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acourtofpenandpaper · 3 months

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Just pretending (Astarion x reader)

Pairing: Astarion x GNreader/Tav Length: 800 words Part 2 coming soon

Blurb: When Astarion and Tav get followed by guards of a warehouse they wanted to steal from, Astarion comes up with an unusual way to get them off the back.

Tags: part 1 of a fluffy short, a bit heated moment

The guards weren’t far behind us, and we both quickened our steps. Earlier that day, when I had voiced my concerns on sneaking into the warehouse to steal some supplies and cool gear, Astarion had simply shrugged me off.

“Don’t be such a scaredy-cat, we have pulled off greater heists in the past”, he had boasted while dismissing my worries as mere pessimistic thoughts.

Now, as I caught a glimpse to my side, I could see the sweat glistening on the forehead of the pale vampire as we rushed through the streets of Baldur’s Gate.

Turned out, that said warehouse which, according to Astarion ‘wasn’t guarded heavily’, was indeed heavily guarded. And the plan that Astarion had come up with turned out to have no solution for when we got caught. I reminded myself to never let him plan anything ever again when we both got out of this situation.

I looked behind my back to see two guards running after us, catching up with every second. The only reason they hadn’t caught us yet was because of other civilians standing in their way. But any minute now, we wouldn’t be so lucky anymore. I was starting to feel exhaustion coming in and tried to use the little breath in my lungs to shout towards Astarion:

“What are we going to do? They are still after us!”

Astarion looked behind his back as well and almost ran over the cart of a street vendor but in the last moment, jumped out of the way. He stayed silent, to my dismay because we both needed to get out of this situation and better two minutes ago than later.

I was almost ready to surrender myself to our followers and give over the gear when Astarion’s eyes lit up, he got ahold of my wrist and pulled me into the next alleyway. We took two sharp turns to the right and from the signs around us, I recognized the tavern, we semi-regularly frequented with our friends.

Two steps in front of me, Astarion slowly came to a halt, panting, his chest rising and falling. I almost ran into him because I wasn’t expecting to stop so suddenly, so I caught my breath and asked:

“Why are we stopping? They will come around the corner any seco…”

But before I was able to finish my sentence, Astarion had pushed me against the wall of the tavern and stepped so close to me that his whole body hovered over mine. Then he looked me in the eyes and mouthed:

“Play along.”

“Play along with what?”

Then, without giving me time to process my thoughts, he embraced my face with both his hands and came so close that our noses brushed against each other. I could feel his heavy breath against my lips and was sure that he could feel mine, too. But I just stayed like that, his mouth hovering just millimeters over mine and us both watching each other.

“Let your hands roam over my back.” He didn’t say it out loud, but I could hear his thoughts over our connected tadpoles. Without giving it much thought, I moved my hands from my sides to his back and gripped the fabric of his shirt.

Then, he angled his head and brought it up to my neck, as if he would caress it with his mouth or, drink from it from the look of a bystander. All this without his lips ever touching my skin but his breath burned itself onto my neck and I wished he would really touch me.

My eyes were still wide open, and I couldn’t quite believe what was happening. But in the corner of my vision, I could make out two silhouettes which were looking into every street but eventually, ran past the alleyway we were standing in. Now I understood what he meant by playing along. When I was sure that they had run off, I finally murmured:

“Hmmm…Astarion? They are gone…we can stop pretending.”

“Oh, yeah right”, he said and stepped away from me. “Sorry, that must have been surprising, but I had this idea suddenly and just wanted to get them off our heels. Are you alright?”

His eyes scanned me up and down. I nodded and we continued our way to the camp just outside the city.

“I am okay. Thank God you had this idea, I don’t know if I could’ve run anymore.”

“Same here. Maybe we should better scout the areas we want to get into next time”, he suggested, and I burst into a fit of laughing and playfully pushed him against his shoulder.

“That coming from you? Mr. Wing it? I told you we should investigate the guarding system of the warehouse, but you were all like ‘It will be fine”, I said and tried to mimic his voice.

He scrunched up his nose. “I totally don’t sound like that.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Not discussing this with you”, he said, and we both continued our way.

And I wondered what his lips would have felt like if he had really kissed me…

#astarion #astarion fanfic #astarion bg3 #astarion short story #bg3 fanfiction #baldurs gate fanfiction #baldurs gate #multipart fic #astarion fluff #astarion x reader #astarion x tav #astarion x gn reader

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blackholelynn · 1 year

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His Salvation - Part Seven

<- Read Part Six

Summary: You have left your old life behind and started over with Dean, but you soon realize that you know almost nothing about the hunter you now live with.

Pairings: Dean Winchester x Reader

Warnings: Nightmares, aftermath of grief/loss, description of suffocation, swearing - these warnings are for the series of parts as a whole, so while some of these warnings may not apply on this part, they will apply for future parts.

