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janicho88 · 4 years

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Colder Weather

Pairing-Dean x reader

Word count-2965

Summary-Dean has to keep leaving his girl behind for hunts. She wishes she was enough to make him stay, or even take her with him. Can she continue to wait and worry over him coming back? Will he realize he wants more than calls and texts before it’s too late, and all he’s left with is colder weather?

AN- This is for @atc74 Collab Challenge. My song was Colder Weather by Zac Brown Band, Song lyrics are Bold and italicized. This is unbeta’d all mistakes are mine.

Rolling over in bed you tried to curl up closer to the man who was holding you tight when you fell asleep. Not immediately feeling him, you extended your arm out and kept reaching, feeling cold sheets which had your eyes shooting open. Quickly getting out of bed and hurrying to the window looking out at the still dark horizon. You had wondered if your love was strong enough to make him stay, you’re answered by the tail lights shining through the window pane. Sitting back on the bed mind wandering to the day before, and the brief time you shared.

Standing in the kitchen putting groceries away you heard the front door open and close quickly before the winter lets the cold in, over the music you had playing. Grabbing the rolling pin sitting out, it was the closest weapon you had, and made your way around the corner as heavy footsteps came closer. When you figured they were just about to walk past, you swung the rolling pin down to stop the intruder. Your time was slightly off and the man jumped back.

“Son of a bitch! What the hell are you doing woman!”

Hiding the rolling pin behind your back, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath to calm your nerves before answering. “I heard the door open and I knew it was locked so I thought someone was breaking in. I was going to stop them.” You finished the explanation quietly with a wince before finally meeting the deep green eyes staring back at you.

“Did you really think that rolling pin was going to do much good? And your timing sucks by the way, but at the moment I’m very glad. We gotta get you a better weapon, Sweetheart.” Dean just shook his head before he opened his arms to you.

Setting the rolling pin down you rushed into your boyfriend’s arms so happy to see him. Your lips quickly find his, both of you getting lost in the other before the need for oxygen separated you. “I wasn’t expecting you, and I didn’t hear the Impala pull up over the music. I’ve missed you so much! How long can you stay this time?”

“I wanted to surprise you, not sure I’ll be doing that again though. Missed you too, Sweetheart.” He hugged you a little tighter, but you noticed he never answered your last question.

Dean, was a hunter you had met two years ago when he was working a case in town. You were the bartender across the street from the motel they had been staying at. Dean came in just about every night and the two of you would talk while he drank his whiskey or beer and tried to flirt with you. It wasn’t too many of his visits in, when you put the pieces together and realized he was a hunter. The disappearances in town were the reason for his presence. You knew about the life, your dad had been a hunter before he tried to retire when he met your mom. He wanted you to be aware of what was out there so you could protect yourself.

Your house had a spare room and a pull out couch so you offered them to Sam and Dean instead of staying at the motel any longer since their case seemed to be dragging out. That case had gone on for two and half weeks before they finally ended the monster. During that time you and Dean had grown closer, yes he even ended up in your bed. After he left the two of you kept in touch by email, text and phone calls. Anytime they were nearby, he deemed 200 miles away close, they would stop by. Occasionally Dean would make the trip alone just because he wanted to see you.

It took a few months of this, before the two of you admitted to each other you wanted to be more than just friends with benefits. The thought of Dean possibly hooking up with someone else while on a hunt, always had you turning green with jealousy. You both decided to give a long distance relationship a shot. That had been a year and half ago, the only problem, the miles between you. You had lived in Denver your whole life and before meeting Dean, never thought you would leave. It hurt so much every time Dean walked out that door, you’d trade Colorado if he’d take you with him.”

Groaning in frustration you got out of bed once more, you needed to start your day, not dwell on the short time you shared with Dean before he left this morning. Heading to the kitchen for breakfast after your shower you found a note sitting on the counter.

Sweetheart,

I’m sorry to leave without saying goodbye, but I didn’t want to wake you, you looked so peaceful. We already had a hunt we were headed to, but I needed to see you first. I dropped Sam at the motel in town before coming to you, promising him we’d get an early start. We both know if I had woken you up to say goodbye, I wouldn’t have left like I should have.

Call you soon.

Love,

Dean

The only reason you looked peaceful was because he had been holding you. His work was important, and you should be happy he even stopped by in the first place. It was just so dang hard to watch him leave. You never knew when he would be back, lately it seemed like there were more hunts keeping him away. The little bit of time the guys weren’t hunting they were cleaning, fixing and taking care of themselves and their weapons at the bunker. Or picking up whatever lore might help them with the current evil they were up against. Sometimes though, you just wished your love for him was enough to keep him here but you knew that was wishful thinking on your part.

Later that night, two states away Dean was sitting at a bar in Montana, nursing his second whiskey of the night thinking back at the girl he left behind. It was never easy walking away from her, but he couldn’t get you, anymore involved in his life than you already were. He had to keep you safe. Paying his tab he left the bar to walk back to the motel and see if Sam found anything.

Walking through the snow which winter in Montana left behind, Dean decided to call you. The colder weather reminded him of times with you in Denver. Your phone went to voicemail, looking at the time he realized you would still be working the bar so he left you a message. At Least he still got a chance to hear your voice, even if it was on a recording.

It was just after two when you finally had everything cleaned, put away and the bar ready to be locked up for the night. Walking quickly through the cold windy night you arrived at your car pulling out your phone as you got in. There was a missed call and a voicemail from Dean waiting for you.

“Hey Y/N, we made it to Montana, man I hated leaving you today. I wanna see you again, but I’m stuck in colder weather. Maybe tomorrow will be better, can I call you then? Love you Sweetheart, stay safe.”

It was your first instinct to call him back after listening to his message, but a quick glance at the time had you putting your phone away. Dean should be asleep by now, and knowing him, his phone would still be on. The man didn’t get much sleep as it was so you weren’t going to chance interrupting any that he was hopefully getting. The last thing he should be is sleep deprived on a hunt. You needed him to come back to you.

The next day you were sitting in your kitchen picking at your cereal when you dialed Dean back. Unfortunately for you, his phone also went to voicemail. This slightly leaves you on edge, not knowing if he didn’t pick up because he was busy with something case related or if he was hurt and unable to answer. You always worried about him and Sam when they were working. Leaving a voicemail for him, you hung up hoping to hear something from him soon.

Dean walked out of the coroners office with a laughing Sam, and his own head starting to pound. They were trying to get answers from the doctor who had seen the three victims, but the receptionist proved to be a bit of a problem. She kept trying to catch Dean’s eye and would interrupt the doctor who was explaining the injuries to them. After a few minutes of fighting to hear over her, Sam guided the doctor to the other side of the room and left Dean to fend for himself. He didn’t want to be rude in case they needed something from the office later on, so he tried to appear like he was happy to listen to her. Man she was a talkative one. Sliding into Baby, he picked up his phone he had forgotten on the seat. ‘Damn’ he thought, awakening the screen he saw a missed call from Y/N. Putting the phone to his ear he couldn’t wait to hear your voice.

“Hey De. I’m sorry I missed your call, I didn’t want to wake you by calling back when I left work. As much as I hate you leaving me, Winchester, you’re a ramblin’ man and you ain’t ever gonna change. You got a gypsy soul to blame, and you were born for leavin’. I love you and be safe. I’ll be here whenever you can come back.”

He tried to call you back but missed you again, simply leaving a voicemail saying he misses you, and would try back later. The case dragged on for another two days, instead of driving back to Colorado, Sam found another case. This one took the boys to northern Washington.

Getting out of the car at the next motel Dean looked around and then up to the sky. “If it keeps snowing like this we might be stuck here awhile.”

Walking to the office to get a room he just shakes his head, because being stuck here is the last thing he wants. He just wants to finish up and get back to Y/N. The few hours he had with you last week weren’t long enough.

This case was a bit tougher than the last, they had been in town for a week, the snow and wind were making it more difficult. After spending the last two hours going through notes and reports Dean hit up a 24 hour diner just to get out of the room. He wasn’t feeling the bar tonight, always takes him back to how he met his girl, and makes him miss you even more. He already needed to see you again as it was.

Sitting at a table by the front window looking out, the night is black as the coffee he was drinkin. When the waitress first walked over he had to do a double take, she reminded him of Y/N. They had the same color hair, around the same height, and her eyes even had that familiar sparkle. He thinks of Colorado and the girl he left behind him. Taking out his phone he sees your smiling face on his screen, dialing that familiar number he once again gets your voicemail.

Dashing through the heavy falling snow, which signaled the start of a big storm the local meteorologist had warned about, the only thought on your mind was to get out of the cold. Sliding in your car you didn’t even think to check your phone before heading home from work. When you were finally all secure in your house you finally realized you hadn’t looked at your phone all night. There was a new voicemail from Dean waiting.

“Hey Sweetheart, just checking in. I’m stuck in colder weather, maybe tomorrow will be better. Soon we’ll be together, and I can’t wait till then. Love you.”

You hated that you two kept playing phone tag, nothing seemed to be working out for either of you lately. His call was from over two hours ago, too late to call again. You wondered if this was how it would always be, him leaving you to go and fight the next big bad, the constant worry of him making it back. Could you really handle being with this rambling man, or was it time to move on?

Finally finishing up the case in Washington the guys head out, the destination in Dean’s mind Colorado, until his phone rings. Sam answers seeing it’s Garth, and Dean is battling the road. He spends a few minutes talking to the other hunter, and glancing at Dean occasionally. Just before hanging up he tells Garth, “yeah, it’s fine. Dean and I can handle it.” Shooting Sam a glare Dean waits for his brother to tell him what they are ‘handling.’

“So there is a Vamp case near Boise, Idaho, Garth is up near Pennsylvania. He can’t find another hunter to take it, and we are going through the state anyway. I’m sorry, but there is no reason we shouldn’t take this case Dean.”

Dean has a pretty good reason, but he won’t tell his brother that. He thinks of seeing his girl and shakes his head knowing they do need to work this case. Sitting alone in Baby, a few hours later Dean closes his eyes and remembers the good times the two of you have shared together. That’s been his way of coping since you two met, thinking of you can get him through anything. Waiting for Sam to come out of the gas station he picks up his phone. This time it didn’t even ring once before going to voicemail. Thinking about it he hasn’t actually heard from her since he left the message at the diner.

Hi Sweetheart, just thinking about you. When I close my eyes I see you no matter where I am. We caught another case, but hopefully I can see you soon. Miss you, love you.”

Thankfully, they finished up the vamp case in just a few days. Dean told Sam there was no way they were taking another case until he checked on Y/N. He hadn’t gotten an answer to any of his voicemails in days, and he was worried. The last two text messages still went unread. Was something wrong, or did he push away the best thing that ever happened to him.

They had to stop in Utah to get some sleep, Sam wouldn’t let Dean keep going once Baby started swerving. “You are no good if you kill us trying to get to her. Get a couple hours sleep, shower then you can see her tomorrow.”

Dean reluctantly gave in, the snow was making the drive longer than it should have taken anyway.

Pulling up to her house the next day everything was dark. Dean got out of the car, using his key he let the two of them in. Something wasn’t right here. No one was there, the power was off, the bag you use for travel was gone along with some of your favorite things.

“It’s as cold in here as outside, Dean.” Sam said to him, “Something’s up.”

Dean looked for sulfur or signs of a struggle and found nothing. Did she leave to get away from me, he wondered? He was standing in the living room with Sam when he heard the front door open.

“Dean? Are you here?” You walked into your house looking around for one or both Winchesters. Walking into the living room you found them.

“What happened to your house?”

“What do you mean?” Looking around you didn’t see anything wrong.

“Were you leaving, everything’s off. Even your heat. You haven’t answered me in days.”

“Um, did you notice driving here that there is no power in most of the town? We had a major snow and ice storm last week. It lasted a couple days, they only started getting to repairs yesterday. Took out some of the cell towers too. I’ve been staying at a friend's. They have a fireplace for heat, and got the generator running today. I came home for my phone charger, and to check on the place.”

Walking over to pull you into his arms, Dean holds you tight filled with relief to have you here. “I was too busy thinking of getting to you, to notice anything else. I love you, but I leave you. I don’t want you, but I need you. I’m a ramblin man and I ain’t ever gonna change. I got a gypsy soul to blame, and I was born for leaving, but baby I don’t want to leave you anymore. You know it’s you that calls me back here baby. Come back to the bunker, move in with me. I don’t want to leave you behind anymore.

“I thought you would never ask, Dean. I would have traded all this to be with you more a long time ago. Are you going to help me pack?”

Leaning down to softly meet your lips with his own he takes his time kissing you before answering. “Anything to get you home with me quicker. We can even take your rolling pin, I can teach you what it’s really meant for. Pie crusts.”

The cold weather swirling outside didn’t stand a chance against the heat building between the two of you.

Thank you for reading!

Tags- @talesmaniac89 @katehuntington @winchest09 @flamencodiva @whatareyousearchingfordean @waywardbeanie @smol-and-grumpy @emoryhemsworth @anathewierdo @malfoysqueen14 @superfanficnatural @jensengirl83 @deanwanddamons @sandlee44 @akshi8278 @fantasydevil2002

#angelina’s collab challenge contest #dean x reader #supernatural #dean winchester

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felidaefighter · 3 years

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Fears To Ease And Flesh To Mend

Ranboo and Tubbo find out that unzombifying a piglin is a bit different from unzombifying a villager, and they start off parenthood with quite a few complications and in a little over their heads. For the sake of their child, they may need to put awkwardness aside and ask for help.

[Sick fic, canon divergence, Phil and Techno meet Michael, lots and lots of piglin lore headcanons] ~20,000 words per chapter

Chapter Three of Four

Ranboo knocked lightly on the door, and Tubbo opened it almost immediately, greeting him with a giant yawn. “Hi, Tubbo,” Ranboo said fondly. “Hi, Ranboo,” Tubbo replied through his yawn. Phil cleared his throat awkwardly from behind him. “Uh, hello, Tubbo. We haven’t… spoken in a while. Techno is here too.” Tubbo stared dead-eyed exhausted at him from inside, still holding the door open. “Yeah, been a while. Don’t think we’ve talked since you blew up L’Manberg.” Phil and Techno both made awkward grimacing noises, as Ranboo did the same. Tubbo rolled his eyes. “I’m letting all the cold air in. Might as well come inside. Michael’s room is upstairs.”

As the three of them stepped in from the chill and shook off the frost from their coats and the snow from their boots, Ranboo looked at Tubbo, concerned. “You don’t look like you slept.” Tubbo shook his head. “Not really. I dozed off a few times in the armchair upstairs but I was too worried.” Ranboo nodded empathetically. He would’ve done the same. “Up the ladder,” Tubbo said, gesturing, clearly too tired for proper emphasis. Ooh boy. Looks like Ranboo was going to have to do most of the talking. Which was an issue, as Ranboo wasn’t too good at that.

Ranboo was the second up the ladder, and could feel himself grow soft as soon as he laid eyes on his son. He greeted the little piglin, who, although still clearly not feeling great, acknowledged him in return. Phil, then Techno, stepped into the room, Phil treading ever-so-lightly with both his feet and his demeanor. Phil let out a sharp inhale and a wince when he saw Michael. “Ooohh. That’s a lot of bandages.” He inspected the situation as well as he could from across the room. “You did a good job of wrapping it. We’re gonna have to unwrap them all to make sure it’s been properly cleaned though unfortunately.” Tubbo swore under his breath at that, but he didn’t mean it harshly. It’d just taken them a long time to wrap.

“Quite a lot of battle scars,” Techno remarked. If Ranboo was honest, their cautiousness wasn’t easing his worries as well as he’d have hoped it would. He moved subconsciously to Tubbo’s side; they were both feeling a little under scrutiny when faced with Phil and Techno, experts at this, and the worry they’d done something wrong. “May I?” Phil gestured to Michael as Techno leaned against a wall, and Tubbo nodded, Ranboo humming his approval. He stepped closer to the little piglin and crouched down beside the bed. Michael snorted at him. “Heyyy Michael,” Phil said softly, “I’m Philza. I’m gonna take off your bandages to look at your wounds now, okay?”

“I dunno why you’re tellin’ him in english. He probably only knows piglin right now,” Techno said, grinning when that earned him a harsh shush from Phil. “No comments from the peanut gallery unless you’re gonna help!” Phil very, very carefully unwrapped the bandage on Michael’s head, who was either too tired or too polite to try and stop him. He held a steadying hand on the other side of Michael’s head while he looked at the eyesocket, the edges of his flesh, and the place his ear used to be. Phil turned to Tubbo and Ranboo, who immediately squeezed eachother’s hands a bit nervously. Huh. Ranboo supposed they must’ve done that subconsciously. Definitely blaming the nerves for that one.

“You two did a pretty good job. He’s responsive and seems to have a general idea of where he is. I can’t say yet if there’s any internal damage, but he’s definitely been properly cured. I doubt there’s much you could’ve done to change the extent of his sores, too.” Ranboo and Tubo both exhaled in very obvious relief. Phil stood up with a bit of a stretching noise, and shot a pointed look at Techno. “You wanna make sure everything’s alright, mate?” Techno, very alarmed at having been put in the spotlight despite the audience in question being two socially awkward and exhausted teens, his best friend, and a half-dead toddler, immediately started to protest.

“You can’t test his cognitive skills without knowing where his language is at,” Phil prodded, teasing, “And you know my piglish sucks.” Techno hummed in thought, a little persuaded by the chance to brag/show off. “That is true.” Still, he seemed hesitant. “It’s ah-- it’s gonna be a little awkward since I’m not too great with kids and it’s been a while since I spoke piglish. Does this have to have an audience?”

“Yes.” Tubbo answered flatly. “Tubbo!” Chided Phil, but Ranboo didn’t exactly blame his husband. “I mean… you wouldn’t do anything to Michael, right?” Ranboo asked Techno, who looked rather offended at the question. “Of course not! Who do you take me for? I mean, Michael clearly isn’t an orphan anymore,” Techno joked to try to ease the tension, but while Ranboo nodded in acknowledgement and in an attempt at reassurance towards Tubbo, Tubbo narrowed his eyes. “Fine. But I’ve got my eye on you. You so much as move the wrong way and you’re going down.”

Phil muttered reassurances about Techno’s intentions at Tubbo while he gently placed his hands on Tubbo’s shoulders, leading him away and down the ladder. Ranboo sent one last, concerned glance towards Techno. “I won’t do anything,” Techno promised, “Except maybe ask him how he feels about government. But I doubt he’s gonna know what that is yet.” Ranboo nodded again and went down the ladder after Phil and Tubbo.

Tubbo, as exhausted as he was, leaned on the wall by the ladder looking prepared to gain a second wind and scramble upstairs in a hurry if necessary. Ranboo was almost certain it wouldn’t be, but he felt a surge of love on seeing how dedicated and protective his husband could be. Phil hovered in the main area, not quite finding a seat, and spoke to the two more in-depth about Michael’s recovery.

“Unfortunately, this isn’t the kind of thing that’s gonna heal overnight. Like I said before, he’s already been kinda oversaturated with magic just from his origin, so potions aren’t gonna seal up everything all nice and tidy.” Phil paced lightly while he spoke out of lack of something to fiddle with. Tubbo’s eyes watched him like a hawk, but his ears were most certainly more centered on making sure there was no commotion upstairs.

“The biggest concern is gonna be the parts of his skull that’re currently exposed,” Phil continued. “Keepin’ ‘em bandaged should be mostly fine, but you should disinfect it about three times daily with room temperature cloth. Not washed or anything, just pat him down. You’ll want to put a salve on there and the skin around the edge, too, so that when it heals the skin can grow back over. It’ll be scar tissue but it’ll keep him from coming down with anything. That’ll be best for the long run.” Ranboo scrambled to write all of what Phil was saying down, eager for the information.

“Question, okay, uh, is there a certain type of each thing that we’ll need? And if so, where do I get it, or can I borrow it from you?” Phil chuckled lightly, and combined with the non-judgemental onslaught of information, both Ranboo and Tubbo both were starting to relax. “Of course you can mate,” Phil replied fondly, “You need it more than I do right now. I can go on an errand run for you both after Techno’s done here.” He turned sympathetically to Tubbo at that. “You look like you could use some rest.”

Tubbo sighed, finally letting his guard down a little. “Honestly, I probably would’ve been asleep ages ago if I weren’t so damn worried about Michael. I reckon I could’ve fell asleep standing up a few times and wouldn’t’ve known.” Ranboo nodded in understanding. The only reason he hadn’t been stopped from sleeping is because he tended to run on anxiety almost all of the time anyways. It looked like he was going to be spending most of his time in the coming weeks running back and forth between his own house and Snowchester; he didn’t mind, though.

“Thank you, Phil. Honestly, thank you.” Ranboo paused before asking the one thing that had mainly been on his mind. “I’m just surprised that you and Techno aren’t--” Phil interrupted abruptly. “The health and safety of a child will always come first.” After realizing his tone was a little harsh, he sighed and continued more carefully. “Techno and I feel how we feel. We haven’t really had a chance to process anything yet. Give us a bit to do that first yeah?”

