#dragon age companion AU

[imagine-silk]

Josephine, Solas, Dorian pinning after a café barista ☕️🍵

》I'm gonna try to make my stuff look pretty, bear with me.

【Josephine☕️】 Stops by every morning on her walk to work.

She commutes to work on foot to get a little more exercise outside of the gym. That's how she meet you and fell head over heels. In due time of course.

At first it was just passing 'thank you' and 'come again' but the two of you became familiar. Everyday you'd have her coffee ready before she walked through the door. When you started doing that she noticed and in turn noticed you.

After a while of short and curt conversations she asked you not to have her order ready so she can stay just a tint bit longer to talk. And you happily did that instead.

The two of you flirt in your own way but can't see the other's way of doing it so it takes Leliana and your co-worker to show you both.

【Solas🥮】 His gluttony lead him to your sweets.

Your shop was known for intense flavors and he has the world's biggest sweet tooth. Every other coffee shop or bakery isn't sweet enough for him, even when the workers tell him it will give him a sugar rush.

So when you give him glazed up cinnamon rolls and the sluttiest chocolate croissant he's ever had he vows to come back. You can see it in his react he was in heaven.

His flirting hits you out of nowhere. He'll suddenly build on what you said and half of the time it's absolutely filthy. Then he'll continue the conversation like he didn't really say anything.

【Dorian🍵】 He's a model who comes in when he can for a pick-me-up.

The first time you met he went in because it wasn't busy and he didn't want to be bothered by anyone. And you had no idea who he was. At first he thought you were being polite but you really didn't know and he did his best to keep it that way.

You told him his name was pretty and asked where he was from due to his accent. You made the foam art in front of him so fast and professionally you weren't even looking at it, holding the conversation. He's a suckered for skill and someone who treated him normal. Not to mention your charm and receptiveness to his flirting.

Every visit he make his interest in you known and at first you think he's teasing. Honestly, he probably is out of your league but he doesn't see it that way. When you realize that you flirt back for real.

#dragon age #dai #dragon age inquisition #gender neutral y/n #male reader #gender neutral reader #companions react #modern au #josephine montilyet #solas #dorian pavus

[immawraffle]

What Gifts My Wardens Would Like If They Were Companions

Mahariel

Carved Wooden Pipe

A strong smell of elfroot emanates from this wooden pipe.

Small Wooden Halla

A small wooden halla, like that given to a child as a toy. The horns are crafted with painstaking detail.

Book of Dalish Mythology

A book of Dalish mythology, presumably stolen by looters or bandits. Although a little worse for wear, it is still in remarkably good shape.

Amell

Plain Daisy

A plain, unassuming daisy.

Red Tulip

A vibrant red tulip.

Apostate’s Diary

The tattered diary of an apostate on the run from the Templars.

Surana

Somniari: The Lost Art

“Somniari: The Lost Art” is a controversial Tevene text lamenting the waning prominence of dreamers in the Imperium.

Shartan: A Forgotten Hero

“Shartan: A Forgotten Hero” is a heretical text detailing the life of Shartan, his contribution to Andraste’s war against the Imperium, and the way his legacy has been systematically erased by the Orlesian Chantry. It is unsigned.

The Dragons of Nevarra

A book detailing the different groups of dragons once found in Nevarra.

Tabris

Ornate Dagger

An ornately crafted dagger, decorated with jewels and gold filagree. Dried blood still encrusts the base of the blade.

Stuffed Mabari

A stuffed mabari. One of the buttons for its eyes is missing.

Adventures of the Black Fox

This books follows the adventures of Remi Vascal, better know as the Black Fox. Although somewhat theatrical, and difficult to separate truth from fiction, it proves an entertaining read.

Cousland

Fancy Snack Cake

This small cake is extremely fancy, topped with a delicate mountain of icing.

Whetstone

This whetstone can be used to sharpen the edges of weapons like swords or axes.

Scented Soap

This bar of soap smells faintly of roses. If nothing else, it may help hide the stench of blood.

Aeducan

Gold Earrings

A pair of finely crafted gold earrings.

Armor Polish

This armor polish is guaranteed to leave your breastplate shining.

Dwarven Cameo

This cameo depicts a dwarf woman who looks very similar to Aeducan.

Brosca

Soft Pillow

This soft, hand-embroidered pillow is a luxury, but a practical one.

Deck of Playing Cards

A deck of playing cards. The back of each card is marked.

Dragon Tooth

This tooth once belonged to a fearsome high dragon. It still looks sharp enough to be used as a knife.

#dragon age #dragon age origins #warden mahariel #warden tabris #warden amell #warden surana #warden cousland #warden aeducan #warden brosca #what if #dragon age headcanons #warden companion au #my oc’s #🧇

[tvrningout-a]

this headache has me feeling like a zombie but i gotta smile when d.orian p.avus appears 💜 if i’ve never said it before, d.ragon age i.nquisition is a comfort game of mine, and y’all should tell me yours!! what game do you go back to during a certain time of year, when you’re feeling icky, etc.?

#or movie or book or series if you don’t play games! #and if you also love dai pls tell me all about your inquisitors and your favorite companions bc i am just so normal about this game 💜 #tbh one of my favorite oc’s miss rin aka pickle o’brien exists largely bc of dragon age #when i eventually add her i’m gonna have to decide if dragon age will be her main verse or an au… #but lemme stop rambling in the tags :’ ) #get ready to ramble | ooc

[swordince]

anyway i just think adam meeting solas & cole & those two staring at him w their big eyes & being like "i know what you are"

#sorry ALL i can think abt is dragon age au rn #viv & dori might also catch on fairly quickly & i suspect cass & cull might as well bc of their templar bgs #(ik ik seekers arent templars but their abilities are similar enough for shorthand mentions) #i Will figure out a way to turn reason & blood into a companion quest. it Will be called that :) #rotating rotating rotating....... #ooc. what's going on ? #v.da

[trans-ruffboi]

which of your characters are most likely to become a pirate when given the slightest chance?

#arson and renlin for sure #in the companion au renlin isn't really a 'pirate' per say but hes pretty damn close #dragon age #tag game #oc game

[yanderes-galore]

Based on an idea I thought of, I just had to get something down since I have to wait a bit. Sorry the banner is bad, I wasn't sure how to make it for this AU? This is mostly just me throwing out ideas so I have some down.

Yandere! Night Fury Hybrid! Hiccup Haddock Concept/Thoughts

(HTTYD Hybrid AU)

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Animalistic yandere, Possessive behavior, Human/Hybrid, Manipulation, Biting, Dubious cuddling, Forced relationship implied, Mentions of mates, Guilt tripping, Violence, Mentioned murder, Kidnapping.

I feel at first we should be discussing how he'd look and act.

In terms of how he'd look it can very depending on your preference.

Personally I'd imagine he'd have the "ear horns" like Night Furies.

Then he'd have the wings, claws, and tail.

Maybe he even has the sharp teeth, retractable or not.

He could also have the eyes of a Night Fury, making him look relatively cat-like.

Probably also sleeps upside down.

Maybe you can place some black scales around his body but he still has human skin in some places?

That's a very general idea on what Hiccup could look like as a Night Fury hybrid.

In terms of behavior I'd imagine he'd act similarly to a Night Fury (shocker, I know).

He's stealthy, fast, and can use plasma bolts.

He probably purrs and growls when content.

Something I'm debating on is how he'd communicate with you.

There's three routes you could take with it.

The first one is he doesn't know any human language and communicates through actions or growls.

The second one is he knows limited language to communicate.

For the second one it could start with no language learned and you teach him it, or he knew it by observation of other humans.

The third is he knows fluent language, maybe not yours or maybe it is, but he can talk.

Don't get me wrong, regardless on how he communicates, he's still just as intelligent as your usual human.

Another thing that's dubious about the AU is if there is actual regular dragons.

There could be three separate factions (Humans, Hybrids, Dragons).

Naturally hybrids would be more attuned to dragons due to similarities.

It's that or there's only two factions (Humans and Hybrids), which have been at war for decades.

This is still a very new AU so "AU canon" is still unclear.

Honestly, the most exciting part of this is Night Furies in canon mate for life.

The same most likely goes for hybrids.

So I imagine once Hiccup is attached he plans to never leave you.

Plus, hybrids are most likely possessive similar to dragons.

Now, I feel you could meet Hiccup in many ways.

My favorite though? Maybe you even mirror how he meets Toothless in canon.

Maybe when you two are young (Hiccup's age in HTTYD 1), you help him with an injury.

Then you two slowly bond until you're both in your 20's.

Ever since you saved him he has been a companion by your side.

I imagine you could fly with hybrids but due to their humanoid form, they'd just carry you-

So instead of Hiccup finding a Light Fury hybrid to have a relationship with, he chooses you.

Hybrids would be compatible with humans most likely.

The first hybrid's origins are unknown, but it is implied they take human partners at times.

I can imagine when you're both 21 you try to find him a compatible mate or encourage it.

Meanwhile he doesn't want anyone but you.

Even since you were young, the hybrid knew you were the one for him.

He has never parted from you and your own father wonders what his intentions are.

I imagine when you were young it took awhile to warm up to each other, just like in HTTYD 1.

Hiccup starts off wary of you, wondering if you're safe to trust.

Then by the end of it he vows to protect and cherish you.

You'd both be teens then but your relationship between each other would start off as just companions.

However, this would be the first little seeds of his crush.

It's when you start getting older, reaching 18 and your 20's that he starts inching closer.

He often purrs around you and tries his best to understand your culture.

He craves your touch, often putting your hand on his cheek for comfort.

When you're both adults he probably starts showing behavior akin to wanting a mate.

He may try ro manipulate you into it, claiming you're the closest one to him.

He tries to make it sound like he'd be lonely forever if you don't accept his courting.

He claims he wants to hold you close and cuddle you for warmth since his kind hate the cold.

Yet you can tell by the way he wraps his tail around your waist that isn't quite it.

I imagine he'd bite you to mark you and often gets aggressive towards other humans and hybrids around you.

Hiccup may even share Toothless traits, like being the last Night Fury Hybrid in the world... right now.

Maybe you can help with that, hm? (If you're able)

In terms of if he'd murder, maybe.

He doesn't want to ruin your trust and any form of murder would be accidental.

Like if something blinded him with rage or he allowed his possessive behavior to take over.

Even then he personally may not feel bad for it, but acts remorseful to have your forgiveness.

Kidnapping? Again, a maybe.

For a Night Fury he's rather soft personality wise.

He'd be willing to live with you if you wished, then he could be more attuned to human culture.

Yet if someone tried to steal you from him then he's feel unsafe.

Feeling unsafe may lead to a stray plasma blast striking someone down or burning your home.

Which means he'll have to carry you to somewhere he can properly provide for you.

As a hybrid his diet is mostly fish or whatever Night Furies eat.

However, he could have human food too due to being partially human.

Hiccup would try to keep track of what humans need to provide for you.

When he wants affection he'll nuzzle into you, lay his larger body on top of you, and purr.

Like actual Night Furies, he acts like cats and bats.

Which means it's a bit strange to see him sleeping upside down at first.

Overall, Hiccup as a hybrid would retain his usual persona and a bit of Toothless.

He's a hunter... and your companion for life.

You may not like what he has in store for you, but he promises he does it out of love.

