#WHAT THE FUDGE WHAT THE FUDGE WHAT THE FUCK

[lostfracturess]

Hi Nici! Not sure if you take these types of requests (more a plea for the soul at this point sigh) but is there a possibility that you write one of your amazing short one-shot where reader is having a bad body image day and Satoru comfort-to-fuck the hell out of these silly thoughts? God do I crave some body worship from of this man. Please, please, please?

18+ ONLY. contains explicit sexual content

boyfriend!gojo who wakes up to you avoiding eye contact and tugging at the hem of your oversized t-shirt. he knows that look, knows the subtle self-doubt clouding your eyes.

boyfriend!gojo who wraps his arms around you from behind, resting his chin on you shoulder and murmuring, "what's troubling you, love?"

boyfriend!gojo who listens patiently as you voices you insecurities, never interrupting or dismissing you feelings. he understands that these doubts are real to you.

boyfriend!gojo who gently cups you face in his hands, tilting it up so their eyes meet. "look at me," he says softly, his thumbs tracing the curve of you cheeks.

boyfriend!gojo who tells you with unwavering sincerity, "you are the most beautiful woman i have ever seen. every curve, every freckle, every inch of you is perfect to me."

boyfriend!gojo who kisses away the tears that well up in you eyes, each kiss a silent promise of love and acceptance.

boyfriend!gojo who knows that one day won't erase all you insecurities, but he's committed to loving you through them. he'll be you constant reminder of how truly beautiful you are, inside and out.

boyfriend!gojo who suggests you go out for ice cream, knowing your favorite parlor has the best chocolate fudge sundae.

boyfriend!gojo who pulls you into a playful twirl as you walk down the street, holding your hand tightly and stealing kisses whenever he gets the opportunity.

boyfriend!gojo who orders your favorite sundae with extra whipped cream and sprinkles, a mischievous grin on his face as he watches your eyes light up with childlike delight.

boyfriend!gojo who leans in close as you share the sundae, his breath tickling your ear as he whispers, "you know, you look absolutely stunning today."

boyfriend!gojo who sees the surprise in your eyes, followed by a flicker of doubt. he gently takes your hand, intertwining your fingers as he looks deeply into your eyes.

boyfriend!gojo who tells you with unwavering sincerity, "i mean it. the way the sunlight catches your hair, the way your smile lights up your whole face... you're breathtaking."

boyfriend!gojo who continues to shower you with compliments throughout the day.

nsfw

boyfriend!gojo who, as the day goes on, can tell that something is still bothering you. he decides to take matters into his own hands (and other parts) to help ease your worries.

boyfriend!gojo who leads you to the bedroom back at home, where he begins to undress you slowly, taking his time to show you just how much he adores every part of you.

boyfriend!gojo who kisses you deeply, his tongue exploring your mouth as he holds you close.

boyfriend!gojo who, before things go any further, stops and looks into your eyes. "i want you to forget all your doubts right now," he says firmly. "you are amazing, and i am so lucky to be with you. remember that, okay?"

boyfriend!gojo who kisses you again, harder this time, as he guides you towards the bed to worship your body, taking his time to explore every curve and angle.

boyfriend!gojo who kisses you fiercely, his tongue probing deep into your mouth as his hands roam over your body.

boyfriend!gojo who pushes you back onto the bed, spreading your legs wide apart. he kneels down between them and presses his lips to your inner thigh.

boyfriend!gojo who wraps his arms around your thighs, holding you open wide as he slowly, tantalizingly, kisses his way up to your core, his breath warm against your skin.

boyfriend!gojo who, without warning, he dives in, his tongue expertly circling your clit. you gasp, arching your back as he sucks and licks, building you up higher and higher.

boyfriend!gojo who slides two fingers inside of you, pumping them in and out in rhythm with his tongue. you moan loudly, grabbing onto the sheets as he curves them upward, hitting that spot that makes you writhe underneath him.

boyfriend!gojo who, just when you think you can't take it anymore, slows down, drawing out the tension until you are practically begging for release.

boyfriend!gojo who has you orgasm in mere minutes when as he resumes his pace, crying out his name as you come undone beneath him. but he's not done yet.

boyfriend!gojo who crawls up the bed, positioning himself above you. his cock is rock hard and already leaking pre-cum. he rubs the tip along your wet folds, teasing you before pushing inside.

boyfriend!gojo who stretches you in the most delicious way possible. he starts slow, giving you time to adjust to his size. he took his time, moving slowly and deliberately, making sure to hit every sensitive spot of yours.

boyfriend!gojo who pays careful attention to every reaction, every sigh and moan that escapes your lips. whenever he senses a hint of discomfort or insecurity, he pauses and shifts his approach, determined to banish any negative thoughts from your mind.

boyfriend!gojo who soon picks up speed, thrusting hard and fast, pounding into you with an intensity that leaves you breathless. you match his pace, wrapping your legs around his waist as you pull him deeper inside of you.

boyfriend!gojo who loves the sound of flesh slapping flesh, mixed with your cries and moans. nothing gets him off more than your voice really.

boyfriend!gojo who knows exactly which angel to take, what pace to pick to have you orgasm again in mere minutes.

boyfriend!gojo who groans loudly as he releases inside of you, pulsing deep within your walls. exhausted and spent, you collapse onto the bed together, panting heavily.

