#kotlc 2021 collab | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thisbluewind · 3 years

Text

a calming presence

here’s my fic for the kotlc 2021 collab (@kotlc2021collab)!

pairing: marellinh

trigger warnings: alden being a bitch about marella’s pyrokinesis

wordcount: 2476

notes: many thanks to my beta reader, Vin @zoyas-kefta! without her excellent edits and advice, this fic would have been a complete disaster.

----

Marella pulled the hood of her cloak up, moving swiftly but unobtrusively through Atlantis. She scanned the crowded streets for any sign of the Neverseen.

A black cloak flashed at the edge of her vision, and she whirled around. She recognized the pale skin and borderline ostentatious jewelry that matched her memory of Vespera. The Ancient elf strode with a confidence that didn’t match her frail frame, drawing stares and whispers from the other pedestrians.

At the sight of her, Marella’s fire blazed higher inside of her, the flames just begging to be unleashed on the elf who had given Biana her scars, kidnapped and tortured Sophie’s human parents, and created Nightfall. But Marella kept herself in check, promising herself that there’d be plenty of time for rage when Vespera was locked away in Nightfall or wherever the Black Swan’s prison facility was.

She trailed the black-cloaked figure for two city blocks, until an elf with messy blonde hair and sky blue eyes stepped out of the crowd to meet Vespera. Fintan. He’d escaped from his prison a few months prior, and he’d wasted no time returning to his wicked ways with the Neverseen.

She was so focused on Vespera, that she only noticed the fire when people started screaming.

The neon-yellow flames flared up around the two elves, and Marella broke into a sprint, discarding her red cape as she ran. She hurdled obstacles and shoved civilians out of the way as she sprinted full-tilt towards the flickering cylinder of Everblaze mixed with regular flame taking up the center of the square.

Without stopping, she flung herself right through the wall of fire just in time to catch Vespera handing Fintan a marble-sized crystal orb. A cache! Where did she get one?

Marella hurled a ball of fire at Vespera, then grabbed for the cache, sending Vespera’s cloak up in flames. Her hands ignited as she snatched the glass sphere from a shocked Fintan. He responded in kind with his own inferno, the heat of Everblaze meeting her own orange-red flames.

“Put out the Everblaze, Fintan!” she shouted, finding her voice. “I don’t want to have to hurt you, but I will if I have to!”

Her former teacher simply laughed derisively. “As if you could ever get close enough. I am the most powerful Pyrokinetic the Lost Cities have ever seen, and you haven’t even been training for a year.” His blue eyes danced with a mad gleam.

Despite the heat surrounding them, Marella fought back a shiver. Fintan never failed to unnerve her, even when he was cooperating with the Black Swan. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. It was true that she was relatively untrained, but the Black Swan’s wrinkly leader had said she had the strongest Pyrokinesis he’d ever seen.

Hopefully she could utilize that power now.

She opened her mind to the fire around her, the familiar, normal fire, and pushed past it, wrapping her control around the Everblaze that was rapidly turning everything around it to cinders. She pulled hard on it, and the walls surrounding them vanished, seemingly sucked into the ball of Everblaze she now held aloft in her hand.

Huh. So that’s why it’s called the fire of the sun on earth. Marella felt like she was holding the entire sun in her hand, the energy from it surging through her body. The fire wanted nothing more than to turn the city to ashes, engulf the entire world inside its destructive power. But Marella wouldn’t let it. She focused as hard as she could, and the flames slowly shrunk smaller and smaller, glowing brighter and brighter. Finally, she closed her fist over the Everblaze, extinguishing it.

Fintan looked faintly disappointed, but shook his head, raising a crystal and a bottle of starlight. He glittered away through the light of whichever unmapped star he was using. Marella spun around to see Vespera step into her own path of light and vanish.

Marella let out a breath she didn’t quite realize she’d been holding, and reached out with her mind to the remaining fires. With barely a thought, they shrunk down to nothing.

She was suddenly very aware of the staring elves that had crowded around the battle, if it could be called that.

Whispers and mutters tore through the crowd.

“The Redek girl, a Pyrokinetic-”

“Unstable, like the rest of them-”

“Did the Council know about this?”

Shoot. The Council. Marella didn’t know the exact terms of the contract that allowed her to train in Pyrokinesis, but she was pretty sure that “publicly revealing her power in a showdown with the Neverseen” wasn’t part of it.

With shaking hands, she fumbled for her home crystal, until she remembered she couldn’t light leap in Atlantis. Marella shoved the cache deep into her tunic pocket, kept her head down, and practically ran as far from the site of the confrontation as she could.

She left the city as fast as possible, leaping back home as soon as she could and rushing immediately to her room. She gasped a few deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. She felt light-headed. I can’t believe I just revealed my Pyrokinesis to all of Atlantis. Soon all of the Lost Cities will know and then any second now the Council will be knocking on my door and my mom’s going to panic and my dad’s going to have to deal with this, I have to calm down-

Unsurprisingly, the thought didn’t help her calm down at all.

Marella shut herself inside her closet and curled in on herself, trying to steady her breathing and blink back the tears prickling behind her eyelids. She wasn’t sure how long she stayed like that, but she had no intention of coming out.

Footsteps sounded through the hallway and into her room, too light to be her dad and too even to be her mom. Probably one of her friends, then. Marella held her breath as though playing hide and seek, hoping that whoever it was, they would go away soon. She soon realized that her plan wasn’t going to work as the twinge of oxygen deprivation set in.

Marella gave in, and gulped down greedy lungfuls of air. She heard an amused hum from outside of her closet.

“May I come in?” Her girlfriend’s soft voice asked. Marella nodded, then realized Linh couldn’t see her. Her cheeks reddened, and she muttered a quick “yes.”

Linh opened the door, and Marella buried her tearstained face in her arms.

“Hi,” she said, her voice muffled.

“Hi there,” Linh replied. “I heard about your ability reveal, and I brought ripplefluffs. I know they’re your favorite.”

“What did I do to deserve you?” Marella sighed, uncurling her arms and legs and standing up to squeeze the other girl’s hand. Linh smiled warmly, but the look did little to calm Marella’s nerves.

“Love you too,” she said, placing an arm around Marella’s shoulder and steering her to one of the many balconies that overlooked the courtyard.

The two settled into the soft chairs on the balcony and slowly worked their way through the large basket of ripplefluffs.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Linh asked, after about a half-hour spent in silence. Marella hesitated, then shook her head. “Do you want a distraction?” A nod this time. “Okay… Keefe and Sophie came over this morning, before the news went out, and they tried to bake desserts for Tam and Biana. It went about as well as you’d expect.” Marella giggled. “I swear, the kitchen was a disaster by the time I finally had enough and kicked them both out. I ended up having to walk them through the steps to make custard bursts, and only because they insisted on making the food themselves. You know how Keefe and Tam have their date tonight? Well, Biana dragged Tam out shopping to give him a makeover, and Sophie insisted on Keefe bringing baked goods. I think it’s revenge for how much unasked-for advice Tam and Keefe gave Sophie and Biana on their first date.”

Marella laughed. “Honestly, when will those four learn? At this point, it’s become a competition to see which couple can out-wingman the other!” The doorbell rang, and Linh put a hand out to stop Marella getting up.

“Here, I’ll get it.” She returned a few minutes later with a scroll. “It’s a summons for an assembly in… Tribunal Hall.” Marella clutched the armrests of her seat, her hands growing uncomfortably warm.

“They’re holding a Tribunal for me?” she asked, trying not to panic.

“They’re actually just trying to explain everything,” Linh clarified. “They’ll probably explain their reasoning for allowing you to have your ability without being banished, and for keeping it a secret as well.”

“Oh.” Marella relaxed a little bit, though she was still nervous. “When is it?”

Linh shifted a little bit. “In three hours.” Upon seeing Marella’s reaction, she backpedaled. “Don’t worry; I’m sure everything will be fine!”

“You don’t know that,” Marella groaned, hiding her face in her hands again.

