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pen-observing · 10 months

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synopsis: It doesn't matter which name he chooses to go by; even after 500 years you will call him Zandik. Even after decades, the two of you will be tied by an invisible string. Years come and go but somehow the two of you continue to argue about the same philosophy. He calls this thing a blessing, you call it a curse.

pairing: dottore x gn! reader word count: 5.3k warnings: time jumps, domesticity hints, mentions of hickeys, dottore is complicated and so is your relationship, ngl reader kind of faruzan coded with the curse, proofread but while skimming.

i. spring

The first time he meets you, he finds you annoying. Laughing about it comes so easy now even if the memory is around five hundred years old, but, back then, on the very first day that you sat down next to him – he undoubtedly found you annoying.

While answering to the name Dottore, he would never say he got attached to any particular season in the year. Every true scientist knows that change is the only permanent thing because it helps them shape and mold new creations. Chasing after change meant chasing something eternal even back then when he was simply Zandik.

Yes, he answered to the name Zandik. His classmates as well as fellow researchers from other darshans knew him. There was a certain genius that always showed itself. It was admiration that followed. Those who wanted to partner up with him or those that simply wanted a glance from him; it was a certain privilege he could leverage. But he also had unspoken rules and one of them you decided to cross.

Everyone knew that when Zandik was inside the library with more than 9 books in his hands, nobody was meant to approach his table. It doesn’t matter how many people were intended to use it; a certain sense of ownership existed. If you wanted to get on his good side, you would not bother to approach him when he was deep into theoretical research. When someone did, they would get a tense jaw, a lowered gaze and red eyes that glimmered. It doesn’t matter that everyone called him handsome, in those moments he was simply scary to look at.

He thought that this spring day would prove fruitful in answering his passionate research question. He laid down his materials; he was enjoying sketching and reimagining a new model when out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone with a Haravatat uniform approach his table.

Surely it was a mistake on their part. He placed his hand on the bottom corner and was about to flip to the next page when his hand stayed hovering above the corner he wanted to keep pristine. You were lucky he didn’t grab the delicate paper in between his fingers because he could have risked denting it when you saw down.

You sat down? At his table? When he had not 9 but 13 books in front of him and his personal materials? Haravatat students did have a certain repertoire for being particularly annoying he remembered. Others found them either too bubbly or too quiet; they were known for their ‘specific’ behaviour, loud debates and their emotional connection to languages. Zandik could respect the few individuals that actually were valuable there but he could not respect someone breaking one of his rules and distracting him from his own research.

His jaw was already tense but it fell open when he turned his head in your direction and realized you had no shame. Typical of a Haravatat student. You sat there on the chair diagonally from him; your legs were crossed, your head was leaning against your hand and you were looking directly at him. The book in front of you couldn’t even be used as a cover up.

It was closed. You were staring at him. You felt no shame when he turned around. God, were you annoying.

If he wanted his peace back, he would have to make it by chasing you off. To chase you off, he would have to engage with you. He placed his hands on the either side of his book, he leaned in slightly to get a better look at you. Animals did this all the time – they showed signs of hostility. Humans, as the ultimate animals, were no different. Perhaps this would be enough to activate you own instincts and chase you off?

…

It wasn’t. You were still looking at him. Analysing him. You were after something.

“What do you want?” Just because you were here, it didn’t mean his voice would change. Your presence should have no effect on him similar to that. He was hoping you would answer fast but you just continued to look at him. Then, you uncrossed your legs in a frustrated motion and you shook your head. How annoying. Just what was it that you wanted?

“I will not ask you what you want again. Leave if you have nothing to say.”

That seemed to strike a nerve. Because for the first time in a long time, someone glared at him. You crossed your legs again and scowl was on your face in a matter of seconds. How animated; how easy you were to read like a creature. You approached his table. You looked at him; so why were you annoyed now?

“Listen, I don’t have a lot of time to entertain your foolishness what-” suddenly, your hand stretched out and your index finger was pointing at him.

“You!” How dare you point at him? His jaw grew tighter and his shoulders tensed. You had not right for this. “You! What does it mean to be human?!”

… Excuse you? His shoulders fell down and he leaned back with laugher. Not only were you annoying, you were absurd. Who does that to anyone? Who does that to him? But sure, he supposes he could entertain your little question. His laughter stops and he straightens up.

“To be human means to chase change.”

That is what he has been doing all his life. That is what brought him here. Why do you blink up at him like an unimpressed mushroom boar? Is his answer not good enough for you? You stand up and pick up your own book.

“So disappointing. I thought a genius everyone mentioned would give an answer not underlined on chapter two. As if chasing change could mean being human. Do you really think change is something you can catch? Absurd.”

He wasn’t absurd. You were. How dare you act like this? How dare you simply turn around with a bigger scowl on your face and walk away from him?

You didn’t even give him your name and you dared to accuse him of being absurd? Haravatat students will always be so odd. And did you have to do it in a full library so everyone would get a front row ticket to your theatrical show?

Ah yes, Dottore is sure even when reminiscing. You really were annoying on the first day he met you.

ii. summer

“Can you believe he actually implied that she was ugly and then got offended when she dissed him proving she overheard it? And now, suddenly, mister ‘I am rich and your family is poor’ is disappointed because she won’t marry him?!”

Perhaps never wanting to find out your name would have been more beneficial to him? If he only dubbed you as ‘that-one-library-weirdo', he wouldn’t be listening to this right now. But, Zandik compares it to the months when he hadn’t know you and he realizes doing his experiments in front of this giant machine was more lonely back then.

The grass and the night sky, a small flutter of the wind that made the corners of his papers turn up; it suddenly feels more full...this place that you share. Somehow, he found out your name and general passions from other students. Then, when you approached him in the library table again without saying anything, he allowed that too; furrowed brow and all. Then, the two of you had to acknowledge one another in the hallways with a head nod, or a small wave or an occasional ‘hi’ uttered softly. He isn’t quite sure when and how the two of you started sharing a few notes, sitting next to one another in the same elective the next semester or even going out for food and drinks.

He once said it was odd and you told him that is the whole problem with his philosophy. Change just happens; you cannot catch it as it unfolds. You said it would always be that way because humans functioned for eons with it. You said he should think of it as a natural law and he would have, had you not decided to suck on the straw of your drink so loudly the hair on his head stood up.

Still, this was a welcome change to him. He tends not to dwell on it too much; after all, those thoughts were your job. Yes, he let you sit in the grass next to him while he fixes up this machine. Yes, he didn’t completely tune you out. And, yes, he might have told that stuck-up blonde man in his darshan that you were in fact not single. It isn’t like lying and manipulation were out of his character; Zandik swore he would get what he wants and reject anything he deems unworthy. That blonde man whose name he didn’t even bother to remember was unworthy of you. Simple as that. Nothing more.

For the first time since he was a simple child, Zandik felt like he had made a genuine friend. Having to share a table with the two of you both annoying him would have been torture.

The new mechanical part needs 5 screws. One. Two. Three.

“Zandik, are you listening to me?”

Four.

“Yes, yes – I don’t know why you called that man a ‘standard’ of romantic literature if he acts like that.”

The fifth one. The last one is always the worst.

“I don’t have time to explain that again. I have something more important to tell you.” “Mhm.”