boyfriend!gojo who looks over at you, his expression soft and gentle. "did that help chase away your doubts?" he asks quietly.

boyfriend!gojo who gins when you say yes, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. "good. because you are beautiful and deserve to feel nothing but happiness, my love."

boyfriend!gojo who cuddles with you in bed afterwards, wrapping his arms around you, pulling you close to his chest and planting soft kisses on your forehead, your cheeks and your lips.

boyfriend!gojo who whispers sweet nothings in your ear. he tells you how much you mean to him, how beautiful you are, and how lucky he is to have you in his life.

boyfriend!gojo who plays with your hair as you lie in bed together. he gently runs his fingers through your curls, untangling any knots until you fall asleep, holding you close.

author's note: sorry that your request was in my inbox for so long, and that i didn't write a full story bc that would take forever too, but i tired to write a little story in headcanons. hope you enjoy, felt very soft today haha :)) <33 headcanons m.list

#gojo headcanons #satoru gojo #gojo x reader #jjk x reader #jjk #gojo x you #satoru gojo headcanons #satoru gojo headcanon #satoru gojo x reader #satoru gojo smut #gojo smut #jjk headcanons #gojo fluff

[ezhiaray]

Babysitter au the start.

Adam is visiting Lucifer's house to see his neice(stare at Lucifer). He's playing with her in the living room.

Lucifer is in the kitchen on the phone.

Lucifer:Shite!

Adam perks up and shouts out: What's wrong Luci?

Lucifer comes into the living room looking both angry and sad: That was Charlie's usual babysitter, she said she won't be able to come anymore due to some family issues. Fudge, I don't have anyone to watch Charlie after school, and I work late tomorrow and the rest of next week. I can ask my siblings, but their schedules are as busy as mine.

Charlie puffs up her cheeks: I'm not a baby.

Adam registers what he says, then shouts out without thinking: I can watch Char-Char!

Lucifer looks at him with shock: Are you sure? Aren't you in your last year of college? I don't want you to volunteer just because I'm in a bad spot.

Adam: No, it's great. Really, I will get to see and spend more time with Charlie(and you). Plus, the job market is looking like shit with my schedule this semester. I got all morning classes this year. So watch the twerp, do homework, and get some cash(see you) it will be fucking fantastic.

Lucifer: I'm glad you seem excited to take this on. But, as I keep telling you, don't curse in front of Charlie.

Charlie with a smile on her face and hands on her hips : Yeah, Uncle Addy, no-no words is a no.

Adam: You're right, sorry. So, how much are you paying out, Mr. Employer?

Lucifer: I guess I'll pay you the same amount as Barbie.. since you'll be taking over her Charlie sitting services. Is $20 an hour okay? I can do higher.

Adam: That's more than fucking minimum wage! Hell yeah, it's more than okay! It's a fucking deal!

Lucifer: Adam!

Charlie: Ooh, Uncle Addy is in trouble again.

(I'll have more time to respond now due to being on vacation...so you can ask/message me about this au if you want. I will probably make some doodles, too!)

#hazbin hotel #hazbinhotel #hhau #adamsapple au #lucifer x adam #adamsapple #guitarduck #babysitteradam #babysitterau

[not-a-taken-username]

harry potter and the stupid fucking triwizard tournament

by: notatakenusername (aka me!)

summary: The moment Harry James Potter hears his name come out of the stupid, obese, wine-glass doppelganger, (also known as the Goblet of Fire), he's done holding himself back. Queue the chaos that happens when he gives into his impulsive thoughts.

snippet from unreleased chapter 10, where Sirius gets his trail:

“You,” Umbridge started, pointing a finger at Sirius, now ignoring Fudge. “Are nothing but a dirty criminal and a liar.” 

“No I’m not,” Sirius responded simply, and the glare Umbridge had on her face made her look so toad-like Harry thought she was an animagus for a second. In fact, Harry was quite curious now! 

“Are you a toad animagus? Or did the transformation like, fail halfway through? That seems to really be the only plausible explanation to your uncanny resemblance–” 

Harry didn’t think that Umbridge liked him very much, considering the silencio she instantly sent his way, which was narrowly countered by Remus. 

“How dare you!” Remus said, eyes flashing and glaring at Umbridge, who actually looked a bit scared. “You’ve just attempted to silence a minor! In a public hearing, no less!” 

Umbridge’s eyes widened, as if she just registered the severity of what she did. She gulped, visibly scared, as she glanced at Harry warily. 

“Now then, let’s just calm down and move on, alright?” Fudge piped up, looking nervous. Harry raised a brow. 

“Nuh uh. Can’t you see how scared and terrified I am of a grown adult attempting to silence me? I’ve just been traumatized.” Harry said neutrally. 

Everyone stared at him. 

“Psst! Pup, you’re gonna have to be more convincing than that!” 

“Oh no! I’m terrified!” Harry deadpanned, dramatically putting a hand to his forehead. “I’m so scared I’m going to sue the Ministry for causing trauma to me!” 