“Yes, I do. I know that I won’t let them banish you, even if it means I get banished again,” Linh promised.

Marella looked up at her with an expression that probably looked pathetically smitten. “You really mean that?”

“Of course I do,” Linh answered with a confident grin. “We’re both going to come out of this absolutely fine.” She held Marella close in a hug.

“We’re going to be fine,” Marella echoed, but it felt like less of a promise to Linh than a promise to herself.

“Absolutely right. Now, let’s go get ready.”

Marella fidgeted with her ruby-red dress in the front row of Tribunal Hall. The seats behind her were packed with elves. It seemed like the entire population of the Lost Cities had come to watch, but maybe that was just her nerves.

Sophie sent her a reassuring smile from where she sat, looking elegant in a dark red tunic with black leggings and black blazer, arm in arm with Biana.

She tried to smile back, but it probably looked more like a grimace. Linh nudged her arm.

“We’re going to be fine,” she whispered. Marella nodded, entirely unconvinced, but Linh being there calmed her more than a thousand comforting words ever could.

The buzz of chatter in the room gradually died down as the Council took their seats, flanked by a dozen goblin bodyguards.

“We are here today to discuss the ability of Marella Adene Redek,” Emery stated. “To clarify for anyone who the news has not reached yet, Miss Redek recently manifested as a Pyrokinetic, an ability that, as I’m sure you all know, is banned due to several tragic incidents involving the notoriously volatile and unstable ability. We did not exile her, and allowed her to train in the power at the urging of the Black Swan and Sophie Foster.” That was news to Marella. She supposed it made sense that Sophie would stand up for Marella’s right to train in her ability, but she was still surprised that Sophie had found the time to do it, between all the assignments and missions and cryptic notes from the Black Swan.

“We kept this secret from the public because we wanted Miss Redek and her family to have privacy, and for the sake of her mother. I assume you all know about Caprise Redek’s injury?” The crowd murmured assent.

“However, in an incident earlier today that involved several members of the Neverseen, Marella was forced to reveal her Pyrokinesis to Atlantis. I am sure that many of you have opinions about this.”

Alden Vacker stood up. “I would like to make it known that I do not approve of allowing an unstable girl with an unstable ability to train in said ability. The rules banning Pyrokinesis were made for a reason, correct?”

“The rules banning Pyrokinesis were made and signed into effect during a more desperate time, with tragedies involving Pyrokinetics happening left and right,” Councillor Bronte called out.

“That does not change the fact that Marella has been left unchecked with this ability solely because a group of rebels wanted her to be,” Alden argued. Biana glared at him from across the room. If looks could kill…

“Marella is one of the most brilliant, kind, and powerful elves in the Lost Cities,” Linh said abruptly. “There is no reason to judge her based on her ability and not her compassion and bravery. Ask anyone in Atlantis, they all saw her running straight into that fire to stop Fintan today, without a thought for her own safety.”

“Yeah,” Biana stood up. “There’s no reason to worry, Dad.”

“Thank you, Miss Linh and Lady Biana,” Councillor Emery nodded.

“Miss Redek has not had any Pyrokinesis-related incidents since she manifested. We have been observing her closely, and she is neither unstable nor unreliable,” Bronte said firmly, cementing the decision.

Marella released a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding, and Linh squeezed her hand reassuringly. They weren’t out of the woods yet, though. The gathered elves were murmuring disapprovingly, and she heard someone call out.

“Maybe she hasn’t yet! But who knows what will happen?” Marella craned her neck to look for the speaker, but she couldn’t pick them out of the crowd.

“We will not be changing our decision on allowing Marella to train in her ability,” Councillor Oralie spoke up. “This is final. Remember, we did not call you here for you to question our choices, but to give you the facts.”

“And the facts have been given,” Emery said. “You are all dismissed. Do not harass Miss Redek because of her ability, and continue to treat her the same as you did before you knew she manifested.”

Linh stood up, Marella trailing behind her, and they filed out of the building surrounded by their friends, and the rest of the crowd.

“I can’t believe they defended me,” Marella said excitedly. “I mean, I was pretty sure, but you never know.” “I’m not surprised.” Sophie smiled. “The Council can make good decisions from time to time, you know.”

“By the way, thank you for what you said back there,” Marella addressed both Linh and Biana.

“Oh, it’s no trouble. I’ve been wanting to say that to my dad for ages!” Biana grinned.

Linh said nothing, but pulled Marella into a hug. “Of course, love.” Biana and Sophie leaped away, and suddenly it was just the two of them.

“Let’s go back,” Marella said suddenly. “We can steal some of those cupcakes Keefe was making.”

“I think that after today, no one is going to deny either of us cupcakes,” Linh laughed.

She held a crystal to the last rays of the sunset, and the two of them stepped into the light.

#marellinh #marella redek #kotlc marella #kotlc linh #linh song #kotlc marellinh #kotlc 2021 collab #2021 kotlc collab #kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #kotlc fic #kotlc fanfiction #kotlc fanfic #arin writes #emotional hurt/comfort #fluff

52 notes · View notes

skimmilk11 · 3 years

Text

Art piece for the first chapter of @stardustanddaffodils’ Kam fanfic, The Smell of Petrichor!

for the @kotlc2021collab

#kotlc #kotlc 2021 collab #kotlc2021collab #kotlc fanart #keeper of the lost cities #my art #kam #kotlc kam #Keefe Sencen #kotlc keefe #kotlc keefe sencen #tam song #kotlc tam #kotlc tam song #peek my inconsistent art style #there’s like five different ways of shading

33 notes · View notes

that-glasses-dog · 3 years

Text

two idiots and a turtle chapter masterlist!

if you're reading my kam fic two idiots and a turtle, here's a masterlist of all the chapters so far!

one: in which someone is going to die

two: in which we meet lady shelena shine

three: in which studies are known and food is thrown

four: in which bathrooms are a great place to think

five: in which the sky falls (in which the thunder strikes)

six: in which it's legacy all over again

seven: in which a battle is fought within

#two idiots and a turtle #kotlc kam #kotlc 2021 collab #kam kotlc #keefe x tam

24 notes · View notes

ravs6709 · 3 years

Text

These Feelings Inside (How Deep Do They Go)

Chapter 1- Filled With Warmth

Artwork found here by @xkcd2020!

Read on ao3

Masterlist. Previous. Next.

Sophie Foster has been pining after Fitz Vacker for years. With no sign of him returning the feelings, she goes through heartbreak. A siren takes advantage of this, and tries to transfer their curse to her. However, the process goes awry. Now, Sophie must find a way to stay human, or risk losing her memories- or the memories of those she loves.

Aka a Sokeefitz au heavily inspired by Siren's Lament (the webtoon by instantmiso)

Side ships include Marellinh, QPR Dexiana, and some bonus ones!

Okay, so uh... hi! This is my contribution to the @kotlc2021collab! It's a little late for reasons, but it's now here! Thank you to @fanartofthelostcities for being my beta reader, and @xkcd2020 for being my artist! The summary for this fic is above! I'm so excited to share this with you, I've enjoyed myself writing, and I hope you enjoy reading it!

So welcome to chapter 1, aka, the really long prologue! I'm not going to say much else, but just one thing so to not be confused at first. Fitz is a trans guy, but he doesn't come out until later in the chapter.

Warnings: Mentioned death

Anyways, enjoy! Oh, and the art can be found here!

•~•~•~•~•~•

Sophie Foster pulled her grey hoodie further over her head, pulling the strings so everything could be blocked out. The sight, the sounds, everything . But it wasn't working at all. When, just when, would all these people just leave her alone?

•~•~•~•~•~•

Her first day of middle school wasn't as bad. As long as she kept herself invisible, stopped herself from standing out, her experiences from before wouldn't be repeated. She would get through the day, and then meet the new people who had decided to adopt her.

It worked. Nobody bothered paying attention to the small girl wearing dull colours. It was a relief.

She didn't even remember what happened next, only that her temporary guardian had come in, saying that her new parents had arrived. Sophie pulled the hood off of her head, but she still kept her arms in her pocket.