#yandere how to train your dragon #yandere httyd #yandere httyd hybrid au #yandere night fury #yandere night fury hiccup #yandere hiccup #yandere hiccup haddock

[wylldebee]

Dragon Age Inquisition AU where Wade and Herren temporarily join the Inquisition at Skyhold. That's it. That's the AU. You get to see and interact with Wade and Herren again; you get to hear how things are going at Vigil's Keep and Amaranthine; and you get to hear tidbits of your old Awakening companions plus a bit about your Warden before leaving with Morrigan/leaving to find a cure.

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #wade #herren #dragon age origins #dragon age awakening

[bunnyuki]

UNSAID WORDS. toge inumaki

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ) gift for: @darlingspeach

CW!! AFAB READER, she/her pronouns. au fantasy/medieval. toge is a dragon, reader is a human. mentions of slaughtering/people dying/hunting. mentions of blood and injuries. he doesn't understand much of human language. this is very short and silly, i apologize. SFW, FLUFF.

YOU DON’T SEE as many dragons around as you used to. the kings of the earth and the heavens were destroyed by greed. their wings were struck by spears and cannons, their blood was collected and tested as a product. the rich wear their scales at dinner parties, because they become necklaces and delicacies. their teeth became hunters’ trophies. dragons had nothing against humanity, but humans had a desire to have everything. their ruin brought that of other peoples.

and so, the remaining dragons fled. running from the world, choosing the loneliest places to call home. deprived of reliable companions, of their companions with wings, dealing with the losses of their loved ones. nothing was left for them but memories and bones. so disappeared that they became merely legends.

fantastic stories that parents told their children to amaze them, or scare them. false and lying stories for merchants desperate to sell their products cheaply. one of the strongest, most influential and powerful races in the world. reduced to nothing more than tales. a small belief spread among the dragons. humans were dirty. rotten, spoiled. disgusting creatures that cared about nothing. the sick apple that would rot the rest of the basket. by extension, hatred for those creatures that had barely sustained themselves for a century grew. humans who encountered dragons and their treasures did not come out alive to tell the story. and no one heard from them again.

life in a village is not easy. taxes are merciless, and nobles drown in champagne while families in your village count coins to find out if they can eat. you are not exempt from this. the marquis who controls the region is obsessed with more amounts of money. the village has been going through difficulties, and with winter approaching, some have already said their goodbyes. people will die. that is a fact. for the king and his court, nothing more than numbers.

the sweet embrace of death comes to seek everyone, eventually. this is the mortal life. but that’s not how you’ll end up. huddled in a bed, on a cold morning, praying to a god who wouldn’t listen to you. you refuse. that will not be your end.

plantings have been disappointing. food becomes scarcer every day, and from what it looks like, this will be a year with lots of snow and abundant hunger. and for this reason, a good deal of adapted hunting became the main source of food and income.

the local forests are dark, specks in the middle of nowhere that is your village. full of trees and animals that need to hide from people like you. like a squirrel collecting dried fruit and nuts. all you have is a rusty knife, a crossbow with five arrows, and faith. not in god, not in greater forces. all you need is yourself.

the traps you planted exist in strategic points. hidden by grass and branches, abusing the natural environment to create the illusion of safety. merely for a noose to tighten around the body of a small animal, or a bear trap to bend into a cruel bite.

checking the traps daily has become part of the routine. just as many other villagers were forced to adapt, so were you. the skins are usually removed and worn by you. or sold.

instead of finding a small animal split in half by your bear trap, what’s in front of you now is a boy. a young one. maybe your age. his purple eyes seem to contain decades of wisdom you couldn’t dream of. his hair has an abnormal tone, like a very pale shade of blonde. he turns over and groans, his ankle caught in the trap. the metal teeth dig deeper into the flesh every time he moves, and the blood is thick and red.

but what really draws attention to him are his horns. and the tail. highs rising from the forehead and rising, white like the snow that will soon fall, with purplish tips. the same pattern for the long, tail full of scales. his nails are sharper than normal. when he opens his mouth to groan in pain, his teeth look like fangs. around his mouth, there's a strange pattern that doesn't seem to be a painting, but his skin. snake eyes and fangs.

he raises his arms to try to open the trap and free himself. the skin on the forearms has traces of scales of the same whitish tone.

his first instinct seeing you is hissing. actual hissing. like a scared snake, ready to pounce. the reaction of a scared, injured animal. you— pity him.

of course, you shouldn't. legends about dragons make it very clear what they think of your species. this boy would make you a forgotten corpse once he had the chance. but that didn't seem true. he was scared. alone, lost. his ankle caught in a trap that hurt more every moment. contrary to common sense, you choose to put the beast down and follow your instinct. approaching slowly, with your hands raised.

“easy there.” another hiss. it's a clear message. stay away. your steps are slow and you show that you are not holding any weapons. “i'm not going to hurt you. i'll help.”

no matter how sweet and loving you force your voice to be, the distrust in his eyes doesn't go away. you crouch before the stranger, staring for a moment. he is a pretty boy. you can't deny that.

your hands grip the bear trap, and you look him in the eyes. “I'm going to open this, and you're going to take your foot off. all good? on three. one. two. three.”

at the end of the count, you muster the strength your hungry muscles allow you to open the bear trap. the stranger quickly understands the message and moves away from it, allowing you to let the metal go without consequences. his hands release the trap, and it closes again with a click. the metal resonates as it strikes itself. there is fresh blood on his fingers and on the trap, and his face turns to look at the boy.

he's sitting by a tree, grabbing his injured ankle with a groan. you approach slowly again, and he nearly jumps out of his skin. his eyes narrow in suspicion.

“hey. hey, i'm not going to hurt you. okay? i promise. just let me help.” he frowns at your words, his lips parting to reply in a language you do not know. oh, well. this can be complicated.

“i don't— i don't understand.” you pause, moving to sit besides him. he furrows his brows, but doesn't say a word. “can you understand what i am saying?”

by his pout and frown, you think the answer is no. okay. what to do now, then? you quickly point to yourself, pronouncing your name out loud. then again, slowly. he repeats, the sound beautiful on his tongue. his pronunciation is a little bad at first, but the third time he's repeating it, he seems to have understood.

he follows the example, pointing to himself. “toge.” he states, and your eyes narrow.

“toge. okay. i think that's your name. you are injured.” you point out to his ankle, and he stares at you for a moment. if he could speak your language, you are sure he would be sarcastic right now. oh, don't say.

you gesture nervously, trying to sign you wish to help. after almost ten minutes of denying and hesitation, he holds out his injured foot to you. your hands are gentle, and you don't touch the injured area unless you have to. he hisses and groans in pain.

toge stares at you, decided to say something. his lips part, and he sounds confident when he says. “salmon.” you frown.

“what?”

he repeats again. salmon. seaweed. tuna mayonnaise. he only talks about...ingredients? toge is desperately trying to tell you something, confused why you don't understand the message. then it clicks. oh.

“you only know ingredient names. that's all you know in my language.” you murmur. he nods slowly, and you sigh. communicating like this won't be impossible, but it will prove itself as a challenge. but these thoughts are for later. he is injured. because of you.

it's your obligation to help this young dragon — secretly. the people in the village would take every last drop of his blood for gold coins. you'll have to improvise. “okay. uhh. does it hurt much?”

he pauses. “salmon?” another sigh escapes your lips.

this will be complicated.

#[ ♡⃗ ] writing. #jjk #jjk x y/n #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen fluff #jujutsu kaisen x reader #inumaki x you #jjk inumaki #jjk fluff #jjk toge x reader #toge inumaki x reader #toge inumaki x you

[just-some-sad-bitch]

I dont care if bagginshield is a ship of the past, if no one reads this or finds it I DONT CARE I NEED TO WRITE THIS DOWN BULLET POINT STYLE.

Ok so this is an AU where Erebor was never attacked by Smaug, the ring doesn’t exist and dragon sickness is related to like old age and long exposure to gold rather than a curse that haunts the line of Durin.

In this AU, as I said, Smaug didn’t get to Erebor but was taken down in Dale. This results on a disaster to both kingdoms because while dale was dependent of Erebor for trade, gold, etc. Erebor heavily depended on Dale for its food, sure the kingdom had cattle and what not but in the midst of the disaster Erebor begins to suffer.

Thranduil is still an asshole and states that he owes nothing to either men o Dwarf.

So, regent king Thrain strikes a deal with the only kingdom that responds to their call: The Shire

Of corse the shire doesn’t respond out of the goodness of their heart, they are in dire need of protection. It is well known that hobbits are a peaceful race, rarely conflictive and with no actual army, they see no need for it for they have no enemies, however, in the last few years goblins have stationed themselves on the blue mountains and when they see fit, they attack the shire and everyone in it.

So the Thain and King Thrain strike a deal

Erebor will send an army to provide protection against the goblins, possibly chasing them out of the Blue Mountains and getting to keep the new mountain

In return, the shire will build a road that leads directly to Erebor making sure to have a direct way of sending food and supplieas all year round

Both kingdoms sharing their surplus, strong armies and nurturing food

However the deal must be strengthened by more than paper and ink, and so a marriage is in order.

The shire will send the Thains grandson to become the master of agriculture of Erebor and marry the second son of the house of Durin, Frerin the golden

FINALLY with all this convoluted background I present you:

Bilbo arrives after years of building the great road that unites the two kingdoms, he is obvs accompanied by Gandalf the grey and dozens of caravans filled with grain, cattle and rich soil

Waiting for their arrival is the regent king Thrain who took the role from his father Thror after he fell ill to gold sickness. With him were his family

Lady Dis, known for her character, forwardness and cunningness as well as beauty and strength. and her two sons; Fili, heir to the crown eventually and Kili, his younger brother, the pride and joy of the kingdom

Thorin, crown prince of Erebor, strong warrior that fought valiantly against the white orc and in his victory earning the title of Thorin Oakenshield. Loyal to his people above anything else and commited to becoming a great king one day.

And of corse the groom, Frerin who had little to say in the matter of his marriage but couldn’t refuse. You see, his older brother will inherit the great kingdom, such promise cannot be waisted on diplomatic endeavors, and his sister, one of the smartest dwarves to ever walk middle earth had already gifted the line of Durin with two strong heirs. So what was he to do? Refuse the only thing that would allow him to show his valor? Of corse not, he was as much prince as his brother and sister, and if his father commanded he be married to an outsider in order to save the kingdom, he would a thousand times.

What he did not expect however, was having his brother fall head over hills for his betrothal upon first meeting. Of corse no one noticed, everyone was too focused of the arrival of the hobbit, but himself and his sister notice right away how Thorin could not stop looking at that creature as if he was the most beautiful being in all of middle earth

The hobbit, however was fat too focused on the king’s speech, the strange surroundings and his wizard companion to notice

He was mad, but similarly to Frerin, he found himself in a situation that he could not escape, his parents were taken by the awful goblins and if being married off is what he had to do in order to save the shire then he will marry whoever and whatever the Thain asked him to

And that’s it, that’s all I got, sorry if grammas is wonky it’s almost 2:00 am and English is my second language, also I was too lazy to review it over. I would love for this story to develop in a way in which Thorin is trying to woo Bilbo while also trying to not Interfere in the deal. Also Bilbo falling in love with thorin but also feeling guilty because were dwarfs marrying for diplomacy is super common, hobbits usually marry for love and I imagine him feeling guilty for loving Thorin while he is supposed fo be marrying Frerin. Also Frerin and Dis egging them on even though they KNOW they shouldn’t. I just imagine this ending with Thorin proclaiming his undying love for Bilbo and both of them being torn between running away and living together but also knowing they have a duty to their respective kingdoms. Of cors everything would work out in the end but Idk

If someone has a similar fic to this please please please share it with me I AM STARVING. Anyway thanks for reading bye!!!

