#give a villager magic and suddenly it's ON SIGHT

[thatdammchickennugget]

Bookish Escapades

pairing - lorenzo berkshire x fem!reader

warnings - fluff, kinda shy enzo I guess, bookworm!reader

a/n - I loved writing the first one and can't get this pairing out of my head, so I had to write a second part 💕

wordcount - 1.6k

part one - part two

The days leading up to Saturday seemed to drag on endlessly, each moment filled with anticipation and nervous energy. Enzo found himself counting down the hours until he could see you again, his thoughts consumed by the prospect of your upcoming date.

Finally, Saturday arrived, and Enzo could hardly contain his excitement. He spent the morning getting ready, carefully selecting his outfit and making sure he looked presentable. He wanted everything to be perfect for your date.

As the afternoon approached, Enzo made his way to Hogsmeade, his heart pounding with anticipation. He couldn't wait to see you, couldn't wait to spend the day exploring the village together.

When he finally caught sight of you waiting outside the Three Broomsticks, a smile spread across his face. You looked even more beautiful than he remembered, and Enzo felt a surge of happiness at the sight of you.

"Hey," he said softly as he approached, his heart racing in his chest.

"Hey," you replied, returning his smile with one of your own. "You look great, Enzo."

Enzo felt a flush of warmth spread across his cheeks at your compliment. "Thanks," he said, feeling suddenly shy under your gaze. "You look amazing too."

The two of you fell into step together, making your way through the bustling streets of Hogsmeade. A wave of contentment washed over him as he walked beside you, the warmth of your presence filling him with joy.

As you explored the village together, Enzo found himself drawn to your infectious enthusiasm. You seemed to find wonder and delight in everything around you, and he couldn't help but be swept up in your excitement.

The hours flew by unnoticed as you wandered from shop to shop, chatting and laughing as you went. Before Enzo knew it, the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the village.

"Hey, do you want to head to Tomes and Scrolls now?" you asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between you.

Enzo nodded eagerly, a smile spreading across his face. "I'd love to," he replied.

Together, you made your way to the bookstore, the warmth of your laughter filling the air as you went. Enzo couldn't remember the last time he had felt this happy, this at ease with someone else.

As Enzo and you entered Tomes and Scrolls, the cozy atmosphere of the bookstore enveloped you. The scent of old books mixed with the faint aroma of ink and parchment, creating a comforting ambiance that felt like home to you.

You immediately gravitated towards a shelf displaying a collection of classic wizarding novels. Enzo watched you with a fond smile as you ran your fingers over the spines, your eyes alight with excitement.

"I love this section," you said, turning to Enzo with a gleam in your eyes. "Have you read any of these?"

Enzo shook his head, feeling a little sheepish. "I haven't, actually," he admitted. "But they look interesting. Do you have any recommendations?"

You grinned, pulling out a book from the shelf and holding it up for him to see. "You have to read 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'," you exclaimed. "It's a collection of wizarding fairy tales, and they're absolutely enchanting."

Enzo took the book from you, flipping through the pages and skimming the titles of the tales. "It sounds intriguing," he mused. "I'll definitely give it a try."

As you continued to browse the shelves, Enzo followed along behind you, enjoying the way your eyes lit up with each new discovery. He found himself drawn to your passion for literature, captivated by the way you spoke about the books you loved, letting himself get lost in the thought that eventually, you might talk about him with the same fondness.

Eventually, you came across a shelf filled with books on magical creatures, and your excitement bubbled over. "Oh, these are amazing!” you exclaimed, reaching out to pull a book off the shelf. "Have you ever heard of a Niffler? They're the most adorable little creatures, but they have a tendency to steal shiny things."

Enzo chuckled at your enthusiasm, nodding along as you launched into an animated explanation of Nifflers and their mischievous antics. He found himself hanging on your every word, captivated by the way your eyes sparkled with excitement.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over him as he watched you pull out book after book, entrusting him with your thoughts and opinions on each of them. He had never felt more at ease than he did in that moment, surrounded by books and laughter and the warmth of your presence.

As you placed the last book back on the shelf, Enzo noticed a determined look in your eyes, as if you were on a mission. He watched curiously as you scanned the shelves, searching for something specific.

"What are you looking for?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

You turned to him with a grin, excitement shining in your eyes. "Did you forget? We’re on a quest today," you declared. "We’re going to find the perfect book for you—one that you'll absolutely love."

"You don't have to do that," he protested, feeling a flush of embarrassment creep into his cheeks. “Today should be about you. Go pick some out for yourself, it’s on me.”

But you waved off his concerns with a laugh. "Nonsense," you said. "I want to do this. Besides, it'll be fun!"

With that, you launched into a series of questions, asking Enzo about his interests, his favorite genres, and the types of stories he enjoyed. Enzo found himself opening up to you, sharing bits and pieces of himself.

As you listened intently, a thoughtful expression crossed your face. "I think I have just the thing," you said finally, taking his hand with a grin on your face.

Leading Enzo through the aisles, you eventually arrived at a section filled with adventure fiction books. You scanned the shelves, your eyes darting back and forth as you searched for the perfect title.

"Here we go," you said, pulling out a book and holding it up for Enzo to see. "How about this one? It's got action, adventure, and a hint of romance. I think you'll really enjoy it. And the main character is a Quidditch player like you!"

Enzo took the book from you, examining the cover with interest. The artwork depicted a young man clad in Quidditch robes, sat on his broom as he was chased by a group of cloaked assailants against a backdrop of swirling clouds and jagged mountains.

"It looks great," Enzo said, a smile spreading across his face. "I'll give it a try."

With a sense of excitement, Enzo tucked the book under his arm, feeling a rush of gratitude towards you. He couldn't wait to dive into the story, eager to experience the adventure that awaited him within its pages. But maybe this sudden interest came from the hope that when he was done, he got to discuss it with you.

You smiled at Enzo's enthusiasm, feeling a surge of happiness at the thought of sharing the book with him. You grabbed another copy for yourself. "I'm glad you like it," you said, feeling a sense of satisfaction at having found the perfect book for him. "We can buddy read it together and share our thoughts as we go."

Enzo's eyes lit up at the suggestion, and he nodded eagerly. "That sounds great," he agreed. "I'd love that."

You shot him another dizzying smile, turning to make your way to the counter to pay when he stopped you, gently taking a hold of your arm.

"But wait, there's one more thing," he said, gesturing back towards the shelves. "I get to pick out a book for you too."

Your eyes widened in surprise, but you quickly recovered, shoving down the flutter stirring up in your stomach. "Do your best," you declared, watching him turning to the shelves with determination.

You watched with amusement as Enzo browsed the shelves, his brow furrowed in concentration as he searched for the perfect book. After a few moments, he pulled out a book and held it up for you to see.

"How about this one?" he asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "It says that it’s a mystery novel set in the wizarding world. I think you'll enjoy it."

You took the book from him, examining the cover with interest. It showed a dark alleyway illuminated by the glow of a wand, hinting at the secrets and intrigue that lay within the pages.

"It looks intriguing," you said, a smile spreading across your face. "I can't wait to read it. Thank you, Enzo."

Enzo grinned back at you, feeling a rush of satisfaction at having found a book that he thought you would enjoy. "Anytime," he replied, feeling a sense of warmth at your gratitude.

He lead you up to the counter, pushing you away playfully when you reached for your wallet, refusing to let you pay. With the books in hand, you and Enzo made your way out of the bookstore, the warmth of the setting sun casting a golden glow over the village. As you walked side by side, a sense of excitement filled the air, anticipation for the adventures that lay ahead in the pages of the books you now held in your hands. And maybe, just maybe, in the adventures you would share together.

Enzo Taglist - @slytherinboysappreciation @urmomsgirlfriend1 @starsval @gillyweeds @sir-elian @harryslittlebitch @gayforyelena @whoreforfictionalmen18 @ravenclawprincess33 @sbrn0905 @helpimhopelesslyinlove @Yhiiil @themarauderswife7 @moonlightreader649 @ihatemyexs @chgrch @nat1221 @thestarlithideout @iamaslytherin0 @bath1lda @ohmaigwad @pinkposttragedy @allshitsangiggles @hoeforvinniehackerrr @mildly-delulu @h3artz4soph @sunasbbie @marsbars09 @vcosette @meepycheep @aglady13 @rinalouu @floswife @ariensversion @agent-tempest @s0urw00lf @thebiggestnaturaldisaster @pinkestfloyd @xlinxdax0704 @chulabeans @l0v3do11 @unstablereader @acourtoflostandwanderingstars @catiwinky @wolfstar-marvelsfan @captainstanksblog @istill-dream-ofyou @pinktreee @ceehance @lizhub @theadventuresofanartist @iamgayforyourmom1501 @feistyfox47 @nat1221 @i-think-you-are-gr8 @cas-planet @csmt_m @selyselyselyse @mrsriddles-blog @the-sylver-dragon @poppysrin @camille-1019 @laniirackssss @slvtfortheo @chosenoneslver @txzii @c0rnf1akessss @yourenogoodforme @opheliamalfoy236 @jeannie-beannie

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#enzo berkshire #enzo berkshire x reader #enzo berkshire x you #enzo berkshire imagine #lorenzo berkshire #lorenzo berkshire x reader #lorenzo berkshire imagine #harry potter #slytherin boys #fanfiction #fanfic #fic #mari writes

[kimbap-r0ll]

Fae — Yandere!Malleus x reader

Small idea for spooky season!

You heard of the mystical powers fae had — from being harmless tricksters to ones that could steal your life away (if not literally then symbolically) just by knowing your name. Yet, nothing could have prepared you for what was to come.

Being a magic user was already troubling for your parents, ones who were against the public opinion that using magic was a harmless thing. Perhaps it was the rumors of what fae could do or the incident your father had in the woods that made your family so against magic.

"If I hadn't run them out, I might've been burned alive," your father said in a somber tone one night on the front porch. He was drinking a cup of warm tea while looking off into the woods just outside of your home. You lived close to Briar Valley, a reason why fae sightings weren't unheard of. "Those fire fae were close, took one of my friends and I have no idea what happened to them," your father then turned to you. "Don't go into the woods by yourself, no matter how bright the day is, it'll be pitch black in there. Most of all, don't mess with magic."

However, your non-magical parents didn't expect you to suddenly wake up one day and shoot a book off of your shelf with a flick of a wrist. You thought it was by coincidence, but weird things happened more and more around you. Soon enough, you found out you used magic, and you were given the opportunity to study at the prestigious Night Raven College. Your parents wanted you to go to Royal Sword Academy, but it was too competitive that year, and you hated the uniforms.

Everything at NRC went as you thought it would, with most classes being pretty standard for what you thought a magic school would be like. During the dorm assigning ceremony you looked at your fellow first years and thought how cool it was that you were using magic. Sure, your parents were stressed when you left home to the far off Isle of Sages, but it was so exciting to you! Finally, you got to see other magic users, people from all over the world outside of your little village by the woods!

You liked potionology a lot, especially when you got to get hands-on with the ingredients. Unsurpisingly, you were sorted into Pomefiore. While you couldn't stand your fellow classmate Vil for his strict nature, you still liked studying with him. However, you also had a thing for the architecture in the school — the old castle-like structure of the school was fascinating. You admired every small gargoyle and grotesques that greeted you from the edges of the building. That was where you first met him. It was in the beginning of your third year at the school.

"That's not a gargoyle," a voice startled both you and your friend.

"For magic's sake can you not sneak up like tha—!" your friend groaned but came to a halt when they turned around and met the emerald gaze of the person speaking to you two. "M-Malleus?"

You whipped your head around. You shared the same history class, but barely talked to him unless it was for a group project. He was extremely hard to talk to, but you always tried to warm up to him when you could. The only thing you knew about this student was that he was extremely strong, a crown prince, and that he was always excluded from parties for some reason. He was much scarier close-up, but what could he do, curse you? There was nothing you did to cause that, so there was no need to be afraid.

"Hey, how are you doing?" you smiled at him and your friend looked at you in shock.

"H-hey, that's the Malleus you idiot!" your friend whispered to you, pulling your arm so you got closer. "He could get angry with someone like us treating him like a normal student!"

"He is a student here, I don't see why we can't get close?" you shrugged. While your friend looked at you like you lost your mind, Malleus smiled a little to himself. A human? Let alone one that wasn't scared of him? How interesting.

"If you would like, I can give a better explanation of why it's a grotesque?" he offered, placing a hand on your shoulder. Your friend jumped back, perhaps he was really scared of Malleus because he soon left you two.

"Sorry about that, he's a bit jumpy," you frowned. I'll have to tell him it's not that bad later, you thought to yourself.

"No worries, I'm used to it," Malleus looked down at the stone floor, a sad look on his face. It hurt you a little too to hear that from him, it must've been lonely if everyone treated him that way.

"Hey don't say that, you shouldn't get used to it, it's not healthy at all," you grabbed his hand, something that caused him to look at you with a shocked expression. You could've sworn he blushed. "Do you come up here often? I like spending rainy days studying up here listening to the showers," you pointed at one of the towers. Malleus smiled at you, a smile that made your heart skip a beat.

"Not really, I go to the tower opposite of it actually," he replied. The two of you would begin to spend more and more time together, talking about the grotesques or the classes you two took together. He invited you over to Diasomnia while you snuck him into Pomefiore. Other students began to take note of your closeness to the crown prince himself. However, no one was brave enough to warn you about his growing obsession over you, nor the threats to your freedom that came with spending more and more time with the fae. You should've listened to your father, stayed away from Diasomnia altogether.

"Malleus, have you seen my album? The one I got over last winter break?" you asked, he shook his head.

"Maybe you left it back home during the summer? Forgot to pack it?"

"Oh, maybe," you muttered. This wasn't the first time something went missing from your room. You swore your roommate wasn't capable of stealing anything, they were too nice for that. Vil even said that it was weird stuff was going missing when you asked him about it. Little did you know the culprit was right in front of you this entire time. Lilia noted this growing obsession too, but what could he do? It was the first time Malleus ever felt so attached to anyone, let alone someone that was as great as you. All Lilia could do was support him by pretending he didn't notice, though Lilia did give you a little warning.

"I hope Malleus has a nickname for you?" he joked while playing a rhythm game with you.

"Huh? Why would he have that?" you laughed. Lilia just smiled at you, hitting a perfect combo by the end of the song.

"Just in case. Fae's and names don't go together."

Time passed and things started to get worse and worse. By the next month when Malleus was a third year and so were you, your friends started to avoid you and people began to part from your direction. It was as if the only person with you was Malleus, almost like everything you did revolved around him.

"Do you want to study with me tonight, y/n?" Malleus asked after the history lesson.

"Sure, why not?" you said, not thinking too much about your answer. But it was weird, you swore that you told yourself you were going to study with your roommate instead. Wait, did you?

"Y/n, I was wondering if you wanted to spend the winter break with me, I'll be traveling back to Briar Valley," he suggested a week after that incident.