Word Count: 1.7k

A/N: It's finally finished! I'm not going to pretend that I have any excuse for not posting the final part of this, but it's done! Not exactly a happy ending, but who knows?

Series Tag List: @leigh70

Dean Winchester/Jensen Ackles Tag List: @siospins2

Supernatural Tag List: @hobby27

Also cross-posted on my AO3 account, you can read it here!

~~~

Dean woke up with his entire body screaming in pain, which wasn't unfamiliar to him. What did surprise him was the white and slightly scratchy hospital linens clinging to him. In his haze, he felt the irritation of the IV in his left arm and moved to promptly remove it, not thinking of the aftermath.

A gentle hand rested over his, one he recognized and trusted, and immediately he stopped what he was doing. "You need to leave that in. You lost a lot of blood."

"You're still here," Dean said, more to himself than to you. His jaw was slack in awe, and the relief was making his eyes glassy.

You squirmed under his gaze, ducking your head to avoid it. "I wasn't going to dump you at a hospital without making sure you were okay. Not when it was my fault you got hurt."

"Sweetheart, you're why Sammy isn't preparing a hunter's funeral for me." His hand reached for you, and you didn't shy away from his touch for the first time in a while. You weren't sure who needed it more – you or him. He cupped your cheek, running his thumb along your cheekbone. "You did good."

You leaned into his touch, feeling a few errant tears escape. "No. I didn't. I froze, and you nearly died because of it.”

“But I didn’t.”

Even though he was right, Dean’s words didn’t soothe the guilt that was starting to fester deep inside you. Would any of this have even happened if you hadn’t left the bunker? If you hadn’t gone with them in the first place? The thought of the alternatives terrified you more than anything, and you stood up from the chair by Dean’s bedside, pacing to release some of the anxiety.

“But you might next time. I can’t do this.”

“Yes, you can,” Dean insisted earnestly. He sat up in bed, grimacing with the effort, and looked at you imploringly. “Look, you were right. I shouldn’t have been treating you like a kid. We can start going on hunts together, and Sammy and I will show you the ropes. Trust me–”

Tears started to stream down your cheeks as you crossed your arms, shrinking in on yourself. “Dean, I don’t even know what I want anymore! I mean, I ran off with you without a second thought, like I was some…some Disney princess! Like you were my prince charming that would make all the pain disappear, but that’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works, and I can’t stay.”

“What are you saying?” His voice broke, a vulnerability that was rare for him to show. It broke your heart, but you knew what you needed.

“I’m saying I stayed to make sure you were okay, but I’m leaving. I have no idea who the hell I am anymore, and until I figure that out, this isn’t going to work.”

And then you turned and left the room in a rush. He called out something after you, but all of your senses were completely wrecked as you scurried away from yet another problem. A contentious voice inside you scolded you for not being able to have a conversation – the adult conversation that needed to be had – but it wasn’t something you were capable of at that moment. You felt like you were crawling out of your skin.

Sam was pensively sitting in the hallway, and when he saw you leave the room, he quickly stood in your way to try and talk to you. “He’s awake?”

“Yeah,” you answered simply, trying to go around him.

But he stopped you by gingerly grabbing your arm. “Woah, what’s going on? Did something happen in there?”

“I just…” Your brain stuttered, trying to find the words to explain what had just happened, but it couldn’t put anything together. The only thing you could do was look up at Sam in sad confusion, starting to cry even harder. You desperately wiped at the tears running down your cheeks in an attempt to stay somewhat composed, but it was an exercise in futility.

“Okay, let’s just take a moment,” Sam offered, guiding you to one of the chairs in the hallway. He sat beside you and attempted to comfort you as you cried, one hand on your back to try and ground you. Once it seemed like you’d be able to speak again, he asked, “Is everything okay?”

You quickly nodded as you pulled yourself back together again. “Yeah, I’ll be okay. I have a favor that I need to ask you, though, Sam.”

“Of course. Anything.”

“Take care of Dean for me?” When you saw the confused expression on Sam’s face, you added, “I’m not going back to the bunker.”

Sam stilled for a second, processed what you said, and offered a small and understanding smile. “Okay. Do you mind if I ask you one question first?”

“Shoot.”

“I’m not asking this to try and convince you to stay. I just want to know: are you sure?”

It was the first time someone had asked you that question, and it hadn’t been accusatory. Just a genuine question coming from a place of concern. So you thought about it.

The last few months you had spent with Dean crossed your mind. All the good memories came first, like the movies you had watched, the nights you had shared, and the few times you had left the bunker to have “proper” dates. But those times weren’t the only ones. The nights you had shared were soured by the constant nightmares. All the times you spent with him in the bunker were plagued by the grief that followed you like a dark shadow. You remembered those few dates fondly, but you also recognized the terror of being outside those concrete walls.

You returned Sam’s smile, although yours was more forced. “Yeah, I’m sure. I’ve got a lot to work through, and I need to do it on my own. I don’t know how yet or what I’m going to do, but I know that’s where my focus needs to be.”

“Alright,” Sam conceded, standing up from the chair. “Then I’m guessing this is goodbye?”