#the hobbit #bilbo baggins #thilbo #angst #bagginshield #thorin oakenshield #thorin x bilbo #bilbo x thorin

[pokemon-ash-aus]

MAGICAL GIRL ASH AU! MAGICAL GIRL ASH AU

I want people to know that Ash is NOT the only Magical Girl, he's just the only one that often gets confused as a girl despite being a boy, Ash's Magical Girl name is Amekaguri, Rain Ninja, but Ameka for short!

Alain is Magically attuned to his Charizard and is nicknamed the Dragon Slayer

Korrina is also a Magical girl but is more similar to Shiek/Zelda from LoZ with her Partner Lucario (name pending). She Knew the prior Ameka

Blaziken Mask is just a normal vigilante but had also known the prior Ameka before Ash joined the scene

Froakie whose sole purpose was to find a caretaker to take on the Magical Girl attribute has been an old companion for Millenium and had many partners that grew into the realm of the world

Every time the prior girl died- whether it was due to Age or a fight went wrong, he regressed to his smaller form to rebuild power and strength. And maybe he switches from the trio of starters, but he primarily stays as a water type So when he meets Ash, it's not really a big deal to him. Froakie was actually looking at Bonnie. But then something about Ash made him choose Ash instead. Later on, when

Ash finally unlocks the magical girl Form, He just sheepishly shrugs.

"You had the vibe of all the previous girls, I just had to choose you." I like to think that Froakie messes with the Pokemon Ash has as well, but only when transformed

Hawlucha's colors change into brighter tones, and maybe change from Fighting/Flying to Fighting Fairy? (or maybe just a move usually unavailable to him) Noibat, I imagine gets HUGE like a big ole baby! Goodra, I imagine is more like Vaporean or Froslass, in which if it rains, they can just disappear from sight because of how fast they move. Fletchinder gets a golden coat and throws the plumage of their feathers like razor leaf

For Pikachu, I actually want to think it's like a branched evo (sorta like Ash-Greninja) but instead of Raichu, its Gorochu. So big and bitey and goes from Pure Electric to Electric/Fighting

And Froakie keeps his own Magical girl transformation to Ash-Greninja

Even as a lil baby Froakie

And all I can think of is the sass between Ash, Froakie, and Pikachu maybe Froakie never evolves, maybe he evolves all the way through, I do not know but I just want him to always perch on Ash's shoulder like Pikachu does

I think in this case, Ash DOESN'T have natural Aura, and it's only when transformed does it really come into effect

So the whole time, Ash understood his pokemon by practice and trial and error and then he transforms, and it's literally like a translator in his brain.

Ash: I spent so much time learning to understand my partners and I come to find out there's a cheat code >:(

Froakie: I understood all that separately

I have SOOO much more for this AU including Alain's form and so many interactions that I've only so far fed to my Discord peeps on a Pokemon Server XD

#Magical Girl Au #Magical girl #ash ketchum #pokemon korrina #pokemon alain #Blaziken Mask #froakie #greninja #listen #i had brain rot for a reason and it's not only this one but several other series as well #it's just taking up my brain atm #i have literally worked out different things for this au #including villain arcs and betrayal #also silly shit cause im a silly man

[moonxpalace]

SatoAi timeline

Ok, here is the "masterpost" I promised to get a overview my future Pkmn AU. I have this timeline in mind whenever I draw Ash and Iris as teenagers/ adults.

Travelling companions through Unova and beyond: This remain unchanged. Ash and Iris are 10 years old, while Cilan is 15.

Alola/ world champion + Unova champion: While Ash has traveled to Kalos, Alola and Galar to grain more knowledge and get stronger as a trainer, Iris remains mostly to herself as she travels wherever the wind takes her. She does train under Clair in Johto, though! And Drayden takes her under his wings and helps her improve her battling skills in Opelucid Gym. Iris is hesitant to become the new Opelucid City gym leader (she kind of doubts herself as a trainer). When Axew evolves into Fraxure, Iris confidence boosts. She decides to keep battling in Unova's many tournaments, and in the end she becomes champion. She is super happy to discover Ash has become champion in Alola as well. After Drayden finally convinces her, she decides to send him a letter for a battle request. Here they are between 11 - 12.

Close friends: As Ash and pikachu continue their endless journey, Iris also decides to take her Dragon Master goal more seriously. Through the ages of 12 - 16, Ash and Iris start getting closer by deciding to visit each other region (when they have time!), through letters and social media. Ash discovers Iris is the only one who knows the stress of being champion/ being in the limelight personally. They love to talk together, laugh and vent whenever things are tough. Ash' Dragonite and Goodra escpecially LOVE Iris, while Bayleef takes a long while to warm up to her. Cilan is the one who notices Iris may have a thing for Ash, while Ash doesn't really get why he feels so "weird" around Iris. After catastrophic first date at the Striaton cafe, Ash walks Iris back to her hotel. Iris thinks Ash is just being nice after the wild events at the cafe, but when he admits everything was fun and asks shyly if she wants to go out some other time, she happily agrees. And that's when they start being an item!

Dating: At age 16 both are still champions: Known for their incredible battling skills and bond with their pokemon. Ash and Iris are still going strong, with only their family and friends knowing. Neither likes attention, so they try to keep their relationship private. If they do hold hands or flirt in public, it's mostly in Pallet Town or the Village of Dragons. Unfortunately the paparazzi is always on their case.

Officially dating: Ash and Iris makes their relationship official at age 18 (and the media has a blast). Iris has given Ash the spare key to her apartment in Opelucid City so he can pop up whenever he has time. Iris prefers to sleep in trees and spend her time out in the forest, anyways. She only has an apartment because Drayden insists so. Drayden is not too happy to find Ash slouching on her couch/ bed whenever he visits.

Proposal: Ash proposes at age 19. Neither really make a big deal about it, but oh boy, does Delia, Cilan and Dawn get overly excited about the wedding of the century. Ash and Iris careers still eats up most of their time, so they take their sweet time with the wedding ... until Iris discovers she's pregnant. Ash sort of panics, even if Iris says it's not really a big deal. Even despite her protests, Ash makes sure the wedding takes place as soon as possible.

Oliver: They have Oliver at age 21. Iris is relaxed about the whole ordeal, while Ash is lowkey worried about their current situation. Ash has moved in with Iris in Opelucid city, and while Drayden and Delia help out as much as they can, he would still like them to settle down a place more rural. Ash doesn't want Oliver to grow up in the middle of the city with all the pollution and the cars speeding by. A year and a half later, they buy land next to his childhood home in Pallet Town. The garden has plenty of space for all their Pokemon, which fits them just perfect.

Lillian: Lillian comes along three years after Oliver. Unlike Oliver, she is a stubborn little baby that refuses to sleep. Thankfully she mellows out after a few months. Lillian adores Oliver and follows him around much to his annoyance. She also likes the limelight a lot and is not camera shy at all. Both kids are close to their parents' pokemon, especially Pikachu, who they refer to as "uncle Pika"

Ash still as his gimmicks from before, while Iris obtains the Dragon type Z-crystal ( @zeldriszezinho 's idea btw!!! Thank you for letting me borrow it ^^)

#more to come later #negaishipping #ash #iris #otp

[shivunin]

💠Alternate Universes💠

A list of AUs intended for writing/art prompts. Tried to keep it general/open to interpretation as much as possible. Thank you to everyone who sent in ideas! (plus bonus Dragon Age-specific AUs at the end, as this is a DA blog c:) Send a number and I will write a short AU about:

Rival market stalls

Fairytale

Post-apocalypse

Pirates

Cowboys/western

Spies/assassins

Gaslamp fantasy

Murder mystery

Cyberpunk

Soulmates 

Gothic horror (or romance)

Space travel/opera

Roommates/neighbors

Mermaids

Urban fantasy/paranormal (werewolves, vampires, ghosts, paranormal investigators, etc.)

Courtly/medieval

Noir/Private Investigator

Heist

Circus/carnival

Period (specify which time period)

Time Loop/time travel

Dragon Age-specific AUs:  (MC refers to the Warden, Hawke, or the Inquisitor)

22. The MC as a different class (mage/warrior/rogue)

23. The event(s) that led to the Warden’s recruitment never happened 

24. Companion AU (MC as a companion instead of the protagonist)

25. Different choice taken for a major plot decision (i.e. Harrowmont vs Bhelen, Hawke vs Stroud left in the Fade, etc.)

26. The game is actually a tabletop campaign (D&D etc.) your MC and companions are playing together

#prompt list #writing prompts #alternate universes #au #it wound up shorter than i would've preferred but i can always add more later #and of course if you can think of any feel free to tack 'em on to the end #i tried to write these so they could be used for either art or writing #oh also. if there are any issues/errors please let me know so i can fix them quick!

[fanfictionroxs]

HOTD greek mythology thoughts - Harwin as Hades

I love imagining Harwin as the sort of Hades of westeros. A chill dude. Lives in a haunted house where spirits come & go freely (Harrenhall). He enjoys their company even though he has limited spiritual connection to the other side.. or maybe he's just good at pretending while near the living to avoid frightening them and to avoid people gossiping about him. Harwin has no control over the dead, no one does. They are simply his silent companions whose unintelligible whispers have long become his comfort. Alys is the one who actually befriends them, plays with them, learns spells from them, unafraid to be perceived a 'witch'. Harwin tries to be show more restraint, but Lyonel still takes him away at a young age to King's Landing, hoping that if his son has more distance from that house and his older sister, he wouldn't go mad.

Still, Harwin's best friend is an 8 year old boy called Reggie Rivers who sometimes changes into a 22 year old bard singing the most melancholic yet melodious tunes. He is a lonely spirit who has been haunting the halls of Harrenhall longer than Harwin's father has been alive (in canon, I imagine Reggie waits for him to return for years and then he doesn't let the doors open when the fire starts so that Harwin would never be able to leave their house again and they could stay together in the afterlife. The lonely boy comforts his crying spirit and promises him that his sons would be returned to him in less than a decade).

Instead of Cerebrus, a three headed dog, Harwin has his three sons Jace, Luke & Joffrey. Joffrey is the first one to see a ghost despite being the youngest. It's because Joffrey Sr.'s ghost often hovered around him protectively, adopting him from the afterlife while smiling longingly at Laenor. Harwin is surprised because Dragon magic keeps the dead away pretty much.. he never expected his sons to have that side of a Strong in them despite all of them looking like him.

Rhaenyra is his reverse Persephone (more on the reverse part at the end para!) without the incest. Funny how the incest gets eradicated despite it being an hotd AND greek myth au. Though now I'm imagining how much Rhaenyra would enjoy calling Harwin 'uncle' lmfao.

Laenor is totally Poseidon because he's a Velaryon and has a good relationship with Harwin. Larys can be Zeus because shitty rapist little brothers. Alys, along with his other two sisters as Demeter, Hestia and Hera. I like the thought of Alys as another Hades.. or Demeter, since Alys's powers have a more broad spectrum.

