

“Why?” she sighs happily.

“It came on and by the end, I knew I was going to propose to you. I almost went straight home and did it.”

Natasha smiles up at him, thinking of him holding in his proposal so he could make it as perfect as it was. “You’re the only one I want this life with, dickhead,” she promises softly.

His arm tightens around her. “I never knew I could be this happy until I loved you, Nat.”

“Happy isn’t even close to what I feel right now,” she says thickly, nose a little stuffy with emotion. She laughs and blinks to hold back the sudden tears. “Jake, I love you so much.”

He smiles tenderly. “That’s why I wanted to give you this.”

A soft chord plays on the piano, and Gabby’s voice lowers and becomes more ethereal as Rooster accompanies her. “I found myself dreaming in silver and gold, like a scene from a movie…” It is the first dance song that she wanted, “Like I’m Gonna Lose You.”

“Close your eyes,” Jake whispers. She squints at him suspiciously. He touches her cheek, the hardness of his wedding band on her skin going straight to her heart, and places a kiss on her forehead. She does as he asks. They sway together to the breathy notes of Gabby’s singing. His hand slides up to hold her shoulder as she rests her head on the chest that has protected her, comforted her, and carried his love for her.

He squeezes her hand at the chorus, stroking her rings. “Okay, you can look now sweetheart.” At first, Natasha thinks her eyes haven’t adjusted because she and Jake are floating in darkness. Then he turns her slowly, and the soft glow of candlelight spreads around them as their friends and family pass a flame from candle to candle. Their smiles and awe are illuminated in a wash of warm, golden light that rises to surround them. She looks back at him, too overcome by the exquisite, breathtaking moment he’s orchestrated to know what to say.

He rests his forehead on hers. “I wanted you to see how you light up our lives, Nat. The light you are in mine. Nothing scares me more than the thought of losing you.” His hold on her tightens as if the thought alone will sweep her away from him.

His words nearly burst her heart. If she could, she would marry him all over again. She would marry him every day so he never forgets what his love means to her. Lips trembling, Natasha reaches up and cups his face as teardrops splash onto her chest. Whether they're hers or his she can’t tell. “You told me we have only so many times to tell someone we love them, and I wanted you to know that I’ll treat every one like it’s the last. I’ll never take it for granted.”

She pulls him down into a kiss, their lips salty and wet with their mingled tears. A promise to love him always with no regrets. “It’s beautiful, Jake,” she whispers. “Thank you.” By the time Gabby and Rooster let the last notes drift into the air, they’ve given up moving altogether and simply hold one another.

They break apart to soft clapping and sniffles while the lights come up. Smoke from the candles wisps through the air, adding a magical haze to the room. As Jake takes her hand to lead her to the head table, Natasha’s glad that she has her own surprise for him. They pause at the stage to thank Gabby and Rooster for making their first dance so special. Natasha hugs both of them and nudges Jake when Rooster steals a kiss from Gabby when he thinks their backs are turned. Lise dashes in to blot the tears from both their faces.

Making their way down the table, hugging their friends, takes them longer than Natasha would have expected, and her brother, Sebastian, is waiting to say the blessing by the time Jake pulls her chair out for her.

Nervous about her own upcoming performance now, Natasha tunes in and out of Sebastian’s grace and is glad that their bowed heads mean Jake can’t see her worrying her lip. Her older brother is remarkable with words so his blessing receives an impressed round of applause. She blows him a kiss on his way back to his seat at her family’s table then gets to her feet. Nora, Payback’s wife and one of her bridesmaids, and Gabby take their cue and rise with her.

“Where are you going?” Jake whispers, glancing at her parents standing to welcome everyone.

Natasha smirks. “You didn’t think you were the only one with a surprise, dickhead.” Beneath his suspicion, he looks almost proud. Even when they’re keeping secrets they know one another too well.

“Go get ‘em Phoenix,” he whispers loudly, leaning behind her chair to slap her ass.

“Watch yourself, Commander,” she warns over her shoulder with a giggle, “you’re in uniform.”

Gabby grabs her hand and tugs. “C’mon. Could you two behave yourselves for two seconds at your own wedding?”

“It’s our wedding!” Natasha and Jake quietly protest in unison. But she follows her sister to the music stage.