If he could just get it to fit right and make this work, he would be at the end of his experiment. Just a few more twists and-

“I am leaving Sumeru tomorrow morning.”

He halts. The screwdriver stands still not having finished the mission assigned to it. Something inside the machine cracks and for a second Zandik wonders if that noise came from inside of his own body. Shouldn’t he be mad? Upset? This is the first time you’re telling him about it. Wait, if so, it must be a silly trip that is meaningless and so insignificant you forgot to mention it.

“Oh, are Haravatat students setting up camp somewhere again? Your darshan really likes to have bonding experiences.”

Zandik continues to twist the screw; the machine failed but he will see this through to the end. Looking up at you when he already knows the answer from the silence that settles between the two of you would show his weakness. Zandik has no weaknesses anyone knows of. Zandik has a prideful disposition he will keep up regardless of what happens.

“It is just me...remember how I said this romantic book is fascinating? I didn’t mean the romance of it; I meant the ruins that are described only briefly. They’re too detailed to not exist somewhere in Natlan! I am sure of it! I got permission to make them my thesis. Isn’t that great?”

You never talked to him about your thesis plans. He was forced to listen to 5 hours of why the female lead’s arrogance was important in the novel but he wasn’t privy to something more intimate of your plans.

He didn’t tell you much about his childhood and judgments of his villagers or classmates. He didn’t reveal anything significant about himself but...that library table was his intimate space which he allowed you to occupy. Nobody else. And this place? Do you know how meaningful it is to him? To his dreams and aspirations as a researcher? Do you know how many nights he spent on the grass you are sitting on right now just trying to get his research to work? And, if it didn’t, the hours he spent hoping and cursing at the parts?

Zandik suddenly felt cold towards you. He let you inside these intimate spaces and what did he let in return? Less loneliness? The two of you clearly didn’t connect as human beings. What does he know about you? He knows the way you write in the margins and the shapes you’d draw on his papers, he knows the way you talk when passionate – how he has to take one step to the left when you start debating a syntax issue unless he wants your outstretched hand to hit his cheek – he knows the annoying sound you make when drinking from straws; fuck, he even knows the patterns to your walks.

Was this what you truly meant when you said humans cannot catch change? The fact that just now he realized how much he knows about you yet not enough to have predicted this? The worst by far, is that he cannot find it in himself to yell at you for how he feels. He can’t yell at you for not knowing this... He knew that everyone travels for their thesis, so, he should say he expected it.

You don’t need to know how he thought the two of you would travel to the same place but with different research objectives. Still, what else can he do besides let you go?

He looks at you. Finally. But you wish that he hadn’t. This is an expression you’ve never seen on him before; an expression that makes leaving such a hard task even when you rely on not saying goodbye.

Zandik sometimes reminded you of stoics; the way he would take every failure and success as equal opportunity without getting derailed. But, only now do you see his red eyes glow; the way they’re looking at you while hardly blinking – like he is trying to remember as much of you as possible to carry with him.

You never could have guessed how right he was; how even that millisecond meant remembrance that haunts.

The two of you don’t say goodbye that night. You wish each other luck and promise to compete on who can finish their thesis faster.

Neither of you do.

Zandik gets expelled for how obsessive he becomes. And you get lost to time. Lost to Natlan.

The last news Zandik hears about you does not come from any of your letters – they were only three after all. He hears from the Matra that you rushed inside a ruin and were lost forever.

The word forever always had a special ring to him; that was the first time he hated it. If you were lost forever, he would simply be better than you. He would live forever and make sure to do everything he wanted. Ample time leads to ample rewards.

Zandik, when he changes his name, abandons everything that grounded it. He throws away your letters and he throws away you. Only he knows what was harder to discard.

iii. autumn

Dottore sometimes has to stand inside of his own lab to admire his work. The vastness of it and all the success and trust he has as well as the fact his clones are more advanced than ever; it all proves just how right he was. And just how wrong they were.

Turning down a genius and trying to stop his advancement? Foolish. Those people in the village that ostracised him? Insignificant. As well as their offspring that he never saw. Only a few people had what it takes to contribute true research to this world. And they were lost or boxed in or stopped by something so trivial as the academia or governments.

He stands above it all. As the ultimate showcase of unrivalled genius and absolute freedom. Nobody asks him what it means to be human anymore. They don’t consider him such; and every single day he slips down the path of being something that cannot answer that.

His test subjects often shout about humanity and how he has none. He wonders if they realize how it means nothing. Seeing humans struggle and break does light up something in him. And he decided to chase that long ago.

“Lord Harbinger.”

He stays silent. Lord Harbinger is a title he refuses to answer to. Why should he turn his neck to the same words his inadequate colleagues do? If the person calling him doesn’t immediately correct himself, they know what happens next.

“I mean, Doctor!” Good. Humans knew how to adopt quickly after all. He finally tilts up his neck towards the man. He takes off the mask covering his face just so that his subordinate could see the glare.

“What do you want?” “Something very odd is happening in quarter 7, section 31!” “Odd? I didn’t even experiment in there recently and nothing important was placed there from my machinery.” “We have no idea what is happening! There is a glow but no smoke or fire or anything else. We only thought it would be right to notify you.” “A glow you say? Ah, perhaps it is a jinn lamp where a weak soul of older days slumbers. We did place the gifts of those nobles from all over Teyvat there. I told Pierro I don’t need them but he insisted I should keep them.”

He twiddles with his pen.

“That section is insignificant to me. I hold no care about it at all.” He takes a deep breath. If only it was section 37 instead. There, he was working on an experiment involving lay lines and ghostly souls.

“Either way Doctor, the light just keeps on growing and we are afraid it will expand to other sections. What if one of the nobles turned against us? What if-” “Shut your mouth, I will go. No matter how many times I look for capable people, they never meet my expectations.”

Dottore gets up from his chair but with no zest. He saw bottles like those of jinn all the time years ago. The only thing less exciting about seeing one again are the white hallways he has to walk through to get to the room. The underling follows behind him, scurrying like a bug. Cosmically insignificant. To think that this bug’s energy will one day get the same treatment as those ghostly souls that actually matter.

He opens the door and sees a bright blue light. There is no imminent danger. Perhaps the being inside this lamp recognized another presence inside the room and they are reacting to it? He shudders at the thought of having to deal with another ex-lovers pair that vowed revenge on one another.

Dottore walks over to the source of the light. He cannot see the centre of it. It gives off a warmth however. And he wanted to roll his eyes at the way his subordinate shakes. But, his curious nature could never lay dormant for a long time.

He realizes that he feels warmth from it, but his insignificant bug feels chills. Whatever this is, it could come in handy for his experiments that require temperature changes.

Dottore reaches to grab it.

“We tried that before Sir! Nothing changed!”

Sir again. Not Doctor. The same second mistake cannot be forgiven. Dottore’s hand grabs at the light core. He expects the feel and the weight of a marble.

But it completely disappears. Dottore’s face drops as does his excitement. The poor underling has no idea he will suffer for both his own actions and the fluctuations of Dottore’s moods. The room is pitch black again. There is no sound coming from anywhere. The other subordinates ran off because they thought the light was dangerous. Dottore clicks his tongue in realizing he will have to replace them all again.

