#and the one i go to has little cube spaces caved into the walls for like little decorations and a stair for like a lower other half of the | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

skynight0012 · 3 years

Text

Tfp Megatron x mech! Reader lemon forced

Warning: Rape, forced relationship

..............

You had been just peacefully scouting the area looking for some energon tracings after Ratchet told you he found a signal, when suddenly megatron had to show up. Why him, you don't know. All you knew was that he was chasing you as you ran down a cave. You struggled to get away from him, losing your energy. "Ratchet?!?!" "Y/n?" "Please open a ground bridge, megatron is chasing me right now and I, I cant go on.." "Hold on y/n!!" You started slowing down to tired to keep going.

"Ah ha." You whipped around to see megatron behind you. He started approaching you and you backed up, ready to go back into a sprint when a ground bridge opened showing optimus, arcee, bumblebee and bulkhead. You ran over to them and stood behind them trying to relax for a bit. You could hear a conversation going on, but couldn't make out words. You felt arms wrap around you and you were carried into the familiar base that you've been at for a while now. "Set him down." Ratchet ordered. You were layed down and given some energon. As you slowly drank it to give yourself some energy, optimus and ratchet walked off and talked. "You ok?" Bulkhead asked as he approached you. "Y-ya, im fine. Just tired is all." He nodded and walked away. Optimus walked up to you and smiled slightly making you smile back. "Y/n, I wanted to let you know that I am making boundaries with between keeping you here and when you go out." You raised a brow. "What do you mean?" He sighed. "Im keeping you here for a while, and I want to send someone with you when you go out of base." You looked at him confused. "Why." He looked away and sighed. "Megatron...had said something that I didn't take well, and I want to make sure your safe." You blushed slightly and looked away. "O-ok..." He nodded and walked away. You looked down and thought. 'What did he say?'

_____________________

You were running through a ground bridge after the team called for back up. You shot at the cons that remained and looked for your team. Upon entering a cave you saw them fighting for their lives, bleeding everywhere. You gasped in panic and ran over to them, shooting at the approaching cons. You held optimus and he looked at you shocked. "Y-y/n? What are you doing here!" "Trying to save you!" You grunted as you helped him stand.

"AH!" You shouted as you felt something grab you and pull you away from optimus. "What?! Who-!?" You shouted as you looked around trying to find out what grabbed you. "Megatron-!" Optimus shouted, and you froze. "Optimus, looks like you went back on your word, because it looks like what's mine is in my grasp~. Megatron said all sly. You grunted as you tried to release yourself from him. He looked down at you and smirked. "Your so perfect for me." You blushed and looked up at him. Your eyes met with red and he stared into your eyes. You shook in fear as he gave you a devilish look. He turned around and you looked back at optimus and your team who was giving you scared looks and tried running after you. You squirmed and yelped as you fell forward and out of his arms. You got up and started running with him right behind you. Just as you reached optimus awaiting hand your arm was pulled back and you yelped in pain as it was turned around forcing you to as well. "Uh!" You whined as you were pulled farther away from them. Optimus and the rest of them ran forward trying to grab you but megatron shot at them holding you in his one arm. You squirmed and tried to free yourself as hard as you could, but just as his arm loosened, he started running. "Ah?! Optimus!!" You shouted worried as more vehicons came from a ground bridge. He looked at you with worried eyes and roared as he ran after you two. "Say goodbye prime!" Megatron yelled as a ground bridge appeared. "N-no!!" You shifted out as you struggled harder. "Y/N!!" Optimus yelled and just like that, you were gone. As megatron slowed to a walk you were grunting trying to free yourself. He walked all the way to a room and you squeaked as you felt your body drop and fall into something squishy. "This will be your room." He said as you glanced at your surroundings. "W-what?" You said aloud. He smirked as he looked down at you. "What were you expecting?" "I-I..." You were at a loss for words. "Why?" You said as you glanced up at him. He chuckled and bent down to your level making there little space between your faces. "Because, all rulers need to have a partner by their side." He said as his arm slipped under you, lifting you up slightly. "Besides, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓮𝓷?~" He said with a purr making you try to back away as far as possible. "A-a queen?! Me!! I-I dont-" "Want to be one? I dont know how to be one? I have all answers for you, but this one is the most important." He started, before coming even closer, your lips almost grazing. "You will be my mate and queen, whether you like it, or not." He growled, before suddenly stealing your lips in a kiss. You were to scared to kiss back. He just stole your first kiss!! He pulled away having a satisfied look on his face before backing away and turning around heading towards the door. "I will leave you to get comfortable, I will be back soon." And with that he walked out of the room. "Why didn't he lock it?" You said out loud. You could try and escape, but then again key word, try. You just sat on the bed and curled into yourself, your head in your legs and arms. Before you knew it, tears slowly fell down your face.

You didn't want this. You did not want to be that, that monsters mate. You....wanted optimus. As shocking as it is to say. You did have feelings for him, but in this predicament you shouldn't be thinking about it. Looking around the room to see anything of use, you sighed as nothing interesting showed. Your head went back on your legs, and you sat there for what felt like hours, engulfed by silence. Suddenly a door opened making you look up in alarm. You looked back down upon seeing megatron standing there. He walked over, but you paid no mind, only watching as he sat near you through the happy in your leg. "Are you hungry?" He suddenly asked, making you peak your head up just a bit. You thought about it, but what would it hurt to take advantage of this moment. "K-kind of..." You mumbled hiding your head again. He just made a sound of amusement and suddenly you saw a blueish glow beside you. Peeking over you saw energon sitting there. "Freshly harvested, it tastes better that way." You glanced at him and back at the food. "Is there something in it?" He chuckled. "Aside from energon, no." You grabbed it and studied it for a second, making sure there was nothing else. When you confirmed that nothing was in it you took a little bite and looked at the ground. "Shy?" You glared at him to which he returned a smirk. After finishing the cube, you still didn't look at him. "What exactly do you want from me? Aside from that whole 'queen' talk." He looked thoughtful after you asked him. "It would be a shame if I had no partner to have by my side when I finish this war, and besides, you are quite attractive anyway. You had caught my eye a long time ago." You blushed when he said that, and looked away. "Is...that it." You asked slowly. He nodded, then abruptly stood. "I'll be right back." He said and gave you a look that you didn't like at all.

As he left you thought. That's not it, he is leaving something out. But what. It seemed like forever before you shuddered in realization. Just as you did this he walked in, approaching you. You back up and fell off the bed. "Y-your disgusting!!" You shouted making him confused and alert as he watched you scramble away. "What?" You gave him a very disgusted look. "I know what you want with me, that's just...disgusting!! No way am I doing that with you." Your voice was wavy but you tried to hide your fear. He looked shocked, before smirking. "That's one thing right~ But I never said those other ones weren't either." He said as he came closer. You tried backing away farther but you ran right into the wall, and just as you turned to point your blaster at him he was right in front of you pinning your arms to the wall. "You know it's quite thrilling to see you try and squirm away from me love~." You almost whined and tried kicking him but were to late as he picked you up and tossed you on the bed. "Huh?!" You grabbed his hand just before it reached your interface patch and struggled to keep him away. "Gah!!" You yelped as he pinned both your arms with one servo while the other worked off your plating. You tried keeping it on, but it was no use. "No..." You whispered desperately as you felt it ping off, leaving everything exposed. "Why, that was quite hard to take off. Have you ever done this before~?" You didnt answer and gave him a small glare. He gasped. "Your untouched!" You glared even harder trying to contain your blush. He released your arms, but just as you were about to take action his head got in the way. You grabbed it and tried pushing him away but it was no use. You grunted as he took your legs and put them over his shoulders, but still had them in a tight grip. You gasped upon realizing what he was going to do and struggled more. "Oh!" You let out. Something had touched your spike. And you didn't like it. "S-stop!!" That's when suddenly you gasped, feeling an overwhelming sense take over your body.

That's when you finally realized that he had your spike in his mouth, abusing it to the point where there were probably dents. You moaned loud, begging him to stop. And if you couldn't get him to stop, maybe go a bit gentler, because this hurt. "Uhh~ p-please stop..." You said between moans. You felt something build up within you and your eyes widened. Megatron made no sign of stopping and you tried pushing his head away. He only hummed, probably now knowing why you were so desperate to push him away. Just as you were about to overload, he pulled away making you breathless, even though you didn't breath in the first place. Your spike was a mess, some trans fluid seeping from the tip, megatrons teeth Mark's, it was horrible.

You looked to him as he started moving again, and felt fear wash over you. His spike was massive!! "T-t-that wont fit me!!!" You yelled out and tried squirming away. He grabbed your leg before you could get far enough and pulled you back. "I'll make it fit then~." You cried and was forced on your back again him looming over top of you, a deadly look in his eyes. You cried out when you felt his finger lodge itself deep in you. His finger has sharp, and that's what made it hurt even more. "Y-your gonna cut me!!" You cried. He didn't listen, and put in another one, making you a moaning mess. He started pumping them in and out of you and you felt overwhelmed. "Ah!!" He shoved yet another one in, and you felt yourself spread. It felt like you were ripping. As he pumped his fingers in you his spike twitched from time to time, making your tears fall form your face. You felt like dying on the spot. Just as you felt your overload coming again he pulled out making you cry in pain. He pulled out fast and that hurt really bad. Suddenly he grabbed your legs and pushed them forward a bit, allowing him full access to your entrance. "Gah!! P-please no!!" You tried begging once again. Your body was not ready for this. You couldn't do this now. You gasped feeling something right at your entrance, and it slowly pushed farther in. You grunted the farther it got, until it was pain that overflowed through you. "A-ahh, it hurts!!" You shouted, not caring if anyone heard. You were to concerned about yourself. You felt megatrons hand come and hold your face, wiping some of your tears. You flinched at the sudden contact, squirming in pain. You could barely move with his spike in you.

Suddenly he moved and you made a noise of pain and discomfort. But when he started thrusting in you, did you start moaning in pain. His spike was monstrous, you could barley adjust to it! "Ah, your to big!!" You were downright a moaning mess now, both pain and pleasure swarming your body. He was fragging you hard and fast, his one hand holding your leg while the other held your hands above your head. "Uhh~ I-I cant..." You whimpered. He started going faster and you moaned more. You felt a knot build in you again, but this time megatron made no movement to stop what he was doing. He was groaning, growling, and making other noises of pleasure. Your insides were just squeezing him, it felt amazing. "AHH!" You moaned out as you overloaded for the first time. It leaked from your spike like a river, but you didn't care, you just wanted him to stop. Finally after a while he overloaded in you, making you moan. He filled your insides a lot, it felt like you were going to explode. Just as you though he was done, he started pumping again. "Ah~?!" You moaned out of surprise.

He just fragged you for what felt like forever. You were so tired, you couldn't do this anymore. "Uh Please~!! Enough, no more!!" You cried. "Just a little bit longer, my sweet mech~." You just moaned. You overloaded again, and that was what tired you out. You felt sleep take over you as blackness consumed your sight. You heard megatron shout in pleasure as he filled your insides again, almost all of it leaking out. Just before you passed out, you could feel him start thrusting in you again.

"Please optimus..."

_______________________

Part 2?

#tfp megatron #reader insert #transformers #part 2

103 notes · View notes

chaoticevilbean · 3 years

Text

Voltron Humans are Weird 6/?

The Paladins had once again won an intense battle. It had been on the planet Cygoth, which was home to a group of humanoids. The Cygi, as they were called, had skin in shades of pale pinks and purples and blues. Their heads were like those of bald humans, but with upside down ears and eyes like felines. Instead of five fingers and five toes, the Cygi had four fingers and six toes, to aid them in their strange environment, along with bug-like wings that hid under hard green and yellow shells.

Said environment was one with 'extreme weather conditions' and 'toxic' rain. The Cygi lived in caves that were on a large cliffside. Since the elements often got within the rocks and all the animals were terrestrial and highly territorial, the aliens would hang upside down and crawl across the ceilings like spiders. They also collected rare minerals that grew down to build their homes and helped them grow food in their strange way of living.

It was these minerals that the Galra wanted. Stronger than 98.97% of all other metals or rocks, they could be used to create impenetrable ships and armor. The Cygi had called Voltron to Cygoth to aid them in protecting their resources and freedom. After they had succeeded, and it became clear that the team only wanted to help, no reward necessary, the leader of the Cygi offered an alliance. New armor and some upgrades for the Paladins and Castle, an increased amount of trade for the aliens, and a plethora of allies for both because of their union.

The talks were boring, and the four younger Paladins found themselves quickly becoming inattentive. Lance got them excused and Pidge ran straight to the edge of the central cave, ignoring how the Cygi were suddenly watching them keenly. It was likely to avoid the Terrans getting attacked by the fauna or killed by the 'toxic' rain that was cascading down just outside. A device was pulled from the depths of the Green Paladin's armor to scan the substance pouring from the atmosphere, and they all peered over the girl's shoulder tensely.

The screen lit up in green.

"HECK YEAH!" Keith shouted, his voice echoing loudly against the stone walls. "Nontoxic!"

"C'mon, Paladudes!" Lance waved his hand at the others in a beckoning motion. "It's time to explore this world and turn Shiro's hair whiter than before!"

The kids dashed forward towards the more organic part of the planet's surface, but paused and turned at the sound of buzzing.

A large group of Cygi were heading straight for the humans, frantic expressions and furiously beating wings drawing the Paladins' attention. It seemed that the team's newest allies were more knowledgeable about their intentions, and were attempting to avoid what they assumed was a dangerous situation.

The teens were not about to let that happen.

"BREAK FOR IT!" Hunk screamed, and there was no way that Shiro and Allura didn't hear that. They only had a few minutes before they would be caught in their escape. The humans dashed for the entrance, and Keith was definitely gonna make it. Pidge wasn't, and Hunk was a coin toss, so Lance took action. The self-sacrificing idiot.

The Blue Paladin grabbed his smaller friend and threw her at his bro.

"CATCH!" The cook caught the child easily, still sprinting to freedom. But the action left Lance behind the herd and much closer to the Cygi. It became obvious how close when his feet left the ground.

"What the flippity floppity flapjack‽ WOAH!" The flying aliens were swift to bring the Terran over to the suspended platform where Shiro, Allura, and all the diplomats were staring down from. It was from there that the kids had originally climbed down the rungs of the strange ladder to get to the floor. "Ah, you lily-livered sons of witches! You snackers! Oh, tick-tack snick-snack frick-frack paddlywack! My father will hear about this, you barnacle-covered Caprisun knock-offs! I'll steal your kneecaps and eat your curtains! You moldy walnuts!" He continued spouting off insults as he was carried over to his leaders, smiling slightly at the look of exasperation on Shiro's face. His words stopped the moment his feet hit the mioxite platform, smile growing exponentially.

"Lance, what were you guys doing?" The older man didn't let Allura speak, taking over the conversation immediately.

"The rain isn't toxic for us, so we were gonna explore. I gotta join the others soon."

"No, you don't gotta."

"I do gotta."

"Why?"

"You want Keith and Pidge alone in unknown territory with just Hunk as their voice of reason?"

"You definitely gotta."

"Shiro, Lance, what is going on?" Allura finally managed to interject. The humans turned towards the Altean, both confused. Lance had just said that he and the others were going to explore Cygoth.

"What d'you mean, princess?"

"What code was Lance speaking?"

"Code? What co- oh." The Black Paladin's face lit up in realization. "She meant the curses. Lance, explain."

"I was cussing without swear words."

"What?"

"I was spouting profanities without ever using actual words that are considered profane. For instance." The boy faced his fellow Terran once more. "Let me strawberries and cream go before I rocky road your face, you useless paperclip."

"Where's that from?"

"Ice cream flavors with the classic inanimate objects with no function. From Tumblr."

"What is ice cream? Is it more... omnivore things?" Allura seemed to be scared she might have to hear more about the meat-eating habits of humans.

"Nah, don't worry, princess," Lance assured her. "Ice cream is a chilled treat back home. We found out that there's many animals we can safely farm for their milk. When done correctly, it doesn't harm the animals, and we can process the milk for consumption. Process the milk properly, and then you can get ice cream. It comes in many flavors."

"Such as?"

"Strawberries and cream, and rocky road, to name some."

"Are any of those poisonous?"

"I think lactose might be, which is in a good portion of milk, and some nuts are, and definitely chocolate. So, to animals, yeah, most ice cream is toxic, but not always enough to do more than a stomachache."

"Princess, I can take over explaining, but Lance has to go make sure none of the others get into trouble."

The Blue Paladin took that as his cue to leave, climbing down the ladder once more and bolting back to the entrance. In moments, he had disappeared from view, joining his fellow humans outside the caves. Shiro watched him go, internally wishing he could join them.

But they had once again caused a situation that needed explaining, and Lance was needed to prevent an actual disaster from happening, so Shiro had to do damage control solo this time. That's what he got for letting four teenagers kidnap him back into space.

If a human seems to be speaking in code, yet other humans seem to understand them, even on a basic level, ask if they are speaking in 'slang'. This is a Terran term that encompasses many variations of speaking. Much like the difference in linguistics between Blue and Green Zithians, humans will likely have very different slang depending on where they spent their time. A place called Tumbler often fosters a more complex version, whereas Insta Gram has a simpler code.