Now imagine the Hades and Persephone kidnapping thing but reversed. Rhaenyra kidnaps Harwin, and Alys is pissed because that dragon bitch stole her little bro and decides to cause havok that brings westeros to its knees. So, ultimately Rhaenyra has to compromise so that Harwin spends half an year at the Red Keep and the other half at Harrenhall, keeping both women happy and less likely to commit murder.

PS VERY IMPORTANT! He can punch ghosts in the face! Harwin is the 'breakbones' of both the living world and beyond!

#hotd au #fanfictionroxs writes #house of the dragon #harwin strong #alys rivers #jacaerys targaryen #lucerys velaryon #joffrey velaryon #rhaenyra targaryen #laenor velaryon #larys strong #rhaewin #hotd greek mythology au #lyonel strong #hotd #rhaenyra x harwin #harwin breakbones

[taevbears]

Magic Shop - 01

Your magical journey begins with a fateful encounter and a beloved companion.

⤑ pairing: (eventual) OT7 x female witch!reader ⤑ genre: magic au, slow burn, action/adventure ⤑ rating: 18+ ⤑ word count: 8.3k ⤑ warnings: DUB-CON, implied SA, side character death, systematic oppression, religious themes, violence, brief smut (foreplay and fingering), mention of blood, just a lot of dark themes in general, our reader is a smart cookie but also an idiot when it comes to the boys. ⤑ note: Hello lol. So I'm not exactly new to fanfiction, but I am new to writing BTS fanfiction. Anyway, spooky season is around the corner and this story has been in my head for a while now. This chapter is also heavily inspired but this game called Dragon Age: Origins (though you don't need to play it to read this story). Also big shoutout to @angelicyoongie for the tips and encouragement throughout my writing process ♡

Chapters: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 (final)

The Devoted teaches that all magic is a source of wicked power, and those who inherit the abilities to manipulate unnatural forces are cursed.

For centuries, word of its immorality has spread throughout the lands. Until, one day, it’s become a universal truth. For magic, like all things twisted and evil, come from the Veil. A hidden realm between the spiritual and mortal worlds. A place of whims and fantasy. Of unspeakable horrors and sins.

To many, the Veil is a mystery.

Some describe it as a place where dreams manifest. A cluster of visions, intermingling together, creating a world of sleep and wake. Images that show one’s true desires and their darkest secrets.

Others say it’s a world for the passing. Where all souls end up once they leave the mortal realm. Lucky ones find a way to be reincarnated to a new life. Most are aimless wanderers, no longer attached to the memories of their previous lives. But there are some unfortunate ones who become restless spirits, gone too soon or burdened with regret. Eventually, the despair and fury overcome them, tainting their souls with a miserable, contagious darkness.

Mages, who are most attuned with their magic in the Veil, are also the most susceptible to corruption. The tainting is subtle at first. Whispered insecurities, fears, regrets, and doubts, chipping away at one’s sense of self. Until it molds and twists into a hatred that fills the hearts of mages and overflows into the mortal realm like a plague.

History speaks of those who have succumbed to the tempting darkness of their own abilities. Those who have sacrificed the blood of innocents for their unholy rituals. Who transformed humans into beasts, and who single-handedly usurped grand cities in their lust for power and greed.

They’re called the Wicked.

Left unchecked, all those born with magic could become tainted by their own power. Even those with the purest of souls.

Thus, it’s declared that all mages are condemned to be locked away in isolated castles and towers. Away from the humans, who deem them as dangers to their society, and heavily guarded by the Wardens of the Devoted, the sentries who have taken an oath to protect humankind and eliminate mages from becoming Wicked.

On a high cliff, overseeing the inky waters of a dark lake and beyond the ominous deep woods is Blackstone Castle. It’s one of the few hidden fortresses where those with an affinity to magic are taken upon the awakening of their abilities. Its tall, looming towers and sturdy, ancient structures are all you’ve ever known. Within its lonely, dreary walls and corridors is what you call home.

Like many cursed children, you’ve awakened your power at a young age. Too young to even remember the faces of your parents before you were cruelly ripped away from them.

Under the care of the Circle of Magi – enchanters who work as caretakers, teachers, and groundskeepers within the castle – and the ever-vigilant gaze of the Blackstone Wardens, you’ve learned to cultivate your art and make it into something incredible. Something beautiful.

Through years of study and practice, your passion and relentless determination has driven you to the top of your class. You’re a promising apprentice, yet to be defeated in a dueling match of incantations and spells. Your hard work has earned you many praises from your mentors, as well as the weary caution from the armored wardens.

After all, in the eyes of the Devoted, you’re an abomination. And your beautiful, remarkable talent is vile. Atrocious. Evil.

Someone like you – a young, feisty apprentice of high regard, who embraces the curse of magic as a blessing – is the perfect, dangerous concoction of becoming Wicked.

There’s only one way the enchanters and the wardens can determine a young mage’s abilities and their resistance to temptation within the Veil. A secret rite of passage that turns an apprentice into a full-fledged mage. A final test that all Blackstone students spend their youth anticipating and preparing for.

The Harrowing.

All mage apprentices must face this inevitable trial, but very few know what it truly entails. Those who’ve done it and succeeded are forbidden to speak about it. And those who’ve failed are never seen or heard of again.

At any given moment, an apprentice will be beckoned for this evaluation, and will have no other choice but to obey its call. And yours could be any day now.

“Mina,” a voice gently calls in the middle of the night. Your eyes flutter open, glancing at the handsome warden standing by the doorway. Light from the hallway shines behind him, almost giving him an angelic appearance. He addresses the girl sleeping in the bunk next to you. “Mina, wake up.”

Your roommate stirs at the sound of her name. “Seokjin?”

“It’s your time.”

In the darkness, you see Mina stiffen and a tense silence passes between them. You all know what those words mean. You watch as she takes a shaky breath and then proceeds to step out of bed. Some of the other girls in your tiny dorm sit up on their bunks to see her go. She returns your stares with an unspoken goodbye.

Your gaze turns to Seokjin just then. The handsome warden smiles sadly, watching as she tries not to tremble before him. Mina pauses by your bed, giving a half-hearted smile, one that carries the weight of the years of friendship between you two, before she leaves the dorm.

It’s the last time you’ll ever see her.

“She’s the fourth girl that went missing this month,” Hoseok comments, picking up pieces of grilled lamb and putting them on your plate. “Ever since Seokjin was transferred here, girls who do their Harrowing have disappeared more frequently.”

“Are you saying Seokjin has something to do with it?” you question, putting the meat right back on his plate. You refuse to eat more than your share when your best friend hasn’t even touched his food.

“I’m saying it’s suspicious.”

“It is really odd,” you agree, chewing thoughtfully. “But it’s Seokjin. I don’t think he has anything to do with the missing girls.”

Hoseok snorts. “You say that because you have a soft spot for him.”

“I saw him cowering over a moth that flew over his head the other night, Hoseok. I don’t think it’s that much of a reach to believe he’s harmless.”

Over a week has passed since Mina was summoned. No one has seen her around the castle after that night. As her roommate, the two of you would dream and whisper about passing that secret test together.

It’s the next big milestone; a graduation from your apprenticeship. Passing your Harrowing will bring you one step closer to becoming a true mage. Your new status will unlock new books and spells within the libraries. You can become a member of the Circle, whether to educate students, care for the little ones, or upkeep your favorite parts of Blackstone. The wardens will be less strict with you, given that you’d be living proof of your willpower and resistance to temptations. And that mysterious realm, with all its secrets and treasures, will be opened to you for the first time.

More than anything, you were ready for it. Both of you were.

But then, that night happened.

Suddenly, you wake up in the morning and see her empty bunk beside you. The bed is made and the pillow is cold. It hasn’t been touched. Not since she left. The other girls that share the dorm wonder about her, as she was friends with everyone she meets. But no one knows for sure what happened. If she’s still in the castle, why hasn’t she come by to see you all?  Is she just busy with her new tasks and duties? Is something else going on?

While you’re lost in thought, Hoseok adds some meat back on your plate. He knows you’ve been unsettled since your roommate disappeared. You’ve told him as much when she didn’t return the next morning. And while you appreciate his subtle ways of taking care of you, you catch him in the act and return it back to him.

“Hoseok, please.”

“Sorry, I’m just…” he trails off with a heavy sigh, putting the utensils down. “I’m worried. The disappearances. Our own Harrowings. All the changes that come afterwards. Aren’t you scared?”

You are. More than you’re willing to admit.

You and Hoseok have been friends since you were kids. There’s rarely a day when the two of you aren’t seen together. Although you’ve been in Blackstone for as long as you can remember, he’s one of the very few you consider a friend.

Here, beneath the tree you and Hoseok are sitting under, holds so many first memories for you: your first kiss, your first confession, a sacred vow, a proposition. All of it with Hoseok.

But Hoseok doesn’t love you that way.

He told you so himself, catapulting your friendship into a strange limbo between platonic and romantic. One where you’ll seek each other out for comfort and affection, sometimes in ways that are too intimate for just friends. One where you can talk to each other about anything and everything, carrying each other’s secrets, knowing exactly what spots and kinks get him going behind that beautiful, sunny smile. One where Hoseok wouldn’t deny it if someone mistook you as his girlfriend, but in private, when it’s just you and him, he’d ask if the two of you are still friends.

Hoseok doesn’t love you that way because he likes Mina.

But he was afraid of messing up with her. So, he’d come to you. His best friend, a safe zone. Someone he trusted won’t break his heart.

And you let him because there’s one secret that Hoseok doesn’t know about. That maybe, perhaps, there’s a part of you that holds onto the hope of something more.

It’s confusing, this dance that you and Hoseok have shared over the years. Both of you value your friendship so much. But once you pass your Harrowing, you’ll no longer be an apprentice. You’ll be moved out of the dorm and into the enchanters’ corridors. You’ll be assigned new tasks and duties within the castle. Your schedule will be completely different from Hoseok’s. 

You won’t see him as often as you do now. And that’s what terrifies you the most.

“I don’t have a reason to be,” you finally answer with a confident smile. A convincing lie.

He laughs in a way that makes your heart melt. “Wow, my best friend is very brave.”

You try not to let your smile falter and shovel some food in your mouth. The topic of Mina still lingers over your head. Hoseok must be heartbroken, even if he seems more occupied fretting over you. It feels absurd to move on from the fact that she isn’t around anymore, but Mina is one of the many girls who left without a trace.

“Anyway,” Hoseok continues, picking at his food again. “Just promise me you’ll be careful around Seokjin, okay?

“You have nothing to worry about, Hoseok,” you assure him with a small smile. Perhaps you really do have a soft spot for the handsome warden. “I trust him.”

“Yeah, but–”

“Wait, Hoseok,” you interrupt, turning your gaze away from him. “Did you hear that?”

Both of you fall quiet. The courtyard is busy with fellow apprentices on their break from morning lectures. Beyond the chatter, however, is a loud rustling coming from the bushes nearby. His eyes widen as he whispers, “Do you think it’s a bear?”

“A bear–” you sputter, standing to your feet. “No, I don’t think so.”

You carefully walk toward the sound, eyeing the shrubs before you. One of them pinpoints exactly where the source of the noise is coming from.