There are whispers of curiosity at the tables as Natasha pulls Gabby’s guitar strap carefully over her hair. While Gabby takes up the banjo she borrowed and Nora makes sure her violin is tuned, Natasha steps up to the mic. Fortunately, one of the lights throws a flare over the top of her vision so she doesn’t have to see too much of the crowd.

“Thank you, Mama and Dad,” she says, “and like they said, we’re so glad you all could celebrate with us today.” She glances at Jake who’s watching her with his chin propped on his fist, dimples visible even from where she is.

“As some of you may know, someone very important and dear in my husband’s life couldn’t be here tonight.” A thrill goes through her at calling Jake her “husband,” but the smile dropping from his face settles a weight in her stomach. She scans the crowd, and she’s relieved to see Sandy’s blonde tresses swaying through the tables as she makes her way to be with her son. “I never got to meet his sister, Colleen, because she passed away when Jake was in high school.”

The sounds of sympathy scattered through the room turn to chuckles when she adds, “I’d like to think we’d be close, that she’d be happy to have me as a sister because I hear that until I came along, she was the only one who could keep her little brother in check when he was bent on being a dickhead. So to all of the Navy senior officers and anyone who has had the pleasure of working with Jake here, you’re welcome. From us.” Sandy takes the empty seat next to her son. Jake’s eyes crinkle, letting Natasha know he is entirely glad to be under her influence. She has to stop looking at him to get through the next part or she might start crying too much to be able to perform.

Clearing the tightness from her throat, she adjusts the guitar. “Sometimes I feel like I know Colleen a little, though, through all of the ways Jake carries her in him. I have her to thank for some of the things I love most about him. How brilliant Jake is, how relentlessly competitive, how protective and fiercely loyal, and how very very sweet and endearing he is. I wanted to make sure that she was part of our celebration today, that you all know how much she will always be part of our lives, and couldn’t think of a better way than one of her favorite songs for the wonderful Texas cowboy she gave me.”

In the quiet before she starts to play, she can hear people sniffling and blowing their noses. The wait staff does their best to move quietly through the room to serve dinner while they perform. Gabby passes her a pick, and Natasha plays the first chords, leaning into the gentle notes to ground herself. Nora joins on her violin.

“I said I wanna touch the earth,” Natasha sings softly. “I wanna break it in my hands. I wanna grow something wild and unruly.” Building into the chorus she adds more forte to her voice and finally has her footing enough to look at Jake on, “Cowboy take me away. Fly this girl as high as you can into the wild blue.”

Her fingers nearly lose their place on the strings when she sees the raw emotion on his face, the depth of gratitude, the softened grief, and the boundless, quiet awe she sometimes catches in her periphery. Now that it’s there for her in plain sight, she can’t look away.

She steps off the stage and moves toward Jake, playing and singing just for him. He and Sandy sit arms twined and heads leaning against one another. Without missing a note, Gabby shifts from the harmony to the melody at the mic. Although it’s not how they practiced, Gabby and Nora fade out as they reach the end of the song to let her finish on her own.

Standing in front of her beautiful cowboy who looks like he is truly on the verge of answering the invitation of the lyrics to take her away, Natasha sings the final words for him, “Cowboy, take me away. Closer to you.” She strums through the last chords of the song and lets her hands fall from the guitar with a smile.

She’s barely finished before Jake is out of his seat, face blazing, to take her by the cheeks. Guitar and all, he hauls her up to his mouth and kisses her like they’re the only ones still in the room. His lips are sealed to hers, threatening to steal every last breath from her body, while their guests don’t even bother clinking glasses they’ll likely shatter and go straight to pounding the tables and stamping their feet. Their cocktail hour may have been a little too free flowing.

Rather than come to her rescue, the DJ jumps in with “Kiss Me.” She touches Jake’s shoulder, and finally he takes the hint. They’re both breathing heavily, her lips buzzing, when they break apart. “Colleen would love you,” he promises, tracing the curve of her ear through her hair. “She’d have loved that. I loved it.”

He brushes his lips across her forehead before Gabby rescues her out of the guitar.

“That was beautiful,” croaks Sandy, dabbing at her eyes then reaching across the table to hug her. “Thank you, sweetie,” she whispers. “That meant the world to him.” She draws back and affectionately touches her knuckles to Natasha’s cheek before also giving Jake a hug and returning to her seat.