"Of course!" you smiled, but then immediately you felt like something was wrong. No, when was the last time you went back home? You went back last summer, but during the small holidays when you usually went back home or stayed in the dorm you suddenly spent more time at Briar Valley than anywhere else. Did you agree as quickly as you did now? It was weird, something wasn't clicking. It was like whatever he said you agreed. You even agreed to turn down a person that you had a crush on during second year, something you cried about for weeks. That was when you started to suspect something was weird.

"Wait, I have a question," you stopped the fae.

"What is it?" he asked with a small smile, the one that made your heart skip. But this time, your heart skipped a beat as his eyes seemed to be colder than usual.

"You said you were a fae, right?" you asked. He nodded, which prompted you to ask the next question. "...Are you using my name on purpose?"

He was still smiling, but you could tell in his eyes the smile wasn't sincere, almost mocking, like a plan was going in the right direction. Turning to you, he pulled you a little closer.

"What do you mean by that, child of man? Do you really believe everything about fae in the books?" he asked, it sounded like he was mocking you. It was different from his usual kind voice.

"No, but, but my parents did warn me about one thing," you said slowly, trying to pull away from his grip. "Never tell a fae your name," you repeated what your father told you before sending you off to NRC.

Malleus didn't say anything.

"You started to use magic on me since I told you about my name and after I said I wanted to be closer with you, right? Look, I know you care about me and our friendship, but I don't think this is the right way," you tried to steady your voice, it was scarier than you thought. There was a building pressure, likely Malleus's doing.

"...Not bad, your father's words hold true," Malleus replied. You sighed, knowing that you two were likely going to have to part ways because of this. But Malleus was thinking otherwise.

"i don't want to end this though, I just adore you so much," he added on, his voice was smooth but you knew that he was likely angry you saw through his magic.

"I can't go on like this, knowing you're trying to keep me as your friend or whatever by using magic!" you felt anger boil over. You lost so many friends while being with him.

"How do you plan to stop it though? It's not like you can change the situation, I know your name," he said nonchalantly. "I could make it so much worse, but that would be no fun, I still want you to be you."

You knew that deep down too, he was much stronger than you both in magic and in general power. He was a crown prince, you were just a regular human living in a small village. Your father likely already had a bad reputation with the fae living right in the woods next door because he escaped from their wrath without being burnt for something.

"I will give you a chance however, to have something outside of the life I want us to have, the one that I think would be the best for you in all honesty," Malleus broke you away from your thoughts. "There's a book in the library here at the school, one that was written by the fae to break any spells. Find it, break the spell I have, then you can go as you wish," he explained. You knew what book he was talking about, but no one knew where it was, not even the ghosts living in the library. "If not, then we will pretend this never happened."

There was no chance for you to fight against the fae by brute strength, and while you knew this was an unfair fight, you had to try. You didn't want to have your life determined by a fae prince.

"Fine, by the next moon?" you asked. He nodded.

"You know that's usually what I place as the deadline," he smiled. You didn't smile back, you glared at him.

"Very well, I wish you luck, y/n."

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst imagines #twst scenarios #twst x reader #yandere twst #twst malleus #twst malleus x reader #yandere malleus x reader #spooky season!

[orqheuss]

In any version of reality

(Ominis Gaunt/F!Reader FLUFF)

Reincarnation!Soulmate AU

Summary:

In the world of soulmates, ties told through memories of past lives and reincarnation, Ominis was sure that he had to be a very new soul. *** Ominis Gaunt was more sure than anything in his life that he did not have a soulmate. He had heard tales from others about their experiences, how lovely it was to finally find the one you had been searching for through any timeline, and he had resigned himself to the fact that his soul was too new to have a past life. But, after hearing you sing in the deserted music room sends him on a journey back in time, could he have truly found the person he had been longing for since before the dawn of creation?

Story is based off of "Epic iii" from the Hadestown 2017 Original Cast Recording.

Word Count: 4.7k

In the world of soulmates, ties told through memories of past lives and reincarnation, Ominis was sure that he had to be a very new soul. He had heard stories told through grapevines, whispers in the night of people finding their loves at a young age; how their timeless histories came flooding back to them like a torrential downpour of emotion they couldn’t identify until they tasted their loves name on their lips— heard their voice flitter through their ears like a soft ocean breeze for the first time. Some said it happened suddenly, as soon as they brushed against each other or looked into each other's eyes for the first time. Those people said it was like being struck by a falling star, burning to the touch and gloriously wonderful all at the same time. Some said it happened gradually, after years and years of knowing each other, only to be triggered by an oddly familiar moment in time or a feeling, like a song murmured from an ancient gramophone in the corner of a room they’d long forgotten about. Those people said it was warm, like a blanket you’d just cast a drying charm on— like they were coming home after a long trip and the hearth was already lit for their arrival. No matter how much he longed to tell stories like this himself, how much he yearned to find that grand, timeless love that he could only read about in books, the universe did not have a past life to spare him. 

For a while he blamed his parents, like they were the ones that ripped him into the world before one of the many ghosts floating around in the stratosphere could latch onto him and call him theirs, but he knew that they had no control over ethereal beings like that. Then, he blamed his disability for his woebegone-ness. Every story he had ever heard told tales of looking into their soulmate's eyes and seeing the world as it was for the first time— could it be that because he could not see he would never know the feeling of holding someone's gaze and seeing yourself as you truly were the day your ageless soul was born into the world like a bursting supernova? Not knowing anyone else that suffered the same blindness as him, he didn’t have anything else to go off of. And so, that was the only answer his feebly human mind could give him— the only thing that actually made sense in his brain.

Being born without sight had never really bothered Ominis much until he got to Hogwarts. His childhood home was dreadfully quiet, and very few members of his family were home at a time, so he didn’t have any sounds invading his sensitive ears very often. All of that changed as soon as he crossed the threshold of the grandiloquent school. The tall ceilings echoed all voices like a cathedral tower echoed the hymns of a choir— he knew everyone's business better than his own, sometimes before his peers even learned of it themselves. With that came the knowledge of everyone's soulmate encounters, each story different from the last but just as magical each time. Down the castle stairs, tucked away in the corner near the one-eyed witch, Ominis heard Adelaide Oakes recount her story of brushing against a muggle boy in her village and seeing a post-colonial British soldier standing at her doorstep, stretches of farmland spanning farther than her eyes can see over his shoulder. In potions, he heard Garreth Weasley whisper to his cauldron partner about how he had known his soulmate for years, only realizing that they were meant to be after seeing them lounging on the shore of the pond behind his house— one moment they were strewn across the damp, summer-green grass, and the next they were curled around his past in a bed made of purple silk, the Paris skyline just beyond his reach through their bay windowed apartment. He could distinctly recall all of the details of Sebastian’s revelation, having heard how he saw himself galloping through a field of flowers with a lovely princesses arms wrapped around his waist, pressing her delicate fingerprints into his shiny chain-mail armor as they laughed into the sun many a time before drifting off into a dreamless sleep in their common room. Even Leander Prewett found his one true match, spinning the tale to anyone who would hear in their herbology class about how he was a British king once, married to a beautiful woman dressed in green with a matching choker necklace of pearls and emeralds— how the large “B” charm caught the light just right during their private garden strolls to make her blue eyes sparkle (Ominis also remembered the next day when he stumbled upon the frazzled Gryffindor in the library annex, filled with dread as he poured quite anxiously through the books and reading about that particular necklace, as well as the pretty neck that went along with it. Poor sod). 

No, Ominis Gaunt had not found his soulmate yet, nor did he think he ever would, and he was perfectly fine with that, thank you very much. 

At least, that’s what he told everyone when they asked. 

What didn’t help his case, unfortunately, was that he was irrevocably and incandescently infatuated with the new fifth year. It had taken him some time to get used to their presence in his inner circle. All of his friends had a very distinct magical signature that he memorized after knowing them for some time— every magical being had one, really. Magic to Ominis felt like the fizz of cider against his skin, some slightly more carbonated than others and carrying a different taste in his mouth. Anne felt like the sparkling citrus water that the kitchens would bring out on particularly hot days before finals. Sebastian felt like the burn of firewhiskey on an autumn night, the bonfire in the center of the circle warming the tips of his nose and ears. Both were refreshing and lovely in their own right, but his newest friend was something he had never felt before. He was never able to feel someone else's soul under their skin and determine how old it was, but there was no way you were a young, or even new soul like he was. Even your magic felt old. Your signature was the most distinct one he had ever felt in his short life; it wasn’t a soft fizz like the others, or a pleasant warmth, it was a firework in his chest. You smelled like the smoke after a particularly rowdy Guy Fawkes Night and felt like tiny smoldering ashes falling against his skin, not too hot, but more of a pleasant kiss of heat. He got used to your voice quickly, no matter how your laugh made his knees want to buckle and cause his heart to race faster than a stampeding graphorn, but your magic took some time, even after he found out about your proclivity to ancient magic. There was something so distinctly familiar about it to him, like he had met you before coming to the castle. He didn’t recall ever doing so, but his family threw so many parties in his youth he wouldn’t really question it if he did. Once he started to get used to the feeling, maybe even crave it a little, he realized it was too late to stop the tumble his feelings were taking off your sweet, summer-side cliff. 

Ominis knew that you hadn’t found your soulmate yet, but it was only a matter of time before your soft brushes and lingering stares disappeared into the air like everything else in his life. He was doomed to never have anyone by his side, but he knew deep in his heart that you were not destined for loneliness like he was. You were a flowering weeping willow at the edge of a monumental body of water, and he the lowly lake lapping at your petals as they fell, forever in the others orbit but never within arms reach. 

That’s how Ominis found himself wandering that day, high up the many stairs of the magical castle and steadily walking towards the deserted music room, his favorite place as of late. Very few people knew where the room was, let alone that the school even had a music room to begin with. Here, he could wallow in his self pity with only the soft sound of his piano to keep him company. About a week ago a line of melody came to him in his dreams, soft and sweet but full of so much empty melancholy that he was on his feet at that very instant, quickly jotting down the notation on one of the many pieces of sheet music that he had lying around his desk. Ever since then, he had gone to the musical tower in the sky to sit by his lonesome and chart out chords like constellations. The song was ethereal to his ears, something that came from the universe itself as a gift that he was destined to write. Ominis was nearly done with it after hours of slaving over the parchment and quill, his fingertips surely staining the ivory keys of the baby grand piano to the point where the house elves despised his presence. He was like a man possessed whenever the melody came to mind, like something in the world was trying to tell him something very important but it couldn’t find the words to do so. The notes rose and fell like a bird flying south for the winter, wings stretched across the sky, swooping and diving only to rise again and kiss the sun. Some parts felt like a walk through a beautiful meadow, the sun on his shoulders and the wind blowing through his hair. Others were dark, like descending a staircase into the very center of the world with no light to guide you, just its ghostly melody to call you home. And some were both at the same time— a shady spot under a corkscrewed sycamore, tiny graves for the woodland creatures of the forest taken over by the wilds of nature, hidden off the beaten path in lamentable isolation. It told a story of everlasting, encompassing love that was ripped away too soon, found again after searching every possible and impossible place for their hand to hold, only to have to part ways once again until their effervescent hereafter. It reminded him of some of the muggle mythology he picked up last year for some light reading during one of his bouts of nightmares— how each tale began weaving together a love that would break the very fabric of the universe until it was taken from the pair by Fates' terrible string. The blond could tell that the song needed lyrics to be complete; Ominis was many things, but he was not a poet. So, much like his future to come, the song would forever remain unfinished. Even still, his forlorn melody kept him company, and he was perfectly fine with that. 

Today was different; Ominis knew that as soon as he rounded the bend to the music room and felt a presence inside. The blond cursed to himself, resigned to find another corner of the castle to mope in his hopeless romanticism for the time being until the other person left. He turned on his heel and was about to leave when a sound stopped him in his tracks, his ears pricking up like a startled deer. From the crack in the door came a haunting voice, soothing through a melody that was vaguely familiar to the boy. He curiously took a few steps closer, pressing his ear to the tiny opening to hear better. The voice was one of the most beautiful things he had ever heard. Its tone was clear like the church bells outside his family home, soaring around the room up to the top of its spiraled ceilings and diving downwards towards the bordeaux patterned cherry floor. It caught the acoustics of the room like a wind chime in the beginnings of spring, and his entire body visibly softened at each lift and fall of its gentle ballad. Ominis listened intently to the lyrics as they made their way through his ears, swirling around his brain and kissing him just behind the eyes with winsome adoration. 

Heavy and hard is the heart of the king King of iron, king of steel The heart of the king loves everything Like the hammer loves the nail.

The woman’s voice was like honey in his favorite tea, soothing and with just the right amount of sweetness. Her dulcet tones took Ominis into their arms and waltzed with his heartstrings like two ghosts lost to time. He couldn’t help but keep listening, diving deeper and deeper into her saccharine song. 

But the heart of a man is a simple one Small and soft, flesh and blood And all that it loves is a woman A woman is all that it loves. And Hades is king of the scythe and the sword He covers the world in the color of rust He scrapes the sky and scars the earth And he comes down heavy and hard on us.

Hades. Something about the name shook the blond to his core, the word feeling strange at the tip of his tongue like a word he knew but couldn’t remember. Little flashes of light burst behind his closed eyes, bright but not painful, carrying the feeling of…grass under his feet? He wasn’t truly sure what he was feeling, but he knew it wasn’t the wooden floors of the hallway anymore. For a moment he could feel the luscious heat of the spring on his skin and hear the soft call of whippoorwills from the tree tops just beyond where he stood, even though it was a cold and stormy winter outside the stone fortress walls. He continued to listen to the song, careful to not let himself be known to the angel of music just out of his reach. 

But even that hardest of hearts unhardened Suddenly, when he saw her there Persephone in her mother's garden Sun on her shoulders, wind in her hair. 

Persephone. Why was that name familiar too? Why could he suddenly feel the phantom of long, thick hair stream through his fingers like a waterfall, the tresses gently caressing his skin in a way that he only dreamed of? Ominis flexed his fingers, swaying his hand in the air to feel around for a sudden body in front of him; he found nothing there except dust and stale air. The scent of wildflowers invaded his nose harshly, leaving him twitching and fighting off a very unbecoming sneeze until the strong scent pittered away to a delicate gale of sugared anemone and aster flower. The taste of nectar and pollen were heavy on his tongue. He listened closer, eager to hear and experience more. There must be a charm on their voice, the boy reasoned. That had to be the reason he was experiencing all of these things so suddenly. 

The smell of the flowers she held in her hand And the pollen that fell from her fingertips And suddenly Hades was only a man With a taste of nectar upon his lips, singing: La la la la la la la…

It was like suddenly being dropped into the icy waters of the black lake. That melody, no wonder it was so familiar to him; it was the piece of music he had been working on nonstop for the past week! Just as the realization dawned on him, the magical aura of the person behind the door struck him harder than anything he had ever felt before— harder than when he had first felt it outside the Undercroft what felt like years ago. 

It was you. You were the one singing.

You were the missing piece to his lonely symphony. 