Ranboo nodded. “Yeah. Yeah. That makes sense, actually. Of course.” Tubbo, having figured out what that was all about, spoke up. “I was wondering about that!” A second wave of realization hit him and he turned to Ranboo. “Wait, you told them???” He hissed in a lowered voice. “My son lives at your house! I think they woulda figured it out!” Ranboo replied in the same tone. “Our son!” Tubbo corrected, half-offended. In the background, Phil was covering his mouth, stifling a chuckle at the bickering couple.

They were interrupted when heavy footsteps came down the ladder, and instantly parted to make way for the large piglin. Techno turned to Ranboo. “He’s a toddler, so like, his words? Ain’t really that great to begin with. But uh cognitively I think he’s doin’ fine. He can understand and respond to most questions at least, even if his responses tend to be ninety percent gibberish. At any rate it probably won’t be tough to teach him english. Toddlers man. They’re fast learners.” It was very obvious the only thing stopping him from making a joke about drop-kicking toddlers was Tubbo’s death glare and how awkward he already felt about the whole business.

Phil clapped his hands together. “Right! Well, Techno and I are gonna head back home, and I’ll run that delivery for you. Remember what I said about re-wrapping and applying the ointments and salve and stuff. Don’t worry too much about his ear canal yet, I’ll get some drops, and make sure he’s eating slowly and steadily throughout the day as opposed to regular mealtimes. I’ll be back later. You two have got this for now, yeah?”

Ranboo and Tubbo, rather startled at the abruptness of it all, hummed and muttered agreements and nodded while Ranboo double-checked he’d written that all down. “Goodbye Tubbo. Ranboo,” Techno said, following Phil out the door. As it shut behind them, Ranboo turned to the smaller man. “Should we follow them out?” Tubbo had almost immediately closed his eyes and went back to resting against the ladder. “I want to,” he said, and Ranboo understood. Knowing Tubbo’s house as well as his own, he retrieved a bedroll, blanket, and pillow from a chest, hauling them up to Michael’s room, and then went downstairs and retrieved his husband.

He kind of just dropped Tubbo on the pile, who stayed exactly where he’d landed. “Sleep,” Ranboo intoned, and Tubbo groaned in response. He was asleep almost moments later. Ranboo sighed fondly, and glanced at Michael. The little piglin was asleep as well. He paused. There was a serenity in the moment, his own little family all worn out from a day of healing. As silently as possible, he pulled the blankets over them both, then settled into the armchair to watch over them.

#michael dreamsmp #ranboo #tubbo #philza #technoblade #mcyt fanfic #they write #t #p #r #family bee

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well-shit-im-a-morosexual-now · 3 years

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I don't have much to say about the rest of the S3 lessons, but I do have things to say about S4 of Obey Me.

Personally, I think that S4 should focus primarily on the angels (Simeon, Luke, Michael, Raphael, etc.), feature the side characters (Solomon, Barbatos, Diavolo), possibly introduce Solomon's first apprentice and maybe in Hard Mode you can check up on the brothers (you should know who the HOL brothers are).

I have a few reasons for this (in no real order :):

Reading the lesson summaries that you (and others) have provided, it seems like Mike and Raph- along with the Celestial Realm- will be important this season. So, wouldn't be a waste not to show them off?

The side characters need development. This is a perfect opportunity for some.

Simeon and Luke were standing for a longer period than the brothers, so it would make sense for them to show up again.

Simeon was talking to some angel (probably Raphael) at the end of S3. The game should obviously expand on that.

*Diavolo runs a hotel chain in the Human World, so it would make sense to see him again. And because Barbatos follows right behind him...

Solomon's first apprentice needs to be explored. What happened between them?

*The brothers should take a back seat in this season, since they're always there. No offense to them, but I need a break.

New character interactions is would be fun. To me, the best character interaction would be between Dia & Mike. Would they hate each other because of Lucifer? Would they get along? These are the questions that keep me up at night.

It could show off/expand upon the Celestial Realm, a chance for more lore and theories.

It could finally give insight into Simeon's past- which is always a good thing. (Same for everyone else.)

Now that the list is out of the way, here are some miscellaneous things that I couldn't fit on the list (also an clarification for 5 & 7. They explanations will also have an asterix at the beginning of them:):

*I don't expect Diavolo and Barbatos to show up that often, but I think that they should appear in at least 1-2 chapters.

*I also don't mind the brothers showing up, but I am worried that if they appear prominently, they might over take the season.

I kinda want the Lillith plotline/point to come back. I definitely wish it was executed better, but I do want to see the reaction from the angels (Mike and Raph basically).

I hope Solomon's apprentice was a girl. There's just too many guys here, we need a little diversity.

I would hate it if they didn't give us character designs for Michael and Raphael, though I would find it funny.

Well, I think I'm done for now. Do you agree, disagree? Do you like the color coding, should I keep doing it? Basically, I just want your thoughts on this.

Goodbye for now,

Lesson 42 Anon

Hii!!! I basically agree with everything you just said but I'll go into more detail on it with your points:

- I do 100% believe S4 should be a new character/angel focused season. I think I said so in the lesson 60 summary too that it'd make sense and be interesting to meet the angels and get their side of the story without the brothers' interference (the angels give me HEAVY morally grey characters who think they're wholly in the right vibes and I love it) + there's still a lot of Simeon and Solomon backstory to explore!

- The way S3 ended and how much of it was anyway about the angels I definitely think S4 will expand on it and introduce them

- And I think it'll possibly start right after S3 ends? I mean Raphael's here now and Solomon wants to start properly training MC so why not. And there's no other reason to leave Simeon and Luke behind than to start it up with them in the centre

- ALSO!!! ANDISJSHSKS "RAPH" given what they've showed of him he seems like the type of person to take HEAVY offense to that

- S3 did end with Raphael. Simeon called him by name.

- As much as I do want to see more Diavolo and find out more about his and more importantly Barbatos' backstories I don't think they'll turn up much? Or at least not until the last few lessons cause he left saying he had important personal issues to take care of back in the devildom

- I genuinely thought they would be shown in S3 after Solomon mentioned them and yeah damn I wanna know more about them. Also I just saw the Solomon UR+ animation card from months ago today - I definitely want to know whose grave he was leaving flowers at

- As much as I want an angel focused season the amount of withdrawal I'd go through without the brothers is insane. I'm heavily invested in them but at least for now their arcs are at a place that can be paused - they all got together to help Beel, a lot of Satan & Lucifer's + Belphie & Diavolo's issues have been resolved. I do want to know more about Lucifer's fear though and how he met the rest of the brothers (since they already told us Beel's story)

- With what they've said I kinda see Michael & Raphael being parallels to Diavolo & Lucifer, respectively. The somewhat childish boss and the long suffering right hand. I can see Diavolo wanting to like Michael purely because he wants to make proper peace with the Celestial Realm but also being somewhat internally pissed with him given how protective Diavolo is of the brothers and I can see Michael being sweet and friendly in return despite the fact that given everything Michael has said about demons, even in current times, he would probably be looking down on Diavolo for being 'wicked' and 'evil'. Basically I imagine them having the same kinda passive-aggressively polite relationship that Diavolo and Simeon had in S2 but somehow even less friendly

- Yes!!! Like I said the Celestial Realm gives heavy morally grey vibes and I want that to be explored more. I also need Luke's realisation that the Celestial Realm isn't always right to continue

- I have SO many Lilith HCs and I desperately need them to talk about her more. Like I understand why she's a sore topic and that Lucifer never even told them about her room in the HoL depite the fact that they've probably lived there for thousands of years and she does get brought up a bit in Belphie's fear but I need more. I also want them to explore why Belphie was so insistent with blaming the humans for Lilith's death when it was the angels that killed her, I gave my theories behind it in one of the summaries but I really need more solid answers

- I've always wanted more girls (or any girls really) and the way I was disappointed that we never got to see Lilith (I mean I understand that some players would HC her to look like their MC even though she died thousands of years before MC and they probably wouldn't share a resemblance but still) but I never considered Solomon's apprentice was a girl and I dunno why.. OKAY BUT CONSIDER GIRLS AS NEW LIS!!!!!

- I definitely think they would, it would make no sense if they didn't after how much they were hyped up and I might actually scream if they don't get designs. That being said I have very clear ideas of them in my head and I'm gonna hate having to part with them

DO NOT GET RID OF THE COLOUR CODING! IT'S PART OF YOUR IDENTITY NOW! OWN IT!

#obey me #q #obey me shall we date #obey me!#shall we date? obey me!#swd obey me #obey me spoilers #asks #answers

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ricinbach · 3 years

Text

inferno. | canto i - prologue

Midway on our life’s journey, I found myself In dark woods, the right road lost.

Nightfall brought the shiny starts with itself, along with the moon and the faint sound of crickets in the trees. The rustling of the leaves slowly yielding themselves into the chilly western breeze, a certain inherent warmth to it.

It was a seamless comfort, seldom too hard to come by, to relish the quietness of it all. How seamlessly day turned into the looming night, oranges and pinks blending into the deepest and darkest of navies and blacks. Not many days, let alone nights, went by without some sort of touble lurking deep in the darkness - and they never were not the ones they wrote fairytales about.

That night, the drawn curtains that sealed the room from prying eyes managed to let some of the white moonlight in. The silver rays shone on the small arsenal of guns laid out on the crimson comforter, bottles of holy water and a range of knives splayed out on both of the beds. Faded out photographs, some black and white, old newspaper clippings, stained yet recent photocopies of cattle mutilation reports along with electric grid failures in various states - adding onto the decor in accordance with the grim theme.

“You’re gonna answer that?”

The painfully familiar ringtone of the flip phone echoed across the paper-thin walls of the motel room, the vibrations spreading out onto the dresser as it made a series of croaking sounds - almost too desperate to be answered, to be picked up and spoken into, after being thrown onto that wooden furniture for God knew how many days straight.

In total contrast to the agitated ringing of the device, a gentle hum joined the cacophony of sounds along with heavy boots creaking the hardwood, the rustle of papers as they are parted by calloused hands. The popping sound of a marker’s cap was the latest addition as a tired John Winchester continued his thinking standing up - paying no attention to any external distractions as his furrowed gaze kept on analyzing the old, coffee-stained newspaper lore he had managed to dig up over the case, lost in the haze of his reading as he shut everything else out.

“Dad, it’s me.”

It was always him.

There was no evident, nor allowed choice other than sitting there, waiting until his worried yet utterly characteristic voice died down and surrendered to the beep. Jaw clenched, the spare silver bullet you had been toying with between fingers dropped on the wooden table in a couple of clinks.

“Where the hell are you?”

Residual moonlight reflected off of the engravings on the piece of metal as it dropped, sending shards of light into the room that broke through the partial mellow darkness - only illuminated by the weak yellow bulb of the desk lamp. It was not the first time he had heard his son reach out to him in such worry laced in his usually playful and gruff voice, becoming graver with worry with each consecutive call that rang the phone, yet left unanswered - nor would it be the last.

“Listen, I’m on my way to find you. Call me.”

If he had been just a piece like him, he would not stop calling, no matter how much time and effort it could and would potentially take him - knowing very well that with each residual ring of the line, the chances of him being dead and gone would significantly increase.

If only he knew.

A low sigh would escape your parted mouth as you got up with a certain tiredness looming over your body, yet your mind seemed to keep you plenty occupied with other things than to think about how just many cuts and bruises were speckled alongside your skin, just how much your muscles ached from all that running - reminding you of your poor choices of foregoing the welcoming warmth of the bed.

And then, just like you had been expecting in some sort of sensing way, a second ringtone emanated throughout the stuffy air of the room - this time coming from another source which happened to be your phone.

Son of a bitch.

His head was raised ever so slightly, the moonlight hitting his hardened face in such an angle that the faint yet present, worried specks in his green hued orbs shone out - overbearing the darkened and more determined gaze he always held. The internal dilemma, the constant tug of war between the fatherly instinct and the hunter’s sense reflecting off of his expression - his jaw clenching, eyebrows furrowed in a stern gaze but an eminent gentleness to the demeanor. His look briefly was directed at the phone, trailing to focus on you for a split second before redirecting his attention to the big, chunky journal resting open near his frame, at the edge of the bed.

“You know better.”

In a split second, he had managed to drag out whatever reason you may have had, subconscious or purely deliberate, and eliminate it.

Picking up a call when you have not done for so long was nowhere to be found in your intentions - it was mere muscle memory, some sort of underlying reflex that made the hand extend inches closer to the one thing that tied him to you. Knowing who was at the end of the other line was a certain luxury that would prove to be too much to ask for. Picking up the phone meant seeing the number, which was memorized a long time ago. Succumbing to the urge of hearing his voice once again. Letting go of the task at hand.

It meant weakness, screamed selfishness and better yet, was pure danger and dread.

It was disobeying direct orders, and he would have none of that.

All were things that he knew you did not need at that very particular moment - so he was keeping you away from the unnecessary distraction as much as he could, doing a damn good job at that. Listening to each and every order the veteran would dish out at you seemed to be an unwritten rule etched deep into your conscious, and it always came to your rescue whenever you would expect less.

It was one of the main reasons you had been alive for this long. It made you last with all of your limbs intact, walk and talk and breathe as you ran from hunt to hunt.

It was a longshot yet everlasting hope of yours that it would keep you from the prying hands of death for just a tad more.

“Yes, Sir,” came out slightly muffled out of your lips but audible nevertheless, exhausted eyes fixated on the damn phone, left alone near the half-finished coffee cups, a trusted, small yet jagged tactical knife and cat-eye shells.

The shells. Grasping them in your hand, that was enough to get you up as your feet dragged you towards the door with a sigh lingering on your lips, a short-lived one in the presence of the man. The textured and grainy rumble of the marker against paper filled the room as his one hand splayed open a faded and overused map, a long finger tracing out the state of Colorado.

What you saw last before turning around to double check the locks on the door, was the name of his eldest written over the blank page, in capitals.

An eyebrow cocked up slightly, not expecting your work further out West to be done. If the mountain state was where he would take you next, he would have to let you sleep a little more. Then again, while it was no secret that you had been one of the handful people who understood the man well - John always seemed to have a covert yet planned agenda running in his mind.

A quality he had certainly passed down to his sons.

“We don’t have much time until he picks up our tracks,” his gruff voice started explaining as you knelt down near the locked wooden door of the motel room, covering the slit that let the faintest hint of white streetlight in with handfuls of salt along the boards - just like they had taught you. Empty eye shells were what followed the nightly precautions, rising up to do the same near the window sills, just below the fabric of the curtains. Arms stretching out under the oversized jacket draped over your frame as they reached, performing the same exact routine that had you engulfed within for the past couple of weeks.

“We’ll move out in a couple of days. I’m guessing it would take him at least a two day drive,” the man kept on reasoning as the cover of his leather-bound journal was shut gently, careful not to spill any of the precious contents.

An understanding nod came out of you, mind rushing as he left the journal by his equally unorganized desk. Hustling pool and being the cause of a bar fight at the same joints, repeatedly, for more than a couple of weeks got boring pretty quick anyway - a breath of fresh air would be nice.

If only that air did not include the demons and the supernatural that seemed to hunt you just as much as you hunted them. It would never be that easy, it never was.

The nonchalant shrug on your shoulders turned into a slight slump as you leaned against the table, your lips drawing out in a smaller line as you took notice of the man’s impenetrable gaze, looking at you with some sort of familiar concern. A deep sigh followed as his leather covered elbows rested on his dark blue jeans, running a hand over his stubbled face.

“Something big is coming, and I think this time, - ” spilled out of his mouth in a breathy series, head shaking just slightly in the weight of his words as his eyes shone with relentless determination.

And it brought such pain, such great, suppressed agony that only a few could see.

“This time we will kill it.”

#hope you guys like this #sending you so much love thank you for reading #dean winchester #dean x reader #dean winchester x reader #dean fanfic #dean winchester fanfic #sam winchester #supernatural reader insert #val writes #inferno

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ninjakitty15 · 3 years

Text

Chapter 23: And Now A Word From Our Sponsor (Loki x OFC)

"Ruh roh," I murmured before a great, powerful unseen force ripped me away from my prey and threw me aside like an angry giant girl tossing aside an old ragdoll that happened to be me.

I went flying back who knows how far off from where I started and hit the ground hard enough I didn't feel like getting back up then, my body going back to flesh and blood instantly, the power I had tapped into returning to its reserve. I groaned in agony as even sitting up seemed to hurt my entire body and my enemy, thinking he finally had the upper hand with me staying down for once, started his march to me rather than Loki. But even before Loki could intervene this time, seeing I wasn't getting back up, the shrill cry of angry crows filled the silence and through the overcast clouds of autumn a great big flock of them nose-dived right for the bastard coming at me. It happened so fast, he barely had time to cry out in shock and fear and in the blink of an eye he was forced away from me as well by the swarm and viciously pecked at whilst pinned to ground by the lot of them. I dropped my head back and stared up at the sky but right after I did, a face came into my field of view, a face of a man I hadn't seen and had hoped not to see in ages.

"Well isn't this a familiar sight?" he noted with a smirk.

"What took you so long?" I groaned. "Been watching Brandon Lee's last movie for dramatic entrances again?"

He glared at me and knelt down on one knee to get a better look at me. "We thought you could handle this."

"And I was until you rudely interrupted us."

"That's not why we gave you that power."

"We? I might be earthbound but even I know it's never a we with you lot. It's them or you."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Not the point here." He slid a hand up my wounded leg damn near sexually because he knew that would rile me up like old times despite the immense pain the blade inflicted, causing me to cry out between the combo of pain and slight pleasure before he healed it. He smirked at my reaction before offering me his hand to pull me up to my feet with enough force that I was pulled flush against his muscular body. "Still my favorite protege," he growled into my ear.

"You're doing this to piss off the only other man still standing," I pointed out.

"You want him to know, right? What better way to inform him."

"Is he allowed to know?" I wondered.

"He is now that you got our immediate attention by summoning power you aren't supposed to use till we tell you."

I scoffed at this. "What good is it if I can't use it when needed otherwise?"

He chuckled and let go of me but kept me at a close distance all the same. "I'll take care of that wanker now that you mention it." He casually walked over to where his birds were torturing the target, winking at the semi frozen god watching all this happen without being able to move due to the other man's power, and pressed a heavy black boot against the target's chest as his birds made room for him. He then put his weight on the foot on the guy and leaned forward. "If we didn't put the gems inside you ourselves, you aren't meant to do that or have that in you. That's why you're currently dying from the inside out and not simply in a death stasis like she is." He reached down and held a hand over the guy's head who began to scream bloody murder as the stone was being forcibly removed from his skull and taken from him, his head bloody once done as that was how the man removing it liked it. "Now we generally don't take lives, that job is beneath us as Supremes, but I'm not gonna stop my favorite student from doing that twice. However, I got some things to discuss with her so you stay put till I'm done, okay?" He patted the guy's cheek with a bloody hand and then stood up, getting off him and walking back to me, crushing the stone he had taken as he did. He glanced back at Loki curiously. "You always did have a thing for chaotic divines."

"There is nothing divine about you, hun," I mused. "You invented corruption."

"He'd make a nice Horsemen though, that kind of power all on his own."

I bristled at this. "Don't you fucking dare, you've taken away more than enough people in my afterlife and I'm not talking the ones I chose to forget. You want me to stop tapping into that power, leave what's mine alone first."

"You say that like I've done this before..."

I simply glared at the deity. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, you were part of it whether you made the final play or not, you're always a part of it. If you take him away too then you'll have to kill me for good to stop me from using that power again."

He just smirked and shrugged. "Relax, I can't touch him whether I plan to or not, his fate isn't in our plans." He snapped his fingers then and suddenly Loki was able to move and made a bee line to my side while eyeing the man in front of us. "You've been hounding her since you met so ask now or never know the answers you're dying to know."

"What are you exactly then?" Loki asked carefully.

"We have no true names but we consider ourselves divine planners of this world, there's two kinds, Chaotics like myself and Orders, as a whole we call ourselves Supremes."

"And Nell, what is she to you?"

"Oh so many things," he purred, causing me to elbow him in the gut.

"And you wonder why it was so easy to move on from you," I muttered.

"No one moves on from me."

"There's your answer Loki, I'm no one," I replied.

"She was my favorite student when she acquired necromancy and all the things she needed to know about herself and the Natural Supremes that demanded her service. We knew she would be among the most powerful of our planned creations and every test we threw at her, she passed and proved she was the right candidate for our grand finale."

"Are you the reason she has no past then?" Loki prodded.

He grinned at this. "Power not naturally acquired or earned but given by another has a price, and she also had a choice, turn down the power we chose her for and give it to someone else willing to pay for it, or pay it herself and accept her responsibility. Regrets, love," he teased.

"Not yet but there's always room for change," I muttered.

"And what exactly is she in the grand scheme of things?" Loki pressed.

"Besides the deadliest necromancer yet, she's also a Horsemen, I'm sure you know what those are, there's four total. Kind of fitting if you know the actual lore, one rides a pale horse, and here you are, known for being a horse at one point in your long life, and definitely pale. What are the odds?"

"Dude, stop antagonizing him, it's getting old real fast," I warned.

"How would you know? You don't age," he countered.

"Don't need to tell time to tell your jokes are as stale as your style."

"What's wrong with my style?"