Jake joins her to greet their guests during the meal, leaving Zach instructions to watch their plates.

Part I | Part III

Ode to Phoenix Masterlist

Hannix Football Rivalry Series AU

Tag List: @melodiousoblivionao3

#natasha trace fic #phoenix fic #ode to phoenix #natasha phoenix trace #28 days of phoenix #hannix #hangman x phoenix #phoenix x hangman #natasha trace x jake seresin #jake seresin x natasha trace #hannix football rivalry #hannix football rivalry wedding #natasha phoenix trace x jake hangman seresin #jake hangman seresin x natasha phoenix trace #natasha phoenix trace fic #Spotify

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flowerbarrel-art · 2 years

Text

~ PuffballsUnited, InnerSloth, The Henry Stickmin Collection

~ More of the AU where Terrence Suave partially lost his memory after being overthrown and now works with the government under a new identity and appearance. His new name is Laurent Silva, but he’s still called Terrence in the narration, and most of the time that’s how other characters address him.

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

“Hey.”

Terrence paused with his hand on the doorknob to the quarters he and Victoria shared.

“Did you forget Captain Galeforce wants you in his office?”

“No,” Terrence said, making his way slowly down the stairs.

“You can feed the cat later,” Rupert sighed. “Come on.”

Rupert set off at a brisk pace, and Terrence did his best to keep up.

When they arrived, Terrence spotted someone sitting in front of the captain’s desk.

“Thank you, Rupert,” Galeforce said. “Go get ready.”

“What’s going on?” Terrence asked, shutting the door.

Galeforce was quiet for a moment; then he locked his fingers together and gave Terrence a severe look.

“Did something happen?” Terrence prompted nervously.

“Laurent. You’ve heard of Henry Stickmin, correct?” Galeforce asked.

“The guy who stole the Tunisian Diamond?” Terrence exclaimed in surprise. “Of course. Why?”

Galeforce nodded at the other man, and Terrence stared at him.

“You’re to help him go over the airship blueprints you’ve been studying,” Galeforce said. “He’ll be infiltrating it today to find evidence to bring down the Toppat Clan.”

“Wh—?!”

Terrence couldn’t help but let out a stunned exclamation, but Galeforce glowered at him.

Terrence’s chest and face burned.

“I mean…y-yes, Captain.”

“You won’t have any problems?” Galeforce asked firmly, narrowing his eyes.

“No, sir…” Terrence responded, his heart thumping. “B-but…why now?”

Galeforce narrowed his eyes, then sighed.

“We have reason to believe the Toppats are working with Mayor Frederickson. The Toppats were employing his help to steal the Tunisian Diamond, but Mr. Stickmin got to it first. We know they have other plans and we’ve tied the Toppats to dozens of other crimes, but we need proof. That’s where you two come in.”

Galeforce pushed a set of blueprints towards Terrence and Henry, then nodded at the empty chair.

Terrence hobbled quickly forward and awkwardly took a seat, leaning his crutches against the desk.

“What would be the best way to go about obtaining evidence?” Galeforce asked.

Terrence stared dumbly at the airship diagram for a moment, only focusing halfway while the rest of his thoughts raced.

From the corner of his eye, he caught Henry glancing at him.

“W-well…” Terrence finally began, “this is the cockpit. Reginald will probably be there, and Right Hand Man. I guess you could try and capture one or both of them, but it’d be risky. Reginald would run, and Right’s no one to be messed with.”

“So…” Galeforce prompted.

Terrence swallowed hard and pointed at the hatch on the top of the airship.

“Sometimes w…”

Galeforce gave him a warning glare; Terrence hastily corrected himself.

“…this is used for entering and exiting when the airship’s on the ground, not when airborne.”

“And there’s a guard stationed there,” Galeforce said.

“Right…” Terrence agreed, tapping spots on the paper as he spoke. “Despite that, it’s the closest to the records room. Though…there’s the side entrance that leads to the security room, and that has all sorts of evidence. You could carry out a lot of data on a a USB drive.”

Terrence finally glanced at Henry to see he was staring curiously back.

“After that, you could go through electrical, at least if the power were rerouted, and be able to reach the cargo bay where you could be picked up by…Charles, I’m guessing?”

Galeforce nodded.