Seeing flashes of your past self did not feel like how Ominis originally thought. It wasn’t quick like a speeding bullet into the brain, or loud like a confringo smacking into the pillars of the Undercroft. The flashback started soft and hazy— his vision blackening around his normal shadows and all sense but sight returning first. First came his smell, his hearing, his touch, and his taste while he listened to your silvery cadence fade away into the heavens. All of the feelings that had come one at a time earlier suddenly slammed into him in an influx of sensations, shocking his system into a more startling consciousness than before. Lastly came his sight, coloring his once grey and silhouetted world with a plethora of hues that he had never heard of before. If the boy was being honest, in all the moments where he had imagined finding his soulmate, he hadn’t pictured anything at all. He had never known the gift of sight, so how could he truly prepare himself for what it meant to see? Was that what green was, in the grass below his shined oxfords? Was that blue, in the sky above that stretched on forever? Was that yellow, in the little bumblebee that buzzed around his head searching for a flower to land on? There was so much that he wanted to see, so much that he wanted to know now that he could. His subconscious reminded him that this was not the time for that though, when he spotted a figure bent at the waist in the garden just over the hill from him. 

Ominis gulped against the knot forming in his throat, the lump pounding with the beat of his heart just under his ribs as he stepped out of the trees and into the clearing. He had never seen a creature as beautiful as you before; it was like everything in his life had led up to this very moment of meeting. Watching the way your hair glimmered under the summer sun like the jewels adorning his home as you tended your mothers garden, he was nothing more than a man in the presence of a nymph of the forest— something otherworldly, something too beautiful to touch. The sun danced across your skin like the finest silk, creating star-kissed freckles at the apex of your shoulders and down your toned arms, and oh, how could he do anything but remove his hat from his head and gaze at you with awed, enraptured revelry? The air around you smelled like his future— like pomegranates and the promise of forever. He felt in his very being that you were his one love, far before he truly understood the meaning of the word. The emotion could not be named with words, only the feeling of coming home. All he knew is that he needed to know you more than he needed to breathe, more than he needed to eat and drink and sleep and live. Your souls sang in tandem with each other, calling your names into the void and waiting for the shout to come back to them— to sing with them forevermore. Ominis was useless under your charm, like a siren luring an unsuspecting but oh so willing sailor to his doom under the frothing sea waves. He had never spoken to you, but he knew in that moment he would happily die by your hand if you would just meet his gaze one time. He would build whole worlds for you if that was what you wished— tear down entire galaxies if it would make you smile his way. 

All of his dreams came true seconds later when you stood from your hunched position, tossing your hair over your shoulder in the intricate braid you wore, each strand decorated with the honeysuckle that bloomed at your feet, before turning and staring at the man before you. You startled at first, unaware that you were being admired for so long by someone so breathtaking. The blond haired beauty under your maple tree  was like winter incarnate. His hair was quiffed and slicked away from his face, allowing you to see his strong jaw and perfectly sculpted facial structure. Your eyes drank him in like a garden in a drought with his tasteful three-piece suit, black from the collar at his neck to the wing-tips of his shoes— an unusual color for somewhere so sunny. He was as pale as fresh fallen snow with tiny moles breaking up the color— birdseed trapped in a thin layer of ice. He would be called monochrome if not for his eyes. They reminded you of the Grecian sea, those eyes. Like two pools of seafoam, or two small bouquets of baby's breath and cornflower. Your heart called to him like a lighthouse across a stormy ocean. Fate rarely ruled your life, you’d decided that from a young age after listening to the warnings of your mother, but if the Fates brought you him, you would listen to their words from now on. With one glance it felt like you had known him for years, and yet you didn’t even know his name. He was your past, your present, maybe even your future if you allowed it. He was not one of the flowers like you, more like one of the dead, but you’d happily plant your gardens in his domain. You’d plant flowers that thrived in the dark and the cold, flowers that only bloomed under moonlight, if it meant the universe would be kind enough to let you keep him. 

It was you that spoke first, breaking the spellbound trance you both were in from the first moment of contact. “Hi…” 

Your voice was like the sweetest music ever played— sweeter than those of the muses, those of the deific. They were nothing, for it was you who was truly divine. He was the moon, and how he longed to know the sun. 

His voice was little more than a breath as he murmured in return, still caught up in the sheer transcendence of your beauty. “Hello…”

Your soft laugh shook him from his stupor, softening the frozen heart in his chest as you warmed him in both body and soul. He cleared his throat, shifting his feet for a moment before taking a bold but respectful step forwards, his hand reaching out for yours like a sunflower reaching towards the brightest star in the sky. Around you, the mockingbirds began to sing a tune for your love. You couldn’t help but think it was familiar, like something from a dream you’d had long ago. Their soft song echoed through the trees, each new whistle bringing a new melodious harmony. 

La la la la la la la~

“My name is Hades,” he said, the softest smile you had ever seen turning the corners of his mouth. 

You return his gaze shyly. There was a smear of dirt across your face, painted across the turn of your nose and the rosy apple of your right cheek like a thick splattering of freckles. The man thought he had never seen anything so beautiful. 

“Persephone,” you whispered, smiling ruefully at the flustered pink that colored his face. “What took you so long?”

In a moment it was all over— Ominis’ world dyed grey once again and only the shadows of the things around him visible. Never had he mourned his sight before, but before he had not known the beauty of seeing the night sky in your eyes; he did not know the delightful turn of your lip when you grinned or the crinkle of your nose when you laughed. He knew now that you were not the thing that he could not have, you were the thing that the universe created just for him to hold. You and him were not just a weeping willow and a babbling brook; you were the water that breathed life into your roots and the tree that fed the fish under his waves. You were not simply the sun and the moon, passing constantly but never crossing paths for long; you were an eclipse, two celestial beings dancing together and showering the world with your lovely glow. 

You both had done this dance before many a time— taken many a shape before. How could he have ever thought of you as anything other than his other half, his soulmate, his world? He revolved around you, and your benign gravity kept him steady. 

That pull was why he had just enough courage to push open the door to the music room, stepping into the sunlit space and basking in the feeling of your seraph-like presence. Ominis knew exactly where you were when he spoke, his soul knowing the feeling of yours for longer than this earth had been breathing. 

“Persephone.” It was a breath. A whisper. A prayer. 

You looked at him like he hung the very stars you love so much in the sky. There was no one else in that moment, just the two of you and the soft echo of your past lingering in the lines of sheet music strewn across the piano bench. 

“Hades,” you simpered, a smile glowing in your voice. 

It was moments later that he was upon you, hugging you like your body needed to be a part of his, kissing you like you were the oxygen he needed to live. You met him with the same enthusiasm, finally whole after years of being apart. You pressed your face into his neck, soothing tiny kisses along any skin you can reach, stretching from his collarbones to the tip of his nose. He smiled down at you, his hands reaching up to cradle your face like he was holding starlight in his palms. 

“I never thought I would find you again.” 

You laugh, your own hands reaching up to cover his. His heart skips a beat when you nuzzle into his skin. “I knew we would find each other again, just as I knew the sun would rise again every morning.” 

He was frowning now, a look that did not suit his face in the slightest. He couldn’t help but feel insecure after his years of festering in his terrible self worth. “But how?” 

You flipped his world on its axis, removing his hands from your face and in turn placing your palms upon his, caressing your thumb along his jawbone. “Ominis, my darling Hades, did you think I ate those pomegranate seeds unwillingly? Did you think I did not wish to fall into your darkness with flowers in my hair?” You stood on your toes, bringing his face down further and raising yours to rest your temple against his. You found your happiness in his tiny smile. “My love, I chose you that day in the garden. I would find you in any lifetime, any version of reality that calls our name. I would never let you stay too far from me, that I promise to the gods themselves.” 

He sealed your words with a kiss, accepting and agreeing with your terms proudly and eagerly. Never would you ever separate again. 

And so there you stayed that day, curled in the far corner of the music room with your soft, no longer so lonely melody singing from the baby grand piano. You took turns feeding each other grapes from the vine, laughing like you were the world's sunlight and lounging under the tresses of your own created sky. Behind that, now closed, door was the real world, a terrible thing that brought torment and woe to even the happiest of souls, but in that little space at the top of the tower, you had found your own personal cosmos. 

The king of the dead had finally found his queen of the flowers once again. 

like what you read? here's more!

#tina speaks #hogwarts legacy #ominis gaunt x mc #ominis gaunt x reader #ao3 #ao3 fic #ao3 writer #ominis gaunt x you #ominis gaunt #soulmate au #harry potter soulmate au #reincarnation au #fluff #romantic fluff #hades and persephone #hades #persephone #greeky mythology #masterlist

[gintrinsic-writing]

the hero of twiLIT

CW: drug use

--

The local hero stared at them like he wasn’t sure what he was seeing. 

“Sorry to disturb your fishing,” Time began, motioning to the simple wooden rod that was propped haphazardly between a rock and a very lumpy pumpkin. “But it’s important that we speak with you.”

The hero used his tongue to push a wheat stem from one corner of his mouth to the other, looking no less bewildered than before. A goat bleated in the distance. 

“You’re Link, right?” Sky asked when the silence became too much.

The hero nodded slowly. 

“Well,” Sky continued, smiling through the awkwardness, “we share the same name. All of us do, actually, though you can call me Sky. We’re heroes like you, but from different eras of Hyrule.”

“Timelines, too,” Legend pointed out, eyeing the little bag by the hero’s crossed legs. 

“Right,” Sky agreed. “We’re not exactly sure why, but something or someone is bringing us together through magic portals. You’re the fourth of us. I mean, obviously.” He laughed and gestured to their little group.  

The hero didn’t share Sky’s strained amusement. He rubbed his eyes, glanced up, then rubbed his eyes again. His gaze drifted back to Time with obvious bafflement. “Ordona almighty, I’m in fuckin’ space.”

Time blinked. “Pardon?”

“The hell’s this laced with, Jaggle?” the hero drawled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Ain’t no way this is normal.”

“Looks like our newest clown is high,” Legend said with a grin. He pointed to the bag by the hero’s feet. “Those’re shrooms.” 

Sky’s ears twitched back and forth rapidly. “High?”

“Very,” the hero agreed, reaching forward to collect his things. He didn’t seem to care much about them anymore. 

“Wha—” Sky closed his mouth with a little click when the hero suddenly stood up and began walking away. “Wait, we still need to talk to you!”

“Nope,” the hero answered. “Y’ain’t real. And you,” he rounded on Time with an accusatory finger, “you just make me wanna cry.”

Time stared after the hero with a dumbfounded expression. “I’m sorry?”

“Mhm. Better be.” The hero didn’t spare them another glance as he walked through the pumpkin patch and over the bridge leading to the center of Ordon Village. He did, however, stop to admire a “real pretty” leaf for several seconds. Then he was out of sight altogether.

“Do we… go after him?” Sky asked the other two. 

Legend snickered. “Give it about six hours. He should be sober by then.”

Sky raised both brows. “And how would you know?”

There was a long and incriminating pause, during which Legend also started to walk away. “Saw ‘em in a book once,” he threw over his shoulder.

“You saw—” Sky huffed in disbelief, then looked to Time for support. “Can you believe them?”

Time shrugged and gestured for Sky to lead the way after Legend. “I grew up in a forest, and the Kokiri were very… attuned to nature?” He paused as he thought it over, then nodded in apparent satisfaction. “I also had a magical mask that specifically let me find mushrooms, among other things, so.”

“‘Other things’?” 

Time’s grin was disarmingly mischievous. “Other things.”

#time gonna be wondering about that crying comment all day and night #drug use #cw drug use #twilight's a farm boy lbr #lu twilight #lu time #lu legend #lu sky #poor sky #he's sheltered for comedy's sake #bad comedy but still #linked universe #lu fic #gintrinsic writing #i like stupid titles sorry not sorry

[apothe-roses]

Se agapo, se thelo

Prologue

Warnings: toxic family dynamics, mentions of injury

Word Count: 682

A/n: it’s finally starting! Hope you enjoy!

Aemond was sure he was dying. The pain in his left eye was unbearable. He was supposed to be immortal, but he was sure he would die that day.

He had caught his nephews and cousins sneaking into the mortal lands. He didn’t quite remember what he said to them, only that it wasn’t nice. He did remember calling his nephews half-bloods. Words turned to blows. Four against one.

He picked up a rock.

Lucerys slashed at his face with a knife. He wasn’t even sure if it was his or his brother’s.

Now he was here. Lying on the ground, wings splayed out beneath him. Bleeding out. Could gods bleed out? He’d never been good at healing himself. Gods, he was in so much pain. He knew he should move, try to call for help, but he felt weak.

There was movement at the corner of his vision. A girl about his age. She was carrying a bucket of water. Shit. Could she see his wings? Normally, the Mist prevents mortals from seeing anything not mortal, but some mortals were inexplicably clear-sighted.

Well, if she saw his wings or his golden blood, she didn’t react to him. Instead, she knelt at his side, placing the bucket down beside her. She removed the shawl that was covering her hair and dipped it into the bucket. Then she gently pressed it over his eye. Aemond hissed at the contact.

“Shhh. It’s okay. Just stay still,” she said softly. She looked into his eyes—well, eye—and gave him a reassuring smile. He stared back at her as if in awe.

“My village isn’t too far from here. I’m sure my mama and papa can patch you up and take you home. Are you from around here? I haven’t seen you before,” she asks, her voice softer than a kitten’s fur. Aemond opened and closed his mouth, unsure how to respond.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t make you talk,” she said sheepishly. “We might be able to move you in a bit.”

“That won’t be necessary,” a voice says beyond her. She snaps her head up, and Aemond turns his head, grimacing at the flash of pain that accompanies it. Standing in the field is his uncle Daemon, God of the Underworld. The children cower behind him. Daemon walks towards his nephew, giving the girl a reassuring smile.

“Thank you very much for sitting with him, but I can take him home from here. Why don’t you run along back to your family before it gets dark.” The last sentence is laced with magic. A command. The girl sits up, her eyes slightly glazed. She nods her head before getting up, grabbing the bucket, and walking off.

Daemon crouches down, scooping Aemond up. “Let’s get you home,” he says. Then the two of them are swathed in darkness.

Viserys refuses to let Aemond’s eye be restored. He said it was punishment for “being irresponsible” and “perpetrating rumors about his nephews.” Aemond sat in a chair by the fire, watching his mother, father, and half-sister argue. He still clutched the girl’s shawl, the blood long since dried.

Viserys prattled on about how they were a family and how they should love one another. It was then the ugly truth settled in him.

His father didn’t love him. Nor did he love his mother or siblings.

A mortal stranger showed him more kindness in a matter of minutes than his own father had shown him his whole life. A stranger, with no ulterior motive, was willing to give him compassion, attention, and…love. The kind of love given without obligation or resent. Something warm and comforting and wonderful. Was that true love? What really is true love? Aemond wanted to know.

Suddenly, the room went silent. Everyone turned to look at Aemond—or rather, at the golden aura surrounding him. Aemond sat stiffly in the chair. He felt a new power coursing through his veins. It called to him with a simple request: find out what true love is.

At that moment, Aemond had found his godly purpose.