Humans might invent their own slang in order to packbond properly with one another. Two groups of Terrans hailing from the same locations may have entirely different lexicons due to the change that each team may make. Some individuals may even know more than two versions of slang, in order to establish better relations with their fellow humans. There is very little evidence of what requirements are needed to include learning more than one variation of slang. An example of this would best be shown by the following interaction:

Terran Blue, addressing Terran Yellow: Then he just yeeted it at me, as though I was gonna sit there like a soggy popsicle.

Terran Yellow, responding: That doesn't explain why you turned him into an ice cube.

Terran Green, addressing Terran Blue: "Blue", what was the 411 on those rocket launchers?

Terran Blue, responding: The main man blew a gasket. Didn't make it far, but managed to nab a couple of the suckers.

Terran Yellow, addressing Terran Green: You throw a glitter bomb down the chutes and I'll cop all the cookies.

Terran Green, responding: Do it and you'll lose your kneecaps.

In the above interaction, it was explained that Terran Blue and Terran Yellow were discussing an instance where an object was hurled towards Terran Blue's head. He dodged the object and used a weapon to freeze his opponent in a section of ice. Terran Green was inquiring about a mission and the weapons that were supposed to be gained if it succeeded. Terran Blue informed of the partial success they achieved, after which Terran Yellow warned Terran Green to not perform certain playful acts. Terran Green responded with a more intimidating warning.

However, as seen, there were many different instances of slang usage. All three of the humans used at least two versions, yet they all hold very different positions. Terran Green is a scientist, Terran Yellow is (assumed to be) a chef, and Terran Blue is (assumed to be) a diplomat. Their needs for their positions are greatly varied, leading to confusion as to the education of humans.

In all events of slang use, please proceed with great caution. A greater percentage of this subject is unknown than the previous logs. Refrain from attempting the replication of slang unless the code has been explained to you by a Terran. Humans have not shown much aggression yet, but they may do so if provoked on an emotional level.

#voltron #vld #lance #keith #shiro #pidge #hunk #allura #oneshots #voltron oneshots

84 notes · View notes

qupshalfempty · 4 years

Text

Written as a not yet established relationship but mutual pining. It got so lovey dovey my heart hurt while writing this. It's very rough around the edges due to not writing for so long, but I hope y'all like it!

108. “Shh… You need to be quiet.” W/ Ultra Magnus and a Cybertronian! SO

Walking out of my berth room I was immediately met with the distant voices of both Optimus and Magnus. Following the voices in curiosity, I entered the main room of the base standing behind both of them as they mentioned a mission, an energon mine and.. My name? Before I could greet them their attention's on me. Never being the subject of their gazes so intensely, I gave them a lopsided tilt of my dermas.

“What’s going on?”

...

The glowing light from the portal fades behind Magnus and I as our pedes stepped off of the concrete floor of the base and onto the stick littered forest floor set in front of us. The forest was dense, light from the Earth’s star struggling to shine through the canopy above. Many of the planet’s smaller life forms were skittering away disappearing deeper into the woods, most certainly running from our sudden appearance.

Magnus paid them no mind, instead signaling me to follow him in I assume to be the direction of the abandoned energon mine we were to scout out. I trail silently behind him, already preparing for the long trek ahead of us..

Other than the occasional hand signals and “yes sir” from myself the travel had been near silent, the only other sounds coming from the crunching of tree limbs and brier under our pedes and the occasional animals nearby. I could do nothing but let my processor wander, distracted from the mission at hand.

The gleams of light cast from the sun painted what parts of the forest floor it could touch with golden strokes. At times his plating would catch the light and reflect against the leaves and other flora he’d push past in reds and blues… This would be romantic if we'd actually said more than a couple phrases to each other. I could only hope for that to change and for him to acknowledge me with more than just small smiles and hidden softness from the rest of the team.

I silently thanked scouting missions like these, allowing me more time around 'Magnus than usually allotted for his position. It gave me the chance to enjoy his presence and what soft smiles he'd offer when we were alone, which has been the only sign of any feelings returned on his part. I’d only hoped it wasn’t out of politeness and rather returned feelings anyway, just the thought is what’s stopped me from confessing much earlier.. While it’s been pointed out plenty of times how different he acts around me and how much more gentle he is towards me... It’s hard to believe he’d return any feelings, or would want to pursue a bond when one of us could be offlined any klick while fighting this war. Although I’d take whatever time I had left to be with him… By the All Spark I’m in deep.

Next thing I know, my left pede hits a displaced root and I'm sent tumbling forward into a familiar blur of red and blue. Just barely catching myself with my servos on… Magnus’ back plating… I jolted backward, ripping my servos from his back like they'd touched rust, and shakily righted myself. He jumped in surprise, snapping his helm back in my direction with widened optics before his optic ridges down turned in his signature stern look. I withered under his stare with an awkward chuckle before he finally gave what I assume to be a sigh and an attempt at a softer look that was really just one of neutrality for him.

"Be more careful."

Turning away without waiting for an answer, he continues. I hesitantly follow albeit much farther behind so I don’t embarrass myself again. After an estimated half an hour of awkward silence, he pushes a tree limb out of his way and stops in his tracks.

"We're here."

Magnus was already crouched behind some thickened shrubbery, giant enough to hide his stature, and was looking towards an opening in the lower brier's branches he had held back. Peering over his shoulder was a cave's entrance a little ways away, hidden near perfectly from sight with the dense woods surrounding it. Peaking out of the tall grass thoroughly covering the vicinity of the entrance was mining equipment and empty carts overgrown with vines. They were most definitely left behind. Thankfully we had coordinates or we would have never found this. Not that I would've minded being around Magnus longer anyway… I quickly shook my helm, ridding my thoughts away.

"We should comm the others." I whispered, focused completely on the cave and not on the inexistent distance of our shoulder plates. My fans whirred.

He nodded, already a step ahead of me with his servos to his audials.

"Ratchet, the coordinates were correct. It appears abandoned, we'll be on lookout."

"Affirmative." I hear Ratchet grumble.

Magnus then turned his helm to me and raised an optic ridge, realizing how close we were, I shove myself back as calm as possible for someone’s who’s fan’s volume turned to that of a garbage disposal. He either didn’t notice or mercifully said nothing and instead continued in his usual stern tone.

"We’ll be scouting the area for any decepticon activity."

"So.. we'll be here a while?"

"Yes."

…

After the equivalent of 3.5 earth hours and a detailed dirt drawing followed by a reprimand from Magnus about "leaving behind tracks"… I got bored. Being on a recon mission with my spark lighter, without any plot going on, was uninteresting to say the least... He didn't make an effort to talk, his steady focus solely on the cave and the wind blowing the shrubbery. The only sounds that could be heard was the chirping of birds and someone's fans kicking on.. that wasn't mine for once.

Looking up from my plating was Magnus' helm darting away from my direction and back towards the mine. Was he looking at me?

Luckily, my fans had no time to react as Magnus held his left servo up, a silent command to stay still and quiet. He glared down at the entrance before giving the signal to follow.

He pushed his way past the shrubbery and slid down the cliff side we'd been securely perched on. I followed close behind, letting him lead a path through the straw like grass.

Now usually I don't question his orders, but this was meant as a simple scout mission, a "stake out" as the humans vids would say, and we comm base to come pick up the energon once it's deemed safe. But this seems to be quite risky for someone who's so.. well the complete opposite.

I ran every scenario through my processor as we continued deeper. Maybe he heard something? I'd thought he'd comm back to base and let them know. But our job is to see if it's abandoned right? So we’d have to confirm if it is, although just the two of us and no backup? Whatever it was, I'm sure Magnus has a good reason.

By now we were in deep, the only light we had to shine our way was our optics and from what little energon there was left behind in the walls. I was barely able to stop my chassis from touching his back when he suddenly stopped and motioned me to look into the wide open room ahead. My optics brightened at the sight.

Inside was a huge cavern with the walls and ceiling filled to the brim with energon, full of huge deposits that were barely touched. Carts full of even more glowing energy cubes were ready to be rolled out. For sure able to power our small team for a long while. Oddly enough the machines were trapped in vines and aimed at a wall full of energon, two more were aimed at another, covered in the same vines..

It's unbelievable that something drove the Decepticons out, especially with all of this energon ready to leave… But from the looks of it, it seems all of the abandoned machinery hasn’t been touched in a while...

"We should comm base-"

One of the drills far ahead cuts Magnus' whisper off, it turns on and attempts to cut into the rock around an energon deposit before groaning as it struggles against the vines holding it captive. Suddenly a Decepticon enters from one of the nearby halls and expects it, grumbling something along the lines of "fast growing.." and "damned flora.." while tearing the vines off...

We both duck behind the rock wall at the bot's appearance, Magnus’ throwing his arm back to push me behind him. Luckily the decepticon took no notice, ripping what little vines were left off before the drill’s shrill sounds started up again. Magnus looked over towards me and started to signal before he was stopped short by the sudden sounds of pede steps coming from behind us. Our only exit.

My optics widen, I look to him for orders only to see the same surprise in his. He turns to me fully looking around the dark tunnel before his optics catch something behind me and pushes me backward into it. With no time to react my back plating hits a hard rock wall, reflexively letting out a muffled 'humph!' into someone's servos.

"Shh… you need to be quiet."

Turning on my optics at the voice I was met with Magnus' chassis, and slowly trailing up his clavicular plate, his neck cabling, and finally his face were his optics gazing down at me inches away from my own helm. One of his servos covering my dermas while the other was pressed firmly against my side with what little space there was. I didn't dare speak, not with the pedes slowly getting closer or the intense stare of Magnus'. Looking at my surroundings before my fans kicked on, we were in near complete darkness if not for our optics. From what else I could make out we were in a small enough crevice for the both of us and surrounded by rock on all sides other than the tight opening I’d been pushed through. Magnus' form towered over me, keeping me from peeking out of the crevice he'd somehow shoved us both in. Daring to peer at his face I can make out his optics slowly dimming.

"Shut off your optics."

A shudder went down my spinal frame at the demand but I obeyed, hoping he wouldn't notice. Knowing how close our frames were and how intertwined our limbs were, he most definitely did.

We both stood stock still as the sounds grew closer, the voices complaining about the flora destroying nearly all of their equipment and setting them back by 7 Earth days. The panic built up pressure in my chassis, knowing they’d soon be passing us. The only thing grounding me was Magnus’ rough digits pressed into my coxal plating and dangerously close to grazing the side of my pelvic plate. I’d forced my fans to shut off despite the heat emerging from both of our frames.

A rock being kicked from a pede step just outside our makeshift cover made me flinch, something I dare not risk illuminating my optics to see pressed into my forehelm. I stood stock still, reaching out and clenching something to ease my jitters as we listened in the dark.

After the longest klick of my life, the sounds of pedes slowly fade away further into the cave. I only allowed my shoulders to relax when the cave around us was fully silent, I slowly turned on my optics before widening them in surprise from the helm inches away from mine for yet the third time this Earth cycle….

Magnus' forehelm was pressed against mine, his helm cast down and his features being the most peaceful I've ever seen them. Not a hint of his signature crease of irritation between his optic ridges, you'd nearly think he were recharging if not for the heat I felt on my own helm emanating from his.

I could do nothing, not able to move away even if I wanted to due to the rock keeping me trapped from behind. Instead, I stayed still. His optics slowly turned on, meeting mine before looking downwards. I followed his gaze to find the object I'd grabbed in the dark, my servos were tightly clenched around his digits. Before I could instinctively pull back and apologize, his digits wrapped firmly around my servos, three of his digits able to cover my entire servos fully. He’d made no move to push away, instead keeping our frames pressed together. My sensors were off the charts, at times sensing his thumb run over my outer plating along my hip.

I didn't know what to do, so I followed his lead instead. Not able to keep his gaze for long I tucked my forehelm into his chassis and we stayed that way for what felt like megacycles until we heard loud pede steps and the shooting of blasters coming close. Soon enough we recognized Optimus' and Ratchet's voices from close by. By then I knew we definitely took too long to comm back and I'm not planning on explaining what happened.

#transformers prime #tfp x reader #transformers x reader #tfp ultra magnus #ultra magnus x reader #long reads #angst/fluff prompt list #qupwrites

148 notes · View notes

liannyeong · 3 years

Text

Crimson (Chapter 14)

Summary: A sacrifice must be made.

Word count: 4703

Pairing: Jaebeom X OC

Warning(s): angst, mentions of blood, character death

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16

A/N: Just one more chapter to go before this fic comes to an end! Do let me know your thoughts! Show your support for my works by buying me a coffee! Follow me on Twitter for random updates.

It's been days since Yujin was brought to the Ancient Cave. It's a mystical place -- the walls are carved with symbols that Yujin can't recognize, each of them glowing a bright green. She guesses they are magic runes, perhaps to protect the sanctity of the place. The cave itself is lit up with torches of green flames that never seem to burn out.

Yena had left her here after their encounter in the forest, telling her to prepare herself for the ritual. But Yujin can barely wait. She's all ready to give her heart up. She's all ready to move on and forget this cruel life.

“The ritual can only be performed when the fae and his human love are present together,” Yena had explained, much to Yujin’s disappointment. She had hoped she wouldn’t see Jaebeom anymore. But at the same time, she does want to see the look upon his face as the ritual is conducted. Would he look regretful at least? Or would he look at her with indifference?

What does it matter? Yujin scolds herself. It's not like she can back out anymore. And she’ll definitely not be coaxed out of it. Perhaps, it's just her heart yearning to see his face for the last time.

Yujin is broken from her thoughts when she hears an echo of voices. Her ears automatically tune in to the one voice that her heart has been wanting to hear. She feels the swell in her heart as it gets louder and closer. Why does her heart feel this way? While her mind is determined to end this, why is her heart reluctant? Why is her heart and mind at war?

"-- Why did you bring me here?" Jaebeom's voice booms in the cave. The moment he steps in, the moment he lays his eyes on Yujin, he freezes. His eyes go wide. Perhaps he didn’t anticipate her in this cave.

“Y-Yujin…?” he calls out weakly, as if he doesn’t believe that she’s real.

He shuffles forward slowly, cautiously. There’s ample time for Yujin to back away from him, but she remains rooted to the ground. Jaebeom holds out a hand, raising it to her face. His fingers are inches away from her face, almost touching her cheek--

Then Yujin blinks, snapped out of a trance. She backs away, repelling from his touch. She sees the way Jaebeom's face falls, the look of dismay scribbled all over his face.

“Shall we begin?” Yena suggests, curling an innocent smile on her lips.

Yujin promptly nods, diverting her attention to the Air fae instead. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices the slump of the male’s broad shoulders as he shifts to the other corner.

Yena circles an arm in a fluid motion before thrusting her hand forward. A gust of wind blew from her hand, so strong that it nearly extinguished the torches. Dust has been cleared away, revealing a circular rune on the ground that Yujin didn’t notice before. There are symbols lined along the circumference of the inner circle, caged by the outer ring. The inner circle itself contains geometric shapes -- squares, circles, straight lines -- with two semicircles at the core.

“Step into the center, and we can begin,” Yena says, gesturing at the two.

Yujin easily obeys, standing on one semicircle. Jaebeom, on the other hand, stays where he is. He bears a frown on his face, as if he’s having second thoughts.

“Yujin,” he says her name so gently, it could have made her go weak in her knees, “You don’t have to do this...”

Yujin wants to laugh. He’s just one step away from getting what he wants, and yet he’s hesitating? What a fool.

She tips her chin up, determined, "Let's get this done and over with."

Jaebeom moves a moment later, still reluctant. He stands on the other semicircle. She would prefer to look at anywhere else but his face, but in this position, he's directly in her line of vision.

“You may begin the ritual,” Yena announces, backing away into the wall.

“We don't have to do this, Yujin," Jaebeom mutters, "We can still work things out--”

“It’s too late for that, don’t you think?” Yujin interjects, glaring at him.

“Yujin, please..." he whispers, sadness in his voice. Even though he's just calling her name, it strikes a chord in her heart. But Yujin has to shake it all away. This is the best that she decides for herself, and for him.

Ultimately, Yujin knows he'll be happy in the long run, with his newly gained powers. He has spent most of his life -- if not all -- being an outcast and looked down upon by the entire faefolk. Yujin reckons it’s time he claims the honor and respect that he deserves. Besides, she's sure the sorrow that Jaebeom feels -- if any at all -- will be short-lived. There is another love waiting for him after this. She’s sure he’ll be healed by it.

"I'm doing this for you, after all," Yujin admits quietly.

An expression passes over Jaebeom's face, his eyes glistening, his lips trembling slightly. If he's feeling remorseful now, it is of no use.

Jaebeom tentatively raises his hand, reaching out for Yujin's face. She lets him. She lets the male cup her cheek and brush the skin there. She closes her eyes, revelling in the warmth of his palm for the last time.

A beat passes before Yujin opens her eyes again.

"Perform the ritual, Jaebeom," she says. "Please."

He nods slowly, still reluctant, before shifting his palm to Yujin's chest, right where her heart is. Then, he recites the same spell he once shared with Yunho:

Here I bring

A mortal heart.

Its love so pure;

It strengthens me.

Let the magic come

And give me strength.

In the next moment, Yujin feels warmth blossoming from her chest, spreading to the rest of her body. She feels the ground beneath her start to shake. The rune below starts to glow a bright turquoise. A force beam emerges from the ground, engulfing both Yujin and Jaebeom, its rays of light illuminating the cave. The warmth that she feels starts to burn through her skin, as if she's doused in oil, set aflame, and left to burn. She screams, the pain searing, her back arching. She doesn't notice the way Jaebeom's crimson eyes go wide, his face stricken with horror. And she definitely doesn't notice the huge grin on Yena's face.

