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#but what he doesn't realize is the curse is being slowly lifted after every adventure with wilbur
pixelgreen · 1 year
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thinking about my ghibli wizard wilbur.. i will ramble in the tags again;;
#wilbur is rumored to be quite dangerous since most non-magic people don't have a good understanding of wizards#and dream doesn't know any better so he is still apprehensive about wilbur despite seeking him out#but when he spends time with him and apprentice tommy in their 'castle' dream quickly realizes how gentle and kind wilbur is#he can be a bit of a mess (emotionally and also literally) but wilbur adores dream as soon as he meets him#and wants to show him all the wonderful things about his world of magic#tommy recognizes how lively and excited wilbur is when dream is around#so he tries to get dream to stay as long as possible but dream doesn't need much convincing#being whisked away from his mundane life by a charming wizard was the best thing that's ever happened to him#dream is having such a wonderful time he nearly forgets about his curse#but what he doesn't realize is the curse is being slowly lifted after every adventure with wilbur#he is learning to love and be loved unconditionally#and the strength and self confidence it gives him weakens the curse until eventually it disappears#i have also been thinking about their outfits.. i think wilbur would have one similar to howl at the beginning of the movie#because i adore that style#and dream would wear something like a sweater tucked into a long skirt with boots#because i think that would be very cute in this au#lots of scenes where they stand on beautiful flower hills...must have long skirt to flow in the breeze yesyes#ghibli au rambles
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Sequestered
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Fern x f!reader
If there are any warnings I need to add, please let me know :)
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The weight of the crown on your head was too much to bear today. You gently set it down onto the grass, next to you in the shade of the giant oak trees above you.
If someone were to ask you what it's like to be a princess, you would say it's a curse. For the past 15 years you've been raised, your father was stern and barely paid any attention to you. Suffering from neglect, you slowly watched him become more and more corrupt with power, forcing the entire kingdom to stay within its walls. As far as the common people knew, the outside was a mysterious place not to be messed with.
That's what power does to people. To have all these abilities at your hands, is a great responsibility. But most rulers toss those away, like a bag of trash being disposed into the garbage can.
You sighed, gazing across to the opposite side of the clearing you were sitting in. You raised your head to look up at the sky. Oh, what I would do to have a different life...
The rustling of leaves caught your attention. You gasped, quickly backing away into the shelter of the trees. Dad can't catch me being here!
"Hey."
You froze as relief washed over you. It wasn't your father.
You weren't allowed to leave the kingdom. Finding loopholes wasn't easy, so you didn't know what you'd do if he found out.
Carefully, you stood up, squinting at the figure standing at the opposite end of the meadow. Slowly, they- or it- stepped into the sunlight. You recognized him from your past adventures. Fern the Human.
"Hi," you replied warily. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, you know," he said. "Just exploring." Fern wore the same expression he did normally, a blank set of eyes and his mouth set in a straight line.
You nodded, your eyes darting around the clearing, at anything but him. You rarely interacted with outsiders, especially since you weren't allowed outside of your kingdom. So you didn't know how to act. All your social skills started chipping away because you were forced to stay inside all the time. "Princess duties".
"I haven't seen you around here before," the grass boy remarked. "Who are you?"
"Who am I?" I repeated. That was a good question. Every single decision I've had to make and every emotion I've had was decided for me. So much so, that I wasn't sure there was any "me" left.
"I'm Y/N," you replied. Fern tilted his head.
"Where are you from?"
"Um." You struggled to find the words. He couldn't know about the kingdom, or else you would find yourself kicked out. What was even the purpose of telling him? It could only end badly. His curiosity would get the better of him, driving him him to see the kingdom for himself. Would Fern even try to save us?
Even though you wanted to rescue your people badly, the thought of them roaming around aimlessly in the Land of Ooo scared you. They barely knew anything about the outside, and the only information they did know altered their perspective to think of it in a bad light. Besides, what could Fern do to help? He's just one person.
"It's none of your business," you ended up blurting out. "I have to go." Your father wanted you home for the evening anyway. For what, he didn't say.
You turned away before you could hear Fern's reply, dashing off into the dense forest.
Taking a deep breath, you began to form an image of a raven inside your mind. Shapeshifting was still something you weren't good at. You were supposed to follow a certain set of rules as a princess, one of which being that you couldn't shapeshift into your raven form in the presence of other people. It was seen as impolite.
Focus on shapeshifting! You commanded yourself. Finally, you were able to fly, ruffling your wings a bit. You missed being able to soar.