Taglist: @bel-bottoms @misguidedguardian @purpleskiesandroses @persephonerinyes @itsabby15 @fan-goddess @auroranodyssey @tsujifreya (bold means I couldn’t tag you)

#aemond targaryen #aemond fanfic #aemond targaryen fanfiction #se agapo se thelo #hotd #house of the dragon

[belabellissima]

flicker in the night - chapter 3

gift fic for @darling-archeron as part of the @acotargiftexchange

Pairing: Feysand Chapter Warnings: mentions of blood Summary: In her dreams, there is a beast. With scales like a lizard, leathery wings at its sides, and fangs the size of her head, Feyre knows she should be terrified. But the beast is too bleeding itself dry, too busy fighting some invisible barrier to ever turn those slit pupils on her. Until, that is, she touches its blood on the walls, and it stains her fingers silver. Suddenly able to see her, her beast has no intention of ever letting her disappear from its sight again.

Meanwhile in the waking world, a stranger has come to her village, one with hair as black as night, and blue eyes Feyre would swear shift purple the second before she looks away.

But that’s impossible - magic doesn’t exist in the human lands.

So why do her fingers still sometimes shine in the moonlight?

Featuring a modified curse, an overabundant use of the word “salt,” and a human!Rhys with a twist.

Read from the beginning on AO3 or tumblr Read Chapter 3 on AO3 or below:

Feyre was dreaming again, that same strange dream trapped in labyrinthine caves and tunnels. She still held her bow, her quiver empty of all arrows save one. She slung the bow back around her shoulders, keeping her hands free as she walked with light feet down the halls.

The torches still flickered and shadows still danced in the corners, following her and tangling around her feet like mist. Every few minutes, Feyre heard laughing in the distance. It was never a kind laugh, never one born from genuine humor. She dreaded the idea of running into whoever it was making that sound, dreaded seeing whatever event was prompting its creation.

Whenever the sound grew too loud, she would take a different tunnel, turn around and head away. Anything to steer clear of that horrible ruckus, the fear that dripped down her spine at the sound. She might not fear the beast, but that beast had feared the intruder. Feyre wisely decided she would do the same. She heard footsteps down the hall and ducked into a doorway alcove, pressing herself against the shadowy corners just in time.

A man walked by, talking lowly with another at his side. They were both dark-skinned with glowing white hair, and one of them had a beast trailing behind, his own creature of half-visible light that calmly walked in his footsteps. This beast was different than hers - it had scales more like a fish than a lizard, and those scales were blue, rather than black. A white mane ran along the back of its neck, and rather than ears, it had fins that stuck up. Gills ran along its neck, and a tattered, rotting fishnet was slung over its back like a saddle. Half horse, Feyre realized, and the lower half that of a fish. The fish half dragged along the ground, leaving a trail of salty water in its wake. The water never seemed to run out, and the scales on its thick tail didn’t seem dried out - a lucky thing in a place such as this.

Its eyes were fathomless, black as the depths of the sea, and its hooves on its front feet the same. And then it opened its mouth to heave a sigh, revealing rows and rows of needle sharp teeth designed for tearing flesh from bone.

Feyre didn’t dare breathe as it passed, eyes wide with her terror. This beast was dangerous - this beast wouldn’t hesitate to rip her throat out and drink her blood if she disturbed it.

It didn’t seem to notice her, too busy pressing its head against the back of the man it followed. Its head went right through the man’s chest, sticking out on the other side like it was a ghost, completely incorporeal. Without stopping his conversation with the other man, the first absently pet at the forelock of the horse until it settled, closing its eyes and dropping back again so that the two were once more separated.

Feyre turned her attention back to the man. When she saw his ears, she flinched backward, almost gasping and giving away her position.

His ears were pointed. The man was fae.

“He’s running out of time,” the other fae said, keeping his voice low enough that Feyre had to strain to hear him.

“He’ll succeed,” the one with the beast replied. “He has to, for all our sakes.”

“And if he doesn’t? There’s barely six months left. That’s hardly enough time.”

The one with the beast shook his head. “We must keep hope, Brutius.”

“We ought to try and escape,” Brutius said, and the other man shot him a look so severe that Brutius shrank back, dipping his head away. Feyre, risking it all to keep eavesdropping, silently emerged from her hiding place and followed. “Tarquin, please.”

Tarquin shook his head. “I will not risk our people when there is still a chance. After, if Tamlin fails us. Then we try. But for now, no more talk of treason.”

Feyre’s curiosity burned, and in her haste to catch up, her foot slipped audibly on the stone floor. The horse-fish beast flicked its ear fins backward toward her, bucking its head up. Feyre turned on her heel and ran, not waiting to see if the two fae would be able to sense her as well.

Feyre ran for minutes, ducking down hallways and through doorways, praying she wouldn't come across any other fae in the halls. She ran blindly, following the barest hint of a tug that promised safety, if only she could just reach it. Get there.

At last, she began to recognize the halls from her last dream. She slowed, her breaths coming harsh and loud in her own ears and the echoes they caused bouncing off the walls. But she heard the growling too, the pacing of her beast at that open cave mouth, and she allowed her heart to settle as she rounded the final bend and saw it there in all its glory.

It didn’t notice her again until she reached out and touched its heaving shoulder, smearing her hand across one of the slowly weeping wounds. The pressure of her hand made it still instantly, before it slowly turned its head on that long, serpentine neck until it could look her in the eyes again.

The silver blood still speckled the walls, still hung in midair on the invisible barrier that kept the beast trapped. Feyre pulled her hand off the beast, glancing at it to see her other palm was now fully silver. Bringing the two hands together, it looked like she was cupping starlight in her palms. She lowered her hands, looking back at her beast.

It pressed its chin into her hands, letting her cup its giant face as its eyes fluttered closed, the second inner eyelid moving a fraction of a second before the outer. A flight lid, just like a bird of prey had to protect their eyes while diving for fish and other game.

Feyre’s heart ached for the beast, its pain her own in that moment. The knowledge that it had wings, had a nictitating membrane on its eyes, and yet was trapped beneath stone, unable to escape into the sky it could see mere feet away.

Footsteps chasing after her startled both her and her beast out of the moment. It snapped its eyes open, lips curling back as it snarled at the intruder. It stepped over her, its foot and leg forcibly pushing her out of the way, so that the beast’s whole body was between her and the threat. But its tail - that lashed wildly back and forth, knocking into Feyre and sending her careening off balance toward the cave entrance.

She expected to hit the same barrier of resistance that her beast did, so it utterly shocked her when she fell right through the cave entrance, landing on her back on the rocky ground, staring up at the night sky.

Her breath had been knocked from her lungs, and she sucked it back in greedily as she pushed herself up, spinning around to take in the area.

The mountain.

It sloped downward toward that chilling forest and unsettling bog. But it also sloped up, and Feyre could see all the way to the peak, the stone clawing at the sky as if cursing it for being free, while it was trapped on the ground.

Someone cursed inside the cave, drawing Feyre’s attention back to the situation at hand.

Feyre crept forward quietly, until she could hear the same two fae as before.

“It’s just Night,” Tarquin said.

“It was a spy,” Brutius said back.

“It’s not anymore,” Tarquin replied, a touch sardonic. “Night is too territorial to let anyone get close without losing their life. Probably swallowed whoever it was whole.”

Feyre carefully looked through the beasts legs. The two fae stayed a healthy distance back, far out of reach of her beast, and therefore too far away to see her hiding beyond. Tarquin’s beast pawed at the ground, snorting its furious challenge at her beast, sea-mist billowing from its nostrils.

Tarquin backed up, never taking its eyes off Feyre’s beast, even as it pressed a calming hand to his own beast’s chest and gently nudged it backward.

“Still fighting to break free,” Brutius murmured, a frown crossing his face, white eyebrows drawing together over ocean blue eyes, just like Tarquin’s. “Who do you think is the High Lord?”

Tarquin shook his head. “I have no clue. I’d thought the majority of his whole court here, but it didn’t seek out any of them when…” Tarquin trailed off. “Perhaps the Morrigan had a son at some point and no one ever knew, and that’s why she’s not here. She’s off with him, keeping him safe until the power can return to Keir’s bloodline. Either way, some poor sod in the North has no clue he’s going to be the next High Lord. Assuming we ever get free,” he added a moment later.

“Come on,” Brutius said, reaching out to nudge Tarquin back and put himself between his friend and Feyre’s beast. “Let’s leave it alone.”

Tarquin held out for another long moment, before turning and following his own beast back down the hallway into the torch-lit darkness.

When at last their footsteps were inaudible, her beast turned to look at her, eyes wide and frantic as it pushed its head against the barrier to try and get to her. It bared its teeth when it failed, claws digging into the stone so sharply Feyre winced at the scraping sound. She cupped its chin again, easily stepping through the non-existent barrier to let the beast press its whole head against her chest. She had to brace against the force, but didn’t dare ask the beast to stop. Not when she swore she could feel its panic in her own chest, its fear that she would be hurt without it there to guard her at all hours.

It was bleeding again, old wounds torn open from its strain and sharp movements to defend her.

Feyre sighed, reaching out to trail her silver fingers along the edge of one such wound. “Why are you doing this to yourself?” she asked softly. “What did they mean about being trapped?”

She was certain she’d never had such an active imagination before. She wasn’t quite sure where this whole dream sequence full of fae and magic was even coming from.

The beast hesitated, holding her gaze with its own, its eyes a pitch black all the way through the sclera, with the iris itself the violet of the stardust that spilled across the sky.

Night. Hadn’t that been what Tarquin had called it?

The beast stretched its wings out in answer. Or rather, it tried to.

As it spread them, glowing copper chains appeared as if by magic, binding the wings closed and tight against the body of the beast. In the torchlight, the copper looked like blood. Normal blood. Human blood. The beast growled, biting at the metal and pulling, trying to free itself to no avail. A leash hung from the collar at its neck, trailing off in the same direction Tarquin and Brutius had departed.

She never would have known it was there if the beast hadn’t shown her. The moment it stopped fighting, the chain, collar, and leash all faded into nothing. Hidden, invisible to the eye but not to the heart. Not now that she knew.

“Who did this to you?” she whispered.

Her beast flicked its ears back, laying them flat against its head as it turned around and stared down the hallway. Feyre couldn’t stop herself from laying her hand on its flank, keeping close as her beast began to slowly limp away from the mouth of the cave. It helped her balance as they climbed the steeper slope caused from years of pacing, then curled its tail around her to keep her other side protected, keep her cradled within reach should another threat appear.

It led her down endless hallways. Feyre could have sworn her dream logic was changing the paths, that the fork they approached hadn’t existed even a few minutes earlier, let alone in the previous dreams she’d had.

More and more torches began to appear on the wall, illuminating the space without it actually feeling any brighter. Everything was still seeped in a miasma of misery, and it didn’t help that a warning rumble had taken root in her beasts chest a few turns back , not letting up the closer they got to their destination,. To the answer to Feyre’s question.

She heard the screaming first, then the laughter again, that same laugh that had gotten her lost enough to stumble upon Tarquin in the first place. It made her heart leap into her throat, and Feyre froze, stopping mid stride. The beast continued on anyway, until it paused in a large arched doorway. The room on the other side burned golden yellow from the flames, but a stench of blood and death coated everything. Whoever had cursed her beast, trapped it, they were evil. Feyre could feel it in her bones.

And she did not want to see them. Did not under any circumstances want them to see her. She took a step back.

In the hall, the laugh paused, trailing off.

“Oh,” said a feminine voice. “He actually stopped fighting and deigns to join the party. Are you finally giving up on him and searching for a new lord?”

The beast pulled its teeth back in a snarl. Along its neck and jaw, spikes flared up like hackles. Feyre hadn’t even noticed them before, they blended in with the scales so well. But then again, the beast hadn't faced something like that voice before.

At least not in her dreams, that was.

With one last snarl, one snapping bite at another fae that got too close for an instant, her beast turned tail on the open doorway and bolted straight for her.

#acotar gift exchange #feyre archeron #rhysand #feysand fic #acotar fic #bela writes #flicker!fic #secret santa

[dino-fart]

The Werejaguar and The Warrior Queen | Chapter 1: Phantoms

Summary + Chapter 1 

Pairing: Miguel O’Hara x Female Reader

Genre: Action, Adventure, Romance, Tragedy

Summary: You are the Great Queen of Sunspire, a kingdom infamous for it’s light magic. It’s a gift passed on from generation to generation and now you possess the ability. Things had been at peace until the sighting of phantoms and skeletons were reported on the outskirts of the kingdom. You decided to investigate and encounter a unique black jaguar with glowing red spots.

As the Great Queen of Sunspire, the weight of your responsibilities bore down on you heavily. Six years had passed since you ascended to the throne, and while your reign had brought peace to the land, the demands of being a queen had taken their toll on you. To cope with the pressure, you honed your skills in light magic, finding solace and strength in the mastery of your abilities.

One fateful day, a traveling scholar named Robin arrived at your kingdom, bringing unsettling news of looming darkness. Reports had reached the outskirts of your kingdom, speaking of phantoms haunting the villages at night and people mysteriously vanishing. Troubled by these accounts, you knew it was your duty as the queen to investigate the source of this encroaching threat.

Under the cloak of night, accompanied by the scholar Robin and your trusted general, Lady Farah, you set out on horseback toward the afflicted villages. Clad in a blue tunic adorned with golden embroidery, a silver chain with a sun brooch fastened to your left shoulder, and armed with swords sheathed at your hips, you exuded regal determination.

Arriving at the town square, you convened with the village leaders, who relayed the strange phenomenon unfolding in their midst. The missing villagers had started to reappear, seemingly unharmed, but with chilling tales of a dark creature emanating a red glow that had returned them. This bizarre narrative only served to deepen the mystery surrounding the situation.

Undeterred, your group ventured further into the enchanted woods, with three orbs of light conjured by your magic illuminating your path. The air grew heavy with an unnatural stillness, and shadows danced among the ancient trees, whispering tales of forgotten times. “My lady I don’t like this...” Lady Farah said, the grip on her spear tightening.

“I sense nothing but death if we continue on.” Robin slowed the horse’s movements. 

“Perhaps we should split up. We can cover more ground that way.” You suggested. 

“Absolutely not, your grace.” Farah glared. 

“I’ll be fine Farah, and so will the two of you, the orbs not only give you light but can teleport you to safety.” You began to trot your horse ahead. Farah muttered to herself before heading east and Robin headed west. After a few more minutes of traveling north, you stopped your horse. You continued your journey north, with each passing minute bringing you closer to an unsettling revelation. Eventually, you brought your horse to a stop, feeling the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. 

Sensing a lurking presence, you boldly called out, letting your stalker know that you were aware of their presence, “You can come out now.” 

Suddenly, heavy footsteps approached from behind, and as you turned your horse, you were met with a sight that sent a shiver down your spine. Standing before you was an imposing figure, an eight-foot-tall man with piercing yellow eyes and a menacing grin. Clad in black armor and a flowing red cape, he exuded an aura of malevolence. The man dropped to one knee, bowing before you in a display of deference. "Such an honor to be in your presence, your grace, and wielder of light," He declared. 

You raised a brow at this, “I know you not, are you the one responsible for the disappearances?” 