“Yeah,” you answered as you stood. “I’m sure I’ll see you guys again, though, so don’t forget about me.”

Sam chuckled at your teasing tone and pulled you into a small hug. “Never. You’re welcome anytime.”

It was a warm moment that broke up some of the despair of the most recent events, but as always, those moments come to an end. You returned the hug briefly and, after that, left the hospital. You didn’t turn back, tried not to even think about turning back, because you knew that your resolve wasn’t strong enough to go through with it if you didn’t go all in.

Sam stayed in the hospital and entered Dean’s hospital room to evaluate the aftermath. He only found his older brother staring off into space, looking lost. It was clear that the loss Dean had been so afraid of had just occurred, and to make matters worse, he was part of the reason it had happened.

The younger Winchester took your place at Dean’s bedside, clearing his throat to get his older brother’s attention. “She just told me.”

“She’s gone.” It was a resigned statement, not a question. Dean finally came out of his stupor as he met Sam’s eyes. “Did she say where she was going?”

“No, she didn’t. I don’t think she wants us to know, and you know what, I think that’s for the best. You’ve gotta let her go.”

Normally Sam would expect a fight from Dean after he said that, a barbed remark meant to make Sam back down, but all he got was Dean limply lying back in the hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling. He was resigned more than anything, and that was almost worse. There was no further discussion of the issue. Not when he was discharged from the hospital, not when they arrived back at the bunker. The remnants of your stay in the bunker lingered for a long time, only serving as a reminder of the forbidden topic.

“I told you to make sure she wasn’t in the room when Urdr got there,” Naomi chastised, standing up from her desk chair.

Castiel stood in front of her desk, but it was clear that he was somewhere else – practically a shell of his former self. “I was unaware that she would be there so quickly.”

“That is unacceptable!” Naomi snapped. When she realized how emotional she was becoming, she straightened her blazer and rolled back her shoulders, letting out a deep exhale. “This was the only way we could get the Norns on our side, and after making a deal with us, we got one of their sisters killed. You can see how this is an issue, correct?”

“Yes.” Castiel’s response was robotic. He had been conditioned in every way to obey Naomi, and she couldn’t have been happier with her handiwork. A grisly means to an end.

Naomi sat back down and smoothed her hands over the clear top of her desk. “Then I will have to think of alternative methods to secure our position. I just have one thing to say before I dismiss you.”

“Of course.”

“Keep an eye on our ‘bait’ to make sure she doesn’t ruin another one of our plans. I’d hate to have you dispose of her.”

Castiel’s brow twitched. It went unnoticed by Naomi, but surely if she had seen it, he would’ve been kept for more conditioning. Instead, once she saw him nod his head, he was whisked back to Earth with no memory of the encounter in the first place.

Without knowing why he was drawn to go look for you, and when he found you, he only felt his guilt return. You were curled up in the back seat of yet another stolen car, holding a flannel to your chest as you cried. Yet again, another of his friends was in anguish, and while he wanted to comfort you, something told him he shouldn’t.

So he did nothing but watch as you processed all of the feelings you had been running from. And it hurt.

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pyro-les · 2 months

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I have a pretty cool idea for a Regina x reader story and I really wanna write it but I've also never written a fanfic before so idk.

Would anyone take the gamble and read it if I wrote it?

#i kinda just wanna info dump all my ideas without writing it properly #ive got a tone of stuff in my notes on my phone and way more in my head #like enough for a full multipart story #but ive never written a fic before so idk #would anyone wanna read my potentially bad potentially brilliant story?#regina george x reader

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foreverdolly · 2 years

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would it be a sin? | austin butler x fempresley!oc

part one

pairings: austin butler x fem!oc

word count: 3,422

summary: austin is over the moon about getting the lead role in the up and coming elvis biopic, but he's beginning to buckle under the immense pressure. there's a fine line that had to be drawn between himself and elvis presley, but it's beginning to blur as the days go by. when austin is introduced to lisa-marie's daughter, it's love at first sight. he's terrified of blending work with pleasure, but it's getting impossible to deny his heart.

warnings: mild cursing and fluff- the mouthwatering smut comes later.

notes:i wanted to start this first chapter off by saying that all of this is a work of fiction. i will be talking about things that are personal to both austin butler as well as the presley family, but i will be doing it with the utmost respect. this first chapter is tame, but there will be smut as well as the mention of the loss of family members through unfortunate circumstances in future chapters. the topics of drug use and death will not be romanticized or sensationalized in any way. if you have any requests for one shots for austin!elvis or austin butler x reader, please feel free to ask!

masterlist | requests are currently open for business !

Austin, most days, no longer felt like himself. It was hard to differentiate where Austin started and Elvis began. Over the months of nonstop research and dedication, the two of them melded together somehow. Who was who? He didn’t know anymore. Couldn’t really remember, either.