"Wait!" Fern's voice yelled from behind you, his footsteps trodding through the layers of leaves on the forest floor. You sighed, flapping up to the tree tops and taking off. A feeling of dread gradually grew in your chest, facing the reality that you had to go back to your secluded life, with people that ignored and misunderstood you.
As the dark green leaves of the forest zoomed by beneath your feet, you began to wonder whether you should've listened to what Fern had to say. Eh, it probably wasn't important.
Directing your thoughts back to your destination, you vowed to come back to your happy place as soon as possible. It helped clear your head. Hopefully, Fern won't be there next time. The idea of talking to people made you uncomfortable. The people that you've trusted in the past have all either broken your trust, or just didn't care about you at all.
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There's a crown here in the bushes, Fern observed, lifting the heavy piece of gold. It was a big ring, with an arm extending upwards, holding a small, rugged black crystal. Interesting.
Turning it over in his hands, something strange caught his eye. A carving on the back of the crown. It was barely illegible, but Fern could make out one name. Y/N.
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"Where is your crown?" The Raven King hissed angrily. "The suitors are already here!"
"I don't know, Dad!" You frantically racked your mind, trying to remember where you had left it. A princess' crown was a part of her, as a role model and a symbol. But this time, it represented worth.
"Why are you making me marry someone I don't even know anyway?" You hurriedly glanced at your father, brows furrowed. Your father had invited a group of suitors to compete for your hand in marriage. They desired only the princess' heart, but it wasn't true love, like what you dreamed of as a child. They just wanted land, wealth, and power. Marrying you was their key to a happy life. Without your label as a princess, they would have no opportunity at all.
"You know very well why!" Your father growled. "This is going to be beneficial for the kingdom! Don't you want me to prosper?"
You started walking down the spiraling staircase that lead to the main hallways, unable to stay calm any longer. "I want the people to prosper," you replied, sending a spine-chilling glare to your father behind you. Before he could respond, you stomped away, into the main hallway where a line of antsy suitors stood waiting.
You definitely have a thing for walking out on people.
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"Heya, Fern!" A boy wearing a worn, dual-toned green backpack greeted Fern, holding open the door that had separated the two just moments before. "Jake just made some meatloaf! Want some? It has your favorite- I mean our favorite garnishes." Finn grinned.
"No thanks," Fern replied, distracted. His eyes wandered all around the giant treehouse that stood over him, almost menacingly. Despite what Fern wanted to think, there was something about it that made him uneasy. When he thought of the treehouse, he thought of Finn, which in turn caused him to obsess over the fact that he wasn't Finn. Then who was he?
"No probs." Finn sounded a little disappointed, but cheered up when Jake called out that the meatloaf was ready from somewhere inside the house.
"By the way, can I ask you something?" Fern asked, taking something out of his backpack, which tumbled to the ground, causing him to groan in frustration. Finn turned back to his grassy friend while taking a plate of food from the unseen Jake. "What's up?"
He gasped when he saw the golden crown gleaming in the sunlight. "That belongs to one of the princesses!" He picked it up and handed it back to Fern.
Fern nodded, stowing it in his backpack. "I found it in the forest near Tree Trunks' house. I think this girl dropped it," he said.
"Whahf girl?" Finn said, trying to chew meatloaf at the same time. "PB? Fire Princess? Slime P?"
"No." Fern shook his head. "I've never seen her before, and honestly," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "She was scared of me." He sounded frustrated, his voice trailing off.
"Dude-"
"Why doesn't anything ever work out?!" Fern said in anguish. He curled his fingers in and out of his palm, trying to release the tension trapped in his mind.
"Calm down, dude," Finn exclaimed. "I can help you find her, don't worry! I've never seen this crown before either, so we can go together." He placed a hand on Fern's shoulder, trying to comfort him.
"No!" Fern protested. "I wanna do it myself," he said, softer. "Can you just tell me how to find her?"
Finn looked taken aback for a second at his grassy friend's outburst, but nodded regardless. "You can ask the Candy People and the other kingdoms, they probably know who owns that crown." He handed Fern a map of the Land of Ooo, sketched out on a yellowed piece of paper.
Saying their goodbyes, Finn left Fern on his solo quest to find the mysterious princess.
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The long and chaotic day was finally over. You sank down to the floor, your back against the door to your room. You stared at the king-sized bed. I hate this. I hate everything.
