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rogueyami · 4 years

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Haikyuu!! Fic Recs

I love reading fanfics, and I have so many bookmarked that I want to share. Hope you all enjoy and give these writers all the love. All of these are completed works, and they are a mixture of one shots and multi chaps.

Kagehina

where the night goes by bigspoonnoya (M)

Summary:

When their bond loses the immediate context of volleyball, they're left to consider why it's still so vital and important.

Meeting again, by chance, six years later.

Somewhere to Belong by Esselle (E)

Summary:

Once a year, all the villages that follow the way of the sun offer up one of their own to be taken to the sun god's divine temple. Kageyama Tobio, an orphan and loner, never wanted to be chosen—and until the sun god appeared, no one ever wanted to choose him, either. All Tobio wants is to find a place he fits in. What he actually gets is another story entirely.

by this time next year by reeology (T)

Summary:

"I got offers from two universities," Kageyama announces, pointing at his chest with his thumb. "I'm going to play volleyball at Keio this spring."

"You still have to pass an exam, even if it's an easy one," Takeda-sensei hurries to add, although he is beaming and bursting with pride at his fluffy little crow chick taking off to play volleyball at a university level.

"I'll pass," Kageyama says with the same kind of confidence he uses when he tells Hinata he'll get the toss to him. He looks straight at Hinata, and Hinata jerks and turns red, wondering if maybe Kageyama knew he was daydreaming about something as stupid as the way Kageyama talks to him during a game. But then Kageyama just points at him and says, "You'd better get in, too."

Hinata, stupid, naive, idiot that he is, grins wide and nods and says, "Yeah!"

He doesn't know what he's in for.

Not Alone by seconddaysea (E)

Summary:

"I'll visit you," Hinata says. "So you're not allowed to get lonely, you got it?" He turns so they're facing each other, hands warm against Tobio's back. "I'm already lonely," he replies quietly, and he presses his face against Hinata's heart, squeezing his eyes shut, because if this is a dream he doesn't want to wake up.

maps, from me to you by tothemoon (T)

Summary:

This is a (non-chronological) account of the memories they make out of millimeters.

Iwaoi

we can do better than that by spaceburgers (M)

Summary:

Oikawa and Iwaizumi go on a road trip during the summer after their high school graduation. It doesn't go as expected, but maybe that's not such a bad thing after all.

we shine like diamonds by whiitemists (T)

Summary:

Oikawa is nine when he first hears the word. The boys on the playground whisper it like it's dirty, like the way they daringly mutter the word fuck and then look over their shoulders to check their parents hadn't heard.

"You know Abe-kun from class?" they snicker, hands cupped around their mouths like they're passing along a filthy secret. "I hear his older brother is... gay."

here comes your man by newamsterdam (T)

Summary:

Iwaizumi’s left his cell phone on the bench, and while Suga keeps his gaze away from Iwaizumi the phone lights up with a new message.

Iwa-chan, it reads, Have a good day today! Good luck! <3 <3 <3

Suga chokes. It’s hard to imagine anyone calling the scowling and fierce Doctor Iwaizumi “Iwa-chan.” But marriage probably comes with all sorts of liberties.

Mrs. Iwaizumi must be quite the doting wife, Suga thinks. Delivering hand-made bentos and sending along loving messages.

No one really knows much about the new surgical resident, Doctor Iwaizumi, other than the fact that he's married. Suga's determined to find out more, and make a friend of him in the process.

just hear me out by loveclouds (T)

Summary:

To stimulate Japan's low birthrates and take most of the guesswork out of dating, a beeper system was biologically developed in people's wrists, an audible confirmation to show romantic compatibility.

Iwaizumi's beeper has been going off for Oikawa since they've been kids. Oikawa's has only ever been silent.

Call Security! by DeathBelle (T)

Summary:

Oikawa Tooru is attractive, charming, and irresistible.

He thinks so, anyway, until he meets the mall's new security guard.

In which Oikawa has a crush, Iwaizumi has no interest, and a chain of shoplifting incidents brings them together.

Bokuaka

(Don't) Touch Me by DeathBelle (E)

Summary:

Akaashi has always had an aversion to human contact, but earlier in his life it had been bearable. It isn't until his last year of high school that it becomes intolerable. By the time he enters college, any skin contact has the potential to send him spiraling into a breathtaking panic attack.

He reconnects with Bokuto in college, and he seems to be the only person with the ability to calm Akaashi down. He finds himself relying on his old captain more and more, especially when Bokuto deems himself Akaashi's own personal guardian. Despite their connection, he can't touch Bokuto, either; no matter how badly he'd like to.

Upstairs by yoogiboobi (E)

Summary:

Bokuto first sees his neighbour at the supermarket, three days after he's moved into his new place.

[...]

For about a second, a heartbeat, he's met with a pair of dark, piercing eyes, with what is probably eyeliner, looking back at him. It really is just a split second before his hand knocks down three cereal boxes that hit him square in the head, effectively making him break eye contact and drop his groceries to the floor.

In which some of the first things Bokuto learns about his upstairs neighbour are the colour of his eyes and the sound of his moans.

bang! now we're even by Authoress (E)

Summary:

Akaashi only has two rules when it comes to his profession. One, complete the job as swiftly and cleanly as possible. Two, never trust anyone who smells like blood.

Rule three is to shoot Owl Eyes in the face should he ever come across him, but Akaashi never tells anyone about that one.

Crisis Converted by valiantarmor (E)

Summary:

Akaashi Keiji is just a normal cop with a penchant for getting himself into trouble, when quite suddenly he finds himself with a big promotion and a brand new partner.

But his habit of finding trouble hasn't gone away -- if anything, it's only gotten worse.

cracks in the pavement will lead you home by deusreks (M)

Summary:

Bokuto often thinks about Akaashi, especially when he’s running. It’s like his legs know where they’re supposed to take him. He grows into a habit of running a lot, just to keep that feeling going. Cracks and holes in the pavement aren’t fun to jump over if the final reward isn’t seeing Akaashi’s face.

An alternate universe with a little bit of magic and a lot of growing up.

Ushiten

died in my dreams by MTrash (Makaria) (T)

Summary:

If anyone asked Ushijima how it came to this, he wouldn’t be able to formulate a proper answer.

Ushijima likes his quiet, his order, and his solitude. That is, until a loud, talkative and a little chaotic cyber tech convinces him that that's just plain boring.

while i nodded, nearly napping (suddenly there came a tapping) by pseudoanalytics (T)

Summary:

Of course if there was one thing that could be counted on, it was Ushijima’s blunt, total honesty. “Do you think Tendou is attracted to me?”

Reon froze. “T-Tendou?”

“Yes.”

Tendou was notoriously hard to read, but Reon kind of figured that he wasn’t the type to be anything less than painfully overt with romantic affections.

“I... I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I think if Tendou was attracted to you, he would let you know,” Reon said. “I'd guess he just considers you his best friend.” He hoped his answer would satisfy whatever frenzy the guy had worked himself into so Reon could finally take advantage of his last precious hours of sleep.

But instead, Ushijima visibly deflated in front of him. “Yes. That’s what I thought too,” he said miserably.

Oh, Reon realized. Oh no...

Executive Excursion by DeathBelle (E)

Summary:

Tendou is fun, quirky, and interesting.

Ushijima is none of the above.

It's no surprise that Ushijima is drawn to Tendou's magnetic personality. What's surprising is that Tendou seems to like Ushijima, too.

With a little support from his coworkers, Ushijima decides to take a chance and ask Tendou on a date. The results are better than expected.

fascinating facts about geckos by miracleboysatori (T)

Summary:

Ushijima Wakatoshi.

That’s the coach’s name. And he’s the new biology teacher on campus, so not only is he incredibly beautiful, he's also smart as hell.

Tendou can tell he’s completely doomed.

Affection, and other Quantifiable Actions by badbavarois (T)

Summary:

(He's a monster) Ushijima Wakatoshi isn't a monster.

Misc/ Other ships

but not for spring to well up by tookumade (T) OsaSuna

Summary:

After ending a relationship with a fiancé, Suna returns home and tries to heal from heartbreak. Here, he finds friends in the form of the Miya brothers, and learns patience, forgiveness, and what happiness means to him.

the more things change by deadseasalt (E) OiKage

Summary:

“So let me get this straight. You went to the Meiji-Chuo game and saw your old crush and after watching Meiji bring Chuo to a crushing defeat, you realized you were still crushing on him big time?”

Kageyama wishes he could spit in Tsukishima’s drink. “It’s not a crush.”

Tsukishima laughs. “You poor dumb fuck.”

Third Impression by DeathBelle (E) Kuroo x Semi

Summary:

If Semi has a type, Kuroo isn't it.

After their first meeting, Semi concludes that Kuroo is smug, presumptuous, and a little too flirtatious for his own good. Their second encounter doesn't change his mind, and Semi does his best to avoid a third.

Kuroo has other ideas, and Semi finds himself tricked into an impromptu tutoring session with Kuroo himself.

It doesn't go as badly as Semi expects.

Mannequin Men by surveycorpsjean (E) BokuAkaKuroTsukki

Summary:

The modeling world is full of hungry wolves, constantly clambering over the other, snarling and desperate. They fight, and they kill, trampling over anything in their path.

In this case, Akaashi fell in love with the wolves.

Efflorescence by h_lovely (E) MatsuHana

Summary:

"Are we flirting?" "Do you want to be?"

[Efflorescence (n.) a state of blooming, flowering, and development.]

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peachcitt · 3 years

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shadow and bone netflix series analysis

what up besties i said as a joke that i wanted to do an analysis post on the changes made in the s&b netflix series from the grishaverse books, and then i realized i wasn't joking and that i actually wanted to do that

it's finals season, i am an undergraduate english major, i have had about five hours of sleep within the past forty eight hours, and believe it or not i am doing this analysis as a fun reward for finishing a research paper. i am putting this out here for you so you can decide if these are the kinds of vibes you want right now.

structure of the analysis will be vaguely as follows:

changes made, in chronological order (or as best as chronology i can do under the circumstances and doing absolutely zero fact checking)

analysis of change when looking at the themes of the books which will include my personal feelings

personal theories (if any) derived from the change for the trajectory of the netflix series

so, like, long post warning. also spoiler warning for the netflix series as well as probably most, if not all, grishaverse books

now let's get this baby started

alina's appearance and shu heritage

so the series starts right off the bat acknowledging alina's shu appearance and the in-world racism and prejudice she's experienced because of it, which was not in the books. however i found alina's shu appearance to be completely in line with the book's themes. alina was already isolated at keramzin and the army because of her sickliness, and she's isolated at the little palace because of her power and her awkwardness. so purposefully making her shu was, i felt, a nice world-building decision as well as a new and interesting layer to her character. also, it's always nice to see diversity in media, so i have literally no qualms with this change

in terms of the rest of the series, the grishaverse is a very politically-motivated story. there's a lot of in-universe politics that happens in the shadow and bone trilogy and especially in the king of scars duology, and i think if the series chooses to extend into/include the king of scars duology story (which, i really hope it will), alina being shu (or at least part shu) will be very interesting to see considering king of scars and rule of wolves deal with negotiations and treaties with shu han. i think also having alina be shu and someone who has experienced countless amounts of in-world racism become a saint, seeing how she and the rest of ravka navigate her identity and identity politics will be really interesting. generally speaking, i just really hope the later parts of the series really delve into alina's identity, what it means to be a saint and also "look like the enemy," and the ravkan people's mixed feelings about her

alina's sickliness/childhood relationship with mal

in the books, alina is described as thin, always having trouble sleeping, hardly ever hungry, and sickly looking because, as we learn later, of her constantly unconsciously repressing her grisha abilities. this is part of the reason she's isolated at keramzin in the books; she's sickly and awkward and no one bothers with her except mal - because they're the same age and mal is strong enough to defend her from the older orphans at keramzin. however, the show doesn't really delve into the effects of what suppressing her abilities do to her except for a few offhand lines (alina angrily saying "im never that sick" when mal suggests she say she's stick to stop from going into the fold, mentions of her larger appetite when they're on the run in the woods). instead, the show kind of flips alina and mal's childhood personalities; mal is depicted as shy and easily picked on, and alina is the protector.

i'll just say it: this change fucks so hard. i love it. i think it says such wonderful things about their characters, and i like that alina begins the series as someone incapable of turning a blind eye to bullies and someone who cares very fiercely for the people she loves (not that that isn't the case in the books - i just think this change does a great job of looking directly at it in the way that shows have to). i think it's easy to root for her, and it's easy to see how she will become a saint to the people. in addition to that, i love what this is saying about alina and mal's characters and how they grow up; that separation from alina caused mal to have to face his own problems head on in traditionally masculine ways (because that was what ana kuya criticizes him in the show for; for always running from fights and being too soft, and i think it's really telling that our first view of mal as a kid, im pretty sure, is gingerly holding a bunny which portrays feminine caregiving and then we jump cut to mal fighting in a dirty boxing ring in the first army, something gritty and masculine). masculine ways that he had to be indoctrinated into and that may not actually be in his natural disposition.

meanwhile, separation from mal meant alina no longer had to be a dominant protector, and she does not connect with anyone in the first army as strongly as she connected with mal, so she doesn't really feel the need to be as aggressive as she was as a child. however, you can see that quiet protectiveness spark up at times - notably when people other than herself are picked on, such as at the food line when she claims not to know the others in the cartography unit so they don't get penalized along with her. i do wish, however, elements of her sickliness had been emphasized a little more in the show because of grisha theory, which i will talk about in another section.

first entry into the fold

okay i will be honest. this change is probably the one that scared me the most when seeing it in the trailers, and i am kind of still iffy on it now. in the books, alina's first journey into the fold and the inciting moment for the entire series is just luck and orders. everyone in the first army has to go through the fold at some point, and it just so happens to be alina and mal's time to go through. however, in the show alina is not initially assigned to go into the fold, but mal is, and alina goes out of her way to make sure that she gets on the skiff so that mal won't have to go alone/without her. there's this level of 'choice' (or at least the illusion of it) in the show in terms of alina and mal getting onto the skiff and going into the fold; at one point or the other they both try to tell the other not to get on the skiff and just choose something else.

the thing that irks me the most is alina's stubborn "i'll make it" line that she tells mal after she's on the skiff. it screams 'fantasy dystopian protagonist' (divergent is the first to come to mind for some reason) in a way that alina never comes across in the books. alina never chooses to make her life more difficult - she's always given two terrible options and has to take the option that fits with her morals or her perception of the power she needs to surivive and win the fight. but i know the only reason alina goes out of her way to get on the skiff is because she's separated from mal, which aligns nicely with the protective nature the show has inscribed on her.

the thing that redeems this change for me is that when alina tries to get just herself onto the skiff (by burning the maps to ensure that she has a purpose there), she ends up endangering the lives of her entire cartography unit. this keeps with the theme of a whole lot of alina's later decisions throughout the books affecting so many more people than just her, and i like that this is a lesson that she learns very early on. this change also seems to be a trade out for the final entering-the-fold scene, but i'll talk about that later.

alexei

here he is, the lynchpin himself. in the books, alexei is dry and rude in a funny way with alina, and they have this really great banter at the beginning of the novel, and then he's, like, the first to get carried off by volcra. very harrowing in the book, i loved it. in the show, alexei's character is a little (a lot) different - he's naive and blunt in a silly way, and he very obviously has a crush on alina. instead of being carried off by volcra in the show, though, he jumps off the skiff and runs blind into the fold - committing what we think at the time is an act of suicide - which was extremely harrowing to see in a completely different way, and i loved it. even if they changed alexei's personality i still love him (and his death) dearly

so as previously mentioned, alexei acts as the lynchpin between the six of crows plot and the shadow and bone plot; he manages to escape the fold alive, and makes it all the way to ketterdam to tell a select few people the legendary sun summoner is alive WHICH. okay ive just decided that's my next topic. anyway back to alexei.

his death in ketterdam is awful because of the personality change, which is why i don't mind missing bitchy alexei from the book; his hopeful little "if i tell you, you'll set me free?" that pulls at your heart and also tells you immediately that he is going to die as soon as he tells everyone what he say is done so well. i also like that through treatment of alexei, we get some characterization of the crows; inej immediately gives him water and glares at the mercher in quiet rage on his cruel treatment, kaz doesn't flinch when alexei is killed but inej and jesper do. i also thought it was interesting to have the mercher (dreeson was his name i believe) to be the one to get his hands 'dirty' and actually be the one to shoot alexei because in six of crows, there is always the sense that the merchers are cruel and conniving, but that they very carefully keep the death of the poor and the grisha off their own hands. im wondering if this hands-on killing is a dreeson-specific trait, or if this more hands-on cruelty will be explored more in other mercher characters we meet, like van eck.

sun summoner legend

this change is so?? i don't really know what to think of it. narratively, it makes sense in the show to have this legend be in place so that alina's importance is immediately recognized by people across the different countries.

however in the books, no one really expected alina. her presence wasn't foretold or divine (at first) or fate in any way. she became a saint because i think in part people weren't expecting her, and once they saw what she could do, they wanted to believe in her abilities so bad they made her divine. this change was also weird to me having just finished rule of wolves where zoya (i think) reflects on amazing things that have happened throughout the story and she notes that alina was not some sort of legend that people were expecting - none of what happened was. everything that happened from alina to nina's miracles in king of scars to zoya's expanded abilities by the end of rule of wolves to the "age of saints." all of those things were just chance people being in chance situations that all slid together in a strange, amazing coincidence. they got lucky.

and i think, at the center of the books, is this kind of purposeful disillusionment of the saints and religion, what with the main character of the original trilogy literally becoming a saint and yet never truly feeling saint-ly or being perfectly divine. the sun summoner legend the show brings up seems to depart from this. it'll be interesting to see what the show does with the legend and how alina feels about it as she fulfills it, and im honestly hoping that we'll find out later in the series that the legend was actually just some poor guy a few hundred years ago making something up to give people hope.

the crows timeline/characterization

in the books, the six of crowd ice court heist happens three years after the events of the final book of the shadow and bone trilogy. but obviously the timelines are smushed together for the show to create a new and different direction for their story and also, as we see at the end of the season, a new and different direction for alina's story as well

ive also seen bardugo say that because of the converging time lines, the grishaverse story will not take seven seasons (one season per book in the grishaverse) to get through. for this reason, im thinking that the parem story/ice court heist will begin if/when we get season 2. given that parem is a big part of kos/row, i see a crows and nikolai interaction happening in season 2 that sparks a beginning discussion on parem.

but back to the crows characterization! the crows are completely in character for me in almost every way, and i found the interactions between kaz, inej, and jesper to be very in character. however kaz's plan to capture alina doesn't work out almost at all which is something that he definitely wouldn't have let happen in the books. im chalking this up to the converging timelines - these crows are baby crows. they're young, a little less experienced, and they haven't gotten their groove on heists (and they don't have the rest of their crew) yet. but i anticipate seeing more crows-classic successful heists in season 2.

there are a couple of things i want to talk about each crow, so it's subtopic time

nina and matthias

perfect. their interactions were almost always word-for-word from the book. i can't remember if matthias had actually been the one to actually catch nina in the book, but if not, then it was a nice touch. it was interesting to see that both of them were so willing to be traitors of their country for each other in the show, because even when they're in a romantic relationship outside of fjerda and ravka in the book, they struggle with even the idea of betraying their country.

i like how they changed nina and matthias' "escape" from fjerda to ravka, and how nina explicitly betrayed grisha she knew to their faces. im interested to see how they'll integrate her back into the second army, or if they even will do that. also, i like that fedyor slowed matthias' heart to make him pass out before he sees the other grisha, so it was easy to understand how matthias could've thought it was nina deceiving him all along. their confrontation in the boat was (chef's kiss), and the horror on nina's face as she realized that this situation she put him in won't be as easily solvable as she thought was just wonderful.

jesper

perfect. i love him. and the coy little hints that he's a fabrikator were so good. also the line in the very beginning where he asks for a demo man, which foreshadows wylan was very nice. the only thing out of character is one time kaz asks him to be a distraction and show jesper claims that being a handsome distraction is not part of his talents. it literally is, why did they make him lie.

inej

literally so so good. i love that we meet her while she still has her oath not to take lives; we get to see her develop and learn that sometimes death is necessary, but that she still isn't yet comfortable with killing. on some level, she never will be, and i think that was a perfect place to start her character. however, i am confused about the show giving her a brother. where is he. is he going to be important?? why is he here???? i can't even make any solid predictions about him because inej having a brother came straight out of fucking left field. here's one flimsy prediction based on nothing at all: inej's brother is grisha and is an indentured servant. may also be involved in the parem plot, or works at the white rose where nina will befriend him and connect with the rest of the six because of him. who fucking knows

kaz

i already kind of went over their disaster plan that still somehow worked out for him, but i love literally everything else they did with kaz. the refusal to show his bare hands was literally art!! we got that tease in the first episode and the camera pans up as soon as the gloves come off. that was perfection - as well as the intimacy and trust portrayed between kaz and inej without them ever touching. i also loved the hints and nudges for his story with pekka - the way he always says his name with obvious distaste, and when we see him interact with pekka for the first time on screen. how he asks if they've ever made a deal before and pekka just goes "nah" and kaz just glares at him. perfect. and i also think the show really leaned in to the soft parts of kaz that inej sees in him, especially when he basically said she (and jesper) meant more to him than any saint?? oh my GOD. i kind of like this honest departure from kaz's book "greed is my god edgy edgy blah blah" especially when he's afraid he'll lose inej. i also think it'd be funny if we hear kaz say "greed is my god" and be edgy about it with us AND inej knowing that is superficial because of what he told her. that would be hilarious.

pekka, tante heleen, per haskell

these three aren't part of the six, but they are part of the original six of crows story and i still wanted to talk about my opinions on them, so they're going here.

i fucking loved pekka, how ruthless he was, and his irish accent. that was wonderful. because of how fucking hands-on and brutal he was, though, i wonder if they're going to keep the jakob hertzoon piece of kaz's origin story the same, because this pekka was so good at being violent that it was hard to picture him even pretending to be a benevolent benefactor to orphans. he is a dilf, though. i am not afraid to admit that.

my only problem with tante heleen is that her actress looked too nice. like she might bake me cookies and offer me a ride home from school. total milf as well but not in the scary sexy way that she was in the books. she had smile lines, she was so dainty, she seemed so genuine. i want to see her be a little more cruel.