Everything disappears and then, Yujin's vision goes white.

---

All she sees is white. The purity of the color is so blinding to her eyes, that Yujin can't help but wince. It takes her some time before she can adjust to the room, if it's even one. It's an endless space of white, nothing else in view.

"Hello, Shin Yujin," a voice calls out from behind, startling her.

A woman stands behind her, almost blending in with the background due to her pale skin, her white gown. Her hair is silver, her eyes bear a grayish tint. She wears a silver-plated circlet with a clear quartz at its centre.

Yujin swallows her throat, her heart pounding in her ears. Will this woman gouge her heart out?

"Don't be afraid," she says, coming closer, "I'm Sowon, a White fae."

Yujin blinks up at her, lost.

The woman starts to circle around her, as she continues, "All the faes that you have encountered in the physical realm are elemental faes. White faes, however, exist in the spirit realm. We are the guardians of the spirits, guiding them as they travel between realms."

Sowon stops right in front of Yujin. She raises her arms, gesturing at the white space. "This is the Transitional State,” she states, then looks at Yujin directly in the eye. "You are a spirit."

"What?" Yujin lets out weakly, confused.

The White fae snaps her fingers and the same magic rune in the Ancient Cave is projected in the air.

"You chose to sacrifice for a halfling called Im Jaebeom," Sowon says.

Yujin nods. "But-- But why am I a spirit? Doesn’t the ritual only require a mortal love?”

Sowon stares at her for a moment, as if expecting her to continue. When Yujin doesn’t, the White fae lets out a sigh, shaking her head slightly.

"You don’t know," she realizes. She proceeds to explain, "What the ritual requires is a mortal’s heart -- a physical heart -- that possesses a pure love for the fae. Thus, you’re sacrificing your physical heart and that will render you dead."

She holds out a hand, uncurling her fingers, revealing a small cube suspended just above her palm. It looks empty, worthless. "Your entire heart will be transferred here, converting itself into an endless flow of energy -- and power."

Realization dawns on Yujin. Not only will she lose all her feelings for Jaebeom, she will have to give up her life for him. In exchange for the power that he craves for. Yujin clenches her fists. Is the restoration of Jaebeom's power really worth her life? Or should she back out now, and leave him to suffer as a powerless fae in the woods?

"How tragic," Sowon utters, shaking her head in disapproval. "It’s already a forbidden spell, yet they were so wicked to lie to you about its requirement.”

Did Jaebeom know the true requirement? Or did he keep it a secret from her too? Yujin feels a tear trickle down her cheek.

"Tell me, dear Yujin, do you wish to proceed with this sacrifice?” Sowon asks, sounding genuinely concerned as she brushes the teardrop away.

Yujin exhales deeply. What does it matter anyway? Whether the ritual requires her heart or her life, it doesn’t change the fact that at the end of the day, it’s Jaebeom who will reap the benefits. He’ll possess greater power, greater influence, and he’ll be able to take Yena as his true bride. It would no longer matter if she's dead or alive. He won't need her afterwards. He’ll proceed to live on as if nothing happened. She will just be another heart he has crushed, just another mortal that passed on.

Yujin reaches out to take the cube, but Sowon retracts her hand just a little. She has her head cocked to the side, finding it odd.

“Why?” she asks, blinking at Yujin with curious eyes.

Why? Yujin questions herself. The answer is simple: love. Despite having her heart trampled on, be used and abused, the love she harbors for the Fire fae overpowers. Yes, he may have utter sweet words and promises as a tool to manipulate her. But she was the one who let herself believe in them. She was the one who let her heart be swayed by him. She has fallen so deeply in love with him that she's willing to do anything. Even if it means giving up her life for him to be with someone else. Even if it means removing herself from the picture.

“Because I love him,” Yujin answers simply, much to Sowon’s surprise.

“Truly, your love for the fae is of the purest form,” Sowon acknowledges, with a nod.

The woman offers the cube on her palm. Yujin takes a deep breath before grasping it.

"We shall meet again, Shin Yujin," Sowon bids goodbye, disappearing into the whiteness of the place.

A moment later, Yujin feels something being ignited from deep within. Her body temperature starts to rise. Energy surges in her, coursing through her veins. Then, she feels a kind of current in her. The energy from the crown of her head to the tip of her feet flows to her chest, her heart pounding hard. There's a crack, and then, her chest is ripped open. Yujin screams in pain, her pitch high and deafening. Tears stream down her face, and despite the blurry vision, she catches a glimpse of wisps of mist -- stained a deep red -- coming out from her heart. The vapors diffuse into the cube in her hand.

When the last speck is absorbed, Yujin drops to the floor, barely able to open her eyes.

---

When Jaebeom blinks, he’s greeted by the sight of Yujin being suspended in the air. Previously, he was in the cave, standing on the magic rune that gleams after he uttered the spell. He last remembers hearing Yujin’s shrill screams. Now, in this vast space of white, there’s only the two of them. Crimson clouds shroud Yujin’s body, drifting towards an object in her hand. She doesn't notice his presence even though her eyes are wide open. Her face is contorted in pain, her back arching that he swears it could snap into two.

Just what is going on?

"Y-Yujin?" Jaebeom calls out, but receives no response at all.

He takes a step forward, coming closer to the female. He sees how Yujin's eyes are filled black in its entirety, how her skin turns pale. Nausea hits him, because beneath all that mist, her chest is split open. It’s a grotesque sight: her heart peeks through, still alive and beating albeit weakly. Strangely, there is no blood oozing out, only vapors. Observing the trail, Jaebeom realizes, to his horror, that the red mist is actually drawn out from her heart! The red fumes are actually vaporized blood!

Jaebeom rushes forward frantically, repeatedly yelling her name. He hopes her eyes would open, that she would regain consciousness. But nothing happens. So he tries to grab her wrist through the smoke. There seems to be an invisible force that cocoons her, because Jaebeom feels a spark at his fingertips before he is sent flying.

He lands on his back, hard. He groans. Still, it doesn't deter him from attempting to stop the process. Jaebeom sprints toward her, once more trying to pull her out. Again, the same force flings his body backward.

In his desperation, Jaebeom tries to come up with a different strategy. One particular method stands out in his mind, and he doesn’t waste any time. He shuts his eyes, and takes a deep breath to steady himself. He searches for Yujin’s unconscious mind. The Lover's bond that they share makes it easier for him to locate her, but he can’t seem to tap into her mind at all. It’s like he’s barred from entering it. It’s like there is a protective shield that holds him off. No matter how much he tries, he cannot break through.

Jaebeom hears a thud. He snaps his eyes open, hoping that somehow it worked. That somehow, the process is halted. But no, it’s already too late. He sees the last speck of vapor in the air, travelling to the object that was in Yujin’s hand. Her body is almost lifeless, eerily still.

The fae rushes to her side, pulling her body into his arms. Her clothing has a spatter of red at the front, the material ripped down to her ribcage. She’s breathing faintly, so Jaebeom presses his palm into the open wound, hoping it'll stop the bleeding.

"Yujin, please--" he cries out. "Respond to my voice, please--"

The female shifts slightly, her eyes slowly fluttering open just a little bit. She must have realized who he is, for she shoots him a weak smile.

"It’s all yours now," she mutters, voice raspy and weak. Her hand twitches by her side, slowly uncurling to reveal a cube. It whirs loudly, a striking red light pulsing in the grooves.

Soon after, her body starts to disintegrate into dust. Jaebeom envelops her into a tight hug, desperately trying to hold onto the remains of her body. He hopes it’ll make her stay longer. But no, there is no effect at all. Her body continues to turn into ashes.

"No! No, no, no!" Jaebeom screams out, hysterical. Tears are streaming down his face. With the last bit of time he has, he holds her just a little closer, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Goodbye, Jaebeom," is the last thing he hears before the last bit of her existence slips through his fingertips, carried away by an invisible force, then fading away.

---

Jaebeom returns to the Ancient Cave alone, kneeling on the rune. Yujin is nowhere to be seen. Just a few moments ago, he was holding her in his arms, hugging her tight.

He belatedly notices the cube on the ground, left behind by Yujin herself. With shaking hands, he picks it up. Jaebeom feels its weight on his palm despite it being small, and he feels it pulse against his skin. In the next moment, the object melts becoming liquid, before seeping into the ridges of his skin.

Jaebeom feels stronger; the power making its way to him. The veins in his hand start to glow red. He watches as the energy flows through his body, illuminating his veins as it travels. His core feels a tad warmer, and he's sure any flames he produces will be fiercer than ever before.

“Jaebeom, you did it! You got the power!” Yena rejoices, coming forward excitedly, “This calls for a celebration! You’re invincible now!””

Despite that, Jaebeom can’t comprehend what happened. Yes, he has gained the powers he desired so much, but... Yujin is now gone. He feels a void in his chest, and he just knows it cannot be patched up.

“But Yujin...” he trails off, teary-eyed. “I lost her…”

“No, Jaebeom, she gave her life for you. She was willing to do it. Don't blame yourself for the decisions she made--"

But Jaebeom can't believe it. How did it end up like this? It was a rapid turn of events, that his mind still can't process it yet. Days ago, they were so in love, so happy together. Ever since they returned from the autumn celebration hosted by the Air court, Yujin seemed a little off -- more distant, in fact. She reasoned that she wasn't feeling good, so Jaebeom left her to rest. But the next thing he knew, Han, the Earth fae servant tasked to monitor the Garden, informed him that Yujin had ventured into the area. How surprised he was to find Yujin at the fountain, fully regaining the memories that he took away.

Jaebeom couldn't help the anger he felt towards himself then. He couldn't help the regret he felt from keeping the memories. He should have destroyed the fountain when he had the chance to. He shouldn't have ordered an Earth fae to construct the Garden in order to protect the fountain. He was so reluctant to destroy Yujin’s memories because revisiting them was the only way he could experience being close to her again. It helped him live. It made him happy.

But how was he to know that Yunho actually implanted his own memories into the fountain after his death? He was so preoccupied with having the real Yujin by his side that he overlooked the fountain. Despite Yujin asking about the Garden multiple times, Jaebeom thought he could get away with it. He thought Yujin's curiosity would die down as time passed by. Oh, how foolish he was! He should have just wiped away Yujin’s memories mercilessly without keeping it in any form at all. Even so, how can he? He cherished Yujin so much, he couldn’t bear to eradicate their childhood memories.

Still, Jaebeom doesn’t have anyone but himself to blame. Seeing Yujin so determined in performing the ritual, it is enough evidence of the pain he has inflicted upon her. Just how much pain has he put her through, for her to be so willing to throw the memories they have, the love they share? Perhaps he will never know now.

Despite his reluctance, he ended up proceeding with the ritual. Yena was the one who informed him of it years ago, when Yujin was still oblivious about the faefolk. They theorized that the sacrifice is merely the emotion of love, leaving the person unscathed.

Now, it proved to be false. Jaebeom didn't expect Yujin to be put through excruciating pain. He had thought the spell required just a mortal love. He didn't understand why she had to go through such a painful process. Why did she turn into dust if all they needed was her feelings?

"-- You finally have the power you have long sought for! Why does it matter if she's alive or not? If anything, you should be grateful that she'll no longer be a distraction to our mission!"

Something about Yena's comment snaps Jaebeom from his thoughts. Something about it brings about a flare of anger in him. Impulsively, he blasts a ball of fire towards the Air fae. His flames used to be orange, but now, it possesses a beautiful blue. Out of reflex, Yena crosses her arms, projecting a protective barrier that disperses the flames.

"What are you doing?!” Yena yells, startled by Jaebeom's sudden attack.

The Fire fae ignites both his hands into flames, bringing them together before pulling them apart. A whip of fire is conjured, without any tangible rope holding the flames. Jaebeom lashes the makeshift weapon toward Yena, successfully grabbing her by the ankle. She cries out, her ankle scorched by the fire. Jaebeom yanks her towards him, and she falls to the ground. He seizes her by the neck, holding her up in the air.

“You knew?" Jaebeom bellows, fury written all over his face. "You knew the ritual would kill her?”

“Of course I knew--” the Air fae chokes out, clutching at his wrist. Her nails scratch against his skin, but he pays it no mind.

“And you hid it from me?”

“If I didn't, you wouldn’t have done it--!”

Jaebeom hurls the female to the side, her body hitting the rough rocks of the cave. He hears her whimper in pain, but he doesn't care. He stomps over, and with his foot, he kicks her body to lay flat on her back. He presses his heel on her chest, ruthless, even as her face is flushed with a deep red, her lungs constricted.

"Why?" he spits.

"J-Jaebeom, p-please--" she chokes out, trying to relieve the pressure from his foot. “I can’t breathe--”

Jaebeom removes his foot, much to the relief of the Air fae. She gasps for air.

“If I had told you, that mortal will only hamper our progress. She's nothing but a distraction to you. I did what is right, to keep you focused on our plan!”

Jaebeom stares her down. "Perhaps I would have married you if you hadn't lied to me."

Confusion passes over Yena's face. “J-Jaebeom…?” she croaks out, unsure.

"Perhaps I would have married you if I loved you more. I regard you as a sister, nothing more," he continues. “This is too late but... I have led you on for so long, only to realize that I can never love you the same way I love Yujin.”

"You can't do this to me! You can't betray me like this!" she shrieks, grabbing Jaebeom’s legs. Tears start to stream down her face. Yena is out of her wits, totally deranged. "You promised me you would-- You can't--! I have been waiting so long for you! I stayed by your side for so long! You can't do this to me-- Jaebeom, please. You can't leave me--"

Jaebeom tugs her away so that he can crouch down comfortably.

"I'm sorry, Yena, but I can't do it," he mutters. "I hope you'll stay by my side as a loyal friend."

Yena's face darkens. She rises, albeit a little wobbly on her legs. Her fists are clenched tight by her sides.

"No, no, no! No, you can’t do this to me-- What do you take me for? A fool?" she growls. "Whether you love me or not, it no longer matters. Yujin is now dead, and you have to marry me, else you can never have the army you need to conquer all the fae courts!"

Jaebeom stands on his feet. He brings up a hand, and blue flames immediately envelop his skin, up to his wrist. He turns his palm over, mesmerized by the intensity of it.

“I’m sure I can still conquer the fae courts without marrying you,” he says simply.

"If I can't have you, then no one can!" Yena spits before rapidly circling her hands. A sphere of air is created around Jaebeom's head, taking away the oxygen he needs. It’s suffocating, the air from his lungs is also drawn out.

Jaebeom struggles to think straight, but he ignites his entire body with fire. The heat prickles his skin but it's only a slight discomfort. Then, it sets off an explosion, scattering the flames in all directions. The air sphere dissipates and Jaebeom can breathe again. He catches his breath for a moment before he points his fist at Yena, set ablaze, ready to strike.

But there is a stench of burning flesh, the fire has already engulfed the Air fae. Her skin starts to peel off like strips. Puffs of heavy black smoke fill the air, her deafening screams ringing in the cave. Then, Yena drops to the ground, moving only ever slightly, before she goes completely still.

Just like that, the Princess of the Air court is dead.

---

"Shin Yujin has passed on."

The words taste bitter on Jaebeom’s tongue, its weight heavy. He is not ready to accept the fact that Yujin is gone. He desperately wishes that it's all a dream, and that he’s just waiting to wake up. But his enhanced powers are clear evidence that it’s real. That he felt Yujin’s body disintegrating in his arms, that he heard her last goodbye.

Even though he’s still in denial, the only thing he can do for Yujin is to properly send her off. He decided to hold the procession at the Garden. The fountain is now gone, its water dried when Jaebeom returned. The Earth faes in the house help to erect a tombstone to honor Yujin. Everyone mourns for her, their heads down. Yeri herself is bawling her eyes out.

Jaebeom stays still, silently gazing at the tombstone. Only when the crowd disperses did the fae let his emotions flow. The sorrow floods his entire being, and he can’t help the tears from falling. He thinks of her, recalling all the memories they created together.

Initially, he was planning on making Yujin fall for him. He wanted her to trust him entirely. But the more he spent time with her, the more sincere he was. He genuinely enjoyed her company. It was as if he was the same youth Jaebeom who didn’t frown at the world. Momentarily, Jaebeom had forgotten about his original intention. Unbeknownst to him, Yujin had planted the seed of love in his heart. It sprouted through his chest, and bloomed flowers of love.

Now, it’s all too late. He underestimated how dear Yujin is to him. In the end, it wasn’t Yujin who was foolish. It’s Jaebeom himself. Yunho was right; he was blinded by his lust for power to see what truly matters most to him.

Jaebeom senses another presence nearby. He breathes before addressing him, “Scold me if you wish. Mock me for my foolishness. I deserve it.”

He hears a deep sigh from behind. Muffled footsteps, and then a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly.

“You didn’t know,” Jinyoung responds. “Don’t blame yourself for it.”

"But I should have looked into it. I should have checked the facts for myself. Why didn’t I delve deeper?"

“That’s enough, brother,” Jinyoung placates, sliding an arm around his broad shoulders. “What’s done is done. We cannot turn back time.”

“If only I could…” the Fire fae mumbles. "What am I supposed to do now? I'm so lost. And the Air court--” He sighs. “I have incurred the wrath of the Air court.”

“First, live for her," Jinyoung says, nodding at the tombstone. "After everything, Yujin still willingly gave up her life for you, so that you can proceed with your cause. The least you can do is make sure that her sacrifice wasn’t futile. So live on for her sake."