Then, the bug behind him shrieks. He can hear him tumble onto the ground and run off as soon as he gets up. What a fool. He is yelling at the top of his lungs. Perhaps pulling out his tongue should teach him to be quiet.

When Dottore turns around, he feels warmth engulf his body. He digs his heels into the floor to stop himself from moving. He hears a sound he hadn’t heard in years.

“Zandik? I-Is that you?”

He can hear your voice. He can hear you call out that acursed name. Why are you here? Why are you on the floor, hunched over and kneeling?

“Zandik?”

Stop saying that! Stop it! He can feel his right hand shake; he can feel his heart beat. Worst of all, he can hear the things the other clones are saying about this memory. It is becoming a part of the collective. He can hear the collective hope and heartbreak.

“That is you. Isn’t it?”

Your voice is so weak.

“I haven’t answered to that name for 200 years now.”

He cannot find it in himself to say anything else. The other clones are creating a ricocheting cacophony inside his brain. He should have thrown out more of his humanity. Didn’t he burn those letters? Why is he suddenly remembering lines from them? Why is one of his clones crying?

“200 years..?” he can hear the bewilderment in your voice. When he looks down at you, he can see the tears in your eyes. You are afraid; they no longer hold any light.

He kneels down and touches your shoulder to calm your shaking body. Only then does he get hit by the ugly revelation that you are laughing but there is no sound. You look like you are breaking in every sense of the word; he never managed to drive his test subjects to these limits where they would lose everything at once.

He clicks his tongue. He shakes your shoulders with a grip that makes you yelp. Only then do you actually begin to cry. He takes it. He takes this breakdown over the utter lack of humanity you displayed before.

“Zandik I-I" “Dottore. My name is Dottore now.”

He says it even if he is sure you can’t actually hear him. His voice can’t reach out to you even if he is kneeling down next to you, embracing you as a surprise to himself. You’re crying into his shoulder, slobbering and hiccupping.

You ask him what it means to be human again. He cannot answer you. He became something else. You say that you aren’t sure about it anymore. That hurts more than his own lack of an answer. You should have come back in a different way. You should have come back pointing a finger at him, yelling to him about his choices. Maybe even yelling at him for not looking for you. Not like this. Never like this.

Only when you faint in his arms does he notice the cuts and bruises on your body. For the first time since he changed his name – Dottore decides to treat someone like a real doctor. His subordinates have to live with that – seeing the ruthless harbinger who terrorizes them show some care. Command it even.

It isn’t natural. It shouldn’t even exist. Seeing humanity from a man like that makes them question everything. He goes into your room 5 times a day, doesn’t let anyone else do anything besides keep guard. And then, in between those visits, he tortures children and experiments on them with poison and toxic remains. He gets blood all over his coat and then puts on a new one when knocking on your door.

They can’t fathom it. It simply shouldn’t exist. And they start avoiding that door; because pretending like it doesn’t exist and pretending like their master is only ruthless makes it easier to live.

And when you do wake up – it is impossible to ignore how their master’s humanity makes itself known.

iv. winter

“You know I quite like this little habit of ours.” Dottore’s voice reminds you how wrong your predictions were. Since he came back earlier from Sumeru than you bet on, you now owe a large sum of mora to a certain banker.

“I was not aware that it was a habit. You just come here whenever you please.” “There is something to come to. Be a dear and fetch another tea cup for me, would you?” Typical him. Only he would be able to say such a line; implying that whatever this was between the two of you reminded him of a home. But, even if you click your tongue, you get another tea cup and pour him some. At least you can remember your own humanity when your cold hands touch it and suddenly warmth seeps through. As a child, you loved to do it. You would put your hands in cold rain on purpose just to feel this simple warmth. You have a habit of taking off your gloves when drinking tea, he keeps his on. He has a habit of sitting next to you in the same way he did all those years ago.

“Now, let me engage in ‘pure bragging’ as your lovely lips like to put it. Are you ready to hear of Sumeru again and just everything that I accomplished?”

Something tells you not to give him that satisfaction. So you put the cup down and point a finger at him.

“You’re more human now, Zandik.” “How many times must I tell you not to use that name?” “Until you figure out a way to go back into the past and change the name on your birth certificate to Dottore, and then glare at me in the library like you did when we met – I will continue to use it. That is your true name after all. Erase all records if you will, but I will remember it.”

He doesn’t think about bragging anymore.

“That library just looks more grand now, the people calling themselves researchers are anything but that.”

You can feel when he dangles a hook in front of you. Taking it would give him far too much satisfaction.

“He cried, you know.”

He grips the handle.

“I felt it, no need to mention it.” “The youngest one, the one I was most fond of, cried when you killed all of them.” “And some swore revenge. Are you trying to get me to focus on the feelings? You probably are, you’ve been annoying since the first day I met you.” “And you still haven’t realized you cannot chase change. Tell me, were you surprised when she asked you that? Were you hesitant? Aren’t your clones proof of everything you ever wanted?” “It is a shame you hadn’t gone with me.” He deflects it. “The archon would certainly like you. She too, kept asking about humanity and the lines I crossed.”

Your tea has gone cold by now. Zandik always had a way of distracting you for longer than you’d like.

“And were your answers to her something I would approve of?” “You said I seemed more human now, is that not enough for you?” “I am glad to see only one version of you now. I will take that as a start.” “Unbelievable, by a stroke of luck which you call misfortune, you were granted even more time than me but you hate it.” “We always differed in our definitions. I wasn’t blessed with this, I was cursed. I entered those runes to learn more of humanity but I was punished by my eagerness to lose my own.”

He has to roll his eyes.

“Just because you were blessed with so much time and can make a legacy like myself, it doesn’t mean you are no longer human. Would you like me to take you to see all those monsters? Perhaps some of my own research experiments?” “You forget I am free to leave this place whenever I wish. And, neither of us have legacy.” “Speak for yourself. You left and came back all those years ago because you said you hated me. Yet, here we are, drinking tea like always.” “I came back because I was jealous of true humans.” “And I pity you for being jealous of inferior creatures.” “And I pity you for thinking you will ever leave a legacy that is fond of remembering.”

“Careful there, your hateful gaze might make me forget you love me.” “I don’t love you.”

Dottore leans back in his chair and he laughs.

“But you do. That is what proves your humanity. Always paradoxical and complex, disagreeing with my actions but realizing I am perhaps the only human that relates to you. We call the same thing by different names; but it won’t change either way.” “I just don’t know why I came back to you from that forsaken ruin.” “Should we call it fate?” “You gave it an abstract name? Does it still bother you that you never found a way inside?”

He places his hand over your own on the table. He looks at you, now knowing that the two of you were right not to exchange goodbyes that day. And you relax. There is always a memory that triggers when he is next to you, there is always that realization that he knows you as much as you know him. You share time now but you shared it all those decades ago. There is something to come back to; there is someone that remembers, calls out your name and responds to the one that leaves your mouth.

Some invisible and intricate connection always existed between you. And, you could leave, you could stand up at this very moment and travel to wherever you wish. But, you would lose that. You would lose the feeling that someone knows you and you’ve always believed that to be know is to be loved. People learn old languages because the love those that came before. Humans have a habit of desperately clutching onto their humanity even if it is smaller than a grain of sand. And, if you must, to keep yourself grounded and to stand there until he realizes his own mistakes and humanity – you will hold onto him. It has to be worth it in the end. There has to be a reason you share his existence and were teleported back in front of him on your knees.