“What if it’s a tiger?” Hoseok asks urgently, tailing closely after you. His grip around your shoulders is almost painful.

Neither of those animals are revealed as you push the shapely plants with your hand. Instead, hidden in the small opening, is a tiny kitten.

It hisses the moment it sees you two, warning you both to stay away.

“Hey, it’s okay,” you coo softly, trying to calm it down. It looks like a stray. Its black fur is covered with blood, dirt, and grime. It must’ve gotten attacked by another animal nearby.

“Poor little guy,” Hoseok says, peering over your shoulder. “How did you get here?”

The kitten continues to hiss and growl, distrusting eyes glaring up at you.

“It’s hurt,” you point out, noting how one of its front legs is stiff.

“I might have something in my pouch,” Hoseok mutters, looking over at the tree where you both abandoned your things. “Wait here, I’ll go get it.”

As he leaves, you crouch down to get a little closer. The kitten tenses, but isn’t able to go anywhere with its injured limb. It keeps its gaze on you, licking its leg to soothe itself and crying in pain.

The sound breaks your heart.

Before Hoseok could return, you close your eyes and hover your hand over the kitten’s arm. It growls, baring its teeth and trying to swipe at you with its good paw. Immediately, it freezes when a warmth is transferred from you to the kitten. It blinks up at you with surprised, feline eyes.

“Better?” you ask, feeling a bit dizzy. Healing magic is difficult and draining, especially since you’re not a trained healer. By the time Hoseok returns with both of your things, the kitten’s pained mewling stopped and it’s able to move its arm.

Hoseok crouches beside you, carefully feeding it some of the grilled lamb the two of you kept passing each other. A heart-shaped smile appears on his lips when the kitten sniffs at the meat and accepts it.

“I dipped some healing potion in the meat. He’ll be good as new by tomorrow morning,” he explains before playfully scolding, “You should’ve waited before you attempted healing magic. It only took me a minute to get my bag.”

“I had to do something, Hoseok,” you pout, though happy that the kitten was eating from his hand. Break is nearly over when the cloudy skies above quickly darken. “Let’s get you somewhere warm.”

The kitten seems hesitant at first, still seeming wary as its eyes gauge you and Hoseok. It seems settled in its hiding spot under the bushes too, but it changes its mind when the first raindrops fall on its head.

You gather the little thing in your arms, and you and Hoseok head inside before you’re all caught in the rain.

“Familiars,” the instructor says, just as you and Hoseok enter the lecture room. She has her back toward the class, writing out the term on the chalkboard. “Animals tend to be drawn toward magic, and sometimes, a special bond is formed between these creatures and people like us. For thousands of years, familiars have been known to be a mage’s greatest companion. They’re friends from the Veil, serving to guide and protect you as you develop your magical powers.”

Perched on her desk is the instructor’s familiar: a great, grey owl with a large, round face, a small beak, and beady eyes. It sleeps as the lesson goes on, both familiar and instructor unaware of the two of you quietly sneaking in while the class is in session.

Your new friend is with Hoseok, sleeping peacefully in his arms. You suppose you’re not the first person to bring a stray into the castle. Several other students have acquired their own pets: birds and reptiles perched on shoulders, rodents tucked in pockets, cats and dogs on laps. Small critters who’ve helped ease the loneliness that comes within the castle.

“What’s fascinating is that you don’t choose what your familiar looks like. Whatever creature they are, whatever shape they appear, they’re the ones that choose you,” she continues, looking at her beloved owl. She chuckles as she goes into a tangent. “Why, I had an old roommate who was allergic to hers–”

“What should we name our son?” Hoseok suddenly whispers, gently caressing the kitten’s cheek. You hear it purring under his touch.

You can’t help but smile. “He’s our son now? I didn’t know we were keeping him.”

“Look at his face, though. Wouldn’t the three of us make a cute family?” He shifts in his seat so that you could get a better look at your newly-founded son. With its fur cleaned up and the remedies seeming to help, it’s like a new kitten. Seeing it relaxed and happy in Hoseok’s arms is a stark difference from the scared, injured animal you found only an hour before.

“If he chooses to stay,” you say, reaching over to pet the top of its head and smiling when it leans toward your touch, “then we can name him.”

“The only way a mage can choose a familiar is by striking up a contract within the Veil. But be warned,” the instructor cautions, finally turning her attention to the class, “this is highly advised against. For if these creatures are dedicating their devotion, knowledge, and livelihoods to you, they will want something of equal value in return.”

Your eyes scan the lecture room, lingering toward the desk where he normally sits. A small frown forms on your lips when you see it’s empty again.

Where’s Namjoon?

“These kinds of contracts are considered dark magic, prone to turn you Wicked. Just like the mortal realm, there are good and bad spirits in the Veil. Some familiars, especially those who remember you from previous lives, will approach you with a genuine eagerness to help. Others will see you as a chance to corrupt the world that hurt them, manipulating and possessing you to do unspeakable evils. You’ll never know who or what you’re dealing with in the Veil, and there’s no going back once a contract has been made.”

“Hey, Hoseok.”

“Hm?”

“What happened to Namjoon? He wasn’t in any of the lectures this morning either.”

He glances up at the desk where Namjoon sits, causing the kitten to mewl in protest when he stops petting it. “I don’t know.”

Dread sinks in your heart. First Mina, now Namjoon is missing too?

“History speaks of the mages who’ve caused destruction and ruin to humankind, but some historians believe it was their familiars who influenced them into becoming Wicked,” she says, looking back at hers. “After all, why would a mage question the intentions of their greatest companion?”

The owl opens its eyes and hoots. A quiet warning.

The instructor smiles brightly and turns back to the class. “Now then, let’s open our books to where we last left off.”

If there’s one place you’d know to find Namjoon, it’d be here.

Tall shelves surround you, full of books in a variety of colors and volumes. Within many of their pages tell the history between humans and mages, skewed toward the teachings of the Devoted. Some contain spell books, most that are inaccessible to you as an apprentice. And some are leisure readings, often with a witch as the main villain of the story.

You spend a lot of time here. Probably more than at your own dorm. The quiet ambiance has helped you go through your studies and reviews of your notes and lessons over the years.

He’s always here as well. The library with all its written knowledge at his fingertips is his favorite part of the castle.

“Figured I’d find you here,” you remark once you spot him. He’s sitting at a table with a couple of his friends. They nudge at him when they see you approaching, knowing smiles and amused eyes lighting their faces. You ignore them as you cross your arms and glare at Namjoon. “You weren’t in class.”

“I wasn’t,” he acknowledges, raising an eyebrow before a twitch of a smirk tugs on his lips. “Why? Did you miss me?”

“Of course not,” you scoff, standing your ground as he gets up from his seat. He’s so tall, he practically towers over you. “I just want to know why you didn’t show up.”

It’s not just his physique that makes him so big, but his presence, the way that he can command a room to pay attention to him. Many of your fellow students admire him, even Hoseok. He’s incredibly intelligent too, one of the smartest and most naturally-gifted apprentices his mentors sing praises about. His knowledge on the arcane arts and its history is unmatchable.

And you absolutely loathe it.

You, who has been in Blackstone Castle your whole life, climbed to the top of your class through your own blood, sweat, and tears. Whereas Namjoon, who was transferred to Blackstone at nineteen, came to the top because magic comes easily for him. It could take you hours to master one spell while he gets it on his first try. He aces his exams with his nose stuck in unrelated books and poems, while you spend hours trying to maintain your high scores.

He’s the worst. The most mildly-infuriating, petty walking disaster of a genius you’ve ever come across.

“Sorry, baby. You won’t be seeing me much at the lectures anymore.”

You blink at surprise. “What? Why?”

“Didn’t you hear?” one of his friends pipes up. “Our Namjoon passed his Harrowing this morning. The wardens said that he finished it in under an hour! That’s the fastest anyone has ever completed theirs!”

Your eyes widen. “You did the Harrowing?”

A small, tiny sense of relief blooms in your heart when he nods his head. Your academic rival didn’t go missing. He passed his Harrowing and he’s still here, now working at the library to become a scholar.

“Do you guys mind? I’d like to talk to her for a minute,” Namjoon says to his friends without taking his eyes off you. The two exchange looks with each other and agree to give you some privacy. But you don’t let your guard down, even after they leave.

“What is it, Joon?”

“I heard about Mina,” he starts carefully, his voice sincere. “Are you okay? I know she was your roommate.”

“I’m… a little shaken,” you admit, uncrossing your arms. It feels almost strange being this vulnerable with him, but if Namjoon already did his, then yours and Hoseok’s would be right around the corner. “I don’t know what happened to her. No one tells us anything. Do you know? What happened to her, I mean?”

A look of guilt flashes in his eyes. “I can’t tell you.”

You sigh. “Of course you can’t.”

“Listen, be careful when you go to the Veil,” he warns, eyeing around him as if he’s afraid someone will listen in. There’s hardly anyone else here except the scholars and a handful of students, but you and Namjoon are nowhere near eavesdrop distance from them. “There are dark energies everywhere. Not just in that realm.”

You frown at his warning and think back to what Hoseok said about Seokjin. About all the disappearances that’s been happening lately. About Mina.

“I can handle myself, Namjoon.”

There’s a warmth in his aura, in the deep dimples of his smile, in the way he looks at you then. He squeezes your arm gently. “I know you can. Just promise you’ll come back to me, okay?”

It isn’t until later that night when you and Seokjin finally talk.

“Who’s this?”

“A new friend,” you explain, waving him over to sit next to you. On your lap is the black kitten, bumping its tiny head against your hand for pets. “Hoseok and I found him this morning, but we haven’t thought of a name yet.”

The kitten looks over at him, curiosity shining in its bright eyes, and mewls. The cute sound makes both you and Seokjin gush. “Sounds like you’re planning to keep him.”

“Only if he wants to stay.” You watch as Seokjin holds out his hand, letting the kitten sniff him, before he gently rubs its head with his fingertips. It purrs under his touch, closing its eyes with content. “I hope he does.”

“Maybe he’ll become your … familiar?” He glances at you, checking if he used the correct word. He’s the only warden you know of who even bothers learning a mage’s terminology.

Like all the other Blackstone Wardens, he’s in uniform. Heavy armor made of material resistant to magic. Hidden within his reach are spell-breaking weapons and poisons meant to hinder your abilities. Things that could temporarily mute or blind you mid-incantation. 

Had it been any other warden, you wouldn’t feel comfortable being this close to them.

From the moment a mage is set to live in their towers, wardens are assigned to guard them, watch them, and “handle” them if they show signs of becoming Wicked. Most, if not all, the wardens are Devoted – members of the ruling religious organization that believe people with your gift are the ban of all things evil.

Thus, many of them, in your humble opinion, are assholes.

You’ve heard the rumors. The open secret of what happens to mouthy, pretty mages and wardens with too much power and too little heart. 

It’s atrociously easy for wardens to call an innocent apprentice Wicked. It’s equally alarming how many self-righteous Devotees take advantage of their position over people like you, coercing victims to do what they want or have them face the deadly consequences of false accusations. You’ve seen with your own eyes how fellow apprentices cry themselves to sleep at night, or become distant and fearful after surviving these awful predators. How some willingly refuse to do their Harrowing if their assailant is present, as this assessment would be when an apprentice is the most vulnerable.