per haskell, the actual gang leader of the crows, is not in the show at all. it seems as though the show made kaz the official boss of the crows while he is only second in command in the book. this makes me wonder how they'll handle or if they'll even include that fucking awesome scene in crooked kingdom of kaz earning the gang's trust over haskell. it would be weird to introduce per haskell in season 2 when he wasn't even mentioned in season 1, but it wouldn't be altogether terrible considering the crows spent very little time in ketterdam this season. however, this makes me wonder if, when kaz was away on his little saint pilgrimage (i am calling it that specifically because i know it would piss him off) someone else stepped in as "boss" of the crows. in the show, kaz also leverages the deed of the crow club in order to be able to take inej with him, and presumably the jewels alina gives him will solve that problem, but what would happen if any of the crows find out he made that deal? would he still have to earn the gang's trust back in a show of power and respect like in crooked kingdom? much to think about.

mal

back to the shadow and bone story, ive already briefly (not really briefly) gone over mal characterization alongside alina, but i want to mention how the show includes his perspective alongside alina's and how important that is. the shadow and bone trilogy is told entirely from alina's perspective, and alina is in some ways an unreliable narrator. she tends to think of her relationships and feelings as one sided unless her friend/love interest is looking her in the eye and telling her exactly how they feel about her. the one exception is genya, and that sort of bites her in the ass until it doesn't, but i digress. the point is, the only mal perspective we get in the books is alina's perception of mal, and the bonus content of the "lost" letter he'd written to her while looking for the stag in fjerda. granted, that letter says a lot about mal and how he feels about alina, so if you didn't take the time to read the letter when reading the book, chances are you weren't so hot on mal unless you have sexy critical reading skills like me (or just really love the childhood best friends to lovers trope).

getting all the gritty, messy details of how hard mal is trying to get back to alina in the show makes him so much more of a sympathetic character than he may have seemed at first glance for the majority of shadow and bone from alina's perspective. the show really stresses that the bond alina and mal have is mutual and powerful, and i think that's fucking perfect, actually.

this point was really driven home during the episode we see that mal has a matching scar on his palm that is related to alina, just like how alina has a mal-related scar on her palm. that scene in the brig was so good, especially when they ask each other what they're in for, and alina says "the usual," and after a pause, mal replies "the usual" as well. he could be lying because he knows she would feel bad if she was the reason he chose to stir trouble to go to the brig, but he could also be saying that he usually actively chooses to be sent to the brig for defending alina or because alina is usually already there and he wants to be with her. knowing that and then seeing alina have the scar on her palm erased was. fucking devastating (in a good-ish way), and im kind of hoping alina either chooses to have the tailoring removed so she can see the scar again or injures her hand in a mal-related injury so they can match again :(

i have more to say about mal, but i'll save it for the grisha theory/amplifier section

the darkling

overall, darkling portrayal was very spot on, but i didn't really like how he just. gave alina his name so early on. in the books im quite certain he doesn't give alina his first name until the third book? regardless, he doesn't give it to her until they've fought and been enemies for a while. theoretically, kirigan giving his real name to alina so early could be a manipulation tactic (like his moments of 'vulnerability' and 'weakness' with alina in the book), especially because we lose that 'heart to heart' by the campfire after the darkling rescues alina from the fjerdans where alina first starts to see the darkling as human.

i also thought it was interesting that alina kisses kirigan first - in the books they're actually having a serious discussion (i can't remember what about, but when she realizes the darkling is Not Good, she remembers the first time they kissed as a thing he possibly did to distract her from thinking her own thoughts), and the darkling interrupts her with a kiss sexy enough for her to forget what's going on. the show however chooses to do a girlboss she-can-move-on-if-she-wants-to moment which is pretty cool and let's be honest, if you like men and ben barnes is right in front of you giving you Sexy Eyes a whole lot, you are going to want to kiss him. that scene where they get interrupted during a steamy kiss, and they laugh and kirigan leaves the frame just to rush back for one last kiss? that nearly fucking converted me. that was really sweet actually. the show does a fantastic job of showing how captivating kirigan's interest can be.

last note about the kirigan for this section - isn't kirigan the name of the guy who owns the guilded bog for nikolai in kos/row? i can't be sure because i don't have my book with me and i refuse to look up information when i have gone this entire post without looking anything up, but if his name isn't kirigan it's pretty fucking close. i don't know what that means, but i don't think bardugo is the type to name characters similar names for no reason. we'll know for sure if/when the guilded bog is introduced.

zoya

most of zoya's portrayal is really in line with her character and her development throughout the shadow and bone trilogy as well as king of scars and rule of wolves. i think the show did a great job of showing how zoya was in the darkling/kirigan's favor for a while before alina arrived and how she resents alina at first for causing her to not be the darkling's favorite anymore. in addition to that, knowing we find out she is part suli in row makes her casting so much better, and i like that we get to see a little more of her personality in the show than we do in the book shadow and bone. of course we see more of her in siege and storm/ruin and rising, but it's nice to have her become a sympathetic character through the knowledge that she has family in novokribirsk and that she purposefully mans skiffs to see them before she fully sides with alina.

the one thing that made me. just confused was zoya calling alina a "half-breed" at the little palace?? it was so out of place (that particular part of the insult; im pretty sure the other thing she said was very much exactly what she said in the book. some insult about orphans i think), especially knowing that zoya herself is a "half-breed," so that didn't make sense to me.

however, i was glad to see alina immediately embrace zoya as an ally - because she knows from the start of zoya's alliance that she had family that kirigan killed. in the books, alina's parentage is not at all important, and their deaths are never specified to matter, but the show points out from the very beginning that alina's parents were swallowed by the fold. i think this makes alina's immediate compassion and forgiveness of zoya make sense, and it was also very sweet and a little funny to see alina pull zoya into a hug that she so obviously does not expect or want to express as something she wants. it was perfect.

east vs west ravka civil war

i don't have much to say about this except it makes kirigan's actions at the fold seem a little better. not great, not by any means, but knowing that the leader of a growing coup was right on the other side really cements in the idea that kirigan is doing this for what he thinks is the greater good of ravka. im pretty sure in the original trilogy, there was also some tension between east and west ravka, but none of it comes to a head until the events of kos/row. great set up for future ravkan tensions in future seasons.

david and genya & fedyor and ivan

before we get into the last meat and potatoes of this post, i want to talk about love because it's a little bit of a break. take this time to stop reading, stretch, relax your jaw, straighten your back, drink water, etc. you've been here a while. you deserve it

okay so first fedyor and ivan. in the books, fedyor and ivan are just bros (i don't even remember them ever really interacting?) but in the show it is heavily implied they are dating. this is so funny to me, and i love it so much. especially because ivan was in a het relationship with marie in the books (but because the show kills marie off before she dies in the books, obviously that is not happening), so they really just decided that ivan and fedyor were gay for seemingly no reason. except i think ivan died on the skiff during the final battle in the show which is kind of a bummer because he lives through to ruin and rising and has an... interesting arc. fedyor, i think, dies in the battle of the little palace in siege and storm, but i wonder what they'll do with this relationship in next seasons. maybe fedyor will take ivan's place as grieving boyfriend with ptsd, but im not sure. i honestly don't even know for certain if ivan dies in the show, so we'll see.

as for genya and david, i would just like to point out the little hints of mutual affection. in the books, it's kind of implied that genya had feelings for david first and he didn't realize his own feelings until after she's scarred by the darkling, but in the show we see david actually looking at genya during the winter fete! like looking, appreciating the view! i loved the show choosing to include that small amount of mutuality, and after finishing rule of wolves it definitely made me feel some type of way. david and genya. i love them, they're perfect.

grisha theory/amplifiers

we're nearing the final stretch in this post, however, i have a lot to say about grisha theory and amplifiers, and i also have a lot to say for the battle of the fold so this "final stretch" will probably be. a very long stretch.

so obviously because of the nature of books and narrative writing, there was a lot of space within the shadow and bone book to go over the grisha theory alina was learning at her time in the little palace in great detail, however in the show we hardly even get any grisha theory at all. the little we get is actually from the apparat. im not sure if we get anything from bhagra. i don't even think we get the phrase "like calls to like" which is the most basic piece of grisha theory throughout the entire grishaverse.

i am definitely. bitter about this. i obviously didn't want huge long meditations on grisha theory in the show, but pretty much the whole time alina was at the little palace, i felt like she had so much time free time to wander around the palace, hang out with nadia and marie, daydream about mal and kirigan. don't get me wrong - those are all valuable activities - but i feel like it missed the point of alina's time at the little palace. she felt isolated there; yes, she had nadia and marie, but she couldn't share with them everything she was going through because she didn't want anyone to truly know how difficult mastering her abilities were. and because she was so isolated, she throws herself into grisha theory, especially during the times in which she can't summon her abilities by herself. this is when she learns about why she's been so sickly her whole life (because she has not used her abilities, and grisha derive some form of life force and energy from using their abilities), all about amplifies, and other really cool world-building for grisha abilities and culture. instead, it was difficult to tell (at least for me) in the show if the palace and the little palace were even different places while in the books the little palace was such a whimsical, ancient, and magical place for alina compared to the gaudiness of the main palace.

the collar

anyway, complaints about architecture and alina's subpar theory education aside, the little bit of grisha theory we get is from the apparat when he talks about ilya morozova and the three amplifiers he was attempting to make during his lifetime. when the apparat is describing amplifiers, it almost seems like amplifers - not just morozova's inventions - are super rare in the world of the show. amplifiers are relatively rare in the books, obtained by only some of the most powerful grisha (zoya, ivan, alina), but they still exist. from what we've seen of zoya and ivan, they didn't seem to have amplifiers on their person, so it looks like alina is unique not only in getting an amplifier from one of morozova's beasts, but also in just getting an amplifier in general, which is a little weird.

EDIT: thanks to @laelipoo for pointing out that zoya is actually shown to have what looks like a tiger’s tooth embedded in the skin of her wrist in the first episode! so okay this shows that powerful grisha still have amplifiers in the world of the show, but this probably suggests that instead of being pieces of jewelry like in the books, they act more as body modifications, which is really interesting. if im not mistaken, ivan’s amplifier is a necklace in the book, so maybe his show-amplifier would’ve been embedded in the skin of his chest. regardless, i’d still like to see more discussion on how amplifiers in the show work - which, now that we know zoya most probably has an amplifier, we might get to see with her becoming more prevalent of a character in the projected arcs of the show (both shadow and bone trilogy as well as kos/row)

i can't remember if morozova was ever referred to as "the bonesmith" (i feel like he has been, but not in the way the apparat refers to him in the show), but i feel as though that was a kind of. foreshadowing for how we would see the stag amplifier work later in the show. in the book, the stag's antlers are a literal collar around alina's neck that remains there until she loses her abilities, so the metaphor of being "owned" by the darkling is definitely there. it never stops being there until she loses the ability that makes her his mirror and his tool. however, in the show we definitely. do not get that.

so i've seen some people say that they hate the design of the stag collar, and i cannot say i was a huge fan of looking at it myself. but that just really cemented in the fact that kirigan forcing the collar on her is a complete violation of her body and her agency. the fact that the bones erupt from her skin and that her skin looks irritated where the bones puncture through her skin just reinforces the idea that this fusion is not natural and is not supposed to be pretty because kirigan taking control of her in this way is really really terrible actually. in addition to the collar, the show also gives kirigan a circle of bone embedded in his hand - which, hand versus collar, who has the most agency in this situation, his hand is quite literally around her neck, etc - but i feel like they made this change so that non-readers could see and understand the mutuality of the amplifier in a physical manifestation because the show doesn't expand on that theory at all.

i really liked that the show kept the reason for alina gaining control of the amplifier being her connection with the stag before kirigan killed it because that at least is consistent with the theory in the books, especially with the expansion of that same theory in kos/row with zoya's connection with juris and how true use of an amplifier requires mutual connection, understanding, and suffering between the grisha and the animal.

i also thought that the way the show portrayed alina taking back control of her power with the stag's horns absorbing into her own bones was a really effective way to show that the power is hers now, and that it is a part of her. however, i wish the show had kept some evidence of the collar because of how it quickly became a piece of her iconography in the books as well as a symbol of her power. seeing as how alina stabbed the circle of bone out of kirigan's hand (very sexy girlboss moment), i wonder if kirigan will still be able to control her abilities. if he can, i hope that any time he uses her abilities, the horns emerge from her skin again as a visual signifier that alina is being violated and that her own power is being used against her. OR even at the times in which alina uses kirigan's power against him (like if the show depicts the conclusion to the battle of the little palace where alina uses the darkling's merzost) to have the horns come out of her skin to show that she is reinforcing her bond with him. both would be really cool.

alina and mal

okay so in ruin and rising we learn that not only are alina and mal bffs and in love whatever, but also that they've been drawn to each other because mal is actually the host to the last of morozova's amplifiers. and then alina looks back at the times in which she's felt the most powerful or when they encountered morozova's beasts, and she realizes that all of those times coincide with when she had important moments with mal. this reveal is huge in the series, and without the build up, i fear it might seem like it would've come out of nowhere if the show chooses to go in the same direction.

for example, alina and mal in the book only find the stag after they kiss for the first time. however, in the show they don't kiss. they don't even move mal's "i see you now" speech to right before they find the stag. it's simply a jump cut to alina and mal in the forest looking at the stag. they might be talking, but i don't think it was an 'important' moment for them.

however, they've been setting mal up as a better-than-average tracker since the very beginning with ana kuya asking him specifically to hunt for dinner. mal also admits that when he saw alina's power come from the tent when kirigan is testing her power that he heard a 'high-pitched tone' and somehow intuitively knew that it was her or something like that. he also tells alina that he'll always be able to find his way to her, no matter what, which is really romantic of course, but it is also part of their connection as one of morozova's three amplifiers and the girl who will possess at one point in time two of the three amplifiers.

i also think that the scene in ruin and rising when alina kills mal for his power is supposed to directly mirror the scene in the shadow and bone book where alina tells mal before they find the stag that she wants him to kill her before she can be caught by the darkling; part of the reason she feels strongly enough to ask this is because she understands grisha theory enough to know what the darkling's plans for the stag and her are. when she's protecting mal and the stag from the darkling, she begs mal to kill her. but he doesn't. and in ruin and rising, when they're out of options during the final battle, mal tells alina to kill him. and she does.

but without alina asking to be killed paired alongside the lack of intimate mal and alina moment before they find the stag, i wonder if the show will be heading in the same direction as the books in terms of mal's status as the last of morozova's creations, or if they'll decide to do something different.

battle of the fold

i think the most obvious difference in the battle of the fold is that kaz, inej, and jesper are like. just chillin on the skiff. additionally, zoya is on the skiff (her presence there was discussed in the zoya section), and mal is not a prisoner in the skiff like he was in the book - he snuck on. for the six's presence on the skiff, i don't mind it and i actually like how they participate in the battle (inej throwing a knife into kirigan's chest and nearly ending his shit right then and there was something we always wanted but did not know we wanted. same with zoya and inej bonding during a fight), but the change in mal's freedom status on the ship is a little more complicated.

in the books, the darkling lets alina and mal spend one last night together (with bars between them) before whatever happens on the fold. i can't remember if he tells alina that he plans to execute mal in the fold, but regardless it becomes apparent that is his plan when he throws mal overboard, on the edges of alina's sunlight, and begins reigning in the sunlight so that mal will be consumed by the fold. it's the fact that mal is in danger that alina manages to gain control of her power once more, and she saves mal. the group of dignitaries from the various nations are still on the ship when she makes her escape, and she uses the Cut - a form of summoner ability that she has never used before and has only ever been used by the darkling. she makes the terrible and difficult decision to let the dignitaries die in the fold alongside the darkling, because she believes it's a worthy sacrifice to make, and she and mal escape together.

i think this sequence of events would've tracked really well in the show with how alina had previously been depicted as mal's protector, but the show chooses not to have alina save mal and kill the dignitaries. instead, the show has kirigan kill the dignitaries and also has mal have a homoerotic fist fight with kirigan which is. not exactly not in line with themes the show has put on, especially with how mal and kirigan have interacted before in the show.

in the books, we don't see mal and the darkling interact without alina as a buffer, and so a fistfight between them in the battle of the fold in shadow and bone wouldn't have made narrative sense and would've just ended up feeling cheap. however we do see mal and kirigan interact without alina in the show - when mal is showing kirigan where the stag is and kirigan learns alina's favorite flower through mal, and when kirigan gives mal that petty little speech about how he'll get alina eventually while mal grows old and dies.

there's an interesting phenomenon in certain kinds of love triangles; most of the time you see love triangles in the classic sense of Person B and Person C both being in love with Person A, who has to make the choice between B and C. however, that's not a true love triangle - there also needs to be a connecting factor between B and C. and, in most cases, that connecting factor is the ritual of masculine homosocial rivalry. so when applying this kind of love triangle to alina, mal, and kirigan, we see that both mal and kirigan have feelings for alina, but they also have a connection to each other through their rivalry, which is as much about rituals of masculine conquering (whether the person they are wanting to conquer is alina or the other man is a very interesting question to which the answer is yes) as it is about being the person alina loves.

do i personally like the kirigan/mal fight in the fold? no, i would've much preferred to see alina rescue and protect mal. however, i do recognize that the fight makes narrative sense within the show, and it was really funny to see kirigan get his shit rocked by mal's bare fists a couple of times. i would say i hope he's been humbled by the experience but we all know that's not true.

also remember when i mentioned that kirigan is the one who kills the dignitaries here instead of alina leaving them to die? and remember, way back in the beginning when i said that alina inadvertently getting her cartography unit killed in the show may have been a swap for some deaths in the battle of the fold? alina being excused from the deaths of the dignitaries in the show but responsible for the deaths of her cartography friends at the beginning is what i was talking about. like i said way back (or maybe i didn't say it but im saying it now), it makes narrative sense. i get it.

however, i think the choice not to have alina perform the Cut on the skiff when she regains control of her power is an interesting one. because, in the book, that was an ultimate show-off of power (even if it was a terrible moment for alina). no one else but the darkling can perform a Cut, and as soon as alina forcibly takes control of her power from the darkling she uses his own signature move to leave him for death? that's a power move. that's irony. that's a physical manifestation of alina being able to adopt and take advantage of some of the darkling's power and use it against him, which is definitely a main theme in the book as it happens every single time alina gets close to defeating him and also when she actually defeats him.

so the Cut is really important, and i want to see in what other situation the show might have alina perform a Cut of her own against kirigan, or if they'll even include that aspect of reclaiming of power. i really want them to.

conclusion

so what have we learned? i think, first and foremost, we have learned that i have so many opinions and should learn how to be sweet and concise with my words. we have also learned there were a lot of changes between the grishaverse books and the series, and these were only the changes that i remembered off the top of my head having watched the series almost a week ago and having reread the books over the past few months.

in addition to those things, we have learned that, in my academic opinion, many of the changes made to fit the story into the screen were positive changes or, at the very least, changes i am interested in seeing develop. in the end, i am just a fan, and regardless of what season 2 may throw at us, i trust bardugo's decisions because she has never let me down narratively before, so i'll probably end up loving things the show ends up doing because i am, at my core, a simple sort of person.

i had a lot of fun writing this all up, and i hope this super long post was informative or entertaining in some way. thank you so much for reading<3<3<3<3

#shadow and bone #s&b #shadow and bone netflix #s&b netflix #long post #alina starkov #malyen oretsev #the darkling #general kirigan #shadow and bone analysis #shadow and bone meta #peach stuff #jesus christ. if you read all this you are so strong. stronger than the us marines. i am so sorry im like this #you'd think during finals season my theory and analysis brain would turn off but no. apparently not #i did this as a reward. for finishing a research paper. i wrote and compiled all of this as a REWARD #also if my details are off or wrong in any way it's because i didn't do any fact checking <3 #im only human after all #and you can always comment or message me saying i fucked up and i'll edit this post #i haven't slept in. maybe 30 hours #i have gotten 5 hours of sleep within the past 48+ hours. i am having a great time #today is my break day though my next final isn't due until friday evening so i'll just. do it tomorrow and friday #anyways yeah. im so sorry for this. this also may be the best thing ive ever done

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anangelicday-mrwolf · 3 years

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Wolfsbane : Noblesse Fanfic (post-ending)

(previous chapter)

Chapter 70 – Stepping Into the Daily Life (Last Chapter)

“Frankenstein...”

For the second time, Lunark and Muzaka sang in unison, the former out of anxiety and the latter out of fluster.

Lunark was making pretzels out of her arms and legs in her lord's presence, in snow-white dress shirt loosely curved around her form and black shorts that werewolves don when they must find themselves on examination tables or in experimental tanks.

Her style could not even meet the minimum demands to qualify as “stylish,” but Muzaka knew that she would never dress like this on her own.

Inevitably, his suspicion was directed to the man standing next to her, and Muzaka mercilessly spun his eyes and kicked at his head to blueprint the plan the blonde man was harboring.

And then Frankenstein fired a shot aimed right through his calm.

“Lunark and I are together.”

The unseen flame shattered Muzaka's eardrums, to hop and bounce between gyri and sulci of his brain and throw out his poise.

“Don't tell me... You mean, 'together' together?”

“'Together' together.”

“Frankenstein!”

I'd thought I told you to please make sure she'll give up on her feelings!

How can you do this to me?!

Muzaka could not do anything more than keeping his lips parted in frenzied shock, lest she learn about the secret deal he made with Frankenstein.

Much to his relief, Frankenstein knew how to keep a secret a secret.

“I'm aware of what you fear. Of course you'd fear. You should know very well what human-werewolf love is like. After all, - forgive me - you had to suffer grievous parting with Lady Eileen and Miss Ashleen.”

At once, Muzaka's lips furiously collided with each other, at the mention of names that had been flowers and thorns engraved into his heart.

Now the petals have fallen, the thorns removed, leaving behind only nostalgic perfume, which he can now relaxedly albeit rarely articulate.

In this case, however, perhaps because they came after Frankenstein's withdrawal from his request, Muzaka was quite unhappy.

He would have been caught in rage not long after, if it were not for his knowledge that Frankenstein will never break a promise unless there is a very good reason to.

“You wish Lunark wouldn't even catch a glimpse of what you had to walk through. There's no guarantee that she will be safe from the sabotage from her own kind. Love with humans is considered a taboo in your clan. But you don't wish to leave this pseudo-tradition untouched, do you?”