Henry raised a finger.

“Charles is our helicopter pilot,” Galeforce explained. “He’ll be flying you to the airship.”

Henry looked back at Terrence and raised an eyebrow.

“I’m staying here,” Terrence said. “As you can see, I wouldn’t be much help in person.”

Henry brought his hands up, making arches before cupping them.

Terrence shook his head.

“I…I’m sorry.”

Henry huffed.

“He’s asking how,” Galeforce said.

“My leg?” Terrence asked, and Henry nodded. “Fell down a cliff during a patrol.”

Henry looked quickly away.

“Anyway,” Terrence sighed. “That’s one of the best routes I’d suggest.”

“Would there be anything useful in the cargo bay?” Galeforce questioned, a hand on his chin.

“Not unless you want weapons or items that are going to be organized in the Vault,” Terrence said with a shrug. “They’d be too big for one person to take, and might not prove much for what you want.”

“And if Henry did manage to capture Reginald?”

“Don’t trust anything Reginald says,” Terrence muttered. “He’d try and get out of it however he could.”

“But…?” Galeforce pressed.

“But if you did capture him,” Terrence said, “he’d talk.”

He fell silent, clenching his fists, then took a deep breath.

“You wouldn’t have to threaten him or…or…anything else,” Terrence said quietly. “But again, you’d have to go through Right.”

“Are you sure the security room is the best option?” Galeforce asked firmly.

“If you want Henry to get in and out as quickly as possible,” Terrence said.

“Alright,” Galeforce said with a nod. “That will be all for now. We’re going to discuss the plans further to iron everything out, so we’ll likely need you again soon. Go back to your quarters for now.”

Terrence nodded, then stiffly got to his feet.

Henry tapped his shoulder, then held out his right hand.

Terrence stared at him for a moment, then uneasily extended his own right hand and clasped Henry’s.

A painful shock jolted through Terrence, and suddenly he felt paralyzed, as if he were trapped in stone.

He then heard a crawling whisper at the back of his mind.

Terrence Suave…one of the worst leaders the Toppat Clan has ever had…

Terrence shut his eyes tightly.

He would launch raids that made no sense, just for the thrill…

“Hey, get moving!”

Terrence stared down at Rupert in confusion.

“I said Captain Galeforce wants you in his office now, so move it!”

“Wh…I was…I was just there,” Terrence stammered.

“Nice try,” Rupert said, raising an eyebrow. “Come on.”

Terrence shook his head, then slowly made his way down the stairs and followed after Rupert.

#PuffballsUnited #InnerSloth #The Henry Stickmin Collection #Henry Stickmin #Terrence Suave #Hubert Galeforce #Rupert Price #Charles Calvin #FlowerBarrel art

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makerofmadness · 2 years

Text

Tearrorizer Route AU- VS. JEVIL

(WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IS AN AU OF DELTARUNE, SPECIFICALLY A WEIRD/SNOWGRAVE ROUTE AU. PROCEED WITH CAUTION)

(ALSO: DESCRIPTION OF DEATH IS BASED ON WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HACK THE GAME TO USE SNOWGRAVE ON A NORMAL ENEMY. JUST STATING THAT SO PEOPLE KNOW I DIDN’T MAKE IT UP [BASICALLY THEY TURN RED AND APPEAR TO TURN INTO MIST OR SOMETHING)

(FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS AU [AND SPOILERS FOR THIS PART...)

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

Whatever Queen’s Mansion had looked like previously, Jevil had left it unrecognizable. Many things were broken, and yet the traps still worked just fine, even the attacking paintings.

Nothing was where it belonged, platter lids stacked up in place of the tables, some kind of giant rubber duck just... sitting there. In the bathroom.

It was pure chaos.

Susie had let her eyes off the Devilsknife in Cyber City when the group split up. For some reason, the joker took the opportunity to flee. Now the group had to split up again.

Kris traversed the halls with their reluctant companion quietly following behind, searching for the loose jester before he could do anything too bad...

As if what they were doing wasn’t bad enough, but alas, it was not Kris’s choice to make.

They had never wanted to make that old cat come along with them, to make them join their party when they were alone in the city...

By now the old fluff had stopped trying to object.

“BOO HOO, BOO HOO, UEE HEE HEE. SO BORED, BORED, I BE... THIS PLACE NEEDS A LITTLE MORE CHAOS!”