After you left your father standing on the stairs, you had awkwardly walked into the main hall. But that must have been the last straw for your father, because he still didn't join you, even after five minutes. He ended up sending a replacement to accompany you after a long time of waiting. You wished that the suitors didn't keep glancing at the spot where your crown was supposed to sit while you stood with your hands clasped in front of you, staring at the doorway your father was going to follow you through.
I still have to get the crown back, you thought. Where did I leave it? The only place I would've lost it would be... Then you realized. The clearing! Of course! Oh no, I have to go there right now!
You raced over to the small window in your bedroom, peeking your head out. Seeing practically no one outside, you transformed into your raven form and hopped on the windowsill. Suddenly, an object was hurled at you from below. Looking down, you saw a small child chucking pieces of corn at you.
"Get out of there, you stupid crow!" He yelled. Close enough.
You carefully flapped your wings, flying high above the kingdom. As soon as you were out of reach, the child gave up trying to knock you out of the sky and returned to his home, resuming the quiet atmosphere the kingdom always held during evenings.
Night had almost fallen over Ooo when you finally arrived at your meadow. Landing in the spot where you had sat earlier that day, you turned back into a human and rummaged through the bushes for your long lost crown. As the minutes ticked by, you began to grow more frustrated. Where is it?! If I lose it forever, I'm done for.
"Huh?" You said out loud. Prying apart the branches of a blueberry bush, you found a few grass blades attached to the rough leaves, reminding you of Fern. You stood up. Why not just see if Fern had it? He wasn't the scavenger type, but something as mysterious as an unknown princess' crown was sure to fascinate him.
Ugh, the sun is setting. You sighed in defeat, vowing to visit Fern the next day to take back the circlet. Another day that's ending, another gloomy morning to look forward to. But this time, you had a mission to accomplish.
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scarasimplysimping · 3 years
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These Books Of You
Xingqiu x Adepti Reader
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Sypnosis: A boy of noble blood and disciple to the Guhua Clan, Xingqiu has been reading books of the heroic adventures of an elusive adepti, [Y/N] ever since he was a little boy.
Now a bit older, he sets everything aside in a journey to meet you.
(A/N): I planned to put it all in one post but like it wouldn't fit. Part 2 link below.
"How long will you stay with me?"
"Forever."
Liar.
It was midnight. All of liyue was quiet and asleep except for a certain room where you could here the rustling sound of packing made by a young man eager to leave before dusk.
"Are you sure about this?" Chongyun asks, catching his breath after climbing his friend's window.
"Most definitely!" Xingqiu says excitedly as he picks out the books he would be bringing.
Chongyun furrows his eyebrows, "You don't even have a plan!"
"These books are my plan," The dark haired boy says in a wise tone.
"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"
Xingqiu chuckles in response.
Chongyun begins to rant again. "Where will you go? Where will you search? What will you eat? What if you get mugged?"
Xingqiu laughs harder, "My friend, I appreciate your concern but I assure you. Nothing you say will change my mind. I will search all of Teyvat if I must."
"What if they don't exist? What if it's all fiction? Mere children's fairytales."
This makes Xingqiu stop in his tracks, contemplating the possibility for a few moments before coming to the conclusion, "They are real. I can feel it."
"And what of your family? Your brother?"
"I've left them a letter."
"What will they do with the letter? Teach it chivalry?" Chongyun says sarcastically.
Xingqiu does not bother to reply.
The exorcist sighs in defeat, "Xingqiu, if you don't come back alive, I will kill you."
"Then perhaps it's best if I don't come completely," He teases.
"Then I shall kill you right now and you won't get to leave at all."
The two friends bicker like this for a while until it is time for one's departure.
"Be careful, Xingqiu," Chongyun bids.
"I will. Make sure my family doesn't do anything rash while I'm gone."
The light haired boy rolls his eyes.
"Dear Chongyun, If in any case I don't come back, know that I've always appreciated your friendship."
And just like that, Xingqiu climbs out the window and disappears into the dark of night.
In the early afternoon, you sat peacefully, having tea with Cloud Retainer and Zhongli atop of Mt. Aozang. The breeze was nice and so was the view.
"It's a shame only we came to this tea party. It's been ages since we've gathered with the adeptus," The geo archon spoke.
"This is not a petty tea party. One has called a meeting to discuss the next move regarding a matter of great importance," Cloud Retainer retorted.
"And what might this matter be?" You ask while slouching on your seat, showing no interest.
"One has come to notice that ever since the incident of Osial's return and defeat, mortal's have come to One's domain asking for favors or offering goods much more times than One is comfortable with. The mortal, Aether has also-"
Cloud Retainer could not finish because the sound of your intentionally loud sigh interrupted her.