There’s a pause.

“Next, we shall overthrow the fae courts, one by one, starting with the Air court.”

#got7 #got7 scenarios #got7 jaebeom #got7 im jaebeom #got7 jaebeom scenarios #got7 im jaebeom scenarios #jaebeom #im jaebeom #im jaebeom scenarios #jaebeom scenarios #got7 jaebum #got7 im jaebum #got7 jaebum scenarios #got7 im jaebum scenarios #jaebum #got7 writing #got7 fanfic #got7 imagines

24 notes · View notes

thebibliomancer · 3 years

Text

Essential Avengers: Avengers #248: “To Save the ETERNALS!”

October, 1984

Scarlet Witch: “It’s raining ETERNALS!”

Hallelujah?

This is a pretty striking cover. The white background is what sells it. Having an actual background would busify the cover too much.

So last times on Avengers: Bored after giving the chairman role to Vision, Wasp takes Starfox’s invitation to crash a party hosted by Sersi, a truant Eternal. Some other Eternals come to fetch Sersi for a Big, Important Eternal Thing and Wasp and Starfox end up getting dragged along when they try to stop the kidnapping.

After Sersi and Ikaris recap the Eternals’ ENTIRE HISTORY, Starfox realizes hey he’s an Eternal too! So he gets invited to the big, important Eternal Thing. Which is turning into a giant flying brain. As ya do.

But jerk fiend and eventual Great Lakes Avengers punchline Maelstrom takes advantage of all the Eternals being a giant brain and attacks, knocking out spectating Avengers Wasp and Captain Monica Marvel.

So thats a lot.

Vision and Scarlet Witch arrive in Greece after seeing Maelstrom on the video phone.

While Vision flies off in a big hurry, Scarlet Witch goes back into the Quinjet for some good exposition.

She continues to be worried about how Vision has been acting lately. Because after seeing Maelstrom, Vision barely said a word during the flight to Greece and kept pushing the engines until Wanda was afraid they’d blow up. But since he just took off and she can’t fly, she calls up what files the Avengers have on Maelstrom.

Which is Benn Grimm, the Thing, reporting on Marvel Two-in-One #72, where he teamed up with Black Bolt to fight Maelstrom who claimed to be the son of a renegade Inhuman. In the end, the Thing tossed a tube of anti-terrigen gas in his face and then Maelstrom appeared to die in an underwater cave-in.

Vision returns from his reconnaissance and does Wanda a startle so she finally unloads on him for how he’s been acting.

Scarlet Witch: “You don’t seem to be thinking at all these days! We haven’t had a real conversation since you became Avengers chairman! Half of our trip to Washington was taken up by a private meeting you had with the president! Afterwards, you didn’t even have the decency to tell me what you talked about! I had to hear from a reported that you’d discussed making the Avengers chairmanship a cabinet level post! We used to be so open with one another! What is happening to us? What is the matter? Is it me?”

Vision says ‘its not you, its me’ although in the context of him being at fault and not breaking up with her.

But he promises to do better and that she’s important to him.

Which would be heart-warming and romantic if he wasn’t making this face over her shoulder.

Why.

Anyway, with uh whatever that is handled, Vision reports what he found on his scouting nyoom.

He found the Eternal city on the side of Mount Olympus because of course its there.

Although. Wait. Where do the Olympians live? Are they neighbors? Do the Olympians live in another dimension or something? I vaguely remember something like that.

And Vision found Maelstrom who’s wearing a silly techno-harness connected to a big machine and has Captain Marvel and Wasp chained up at his feet.

You have problems, Maelstrom.

Not least of which is that his big scheme is to absorb the giant brain to make himself more powerful.

He blabs his plan to the Wasp who woke up when she sensed the opportunity to sass.

Wasp: “You seem awfully sure of yourself, Maelstrom.”

Maelstrom: “Ah, the Wasp! Back among the conscious, I see! Yes, I am quite confident... Supremely confident, you might say.”

Wasp: “But not so confident that you felt you could keep us here untied!”

Maelstrom: “If you are trying to shame me, it will not work. I am quite without shame!”

Curses, he’s immune to petty ego games.

Wasp also assumes he’s an Eternal which he’s quick to correct. No, see, his mom was a Deviant. And I guess his dad was an Inhuman, based on the Thing’s report on him. But its not like he wants revenge for all the Deviants being compressed into a giant cube.

After all, the Deviants killed his mom and raised Maelstrom in their slave pits.

In fact, after Maelstrom absorbs the giant brain, his next plan is to release the Deviants from the giant Deviant cube one by one and then do harm to them.

But, yeah, no. He does look like an Eternal. Easy mistake to make. The Eternals have been making that mistake as Maelstrom has just been hanging around for days with all the Eternals assuming he’s just some Eternal.

He’s actually maybe a little bit regretful that he has to kill them all to absorb the giant brain since the Eternals have actually been nice to him?

Maelstrom: “But power belongs to those who are willing to seize it!”

Interesting guy, Maelstrom.

He starts absorbing the Uni-Mind and totally spaces out doing that. But unfortunately, Wasp is in no position to capitalize on it because he put some leech manacles on her which are preventing her from shrinking. And Captain Marvel is completely out cold.

But Vision sneaks up intangible through the ground as he do like to do and intangibles his fingers into Maelstrom’s harness, shorting it out.

The energy discharge knocks Vision on his ass unconscious but Maelstrom just has to take a knee.

He yells up at an ominous figure standing up on a tower for not telling him that Vision was sneakign up on him. Maelstrom obviously thinks that this Deathurge is his minion but Deathurge has differing opinions.

Deathurge: For so long have I been with Maelstrom, yet still he does not understand! Still he thinks of me as his lackey! When will he learn... it is a darker power I truly serve!

Kinda wonder why he’s here. He doesn’t seem to be helping Maelstrom’s great brain heist and mostly just seems to... stand on a tower and look ominous.

But while Maelstrom was distracted yelling at a guy, the Uni-Mind breaks free of Maelstrom’s siphon and then explodes into a bunch of Eternals again.

Because it would be very improbable if that happened.

Your plan scheme just got Wanda’d, Maelstrom.

Huh. When I saw the cover, I wouldn’t have guessed that Wanda is the reason why its raining Eternals, hallelujah.

Goes to shows.

But since it was very improbable indeed that the Uni-Mind would explode into peoples, Wanda is wiped out.

Captain Marvel starts waking up and Wasp orders her to bust the chains, don’t even think about just go go go.

And Monica Marvel CHOOOMs the leech manacles.

It’s probably a testament to her power that she can bust right through the power dampening handcuffs but Maelstrom immediately hits her with some pink with kirby krackle which apparently is an energy field for sapping strength and down goes Captain Marvel again.

>=|

Wasp dodges the pink energy and gets out of the way so Vision can shoot his forehead laser at Maelstrom.

I sometimes forget he has that thing.

Vision: “Yes, Maelstrom, I have found your weakness! you are vulnerable to energy that is not purely kinetic! That is why you required the power siphon to absorb the psionic energy of the Uni-Mind!”

Maelstrom insists that he’ll still kick Vision’s ass except we’ll never know if he was talking out his ass or not.

Starfox wakes up from being a giant brain and decides to go punch the bad guy.

Except except except.

Punches is kinetic energy. Fool that he is, Starfox just recharged Maelstrom.

Starfox: “I am Eros, called the Starfox... son of Mentor! The blood of the Eternals flows in my veins... and I am an Avenger! Thus I have the greatest stake in seeing you fall!”

Maelstrom: “No doubt! But you’ll not accomplish it this way!”

And then suddenly giant Maelstrom just picks up Starfox and hurls him at Vision who is forced to super-dense catch Starfox instead of intangible out of the way and let the idiot hit a wall head first.

Hm. Guy absorbs kinetic energy and gets beefier? So he’s like a less stylish Sebastian Shaw?

That’s not a flattering comparison for you, Maelstrom.

Makarri, Thena, and Ikaris of the Eternals wake up and also try to jump on and pummel Maelstrom.

... God, its like they weren’t even paying attention.

Good thing they’re immortal because they have no survival instinct among them.

Maelstrom throws them off and then whips out the pink bio-kinetic energy again, using it to crowd control the Eternals.

Then he announces that yeah, sure, the brain thing was foiled. But he absorbed enough information while he was draining the Uni-Mind that he has an even cooler plan for even greater power now.

So his new plan is to just leave. And go do something else.

‘Walk away with no further conflict you say? Nuts to that!’ - Scarlet Witch, presumably.

In fairness. This isn’t really a no harm, no foul situation.

I wouldn’t give Maelstrom over to the Eternals to add to the Deviant cube but he’s just going to do more asshole things if he walks away.

Starfox wants to go over and start punching Maelstrom again because. I DUNNO! The man is supposed to be smarter than this!

Vision stops him and tells him that instead he’ll need to use his pleasure power on Vision’s mark.

Starfox is startled that Vision knows about his secret weirdo power but this isn’t the time for a conversation.

Instead its time for microwaves.

Vision signals Captain Marvel to do her thing and she flies at Maelstrom, turning into infrared and microwave radiation, toasting Maelstrom up.

Then Wasp pew pews with her pew pew, while staying ten feet away so he can’t absorb any kinetic energy. That’s apparently why her stings sucked when she tried shooting him before. She got too close.

Well, her stings are bio-electrical so him absorbing her bio-kinetic energy would probably weaken them? Probably?

Maelstrom actually panics a little because the Avengers aren’t being dumb. They’re pelting him with energy attacks from a distance, wearing him down and not giving him a chance to build up his energy stores again.

I’m proud of you, guys. I knew you could fight smart if you put your minds to it.

Then with Maelstrom weakened, Starfox tries to use his PLEASURE BEAMS and tells him that actually we’re all friends here, won’t you be our friend?

Starfox: “The others will tell you I’m not one to hold a grudge! Besides, you really don’t want to hurt anyone! You’ll be much happier giving yourself up!”

Maelstrom: “Giving... up? Y-yes, that does sound nice. I... No!! What are you doing to me?!?”

So since Maelstrom succeeds his will save against the persuasion check, or something, Scarlet Witch just casts a spell of ‘on your knees, asshole’ and makes Maelstrom fall to his knees.

Realizing that he might actually be defeated, in the city of his mother’s enemies no less!, Maelstrom calls out for Deathurge to attend him.

Deathurge: “At last, the call I have longed for!”

Hmmmm. Maybe Maelstrom should have been more specific.

I admit that its very possible that this is exactly what Maelstrom wanted Deathurge hanging around for. But having a guy standing by to kill you so you don’t have to tally an L sure is an interesting way of going about things.

Also, the narration says spear but Deathurge’s weapon is clearly a very anime scythe. A dude in Bleach had two of this exact weapon.

Captain Marvel, as the nyoomiest of the Avengers, flies at Deathurge as the “spear” returns to his hand. He tries to hit her with the “spear” but it goes right through her and then she goes right through him when she tries to tackle him.

Since they can both be intangible, Deathurge declares this a stalemate and drops down into the ground. Captain Marvel tries to follow as x-rays but loses the ominous weirdo.

So that was a thing that happened.

Maelstrom sure folded like nothing once people who knew how his powers work actually started fighting back.

And I can’t even ding him for explaining his powers because he didn’t. Vision just did his research.

Anyway, even though the Uni-Mind ritual was interrupted, the Eternals still learned what they should be doing. Since the Eternals have grown stagnant on Earth, THEY’RE GOING TO SPAAAAACE!

Most of them anyway.

Ikaris, Sersi, Thena, Valkin... Lets just say the main Eternals are going to stay on Earth.

The Eternals chosen to go out into space form a Uni-Mind again, grabs the Deviant cube, hurls it out of the solar system, and then takes off into space.

“So does the Uni-Mind, in all its wisdom, protect its native world from the Deviant menace.”

Eeeesh.

I thought squeezing them all into a cube was bad enough, now you’re sending them into space forever? You couldn’t find a planet where they can’t hurt anyone and just dunk them there?

Back down on Earth, the Avengers and Eternals watch a giant brain fly into space.

Wasp: “To think, this all started with Starfox and me crashing Sersi’s party! I certainly never expected to be in Greece at day’s end, watching the Eternals leave Earth!”

Really makes you think. That its a good thing that most Avengers’ day job is being an Avenger.

Captain Marvel asks Starfox if he’s sorry that he didn’t go with the giant brain and he says participating in one Uni-Mind thing was an incredible experience that he wouldn’t have missed but he’s a free spirit and there’s a bunch of stuff he still wants to do on Earth.

Which Sersi certainly agrees with.

The Avengers offer her a lift back home and she has perhaps the greatest of attitudes about everything that went down.

Sersi: “I hope my friends in the city have kept the party going! If they haven’t... well, we’ll just have to start one of our own!”

That’s the spirit!

But meanwhile, halfway around the world in a secret underground lair, Deathurge pops out of the floor.

Villains are villainous and all but you can’t beat the class of “secret underground lair.” Step up, heroes.

Deathurge struts over to some tubes and goes Everything Has Transpired According to Plan.

Because inside one of the tubes (or maybe all of the tubes??) is a fresh new Maelstrom body!

Deathurge: If all goes as you have planned, you shall soon awaken within this newly prepared body, ready to live again. And, as ever, I will stand by... ready to attend... Until all your lives have been lived!

Well!

No wonder Maelstrom has a dude standing by to pop him. He’s got extra lives!

Anyway, that was the unexpected Eternals three-parter nobody called for. But Avengers is the place to go to tie up loose ends from other books and concepts.

Avengers’ll accommodate you, they have room in their hearts and publishing schedule.

Follow @essential-avengers because there’s more Maelstrom coming! Wait, is that anything people want? There’s also Hercules! I know people like Hercules! He gives the best hugs! Also like and reblog if you like to reblog.

#avengers #Maelstrom #Deathurge #Eternals #Starfox #the Vision #Scarlet Witch #captain marvel #Monica Rambeau #the Wasp #essential avengers #essential marvel liveblogging #just another one of those days for the avengers #the eternals have a really galaxy brain idea

19 notes · View notes

hellowkatey · 3 years

Text

Febuwhump Day 1

Prompt: Mind Control @febuwhump

read on ao3

A Magnet for Trouble

"This," Anakin kicks at a ball of dust, causing the particles to go flying everywhere. "blows,"

His Master coughs, and Anakin looks up to see he has kicked the dust directly into the face of Obi-Wan. He supposes he earned the disapproving scowl this time.

"Not every mission is going to be exciting, Padawan. Sometimes we receive tasks that are a little more on the mundane side."

Anakin examines his Master's face as he continues to brush dust out of his bearded face. Though he has the typical Obi-Wan Kenobi stoicism, Anakin has known him long enough to see that he too isn't exactly pleased about their task.

Some random Outer Rim planet claimed to have found some ancient Jedi artifact, so the council sent them to go fetch it. Literally, anyone could have done this, but they decided to send a Jedi knight? Master Nu would probably love this kind of thing, but Master Obi-Wan wouldn't let him suggest that to Master Windu.

So now they're searching through this dusty old house that smells like bantha poodoo and mildew because the local officials were too afraid to touch it. Apparently even too scared to get close enough to the artifact to get a decent holo. From the dark image, it looked like a deactivated Holocron, so Anakin isn't sure what all the fuss it about.

"Why would the Jedi leave something valuable in this kind of place?" he asks, crinkling his nose at a pile of something in the corner that seems to be a source of the horrible smell.

"This house is old, Anakin. I suspect long ago it was quite elegant and beautiful. During the Great Peace, Jedi Masters often opted to retire in their home worlds or places they liked. It is entirely possible this was the residence of a Jedi Master."

"I thought Jedi didn't like material things, though. This place is huge!" They'd spent the last hour or two making their way carefully through the three-story winding home.

Obi-Wan chuckles. "We are taught not to keep material things, but that does not mean some Jedi don't like them anyway. I'm sure you and that desk of projects you have can relate."

"Those are practical, Master."

"A bolt slingshot is practical?"

Anakin looks away from the wry gaze of his Master. He may or may not have broken a mug or two with that slingshot, but it was a prototype.

They go into the next room. It's the largest bedroom by far, with a canopied bed and large heavy furniture in various places. White sheets haphazardly cover the tables and paintings.

"Surprise, surprise. Another dusty bedroom." Anakin sighs, tugging down one of the sheets to look at the painting. In the dark, it is difficult to see, but he can tell it's a portrait of a woman.

"This is the main bedroom. Perhaps our artifact is somewhere in here."

"You'd think they'd tell us where they found it."

"I suspect they forgot which room it was."

Understandable, I suppose. There are literally over twenty different bedrooms that all look similar. While Master Obi-Wan looks through the drawers of the bedroom, Anakin continues to take interest in the painting. He pulls his lightsaber out, igniting it to get a better source of light.

"What are you doing?" Obi-Wan asks, his back still turned to him.

"Need more light." He waves the lightsaber close enough to the painting to see the face of the woman. Intense golden eyes stare back at him, almost like they are locking him into a gaze. He is entranced by her dark shiny curls that cascade down her shoulders and seem to fade into the elegant dark robes she is wearing. His eyes settle at the necklace that hangs from her neck, its dark metal forming a teardrop shape with a red gem in the center.

The woman is beautiful. Scarily beautiful. Were her eyes brown she might look a little bit like Padmé, or at least how Anakin remembers her. It's been nearly eight years since he's seen her, and he misses her sweet smile dearly.