"You mean besides the fact that it's you?"

"You used to sleep with her," Loki muttered, seeing the pattern in semi playful semi insulting bickering.

"Yup," we both said at the same time.

"He claimed it would make me stronger, said if I can survive being fucked by the higher powers, I can survive everything else coming for me."

"I wasn't wrong," argued the Chaotic.

"Doesn't make you right either though."

"It did though, was all part of my plan and one of the more enjoyable parts at that, I couldn't make you a true Chaotic as you have to be one from the start but as you've seen with my birdfood over there, not even the strongest earthbound necromancer could survive a stone fusion."

I sighed heavily. "Way to make it weirder than it already was. You've nothing to worry about, Loki, he's more bark than bite these days. Only ever shows up to ruin my fun, like now when I almost had him."

"You'd do more damage than I'm sure you want in your favorite city," the older god noted. "I know you wouldn't want anything to happen to it and that's exactly what happens when you tap into that much power at once and try to use it for one target alone."

I glowered at the smug bastard. "Bugger off."

"All in due time, love," he chided. "Anything else you want to know before I pop off?"

"So she's a factor in the apocalypse then? As a Horsemen?" Loki questioned.

"One of the four, yes, she's alot more powerful than any of you realize. Damn near indestructible though you apparently found a way around that, do not let anyone else find out though, between her army and myself, Hydra and anyone associating with them are taken care of so its up to you to make sure no one else knows how to use that against her. Of course I could just take that issue away myself and be done with it but that's not part of the plan unfortunately. We chose her for a reason, if her time is cut short before the big finale we're all hoping for, we'll be forced to give that position of hers to someone less suited for the role and no one wants that. If that's all, I'll be going, any further questions she's allowed to answer now that you've met one of us."

"Cro," I called to the older god before he could leave. "Was that really necessary throwing me like that?"

"Have you met you?" he countered. "You don't do what you're told till its beaten into you."

"Could've asked nicely, alls I'm saying."

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Not seeing how knocking the wind out of me was fun..."

"That's because you weren't looking at the other two's faces when that happened. Try not to start the end of the world without me." And with that he was gone and the world was no longer on pause.

"You all right, love?" Loki asked me with a sigh of relief he had me to himself again.

"I think you might have to carry me home, wherever that is, feels like someone threw a moon at me. First things first though." I hobbled over to where we left the guy that caused so much trouble for us. Without the stone keeping him afoot, he was pretty much already dead since he was rotting from the start and still had my dagger wound eating at him as well. "Still alive in there?"

"I should've known you were protected by them," coughed the rotting body.

"You really should've known not to trust Hydra with things they'll never understand, look where that got you."

He cackled but it ended up being more of a choked gasp or death rattle as he finally rotted through completely.

"Okay, now you can take us back, the carrion critters will get rid of this before it scars some kid walking through here for life."

Loki smirked and scooped me up in his arms, green mist surrounding us in a flash. "To home then."

#loki fanfiction #loki fanfic #avengers #zombies #necromancers #necromancy #loki romance #loki x ofc #loki x oc #loki x original female character #nell the necromancer #loki x nell

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ficauthor · 5 years

Text

Just a tiny misunderstanding

This is for @sugarglider9603‘s monster pat AU, people have been tossing around this idea of Virgil accidentally marrying Roman for awhile now and I could not help myself. I have been writing this for two days now, sorry if there are any grammar mistakes.

And thank you sugar for answering my asks about the au, and @broadwaytheanimatedseries thank you for telling me about the lore and different things about the universe. I hope you both enjoy.

Also I’m gonna post this on my ao3 of the same name so don’t freak if you see it there.

(also I based the fae marriage thing on how the Greeks used to propose cause I’m a nerd)

((Also also Roman’s mothers names are based off of names from the Victorian era cause why not))

Word count: 8,124

Honestly Virgil wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong, he wracked his brain to think but honestly, there was nothing. The only thing that he’d done that could have been of some concern was when he was hanging with Roman he tossed him an apple and had misjudged the space thus hitting the other in the face. But that was an accident and Roman didn’t really seem hurt.

That’s Fae magic for you, his only response was to grin widely and kiss Virgil passionately. A strange form of reassurance but Roman had been and reacted weirder so Virgil had tried to brush it off. But over the next few weeks he was acting…

Strange

Not in a bad way, but he was more affectionate and…

More protective?

Virgil couldn’t be certain about that one though that was until.

“Your fairy prince is acting unusually,” Logan commented hardly looking up from his book. It was a formal title for Virgil’s boyfriend, but it was far less formal than it used to be.

The statement, however, sent a small shock of panic through Virgil’s system, if Logan had noticed to then…

“Care to explain that statement, Lo?” Virgil asked fear encroaching on his mood, but he only let frustration taint his voice.

Logan saw right through it, he sat up straighter in his chair, placed his bookmark (a woven charm from Patton) into his book (again from the kind-hearted giant) and spoke again, however his voice was much softer like he was afraid of spooking Virgil. Like Virgil was a deer in the woods that needed to be coaxed.

“I’m sensing you noticed it too?” Logan asked though he wasn’t great at reading other peoples emotions he’d known Virgil for almost all of his life.

Virgil sighed and collapsed on Logan’s lap rather dramatically (what could he say Roman was rubbing off on him) his back leaning on the armrests.” Don’t get me wrong I appreciate all of the extra affection he’s giving me… but,” Virgil furrowed his brow remembering the other night.

They’d just finished, well a rather heavy make-out session, they hadn’t gone much farther but they both were certainly on an emotional high. Then Roman had looked out, to the side just beyond Virgil, he’d gone to follow his gaze but the other took his cheek gently in his warm hand,” don’t worry about it love,” the way he said it sent a shiver down Virgil’s spine, that someone so powerful would care for him so much. But there was an underlayer there, something under his affection that he couldn’t quite place.

Which was fair the other wasn’t quite human, so of course, his expressions would be different than Virgil was accustomed to, but this was one he’d never seen before. It was almost guarded, but then it was gone and Roman was asking if Virgil wanted to cuddle and watch a magic projection.

Virgil of course agreed, the system of crystals that the fair people had that could broadcast moving images that told stories was breathtaking to the dark man, it wasn’t anything like human’s modern technology.

“Virge? Virgil?” Logan was shaking his shoulder.

Virgil was on the floor now and Logan was kneeled in front of him, his brows furrowed as he gently shook the younger male.

“Huh?” Virgil was dazed the dregs of the memory still pulling him in, and there was something…

Something there in the corner of the room.

“You weren’t responding, you appeared to be, ah, spacing out.” Logan spoke his normally restrained tone painted ever so slightly with a thin coat of concern.

Virgil blinked further pushing himself out of the memory, he also tore his gaze from the spot he’d been staring at blankly, there was nothing there anyways,” had I?” the blue-clad man nodded,” sorry L, it’s just,” he chewed his lip back and forth playing with the muscle nervously trying to calm himself. “It’s just that roman is starting to worry me.”

Logan made a face,” if he’s threate-“

“No nonono!” Virgil cut him off frantically, he didn’t want his friend to enter what he’d dubbed, the mama bear mode,” if anything he’s been much more affectionate than normal, almost like he’s making up for something. And he’s always so tense, and even when we’re cuddling it’s like he’s waiting for something,” Virgil felt ill at the thought a pressure rising in his throat at what could cause his boyfriend to be…

“It’s almost like, he’s scared…” Virgil’s voice was small.

Logan nodded,” well perhaps there is some sort of fae event going on currently, perhaps he is just nervous,” Logan offered,” to be far he does participate in the fae equivalent of professional make-believe perhaps that is what has put him on edge.”

Virgil shook his head, he wasn’t looking Logan in the eye anymore the overwhelming sensation that he was going to throw up was tangent and pushing in on all sides now. “He doesn’t have a performance coming up, and that’s different, he’s always,” Virgil searched around the room eyes flitting from corner to corner as he tried to find the words,” more collected. I don’t know.”

Virgil’s voice cracked at the last three words; he’d been really trying to figure out what was wrong. But every time he asked Roman managed to distract him or change the subject. Did he hate him now? Was he being overly affectionate to make up for the fact that he was going to break up with him soon? Was he-

“Virgil,” His friend made a face, his perfectly pushed back hair falling out of place slightly,” in for four Virge,” he said calmly.

The dark clad man was already hyperventilating he hadn’t even noticed he was so busy trying to figure out what was wrong with his boyfriend that he was hardly able to focus. His sweaty hands were balled up clenching his tattered cloak the familiar coarse fabric bringing him to reality a little bit.

But still the worried thoughts dumped on him like a snowstorm, kicking up occasionally appearing to get lighter but then the heaviness was there again, thick, cloying and sticky, not leaving and chilling him to his core. His head felt like it was being squeezed he couldn’t leave, and he felt like he was watching a stranger in a daze.

Logan’s soft words filtered in and out of his warped pained reality, it was like his ears were an out of tuned radio struggling to stay connected and pick up a signal.

Thoughts blurred…

Was Virgil even breathing? He felt constricted and hot and like he was gasping for breath like a snake was constricting on his lungs.

What was that voice?

Who was there?

Why were they helping him?

His focused on the sounds of the voice, it finally registered, that was his best friend. And slowly his breathing slowed a little and the violent feeling that he was going to throw up subsided a little.

Once he’d finally managed to school his breathing again Logan was still going through his breathing exercise count.

They were silent for a moment, nothing exchanged between the pair as Logan allowed him to catch his breath,” I am going to get Roman,” Logan said.

Virgil was frantic again,” what no what if someone in the village sees him? What if the others fre-“

The other put up a hand to stop him his dark brown eyes swirled with concern,” one,” he raised a finger,” this house,” he gestured around for emphasis,” is just around the edge of the monster forest, nearly outside of the main radius of the village.”

That made sense to Virgil, he couldn’t really argue with it, his and Logan’s houses were both on the outskirts of the human civilization. Virgil for his anxiety and natural skittishness around others, and Logan because he enjoyed the quiet that then allowed him to do his work. Not to mention no matter anyone’s opinions on monsters and whether they were good or not very few ventured into the forest.

“-econdly,” Virgil hadn’t heard most of the others statement for the first one. Damn it he’d spaced out again, what was with him this afternoon he kept looking into that corner of the room and getting so damn distracted. “Our village was one of the first ones to agree to a tentative peace deal with the monsters under the rulers Joan and Tayln’s behest. This is one of the most open-minded villages to be a part of. No one will attack him.” Logan smirked,” besides most people are afraid of the fae it’s hardly likely they will even have the courage to speak to him to realize he’s far too dramatic and good-willed to actually hurt anyone.”

Virgil chuckled a little,” he is a dork,” he smiled fondly the sentiment loud and clear despite the fact that he hadn’t said it.

His dork.

Logan stood up and brushed off his pants and shirt,” now if you excuse me, I will go fetch his royal pain in the ass and you two will sort out your drama or so help me.”

Virgil nodded, “thanks Logan,” he smiled.

The other nodded and in the next few moments, he was out of the house, the door closing with a soft click. And like that Virgil was left alone in Logan’s house, the sound of a soft fire crackling merrily his only true company.

Virgil eventually stood up his knees creaking slightly in protest, his bones tired from sitting in the same position so long. He stretched his back out arms extended outwards, he slouched over immediately afterwards his back falling into its normal slump.

He needed to do something with himself, something that would take a few moments and free up his mind a little bit from its thoughts.

But what?

He scanned his best friends home searching frantically for something to distract him, he didn’t understand Logan’s collection of crystals. And frankly he was scared to fiddle with them, he’d never been particularly interested in Logan’s books. Even the ones written by Patton bored him. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand. He and Logan had been some of the smartest kids at school, but academia was not something that interested him. And the second he was allowed to he dumped any tolerance he may have had for it.

His gaze flitted to the kitchen, there were pots and pans, and

A tea kettle.

Virgil was up in an instant busying himself with the actions of filling the kettle, setting up three cups and preparing three separate teas. The loose leaves piled in the bottom. Now all that was left for him to do was wait, the soft rumbling of the slow simmering water being a soft comfort.

But his nervous gaze was already searching, around the room some and he searched for some form of entertainment. Again, the crystals were out of the picture, some had enchantments, and others were attached to a system of wires that Virgil didn’t trust his luck to try to tamper with.

The tall bookcases were all filled with research notes, there was only one shelf that Logan had that wasn’t strictly non-fiction. However, even then those were scribed oral folktales that their village had been passing down for generations. Virgil could mess with the fire or cuddle up to the heating stone, but his mind was racing far to fast for that.

Again his gaze snagged on that damn corner, Logan’s house was one of a simple and efficient layout, the kitchen, main entertainment area, and dining room (well it was intended to be a dining room but Logan had long since converted it into a lab and office combo) were all one space divided by small half walls pillars and furniture, the only real rooms were Logan’s bedroom and Bathroom. And there in the far-off corner closest to a window was something.

He couldn’t really see anything at first, but it eventually grew more prominent as he stared on, it was like a mirage in the distance, a distortion from the heat, something intangible and uncertain. In a daze, Virgil stepped forward trying to get a better look at the strange corner.

The house plant in the corner was, well it looked like it was waving, it was akin to when you looked through bubbles but there was no shine just distortion.

Shaky step after shaky step Virgil was feeling his thoughts start to melt away and a soft warbly kind voice was speaking to him.

At first, it was unintelligible, just syllables and letters he was aware of almost as if his head was underwater, but slowly the words grew clearer, as he stepped closer.

He p

Wee wa t he p

Fo ow s

Follo

We want to help

Yeah, that sounded reasonable to Virgil for some reason, there was a small worry in the back of his skull, jiggling around something that sounded an awful lot like Logan trying to supply him with information, but his mind was in a daze.

Wil-o’-the-wisp.

The voice told him firmly and helpfully. They were guiding lights, some benevolent, some cruel. And that voice that was supplying the information about them told him not to follow. That it was foolish. But the rest of his mind felt like it was submerged.

Let us help you.

Virgil was tentative that last string of common sense telling him to not listen, telling him to run in the opposite direction. And he almost tugged himself via that string… but then, they said all the needed too.

Answers about Roman

And like that, they had the scissors that they’d needed to cut his link to reality. He was moving forward and was almost within arms reach of the wisp.

It popped out of existence and then it was by the window, the sound of there whispers was drowning it was almost like a shrill loud whistle, it kept his thoughts from functioning and their magic had him ensnared.

Like a fly in a spiders web, he did exactly what it wanted, he opened the large window, an idle thought to close it behind him was there for only a moment but it was quickly abandoned as the honeyed words of promises led him closer and closer to the spider's den.

“You left him at your house alone!?” Roman asked concern lacing his normally regal tone.

Logan’s brow furrowed,” yes what is the matter, Roman? This is exactly why I came to ask you to talk to him. He has been very concerned and your acti-“

Roman was stepping back running forward his wings flapping, he was five feet away almost in the air when Logan jolted realizing the other’s actions were strange. “Roman!” he bellowed as he ran after him.

He’d never quite trusted the fae and this was not helping his case. He wanted to trust the fae, for Virgil, but every time he did the man did something foolish or reckless, or just without any common sense. It was like for him logic was metaphorically thrown out the window. Logan loathed such a thought, he ran after the prince his breath growing labored, “Roman!” he shouted. “Wait just on mome-“

Harsh pressure was digging into his upper arms, and the ground was falling away. A scream ripped out of Logan’s chest as he swung his feet violently, his hands covering his eyes. He’d been comfortable with Patton picking him up, the others large warm hands always stabilized him, and made him feel safe. But this was not safe, Romans hands were warm yes but not the comforting warmth of his Patton. They were long thin spindly fingers and it almost felt like a bird had grasped him.

Logan was swearing up and down his normally low voice a breathless shriek.

Roman apologized but he left it at that until they were descending on Logan’s front lawn.

“What the” Logan took in a few breaths schooling his words and expression,” why Roman?” he asked teeth gritted as he tried to calm his seizing respiratory system.

The prince was shushing him holding a hand to his ear,” do you hear that?” Roman asked with a faint whisper.

“Hear what?” Logan asked voice at a normal tone.

Roman stepped forward and with a quick flash of red magic, he unlocked Logan’s front door and entered his home. Then Logan could hear it: the loud shrill shriek of his tea kettle screaming through the small house. It was a deafening noise in the otherwise silent home.

Roman was moving through the house frantically examining the rooms, his eyes flashed a glowing red a few times. The smell of oranges, nutmeg, and sandalwood, which were the familiar smell of Roman’s magic wafted through the entire house as Roman seemed to perceive something that Logan couldn’t, and a disconcerting growl escaped deep from his chest.

He took the kettle off of the hot eye a puzzled expression flitting across his face, but then he sized up the teacups and he seemed to be putting together something that Logan couldn’t.

“Roman?” Logan asked he was wrenched with worry his stomach tied in knots and fear was threatening to engulf him.

He’d noticed that Virgil was gone, how could he not, the window was wide open chilling his house with the late fall air and the tea kettle had been screaming only moments before. And Romans actions were not helping with the thick foreboding air that had descended on Logan’s small home. Logan was normally so calm, so collected, he normally put on this front, this air that he couldn’t be affected, but this rattled that like an earthquake to a shabby but well-presented hut.

Roman didn’t respond he was muttering in a language that Logan could not understand and a small flicking blue light that he couldn’t focus on for longer than a few seconds was hovering right by the prince. He continued in a language that Logan could not understand the prince was yelling, shouting something. And while he couldn’t decipher the words, he understood that it was filled with rage and disbelief.

The wispy creature, a wil-o’- the-wisp if Logan was correct (And if he was that thought chilled him to the bone) continued to talk to Roman for what felt like an eternity, and then it vanished, just a pop and it was gone.

“Roman?” he called out again in concern.

Roman jumped he looked over the human a few times, it was like he’d forgotten about him,” Wait here,” he begged.

“If I don’t?” Logan asked the tone catching him off guard.

A sorrowful expression, that’s all Logan could describe of the others face,” then I’ll have to make you stay,” the hollow way he said it, it wasn’t a threat it wasn’t even a promise, it was a regret.

“I’ll stay,” Logan whispered.

Roman nodded the thanks apparent in the motion,” I-I’ll be back.” He walked to the front door before stepping back,” I’ll tell Patton to come over so you’re not alone,” And with that he left Logan alone in the house.

Half thoughts and words were starting to swirl in Virgil’s head again, the blank nothingness that had encompassed his being was fading away, and he was shockingly aware that he was alone in the forest in the center of a damned fairy circle. This was not Romans circle though; this one was circled with entirely different plants and flowers than Romans. Suddenly there was a flash and a tall woman appeared before him.

She was breathtaking, if Virgil wasn’t as gay as they came, he’d probably be taken with her. She like most fair people looked like she could be both 20 and 60 aged and ageless. Virgil realized as the last dregs of the wisp magic faded just how lucky he was that he’d stumbled into Roman’s circle instead of this one all that time ago. Roman looked like a man. A stunning breathtaking man that also looked like a piece of artwork, but except for a few things he looked relatively normal.

This woman, however, defined otherworldly, she looked like she brought definition and weight to the scared whispered folklore of Virgil’s childhood.

The lady spoke, but Virgil didn’t understand the language, she paused and swapped to another. She continued in a few others before Virgil spoke up.

“H…h-hello,” he made a gesture with his hand that might have been intended to be a wave, but he wasn’t quite sure himself.

“Hello,” she paused before smiling,” Anxiety, I believe my son calls you?”

Virgil must have made a face, but he couldn’t be sure his heart was beating so loudly he couldn’t think. None the less she supplied an answer,” Roman,” Virgil nodded now in understanding.

The smile was wider,” you’re so cute I could eat you up!” she exclaimed.

Virgil whimpered, he’d heard that phrase before, from humans and even Patton but this woman, he wasn’t sure of her intentions, regardless of who’s mother she claimed to be. Virgil wrapped his arms around himself hiding them under the cloak so that he could grip his hands around his iron daggers.

Maybe it was a little distasteful to have iron weapons when you had a boyfriend whose main weakness was said weapons and almost those alone, but Virgil liked to think about it as protection in case Roman couldn’t protect him. He didn’t draw them out yet however, the fae were powerful beings with important laws that dictated their magic. If he were to draw a weapon, she’d have grounds to use it against him.

He may be in her territory but because of the circumstances, the law of the fair people might just allow him safety for a bit longer. He just had to watch his next few actions carefully and not offend her.

“Now I know you’re a little skittish but me and my wife have been dying to meet you and Roman has refused to bring you along.”

She said it all in a way that reminded Virgil of his own mother (well it reminded him of the few memories he had of her),” can you believe that? Won’t bring you to meet his own mothers,” she said it was such an air it was familiar enough to Roman’s dramatics that Virgil was relaxing slightly, his grasp on the blades slightly looser, but the grip was tighter in an instant.

He couldn’t be tricked by them even if they were Roman’s parents. The woman walked forward her hands held outwards dramatically,” just so you know there is no funny business, I’m going to take you to my home for tea with my wife.”

Virgil made a noise of protest his hands moving off of his daggers in shock as she put both hands on his shoulders and there was a flash of magic that dragged with it the smell ginger, and a fruity smell he couldn’t place.