Sirius sighed dramatically, wiping a fake tear on his shoulder. “What have you done to my poor godson! I guess we’re going to have to sue the Ministry for 100,000 galleons now…”

#remus lupin #harry potter #the marauders #sirius black #harry potter fanfiction #hp marauders #wolfstar #moony #padfoot #dead gay wizards #hermione granger #hp fanfic #hp crack fic #sirius blacks trail #dolores umbridge #shes a bitch though

[familyofpaladins]

So like I'm watching the 2012 teenage mutant ninja turtles, and I thought the season 2 finale was rough and dark (but not like superdark, and it was a storyline that had been done in 2003 and the 90's movie so I wasnt super concerned but it was still 😱🥺😭), but season 2 finale is NOTHING COMPARED TO SEASON 3 FINALE OH MY GOD????!!???!!!?!?!?

😨😱😭😭😭😭😱😱😱😱😱😱😭

#WHAT THE FUDGE WHAT THE FUDGE WHAT THE FUCK #THE WHOLE EARTH IS DESTROYED AND LITERALLY EVERYONE BUT THE TURTLES AND APRIL AND CASEY ARE SUCKED INTO A BLACK HOLE!?????? #SPLINTER IS FUCKING DEAD!??! EVEN BEFORE THE BLACK HOLE THING #there better be some time travel fix it shit next season #Or this grown ass adult is gonna cry #(I'm almost sure there has to be some kind of time shenanigans because I KNOW #Thanks to the pamphlet on my dvd box that lists all the episode names #That those other characters must come back somehow. Cause otherwise how do they show up later?) #RENET GET YOUR TIME TRAVELING ASS BACK HERE #Tmnt 2012

[thecrowsart]

👁️🦎🎯

(crops under cut)

#natsume yuujinchou #matoba seiji #natori shuuichi #horrible exorcists #sorry i couldnt think of a caption i literally sat here for like 2 minutes lol #usually i use a quote from the scene or a lyric from a song but in this scene they're just Looking #anyway FUCK architecture #really though this is csp's perspective ruler's fault. i shoulda just done this by hand #but i made it work. since it wasnt super super complicated lol #ummm i feel like natori looks like a baby ceo but that is what he was wearing at least in the anime version of this scene #and midorikawa's kind of vague about clothes so i made it easy on myself #but why are you rolling up to the exorcist meeting in a navy blazer and tan chinos? #his uniform color is tan so ig the pants could be from that but the blazer...... #tryna represent the natori clan in front of the other exorcists ig idk #meanwhile matobas just in his gakuran lol #hes not the clan head yet so he can just be there as a kid #he even gets told off by takuma and called seiji-kun.....could you imagine like. #it's weird for him to not be matoba #anyway. um i completely kind of fudged the architecture because its hard to tell where exactly in the building this scene is and #i had a specific composition in mind #i only realized i messed up how the windows work like 3/4 of the way into lineart soooo #but thats the kind of thing only i would notice probably #btw i was originally drawing a different scene of them but i was faced with the reality of foliage. #and i remembered this romeo and juliet ass scene existed so #i chose architecture LOL #okay last thing. i feel like natoris haircut is too polished and nice but fr wtf is his canon hair #im doing my best LOL.........but boy #OKAY im done

[small-spark-of-light]

day 24 was draw something lineless!! this was easy ngl

#incredibox #incredibox fanart #incredibox v9 #kc glow #30 day challenge #sparks creations #im gonna be real with you guys/lh #since i am a Digital PAINTER #the majority of my art is LINELESS ALREADY XD #so i had to choose between just Painting it or doing what we normally think of when we think of lineless #aka lined art but without the lines and extremely cleaned up #i tried to do the second one with cell shading #ended up making it more painterly than i wanted but its fine XD #kc my baby boy i love you but FUCK YOUR SWEATER ON GOD #that was a BITCH to add the stripes too #the sleeves and the body dont have the same pattern ;A; #i got the pants from zanky #and the oversized sweater #i love you gamer/p #i fudged the background ngl #i wanted something like his pants but different #ended up with that

[healingheartdogs]

Doctors visits as an AFAB person that have absolutely nothing to do with potential pregnancy and do not at all match symptoms of pregnancy be like:

Doc: "When was your last period?"

Me: "I'm currently on my period, it started (date)."

Doc: "And are you on any birth control?"

Me: "Yeah I have the nexplanon arm implant."

Doc: "And are you currently sexually active?"

Me: "Nope, haven't been for years."

~ Fifteen minutes later ~

Doc: "Well your pregnancy test (that we didn't tell you we were doing or ask your consent for) came back negative so it's not that."

No. Fucking. Duh.

#doctors who do this are pieces of shit just btw #if you dont believe me about my own fucking reproductive health why should i trust you to believe me about ANYTHING? #ndr #not dog related #there is literally no excuse for not asking for consent before doing that and not allowing me to say no you cant do that #its basically fucking ledger fudging through conpletely unnecessary insurance charges #denial of informed consent in medical care too #and yet it happens. every. fucking. time. #oh you're here because youve had heart palpitations and fainting spells since you were a child and you finally want them checked out? #oh you've had all over severe chronic pain and digestive issues since you were a teenager a decade ago? #MUST BE PREGNANT. #dont even need to do a pregnancy test as a precaution for ANY of the procedures or tests they did on me #its basically just saying “hi we dont believe you about your own medical history or value your consent at all” #i have such a big issue with consent in medical settings since being forcibly medically sedated without my consent or any warning at the ER #tell me what the fuck you are doing and ASK ME FIRST

[bittersweetblasphemy]

the problem with writing a fantasy loosely based on a historical culture is you need to decide how "loose" you're willing to go. like yeah i know they didn't have silk but fuck you there's a literal god sitting right the fuck there and of course he would want that shit. but also would the protagonist know what the fuck a book is?