Right afterwards, Frankenstein was pinned with arrow-stares silently demanding explanations.

“I could feel various changes gliding over your domain ever since you returned to the throne. Such as, training warriors based on their natural-born power, untainted by experiments or body modifications. Improvement on relations with nobles. Demise of history of sacrificing your very kind, under orders of Maduke. And I bet amelioration of the counterpart with humans is included on your list. 'Cause lately the wolfkind has benefited from humans, not limited to me. And in order to do that, don't you think you must turn the table in favor of relationships with humans?”

“...So, you're saying I should make use of your relationship?”

“Consider it a destruction for creation. We'll destroy the wall that must now be brought down, to give rise to the seeds waiting to sprout from underneath.”

No sound came from Muzaka, but he was deliberating.

Frankenstein was right; with new era must come new rules, according to which he must remove the disconnection between mankind and wolfkind.

And Frankenstein was offering a hand in this matter, which as a werewolf lord he must accept it.

Lunark's face was a hint that Frankenstein was not the sole advocate of this suggestion.

As for Muzaka's secondary concern, he dreaded that Lunark will not be able to fully dedicate herself to the QuadraNet Project and post-eradication of the Union due to her unreciprocated love.

That is, unreciprocated love that will soon assume a wholesome relationship and thus serve no more as bars in her path, if Frankenstein is to make her emotions flow freely like thawed river.

And yet Muzaka could not help but weigh the pros and cons, as he was worried that Lunark's choice will eventually turn into a tragedy.

Lunark knew this, and hence she decided to be a lawyer for herself.

“I know you care for me, my lord. You have been caring for me ever since I was a child. But trust me when I say this - the reason why I choose this path is not because I expect only happiness.”

As Lunark put together her words, her hand slowly snaked its way towards the man standing next to her, to clasp his fingers and show how iron-hard their hearts are woven.

“When there's spring, there's winter. When there's light, there's darkness. In other words, when there's darkness, there's light. And when there's winter, there's spring. That is our world. That is life. So is love, I believe. When there's happiness, there's misfortune. When there's misfortune, there's happiness. Happiness is not the only treasure I expect inside the chest. I have simply chosen to open it.”

Tremor evaporated from Lunark as her speech carried on.

The pair of pink diamonds on her face was sparkling with conviction instead of credulity, with confidence instead of arrogance.

“It doesn't matter how stormy our path will be. No howl of rain or avalanche of water will make us release each other's hand. So please, put your faith in us and watch us. Nothing can stop us, as long as we're together.”

Tremor was gone from Muzaka as well, by the end of her deliverance.

But the werewolf lord's mouth was fixed in its place, not even as much as mumbling what is winding in his head.

And Frankenstein's patience was on a strike for the day.

“If this is how things will be, I will expend one of my wishes right now.”

Lunark merely let her head lean on her shoulder, clueless about Frankenstein's so-called wish.

In devastating contrast, Muzaka's eyes tumbled up and down, in overwhelming disbelief of what he had just heard.

“You said you will grant me any wish, as long as it's in an earthly power. I hereby state my first wish - I want you to be the carrier of banner in support of our relationship.”

Muzaka shook his head, while Frankenstein eyed Lunark as a promise of details after this.

“For the love of wolves, I bet no one can best you when it comes to stabbing my sanity at the least expected moment. How can you pull that one from under your sleeve right at...”

“So? Are you saying you can't?”

“...Of course not. I gave you my word. It only makes sense for me to keep it. But you don't need a reminder of what would happen if you so as much as even drive her to tears, do you?”

Muzaka half-heartedly laid out his warning, to which the pair responded with a beam.

A beam that ultimately urged a smile from Muzaka, which turned out to be short-lived thanks to Frankenstein's follow-up.

“And allow me to use my second wish. I need you to give Lunark holidays right now. Two months would do it.”

“Say what?! You can't demand it without any prior dis...”

“I already had a discussion. We already had one.”

“No, I meant...! Okay, sure, talking to Lunark is one thing, but you didn't discuss it with...!”

Muzaka could not even finish his words, before he pushed the palm of his hand into his forehead.

He knew nothing can beat Frankenstein when he is in his deal-with-it-for-all-I-care mode.

“No wonder Lunark is dressed like that. This is what you had in mind?”

“Obviously. Lunark's duties are not impossible at the hands of other warriors, are they? Not to mention Union can only watch themselves as the result of the recent trouble at Seoul; their manpower has already dwindled before the event. Which is why this would be the perfect time for Lunark to enjoy a vacation.”

Peaceful was his voice, but Frankenstein was basically rubbing - no, stabbing into Muzaka's face that he is more than willing to have a discussion involving fists and claws if he is not to issue a pass from the office for Lunark.

Soon enough, the werewolf lord nodded and waved his hand.

“Fine. I'll make sure Lunark's absence will not hinder us for the next two months. Now run along. Be free.”

“My gratitude, my lord.”

“Much appreciated, Lord Muzaka.”

Frankenstein and Lunark bowed and turned to leave, but then Muzaka unzipped his lips after a bit of delay.

“Lunark.”

“Yes, sir?”

A momentary silence captured Muzaka, gazing at Lunark with her body rotated halfway towards him.

“Nothing. You look beautiful today.”

Replied Muzaka, his lips curled into a somewhat nostalgic, wistfully affectionate curves.

'Ashleen... Eileen...'

As soon as Lunark and Frankenstein left with a brief smile, Muzaka scooched into his throne, to resummon the scent ghosting within his heart.

Lunark had no fear for winter or darkness, as long as she had Frankenstein with her, so she claimed.

It was reminiscent of his stance when he met Eileen. And when he had Ashleen.

A stance that was closed off into a tragedy.

Nevertheless, for some reason he could not help feeling this will not be the same for the two of them.

Which is why in reality, he had been smiling inwardly as Lunark was speaking in defense of their relationship.

And he was about to give in to their protest, which was preceded by Frankenstein's use of his wishes.

'Looks like my clan is now walking towards an actual change. Eileen... Ashleen... How I wish I could have met you two in this era.'

Regret cannot undo or do what is done or not done.

For now, the only thing he can do is to light up his hope for the future and pray for luck.

So that one day, relationship between humans and werewolves will be but part of daily life.

'I know you two can do it. So just stay the way you are, loving and beautiful.'

*****

Few days later, KSA headquarter

“What's up? I'd thought we've still got time until the departure.”

Yuigi was checking her bag for one last time, before she turned towards her visitor.

“Are you sure you won't regret this?”

“Of course I'm sure. You don't take me for some toddler, do you? I think you've gotten your standards too high, now that you're way out of the Union agents' league, including mine. You seem to have forgotten how I used to lounge at the top of the pyramid called the Union.”

“That's not what I...”

Takio could not hide his disappointment.

They had previously plotted a scenario of signing her name on the list of tenants at Frankenstein's house.

He was expectant to see her impeccably freed from the shadow of the Union, to relish an ordinary life.

And she knew what he was thinking.

Yuigi had been lost.

She had been lost between her life as Yuigi of Cerberus and her long-lost life as Raciela, like a frog unwelcome at both the earth and the water.

But now she was even convinced that the reason why she had been lost, crouched without direction and assurance, was simply to hop higher than she could ever pull off in the past.

“I'll be fine. I have found the new direction in my life. Now it's my duty to dedicate myself to my new mission and pay for my days at the Union. So don't worry and be faithful to your ordinary life. Do that for me. Besides, it's not like this is the last time we'll ever see each other. We'll be talking on designated basis, and I'll drop by whenever I need maintenance on my kits. I'll see you then.”

Takio's disquiet disappeared as he listened to her.

He was relieved.

She may not be able to take on an ordinary life, but there is no need to worry about or be sorry for her.

She just proved that she has landed upon the new agenda of her life as well as a respite of heart, and that was good enough for him.

“I like the coffee from that cafe we visited. I'll make sure to buy you back. So wait for it.”

And that was when Yuigi - that was when Raciela smiled.

For the first time, she smiled a smile full of a human heart, no longer an artificial sneer.

*****

“You ready?”

The 3rd Elder greeted Raciela upon her entrance to the KSA rooftop.

The white-haired man was donning a long coat identical to hers, hooded and furnished with a heavy backpack, surrounded by Tao, M-21, Taesik, the doctor, Yeonsu, Sangin, and Raizel, whose phone was connected live-time to Lascrea and the heads of noble clans standing in the Lord's Hall.

Then at last, the last of the gang made their arrival.

“Boss!”

“...Lunark?”

“What are you doing here...?”

Lunark's feet effortlessly glided upon the rooftop, and the 3rd Elder made a stiff, awkward recognition with his eyes, in acknowledgment of the length of hiatus in their encounters.

Pow!!!

At then the werewolf lashed out an unwarned punch, driving the man right to the edge of the building.

“M-miss Lunark! He's no longer sturdy enough to...”

“Handle my power. Yes, yes. I know. I knew that. My fist knew that. I heard how his perfection as a cyclist has been undermined, to the point that he now needs training wheels to ride a bike. Which is why I made sure you wouldn't get to hold a funeral for that guy.”

She was telling the truth, the 3rd Elder realized, as he put himself back on his feet, rubbing a side of his face.

His face did throb, so hard that he wanted to stick his hand and rummage through his head to check and see if his brain is intact.

Contrary to the pain, the only damage he suffered was abrasion that would take less than a minute for recovery.

Plus, he could see how Frankenstein was smirking behind Lunark, his arms crossed.

He and Frankenstein did have a word about his betrayal, which ended - sort of - with apology and forgiveness.

Apparently such process did not completely rinse off the grudge, and the 3rd Elder had no say in this matter.

He knew he deserved it; actually, he deserved more, he thought.

Lascrea's question chimed through the phone.

It was a rare occasion for her to start off a conversation with a voluntary question.

And not a syllable or a vowel has changed with the 3rd Elder's answer.

��I'm positive. This is what I must do. I must pay for the choice I made out of fear. And for the losses and sacrifices I called upon as a result.”

When he held Helga's hand, the 3rd Elder was full of fear.

He feared his followers' sacrifices, the Union's labor, and his tears would be wrong.

He feared his followers, the Union, and he would be wrong.

Wrong, fruitless, and in vain.

However, now he has accepted the truth.

He accepted that his followers, the Union, and he were wrong.

He accepted that he has been forcing himself to be deaf and blind to the truth that had been with him since long ago.

“The Union was originally based on the human crusade for the welfare of mankind. I admit the Union's standing point and pathway have been lethally distorted for the past few centuries. So now it's only logical to cleanse the Union's orbit and spend its final resources and manpower for what is truly meant for humans. So now there is only one thing the Union must do - making itself gone for the sake of mankind, and thereby protecting the ordinary world for the ordinary souls. And I shall take my responsibility for the past, the misdeeds, and the sin of the Union. And for the calamity at Seoul.”

Quoted the 3rd Elder, in solemn announcement of his motive for repentance.

“I'm afraid I can't set for you the date, but once the last shade of the Union is wiped off clean... I will gladly hand over my life. I know I am being more than shameless, but please, I'd like to ask you to wait until then.”

And he gave his word that he will never again betray these people.

He will never again betray the mankind.

He will never again betray himself.

The white-haired Icarus who blindly coveted the sun's position was saved from his plummet towards the sea by these people - those endeavoring to protect ordinary life - as well as the ordinary people.

The moment his steps were about to carry him off the concrete floor, the 3rd Elder whispered an addition.

“...Benjamin.”

All eyes and ears perked up at an unfamiliar name.

“It's Benjamin now. That is my true name. The name I shall answer to from now on.”

Sheepish but true, that was the smile from Benjamin.

That was the last of himself he exhibited before taking himself and Raciela away towards the horizon.

And Frankenstein was the one to break the still that lingered.

“You okay? Let me see your hand.”

He inspected her hand, his every contour and plane dripping concern.

“Aww, maybe I should have loosened up a bit. My hand stings a little.”

Lunark stage-whined, sticking out her hand free of any speck, let alone a wound.

A sight that gave the spectators an illusionary impression of watching how their sanity was being burned alive.

“We need to talk about this. When did they end up... Like that?”

“By 'like that,' are you referring to what I'm thinking?”

“Probably. Did you see his face when Miss Lunark punched Mr. Benjamin? He appeared ecstatic... And enamored. By her.”

“But is it just me, or do they actually look great together?”

After indulging in a brief moment of fluff and endearment, Frankenstein turned to face the crowd.

“Now why don't we scatter? We must go.”

“Go where?”

“Go out for our very first date.”

All listening mouths fell open at the fall of a four-character vocabulary they fathomed not even a pact with the devil could pull out from his throat.

That is, all mouths except for Raizel's lips.

Frankenstein made a serene smile as he met Raizel in the eyes, a sign that he had made his choice.

“I shall see you later, master.”

As always, Raizel responded with a gracefully breezy smile.

It did not take long for the rest of the audience to catch up with their atmosphere, curl the corners of their cheeks, and shower the two in celebration.

“To be honest, I was wondering when you two will officiate it.”

“Congratulations, Mr. Ex-Chairman.”

Not losing their focus on each other even a bit in the middle of the pleasant commotion, Lunark and Frankenstein jumped towards the streets.

*****

“Look. They're talking about the Noblesse's ex-sanctuary, aren't they?”

Lunark asked, her finger pointing a huge screen covering a facet of a building at the Gwanghwamun Square.

Frankenstein nodded after reading the headline, of the breaking news that the international environmental facilities and institutions have selected the Bermudan Treasure Chest as a special protection site, to perform and engage in extensive protection.

“Aren't you disappointed? You wanted to collect his power from that place.”

She was alluding to the proposal he made on the day she revealed the secret behind the resurrections following the nuclear missile incident.

The proposal on retrieving Raizel's power from his ex-sanctuary to replenish him was denied, due to the theory that taking away Raizel's power might lead to extinction of life at the place, since his power has already made itself a cradle, manna, and haven for the local marine creatures.

“Humans are now working together to save that place. So one day, things will settle down. Let's tell ourselves things will settle down.”

“At times like this, I feel perhaps humans are not hopelessly hopeless. Humans can be cannibalistic and destructive with their surroundings for the sake of their good, but on the other hand they know how to be altruistic and protective of the world. If I never knew you, I would have never known.”

Frankenstein gasped a laughter at her bashful comment.

“Now that's an honor. Speaking of which, I'd like to teach you more. For example, how human fare with their lives. How you can spend a daily life in the human world. What do you say?”

“Great. Please do. Teach me how humans... How a couple share an ordinary day.”

Lunark's words were confident, yet her face was blushing.

Frankenstein held her hand, his mouth arched in a gentle smile.

They knew they cannot make any promise on their future.

Just like how they did not expect the breaking news of the day.

They cannot tell what will be waiting for their discovery tomorrow. Or in an hour.

Still, they promised themselves and each other that they will devote themselves to this day to the best of their abilities.

They will hold their hands and be true to their love.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Frankenstein's and Lunark's hearts serenaded a duet of dazing flutter, as they walked into the crystal-clear sunlight illuminating their path to the ordinary life.

And the day could not be sunnier.

(Illustration by. RyO - you can find her DeviantArt page here)

I’m so sorry it took much longer for me to post this chapter. I was working on another series that I’m about to submit for a competition, and I had no idea it’s way past my usual posting time. I’m terribly sorry about the delay - what a way to wrap up the series. :’(

At last... My fanfic has reached its conclusion! I posted the first chapter of this fic on April of 2020, and it took me roughly a year and 4 months to finish it. And for the first time in years, I’m having a mixture of emotions cascading upon me as I write my final postscript, including but not limited to elation, bittersweetness, ruefulness, etc.

I made a lot of discoveries on what I lack as a writer throughout my journey with this fic. I had much more stories to include on my mind (most notably the relationship between Rael and Seira) but I had to delete them all from my outline for the sake of word count and constancy with the main topic of this fic. I might recollect them and write about them as a sequel to this fic, but right now I can’t think of any plot that I would find satisfying. And it would take a long time for me to land on a storyline that I would be confident in, enough for me to compose a fic with. And as the number of chapters grew, I ended up making mistakes regarding the details and plot. I remember how with chapter 68, I didn’t notice beforehand how I made several fatal mistakes that could compromise readers’ comprehension of the story, and I had to edit it for at least 3 times. Not to mention the story got kind of loose and lost its tempo over time. I happen to be working on a separate series (which has nothing to do with Noblesse) on a Korean website, and I’m having trouble with it due to the loose contents. This fic gave me an opportunity to look back on what I need to work on as a writer, and I will certainly do that.

On the other hand, this fic did not leave me fruitless. I think I did a pretty good job and could gain a lot of experience on making story-wise allusions and references throughout chapters, to weave separate scenes together and thus bind 70 chapters into a wholesome series. Most importantly, I’m satisfied with how I could make use of and investigate my personal interpretations and creations on what was left after the final chapter of the original webtoon (such as the reason why those that were engaged in the nuclear missile incident could make it back to life, the faint-but-surely-there romance between Rai and Lascrea, the last of the Union after its destruction, and most of all the relationship between Lunark and Frankenstein).

In all, I gained a lot of regrets while writing this fic, but above all I am happy with my creation since I managed to write about everything I want in the exact way I wanted.

My tremendous gratitude for those of you who have been staying with me throughout this fic. It was not perfect, and it came with a lot of words to read, but I thank each and every one of you readers out there for visiting my fic. Although I happen to be busy with an independent project of mine, one day I’d like to bring another Noblesse fic for you, short or not.

Once again, thank you so much for enjoying my fic so far. Thank you, and that is all! :)

#korean webcomic #korean webtoon #fanfic #noblesse #frankenstein #lunark #frankensteinxlunark #lunarkxfrankenstein #wolfsbane #Mr.Wolf #AnAngelicDay

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ibijau · 3 years

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part 10 of the Nomad Nie AU // On AO3

Huaisang has a surprise for his husband, who tries to surprise him in return

It took nearly another week after Cunzhi’s little adventure before the Nie finally arrived at their winter camp. The entire time, Nie Huaisang stuck close to his husband, in case Lan Xichen had developed a taste for confronting wolves unarmed and needed to be stopped. Lan Xichen was both amused and touched by this, and didn’t complain.

He thought that Khan Mingjue too seemed rather entertained by this turn of events, and acted perhaps a little less angry toward him these days. When they arrived at the winter camp, Lan Xichen was bossed around by the Khan just the same way as everyone else as they rebuilt the gers, and he was trusted with helping Huaisang and a few others check whether any of the animals had sustained wounds during the long journey. He also was a little warmer when the three of them retired for the night, and constantly teased him about the wolf. This greatly annoyed Huaisang, which seemed to be the aim, but Lan Xichen found he rather enjoyed the Khan’s dry humour. It reminded him of Lan Wangji.

When they reached the place they would spend the winter, it took very little time to set everything up, at least in Lan Xichen’s opinion. In less than a day, there was a whole village standing, looking exactly as if it had always been there. The herds were then separated, which led to a few small disputes here and there. The Khan ordered his brother and Zonghui to take care of those if they could. As for himself, Mingjue was only giving the horses a chance to rest a little, and then he would head with a few men toward the other camp, to make sure that everything was alright with them.

Mingjue left early the next morning, just as Lan Xichen was starting to wake up. He groggily bid his brother-in-law a safe trip, then decided it was really too early to be up yet and tried to pull Huaisang back under the covers with him to cuddle for a while. Huaisang indulged him at first, but before long he was escaping to eat something, saying he had a busy day ahead. He was clearly very proud of having been tasked with helping settle any disputes that might have arisen due to the migration, and refused to let his brother down when Mingjue was finally trusting him with something.

Any hope Lan Xichen might still have had about a quiet morning together was fully ruined when Meng Yao came to check on them. Huaisang and Lan Xichen were still having breakfast, but invited him to sit with them if he wished and share their meal. Lan Xichen was delighted to see his friend, as always. So was Huaisang, though he still left before long, eager for this chance to prove how very useful and mature he could be.

“We’ll chat later,” Nie Huaisang said in Hanyu, his accent much better than it used to be. “Keep my husband company, Menyao. Make sure he does nothing stupid. No more wolves for him!”

Meng Yao laughed, and promised to keep an eye on Lan Xichen. Satisfied with this, Huaisang dropped a quick kiss on his husband’s forehead and hopped out of the ger. Lan Xichen watched him go, unable to refrain a fond smile as he passed some cheese to Meng Yao.

“Do you think he minds that we are friends?” Meng Yao asked as he took the food.

Lan Xichen shot him a surprised look. “Of course not. Why would he?”

Meng Yao appeared to hesitate, the way he sometimes did when he feared he had some unpleasant information to share. He stalled a moment, nibbling on his piece of cheese, before diving in.

“These barbarians can be rather possessive,” he explained. “And I am right in guessing you are still refusing him his marital rights, are you not?”

Lan Xichen nodded and looked away, heat rushing to his face. It really wasn’t a matter of refusing anything at this point, and just that the occasion for it couldn’t be found. With Nie Mingjue gone for a few days, Lan Xichen was hoping they’d seize their chance at last… but of course he couldn’t have said that to Meng Yao, it was too private a matter.

“Huaisang is much sweeter than the others,” Meng Yao said, “but even he could get jealous. Lan gongzi should keep that in mind, and tell me if I create problems for him.” He sighed, his expression pained. “Lan gongzi is dear to me, but I will distance myself if it is needed. I do not want to provoke Huaisang into anger.”

Lan Xichen laughed awkwardly, and drank to hide his embarrassment.

“It’s fine, it’s quite fine,” he said. “Huaisang doesn’t mind at all. You’re his friend too, in spite of his brother.”

Meng Yao looked unconvinced. “These people will turn on their friends over anything. Even among brothers there is strife sometimes. If Huaisang weren’t so indolent, he would probably have been killed a long while ago, just so he wouldn’t pose a threat to the Khan’s power. Their grandfather killed his own father for power, it runs in their blood. So please, be careful, and tell me if I can ever do anything for you. You’re the only true friend I have, I don’t want for any harm to come to you.”

The story of Huaisang’s grandfather wasn’t unknown to Lan Xichen. Huaisang had told it to him, not without some pride, because the murdered father had been a cruel man who abused people and animals alike. Mingjue, who had been with them in the ger, had added that an unjust Khan could not be allowed to rule, and he would expect the same if he took a turn for the worse.