Roman was terrified, the second he’d spoken to that wisp he knew that it was one of the chaotic ones, it had chirped off gleefully that it had directed his sweet anxiety to another fae, and not just any other fae his mothers. Gods that made him nervous, if his mothers talked to him? The anxious butterflies that were only caused by his sweet husband were starting to tear up his stomach.

Husband.

If that word didn’t stir up a lot of emotions in him. He was glad that it was Anxiety how had taken the step, he’d long since learned not to push the dark clad man. And he absolutely adores the idea of spending forever with him, but they’d not been dating for that long and had known each other for barely much longer. The commitment of it was terrifying, he barely felt ready for it. But he couldn’t tell the other, not after he’d been so courageous to do so, not after he’d been so bold when he was normally so, well, anxious.

“Roman!” A peppy voice called out.

He looked down, oh it was Patton, good because he didn’t want to make another stop or to search for him,” can you go to Logan house and stay with him something is going on and I told him I’d send you over.”

“Is he okay?” Patton asked his pointy ears tilting down.

Roman was already looking off in the distance,” oh, yes he’s fine, I just uh my mothers, uh, Anxiety, I gotta go.”

Patton nodded and began the trek to the scholar’s home.

The prince hardly thought as he made the trip to his mothers’ home, his all-encompassing thoughts were:

Get to Anxiety

Make sure he wasn’t having a panic attack

Protect him.

His mothers had never really been part of the human hunts that so many of their elite fae peers had been a part of, they were ahead of their time in that aspect. But they’d also never interacted with humans directly, their circle was too deep in the forest; when the peace treaties were sent by the two human rulers the messengers ended up finding Roman instead. Which was fine his mothers’ didn’t find an offense to that they enjoyed their seclusion, but they didn’t understand humans’ limits, they didn’t-

Roman’s stomach churned at the thought, if they exposed him too much to certain magics, he might fall ill, that was a mistake they’d fallen upon a few months back. The human vessel just wasn’t durable, it was fragile and as strong as his beloved was, he still was limited. Roman’s stomach felt much like it had a mind of its own crawling up his throat, Anxiety had iron daggers. He hid them from Roman and tried not to show them to him.

But none the less Roman knew about them, how could he forget when anxiety had pulled them against him at their first meeting. A guarded man like him, of course, had weapons, and considering that he had to fight from an early age to survive Roman didn’t care, Anxiety would never hurt him, and considering how much power he had he couldn’t blame him if maybe Anxiety just wanted something to make him feel safe.

But if Anxiety got scared he might pull them on his mothers, and then, then Roman’s mothers might get offended and his mothers were forces to be reckoned with when they were offended.

Before the prince knew it he was at his mothers’ cottage, they did have a castle but they often stayed in the cottage for comfort, and from what Roman had told them they knew that Anxiety had a nervous disposition and was prone to getting scared easily.

Roman threw the door open to the main entertainment space,” Mother! Mama!” he shouted,” were is he!”

Virgil was quite nervous there were two very powerful fairy queens attending to him handing him food and drinks and talking to him. The taller very muscular one, the one that had greeted him in the clearing was sat on a chaise. She’d greeted herself as Ada after they’d gotten into the fairy realm. Once she had directed him into the home she was covered with a bright flash of warm light and her appearance fell. She was still beautiful, still had terrifying pointy teeth but she looked far more human. She still had the pointed ears and the face and body markings that denoted she was something else but the aura she had before faded away.

As it did she apologized informing him that she still had to keep up appearances and if she startled him it wasn’t her intent.

And the other slightly shorter one was sitting in a wood carved chair that was decorated with the most dramatic curls and delicate flower petals. She was also beautiful, she had a round large nose and big expressive eyes, but they were lined with dramatic face markings and makeup. She was kind of adorable in a strange sense, very round and huggable, but there was something behind her eyes that told Virgil that he should still be weary of her.

And they were doting on one another, they threw soft actions and kisses at one another like he and Roman threw nicknames and cuddles.

“I-is it safe to eat or drink this? Uh- your majesties?” Virgil asked the women holding a sandwich nervously.

The shorter one smiled,” Oh our roman got himself a clever one, didn’t he?” she asked looking up at her wife,” he even makes sure the food won’t trap him!” she preened. “also call me Evangeline, your majesty sounds so formal! And we're practically family!” she smiled at him.

The other woman smiled,” anxiety how did you meet our son?”

Virgil chuckled,” I sort of fell into his fairy circle after getting lost.”

“Why were you lost?” Evangeline asked. “Also, yes you can eat the food we have no intent on trapping you.”

Virgil ducked his head,” well human’s don’t have the best perception of monsters and my best friend was dating Patton-“

“Oh,” Ada cut in,” the giant boy? He’s a friend of Roman’s.”

Virgil nodded,” well I didn’t know Patton was a cool person yet, and I was scared cause all I had been taught was to fear monsters and because I didn’t know how to react I tried to walk home but I’d never been in that section of the forest before and after hours of wandering I fell down a small cliff and into the circle.”

The two women nodded in sympathy,” our raisings were much of the same,” Evangeline added on,” don’t trust the humans don’t talk to them the normal nonsense.”

Ada nodded,” we’re very eager however for this promised new era of peace between us and the humans, the royal Joan and Talyn have only been able to extend to us informal treaties, but we understand it’s tough to erase the years of misunderstandings on our end as well.”

Virgil nodded his arm that had been under his cloak was loose around the hilt almost in a resting state. He picked up his teacup and took a tentative sip. It was a nice spiced blend with just enough sweetener, it was one of the best teas he’d ever tasted.

Suddenly the door was being busted down and the sound of Roman shouting was filling the room.

Logan was pacing up and down up and down, he wanted to follow the fae prince get answers, but something had rattled him and if that were the case then it could be nothing good. Logan’s floor was no doubt being rubbed down from the pacing the varnish slowly getting removed. But Virgil was out there having probably been swept away by the wisps. The situation did not lend itself to, particularly pleasant thoughts.

There was a slight shaking of the ground, Logan’s heart skipped a beat, he knew that thudding rhythm, he flung the door open. Patton wasn’t far away just at the edge of the forest only a few dozen feet from Logan’s house. Logan ran forward the jumped up into Patton’s arms. Patton scooped him up in his arms the warm embrace surrounding Logan and calming his thoughts.

He was able to think more logically now, his thoughts slowly organizing as Patton kissed his forehead,” you okay Lo-lo?” he asked his voice a low rumble.

Logan nodded,” better now, do you understand what’s going on?” he asked.

Patton smiled,” let’s get in your house first and I’ll tell you while we cuddle.” He said stepping forward putting Logan down on the grass gently

“Do you have a potion on you or do I need to grab one from my stash?” he asked, unfortunately his house was far too small for his boyfriend so he had to drink a shrinking potion, both so he could fit for them to cuddle, and so Patton didn’t draw any un-needed attention. While their village was one of the more open-minded, there still were hunters that passed by.

He shook his head nuzzling into Logan’s side,” I don’t have one on me no.”

“I’ll go grab one,” Logan left a soft kiss on Patton’s knuckle.

Patton chuckled at the soft gesture, Logan was only in the house for a second his crate of the potion was right by the door and in a moment Patton was shrinking.

For some reason, maybe it was just the ingredient ratio, whenever Patton took the shrinking potion he was shrunk, thankfully with his clothes, down to a height shorter by just a few inches than Logan. Patton wasn’t holding back anymore he was running forward jumping into Logan’s arms a kiss a whisper away.

He was only a hair away, that question in the air as Logan held him up under his thighs, Logan vanished the remaining distance surging forward. Patton’s tail was wrapped around Logan’s leg , he smiled into the kiss and he could feel the other smiling back as he stumbled into the house eyes closed.

They were chuckling into each other's lips, Logan raised a hand to Patton’s face, he backed away catching his breath. “I love you,” Patton whispered.

“I love you too,” Logan returned the sentiment. He backed away though reality returning to him.

“You’re worried about him aren’t you?” Patton asked.

“Roman told you what was going on?” Logan searched Patton’s face as if he was trying to find an answer.

Patton’s expression was soft,” yeah he told me a little bit, enough that I could gather that his moms had basically kidnapped Virgil.”

“They won’t hurt him right?”

Patton shook his head,” Nah,” he plopped down on Logan’s bed. Logan sat next to him and began to play with his soft hair,” Roman’s just a little bit worried because he doesn’t want his moms to talk to his husband.”

Logan sputtered,” when did they get married!? Why wasn’t I invited to the wedding!”

“Wedding?” Patton asked,” they got a fae marriage.”

“What does that entail? And why didn’t Virgil tell me?!” Logan was standing now Patton’s head falling from his lap and onto the bed.

“Lo-lo,” Patton sat up and wrapped his arms around his lover,” I’m sure there’s a good reason he didn’t tell you. I didn’t even go, apparently, Roman was really caught off guard about it. It hit him in the face so to speak,” Patton chuckled.

“Hit him in the? Patton dear I’m lost what are you talking about?”

“Virgil threw an apple at him and it hit him in the face.”

Logan was blinking taken aback,” apple?” he paused his mind trying to add two and two,” do you mean to tell me that a fae proposal is throwing an apple at your lover?”

“No, that’s the marriage.”

Logan was silent, he was at a loss for words the way Patton said it, so nonchalantly,” okay, you got me, dear, I almost believed you.” It was a good joke, Logan had to admit, that something so mundane something that humans do literally all the time could have such weight attached to it.

Patton’s expression remained serious,” is this not the same for human culture?”

Logan shook his head,” of course not that would be ridiculous, if it were then me and Virgil playing catch with apples as kids would make us married ten times over.”

Patton covered his mouth with his hands,” this means that for Virgil he’s been put into a marriage with Roman for two months that he doesn’t even know about! He hasn’t even told Roman his name yet!”

Logan nodded part of him found some humor in this and eventually he would tease Virgil about this but for the moment being, “I do not believe that this will go ideally, most likely Virgil is going to panic.”

“It’ll work out,” Patton said nuzzling into the scholar's neck pulling him onto the bed,” Roman revealed to me that them being married made him uneasy since they hadn’t been dating that long but he was under the impression that it was what Virgil wanted.”

Logan groaned chuckling all the same,” they are fools sometimes but at least Roman is not being reckless by desiring to marry a man he when he doesn’t even know his name.”

Patton sighed,” I’ll be glad when Virgil finally tells Roman his name, it gets confusing sometimes to keep straight what I’m supposed to call him.”

“I agree, but it is a big step for him, he doesn't want to just tell him he wants to give it to him.”

Patton sat up,” give it to him? Does he know how big of a deal that is?”

Logan nodded, once he and Patton had introduced themselves, they had said ‘you may call me’ it was subtle but very deliberate. They couldn’t have it used against them because of very careful wording, not that Roman would but it was good practice to measure one’s words exactingly near the fae.

“Virgil is very aware, he’s wanted to tell him for a while, but he keeps getting frightened, not that I can blame him it is a rather large step in their relationship.”

Patton snorted,” Bigger than accidental marriage?”

“Yes, well,” Logan was chuckling too,” biggest intentional step then.”

They were laughing now holding one another in each other’s arms just enjoying each other’s company. Logan felt calm and at peace, it wasn’t very often that his mind could be calmed, a good book, some fascinating research, those did the trick for a while, but nothing really relaxed him like his boyfriend.

Patton was swirling patterns onto his arm eyes closed, Logan took in the sight. His soft turquoise almost star-studded fur, his slight under bite. His round nose and glasses

All perfect.

Logan raised a hand an lightly brushed his thump on Patton’s cheek, the other opened his blue eyes lazily. They looked like perfectly cut crystals to Logan, magnified perfectly by his slightly askew glasses.

“Do you ever think about it?” Patton asked softly his purr vibrating loudly in the cold tinted fall air.

Leaning into the hand his own still idly drawing swirls and patterns into the others dark skin.

“Think about what?” Logan asked his heart melting at the way Patton’s face squished into his hand.

Patton was quiet for a moment, Logan almost thought he fell asleep, but his eyes were open again and his words were tentative and soft,” us, one day, getting married?”

Logan’s heartbeat went up to levels that probably put him at risk of a heart attack,” I-I,” he stuttered his mind reeling from the idea. He’d never actually thought about it, he was always so caught up in the moment that honestly, a future was intangible. But hearing that right then,” I am now,” he admitted sheepishly.

“And?” Patton asked voice soft and gentle as he snuggled closer to the scholar.

Logan swallowed his pooling spit and collected his thoughts,” I am not opposed to it, but I am nervous.”

Patton turned his head slightly a brow softly quirked the question in the air,” it is just that, Human’s right now are turning finally to see that just because you’re monsters it doesn’t make you inherently evil, and I will admit the thought of those few that won’t listen to reason scares me.”

Patton grumbled lowly,” well I won't ever let them hurt you Lo-lo.” Patton hugged him close nuzzling his face into Logan’s chest.

“That is not what I am afraid of,” Logan ran his hand through the other's hair, he accidentally bumped his hand into the base of Patton’s antlers. They were just as soft as the rest of him. “I’m afraid of what they will do to you,” Logan admitted not much louder than a whisper. But the words might as well have been a shout.

Patton detangled himself from Logan,” It won’t happen,” Logan went to speak unwanted tears forming in his eyes,” No,” Patton cut him off,” sweetheart listen, it won’t happen. We’re friends with the next in line of the fae royalty, and we know people with direct connections to the human throne, we’re safe.”

Patton grabbed Logan’s hand which was still pinned under his face, he held Logan’s hand to his heart,” I’m safe.”

Roman scanned the room and there closest to the door was Anxiety, he scanned him up and down nervously. One hand was out of his cloak that was good, but the other was in it, no doubt wrapped around the hilt of his dagger.

“R-roman,” Anxiety said, his face relaxing slightly.

Roman put a hand to his husband’s face, Anxiety leaned in ever so slightly,” are you alright my love, no panic attacks?” he asked his red tinted brown eyes scanning his fae for every expression and microexpression he could.

Anxiety smirked,” I’m fine princey, just a little surprised, it’s not every day you get magically kidnapped by fae royalty.”

Roman looked down ashamed,” I supposed that might be my fault, they’ve wanted to meet you for a while now and you’d think they’d have the patience to wait but no,” he looked up at them and shot them a look.

“They did seem eager to meet me yes,” Anxiety agreed, nerves still an undercurrent to his tone but his tone was as calm as it’d been since Roman had heard him that afternoon.

Roman’s mama clapped her hands,” well if you’re done modeling after your mother and being overdramatic,” Roman’s mother made an offended noise, Anxiety made a near-silent chuckle,” we were just about to show your husband your baby portraits.”

“WhAt!” Anxiety shouted his face red as he stood up.

The three fae looked at him bewildered,” is there some sort of human taboo against showing newlyweds one another’s baby portraits?” his mother asked in concern. It was a fair question one he himself was actually wondering now considering his husbands panic.

“I-I no, we,” Anxiety was looking between all three,” married? When?”

Roman studied him carefully, did he hit his head? Had the magic from traveling between realms altered his memories. Roman stepped closer,” are you okay, love?” he put a hand on the others forehead,” are you feeling unwell?”

Anxiety’s eyes were filled with fear and confusion as he looked frantically around. “Hey, hey, hey,” Roman repeated himself a few times,” what’s the matter? Anx dearest,” Roman spoke carefully after he waited for the other to breathe for a moment,” are you alright?”

Anxiety looked up panic still splayed on his face but he was already attempting to cover it up with his normal disinterested expression,” s-since when were we married?!”

“When you threw that apple at me?” Roman said confused.

This deepened Anxiety’s troubled expression,” humans,” his eyes darted to Roman’s mothers. “we, it’s not, I didn’t. besidesIhityouinthefacethat’shardlyromantic!” Anxiety looked over at the two women,” not that I wouldn’t but we just,” he looked back at roman,” we haven’t been dating that lo-“ his voice died in his throat as he gestured wildly trying to explain himself.

“Oh,” Roman said softly as he added it together,” Oh!” he exclaimed hitting himself in the head,” I’m sorry Anxiety I completely forgot humans have different customs.”

Anxiety’s rapid breathing slowed,” you’re not mad at me?”

Roman shook his head, at that moment however his mother decided it would be the perfect moment to speak up,” you-you’re not married?”

Virgil was jumping up again he’d seemed to have only for a moment forgotten about the two women,” no- not that I would- I just- it just- humans don’t normally- after such a- a short period of time.”

Roman was elated, Anxiety didn’t want to get married just yet either, part of him felt bad for feeling relieved but he was glad that they were still on the same page relationship-wise. “Well then,” Roman spoke up,” Mother, mama, this is my boyfriend.”

Anxiety smiled at Roman a soft look in his eyes, they’d have to talk more later but for now, they had Roman’s mothers to talk to.

“So, baby portraits?” his mama asked, perhaps she was trying to smooth over the afternoon, but there was a glimmer of something in her eyes that definitely suggested otherwise.

“Mama!”

“So, humans have an exchange of rings and a huge party?” Roman asked a slight bit of excitement peeking through his voice.

Virgil giggled at his boyfriend, his reaction caused his entire being to feel like it was being swaddled and hugged. It had been a few hours since they’d gotten back from the fae realm, and because of the magic exposure, they decided to continue their conversation at Virgil’s house. His house was much like Logan’s but instead of science stuff and crystals and books, he had different trinkets from Roman, posters of his favorite bard groups, and general décor that tended to fit the macabre.

“Yes, it’s incredibly dramatic,” Virgil said drinking in the others face as they lay next to one another on Virgil’s old rickety bed. “but don’t let that fool you the wedding industry is a sham.”

“Wedding,” Roman said testing out the word as if he were tasting it, Virgil’s heart fluttered at his expression,” Well when we are ready for marriage, I will sweep you off your feet!”

His stomach was exploding with butterflies his heart squeezing at the words ‘when we are ready’ not just him both of them. “So, you’re not disappointed that we aren’t actually married right now?” Virgil asked voice small.

“Anx,” Roman said softly as he pulled the shorter male closer,” of course not,” he was quiet for a beat,” I was actually scared after the initial shock wore off because I hadn’t really realized that I wasn’t ready either.”

Virgil hugged him, Roman embraced him back his fingers playing with his hair they were quiet for awhile neither speaking just enjoying each other’s presence. “Roman?” Virgil eventually spoke. The fae hummed in response his fingers continuing their ministration in Virgil’s messy hair,” sit up?” he asked him.

The prince did disentangle himself with a grumble,” I wanted to cuddle,” he pouted.

“W-we can get back to that,” Virgil promised running a hand through his hair as he too sat up,” I wanted to tell you something.”

“Okay? Roman asked his expression mainly blank but Virgil could see just a small little inkling of confusion.

“My n-,” he took in a shaky breath, he could do this, he wanted to,” My name is-“

His gaze darted up to Roman who’s eyes were as wide as Virgil had ever seen, his mouth was open slightly in shock. “I-I,” Virgil clenched his fists letting the sensation of his fingernails biting into his flesh ground him,” sorry I just got nervous.”

“Anxiety you don’t ha-“

“It’s Virgil!” he exclaimed, he nervously started muttering to himself,” it’s like a band-aid you just gotta rip it off.”

Roman took Virgil’s face in his hands gently,” Virgil,” he said in an almost reverence, it was like before when he was playing out the syllables of 'wedding' but now instead of just tasting it, he was savoring it. “Virgil,” he repeated clearly enjoying the way the word fell off of his tongue and into the air between them.

“I’m going to kiss you now, is that alright with yo-,” Roman warned but Virgil beat him to it, he surged forward his lips crashing into the others. Romans lips were soft plush and felt like he moisturized them regularly. Virgil knew that his were chapped but Roman simply pushed back into the kiss meeting Virgil’s passion.

Roman accidentally pushed too far however and Virgil fell back onto his bed bouncing up a little as they detached slightly. Laughter burst from Virgil’s chest and Roman laughed back, he began to pepper Virgil with kisses every time he came up, he whispered his name like a quiet prayer.

“T-that tickles roman,” Virgil attempted to hold back his laughter.

Roman quirked an eyebrow as he hovered over the other,” oh tickli-“

A knocking from the front door interrupted them, Roman groaned and Virgil let out a laugh,” that’ll probably be Logan, you did just leave him with no expli-“

“I will be opening the door in one minute, if you are not fully clothed by then, then it is your fault!” Logan interrupted again his tone not betraying any amusement.

Virgil could hear Patton exclaim in shock, he laughed as he clambered up to answer the door, and for once there was nothing wrong in his life.

#monster pat au #sanders sides #sanders sides fic #prinxiety #logicality #platonic analogical

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spaceacealyx · 5 years

Text

Growth

Jade hates that she has to wake up this early for classes. By now, her fourth year, everyone knows to avoid Jade as much as possible before at least noon, except for a few first years that can’t take the death glares from Jade herself and the comical amount of space everyone else gives her as a hint.

That being said, seeing Jade walking up to someone early in the day is never a good sign.

Students scurry out of the way to avoid getting plowed into. The clicking of her heavy boots is loud enough to alert the girl she’s after She doesn’t outwardly react until Jade is right behind her. “Hey, dipshi-“ Lore whips around and slaps Jade, the crack of her hand against Jade’s cheek rings out clear and it silences the hall. Everyone stops in their tracks to watch the scene unfold.