#sorry i'm bouncing between my novel and B&D's next chapter #at least we know they had cannabis #god and his weed smoking polycule #edit: btw if anyone was curious the answer is no #i'm willing to fudge some years bc fantasy but not by the thousands that separate this time period from books as we think of them #which is annoying bc linen was also not a thing yet #or it was super expensive #so guess who needs to go change a bunch of instances of the fucking word linen #every so often im struck with the question 'wait was that a thing yet?' and it's like a 50/50 shot i need to rewrite something because of i #probs closer to 80/20 because even if it exists it exists in a much different context #like the linen thing #at least it makes some good jumping off points for learning about history #nothing like asking what sorts of dates (fruit) would have been available and in what season to send you down the rabbit hole #and find out scientists revived the extinct judean date palm with 2000 year old seeds #and the fruit tastes like honey #big fan of the fact the first one that they were able to grow was a male and they named him Methuselah

[alleyesonthehindenburg]

Foreman brings House a case.

This alone is enough to catch House's (begrudging) attention, since usually it's Cameron coming to him with sob stories and puppy-dog eyes. Not that Foreman bothers with either.

The case was brought to him by a colleague he knows through various neurology conferences over the years. Her patient is late twenties, male, lives an unremarkable life as a computer tech. Symptoms: debilitating migraines, audio-visual hallucinations, short-term memory loss, and what seem to be intense night terrors. All of which the patient denies or insists aren't cause for concern.

"TBI or neurodegenerative disease. Boring."

"That's what I thought too," Foreman says, "until I saw these."

fMRIs. EEGs. There's a handful of them, and they're like nothing House has ever seen before. Brain activity in places that brains aren't usually active. House cracks a joke about mutants and Professor X, but Foreman can tell: he's got him. He's interested now. He wants to see the patient, run some scans of his own.

"That's the thing. He's not here, he's in California."

"Well, Cuddy vetoed my request to purchase Cerebro for the department, so..."

"He insists there's nothing wrong with him. We wouldn't even have these scans if his sister hadn't guilted him into letting her get some imaging."

"Hallucinations, memory loss, night terrors, and he's not worried at all. Sounds like a liar. My favourite." House squints at the patient info attached to the scans. "Fine. Tell Cuddy we're taking a field trip to see one Charles Bartowski."

#fudging the timeline a bit here but the idea wouldn't leave me alone #to be clear: this is when the intersect is fucking with chuck's head but before ellie knows what's going on #i can only imagine the changes wrought by the intersect could look something wild on imaging #but also I know bugger all about medicine so take everything I say with a grain of salt #house md #chuck tv #chuck bartowski #nbc chuck

[an-unraveling-unknown]

I quite possibly may be late to the party on this one but.

lord give me strength /pos

#pov you look up a flower for a friend and *there right fudging there* #is michael christopher fricking southern pansy sheen #in all his cheesing glory #pov you nearly forgot this was a thing. you fool. you silly goose. you dumb fuck #“whats taking so long” “*incoherent bird noises*” #good omens #southern pansy #i am shocked that the previous tag does not appear to exist yet #MISTER SHEEN PLS #terry pratchett #neil gaiman #aziraphale #michael sheen is a national treasure #still chronically living under a rock wahey #michael sheen

[sobinsrentedcorner]

I THOUGHT VINNY VINESAUCE AND VARGSKELETHOR WERE THE SAME PERSON.

WHAT THE FUCK THEY'RE BOTH STREAMING AT THE SAME TIME AND IT MAKES SO MUCH FUCKING SENSE NOW.

IT MAKES SO MUCH FUCKING SENSE BUT I THOUGHT THEIR VOICES WERE SO SIMILAR THAT I ASSUMED THEY WERE THE SAME PERSON.

I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE A HEAVIER ACCENT IN THE OTHER GUY.

#vargskelethor #vinesauce joel #what the fuck #what the hell #what the fudge #what #huhhh #??? #THEY'RE DIFFERENT THEY'RE NOT THE SAME PERSON????

[sorryichasedyourmorning]

GUYS ON THE SHIPPING THING PLEASE STOP PICKING THE...UH...COMBOS (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) BECAUSE NO, I WILL NOT SHIP ROTTI WITH HIS FREAKING CHILDREN

#repo! the genetic opera #repo #r!tgo #repo!tgo #rtgo #Guys what the fuck #Who the hell did this #WHY #WHAT THE FUDGE

[stevethehairington]

sometimes being uber specific about "would this really happen in this time period/setting?" just sucks all the fun out of things. like who cares, you're writing fanfiction. there are no rules here. go hogwild man.

#sometimes its great to be uber specific! but sometimes it really really does not fucking matter #like idk just have fun with it! #its your world and you can do what you want with it #the people who consistently sit there and go 'this would be fun to do but i cant bc you couldnt do that in [x time period]' baffle me bc !! #why are you putting these restraints on yourself EVERY SINGLE TIME!! #like let loose! cut the bindings! let your hair down! have a little fun with it and fudge the details!