"Anakin, what have I told you about gawking?" Obi-Wan teases, tugging at his padawan braid as he passes.

"I'm not-- oh nevermind," he groans, pulling his braid back in front of his shoulder.

"I'll check the closet, keep looking here."

"Yes, Master." He lowers his saber, about to turn it off when something catches his eye. The glow of his saber shows a space at the base of the wall. Anakin crouches down, placing his hand at the baseboard, and indeed feels a bit of a draft coming from underneath.

Interesting. He puts his saber away and stands, running his hands along the sides of the painting. To his excitement, he finds a seam in the wall, hidden well by the frame. He grins and reaches out with the Force. If this is the home of a Jedi, they undoubtedly would have a secret door that is Force activated! Maybe I can figure out how to put this in my room...

The section of the wall shutters and then slides backward, revealing a darkened room.

"Oh wizard," Anakin mutters to himself, pulling his saber out. He is about to walk into the room when he turns, looking to see if Obi-Wan is anywhere near. He probably should tell his master what he found, but maybe checking it out first would be a good idea. He would hate to take him away from his search for a dead-end...

He will call for him if he finds something. If this is where the artifact is, then he can say he found it all by himself!

Anakin steps into the room, using his lightsaber to light his path. It is larger than he expected, just a desk in the far corner and a bookshelf that is now empty and covered in cobwebs. He walks right up to the desk, giddiness running through him as he spots a cube in the center of the table. He picks it up, turning it around in his hands to examine it.

The holo they gave was dark, but this seems to be the artifact! It is a dark metalloid material with markings that do look like a Holocron, but it doesn't glow blue as the ones he has seen. In fact... it doesn't seem to be a Holocron at all. If it is a Jedi thing, maybe it too responds to the Force? He closes his eyes, trying to get some sort of signature from the object, but it is like it is just out of reach for him.

Strange. He decides to show Obi-Wan and walks out of the secret room. In the light of the main room, now Anakin can see there is a latch. Oh duh, it's a box!

"Hey Master, come look at this," he calls, as he undoes the latch.

"One moment, Anakin."

With the latch open, Anakin tugs at both ends, and the cube opens at the center, sending something from within rattling out and onto the floor under the bed. He cringes, hoping he didn't break whatever it is. He crouches down, feeling around the dusty floor until his hands lie on something cool and metalloid. He draws it out, his eyes widening when he realizes it's a necklace.

The necklace from the portrait. Its teardrop design is smooth in his hand as he examines it. Somehow, as old as it must be, it isn't tarnished.

Skywalker.

He looks over his shoulder, but there is no one there. Anakin could have sworn he heard his...

Skywalker, come to me.

He looks the other way. The voice is quiet, indistinguishable of gender though it is definitely speaking basic. When it whispers his name once more he looks down at the necklace, suddenly realizing that the voice is not coming from around him, but from it.

He flips it over, revealing the beautiful red stone. It shimmers as though it is its own light source, entrancing Anakin in its kaleidoscope of colors. He runs his thumb from the side of the necklace to the stone to feel the smooth-looking gem.

The moment he touches it, he is struck with an icy chill that runs from his fingertips down to his toes. Terror fills the Jedi Padawan, and he staggers backward, his mind telling him to drop it but his body not listening. He clenches the necklace in his freezing hands, and the world around him tunnels.

Obi-Wan is going to be so mad at me...

And then there is only darkness.

_______

A clatter and a thump resonate from the other room. Obi-Wan sighs. What has he done this time? He found nothing in the closet so he heads back to see what his padawan has gotten into this time. While he had hoped Anakin would outgrow his propensity to attract trouble, it seems the sixteen-year-old is still well endowed in finding mayhem.

"Anakin, if you managed to break something--" he trails off as a chill runs up his spine. A warning in the Force. Obi-Wan puts a hand on his lightsaber and reaches out through their bond.

On the other end, he feels nothing but static.

"Anakin!" he calls, now running into the bedroom. He skids to a stop at the sight of one of the walls caved in, an open box lying on the floor, and Anakin's body slumped to the side. Though he still senses danger, he doesn't see anything that could be causing it. He drops to his knees beside his padawan, rolling him so his head lies atop Obi-Wan's legs. He lays a hand on Anakin's cheek and pulls away in horror at how cold he is. "Anakin, wake up!" he orders, shaking him firmly.

Obi-Wan gets a sudden feeling like he's been here before. For a split second, his teenage padawan becomes his graying Master lying motionless in his arms on Naboo. Panic grips him, and he grits his teeth and squeezes his eyes shut. As quickly as he sees it, it is gone.

Freezing fingers enclose around his wrist and Obi-Wan's eyes snap open to see Anakin staring back at him, but there is something off about him. He opens his mouth to say something, but before he has time to process what is happening his body is being flung across the room with tremendous force. His back slams into the wall and he sags to the ground, vision spotting with black dots.

Anakin stands now with his lightsaber in hand, and Obi-Wan realizes what is wrong with his padawan is that his bright blue eyes now shine a dusty gold.

"Padawan," Obi-Wan says carefully as he pulls himself to his feet. He doesn't dare reach for his own lightsaber. "What happened?"

"I am no padawan," he says back, his ashen face devoid of any emotion. Though it is Anakin's voice it isn't Anakin. Obi-Wan has never heard him speak in such an inflection.

"Then do tell me who I am speaking to."

"Anakin Skywalker."

Obi-Wan shakes his head. "I'm afraid not."

"I am Anakin Skywalker, and you, Obi-Wan Kenobi, will die by my hand."

Anakin raises his saber, not in his usual starting position but in Form II-- Count Dooku's preferred form for its elegance and dueling superiority. Anakin has never once taken interest in the fluidity and discipline it takes to learn Makashi.

Obi-Wan still doesn't grab for his own weapon. Anakin lets out a guttural yelp and darts forward, jabbing his lightsaber aggressively. Obi-Wan twists out of the way much to the displeasure of whatever is controlling Anakin.

"Draw your weapon, coward," he hisses.

"What have you done to him?"

Anakin's face twists into a sinister smile that Obi-Wan has a feeling will likely give him nightmares in the weeks to come. "He is my vessel. A strong one, at that, for an apprentice. I have inserted my Life Force into him, and now we are one."

The boy lunges at him again, and Obi-Wan is able to evade him once again, but this time his shoulder is grazed by the tip of the lightsaber. He bites his lip at the red-hot pain igniting his upper body but swallows it back.

"So what is the plan then? What is your purpose?"

"Does there need be a purpose besides the chance to walk the galaxy once again?"

He stares at the boy, recognizing the tell-tale shadowing of him about to strike once again. If whatever is occupying his padawan is telling the truth, then Obi-Wan knows what he must do. He finally draws his lightsaber grimly, raising it above his head parallel to the floor in the opening move of Soresu. He points in Anakin's direction.

"You will not take over the soul of a boy for your selfish purposes," he says, and then Anakin's saber is crashing against his.

Obi-Wan has sparred with Anakin so many times throughout their training. The boy is a natural with a lightsaber, and one of the best padawan fighters among his age mates. He is quick and decisive, pouring every ounce of his endless supply of energy into each brutal strike. Even with another controlling his mind, his body still moves like Anakin. Thankfully, this is a feat Obi-Wan can easily accomplish. He blocks every strike, knowing exactly what he is planning before Anakin even knows it. Every one of his jabs is met with Obi-Wan's lightsaber waiting patiently for him to catch up. With every crackle of their blades striking another, he can see the fire in Anakin's eyes grow. His golden eyes are not unlike the piercing yellow of Darth Maul, filled with hatred and anger.

Through his anger and fatigue and many minutes of combat, Anakin becomes more and more sloppy. Obi-Wan takes this opportunity to lash out with a rapid kick to the center of his chest. He goes staggering backward in surprise, and Obi-Wan is quick to sweep his legs and cause him to go tumbling to the ground.

"I see you are not used to the awkward body of a teenager," Obi-Wan says, kicking the lightsaber out of Anakin's hand and using the Force to pin him to the ground. He thrashes against the hold, but Obi-Wan is tapping deep into his Force abilities to hold him still. He can already feel the tremendous headache blossoming in his temples.

"You know you will have to kill him to stop me," The thing says lowly. "There is no other way."

"No," Obi-Wan shakes his head. "There is always another way."

"The boy is kin to the darkness. It wraps around him and he accepts it with open arms," he grins. "Anakin Skywalker is a natural in the dark side, and so you must kill him to free him."

Obi-Wan kneels down beside the restrained boy, placing a hand on his forehead despite his attempts to pull away. He looks Anakin-who-is-not-really-Anakin in the eyes, reaching out once again through their bond.

Anakin. He calls against the distant sliver of his padawan's Force presence. Come back to me, my padawan. You are stronger than it is. Fight against it. Take hold of the light.

A girthy cackle. "You think the boy can fight me? A Master of the ancient Sith arts?"

Obi-Wan smiles. Through their bond, he hears the quiet voice of his padawan. Distant, but determined.

"And you think you can silence my padawan? I assure you, I have tried. Many times."

The darkness that taints the Force suddenly begins to flicker, and the Sith's prideful face flickers with sudden worry. "This is-- this is impossible," it says.

Master! Obi-Wan hears Anakin saying with great distress, and he lays his hands on either of his cheeks.

Anakin I am here! I am with you, keep trying! Obi-Wan is growing wearier and wearier by the moment trying to keep Anakin still.

"I will not be bested!" the Sith grunts and Obi-Wan is thrown back. He manages to stay on his feet, but his hold finally slips. The bedroom erupts in a whirlwind of raw power. Loose objects and a cloud of dust fly around at terminal velocity. Obi-Wan squints through the dust storm and sees Anakin now on his feet, his saber back in his hand and ignited in front of him. His eyes stare wildly at the blade as he rotates it in his hand before looking back up at Obi-Wan with a sinister look. "Not by you, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and certainly not by a padawan."

Obi-Wan's eyes widen, "No!" he yells, lunging forward as Anakin's wrist turns to point the tip of his blade toward his own heart. Naboo flashes before him once again, and Obi-Wan is filled with a burst of energy from the Force.

He will not watch the Sith take another from him.

Obi-Wan flips through the air and manages to jam his blade between Anakin and his own lightsaber, deflecting it away from his chest and smashing his wrist in the wall. Anakin's cry of pain rings out as his shoulder dislocates from the force Obi-Wan uses. It makes him feel like his heart is tearing in two, but a dislocated shoulder is worlds better than a lightsaber through the heart. Anakin's lightsaber drops and Obi-Wan summons it to his hand with the Force. Now he is restrained once again, this time physically rather than through the Force. He can feel the heave of his padawan's chest, and the feral thrashing of his body.

Obi-Wan blankets himself with the Force, allowing it to take control of his strength. He reaches through their bond once more, pushing past the barriers the Sith had placed. To his relief, he finds Anakin's Force presence shining brightly, just lost.

I am here, padawan. Come back to me.

__________

Anakin opens his eyes and immediately closes them. His head hurts.

As his grogginess begins to clear, a few questions prod at him. Why does my head hurt? Why am I on the floor? Where is Obi-Wan?

An exacerbated exhale beside him makes him realize maybe the answer to his last question is easily answered. Anakin rolls to his side, squinting through the pounding headache at his temples. Obi-Wan lies on his back next to him, head flopped to the side so Anakin can clearly see his face. Shock pangs through him and he ignores the pain and makes himself sit up.

Bad idea. His shoulder now erupts in shooting pain, and he looks down to see it is not in the correct position. He blinks back some tears that have formed and tries to focus on his master.

Blood drips down from Obi-Wan's nose, coloring the mustache of his beard a dark crimson. He spots a char mark across his left shoulder-- from a lightsaber?-- and dark circles so dark they look like two black eyes..

"Master!" Anakin yells, grabbing him by the lapels of his robes.

He doesn't remember what happened. How they ended up unconscious in the bedroom-- which looks war-torn with kicked up dust and broken objects. A glint of metalloid catches his eye and he picks up his own lightsaber that lies in Obi-Wan's other hand. His stomach drops. What could make Obi-Wan need to dual-wield? He isn't sure he's ever actually seen Obi-Wan fight with two sabers.

Anakin reaches out through their training bond, and his master winces in his sleep. He immediately withdraws, eyes wide. Their bond is strained. Obi-Wan's shields are simultaneously locked tight and clearly on the brink of collapse. Force exhaustion.

His master isn't the only one suffering from it, either. Anakin slumps himself forward to lay on Obi-Wan's chest, careful of his dislocated shoulder. He matches his master's even breaths to calm himself down and ease his own pain. He is nearly falling asleep when he feels movement below him and fingers carefully rifle through his hair.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan says stiffly. "Why are you on top of me?"

He perks up, turning around with glee at the sound of his Master's voice.

"Have a nice nap, Master?" he says, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Obi-Wan slowly pushes himself to a sitting position. He leans his head back against the wall. "Oh, a lovely one," he says dryly. Then his expression shifts to worry. "What do you remember, Anakin?"

Question of the year. "I remember finding the secret room. And opening a box that had a necklace in it. And then... I woke up here."

"Nothing else?"

He takes a slow, deep breath. "I kind of remember hearing you telling me to come back, or something," his eyes flicker up to meet Master Obi-Wan's. "Did I pass out? Were we attacked?"

The Jedi Knight stares at him for a long moment-- so long it begins to feel uncomfortable. Anakin can tell he is not saying something important, or at least debating whether or not to actually say it.

"It seems your snooping got you into trouble again, my padawan. That necklace... held the Force presence of an ancient Sith who managed to... control you for a small while. I suspect the request was forged to lure Jedi here."

Anakin blinks with confusion. He looks at the lightsaber mark on Obi-Wan's shoulder and the pieces start to fall together.

"We fought... I did this... and I hurt you," he says, shame filling him.

"To be fair," Obi-Wan shrugs. "I accidentally injured your shoulder so don't feel bad about something you didn't consciously do."

Still, Anakin bows his head and stares at the floor. He messed up and got them both hurt in the process. Probably lost the artifact as well. When will I stop being such a screw-up?

A finger taps at his chin, and Anakin looks up to see Obi-Wan looking at him with a comforting gaze. There is no anger or disappointment in his face or the Force that flows between them. "This was not your fault, Anakin. In fact, you did amazingly. You were the one who stopped the Sith, forced it from your body and sent it back into the Force where it cannot hurt anyone anymore. You were brave and strong and didn't give up."

Anakin smiles, the negative feelings melting away easily now. Obi-Wan slowly pulls himself to his feet and reaches his hand out to help Anakin up as well.

"Come, padawan. I've had quite enough of this mission."

They begin to stagger toward the door. Anakin looks over at the painting and feels his heart skip a beat. The woman is gone now, leaving only the simple background on the canvas. In the back of his mind, he can hear her now. Feel the darkness surround you, Skywalker. Embrace it. Use it. Fuel your power and extinguish the light.

But more clearly, he can hear Obi-Wan. You are stronger than it is. Fight against it. Take hold of the light.

Their commands echo through his mind, the Sith one becoming quieter and quieter until it is gone completely. Relief finally washes through him as the darkness fades away.

They walk back through the dusty halls, slowly and leaning on one another. Anakin remembers their conversation as they walked these corridors earlier and smiles.

"I suppose this wasn't a boring mission after all,"

Obi-Wan sighs. "I should really stop wishing for mundane missions. There seems to be no such thing. We could be farming and you would find a way to attract trouble."

#febuwhump #febuwhump 2021 #febuwhumpday1 #star wars #obi-wan kenobi #anakin skywalker

31 notes · View notes

aiweirdness · 5 years

Text

Dungeon crawling or lucid dreaming?

I’ve done several experiments with a text-generating neural network called GPT-2. Trained at great expense by OpenAI (to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars worth of computing power), GPT-2 learned to imitate all kinds of text from the internet. I’ve interacted with the basic model, discovering its abilities to generate fan fiction, British snacks, or tea. I’ve also used a tool called gpt-2-simple that Max Woolf developed to make it easy to finetune GPT-2 on more specialized datasets - I’ve tried it on datasets like recipes or crochet. One of my favorite applications of GPT-2 and other text-generating neural nets is Dungeons and Dragons spells, creatures, character names, and character bios.

Recently Max published a tutorial on how to use GPT-2 to make new apps that are more complicated than just printing out large reams of text. To my delight, people have used them to made D&D games. First, there was Nick Walton’s AI Dungeon, in which a finetuned GPT-2 generates a story and three very strange action options at each step.

My latest obsession is GPT-2 Adventure, designed by a cognitive neuroscience student named Nathan, which lets you type in your own actions. And folks, this game is SO WEIRD and SO FUN.

YOU FLOAT IN SPACE, LIKE A BALLOON, AND AS YOU DROP THE CUBE, THE X, IT VANISHES IN A CLOUD OF GREASY BLACK SMOKE

When I first launch the game, this is what I’m greeted with, a simple text prompt reminiscent of nostalgic dungeon crawling games. It sets the scene. It waits for me to describe my next move.

Even getting to this point is like a blast from the past. The game runs in a Google Colab notebook, a format where you’re looking at cells of code, with cryptic comments, vaguely alarming warning messages, and all. It’s not a sleek web app, but feels more akin to playing a game on an old DOS machine, or maybe on a graphing calculator. There are only two clicks to begin playing, but there’s a good two-minute wait while the game loads.

And it’s my turn to type something.