Jade is frozen for a second before her brain reconnects and rage fills her. “You’re gonna regret that,” her voice comes out as a growl and she sees red. Jade launches herself at Lore.

A professor has to separate them and they both receive detention.

“And in 1637, the…”

Jade sighs slowly, boredom and aggravation eating away at her as Binns drones on. She turns to her relatively new friend Thibault. “How are you not asleep yet, Landon? Did you chug some wideye before class or something?”

He looks up from his notes at her. “No…” She rolls her eyes and lays on top of her arms that are folded on the table. Her eyes idly scan the room.

“You’re on some next level shi-…” Jade’s eyes land on the other Landon twin. Lore had a knack for making Jade’s brain freeze, whether she knew she did or not. Jade’s heart rate picks up slightly. All she could think about was all the cute freckles that spotted her skin or the way her eyes lit up with fire or the one time Jade saw her genuinely smile when she thought only Thibault was around.

“Who are you glaring at now?”

Thibault’s voice snaps her out of her… whatever that was.

“Huh?”

Thibault’s shoulders slump as he rolls his eyes slightly and he looks at her from the corner of his eye. “That look. Who pissed you off?”

Jade’s eyebrows knit together, and she sits up again. “Wh-… No one. I was just…” Her eyes flick back to Lore. “Never mind. Just forget about it,” she grumbles, going to lay her head back down.

“Jade…”

She looks back up at him with a frown on her face. He’s giving her a look that screams suspicion. “I wasn’t glaring at her. It’s just my face.”

She turns her head back around and closes her eyes to take a nap. She’s peaceful for a few moments until, “You’re a disaster.”

“Are you fucking-!”

Jade is tightening the straps on her quidditch gloves when she sees Lore again. She grins. “Hey, asshole!” Wow. Was that really what just came out of her mouth? Lore glares at her and opens her mouth to throw an insult back. “Slytherin is going to crush Hufflepuff today. You might as well forfeit now.”

“You’re a fucking idiot, Caplan. Go crawl back in your dark goth cave.”

Jade feels her lip twitch. “I’m not a damn goth!”

“Yeah and I’m not a Hufflepuff. Fuck off.”

Jade snarls, getting ready to throw another insult in Lore’s face when someone pulls on her sleeve. “Jade come on. The game’s about to start!”

She throws their hand off her sleeve and gives them a scathing glare before turning away and walking over to join her team.

Halfway through the game, its Slytherin 70-30 and Jade is still stewing over her interaction with Lore just before the game. It finally boils over when Lore flies past her, just barely crashing into her. Jade pulls back sharply and curses under her breath, anger bubbling inside of her. Well if she’s going to be like that… Jade flies over to stop a bludger from hitting one of her teammates. She hits it into Lore’s direction, channeling all her frustration into it. “Take that Landon!”

It’s a few moments too late when she realizes what’s going to happen based on the direction of the bludger. She barely even has time to gasp before the ball smashes into Lore’s face head-on. Jade watches in ill-concealed horror as Lore is flung to the ground by the force of the ball. Her heart nearly stops and her vision tunnels to the heap on the ground.

“Lorena! Oh Merlin, what the hell Jade!?”

She barely hears Thibault yelling at her. Her throat tightens and she can feel light prickling in her eyes. “Merlin, I’m just like my father, aren’t I?”

Just as Jade decides to go check if Lore is alright, she sees her move. Her shoulders, which had tensed, relax slightly. She watches her drag herself into a sitting position and stays there for a moment. Her hair is messy and coming out of the ponytail she usually has it in. Finally, she looks up and looks right at Jade. There is blood all over her face and she’s giving Jade the most bone-chilling glare she’s ever seen but besides the goosebumps it gives her, she’s relieved Lore is okay.

Lore pulls herself up off the ground and grabs her broom and takes off, wiping her face on her sleeve quickly before throwing herself into the game. Lore’s aggression is unmatched, even by Jade. Jade nearly falls off her broom when she goes to hit a bludger away from a teammate and Lore zooms by, brushing past her in the process.

“AND HUFFLEPUFF WINS THE GAME WITH TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY POINTS!”

Jade can’t even be mad. A few of her teammates are sent to the hospital wing and Thibault runs to catch up with Lore after the match. It’s clear that he’s worried but Jade doesn’t dare get close enough to hear. Thibault brings her to the hospital wing immediately.

Later that night, when Jade goes to bed, she’s still sore from the game with worry clawing at her.

Jade doesn’t bother sitting next to Thibault in the classes they have together. He’s probably still mad at her. She keeps her head down around him in the hallways.

When she sees Lore though, her gut twists with anxiety and guilt even though there isn’t any physical evidence left after Lore’s trip to Madam Pomfrey. Jade catches herself staring at Lore more often than not and ducking her head silently when Lore catches her.

Jade writes to her dad when the guilt starts to eat her alive. Sam’s replies are always so formal, long-winded, and extra. This time it’s only a single word.

Apologize.

It takes her a week to figure out how to do it. She can’t just go up to Lore, she might actually kill her. So Thibault it is.

It takes her another week to gather up the courage to talk to him.

“Hey…” Her voice is too soft so she clears her throat and starts again, “Hey Thibault… H-how’s Lore…?”

He looks at her carefully. “She’s alright. She’s tough.”

Jade nods her head, looking anywhere but in his eyes. He looks awkwardly at her for a moment and turns to walk away. She panics a little and reaches out to him. “Hey!” He stops and looks at her, blinking. Jade instantly pulls back and shrinks in on herself. “Um… Can we-… uh…” She purses her lips. Her voice is soft once more, “Can we talk…?”

When he agrees, it’s hard for her to find where to begin and she’s a stuttering, muttering mess, but she eventually gets through it. He waits patiently for her to get the words out and accepts the apology when she’s done.

It feels like a hundred-pound weight is lifted off her chest and the corner of her mouth twitches upward. Maybe that wasn’t so bad after all.

This was based on a conversation @neonbluewaves (who owns Lore and Thibault) and I had about the kids. She drew a comic so I decided to write something to go along with it. Thank you for letting me use them!!

#Lorena Landon #Thibault Landon #Jade Caplan-Gabehart #hphm fankids #my writing

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huntertales · 4 years

Note

Hi beautiful!! I just wanted to say I absolutely adore your series and I’m so scared about this last episode. Maybe as a pick me up before everything goes downhill, can you remind me either the first time the reader and Dean had a “moment” or the first time they realized they had feelings for each other? I can’t wait!! Love you!

First off, love you too!!

So I know this finale is kind of heavy for some, so I took it upon myself to write something ‘cause why not ignore the second part I’m supposed to be writing?? Along with some a lot of favorite rewrite episodes of mine you can enjoy that aren’t necessarily Dean/Reader oriented:

Route 666 (Some good old Dean/Reader huh?)

Tall Tales (Shocker right? This is my favorite episode of all time)

Folsom Prison Blues

What Is And What Should Never Be

A Very Supernatural Christmas

Dream a Little Dream of Me

Ghostfacers!

Monster Movie

Yellow Fever

Wishful Thinking

Swap Meat

Live Free or Twihard

The French Mistake

Southern Comfort

Hunteri Heroici

LARP and the Real Girl

I know this is a lot but these are probably my personal favorite/I think is the most enjoyable of the episodes to read. And I’ve got that Demon!Dean little rewrite you can enjoy as well…Hell, I’ve got so many other stupid things I’ve wrote over the past couple years you can enjoy to mend your broken hearts.

Also I sort of wrote a little Dean related thing like a year and a half ago. You can read it here. But I always get this question and I never really explained it in the rewrite SO HERE WE GO.

I feel like Dean and the reader slowly fell in love with each other. Right around season three is really when it hit them out of nowhere that they can’t live without one another. This sort of turned into a drabble so you’re welcome. (This is only for Dean. Oops. I was gonna write it for the reader but I got super lazy tbh. If you guys really want something like this for her maybe I’ll do it. Is this at all good? Lol no. So you’ve been warned.)

He heard it in songs. He witnessed the act in movies. Saw it on the street with couples holding hands and looking at each other with a look in their eye nobody really gave him before. Like the person was their entire world. They’re the first thing they think of in the morning. And the last thought to cross their mind before they went to sleep. It was weird how someone can make you act stupid with how you stumble over your words and while you feel stupid, they make you happy at the same time. The feeling has been looming in the farthest part of him mind without even realizing it was there. Slowly it reared its head out, but only now he did figure out what the feeling was that was making him act this way.

Dean had only experienced this once before in his life, a handful of years ago, but even then it wasn’t as bad as it was today. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. How stupid she was for doing what she did behind his back. How stubborn she was for not listening to his warnings and appreciating the life she had. What hurt the most was how she did something like this for him. She was so much better than him. In so many ways.

She was smarter than almost everyone he knew, sometimes beating Sam in that department. Which he didn’t think was even possible considering his brother was a walking encyclopedia. It wasn’t just book knowledge she stored in that big brain of hers. Despite how she looked when she rambled on about some lore she remembered reading about back in the day. How she stared at him with this look on her face, how much concentration and passion she had for the things she wanted to learn about. Now she was hunting them. And she was damn good at it. It was pop culture references she got as well. The knowledge of Baby when she watched him fix the car up after the accident, wanting to see how things were going. Even though he knew she wanted to check up on him.

Dean’s possibly favorite thing was how she sang along to every single song that came on, every lyric she memorized at this point after hearing dozens upon dozens of times over. She always complained about how he needed to update his cassette tapes to something of this century. But the way she belted out the song she supposedly grew tired of told a different story. Dean would sneak glimpse in the rear view mirror to see the smile on her face, how free she looked with the wind blowing through her hair when all the windows were rolled down to take advantage of the summer afternoon. How the sun made her eyes sparkle even more. Dean would do anything to capture her face into a picture and look at it forever.

Or the way she looked when she was growing annoyed with his humor she claimed was childish and perverted. She always said she didn’t find it funny. And yet she would giggle at the jokes he made when he cracked one, just to hear the sound that was music to his ears. He loved it especially when she tried to contain a laugh when Sam got angry at his brother if he was the butt of the joke, biting her bottom lip despite the smile giving it away. Best of all was when she let out a true, throaty kind of laugh at some story he told her about his childhood that was a million years ago. The smile on her face. He loved it when he got to see it. Even if it wasn’t often as he liked.

She might look innocent and act like it at times, but Dean knew for himself she had a tongue sharper than any knife she carried around with her. She knew how to lash out a remark in a fight or take a jab at someone that hit deep. She was tough as nails. And a total smart ass. Dean thought he was sarcastic. She took it to a whole other level. Nothing seemed to faze her much. At least that’s what she showed the world. And to her family to stop them from worrying about her.

Dean saw her at her weakest point. And a little more. She tried her hardest to put on a brave face. All of them. Sometimes it got tiresome. Dean was always there to help her. And she made it her mission to be there for him when the weight of the world got too heavy for him to carr on his shoulders. She didn’t care how many walls he tried to build up around himself. She wealsed herself in there and knocked some sense into his head that it was okay to feel vulnerable at times. To let someone in. And she smacked him upside the head when he felt sorry for himself on the things she shouldn’t. She might have been the only one who he let the darkest parts of himself. And she didn’t run away.

Dean didn’t realize what all of this meant until one day just like any other. He found her sitting in Bobby’s study in the usual position; with her legs crossed together and a book in her hands. The pure concentration of her face as her eyes slowly guided through the pages, her lips mouthing the words. How the sunlight fell through the window and illuminated her. Dean thought to himself how she looked when she was like this. And then the thought slowly creeps on him. How in less than a year he isn’t going to be able to enjoy this sight anymore. Either he will gone…or she will be. Because it was more than just losing someone you care about.

He wanted her to be happy. He wanted her to keep laughing at all of his stupid jokes.. She made his life complicated and a living hell. And yet she made him feel things he hadn’t in years. All Dean knew for sure was that he wanted her in his life forever.

In that moment he realized his feelings were more than out of protectiveness to keep her safe. More than a strong bond they created over the years. Or to do the right thing. The reality came and hit him right in the back of the head. He was falling in love with his best friend. There was no more denying it. How could he at this point? Y/N Y/L/N was the only woman who managed to sneak her way into his heart and steal it. He was falling in love with her. While every instinct was telling him it was wrong, he didn’t care. He loved her. That was the beginning and ending of everything.

#mail

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rational-mastermind · 5 years

Text

I’ve been meaning to make a review about Breath of the Wild for a while, but at least wanted to wait until after I finished the shrines.

SCREW. THAT.

I’m gonna just say it up front; it’s not one of my favorite Zelda games. I mean, yeah, I have a personal history with Majora’s Mask, but that’s not the only thing. I’ll start at the beginning, under the cut. Cause this is gonna be long-winded.

I’m not gonna make a lot of complaints about how it sucks in comparison to Ocarina of Time or make too many mentions about the timeline issue, cause we all know that it was bullshit since the moment they said anything. But there are just...so many things that bother me.

I will say that Breath of the Wild has a lot of great thing going for it and it’s easy to be impressed when you first sit down to play it. The graphics are gorgeous and the voice acting was done very well. There are so many wonderful little bits of lore, call-backs, and even general mechanics of the game that just made everything amazing. (I was so fucking excited to jump without running off a ledge.)

However...there was a lot of the story itself that bothered me. Not to mention a few other things. One of which, was the music. Or....serious lack thereof.

One of the things I loved the most about Zelda, was the music in nearly every game. Background music is very essential in making up the environment of any level. From your typical fire temple, to underwater, to creepy ghost town. And for Zelda, it wasn’t even just that, but that song itself had a large to-do with a lot of the lore and story. Song tells others you have something to do with the Royal Family. It changes the universe around you. It soothes the dead. Not just in Ocarina of Time either. So it was really weird to...not have any of that in Breath of the Wild.

Yeah, we have some soundtrack but..it felt so..threadbare. When you go into a shrine/town/battle, I barely register the music. Walking through the open field...nothing. When I’m galloping on the Lord of the Mountain, the fast-paced piano feels more high-tech than race-horse and makes me feel uneasy about a guardian lurking nearby. Then when you DO face a guardian, or any mini-boss of a monster, it gets so fucking intense, so damn fast, I was worried about challenging a Hinox for the longest damn time. (Geez, I felt stupid for that after I realized how easy they were to beat.) Everything just felt...off. And it was weird that you didn’t have to repeat any song 10 fucking times. I mean, yeah, I was really sick of Elegy of Emptiness after going through the Stone Tower in Majora’s Mask, but I’ll listen to the 50th remix of Song of Storms. It was like...one of the few things that kept the whole timeline thing connected. It was that there was always a harp, there was always a song, there was just...something that connected us to the higher powers. And it’s kinda cool for a game to give something like music, so much power.

But I’ll stop bitching about that and get to my real problem. The story.

Now the basic crux of it, I’m fine with. They attempted to beat Ganon, failed, and had to pay the price 100 years later. Cool. That’s interesting. A nice premise. But gosh DAMN if the details don’t fucking trip me up! Let’s run through this chronologically.

Okay so Zelda, being the nerdy princess that she is in this life, discovers that yeah, they reincarnate every several hundred years and beat an evil known as Ganon. There’s supposed to be her, the physical embodiment of the goddess Hylia, and Link, a young knight sworn to protect her. Hooray, self-awareness.

Apparently, she also discovers that, what was it? 1,000 years ago, the Sheikah... the shadow people who are skilled ninjas that protect the family...built 120 shrines, robots, and massive weapons of terrible destruction...just to help beat this one guy that two kids and a magic sword handles on a regular basis. Actually no, I shouldn’t just say it’s two kids and a magic sword.

It’s a knight with a magic sword, three pendants, six sages, and the final seventh sage (aka the fucking goddess-child) that defeat the Evil.

It’s already upsetting enough that the Sheikah are stupidly advanced in technology (cause ancient magic tech from the gods is always the way to go...), and that the 1,000 year span makes the whole timeline thing confusing as FUCK (even if it is in the broken world timeline), but that they just...do that. They just fucking dissed the fucking premise for like, so many of the games. You find three pendants/orbs/stones/things, the master sword, six sages, and then help Zelda. Thanks for reducing everything else to nothing. Thanks for making 6 sages fucking nobodies. And yeah, I’m gonna harp on that.

One of the things that was nice about Ocarina of Time is that the 6 Sages became one from each race. In Link to the Past, it was the descendants of 6 powerful wizards. In Wind Waker, it was at least the last 2 other species left alive after the whole flooding incident (cause those three gorons are gonna fucking die and I wanna cry thinking about it). It just...it made sense.

So why. The fuck. ARE WE RELYING ON ONLY THESE FOUR????

We still have the Sheikah and the Koroks. What, just cause Impa’s old now? Cause the Korok’s are tiny as fuck? That never stopped anything before. We could’ve had Purah, or Paya take up the mantle. If size was an issue, how about Hetsu? Koroks can choose their shapes and try to put on brave faces. Saria was willing to help with the fight. Makar was willing to go through a whole temple to help. I don’t see what makes this generation a bunch of pussies! What the great and all-knowing fucking Sheikah just..FORGOT about the other sages???

Like, don’t get me wrong. Again, there’s a lot of good. I wouldn’t say gorons would be my favorite race but dammit I love Daruk and I love his grandson. They’re just sweet and adorable as fuck. (and I have a weakness for soft-hearted big-guys. ^//^) I’m glad they fixed the Rito’s appearance (though I hate Rivali’s fucking attitude). I liked their stories and their powers. But you could’ve at least rounded it out to be EVERYBODY. And further more, as great as it was to see their spirits put to rest, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for ghosts to pilot giant robots. It could’ve made a bit more sense for maybe the later generations to take up the mantle and help out. (Since that’s what a lot of them seem to imply.) It would’ve been kinda cool to go through the Divine Beasts with the Next Gen and let them help us fight the blights and let them take control.

Also on a fashion note: WHY THE FUCK IS EVERYTHING BLUE?? Thanks for dissing Farore. I guess she wasn’t a very important Goddess! Certainly not the one that LINK correlates to. Yeah, I get it, he’s supposed to get his signature outfit later, but I’m gonna get back to that problem in a bit. You could’ve at least kept the design and made it fucking GREEN.

Cause yeah, I get it, it was supposed to signify their unity and shit and that’s great and all, but BLUE had a purpose and that was WISDOM. Link isn’t WISDOM. He’s COURAGE. That was the whole rite of passage thing in Wind Waker!

Also, Zelda. Zelda, babe. Hon.

Zelda... What the FUCK ARE YOU WEARING???

Like, DAMN girl’s got hips for DAYS but do we really need the thicc shown in fucking leggings?? I mean, okay, her normal princess outfit is fine. Would’ve liked it to be a liiiiitle more traditional, but whatever. You look the part. And her normal adventure outfit is...okay?? It doesn’t look very practical nor comfortable for travels so it seems a little weird?? It just looks really uncomfortably tight and really draws attention to the thighs. But see, it’s the fucking Goddess getup that I have the most problems with.

Like, I’m just gonna start with saying that she looks fucking pregnant.

The empire waist wasn’t a good choice, especially cause she’s already just so damn thicc. And then you mix it with a sleeveless top and you have these fucking layers that just exaggerate the hips in the most unflattering way possible. I’m not saying she needs to look sexy but for a goddess, she could’ve looked more elegant? I’m sure with some kinda alterations, this would’ve looked great, or maybe on a different body, but like! I don’t like the dress for Skyward Sword either but at least she looks more goddess-like than this! (and that was a VERY boring dress...) She looks like Ariel putting on that sail cloth when she turned human. I mean, she could’ve had like, three-quarter sleeves with a v-neck or sweetheart neckline and then let the skirt flare out with the Hylian buckle around the waist. But this looks.. it just looks uncomfortable. I wouldn’t wanna practice goddess magic in this either.

So aside from forgetting about important races and a lack in fashion design, then you move on with the story. So since Zelda’s such a nerd and cause she lost her mother when she was younger, I guess that means I should feel sorry for her long-ass struggle with her goddess powers but um... I’m not. I don’t feel sorry for this woman. I just feel annoyed. I feel very annoyed every time I run all over Hyrule, trying to find these fucking memories, only to get five minutes of her bitching at US for her own failure.

Link is a soldier. And on top of that, he’s burdened with the heavy duty of carrying the Master Sword. HE is the one who has to fight Ganon. And instead he just runs around escorting Princess Twilight Sparkle while she geeks out over learning and frogs and then insults him, yells at him, and pushes him away from doing HIS FUCKING JOB. Unlike her, LINK IS DOING HIS JOB. I don’t blame him for shutting the hell up while she bitches and cries. I’m gonna side with Zelda’s father on this one, she found out about the prophecy, but SHE NEEDS TO DO HER JOB. Not for the sake of reputation (which seemed unusually dickish for him to say....) but because that’s her damn job. Everyone else knew what it meant to be a soldier. They knew when to dig in their heels and get ready to fight. WHY. DIDN’T. SHE?? Or at least why didn’t we see her trying like she kept talking about?? Yeah we saw her pray to ONE FUCKING FOUNTAIN. And it wasn’t even supposed to be her damn goddess! The whole mess wouldn’t have happened if she had just SHUT THE HELL UP and thought about someone else besides her own problems.