You just hope it means something grander that will constitute your own legacy.

v. evermore

That night, he traces the hickeys he left on your neck. It is one of the few times he takes off his gloves so that his human skin meets your own.

“Ask me again.” “I will not ask you for another round.” “No,” he clicks his tongue, “ask me that question.” “Are you aware that you are more obsessed with humanity than me, oh doctor? Laughable.” “Just ask.” “Fine. What makes you human?”

He moves his hand down to your waist and pulls you closer to him. How could he ever ask you to use the name Dottore when his eyes have been the same all these years whenever he looks at you? You don’t get a chance to marvel at them for too long, he buries his face in your neck.

“You. Having you here keeps me human. Sometimes I think we were destined to be together.”

Nobody else knows this side of him. And in your opinion, selfish as it may be, they don’t deserve to know.

“Oh, is the genius doctor now speaking about fate and destiny? What grand words you use. We weren’t destined to be together, we were doomed to be together.”

There you go. Ruining a romantic moment by reminding him how differently the two of you look at this situation you’re in. He groans. Perhaps you will come around one day, even if it has been 300 years since your return. What matters is that you returned to him by fate and by your own choice after travelling.

“Hey! Zandik, bite my neck one more time I will force you to sleep on the couch.” “If we were indeed doomed to be together, we might as well make the most of it and – are you trying to bite me back?” “Your teeth were always annoyingly sharp!” “And the noises you made 500 years ago when drinking are still annoying to this day.” “That’s it. Go sleep on the couch, I don’t want to look at you right now.”

a/n: legit this is so self indulgent cus it is how I imagine my relationship with this red flag would be. it isn't really toxic it is just philosophies not matching up. dottore is too fond of humanity without realizing it and i will make him suffer for it. reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated. hope dottore anon likes it.

#genshin impact #dottore x reader #favoniuslibrary #genshin x reader #il dottore #zandik x reader #genshin imagines #not rook's bow #not om

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im-so-tired-sorry · 1 year

Text

Kiribaku x gn!reader headcanons <3

A/N: my first time writing like this so bare with me lmao. these boys are always in my head. Part 1 since i realized while writing this was already long enough.

CW: mainly platonic, slight flirting

Genre: fluff

Word count: 0.8k

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while still attending ua (and still friends), you, kirishima and bakugo would always be hanging out together: in class, training at the gym, studying, or even chilling in each others dorms (sometimes even after curfew)

you would hang out in each others rooms, watching movies, reading books/manga, doing skin care, etc. sometime you would even invite the rest of the bakusquad over.

if two of you were planning on hanging out, you would plan to invite the third.

the boys would become a tad upset if you already had plans with your other friends/ classmates, but they wouldn’t say anything. they would still hangout and try to bring back a souvenir— whether it’s food or a gift shop item or even a small plush—for you once you come back to the dorms so you can hangout again and talk about your day.

it’s almost as if you three being separated for a long time was draining; you would all at least have to be in the same room to recharge and relax.

study sessions where bakugo would start to become less strict on you and kiri once you start pulling better grades, but still call you out for slacking off.

study sessions where bakugo bets that if you and eijirou made an equal or better grade than him on the next test, he would take you both out for dinner.

you and eijirou making dinner plans while katsuki is trying to figure out how you both passed his grade by a couple of percentage numbers. “you cheated didn’t you?” “we swear we didn’t!!”

there are two specific types of inside jokes between you three; if it happened in public, you can tease each other about it and explain the context if someone asked. then there are the ones you keep to yourselves, the ones that originated from private moments. those are the ones where, if mentioned, not even bakugo can help but break a smile reimagining the moment.

katsuki, who will stay after everyone else has left and help you with your training if you’re having trouble with a specific move. you tell him that “it’s ok” not wanting to waste his time, but he’ll just grumble. “how do you expect to be a good hero if you won’t even put in the effort?”

eijirou, who will never let you eat alone. no matter how late it is, if he finds you having a late dinner, he’ll join you with his own snack.

katsuki, who will maybe let you lean on his shoulder to catch up on sleep after staying up late to study and train.

eijirou who will carry you to the infirmary as soon as you catch a really bad cold, and katsuki who will blame it on you overworking yourself. either way, if they’re not in class or training, they are staying by your bedside ‘till you get better.

the three of you, along with other classmates, celebrate together when you pass your exams

the three of you, along with friends and family, grab dinner after the graduation ceremony

the three of you become a little distant once you start working at a different hero agency while kiri and baku get to work together. a couple of months go by and there’s silence between the pod. being a hero is busy work after all, especially when your trying to be some of the best.

you still try to make time for each other, trying to align every day off you have to see each other.

you would buy every magazine that had either of the boys on the cover and send it in the group chat. “wouldn’t mind being saved by this hunk😍” “💪💪😘” “You guys are gross.”

at one point, the three of you just start going straight over to each other’s houses after patrol shifts, eating dinner together, and if it’s too late, it turns into a last minute sleepover.

katsuki, who give you old clothes of his to let you sleep in.

katsuki, who will add your hero costume to the laundry pile and wake up early in the morning so your suit is clean and dry before you wake up and have to go.

eijirou, who will let you choose anything in his wardrobe to change into once it’s decided you’re staying the night.

eijirou, who, though can’t usually cook well, will make a solid breakfast for you before you have to clock back into work.

when they shoot you a text saying they’re coming over, you prep the house and take out their clothes and toothbrushes that they’ve “accidentally” left at your house so they can easily change and settle in once they arrive.

if you all have the day off tomorrow, it’s automatically a movie night and you each pick a movie to watch

cut to you all cuddling on top of each other, dead asleep while the credits roll.

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samglyph · 2 months

Note

Sorry I’d like to give book recs but I suddenly realized I do not have a very wide range of books I’ve read.

Do you have any queer book recs that you’d like to talk about? I’d love to read more queer books but was never exposed to much of it as a child when I read through books so quickly

Queer books that I’ve read recently that I quite liked:

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

This is actually a horror book and only counts as a romance to me cause my brain is a bit snapped but it is romantic ok it IS what if I was a man eating mermaid and you were a gender unspecified plague doctor and we made a connection despite our mutual inhumanity. It’s also very short

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

Ok the main relationships in this are f/m but the main characters are bi/queer (there’s a lesbian artist side character named Sam :]!)and there are quite a few lovely wlw scenes that I quite liked. Otherwise I just really liked this book I know some people found it slow but I thought the pacing was very well done and the twists felt well earned. Bittersweet, but (spoilers) had an ending that had me going “good for her >:)”

What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher

This one’s not romantic and it’s also horror it’s just a reimagining of Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher with a non-binary protag and it’s sooo entertaining. Alex is such a funny pov character for this story.

And now it’s time to rank the TJ Klune books that I’ve read so far (all of Klune’s books are mlm romance fantasy books though I guess itlop is more sci fi) (I liked all of them but here’s my preference in order of least to most enjoyed)

3. In the Lives of Puppets

Reverse retelling of Pinocchio (android man raises a human son in a world of robots) I thought the ace rep was maybe a little heavy handed at times (I’m ace I think the author was doing his best but could’ve dialed it back to feel more natural) and some of the humor wasn’t to my taste but the relationships were sweet and as always I love Klune’s worldbuilding. When the terrible dogfish showed up I said OHHHH out loud cause I hadn’t put the premise together yet despite everything else making it so obvious.