[a-wins-a-win]

i fear that b;apo in indianapolis 2008 may well be my new favourite…

York Theater b;apo i still adore you but the indianapolis production is making CHOICES and I’m going FERAL /pos

#having Ivy walk directly between Peter & Jason during You & I ???? I will never emotionally recover from this #Lucas straight up backflipping into Rolling #the Peter-Ivy staging parallels in Best Kept Secret vs One #this Ivy’s delivery of All Grown Up? and her lines in Promise???? #THE LIL KISS ON THE HEAD - mcconnell siblingism I adore you so #the voice crack on ‘why’ I’m gonna throw up— #the EMOTIONS in Bare im sobbing #THE CHOREOGRAPHY PARALLELS BETWEEN QUEEN MAB AND EPIPHANY IM ACTUALLY GONNA BE SICK /POS WHAT THE FUCK #oh and the spotlight and the smile at the end i can’t — #anyway stan bare indianapolis #obsessed with the lil bonus clips at the end with the piñata & the fudged line in Bare #bare a pop opera #mouse's house

[boyobjectifier]

You seriously cannot talk about something sounding as delicious as that cake and not share photos or more details 🥺 that isn't fair.

she’s in the oven!!!!!!! 🥰

#when it’s done + after it’s a little more cooled off we poke it a ton of times #and then we pour the peanut butter on and then the hot fudge so it soaks into the cake #i was going to do what i did last time and whip together the marshmallow fluff and cool whip— but since it’s so close to the holidays #i couldn’t find any marshmallow fluff. oh well! it’ll still be so fucking good with just the cool whip as a topping :3 #moots.asks #asks.txt

[kradogsrats]

The mage wasn’t like others Viren had seen before.

Mages didn't come to their town often, tucked away as it was in the foothils south of Mount Kalik. Any that did moved on quickly, collecting a few coins from the townspeople for spells to harden their vegetable gardens against frost, or keep worms out of the apples ripening on their trees. A few claimed, in hushed tones and with sly smiles, to traffic in other kinds of magic, as well—love potions, fortune-telling, or curses. Viren's neighbors didn't often have money to spare for such things, and the mages, real or not, preferred towns where they could reliably find customers. Most never returned.

The woman who scryed the mines was an exception, visiting twice a year to check the shafts and tunnels for hidden weaknesses, and to tell the foreminers where new ones ought to be dug to find the richest iron. That was real magic, paid for in gold—she stayed in the chief forewoman's fine house when she visited, sleeping on a feather mattress and being served the best food available. She hardly spoke a word to the townsfolk, and no one was allowed to watch her cast her spells, but there hadn't been a collapse since Viren was a baby and the new tunnels always produced generously. She may have been a snob, but she wasn't a charlatan.

A healer also passed through every few months, to trade with the town herbalist and confer with her on any illnesses or injuries afflicting the townsfolk. He was a kind man, worn thin and exhausted by care, and while Viren had never seen him do any magic, there were rumors carried from other towns of him straightening babies' club feet or knitting together their cleft lips with a touch. The herbalist was in charge of a small stock of potions purchased from him to handle severe injuries, paid for with a tax collected from the workers—salve to clean and heal deep burns from molten metal, tonics that restored bones crushed beyond setting with splints, poultices to halt the bleeding of even a severed limb. Each one cost at least a month's wages from an entire family, far more than what most of the wanderers asked for their thin, colorful vials. Viren suspected that might be because the healer's actually worked, but he wasn't likely to find out for sure. If he ever broke a bone, he'd be healing the normal way.

The mage currently idling in the town square was different from all of them.

He was young, for one—only barely a man. The traveling mages Viren had seen before were his mother's age or older, and weathered by a hard life on the road. Sometimes they had an older child or gangly teenager shadowing their steps, but Viren had never seen one so young traveling alone. He had sharp eyes set in a golden-brown face thick with freckles, and a faint stubble was just beginning to line his jaw. Sandy hair curled around his ears below the wide-brimmed traveling hat he wore. His clothes were plain and patched, and the worn pack he carried looked probably older than he was, but sturdy.

And he had a book.

It was a thick, leather-bound volume, the gilt trim on its ornate cover mostly worn away. He carried it at his hip, strapped to his belt with tongues of leather held in place by buttoned clasps—secured within easy reach, and never out of his sight. None of the other mages Viren had seen before had anything like it. Spellbooks were for mages in stories, not real. Everyone knew that.

But here was a mage, with what definitely looked like a spellbook. A real one.

If he wanted to know more—which he definitely did—he'd have to approach the stranger-mage. Adults didn't like being pestered needlessly by children, and the mage may have been young, but he wasn't a child. Viren would be more welcome if he had something to offer. He'd also have to hurry. If the mage's attention was claimed by others who had paying work for him, there was no way he'd ever speak to Viren.

He sprinted home, banging the door open in a way that would have drawn his mother's ire, had she been there. She would be tending the furnaces in the smeltery until nightfall, when she'd return exhausted and soot-stained to eat the supper Viren prepared and then collapse in her cot. It wasn't always like that—there were times when they cooked together, or he read aloud to her, or they joined the neighbors in one of their homes for music and singing—but the demand for the town's steel had climbed suddenly, and so she'd been working double shifts for nearly a month.

He grabbed a string of dried apple slices from where they hung in the cellar—it wouldn't be missed. The trees would be fruiting again soon, anyway. Vanished bread would be harder to explain if it was noticed, but he took the bun set aside for his own lunch, and risked swiping a second from the basket. He'd skip bread at supper, to make up for it. A wedge of cheese sliced off the big wheel, hopefully slim enough to not visibly change its shape, completed his offering. He wrapped everything quickly in a napkin, then took off running again, back toward the square.