Also, if you were gonna show the tender moment where she finally does unleash her powers, maybe you SHOULDN’T make that a “secret ending” after you run around and try to guess where the rest of the memories were based on poor-quality pictures. And yeah, Zelda. you took a lot of shoddy pictures with that damn tablet. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DIFFERENTIATE ONE FOREST FROM A THOUSAND OTHERS??

Maybe I would’ve felt more sorry if I didn’t have to climb through a fucking castle full of guardians, avoid tripping the cut scene, and THEN read in a long-ass diary about her mother dying, but you know, that just didn’t happen. I don’t feel sorry for her. I don’t feel excited for her to unleash her powers. Actually, I’m rather sad that despite the games being called “Legend of Zelda”, I REALLY didn’t wanna focus on THIS incarnation of her. The idea of it would’ve been fucking fantastic, but did Nintendo really have to make her such a whiny bitch?

Okay okay okay. Now before you send me hate mail, I will point out some things I like about her. She had a nice voice. She was cute (in a good outfit). And she wasn’t a total bitch. It was a good idea for Nintendo to try to focus on the titular character for once. I just don’t see this excusing all the other problems though.

Moving on, I mentioned earlier how I hated Rivali. That was the understatement. I am so glad he fucking died at the hands of one of the easiest damn bosses. I know some people may have liked him but I can’t stand ego. It’s an immediate turn-off and the sad part is that he had a sexy design and voice. He could’ve been redeemable if he showed some kinda humility after being dead for 100 years, but no. They just...didn’t give him that. Not willingly at least. Again, this is where I would’ve LOVED the next generation to take up the mantle instead, but... Yeah. No. We didn’t get that. (And I swear he was jealous that Link had Mipha and Zelda’s affections. Especially Zelda’s.)

Urbosa was good, but I felt like we didn’t get to know her personality too much? And the same goes for her grandchild. Also even though the Gerudo are known for hating men, they HAVE accepted men into their clans before. What happens if these women marry?? They have to leave town? Link was genuinely accepted as one of the Gerudo in OoT and was free to walk around! And that was just for debunking their strongest warriors. BotW!Link saved the whole fucking town, saved one from dehydration and another’s husband, and is a renowned champion! You think that would give him a get-out-of-jail free card!

I already talked about how I liked Daruk cause he’s definitely a strong leader and a gentle-soul. I do like the Goron City but it feels a little weird how....corporate they became. I mean, it makes sense. They can make a good profit from the gems they harvest but it’s still a little weird considering how tribal and relaxed the gorons were before. Still, they were a cute bunch and I really liked going to Goron City again.

And Mipha was sweet and I really loved her one-sided relationship with Link. I felt really sad thinking about Sidon growing up without his sister and I see why everyone shipped him with Link. Sidon himself was pretty good but....personal preference dictates that a super excited, extroverted, supportive type...doesn’t suite me. Don’t get me wrong. He’s very sweet and cute and I can see why a lot of fangirls were into him. It’s just the over-exuberant extrovertedness that gets to me. Also I was really surprised that this game made the ZORAS racist, out of all of them. I mean like, fucking damn... I know your princess died but fuck! Finally, last note, I...really didn’t care for their designs. I know the Zoras have been through a hell of a lot of redesigns over the years and they’ve certainly improved, but I think Ocarina of Time’s era was just enough of Fish and Human to make it a good hybrid? Rather than making...a shark..humanoid...with another shark...on his head?? And somehow related to a whale??? With a...manta ray...for an advisor.. I mean, I get it, he was suppose to look old, but it’s literally just a stingray on his head.

I liked Hetsu too, though collecting korok seeds is kinda annoying. I hate it when games make you have to gather more for just one thing, it’s just..not a fun mechanic to have? And the koroks themselves are still cute, though it’s taken me a while to accept that they replaced my beloved Kokiri and Dekus. (I only had OoT/MM growing up, so when I finally played Wind Waker as an adult, yeah I was pretty upset about the change in the species.) I still wish they had a bigger role to play in all of this.

Lastly, Ganon had a pretty great design, though it was a little weird he was like...semi-solid for this game. Like.. What? What was with all the...”malice”? (Which is an actual word, guys. You could’ve called it something besides that...) I really liked how he merged himself with the technology and it was interesting that he was controlling the guardians, but honestly when she said “Given up incarnation” I was a little disappointed he still went by Ganon cause you know... His original form wasn’t called Ganon. It was called Demise. Also for having a giant smoke-pig with a huge gaping mouth hovering around the castle, it would’ve been a little more interesting for him to...still retain that when you walked in? But design aside, fighting Ganon wasn’t actually all that hard after you freed the Divine Beasts and it’s...a little disappointing. I mean, I’m running around, fighting lynels and dragons and guardians and really, I had more trouble with THOSE than I did with HIM. And that’s REALLY disappointing when Ganon is the long-standing Ultimate Bad Guy (tm) and I was REALLY looking forward to feeling more accomplished beating him than I did when I beat a silver-maned lynel.

Finally some last complaints:

I wish the Sheikahs didn’t have their hands in everything. Who said that THEY should determine who Goddess Hylia’s chosen hero should be? Why were THEY the advanced race when you have one that harvests iron on a regular basis? And I hate that they don’t have any actual temples cause one of the things I liked about the whole thing is that there was a running religion and the Sages and Temples actually had some significance? Even though it’s pointless, I like history and archeological search in a game, even if I’m the only one doing it for my own amusement, cause it just helps me to connect more to the world that I’m playing in but I don’t get that when I walk into a weird-ass abyssal room with small puzzles or fights.

Also there are seriously WAY too many fucking shrines. None of them make any sort of callback to old games. The spirit orb system is confusing cause if that’s a callback to Skyward Sword, then at least say it was by Link’s own doing and not these dead monks that have been preserved in suspended animation for 100 years. Why didn’t Link do the shrines to start with 100 years ago? Also I HATE that you have to collect 4 spirit orbs for hearts or stamina. I mean, we all know stamina sucks, but this just making it REALLY obvious? And seriously it was so fucking easy to die early on into the game, especially if you ran out of stamina or were still fumbling with the new controls.

Why didn’t he ask more questions in this game? If you have voice acting, why didn’t you actually give Link any dialogue? I think that would’ve made a stronger impact for Zelda to get her powers or something.

Seriously the three dragons bug the shit out of me. I know they were supposed to represent the goddesses and it was really cool to first come across them and shit but 1) it’s really hard to keep up with any of them. 2) they don’t really add anything to the plot. 3) was Zelda supposed to pray to a dragon?? 4) Did the dragons from Skyward Sword just like...de-evolve? (devolve?) Cause they spoke and wore clothes??? Why didn’t these??? 5) (and this goes to Skyward Sword too) why is the one who represents the fucking forests, you know, FARORE, have lightning powers? I think Pokemon already took the cake with mythical creatures representing Fire, Ice, and Lightning. This would’ve been better with Fire, Water, and Grass, y’know?

I fucking cringe looking at the map cause it feels like so much it just out of place... Like, how do you move a whole Forest from the south to the north? Why is the volcano moved like, way far to the back? The WHOLE Lake Hylia was moved like, so far from the original spot. Really the only things that stayed in place was Hyrule Castle and Gerudo Desert.

Also don’t give us giant skeletons and then NOT ACTUALLY EXPLAIN WHAT THEY REALLY ARE. Leviathan is not just a blanket term for Giant-Ass-Monster. Was that the Dodongo King at the volcano? The Sky Dragon from Skyward Sword?? What the fuck froze to death? Why was that and the one in the desert more similar the one at the fucking volcano??

Seriously your mini bosses shouldn’t be harder than the Ultimate Bad Guy. The blights were harder and I especially had trouble with the lynels and guardians. And seriously WHY was there a fucking guardian on the fucking Plateau?? I was fucking terrified of these killer robots and it’s seriously unfair that I barely ever get any proper armor or shields to deal with them! Also seriously, why did there have to be a whole graveyard of them right underneath a stupidly challenging maze??

Also I don’t mind teleporting everywhere in a game, but when there’s literally secrets over every last inch of this game (from shrines to korok seeds to weapons, food, and needed pictures) it gets REALLY boring to travel on foot. Especially when climbing mountains in freezing conditions. I mean, I love that it’s so open-world and I love that we get to go exploring whatever we want, but there are a few problems with that. The other being that it’s hard to follow the plot of a game when you hardly have any reason to go do it or to follow any intended order. I did Rivali last, not because I wanted to, but because I didn’t bother to explore that side of the map until it was all that was left. I WISHED SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING EARLIER IN THE GAME CAUSE THE GALE WOULD’VE HELPED TREMENDOUSLY.

Finally I swear someone on the staff has a giant fetish, and not that there’s a problem with that? But can we have ONE game where the Great Fairies aren’t horrifying to look at?? Like, if some people like it, fine, I guess? But gosh damn these bitches just look so GAUDY. There’s too much glittering, there’s too much...just too much everything. Also you should be able to up all your armor, not just a few things? It would’ve been awesome to walk around as Shadow Link and have it upped to be at least decently protective.

Okay.. I think I’m done complaining. Now I’ll stop my own bitching and actually give the game its proper praise.

The game does have some amazingly gorgeous graphics and it blows me away every fucking time. When it does want to intimidate you, it does so very well. And so many things were designed so well. Despite earlier complaints, I love how the dragons were designed to vary from one to another. I love how all the baddies were designed. I love the large array of wardrobe that you get for Link and it’s so much fun to change his looks and dye them different colors. (though, again, you should be able to dye the Champions tunic to GREEN.)

Some of the characters were fun and had some great personalities. I liked the bits of lore this game generated. I also loved whatever small callbacks it did make (like mentioning Naboru, and Makar’s island). I liked that you could catch and ride so many things and it’s fun that there’s a motorcycle (I haven’t unlocked that yet, but I’m sure it’ll be fun ^^). It was fun exploring different worlds within this game and just really see some of these beloved races expand and grow and see how the world is affected by such an apocalypse.

I like hunting for your food and surviving that way rather than random hearts coming out of the grass. The whole sense of survival is pretty awesome and thrilling. It’s fun to discover things in this world and it’s fun to just go around, explore, and make up your own adventure. (I just wish there was a bit more guiding for the story...)

Some of the reactions in this game are so much fun. Like walking up to people naked, or riding the Lord of the Mountain to any stable. Actually that entire story about the Lord of the Mountain is really sweet and heartwarming. But the actually dialogue that’s written into this game is really fun and pretty spot-on.

I really liked the side mission of buying your own(old?) house and creating an entire village from the ground up. It was such a sweet side-story to the whole thing and was a lot of fun to to. The other side mission of helping the korok through the woods was super cute. ^^ It was little moments like these that really did make me enjoy the game. And I did like being able to stumble into Zelda’s room or study and read about her life in the past, seeing her figure out Link and such.

And the challenges of conquering the Divine Beast was actually fun, but again, would’ve liked a bit more direction. Actually getting through this game was kinda fun, but it was easy for the magic to get sapped out of everything with stupid shit.

Overall, I wouldn’t say this was the worst Zelda game. Heaven know Skyward Sword did much worse. It could’ve been better though and that’s what really makes me sad. I was really looking forward to playing something new and amazing, especially having just finished Wind Waker for the first time before it and was honestly, disappointed after the magic of the new features wore off. It wasn’t the best. But it wasn’t the worst. It just really needed some work on in a few areas. Over all I would rate it 7/10.

#Zelda #Legend of Zelda #Breath of the Wild #Link #Zoras #Gorons #Rito #Gerudo #Sidon #Mipha #Urbosa #Rivali #Daruk #Ganon #Triforce #Din #Farore #Nayru #Hylia

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djgamek1ng · 5 years

Text

FFXIV Tank Ramble

Welp, I’m feeling a bit tired and I’m thinking about all of FFXIV’s tanks so I’ll just type some stuff on here for a bit. TL;DR: scared for the tanking balance. Main tank/off tank balance scares the crap out of me. Gunbreaker is looking really damn cool. Might switch to either it or DRK for my main job if they feel good in ShB

Let’s start with tanking balance. The balance for the tanks has always been rocky. Apparently in 2.0, double PLD was the preferred “meta” comp because of WAR being weird and pretty bad. Then in 2.1 they fixed WAR. Then double WAR become the comp with PLD being left in the dust. Then 3.x came around with DRK being added. Simply put: WAR went Super Saiyan, DRK was good because of mostly magic damage fights and PLD was... bad. Having Royal Authority combo off Savage Blade made it impossible for PLD to be the off tank and it didn’t bring enough to the table to be the main tank. With the end Heavensward (3.x), came Stormblood (4.x) and ooooooooh boy. WAR was kind of messed up, PLD went Super Saiyan and poor DRK. Of all the tanks, DRK definitely had it the roughest. This lasted until 4.2 where WAR got fixed and therefore became the best tank (mostly best main tank). DRK got fixed with 4.3 in which got the role of either main or off tank depending on your co-tank (with a WAR in the party, DRK would 100% be the off tank. With a PLD, DRK would 100% be the main tank). Also PLD got nerfed a bit because it was doing too much damage... party poopers.

So as we can see from that the tanking balance hasn’t always been the greatest and 5.0 makes me worried. Gunbreaker being a thing, which btw until we get official the short version revealed, Gunbreaker is GBR on here, is one thing. Nomura’s statement after EU Fan Festa about them considering the whole 2 main tanks and 2 off tanks thing makes me more worried. Apparently there is supposed to be a job adjustment patch before Shadowbringers about which my guess, if that it is true, is to give us at least a month or 2 to prepare before Shadowbringers with certain properties on skills or maybe even entirely new skills given.

Anyway, back on topic. Why? Why does it make me worried? Because this can potentially be HW PLD all over again, but then for 2 tanks. It also makes me worried because what the HFIL determines a main tank and what the HFIL determines an off tank? Currently the “main” tank is the one that can generate the most aggro very quickly and off tanks are essentially your 5th DPS that isn’t as good as a DPS, but they are disgustingly tanky and bring utility to the party, though tank swaps are a thing that exist. If they want to keep tank swaps as a thing, main tanks can’t be too bad at doing whatever the off tank needs to do and same goes for the vice versa scenario. Plus how will you explain in-game or through official means (like the job guide) what a main tank and off tank actually means? So my question again is why? Like, I get needing some base to actually balance them off from but I feel like main tank/off tank will only cause more pain then anything. I felt like balancing them on utility vs damage (more utility = less damage, more damage = less utility) is the better way to go about it. Well, not like this will matter in 3ish months when we actually get the 5.0 patch.

Also speaking about GBR... holy hell man. I’m hyped. While I will forever love the classic sword and board (even though I don’t really like many of the sword and boards in FFXIV, I’m sorry ;-;) in PLD, GBR and DRK depending on how they turn out could make me switch mains to be honest. DRK already tempts me a lot because of its lore actually existing (PLD’s really is shallow outside of “here, these are techniques I can teach you. Also this is what the Sultansworn do. You are a Free Paladin however. What do those do? Protect people and land. Neat huh?”) and because the gameplay is a lot of fun. I’m not fully committed to switching from PLD yet though, since I love PLD. I just hope the story for PLD is good this time around. Hell, make it a plot dump about how Free Paladins get their powers and why we should care about Ul’dah to begin with. I know, that is where we start but seriously... the whole point of the Free Paladins is that they AREN’T restricted by a master (in this case, the Sultana of Ul’dah), so why do we care about Ul’dah so much at this point? Why wouldn’t we move to Gridania and help people there? Or Limsa Lominsa? Ishgard? Ala Mhigo? Doma?

Anyway, rant aside, GBR is looking great from the 30 or so seconds of gameplay that we got. I'm hoping its lore is good and that it will play well. Honestly, ideally for me it would find a middle ground between SB PLD and SB DRK. If it does, I will probably main it, though that goes for any of the tanks tbh. Whether it is PLD, WAR, DRK or GBR, if it finds a sort of middle ground between SB PLD and SB DRK, I will main it. GBR is just the most likely since out of all of the tanks it isn't quite as expected to be covered in heavy plate armor from head to toe and I like that (especially in FFXIV where I honestly think most heavy armor doesn't look thay good).

Anyway, tank ramble over. I'm gonna go sleep. Bye!

#ffxiv #ffxiv tanking #ffxiv tank ramble

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scapegoated · 6 years

Text

One Month [Chapter 2]

Chapter 1 HERE

-- Sleep In

Kaid’s eyes opened, with a sense of disorientation. He was lying in a bed… a very comfortable bed… and not on the hard ground in a somewhat cramped Tiny Hut. Three adventurers and a God do take up a fair bit of space.

However, this bed was only occupied by himself at the moment… he sat up with a start. What time is it…? A warm glow was coming in the window, so he assumed it was the Underdark equivalent of daytime. It was easy to lose track down here, but less so in the Crystal City with its multi-coloured, faceted and glowing structure. It was bright enough now that Oz had probably left to perform his clerical duties.

Gazing about the room he took in the simple but sturdy furniture, topped with various crafts and knickknacks. It spoke of a comfortable life spent mostly in one place. Even as a child Kaid and his parents were always on the move. As travelling merchants their life wasn’t unstable, but it also was less than stationary. That being said, they caravan was cozy, and his father especially loved collecting souvenirs—much to his more practical mother’s chagrin. Something about the room stirred a feeling of nostalgia in Kaid.

Hopping out of bed, he Levitated the bedcovers with a flick of the hand, easily tidying up, yet with a seeping thought in the back of his mind—did using his powers make the psychic beacon coming from him stronger?

Ah… where’s my stuff… he wondered, then realizing that he’d left his pack behind in his rush to escape that meeting the night before.

Shit… he pulled on the rest of his clothes, recalling his paper-thin excuse from yesterday. Kaid anticipated at least some teasing about that.

Heading downstairs, and upon entering the kitchen he spotted something shiny on the table, along with a note. A key…? Written on the paper was a short message,

Had to leave for work, but didn’t want to wake you. Here’s a key to the place. You can add it to your collection. See you later!

With a smile creeping onto his face Kaid untied the rope of the necklace around his neck and added the freshly made house key.

-- Dynamo, baby

Kaid’s walk back to the seat of the government was somewhat more leisurely than his dash to find Oz, but he was still in a bit of a hurry as he walked through the parks of the Sanctuary of Ermath—the temple district of the Crystal City. It was also a lot less frantic than the last time he was here. When the city was under attack by fanatical Crystal Cultists, things were understandably tenser.

Now he could see members of the predominantly Dwarven population out and about with their families. Playing, socializing, having picnics. It was, to put it simply, nice. He put a little more hustle in his step.

Back at the Seat of the Triumvirate, Hans and Charlie were already talking with the appropriate parties to make preparations for the coming plans when Kaid slunk into the chamber. Of course the hinges on the door creaked as he opened it, earning him an assortment of pointed and couple of perceptive looks before, mercifully, everyone returned to their discussions. Cringing, Kaid approached, trying to get a feel of the conversation before jumping in.

“Charlie, what’s the scoop?” he whispered to the Dhampir ranger.

“We just got Andre to hook us up with some more Dynamo Stones for when we leave. Plus,” he held out his hand, revealing two more detonator rings, “Now we can all set them off.”

“Damn, nice!” Kaid replied, taking one of the rings. “I’m pretty sure we can fit everything in the Handy Haversack…” he trailed off. “We took that with us to our room last night, don’t even worry about it. How was the library situation? Didn’t know it was open so late.” Charlie grinned, his one crystal fang shining as he gave Kaid a nudge in the arm.

“Uhh, yeah, learning never stops, I always say.” Kaid fumbled for a witty reply.

Hans was standing tall, arms folded across his chest, talking to Gordon, the head of the city guard and now one of the three Triumvirate members. “Aye, looking into these attacks on yonder Mushroom Folk is a wise idea, lad.” Gordon and Hans had had quite the buddy cop dynamic, and it seems they were slipping back into it with ease. “It may take, ach, two maybe three weeks ta comb that area, with the information ye provided. Will ye wait for the expedition ta come back or will ye lads be heading out?”

Kaid looked back and forth between Charlie and Hans, he knew they’d chomping at the bit to get on the road but… Please please let’s stay. For a little while. He had closed his eyes, and opening them again Kaid wasn’t entirely sure if he’d sent that out telepathically or not, from the way his teammates glanced back.

“It would be ideal to have that information before we resurface,” Hans declared, turning back to Gordon. The stout Dwarf reached up to clap the much taller half-elf Rogue on the back. Kaid’s heart did a flip flop with relief, and excitement, Two or three weeks!

“T’will be advantageous to have ye around again, von Panzer! The lads of the guard could do with a little training, can’t have us gettin’ lax just ‘cause you dealt with the previous threat. Best be on our toes.”

“Training, huh? I feel like I’m just about to break through to my next level of potential,” Hans von Panzer had a familiar glint in his eye, “Let’s get to it.” That red cape billowed impressively as he and Gordon strolled off, the Dwarf struggling just a little to match his stride.