2. The House in the Cerulean Sea

This is everyone’s favorite but I’m gonna be honest. I just thought it was really good. I thought the conflict was a little on the nose/id seen it before so it didn’t really grab me but the setting and characters SHINE. It’s so visual I love Klune’s descriptions (right off the bat even in the boring office setting I was thinking “this should be a laika movie”)

1. Under the Whispering Door

This one is my favorite. Am I predictable. Yes. Am I taking criticism ABSOLUTELY not I loved this book. I love when an asshole learns to grow as a person I love how human this understanding of death and the after life is I love how even though the book tells you the twist on the back cover it still managed to sneak up on me and tear my heart out. Good book.

#I haven’t read Wolfsong yet because as I said before: I’m not paying for hardcover werewolf smut #it has to be softcover #a customer did recommend the audiobook to me though #sam reads

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rascalentertainments · 4 days

Text

Wish Granted 🌟👩🏾🎶 (Wish Reimagined)

Chapter 1: Once Upon A Time...

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

We open up our story with the Disney 100th anniversary logo:

youtube

Then it transitions to the Walt Disney Productions title with the overture from Snow White playing, followed by the casts of the story and the people who worked together to create it. The next shot brings us a message from Walt himself, leftover from his very first movie.

(They had the AUDACITY to leave that out!? Shows how grateful they are...)

It fades to black and shows the camera panning over to a fancy 3D storybook with the title "Wish Granted" on the cover, and it slowly opens up, turning to the first couple of pages.

The narration begins with a young woman's voice reading in a calm, yet cheerful voice.

Once upon a time, in a land…pretty far away, there was a kingdom off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula. A Kingdom full of magic, dreams and wonder, Rosas.

The book then turns a page to show two pictures, one portraying a man, a woman and a lynx. The other showing a large kingdom near the sea.

In this kingdom ruled by King Magnifico and Queen Amaya, Rosas is a safe place for people all over the world. No matter where a person is from, they will have a safe and happy life. However.....

The book flips to the next page, showing Magnifico taking a wish from a citizen. On the first page, the woman his happily giving it to him, but on the second, she looks incredibly sad, gently clutching her chest with sorrow.

When you arrive, you must give your greatest wish to the king in exchange to live there. The cost of it leaves with you with an empty feeling inside, never being able to fill the hole in your heart until the king grants it himself.

The book flips to another page showing a girl in purple, a yellow glowing person, their pet goat looking upwards and the shadowy figure of the royals holding the wishes in their hands.

This is a story about a girl, a star, a goat, a kingdom and a wish. This is a story about how anyone can make their wishes come true....

The camera then zooms in on the next page, transitions into 2D as it goes directly into the storybook.

We see few boats crossing the sea, making their way towards Rosas. A little redheaded girl is taking a look at the approaching kingdom. "Look, mommy! Is that it? Is that our new home?" she asked enthusiastically, pointing ahead. Her mother joined her and nodded as a smile crept across her face. "Yes, dear. That's Rosas." she said with hope in her eyes as they approach the new land.

Speaking of the new land, one of the citizens is seen at the port. A teen boy with collar length blonde hair, was waiting to greet them. The biggest thing that stood out to him was the red tunic and yellow scarf around his neck. The boy was waving a flag with the symbol of Ross' embroided on it, signaling them to the port.

The teen took a deep breath and started pacing back and forth, talking to himself. "All right, Flazino. You can do this. You've done this dozens of times. Just pretend you're not sending them to their possible suffering....I've got a bad feeling about it."

Flazino heard the people approaching and quickly slapped on a smile. He spun around and greeted the newcomers with open arms.

"Haha! Hola, Shalom, Salam! Welcome to your new home! You're going to love it here, especially our magnificent rulers! Everyone ready?"

The travelers cheer in agreement and follow the boy through the gates of the kingdom.

🎵 Welcome to Rosas 🎵🌹

Flazino

Magnifico

Amaya

Group singing

Oh, Welcome to Rosas, an amazing kingdom. Where the possibilities are more than you can fathom!

(Flazino signals for the crowd to follow him as they pass through the gates)

There's no other place just as full of surprise, Where your dreams and your reality can collide!

(He passes by a man who's juggling 10 balls at once, hinting that his wish was to be the best juggler in the kingdom)

The most magical place on Earth, where most wondrous ideas give birth! You want to make dreams your come true? Well, have I got good news for you!

(He gives a wink and other residents start appear around him for the chorus)

(The background characters- I mean the Rosas citizens who haven't had their life force drained yet start to dance)

'Cause here in the city of Rosas (Oh, ah-ah)

You can turn all your wanting to wishing No what-ifs, ands or buts Oh, here in the city of Rosas (Oh, ah-ah) It's unlikely that you’ll be unhappy No need to make a fuss

(Flazino lifts the little girl onto his shoulders as they continue) A home for me (Me) For you (You) And all of us (Us) Thе city of Rosas

(He leads the group over to a small theater showing little muppets of Magnifico and Amaya. The following moments and dancing scenes are also a reference to the "Topsy Turvy" song number from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Love that movie)

So like, we have this king named Magnifico

(He points to muppet versions of the royals, with the Magnifico one holding his scepter high)

He built Rosas many years ago

(the background has a little cardboard replica of the kingdom rising behind it.)

With lightning for hands and eyes that can glow

(He raises his hands creepily and jokingly to the child, but she gasps in fear)

No, no, no, I'm just kidding! But he is powerful! They're just like us with a twist.

(He ruffles her hair playfully)

So much power, too much to list! (Oh, wow!) The magic exists, And there you have it, poof, there's your wish! Oh and, hey did I mention when you turn eighteen? You get to give your wish in a ceremony And he keeps them safe, every wish he acquires (Wish he acquires) And once a month he grants someone’s greatest desire (Greatest desire)

(The puppets show the King taking a tiny blue orb from a puppet citizen, then it dances around as if it just won a million dollars) It could be you someday, or you, even you! Oh, I can't wait! (He points to three different people on each "you", with a couple them looking doubtful)

(A man asks) Does it hurt? (the girls asks) Do you cry?

(Before Flazino can reply, Magnifico just pops in in front of him, the boy giving a look that says "Where the he'll did you come from!?") Oh, no, and you won't even miss it when you say "goodbye"

(He holds the note on "bye" to show off his singing, while Flazino rolls his eyes in annoyance)

(Then Amaya jumps in to take over part of the final chorus) 'Cause here in the city of Rosas (Oh, ah-ah) You can turn all your wanting to wishing

No what-ifs ands or buts,

Oh, here in the city of Rosas (Oh, ah-ah) It's unlikely that you’ll be unhappy

No need to make a fuss

(The royals take this chours proudly singing, while Sabor stands with a sly smile as he basks in all the attention they're getting. Flazino is visually annoyed and rolls his eyes. He then tries to look for an opening so he can finish the song)

A home for me (Me)

For you (You)

And all of us (Us)

The city of Rosas

(Flazino quickly steps in front of the royals during "And all of us" to try and finish the song, then Magnifico steps in front of him and blocks him with his cape. During the final line, He then raises his hands to the sky and releases an explosion of fireworks and it decorates the area in magical sparkles)

As sparkles and rose petals shower the audience, applause echoes throughout the stadium. The newcomers were chatting and cheering amongst each other. Flazino was used to this part, its practically pure dopamine when people first arrive and hear one man can grant people's desires. This whole song their idea in the first place, and he's performed it a hundred times. You'd think they at least let him sing the propaganda song!