"Is the almighty Cloud Retainer scared of mortal affection and admiration?" You tease. Even Zhongli could not help but smile a bit.
Cloud Retainer threw you both a look that.. well you could only assume was a glare since she was in the shape of a bird after all.
The light-hearted argument continues until you here a soft grunting from a distance.
You all pause, listening as the voice becomes louder and louder and then, you see a hand grip the edge of the mountain, then another. A dark blue haired young man lifts himself up and throws himself onto the mountain surface, panting heavily.
"Oh.. Sweet.. sweet ground.," He says. You can almost hear him thank the Archons that he's made it this far.
"And what is your purpose of interrupting an important gathering?" Cloud Retainer's voice boomed.
Xingqiu blinked a bit before remembering why he was here in the first place. Quickly, he got up and bowed, still woozy from all the climbing. "I've been traveling for two days, seeking an adepti. I've heard that there's another adepti who lives here and I respectfully ask guidance in my journey," he says, still in a bowing position.
Zhongli recognizes him, "Xingqiu, are you not a little to far from Liyue Harbor?"
Xingqiu, in turn also recognizes the man but dares not question Zhongli's purpose. His only concern was finding you. "Please don't tell my family, Mister Zhongli."
You decide to entertain the mortal, "Well Xingqiu of Liyue Harbor, which adepti is it that you're looking for?"
Only then does he make eye contact with you, Xingqiu is taken in by your beauty. He stares a little too long before answering, "The heroic (Y/N)! The legendary adepti of great legends! They who saved thousands of lives and vanquished thousands more foes!" He says enthusiastically.
You are dumbfounded, never have you been sought after by a mortal for your heroic deeds. This was new. "And where do these legends come from?" You ask nervously.
"The books I've read! I've read every single one of the books that mention them."
Conveniently, you remember that time, thousands of years ago where you saved a family of writers who thanked you relentlessly and swore they'd write of your heroics.
While you are contemplating, Cloud Retainer speaks, "Look no further, mortal. The one you seek is here," She gestures to you.
You glare at her. "Is the mighty (Y/N) scared of mortal affection and admiration?" She mocks.
Xingqiu stares at you, trying to imprint this moment into his brain. "You... you weren't what I was expecting."
"And what were you expecting exactly?" You ask, offended.
"To be honest, I assumed you looked like a bird or fox! I was not expecting someone human and... beautiful." He says almost absent-mindedly.
Beautiful? As in attractive to a mortal's eyes? How dare he use such methods of flattery.
"How long will you stay with-"
Liar. Liar. Liar.
Zhongli and Cloud Retainer decide it was best for them to leave, they quietly dismiss themselves and leave you alone in this awkward situation.
The young man before you just stares at you with dazzled eyes.
"Now that you've found me, what do you plan?" You finally question.
Xingqiu stops for a moment. He didn't really think this far and didn't expect to find you so soon.
"I want to be your friend," Xingqiu blurts out.
You are again, taken aback by his straight-forwardness.
This was unnecessary. A mortal of such fleeting lifespan. How would this benefit you? This wouldn't benefit him either; you think to yourself. This is nothing but mortal entertainment. You had no interest in entertaining a mortal at your expense.
"I have no need for mortal company," You say firmly, all your nervousness replaced with a cold gaze.
"Please? I've dreamt of meeting you my whole life-"
"And now you have. Go."
"I swear to the Seven Archons I shall serve you well-"
"No!" This time, you raise your voice. "Go home," and with that, you vanish into thin air.
Xingqiu is sad and dejected,  even on verge of tears but he does his best to keep it together. "Very well," He quietly whispers.
Xingqiu, climbing down the mountain is several feet away from the ground when his mind wonders back to you and the harsh rejection. "Well it's not like an adepti to mortal friendship is common anyway. At least I got to meet them," He says, trying to look on the bright side. He assures himself that he will return.
Tears start bluring his vision and he takes a wrong step, causing him to plummet down and make a loud thump sound.
He groans in pain. For the most part, he was unharmed except for his right hand which was twisted in a weird position.
"Drat! Xingqiu, how pathetic can you be? You fall and just had to break your right arm, you're sword hand!" He scolds himself.
The good part of this was that it was nightfall now, if he was lucky, all the hilichurls around the area would be asleep and he could avoid combat.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans as he sees a hydro abyss mage that he could have sworn was not there before. And the abyss mage sees him.