Not Seokjin, though.

He’s … different from the others. He’s safe.

Safe enough that you know you can trust him.

“Jin…” Although your voice is quiet, it’s loud enough for him to hear. Loud enough for him to turn his attention to you. “Can you promise me something?”

He looks up at you. His eyes are so warm and pretty. They practically have stars in them. “What is it?”

“When I do my Harrowing, will you protect me?”

“You know I can’t interfere with your test,” he replies, his voice quiet.

“I know. I meant,” you fidget slightly. “my body. Could you watch over me? Make sure nothing happens to me when I’m in the Veil.”

“Of course.” He extends a pinky toward you. A gesture that makes you smile as you wrap your own pinky around his. He returns your smile and vows, “I’ll always protect you.”

As the days pass, the concern over Mina has died down. Instead, you hear rumors of another failed Harrowing. Another girl disappearing. But no one has any answers as to why this is happening.

The black kitten stayed with you and Hoseok for a couple more days until it fully healed. Then, without a word, it left too. But not without giving you a small token of appreciation.

That next morning, you found a Dzi bead on your pillow. A small, protective charm meant to bring the wearer good fortune, health, and luck.

Ironically, you had the gift in your hand when Seokjin came to your dorm again. He calls out your name, gently shaking your shoulder and stirring you from your sleep. There’s a sad smile on his handsome face as he tells you, “It’s your time.”

You must’ve fallen back to sleep.

On the edge of dreaming and waking, you could’ve sworn you heard a strange sound. Your brows furrow in wonder, but your eyes remain close.

You’re exhausted. The lulls of sleep call you like a siren song. Your body feels heavy, your head feels dizzy. All you want to do is lay still on the soft, cozy bed you’re on and let your dreams drift you away.

But something – someone – keeps you on the brink of consciousness. Again, you hear a peculiar sound. Louder this time than before.

Music?

When you open your eyes, you’re greeted with a familiar sight. Cold, dark stones cemented into an ominous, impenetrable tower. Cobble-pebbled patterns decorate the high ceilings. Moonlight shines through a single, small window and casts baleful shadows with its serene light.

Blackstone Castle. Or rather, a place that looks like it.

Growing up here, you know every nook and cranny of this place, and yet…

Something feels off.

It’s too spacious. Too quiet.

No snores of creaking beds from the other apprentices. No heavy, armored footsteps from the wardens during their nightly patrols. No stifled giggles or hushed voices from the enchanters as they pass through the corridors.

This isn’t a room you recognize, and this bed is far too comfortable to call your own.

Compared to your stiff bunk in the dorm, this canopy bed feels like a cloud. Soft. Fluffy. The sheets feel like silk against your bare skin. It reminds you of how tired you are to begin with. How heavenly a decent sleep sounds.

But the strange, distant melody keeps you from drifting completely.

And it’s only then that you realize you’re not alone.

There’s a weight over you, heavy and wrapped around you tightly. It keeps you secured to the cloud, trapping you in its hold. Warm breath tickets the back of your neck, and you could feel the rise and fall of a muscular chest against your bare back.

Terror strikes you wide awake.

Here you are, in a room you don’t recognize, sleeping on a stranger’s bed. Naked, and with no recollection of how you even got there.

Heart racing, you slowly flip over to face the stranger. A sharp gasp falls from your lips when you recognize who it is. “Seokjin?!”

The handsome warden grunts in response. Without opening his eyes, and with his voice in a deep, sleepy rumble, he tiredly asks, “What time is it?”

“Jin, what– how did we–” you stumble over your words as you sit up, pulling the sheets over your chest. “I can’t remember–”

Seokjin opens his eyes this time. Deep brown stares back at you. Ones that usually sparkle whenever he turns his gaze toward you. Ones that are full of warmth and stars.

One that makes you realize something is very off about Seokjin.

Instead, the eyes that look at you are cold and hollow, completely void of light. Terrifying, and yet, you can’t look away from them.

You try not to shiver when Seokjin raises his head from the pillow and sits up to face you. The sheets fall off his chest and down to his thin waist unceremoniously. A mischievous smirk dances on his lips as he leans toward you. “Shall I remind you?”

“We shouldn’t,” you whisper, darting your gaze at anything but him and his broad shoulders, his plush lips, his muscular abdomen. You know Seokjin is handsome – hell, he knows it, too – but this isn’t… He wouldn’t…

“Why not?” he asks, nearly pouting. His hand cups your face, thumb gently brushing your cheek. “You trust me, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” you reply. And it’s the truth. You trust Seokjin more than anyone.

He leans closer. The emptiness in his eyes are replaced with odd glints of gold. Mesmerizing. Hypnotizing.  You barely hear his command. 

“Then give in, little one.”

Your eyes flutter close as he presses soft kisses against your cheek, then along your jaw. The bedsheets no longer feel like fine silk against your fingers, but thin and transparent, even before he pries your hands open and lets the covering fall to your waist. You feel your heart to your throat as his lips travel to your neck, to your collarbone, to your breast. 

It’s like your body has a mind of its own as your nod in consent, easily falling back on the cloud with the handsome warden on top of you.

Drifting. You feel yourself drifting.

A haze muddles your thoughts as Seokjin continues to press kisses against your skin. It feels good. You can feel yourself arching for more, preening to be held and touched. He smirks as he travels lower, dipping to your hips where he tugs off the remaining covers.

The melody in the background stutters, as if someone fumbled with the notes. It’s jarring enough to snap you out of the trance. To realize that Seokjin’s touch is burning as he pins you to the bed. To see that the eyes looking down at you are inhuman.

This isn’t Seokjin.

Seokjin is your warden. Your friend. The man you trust the most. He would never take advantage of you like this.

Snapping out of it, you shove down the building arousal and look around the room. Something is wrong. You have to get out of here. All your things are thrown on the floor, and there’s nothing within reach that you can use to defend yourself. 

You’ll have to improvise.

Shutting your eyes, you try to keep focused. Little whimpers and shaky gasps escape your lips when you feel his mouth work against your core. His tongue and fingers distract you, eliciting waves of desire and pleasure.

The Seokjin look-alike sits up to peer down at you, brown eyes almost golden now as he seems to feed off your energy. Long fingers are still inside you, curling and pumping in and out, distracting him enough for you to strike.

Strength and light flow from your fingertips. Using that energy, you shove the stranger on top of you. The magic burns its bare chest as a demonic scream escapes its lips.

Your heart nearly stops when you hear the sound.

It’s Wicked.

When the imposter recoils, you stumble out of the bed and grab a simple black dress from the floor. There’s a small weight in one of the pockets, and when you reach inside, you recognize the shape of the kitten’s gift – something that won’t help you now. You don’t dare look back or think about how your legs are shaking as you throw your clothes on and run out the door. Your feet are flying without direction, lungs burning and legs aching, until you’re certain you’re far away from it. Until you’re certain it isn’t chasing you down.

So that’s Wicked. You’ve heard the enchanters talk about those doomed beings. Embodied vices of lust, pride, greed, envy, gluttony, sloth, and wrath that taint the mages, letting their powers corrupt them, until they are no longer human.

Your head doesn’t feel as hazy and your body doesn’t feel as lethargic since you’ve exited that room. It was a very close call. That entity with Seokjin’s face… You shudder to think of what could’ve happened if you stayed a minute longer.

Catching your breath, you take a moment to look at your surroundings. The hallways are similar to the castle, but long and winding. It almost makes you feel dizzy looking down at them. Lanterns and doorways mirror each other in endless paths.

You straighten up and reach toward a random door, opening it and stepping inside.

Only to find yourself in a similar hallway.

What?

With a frown, you reach for another door. One on your right this time, instead of directly in front of you.

But it’s the same damn thing. Same endless, dark hallways. Same dimly-lit lanterns. Same identical doorways. No matter how many you go through, you’re stuck in a loop.

Panic crawls beneath your skin when a low growl emits from the hallway.

That Wicked is still after you, and it’s angry.

Who knows if the next door you choose will lead you closer to it. Or if it will have you stuck in a repeating maze until it catches up.

Just when it feels like all hope is lost, you hear it. 

The melody from earlier. It sounds like it’s coming through one of the doors.

With nothing else to lose, you open it and step inside, knowing that the Wicked will get you if you stay where you are. You’re in an identical hallway, but this time, the music comes from a different door. Then, another door. And another door.

You’ve lost count of how many you’ve gone through. Could be dozens. Could be hundreds. But every time, it feels like you’re getting a bit closer and closer to the source.

And then, finally, you open a door and no longer find yourself in a dreary hallway.

Emerald-green walls paint the candle-lit room, causing haunting shadows to dance with the burning glow of the fires. A fence with a tarp cages a black, grand piano. And inside is a man with pale skin that contrasts his black hair.

Of all the things in the room, his aura seems to shine the brightest.

He doesn’t notice you as his fingers continue to play the beautiful instrument, its melody drawing you closer and closer.

You’re practically standing next to the pianist when the song ends and he finally addresses you. “Can I help you with something?”

“I…” you pause, almost forgetting why you’re here. “You play so beautifully.”

His eyes flicker away for a brief moment, taken aback by the sudden compliment. Even more so with how such a simple sentence stirs something he’s forgotten so long ago. He rephrases his question. “What do you want?”

You don’t answer him right away. The two of you stare at each other as the candle wax burns and the shadows around the room continue to sway. Then, you reach into the pocket of your dress and pull out the token the kitten gifted you, resting it on top of your piano. 

His eyes widen when he sees it. Then, he takes it in his hand.

“There’s something after me.”

Dark eyes linger off the charm and onto your face. His gaze is intense but strangely familiar. “He won’t get you in here. This area isn’t in his boundaries.”

“But I can’t stay here, either.”

The pianist raises an eyebrow at you, seeming surprised by your statement. You suppose he had expected you to accept his refuge, but you know you’re losing precious time. You know that you’re in the Veil and this is your Harrowing.

“You’re a smart one,” he says after a moment, almost impressed. To your dismay, he hands back the token and turns back to his piano. A new melody begins. “I won’t keep you here, but I can’t help you. Your protection charm is no use to me here.”

The door you came from opens. Back to where that monster with Seokjin’s face is waiting for you. Back to where you can almost feel the bloodlust from the other side.

“I’m willing to bargain.”

That catches his attention. His hands still, the music stops. The shadows against the wall seem to pause and stare at you, silent witnesses to what’s about to happen. Words from the instructor echo in your head, but it’s too late. The words already left your mouth.

And the pianist, with his dark, intense, feline eyes – tinted with a golden amber reflected from the candlelight – stands before you. “What’s your offer?”

“Ah, little one. You finally came out of hiding,” the one with Seokjin’s face smiles devilishly as you approach him. “Shall we continue where we left off?”

Thrown to the wolves, you feel terrified. You have nothing but the clothes on your back, a beaded charm, and a half-assed plan. None of your lectures, nothing you’ve ever read or practiced, could have prepared you for this. The monster at the crossroad. The hungry wolf hunting you down like prey.

But you can’t be scared. Not now when the enemy is right in front of you.

“You’re the one responsible for all the missing girls.”

His broad shoulders shake with sadistic laughter. 