When she stepped out of the room, she saw the two new faces. They looked a little older than she'd imagined, somewhere in their fifties, maybe? Two figures stood there: one with amber hair and a serene smile; the other blond with a more friendly grin.

"Hello Sophie," the amber-haired one greeted. "I heard your pronouns are she and her, right?"

Sophie gave them a hesitant smile, then nodded. If they were polite enough to confirm that, then they couldn't be that bad, would it?

"I'm Edaline, she and her."

"I'm Grady," the other one added. "He and him. If you prefer, you can call us mom and dad. Or use our names, your choice." He added when she didn't say anything else.

"We'll do our best to make sure that you feel happy," Edaline promised. "But for now, small steps. You'll come with us to your new home. If you need, we'll give you space, but we'll be right here."

"Okay," Sophie murmured.

And it wasn't too bad. They were exceptionally kind, and it felt nice. Sometimes, they would look tired and distance themselves a little bit, but Sophie understood, as sometimes, she felt the same way.

With her home life improving, it made her feel better about herself. Still, no one had tried to hurt her at school, so maybe, just maybe, she could stop trying to blend in that much. Maybe she could try and make a friend?

•~•~•~•~•~•

Out of the sports that they had played in gym class, volleyball was her favourite. But even then, it was way more fun to watch than to actually play. There was one girl in her class who just seemed to have a lot of fun though. Her name was Biana, and she was talented. She was light on her feet, and her teal eyes would gleam whenever she made a good volley.

They were like opposites in just about every way. Sophie was frail and pale and blonde and bad at social interactions and physical exercises. Biana was chubby, had brown skin and brown hair, she had plenty of friends and she was actually good at more sports than volleyball. They were completely different people, in different worlds too.

So when Biana came up to her, she was surprised. Because this was Biana Vacker! What was she doing talking to Sophie?

"You're Sophie, right?" The brunette asked. Sophie blinked, because Biana remembered her name? "I'm Biana! Wanna be my partner for volleying practice?"

Sophie looked around. She didn't even realize when their gym teacher had given the order to be in pairs. She looked back at Biana in shock. Usually, Sophie was one of the people who was last to find their partner.

"Okay."

"Great!" She stepped away so they could start the exercise.

The ball went back and forth, and it was enjoyable. The ball hardly ever touched the ground. On Sophie's side, it was a little weak, but Biana didn't make any complaints about it, nor did she tease her. Occasionally, she even received praises.

"You're pretty good actually," Biana stated. "A little weak, but you have potential. Are you just scared?"

Sophie shrugged, before rushing to hit the ball again. It was sloppier than intended, but it made it to the general location it was supposed to, so it was fine.

The whistle was blown, signifying the end of the activity.

"That was fun! I'll see you around!"

Sophie only gave a nod as Biana moved to join one of the groups that would play in a game. This didn't seem too bad actually.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Just like Biana had said, Sophie would see her quite frequently. At first it was only in gym class. Biana came up to her a few more times and asked to be her partner. Then during science.

"Do you understand this part?" Biana asked as she leaned on the desk.

They were doing electricity. The sciences weren't really Sophie’s best subjects, but she was still able to understand them quite well. So Sophie nodded, and explained it the best she could. Apparently it worked, as Biana let out an "oh that makes sense", flashed her a smile and then went back to her desk.

It happened like that. The interactions weren't huge, they were small and comfortable. They were pleasant, actually. But there was just one thing.

"How come you've been talking to me so much recently?" She couldn't help but ask.

Biana froze for a moment, then continued walking. "I just felt like it, I guess. You looked like you wanted someone to talk to."

Sophie wasn't quite sure if she liked that answer. "That kinda sounds like pity."

"No! That's not what I meant! I mean, I know I'm pretty popular, but it's not like I was always like this. I get how it feels, wondering what it's like to have friends. And if I could be that person in someone's life, I think that's a good thing."

That made a little more sense, even if Sophie didn't understand it. "Don't you have your other friends?"

"It doesn't hurt to expand the friend circle, does it? I've wanted to invite you to my place for a while now, but it always seemed like you weren't quite comfortable."

Sophie hummed. "My elementary school experiences weren't exactly… pleasant."

Even thinking about it gave her the urge to pull out an eyelash. This time, she gave in to it.

"Oh. That's awful. I promise you I won't treat you so badly. My class is here, I'll see you later!"

Sophie smiled. "I'll think about it. Your offer."

"That's enough for me."

She went through the next class feeling surprisingly light. It must have been apparent because when she got home, Grady and Edaline noticed.

"I'm glad to see you smiling," Edaline told her. "Have a good day?"

She nodded. "I've made a friend."

Grady looked up from his laptop and smiled. "That's good, kiddo. What's their name?"

"Her name's Biana Vacker."

"A Vacker, huh," Grady murmured. "I knew a Vacker. I haven't heard from him in… close to fifteen years?"

"I think Juline told me that he moved out of the city around twelve years ago," Edaline told him.

"Did you know Biana's… biological father?" The words sounded weird in her mouth, but considering that Biana had once mentioned that she'd never met her father, and that her mom married another woman, it was probably the best term to use.

It was also odd hearing that Grady was familiar with someone. Not that he wasn't friendly- he was one of the more friendly people that Sophie knew. And being friendly helped when it came to working in the shop.

It felt like they were just being polite. They'd have small conversations with the customers, but that was it. They almost never left Havenfield. They were pretty distant. Sophie didn't mind it though, because sometimes, she needed a space where it would just be silent, and she could recharge.

"I don’t know if it's the same Vacker though. Does Biana have an older sister named Reina?"

Sophie thought about it for a moment. Biana was talkative, and Sophie didn't always pay attention, especially when it was more noise than she'd prefer. But she did remember an offhand comment about an older sister named Reina who had started high school. She nodded.

"Then yeah, I knew him. He wasn't the friendliest person I knew though. We worked together for a little bit."

"Oh."

"Tell me about Biana," Edaline said. "Is she a good friend?"

Sophie nodded again. "She's nice."

"That's good, it's always nice to have a friend."

Sophie noticed the solemn looks that Grady and Edaline shared, but she didn't think to question it.

"She wants to invite me to her house, but I don't know when yet. Would I be allowed to go?"

"Just text us when you ask," Edaline said. "We'll let you know if we need you here or not."

•~•~•~•~•~•

It was about a week later when Sophie decided that she's ready to go to Biana's. With each day that had passed by, she found it easier to hold a conversation. It was a nice feeling, and she wished that she'd been able to feel like this during elementary school. Maybe that was how most people felt.

She walked over to Biana's locker.

"Hi Biana," she began, her voice a little quieter than she'd like it to be.

Biana turned to her, her face brightening. "You wanna come over today?"

She nodded.

"You want me to invite some friends too? Or do you just want it to be the two of us?"

"The two of us, if that's okay."

"That's fine with me. Do your parents know?"

Sophie took out her phone and texted them- she was always more comfortable texting than calling. A minute later, she had a reply saying that she could go.

"They do now."

"Great!" she said, slamming the locker shut and then locking it. "Let me call maan first. But we could start walking home by the time."

Biana took out her phone and called Della, and there was another approval. "You wanna link arms?"

Sophie looked at Biana's arm, then back at hers. Before she could decide otherwise, she linked her arm. They continued walking until they reached a large house that seemed to glow. Not a mansion, but still large. If she saw it a year earlier, she'd feel intimidated, but Havenfield Flowers was huge too, so she was a little more used to it. There wasn't any car in the driveway, which meant that Biana's mom- Della wasn't home, and neither was her wife.

"Maan will be home soon, so will mom. Reina's probably inside, or she'll be here soon."

They went inside, and sure enough, Reina was in there. Sophie had never seen Reina before, but it was obvious that it was her. She had the same teal eyes as Biana, and the same brown hair. She was taller though, her hair shoulder length instead of waist length.

"Haven't seen you stare at me for that long," Biana whispered, jabbing her gently with an elbow. "We practically look the same."