"I can't wait to get my wish granted now!"

"There's so much I want to ask for!"

"They're such a beautiful couple!"

The little redhead girl from earlier was especially excited. "I'm gonna wish for something real big when I grow up! I want to bring everyone I can here so they can be happy like us!" She giggled and continued to clap her hands.

Flazino's smile faded hearing this. This kid was going to grow up and loose her happiness in the blink of an eye.

Magnifico could see the boy's expression change and cleared his throat. "Well now, I suppose that's enough excitement for you today. We've made good work making our new friends feel welcome." He said sternly.

The boy quickly changed his demeanor. "O-oh. T-thank you, your high-"

He was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a lynx inches away from his face. The feline had a rather angry look on his face. Though he's usually like that when he's has to deal with anyone but his beloved owner. He was being carried by his arms by the Queen.

"Now that all that noise is finished. "You can make yourself useful by giving Sabor here his breakfast." She demanded. "Poor dear must be starving. Aren't you?" she cooed.

Sabor purred....and licked his mouth as he looked Flazino as if he was the breakfast himself. That's definitely not a good sign.

"Uh....yeah, I'll get right on that." The boy responded as he gingerly picked up the lynx and did his best to carry him in arms. He was only a couple years old, but he weighed as much as a full grown goat. That are the boy wasn't all that strong. "How much can you eat anyway?" Sabor grunted in offense.

"That's a good apprentice! Run along, now!" Magnifico slightly mocked the boy as he left. In a low voice he mumbled. "Peasant boy."

Flazino stopped walking for a moment and looked behind him. He saw the two royals eating up the praise and attention they were getting from the people. The newcomers were enamored with them while the longtime citizens gently clapped, but not nearly as enthusiastically. In fact, they seemed a little sleepy, some with half lidded eyelids.

The boy felt a sharp pain on his shoulder, which made him come back to his senses. Sabor had scratched his shoulder to remind him of his obviously more important meal. (Can you say "spoiled"?)

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll get Dhalia to make your breakfast." He mumbled as he walked down from the stage and away from the crowd.

We crossfade to outside the Kingdom, as hours pass and day turns to night. Its been a long, stressful day for Flazino, especially when most of tasks were just basic chores, going on errands and maybe learn some magic from Magnifico, if he decided he was ready. Its all become the norm. But there was one thing he was able to do without the watchful eye of the king.

"About that time of month again?" asked a girl as she brought Flazino a horse. The sorcerers' apprentice gathered his bags for his trip and gave the girl a nod. "You got it Bazema. Those mushrooms take a whole month to grow, and you know much the king loves those." He gently patted the horse on the snout then proceed to mount it. He pulled up the hood over to seemingly cover his head from the chill air.

"Would you mind finding some herbs while you're there? Just a few things like parsley, rosemary and thyme." she asked softly.

"Sure thing." the boy said with a smile. He signed the horse to start walking towards the gate.

"Are you sure those bag aren't too heavy for you?" Bazeema asked, looking worried about the weight it could put both his back and the horse's.

Flazino waved a hand as he continued forward, not looking back. "No need to worry, I'm not helpless." he called to her, with a laugh.

He quietly passed through the gates. Looking in all directions to make sure no one else was nearby. Once the coast was clear. The boy said in a low voice, "I'm far from helpless." He tightened the reins and made the horse transition from a gallop to a run.

The horse reacted and took off at a great speed. Flazino traveled further and further forward until Ross was no longer visible. He traveled for about an hour, passing a giant obnoxious sign of the smug king pointing to the kingdom with a sign that read: "To Rosas: Where all your wishes will come true".

The trees became a blur as he ran through the forest like a ghost. He finally reached the deepest part of the woods, were many branches of trees overlapped each other, as if blocking something from entering.

Flazino reached into one of his bags and pulled out a small green vial, that glowed brightly in his hands. He uncorked the vial and whispered to it in latin: "Ineo."

He threw the liquid at the branch's and waited. The branches started to shake, startling the horse. Flazino patted him on the head. "Easy, Achilles. Nothing to be scared off." ,he comforted the animal. Magnifico may not have taught him much magic like he wished for, but the boy watched and learned whenever the King performed his spells. It payed off rather well for him.

The branches slowly opened up, revealing an entrance to a hidden village within the forest itself.

The trees closed off the entrance behind him as Flazino slowly entered the safe haven for those who fled from the Royal's tyranny. This was the Hamlet.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

OH MY GOD, ITS FINALLY DONE! CHAPTER 1 IS HERE AND DONE! AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Would you believe that this took over a week to do this? This wasn't meant to be that long, but the way I write, everything plays out like a movie, so that's why its a bit longer. 😅 I also chose this way to start it because a majority of rewrites usually start with Asha in some way, so I wanted to do a bit of a twist and start it off through Flazino instead and then lead to Asha.

Another fun thing is that while I haven't read all the rewrites out there (I don't have all that time, unfortunately), but I rarely see Flazino used, if at all. So it was like I was given a clean slate to work with. Plus some people figured out he was helping the Hamlet in the deleted scenes and was the original Sorcerers' Apprentice, which gave me inspiration for this. He's like a double agent in this telling, and he'll be important to the story later on. The design I had in mind for him was a reference to Arthur from The Sword in the Stone, with a bit of Jim Lake from Troll hunters mixed in. Sooooo imagine he's voiced by Josh Keaton, he's a good VA for these types of roles (As you can tell, I may have gotten attached to this guy, lol 😅) So he'll be getting his own bio later on.

And how about those royals, huh? THEY ARE TOTAL GLORY HOGS! 😂 They're incredibly narcissistic in this version, but most people see it as charming and don't catch on. Plus I wanted them to have have the classic Disney broadway sequence during the song, cause I think the movie would've benefited from it. (Flazino is more like a jester to them than an apprentice, hence the Clopin reference.) They put on smiles, act nice and give you the Hollywood treatment, but its all just to get those wishes. There is no redeeming them here, they're villains. Straight up.

Also, BIG thank you to @signed-sapphire for helping me with rewriting the Rosas song too! They gave me a great guide to making new lyrics and it really worked out! And for everyone who took the time to read to this point! You earned a big hug! 😊

It'll be a while before chapter 2, cause I want to finish Kingdom of Wishes first,in case I get more ideas. But for now, feel free to ask any questions on my rewrite and leave as many comments as you want!

Thanks for reading!

@wings-of-sapphire. @oh-shtars @chillwildwave @tumblingdownthefoxden @uva124 @emptyblog7 @emillyverse @mythartist21 @kstarsarts @spectator-zee @gracebethartacc @your-ne1ghbor @kenihewa @lazytitans-world

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signed-sapphire · 1 month

Text

The Fallen Star ✨Wish Reimagined

Chapter 1 - Welcome to Rosas

We open to a picture book with the title The Fallen Star on the cover, and it flips open to the end as a voice similar to that of the Golden Age princesses starts narrating.