The man let out a low chuckle and stood up tall, “More than that your grace, you stand before the Great Phantom King, Malik! And I will have this land as my own!” Unfazed by his grandiosity, you dismounted your horse, maintaining a steely gaze as you confronted him. However, in a swift turn of events, ghoulish hands emerged from the ground, gripping your ankles, while phantoms seized your arms and pressed them behind your back, restraining you. Your horse, startled by the commotion, neighed loudly and galloped away from the scene. Malik closed in on you and cupped your chin with his large hand, “You will be my prisoner, my queen and I shall consume you with darkness. Then you shall serve me in this new world.” 

You grinned defiantly, “You have no idea who I am then.” With a sudden surge of power, your eyes turned white, radiating a brilliant light. Uttering incantations in an ancient language, you summoned a bolt of lightning that struck the very spot where you stood, dispelling the phantoms and pushing Malik back. As your eyes returned to normal, you unsheathed your swords, preparing to face off against the malevolent being. Malik drew his dark blade and charged at you. 

Your agility and grace allowed you to evade his attacks, striking at his legs with your blades. However, to your astonishment, his wounds healed instantly, defying the laws of nature. Malik laughed triumphantly, swinging his blade in your direction. You ducked and hurled one of your swords at him, using your magic to summon a lightning strike. The powerful bolt crashed into Malik's chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

The lightning strikes caused dark clouds to form and rain poured down. You now knew you needed to retreat, the rain was blurring your vision of your enemy. You turned and ran the opposite direction of where Malik had collapsed. As you ran the ground shook and bramble shot up from the ground and ensnared your legs. You struggled to break free, hitting your sword against the thorned vines. 

You froze when you noticed the phantoms appearing and surrounding you. You readied your magic but before you could strike them, a thunderous roar reverberated through the air. A colossal creature emerged from the shadows, pouncing on the phantoms and tearing them apart with ferocity. Amidst the chaos, you managed to free yourself from the entangling bramble, witnessing the creature's valiant defense. As the battle raged on, the creature shielded you from further harm, its red eyes meeting yours with a sense of intelligence that transcended that of a mere beast. Its obsidian fur adorned with glowing red spots shimmered like embers, exuding an aura of mystique.

"Thank you, my friend...Who are you?" You asked. In response, the jaguar emitted a low, rumbling growl that reverberated through the surrounding trees. You extended your hand out to hover over its’ head and you slowly stepped closer. The jaguar didn’t move and brought its’ head up to meet the palm of your hand. A smile tugged at your lips as you gently petted the magnificent creature, appreciating its beauty and fierce loyalty. 

“I bet you’re the one helping those people, huh?” You said softly. The jaguar pulled its’ head back and nodded at your words. “You can understand me?” You gasped. The creature’s head whipped to its’ left when the galloping of horses was heard. 

“Your grace!!” Farah shouted. The jaguar looked at you and ran off, leaving behind a few red embers. You quickly picked them up before they faded away and sealed them in a magic bubble. You’d investigate when you got home. “Thank goodness, you’re alright!” Farah dismounted her horse and rushed to your side. 

“I am, thanks to the creature of the forest.” You smiled looking ahead to where the creature had run off to. 

“The creature?” Farah furrowed her brows. 

“A black jaguar with beautiful red spots.” 

“I have not heard of such a thing, your majesty, but we must hurry back home before the rain gets worse.” 

“Ah, that was my doing, it appears I’ve found the source of the phantoms, but you’re right, let’s discuss this back at the palace.” You nodded and Farah helped you onto her horse. She sat behind you and urged the horse to leave the forest where you met up with Robin, who was preparing a search party. The three of you headed back to the kingdom, the jaguar watching you leave from the shadows of the forest...

Tagging: @deepbatched, @vikingqueen28, @leonkennedyslefthand, @stewardofningishzida, @icytrickster17, @onlinecemetery, @marki-moo0, @absolute-not-original, @creamecafe, @scrubb, @nightingal3-tales, @alliethedaydreamer, @strangesthirdeye, @alexa-33, @zombiedixon89, @sunnsettee, @deliciousfestsalad, @kiaradaniell, @freyafriggafrey, @criticalroleobssedperson, @avengersfan25, @lunamoonbby, @androgynouspersonapricotfan, @foxcantswim, @namorkawaiiwife, @starkiller-queen, @kyuupidwrites, @luciamajer, @renatas10, @ayamenimthiriel, @gaiagurl05, @dipsylou, @pinkthick, @hansai, @andywinter16, @iambored24601, @3-cheese-tortellini, @cumbrbatchbenedict, @ironstrange1991, @aribas-stuff, @rianumochi, @vibaracal, @lostpirateinwonderland​, @i-h3art-l0v3​

#miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara x reader

[trippygalaxy]

Hello! Mind if I submit a request? Your Warriors one turned out so well!

As far as gift-giving for each of the chain goes, what kinds of things do you think they'd like to receive?

(Also--and you can totally say no to this--could I write shorts based off of yours answers? I'm genuinely curious as to what you'd think, and I've hit writers block currently for the requests I have in my own inbox 😓)

You're doing great, by the way!!

Courage and Gifts

OMG YES! Love this idea and you can totally write something based off this!!!

(Edit: HOLY SHIT! This took longer than expected! I struggled so much with Four and Legend so I'm sorry if those ones are out of character!)

Requests: Open!

Time

Joke Gifts!

Time has a secret appreciation for gag gifts but will NEVER admit it out loud unless he wants the boys to constantly give him walking canes or the medieval equivalent to Werther's Originals. But nevertheless, he does appreciate the gift/joke when he's out of sight.

Oh, please give him a pun book. His eye(s) will light up when he realizes what it is, but be prepared cause he isn't gonna shut up any time soon.

Ocarina

A new ocarina and new memories. He won't admit it but he chest does get tight at the sight of it, but his heart flutters in the same beat. He's gentle as he takes it into his hands, admiring the wooden instrument in it's construction. Now, he is more used to the 12 holed ocarina but isn't against learning how to use other kinds of ocarinas, magical or not.

Warriors

Bouquet of Flowers

Such a soft and beautiful gift will warm his heart! Being so used to the harsh memories of wars and death, the sight of the beautiful bouquet makes him stutter for a moment. It takes a second for him to register that this is for him. The delicate petals, the vibrant colours, they contrast the bloodied swords and shields. It's....nice.

Earrings

Warriors strikes me as someone who has a collection of earrings. Now, seeing as he is a Captain he can't carry such things around with him. It not because he's embarrassed or ashamed (quite the opposite actually), it's simply a safety hazard and would take up more room than necessary. So he keeps such things in his quarters back home, which means he has had the same simply earrings in for months.

So, its easy to say he got excited when he opened the small box he was handed and saw what was inside. He'll put them in immediately and practically prance around camp!

Twilight

Handmade Blankets

Twilight grew up in a small village, so gifts like this aren't unfamiliar! Most of his blankets back home were gifts to him, so being given a similar gift fills him with nostalgia! He melts even more if he was given the thick woven blanket because the gifter was concerned he gets cold. (Tbh he's probably a living furnace but it's still nice!)

Bandana

At first he's very confused at the gift but still appreciated it! It was a lovely green that went well with his armor and tunics. And as he tied it around his neck, it fit perfectly! It wasn't too tight or loose and it didn't bother his neck. As much as Twilight enjoys the gift he can't help but be confused...and a little suspicious.

He continued to fiddle with the bandana even when you made a hasty retreat. Suddenly, he fingertips ran across something that stuck off from the fabric. Twilight gives a light tug and pulls off the bandana to get a closer look only to find a tag. At a closer look he notices the brand on the tag.

It was a fucking dog brand bandana.

Sky

New Wood Carving Tools

A new set of carving tools would mean a lot to him! I'd like to think that he has two sets that he owns, a very well made set that is back at Skyloft and one decent set that he carries on him at all time. The ones on him have seen almost as much as he has, and have been chipped beyond repair. BUT to be gifted with brand new tools that beat any tools he had at home is truly baffling!

Plushie

Something soft, tiny and comfortable to sleep with?! SIGN HIM UP! The soft fabric, the cute aesthetic and thoughtfulness! He loves it and couldn't be more happy, and if you sewn it yourself? DOUBLE LOVE!! He doesn't care what the others have to say, he is holding that plushie to his chest every damn night! Bonus points if it is a loftwing and bonus bonus points if its red!

Wild

Recipe Book

A BOOK FILLED WITH NEW AND INTERESTING RECIPES?! How could he refuse such a brilliant gift! Now, as much as Wild loves cooking and experimenting with all sorts of food, he also loves learning about the culture surrounding these dishes! It is served with other specific dishes? Is it associated with certain events? How common is it? Or is it considered a cuisine! Bonus points if these foods are from your background! He has many questions.

Masks

Wild certainly has a large collection of masks, so large that it almost rivals the old man's! Almost. But he is always happy to add to his odd collection, especially if its more monster masks! He'll be more than happy to sit down and listen to you as you explain the origin of this mask! The more scary the better!

Legend

A Unique Item (Handmade items/gifts. I.e. art work, clothes, jewelry etc)

What do you get the man who -quite literally- has everything? Something one of a kind! Something that was made out of love and struggle (and maybe tears but who am I to say). Whether it's simply or complex gift he'll love it all the same. The fact you thought to make something from scratch just for him warms his heart. Even if he won't admit it!

Sea Shells

He's very very confused at first. He didn't mean to sound rude as he asked why you give him a sack of shells, but he was quick to regret his tone as you shrink back. But the reason you gave nearly brought him to tears.

You quietly said you've been collecting them for him, collecting them from everywhere the group has been. But as he continued to press, you admitted you wanted to gift him something to that when he left -when everyone left- he'd know that this was real. That everyone was real. And that he had friends from across time and space.

Four

Customized Hammer

Not only would Four love a new forging/blacksmithing hammer but on that customized for him?! He would be so giddy! Now, you may be asking, how is it a customized hammer? What makes it special?

The sides of the hammer are engraved with images! And these images look like a familiar small mouse creature~ They are subtle in their design and from an outsiders view, it'll look like some sort of logo!

Jeweled Bracelet

Something small but strong, either brought or made. Inlaid in the bracelet are four gems that sit side by side. Four gems of vibrant colours, each one representing each part of him. The inside of the bracelet -the part that rests again his skin- holds his initials. The metal is a harsh contrast to his warming skin, he really likes it.

Hyrule

New Flowers/Herbs

A hobby of Hyrule's is pressing flowers and herbs in his journal, which is filled with information about everything single plant found in it (based on this headcanon). Being given something to add to his collection brings him so much joy and excitement! Oh, how he can't wait to find out what interesting properties these plants might have! Bonus points if you gifted specific flowers to him cause they reminded you of him! Bit of a warning, he might get extremely flustered!

Compass

For a traveler, he tends to get lost quite a bit huh? He will be quite grateful for a compass to help whenever he steps off the trail! Though at first he is quite embarrassed and tries to say that, while he appreciates the gift he doesn't need a compass that bad! Hyrule accepts the gift after getting a stern look from some members *ahem* Time *ahem* of the group.

Wind

A Ship in a Bottle

A thoughtful gift that reminds him of home. When presented with the gift he has to contain the squeal of joy! (He fails but don't tell anyone) He turns the bottle over in his hands, trying to see every detail of the ship trapped inside. Bonus points if the ship itself resembles Tetra's boat. (A few tears might fall but that's a secret between you and him)

A Beaded Bracelet

It doesn't matter if it's hand made or store bought, he loves it with his whole heart! Whether the beads are crafted by the most talented craftsmen or by a simple tool, he admires every detail and every nick in the wood (intentional or not!). He can't help but smile as he slips it onto his wrist, it reminds him of the matching bracelets his little sister used to make for both of them.

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #linked universe headcanons #linked universe au #linked universe x reader #lu x reader #reader insert #kinda? i guess? #lu the chain #request #ITS DONE! #I OPEN YOU GUYS LIKE IT! #💫star may💫 #tales out of orbit

[daydreaming136]

Kili Durin x F!READER (Modern female)

Pairings: Kili x Reader slight Fili x Reader if you squint lol

Tags: modern reader female, isekai, waking up in the hobbit, death, romance, adventure, magic, dwarves, elves, everyone lives AU!, eventual smut,

Author notes: hi this is my first time writing for the hobbit hopefully someone will like it ❤️ please be kind in the comments and don’t be afraid to message me any questions ❤️

When I opened my eyes I saw a beautiful blue sky and the sun shining bright there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I sat up suddenly there was a pain in my stomach I winced and hissed. I lifted my shirt to look for any injury and didn’t find any. Then I realized the pain went away, I blinked a few times and thought back about my day and how I got here. The day went on as usual woke up spent some time to myself, which includes coffee and some gaming. Got ready for work, shower, brushed teeth, a pair of jeans and a button down shirt, a pair of shoes which were dirty from working in them. I drove to work, clocked in, put my Home Depot apron on, got stabbed by some crazed customer, clocked out, drove home…wait what? Let me back up a bit. I got stabbed by some crazed customer?? I lifted my shirt up again but didn’t see a stab mark. I huffed and got up. “Did I die? Is this heaven?” I chuckled. “Well I didn’t think I’d end up in heaven.” I looked around but didn’t see a person or angel in sight. I looked for any sign of life and saw smoke a few miles away. “I guess I’ll start there.” I walked towards where the smoke was residing. I walked into a small village. I mean literally small because the people were small and everything in the village was small. The people reminded me of hobbits with their pointy ears and big hairy feet. I walked to what looked like a market place. I thought I saw Bilbo baggins from the hobbit at one point but decided to kept walking. Til I recognized a familiar gray pointy hat. I sped up my pace and grabbed the persons sleeve. “Excuse me.” Once the man turned around I immediately recognized the man. “Yes my lady?” I felt my eyes go wide from shock. “Um I-I…” my words died from my mouth as I looked at his face longer. Gandalf raised his brow, “are you alright my dear?” I blinked realizing I’ve been staring at him. “You’re Gandalf the grey, right?” He looked at me up and down, staring at me questioning. “Indeed I am, and you are?” I realized I was making a fool out of myself I shook my head and cleared my throat. “Mr. Gandalf my name is Y/N and i know I’m going to sound crazy but I believe I ended up in either The Hobbit or Lord Of The Rings. Please believe me when I say that I’m not trying to do any harm to you or Bilbo or Frodo or Thorin.” He stared at me hard then he started to smile. “Well my dear why don’t we walk and talk.” I nodded and began to walk beside him. “So let’s start from the beginning.” I swallowed and started my tale of the hobbit careful enough to not give anything important away. “Hm. Well I do believe you my lady for I just talked to Bilbo not too long ago.” I smiled. “Thank goodness. Please let me join you and the company to take back the lonely mountain, with my knowledge I can help.” He thought for a moment and nodded. “Alright. Let’s get you some supplies for the journey ahead.” We hit the market again getting me a bedroll and some feminine products I’ll need. Then he lead me to a familiar hole in the ground. “This is bilbos place isn’t it?” Gandalf nodded. “I need to do something for a bit wait for me here til I return.” I nodded. “Okay.” He began to walk away. “Oh and Y/N do stay out of trouble.” I chuckled. “You got it.”