"I wasn't staring," Sophie hissed. "That's just weird."

"I mean, I can't control when my aesthetic attraction strikes. People are pretty, I'm not gonna shame you for that."

Sophie thought about the times before. Because people were pretty. Not just boys, girls too. She found it hard to be subtle about it, and it wasn't the first time someone had noticed. Just the first time for this year. She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to directly come out yet, so instead she said something else.

"They are." Then she walked over to Reina. "You're Biana's sister, right? Hello, I'm Sophie."

Her voice was pretty calm, which was a success. It didn't even matter that she wasn't making eye contact at the moment.

"Hi Sophie," Reina greeted. "Nice to meet you."

She nodded back. She didn't know what to say next, but luckily, Biana saved her.

"Sophie, do you play video games? We can play Mario Kart."

She smiled. "I like Mario Kart."

"Be careful Biana," Reina said. "You might find someone that'll beat you."

"If you lose to her I'm making fun of you for the next month."

Sophie had a feeling that she walked into a sibling rivalry. She took one of the controllers, and they started playing. At first she had to adjust to the controls as it had been a while since she last played, so she started off losing to both of the sisters. Reina looked smug while Biana looked almost disappointed.

The next match though, Sophie started off doing okay, but she managed to stay right behind the two sisters. She smirked when she got a blue shell, and waited for the right timing. She shouted in triumph when it hit the both of them and she passed them both, before winning the race.

Both of them gaped at her.

"You- since when were you behind us?" Biana asked.

Reina looked at her smugly. "I told you to be careful."

"Shut up!"

Sophie smiled. If this was what she had in store for the future, she didn't mind it.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Living at a flower shop meant that Sophie learned a lot about flowers. Customers would come in, and ask for flowers to suit an occasion.

"An apology?" Edaline asked. "Purple hyacinth would be nice."

Then she would move and get some of the flowers and place them in a bouquet. "I wish you luck."

The customer would pay and thank her.

So when Grady went to get some dendrobium orchids, Sophie immediately realized.

The shop's closed, why would he need those?

They often symbolized respect and perfection. But there weren't any customers to sell them to. Edaline emerged from her room, wearing green, just like Grady was.

"Edaline?" Sophie asked. "What's going on?"

She felt like she had an idea, but she needed the remaining pieces to connect this puzzle.

"We're… planning to see someone," she explained, her voice sombre. "A… death anniversary. You don't have to come with us if you don't want to."

The words clicked. Dendrobium orchids were also used for mourning. The green they wore represented life. She vaguely remembered seeing a picture of a blonde-haired person, but she had never asked about it.

"I'll come with you, give me a few moments."

She went and took a shower, then changed into a green shirt and black pants. They left the shop and went into the car. It was silent.

"Can… can you tell me about them?" Sophie asked.

Grady and Edaline shared a look.

"She was our daughter. Her name was Jolie. She was a lot like you. Both kind and expressive, though she didn't have as much struggle showing it as you do."

"What happened to her?"

"She… she lost someone important to her. The pain was too much for her."

Oh . That explained so much. While they were aware that she would need space, they also did it because they needed it. If she reminded them of Jolie, then it had to have been painful.

"How… how long has it been?"

"This is the fifth year."

"Don't feel too bad about it," Grady told her. "I think I know what you're thinking. It… it is tough, but we wouldn't adopt you if we didn't want you. You're not causing us pain."

"...thank you, dad."

She looked at the car mirror to see his reaction, and she felt warmth when he smiled.

They arrived at the cemetery. It was quiet as they walked up to the grave.

Jolie Lucine Ruewen.

She was bright and always spread joy with her optimism. She was loved by many. Rest in peace.

1984-2006

She closed her eyes and listened as her parents mourned their first daughter. She never found herself to be that religious, but she sent her wishes, hoping that wherever Jolie was, she was content.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Sophie had stayed by Biana's side throughout the rest of middle school, and then went to high school, the same that Reina attended. Biana had decided to hang out with Sophie some more, and had distanced herself from some of her other friends.

"What about some of your other friends?" Sophie asked.

"I'm still keeping in touch with them, but I find that I don't feel like being around them as often. I just think it's better for my mental health, to not force myself to be around people I don't want to be around."

There was an implication that Biana actively wanted to be around her, but the thought alone was hard to process.

With that, Sophie found herself spending a lot of time with Biana and Reina. She didn't really have any other friends, but she was fine with the ones she had. Besides, she'd also recently met Dex- the nephew of Grady and Edaline.

As time passed by, she grew even closer to both Biana and Reina.

It wasn't love at first sight, like people said it was. There was the warmth, the smile, the joy. All of those things were present when she was with her friends. Biana stayed by her side and always made her feel more welcome. But there was something about Reina that ended up catching her attention.

"Sophie, you're staring again," Biana whispered.

"I'm not!" she hissed, because Reina was right there.

"I'd tell you to stare at me instead, considering we look alike, but I'm too aro for this."

Sophie blinked. "You're aro?"

Biana shrugged. "I didn't tell you?

"She's very much aromantic!" Reina chimed in from the other couch.

"That's cool!" And for some reason, she felt the need to blurt out, "I'm bi."

"I kinda figured with the whole 'people are pretty' incident," Biana said. "But thanks for telling me outright."

It was such a casual response that really made it easier for Sophie.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Sophie was able to admit that Reina did look good. But that was all there was to it. Or well, that had been it.

It happened during lunch. They usually ate somewhere that was relatively peaceful. Her earbuds had broken the other day, so she couldn't listen to music. On top of that, a crowd gathered in the hallway that they were sitting at.

She didn't know why they were there, but what she did know was that they were loud . Each sound felt like it was piercing through her ears. It was too loud, and she didn't have the music she needed to drown it out. She pulled her hoodie over her head, and put her hand over her ears. But it was still too loud.

She was pretty sure that she wasn't breathing, but she couldn't get herself to do it. There was too much, and she couldn't handle it. But then the world went quieter. There was only the soft melody of a piano.

Sophie opened her eyes to see concerned teal eyes. She always struggled to make eye contact, but in this case, she found herself drowning in those eyes. It took a moment to realize that it was Reina who'd been in front of her, and another to realize that she was wearing headphones.

Did Reina… put her headphones on me?

Reina didn't say anything, just looked at her, breathing visibly. Sophie realized that she should do the same. Each breath was easier to make, especially with the piano in the background.

"Th-thank you," she whispered.

"I'll always help you, okay? Next time, if you feel overwhelmed, just give me a signal, okay?"

All she could do was nod. Because it was that moment when she started to fall in love.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"I know I've joked about it before, but you have a crush on my sister, don't you." It wasn't a question.

Sophie turned to Biana in shock. Because she did, and was it that obvious? Also, Reina had gone to the washroom, and who knows when she'd be back. What if she accidentally found out?

"No," she lied. It was probably an awful lie, but it was a lie. "I don't."

Biana raised an eyebrow.

"I don't."

"I see."

•~•~•~•~•~•

It was a typical tradition to start walking to one of their houses, and then the other would go home. Biana had volleyball tryouts, so she wasn't able to walk with them.

"Hey Sophie, you work in a flower shop, right?" Reina asked. "Would I be allowed to join you, if I ask for permission?"

Neither of the Vacker siblings had asked to go to her house, but she knew that it wasn't because they didn't care, but because they did.

"Sure." She was a lot more familiar with Reina, she didn't find herself opposed to the idea. "Let me call my parents."

Some phone calls later, and they were on their way to Havenfield.

"Biana's going to be jealous," Reina remarked.

Sophie laughed. "Definitely."

•~•~•~•~•~•

When Reina walked around the shop to peer at the flowers, Sophie noticed.

Is she going to give them to someone?

Her suspicions were confirmed when Reina went to the counter and ordered some yellow roses.

Friendship. That's not so bad.

It wasn't, until she offered them to Sophie. She smiled, because Reina was giving her flowers, but they were purely platonic. She resisted the urge to scream. She took the flowers, because it was still sweet that Reina would buy them for her.