“That I am! You impress me, little one. Those stupid girls never even escaped that room. Always falling into their desires, they don’t realize how much time has passed. How cold their physical bodies become while their souls are in my hands. They practically beg me to turn them Wicked, to devour their humanity,” he shamelessly admits, bringing his hands to cup his jawline. “This face of that warden you all desire – he’s made the hunting so much easier. Isn’t that right, friend?”

He’s addressing the pianist now. You turn to him with a frown. “You killed those girls too?”

“I see he hasn’t told you of our arrangement,” the wolf says, staring at his partner. “His music lures in the ones who get away. Baits them right into his little cage where he can trap them for as long as he desires.”

“Sorry,” the pianist finally speaks. “I have a new contract now.”

The wolf’s smile falters. “You’re betraying me? For this human?”

“You killed my friends!” you tell the wolf, drawing his attention back to you. Thinking about Mina. Thinking about all the other apprentices who’ve failed their Harrowings because of them. Those who never became mages, who’ve lost their dreams and their humanity. “I’ll make you pay for what you’ve done!”

“We shall see,” the wolf replies, bearing its large teeth at you. In an inhuman speed, the wolf lunges at you. The pianist pushes you out of the way at the last second as the two demons tumble to the ground.

“Find a weapon!” the pianist yells, crying out in pain when the wolf bites into his shoulder. You scramble to your feet, looking for a wand, a staff, something. The crossroads doesn’t provide you much of anything, and your hand encloses around the charm in your pocket, anxious and stressed.

Until you realize the charm has changed shape.

In a mysterious realm where willpower is the key to survival, you don’t have time to question it as you cast a spell to knock the wolf off the pianist. The Seokjin-lookalike lands roughly on the dirt-pathed ground, but you don’t give it time to recover as two more spells fire from your wand.

“Stupid girl!” the demon roars, moving to attack, its fingers extending into claws. You manage to put up a barrier at the last second, shielding yourself and the pianist. The wolf roars in frustration, running back and body slamming against your shield. To your horror, the transparent spell begins to crack.

“Listen, you have to drop your barrier,” the pianist tells you as the attacks become harder and faster, causing jagged rips along your magic. “Drop it and attack him on my count.”

You look at him like he’s insane. “You were partners with this guy! How will I know you won’t betray me?”

“You don’t,” he says as the wolf continues its relentless attacks. It won’t be long until it shatters completely. “But we made a contract.”

“Okay.”

“Okay,” he echoes, nodding his head. Your defense is breaking. One more hit, and you’re done. “One… two…”

On three, just as the wolf is about to give the final blow, you strike. A bright ball of light shoots from your wand, bigger than any spell you’ve cast so far. It sends the wolf back and knocks him out for good.

It’s over.

Out of breath, you collapse on the ground. The wand you use changes back into a charm, and the pianist stands beside you in shock. He holds his arm as blood seeps through his white shirt, but he doesn’t pay any mind to it as he states, “You … You actually did it. You defeated him.”

“Yeah…” you sigh, equally in disbelief. You’ve never had to fire off that many spells at once. You’re exhausted, dead on your feet, but you finally notice the injury on the pianist’s arm. “Wait, let me heal you.”

“You still want to help me? After what I’ve done?”

“We made a contract,” you remind him, holding out hand and letting the warmth spread from you to him. You feel even dizzier, more so than when you helped the kitten. “This is the second time I had to do this for you, you know.”

“You know it’s me, huh?” A small smile appears on the pianist’s mouth. His dark eyes – ones identical to the black kitten – seem to be full of admiration when he looks at you. “You really are a clever girl.”

The Devoted teaches that all magic is a source of wicked power, and that those born with the abilities to manipulate those unnatural forces are cursed.

But they’re wrong.

History remembers the wicked and their dark rituals, their forbidden magic, and their insatiable vices. They completely erase the wisdom and beauty bestowed upon their world through magic. They forget about the brave mages who fought along historic heroes in their quests, or the wise healers in villages that the Devoted haven’t influenced. They tear away young children from their families, imprison potential spell-casters from the world, shun them for their gift, hunt them down for simply existing.

Over the years, young apprentices would come to the Veil, fresh and unprepared to face the entities that rule this realm. It’s a sadistic rite of passage that the Devoted created to prove a young mage’s worth. Throwing their spirits to the wolves, defenseless and scared, as the Wicked feeds off their energies, eager to corrupt and consume. Leaving the physical forms behind, vulnerable, unconscious, and in the mercy of those sending them to the Veil. 

The pianist has been in this realm for a very long time. He no longer remembers his past, nor does he care about the person he was. All he knows is his piano and the music he creates that fills his lonely eternity with life and magic.

For far too long, he’s seen apprentice after apprentice fail their Harrowing. He’s seen the look of defeat in their eyes once a mage awakens and finds themselves in this world. He’s seen Wicked, like his old partner, toy with these lost souls like predators that play with their meals. He’s grown numb to the horrors and anguish that surrounds him with their defeat.

His partner, the wolf, has become greedy with their arrangement. A deal that they made long ago: should an apprentice escape the wolf’s den and find themselves in the music room, the wolf can’t touch them. Not when they’re still within his boundaries.

Sometimes, they hide too long. Their physical bodies become cold, and their connection to the mortal realm weakens. That’s what happened to your friend, Mina, who sought sanctuary from the wolf, but didn’t leave until it was too late. Her soul is forever trapped like a bird in a cage. And the wolf, constantly on the prowl of those who got away, waits just outside the border with all the patience in the world.

His somber melodies play as souls like hers begin to accept that she’ll never return to her body. They play in triumph as souls like Namjoon, who enters a different part of the Veil, faces his fears and vanquishes his own demon. They play for souls like yours, luring you away from the wolf, bringing you safely to him.

He first met you in a different form, one of a small cat on the brink of death. For just a few days, he sees through its eyes the person you are: brave, kind, and clever. You have a potential he hasn’t seen in another apprentice in years.

The feeling only amplifies when you find him in the Veil and offer the token he had gifted you, placing it on his piano in exchange for his aid against his greedy partner. One that he returns back to you with a spell of transformation, allowing you to change its shape once and for a short time.

You’re incredibly special. That much is clear to him from the moment he met you.

However, he’s starting to suspect you’re more special to him than he thought.

“What do you want?” you ask him in response to his question, holding his gaze. 

It almost sounds naÏve coming from your mouth, but something tells him that you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.

“You,” he simply says. “You’re what I want.”

“That’s a high demand for one Wicked. Name something else.”

“Who’s to say this is the only Wicked you’ll face? There are many dangers here, but some of the most vile creatures are the humans from your realm.”

It makes his blood boil. Feelings that he hasn’t felt in so long surfacing.

You’re quiet for a moment, then you propose, “Well, if it’s me that you want, then it’s only fair that you become mine too. I don’t want just help for this Wicked. I want you to be my partner.”

The pianist looks at your extended hand and the certainty in your eyes. His large hand practically swallows yours as he shakes it. “I accept.” 

And so, a deal between two souls is made.

When you wake from your Harrowing, you find yourself in the arms of the handsome warden, who took care of you just as he promised he would. You’re engulfed in a hug from your best friend, screaming his congratulations and relieved that you’re safe. A sentiment he shares with your academic rival, who throws you a proud, dimpled smile when your eyes meet his.

No longer an apprentice, there are new changes with your schedule around the castle. But there’s one thing you’re adamant about keeping the same: you and Hoseok, beneath the old tree that’s become a favorite spot for you two.

And it’s in that place where you and the pianist meet again.

“Oh, our son is back!” Hoseok exclaims, smiling brightly at the black kitten. It meows at him, as if saying that he’s home. He reaches over and scratches the top of its head. “I guess it wants to stay with us. Have you thought of a name yet?”

“Yeah.” You give your new familiar a knowing smile, remembering the bright, shining aura he had in the Veil. “Let’s call him Yoongi.”

Thank you for reading ♡ Comments & reviews are greatly appreciated! To join the tag list, please read [here].

Series Masterlist | Next

#magic shop series #bts x reader #ot7 x reader #hoseok x reader #namjoon x reader #yoongi x reader #seokjin x reader #bts magic au #bts witch au #bts fantasy au #bts au #bts fanfic

[cadmusfly]

Bringing this to a new post because that post was Gettin Long and I wanna respond to @josefavomjaaga

i have an addiction to worldbuilding and if people ask me worldbuilding questions i will just keep going on and on and on sorry

Part 1 of Marshalate Dragons AU Posting

More Marshalate Dragons AU

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If Bessières cannot be a dragon, could he occasionally be assigned to command Lannes? That should guarantee action. Not necessarily action against the enemy. But action. Bessieres is human most of the time but oh yes, I think they may be forced to work together, especially if Lannes has given Napoleon a lift and Bessieres has to accompany Lannes somewhere else

There's a mysterious white dragon who accompanies Napoleon sometimes, Napoleon calls him Marengo. This dragon appears to be one of those who refuses to talk to anyone except for those they are bonded to. There's rumours that this dragon can instantly appear in faraway places, because sometimes the Emperor just... appears. Obviously, the Emperor's other dragon companions are extremely jealous.

-

By the way, would Larrey be some kind of magical veterinarian in this world? Maybe! I feel like some of the infantry marshals should probably remain human now that I've seen how many infantry marshals there are, but Larrey as the Magical Vet is also a very good idea, having to stick an arm down a sick dragon's mouth or put a splint on a wing or something

It's like being a vet but your charges can shittalk you, and since they're doing it telepathically they can keep talking while you're fixing their teeth

-

Masséna could be a dragon, right? He would have to be in about the same age as the Lefebvre one. But a lot more elegant, leaner, also more cautious. And with a huge pile of gold he can hold his naps on.

100000%.

So I had been thinking earlier that part of this AU is linking the avaricious nature of dragons to the looting and plundering that was so endemic to the French army - which, the army felt like they were forced to do in order to break even or even profit from the wars

But I had a brainwave that even "ordinary" dragons in the army enjoy looting because, well, when you feel like you've earned something nice, then you're attached to it, and dragons in this verse need those nice things to lessen their dragon-stupors, so the ones in the army feel almost obligated to loot and plunder!

It's awful and I love this literalising metaphor lol

But yes back to Masséna, he is a medium-to-large beast with feathery wings (he has an eagle and an angel on his coat of arms), one eye shot out in Totally Not A Hunting Incident (Berthier claimed to have accidentally swiped his eye out but. Have you seen how small Berthier the dragon is. And that's not a scratch.)

And he sleeps on a pile of gold.

-

Would it be possible for Soult to keep his aides around?

Oh he absolutely does - as such a big dragon about the size of a house, his claws are too large to manipulate maps and write things down! He needs aides to grumble at so that they can move the map this way and that and write down notes and letters

unfortunately if he wants to dictate any affectionate or familial letters he has to dictate it to them as well

In fact, Soult is actually large enough that multiple people can ride on his back - not as large as the Temeraire dragons, but maybe two or three? So most of the time its his aides on his back, but during big important engagements when Ney has to go up there, there's also one of Soult's aides just. awkwardly there as well.

and they definitely bring him paintings and Louise when needed

-

And the idea of a drowsy Soult wanting to be petted by Louise makes me melt 💘.