Xingqiu curses and tries to make a run for it, but as he was still limping from the fall, the mage catches up to him and teleports in front of him. Xingqiu stumbles backwards. In a desperate attempt, he shouts your name. But the abyss mage wasn't going to wait for you to show up. The young man suddenly feels himself getting drowned. So was this it? Rejected by a childhood dream, almost fell to his death and was currently being drowned? What a weird day. What a sad way to die. It's almost poetic. Xingqiu was slowly beginning to lose consciousness, coming to terms with this tragic death when he felt the bubble burst, quite literally.
He fell to the ground, the last thing he saw was the vanishing particles of a defeated abyss mage and what appeared to be a silhouette of a person- Xingqiu was saved!... and falling unconscious.
After you rescued him, you hurriedly brought him to Wangshu Inn, blurting out to Verr Goldet that you almost let a mortal die.
You paced back and fourth at the terrace. While the vigilant yaksha, Xiao watches you with annoyance.
"What if he dies?" You ask frantically.
"You dressed his wounds quiet well. He won't die unless someone comes in and murders him," Xiao says as if trying to be comforting.
Xingqiu awakens from his slumber, body still aching. A cast of bandages was made in order to support his broken arm.
The door slowly opens, you walk in with some hot soup and set it on the bedside table. It didn't take him long to realize that you were the one who saved him.
"You're awake," You state the obvious but almost sigh in relief. "Despite the attack, you managed to go almost unscathed.. except for well, your broken arm."
"Thank you... You really are my hero," Xingqiu says, once again beaming at you.
"Don't come back to Mt. Aozang,"
"Wait- what?" His face falls. And all the feelings of being rejected earlier come back.
"If...," You hesitantly start, "If you must see me, then I spend one night a week at the statue of Pervases." This was a lie, of course. But you were willing to do as you said if that meant the mortal, Xingqiu would stop going through such dangerous measures in order to meet you.
As if like a switch, his bright smile returned almost instantly. "My liege, you won't regret this!"
"Drink your soup and meet me at the terrace when you're prepared to return for Liyue Harbor." You don't know why you say what you say next but it felt right, "and call me (Y/N)."
You shut the door behind yourself quickly, leaving Xingqiu alone in the room, euphoric.
"You should not get too close to mortals," Xiao warns once you reach the terrace.
"I will not."
"In the thousand that I've known you, never once have I seen you prepare soup for a mortal.. or immortal."
"That means nothing."
"And I suppose your made up visits to the statue of Pervases mean nothing as well?"
He had a point there."Don't eavesdrop on my conversations, Alatus."
He glares at the sudden mention of the name. "Their lives are fleeting, (Y/N). The peace at the end of their journey is just a thousand years of grief for us if we so choose to befriend them. I just warn you because I care for you," Xiao says before vanishing from your sight.
He was right. You knew that. Of all the adepti, Xiao knew you the most. He was there when the mortal part of you was taken away in exchange for eternal life, after all.
You loved once. But that did not end well.
"How long will you stay with me?"
"Forever."
Liar
Never again.
Shortly after Xiao's departure, Xingqiu arrives with that ever so charming smile.
Charming? Did you just think that? Right after promising yourself to solitude? Oh dear...
"I've prepared! Will we go on foot or will you fly us there? I must warn you I get motion sick-" He stops talking when he notices you taking steps toward him. You put a hand on his shoulder and Xingqiu's mind goes blank. Was this approval? Mutual admiration? Were you friends now?
"Close your eyes," You tell him.
To which he obeys without hesitation. He's read enough romance books to know where this is going. Xingqiu would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous but at the same time he was extremely excited. His train of thought is cut short when he feels a harsh gust of wind blow his way.
"You may open them now."
He does and to his surprise, the both of you are back at Liyue Harbor, specifically the bridge.
"We... teleported?" He asks, embarrassed of his thoughts just moments ago.
You nod. "This is as far as I'll go. Make it back to your residence carefully and get some rest."
"Can't you come with me?"
"No."
"I have a friend who-"
"No."
"We can grab some countryside delicacy-"
"No."
He sighs in defeat, "But I'll see you tomorrow night, right?"
"Perhaps."
Xingqiu, in a moment of elation and not thinking properly, abruptly takes your hand and places a kiss on your knuckles.
Realizing what he had done the dark haired boy glows red as apples and lets go as quick as he took hold of you. "W-well... good-bye then."
The boy leaves you dumbfounded once again.
Part 2
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