They finally turned the corner to find him, a few feet away, floating a few inches off the ground, giving the current hallway a “makeover” of sorts...

He noticed the footsteps from behind, turning around before gasping with evident excitement.

“BUT LO, THE LIGHTNER OF BLUE... AND THE OLD SHOPKEEPER, TOO? WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL! I HAVE BEEN WAITING, WAITING... UEE HEE HEE!! NOW, FINALLY, WE--”

Jevil was cut off by a familiar... yet uncharacteristically cold voice:

“It seems like another enemy, Hero. Shall I take care of this one, too...? How so? Hearts, diamonds... the choice is yours.”

“...EH?”

Their voice was quite monotone.

That wasn’t how Seam was supposed to sound.

In all the years they had worked together, Jevil had never heard them speak like that. Even at their most melancholy, they didn’t sound lifeless...

Jevil felt a tinge of an unfamiliar feeling... at the very least, one he hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

“...MAGICIAN? IS SOMETHING AMISS...?”

–

This seemed to make Seam snap out of whatever daze they had been in. They stared in shock once the realization of who was ahead of them hit.

“J... Jevil!? Wh-When did you get here...?”

“OH, DIDN’T YOU SEE? I WAS WITH THE LIGHTNER GIRL!”

Susie had been carrying around the Devilsknife ever since after the heroes had defeated Jevil back in his cell... or, as he liked to call it, his “freedom.”

“TAKE ME AND DO YOUR STRONGEST---!” he had said then...

“I SAW, SAW YOU WITH THE BLUE LIGHTNER. OH, HOW EXCITED I WAS TO PLAY WITH YOU AGAIN...! SO, I WAS TRYING TO READY-UP THIS PLACE INTO A REAL FUN-FUN HOUSE! THEN WE ALL WOULD HAVE A PLACE TO PLAY, PLAY TOGETHER! THE LIGHTNERS, YOU, ME... EVEN THE QUEEN!”

“J-Jevil, I... I don’t think...”

“MY, MY, OLD SHOPKEEPER, DON’T TELL ME YOU DON’T WANT TO PLAY... BOO HOO HOO, UEE HEE HEE!”

“...”

Seam looked down to avoid eye contact. The former court mage... would’ve much preferred it if their old companion had never seen them like this...

“...OH? WHAT’S THE MATTER, CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE? UEE HEE HEE!!”

Jevil laughed at his own pun, expecting the joke to make them at least crack a smile...

“...”

Nothing. If anything, it made them feel worse somehow.

Then, Kris stepped forward.

“Wh... what? N-No... there’s no way... you...”

“OOH! THE LIGHTNER WANTS TO PLAY, PLAY??”

Jevil perked up, as if he had just forgotten all about Seam’s strange behavior.

However...

Kris turned towards Seam, looking directly at them.

Seam could feel the stare cutting through them.

They were quite visibly shocked.

“Y... you really...”

What if things went too far this time? That was the question sitting in their mind, and had been ever since this mess started in Cyber City. Regardless of all the harm the two had caused, all the damage done... they hadn’t killed anyone.

There’s no way Kris would do that now, they thought...

“...Hero... but why...?”

––––––––––––––––––

*❤️Why not?

––––––––––––––––––

“...I-”

“NOW, DON’T KEEP ME WAITING, MAGICIAN! UEE HEE HEE! LET’S DANCE, DANCE ONCE MORE!”

The battle started against their will.

After about a minute of deliberating, Kris chose to defend. Seam was unfazed at first, as TP was in fact necessary to cast spells, but then, even after having enough to cast a spell or two...

They again chose to defend.

And defend.

Occasionally stopping for healing items when HP was low.

Seam had no clue what Kris was planning.

At first, Jevil just spouted his usual insane dialogue before each attack, having fun with his “game.”

However, he eventually started to notice that something wasn’t quite right...

“...EH? WHY DON’T YOU SEEM EXCITED, MAGICIAN...? IT’S JUST LIKE OLD TIMES!”

“...”

Another turn would pass,

“OH, ISN’T IT FUN...? ISN’T IT...? ... ARE YOU NOT HAVING FUN...?”

“...”