Hours went by I ended up on the grass and took a nap. It was hard not to when the sun felt nice on my skin and the grass felt comfortable. I was startled awake by a shake to my shoulder. When I opened my eyes I was met with brown and blue eyes. “Miss why are you sleeping out here?” I blinked and sat up. “Oh sorry I must’ve dozed off waiting for Gandalf.”

“Gandalf? Are you the new member uncle was telling us?” I nodded. “Probably, Gandalf told me to wait here for him, are you heading to Mr. Baggins?” They nodded. “He should be here soon why don’t we head in while we wait?” I bit my lip and nodded. “Okay I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’m Y/N by the way.”

“I’m Fili and this is my brother Kili.” I nodded to Kili noticing him not saying anything. The three of us walked toward Bilbos home. Fili rang the doorbell. And we waited for the hobbit to open the door. Bilbo opened the door. Bilbo whimpered when he saw the three of us. “Fili.” Fili introduced himself “Kili.” Kili finally spoke. “And Y/N.” I introduced myself. The two dwarves bowed their heads. “At your service.” I nodded towards Bilbo. “You must be Mr. Boggins.”

“Nope! You can’t come in. You’ve come to the wrong house.” Bilbo went to close the door but Kili stopped him. “What? Has it been canceled?” The door was pushed back open a bit. “No one told us.” Fili walking close behind his brother. “No, nothings been canceled.” Bilbo said confused about what the dwarves were implying. “That’s a relief.” Kili pushed the door open more and walked in Fili and I followed after. “Sorry Mr. Baggins.”I say give him a sympathetic look. I could tell he was already getting frustrated. “Careful with these. I just had ‘em sharpened.” Fili began to take off his weapons. I walked in looking around the hobbits home. “The movies really didn’t do this place justice.” I muttered under my breath. Kili walking around. “It’s nice, this place. Did you do it yourself?” Kili asked. Without Bilbo paying attention Kili began to take the mud off his shoes on Bilbos mother’s chest. I bit the inside of my cheek wanting to tell him not to do that because it is Bilbos mother’s chest. “What? No, it’s been in the family for years.” Bilbo finally realized what Kili was doing. “That’s my mother’s glory box! Can you please not do that?” Bilbo was angry. Then Dwalin walked in and grabbing Kili’s shoulder leading him farther in the house. “Fili, Kili. Come on. Give us a hand.” All of us walked into what looked like a dining room. “Let’s shove this in the hallway, otherwise we’ll never get everyone in.” Bilbo stammered. “Everyone? How many more are there?” I grabbed Fili’s weapons. “Here I’ll take these Mr. Baggins.”

“Th-thank you. Do you know what’s going on.” I smiled slyly and put Fili’s weapons somewhere out of the way. Suddenly the doorbell rang again. Bilbo feeling very frustrated walked towards the door. “Oh, no. No. No. There’s nobody home! Go away and bother somebody else! There’s far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is. If this is some clot-heads idea of a joke…ha! Ha! I can only say it is in poor taste.” He opened the door I could hear the dwarves falling on the floor in the entrance of the hobbits home. I followed after Bilbo. Seeing the dwarves on the floor I giggled watching them grunt and groan. “Ah. There you are my lady I thought I told you to stay put.” I smiled. “Sorry I ran into Fili and Kili they said you would be here soon and well here you are.” Bilbo looked at Gandalf. “Gandalf.”

Soon everyone was in the dining room they were passing ales and food. Having a grand old time, I ate a bit myself. I grabbed a jug of ale and took a few gulps. I giggled some more seeing poor Bilbo tell the dwarves to put his food back from his pantry. Food was going left and right the dwarves drinking and eating. “Ale! Going one, two, three!” They were all chugging their drinks. A few letting out some burps. I laughed amongst them. Once they all finished eating they began to clean up I joined in obviously. “‘Scuse me but where do I put my plate?” Ori asked Bilbo. Fili walked up grabbing the plate from him. “Here you go, ori. Give it to me.” He tossed it to Kili who caught it without a problem and tossing it to Bifur. They were tossing all the dishes to get cleaned. I heard the dwarves clatter the silverware. “And can—can you not do that? You’ll blunt them.”

“Ooh, do you hear that, lads? He says we’ll blunt the knives.” They began to bang their shoes amongst the floor, making a beat. “ Blunt the knives, bend the forks.” Kili began to sing. “Smash the bottles and burn the corks.” Fili followed. “Chip the glasses and crack the plates.”

“That’s what Bilbo baggins hates!” They all sang together. I danced a bit to their song. “Cut the cloth tread on the fat. Leave the bones on the bedroom mat. Pour the milk on the pantry floor. Smash the wine on every door. Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl. Pound them up with a thumping pole. When you’re finished, if they are whole. Send them down the hall to roll. That’s what Bilbo baggins hates!” They all laughed after the song was finished. Suddenly there was a loud banging on the door everyone quieted down. I looked at Gandalf. “He is here.” Bilbo and Gandalf walked to the door, I followed them. Gandalf opened the door for Thorin. “Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way. Twice. I wouldn’t have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door.”

“Mark? There’s no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago.” Gandalf closed the door after Thorin walked in. “There is a mark. I put it there myself. Bilbo Baggins. Y/N. Allow me to introduce the leader of our company: Thorin Oakenshield.” I bowed my head a bit to be polite. “So..this is the hobbit and Gandalfs assistant. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?” Thorin circled Bilbo. “Pardon me?”

“Axe or sword? What’s your weapon of choice?”

“Well, I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know.” I crinkled a bit. “But I fail to see why that’s relevant.”

“I thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar.” The dwarves laughed at Thorins comment. I felt a little sympathy for Bilbo. The dwarves all walked to the dining room it was just Bilbo, Gandalf, and I. “Your assistant aye.” I crossed my arms under my chest. Gandalf smiled. “Well I couldn’t just tell them you’re from another world now could I.” I nodded. “Alright, I guess it could work for now.”

I sat next to Fili and Kili at the dining table. “What need from the meeting in Ered Luin?” Balin asked Thorin. “Did they all come?”

“Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms.”

“And what did the dwarves of the iron hills say? Is Dain with us?” Dwalin asked. “They will not come.” Thorin answered.

“They say this quest is ours and ours alone.”

“You’re going on a quest?” Bilbo asked standing behind Gandalf. “Y/N, help my dear fellow Bilbo, let us have a little more light.” I nodded helping Bilbo bring some candles out. “Far to the east…over ranges and rivers… beyond woodlands and wastelands… lies a single, solitary peak.”

“The lonely mountain.”

“Aye, Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time!” Glóin said. “Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain, as it was foretold. When the birds of yore return to erebor, the reign of the beast will end.”

“What beast?” Bilbo asked curiously. “That would be a reference to Smaug the terrible. Chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire breather. Teeth like razors. Claws like meat hooks. Extremely fond of precious metals.” Bofur described Smaug. “Yes, I know what a dragon is.” Suddenly Oir stood up. “I’m not afraid. I’m up for it. I’ll give him a taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksie!”

“Good lad, Ori!” Nori cheered on the dwarf. “Sit down.” Dori told him. “The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us..but we number in just 16. And not 16 of the best…nor brightest.” That gave a bit of commotion. “We may be few in number… but we’re fighters. All of us! To the last dwarf.” Fili cheered on. “And you forget, we have a wizard in our company along with his assistant. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time.” I bit back a laugh. “Oh, well, no. I-I-I wouldn’t say—,”

“How many, then?” Dori asked. “What?”

“How many dragons have you killed?” All the dwarves looked at Gandalf as he choked on his smoke. “Go on. Give us a number.” I watched as they fought amongst themselves. I pushed myself against the wall. “Uh, excuse me. Please.” Bilbo tried to talk to the dwarves when Thorin spoke up. “No more!” They all went silent. “If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look west to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast of our wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back erebor?!” They all cheer til Balin cuts in. “You forget: the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain.”

“That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true.” Gandalf brought out a key showing it to the dwarves. “How came you by this?” Thorin asked. “It was given to me by your father. By Thrain. For safekeeping. It is yours now.” Gandalf handed Thorin the key. “If there is a key…there must be a door.” Fili thought out loud. Gandalf showed them the writing on the map. “These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls.”

“There’s another way in.” Kili spoke happily. “Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map, and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in middle earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth and no small amount of courage. But if we are careful and clever, I believer that it can be done.”

“That’s why we need a burglar.” Ori concluded. “Hmm. And a good one too.” All eyes were on Bilbo. “An expert, I’d imagine.”

“And are you?” Glóin asked. Bilbo looked around realizing that he asked him. “Am I what?”

“He said he’s an expert! Hey!”

“Me? No. No, no. I’m not a burglar. I’ve never stolen a thing in my life.”

“Well, I’m afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He’s hardly burglar material.” Balin replied.

“Aye, the wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves.” Dwalin looked at bilbo and I. I felt a little offended. “C’mon Dwalin they’ll manage just fine.” Bilbo agreed what the dwarf said while I bit my tongue holding back insults. The dwarves talked amongst themselves. Then Gandalf made the house grow dark. Gandalf stood as tall as he could in the small hobbits house and in a loud and scary voice, “Enough! If I say Bilbo baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is. And you will talk to my assistant with more respect. Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most, if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of a hobbit is all but unknown to him. My assistant here also has some insight about our quest which will be useful in taking back the lonely mountain. Smaug will not see us coming. You asked me to find the 14th member of this company, and I have found 2. There’s a lot more to them than appearances suggest. And they both got a great deal more to offer than any of you know. Including themselves.” I could tell he was mainly talking to Bilbo. “You must trust me on this.” Gandalf finished. Thorin seemed to take Gandalfs words seriously. “Very well. We will do it your way.” Bilbo doesn’t seem convinced though. “No.no.”

“Give them the contract.” Thorin looked at Balin. Balin took out a folded paper and handed it to Bilbo. “It’s just the usual. Summary of out of pocket expenses…time required, remuneration…funeral arrangements, so forth.” Bilbo seemed stunned by the words ‘funeral arrangements.’

“Funeral arrangements?” I placed my hand on bilbos shoulder, “it’ll be alright.” He opened the folded contract. Bilbo walked off to read the contract. Thorin leaned close to Gandalf talking about something important no doubt. “Terms: cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding 1/14th of total profit, if any. Seems fair. Present company shall not be liable for any injuries inflicted by or sustained as a consequence thereof, including, but not limited to lacerations…evisceration…incineration?” I giggled a bit at bilbos reaction. “Oh, aye. He’ll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye.” Bilbo seemed to pause at that. All the dwarves took notice, “are you all right, laddie?” Balin asked the small hobbit. Bilbo put his hands on his knees,” yeah.” Bilbo seemed to try to process this, taking a few deep breaths. “Feel a bit faint.” I felt a bit sympathetic for poor Bilbo besides knowing he’ll be alright. “Bilbo?” I asked concerned for the hobbit, but it seems another dwarf had other intentions. “Think furnace with wings.” Bofur got up from his seat. I looked at the dwarf with eyes to plead to him to stop. “Air. I-I-I need air.” Bilbo looked like he was going to get sick. “Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You’re nothing more than a pile of ash.” I bit my lip watching the scene play out. Bilbo tried his best to keep calm and to not faint, but he failed. “Nope.” And he went down. I closed my eyes and sighed, “now you’ve done it. Good going Bofur.” I put my hands on my hips. “Oh, very helpful, Bofur.” Gandalf sarcastically said. I grabbed the contract picked up a quill and signed my name, handing it to Balin. “There you go.” Balin looked at the signature. “Welcome to the company, my lady.” I bowed my head and he did the same. The company helped poor Bilbo up and onto his comfy armchair. He was well awake and holding a cup of tea. “I’ll be all right. Just let me sit quietly for a moment.” Gandalf smoking his pipe seemed to get angry at the small hobbit. “You’ve been sitting quietly for far too long. Tell me, when did doilies and your mother’s dishes become so important to you?” Remembering this moment I decided to leave Gandalf and Bilbo to their conversation joining the dwarves in the other room. Fili and Kili walked up to me,” is Mr. Boggins all right?” I nodded. “Yes but he and Gandalf are having a serious conversation so I’d wait if you want to talk to him.” Kili nodded. “Do you think he’ll come?”

“No way brother, Mr. Boggins is way too comfortable here.” Fili responded. “I think he’ll come.” I smiled a little. “Why did you not faint, don’t dragons scare you?” Kili asked, I chuckled a bit, “of course they do but I also think dragons are cool. Seeing one up close sure would be a story to tell one day, that’s if I make it.” I know the story of them but what of me technically I died who knows what’ll happen to me here. “Cool? Dragons are not cool, remember what Bofur said. Furnace with wings.” Fili reminded me, I laughed. “Yes, yes. I remember I just meant they’re majestic, and also terrifying.” I have to remind myself that ‘cool’ isn’t a normal slang term in this world. In that moment Bilbo was walking past us going to what I believe is his bedroom. Kili and Fili suddenly left me to join the other dwarves in the living room. I began to hear humming and singing from the living room, remembering Thorin singing the misty mountain. I sat outside of the room listening to the beautiful sound but also hearing the mournful sound in Thorins voice. I vowed to myself I’ll make sure the durin line will survive once we arrived at the lonely mountain. Leaving my place in the hobbits home I walked outside took a place near the entrance of the hobbits home and fell asleep.

#fili and kili #the hobbit #hobbit!AU #kili durin #fanfic #kili x reader #fili x reader #Kili x modern reader

[merrilinie]

CW: SA, torture, cannibalism

Merlin knows bandits, he knows of smugglers and thieves. He knows assassins and criminals. He’s met dragons and ghouls and dead man who can talk, monsters and spirits that want nothing less than to rip him apart.

None of them scare him as much as the Reavers.

Once Druids, they became twisted and vile beings after staring into the darkness of dead magic. They would skin and rape and devour anyone who wasn’t one of them, hiding inside caves and mountains to avoid the possibility of being caught. Despite their depravity, they were smart. They could plan and built weapons, work together and share their spoils.

Merlin had been eight when they raided his village. He watched them try take his aunt as he hid under the hay bed.

When their Knights come across a group of Reavers he begs for the first time for them to hide, pleading with Arthur with tears running down his face and sobs escaping his throat. It’s the sight of him so scared that causes them all to agree without asking him why, the very fear in the eyes of the bravest man they know enough to listen.

The Reavers pass quickly. As soon as they’re gone they demand answer from Merlin, wanting to know what caused him so much fear. He explains as best he can through his sobs, hating the pity on their faces as they listen.

Arthur puts a hand in his shoulder, “Merlin, you have nothing to fear. We’re here, we would be able to protect you-“

Merlin cuts him off, suddenly cold and serious, “You could try, but as soon they got you I would slit your throat to give you mercy. I’d do it for all of you, I swear. Death is better than-than them.”

#merlin #bbc merlin angst #bbc merlin #merlin emrys #Serenity inspired #merlin angst

[makayla-is-writing]

Female Mountain Fae x Blind Female Reader (Pt.3)

Find all parts here

You whine when Ula kisses both of your eyelids, unused to such affections. Growing up blind, you were labeled the town freak. What followed was a life of isolation at the bottom of the mountain, in a cabin with your mother and father. 