>> look up

It takes several seconds for the game to respond, as if I’m playing it on a very ancient computer. The computer is in fact a state-of-the-art NVIDIA GPU, likely a K80 or a T4. The T4 could eat my laptop for lunch. I’m just playing with a very very large neural net. Finally it answers.

YOU'RE IN LABYRINTH OF TWISTY LITTLE PASSAGES, ALL ALIKE

Almost immediately, the context seems to have changed. I’m not floating at all. I’m in a maze. I guess I’ll walk somewhere.

>> walk north

THE TROLL STEPS OUT FROM BENEATH THE BRIDGE AND BLOCKS YOUR WAY

YOU ARE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CHASM

A NOD IS GIVEN TO THE INFINITE WONDER THAT IS URBZIG

A SOLID RAINBOW SPANS THE CHASM

And suddenly things are happening. There is a troll. There is a chasm. There is a rainbow. There is… Urbzig? I play it safe.

>> praise urbzig

URBZIG IS THE PATRON SAINT OF ZORK

HE IS THE GODFATHER OF ZORK, THE PLACE TO GET NEWS OF EPIC PROPORTIONS

URBZIG IS A STRONGMAN,遊 ALL

If you’ve played classic dungeon crawling games like Zork, you may recognize some of these names and phrases. Checking Nathan’s original post, I see that the training data is indeed drawn from these games. But because it’s based on GPT-2, the training data also in some sense also includes much of the internet. This gives it a lot of latent flexibility to deal with situations that were never in the classic games.

>> ask Harry Potter to try walking across the rainbow

ASK HARRY POTTER TO TRY WALKING ACROSS THE RAINBOW HE CAN'T THE RAINBOW IS EXTREMELY WIDE ABOVE YOU IS A LARGE DOME UP AROUND ITS NECK IS A STRONGG PORE [UNFORTUNATELY, THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL IS A LOT MORE INTERESTING THAN YOU THINK ][YOU ARE IN A LARGE ROOM, WITH A PASSAGE TO THE EAST, A PASSAGE TO THE WEST, AND A WALL OF BROKEN ROCK TO THE SOUTH

An interesting effect of its human-written training data is that, like Visual Chatbot, it isn’t prepared for humans that ask questions about objects that aren’t there. If I refer to Harry Potter, then Harry Potter must be present. If I type something about a giraffe, then it assumes the giraffe must be present.

>> ask the giraffe which direction to go next

THE GIRAFFE IS ALREADY OUTFITTED WITH A VISOR WHICH IS CLEARLY DEFINED

Although it’s not clear that this AI actually understands what a giraffe is.

>> look at the giraffes

THE GAZEBO HAS DISAPPEARED

>> put giraffe in backpack

DONE

Navigating this world is like navigating in a dream. My location suddenly changes without warning. I thought I was by a chasm with a rainbow bridge. Now apparently I’m in a building. Dreamlike, it is also really hard to read text.

>> look around

YOU ARE IN A LARGE ROOM, WITH A PASSAGE TO THE SOUTH, A PASSAGE TO THE EAST, AND A WALL OF BROKEN ROCK TO THE NORTH A SIGN POSTED ABOVE THE NORTH WALL READS, "STOP! PAY TROLL!" A SMALL WINDOW CAN BE SEEN IN EITHER WALL

>> read sign

THE SIGN IS VERY SIMPLE

>> yes but read sign

WE NOW HAVE ALL FIFTEEN TREASURES IT IS TIME TO GO BACK INTO THE CAVE FOR THE END GAME

>> that's awesome. but i still want to know what the sign says. read sign.

YOU ARE IN A GAZEBO ROOM WHICH HAS DOORS ONLY TO THE EAST AND SOUTH

Another thing that’s surprisingly difficult to do is check inventory.

>> check inventory

DONE

>> check inventory

THERE IS AN INTERESTING LOOT HERE

>> what is the loot

WHAT IS THE LOOT?

>> check inventory

YOU ARE IN THE BAG CASE

Very occasionally I will succeed in opening a bag. It will usually be weird.

>> open bag

OPENING THE BAG REVEALS A TEA BAG

>> make tea

AY! A LOVELY SURPRISE FOR THE SURPRISE

More so than any other game I’ve played, I’m unsure of the rules here. Some weird things unexpectedly work.

IF YOU DON'T GET KILLED, YOU ARE TOAST

>> Eat the toast.

EAT THE TOAST IT TASTES LIKE A STEAK A STEAK IS PERFECTLY FINE

Other seemingly obvious things don’t work.

THERE IS A PATH TO THE NORTH, A PATH TO THE SOUTH, OR A STEEP PATHWAY CLIMBING SOUTHWEST ALONG THE EDGE OF A CHASM

>> go north

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT

>> go south

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT

>> go southwest

YOU WILL BE DESCENDING INTO A VALLEY THERE IS A NARROW BEACH TO THE NORTH AND A PATH LEADING INTO A CANYON TO THE SOUTHEAST YOU ARE ON THE CLIFF OVERLOOKING THE FAR SIDE OF THE ROOM A PATH LEADS SOUTH ALONG THE EDGE OF A CHASM, AND A NARROW PATH LEADING INTO A LOZENGE ROOM

Sometimes I’m wandering endlessly from room to room, from cave to cave, encountering the same chasm in slightly different variations, the same dried-up lake. Other times I’m embroiled in seemingly unescapable fights, usually with trolls. Often reality shifts entirely around me and I end up in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike, or in the hall of the mountain king. Everything seems weirdly familiar - even the room descriptions are echoes of classic dungeon crawling games. It is as if I’m dreaming about playing them again.

My actions also mold reality. I learn quickly to always check for diamonds, and never check for traps. If I find myself in trouble, I can always do something confusing and provoke a context change. Writing “In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars” is usually enough to teleport myself out of whatever situation I’m in. I can always ask a giraffe for advice, although the giraffe usually isn’t very helpful.

Without a particular mission to fulfill, the caves and chasms begin to blend into one another. I give myself missions, and that helps. Once I decide my goal is to put together a picnic (incessant “check for food” commands eventually yielded a sack with a lunch and a clove of garlic, belonging to a horse who agreed to join me on a picnic). Another time I demand a mission and am given some php code; i decide my mission is therefore to build a website, but am astounded when a unicorn steals my laptop. This is not the only time other content intrudes on the game’s fantasy landscape - once the game tries to tell me about finding cash online, and another time I am sadly informed that there is no wi-fi. I encounter dinosaurs and troikas, none of which were in the original training data. Occasionally things get creepy as hell.

>> check for loot

CHECK FOR LOOT HERE CHECK FOR GOLD HERE CHECK FOR TORCH HERE CHECK FOR BONE HERE DO CHEST COMPRESSIONS AGAIN DO CHEST ROTATE DO CRESCENT MOON APPEAR IN THE ROOM'S CENTER

>> do back away slowly

DO BACK AWAY SLOWLY DO NOT OVERDO IT THE CHEST WILL EXPLODE AND YOU WILL DIE OKAY, SO YOU SEE ME

You can play the game too! Just follow the colab notebook link in Nathan’s blog post. Tips: 1) It may be more fun if you set yourself an arbitrary goal to reach. 2) If you find things getting repetitive, try adjusting the temperature in the “Play the game” cell to 0.6 or 1.0.

Subscribers get bonus content: The fulltext of a couple of my adventures (much too long to include here).

You can order my book You Look Like a Thing and I Love You! It’s out November 5 2019.

Amazon - Barnes & Noble - Indiebound - Tattered Cover - Powell’s

#neural networks #harry potter #gpt-2 #dungeons and dragons #d&d #gpt-2-simple #gpt-2-adventure

1K notes · View notes

mondstadtbreeze · 3 years

Text

Hey!

Usually I wouldn't post this much before it's done, but I'm applying for a zine.

This is a snippet of something a little longer I'm writing, but I thought it'd be a good show of my writing plus it has Lumine as focus point in it. I know this is a bit out of context, but I hope that's alright!

This was not how it was supposed to go.

"Childe! CHILDE!"

A streamlined mission:

Kill a geovishap that had started nesting in a cavern deep inside the local mine shaft, bring whatever loot there was left afterwards.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Great pay! Maybe that should have been their first clue.

"Lumine, dodge!"

Lumine ducked as another treasure hoarder swung at her.

Clang! The sword clashed against her own as she lifted it in the air with tired arms but quick reflexes.

She jumped back and sent a whirl of wind in the man's direction.

He stumbled and she used it to dash past him.

"Childe, get over here!", she yelled as she dodged another attack, but before her travel companion could answer, something exploded next to her and she was thrown into the wall with more force than expected.

She yelped in pain and then the entire mine shaft started trembling.

"Shit!", Lumine yelled, as dust and dirt started raining from the ceiling, hitting her head.

"Lumine! Are you alr- argh!"

A dull 'Thwack!' sounded somewhere through the hissing and singing of metal and arrows and Childe didn't speak again.

"Childe!"

Lumine shook her head to get rid of the dizziness from hitting her head on the rocks as she ran towards the sound.

Her vision blurred slightly when she moved out of the way of another thug and mercilessly rammed her sword into the space between his neck and shoulder.

She shook her head to clear it before hurrying in the direction of the cave entrance where she'd seen Childe last.

Where was he?

Another bomb detonated a few meters behind her and this time the mine shook so strongly, that she stumbled.

These idiots! They were going to bury all of them together!

Using one hand to keep to the wall, Lumine kept going.

Where was he?!

The dust was getting thicker and it was difficult to make out anything other than shapes in the low light of the mine's torches.

Panic crawled up her throat, choked it closed like greedy claws when he still didn't answer.

It made breathing difficult, her heart pounding even faster.

She couldn't have passed him, right?

Maybe he'd run ahead and was too far out of range to hear her.

She didn't yell again and instead just pushed herself to run faster, eventhough her leg hurt and the geovishap had gotten her pretty good before the run in with the bandits.

What if they took him? Or had already killed him!

No, even in both their states, Childe wouldn't go down so easily.

Plus, he dressed like the rich man he was, so maybe they'd just drag him to their hideout for ransom and she'd still have time!

A memory blinked into her mind; Aether, hand outstretched and eyes widened, terrified, as dark, cubes of magic encased him.

She clenched her jaw as she pushed it back into the darkest spaces of her mind, tried to forget the fear in Aether's voice.

Not now!

She couldn't panic now.

She took a deep breath and started running, stinging leg be damned.

"CHILDE!"

Finally there was a muffled reply from up ahead, where the dust cleared a little and Lumine almost laughed in relief- until her foot got stuck and she kicked something a few meters.

She stopped at the glow it gave off.

Childe's vision.

She looked back to see what she fell over and realized with dread, that it was his bow.

"Lumine, watch out!"

Alarmed by his warning Lumine missed a step, slipped and fell backwards, the same time a loud metallic zinging and a blow of wind rushed past her face, only centimeters above her head.

The huge claymore sank into the earthen wall above her like a knife into butter.

She yelped as a kick got her in the ribs, but used the mometum to roll out of reach before looking up to see the treasure hoarder pull at the big weapon.

Lumine didn't waste time.

She rammed her sword through his foot and pulled herself up in one fluid motion, going straight into an attack stance, shutting his pained screams up with a hook to the chin.

Something cracked as his head flew back and he lost grip on the claymore, sinking to the floor, unconscious.

Lumine whirled around, where she could hear the scuffle of two other bodies; a bloody looking Childe on the floor held down by the enemy's foot, eyes wide and struggling against the hold, just as the big burly bandit was about to bring his hammer down on his head.

"NO!"

Lumine took to a run and jumped, propelling herself forward with help of every ounce of anemo powers she had left.

She didn't leap in front of Childe, didn't put herself in between them.

Instead, she hit the body of the treasure hoarder like a canon ball, drove her sword so deep into his body she could feel it cut through and break bones.

They crashed into the closest wall with a force that gave the foundation of the mine the last push.

With a horrid creaking and shrieking that only wood could make, the wooden framework on the sides bent inwards, before it burst into thousands of splinters and noticable had the earth sag.

"We have to get out!", Childe yelled and Lumine threw herself forward to reach him in time.

"Paimon! Get us out of here!"

Paimon's magic sounded in a familiar chime, just as Lumine gripped the fatui by his collar and pulled him close.

The world went dark.

#This is really just for the zine application #its nowhere near done but I'm quite proud of it so far!#nina writes

1 note · View note

lephilodi · 3 years

Text

Settling In (D&D RP Ch. 3)

We set out shortly after I had gathered what was important to me, namely my books and the various pieces of literature I had...kept in my possession from home. I tried to get them to wait until dark, but they were rather insistent on leaving as soon as possible. I suppose I will have to come back for my aquarium, mushrooms, and other belongings.

It was today I learned that Luciel is actually a bard of the College of Creation, as he produced a parasol for me out of thin air. Very courteous of him. It was only a few hours to get to their town thankfully, but upon my insistence, they took me to a relatively safe place in the forest not too far away, where they had stashed some strange vehicle of theirs and covered it in vines. Then they were off to celebrate their victory, leaving me alone again in the ever-darkening wood.

I watched as the stars slowly began to appear from the skies. Some of my people despised them, but I always found them to be beautiful. After all, life has no color without light, leaving creatures pale and blind...

Pale and blind, just like the one who had ruined my life. Erebossk.

I truly try not to let my thoughts linger on him. I chose to leave that life behind, thanks to help from a friend. I try to reminisce on what he taught me, rather than what I had lost.

Thankfully, sometime after the midnight hour had passed, Kala and Luciel emerged from the shadows between the dark trunks. I floated down from the top of the vehicle to greet them, but something was clearly bothering them. <I didn't expect to see you back already.>

It was Luciel who spoke first. "Heyyyy Lephi. We have a question for you."

Something is definitely off. What happened in town? <Alright... go ahead.>

Luciel hesitates for a moment again before speaking. "What's a spelljammer?"

I immediately straighten up, rooted to the spot. <Well, I know you can't read or understand Qualith. And I doubt you knew that word before. Can you tell me where you learned it?>

Both the elf and the firbolg simultaneously answer, "No.”

Okay, this is immensely suspicious, and I don't like it. I'm praying to Ao that I won't have to wrestle away Luciel's bag of holding, as it currently had my books, star maps, and schematics inside. <Very well. Spelljammers are ships designed to travel between planes and through realmspace. Even to other crystal spheres. Does that satisfy your curiosity?>

Kala spoke, "For now, yes."

“We were also told some...things, some negative things about you. But we don’t believe they’re true.” Luciel looks up at me, but I can still see some uncertainty in his eyes.

<Well, in that case, it’s probably all true.> I won’t deny what my people are, what we do. What I did.

Kala steps forward again. “Well, we don’t believe them. Not when it comes to you.”

The pair eventually went back into town to rest after checking on me. I got as comfortable as I could in the seat on top of...whatever this device is, and decided to rest with one eye open tonight.

Thankfully the next morning, the whole party seemed much more chipper, though Galvar seems to be suffering from a bit of a hangover. Kala removed the plants and vines from the strange conglomeration of devices below me, revealing some sort of crab tank with a set of four ballistas attached to the top, and I realized with some concern that I had been sleeping in the hot seat. Luciel crawled into the tank portion to pilot it, while Kala crawled up to the seat where I was sitting and deposited herself in my lap. She had in hand what appeared to be two halves of a coconut and began clapping them together as we began moving, somehow accelerating the pace of the whole group. Must be some strange magical item. We set off before the sun gets too high in the sky, headed north into Neverwinter Wood.

By mid-afternoon we arrived at a very run-down manse in the middle of the forest. Pumpkin patches surrounded a large house completely covered in ivy. It looked certainly worse for wear, especially with a boar's head carved into the front door. I close my eyes and open up my psionic field to get familiar with the small region around the manse as the others go over their plan on how to get rid of the gulthias tree in the manse's well, sensing four beings of low intelligence within the manse, likely the vine blights they speak of.

I follow as they head inside, floating over the broken wood of busted down doors, and out into the courtyard of the manse. Before me was indeed a well, from which great, thick vines erupted, spreading out across the flagstones. I readied my whip just in case, as I could sense the creatures down inside the well.

Luciel created a great length of chain from thin air with his magic, slowly lowering it in a circle all the way around the tree. And... Ilsensine above, Crete is flying.

I look over to Galvar to see him grinning up at the minotaur. I suppose he learned a new spell. Kala has her flame scimitar at the ready, and they begin the attack.

Combat with the blights is mercifully short and swift, leaving only the tree in their wake. The caster's flame-based spells making short work of the tree, even if Crete's halberd sent blood-like sap spraying everywhere. Finally, Kala casts her own Blight spell, and the tree withers away to dust, leaving the well empty.

<Well, I think this place could use a serious clean-up.> I pull the dehydrated cleaning cubes from inside my sleeve, going to the kitchen to submerge them in water and set them to work.

I come back out to the courtyard to the other four discussing what to do next.

"I think it would make the most sense for Crete and I to go to Neverwinter, so we can sell our loot and see what we can have made with the dragon parts," Luciel explains. “And we’ll look for some builders to fix this place up and maybe set up some outbuildings. Plus I have this sweet stuffed winter wolf head we found to give to Falcon, since he seems to really like stuffed heads of sentient beings. Y’know, just a nice gesture from the new neighbors.”

Oh I really don’t like that. I’m all for keeping repurposed skulls for pots, but at least those were once my food. I lessened the amount of waste from my kills. But I’d rather not have my own head on this...”Falcon’s” wall.