It had disturbed Lan Xichen at first, that anyone could talk so lightly of killing one’s father, one’s superior. In the end, he figured that perhaps the Nie too had a version of the Mandate of Heaven at play, and that Huaisang’s great-grandfather had lost heaven’s favour with his misconduct.

“I’m glad Meng gongzi feels this way,” Lan Xichen said. “I also see you as a true friend. If you had not been here to help me, I don’t know what I would have done. And I hope you know that I would be happy to help you as well, should you ever require it.” He hesitated a moment, then added: “For example if there might be a way to mend things between you and the Khan…”

Meng Yao failed to contain a slight grimace, and shook his head.

“No, the chance for that has passed,” he sighed. “He hates me too much now, and is too ready to blame me for everything that goes wrong in the clan. I’m sure he blames me for what happened with Cunzhi too, wouldn’t you say?”

Lan Xichen, quite awkwardly, didn’t know what to answer.

It wasn’t that Meng Yao had caused that situation on purpose, of course. Still, Lan Xichen had become quite convinced that Cunzhi had escaped his mother’s care and hidden this way specifically because he had been so upset at losing Meng Yao’s company, and somehow hoped that making his displeasure obvious enough would allow him to get his way. It was likely that Khan Mingjue had come to the same conclusion, but was less kind with regards to Meng Yao’s intentions in that situation.

“Misunderstandings have happened in the past,” Lan Xichen said at last. “They can be corrected. I’m sure there must be ways to let the Khan see that you’ve never had ill intentions, only bad luck.”

“You think too kindly of the Khan,” Meng Yao scoffed.

And you think too ill of him, Lan Xichen thought with some disappointment.

Khan Mingjue could be somewhat unreasonable when worrying for his brother, but even in his dislike he wasn’t unjust. He treated Meng Yao coldly and refused to deal with him more than necessary, but he didn’t go out of his way to be cruel to him, nor did he allow for him to be treated poorly by others. Aside from Huaisang, nobody was forbidden from associating with him. Lan Xichen was certain that if both parties had only made a small effort, they could have reconciled and returned to the friendship Huaisang told him used to exist between them. At first he’d thought all the efforts would have to come from the Khan, but he now saw that Meng Yao too would have to be a little more forgiving.

It would take time, Lan Xichen knew, and no small amount of work.

“It’s fine anyway,” Meng Yao insisted, chewing on the last of his cheese. “I’m only biding my time until I can go home. I know someday my father will return for me, just as you must hope your family will do. When my father comes to get me back, it won’t matter much what the Khan thinks of me.”

The barely restrained fierceness in Meng Yao’s voice surprised Lan Xichen. His friend rarely spoke of his father, or indeed of anything about his life before joining the Nie. Lan Xichen was under the impression he had perhaps been less well treated in their home country than he was among nomads. From some of the things he said, Lan Xichen suspected that Meng Yao was either the child of a concubine or a servant who had been noticed for his intelligence and given an education, but never treated as truly part of the family. If so, it was unlikely that his father would ever bother to attempt to buy him back from the Nie, not the way Lan Xichen thought his own family might attempt once they’d built enough of a fortune with this new trade route opened to them.

It wouldn’t be for a few years at best, but Lan Xichen was unsure what he’d do if this happened. Of course he missed his home and family no less than Meng Yao did, yet he wouldn’t want to leave Huaisang behind. But it might be a pointless question anyway. Meng Yao might hope for his father’s return, Lan Qiren might attempt to buy back his nephew, but Khan Mingjue probably wouldn’t want to let anyone go who knew too much about his people.

Overtaken by a mild melancholy, Lan Xichen changed the topic and quickly finished eating so Meng Yao and him could go out and take care of their chores. Busy hands helped him empty his mind, though his mood remained a little off all morning. It was only when he returned to the ger for lunch that he started feeling better again, knowing he would see Huaisang.

Just as he had hoped, Lan Xichen found himself smiling happily as he entered the ger and started preparing for lunch. That smile only widened when Huaisang finally joined him, holding a bowl of dumplings in one hand, and carrying a dark wooden box under his other arm. The dumplings were carefully set aside, and the box presented to Lan Xichen.

“It’s for you!” Huaisang announced. “A gift for my husband.”

Lan Xichen glanced at the box, then at Huaisang’s excited face.

“Where did you get this?”

“I made a trade with old Xianjun,” Huaisang explained, handing the box to his husband. “Foals for three of his mares from my best racing stallion in spring, and he gave me this. It’s a Han thing, right?”

Inspecting the box more closely confirmed it was of Han origin. Its style had a southern flair to it, and Lan Xichen wondered how it had arrived so far north. It wasn’t a luxurious box, a little rough here and there, but still beautiful and made with obvious care by a competent artisan, and seeing this trace from home tugged at his heart. To distract himself from this renewed melancholy Lan Xichen opened the box while Huaisang peered curiously over his shoulder.

Lan Xichen gasped.

“Is it bad?” Huaisang asked, a note of worry in his voice.

“It’s very good,” Lan Xichen replied, sitting down to more comfortably admire his present. “Why did they have this?”

Huaisang chuckled nervously. “Old Xianjun followed my father on a raid against Han people when he was young,” he admitted. “He traded away many things, kept a few. Nobody wanted this and he found it pretty, so he kept it. What is it?”

“The four treasures of the study,” Lan Xichen said, only to be met with a blank look. “Ah, hm. It is used to write things, like in my books?”

Among Lan Xichen’s few possessions when he arrived with the Nie had been two books he’d taken with him. A caprice, his uncle had called it when they were getting to leave home, telling him he wouldn’t have any use for poetry, nor for that short history treaty he’d picked up some weeks earlier and never made time to study. A few months later and he knew those books by heart, as did Meng Yao who had nearly cried from joy upon being allowed to borrow them. As for Huaisang, he showed little interest in the books themselves, but enjoyed having the poetry read to him and explained, and he liked also the few printed illustrations.

“You can make a book with this?” Huaisang asked, looking doubtful.

“If I had something to say. I could also paint something,” Lan Xichen suggested, guessing that might amuse his husband more. The paper was of good enough quality that its age hadn’t made it too fragile, and the ink still seemed good at well. The inkstone was intact, its square shape simple but elegant. Only the pair of brushes wasn’t perfectly to Lan Xichen’s liking, since they were clearly made for writing rather than painting, but their quality was good, and his skill wasn’t high enough that the wrong tool would really hinder him.

“Paint something for me!” Huaisang predictably demanded, eyeing the box’s content with more interest now.

“Gladly. What should I paint?”

Huaisang barely hesitated. “Something you would miss if you went home.”

Hearing this, Lan Xichen’s smile faltered. It seemed he really couldn’t avoid thinking of home that day. At the same time, this had the advantage of being an easy request to fulfil, because there was only one thing he could think of painting after being asked this.

“I will do that. But it has to be a surprise. You can’t look at it until it’s done, Huaisang.”

“But I want to see how you do it!”

“After this, I teach you how to paint,” Lan Xichen offered. There were about three dozen sheets of paper in the box, which didn’t feel like much, but it would be enough. He’d just have to ask his family to bring him more next time he saw them. “This one will be a gift for you, so you can’t see.”

Huaisang went from pouting to grinning in an instant. Lan Xichen took a moment more to admire his own gift, then closed the box and asked his husband about his morning. They sat down and ate together, chatting about this and that, making plans for the rest of the day. When they were done with food, Lan Xichen took his box and started carefully preparing some paper and ink. Huaisang watched with fascination the process of grinding ink, asking questions about it that Lan Xichen answered as well as he could. Once he started actually painting, Huaisang was chased away to the other side of the ger where he worked for a while with leather.

Lan Xichen found it quite nice to be together like this, each of them occupied with their own work, occasionally trading a few words, but mostly silent and focused on what they were doing. He had never expected that it would be so comfortable to be in someone else’s company this way, least of all under such circumstances, but it made him glad once more than Huaisang and him had been brought together. Fate had really found him a perfect partner.

All too soon though, this moment of peace was interrupted. Someone came to ask Huaisang to help them with a dispute regarding cattle, and Lan Xichen had his own chores to attend. They both put away their work and went out, knowing they would meet again for dinner.

When afternoon reached its end, Xichen returned to the ger and found it empty. After tidying a bit, he took this chance and went back to working on his painting. It was no masterpiece, not when he had never received the education to create great works and hadn't touched a brush in months, but Lan Xichen was still happy enough with his work. He was putting the finishing touches when Huaisang returned, dusted with snow that had started falling, and carrying again some food.

"Can I see soon?" Huaisang asked, staring toward the sheet of paper but keeping his distance, as he'd been asked.

The painting wasn’t quite done, there were a few details to add, but Huaisang’s barely contained curiosity was too adorable. Lan Xichen motioned for his husband to come closer, which Huaisang immediately obeyed, rushing to his side and dropping on his knees right next to him.

“Here it is,” Lan Xichen announced, revealing the painting and handing it to Huaisang.

Just as he had hoped, Huaisang’s initially excited expression quickly turned to astonishment as he discovered that on the paper was a portrait of himself, painted as faithfully as Lan Xichen’s skill would allow. Huaisang’s face took on a very sweet pinkish hue that grew more intense the longer he gazed at the portrait, while his eyes shone with emotion.

“Something you would miss,” he mumbled, tearing his eyes from the painting to look at Lan Xichen. “Really?”

“Really,” Xichen said, putting away his brush in its proper place, telling himself he would clean it in a moment. First, though, he needed to kiss his husband. Huaisang, seeing him lean closer, hurriedly set aside the painting and threw his arms around Lan Xichen’s neck.

It wasn’t rare these days for the two of them to get passionate while kissing, and like many times before, Huaisang quickly ended up straddling Lan Xichen’s lap as he licked into his mouth, his hands wandering under the layers of his husband’s clothes. Usually that was the moment Mingjue would pick to come home and glare at them, but…

But Mingjue wasn’t there at all this time, and at this time of day nobody would come looking for them. So Lan Xichen let himself fall back on the carpeted ground, and looked up at Huaisang, still straddling him.

Huaisang let out a strangled noise, but didn’t move. “Do you want…”

Lan Xichen quickly nodded. However much it had once terrified him to be wanted by Huaisang, he’d more than made his peace with it, his desire now matching his husband’s. There was no one else in the world he could imagine wanting as much as he wanted Huaisang, no one he would trust as much.

That nod was all the invitation Huaisang needed. He leaned down to kiss Lan Xichen with renewed passion, clumsily trying to untie his husband’s clothes while Lan Xichen did the same for him.

It was, to put it mildly, a fun night for both of them.

#xisang #nie huaisang #lan xichen #jin guangyao #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #Nomad nie #jau writes

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alias-b · 4 years

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Nothing Lasts Forever.

Summary. The town of Derry changes people. Sends them running away. What it draws in is arguably worse. Humans create the hate and evil monsters come to feed off of. Eleanor Baker knew that well at a young age when she stumbled upon a painted figure in the distance. Pennywise never forgot the girl without fear. It’s possible that they haunted each other.

AN: I take no responsibility for this. Me flexing some horror and hopelessness bc I have nothing left to lose here. Wrote this to work through some things and sorta in love with it. TW: Should be obvious. Trauma. CSA mention. Abuse. S*xual references. G*re. S*icidal thoughts. Death. Pennywise F*cks and it’s canon. Sorry, Mr. King.

Pennywise x OC Eleanor Baker ~ Also on my ao3

They say she saw It first.

They say she smelled the circus. Sugary sweet and the rusting of metal.

They say she heard the bells toll soft. Once. Twice for her.

They say she felt no fear.

A branch cracked under pristine shoes, distracting a clown in the midst of hunt. The prey; small and blue eyed, barely five years old, ran into safe arms where their family set up camp for a weekend by the lake.

Body twisting around, It saw her last. Six years old. Curious green eyes shimmered even under grey skies. Pigtails. Feet behind her, father was hunched over to change a tire with mother beckoning from the window. Pulled over to the side of the road near a Derry forest. The Baker family. Well known and beloved because they had money.

“Eleanor. You’ll ruin your new shoes. We can’t be late for your recital. It’s going to rain!” Mother’s voice went under heard. Leaves rustled while the clown made a path to slink toward her. Her lips parted, eyes fixated and unblinking. Yellow eyes faded to baby blue like the pretty jewels her mother wore. Safe.

They were face to face. Drool dripped to hit her once untouched shoes. Those bejeweled eyes surged from that delicate blue back to a hungry orange, glowing brighter and yet he smelled nothing.

She had no scent. No fear. A deep, wide nothing. Vast as the ocean could reach. There was no advancing, no will to bring forth the deadlights. She’d probably think they were pretty stars watching over her. Cinderella wishing for a fairy godmother and a prince to whisk her away. He could only watch her make an utter fool of him. Somehow that charmed.

“Eleanor, now!” Came the shout from her father. A drop of red emerged from the trees. Shiny and terrible. “Where did you get that?”

A red balloon skimmed against the breeze.

“From the clown.” She said, getting into the car. “He gave it to me.”

“Enough playing around, Nell.” Father pressed her inside. The grip was lost along the tangled string. That spot of blood floated up toward the endless sky. Became a floating star too. She wished to float with it.

Eleanor danced her little heart out. Prima Ballerina in the making. Perfection was not everything, it was the only thing. She gazed into the audience beyond the balmy stage lights. Rows and rows of orange eyes. Glowing into her. No fear to be cast. Not for any of them. This world didn’t deserve it.

She saw It again that same week. When they attended a big family reunion. Picnic and all. And her uncle pulled her into the closet full of coats and old board games that were gathering dust. He called this a game too. A secret game.

After he’d decided the game was over, a pang snatched his heart to squeeze. Gushing. Eleanor saw those glowing eyes from the shadows. Thought for a moment it was the old cat who roamed the grounds.

Her uncle asked for help with no breaths left. Tore her frilly dress clutching at her. Hit the hardwood with a finishing crack. Blood pooled.

Nell didn’t want it to stain her shoes or Mother would be upset.

That white face bent down toward her. Spine curving to push out against skin. Utterly inhuman.

“Can you smell the circus, Nelly?” Painted lips full of clustering teeth rumbled. She blinked. White cheeks threatened to tear open with the grin curling.

“Yes.”

Little, pretty bells chimed in the ruffles of his garment as he laughed. Soft and sweeter than any sound in this world.

"Who are you?"

"Pennywise. The dancing clown." He caught her looking at the body behind his feet.

Big eyes full and empty.

“Oh, don’t worry about him, he won’t float.” The clown paused. “You’re a little wonder, aren’t you?”

She said nothing to that.

“Go on, grow and see if the world devours you. Tumble back to the weeds where I'll find you again.” His own curiosity was a growing sickness. This fragile human. Unbreakable.

The thing about Pennywise was he never considered himself the villain. He only came to feed when that evil and hatred humans brought this world was potent. Natural order. Clockwork. Wolves feed on sheep. The worlds spun on.

Predators tore into prey, he wouldn’t apologize for that. He didn’t create the hatred, just fed from it. Didn't stop it either. Little dash of fear did a body good. Gave it a sweeter taste.

Fear was painfully human. A trait that tore us open to display the soft underbelly because it betrayed us down to the core. Granted us something to overcome. A test of endurance. Truly let our true colors pour fresh and obscene. Beautiful. Even when it overcame.

Pennywise gave her head a pat, leaned down to whisper into her ear.

“I see into your blackest heart of hearts, Nelly, deep down you’ll know. You'll always know.”

The door opened. Tiny footsteps away from the dark and the figure there always watching her. Like the stars above in a black sky.

“You’ll know.”

Eleanor walked downstairs. Out into the sunny day full of festivities and family. Asked her aunt for another piece of cake. Frosted with yellow buttercream flowers. They discovered her uncle in that closet at the same time the flies found him too.

They found the cloth clutched into his meaty, stiff hand and began to ask questions. She didn’t want to talk about the secret games he played when she was in that house. They sent a bolt of thunder rattling into her brain. Unraveled the synapses.

Her mother burned the cloth. Vowed to never speak of it in hopes she would forget. Children forgot things all the time.

Nell never forgot. Not for a moment. Not her uncle or her festering relatives who seemed to easily put her in the back of their memories.

She wanted them to always remember too. If anything, they owed her that much.

The pictures her mind fleshed out with crayons were not what children should be drawing. Twisted bodies sometimes. Other days, it was those eyes. Molten lava. Mother and father decided this wasn’t something they could deal with. Seeing her looking so still and motionless around the house like a ghost was too much. Knowing they failed their daughter was just too much. A lock clicked.

They put her in a place that watched over mistakes of all ages from rich families. Paid it well. They told Eleanor it wasn’t her fault and yet, she was the one locked away in a tower for it. She was the one ignored and doped up.

Ten years and she gave them nothing. Years of homeschooling. Counseling. Medications. Years of sticking her tongue out to swear she’d swallowed her pills. Years of giving them nothing. No laughter or tears. She never hurt a fly and she was the monster.

Sometimes, it was easier to become the monster they wanted, she supposed.

Eleanor got out and married the first man who smiled at her. Called her pretty. Just to be away from mother and father. They’d rot in the weeds soon enough. The rest of her family dwindled. Terrible accidents. She vowed to never reproduce to spite them.

Husband played games too when dinner wasn’t just right or when she dressed just a little against his wishes. Seven miscarriages. Too many broken promises. A car accident pulled his body apart. Left her with some money to return home.

Mother and father needed her now, sick and dying in their lavish beds. Life always went on in Derry. Father went still snug in his tomb a month later. Few more weeks and mother’s harsh insults became apologies.

This girl she ignored was all she had left.

“Nell, I hope you can forgive us.” Her mother croaked one day.

“You’re free to do that, mama.” She’d turned and came to sit on the bed.

“Do what, my dear?”

“Hope.” Eleanor tucked some brittle hair from mother’s face. Made room for the pillow she pushed into place. Eight minutes and it was over. Twenty seven years and members of her family dropped like flies. She told herself it was a curse. Or fate.

Bloodlines dying had never been so beautiful. Not built to last forever. Not at all. There was justice in that much.

Both Eleanor’s parents became ashes in two ornate urns. She drove them out to the Barrens and poured them into the festering waters. Stinking of Derry’s rotten bowels. Wind swept. Picking up green and brown leaves. Wading the waters to give them some appearance of peace.

Nell didn’t smell the stink of death. She smelt the circus. Hot buttery popcorn and cotton candy. Twang of metal from the old, rusted rides whirling all directions. A child’s laughter echoed out from the giant pipe ahead. Covered in sludge and moss.

She followed the lively sounds. Enticed. No long holding to this world. Another one awaited. It always had. Marked with two glowing orange eyes.

Reminded her of the lights twinkling every Halloween. Jack-o-lanterns you couldn’t blow out before midnight because it was against the rules and would bring you bad luck.

Through watery rot and dead leaves, Nell went into the pipes. Caught glimmers of light between cracks. Felt her way. Heard the uttering of the seven children she lost beckoning her home.

Down.

Ruined her clothes in the trance. Clawing for more because the world couldn’t hope to deliver. Into a massive nest with a skylight. Candlelight danced. She heard the trill of a music box until the room came alive. Whirled from rust and rot to marble and gold.

Prettier than her wedding day. A church with decorated pews of red taffeta. White roses hanging from every corner. Petals crying into the cherry wood floors.

A man smiled at her who wasn’t Husband. Sharp, brooding face. Swept brown locks slicked like Clark Gable. Pink lips curled and crystalline eyes gave a twinkle. A white suit and one red rose at his breast.

She came to him when he reached. Body heavier because a dress dragged behind her. Full skirt of those same delicate white roses. Tight bodice that twinkled under candlelight. Nell smiled too. Utterly lost and found all at once in this room that smelled like decadent caramel apples.

A gloved hand curled into hers.

“Am I dead?” She asked.

“Oh, yes. For twenty seven years now. You wandered the Earth. But, you're home now.” That voice. All shivers. Chilling until the candles started to snuff out. “That was not life, Nelly. You existed by a thread.”

“Nelly.” She mused in her deepest dream of dreams. The hate and the neglect and the sheer evil brought by humans who were supposed love and protect instead tore her soul far asunder.

The man leaned in near her hair. Inhaled.

“Nothing. Even still.” He recounted the memories. All those times he tried and failed to devour her. “Little wonder.”

"Pennywise." She puffed, barely audible.

“I watched you dance. All those years. You can dance down here too in the dark."

Nell realized as he brought her out for a romantic spin. She’d been seeking him out all her life. All the decay and twisting vines in her soul. Begging to just cross over and stop this pain. But, he wouldn’t finish it because she had no fear. So she danced until the room began to peel. He wiped his cheek on one sleeve. Peachy makeup smeared the fabric to display that red smile upon white skin.

She pushed off him. Watched blood rain and melt the rest of it away. This place. A nest. A stomach. A pile of trash and metal twisted up toward the sky. Gouging. Figures floating around it. Waiting. Sleeping soundly because evil couldn’t touch them anymore. At the very least. They fueled something brand new.

No cry. No scream. Nell succumbed. Stumbling back into a worn mattress as the clown crawled up toward her at some inhuman speed. Slapped his hands on either side of her head. They just breathed.

Existed together in one space.

Sometimes good and bravery didn’t blossom from overcoming fear. Sometimes you still wanted to die because enduring a lifelong ache was not growth. It just hurt. There was power in it, but it fucking ached.

It burned. Plenty of things in her life burned. The scorn of her parents. Her uncle's games. The rotten nurses tossing her around. Husband's hands indenting skin.

But, Pennywise didn’t. He just showed up to watch the fires grow hot and breathless into a black sky. The terrible view was still a breathtaking thing. Something shattering to become a supernova. Rebirth.

Enduring pain was worth it. That sick curiosity that there was something more to life. It was worth it. So, fight. Endure. Ache. Be human while you have the chance in an inhuman world because it needs you.

Gloves opened her dress. Tore layers of tulle and chiffon. Slashed silk. Hands pressed against his chest. Not pushing or pulling. Just holding. Shifting over thick, stitched cotton. Ruffles swayed. She felt a heart beat so hard there under her palm.

He was alive. Something brand new. Not of this world.

“Am I like you?” She begged finally. Years of searching and asking why. He stopped to see her green eyes. Glowered. One blue, one orange.

“Not yet.” Was the truest answer he could form. Fingers gripped his fabric sleeves. Twisted just to hold onto something tangible for the first time in all her existence. Alive at last in this place. Water droplets echoed distantly. “You cannot last forever. Nothing lasts forever.”