The mage was still there, filling his canteen from the fountain. Viren waited for him to finish, trying not to betray his nerves by fidgeting. When the mage turned around, he thrust out the bundle of food. "Here," he said. "It's after midday. Have you eaten?"

His skin prickled under the mage's surprised scrutiny. Close up like this, Viren could see that his freckles extended even onto his eyelids and lips, denser and darker high on his cheeks. His eyes were warm and brown, darker than Viren's even though his blond hair was fairer. He looked Viren up and down for a long moment, head cocked to one side.

"I haven't," he finally replied, accepting the bundle from Viren's hands. "That's very kind of you."

Viren trailed after him toward a section of the low stone wall that surrounded the square, where it was shaded by a pair of trees. The mage shrugged off his pack, then sat down on the wall with an appreciative sigh. Viren remained standing, watching him open the napkin and survey its contents.

"You're a mage, right?" he said, unable to contain himself any longer. "Is that a real spellbook?"

"Sure am, and sure is." The mage tore a chunk off the first bun and chewed it slowly. It was ordinary, day-old bread, but he closed his eyes if savoring it.

Viren couldn't help himself. He thought he might burst, desire to know things previously beyond his experience bubbling out of him. "Where did it come from? Can you do any of the spells? Can you do all of them? What kind of spells are they?"

The mage didn't answer for a moment, dried apple crunching in his mouth. "We playing twelve questions, or are you always this nosy?"

Viren stiffened, blushing. "No! I don't—"

"Relax, kid—I'm just pulling your tail. How's this: someone gave it to me a while back, yes, not yet, and all kinds." The mage grinned, tilting his head to indicate a spot on the wall next to him. "Take a seat. What’s your name?”

Viren scrambled to sit in the place he'd been offered. “Viren.”

"I'm Luca. Came from Duren, originally." He pinched up the few crumbs shed into the napkin by the first bun, eating them off his fingers as he watched Viren expectantly.

“Duren's a long ways away," Viren said, trying to sound indifferent. He still bristled at being called nosy, joking though it had been. "What are you doing here?”

"I'm headed toward Evenere, eventually," Luca replied easily. He gestured toward the east. "I came south across Weeping Bay by boat, and thought I'd take a look at Mount Kalik before starting the walk to the capital."

"You added at least two days to your route just for Mount Kalik?" Viren looked incredulously in the direction of the looming mountain. He didn't even notice it was there, most days. "There's nothing special about it. It's just tall."

"There aren't a lot of mountains in Duren, so excuse me if I think 'just tall' is still pretty impressive." Luca paused to drink from his canteen. "But really, I'm hoping I might find some interesting plants or creepy-crawlies up there, something that fuels magic. I figure it's worth a day or two to take a look. Assuming I don't get eaten by a banther, that is."

That reasoning brought Viren up short. "Wait—you're saying magic comes from plants?"

Viren had only ever seen one or two spells actually being cast. A family living a short distance from his home had a persistent problem with mites in their garden, and their neighbors had pooled money together for a mage to get rid of them before they spread. That mage had welcomed spectators, as if putting on a performance, and Viren had assumed the bird's foot tied with strange herbs that crumbled to ash in their hand was solely to enhance the drama.

"Plants, bugs, bits of bigger creatures—humans don't have magic in us already, so we get it from something that does. Usually that something has to come from Xadia, where everything's full of magic, but there are also a few places hidden away here in the kingdoms where there's still a bit to be found." Luca smiled wryly. "Fortunately for mages with more skill than they have coin, like me. Otherwise every spell comes out of my own pockets, which are light enough, already."

"Why become a mage, then?" Viren knew most mages weren't rich—not even the mine scryer took collecting her gold for granted—but there was no sense in work that cost more than it brought in. Not unless it somehow paid out the difference in the future, but even that was like digging past good iron hoping to hit silver.

“Never was cut out to be a farmer.” Luca’s tone was light, but his mouth twisted slightly. “My parents wouldn’t hear of me doing anything else, so I got desperate. I didn't set out thinking I'd learn magic, but I convinced a mage who came through my village to take me with her—just to get away. Haven’t seen home or them since.

"Funny how things turn out—I'd planned to ditch her a few towns over and make for Berylgarten, but then she started teaching me, and I loved it. I can't imagine doing anything else, now." He smiled again, glancing sidelong at Viren. “Looking back, I suppose I always wanted something more. Something special. Know what I mean?”

Viren thought he might. He was clever—everyone said so. He'd read everything he'd ever gotten his hands on, most of it more than once. Some of it he even understood. Had he been born to a family with a bit of money, or even just a little closer to the capital, he might have been sent there to apprentice with a cleric or scholar.

Here, there were no such options. The herbalist had a daughter she was already teaching her trade, and no need for a second student. The schoolteacher, who'd provided Viren with books out of his own wages for years, was nonetheless assigned by the crown and would eventually be replaced the same way—with someone educated far away, who’d gotten chances Viren never would.

Here, he’d never be anything more than a miner or a smelter. Maybe a foreman, one day, at best.