“How is it possible to trade sight?” How could it ever happen? Magic was for fairytales, which your life sadly was not. 

Ula clasps your hands, nudging them with her nose. 

“How is not important. What matters is why you did it. Giving your sight away meant the world to me. However, you then left…” Ula turned quiet, her grip on your wrists tightening. It held firm, almost painful. Only after you release a slight whimper does she relax her hands. 

“Of course, it wasn’t your fault! You didn’t have a choice. You couldn't have decided such a cruel thing, to leave me all alone. It must have been your parents that kept you from me.” You yelp when Ula suddenly pulls you into her lap, nosing at the back of your neck.

“I-I don’t remember, but wouldn’t I have run into you on my walks? My mother takes me out constantly.” Ula scoffs, bringing you to her chest. You feel her breathe in deeply, before exhaling quietly. 

“That mother of yours has done no such thing. I would’ve sensed your presence, as I did today. I bet you she lied, and was instead walking you round wherever she decided to hide you. They all wanted to keep you from me. As if you could’ve stayed out for long.” Ula wraps you in her arms, keeping you secured as she stands. You stand with her, no matter how unwilling you might be. 

“Your mother warned you of witches, did she?” You nod, not understanding where Ula was going with her point. You both begin to walk, not knowing where but following within her grasp.

“You mentioned her saying that witches were evil, but she’s wrong. In fact, those villagers that trapped me here are the evil ones.” You didn’t disagree with that, thinking how cruel they must have been. 

Ula begins to shake. You suspect she’s crying as you feel small tear drops fall from her chin to your head. Not knowing what to do, Ula continues leading you deeper into the woods. With your plan to wait for Mother left behind, you can’t help but follow Ula and her warmth. 

“I’m sorry for what you went through… But now you have me! I’ll go down and tell everyone how nice you are. We can be friends and spend time back at my cabin.” You smile before shouting in surprise when Ula swings you round.

“Oh what sweet words. You’re as lovely as the day we met. I doubt, however, that your mother would welcome my kind. I’m leading us to my home, a quaint little cottage surrounded by lilies.” Ula hums, dragging her lips up from your jaw to your cheek, before landing on the corner of your mouth.

“Mmh, what do you mean? Your kind?” What a funny phrase to use.

“Oh, did I not tell you my dear?” Ula’s grip turns tight, just slightly. “I am a witch.”

#exophilia #fae #fae romance #fae x female reader #fae x reader #fantasy #fantasy romance #female reader #monster x female reader #female monster x reader #female monster x female reader #gxg #wlw #sapphic #lesbain

[hmshermitcraft]

For theme

There’s one simple rule with dealing with hermits that every other living being must know: never step into their territory because they are nothing but monsters and murderers at least that’s what Grian, False, and Mumbo have been taught since they were kids they are the enemy to all humans. So it’s natural to send hunting parties in to fight these monsters in their home turf sometimes people come back sometimes they don’t and for all their lives Grian, False, and Mumbo have been training to fight hermits like their lives depended on it…and for the most part it did because they weren’t kids anymore they had to earn their keep in the village

Now the hermits aren’t stupid when a human enters the territory it’s simple kill em on sight if they look weak. If their not weak might as well give them a good fight until their dead at least that’s what Etho, Pearl, and Scar have always been taught they weren’t the strongest hermits by any means but when your a skeleton hybrid, a moth, and a….ok no one’s sure what Scar is really current bet is he’s a chimera of some sort. You make do with what you have so when they see a trio of very much very inexperienced humans enter the territory the decide that it’s time to prove themselves.

Today was the day! It was the trio’s first hunt and they’re gonna prove their worth to the village! No Mumbo it’s gonna be fine there’s no need to turn tail and run just stay behind your shield and you’ll be fine. Grian stop fiddling with the dynamite sticks! Sometimes it feels like False is the only one of them taking this seriously because it’s simple no successful hunt no food when they get back. So with dynamite, shield, and sword in hand the three were gonna succeed gods damnit! So they kept walking…and walking…and walking for hours before they decided to sit down and take a break before Mumbo collapsed onto them.

These humans were the most entertaining ones Etho, Pearl, and Scar have ever seen they bicker, they’re clumsy, and not that they would admit it but they’re cute looking too. Hiding in the treetops was definitely the right approach…until scar’s chair slipped off a branch causing him to land in the lap of the giant mustached humans lap. Etho and Pearl love Scar but for Void’s Sake Scar lock your wheels!

Now both trios were in a stand off trying to figure out who would make the first move would it be the humans with enchanted gear or the hermits with their bizarre Magic’s? Luckily neither as both suddenly both sides bolt away from each other out of panic when they heard a loud boom. Said boom turned out to be an incoming thunderstorm and False, Grian, and Mumbo knew they wouldn’t make it back to the village in time so reluctantly Etho dragged the other five people back to his “lair”.

Said lair turns out to just be a very lush and comfy cave filled with all the necessities a hermit would need. So the six sit there in uncomfortable silence just waiting for someone to make a move or say anything so that they can either try and kill each other or tell one side to leave. But Scar decided to break the ice by saying “Soooooo any plans for the weekend?” Which unfortunately made Grian laugh much to False’s dismay.

And slowly both sides started talking Etho talking about how Hermit’s were usually loners or at least the really powerful ones were, Grian telling them how he has an infinite supply of dynamite sticks. Scar no touchy! And eventually False told them how their village worked which Pearl bless her wings tells em they aren’t the only human village. Which to the three humans was a massive shock to say the least because they had been raised to believe they were the last human village and well looks like the hermits have a lot to teach these three.

After the storm passed the humans were just flabbergasted at the amount of information they’d learn not only is the territory of the hermits not just limited to this seemingly endless forest but oceans, jungles, even other dimensions! And meanwhile the hermits felt…sad for them they’d been raised to believe anything that’s outside their villages walls will kill them so now it’s their turn to help them but it’s gonna take convincing them to fake their deaths….

Grian, False and Mumbo are already reluctant to go back to the village. How can they trust the people there after so many lies? The hermits even supply them with food - why are they even hunting them?! None of this makes sense to False, and she doesn't like being lied to.

Etho finds her outside, on the ledge in front of the cave as she stares into the vast forest. There's a hard set to her face, expression difficult to make out. To Etho's surprise, she speaks without turning to him. Asking if hermits have to prove their worth. Etho answers honestly. He, Pearl and Scar are considered weaker than a lot of hermits, but that's why they work together. They wanted to kill the trio of humans to prove themselves, too.

False laughs bitterly, pulling her hair into a tight ponytail. When she re-enters the cave, she declares she's not going back to the village. She's seen what they do to people that question their ways, and she refuses to be branded a heretic for not wanting to live a lie.

Grian is quick to agree. To go back with no kill, having to pretend their entire worlds haven't just turned on their heads? He'd go insane. The only reason he didn't go stir crazy in that village already is because he thought there wasn't anywhere else!

And, well. Mumbo goes where Grian goes. And... The hermits seem nice. Killing them doesn't make him feel particularly good about himself. He doesn't think they'll last very long out here, but travelling could be fun! At least they'd learn a lot more than living in the village until the end of their days.

The hermits feel as if they're witnessing something monumental. They tell the three they'll need to do something to get the humans off their tail and Grian just laughs. He points out, have they ever seen the humans come after somebody that didn't come back? They're just three less mouths to feed!

The three hermits look at the cave around them - the quiet, comfortable life they've created here. But... Maybe something like this is worth leaving it behind.

#hermitshipping #ask #grian tag #false tag #mumbo tag #etho tag #pearl tag #scar tag #grumbo #grifalsethscarbo #mod 🎀 #weekly theme: enemies to lovers #grifalsethscarboon

[rainbowfey]

Day 1: Magic

This is written for @madatobiweek.

Madara shielded his face with his arm while hurrying along a dimly lit street, the ice-cold rain piercing the sleeve of his jacket like a myriad of tiny needles. He growled when his foot slipped in yet another puddle, almost sending him to the ground. He barely managed to keep his balance but he felt the water soak through his shoe, feeling like as if his foot was only seconds away from turning into an ice cube. Madara cursed under his breath and quickened his pace even more, sending a hint of chakra into his feet so that he wouldn’t stumble again. The sky had already looked rather dark when he had entered the training ground but he hadn’t expected a downpour like the world was about to end. Wind was howling through the empty streets of Konoha, rustling the trees between the houses aggressively until they were swaying like monsters preparing to attack.

Madara shook his head and ducked when he heard yet another loud crack, followed by a thud when the broken branch hit the ground only a couple steps away from him. If the storm decided to rage even a bit more furiously, falling branches wouldn’t be the only thing Madara had to worry about. He risked a peek at the closest roof from under his arm but he didn’t see any shingles trembling just yet. He sighed and rushed around a corner – when he suddenly hit something big. With a muffled yelp, someone stumbled backwards while Madara desperately tried to keep his footing. When he had caught his balance again, he angrily looked at the person who was straightening their clothes where they had bumped into each other. The other person looked up and Madara felt a wave of contempt washing over him when he noticed the red markings on a pale face.

“You,” he hissed without thinking, his eyes narrowing at the unwelcome sight.

Tobirama Senju’s face twisted with repulsion when he recognized who he had run into. “Ah,” he said in a voice that sounded like as if he had stepped into something particularly gross. “Madara.”

Madara felt his anger grow at this disrespectful tone. Out of all the people that lived in this village, of course the only other one outside in the rain was the most insufferable person imaginable. “You should better watch where you’re going,” he growled, staring at Tobirama. “Or else you might one day have an … accident.”

Tobirama furrowed an eyebrow and looked up at him with undisguised scorn. “As if you stood any chance against me,” he spit out, a sardonic smile playing around his lips. “It’ll be a cold day in hell when I get scared of a jackass like you.”

Madara clenched his fists. The only thing keeping him from bashing Tobirama’s head in was the fact that it would be hard to explain to Hashirama why he had murdered his brother. Especially since Hashirama was the Hokage and probably wouldn’t take it easy if he followed through with his fury. Instead, he forced an unfazed expression to his face and stared at Tobirama unblinkingly. “This doesn’t mean much from a person who’s too stupid to know what’s good for him,” he said calmly while raging internally. “Just you wait, Senju.”

Tobirama shrugged, his eyes full of disgust. “Go spew your bullshit somewhere else, Madara. Maybe you’ll find someone who’s willing to listen to your stammer.”

And before Madara could come up with an appropriate retribution, Tobirama had already walked past him, boldly jostling him in the process. Madara’s hand darted to his pocket which was filled with shuriken but he stopped himself just in time. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tobirama’s ghost like figure disappearing behind the corner he had just turned.

It took Madara a moment to collect himself again. His whole body felt like it had been set ablaze and he gritted his teeth, Tobirama’s scornful smile still fully present in his mind. He didn’t even remember when or how their feud had started but what he did know was that each of their encounters brought him closer to ambushing Tobirama and giving him the whipping he deserved. Over the past couple of months, they had had a handful of fights disguised as training sessions and each of them had only fueled Madara’s disdain for him even more. Tobirama was not only an insufferable person but he was also keen on playing foul, gloating over his own strength whenever one of his insidious strategies had worked. But the worst of it all was Tobirama’s contemptuous smile whenever he thought he had the upper hand.

Madara clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his skin. Only when he felt the sharp pain, he forcefully released his grip. This prick wasn’t worth the air he was breathing – and standing in the rain fuming also didn’t bring him closer to his own place. Thus, he set himself in motion again, heading for his place with big, aggressive steps. The rain kept coming down hard, washing against his body like a surge of icy water and a shiver ran down his spine. It was about time that he got home and changed into some dry clothes.

Madara tried to banish the thoughts about his fiend from his mind and fixed his gaze on the hazy shadow of a house at the end of the street. He would’ve recognized its silhouette everywhere. Like a silent threat, his house loomed over the other buildings of the street, its dark color seeming to devour all of the twilight that was left around it until it appeared to be a bottomless shadow. Madara smiled at the thought and he finally felt some of his tension fade away. When he was halfway there, he broke into a sprint, dashing through the heavy rainfall, water splashing from the puddles he stepped into. The closer he got to his place, the more it felt like as if the rain started pouring even worse, almost like as if someone or rather something wanted to quicken his steps, chasing him away from the outsides, luring him to the supposed safety of his home in the process.

Madara shook his head at this menacing thought and jumped over an enormous puddle right in front of his house. He climbed the slippery steps and already fumbled for his keys, when he noticed something strange. His doorstep was still dry, protected by the meager porch roof that barely even covered the steps. But in this small dry spot lay a narrow wooden box. Madara paused and stared at it. It was rather flat and not much bigger than the palm of his hand. The wood was entirely untouched by the rain but the tiny hinges seemed worn. He could see hints of silver between the scratches and tears and he was fairly sure that this box hadn’t been here when he had left his house earlier that day. He glanced at the empty, now almost entirely dark street but he couldn’t make out any movement or trace of someone having been there.

A sudden gust of wind made him shudder and he shrugged. He would surely find out eventually who left the box there. Madara grabbed the wooden box and noticed absentmindedly that it felt surprisingly heavy when he finally fumbled his keys out of pocket and unlocked his front door. He stepped over the threshold and for a moment, his body started trembling. A bit confused he paused but after a moment he concluded that it must have been due to the warmth of his house engulfing him and driving off the unhospitable weather behind him. With another shrug, he closed the door behind him and set the wooden box down on a cupboard next to his coatrack. With cold, stiff fingers he pried his jacket open and slipped out of it. Next were his shoes that he carelessly shoved into a corner where they would slowly dry without making a mess.

He sighed in relief when he had finally gotten rid of his wet clothes but he quickly noticed that his sweater and pants also felt rather damp. With an annoyed grown, he went up the stairs and grabbed a dry change of clothes, quickly putting them on and throwing his damp clothes into the hamper in his bathroom. Afterwards, he walked down the stairs, feeling a lot more comfortable now. He was about to head for his kitchen when he caught a glimpse of the wooden box that forlornly sat on his cupboard. Now that he wasn’t out in the pouring rain anymore, the box started to pique his interest. It was fairly odd for him to find something on his doorstep that he hadn’t known about before. Sure enough, sometimes Hashirama made a joke out of sending him random stuff but this didn’t seem to be the case this time since Hashirama had been on an extended mission for almost a week now. This did pose the question who had left it for him to find – and why.

Madara carefully lifted the box and this time he noticed how heavy it felt. If he had closed his eyes, he would have thought he had just picked up a flat stone, not a wooden box. His curiosity grew and he decided that the kitchen could wait. Instead, he carried the box to his living room and sat down on his sofa, the box in his lap. He switched on the lamp that sat next to his sofa and examined the box thoroughly. Now that he was out of the rain, he noticed the fine cut of the box. Its edges were soft, almost like as if countless hands had wandered over them. He noticed that the box didn’t have a lock and when he carefully lifted the lid, the box opened with a faint clicking sound.