Once upon a time, in a land… actually not that far away, there was a kingdom off the coast of the Iberian Peninsula.

Rosas.

The picture book opens to a jungle, zooming across a beach and a sea all the way up to Rosas.

Rosas was a beautiful kingdom, with beautiful people, a beautiful king and queen, and their beautiful daughter.

The picture book goes to look at the crowd, then to the other page to Magnus and Amaya waving to the crowd, then down to Asha waving to the crowd

Princess Asha. This is her story.

As well as his story.

The page flips and zooms down to Gabo.

And hers.

And their story.

Hal and Bazeema, then Dahlia, Safi, and Dario

And his story.

Simon O'Donahue

And my story.

Don’t worry.

You’ll meet me in a bit.

But for now, let’s start at the beginning.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

The picture book flips backwards to the beginning of the book, landing on a page with Steamboat Willie, which fades into real life and flips for motion

The flipbook stops at the last frame where a pencil erases and redraws an ear.

“Baaaaa!” A goat, dressed in indigo pajamas, jumps up on the stool next to the artist.

“Hey, Val,” Asha smiles. She turns back to her paper. “I’m not sure about this character. I mean, he looks like he’d be popular, but… he’s giving homophobic vibes. What do you think?”

“Baaaaaa!”

“You’re right. I’m going to burn it,” Asha decides. She pets Valentino’s fluffy head. “Thank you for your input, good sir,” she coos.

Suddenly, the bell tolls outside.

“Oh, goodness. It’s time! Come, baby!” Asha grins, closing her sketchbook and slipping it in her dress pockets.

Asha walks out the door and through the halls, so we get a good look at the beautiful architecture of Rosas.

We pass by the docks, where a ship pulls in by the harbor.

Just like in the movie, a boat docks on the harbors of Rosas. The boat is decorated with flags and plants and nets and fabric, and a group of lively tourists exit the ship.

“Hello!”

We see a smiling young woman waving to the tourists. “My name is Dahlia Tsurugi! I’m so glad you came to our city. I’ll be your tour guide, along with my friend, Bazeema Sriprasanna!”

Her friend jostles at her name, eyes darting to the crowd and waving shyly.

“Care for a cookie?” Dahlia asks as Bazeema pulls out a tray. “Courtesy of my parents, the royal bakers!”

The crowd looks excited, taking a few cookies. “Sugar cookies, just like how Their Majesties like them,” Dahlia explains. She gives Bazeema a thin smile, but before they can move forward, there’s the sound of trumpets.

Dahlia and Bazeema startle and turn towards the noise.

“Helloooo there!”

Now we’re getting to Asha! Our girl is smiling at the tourists, a golden tiara on her head and a group of servants rolling out a red carpet for her to walk on.

“My name is Princess Asha Arman of Rosas! I’ll be your tour guide today!” Asha smiles. “I’m glad you came to our wonderful and fantastic kingdom! Trust me, you’ll love it here.”

“Oh, Princess,” Dahlia says, grin faltering a bit. “You’re a bit early.”

“Don’t worry your pretty head over it, Doc,” Asha says sweetly. “What kind of main character would I be if I ran in here, needing to catch my breath? Couldn’t be me.”

Dahlia blinks. “I see.”

She recovers quickly, turning back to the tour group. “Well, you’re in luck. Today you get to meet our very own, Princess Asha!”

Asha waves and smiles. There’s a bleat, and Asha lights up. “Oh! And this is my goat, Valentino. Say hi, baby!”

Valentino jumps up and bleats, nuzzling against Asha’s dress. Asha coos and pets his fluffy head.

Bazeema whispers something to Dahlia, who smiles sympathetically. Asha turns back to the crowd. “Well! Shall we start, then?”

🎵 Welcome to Rosas 🌹

Asha

Dahlia

Bazeema

All three together

Welcome to Rosas, come on, come this way

Asha bounces in front of the tourists

We hope that you’ll like it and choose to stay

Arms out

There's no other place just as full of surprise

Where your dreams and your reality can collide

Hands mashed together

The happiest place on earth

Hands clasped, singing

A land of laughter, joy, and mirth

Want to ride a carpet or rub a lamp’s base

Hand outstretched to carpet hanging (Aladdin’s carpet) lowers hand to Aladdin’s lamp underneath)

Well, hey, you've come to the, right, place

Gently leans down to the child of the group

'Cause here in the kingdom of Rosas

Asha cuts in front of Bazeema, the other girl girls join in

You can turn all your wanting to wishing, no what ifs and no wonders

Oh, here in the kingdom of Rosas

It's unlikely that you'll be unhappy with so much to discover

A home for me, for you, and all of us

The kingdom of Rosas

So our wonderful king, many years ago

Dahlia fixes her glasses

Stars destroyed his homeland, fire, rain, and snow

Uses free hand to mime out

He battled the Stars and chased off their glow

Hand towards the sky, fist closed at “chased”

He makes sure they can’t hurt us again, oh no

He founded Rosas

With his wife and their young lass

Though to be honest—

Unsure Bazeema

Hey. Our princess grows on you, I promise

Dahlia gently interrupts, then turns to the tourists

Hey, did I mention, when you turn eighteen

Asha pops up behind them, taking their attention

You may have your wish granted by the king and queen

‘Till then, they keep them safe, protects them at all costs

So to the Stars again no one ever is lost

You give your wish to them and live a life of bliss

Yes, you do forget what it is, but now Stars won’t be able to take it from you

Boops nose of youngest

Besides, if you keep it you endanger everyone you love, so forget with no regret and live life safely

Arms like “why”, “gotcha” movement, running backwards

Here in the kingdom of Rosas

Flamenco staircase dance

You can turn all your wanting to wishing, no what ifs and no wonders

Oh, here in the kingdom of Rosas

It's unlikely that you'll be unhappy with so much to discover

A home for me, for you, and all of us

The kingdom of Rosas 🎵

The tourists are all excited, Dahlia happily explaining more about their kingdom.

“You actually came just in time!” Dahlia exclaims. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of Rosas’ founding, so you have a chance to check out the Wishing Festival! You should stick around, the kids get to plan it to ensure true imagination leads each celebration!”

She’s interrupted by an excited noise from Bazeema. Dahlia looks to see what her friend has gotten excited about, then lights up once she sees two young men in the distance.

“Simon! Safi! What are you doing here?”

We see a big, tall boy being dragged along by a much smaller one.

“Oh, hey, Dahls. Bazeema,” the bigger one greets them, yawning. “We just came to… wish you luck on your tour before… heading off to Hal’s Saba’s meeting.”

“We tried to make it in time, but— ACHOO!” Safi sneezes before he can finish his sentence.

“It was my fault,” Simon says apologetically. “I overslept.”

“And I told you, it’s fine, big guy,” Safi says, patting Simon’s arm. “Your dad worked you hard last night. Dahlia can handle it. And Bazeema— ACHOO!” Safi’s eyes widen. “Is there an animal nearby?”

“Oh, sorry,” Dahlia rushes. “Guys, we have a visitor on the tour with us. Be careful—“

“Ahem.”

The four teens straighten their posture. Princess Asha stands before them, holding Valentino in her arms. “What are you doing here?”