"I'm glad I met you," she said. "You're really great to be around."

Sophie really hoped that she wasn't blushing.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"Here," Sophie murmured, and thrusted her arms out.

She could feel her cheeks warm, which was a horrible idea, considering what she was doing.

"I felt like giving them to you… like how you gave me the roses a few days ago. They're alstroemerias."

Yellow ones, to be exact. They were another flower that meant friendship. Reina already made it clear what her feelings were.

But Reina's reaction confused her. She looked happy, but there was something off. But when Reina smiled and thanked her, she attributed it to her imagination.

•~•~•~•~•~•

"What's the gathering here for?" Biana asked.

"Okay, so," Reina looked nervous. "I'd like to announce that I'm a boy."

"Are you changing names too?" Sophie asked.

"Yeah, you can call me Fitzroy… or well, Fitz probably works better for me."

"Okay Fitz," Biana said.

"I'm glad you told us," Sophie said. "Are you gonna use he/him pronouns, or something else?"

"He/him."

•~•~•~•~•~•

When Sophie was old enough to start working at Havenfield Flowers, she gladly took the chance. To be honest, she didn't really know what she wanted to do with her life, she didn't have any big plans. She liked helping Grady and Edaline, and she wouldn't mind if she worked there for the rest of her life.

So because of that, she chose not to go to university. Biana continued with playing volleyball, while Fitz went into business, because he wasn't sure what he quite wanted to do either. Though he decided to also start working at Havenfield Flowers.

She was surprised when one day, Biana walked into the shop with Dex.

"Wait what?" Both Dex and Sophie asked, pointing to each other.

"You know each other?" Biana asked.

"Uh…"

"Dex, what a surprise!" Edaline greeted. "How's Juline doing?"

"We're cousins," Sophie explained. "Where'd you find Dex?"

"He goes to my uni."

It was all the explanation that they needed. The four of them took the chance and caught up with each other. Fitz looked a little lost, considering that he hadn't met Dex once.

It may have just been the four of them, but Sophie found herself feeling warm. She wouldn't ever want to give up the life that she had.

•~•~•~•~•~•

Translator note: Maan means mom in hindi (but anglicized)

Kotlc Taglist: @keefeinnit @impostertamsong @my-swan-song @subrosasteath

Wanna be added/removed from the taglist? Just let me know!

#sophie foster #fitz vacker #biana vacker #sokeefitz #(eventual)#kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #kotlc fanfiction #fanfiction #ravi writes a thing #these feelings inside (how deep do they go)#kotlc 2021 collab

19 notes · View notes

shellyseashell · 3 years

Text

GOLD RUSH

Chapter Three - Not As Bad

Note: @kotlc2021collab here’s the third chapter!

Masterlist

TIRED OF LINH and Marella and deciding to get some work done, Sophie had left the cafeteria after she finished her lunch. She had promptly gotten a text from Grady, saying that they needed to talk whenever she was available. Since she still had fifteen minutes until lunch ended, she decided to call him.

“What did you need to talk about?” Sophie asked once Grady had answered.

There was a silence on the other side, and for a minute Sophie thought Grady might not have heard her. But before she could repeat herself, there was a sigh and Grady said, “It’s about Iggy.”

Sophie froze. Iggy, her rabbit, had had health problems in the past, but they’d never been too serious. Still, bringing up Iggy and anything negative made her heart pound. She’d had Iggy for years, ever since she had been adopted. He’d been one of the things that had helped her adjust. Why she’d been allowed to get a rabbit and not a dog, she didn’t know. “What about Iggy?” She was almost afraid to ask.

“He’s sick again,” Grady said, confirming Sophie’s fears.

Taking a deep breath, Sophie leaned back on the shelf behind her. “How sick?”

A pause. Sophie’s heart felt like it was trying to escape her chest, and she was sure she’d get kicked out because of how loud it was pounding. The silence was too long. And then, “He’s probably not going to make it, Sophie.”

There it was. Her worst fear confirmed. Iggy was dying.

“I’m sorry I told you during school,” Grady said quietly.

“No, I’m the one who called you,” Sophie said. “Thanks — thanks for telling me. I’ll see you at home.”

She hung up. Sophie stifled a sob as she slid down the shelf and curled her knees up to her chest. The library was most definitely not the place to cry, but she didn’t have the energy to get up. Iggy was dying. Iggy was dying. It was the only thing she seemed able to think of, and she didn’t even hear the footsteps approaching her.

“Sophie?” Out of all people, it had to be her.

Wiping tears off her face, Sophie stood and leveled her glare at Biana. She was surprised to find the girl looking at her with concern. “What do you want?”

“Are you okay?” Biana ignored her question.

Sophie crossed her arms over her chest. “Like you care.”

Biana glared at her, but her expression quickly softened. “Look, you’re clearly upset about something. Better to tell someone what’s wrong, even if it's someone you hate.”

Sophie had a lot of arguments against that logic, but the fight had drained from her, and she slumped back down on the ground. “Iggy is dying.”

Biana sat down next to her. “Iggy is your rabbit, right? Fitz has told me about him.”

Sophie nodded. “I’ve had him since I was adopted. He’s had health problems in the past, but they’ve never been that bad. Now, though . . .”

Biana placed a hand on Sophie’s arm. “I’m sure your parents will do their best to help him.”

It was the only thing they could do.

Sophie let out a sob she muffled with her arm, and Biana did something unexpected. She hugged Sophie. Wrapping her arms around her and pulling her to her chest. Sophie stiffened, not expecting that sort of affection from Biana, but soon softened and started crying.

Biana let her cry. She let her cry and cry and cry some more. She wasn’t sure how long she lay there sobbing, but somehow, when her breathing was even and she could see again, Biana was still there. Though she hated Biana, there was something oddly comforting in curling up against the girl and letting her comfort her. She didn’t want to leave.

But she knew she had to, and she might as well not make this awkward.

She pulled away from Biana, ignoring how she looked disappointed. “What were you doing here anyway?”

“I was coming to do research,” Biana said with a small grin. “Guess you had the same idea, huh?”

“Yeah, until the whole ‘Iggy is probably going to die’ thing,” Sophie said, her eyes welling up again as she choked out the words. Sophie coughed and blinked away the tears. “But we should look for some books while we have time.”

Biana nodded, and so they got searching.

They didn’t talk the rest of the time, each girl absorbed in their task. As Sophie flipped through the various books, her mind wandered to both Iggy and Biana.

Iggy, because she didn’t know what she’d do without him. Of all the animals to die, it had to be him. Not that she wanted any of them to die — each death brought on a wave of grief, even if short lived. At this point, she should have been used to animals dying and not being able to do anything. It was a normal occurrence. Still, this was Iggy, and Iggy was different.

And so was Biana. Biana, her enemy, had seen her crying and hadn’t laughed. She had comforted her, and made sure she was okay. She didn’t know where the sentiment had come from. For as long as she could remember, it had always been a constant rivalry. Biana hated Sophie, and Sophie hated Biana. Neither had ever been bothered by it, and neither questioned their feud. But now, something about Biana felt different. She didn’t seem as bad. She almost seemed nice. Like they could be friends.

Sophie wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

———

THAT NIGHT, ONCE her homework was done and cross country was over and she had nothing to occupy her mind with, Biana found her thoughts wandering to Sophie. She’d never lost a pet, and the closest she’d come to losing someone was when her mother divorced Alden, and that hadn’t been awful.

Though she couldn’t sympathize with what she was going through, Biana knew Sophie holding in her feelings wouldn’t work out in the end.

She used to bottle her emotions when she lived with Alden. It often resulted in her snapping and letting her emotions out at once. Which usually meant yelling at someone and only rising the already high tension between the family. But when Alden was finally gone, she had finally let go of all her emotions, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

She hoped Sophie wouldn’t do the same.

Biana sat leaning over the counter in the kitchen of their small apartment, that they had moved to to get away from the memories of Alden. Della cleaned the kitchen in front of her, and Fitz sprawled out on the couch behind her.