-- Armor for Charlie

“Here’s your stuff, Kaid,” Charlie easily lifted the enchanted bag, handing it to the tiefling, “Don’t worry, we didn’t peek.” Kaid had to laugh at that, since it was mostly shared items; the Dynamo Stones, some gems they’d picked up, some chunks of mithril ore, their dwindling rations, various books. “That’s fine, I think you know most of my inventory already.”

“Speaking of, did you get some new bling?” Charlie nodded towards the freshly acquired key around his neck.

Shit. “Uh, yeah…” he wondered if there was any point in keeping up this pretence, after all he was only being evasive because he was shy.

“So, was thinking of going to the archery range, but I should totally look into getting that mithril armor made while we’re here. Been in touch with your Forge Cleric…” he coughed, “boyfriend?”

Kaid covered his face for a minute. Scratch that. There was absolutely no point in keeping up the pretence, “Yeah, I was there last night… I don’t think Oz makes armor, but he would definitely know someone who does. Can I get back to you with a recommendation?”

Charlie beamed—though it’s hard to picture a Dhampir beaming, Charlie is an expert—clapping Kaid on the shoulder, “Yeah, buddy! I’m gonna hit the archery range, then. Can’t let these arms get rusty!” he made his signature pose before walking off with a wave over his shoulder at Kaid.

-- The Library, actually

The Warlock didn’t have any books to return, but he did truly need to go to the Library. That at least had only been partially a lie. There were two pressing issues. First of all, they were slated to return from the Underdark to the topside of Cymmeria, which they’d left because it was infested with vampires. Thus, they needed as much information on the creatures as possible.

Secondly, there was the lingering prophecy that had been following him around—literally—most likely connected to the shadowy figures, and certainly connected to the Mind Flayers.

MADNESS WILL FOLLOW YOU WHEREVER YOU GO

YOUR SALVATION LIES IN THE UNBREAKABLE SPIRE

A comforting thought. Earlier communication with Kaid’s mentor, the Mage named Malfier, had revealed some details. Mainly that this “Unbreakable Spire”—possibly named The Temple of Cryx—was in the Underdark, but it was beyond The Abyss. Also a Shadow Dragon was taking up residence there. Oh, not to mention, The Abyss is Mind Flayer City. Of course.

With these two issues in his periphery, he found himself at the city’s Library. An impressive structure, found in The Arcanum, hub of magical research and arcane experimentation. There was also a library in The Temple district, but he figured with the sought after topics, The Arcanum was his best bet.

Kaid walked up to the front desk and leaned on the counter, whispering “Do I need to fill out a form to get a library card?”

An older Dwarven woman, red hair streaked with grey, peered up at him through thick glasses, “My, don’t ye look familiar? Aren’t ye one of the heroes in that statue in the park?”

Not really used to such notoriety, Kaid was a little startled but mostly pleased, “Uh, yeah! That’s me, Kaid Valvenom.”

“Right’ye are! Mr. Valvenom. Well don’t you be frettin’ about the library card, I don’t s’ppose yer settling down here? I’ve known a few adventurers in my time. Not much for settlin’ down.” She gets a misty look in her eye, and before Kaid can answer she starts up, “Well, look at me, talkin’ yer ear off. If ye need any help just give me a holler, Miss Yergi to ya. Jus’ don’t make me track ye down for late fees.”

“Just Kaid is fine—actually I have two topics I’m interested in, if you could help me out…”

It didn’t take Miss Yergi too long to locate some heavy tomes, most of which she carried to a little reading nook, carved out of the crystal. It had a small light, and some cushions. Kaid figured he would make a dent in some reading here, save himself some effort in carrying them back to... Oz’s. Lifting wasn’t his forte, and using Telekenesis was kind of overkill. Sinking into the cushions he tucked into the first book, “The Vampire, In Lore and Legend”.

Losing track of the time, Kaid’s notebook became filled with information about the various weaknesses and strengths of their foes above. Radiant damage, stakes, resting places, Holy water… The Temple of Cryx proved to be more elusive, but there was one text that seemed like it had relevant information, so that’s the one he packed up for further reading when Miss Yergi gently informed him that the library was closing for the night.

Not a 24 hour establishment after all; noted.

It was at that point that Kaid realized he had no idea what time it was, as well as no idea when Oz actually finished up with his Cleric work for the day. Better get a move on.

“I’ll bring this back soon!” he mentioned to the kindly librarian in a hushed tone, before heading off into the softly glowing city.

TO BE CONTINUED...

#dnd #Dungeons and Dragons #short story #tiefling #queer #romance #queer romance

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wrenwritesometimes · 7 years

Text

Stitches

A/N: This was just a... a spark of an idea; not a challenge entry for once! Thanks once again and always to @imnoaingeal for reading through it!! ♥️

I love Dad!Dean, and I've written now two things of him being a dad... so! Give me feedback if you want another one!

Warnings: Fluff, cussing, mentions of stitches. Obviously! 😆

(Couldn't find a gif of Dean with a black eye other than the demon eyes, so I gave the fuck up... 😂)

Up, down… left, right.

Up down… left right…

Slowing down… Wake up.

Up, down; left, right.

You felt your eyes droop again, but you tried your best to keep them open as you ran your (now) numb fingertips over your little girl’s back.

She had fallen asleep hours ago, and half of your torso was numb and tingly from lack of movement, and don't get me started on your left arm - but you didn't have the heart to wake her up before her daddy got back.

You had collected her thick hair (a trait from the Grecian God Dean himself) into a little ponytail, and it was soft enough to bring your consciousness back.

You ran your fingers lightly over her hair and tucked your nose gently against her neck; inhaling.

She never let you do that when she was awake anymore; only her dad. She said it tickled more when you did it, even though Dean had about 150% more scruff than you did, you were certain...

Shaking your head, you closed your eyes, smiling into her neck. She was crazy.

You hesitantly maneuvered your legs out from under you and grunted lightly as your knees popped. Mary Ellen was a heavy sleeper… she didn't react as you readjusted her position against your chest.

In the distance of the bunker, you heard a sound. Your eyes drew from your lap and you looked in the direction of the garage.

Smiling, you subconsciously patted Ellen’s back.

“Daddy’s home,” you murmur, and immediately Ellen was roused and blearily blinking up at you.

She was limp upon you, her arms still hanging down loosely against your abdomen. She turned her head and buried her forehead in your neck, mumbling nonsense.

“Hm?”

“How-mhow’s mmmheeere…”

Your eyebrows furrowed and you stifled a laugh.

“Baby, you're still asleep… you're speaking in Dreamese.”

Ellen had a tendency to not form coherent sentences immediately after she woke up. It was understandable; your mother said you were the same.

It felt better to call the gibberish something else, than make her feel bad for being disoriented.

“Mmmm…” Ellen hummed, the vibration tickling. “How's he get here?”

You started tickling her back. “How he always does, baby; Baby.” Ellen giggled softly.

“I want daddy,” she whined softly.

“I know you do. The second he and Unca Sam get in, he'll take ya to bed, okay kiddo?”

She nodded against your clavicle.

You heard a closer sound and let out a relieved breath when you saw Sam enter and place a box casually upon the Library’s table. “Hey, Y/N,” he called out softly, eyeing you and his niece with a soft smile.

“Heya, Sammy,” you called back. “Where’s Deano?”

Sam gave you a look, but replied, nodding off towards one of the bathrooms. “Comin’.”

Your face felt heavy and you had to resist getting up. You wanted to give Ellen to Sammy and go help Dean clean up…

The moment you decided to do that, you felt a body join you on the couch, melting into your side, sighing blissfully.

“Daddy!?” You exclaimed softly, in a tone suited for Ellen to wake up excited for. Ellen’s head shot up from your neck, narrowly missing your chin. “Daaaddy!” she cooed, reaching for him.

He raised his head and gathered his daughter to rest under his chin. “Aww, heey there, half-pint…” his eyes met yours.

Your brow furrowed and your lips pulled back in a worrying grimace. His eye was nearly swollen shut and black and blue.

Dean shook his head subtly and beckoned you to enter his embrace. Leaving a deft kiss upon the area below his eye, you curled into his side and rested your head against the other side of his neck, inhaling deeply.

Dean’s arm was curled from your neck to your shoulder and he held you in a firm embrace, his eyes closing as he held his girls.

“Hey, Y/N,” Sam called softly. “Is your sister here?”

You nodded, but opened your heavy eyes when you realized he couldn't see you. “Yeah, she's in your room, Sammy.”

You could sense the beam from Sam as he went off to have his own, albeit more private, “moment”.

Dean chortled quickly. “He's gonna bang your sister…”

You thumped his chest, giggling. “Shut the eff up, Dean.”

Suddenly, both Ellen and Dean’s heads were perked up. For different reasons, however. In unison, they scolded, “Heeey!” “Language, honey!” Dean harped on, grinning like an idiot, despite his swollen eye. “Tha's bad werd!” Mary Ellen shouted above her father, her expression offended; beside herself her mother cussed. “Damn right,” Dean nodded approvingly, beaming at you like a kid getting his sibling in trouble. “It's a ‘bad werd’!”

Guffawing, you threw your free hand up in surrender. “Fine, fine! I'm sorry!”

Ellen yawned and looked at her dad, grabbing his jaw in her small hands. She gasped, inspecting her dad’s eye. “Daaaaddy!” she shouted.

Dean shushed her.

“Daaddy…” she said again, madder but quieter. “Wha’d happen’d?”

Dean looked to you, smirking slightly. He looked back to Ellie. “Well, sweetheart, I was helpin’ a nice lady get away from a bad guy.”

“A mon’ser?”

“Mm-nm,” he shook his head, “Jus’ a normal guy.”

“A guy like you?”

“Mm-hm,” he nodded exaggeratedly, getting up to go to her bedroom. He grabbed your hand and intertwined his fingers through yours. “A real bad guy that we thought was a monster.”

“You and Unca Sam?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Wha’d happen?”

“This bad guy, he was usin’ ladies for bad things… we thought he was a monster, but he turned out not to be.”

“You said that.”

“Goddamn it…” he mumbled. After a split moment of looking truly frustrated and distressed, he looked up and back to you dramatically. “It's becoming self aware, Y/N!”

“Oh no!” You responded just as dramatically, catching on. “We’re gonna hafta put it down!!”

Mary Ellen started giggling and thumping her legs against her dad’s stomach, leaning her torso away from his body.

“Woh there!” He had a good enough grip on her hips, but his hand left yours to stabilize her before he dropped her. “Careful, baby girl!”

“You wud’n’t drop me,” she retorted, stubbornly leaning away still.

Dean reached her door.

“Never would I ever,” he said with a resolute nod. “Scout’s honor.” He crossed his heart and held up his right hand. Ellie high-fived it and beamed.

“Let's get you to sleep, Starship.”

“You did not nickname our spawn after those creepy freaks, Dean…” you mumbled to yourself, grinning.

“It's special to me!” he defended laughingly, having heard you.

“Dean…” you giggled.

“I'm not conceding,” he shot back, grinning.

You stared at him for a long moment, a serene smile creeping up onto your face and you closed your eyes as you laughed at him.

“I love you,” you murmur.

“I know,” he responded humbly, his face solemn but happy. He leaned over, tipping on one leg to kiss you straight on the mouth.

He then turned and interacted with his little girl, getting her ready to go to sleep.

You leaned silently in the doorway, watching him undo her ponytail and run his calloused fingers through her hair… you watched him tuck her in and tuck in her stuffed animal, and get her favorite book and read her favorite part; the part that made her go to sleep instantly.

He stayed perched on her bed for a few minutes, just watching her breathe, tucking loose hair away from her face… you heard him murmur, “Mary Ellen Winchester, you are beautiful…”

He ran a hand over his face, leaning his chin against his palm for a full minute.

He put her book on her nightstand and clicked off her light, groaning as he got up.

As he walked back to you, you noticed a limp that wasn't there before.

Immediately you offered your hand. He took it as soon as he was close enough.

You closed Ellie’s door softly before Dean wrapped you in his arms.

You both stood there, just holding each other for a few minutes.

Sighing, Dean lifted his face from your shoulder slightly. “My ribs hurt and I definitely need stitches on my leg,” he mumbled into your ear.

Nodding silently, you took his hand and lead him to the closest bathroom.

You knelt at his knees and washed his wound with a peroxide-soaked rag.

His eye was opening up fine, so you only focused on the gash on his right thigh.

“So, it wasn't an incubus?” You questioned softly.

“Nope,” he grunted, taking a small swig of whiskey. “Was just some fucking pervert…” Another swig. “Just a fucking pervert who knew his lore.”

You nodded solemnly, your brow furrowed as you focused on cleaning his leg.

“How'd you get nicked?” you asked softly, and sarcastically. It was a fairly long and deep gash.

“Fucker had scythe,” he said flatly.

You snorted. “Are you shitting me?”

“He had the lore,” Dean said between sips. “Half of it wasn't that accurate.”

“So, he was just some pervert with a scythe…” you went back to dabbing the tag on his leg.

Dean was uncharacteristically silent, so you looked up. He looked miserable.

“Dean?”

He shook his head like he was snapped from a trance and his eyes bored into yours. He looked sad.

“This fucker was about to get the jump on a little girl and her mom.”

You nodded, brows furrowed.

“Sam had done some digging in his personal journals - since we found out where he lived before we found out where he was…”

You nodded distractedly as you blotted the wound. It kept bleeding.

“He was gonna try out the little girl.”

You halted all movement and stared, dumbfounded, into Dean’s eyes. He nodded at your disbelief and took a longer pull from the bottle of whiskey.

“Then I got to thinkin’...” he sniffed. “If that was my baby? That he was gonna do all that shit to? I'd fucking murder him.”

You gripped his knee, feeling dizzy.

“So I did.”

You looked up at him. For a brief moment, you just stared at him. You spread his legs gently and embraced his waist as tight as you could, your eyes tearing up. “Your baby’s lucky she has you, Dean,” you mumbled, your voice thick with emotion as you spoke into his stomach.

Dean sighed heavily, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder blades. “Not really…”

You took the whiskey from him. He always got self-doubty when he was drinking.

“I need that…” he said softly, staring at the bottle.

“No, you need to stop,” you shot back softer, going back to prepping his leg. “You need to stop talking like that, especially after seeing first hand how much your little girl needs and loves you.” You were ranting, your eyes not lifting to Dean’s as you readied the stitching supplies.

You disinfected the needle.

“You are an amazing father to her, and every time you say you aren't, you're only hurting yourself.”

You carefully began working on the layer of tissue below his skin. It was a deep cut.

“She never shuts up about you, and it's because you're her superhero, Dean.”

Eight… nine… ten…

“It literally never ceases to amaze me how, despite how much love you receive from one goddamn peanut of a human, you still think that she doesn't need you.”

Twenty-one… twenty-two… twenty-three…

“Y/N--”

“She loves you...”

Thirty-five… thirty-six… thirty-seven…

“I love you…”

Forty-eight… forty-nine… fifty…

“You need to stop with that whole ‘she deserves better’ trope, Dean,” you looked up into his eyes, seeing them glisten. You softened. “Or I'll shoot you myself.”

Dean gently grabbed your hand, halting your actions.

“Look…” he began softly. “I know I don't ever really… say it back, but--”

You interrupted him with a soft kiss.

“I know.”

“But I--”

You interrupted him again with another kiss; a longer one.

“You don't need to say it, I know.”

He kissed you. “But I feel like I shou--”

You kissed him, holding his jaw with your one clean and free hand. “Just keep coming back home to me. That’s how I do - and always will - know.”

Dean’s gaze was heavy and humble, his face serious and glowing at the same time. You smiled softly and sneaked a kiss to the tip of his nose. “I love you,” you murmur. “I know,” he whispers.

Tags:

@notnaturalanahi, (tenitively)@winchesters-favorite-girl

#Dean Winchester x Reader #Dad!Dean #Dad!Dean Winchester x Mom!Reader #SPN #SPN Family #Implied Sam x Reader's Sister #Cute #Just Cute #I needed happy ideas #found one

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jolienjoyswriting · 5 years

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The Maze of the Manor, Ch. I

Chapter 1 of "The Maze of the Manor," an Essence of Ragnarok story.

Oh… hi, Mark. I didn't see you, there. So, I actually wanted to write a completely unrelated story… but, I'm kind of scared that, after all the pre-production work I've done (character models, research, lore, etc.), it wont turn out like I want it to. So, I've been writing other things, instead. This, in particular, is a story I've been mulling over in my head. It's one of those "seems like a fun idea, but I've got other things to do" sort of ideas. But, like I said… I've got cold feet about the story I actually want to write, so I made this, instead. x:

Word count: 17,853 – Character count: 2,939 Originally written: May 29th, 2019

A pushy bat and a reluctant fox go out to see a spook-house! Zoinks!

[ ↶ Prev. Story | ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → | "IF" Chapter ↘ | Next Story ↷ ]

“This ain’ what I expected t’ find, at all…! Of all th’ things ta– un… believable!”

Joseph softly panted, his ears flicking as he looked up from his… rather compromising position. Seeing his best friend standing at the door gave him relief… until he realized why she covering her face and shaking her head. Slowly, he turned his attention back to the person that had led him to being in such a predicament… only to see sweet, red eyes and an innocent, white-furred face… albeit, with some red stains around the mouth… staring back. It was like they were looking to him for answers, as well. Unfortunately, all the fox could tell either of them was… “I– I can explain… Uhn… I think…?” The black-furred bat rolled her eyes. “Oh, this ought’a be good…” But, what, exactly, happened? And, how did get to that point…? –––––

“C’mon, Josey! It’s Masquerade Week! What better way t’ join th’ festivities than by goin’ to a real, live, spooky house…? It’ll be fun!”

That was the story Jessica sold her companion, the one-eyed, golden-furred fox by the name of Joseph, as she dragged him out of his house. Truthfully, he really didn’t feel like going out… or, really, doing much of anything. Two years prior, he’d lost his girlfriend in what could only be described as “a series of injustices.” It really messed him up in a number of ways, such as leading him to stay indoors more often and lose motivation with his freelance music compositions. Still, his friends wanted him to get out and have some fun, once-in-a-while – it was “good for him,” they said – and, for-better-or-worse, Jessica was the most adamant about it, often dragging him to one place or another… sometimes, completely against his will…

“But, I don’t want to have fun!” Joseph protested as he found himself dragged by the arm of his black turtleneck sweater. “Sure, ya do!” she immediately countered. “Everyone likes fun!” “You’re lying!” “Nuh-uh!” the girl in the turquoise sweater and hip-hugging denim jeans further countered. “What’s life without a li’l fun?” “Safe…” was Joseph’s guess. “Boooring!” was his companion’s correction. “Now, siddown, strap in, ‘n let’s gooooo!” “Doesn’t seem like you’re giving me much choice…” That observation was a little self-evident, all things considered. She had already pushed him into his car’s passenger seat, pulled the seat belt over, and fastened him in. Once she slid over the hood of Joseph’s green compact car, she hopped into the driver’s side. “This’ll be a hoot!” she told him while pulling the key from the fabric rolls of her cowl-neck sweater. “I promise!” “If you say so, Jess…” “Hey… would I lie t’ you?” Joseph grunted as she started the vehicle. “Only if it was for a good cause…” “Exactly! Now, let’s get’a goin’!” With that, she pulled out of his driveway and onto the road some meters away. Not long after, they were on their way to her so-called “spooky house.”

“Say, Jessie…” The red-head with the pink fringe hummed to her companion. Her red-and-green eyes were focused on the road, but her ears pivoted toward him, showing that he had her attention. “Where did you say this place was? We’ve been driving for a while…” “It’s way-way-waaay out ‘n th’ boonies!” was her cheerful reply. “Ever hear of a place called ‘Talwar Village?’” “You’re… you’re talking me to Talwar Village?” Joseph scowled. “Jessie, that’s… like… almost a day’s drive over!” “It’s a good thing we’re leavin’ now, huh?” Joseph looked at the clock on the dashboard. It read “11:20 AM.” “No– Jessie, stop the car,” he said as he whipped his head back toward the driver. “I did not agree to a road trip! Stop, turn around, go back.” “Oh, don’t be such a whiner, Josey! It’s not like ya had someplace t’ be!” “Jessica, I’m serious.” He glared at the perky bat. “Stop. The car. Now.” Jessica didn’t respond to his stern order and just kept on driving while quietly humming a song he recognized as one of his own. “Stop. The. Car.” Again, she didn’t respond. Joseph was starting to get angry… “Jessica U. Ingmann, if you don’t stop this fucking car right now, I will–” “You’ll what?” she finally snapped. “Bail? Yank th’ wheel outta my hands? Go ‘head! See what ‘appens, bitch!” The fox’s ears folding into a somewhat-hostile position and he growled, baring his teeth at Jessica. Clearly, he didn’t appreciate being encouraged to cause a car accident.

“Jessica…” he eventually called in a much calmer voice. “Please. I don’t want to go on a road trip. I’m asking nicely… turn the car around and take me home. Okay?” At that point, the bat-girl finally glanced his way. ��Gods damn it, Joe…” she said with a sigh. “Yer such a big baby sometimes…” “You all-but-kidnaped me to go on some mystery road trip with you, Jess! You won’t even tell me where, specifically, we’re going!” He sighed, as well, before calming back down. “I didn’t want to come and I don’t want to go… I just want to go back home… where I can’t upset or hurt anyone.” “Dunno if ya noticed, kiddo… but, if ya ain’t drove me off, by now… nothin’ ya say ‘r do’s gonna bug me, none.” Joseph blinked, his ears perking. Jessica was grinning at him.