The other choice was to enlist. Some of the older town youths counted the days until the recruiters arrived, training their bodies in hopes of being allowed on the wagon headed for one of the far-away training camps, but Viren had never found it appealing. To be honed into an obedient weapon and spill blood for crown and kingdom, hoping he survived long enough to collect a pension at the end of it—spend his life going where he was bid, doing what he was told, fighting who he was ordered. As humble as a miner's life might be, at least he could choose which rocks to break.

There was no shame in mining. His home was an honest town of honest people, doing honest work—important work, for the good of Katolis. They coaxed iron from the ground and wrung it into the raw steel that would become swords and helmets and breastplates to defend their sons and daughters, whether at the border or sleeping peacefully in their beds. They gave their labor until their backs were stooped and twisted, their hands scarred into gnarled lumps, and their last breaths wheezed from lungs choked with soot and dust.

Some part of him, kept smothered into unnoticed silence for years, now screamed in rebellion at the thought. He wanted more. He wanted to be more than a nameless son of the town he'd never been further than half a day's walk from, digging the same rocks as his father and grandfather, for a new king fighting the same war.

He'd never thought about being a mage. He'd never met a mage that made it seem like something worth being. Something he could be. But now—

Viren realized suddenly that Luca was watching him. "Looks like you're thinking some deep thoughts, kid," he said, snapping an apple ring in two and sandwiching the last bit of cheese between the halves before popping it in his mouth.

"Maybe," Viren hedged. He looked down at his hands resting on his knees. "Was magic very hard to learn?"

"Not hard at all." Luca grinned. "You don't need to be special—anyone can do it. Takes a certain kind of mind to get good at it, though. You have to be sharp, curious and creative. Confident. Stubborn.

"Some quit when it gets hard, or frightening. They're who you see most often in these parts—the ones who never learn more than a handful of simple spells, then parade around towns like this one lording over people and taking their money." His face twisted again, in contempt or anger. "They limit themselves, usually because they're scared. If you want real power, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes."

It made sense to Viren. More effort and bigger risk nearly always meant a better reward. Iron could be easily dug from open pits, under the sun—but it was poor stuff, good for nails and little else, even after refining. The purest veins were underground, down in the darkness where the earth closed in around you like a fist. People had died, seeking iron good enough to make Katolian steel.

"Are there a lot of mages out there? Not many come this far south."

Luca scratched his jaw, thinking. “I know of a couple dozen here in Katolis, give or take. Most of them are small-time and keep closer to the border, where it's easier to get Xadian materials. Weeping Bay has you a bit cut off here, unfortunately." He shrugged. "I hear there are a lot more in Neolandia, or Evenere. That’s why I'm pointed that way. I want to find a better teacher—my old one was okay, but I learned all I could from her pretty quickly."

“Who’s the best?" Viren sounded a little too interested, even to himself. He looked away. "I mean, if you could learn from anyone at all.”

It wasn't as if he'd be running off to learn magic any time soon. Or ever. Probably. But if he were—there was no point in learning from a teacher who wasn't any good.

“Well, both Neolandia and Evenere have what they call high mages—advisors to the crown itself on everything related to magic. They’d know more about it than anyone. Probably cast spells I’ve never even heard of just to warm their tea.”

Viren’s face fell. Evenere was already far away, and Neolandia might as well have been the moon. It would probably be easier to go to Xadia and learn magic from an elf.

“Katolis hasn't had a high mage in years,” Luca continued, seeing his disappointment, “but here, the best is probably old Kpp’Ar.”

“Kpp’Ar,” Viren repeated, fumbling the odd name in his mouth. He tried again, then gave up before he could embarrass himself further. “Why not ask him to teach you?”

Luca barked a laugh. “Oh, he doesn’t take students. Never has, according to rumor. I suppose I could track him down on my way through the capital and ask, but I'd be wasting my time."

"I thought you said mages had to be stubborn?"

"Maybe so, but from what I hear, even a mountain would have trouble being more stubborn than Kpp'Ar." Luca shook his head. "He's an odd one, by all accounts. Even among mages."

Viren frowned. "You'll go all the way to Evenere, then? Just like that?"

"Sure. It's only a couple days to the capital on foot. Maybe three, if you take your time about it. Plenty of trade goes to Evenere, so it shouldn't be much problem to find someone willing to take me on as a passenger in exchange for loading and unloading crates or other labor." Luca leaned back on his hands, tilting his head up to catch the sun trickling through the cover of the tree stretched overhead. "Might even ask around to see if anyone has work for a mage. The crown doesn't like too many mages idling around in the city for too long, but plenty of people still need magic—maybe I'll find someone who will pay for it while I'm there. Several someones, with any luck."

He shrugged, looking back toward Viren. "Either way, it'll be just a wagon ride with some merchant to the port, and then a boat through the isles to Evenere."

Viren tried to imagine it. He'd never seen the capital, much less the sea. He suddenly wanted to. He wanted to learn, to know real magic—the kind that could do something more than just lift blight from a field or proof wooden walls against fire. The kind that really made a difference, doing things that were otherwise impossible, the way it did in old stories of the early kingdoms. He hadn't known there was magic like that still in the world, and now he wanted it like a man entombed in the earth wanted light and air.

"Take me with you!" he blurted out. "I'm almost done with my schooling—I read and write better than most of the grown-ups, already. You could teach me, easy. I wouldn't be any trouble. I don't even eat much."