The apartment was only a few rooms. The kitchen and living room combined, one half of the room holding a couch, some chairs, and a TV. The rest held the table and kitchen, a counter with bar stools spreading the two. Down one hall was the front door, and down the other were four bedrooms — Fitz’s, Biana’s, Della’s, and a guest room, which would sometimes double as Livvy’s when she was spending the night and felt Fitz and Biana wouldn’t want her sleeping with their mother.

Tonight, though, Livvy wasn’t there. It was just the three of them.

Della looked over to her. “You alright, Biana?”

“Huh?” Biana said, snapping out of her thoughts. “Oh, yeah, fine, I guess.”

Della placed the dish in her hands down and turned her full attention to her daughter. “What’s up?”

Biana sighed, and explained what had happened today. Once she had, Fitz said, “I should go check on her,” and left to his room.

Biana stared at the counter in front of her, trying to sort out the knot in her stomach. She didn’t understand why she was so worried about Sophie. Sure, she knew grieving a pet couldn’t be easy, even if they hadn’t yet died. But she had never cared about what Sophie felt before, so why should she start now?

“You seem to have a lot of thoughts about this,” Della said.

Biana nodded. “Yeah. I guess — I’m just so worried about how Sophie is handling it, and I don’t know why. We’re not friends, we don’t get along, I hate her.”

“And why’s that?”

Biana sighed, ready to give the reasons she always did, but paused when she couldn’t remember what those reasons were. Clenching her jaw, she glared at the space in front of her.

“That’s what I thought,” said Della. “You don’t actually hate her. You just feel like you do because of some rivalry or something that happened when you were younger. But you don’t hate her.”

Biana considered this. Honestly, she couldn’t remember ever really, truly hating Sophie. And she knew what hate felt like. It was the blood boiling, gut clenching feeling she got even thinking about Alden. The one that made her want to punch something and run away. The one that had torn apart her family and stopped her from having a childhood.

She had never felt like that with Sophie. It was always a slight disliking — annoying, but something she could deal with.

Maybe she didn’t hate Sophie. Maybe she was so similar to Sophie, liked her more than she should, and didn’t know how to process that, so she channeled it into hate and anger. In the past, channeling her emotions that way had not gone well.

Biana nodded slowly. “I — I don’t think I hate her.”

“I didn’t think you did. You should try talking to her, being her friend.”

Biana nodded. Maybe she should.

As if Sophie had read her mind, she got a text from her then saying, Want to come to my house after practice tomorrow to work on the project?

Biana, a smile on her face, replied, Yes.

Taglist: @salt-warrior @pai-shodown @cinderswrench @shadymcsilverbangs @cindersassasin @healing-winston-pratt @just2bubbly let me know if you want to be added or removed!

#naia writes #sophiana #sophie foster #biana vacker #gold rush #sophiana fic #kotlc 2021 collab #KOTLC #della vacker #fitz vacker

18 notes · View notes

saintashes · 3 years

Text

ache ; kam.

here’s my first oneshot for the @kotlc2021collab !! sorry for being late ajksjakjdk -- i couldn’t think of a title and homework kept me busy :( i’ll link the artwork for this later, but thank you to @starkflower-stew for working on the art for this and also @shadymcsilverbangs for being my beta. i really had fun writing this because the headcanon was very appealing, but i’d never actually written about it before, so i hope it’s good enough haha -- i don’t have a taglist at the moment, but please do let me know if you’d like to be added to an art, writing, and audio fanfic / oneshot / etc. taglist in the future. stay safe, ily, enjoy ! <3

summary: tam is keeping a secret – he's determined to not let anyone in on it, and so far, that's been working out well enough. but then, keefe happens to find out . . .

word count: 1,087

type: light angst to light fluff ( kind of )

warnings: brief mentions of unsafe binding methods at the beginning ( which i'm not condoning - please stay safe while binding and listen to your body ! ) + swears + generally a lot of dysphoria and negative self talk ( you’re all so very valid and you should know that !! ) . also, lowercase is intended. enjoy !

it's during the quiet, unsupervised moments that tam slips away to his room to take off the sports bras linh had given him. he wears two of them, layered on top of each other, and at least one size too small. when he finally removes them, his body always seems to breathe a sigh of relief; his spine gives a quiet but audible crack, and he remembers what it feels like to take a deep, unrestrained breath. he knows that there are bruises forming on his ribs. he knows that he shouldn’t be binding for as long as he does. he knows that he’s ruining his slim chances of ever getting some type of top removal, but the idea of the others finding out about him is even worse – more immediate, more painful.

tam never looks in the mirror while he takes those twenty, thirty minutes out of his day to breathe; he’s too terrified of facing the girl that would inevitably look back at him.

it’s during one of these moments of being vulnerable that he hears someone opening the door, and the first thought he has is, damn, i forgot to lock it. the second thought, which makes him feel like his heart is going to stop as realization sets in is, they’re gonna find out.

he turns his head to see keefe standing in the doorway, who was just about the last person he wanted to see. before he even has the time to snap at him, the other teen takes a step back and wordlessly closes the door, moving out so fast like all he did was enter the wrong room by mistake.

tam feels like he’s going to collapse, his legs shaking as anxiety coils in the pit of his stomach. it’s over, he thinks. he’s going to lose a friend, he’s going to be treated like a girl again, he’s going to be shunned and abandoned just because he was too fucking stupid to lock the door. and despite the constant rivalry between keefe and himself, tam was glad to be accompanied by keefe. great job, tam, really.

he feels tears stinging in the corner of his eyes and hastily tries to blink them away.

“ you cry like a girl, ” is what his father used to say. “ at least that part of you remains the same. ”

he’s almost too focused on his desperate attempts at keeping himself from having a breakdown to hear keefe calling out from the other side of the door.

“ tam ? ” keefe’s voice is soft and kind, different from the tone they normally converse in, and he still calls him tam.

what else would he call you, dumbass, tam mentally berates himself. he doesn’t even know your birth name.

“ what ? ” tam asks gruffly. he doesn’t have the energy to yell at him, doesn’t want to rely too much on his voice, and honestly, he kind of just wants to fade out of existence right now.

“ can i come in ? ” keefe asks, and in the brief pause in which tam scrambles to put on a shirt and sit down on his bed in a way that obscures his body shape as much as possible, keefe adds, “ it’s okay if not. ”

tam has a quick mental debate with himself and decides on replying with a short, plain,

“ no, it’s fine. you can come in. ”

the door opens, and keefe carefully steps into the room, making sure to shut the door behind himself again. his eyes are anywhere but on tam. he clears his throat before speaking. “ i’m sorry. ”

tam doesn’t know how to respond for a moment. he hugs his knees more firmly and finally says, “ it’s not like you could’ve known. ” he tried to keep a neutral tone, one that doesn’t reveal his unspoken i’m-surprised-you-didn’t-figure-it-out-because-my-voice-sounds-awful and i’ve-got-too-much-of-a-baby-face-to-ever-make-for-a-decent-guy-anyways.

“ but still, ” keefe insists, and he carefully sits down on the edge of the bed with an arm’s length of distance between the two of them. “ i swear, i didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, bangs b- tam. ”

tam wants to snap at him, instinctively wants to ask him how much longer he’s going to keep up this act and when he’s gonna go through his personal stuff to start deadnaming him like everyone else before, but there’s such an earnest look on keefe’s face that he just can’t seem to take his frustration out on him.

“ don’t you think it’s . . . like, gross, or something ? ” he asks quietly, and his own words feel like a punch to the face.