Except love, she thought. Except desire.

Pennywise seemed to hear it even still. Felt the truth of it carve out his heart that was still beating powerfully. Profoundly.

Something flayed her open. Pushed inside. Made her moan deliciously until two gloved fingers touched her mouth. Bodies connecting. Moving together.

There were hands everywhere. Stroking soft caresses up and down her naked flesh. It felt like a million little pieces of candlelight were swirling up her body. Those same orbs that had been following her around for too many years shined behind his eyes. Resonated. Beautiful.

She made out parts of him between thumps. Orange hair. Pristine paint. His mouth on her skin. A heart that was pumping vigorously. Low rumbling growls. Nell felt she’d been starved all her life and was finally feeding. Finally letting the ache flood out that she’d held onto for too long. Finally alive. Feeling. Deep down and drawing in it.

Her voice came to beg for more of him. Hands grasping to touch him back. To delve into this earth and just feel. He touched her everywhere. Lips and neck. Down her breasts. Between spread legs.

The combined sensations made her cry out for him to never stop. A gloved hand on her jaw brought their eyes together. Hot, wet touch. Boiling. The peak shattered them both. Nell fell to shuddering pieces. Curved up. Moaning and shameless. Weight fell into her body so lips could touch her own. Once. Just once while they were warm.

Pennywise lifted off fully to see her eyes. Inhaled again and got what he’d sought too. Years and it was finally there.

Those green eyes glimmered at him. A waft of sweet candied apples bubbled with heat. Fear. Clear as a crystal, dewy morning. It was the most beautiful thing in the world.

There was finally something found that could be lost. Something she sought out and held and hoped for.

And the fear of losing it was almost too much to bear.

One gloved finger caught a tear that trickled out from the corner of her eyes.

“Please.” She said, unable to find much else. Like she wanted him and nothing else for the rest of these long days. Do it. Just do it. Nell’s hand lifted. Gentle fingers drew lines along his face. "Pennywise. Please."

It was a soft prayer.

He lunged down. Sunk teeth into her tender neck. Tore the scream out before she could hope to give it. Nell choked there. Made an odd sound like she was laughing. It bubbled. Claws grew out from those gloves. Shoved forth into her raging heart.

A squelch.

Her lips were still upturned when it was done. Green eyes pointed on him. Peaceful and bloodied. Naked under the moonlight. Dripping rubies.

He tossed his head back and wailed. Teeth sharp and bared. Bloodied. Lost. A shattering sound that bent time and space apart. Pennywise plucked her up. Climbed high and vast to the very top of the twisting pile. Watched the dead children float like little falling stars. Something to make wishes upon. Peaceful for only a second in this life.

He placed her there in a sheer drape. Closed her eyes. Let the deadlights swelter above them. Spinning all directions.

A scar thickened.

Three days passed. The deadlights danced high and wide. Fluttering like a swarm of butterflies. The world spun on a new axis. Pennywise sat below upon his stage. Curved over in wait. Marble statue.

A low rumble like a purr erupted. Dainty feet came to him with a newfound grace. Little dancer. Deadly ballerina all porcelain and blushed. Blood red shoes made soft taps across the stage.

A white hand touched his shoulder. His little wonder. Bells tolled distantly three times.

“Can you smell the circus?” Her voice poured white hot. Purring louder so he'd feel it vibrate his own chest.

Lips curled wide. Split. Pennywise rose to see her in the light. Perfection. Those green eyes shimmering like emeralds. Haunted. Totally alive and willing.

“Yes.” He hissed. Cupping her face to see the angles. Not ruining the permanent brushstrokes that came with her rebirth. “Yes, I do.” A bond struck.

I do. I promise. We'll float. Always.

Nell smiled to match him. Totally and irrevocably his equal. A pulse of light drew them together. She granted him a single kiss, tasting candied. A new horror in this world hungry for the evil it would always bring.

“We were built to last forever.”

#pennywise #pennywise x oc #pennywise imagine #mine #writing

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northernxstories · 3 years

Photo

Trading in Dignity

It was shocking how quickly it all came to an end. It started in the 2020s and within a decade, after the third global pandemic, they were faced with the worst yet. All the science deniers, those who refused to distance, wear masks and all of that ... well, most of them caught it. Some of them caught it without showing a single symptom. That didn’t matter because approximately eight months after you were infected, after you thought you were all well again, your lungs started to bleed. Nothing could make it stop. You drowned in your own bed, at night, sometimes in mere minutes. Most of the time, you just went to sleep and never woke again. It was grim.

The survivors were rare and the disease progressed so quickly, institutions fell almost overnight. Whole cities became ghost towns. Survivor teams started sweeping, looking for children, infants, pets trapped in houses and then supplies. Survivors came first. There were a lot of supplies. Not that many people.

She was rare and she knew it. Immune. How? No idea. Luck? Genetics? It didn’t matter at the end of the day. The world grieved and cities were abandoned for smaller communities. It wasn’t like in the horror movies or post-apocalypse fiction. No one ate people, bought and sold people, or any of that ridiculousness. For the most part people tried to help one another. Older people banded together to raise the children who survived. With the population reduced in the span of a decade to less than a third, it became very clear that every single human was a necessary addition. Funny how prejudice and differences in sexuality mattered a whole lot less when the end of the human race was at stake. All that shit became real irrelevant real fast.

In a spate of particularly weird coincidence, some communities lost more of a certain type of people. The east coast of North America for example had nearly no men left. It was startling, You could travel for days, scout many towns and communities and find less than a dozen males. West of the Rocky mountains however, the opposite was true. The average was 1 self-identified female to 20 self-identified males (like people were checking - get real). Some communities the ratio was more like 100 to 1. In the mid-west, prairie region, well there was almost no people left there at all. No one knew why they were so hard hit but the coasts survived. Perhaps it was just population distribution. Scientists would be studying it long after she was dead.

So, in a world where you lived with almost 100 men in your community and the number of single women could be counted on one hand, and you wouldn’t need every finger? Yeah. This was fantastic.

Again, it wasn’t like the books though. She wasn’t chained, or bound or really mistreated in any way. Nope. None of that.

She was a strong survivor. She had a thriving garden and a number of animals of her own. Her house was cute as hell and in really good shape. Her grandmother had taught her to sew and the rest she learned from books. The little town was powered by a local dam that kept the predatory animals such as the dog packs, at bay with electrified fencing in key areas, including around her goats whom the wolves thought looked super yum yum.

But even she needed supplies. I mean, was she going with a raiding party into a city to get tampons and advil? Ummm ... no obviously. That was terrible. That’s how people died! Those places were not safe. It took rigging and expertise she did not have to be on a scavenger team. Plus do you think they would be cool having one of the few women in town go out with them? You’re dreaming if you think that’s gonna happen buddy and no one went without a team. That was a fucking death wish.

So, she had to shop. She had to trade. Fact of life. They didn’t want her tasty preserves or baking. Nope. That they could do for themselves. She traded the one thing that few had around her - her pussy. Fucked up right?

Prostitution was the oldest game in the book for a reason it turned out. So she went into the store and put in her order for supplies that she needed. Flour, tampons, books for example. There was a tally and a calculation conducted. She was a modest girl. It rarely went above two visits. Then there was a jar. Yup. A fucking jar, with names on it. Men who had paid into the credit system.

“One” The merchant stated bluntly marking it in his book.

“One?” She repeated, a little surprised by how light the requirement was. Her list had been pretty long.

“Yeah, Bernice fell pregnant, she’s off the list until after and maybe permanently since the Bennett brothers are putting serious court to her. All remaining traders just had their value go up.”

That’s what they called them - traders. Like she was wheeling a cart through town with little jars or something instead of letting men cum in a minimum of two holes per trade. It was awesome. By the way, that was sarcasm in case you can’t tell.

“Nice.” She replied with a nod, “I hope the baby is healthy.” That was the customary statement these days when anyone fell pregnant. You see, the virus didn’t exactly go away and infant mortality was high as fuck. It was depressing as hell. She didn’t know a single woman who didn’t half dread getting knocked up, even if they really wanted to be a mother. It was a huge risk and all too likely to end in just more painful loss. Yay for survival.

“We all do.” the merchant stated sincerely as he pushed the jar toward her. Sliding her hand in, she let slips of paper, card stock that was refreshed so often you couldn’t get a feel for any one particular person, just dance through her fingertips. You just had to stick your hand in and pray to whatever god you might actually believe in that you didn’t get one of the gross old coots who thought bathing was fucking optional. Last time she had one of those she had about forty baths and still felt disgusting.

She pulled out the card and took a deep breath before flipping it over. Both her and the merchant looked surprised. “Well good luck there. Didn’t even know he paid in.” The merchant marked his book and then nodded. “I’ll get your order in as soon as ... you have about four days before you’ll have had to pay up.”

That was another thing, the man had to confirm you had ‘paid’. However, if that man lied, he was off the books permanently. Not only that but the other men in town usually paid you a visit and beat the holy hell out of you. It was an honour system true but most followed the rules, out of honour or out of necessity, it didn’t matter at the end of the day. Men who might only get one fuck a year with a ‘willing’ woman weren’t about to lose the privilege because you decided to get fucking cute about it.

“Thanks ... Have a good day now.” She replied with a sincere smile. The merchant was a good man after all. He never put his name in and if he found out one of the men was cruel or unkind even, he’d return their credits and tell them to start getting real used to the sweet feel of their left hand because that was about all they were getting from now on.

She walked through town, that name flipping through her mind. It was just so unexpected.

Well no time like the present she supposed. She had had a bath last night, given the old cunt a tidy and all that. She had a debt to pay and she just knew she wouldn’t sleep right until it was paid off good and proper. Yes, it was a little fucked up but that was the system and she had lived with it for a while now. Strangely you kinda got used to it. Most men were pretty appreciative about it.

Walking down the main street, she noted the weird combination of old and new that had blended together in this world. Cars jerry-rigged with solar panels to charge the batteries travelled on the same road as horse-drawn carriages. Kids wore sneakers cause there were still plenty of those left in old stores but paired them with clearly homemade clothes and then spiked them with leather jackets kitted out with studs and chunks of cell phones used as artistic decoration.

She walked until she hit the slight outskirts of the main town area. She could see him now, his arm lifting as he pounded the steel into shape with a large hammer. Farriers, blacksmiths, knife-makers, welders and so on made a nice living in this new world. You could always tell who they were because they smelled like fire and had arms the size of her entire body it seemed. She licked her lips and straightened her back. For the first time in well over a year, she had to admit that she might just be looking forward to this one.

“Hey ...” She greeted. He put down the hammer and shifted up his eye protection, squinting at her in the bright light of day. “Hey.” He replied back, his voice a little gruff. “You looking for something?” He asked.

“Ummm ... pulled your name.” Turns out all the cool things she was saying in her head since pulling his name had just fallen right on out of her brain. Well I wasn’t cool before, she thought bleakly with a tinge of amusement, Guess I’m not now either. Maybe the next apocalypse.

He stopped, frowning lightly as if he wasn’t sure what she was talking about and then his expression cleared and his eyes grew wide. “Oh.” he said. It was actually more of a sound. He cleared his throat. “I ... I ... yeah. Now?” he queried.

When she nodded, “If you have the time. Otherwise ... I can come back.” I can come back. What the hell, was she Uber Eats? What the fuck is wrong with her?

He shook his head, “Now is good.” He tipped his head toward the interior. “Let me shut this down a bit and then I’ll wash up and be in.”

He seemed nervous. Why did she like that so much? Maybe she was bored of the older guys who just had you bend over or would just unzip when they saw you coming. No effort man. No fucking effort. Literally. Wham bam, you’ve paid for your groceries Ma’am.

Mr. Muscles here better put in some damn effort at least.

#trading in dignity #bedtime stories #stories to read by the northern lights

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uraharashouten · 4 years

Text

Pohjola, spirit dimension near Finland, late 1500s

“A letter of transfer?” Kielo eyed the document in her husband’s hand suspiciously.

“Our Queen is requesting our presence in the Eastern Branch of Soul Society,” replied Ilmarinen. “And by our presence, I mean our permanent relocation, and by requesting, I mean ordering.”

Kielo was speechless for a long moment. “We’re… being sent away?”

“So it would seem.”

“That’s – tantamount to banishment. Exile.” Shock was now giving way to angry frustration. “Why?”

“It’s -- really not... we’re meant to be ambassadors, in a sense. And you know why. Most of the folk to the south have become followers of that Hebrew fellow. When they die, their souls seem to be stuck with him. They don’t believe in the cycle, and they don’t come here. Even in the North, most no longer fear Queen Louhi, and Tuonela’s been all but forgotten. I blame the Swedes...” he trailed off, disgruntled, before recalling he was trying to make a point. “In any case, that’s not so in the East! ---Only there, they call it the Soul Society. And lately, the Living Folk are increasingly taking to ships and making their way to Eastern Seas. And dying there. Tuoni must’ve petitioned her for some representation.”

Kielo’s eyes narrowed. “That sounds like the official party line.”

“What do you mean?”

“I bet she’s still bearing a grudge over the rake. She never forgave your grandfather, your namesake, for making that thing to dredge up the scattered bits of Lemminkäinen from the river. He shouldn’t have pursued the Queen’s daughter. She gave him an impossible task for a reason, and I’m sure she would have preferred him to rest in pieces.”

“The rake was the least of the things for which she never forgave Grandfather. It was he who shouldn’t have gotten mixed up with any of her daughters. He was a decent husband to the first, but he failed to keep her from being eaten by wolves – and then he stole the second and turned her into a seagull when she refused him. Not to mention the embarrassing interlude in between where he tried to re-create his first wife from gold and clockworks. ---He had a spotty record with women. It’s a miracle he ever managed progeny.”

“I never believed that seagull story, and neither should you. She just couldn’t stand his singing, so she left. I refuse to include it in the official records.” Kielo sighed, already beginning to resign herself to their new fate. “Well… what’s done is done, and at least I have you. A good and decent man.” She threw her arms around her husband and kissed him. “And you may not be the great seppo he was, but you’ve certainly learned the arcane art of making magical rakes.”

“Indeed, ours is a harrowing tale,” Ilmarinen returned dryly, with a sigh, embracing her and pressing his lips to the crown her head. “But it seems to be our row to hoe, as it were. Our plot to plow...” Making mystical farm implements for the Queen of Pohjola was, after all, their family trade. At least… it had been. And now, it seemed they were being summarily dismissed from service.

“I’m sure there will be a place for both of us with the Shihouin Vault,” she replied encouragingly, sensing her husband’s despondence, and now trying to find the silver lining. She thought the reminder that Soul Society, too, had its guardians of heavenly artifacts and godly gears might be helpful.

He brightened at her words. “You think so? I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making… anything other than farm implements. And perhaps, our son – should we be blessed to have one—will rival Grandfather’s skill, and invent a heavenly artifact greater than the Sampo.”

“We’ll have to learn Japanese.”

“It can’t be that hard,” he grinned. “Certainly easier than convincing all of them to learn Suomi.”

“The writing, though,” she fretted.

“You’ll manage it. You always do. You’re a brilliant archivist, far more brilliant than you give yourself credit for,” he reassured his wife.

“And we’ll have to take a Japanese family name,” she added, not quite flattered enough to be mollified. “You know how bureaucratic they are.”

“That’s simple. My family are career makers of cultivating tools, aren’t we? It’d be nice if we can take a bit of our home with us, and pick something that describes ourselves in our old tongue, yet which also plays well with the new. Let’s just call ourselves… well, you know ‘Ura’ can mean either career or furrow, and ‘Hara’ means cultivator.”

“’Urahara”, she drawled, letting the cobbled-together, freshly-coined Suomi name roll off her tongue. “But what does it mean in Japanese?”

“Ah…” His face became sheepish. To answer the question would mean he’d already looked it up – which would mean he might have kept this letter of transfer from his wife longer than he’d care to admit. “As far as I can work out, it means ‘Field by the Bay.’”

“Well…” Her smile darkened into an accusatory smirk as it dawned on her what his guilty look meant. “With any luck, maybe we’ll find one on which to build our new home. Do you think they have beaches there?”

“I suppose we’ll find out.”

Kielo drew in a long breath through her nostrils and let it out slowly, eyes sweeping the beams of their oak-hewn home. Change, she supposed, was inevitable. “Without me around to keep the record straight,” she muttered, “Someone’s going to put that ridiculous seagull story in an epic poem someday.”

[[ see under the cut for notes on what the heck this is and why I wrote it ]]

For years, Kisuke’s parents have eluded me. Having had this blog for... five years now, I’ve revisited the question periodically. First, I imagined him as coming from some kind of agrarian background, some poor farm-boy from a vassal family to the Shihouin. That later evolved to them being members of the Onmitsukidou. At some early point in his life, he lost them. But beyond that, they’ve remained a mystery to me. Who are they? Where are they from? How did they come into the service of the Shihouin, and what were they doing during that time? And why does Kisuke have blond hair and blue eyes?

Enter Kubo’s Burn the Witch, and the Western Branch of Soul Society. Which... frankly failed to live up to my expectations. All the soul-balancing still seems to be handled by the Eastern Branch; this feels like a Hollow-harvesting field office. But at least this new material from the author allows for the possibility of other spirit-dimensions around the world, other regionalized death-management administrations. I’d long-wondered if Soul Society was meant to be a universal afterlife; I’ll just take that as a no. (I’m also going to assume that the Quincy are a cult offshoot of Judaism and Christianity, which don’t subscribe to reincarnation and hence problematically remove souls from the cycle, but that’s the topic of another meta.)

I was inspired by an epic of Finnish folk tales encapsulated in the Kalevala. They speak of a mythical land to the far North ruled by a cruel Queen named Louhi. Under her auspices also lay a land of the dead, Tuonela, which seemed about as a bleak an afterlife as Soul Society is to me. It felt like a good fit to Bleach’s whole holding-cell-for-souls-awaiting-reincarnation take on life after death.

This epic is long, and I’m scarcely familiar with all of it, but OG Ilmarinen was the smith of the gods. For a bride-payment for Louhi’s eldest daughter, he was compelled to create the Sampo. It was a sort of cornucopia of bountiful, endless harvest; a magical artifact of indeterminate type that brought riches and good fortune to its holder.

Smith and inventor of the gods, who created a magical wish-granting artifact? This was... beginning to sound a little familiar. Ilmarinen’s tales are many and tragic, and a bit too legendary to claim a direct connection to, so I imagined him a grandson. Someone with a pedigree, with the gene for gadgetry genius, but relegated to a life of relative obscurity.

As for the name... a few years ago I was playing around with phonemes, and just for fun went digging to see if I could find a cognate of ‘Urahara’ in any European languages. Thank you, Finnish!

tl;dr: Seretei: The Living World’s shores are crawling with Dutch! Western Branch send help! Some backwater of Northern Europe: sends their third-tier mechanic and his wife.

Sources: On the rake in question On Finnish spirit-realms On Tuonela On the Sampo On the Kalevala On Finnish speakers learning Japanese

#[[ slaps this on the dash with no context whatsoever ]]#[[ someday Kubo may give Kisuke an actual backstory #until then -- have this ]]#[[ drabble ]]#[[ headcanon ]]#[[ thank you #nightbeat-cat #for inspiring me to write this!#...also for helping me figure out Kisuke's birth date #which will be the subject of another post ]]

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keepswingin · 4 years

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Hey! Nice fanfic u just posted,question what did they carve into his back? Ok now to the point, I know I already given u guys like five prompts, but I’m totally ok if this goes to like the bottom of the list. I kinda want a fanfic where Willa gets really really injured somehow? Maybe beat up or something by football players, and Wyatt takes care of her? In all the fanfics it’s just always Wyatt getting Hurt and I would like to see how people would Write Willa getting hurt for once, Also Williza!

Editing this prompt a little bit because I had a certain angsty...idea...also I’m a little out of order with the prompts I have and I apologize to everyone else!

She’s the alpha, which means she has to hunt.

Usually Wyatt will take her place, no ifs ands or butts about it, but today Willa wants to go and provide for her pack. She even goes against her own rules and decides that she’s going to go alone.

Everyone needed a little time to themselves, and wolves were no different.

Wyatt offers to go with her, a hand on her shoulder, but she scolds him and tells him to stay and teach the were-pups how to track. They share a look and he squeezes her shoulder, wishing her luck, trusting her.

Hours later, Willa finds herself meatless.

She’s been to the edge of the forest and back, not a single animal in sight. She even doubled around and checked out a clearing she forbade the other wolves from going in, because it was too open, too easy to get trapped within, and there standing in the middle of a wide-open field of grass and roots, still no animals.

She’s angry, and extremely hungry, when she finds herself by the stream of water they use often, only a half-hour walk from the den.

She refuses to go back empty-handed and figures she’ll rest for a minute before heading back out, more determined than before, because maybe she just wasn’t looking hard enough.

She doesn’t notice the tripwire attached to the tree, or the hidden landmine buried under the dirt, a step away from the stream.

She doesn’t notice.

She takes a step forward, cupping her hands together as she goes for some water. Her foot presses on something, there’s a loud hiss, and then an even louder bang.

Panicked, her claws raised, her eyes flashing amber, she whips around, searching the tree lines, her blood pumping in her ears. If there was a hunter nearby she would be -

A fog fills the around her, hazy and thick, and she’s coughing violently, her body repelling the substance as quickly as possible, like it knows something she doesn’t.

She’s scanning the treeline one second.

Her vision is gone the next.

She blinks and her eyes open, but her sight is gone, replaced by black. Willa’s never been so terrified. She swallows a desperate cry and lifts her hands, her fingers trembling as she attempts to rub at them, and when she pulls back, everything is still black.

Her stomach churns, and something sickening bubbles in her throat. She thinks she might be sick.

Taking a breath, she urges herself to calm down, because freaking out will do nothing to help her get out of the situation she’s currently in.

She takes in the facts, and exhales.

A trap was laid by their water source. It could’ve been a werewolf hunter, it could’ve been a random citizen, but the trap was definitely meant to catch or kill a wolf, considering her skin was tingling with a slight burn, and her eyesight was now gone.

She’s never run into a trap like this one, one that released grey haze into the air and stole sight.

She needed to get back to the pack. To the den. To safety. To Wyatt.

Fingers still shaking, she uses her nose to sniff out the direction she came from, before beginning her trek.