His face heated at his own impulsivity. It was a foolish request, and he knew it. He was a child, with nothing of value to offer, asking a total stranger to take him on as a burden—as much as he wanted to believe he could carry his own weight, he was well aware that he was just another mouth to feed, who would move slower and tire faster than a grown man.

He also already knew from Luca's face what the answer would be.

"I believe you. It's obvious you're both smart and dedicated, Viren," Luca said, not unkindly, "and I wish I could take you with me. But you deserve someone who can teach you properly. I don't know enough for that, yet." He looked down at his feet. "And while it may be fine for me to miss a few meals, or sneak into someone's barn to sleep out of the rain and then get chased out in the morning—that's not a life I feel right about bringing a kid into, but I wouldn't be able to provide any better. To tell the truth, I'd be trying to sleep on near two days' empty stomach tonight, if it weren't for your kindness."

"It was no trouble," Viren said automatically, ducking his head a bit in embarrassment.

"Yeah," Luca replied, in a tone that said he knew what it meant to feed a stranger in a town like Viren's, but also that any further display of gratitude would be an affront to his pride. "Hey, I tell you what—"

He unbuckled the book from his side. This close, Viren could see how smooth the leather was in places, polished like glass from the hands of dozens of owners over what must have been decades, at least. Luca flipped deftly through its pages, the edges yellowed with age but still butter-soft, until he reached a point a bit more than a third of the way through its thickness. Then, bracing it on the low stone wall, he pulled a slim knife from his boot and set it to the book's spine between the pages marked by his fingers.

Viren's eyes widened. "W-wait—!"

He winced as the knife slid smoothly through the binding, snagging only briefly on the heavy stitching that held the pages together. The book fell into two pieces in Luca's hands, and he held out the thinner, front section to Viren. "Here. This will get you started—I know that part well enough, already."

Viren stared at him, his eyes darting between the mutilated book and Luca's face. The book was old, and well-made, and magic—there could be no doubt it was also valuable beyond comprehension. "I don't have—I couldn't possibly take something like that!" he protested.

"Not even in exchange for the meal?" Seeing Viren's expression harden stubbornly, Luca rolled his eyes. "Then call it a loan, if you like. Catch up to me in Evenere, and you can give it back."

He waggled the chunk of book insistently, until Viren slowly reached out and took it. He held it carefully, afraid to wrinkle the exposed pages. "I'll take good care of it," he said seriously. "I promise!"

"Good. I'll see you there, then." Luca bumped his fist gently against Viren's shoulder. "There's probably a spell in one of these halves that'll serve to stitch it back up again. We can learn it together."

Viren nodded, suddenly unable to speak.

Luca craned his neck, looking at the sky to assess the position of the sun. "I'd better be moving on, if I want to get up Mount Kalik before nightfall." He shook out the napkin and folded it neatly, handing it back to Viren. He bent to rummage in his pack, pulling out a rolled-up oilcloth blanket and cutting a rectangle out from one corner with his knife. Wrapping his half of the split book in the protective cover, he returned it to its buckles at his hip and tightened them firmly around its reduced thickness. The knife disappeared back into his boot.

Viren stood when he did, watching as he stretched before swinging his pack onto his back and settling it on his shoulders. He headed across the square, then turned and pointed at Viren. "Evenere, yeah? Don't keep me waiting!"

A grin broke across Viren's face, and he waved. "I won't!" he called back.

Luca raised a hand in farewell, then turned again and started down the street that led west, out of the town and into the stretch of farmland claimed from the forests that spilled down the mountainside. Viren watched until he was out of sight, holding the book carefully to his chest.

He went home more slowly this time, but not by much—mostly to avoid jostling the book too much. He leaned against the door after closing it behind him, staring at nothing as his mind raced. There was some time before he had to start preparations for supper. He looked down at the book, running a hand over the smooth cover before thumbing gently through the pages. The margins were littered with notes inked in a variety of hands, some so faded as to be barely legible, others recent and clear. He brushed his fingertips across them, smiling.

Grabbing a stylus and the pot of ink from his mother's small desk, he dragged a stool to the larger table where they ate. Perched there with the book set in front of him, he inked the stylus and held it in his mouth as he carefully pressed open the cover. In an open space in one corner, he wrote Kypar, Katolis City as neatly as he could. He drew a small star next to the note, to mark it as important, then frowned and squeezed in a question mark beside the name. He'd never heard one like it, and had no idea how it ought to be spelled.

Waiting for the ink to dry, he considered his next steps. His best bet would be to start working the bins where those too young, too old, or with bodies not suited for the mines separated rocks with iron ore from those without it—the pay was low but steady, and if he quit school, he'd be able to work enough to contribute some of his wages to the household and save a bit for himself. He wouldn't need all that much. Just enough to get to the capital and stay for a few days. Just long enough to convince this Kpp'Ar he would be a worthy student.

And if he couldn't—he chewed the end of the stylus absently, thinking. There was no sense in getting worked up over the possibility of failure. He'd just have to cross that bridge if it appeared in front of him.

He turned the spellbook to the first page, and began to read.

#the dragon prince #viren #kradogsfic #holy FUCK that was a shit week but this is FINALLY written #not me spending hours researching iron mining and steel production and then fudging like 90% of it but fuck it i do what i want #neither god nor wonderstorm can stop me