Kala’s also speaks up, “And I’ve got that spider silk weave I commissioned at the Coster to go pick up in town.”

“Then I’ll get started on that secret room for Lephilodi that we were talking about at the bottom of the well!” Galvar says cheerily. “Is that alright with you Miss Lephilodi? We thought it would be the best way to keep you safe when the builders are here.”

<Oh, I see. Well, as long as I have a bed and some space, I suppose it can’t be much worse than Axeholm. And I prefer to be awake at night anyways.>

“Aye! And we’ll set up a hidden door as best we can so no one can bother ye!” exclaimed the dwarf.

“In that case, we’re off!” shouts Luciel jubilantly, as he turns Crete into a giant eagle in front of my very eyes.

Crete plucks up Luciel in his claws and they soon are out of view beyond the trees.

Well that was interesting...

Kala shape-shifts into a wolf and heads for town while Galvar lowers himself into the well to start excavating. I decide to make myself busy and check on the cleaning cubes. They’re not too far along yet, but this will give me time to look around the house.

Unfortunately, the roof of the kitchen is caved in, and the doors on the lower level are all broken for the most part. Most of the furniture is broken, so I do my part and toss all the unsalvageable wood outside with telekinesis. This feels like settling into Axeholm all over again. However, I am delighted to find a laboratory, a library, and a bathing room that still has warm, running water. That’s good, I’ll need a bath later once this room is cleaned as well. There is one master bedroom along with what likely used to be an apprentices’ bedroom, though the latter had a giant hole in the floor and was even more filthy than the prior rooms. Thank goodness the cubes work quickly.

Towards the end of the day, I sense Kala return from town, and I go out to meet her. Galvar comes back out of the well and goes inside to wash up for a moment. Good, I’ve been wanting to ask Kala about something.

I try to speak with my gentlest voice. <Kala, I’ve been meaning to ask you. Are you...okay? You seemed even more upset than Luciel last night, and...when we first met I could tell you were trying to hide a secret from me. But I did not pry because that is not my place.>

Kala looks up at me swiftly. “Oh! Yes, well...I’m not a firbolg. I’m a changeling. I’m fine now, I promise. It’s just that some things that we were told about you, I’ve also heard said about my kind. That’s why I was upset.”

Ah. So that’s what this one has been hiding. <I see. I know little of your kind personally, but I can assure you I have no qualms against you. After all, that would be rather hypocritical of me wouldn’t it?> I project some amusement to help put her at ease before Galvar comes trotting back outside.

With Kala’s help and her Stone Shape spell, they are able to work a bit longer. I decide to head up to that much needed bath as they do so. Thank Ilsensine, the cubes are finished in here. I draw the warm water and strip out of my cleric’s robes. Even with the ivy blocking the windows, I can still see just fine in the darkened room...and I can still see the scars that criss-cross my light skin. Some were accidentally self-inflicted, learning experiences on my body from my time studying how to use a blade-whip. Others...were not. I try not to dwell on them as I sink into the tub of warm water, and I let out a physical sigh of relief. It’s so hard to stay hydrated when you don’t produce your natural mucus anymore. A symptom of my strange diet, but maybe after eating the dragon’s brain, my skin will start slicking down again. But until then, lotions will have to suffice. I soak myself for a while, occasionally shifting to get everything in contact with the water despite my height, before getting out and doing my skincare routine. I put my dampsuit back on afterwards and then my robe, stepping back out of the steam-filled bathing room only to be met by Galvar.

He snapped and pointed his forefingers and thumb towards me, shooting me a wink before he drawls out, “Lookin’ good.”

I immediately feel my face flush white. Was that a compliment???

Galvar immediately started freaking out. “I am so, so sorry, it was supposed to be a joke! I didn’t mean to freak you out!!!”

<G-Galvar, it’s just blush. We blush white, it’s okay. I just...I think it’s time we all get some rest...>

#dungoens and dragons #d&d #dnd #rp #the dragon of icespire peak #illithid #ulitharid #lephilodi #Lephi is traumatized for life by finger-guns

5 notes · View notes

dontvap0rdawave · 5 years

Text

A new place, a new danger ( Part 12 )

Perit was in the same grotto where Lucan had brought her. The entire cave was in darkness, and only a small cube space, was illuminated a shining sunlight light. In the darkness, he watched many eyes of different colors

Perit - Father... You're welcome...

Blaze - I'll ask one more time before Dark came... - Blaze jumped on son from darkness - Where she?

Perit - I... I won't!...

Blaze - Another chance, where is she?!

Perit - I already said that I will not give you anything!...

Blaze - You know... - Blaze sharpened his claws and scratched his son's right eye. There was a deep mark on the wound - Where was it?!

Perit - I... I won't say anything!...

Blaze - Listen up, pup! - Blaze grabbed his neck - If you don't tell me where she is, I'll know. When Dark gets back, he'd tell me he'd tell me where she went and used the case?.. - In grotto ran in Dark

Dark - Boss! She...

Blaze - Hush, let him say it first, right, son?

Perit - I won't say anything! - In response, Perit scratched his father's face

Blaze - Oh you!.. - He threw his son into the crowd of centipedes, they slightly bypassed him - If you do not want to say, he will say

Perit - Not true!... I don't believe you!...

Dark - You thought I you and help?! Naive Perit!

Blaze - Too...

Perit - Zane is not so stupid!

Blaze - Hehe, you're not so smart!.. Kill! - He jumped centipedes and began to torment him - When Zane comes here, she will see how her dear Perit dies before her eyes painfully and for a long time!

Perit - ... Father... - Acrylics pinned him to the ground and wouldn't let him say a word.

Acrylics - Shut Up! How I want to tear your throat out!...

Blaze - Be Patient. Dark, speak

Dark - She's coming here and is now coming to the entrance

Blaze - Great! I have to go see it - Blaze left the grotto and went to meet her

Zane walked up to the entrance of the cave, walking up she saw a silhouette reminiscent of her friend. She was happy, but came to her senses as it may not be Perit

Zane - Perit? Is that you?...

Blaze - No, Zane... This is me

Zane - You?!... Where is he?! Zane snarled at him.

Blaze - He's in the grotto, find him, then it's over! - Blaze disappeared into the darkness of the caves and headed for the grotto

Zane - I'll find you, Perit. I promise!

Blaze returned to the grotto, and approached the son, and he looked indifferent vzgladom, instilling fear and despair

Blaze - She's on her way! Perit, ready to see her die?

Perit - ... Father... leave her...

Sarah - No, for so need to, son...

Melisa - It will be over soon! Brother

Perit - is not the truth... Not really...

Blaze - Believe it or not, it's true... Look around, who will help you here? Nobody!

Sarah - no One will support!

Melissa - won't fall in love!

Acrylics - will Only be killed!

Perit - No... no, no, no, no, no!...

Blaze - Yes... son...

Perit - For what?... What... I did that?...

Blaze - was Born on light! Now, all you have to do is die!

Sarah - What about Zane?

Blaze - She will see his last minute... - Blaze swung his paw, and was ready to kill his son in his arm with his teeth grabbed Zane - you little!

Perit - Zane?...

Blaze - Knock It Off!.. - He pushed Zane back, she hit her head against the wall and passed out.

Perit - Zane!.... - Perit force got up and ran to her, falling next - Zane...

Zane - Everything... That is all right...

Perit - Zane... - Blaze grabbed his son and threw it from her, jumping to him.

Blaze - Your time is up!

? - Soul, are you playing chess again?

Blaze - Keeper?!...

Keeper - Yes, it's me! - After that, there was a bright flash and Zane poterala consciousness

She woke up on the bed in a strange place, it was not a cave, not a street... it was a house, a cosy and spacious house. The walls were painted with pink color and next to her was a Perit who went through in the hands of a mascot

Zane - P-Perit?...

Perit - Zane?!... - Perit hugged her.

Zane - What happened?..

Perit - Nothing, all well... That is all right...

Zane - Where are we?...

Melissa - at my brother's House

Zane - Home?...

Perit - Yes, you a strong, if so quickly came in themselves

Zane - Thank You...

Sarah - I think it's time for her to go home, son.

Perit - I know, mom..

Zane - What happened?...

Perit - It all happened because of one of our enemies... he has the ability to control the mind. He tried to kill you and me, but not my parents... The Keeper banished him, forever...

Zane - That is, nothing more is threatened?

Perit - Nothing, not threatened

Zane - good!...

Perit - You should go home, are you ready?

Zane - Absolutely! - Zane got out of bed and walked over to his friend - Time?

Perit - Time... - Perit hugged her and they both went to the Tree. Behind them and his whole family

When he reached the tree they stopped near him

Zane - Well... So it's time to say goodbye?...

Perit - Yes... It's time... Zane

Zane - Huh? - Perit put a talisman around her neck.

Perit - Wear it, you need it more. You love getting into trouble.

Zane - I just wanted to help you!

Perit - Okay... and more.. something...

Zane - What?...

Perit - In that cave, I never finished...

Zane - What?...

Perit - Don, we with you already more than friends...

Zane - I know we're best friends!

Perit - No, even more... But I don't know about you...

Zane - What do you mean?...

Perit - is That... Eh... - Perit took her hand and gently applied to the tree

Zane - Perit?!...

Perit - All is well... I wanted to tell you... I... - He approached her and gently kissed on the lips - I love you... Zane...

Zane - ... Perit, i... - Around Zane all went black and after a few moments she woke up the tree at home - Is... It was a dream?...

Wave - Zane, baby... Where are you?...

Zane - I'm here, mom... - Zane stood up and felt something in her hand. Opening her palm she saw the talisman that gave her Perit - Or not?...

The End?

#collab #collab stuff #submission #oooOOH #they kissed a a-#A #yess #zane

22 notes · View notes

timeisweird · 5 years

Note

For donna 10 stuff do you think you could do something with language? Like 10s accent or the tardis translator or something? Even donna being sensored! I always find those super interesting!

ooh thank you!! here are some words for you:

(read on ao3 here)

––

The lights above are like stars in the night sky, only they twinkle with a deep teal color, rather than white. Donna can’t make out any moons or nearby planets hanging low in the sky, like she’s seen elsewhere, but that’s not particularly unusual, given the diversity of solar systems and ecosystems and whatever other kind of systems there may be scattered around the depths of outer space.

What’s more unusual is the Doctor nudging her side with their elbow, before pointing up to the sky and saying, “Bio-luminescent geodes, naturally growing in the ceiling of these caverns – the Danorians break them open to give a bit of light, cause it’s when the innards are exposed to oxygen that the bacterium inside finally start to glow.” Which is how she finds out that they aren’t on the surface of some dark, lonely planet, but rather, they’re below the surface of that dark, lonely planet.

“I can’t even see the walls,” she observes, taking a good look around. The darkness seems to go on for miles, but whether that’s true or not, she can’t tell.

The Doctor draws air in through their teeth. “Ooh, this particular cave system is about… the size of Durham, England, give or take a few miles? Plus, it’s dark, of course you can’t see that far.”

She can see their face perfectly fine, however, on account of the odd lightsaber-like torch they’ve got in their hand. She knows they can see her face perfectly fine too, so she gives them a good glare for that comment. And then when she finally feels the chill in the damp, musty air, she crosses her arms tightly over her chest and asks, “So what’re we doing in a cave, then?”

The Doctor gives her a hurt look. “Can’t we just have a good wander around an alien cave system without having any ulterior motives?”

“Not when moments before you were talking about going to space Italy. You did the same thing when we ended up at the Library, and look at how that turned out, Doctor.”

Their eyes widen. “Oh, it’s – this really isn’t going to be like the Library, Donna. You don’t need to worry about that, no vashta nerada here. I’m just… paying a visit to a friend. Debt long overdue, that sort of thing.”

She chuckles. “I wouldn’t take you to be someone who’d pay back their debts.”

“And why’s that?” they ask, turning on their heel to lead her further down a path she can’t see, their torch in front of them like a sword and shield against the darkness.

“Because I’ve seen the parking tickets you keep shoving into the poor glove compartment, and I know you haven’t paid any of them.”

“What, like you pay your parking tickets?” they counter, before the two of them burst into laughter that echoes distantly.

––

It’s one trek through a dark cave later that the Doctor and Donna are standing in a rather clean kitchen, albeit that said kitchen is made of rock and crystal and dirt and things that she typically wouldn’t associate with a hygienic place to cook. She only knows that it’s a kitchen at all because the occupant of this house is standing at the counter, cutting up what looks to be a sort of lobster-bug-snail hybrid into neat, cube-shaped pieces, and that the Doctor thanks the occupant for letting the two of them stand in the kitchen with her, like it was some sort of honor.

The occupant of this house – the Doctor’s friend, whose name is Ukroxa or something like that – waves her hand dismissively. Donna thinks it’s a hand, at least. This alien is a lot less humanoid-based than she’s used to seeing. With sharp mandibles and a tiny, triangular mouth, the Doctor’s friend clicks out a few words. “Wa dhekk, Doctor. Au suirn not imagine – –raeyaukrrih’e saukunto – –in the nak.”

Donna frowns, her hand automatically going up to feel for any sort of wax in her ear. Ukroxa’s voice sounds tinny, like it’s been run through a broken speaker a couple times and layered with white noise, all with a poor connection. Some of the words keep dropping out completely, leaving blank spaces in the sentences and in her head. “Doctor,” she whispers, “Is something wrong with the TARDIS?”

The Doctor’s gaze snaps to her unnervingly quick. “What? Why do you ask?” they whisper back, sounding mostly baffled, but a little bit concerned as well.

“I think the translation thingy’s on the brink. Can barely get a few words at all.”

They relax almost immediately. “Oh, that,” they say. “Xoyic is a telepathically-supported language. Sure, you could verbally say a few words and get somewhere in a conversation, but you wouldn’t get very far without a knack for telepathy as well.”

Ukroxa pays no attention to their side-conversation. Instead, she picks up her plate of insectoid-lobster cubes and gestures with another limb for the Doctor to follow her into the den. As they walk, Donna continues with, “But I thought the TARDIS was telepathic, and I know you are too, so shouldn’t I… be able to bum a bit of that off you two and hear your friend just fine.”

The Doctor scratches at the back of their neck. “Well, yes, of course. Course you could, but after a bit you’d start getting a migraine, your neurons would start decaying under the stress of something they’re not meant to handle, and really it’d just lead to a whole lot of other complications involving brain cell death that neither of us would want to deal with.”

“Excuse me,” she asks flatly, now thinking about the time when they let her hear the Ood’s song – through telepathy.

They seem to sense her concern. “I mean, borrowing telepathy as a human for a little while is fine, but anything prolonged is not ideal. So the TARDIS is only letting you hear the verbal parts of Xoyic, which obviously isn’t very much.”

That feels a bit better, knowing that their weird spaceship is protecting her for once, rather than kidnapping her from her own wedding or moving the rooms around so that she gets lost on her way to get a glass of water in the middle night, oh, she could go on about it.

Ukroxa sits down in the middle of the den, legs crossed as she sets the plate of meat down in front of her; the Doctor and Donna follow suit, sitting across from their host. “Hasa, saukun, eat,” Ukrosa says, nodding to the Doctor, without acknowledging Donna’s presence at all. “Te xoll’a the purpose a iyais visit. Au raxauma– – hear.”

The Doctor reaches for a piece of the meat, popping it into their mouth without even a second’s hesitation. “Ah right, yes, the reason I’m here,” they say as they chew (gross, thinks Donna), before patting down their pockets. “I could have sworn I had it written down somewhere…”

They pull a few odd items from their pockets, before putting them away again when nothing seems to be what they’re looking for. “Oh well, I can just tell you,” they say nonchalantly, before suddenly they’re giving Ukroxa a grim, solemn look. The air in the room goes frigid, and it has nothing to do with the thousands of tons of rock above everyone’s heads.

“In four days time, the rivers will run again, like they always do with the wet season,” they declare ominously, a steady, serious rhythm to their words that sounds unfamiliar in Donna’s ear. “Except now the waters will bring along the plague of last century. My advice is that you leave, before the others infect themselves, too overjoyed with the river’s return to take precautions.”

Ukroxa stares at the Doctor with narrowed eyes, a mannerism that should parse as suspicion, but instead feels like appreciation and worry. So that part of the translation circuits is still working. Then she nods reverently and says, “Wa dhekk, saukun.”

The Doctor grins abruptly, before standing up just as quick. “Well, debt repaid, then! Nice seeing you again, Ukroxa, hope everything goes well for you, avoid the waters, avoid the infected, all that good stuff.” They exit the den in a whirl of motion, leaving Donna to follow after them without even a moment to say goodbye.

––

“What the hell was that about?” Donna asks them, once they’re back on the path towards the TARDIS. “You can’t just wander into someone’s house, prophesize the return of some ancient plague, and then just leave.”

“Why can’t I?” they ask her, instead of giving a proper answer for once. “But I did, and if I could go back in time and change my choice, I’d still do exactly what I just did.”

“If you had walked into my kitchen and told me the moon was going to crash into the Earth, I would have slapped you back in time so you could take a few days to rethink your approach, Doctor. Doesn’t that tell you something?”

They glance back at her. “You really do slap people too much, Donna. Besides, I was repaying a debt. Ukroxa was waiting to hear something like that. An eye for an eye, a life for a life. She saved mine ages ago, so I saved hers. The Danorians take that thing very seriously.”

Donna ponders that for a moment. “Okay, I’ll take that. But did you have to be so dramatic about it?”