“ of course not, ” keefe replies immediately, with an amount of honesty behind it that tam can only think of as astounding. “ you’re my friend, tam, whether you like it or not. something like this won’t make me think any different of you. and besides, if i was a terrible person like that, i’d be running far, far away from you by now - but i don’t have any reason to do that so . . . ”

he talks about how sophie knew someone else who was trans, a long time ago, and how she was young and made mistakes around them that he didn’t ever want to repeat and he hoped he had learned enough to at least be of some assistance, but tam only registers half of it as he buries his face in his hands, unable to entirely stop the tears from falling. he remembers his parents saying he was going through a phase, he remembers how hard it was to hide his identity in exillium, he remembers the nightmares he’d have of people taunting him at foxfire – and somehow, at least for a moment, all those experiences seem to be overshadowed by keefe. kind, relatable, understanding keefe, who isn’t laughing at him while calling him a name that never felt right.

at some point, tam feels keefe gently rubbing his shoulder, and he carefully looks up at him through the gaps between his fingers.

noticing the pair of eyes on him, keefe smiles at him compassionately, and he asks softly, “ do you want to let the others know some time ? ”

tam shakes his head, not trusting his voice enough to give a verbal reply.

“ got it. ” keefe gives his shoulder a brief, reaffirming squeeze. “ it’s a secret then, ” he says, and there’s something so kind and genuinely respectful about the way he says that to him that tam feels like he really can trust him.

he’s never liked letting his guard down, but once in a while, it might not be so bad.

fin.

13 notes · View notes

eddiekkasp · 3 years

Text

-ˋˏ 𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐎𝐒 ˎˊ-

theme warnings : uhh running away,mentions of death,and cursing.crossposted on a03)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

'ⁱ ʰᵃᵗᵉ ʸᵒᵘ,

ᴵ ˡᵒᵛᵉ ʸᵒᵘ'

𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐮,𝐢 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐮 ; 𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙖 𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣

“NO NEED TO WORRY,” HEADMASTER Leto boomed from where the mix of students and teachers were forming around him.

No need to worry? Thought Tam.Linh's gone.Disappeared.Almost like when that girl,Stina ran away to who knows where but Linh's going to get found.

Unfortuantly,Tam had said this out loud and the majority of the people who had survived were staring at him.Headmaster Leto adjusted his tie.”I was unaware someone was missing but,no reason to worry!Ms.Oralie was just saying she knows someplace to be safe.You kid’s will be fine!”

“No reason to worry,” mutter Biana beside him.”God,someone would think you were Ald- Wait.” Her teal eyes narrowed at Headmaster Leto.”Aren’t we going home?Honestly i thought this was a prank.”

Headmaster Leto laughed nervously.”Well,I was thinking- until we get word that whatever is in the school is safe,we would stay in groups in different places.I have decided to make captains,for them even.”

Biana’s eyebrows rose.

Maybe it would be helpful,Tam thought.What's the point of finding Linh if she doesn't have a real bed to sleep in?But then again what type of idiots are the runners of this school to send a bunch of teens into a house by themselves?

START OF FLASHBACK.

Tam creeped down the hall of Exillium,the boarding school him and Linh had been sent to by their parents.As he reached Linh’s room in the girls’ dormitory,he slowly creaked open the door.Tam walked over and

Shook his twin from where she was sleeping.Linh groggily opened her eyes and asked,’is it time?’

Tam nodded.Sure enough,they both were dressed in a matter of minutes and Linh grabbed two large duffel bags out of her closet.

Tam cautiously opened the window and slipped out,his soft brown shoes plopping onto the concrete by Linh’s window.

He helped Linh out,and yanked the duffel bags through the window,and the two started down the path until it became grassy and the

Black car the twins had worked for shone in the dark,as it was deliberately placed at the end of the path.

Tam opened one of the duffel bags and grabbed a key.Linh took it from him and slipped into the drivers seat as he stuffed the duffel bag into the backseat and sat down in the passengers.Linh turned her head to Tam and gave him a look.It mean,we're really doing this,aren't we?

Tam nodded at her,which meant,we are.

Linh inhaled and exhaled,before slamming her foot on the pedal and driving on grass until they hit the road.

Linh drove until they came up on a place that said ; Free camping grounds.She drove into it,and parked the car expertly.Thy clambered out of it and set up a tent on top of a short hill,but they still had a amazing view of the stars.

There,they slept- because one would do that after they ran away from their old home,but the twin’s didn’t really sleep that night,only thought the other did.

The next day,The duo ate at a homeless shelter.

Again,again,and again until days turned into weeks and months turned into days.They mostly really only worked so they could pay for school,and ate at the homeless shelter.

At night,Linh would tell him the tale of Orion,one of her favorite greek villians.Other times,they would just sit in comfortable silence.

They never talked about what their parents did to them.They didn’t practice their strange powers,Tam certainly hoped Linh didn’t.

There was nothing really remarkable with what they did.

Until one night at the homeless shelter,they came and saw someone new.She had blonde hair and big,brown doe eyes and was wearing a buttery-yellow sweater with brown stripes.The girl looked vaguely familiar; but looked particuarly sad,picking at her starkflower stew,until Calla,the owner of the homeless shelter, the Song twins were quite fond fond of,asked her what was wrong with it.

The girl just smiled at her and said nothing.

The next day,when they went back,there was nothing.No sign,no lights on,just empty and abandoned. They asked around,nobody knew what they were talking about.Nobody remembered Calla’s Tree,even though it was popular around town because it wasn’t just a homeless shelter,it was a resturaunt that fed people who didn’t have enough money for food,had amazing pancakes,and then some.But nobody understood what they were talking about.

It was as if Calla’s tree...Had been never seen.

END OF FLASHBACK.

No.He decided.I'll find Linh,and whatever happens next,happens next.

Tam cleared his throat.”Excuse me,but I’m not going anywhere without Linh.”

Magnate Leto gave him a nervous look.”Perhaps we can-”

Marella,a girl in Biana’s friend’s homeroom raised her hand.Magnate Leto turned to her,greatful for eyes not being on him anymore.

The tiny girl looked even smaller than usual,like she had been thrown into the washing machine,and her clothing into the dryer,which would probably explain why it looked baggy and crumpled.

She looked at Tam.”Linh went missing around 3:08,right?”

He nodded.

Marella inhaled.”Well,that’s about the time Jensi died.”

Tam blinked.Jensi had died?He hadn’t known the curly-haired,talkative boy that much,so Jensi’s death felt more like a faraway island to him.But..What was the connection between him and Linh-

No.

Marella managed to meet his burning stare.”I’m sorry,Tam,but Linh’s probably dea-”

“What’s this about me being dead?” Asked Linh,apparently coming from nowhere,and frowning at the idea that she was dead.

_______________________________

LINH WAS SCREWED,AND SHE KNEW THAT.

Everyone gathered in the courtyard looked at her with that surprised look that reminded her of that one pikachu meme.

Tam rushed towards her.By the time he reached her,people were already in tiny groups to figure out what the fuck was going on,and trying to see if Buzzfeed Unsolved had anything like this happen.

He wrapped her in a hug.”Where the hell have you been?”

Linh blinked.”I was...in the bathroom!”She cringed inwardly at the makeshift lie.She hated lying ; especially to her twin.Tam frowned,but gave her the highlight of everything that was going on.They were put in Biana’s group,with Marella from another class,and Maruca from Marella's class.Keefe and Dex from homeroom were also put in Biana’s group.So was Fitz,Biana’s brother.

Magnate Leto sent them to go to Biana’s house,and they got to the house in a ten minutes.

“Well,” said Biana.”Welcome to Everglen.”