"Was it necessary to tire yourself out so much, my dear Soult?" Louise's voice carried both admonition and a lighthearted touch, which was reflected in the way she lightly stroked the dark carmine scales. Echoed the deep voice in her mind, almost sheepishly, No. I had wished to ascertain the enemy's position and did not trust the reports of my scouts. The large golden eye of the dragon, the size of her head, blinked at her, accompanied by a soft low rumble. Were it to anyone else, the dragon would never have admitted it. But to Louise Berg, Soult could never lie. A burst of hot air escaped the dragon's nose in a mighty exhale. Might I request a scratch slightly further down? But only if your hand does not tire, my dear. "You make me work so hard!" But she obliged happily, and the dragon sighed with deep contentment.

-

What do dragons eat, by the way?

Meat! Lots of livestock! They are willing to eat horses. Humans are usually off the table because afaik Christians especially in those days wanted the whole body buried and also people tend to have a thing about that.

But I think they actually eat less than what's expected of a creature their size, because if we treat them as slightly magical slightly folkloric creatures, then they're partially sustained by the presence of their favourite things/their hoard and their favourite people - this can be seen as a bit of a metaphor for draconic greed, too

Maybe they're like snakes in that they eat quite a bit at once and then don't eat for a while?

-

With regards to Murat: Historically, he did hold the office of Grand Admiral of France. In case you need an excuse to turn him into a sea serpent ☺.

he would be

the worst

snek

but i did decide that he wasn't the secret dragon shapeshifter and is a human, partially because im not sure he would be able to shut up about himself being a secret dragon man, even if spilling the secret is dangerous due to some Fairy Tale Bullshit

still, imagine the fanciest sea snek in the fanciest ornaments

he is enjoying designing dragon uniforms though

-

I also feel like Caulaincourt should keep his job as Grand Stable Master - except now there's dragons.

yes.

I mean I think that the dragons being People mean that their quarters are very, very nice, but in a pinch one of the smaller ones can squish into a nice stable too heh

#cadmus rambles #cad talks about worldbuilding #cad rambles about dead frenchmen on main #marshalate dragons au #dragons as cavalry au #historical rpf #napoleonic rpf

[idontevenknowhowtolife]

Laena and her ability to activate the Targaryen brain cells

Ok here is that Laena fixes shit AU I promised @raybyanothername. Its very long and I have so many ideas in my head so bear with me as I try to make this make sense. 

Laena takes one look at the disaster that is her brothers wedding to Rhaenyra, his dead lover and the Hightower Queen in green and is like, “fuck, I have to get involved”. She marries Daemon and convinces him to stay in Kings Landing for a while and try to make up with his brother so that she can stay and support her own brother and Rhaenyra. She and Rhae rekindle their childhood bond and navigate a court that is becoming even more poisonous as Rhaenyra doesnt fall pregnant and Alicent starts rumors. Eventually Rhaenyra comes to her and is like “Laenor is so grief stricken he is struggling to perform his marital duties and I do not have the heart to force him, what the hell do I do?” They strategize for a bit and Rhaenyra presents Laenors suggestion of her taking a lover, which Laena shoots down but it does give her an idea. She goes to Daemon and is like, I know you and Laenor became close friends in the Stepstones and you are fond of Rhaenyra, go help them. Thus, Jace is born looking very obviously Valerian and the responsibility of a child a year earlier then in canon along with the support of his sister helps Laenor grieve much healthier and he and Daemon further bond by defending their wives to the court and teaching them how to defend themselves physically as well. (Give Rhaenyra and Laena a sword dammit. Plus some of the dragon armour Rhaenys had, it was really badass). Baela follows behind a month later, the result of a celebration between Rhaenyra, Laena and Daemon about the good news. 

However it doesn’t last and Daemon and Viserys get into a tiff about something resulting in them leaving for Pentos with their week old daughter. Laena is like, fuck not seeing each other, we have dragons and arranges regular meetings. This results in Lucerys and Rhaena being conceived, as well as a more level headed and supported Rhaenyra who is able to navigate the politics of Kings Landing much better, as well as forgive her father a bit more for his own actions. She struggles to bond still with her half siblings due to the age gap and the hurt their mother has caused her, but she uses her fathers goodwill and convinces him to allow them to share more lessons in addition to training. However Alicent is still telling them that they will be killed because of the threat they pose and how they should stay away from their nephews. Otto also softens Viserys up enough that he is allowed visits back to the Red Keep, which he uses to educate his grandchildren, while also having the Septas and Maesters report back to him. 

Things continue until Daemon and Laena eventually come back, Baela and and Rhaena in tow, after a harsh miscarriage in which their son dies and Laena just barely lives. Rhaenyra has just birthed Joffrey and would have left for Dragonstone if Laena hadn’t convinced her to stay, offering her more support against Alicent in the form of suggesting Baela and Rhaena as companions for Helaena, who has driven away the noble companions her mother picked. She gets Daemon to offer this straight to Viserys, claiming that Valerian blood will get along better. Laena bonds more with Helaena and encourages her interests and teaches her more on being a Targaryen princess as opposed to a Hightower one. Aemond, who hides with Helaena a lot when the other boys are teasing him and it gets too much, bonds with Rhaena about them both being dragonless. 

Rhaena tells him that her parents have taken her riding with them and that he should ask one of the adult dragonriders to take him. Aemond protests but she drags him to her mother because surely Vhagar is big enough to take all three of them. Laenas like “sure, but you do know you’ve been on a dragon before right?”. Aemonds like “huh, no I haven’t”, while Laenas like “Yeah Rhaenyra took you on Syrax when you were born. Its a tradition for the parents or the closest adult dragonrider to take children on their First Flight”. Aemonds never heard of this and Laena when she keeps talking to him gets the feeling that this kid knows nothing about his family, past or present. She resolves to talk to Rhaenyra about it later and takes them to the Dragonpit. They run into Rhaenyra and Laenor who are about to take Joffrey flying for the first time. Laena hesitates and instead goes “I was going to take both of them but Vhagar has been grumpy from everything's that's happened lately and it may not be such a good idea to take someone else with me or introduce a new person, especially a young boy. Syrax is much nicer to new people, why don’t you take Aemond on her with you?” Aemonds all nervous because of the whole “threat to the throne” thing but relaxes a bit when Rhaenyra is like sure, and then proceeds to give him some of the best memories of his life. Theres comments made about how they are all sure he will be an amazing rider when he claims a dragon and they look forward to flying with him again. Aemond is beaming and chatting with Rhaena after it, and when they start to leave he turns around and shyly thanks Rhaenyra and Laena for taking him and expects them to just send him off but Rhaenyra wraps her arm around him and Laena invites him to dinner. 

Later on Laena and Daemon are headed to the Dragon pit to discuss the care of their dragons when they come across Aegon and Sunfyre. Laena compliments him and they start chatting, well Laena is chatting, Daemon is lurking and Aegon is stuttering. Eventually he lets it slip that no ones actually taught him or Helaena how to ride and that they have been learning to fly with no adult dragon rider to supervise and intervene if anything goes wrong, leading to them not being able to go as far out as they would like. Laena is like “wth, why didn’t you ask Rhaenyra or Laena, they would probably be happy to help”. Aegons shifty and stutters and tries to avoid answering but Laenas pretty good at getting answers from people and when she hears that Rhaenyra scares him she is furious and leaves Daemon with strict instructions to start teaching Aegon some of the finer points of dragon riding.

When she finds Rhaenyra she confronts her and rages and is like wtf, this is your job as the senior dragon rider available. Rhaenyra calms her and tells her that she tried but Alicent blocked her and claimed it was “too much work for the heir to the throne”, making it so she had to choose between doing that and appearing neglectful of her duties. Laena tries to calm down but instead bursts into tears, prompting Rhaenyra to hold her and try to find out whats wrong. Turns out that Aemond and Aegon have reminded her what could have been with the son she just lost and that thats been why she has been avoiding her nephews a bit, hanging out with Helaena instead and not going on Joffrey's first flight. They end up chatting about it and thats when Laena brings up that Vhagar laid an egg that she intended for her son. (I’m going with the dragons lay eggs when their riders are expecting kids theory). She has been thinking about giving it to Rhaena to try again but no Targaryen has ever hatched an egg after the first one failed to hatch. She was thinking about giving it to Aemond, but shes running into the same problem. Rhaenyra hesitates before saying that she could give it to Aemond, as he never had an egg placed in his cradle. At the time Aemond was born Rhaenyra was still pregnant with Jace there was only one egg available that Syrax had lain and Viserys decided it was more important for his heirs heir to have it. Laenas like wtf, shitty parenting, but now she knows what to do. She proposes giving the egg to Aemond and Rhaenyra agrees, adding that she can take Rhaena to dragonstone to see if she can claim any of the unclaimed dragons there. Laena also imforms Rhaenyra that all of the adult dragon riders in Kings Landing will be taking Aegon and Helaena on a supervised flight next week, where they can go further from the dragonpit. 

Aemond is summoned to the dragonpit and meets Laena there. She just tells him she has a surprise and leads him to the nesting chambers. She presents him with the egg and after he refuses saying that it should go to Rhaena and that she is more deserving (because this boy has no self esteem), she tells him that while originally it was for her son, she could think of noone better to have it now. His refusal based on Rhaena has just confirmed it further for her. She says he has been kind to her daughters and welcomed them and that his knowledge and devotion to the dragons indicates that he will care for his hatchling. She tells him not to worry about Rhaena as Rhaenyra has it taken care of. Rhaenyra goes to Viserys and uses her sway as the favourite to convince him to let her, Laenor, Laena and Daemon take all the kids, including her siblings, to Dragonstone for a couple of months to learn about their family. Viserys agrees and even calls back little Daeron from Oldtown to join them, stating that he should not miss out. They go, they bond, they learn to fly their dragons, Aemonds egg hatches, Rhaena claims Vermithor or Silverwing, and the green kids learn how different their half sister and her family are to what they have been told. Noticeably none of them have been hit, screamed at or punished severely. Though Aegon dislikes that the adults make him stop drinking. Eventually they return and just when they think things are going ok, they dont.

Cole provokes Harwin, accusing of having an affair with Rhaenyra. No one believes it bc the kids look like Laenor and the two also act very lovey in public, but Harwin and Cole still fight. Harwin is sent away and the fire happens. Rhaenyra is devastated, he may have not been her lover here but he was still a good friend of hers. Viserys now needs a new Hand and Otto Hightower has arrived for one of his visits. The adults notice the difference in the green kids instantly. They withdraw, flinch whenever someone moves too quickly and none of them seem to be sleeping. Literally a week after the fire and Ottos arrival, Rhaenyra, Laena, Laenor and Daemon are walking through the secret passageways they use to facilitate their little meetings, when they hear him yelling at the kids. Aegons got a black eye and bruises on his wrists and is hiding Helaena and Daeron behind him while Otto advances on Aemond. Otto ends up on the end of all four of their blades (the defense training came in handy) and is escorted away by Laenor and some guards while Rhaenyra and Daemon go to Viserys in an attempt to get him to get rid of Otto. Laena takes the kids to Rhaenyra and Laenors chambers and treats them while that is taken care of. The kids are so overwhelmed they end up spilling all about the whole chopping heads off thing and Laena leaves them in the care of a just returned Laenor and goes off to inform the others. When they all congregate again, Rhaenyra has the Hand Pin on her dress, Daemon is trying to contain a smirk as he informs them all that Otto Hightower will be facing treason charges and that custody of the green kids has been turned over to Rhaenyra and Laenor. 

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