“Yer gonna have t’ trus’ me on this trip, Joe. Ya know I’d never do anythin’ that’d make ya miserable! ‘cept eat all yer food, that one time. Buuut, heeey! I promise, this trip’ll be worth it. Jus’… ya know… be patient?” She paused, retrieving a small device from her collar, which she handed over. “Play some cell phone games ‘f yer bored? Ya dun have t’ talk ta me ‘n it’s okay ‘f yer mad at me. Jus’… ya know… I want’cha t’ see this place. I been. It’s worth it.” “I… Of course, I trust you, Jess. It’s just…” He gave another sigh before looking down at the floor of the car. “You’re just so impulsive, sometimes… I barely even had time to get dressed, I didn’t brush my teeth or comb my fur… I’m surprised you even grabbed my phone.” “‘course, I did!” She grinned a little more. “We migh’ get lost, where we’re goin’!” “Really.” When she gave a nod, he lightly chuckled. “We’ll see, I guess…” “Tha’s th’ spirit! Ooh, speakin’ of… hope we see some’a them!” “I’ll keep an eye out. And, Jessie?” Her ears gave a flick. “Mm?” There was a brief pause… then, Joseph told her, “Thanks.” “Oh, dun thank me, love!” The bat-girl wiggled in her seat. “I’ve been dyin’ t’ get’cha inta this place! Watchin’ ya react t’ all th’ obvious spookums is gonna be so much fuuun…!” “Heh. If you say so…” The fox flipped open his phone and booted up a game before telling her, “Just don’t be surprised if my reaction to jump-scares is pretty dull…” “Weee shaaall seeeee, mwa ha ha ha haaah!” Her “spooky voice” finally got Joseph to crack a smile… which made her smile even brighter! She always enjoyed trying to cheer him up, but it really made her day when it worked!

Time moved on as the numbers on the travel meter added up. Two pit-stops and dinner at a truck stop delayed their journey ever-so-slightly, but as the sun swung from one side of the sky to the other, they knew they were drawing closer to their destination. That, and there was a road sign signaling “Talwar Village” being ten kilometers away.

“Man, when I said this place was ‘almost a day’s drive,’” Joseph commented as he noticed the sky, “I wasn’t thinking it really would be! But, yeah. It’s getting dark. I can see the stars– well, I could see the stars, I mean. All these trees kind of make it hard.” “It’s okay, Josey!” the driving bat told him. “Soon, it’ll be completely dark ‘n ya can look out th’ window at th’ beaaautiful night’s sky right above us!” “I also kind of forgot that Talwar really was out in the sticks. Uh, no pun intended.” Jessica snorted with laughter. “Suuure, it wasn’t!” “My brain’s just wired for puns, sometimes – you know that.” “Mm-hmm, jus’ like my brain’s wired fer tacos.” The fox tilted his head. “Uh… I don’t think that’s how–” “Here’s our turn!” Joseph hadn’t been full paying attention, but… “Huh? Wait. What did that big sign say? It looked important.” “Dun worry ‘bout that, Goldie! Jus’ settle in fer a long, bumpy ride!” “What do you mean, ‘a–’ guh-uh-uhh!”

Before he could finish repeating her thought, he got his answer. The road had suddenly turned rough and bumpy – and, for good reason! In the glow of the headlights, Joseph saw that… “This road isn’t paved.” “Yep! Rather, nope!” Jessica corrected herself. “Jessica…” Joseph looked at his companion with concern. “Why isn’t this road paved?” “‘cuz, it’s a primitive road!” was her overly-simple answer. “Is this a road…?” He gave a heavy grunt as the vehicle hit something that made it jump. “You sure someone didn’t just cut a swath through the woods and call it a day…?” “This is a recognized road, hun. It’s even on maps!” she assured him. “But, it just ain’ maintained by Talwar.” That made Joseph curious… “Why not?” “Well… it’s partly ‘cuz th’ owner’a this land won’t give th’ township permission… ‘e kinda jus’ wants t’ be left to ’is lonesome.” “Oh. I see.” Joseph paused… then, he hummed. “Wait. he wants to be left alone… but, he has a haunted house?” “‘Spooky house,’ Joe!” she corrected with a grin. “Okay, ‘spooky house.’ Still, it seems a little suspicious that–” “This road ain’t really s’posed t’ be driven on by modern vehicles,” Jessica suddenly interjected. “It’s s’posed t’ be driven by carriage! Adds to th’ atmosphere!” “Oh. That… actually makes a lot of sense.” Once again, he had to pause for thought. “Wait, if this isn’t supposed to be driven… why are we driving it?” There was another pause, though it was Jessica’s, instead of his. “I know th’ guy what runs th’ house,” she eventually told him. “‘e invited me over t’ see what’s what, ‘n… stuff!” “Wait, but you said…’” The fox narrowed right eye…before remembering that it was hidden under an eyepatch. He narrowed his left eye, then, before saying, “This sounds a little–” “We’re here!!” Joseph gave a blink, staring out the windshield. Situated ahead of their vehicle was a rather large, rather imposing manor that took up quite a lot of real estate within a grassy clearing within the deep woods.

Just from what he could see, the large building was roughly the width of four-or-five normal houses and it appeared to have at least three floors to it, including the ground floor… It was also painted in shades of brown, ranging from dark chocolate to cocoa with some of the trim being sand-colored. There were many windows in front and one-or-two balconies on the second floor, as well as a large porch in front with six steps leading up to a massive double-door.

“What… hang on…” Joseph squinted. “Is that… are those… Jessie?” “Yeesss?” the girl asked, grinning as she turned off the engine. “This place… doesn’t look spooky, at all.”

A closer look around revealed to Joseph that the porch was decorated with some colorful paper lanterns and, curiously, there was a swinging bench on the porch with some floral-print cushions. Some of the windows of the manor also had small plants on their shelves and several of them had elegant curtains on the inside. However, there was a distinct lack of bats… ravens… dark clouds or lightning… anything even remotely “spooky!” In fact, it just looked like a fancy mansion that didn’t even look that old, much less imposing.

“Oh, dun let th’ cheery exterior fool ya!” Jessica told him as she exited the vehicle. “It’s th’ real deal, ‘nside!” “No, seriously, Jess…” The fox frowned as he left his car and followed the excited bat up onto the porch. “This place just looks like a hidden millionaire’s house… or, something. I mean, did you see the potted plants? Look at this cute little swing! Jessie, this place is not spooky…” The bat-girl tilted her head, giving her companion a curious, almost innocent look. “In fact,” he continued, “if I didn’t know better, I’d say you just hauled me to some random location, far away from town! Are you even sure this is the right place?” “‘f this wasn’ th’ right place…” Jessica started with a smirk, “would I ‘ave th’ key?” Joseph gave a blink as the girl withdrew something from her pocket. It did, indeed, look like a metal key… one that was perfectly ordinary and seemed to match the modern lock on the right-hand door. “I dunno…?” he said as she unlocked the door. “Knowing you, you might’ve got a key from some dude you were dating, then decided to go raid his house while he was away on vacation…” “Joseph. Really.” Jessica gave a look of disbelief. “Would I do that?” “I dunno.” The fox smirked. “You tell me.” For a few moments, Jessica didn’t respond. After that, she gave a wink and a grin, wrapped one hand around the old-style door handle, put a thumb on the lever, and gave it a push. Not long after, the door opened inward, revealing the interior of the manor to them both.

Joseph had expected the inside of the mansion to look a little different from the outside… but, he hadn’t been expecting the radical difference between the styles! The outside looked like it had been maintained and updated with the times, but the inside almost looked like something from the era of magic and superstition! The foyer led straight ahead and onto another set of double-doors at the end of a colossal hallway that, to Joseph’s view, might have been even bigger than the entryway of the Tower of Masamune! The hall, itself, looked wide enough to house several vehicles side-by-side, and the number of doors on the ground floor, alone, was astounding! There must have been a good thirty doors on that floor, alone… which made him wonder how many more doors were up on the first floor, which lay at the end of a tall flight of stairs on either side of them. Aside from the doors, there were also all the hallmarks of a stereotypical “spooky mansion,” such as suits of armor beside some doors and statues of various figures he didn’t recognize resting on pedestals beside others. There were a couple of velvet-cushioned chairs, here-or-there, and many paintings of people – mostly fancy women – on the walls. Finally, hanging above them was a massive, elegant chandelier made of crystal and gold. He wasn’t sure if it was powered or had candles… but, it lit the entire room without trouble, either way.

“Gah!!” Suddenly, a resounding thoom from behind caught Joseph’s attention! When he spun around to see what it was, he noticed… Jessica was grinning from-ear-to-ear, clearly trying not to laugh. It was pretty obvious that she’d been the one to slam the door, trying to scare him.

“What the Void, Jessica?!” he half-screeched as he put a hand over his chest. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack…?” “Told’ja this place was spoooooky, kiddo!” she laughed. “That wasn’t ‘spooky!’” he protested. “That was just… just… startling!” “Jus’ gettin’ ya ready fer th’ spooks t’ come!” The fox huffed and grumbled. “You’re an ass, Jess…” “‘n, yer adorable when yer frightened!” she retorted with a grin. “Looket yer fur all stickin’ up ’n stuff! I jus’ wanna pet’cha ��n tell ya everything’s aaall okay, aww…!”

“What… ever.” Joseph sighed, shaking his head. “Anyway… what do we do, now?” “First, I wanna show ya somethin’ cool…” “Okay. Lead o– h-hey, what are you–?” “Take my hand, Joe,” she warned in an oddly serious tone. “Dun want’cha gettin’ lost.” “How could I get lost?” he asked as she led him toward the left staircase. “This place doesn’t seem like it’d be hard to navigate…” “Oh, trus’ me! I been lost ‘n ‘ere, plenty! Had’a wait fer Ro t’ come ‘n find me. Was kind’a embarrassin’.” “You had to wait for who to come find you?” Joseph asked. “Ro,” she repeated as they sped past the first couple of doors on the first floor. “Ya know! Th’ overly-dramatic batty-bat what–” Jessica came to a sudden stop – both in vocalizations and in motion. Joseph had yanked on her arm.

“I’m sorry… Did you say… ‘Ro?’ As in, ‘Count Arturo Moretti?’” Jessica’s ears fell, but she didn’t turn his way. “Uuuh…” “Count Moretti, Lord of the Moretti Clan of Vampires?” “Uuuuuhh…” “The same Vampire Lord who wants to flay me alive just because we’re friends?” “Uuuuuuuuuuhhh…” “And… this is his manor? His home?” Jessica didn’t repeat herself a third time. Instead, she just gave an audible swallow. “You brought me to the home of a guy who wants me dead? You brought me into his domain? You willingly put me into what could possibly be the most danger I have ever been in? All because you were… what? Bored?” “I… th-thought you’d think it was neat…?” the bat skittishly responded. Once she gave a nervous laugh, though, she had to turn around. Joseph had wrenched his hand free from hers. “Welp,” he said as he spun around, “this was a waste of time. I’ll be outside. In the car.” “No, wait, don’t–!” Jessica called. When the turned, though… “Shhiiieeeet…” It was too late. Joseph… had vanished.

#fiction #Essence of Ragnarok #2055 #Maze of the Manor #Joseph Lithius #Jessica Ingmann #slice of life

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cerastes · 7 years

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Everybody* Loves Baldur

We are going to take a DETOUR from Arthurian mythos and Robin “Psychopath In The” Hood stories to explore the bizarre and extravagant lands of Old Norse mythos. Now, I know I say this about lots of different mythos, but, boy oh boy, Norse mythos, wild stuff, you’ll see. Today, we’ll talk about the supposed owner of a gate a lot of people who like classic Western RPGs are familiar with: Baldur.

Now, before even getting into Old Norse mythos, you need to understand something: No one is fully sure what Old Norse mythos is. A lot of scholars are not sure what the hell some characters are supposed to even be, but at least, unlike Irish mythos, we have mostly accurate ways to pronounce their names, so at least we can refer to them by name properly while we wonder what the fuck is going on instead of being stuck at “Dfk... Dufil... Dukfil... THAT DUDE went and asked Medb something”. But the thing is, Norse mythos is mostly preserved in its general gist, since a lot of the writings dealing with the itty gritty details are often damaged so there’s lotsa personal conjecture.

BUT TODAY YOU MUSTN’T WORRY ABOUT ANY OF THAT BECAUSE BALDUR’S STORY IS ONE OF THEM WELL PRESERVED ONES, HAHA, PSYCHE, I BET I HAD YER KNICKERS IN A TWISTER. Aaalright, so, Baldur, Baldur’s the god of Light, or maybe Love, possibly Peace, no one is sure because he is never explicitly mentioned as being a “god of this thing”, but it’s mostly assumed he is the God of Light because of something I’ll mention later, and the thing with Baldur is that EVERYONE loves him. Baldur’s super hot and super nice, and he knows it, but he isn’t stuck up about it, he’s honestly the ideal person, Norse people back then would often beg for Baldur’s blessings on their newborn babies so they would be hot and cool like him. Practically everyone likes Baldur. Hell, it gets to such a point that, in another story not entirely relevant to today’s, the giantess Skadi, who is the first recorded person in history and lore to have a raging foot fetish, saw these GORGEOUS toes and immediately assumed “THOSE GOTTA BE BALDUR’S, ONLY BALDUR CAN HAVE FEET THIS GOD DAMN BEAUTIFUL, I AM GONNA SUCK THOSE TOES” and asked for marriage immediately, except, the feet weren’t Baldur’s, they were Njord’s (another god), and Skadi was like “aw fuck” and they got married because Njord happened to be a macrophile and liked his women big, but as with all marriages shotgunned into place by fetishes and a lack of contact, they ended up divorcing. BUT THAT is another story (and a good one, Skadi’s a fun lady). The point is, Baldur is so widely god damn loved that shit like this apparently happened a couple of times. You know you are a Pussy Destroyer when someone gets Schrodinger’s Married because it could possibly be you.

So Baldur was basically living the life, being nice, hot, and beloved, when one day, he starts having bad dreams. In these dreams, Baldur dies. Now, this is the part where you say “uh ok”, and this is the part where I explain “DREAMS WERE ALWAYS PROPHETIC IN NORSE MYTHOS” and now you say “oh”. So yeah, Baldur was going to die. Which made zero sense, because he is a god, and thus, biologically immortal (as in, [Shirou voice] only dies if he’s killed, won’t die of old age), so if he was going to die, it meant that someone was plotting to kill him. So Baldur goes to his daddy, Odin, and he’s crying and holding onto his blanket so Odin gets worried, as any father does, and asks “SON, DID YOU GET A BOO BOO, WHAT IS WRONG”, and Baldur explains he’s been dreaming he’s gonna die, and Frigg (his mother, Odin’s wife, the goddess also known as Frea, not to be confused with Freya) is also really sad because she’s also been dreaming that Baldur’s gonna kick the bucket, and in Norse mythos, when TWO whole people have the same dream, that’s basically something that WILL happen. Also, it makes no sense, because everybody loves Baldur, so who the fuck would want him dead? You know what else makes no sense? That Odin seems to forget his piece of shit son Loki exists. WAU.

So, shit, alright, fuck, we gotta deal with this, pronto, and Powermom is here to help. Frigg gets on her soccer mom van and drives at full speed across the Norse world and makes everything promise that they will not harm nor kill Baldur, ever. Notice I said everyTHING and not everyONE. That’s right, fellas, Frigging Frigg talked to absolutely everything in the world and made them promise to not kill Baldur, which was actually pretty easy, because everyone was like “yeah sure man we love Baldur, why would we harm him in the first place, we just want his autograph and his babies”, because if you are hot and nice, the world is yours. So now the whole world promised to not harm Baldur under any circumstance. The whole world, except the mistletoe, because the mistletoe was too young to make promises, so Frigg didn’t make it swear anything aND YOU NO DOUBT KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING. It’s like when I tell you “So SIegfried is invulnerable EXCEPT for a leaf shaped spot on his back” or “Achilles is impervious to all damage EXCEPT in his tendon”, old literature was kinda UNCOUTH AND HEAVY on the foreshadowing, as reading mythology will often tell you.

So Baldur is now literally impervious to all forms of damage, because the world promised not to harm him. So what do you do when you are undamageable? Why, you get shit thrown at you for kicks and giggles! The god damn gods, with Baldur also into it, straight developed this hobby of having B-Boy stand in the middle of the hall while everyone threw spears and arrows and axes and rockets and chairs at him just for a laugh and watch as they all missed or failed to injury him in the slightest because, hey, promises are promises. This is the part where I tell you that Humans Have Always Been Humans, even gods, because if we have the opportunity to do something incredibly stupid like lugging javelins at a dude just to see what happens if we know it won’t hurt him, you damn right know we will. So they gods are getting shitfaced and rowdy with this whole Put The Spear On Baldur game they made up, when Loki, using his Robbie Rotten powers to disguise into an old lady, approaches Fregg, who was having a laugh watching at literally everyone throw sharp shit at her invincible son.

“HEY FREGG, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS”

“Oh, you know, the world promised not to harm Baldur, see, so now we are just throwing shit at him, it’s ok”

“Everything promised not to harm him?”

“Well, yeah, everything except the mistletoe, because it’s too young to make promises, but it’ll be alright”

“YES INDEED VERY VERY ALRIGHT”

So Loki fucks off and goes to find a mistletoe, naturally. And this one isn’t for kissing, no sir, because Loki somehow sharpens the mistletoe and makes it into a mistlefoe, and fashions a god damn spear out of the mistlefoe because Fuck You He’s Loki And He Can Do That. Now, we all know a good trickster doesn’t get his own hands dirty, so he’s going around with his mistlefoe spear, looking for someone to Do The Deed, when he finds Hod (also known as Hodur), the blind twin brother of Baldur, crying in a corner.

“Sup B, why you crying”

“Well, everyone is having fun throwing miscellaneous war paraphernalia at my bro and they won’t let me in ‘cause I’m blind as a bat and they are afraid I might hit someone else”

“How Unreasonable Of Them To Not Let The Blind Dude Throw Killthings! I have just the thing for you! I will lend you my spear, so go have a swing at B-Boy”

“SU-WEET”

So Hod, armed with the Mistlefoe Spear, takes a running start and throws that sucker with a smile on his face, rolls a natural 20, and deals the Criticalest of fucking Hits on Baldur, landing the spear SQUARE on his heart. Why were they even AFRAID of this dude missing, the guy was clearly a marksman. Except, this was the mistletoe, so it pierced Baldur’s gorgeous, well oiled pectorals easily, stabbed his heart, and killed him dead. Oops.

Odin was like “??????” and was SO PISSED that he went, had mega sex with the giantess Rindr, gave birth to Vali as soon as they were done, and Vali grew into adulthood after a single day and then killed Hod. Do you ever get SO ANGRY that you go have sex with a giantess just to spawn a kid that immediately becomes a warrior JUST to kill a dude that pissed you off? Odin, you could’ve just HIT HIM yourself, what the fuck.

Well, anyways, so everyone was pretty sad because Cool Guy Had Bad Day and died. Messengers everywhere we doling out the news, women wept, men cried, it was a bad day. It was such a bad day that Hel, ruler of, uh, Hell, was like “aw shucks that kinda sucks?”, and as much as she liked the guy, Hel had a job to do as the rule of the underworld, but she decided to make an exception this one time, but only if the world earned it. Hel grabbed her megaphone and yelled “ALRIGHT KIDS, so I know you are all very sad Baldur’s dead and you want him back, so I am going to make a ONE TIME EXCEPTION, I will let him out of the underworld and revive, only, and ONLY, if everyone in the world cries and weeps for him”.

And everyone was like pffff no biggie, we love that dude, let’s CRY, so they did. Hel’s doing the checklist, like some sort of twisted Santa Klaus, checking who’s crying, and the list is almost full, but then she burrows her brow and drops the list. “Well, I guess Baldur is not coming back to life, that one girl didn’t cry” and everyone was like “WHAT WHO”

So Hel points at the giantess Thokk, whose name literally means “thanks”, ironically enough, and says “she ain’t crying, deal’s off” and she closes the Underworld, presumably to fangirl out to Baldur who lived there now. So everyone’s naturally like “THOKK WHAT THE FUCK” but then Freddy from Scooby Doo is like “Wait, there’s something fishy about this” and removes her face and, What Do You Know, It Was Loki In Disguise. He went and ruined EVERYTHING for EVERYONE again. And I don’t simply mean “he made sure someone everyone loved died and stayed dead”, I mean “Loki got Baldur killed and kickstarted the Ragnarok” because Baldur’s death robbed the world of light, hence why he’s assumed to be the God of Light.

So uh

Good job buddy.

Also, Loki literally had nothing to gain from this. Ragnarok’s also a really bad deal for him. He just... Did it. Because.

So the real message of the Story of Baldur is that one very dedicated asshole can and will ruin things for everyone and everything if left to his own devices.

#Loki Ruins Everything Part 501

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