And another,

“...IS SOMETHING WRONG? (...WHY AREN’T THEY TALKING TO ME?)”

“...”

Seam wouldn’t speak. Jevil felt a pang of that feeling from before, this time much stronger.

Something just felt wrong about this.

He had known Seam as his laid-back companion, the court mage of Card Castle. They had always been his lovable goofball friend.

...what had happened to them?

...

Eventually, they reached 100% TP, and Kris seemed to be putting more thought into the next command...

––––––––––––––––––––––––

*❤️TEARRORIZER

––––––––––––––––––––––––

“...? T... Tearrorizer?”

––––––––––––––––––––––––

*❤️TEARRORIZER

––––––––––––––––––––––––

“I... I’ve never heard of that spell before...”

––––––––––––––––––––––––

*❤️TEARRORIZER

––––––––––––––––––––––––

“N... no.”

––––––––––––––––––––––––

*❤️TEARRORIZER

––––––––––––––––––––––––

“...I said no.”

––––––––––––––––––––––––

*❤️TEARRORIZER

––––––––––––––––––––––––

“What if... what if it... what if it’s...”

––––––––––––––––––––––––

*❤️TEARRORIZER

––––––––––––––––––––––––

“...”

––––––––––––––––––––––––

*❤️TEARRORIZER

––––––––––––––––––––––––

“......”

––––––––––––––––––––––––

*❤️TEARRORIZER

––––––––––––––––––––––––

“.........”

“...? ARE YOU-”

Seam cut him off with a sigh.

“Why not? (I can trust Kris... right?)”

––––––––––––––––––––––––

*❤️TEARRORIZER

––––––––––––––––––––––––

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

*Seam cast TEARRORIZER!

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

...

Nobody quite understood what was going on.

Scissors appeared, and then––

3500

...

“...wh... what just...”

The cat had blacked out when they tried to cast the spell.

Now, however, they could could see what had happened...

“O-OH, UH... IT SEEMS THIS BODY CAN BE KILLED AFTER ALL...”

Jevil’s fate had been sealed in dark red all over.

It was clear that he’d soon fade away, the only question was how long he’d be able to hold on before ultimately succumbing.

Seam, once they finally processed what they had just done, was absolutely horrified.

“J-Jevil...!? Wh... what did I...!? I-I’m sorry, I...”

“...”

“I-I’m... I... h... how...!?”

“...IT’S OKAY.”

“...wh... what?...”

“YOU WERE JUST DOING WHAT YOU HAD TO DO TO WIN... I CAN’T BLAME YOU TOO MUCH FOR FOLLOWING ORDERS... JUST LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: YOU’VE WON THIS GAME! ...BUT SADLY, THIS IS OUR LAST.”

“...”

“SEAM... I’M SORRY FOR ALL THE TROUBLE.”

Seam wasn’t even given the chance to talk before their former companion finally faded away into red mist.

“...”

They stepped bit closer to the spot where their friend had been, and fell to their knees.

“...”

They didn’t say another word, not to Kris, not to anyone.

#deltarune #deltarune au #snowgrave au #snowgrave route #weird route #kris #seam deltarune #jevil #seam #utdr #feel free to see this as Seavil if you wish. I don't mind.

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sincerelyella · 3 years

Text

My Person (Liam x MC)

Book: The Royal Romance (AU)

Song Inspiration: My Person by Spencer Crandall

Pairings: Liam x MC (Ella) Summary: A one shot of my favorite couple - it’s Liam and Ella’s anniversary and there are big plans in store.

A/N: Okay, I’m gonna be very honest, I am super nervous about posting again. I wrote this maybe last week and kind of finished it earlier today. Thank you to those that I vented to about actually posting my stories, not sure why I feel really sick right now. New blog name (used to be @callmeellabella), new post LOL and I didn’t really know who to tag since it’s been a long time so I’m using my old list. Please let me know if you want off.

A/N2: Participating in @wackydrabbles this week. Prompt will be in bold.

Thank you @alyssalauren and @ofpixelsandscribbles for reading through this for me and kind of handing me that invisible paper bag for me to breathe in. Love y'all!

Warnings: Fluffs. A lot of fluffs.

Words: 1658

Isaiah and Noelle grinned as they filmed their parents in the seat in front of them, holding hands. After 15 years of marriage, Liam and Ella were the epitome of the best partners to each other and parents to their children. There were rough times, of course, you can’t escape those, but the King and Queen handled things in stride.