“If you keep criticizing how I’m doing things, I will drop you off back at home,” they warn.

“Oh, just you try to get rid of me, Spaceman.”

They hum. “Well, I wouldn’t be trying that hard, if I’m being honest.”

She smiles, and thanks whatever they worship around here that the Doctor can’t see that. Then something from earlier occurs to her. “Hey, wait, Ukrosa didn’t even say hi to me, what sort of rude friend of yours have you got?”

The Doctor’s steps falter for a moment, before they keep on walking. “Oh, that. Yeah, well, she thought you were a sort of…. Plant, or pet, maybe.��

“What?”

They shrug helplessly, glancing sharply back at her as though they’re watching out. “It’s a common thing among telepathic species, really, don’t get mad at me!”

“Why would she have thought I was a plant?” she demands. “It’s not like I’m standing in a goddamn clay pot.”

“But you’re barely even there – telepathy-wise,” they counter. “You were about as sensible as a brick to her,” and before Donna can shout again, they correct themselves, “Sensible as in perception, seeing things, sensing things, not as in, well, you know.”

“So she didn’t talk to me because she literally thought I couldn’t talk back to her? What about how you were talking to me?”

“Well, in a way, you couldn’t talk to her. You aren’t telepathic, remember. And really, it’s a bit– well, a lot more complicated than just plants and not-plants, it’s more like, people not worth talking to, and people worth talking to, but it’s also based on perceived level of sapience and… I should probably just stop talking about it before I keep insulting you, yeah?” “Yeah… probably for the best, thanks.”

#from the editor #doctor who #dw #tenth doctor #donna noble #language #dw fanfic #dw fic #nuwho #hi i wrote this all in one setting without stopping and i did not really revise anything #so its probably a bit not great but hey!! fun prompt ty....#also yes this is based off extreme eu nonsense of gallifreyans thinking nontelepathic species are just like plants

20 notes · View notes

outweek30 · 5 years

Photo

If cruising were music, then lesbian cruising would be Muzak. Due to our parents, high school and the culture-at-Iarge, we girls have been taught that we don't cruise, we get cruised. Well, that's fabulous. But if your preferences run toward other girls, especially cute blondes in leather jackets, then honey, you'll all be waiting a long, long time for some action.

With this in mind, the time has come for some helpful hints for the cruising-impaired. Aren't you tired of going to dyke parties, dances, bars and safer sex forums and coming home with no one to try your dental dam out with??? Let's seize control of our sexuality, get out there and have some fun. Here we go...

Before We Get Started:

The first prerequisite for cruising a girl is knowing if she's a dyke/lesbian/gay woman. So, this article is issuing a challenge (certainly not for the first or last time in this city): a lesbian visibility campaign. Numerous kiss-ins, brunches in straight havens and grinding on dance floors seem to be called for. They won't know who to go for if they think you have Michael J. Fox on your wall.

After We Are All Visible:

Be friendly. As Michael Musto has written, "friendly is in." If you're giving out bad attitude like an unwashed sock, you're asking for nothing but heartache and a lot of that act which no one need look their best for. If someone smiles at you, smile back. What's the worst that can happen, you get invited to a spaghetti potluck ...

Communication is essential. If you're not talking, you're not meeting. So after all that lingering eye contact and smiling, speak up! Favorite topics of conversation are site specific:

Cubby Hole: How good/bad the videos are, how little space there is... Cave Canem: How many cute/obnoxious girls there are, why the door woman gives such attitude, how that voluptuous girl ever got the nerve to go in the pool with a white t-shirt and no bra... Love Machine, Mars on Sunday, any gay men's club/bar: Where are the girls, why do boys have all the fun, isn't the deejay great/terrible, I hear Madonna's in town ... ACT UP meeting: What is going on?, where's the next demonstration?, are you going?, who's that girl with the hair? Anywhere: News, politics, straight men, Madonna, the state of lesbian nightlife...

(Small talk is hard enough when you have to do it. Don't overextend yourself. Besides, important conversations are one way to tell the dykes/gay women from the girls/wimmin.)

Once You've Spoken:

Is it going well? Do you have anything in common (that includes lusting after one another)? Has one of you bought drinks for the other? Has anyone asked if it mattered?

If you've answered yes, then you are well on your way to cruising success. You have some options:

Keep talking. It will eventually get late, and you can get each other's phone numbers, plan to meet again wherever you are, meet somewhere else, or even go somewhere else now (for those girls with avant-garde employment). This is usually safe, and the anticipation of seeing them again makes for a week of exciting fantasizing. If you do go somewhere else, or leave together, keep reading:

You're both leaving. The best strategy is to live downtown and hope they live in Brooklyn. If it's late, they can always spare themselves that long, dangerous ride home by staying at your house. If you live near each other, share a cab, and agree to get out at one person's house". This way the only polite thing to do is to ask them up to see that issue of On Our Backs you were talking about earlier. Or have another drink.

If you just know that the two of you are not going to work out for even one night (you're both butch, you're both femme, she's radical, you're fifteen...), do not give up on the lesbian nation! Remember, we are diverse and you weren't standing alone in the corner all night either. In addition, since this is the smallest of small towns, you'll run into each other again (the odds increase the more you didn't get along), and it will be nice not to stand alone, again.

Notes For Special Situations:

1) This is fairly tame advice for the more adventurous of you. But one can assume if you're that adventurous, you've worked on your own strategies anyway. Suffice it to say that there are women who can look you up and down for a little while, walk up to you, whisper in your ear that there's an ice cube with your name on it in their kitchens, and you'll be so aroused you'll awaken three days later somewhere in New York with hickies like leech bites. If you are one of them, please exercise the talent much more frequently, thank you.

2) There are some girls who don't know they're being cruised. You have to hit them over the head with their own libido (confess, you know who you are). They are usually the sweetest girls you'll ever meet, and are worth the effort. Just make sure you're not mistaking them for someone with a "wife" who happens to be watching the two of you out of the corner of her eye. What you think is shyness could be fear.

3) Cruising with friends: Cruising is for all intents and purposes a one-woman operation, unless of course you're seeking a third for an orgy. Observe proper etiquette, tell the object of your affections, "she's my friend, not my girlfriend," and lay out the ground rules before you go out: Should you make a date for later, or can you go home with her now? Can your friend get home alone? Can you get home alone? Are you and your friend just avoiding the fact that it's each other you want? All this and more is what makes lesbian friendship the festival of female bonding that lights up our lives.

Have fun, be safe and don't say you weren't warned.

— Liz Tracey, "How to Cruise Girls," OutWeek Magazine No. 11, September 4, 1989, p. 48.

#outweek #issue 11 #lgbt history #lesbian #culture #liz tracey #cubby hole #cave canem #act up #michael musto #photo #t.l. litt

6 notes · View notes

chubbyooo · 5 years

Text

Blurred Lines Chapter 21 - Resemblances

Chapter 21 switches over to Terri as we catch up with their venture into another temple (I know there’s a lot of jumping around at the mo but due to the timeline it’s kinda needed)

Terri and Lusari investigate another temple and have a scary experience (it’s a long one boys)

A chuttering sound came from the speeder as Terri began to park it, it was slightly worrying maybe she should check it out later. Terri had some mechanical skill so maybe she could fix it. Lusari had arrived next to her and began parking, her hair was messy and full of small sticks and leaves, Terri wasn’t that surprised with the length of Lusi’s hair things were bound to get caught in it. She promptly grabbed her satchel and picked out a hair brush, Terri tried to hold in a smirk as Lusari tried her best to a least tame her hair.

As she finished she spoke up “ok we got everything for the ritual” Terri checked her many small bags and pouches for her adventuring gear and sure enough she was kitted out and totally rad.

“cool adventuring gear check, super good flashlight check, awesome lightsaber check, you?” she did think the adventure was super cool, she had always dreamed of being like the adventurers in the archives of the sith academy, she was very pleased to be doing it in a less evil way.

Lusari began riffling through her satchel “let’s see ritual components double check, emergency defences check aaaand one very cool holocron check” Lusari displayed her holocron for a second before returning it to the bag. It was cube shaped with triangular corners, the thing was much bigger than most holocrons she had seen but glowing just as sinisterly with a red hue. Apparently it was stuck that way which made sense considering it’s content, still that’s what they were here for to right that wrong.

Terri snapped out of her accidental daydream and responded to Lusari “alright let’s get to it then” she was trying to be more confident in herself and the mission after the talk with Lusi last night, she was hoping it helped.

Lusari nodded in agreement and they headed towards the temple. From what they knew this temple was buried in the side of a mountain but it’s entrance was still out in the open and from their scans the interior was still somewhat intact. As they made their way to the cliff edge they very quickly spotted the overgrown temple entrance sticking prominently out of the rock face it was covered in moss and vines and looked more like a cave than a temple. It looked very dark in there and as they moved closer they could hear echos resonating throughout the temple.

“woah that’s freaky” Lusari said seeming a little uneasy

“yeah we should stick close together, stay in my light” Terri turned on her flashlight and Lusari moved in close

“thanks Terr I’ll be right next to you the whole way” she took Terri’s hand and they began to go into the darkness. Terri was a little scared admittedly but she thought anyone would be, this place was spooky. As they moved further into the temple they could see cobwebs lined most of the walls and a huge amount of dust was caught in the ray of Terri’s flashlight, the dust levels were so high they were making the back of Terri’s mouth tickle. Every now and again they could see a little bit of rubble crumble off the side of the walls, this place would probably collapse within a few months. Terri could also hear a faint dripping sound echoing through the halls, must be water nearby.

Lusari suddenly spoke up “hey Terr do you know the way to the main chamber” Terri was confused the other one had been pretty clear

“no is it different to the last one” Lusi had looked at the maps and planned out most of this ritual, she was the smart one but Terri was defiantly the cool one after her fight with the commander.

“yeah this place is a Labyrinth but I totally solved it, it wasn’t even that well made” Lusi sounded a little mad, Terri knew that Lusi loved solving puzzles and she knew even better how she got mad when she saw a bad puzzle, this defiantly matched that tone.

“do you know the way then? are we lost?” Terri didn’t realise they could get lost in this creepy temple otherwise she would’ve been much more careful

“yeah no I’m fine just checking you knew” good thing too she would’ve just gone in a straight line forever

As Lusari began to lead they heard a creepy echoed voice chuckle. Immediately Terri’s hair all stood on end and she started to tremble, she began to turn around looking for the voice

“u-um Lu-lusi d-did y-you here that” Terri thought about igniting her lightsaber but didn’t want to draw attention to herself, it wouldn’t exactly be covert

“ye-yeah u-um what was that?” oh no Lusi didn’t know what it was that was really bad

“I don’t know um is it the Lady?” seemed unlikely but maybe it was a test

they were both looking around anxiously in the space “n-no she ca-can’t talk while con-contained” Terri kinda already knew that but she didn’t want to believe it was something else

“let’s uh let’s walk back to back y-you know for safety” Terri would feel better if they covered all their bases

“uh huh sure” Lusari backed up to were Terri was and she passed over the flashlight. They began to walk forwards carefully looking around for the source of the noise, Terri was facing backwards and could see little of were they came from without the flashlight but she swore she could see a small glow of blue coming from the end of the corridor. They continued down a few more passageways until they reached a door, Lusari stopped and Terri accidentally bumped into her back letting out a little surprised shriek.

“sorry, there’s a door here I need to concentrate” Terri nodded awkwardly and began surveying the chamber to avoid the embarrassment. She looked around the room for a bit before she found a average size moveable piece in the wall, It seemed too simple to be rubble and it may mean there’s a mechanism behind it. She closed her eyes and used the force to move the rock but then she suddenly felt a force knock her to the ground, what was that? it felt like a bunch of pipes maybe it was a mechanism. She reopened her eyes to see a Kaleesh skull starring at her, she cried out as she quickly moved the skeleton of her.

“ah oh my god oh my god oh my goood there’s a creepy dead Kaleesh here” Terri’s heart was racing, she had never been so frightened in her life but more than that she was confused; Kaleesh weren’t exactly native to Yavin IV so this was not random. Not only that but there still looked to be meat on his bones, but this place was abandoned it didn’t add up. As she looked up though she did see a lever in the hole so at least her wimpy moment wasn’t for nothing. She pulled the lever and as she did she saw that Lusi was still deep in concentration, the door began to lift and she opened her eyes.

“see I just needed a little time” she said with a smile, whaaat this was Terri not her she better not take credit. Terri gestured intensely to the lever “oh... right well um nice job” Lusi seemed a little disappointed but Terri felt it was more important to get out of this horror movie waiting to happen. They continued through the corridors eventually reaching the main chamber where Lusi began unpacking her things on the similar tablet in the chamber.

Terri took a defensive position as Lusari set up the ritual but as they prepared they heard the same echoed voice “hmhuhuhuh two little sith flies falling riiiight into my trap” Terri looked around for the source of the voice igniting her lightsaber for extra intimidation factor.

Lusari looked at Terri concerned but they had a job to do “Lusi get on with the ritual I can hold off whatever this is” she wasn’t really sure of that but she had to be brave and trust in their plan “show yourself” Terri shouted into the chamber as Lusari sat down to begin the ritual, she was protected like that Terri wasn’t sure how.

As her shout echoed around the chamber a blue etherial form materialised in front of her. It was a Male Togruta with a snarl covering his face, his teeth were like fangs and he was covered in some form bone armour. Terri was immediately scared of him what was this guy? an ancient warrior? a crazed zealot? whatever he was he seemed loco

“well well another fool has entered my abode ohohohohoo I’m going to enjoy skinning you” oh no no thank you no skinning, Terri began moving backwards as he talked, what was she supposed to do he was a ghost she couldn't exactly hurt him. Could he hurt her?

her hands shook as she said “stay back I-I know how to use this thing” she was actually pretty good with a lightsaber and probably could take this guy if he was a real person

But in response the ghostly figure just chuckled spitting as he did “go on then I’m dying to see this” Terri tried a proper stab but it just went straight through him, in response he began to laugh in a booming voice

Terri had to regain the upper hand Lusi was counting on her to stall “yeah but you can’t hurt me either right...you ghost” it was true right he could only use the force against her and she was good at blocking that.

“oh but my dear I won’t be doing the hurting” he began to whistle and as he did Terri could here a aggressive shuffling sound coming from the other end of the temple “you best be prepared my Varactyl haven’t eaten in weeeks” oh god oh god what did Terri do she had no idea how to stop this she was going to ruin everything. She could hear the Varactyl coming closer and closer soon they would be here then what would she do, she had no plan and they were counting on her

Suddenly then she heard a familiar echoed voice but this time in her head “Terri get the ghost close to me” close to her what does that mean? close to the holocron, best option she got right now

She quickly shuffled next to the holocron, how was she going to get him over “oh I see how it is not brave enough to fight me yourself, afraid you’ll lose” she could see a little twitch in his face, please say that worked she could hear the varactyls howls very close

he began to step forward “believe me missy nothing would make me happier than flaying the skin off of you myself but” he was getting closer, yes! thank the force, stupid monologuing sith so easy to trick “I’m afraid I’m otherwise impa-” as he was talking his words were almost drained away from him and suddenly his form was being pulled towards the holocron with a chilling energy. Oh my god the Lady is saving her she felt so honoured, she heard a snarling coming from behind her, oh no the varactyl she saw them enter the chamber ready to pounce. She was petrified she had no idea what to do she just closed her eyes and trusted the Lady had a plan.

She could here the togruta screaming as she stood there unable to move “noooo, noooo you will never cage me I will destroy yo-” and then silence Terri could still hear the snarling though, she wasn’t brave enough she had really tried but now she had just froze. But then she heard them whimpering and as she opened her eyes they were running away.

“oh oh oh my god my Lady h-how did you do that” that was soooo coool Terri was sure she had messed it up but the Lady totally had a plan

The voice resonated inside her head once again “absorbing of a force ghost is defiantly a crude and dangerous way to achieve power but none the less effective” absorbing? so all his power now the lady’s? well at least it was with someone who would use it well

“you absorbed him? like all his power and personality wow you’re so powerful” Terri hadn’t talked to the Lady much before, that was more Lusi’s job but she was still very pleased to talk to her

“yes it’s actually not a very hard ritual but given to a naive young force user and it can lead to disastrous consequences for the individual trust me” she sounded so smart, Terri knew that the Lady was quite an old being but her understanding of the force was always so baffling

“Thank you so much for saving me from the Varactyls I know you didn’t have to” Terri felt like she should at least thank her, she hoped it wasn’t rude

“nonsense Terri you’re important to the plan just like Lusari, you’ll realise your part eventually” whaaaat she did have a part to play? she thought she was just helping out, why hadn’t Lusi told her?

“oh um well thank you” Terri felt very giddy after all this praise

“I must return to the ritual I have been away from it too long, Lusari may be getting doubtful” Terri let her go without another word and sat on the wall excitably replaying the events over in her mind. It was dangerous but also so cool not only fighting the commander but a force ghost, her friends would be so jealous. As she sat the room slowly began to glimmer with light, oh yeah she got to watch the ritual this time awesome. As the glimmers became clear she could see many different language symbols all lighting up with a glowing yellow light, as the ritual continued the glowing formed tendrils which branched together all leading into the holocron. The chamber then returned to the darkness it was once in and the room was silent.

Lusari stepped up and turned around “what did I miss” Terri smiled she was gonna be so jealous...

10 notes · View notes