She attempts to walk at first, taking slow steps, but after falling over a jumble of roots and then walking into a branch that leaves her nose throbbing, she decides its easier to go low, crouching low to the ground and listening to what she’s stepping on and continuing to check that she’s going the right way with her keen sense of smell.

Her skin starts to burn when she’s around halfway back, and she doesn’t even realize that she’s burning up with fever until she’s haphazardly wiping beads of sweat from her forehead.

What the hell was in that haze?

She’s utterly exhausted when she finally makes it close enough to the den to howl, the sound broken and weak as it leaves her. Immediately after, she hears multiple sets of feet, all converging around her.

Out of fear she flinches back when she feels hands on her and cringes at the loud noises around her, screwing her eyes shut.

Her brother. Where’s her brother?

The frantic members of the pack fawn over her for a few seconds more before she hears him, his voice booming through the forest around them.

“Let me through! Get back!”

When his hands fall to her arms, she doesn’t flinch back, and when his arms encircle her, she accepts it. When he squeezes her tightly, she squeezes him back.

He mutters things into her ear - “From what I could gather it’s just a gas made from silver and it’ll wear off in a few hours. After, you’ll be good as new,” - pulling her closer, and Willa barely has the strength to nod.

She can’t bring herself to let go of him.

She was safe as long as she was with him.

He would keep her safe.

He always had. He always would.

#asks #keepswingin writes #mine #sorry i def messed around a lot with the prompt for this ond #but i had the idea that willa went blind and your promot was the closest one to it lol

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wiccantree · 4 years

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Holly and Oak

I stare through the windshield, skeptical. Arthur says, “You wanted a castle.” Getting out of the car to better look at the hotel a breeze sends a chill down my spine. The name ‘Hollyoaks’ is on the side of a turret in large red letters. I turn to the woods the hotel backs onto after a twig snaps. I feel eyes watching from the trees and I stare back. I snap to reality when Arthur shuts the trunk. He passes me my duffle. “It’s not a real castle anymore, just the facade. But it is one of the oldest in the country. It was a monastery or something, repurposed a century ago.” He side-hugs me as we look it over again before whispering conspiratorially, “There are even tales of people being eaten by the forest.” “Uh-huh, probably bears or wolves if we’re talking settler-times.” He jabs me with his elbow. “It’s perfect,” I whisper to his temple. “Look, Pat. Solstice decorations. A Krampus, and there’s a Yule Cat,” he points out as we pass a row of pine trees. As we make our way to the lobby, I keep having to duck tree branches. Once we’re through the front doors, Arthur plucks a twig from my hair. “Friendly trees they’ve got here,” I mutter to myself. The receptionist chuckles before Art takes over dealing with our reservation. I tune out the conversation as I look around. Moving away as he deals with some inconvenience, I notice small plaques under the large displays hanging around the lobby and get lost in reading about the place. It was, as Arthur told me, an old monastery converted from a manor house, built by an eccentric affluent noble that sailed here on one of the earliest voyages after Europe learned of the New World. The nobleman even built some stone follies that a maintained trail near the hotel goes through. An ancient-looking mummers costume stands in a case surrounded by pictures and newspaper articles from the local town telling of their history and traditions. I'm reading about their upcoming Solstice parade when I hear Arthur. “Here you are.” He hugs me from behind, head on my shoulder to look at what has my attention. “Sorry to take so long, Ah, that would be the holdup.” He points to the solstice article and settles his chin. “Seems no one noticed our room was double-booked because of their midwinter festival. It’s all sorted out now and we have a larger room on the ground floor at the back.” “That’s fine. I really just want some time with you, Art.” I lean into him. “Well then, let's go get comfy, order some room service, and finally enjoy a vacation together.” I hum, “Together.” Our schedules never match up on time off. This is our first vacation together in years. I’m determined to enjoy it as I follow him through the labyrinth of halls. “And here we are.” He smiles, turns the actual key, and pushes the door. My spine tingles as we enter. Passing an immaculate modern bathroom, I stop in my tracks at the end of the small hallway and stare at the dark, wood-paneled, medieval-themed room. A large wooden four-poster bed is against the far wall; the posts carved to look like trees. Everything is colored evergreen and white with pops of red scattered about. Heavy velvet curtains are pulled back to showcase an elaborate stained-glass window made to look like trees filled with frosted and cut glass leaves. “Damn!” Art drags out the word. “This is… Wow! If only all our mixup/upgrades were this spectacular, right?” “I love it,” I say, and Art smiles. I kiss him. “Love you. Now, I believe there was mention of ordering room service?” “Yes, my liege,” He bows, making me laugh, “Now, where is that menu?” I turn on the television to see what is available. It blares onto the weather report and I hastily turn down the volume so Arthur can order. When finished, he hangs up and we just stare at each other. I’m startled by a tapping on the glass behind me and almost let out a curse. Arthur moves past me to the window and looks outside, unsuccessfully. “Ah-ha! Here we go,” he says and I hear a click. The tree in the center of the window splits and both halves swing in to reveal a small terrace bordered by a fence on one side and a low hedge of holly bushes and two robust oak trees around the rest. One tree has a low bough, swaying in the breeze, which taps on the window again. “Just a tree.” I sigh. Arthur walks to the edge and looks along the flank of the hotel, where I join him. There are bright ribbons in the tree branches and pine boughs decorating the lamp posts that light up a trail that passes right by our room. “Away from everyone is right. We snagged the last free room. The rest are supposed to fill up over the next few days.” “For their festival?” “Yeah.” “I think it’d be nice to check it out. What do you think?” “Patrick, babe, this entire trip is about spending our time together. And I kind of only figured out the hotel part, so whatever you want to do, I’m game.” A knock on our door interrupts him as our food arrives. While he takes in the trays, I look around the terrace and the woods again. Another chill creeps up my spine and the feeling I’m being watched returns. I move the tree branch near the door to rest over the fence blocking our neighbors’ terrace, then close the door. I find the latch and click it shut, and lower a security bar before closing the sheer curtains in a rush. Turning on the lights, the feeling ebbs when Art looks at me and asks, “You okay?” “Mm-hmm. Just felt like I was being watched,” I admit. “Oh good, it’s not just me.” His shoulders sag. “Here, let’s close these ones too.” He pulls loose the tiebacks on the heavy velvet curtains which swing shut. “Ah, much better. Now let’s eat and get ‘reacquainted’.” He wiggles his eyebrows. I smile in spite of myself. “You’re on!” # Solstice, a few days later, starts with our going to the in-house restaurant for breakfast. We are at ease in a way we haven’t been in months. The weather channel, which seemed to be the only channel unlocked, forecasts an appropriate drop from mild to seasonal temperatures later in the day. The quaint surrounding town is littered with more of the same decorations as the hotel. We agree to split up for an hour to get each other midwinter gifts. I find a perfect red and white flannel scarf with holly embroidered on both ends, for him. The shop wraps it in plain craft paper and ties it with green and red ribbons and a holly sprig in place of a bow. We meet up in the town square, which is set up as a winter festival, literally bumping into one another in front of a hot cocoa stand. We order some and wander the festival. We finally stop next to a small park set up to be an ice rink. “Here, they were able to wrap it for me,” I say, handing him his gift. “Ditto.” He smiles and hands me a silver paper bag with blue and silver curlicue ribbons stapled to the top. We both tear into our gifts and I’m entranced by mine. It’s a scarf too; light green with ribbons of darker green yarn woven through it. Embroidered along one edge in a repeating pattern are silver oak leaves. ��I love it,” we both say in stereo. We laugh and wrap ourselves up in them just as the bells of a nearby church start chiming. The parade is due to start soon. By happenstance, we are in the perfect place to watch everyone gathering. Drums start pounding, joined by tambourines, and people make a spectacle of dressing in sackcloth and bundles of sticks and placing straw heads over their own. A whimsically dressed woman with an old rusted loud-horn begins calling out directions and asking for volunteers to be the Oak and Holly Kings. “I’ve been reading up on that,” admits Arthur. “There's a really old story about the personifications of summer and winter who battle for control of the forest throne, and with it, the seasons. From mid-winter through mid-summer is the Oak King who rules. And the other way, mid-summer to midwinter it’s the Holly King.” “And what about you two gentlemen?” the eccentrically dressed woman asks. It feels like more than everyone is looking at us. “What would we have to do?” I ask the woman. I can feel Arthur’s fist pump beside me and I quickly squint at him. “I haven’t said yes yet,” I whisper. “But you haven’t said no either.” He smiles back at me. The woman lowers the funnel. “It’s all good fun. We have costumes behind the stage at the other end, eh?” she points. “And you come out in them and parade through the town. Then a little play where you pantomime the eternal battle and whichever of you is wearing the Oak King gets the throne.” “Alright, I'm in,” says Art before I can decline, but I shake my head at his enthusiasm and reluctantly agree. The wind suddenly picks up and snowflakes bluster about as a cheer rises from the crowd. We are pulled towards the gazebo-stage-contraption set up at the end of the square. As we are getting into the outfits, a quick rock-paper-scissors wins me the Oak King, one of the twigs on my costume scratches my cheek, and Art pricks his thumb on his. “These should come with a warning.” “Or gloves.” He laughs Another woman, this one in all black and a walkie-talkie on her hip, apologizes profusely explaining they’re usually easier to adjust. The coordinator for the parade comes over and explains everything to us again. We are given staves and shown the rudimentary “fighting” we are to do at the end. Art is having a blast. The drums rumble a warning before the costume tech comes by and hands us our ‘heads’ wishing us, “Good luck.” The parade is a blur of cheers and waving. During the pantomime, I step the wrong way and Arthur overcompensates and we end up actually hitting each other. I stumble back just as a light flashes and smoke billows up from nowhere. I lose sight of Arthur in the commotion, and the people cheering for the new king is intoxicating. The throne is weirdly warm for stone in winter. There's so much noise and I’m pulled around by so many revelers, I lose count. At some point, a foul-smelling beer is poured down an opening in the top of my crown. I almost retch. It’s suddenly sunset and where the hell is Art? Everything moves slowly. I ask where I can take off the costume and am pointed in a direction, I walk where I'm pointed for I don’t know how long, Abruptly, I recognize I’m on the trail that passes the hotel and can see our room. The lights are on. The party sounds distant, and since I'm here, I might as well get into some clean clothes; I can bring back the costume tomorrow. I step over the hedge leaning on one of the oak trees and lose my balance before the tree catches me and pushes me back up. I mutter a “thanks” and move to the door which opens just before I can knock. Arthur looks pale and angry. “About time!” “Sorry?” “You disappeared at the parade. They said you’d be on your way shortly. I came back here to wait for you and that was hours ago.” He backs up when I lurch into the room. “Help me get this off, no one would help me.” He continues to glare at me. “Please, Art. This thing is starting to hurt. I think they slipped me something.” I tug at the neck and start to fall when Art is right there to catch me. “Alright. But I’m still mad.” He reaches back and pulls the cord I couldn't reach. The suit opens and clatters to the floor. “Ugh, this is heavy.” I try pushing the head off and it doesn't move. “Ow, uh, Art? Help” “Really? You can’t-uh-okay.” He tries to pull with no effect. He reaches in and underneath and I feel his fingers brush over my face before the head twists and comes off. I take several deep breaths. “Thank you.” He places the head on top of the stick suit on the bed before turning back to me. “What’s that?” he asks. “What?” He looks closer, “You have a twig.” He reaches out to brush off my face. “It must be glue or something,” I say when it doesn’t move. “Let me go wash it off.” “Yeah, and you’ve got some twigs in your hair too,” Art says with a chuckle as I go into the bathroom. “Man, this stuff is tough.” The face wash isn't doing anything besides stinging. I lean in closer to the mirror. “What the fuck? Art, come look at this, I think it's growing out of my cut.” There in an instant and looking close, he twists my head into the light. “The hell?” “Can you pull it out?” I close my eyes for a second feeling him touch it. I open them when he says, “Okay, on the count of three. One, Two-“ He rips it out. A tendril of sinew I can feel slide inside my cheek comes out of the cut with it. I call out in revulsion and proceed to wash the cut again. The stinging subsides as I inspect my face in the mirror. “Let me see?” Art moves closer and once my face passes his inspection he smiles and kisses me on the cut. “All better.” There is a rattling from out in the bedroom that sounds like the tree branch on the window again. “Ugh, I must have knocked the branch loose when I came in.” “I’ll get it. You finish cleaning up and then we’ll pack up. This place was sweet but that was just too weird for me. We’re going home.” I sigh, “Yeah, okay. Let me just…” I gesture to my hair and he nods before leaving. “Fuck! Art?” I call out, hands in my hair. “Maybe later. “ He chuckles,” What the-” Whatever he was going to say is tuned out as I stare at my reflection. The sticks in my hair won’t move; they made a crown of green shoots that will bend and flex but not come off. I take a deep breath and pick one and pull hard. It pops out like the one in my cheek with a sick sliding feeling as another tendril of roots slide out. I throw it on the counter and shudder. ”Gross.” I make quick work of pulling the rest just as harshly. I grab a small towel and soak it in water. I can hear the rattling again. Rubbing my face with the cloth, I walk back to help with the packing. I trip over Art, landing on my knees. He is lying on the floor beside the bed, a red line across his temple. Standing in the doorway to the terrace is the Oak King, head under one arm. The other pulling open the window. The trees outside our room bend over and their branches hold the doors. Muttering a litany of curses, I crab-walk backward towards the door to the hallway. I twist to get up and slip on something before I slam into the wall. Thin, rough iron-strong fingers grab my shoulder and pull me back. I fly through the air and land on the bed. Loud creaking from the trees in the doorway pulls my attention and their bark twists into grotesque grins. A rattling sound from the other direction has me staring back at the Oak King. Vines grow from the bedposts and wraps around my wrists and ankles. They pull tight and it is nowhere near as fun as when Art did it to me the other day. The suit rattles and hobbles towards me. The front of it buckles, snaps, and opens wider. It reaches for me and presses on my arms as it straddles me. It bends forward and the opening where the head should have been is right at my face. A warm breeze billows out of it smelling like summer flowers. My stomach turns. I thrash around and the suit's arms rip and scratch, tearing my shirt. It reaches for the scarf I am, somehow, still wearing, but pulls its ‘hand’ back, hissing a putrid honeysuckle. Both arms rise above its headless body and I shut my eyes. I expect pain with the crunching noise but instead, the pressure is lifted off of me and my eyes open. The suit is crumpled in the doorway and being picked up by the trees. Huffing and holding a staff is Art. “Sorry, Oak King. This time, Holly wins.” He swings the staff again and knocks the suit out onto the terrace before rushing to the doorway and swinging the staff once more, cracking the tree branches holding the doors. He shuts them, flicks the lock and slams the security bar in place, stepping back as the door rattles in its frame. He turns to me, “Time to go!” He moves to the bed and begins pulling at the vines holding me. Cursing, he turns and grabs a knife left from his dinner and cuts one. After the vine snaps, the rest tremble and let go. He pulls me up and I kiss him before we turn and run from the room. We are near the end of the hallway when we hear the terrace doors hit so violently, the glass shatters. The scratching and rattling of tree branches on the floor fill my ears. We run through the lobby ignoring the receptionist’s call, Art grabs my hand and pulls me toward the entrance. “Fuck it. Let’s just go.” We are out the doors and in his car in the blink of an eye. He starts the car and pulls down the drive. It starts snowing and the wind picks up. I can feel the forest on either side of the road watching us. “Art?” “I feel it too.” He stomps on the accelerator. The falling snow fills the headlight’s beams. Tree branches bump and tap on the car from either side. A dark shadow darts in front of us. Art hits it and sticks fly everywhere as we skid to a stop. The outline of another shadowed figure detaches from the trees and steps closer. It is the Holly Suit staff in hand. The snow hovers as the moment stretches. The Holly King moves to where we hit what must have been the Oak King. It turns back towards us and raises its staff. I hit Art’s shoulder and hiss, “Drive!” We start moving forward again and the snow engulfs the Holly King. For the next twenty minutes, Art drives, white-knuckled, and silent. I reach for the climate controls to warm us up. “That…really happened, didn’t it?” I ask, holding my hands at the vent. “Mm-hmm.” He nods. The snow lets up as we near the city, its lights painting the clouds orange. When we get home, I rush to my laptop. “What are you doing?” Art asks. “I’m looking up whatever the fuck that was.” I toss my scarf on the table. He shrugs. “I’m going to shower, then bed. Don’t take too long, babe, there’s always tomorrow.” I've lost myself down a rabbit-hole of fables, allegories, and history by the time he’s back. And none of what I’ve read makes sense. “You’re late. Come with me?” Art extends his hand to me. I smile at him and sigh into a yawn, “You’re right.” I take his hand and am pulled into a hug. His skin is warm and hard. “I love you.” I pull back to kiss him but his arms are a vice. His fingers are digging into my back. “Art?” His back is rough under my palms and I twist to see our reflection in the slowly lightening window, next to our open door. His spine looks like bark. Something sharp is digging into my hip and his fingers are piercing. “Arthur?!” I smell flowers. Wood creeks in my ear as he turns his head and whispers, with not Art’s voice. “The battle goes until dawn.”

#my writing i hate the ending and should have stopped in the car rejected anthology submission figured it should go somewhere #tw horror short story #oh dear GODS i tried writing again #writing

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clownsgobeepbeep · 5 years

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I like your eyepatch for your choice uwu

As you can tell, I barely wrote anything for Pirate AU Cuckoo, so now let’s see some more of them uwu

There was an island, a port in fact. A quite…quiet one where not very much happened.

That was until today.

People ran in all directions, attempting to hide wherever possible if not continue fleeing as they were all being chased by raiders or the dangers that came from guns being shot or bombs exploding.

In between the crowd was a mix of uniformed men, all crouching, kneeling, or standing behind anything to shoot at the invaders who ran around like a pack of wild wolves.

Pirates. Of course.

It was to be expected but seeing how their port was normally not very hectic, it did come as a surprise when black sails were seen in the distance before canons fired at the island.

“Admiral, what should we do?”

“Focus on our people first.” came the admiral’s voice as they walked through the crowd of soldiers all getting ready to run into the fight once again.

“But the island!”

“Everything can always be rebuilt!” the admiral yelled at the man who had been following them around. “Our people frankly can not , soldier! Now hurry and protect the people and tell the others that I ordered just that!”

“Yes Admiral!” the man saluted before immediately making a run for it, joining the others outside who were trying to fend off the pirates.

“Shall we evacuate the people to our fleet?” another man followed the admiral who shook their head.

“Once the pirates notice this, they shall sink the ships. It is best that the people be hidden away and our men guard that location.

“Yes Admiral!” the man ran off as well, shouting orders to the other men who hurried out whilst a few stayed to light canons.

The admiral traveled beside the line of canons, giving no reaction as every one of them fired in sync. Instead, their expression remained upset as they drew their sword, jumping from where they stood and onto the soft sand, completely unharmed.

With a twirl, they jabbed their sword before hearing a loud grunt for they had stabbed a pirate that attempted to run towards them.

Pulling their sword out, they then continued to storm their way across the sand, clashing swords with all pirates that came at them, managing to kick them into the water if not also stab them to either kill or injure them to keep them in place.

The admiral then grabbed one of the pirates, swinging them with a single arm before throwing them to a group of other pirates resulting in all of them to tumble. With this, they took the chance to turn to a mother and child who had been cowering in fear.

“Take them away!” they commanded to a nearby soldier, the pair then being rushed off as the admiral stood in place waiting for the next attack. And then, that’s when they made a sharp turn and lifted their sword with both hands as another clashed down onto it.

“Admiral.”

“The pirate captain.” the admiral spoke before pushing the sword away, retrieving their own as they took a stance and saw that the captain before them did so as well.

“I prefer Admiral, considering how I command a fleet of pirate ships as well.” the pirate lunged at the admiral who blocked his attack.

“Now that sounds quite silly, sir. A pirate admiral sounds rather like a joke.”

“Now, now, Admiral. I am not here to give jokes.” the pirate backed away before the admiral now took a lunge towards him, the pirate avoiding the attack with a swift movement. “I am here to take all that I must from this island of yours.”

Before the Admiral was able to make a block, the pirate slashed at their arm where there was a new cut on their coat as well as arm, blood slowly starting to pour out.

“Not if I can allow it.”

“Oh no need to worry.” the pair clashed swords, attempting to push each other away as the pirate leaned in. “Your permission I do not care for.”

“I do not believe you care for much.”

They pushed each other away, their swords swinging and hitting against each other before the pirate managed to disarm the admiral, throwing their sword into the air. It was then caught by the pirate who now wielded two swords, so the admiral ran off to the nearest building in which they thankfully found an array of swords, surprisingly not in use.

“You are quite the cheater sir.”they commented as they blocked another attack, then jumping as a sword was swung at their legs.

“Pirates do not know the term ‘cheater’, for rules do not apply to us. I believed you would have known that by now Admiral.” the pirate responded as the admiral leaped over a barrel to have a higher ground and jumping as both swords were swung at their legs in an ‘X’ motion.

“Do I say sir, your appearance strikes me some familiarity.”

“I am known all around Admiral, there are even legends of me and what I have done.” the pirate announced, ducking as the admiral swung down at his face. “But seeing how quiet your island is, there is no doubt those never reached here.”

Before the admiral could reply, they gasped in surprise after the pirate roughly kicked the barrel they had been standing on. So, the admiral plummeted down to the ground before their sword was kicked away and the pirate’s two had the admiral’s neck in between as they were now placed in an ‘X’ figure again.

“What is your name sir?” the admiral looked up at the pirate who inched closer towards them. “I must learn the name of the one who is about to bring my end and the end of my island.”

“Father!”

The pair turned to look behind the pirate as a flash of red appeared, coming closer towards them.

“Lily?” they both asked before turning to each other in surprise, speaking at once again. “How do you know her!?”

“Father!” the child called out as she now stood behind the pirate, her eyes landing on the admiral before giving a loud gasp. “Father! What are you doing!?”

“Lily, I thought I told you to stay on the ship.” the pirate placed his foot on the admiral so they wouldn’t stand.

“But father, your men are complete buffoons and I wish to stay by your side rather than in the ship where boredom strikes me.”

“Father?” the admiral looked at the pirate in pure confusion. “You are Mendax!”

“Indeed I am, and-”

“Father! Oh father, do you realize who this is?”

“No…?”

“Father.” the child approached the admiral, shooing away James’ swords before helping the shocked admiral back up, even dusting their clothes. “This is my uncle Stellar’s best friend, Harley Tennant.”