Noelle’s eyes filled with tears when she watched her dad lift her mom’s hand to his mouth and kiss her knuckles. The way he looked at Ella, like she was the only woman in the world, made Noelle have very high standards for a future partner for herself.

Isaiah grew up knowing how you were supposed to treat a woman, and it was all modeled from how his dad treated his mom. At 15 years old, he grew up in the public eye, but thankfully, his parents allowed him to have a normal childhood. The only time there was mention of royalty was a gala or a ball held at the palace; his Uncle Leo, Max, and Drake as well as his Aunt Olivia and parents all dressed up.

It was their parent’s anniversary that day and Liam had planned a family dinner, just the four of them.

One week ago

“Hey guys,” Liam smiled as he watched his kids sitting at the kitchen island doing homework.

“Hey, dad.” “Hi, daddy.”

Liam hung his keys on the wall by the door and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Next week is mine and your mother’s anniversary.”

Noelle and Isaiah stopped what they were doing and met their father’s gaze.

“I … was hoping you could help me with something,” his brows rounded as he stared at them.

“Sure, what did you need?” Noelle asked.

Isaiah chewed his bottom lip. “No pranks though, right dad?”

Liam chuckled, remembering that anniversary and how it went … so wrong. “No, son. No pranks. Plus, your Uncle Maxwell is not invited until later.”

Present-day

“Guys, we’re here,” Liam turned to Noelle and Isaiah and widened his eyes at them, the two nodding back with small smiles. Ella missed the entire silent exchange as she climbed out of the black SUV after Bastien opened her door.

Everyone piled into the restaurant, all of them laughed and cried as the kids asked for a cake to be presented to their parents to celebrate their special day.

“How beautiful,” Ella wiped her tears away as she gazed at the red velvet bundt cake covered in cream cheese frosting. “Was this your doing?” She turned to her husband as he smiled.

“No, love, that was them,” he gestured towards Noelle and Isaiah.

“Thank you,” she used a tissue to dab at both her eyes.

“Fifteen years is a long time to be married, ma,” Isaiah dimpled as he looked from his mom to his dad. “Now hurry up and eat it so that we can have a piece!”

The family laughed and dug into the cake. An hour later, they slowly stood from the table, grumbling about how full they were.

“Oh God, why didn’t you stop me?” Isaiah smacked his sister in the arm.

Noelle glared at her brother and punched him in the arm. “It’s not my fault you ate like you never saw food before.”

“Why did you say that?” Isaiah whined.

Liam and Ella walked behind their children, smirking at each other.

“They’re so dramatic,” Ella snorted.

“Wonder who they got that from?” Liam arched a brow at his wife.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Your Majesty.”

“Love,” Liam waited until she turned to look at him. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Where? What is it?”

“Come on,” he tugged on her hand and led her out of the restaurant and into the waiting SUV.

“Where are we going?”

“Ma, just wait, we’ll get there in a minute,” Noelle giggled in the back seat.

“You guys know too?” Ella looked from her son to her daughter and back again. “Liam?”

“Just relax, love, we’ll be there soon,” he squeezed her hand and laughed as her nose wrinkled in annoyance.

A few minutes later, Bastien turned into a small, private area for vehicles to park. “We’re here,” he said and turned to smirk at Ella. “Your Majesty, we’re going to blindfold you.”

“You’re … what?!”

Isaiah cackled as he leaned forward to wrap a scarf around his mother’s eyes.

“That’s blocking my nose,” Ella complained. “I can’t breathe.”

“You can breathe out of your mouth.”

“Isaiah Alexander,” she said sternly and he jumped.

“Sorry mom,” he mumbled as he fixed the scarf so it only covered her eyes.

“Okay,” Liam opened the door to her side of the SUV. “Come on, love, I’m carrying you to our destination.”

Ella let out a long sigh and reached up to feel her husband’s neck. She allowed him to carry her bridal style to … wherever they were going. When her family got like this it was usually because of her husband, who loved to take her places to surprise her. She didn’t mind, honestly, but it was annoying when everyone was in on it except for her.

“We’re almost there, love, I promise,” she felt Liam kiss the top of her head and she snuggled into his shoulder.