Madara’s eyes widened when the lid revealed black velvet that filled the wooden box. He carefully grabbed one edge of the velvet and tugged at it. To his surprise, it gave way immediately – revealing a brilliant silver amulet. Madara held his breath and marveled at the delicate ornaments which formed a wheel around an obsidian in the middle of the amulet. Everything around him seemed to fade away when he examined the amulet, mesmerized by its beauty. The obsidian attracted his gaze and he leaned over it, staring into the black abyss that seemed to deepen with every second he looked at it. But somewhere deep down, seemingly at the bottom of it, he noticed a faint light. Madara leaned closer and closer until his face was almost touching the amulet. His body started feeling lighter and the world around him became quiet, the sound of the rain pattering against his windows drowned out by the all-embracing silence that had befallen his house. The light deep down in the obsidian started dancing and somewhere in the depths of his mind, Madara heard a faint voice calling for him, beckoning him to come closer.

“I’m coming,” he murmured to himself, his gaze lost in the abyss growing in front of him. As if in a trance, he slowly lifted his hand until it hovered directly above the amulet. The voice took on an urging tone, luring him in, growing louder with each second. And just when Madara felt like someone was standing directly behind him, his finger touched the amulet, grazing the obsidian in its middle.

Something surged through his body and his limbs started trembling violently. His eyes widened in horror and his mouth opened but the scream suffocated in his throat. He started seizing and choking on his own gasps for air. The world around him grew dim and shadows formed in the corners of the living room, closing in on him. His whole body shook and he desperately tried to move but something had taken over. Madara screamed silently when the world fell back, the abyss engulfing him.

And all at once, he was calm again. His body stopped trembling and he took a deep breath and then another one. After a moment, Madara glanced down at his hands that were still holding the amulet. And slowly, very slowly, a faint smile curled his lips.

#madatobiweek2023 #day 1 #magic #naruto #madara x tobirama #madatobi #madara uchiha #senju tobirama #enemies to lovers #angst #mystery #naruto fanfiction #fanfic #writing

[rpgsandbox]

25 Enchanted Forest Adventure Seeds

by Robb at readytorole.com

Reports of children being lured into the forest by short, goat-legged men have grown rampant. Any satyr questioned about this claims to not know about it and divination magic confirms they are telling the truth.

Many creatures of the forest are being found petrified in stone. While mostly small animals like squirrels and beavers have been found, some elk have been found petrified, broken apart, and missing pieces.

A long-dormant treant of the forest has finally woken, speaking in an archaic language and heading out of the forest toward the nearest town. The other inhabitants of the forest have no idea where it is going or why.

A man is seen gracefully dancing on water as though it were land. Suddenly, a clawed hand reaches up out of the water and grabs him down by the leg and he screams out in horror.

People traveling near the forest claim to see a unicorn galloping out near the tree line. However according to legends, unicorns died out centuries ago and these sightings are dismissed as wild horses.

People trying to travel through the forest keep winding up turned around and back out where they started within minutes of entering. Their compasses and other navigation gear all spin around or otherwise go crazy inside.

Oversized insects are running amok, leaving the forest and then returning to it after they wreak havoc all over. A fairy was seen riding an oversized wasp among the swarm of bugs.

The underbrush grows around travelers, making travel difficult in the forest. Just last week someone was found dead, cocooned in flora, likely suffocated and crushed.

An ancient elf welcomes all who make it to his shanty in the forest, happily selling and exchanging magic items with them. Part of the deal always includes the customer giving up something they love or there is no deal.

Lizardfolk have started to invade the forest and their shamans have begun corrupting the land. Wherever the lizardfolk go the ground becomes swampy and marshlike and the flora warps to match the landscape.

An ornate archway was found seemingly out of place in the middle of a clearing. Getting close to it makes images of a ruined city flicker inside, giving just enough of a glimpse to make out some details of the ruins.

Legend says a hag lives deep in forest and will tell you your future in exchange for part of your soul. She apparently came to collect part of the local king’s son’s soul, leaving him in a coma and the king outraged.

It was discovered taking a dip into a specific part of a river in the forest turns you into an animal temporarily causing people to flock and try it. The last few have yet to change back even days after they turned and people are beginning to panic.

Elves in the forest say they noticed a change in their archfey’s demeanor and they are concerned. Their previously benevolent patron has been commanding them to prepare for war and slaughter and intruders, though not many have complied with her wishes.

Occasionally fey versions of different creatures make their way out of the forest, and the latest to be spotted are fey goblins. They have wings made of spider silk, large sharp teeth, and the same anger that fuels their normal kin.

The Earthstone, a magic artifact that provides magic to the forest, was stolen in the dead of night. Now the forest begins to wane in power and the need to recover the Earthstone is of dire importance to the forest’s inhabitants.

Lycanthropes reside deep in the forest, protecting themselves and others with their seclusion. Recently a werewolf was accused of murder in a nearby town and the militia has begun invading the forest to find the lycanthrope village.

The dryads of the forest are nowhere to be seen and the druids who visit them are losing power. The dryads were the source of the druids’ power and without them, the forest loses those who defend it.

The land throughout the forest rips and tears, revealing a river of lava that now flows through. Fire elementals make their way out attacking the forest and its inhabitant, but water, wind, and earth elementals fight back against their fiery kin.

Crystalline fungus has started growing, releasing tiny crystals instead of spores. When these crystals attach to living creatures they sap the energy from and cover people all over until they fall into a coma.

A second moon is visible only to those standing in the forest. When the moons align, a large magic circle is visible in the main clearing, but no one know what it is for or how to activate it.

As a defensive measure, the pixies have caused their villages to go invisible to protect them against the invading orcs. However, they now ambush any who come near, friend or foe in fear of being discovered and attacked.

All the lakes in the forest have frozen over despite the heat, and a mysterious cave has appeared in the center of the largest lake. Whispers of the “Frost Queen” echo throughout the forest, and slowly the rest of the forest begins to show signs of frost and the effects of cold weather.

Harpies have recently moved into the forest and are killing too many local fauna to sustain themselves. This is disrupting the ecology of the forest and many other creatures are beginning to go hungry or leave the forest.

After centuries of staying in and protecting the forest, the centaur tribes have finally resumed their nomadic patterns and are beginning to leave, leaving the other inhabitants of the forest susceptible to attack from hated foes.

#RPG #Dungeons and Dragons #adventure hooks

[corderis]

( happy birthday to kairi: a little taste of home! | @otlaw )

he approaches the youth with a faint smile playing upon his lips, and gives a small nod when she looks to him. "kairi." he greets with a small bow, hand over his heart. "i overheard the other cursebreakers talking--- its your birthday today, is it?" with the mantle of cid weighing heavy over him, clive did his best to keep the hideaway feeling both valued and closely-knit. and what better way to do that than acknowledging birthdays and anniversaries? reaching into his pocket, he procures a strange fruit he'd never heard of prior; a paopu fruit. a peculiar star-shaped fruit that was meant to hold some sort of power when shared. offering it to her, he smiles. "here. if i heard right, they're something from back home on the island, no?"

she hadn't intended to tell anyone of her upcoming birthday, but it had come up during one of her talks with sora & riku. she had intended it as a throwaway piece of information, a highlight to the way the ache of homesickness had suddenly increased. she hadn't thought that either of them had taken note, but she had been terribly wrong. the entire hideaway had seemed prepared for the day, & she'd gotten more sincere & kind well wishes than she had ever received back in sanbreque. so many of them had been spoken with a secretive tone alongside gazes measuring her up as if for some plan that she wasn't in on. it had left her with chills, even when she was small. here, she had been pulled into hugs, taught of birthday traditions she had never even heard of, & had even received a few gifts! it had made training with the other cursebreakers a bit chaotic, but they had all been dismissed from training early, laughing so hard that kairi's stomach had hurt & her breath had been coming out in sharp wheezes for several minutes afterwards. it was shortly after that clive approached, & she took notice of him at the call of her name. ❛ cid! ❜ she responded with a bow of her own ( hands at her side, bent at the waist, some habits died far too hard for her to fight against ).

his acknowledgment of the day was a bit of a surprise. he was a personable leader, seemingly in tune with every member of the hideaway, but she still felt surprised at being acknowledged. as well as a childlike excitement that reminded her of the way her grandmother smiled at her as she told her happy birthday or an older memory, nearly forgotten, of her being lifted onto the shoulders of a man who's face she could no longer remember but who's laughter rang bright in her ears & left behind a mix of hope & melancholy in her heart.

❛ it is! ❜ she finally responded, shaking off the feelings that had crept up on her in the moment. kairi was trying to find the words to explain, politely, that she hadn't intended to cause such a fuss about the day ( as though a part of her was worried she would get scolded for causing celebration ) but she never got the chance. instead, she was presented with a gift that made stillness wash over her, her gaze lingering on it as if she wasn't sure that it was real

❛ a paopu fruit! ❜ immediately she was swarmed by memories of trips taken to the island with the secret intention of honing her magic under the tutelage of her grandmother. spending time in the villages with the other children who played with her & taught her their stories & welcomed her back for each visit. year after year after year they returned throughout her childhood. ❛ i haven't seen one of these since... ❜ since the last visit she'd taken there, when her grandmother declared her trained well enough to hide her secret in plain sight. she offered no conclusion to her explanation, simply took the fruit with delicate fingers.

already, she had in mind friends she wanted to share it with. though the thought of asking brought a bit of pink to her cheeks, she knew she may not get another opportunity. rare fruits were already scarce from the blight. even if she could make it to the island, there was no guarantee she'd find one. the realization erased any thought of hesitation from her mind. though it was a legend, a superstition, she hoped they would take to it just as she had. kairi bowed to clive again ( a little sharper, a bit more respectful than her first one ).

❛ thank you, cid. ❜ she held the fruit close, taking in the sweet, nostalgic scent. ❛ this is so much more than just a gift. i'll use it well. ❜ to intertwine the destinies of her & the closest friends she'd made in the hideaway. ❛ i promise. ❜

#otlaw #[ and it gave me the chance to worldbuild a little hehe ] #[ this was so sweeeeeeeeeeeet ] #[ V ] ── * FFXVI ( the strength of your will ) #[ ❀ ] ── ` ASKS ( message in a bottle ) #[ ❀ ] ── ` KAIRI ANSWERS ( the princess' response )

[kayssweetdreams]

Maestro Hiccups 3: Chaos Incarnate Ch 44

You nod your head "Alright. It's adeal. Let's go!" You say. The magical Kaylo gives a growing smile, before she takes the scissors, and cut a long line down the middle of thin air, before a small portal appeared in front of you.

"Well, Let's go!" She says, grasping your hands and tugging you into the portal, Leo and Emma following suit. "Good Luck!" You hear Keys yell from the other side as you were being taken to who knows were to find Your Kaylo. You notice, that unlike Balan's form of transport, it didn't randomly reposition your limbs, and spontaneously turned your head into a grape, this felt more like zooming through reality at the speed of light, and it felt like literal eons pass in a second.

Once you were on the other side, you see a a large, but colorful house in front of you. "Welcome to the Encanto. A small village created from a miracle...A miracle owned by a greedy and toxic old hag." She said, muttering the last part very quietly, with a disdainful look on her face. You were about to ask who this 'Old Hag' was, but suddenly, you felt rumbling, and turn around to see where it could be coming from.

To your horror, you see that it's another large tsunami of Balan's crazed magic, quickly warping and transforming anything in it's path. Almost instantly, the other Kaylo's hair starts to move and twist, before forming a perfect ball around all of you just as the magic hits. You can feel the rumbling still outside, as it shakes the world around you...and then it stops.

Leo peeks out of Kaylo's hair shield, and sees what has become of the world Around you. "Hey...nothing happened!" He exclaimed. The pink haired shield slowly unraveled, and you can see that the town looked exactly the same. Sure the plants had began to over take the town as if no one had been in its houses for years, but other than that...it looked perfectly normal. You raised an eyebrow at the strange sight, knowing that Balan's chaotic magic DID hit the town, but what could have happened?

Kaylo then flies to one of the windows "Mira? Mirabel? Are you in there?" She asked, opening the window, and stepping into the house. You hear her footsteps hitting the wood, but then you realize something...wouldn't people have come out of there homes? Or wouldn't there have been screaming and panicking? That's when it hits you. The hiccups DID affect something: the PEOPLE.

"Oh Mirabel! What happened to you?!" You hear Kaylo shout. The pink haired girl floats out of the room and is holding a small pin cushion, needle, and thread. To your surprise, the head in the pin cushion, and the needle and thread combine to form a small body. "Hey Kaylo...that wave sure did do a number on me huh..." The pin cushion said "I'll say. Hey uh...Mirabel? Did you happen to see a girl that looked like me? But with no powers?"" Kaylo asked.

The pin cushion nodded "Yeah actually, she just disappeared before you guys got here, and before that big wave of magic turned me into...this." She said. "Well, if she's not here we have to keep looking." Kaylo said, turning to you for the map again. "Mirabel? Would you like to come with us?" She asked "Well...Sure. it beats hearing my family blame me...again." she said in a sad tone.

Kaylo casts a dirty look at the colorful house before cutting open another portal "After you." she says, gesturing you to go in first. You take a deep breath before you walk inside of the portal, with Leo and Emma following, and Kaylo jumping in last (but not before she flipped off the house and screamed some...rather colorful language at it).

The 5 of you continue your search for Your Kaylo, through the other worlds, but she seems to disappear just before another wave of Balan's Magic to crash into that world, causing it to become warped and just as chaotic as Wonderworld.

One world had gigantic robots from a planet called "Cybertron" before they became toy sized by Balan's Hiccups, while another world held a foster home for Imaginary Friends, before all of them human, and the "reality" of that world was shifted to fit a child's wildest Fantasy. There was a world that seemed to hold a small and colorful neighborhood before it became a large and smoggy metropolis, while another world contained a small planet that resembled Earth...before the planet was turned inside out.

Soon you were all getting tired of chasing down Your Kaylo, knowing that she was jutting across the Multiverse too fast for you to keep up with her. "We'll never be able to catch her at this rate." Leo moaned, flopping down on the ground. The magical Kaylo seems to agree with his sentiment. "You've got a point...It looks like we'll need a little more help." She says, bringing out a small glass circle, with a moon in it. She held it between both of her hands as she seemed to talk to it "Collector? I need a favor." She said.

After she said that, a small star shaped portal appeared, and a young boy with star themed clothing appeared. "Hey Kaylo! What do you need?" He asked her. "Well...there's another me being shot across the Multiverse, and I was wondering if you could help me catch her." Kaylo replied. The collector got a thoughtful look "Sure! But what's in it for me?" He asked, causing her to sweatdrop. "Um...Well, Balan has the hiccups, and it's causing his magic to go haywire and mess up worlds around the Multiverse, and Y/N needs to find the other Kaylo before Reality tears itself apart." She says.

The collector however, doesn't seem to be satisfied with the answer "A-And maybe Y/N Might wanna play with you for a little bit!" She offered. Now the collector looked interested. "Hmm...OK!" He says, before Kaylo jumps in front of him again "T-That is...of Y/N consents. I can't just hand them off." She says.

The two of them look at you, and you look at the both of them. You know that catching Kaylo's dimension hopping form was important to make Balan's cure...but how exactly strong WAS this collector person? And if you did take the deal...what could he do

#Balan Wonderworld #Encanto #Transformers #A Hat in Time #Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends #Welcome Home