“Lily, I-”

“You can not kill them! They are like a relative to me as well father!” Lily held the admiral’s hand, even pointing an accusing finger at James who lowered his swords, not knowing how else to react.

“But, Lily…the-”

“Tut, tut!” Lily exclaimed. “I will allow you to bring them onto the ship, and only them.”

Harley looked at the pirate who shut his eyes, clearly frowning despite wearing a cloth over his mouth. He gave a deep sigh before nodding in defeat, then dropping a sword to snap his fingers which in turn made a vulture fly over and onto his arm.

“Tell the others that it is time to leave.” James spoke to the vulture who took flight again, giving a sound to the air before the pirates soon started to go back to the shore.

“Thank you very much father.” Lily smiled at James who then pat her head as she hugged his legs with pure affection.

“Thank you.” Harley nodded in agreement before having James shoot a glare at them, then picking up Lily who kissed his cheek.

“It is time for us to leave darling.” he told the girl who looked over at Harley with a smile, waving at them as James started to walk away with her.

“I like your eyepatch.” Harley called out to the child who had been wearing an eyepatch, lifting it to giggle.

“I am learning how to see in the dark! Like a pirate!”

“Good luck with that!” Harley waved back, glancing down at their sword on the ground as they still wondered to themselves what had just happened…and why they had not been taken-

“Excuse me!” they shouted as they were now engulfed in a darkness as a cloth had been placed over their head.

“Where do we take ‘em?”

“The jail cells ya idiot.”

“Right.”

“Unhand me you, you, filthy pirates!”

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lj-todd · 5 years

Note

Challenge: Catelyn Stark survives the red wedding and makes her way to the wall because she had nowhere else to go and finds herself under the protection of the bastard she hated. She also lives long enough to see Jon crowned king and learn the truth of his parentage. May she drown in guilt. Does her survival somehow help convince her uncle to bring the Tully army to help retake Winterfell? Will she and Jon reconcile? I dont know.

It had been luck, and a bold, self-sacrificing knight of the Riverlands that had gotten Catelyn out of the Twins, that had saved her from being slaughtered alongside her son and those loyal to him. It had been further luck, or the will of the gods, that a man of the Night’s Watch, one of their wandering crows, had found her and make the choice to take her to the Wall.There she had been left in what served as the great hall, wrapped in a warm blanket with a bowl of stew, while a young man, Samwell Tarly he’d introduced himself as, went to fetch the Lord Commander. She sat there, broken, unable to push away the memory of the sight of Robb’s lifeless body, suddenly startled from her thoughts when something bumped her arm.Looking, she was shocked to find the white direwolf, bigger now than even Robb’s Grey Wind, standing beside her, watching her with that odd red gaze. Jon’s wolf, Ghost, the boy had called him. She reached out with a shaky hand, running her fingers through thick white fur and Ghost nudged her hand with his nose before turning, laying so he was facing the door. As though he understood she had no other protection.“Lady Stark?”

The voice, familiar yet sounding so uncertain, drew her gaze from the quiet wolf.Standing in the doorway the young Tarly boy had disappeared through was the last person she had ever expected to see again. Dressed all in black, face marked by scars, looking almost the very image of her Ned, stood Jon Snow.She did not know what possessed her to do it. Her grief, perhaps, the loss of all she had loved, all she had held dear, or if it was because the boy looked so much like Ned or if it was the memory of how much her husband and children had loved this boy, but she suddenly found herself standing and crossing to him. When she wrapped her arms around him she broke. Sobbing as she clung to him. Her words, spoken to her son’s wife, rang through her head.“All this horror has come to my family because I couldn’t keep my promise. Because I couldn’t love a motherless child.”Jon held her, his embrace warm and strong, letting her cry, letting her grieve, until she was finally able to compose herself. Or at least as much as she could given the situation. He listened when she told him what had happened, what had been done to Robb and, for the first time, she saw a rage in his eyes, fierce as a winter storm but burning like wildfire.“I want to avenge him,” he had admitted to her, quietly, as though afraid to speak the words too loudly. “I want to avenge my father. I…I should have ridden south…should have joined Robb in his war…but my vows…” His hands clenched tightly and he looked at her with those grey Stark eyes. Ned’s eyes. “I will let no further harm come to you, Lady Stark. I swear, to the Old Gods and your Seven, that so long as I draw breath nothing will stop me from protecting you.”And he kept that vow. Had a room prepared for her, ordered that her presence was to be kept secret. It was safer, he reasoned, with the support of the Tarly boy and Maester Aemon, if the world believed she had perished at the Red Wedding.Months passed. Things changing in the blink of an eye. Stannis came, answering a call for support from Jon against Mance’s Wildling army, and left again with plans to retake Winterfell from the Boltons. A mission that failed they were told by Stannis’ red witch. Jon went beyond the Wall with the Wildlings, returning with horrifying tales of White Walkers and the Night’s King. And then, perhaps most disturbing, was the betrayal of men sworn to Jon as Lord Commander. Seeing the boy, seeing Ned’s son lain on that table, pale and still in death, had nearly broken her and she’d raged and screamed, begging for the gods to give him back. To not take the another piece of her husband and son from her. For Ned and Robb had loved Jon. They had love him as he had loved them. She could not stand the loss of him.Whether it was her prayers or the red witch’s magic, Jon did return, haunted by his own death for a time but, in the end, he showed Stark honor by passing sentence on those who had murdered him. And, as Ned had taught him, he swung the sword to cut them down. And then came the day Lady Brienne arrived with Sansa. The reunion with her daughter, who had thought her dead, was more than Catelyn had ever hoped for and seeing how Sansa clung to Jon, how her daughter begged him to help take back Winterfell, their home, spurred her into action.She wrote a letter to her uncle at Riverrun. She wrote to Lords of the Vale, beseeching them as the sister of their late Lady, and she wrote to Lords of the North and the Neck as the Lady of Winterfell. She had seen Jon command, had seen the loyalty he inspired in men, those of the Watch and the Wildlings, and she would do all she could to raise an army for him. To aid him as he fought to take back their home.And it was their home. He might not be her son but he was Ned’s. And he should have hated her for how she had treated how, for how she had constantly reminded him that he did not belong, he should have cast her to the wolves when she first was brought to him, and he would have been justified. But he had sheltered her. Had protected her.She, like Jon and Sansa, had been surprised at the numbers that rallied to them. The people who rallied to restore House Stark to its rightful place. To see justice done to the Boltons for their part in the betrayal of House Stark. She was even more surprised when, with the battle won, with Winterfell reclaimed and the Stark banners once more flying, when Jon was, as Robb had been, declared King in the North by the people of the North.He was a hesitant King, at first, uncertain if he should be ruler, more so because he was bastard born, but he came into his own as King.Catelyn was wary when Jon went to meet with the Targaryen girl calling herself Queen. Wary when he took only a handful of men, though he wisely took the loyal Ser Davos, but had had no choice but to watch him go. Remembering how, nearly twenty years ago now, she had watched Ned ride off, not certain if he would ever come back.She busied herself with helping Sansa rule Winterfell in Jon’s absence. Helped tend to the people, both Northerner and Wildling alike, and, when Arya suddenly returned to her, when Bran returned, both thought lost forever, she went into the Sept Ned had had built for her and prayed. Thanking the Seven for sparing her children. Thanking them for reuniting her with them. And then she prayed for Jon. She prayed for his safety. For his return. She prayed that the death to the far North was defeated and that her family would be spared more suffering.She was with Bran when the Tarly boy, who had gone to Oldtown to study to be a Maester for the Watch, arrived with news that Bran, who had grown strange in his time away, his time beyond the Wall, was not surprised by. News that bore the name of Jon’s mother.Catelyn, after listening to the two young men, seeing the evidence the Tarly boy had, had gone to the crypts and stood before her husband’s. She understood, perhaps, why he had hidden the truth. Even from her. His sense of honor likely telling him that, if she did not know, then she would be safe if the truth was ever learned. It was a stupid decision. When she left his crypt she moved down the corridor to a crypt she had never visited.Lyanna Stark’s statue was, Ned had once claimed, a poor likeness of her and Catelyn could scarcely remember the girl she had met once, during her betrothal to Brandon, to be certain if it was or wasn’t. But standing there, looking at the stone face of a girl that a war had been waged over, she suddenly found herself dropping to her knees, fresh tears spilling down her face.“Forgive me,” she sobbed softly, voice shaking, staring up at the statue’s face. “Forgive me. I…I did not know…Ned…he never told me. It is no excuse, not truly, for…for all I did…what I prayed to happen to…to your son…” She closed her eyes for a moment, picturing how things might have been different if Ned had told her the truth. If she had been able to love Jon because loving him, claiming him as her own, would have served as protection. Had she known his true parentage she could have, would have, shielded him from the world by declaring him to be her child. Her son. She could have accepted him before her family was ripped apart. She could have loved him sooner.Opening her eyes, Catelyn drew a deep, shaky breath, still staring up at Lyanna’s stone face.“I will do all I can…in Ned’s stead…to protect your son.” She reached up, hands touching the cool stone of the statue. “I swear…by the gods, Old and New, I will…I will do all I can to…to right my wrongs…I will…I will help him be a good king because…because he is already a good man. A man you would be proud to…to call son, Lyanna. Ned raised him well. I…I wish I had known…I wish I had been a better woman…but I still have time…time to do better. To make certain your son…our children…our House…survives whatever else is still to come.”Catelyn slowly rose, standing there before her sister-by-law’s crypt a moment longer, silently repeating her vow to protect and help Jon. To continue to try and mend the damage she had done before. She would never be completely absolved of her guilt, and she did not feel she should be, for she had been deeply unkind to an innocent child, but she could do right by the man that child had grown to be.

#mischief11things #game of thrones #asoiaf #catelyn stark #jon snow #au #alternate universe #ficlet #drabble

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wardog-of-the-endless · 6 years

Text

Wardog’s Fic Masterpost

You can find nearly all fics through my AO3 account, but here’s a list of links!

The Old Guard

Immortal Husbands- Nicolo di Genova x Yusuf al-Kaysani

A Hunting (We Will Go); Part of Moonrise In The Hallows

Halloween Oneshot (Within a Larger Verse); Teen & Up- The Guard is a Shifter Pack, led by the fierce wolf Andy. Her fellow wolves Sebastian & Nile, along with the hyenas Lykon and Yusuf are fierce and far-ranging. To say nothing of the vampire, Nico, that is somehow one of them. When their youngest wolf goes missing, the Guard hunts down those responsible and will terminate them without hesitation. The fact that there's another prisoner being held in the basement probably isn't important...

Reluctantly Making Art

Ongoing; Teen & Up- While Yusuf al-Kaysani would prefer to be a hermit in his apartment and get over his recently ended bad relationship (and subsequently worse breakup), he has friends that have decided that is not his decision to make. He might ignore them, except for the fact that they're his best friends AND the most terrifying women he's ever met, so he doesn't have much choice. He goes to breakfast, he goes to art class, and he falls head over heels for the beautiful Italian man sitting as the model. Because of course, he does; that was the plan all along. (Joe has to admit... it's a pretty good plan.)

MARVEL

IronStrange- Tony Stark x Stephen Strange

Wishes (Better Left Ungranted)

Complete; General Audiences- Tony makes a few wishes, but some are better left ungranted.

‘Till Then

Complete; Mature- Stephen Strange is trying to work at Kamar-Taj when his boyfriend texts him... from his Malibu bed. Stephen opens a portal to talk to him about it and they wind up, not really talking about it. ( Tony Stark Bingo Explicit Card A4 KINK: Masturbation)

The Theory of Magic

Ongoing- Open for Expansion; General Audiences- A get together series in which Stephen Strange has a crush and actually makes a movie. Stories are Complete but the Series is Ongoing, available for expansion via prompts when open.

Remind Me

Study and Practice

Burden of Proof

Absence Makes the Heart

Time Heals All

Ongoing- Open for Expansion; General Audiences- Stephen Strange and Tony Stark are married. A little Team Cap antagonistic. Part 3 is a little Dark!IronStrange.

What the Doctor Ordered

Cloak and Dagger

Break Rules (Not Oaths)

IronPanther- Tony Stark x T’Challa

Hot Chocolate

Complete; General Audiences- (Fluff and Flirting)- So a combination of a prompt and a ship. From jacarandabanyan "Hot Chocolate" and bash-it-all's "IronPanther".

WinterHawk- James Barnes x Clint Barton

Well-Armed (To Hold)

Complete; Teen Audiences- Tumblr Prompt: "Would you ever write WinterHawk? <3"

A Meddling Affection

Complete One Shot; General Audiences- A belated Birthday ficlet for the lovely Ru! Combined with Tumblr Prompt: All Avengers, clock, poking (Heading toward WinterIronHawk)

WinterIron- James Barnes x Tony Stark

Children of Light

Ongoing Series; General to Teen- Slowbuild to WinterIron. Deals with the Death of JARVIS, the first activation of FRIDAY, and JARVIS’s eventual resurrection. (Note that J is the “Major Character Death” referenced.) This is angsty because I have FEELINGS about the loss of JARVIS and the fact that we never mourned him in MCU. Stories and Series ongoing.

Son of Stark

To Lose a Child

A Child’s Initiative

I Will Always Find You

Complete; General Audiences- Tony as Snow White, Bucky as Prince Charming in an AU snippet of OUAT.

Collision With a Dream

Complete; General Audiences- Bucky's walking along arguing about Russian Lit when he literally runs over his dream guy. Tasha does what she usually does, she makes it worse. That's alright, Tony's apparently the forgiving sort.

(You Wanna) Date My Dad

Complete; General Audiences- Featuring Harley Keener! "Would you ever write a fic where Bucky meets Harley?"

To Cure a Hangover (You Need Espresso and a Date)

Ongoing; General Audiences- Prompt: "Would you ever write: WinterIron with age difference? Like teacher!Bucky with Student!Tony? :P"

I Was Promised a Flying Car

Complete; General Audiences- Prompt: Would you ever write a fic where Tony and Bucky is bonding over being nerds/loving science? (And doing all kinds of wacky, mythbuster-esque experiments that Tony whips up any time Bucky begins a sentence with "I wonder what would happen if...?")So it's not "science" driven, but science nerd Bucky did spend his last night before deployment at the Stark Expo, staring at a flying car...

Mechanics, Millionaires, Models & More

Ongoing Series; General Audiences- Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne are friends from childhood. When Tony as a single dad catches the eye of the model James Barnes, there’s some mutual Instagram-Stalking and a lot of flirting.

Tony’s First Friend

Coping for An Age

(Walk Walk) Fashion Baby

Milkshakes and Motorcycles

Ongoing; Teen Audiences- Bucky, second to the Captain for the Howling Commandos, hears a scuffle around the corner and finds himself with an armful of just about the prettiest little lost lamb he's ever seen. Since Tony don't seem too keen on his now-ex, Bucky's gonna buy him a milkshake, wrap him in a leather jacket, and hopefully show him a good time.

California Dreamin’ A Beach Bums Verse

Ongoing; Teen Audiences- Note: A Special Collaboration Series! This is a WinterIron get together with puns, angst, fluff and more! Make sure to read my partner maevee’s stories!

Don’t Tell (Secrets)

(Everyday Is A) Winding Road

Mai Tai (Offer You A Drink)

When You Wish Upon A Stark -Maevee!

We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Bucky -Maevee!

Adorato

Ongoing; James Barnes, the Winter Soldier, has been out of the ice and Hydra’s hands for a month the first time he hears a familiar voice. (A SoulMate AU)

True, Strong and Brave

Ongoing; Teen- Bucky Barnes moves into the tower and receives help from an otherwise elusive Iron Man. But when the team gets called out and things go wrong, Steve gets a reality check as to what has been done in his name. Bucky steps up, he's one of the few who can. (Team Cap Critical; Anti-Wanda)

Tired

Complete; General Audiences- From a Prompt on Tumblr: Random Sentence- “I’ll do it for you.”

(Were) Whisperer

Ongoing; Mature- In a world where Aliens rain destruction from portals through space, ancient Gods arrive on beams of light, and a certain Billionaire Philanthropist darts around the world in a metal suit: there really is a very high bar for what is considered "weird". Shapeshifters hardly register, having been long known. You’re either a Human, a Were, or a Whisperer. Most people can prove whether they’re the first or the second, a few will lie about being the third. Alternately, there's Tony. Tony Stark is one of the few people pretending the first and burying the third, and he’s more or less in the clear with it until Steve Rogers catches up with the Winter Soldier, and brings him home to Avengers Tower. Tony doesn’t have to say a word, the Wolf knows differently.

An Attraction

Complete; Jurassic World AU- Write... a crossover/au of the last non-marvel movie you saw and marvel (if ships, winteriron?). Essentially Jurassic World & Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Snippets with WinterIron. Originally Posted on Tumblr: Expansion Pack for AO3!

The Continental

Teen- From the Prompt: “ Would you ever write: Winteriron as a John Wick!AU?” James "Winter" Barnes has been accepted into The Continental Hotel's exclusive clientele. While preparing for a job he visits the Hotel Lounge and meets the gorgeous singer, Tony Stark. The Owner's Son, the New Manager... Maybe the love of his life.

Impressions

Ongoing; General Audiences- So my adorable FandomNiece made me a beautiful Moodboard for True, Strong and Brave. I offered a gratitude fic for her pairing and trope of choice! This is a WinterIron Identity Porn story!

New Hire

Complete One Shot; General Audiences- In reaction to the Prompt: "Actually totally WinterIron and Peteypie, with...sitter or teacher Bucky???" (And things got out of control as they do, I guess.)Essentially: Pepper hires a Bodyguard/Babysitter for Peter out of SHIELD's ranks. Tony is spiky about it, at least until he gets a look at the guy. (Yeah, he wants to climb that like a tree.)

(Let’s Go) Dancing

Complete One Shot; General Audiences- This is a Marvel Universe-Center Stage Fusion AU that no one asked for and everyone is getting anyway. Tony dances for the American Ballet Company as their featured ballerino, performing under the name Antonio Carbonell. James and Steve are two of the ABC's newest students, and James gets a chance to meet his crush on his first day. Just his luck, Tony is even better in person. (Natalia may have been setting them up all along.)

Next Year Will Be Better

Complete One Shot; General Audiences- Just a quick story for Tony's birthday. Pre-Slash Tony Stark/James Barnes, and Tony acting as IronDad to the Spider Son and his Potato Gun Son.

The Most Powerful (Pillowfight)

Complete One Shot; General Audiences- In which Carol and Tony (aggressively) support each other and then do battle (with pillows) for their honor. Or each other's honor? It's unclear, things got out of control. (James Rhodes loves these idiots way too much.) This is a fill for the TSB 2019 Square: T2: A BATTLE/FIGHT/CONFRONTATION

Coffee, Curses, Kisses

Complete; General Audiences- Tony Stark drags himself out of his workshop on a regular Thursday morning. Well, mostly a regular morning. Except for Clint Barton lying on the breakfast bar in themed underwear. The theme is new, the rest is depressingly familiar. Ok, so maybe the rose petals are new too. (What the hell, Clint?) It's enough to make a billionaire grateful for the Avengers Alarm. Wait a minute, magic too? Fuck, this is just not Tony's day. (Until it really, really is.)This is a Fill for Tony Stark Bingo 2019 S4: FIRST KISS

Riding Roughshod

Ongoing; Teen & Up- The Heroic Captain America wakes up in a world that is integrated far beyond what he would have dreamed of when he went into the ice, though he never expected to be a part of it. A pioneer of mixed-race teams back in his own day, the last thing he expects is to be called upon to do so once again, this time gathering a group of heroes from some rather unlikely places. If that weren't enough to worry about, there's a wild-card Soldier with a familiar fighting style making trouble at top-security bases all over the world... and a shiny red and gold suit that doesn't seem to answer to anyone. That's to say nothing of the kid genius that's supposedly behind it.This is a Fill for Tony Stark Bingo 2019 R4: CentaursThis is a Fill for Bucky Barnes Bingo 2019 K3: Tony Stark/ Iron Man

Love Like Knives

Complete One Shot; Mature- Winter wakes up Tony when he wants someone to play rough with.This is a Bingo Fill for Bucky Barnes Bingo 2019. U4: [Image: Winter Soldier holding a knife.]

(I Will Try) To Fix You

Complete One Shot; General Audiences- Dark Fic; An Extremis-modified Tony Stark decides he could run the world better than those currently in power, but he needs his pliable boyfriend James to go away and the Winter Soldier to come back...

WinterIron Week 2019

Day 1. The B Team First Meeting/“Are we really gonna do this here?”

Day 2. Done “You done yet?”

Day 3. A Second Take, A First Impression Bed Sharing / “I’m not drunk enough for this.” / Soulmates

Day 5. Hunting For (You) Celebration / “Bad timing?” / Prosthetic Arms

Day 6. Give It Away Identity Porn / “You should shut up now.” / Proof that Tony Stark has a Heart

WinterWidow/RussianRoulette- James Barnes x Natasha Romaova

No Fics Currently

Stony- Steve Rogers x Tony Stark

A Guardian of Light

Ongoing; Teen- a.k.a. that time Steve sank the Valkyrie in the Arctic and became a spirit-walking wolf to guide Tony, at Frigga’s suggestion.

Shield Studios Ltd.

Complete- Open for Expansion; General Audiences- All the Avengers in a non-powered voice-acting AU for an animated show called "Assemble" staring their Marvel counterparts. Tony/Steve have a mutual admiration/crush but it's not actually romantic and can be read as gen.

Assemble!

Phil’s Failed Plan

You’re Welcome to Try

The Vague & The Unmistakable

Complete; General Audiences- Looking back on it, there are several things that should have tipped Steve off that today was his Birthday. (Starting with the fact that it's suddenly clear Tony engineered every one of them.)

Stucky- Steve Rogers x James Barnes

No Fics Currently

Stuckony- Steve Rogers x James Barnes x Tony Stark

On The Wing

Complete- Open for Expansion; Teen- A Wing AU for Stuckony. Stories are Complete but the Series is Ongoing, available for expansion via prompts when open.

Fluttering

Turtledove

(I’ll) Be Good

Complete; Mature- So when the tumblr prompt "Would you ever write...ABO winterironshield with alpha Tony?" meets my Kink Card S2 Square "Alpha/Beta/Omega Society" this is where we end up.