Prev Chapter / Next Chapter

(a/n: this is short n dumb,but chapter six should go up soon also.i love my puns shhh.also i know the idea of shoving teens into a house is dumb and why didn't they just send them home??but thats going to get touched on later so,,)

#kotlc #kotlc 2021 collab #kotlc fic #keeper of the lost cities #keefe sencen #biana vacker #dex dizznee #linh song #tam song #stina heks #fitz vacker #marella redek #exillium #exillium kotlc #jensi babblos #maruca chebota #maruca kotlc #jensi kotlc #raiin's crappy writing

7 notes · View notes

tamsong · 3 years

Text

“...Biana pauses, standing right in front of the door. She smooths out her plaid skirt nervously, adjusting her collar, as she fidgets, trying to keep her hands busy and will them to stop shaking. She takes a deep breath, and counts to 10, trying to clear her face of any nervousness showing. Finally, once she’s deemed herself presentable, Biana knocks on the headmistress's door.”

for the @kotlc2021collab in partnership with E (@loverofallthingssmart), who is an extremely talented writer and an absolute joy to work with! xe did a phenomenal job with the first chapter, so go give her some love here :)

taglist below the cut

@cadence-talle @xonar-verse @beautifuldaysahead @make-kotlc-gayer @fanartofthelostcities @netnetnet135 @impostertamsong @enbies-and-felonies @catboyruy @anna-without-an-e @an-absolute-travesty @duchessmb @keefeinnit @bianavacker-is-bi-as-hell @cowboypossume @itstiger720 @dragonwinnie @tiergan-andrin-alenefar @never-ever-too-many-fandoms @imaramennoodle

#2021 kotlc collab #kotlc art #kotlc fanart #keeper of the lost cities #Biana Vacker

38 notes · View notes

fanartofthelostcities · 3 years

Text

Art for @raiinyrxse's fic Klexos as a part of @kotlc2021collab!

#2021 kotlc collab #kotlc #vespera folend #cyrah endal #keefe sencen #kotlc fanart #keeper of the lost cities #keeper of the lost cities fanart

16 notes · View notes

linh-song · 3 years

Text

you guys know the meme I’m referencing right?

taglist: @impostertamsong @theofficialkai517 @duchessmb @three-gulons-in-a-trenchcoat @imaramennoodle @callas-starkflower-stew @make-kotlc-gayer @never-ever-too-many-fandoms @fire-sapphics @bianavacker-is-bi-as-hell @shellyseashell

#kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #kotlc fanart #tam song #tam song fanart #my art #god I haven’t posted art in a hot second #have this while I continue procrastinating finishing my part of the 2021 collab #someone yell at me that drawing tam in a completely different piece is not the same as working on that kam art #it’s supposed to come out in 5 days sOMEONE YELL AT ME TO GO FINISH IT #can you guys tell I hate drawing hands and lips #do you guys know how painful it is to do tam’s hair #I just-#first off it’s black which makes it harder to do highlights and shadows properly without making his hair look like a different color #aND THEN THE BANGS???#idk how to do dyed hair I’ve been winging it this entire time

52 notes · View notes

thisbluewind · 3 years

Text

does anyone know what happened to @thefandomdisaster? did they change urls or something?

#we got paired up for the kotlc 2021 collab and i can't find them #kotlc 2021 collab

7 notes · View notes

that-glasses-dog · 3 years

Text

two idiots and a turtle

hi there! this is the first chapter of my kam fic for the 2021 kotlc collab! (@kotlc2021collab) and yes, the title is “two idiots and a turtle”-

the art that @doodlesofams made for this chapter is here!

anyways, I hope you enjoy! the chapter will be under the cut!

***

chapter one: in which someone is going to die

tam

“Yes, of course I have a crush on Keefe.”

Linh’s delighted grin fades, her silver eyes dimming as she registers the sarcasm in my voice, and then she pouts, trying to defend her side of whatever this was.

“But you two would be so cute together!”

That’s- that’s her defense?

I lift my head from the table, glaring at her through my silver-tipped bangs. “So?”

“Just- just because we look cute together didn’t mean we would be good together. How could we? Keefe probably still hates me from when I put him into a coma, and. . .”

I don’t speak the rest of my thought aloud. And I would never forgive myself.

Linh drops the subject with a sigh, looking mournful for a moment, before she stands up, brushing herself off. Oh, I hope I didn’t upset her. I don’t like it when she’s pouty.

She holds out a hand to me, which I reluctantly grab before she drags me out of bed.

I step out of the beam of light that had light-leaped us to Foxfire, begrudgingly heading to my locker and collecting my things, before heading to my first class - The Universe. Ugh, we had a test today.

Did I want to or need to know the location of every star? No. But they teach it anyways. And I learn it. Foxfire is somehow better and worse than Exilium at the same time.

I wince as the shadowflux twinges painfully under my skin, reacting to my negative emotions. I wish I could get it out of me, but I’m stuck with it just as much as Keefe is stuck with his new powers.

“Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Keefe yet today. Where is he--?” I murmur to myself.

A sudden hush falls over the room as Keefe quietly walks in. Everyone’s heard about what’s happened to him, his new powers, and his inability to control them.

He sits down next to me, his ice blue eyes having lost their usual sparkle, dark circles underneath. Is he okay?

No- why do I care? Why should I care? He hates me.

I don’t look at him, instead staring resolutely ahead as we each get our papers and start the exam.

Keefe hesitates as he stares down at the paper, pulling a mug of cinnacreme out and pouring something strong and bitter-smelling into it - coffee, I think?

He glances at me with a wry grin and murmurs, “I’m going to die,” before drinking the whole thing.

My eyes widen as I watch him gulp it down. That didn’t seem like it was going to be good for him.

The time passes monotonously, as I fill out my test, finally standing up and passing it to Sir Astin, the Universe teacher.

I sit back down at my seat, glancing over at Keefe. He’s still filling out the test, eyebrows scrunched up in concentration as he stares down at his paper.

Hopefully he does well.

I glance at his hand, at the way his fist is clenching the pencil as he roughly scribbles down answers. He must be nervous.

After several tense minutes in which I try to not stare at him, he finally stands up, knocking his chair back with a screech and passing the paper to Sir Astin.

Shortly after that, the class ends, and we all stand up, about to file out of the classroom.

“Mr. Sencen, Mr. Song, stay behind.” Sir Astin calls for us in his whispery voice.

I turn around, glancing over at Keefe before heading in front of the teacher. He stands up from his desk to face the both of us.

“Keefe, you didn’t study very much for this test, did you?”

Keefe rolls his eyes, muttering something about how he had a photographic memory and how he’d be perfectly fine.

I wince as Sir Astin starts scolding him for not studying. Finally, he turns to me, looking at me with a slightly approving gaze.

“Tam, I’d like you to tutor Keefe for the foreseeable future.”

My eyebrows raise at his idea. Tutoring Keefe? Was that really such a good idea?

And besides, what if Keefe didn’t want me to tutor him at all?

After a moment, Keefe nods, assenting to this, and I gulp nervously. This wasn’t going to go well.

The school day moves slowly, but at the same time, incredibly fast. I barely pay attention to my other classes (leading to me getting scolded by my Mentor, Lady Zillah), instead focusing on what was to happen afterschool.

I’d be tutoring Keefe. Alone. At one of our houses, presumably. I tug on my bangs again, trying to ignore the strange, twisting feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Ugh, I don’t want to do this.

The bell rings, signifying the end of the day, and us students filter out of our classes, getting our things and leaping back home. I gather up my supplies, lagging behind so other people can leave.

Where is Keefe?

I search the halls for him, quietly calling out his name and hoping that I wouldn’t need to argue with him for anything. I’m already tired enough as is.

I finally spot a figure at the end of the hall, recognizing it as Keefe from the messy golden hair.

He turns to me as I run up to him, but I’m shocked by what he’s holding.

I stare at Keefe.

“Why do you have a turtle?”

Keefe gasps, affronted, hugging the undeniably adorable turtle closer to his chest. “Excuse me! This is my emotional support turtle right here!”

I stare at him yet again. “...Care to explain why?”

He smirks, his ice-blue eyes seeming to glow with mischief. “I’m planning a prank. Want to help me?”

I tug on my silver-tipped bangs nervously, considering this, before I sigh. I’m supposed to be tutoring him, not aiding him with another one of his infamous pranks.

But as I look at him, I can see a glimmer of something underneath his joking exterior. Pain. Fear. Desperation. He wants this to happen - needs something normal in his life again. And who was I to take that away from him, that control over such a small aspect of his life?

This was going to be a bad idea, wasn’t it?

“Fine.”

#kotlc 2021 collab #kam kotlc #keefe sencen #tam song #two idiots and a turtle

24 notes · View notes