“We came to support our friend Hal, Your Highness,” Safi pipes up.

“Aaaaand why are you interrupting our tour?”

“Well, we—“

“Ugh. This is boring me. You’re boring, you know that?” Asha asks. She hums. “Hal. She’s the granddaughter of the Rosas beekeeper, right? Parents were the royal jesters? She’s funny. Be like her.”

A bell tolls, and Asha lights up. “Time to head to the meeting, Val.”

Her goat bleats and jumps down from her arms. Safi sneezes again, and Asha pulls back her skirt with a snarl. “Watch it, Sneezy! Don’t get your germs on me.”

“S-sorry, Your Highness,” Safi sniffles. “It’s just that animals make me— AH—“

Dahlia and Simon put their fingers under Safi’s nose to stop him from sneezing.

“Here, let me help you with that—“ Bazeema starts, but Asha backs up. “No touchy! Nooooo touchy, got that?”

“Sorry, Your Highness,” Bazeema murmurs.

Asha huffs and glances at Safi. “Stay away from Valentino,” she says curtly, before pushing open the castle doors. “Doc, Bashful, with me! Let’s finish this tour so I can get back to my regular duties.” She smiles at the confused crowd. “Come on!”

Bazeema smiles at Simon and Safi. “We’ll meet you inside, okay?” she asks quietly, then nods to Dahlia to come along.

Asha leaves the crowd with Dahlia and Bazeema to prepare for the meeting. Every month the citizens of Rosa’s could come to her parents about their concerns. It usually wasn’t hosted often, but somehow someone found something wrong.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“Asha, darling!”

Asha puts on a smile she sees two people standing inside her room. They’re regal, dressed in whites, blues, and golds, and smiling. King Magnus and Queen Amaya, or, as Asha knew them…

“Magnus, Ams,” Asha smiles.

“Well, how did the tour go?” Magnus asks with a warm grin.

“It went pretty well. You know me,” Asha smirks. “There was a snag, but I dealt with it.”

“Did you get to know your people?” Amaya asks, brushing Asha’s hair behind her ear.

Asha steps back. “Amaya.”

“Now, Asha, what do we always say?”

“‘To be a good ruler, you have to understand your roses so they can come to full bloom,’” Asha recites, rolling her eyes. She smiles. “Ams, I get it. And I love Rosas. But they don’t love me.”

“Were you kind?” Amaya asks.

“Yes!” Asha exclaims. “I complimented their friend and gave them a job to do on the tour! They got to be in the presence of me! The ward of the Wishgranter and his wife! The princess of the kingdom that literally grants wishes!”

“We keep wishes safe,” Magnus corrects. “And we were once like them. And you’re our daughter, Asha. You’re family.”

“Yeah. I know.”

Magnus smiles. “I love you, Asha.”

Asha puts on a smile again. “Love you too, Magnus.”

Magnus grins and turns to his wife. “And I love you, mi vida.”

Amaya laughs as Magnus attacks her face in kisses. Asha groans and hides her smile.

“Okay, we should head out for the meeting,” Magnus mumbles against Amaya’s neck.

“Yes, mi rey.” Amaya smooths down her dress. “Asha, are you joining us, dear?”

“It’s my duty as a princess,” Asha says, standing up straight.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

“Hello, Sabino!” Magnus greets as the doors open to a man and a young woman. “Ah, Hal! Hello, my dear. How’s the juggling going?”

“It’s going well, Your Majesty,” Hal says brightly. “Practicing my best. My Saba helps me a lot.”

“That’s lovely. Now, tell us. Why did you grace us with your lovely presence this morning?” Amaya asks.

Hal steps back to give her Saba the spotlight. The doors close, Hal’s friends wave at her from the side rows.

(Sabino looks like this concept of his movie counterpart ⬇️)

“Well, Your Majesties,” Sabino says, bowing his head. “As you know, I am turning 100 today.”

“That is quite an accomplishment!” Magnus exclaims.

Sabino smiles. “Yes, it is quite an accomplishment. Although… it may be my last.”

“What do you mean?” Amaya asks.

Sabino goes on to explain how he was sick and old, and the sickness would soon claim his life… or something along those lines. It was hard to listen to every detail and draw.

Asha liked to call herself akin to the royal scribe. Except, through art.

As Asha flips through her book we can see some concept art from previous Disney movies.

She was currently working her way through a flipbook of Sneezy sneezing, jolting Sleepy awake. The boy kept dozing off, though he looked as if he was trying his hardest to stay awake and support Happy.

Hmm. Asha wondered if she should get Sleepy something to keep him awake. Maybe a prick would keep him awake.

That’s it! She would get him a magic spindle! It would gently prick Sleepy whenever he started drifting off! She was such a good princess.

There, Amaya. She understood the roses now.

“A-and, I know it was something to do with my health and life.”

Right. Sabino was still talking. Asha made another note in the corner of her sketchbook.

“So, I was wondering, if your Majesty would be so kind…” Sabino’s voice trailed off.

“Sabino. My good man.” Magnus’ voice was gentle. “I can tell you that you are right. Your wish has to do with your lifespan. But the Wishgranter has reasons for keeping wishes.”

“Yes, but—“

“Your Majesty,” Hal interrupted. “It’s my Saba’s 100th birthday. He’s waited this long to get his wish granted, no?”

“Hal, I understand your Saba’s patience,” Magnus says. “But there are some wishes that can’t be granted.”

“Your Majesty—“

“I’m sorry, Hal. For the safety of Rosas, Sabino’s wish must stay with me. I will keep it safe, however. The Stars will never harm his—“ Suddenly, Magnus doubles over, clutching his head. His eyes flash gold for a second, then they’re back to normal.

“Magnus!”

“Mi rey!”

Asha and Amaya scramble up to Magnus. Magnifico shoos them away. “I’m fine, my dears. Just another headache.”

“Did you do your monthly check on the Stars?” Amaya asks.

Magnus runs a hand through his hair, then sighs. “No. That’s what it is. Tonight I shall perform the check to ensure that Rosas remains safe. Thank you for reminding me.”

The king composes himself and turns back to his audience. “My deepest apologies, Sabino. I can have the royal Healers come over to your home to see if there’s anything else we can do.”

Sabino falters, then nods. “Thank you for your time, Your Majesty.”

Chapter 2

Author’s notes

Okay! I think I like this format. I’m really happy with the dividers.

This is just setting things up. It’s a lot quicker than comic form, and this will work until I find enough time to sit down and draw. Perhaps this summer.

What I wanted to accomplish during this chapter was to set up the storybook intro and distinguish that from “Welcome to Rosas” (bc in the movie, the song is completely useless? Just add one more page in the book?) but this time, the storybook sets it up with a mystery narrator, and “Welcome to Rosas” introduces Mag and Amaya.

I will be referring to him as “Magnus” while he’s himself.

Intro is done! We know about Asha, what Bazeema and Dahlia are like (which the movie didn’t really touch on), and the backstory of Rosas

Now we can get to the actual call to action! I’ve already written most of Chapter 2 (it’s just formatting stuff) so I’ll see you then!

Thanks for reading! <3

#wish 2023 #star x asha #asha #asha x star #starsha #human star #princess asha #disney wish #the fallen star au #the fallen star fic #Spotify

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