Allergic to Coddling

Complete (But Possibly Ongoing); From the Prompt: "Would you ever write Tony Stark having an allergic reaction to something and the rest of the Avengers babying him to the point of ridiculousness because they just love him so much?" Sort of Stuckony, sort of Everyone is Poly Because Avengers? Your choice.

Poly Avengers- Everyone Loves Everyone

Everybody Loves Me

Ongoing; From the Prompt: "Would you ever write a TonyXEveyone fic? Not exactly everyoneXeveryone, but everyone *in love* with Tony only?" Note this is a Partial Fill which may be expanded on later. Featuring Tales of Suspense Hawkeye/Comic Clint Barton, aka deaf and a dumpster kid until the end.

Non Romantic- No Shipping

Shut UP, Bucky!

Complete; Teen- From the hellscape of Discord Discussions I bring you: QueenWuppy: "During World War II condoms were not only distributed to male U.S. military members, but enlisted men were also subject to significant contraception propaganda in the form of films, posters, and lectures. A number of slogans were coined by the military, with one film exhorting "Don't forget — put it on before you put it in." "guys i was doing research and and steve and bucky were subjected to this". AKA Bucky makes SO MANY COMMENTS about Super Soldier Sized Protection. So many.

We Can’t Plot Murder All The Time

Complete; General Audiences- From the Prompt: "Would you ever write Deadpool/Tony (IronPool? DeadMan? IronDead? Dunno their ship name :b)" AN: I don’t ship them so this is a non-romantic.

Video Games and Phoenix Metaphors

Complete; General Audiences- Pepper plays Pokemon GO for SI Employee Morale... But she thinks the boss should be in on it too, and the best way to get Tony to do something is to get Rhodey to do something, and then clue Tony in. (Hint: It works.)

(The Upgrade) You’re Missing

Complete One Shot; General Audiences- Riri Williams is having a bad day, and though her AI TONY can't fix it, he can call in reinforcements.

The Losers

A Touch of Grace

Ongoing Series; Gen to Teen- Cougar has a bad feeling right before the Fadhil operation, and he admonishes Jake to be careful. Jake mostly pays attention, but Cougs is pretty distracting. (Slight D/s tones and Subspace.)

If I Touch You, Will You Listen? (Cougar’s POV)

If I Listen, Will You Touch Me? (Jensen’s POV)

You and Tequila (Make Me Crazy)

Ongoing; Teen & Up- Fortalvarez Tequila is a family business that's been in operation for a hundred and fifty years. Currently, under the management of the family matriarch Constanza, the business will soon be passed to her beloved grandson Carlos. The problem is, Constanza does not care for modern technology or the fact that all of her grandbabies (but especially her favorite) are single. Her solution is a single advertisement for a new Social Media Expert, which is about to be answered by the very handsome (and rather impulsive) Jake Jensen.From the Prompt: "Cougar's family runs a tequila distillery in Mexico. A luxury one. But his abuelita is getting too old to run the place with the firm hand that's required and someone has to take over. Jensen? Jensen is GREAT at social media management. SOMEONE WRITE IT SO I DON'T HAVE TO."

Tag (You’re It)

Complete One Shot; Teen & Up- Jake hacks a new system for the express purpose of getting the Losers prank dog tags printed and delivered. Mostly because his Unit is full of people that make bad decisions, himself included. And also? To flirt with Cougar. Jake is willing to do stupid, stupid things in order to flirt with Cougar.

#wakandan wardog #Wardog Writes Stuff #My Fic Post #Fic Masterlist #Stucky #Stony #WinterIron #WinterHawk #IronStrange #Stuckony #Poly Avengers #The Old Guard #Yusuf x Nicolo #TOG Fanfic #MARVEL Fanfic #The Losers Fanfic

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mminimoon · 7 years

Text

THE DAY THE SUN MET THE MOON

Summary- A Fairy Tail fanfic…The Kingdoms of the Sun and Moon meet once a few hundred years to bring forth an Eclipse and the rulers of both kingdoms haven’t seen each other in a long while. With threats still in the air and wars hurling about, what’ll the young King and Queen do to protect their beloved kingdoms?

Rating- T

A/N- Oh my god she actually updated?! Sorry I took so long to type I’ve just been not so great and I didn’t want my work to be all moody and rushed because of that. Anyways I hope you like it! Next chapter is going to take some time to write I think I’m going to have to split it into 2.

C.2

||Chapter III||

The King of the Sun was highly underestimated. He wasn’t dumb. His decisions weren’t rash. Good things to come for his kingdom was not luck! And he was beyond upset with the fact that it was his family that thought this the most. His trusted cousins all think of him as too dumb and never understood why their grandfather had chosen Natsu of all gods to rule the sun.

Natsu’s dark olive eyes looked down at the view from his balcony as he put on his gold robes. The kingdom shined brightly, people walking about the place in a hurry as the morning winds blew. Happy landed on his shoulder from his morning flight. Natsu scratched Happy’s chin before going back into his room. He looked over to the bedside stand, a golden crown laying on top of a small red pillow. Three diamonds encrusted on the front of the crown.

Wearing the crown was heavy but Natsu always thought that the glares it brought with it were heavier. Natsu sighed as he went over to bring the crown on his head.

“You always look so upset when you put it on,” he heard someone comment.

He looked over to the open crack of the grand doors to his room. His youngest cousin, Wendy, came in closing the doors behind her.

“I don’t deserve it,” he muttered.

She made a sad smile and put a hand on his shoulder.

“They’re all waiting for you in the throne room,” she told him.

Natsu nodded, walking over to his desk, a letter from Lucy still unopened. He ran his hands through the envelope, turning it to its back. The silver wax stamp slightly warm, informing him she’d written this only moments earlier. He took it and began heading way for the throne room, Wendy behind him.

He opened the envelope and began to read the careful words Lucy wrote down. Well that's what he expected. These words weren’t calm and careful as they always seemed are, no they were worried and rushed. Panic and anxiety building up as the letter came to an end.

The Night Hounds sense a presence that could be quite troubling for, not only the Moon Kingdom, but the Sun Kingdom as well.

They made it to the doors of the throne room and the guards bowed before getting back into place. Natsu already felt the emotions being let off by the grand court. All of the gods and goddesses impatiently waiting for him to come so they could either snap at him or try and charm him so they could control him like puppet. To say Natsu has dealt with this more than once is to put it lightly.

He took a breath, closing his eyes before recites words in his mind.

“A smile can go a long way,” his mother used to say.

A toothy smile appeared on his face before he and Wendy entered. A pathway to the throne itself was made, officials sitting to either the left or right, a lot of them standing as Natsu entered, bowing as he passed by. When he did make it to the throne. Wendy stood to his side before his other cousins sat in front of the throne as the King’s court tends to do. Everyone looked Natsu’s way and already had more than enough comments to throw at him.

He turned his smile into a grin.

“What’s with all the doom and gloom? Let’s get this over with,” Natsu announced.

His second eldest cousin, Erik, scoffed. The rest of the court looked at him in bewilderment. Natsu raised an amused brow over to him, he already knew he was about to get attacked. His cousins always question his power.

“You’re late,” Erik hissed, adding in begrudgingly, “your highness.”

“Raising the sun drains me a bit, I don’t want to sleep through all of your great ideas, cousin,” Natsu remarks.

Laxus, the eldest, chuckled.

“Maybe if we’d have a stronger king that wouldn’t be the problem.” he remarked.

The court immediately went into murmurs of agreement. Natsu always knew that everyone wanted Laxus as king.

“Like you, Cousin?” Natsu asked.

The court went silent, Laxus looked straight into Natsu’s eyes.

“Exactly like me,” Laxus said.

Natsu’s grin widened, “then please ask Grandfather Igneel when he wakes up from his 100 year nap. I’m sure he’d love to hear this.”

Laxus’ smug look turned to anger as soon as Natsu replied. The electricity charging off of him.

“Enough. Let’s get to the real matter at hand,” Rouge, the 5th of the 7 cousins, snapped.

Natsu nodded, “yeah, what’s going on?”

“The Gold Fangs been acting up,” informed the 3rd cousin, Gajeel, lazily.

Natsu looked to his hand, where he held on to Lucy’s letter.

“The Gold Fangs you say?” Natsu says nodding slowly.

“Yes, your highness. They’ve been growling at the people and charging to absolutely nothing. We think they’ve been messed with,” Sting, the 6th, cousin told him.

Natsu took a moment. The lions of day and the wolves of night growling at people were not good signs.

“They’ve been growling more in the night, haven’t they?” Natsu asked.

Gajeel’s eyes wandered up to Natsu, “yeah.”

Natsu’s expression became serious, he immediately stood up.

“Gather yourselves, we’ll be meeting with the kingdom of the Moon in a few days. Let no one outside this room know of this and if you’ve already told someone keep them quiet, this meeting is over. All of you leave, my cousins stay,” he ordered.

Wendy looked at him, “is this about the letter she sent?”

Natsu nodded as the gods all stood up and left. After a few minutes the only ones that stood in the room were the cousins. They all gathered around Natsu.

“I need the Gold Fangs caged until further notice, and a new curfew to the people. No one can go out at night unless they are allowed to by me or any of you. Whatever it is start looking for anything wrong,” Natsu announced.

“Little cousin springing into action is not so simple, and we also need explanations. Do you think we’re just going to do what you say blindly, this is no game,” Laxus said.

Erik nodded as he stared at Natsu.

Natsu looked at the rest of them who seemed as skeptical as the older ones. Natsu let out a breath, closing his eyes. Happy landed behind him. As he opened them he began to straighten his posture and raise his head, a giant paw coming from behind him.

The cousins stepped back, though Wendy stayed by Natsu’s side. A blue lion, as giant as they can get, came from behind Natsu, eyes glowing white.

“I’m the king of this damned place. You have no choice but to do as I say blindly!” Natsu roared lowly, his skin began to scale, dull and scarred red scales adorning his cheeks and forming on his neck.

Sting bowed, Rogue followed, Gajeel lowered his head. Erik looked away but Laxus stood his ground his own scales forming but it was no use when two scaled wings ripped from his robes. Laxus’ jaw tightened and the waves of power Natsu let out forced him to kneel.

Happy growled before he walked down the aisle turning to his more approachable form. Natsu went forward as well, Wendy following behind. As Natsu walked down his wings went back, his scales faded, and his glowing green eyes dulled.

Before he close the doors he looked back at his cousins, “I want my orders done. Anyone who wishes to disagree please meet me in private. Also… prepare for the Spring Equinox. We’re crowning the new Lady of Spring.”

Natsu let out a frustrated sigh as he entered his study. He sat on his chair, Happy sat on his lap.

Wendy entered with a drink, she passed it to him and looked at him softly.

“It was for the best. You need to keep the people safe not deal with your cousins,” Wendy said.

Natsu shook his head. “I want to rule in respect not fear. I don’t want to scare people into doing what I ask. Not like grandfather.”

“Time is of the essence, we can’t deal with a power struggle. Also, dear cousin what is happening?” Wendy asked him.

He let out a breath, “something is threatening our existence. The shadows are appearing again.”

#natsu dragneel #nalu #lucy heartfilia #nalu fanfiction #fairy tail #wendy marvell #laxus dreyar #erik #ft cobra #rogue cheney #sting eucliffe #gajeel redfox #dragon slayer #tdtsmtm

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confessionsofajoannemployee-blog · 7 years

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Unsolicited Comment Commentary

From https://www.studiokatdesigns.com/the-problem-with-joanns

"I have to agree with the “checked out” employees…I too travel over 20 miles to get to the nearest Jo-Ann fabrics. It amazes me when other guest ask very simple, basic sewing questions and the employees there can not even answer them."

That's because if we answer them in a comprehensive way (a lot of us cut counter gals can) we get in trouble for taking too much time away from doing other things.

Can't tell you how many times I've helped someone with their project and been told afterwards that I took too much time with them. It doesn’t matter how long you take. “Sell them a class instead” has become a common way to tell employees they’ve fucked up.

"But JoAnn’s is focused on sewing and it would be helpful if the staff could sew.”

But we're really not.

Sewing is a larger part of our store than, say, Micheals or Hobby Lobby, but we have a fine arts department, yarn, frames, scrapbooking, unfinished wood. Etc. Etc.

We're commonly complained at for not knowing how to use the Cricut machines.

The things we know are things we know because we make them ourselves.

Ask any minimum wage worker if they can afford a Cricut machine on what they earn.

"I was a part-time employee and was always getting into trouble because I spent too much time helping a customer find what they needed. I finally quit because the customers were treated so poorly."

That thing I said earlier.

Validation.

"The joanns store that I go to is pretty good about knowing what they are talking about and knowing where things are located. And especially the ones in the sewing machine dept tho I know they arent exactly employees of joanns."

Yeah, as a general rule of thumb, don't expect Husqvarna Viking to know Joann. It's like asking the Starbucks employee in Target if they can help you find a specific brand of trampoline.

The only reason the Viking gals sometimes know Joann is because Joann employees sometimes see the light over there and cross over into better employment. I know several. They’re much happier.

But seriously. Don’t get mad at Viking employees for not answering your questions. They literally don’t work for Joann. Spread the word.

"The salepeople always seem to need to go on their breaks right when I step up to get my fabric cut."

You have shit luck. Sorry.

Our breaks tend to be closely controlled by our management because we run on such thin staffing that if we didn't go on time in a precise order, nobody would be left on the floor. Which is saying something.

"I cannot tell you the number of times I have been scheduled ALONE at the cutting counter durring a huge coupon promotion weekend."

We're the biggest store in our area and this still happens to us sometimes.

"I wish they would send the “undercover boss” to follow me around. I have ways to work smarter not harder and speed things up. Everytime I’ve presented these suggestions to management I have been rebuffed. I’m stubborn but after a dozen or so times of suggestions being smashed I just quit making them."

Funny enough, we joke a lot about Undercover Boss coming to Joann.

Wouldn’t that be the day.

Show them how little training they’d be expected to operate on, give them the shitty scissors that are the default (which is a whole other issue**), and throw them to the wolves.

**If you want scissors that aren’t going to wreck your shit and cripple your hands and/or wrists for the rest of your life, you have to buy them yourself. Sorry, but the employee discount doesn’t work with coupons. Guess you’ll just have to wait for a decent sale.

#joannfabrics #joann #craft store #crafting #fabric #customers #employees #knitting #crochet #yarn #papercrafting #cricut #sewing #diy #to be continued?

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astorytotellyourfriends · 7 years

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SOOO @dearmrsawyer tagged me to post the first line of all my published fics and wips and then wished me good luck (THANKS A LOT) bc i have SEVENTY fics posted on ao3 -_- so i’ll be starting w the wips and then posting the published ones in reverse chronological order under the cut!

tell me how to feel about you now (ally’s bday fic) - Louis thought it would feel different once he got to LA.

there is nowhere for you to hide, the hunter’s moon is shining (lirry hp wolves) - Liam feels groggy when he starts to wake up, his limbs feeling heavy like they haven't yet gotten the memo.

something in the air intoxicates in your town (witch fic) - Louis wakes up with a crick in her neck and her cheek stuck to a page in the book she'd fallen asleep reading the night before.

(ok technically i have like 5+ more wips but i’m not currently working on any of them so i’m not going to include them in this)

something that scares me about love - Louis misses touring more than he thought he would, which he certainly didn't expect.

all i wanted was you - If Liam closes her eyes she can still pretend she's back in Birmingham in her tiny post-uni flat with the wonky heater and a piano that took up half the space of the living room.

you’re the man, but i’ve got the power - Louis has never been the biggest fan of flying.

drive it like you stole it - The thing is, no matter what anyone says, Louis isn't doing this for anyone but himself.

a christmas visitor - Niall grimaces as he tosses his phone aside and settles into his couch even further as he tugs a blanket up to his chin.

all we do is play it safe - Louis remembers always hating the first day of school.

all the love in my heart - "Hiya," Nick calls as he enters his flat, the same flat that he's shared with Louis for almost a year, and closes the door behind him.

a menace in my bed - If there's one thing Niall knows to be true, it's that Harry is anything but subtle.

can’t get enough - Louis hesitates for a moment with her hand reached out towards the handle on the sliding glass door, a barrier of a few inches standing between the cool air conditioned bliss of inside and the hot Los Angeles sun beating down on the ground outside.

the magic in me - It's stupid really, when Louis has a moment to actually think about what he's going to do.

it’s love, make it hurt - No matter what anyone else says, Louis most definitely does not pine.

why can’t we be like that? - Liam thought it'd be easier if his mum and dad didn't accompany him to uni on his first day.

leave your heart at the door - Sleep is one luxury that Nick can't quite get a handle on these days.

we had some good times, didn’t we? - Louis is a bundle of nerves, no matter how many times he's tried to convince himself that he's not.

an awful hole - There are a lot of things that Liam absolutely loves about his life, but when the bad outweighs the good it's hard for him to keep track of them.

my ghost, where’d you go? - Everybody knows about the one house just off campus that's haunted.

not even the gods above (have it all together) - "Bruce, I'm bored," Louis says as he taps Bruce's head and waits for his undivided attention.

keep your faith in us - Louis doesn't want to let go.

one taste and you’ll be mine - The first rule at Hogwarts is never run down the corridors.

words cannot espresso - Niall had passed by the coffee shop several times before she finally went in.

you put your arms around me and i’m home - "Have you seen this?!" Louis demanded, bursting through the door to Liam's office without knocking and brandishing a letter in his hand.

maybe we’re fireproof - Liam will never forget the first words Bright Spark ever said to her.

spaces between us - A loud bang startled Liam out of his deep sleep, making his heart pound within his chest as he panted for breath.

she’s never gonna leave my mind - To Zayn, it's just another day.

lost my senses - The first time it happened, it was an accident.

home is when i’m alone with you - Louis misses his boys.

call me maybe - Liam genuinely enjoyed his job.

i used to think that i was better alone - Niall hadn't meant to move to Australia.

where our daemons hide - Niall's head was spinning.

it will never change me and you - One would think, after several years of waking up next to the same person every morning, that things would get a little boring after a while.

a very 1d christmas - "You're absolutely mad, Louis," Liam said with a laugh, "we've got plenty of lights as it is."

we lost ourselves in the bright lights - It's not like it was the first time Liam had been in Vegas.

a silent devotion - Louis had been expecting any number of things when he and Niall were called into Captain Cowell's office that afternoon; he'd thought maybe one of them had received a commendation for their efforts on the last bust, but he was moreso dreading another stern talking-to about the importance of not getting distracted.

if there are boundaries, i will try to knock them down - It was entirely possible that Liam could count the number of sunrises he'd seen on one hand.

after all this time - Zayn hates the beginning of term.

they don’t know about us - It wasn't a good idea, to say the least.

don’t be embarrassed if you lose control - It wasn't the first time Niall had been sexiled from his own flat, and he knew it certainly wasn't going to be the last.

these four walls and me - An early-morning breeze came in from the shoreline in mid-March, bringing a chill through the small Irish town of Whitegate, though no one was around to feel it.

i’ll quench your thirst - Liam had gotten hurt before; Zayn had watched Liam fall onstage countless times and while it made his heart skip a beat, something changed in Zayn that night in Portugal.

i was built to carry all your feelings - Everything, it seemed, had finally fallen into place.

los angeles - Niall had promised to help Harry pack for his trip to LA, but in reality all she'd been doing for the last few hours was stealing clothes out of his suitcase and hiding them under his duvet cover.

your touch, your skin, where do i begin? - Zayn didn't really mean it, is the thing.

why do you kiss everybody but me? - If there is one thing that Nick Grimshaw should not do when he is absolutely pissed is make bets.

on top of the world - From the moment they arrived at the venue for Radio 1's Big Weekend, all Liam wanted to do was ride the big wheel.

flaws - The thing was, Louis knew this whole mess was his fault.

hideaway with me some more - Liam was absurdly pleased with himself for having found the perfect secluded spot on one of the most popular beaches in Barcelona.

almost said it - The moment his phone lit up with a new text, Nick felt his heart leap into his throat.

i’ll look after you - Liam's rather used to hearing his name called from the opposite end of the house, but that doesn't mean that he's ever ignored it.

the golden state - "Niall."

you’ve already captured me - If ever asked, Louis could say with 100% certainty that he loved his job.

can’t help falling in love with you - It started as a joke, as all utterly ridiculous ideas do.

i just wanna be closer - Louis Tomlinson did not obsess.

i’m about to fill his shoes - The term "it all happened so fast" had never been more misleading in Louis' life.

all we seem to do is talk about sex - He's just barely begun recounting a story to Finchy on air when he gets the text.

constantly on the cusp of trying to kiss you - If there was one place in the world that Louis never had to be again, it would be the hospital.

play me a song, your newest one - Zayn prided himself on being a heavy sleeper, particularly proud of his ability to fall asleep practically wherever he could.

lovers dance when they’re feeling in love - Harry didn't mean to be late all the time, he just always had trouble keeping track of when he was supposed to be somewhere.

vying for attention from a girl - Liam was used to the sound of girls screaming, what with the hordes of teenage fans he encountered nearly every day of his life.

all i really need to understand is when you talk dirty to me - The first time Perrie mentioned it, Zayn swore he'd imagined the whole thing.

it’s like you hit me with lightning - Louis wasn't the dating type.

i’m falling for your eyes, but they don’t know me yet - Harry Styles had a bit of a problem when it came to falling in love.

falling for a stranger, a player - Being in a relationship with a member of an internationally famous boy band wasn't exactly easy, but Zayn had known Niall for so long that to her, he was still the adorable Irish boy she'd met on holiday.

before we dwell on it - Neither Harry nor Liam had been sleeping well since the night Liam came to Harry's flat.

you make me strong - "How did you get started in the boxing profession?"

tomorrow will be kinder - Harry was irrationally angry.

say something - Liam wasn't feeling like himself.

if i could, i’d only want to make you smile - Niall was quite proud of himself, all things considered.

i don’t care what people say when we’re together - Louis could not remember a time in his life where he was happier.

in the dark - It was a terrible idea.

OKAY IF YOU MADE IT TO THE END THEN THANK YOU VERY MUCH <3 i’m tagging @magicalrocketships, @tomlitsons, @foliealou, and anyone else who wants to do this because i’m tired and sick and i can’t type anymore

#ask meme #THIS TOOK SO LONG TO DO I CAN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY FINISHED IT #sometimes i think i should orphan/delete a bunch of my fics #but maybe i should just own it idk #about my fic

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