“Hey, I got a picture from Uncle Max!” Noelle opened the message and gasped.

Isaiah reached for his sister’s phone. “Is it another picture of him and his peacock Lady and the Tramping some spaghetti?”

Everyone began to laugh.

“I can’t believe that damn thing didn’t peck his eye out,” Ella snorted.

“That thing still scares the crap out of me,” Noelle said as her fingers flew over the keys.

“We’re here,” Liam smiled as he began to step down onto the large rocks towards the private beach.

“Don’t drop me, Liam,” Ella said as she lifted her nose to the air. “I smell the ocean.” She felt her husband lower her to the ground. “What now? I’m still wearing this.”

A moment of silence and some giggling in the distance made Ella furrow her brows.

“Okay, take off the scarf, love.”

Ella quickly undid the knot and opened her eyes; she faced the ocean. “Liam, what-”

“Turn around.”

As she did, she saw her husband on one knee, her children behind him in the distance carrying an old 1989 boombox, the song My Person by Spencer Crandall playing.

I was lookin' for a long time

I never found nobody like you

I got your name, got your number

And we talked 'til they turned on the lights

“A boombox?”

Liam smirked. “You made me watch Sixteen Candles.”

“Oh yeah,” she chuckled. “Liam,” Ella had tears streaming down her face and she wiped them away quickly. “Wh-what is this?”

He took hold of her free hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. “Love, it’s our fifteenth wedding anniversary. We married that long ago.”

She nodded, the lump on her throat making it difficult for her to speak.

“But we were together before that,” he smiled up at her. “I met you and I was done for, I haven't looked at anyone else since. You came to my social season, I chose you, we were engaged for a year, and then here we are.”

My person

My heartbeat

My slow dance

My Sunday-morning-sippin'-on-coffee in bed

My know-when-you-know best friend

“You’re my person,” Liam bit his bottom lip to control his emotions. “You and the kids are my everything, and you know I’d give all this up for you if you asked.”

“We don’t want that though!” Noelle yelled and they all laughed.

“Ella Brooks Rys, I wanted to ask you if you would remarry me,” he reached into his pocket, pulled out a black velvet box, and opened it. “Renew our vows and our commitment to each other.”

The box held three rings, an emerald-shaped, 6-carat diamond solitaire in the middle, and one plain platinum band on each side of it. One was engraved with Isaiah Alexander and the other with Noelle Marie.

“Of course,” Ella choked out as Liam smiled and the kids jumped up and down.

My saving grace, my everything

I’ve never been more sure that you’re my person

Every minute is a long time

If I ain’t holding on to you

Liam pushed all three rings onto her finger. “You ready, Mrs. Rys?”

“I am, Mr. Rys,” she pulled her husband to her and captured his lips in a passionate kiss.

“Ew, gross!” “Stop! This is not part of the plan!”

“Congratulations!”

Ella was surprised by that last one and turned towards the sound. All of their friends and family were there on the beach, smiling at them.

“What are-”

“You guys are renewing your vows!” Leo hollered and lifted a bottle of champagne in the air. “Let’s get this going so we can get druuuunk!”

“Leo!” Liam snapped at his brother.

“I mean, I’m ready when you are.”

Hana and Olivia rushed towards Ella and hugged her. “Were you surprised?”

“I was,” Ella sniffled. “You guys all knew?”

“Yup!”

“My little blossom! You are so beautiful! Let me see the rings!”

Ella gave Max her left hand.

“Whatever you do, don’t let Beaumont touch it. I’m sure he’s got lasagna all under his fingernails,” Drake chuckled as he approached the group.

“Hey marshmallow,” Ella turned to hug him. “And you guys had lasagna without me?”

Liam laughed and put an arm around Noelle and Isaiah. “You guys ready?”

They both nodded.

“I’m ready to marry your mother again,” they all laughed as Ella put her arm around Isaiah. “Let’s go!”

My saving grace, my everything

I've never been more sure that you're my person

Yeah, baby, you're my person

#My Person #Liam x MC #Liam x Ella #the royal romance #the royal romance fandom #the royal romance fanfic #the royal romance fanfiction #trr au #the royal romance au #trr fandom #trr fanfic #trr fanfiction #Sincerely Ella #Ella still writes #Liam Rys #King Liam

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