Austin wasn’t just playing a part in a film anymore. It felt too real. Too dangerous. It was bound to all get worse before it got better. When Baz officially calls it all a wrap and shuts off the cameras for good, he doesn’t know what he’s going to do. He was already flailing, trying to get a grip on things. . . on life. His long term relationship of nine years had ended towards the very beginning of the project. He had just cut and dyed his hair and had thrown himself into his art. Maybe it was his fault that things ended, but he didn’t regret it. Not even for an instant; no matter how horrible that may sound. Working on the movie had made it an easy transition from living everyday life with a long term partner to suddenly being single and alone. He had hidden himself away in his new flat in Australia. Due to Covid he rarely had any visitors. He had been able to sort out his own feelings back then. He took the time to really sort through his emotions and wrap his head around things.

His ex had been a major part of his life. She had helped to mold and shape him into the man that he was today. Austin had learned what he liked and didn’t like in a relationship. He learned how to be patient and how to properly care for a woman. She would always be an essential part of who he was- but as a building block. She had been an essential stepping stone. That first relationship had acted as his training wheels- but Austin knew how to ride now- so it was natural for him to take them off. So he had.

He mourned the relationship for a few short days, but the tears didn’t last for very long. He had ripped off the band-aid, and there was something oddly cathartic about it all. He felt better than he really had in years, and it was because things felt right. He had been resolute in his decision, and though he knew that it had been painful for her, she had agreed with him on all points. All that they had ever known was each other, and towards the five year mark, that had been the only thing that really kept them together. Familiarity and comfortability had been the glue that kept them stuck in that odd state of limbo. Austin stopped thinking about marriage and children as the years ticked by with her. He had stopped planning out their future. Instead they seemed to live day by day, making excuses to themselves and loved ones whenever anyone pried or if they tried to do any serious soul searching.

The call where he had ended things had only lasted fifteen minutes and thirty-nine seconds. He had kept things simple- sugar coated some things so that they would be easier for her to digest- and waited for her reaction. There had been tears. He could hear them, but she understood. He could tell that she agreed, and maybe that had been the hardest part of it all for her. The realization that they had been clinging onto each other for dear life, all while knowing that they weren’t the ones for each other. Change was a terrifying thing, and so they had ignored their own feelings and desires, hoping that eventually it would fade out.

Austin’s true feelings never flickered out though. They had stayed, and with it came the doubt. Then the decision.

He had told himself that he wouldn’t date for a while. He needed to dive head first into his project, and he couldn’t have any distractions. For a time that was exactly what he had done. He had put so much pressure on himself to do well that he found it hard to think of much else. He lived and breathed Elvis. For four long months there hadn’t been much else. It had been a lot to get used to for his friends and family. For the first couple of weeks, his sudden change of accent had been shocking for them. His father had been the most worried about it. He was scared about what would happen after they finished everything. Austin had assured everyone that he wanted the accent to feel natural to him, and that he had just chosen to take a more method approach so that he could fully immerse himself into the project.

These days, he had trouble remembering what he sounded like before they started filming. That was terrifying. He felt his grip on reality shifting. He was losing an uphill battle, because if he was going to be completely honest with himself, his mental health had never been all that great.

It was the day after that self realization that he had sought out personal advice, going to Tom Hanks in the hopes that he’d help to ground him. The man’s words had been simple, yet crucial. He needed to take time for himself. Not Elvis. Austin.

Austin had ordered a book later that night that reminded him of his years in high school. He had been forced to read it for an essay, but had found himself unable to put it down. Every night that week he curled up on the couch and read The Great Gatsby. Instead of feeling like somebody else completely, in those moments he only felt nostalgic. The line between Austin and Elvis had slowly been carved, no matter how faint.

But then she came along.

It had been a regular day on set, and a particularly hard one at that. After all of the karate lessons, dialect coaching, and dance classes the man was absolutely exhausted. He didn’t have too much left in him to give that day, and he was excited to crawl back home and fall asleep under his weighted blanket. He had moved to stand behind the camera, one of the crew member’s playing a scene back for him so that he could see exactly where he had gone wrong. Rather than moving his hips while he performed, he had been using his knees instead. He was hurting badly because of it, and it didn’t look the same. It didn’t look right. His mood had soured instantly, his blue eyes narrowing on the small screen as he took a step closer, watching his footing again and again. “Play that back one more time for me.” The crew member started to wind the shot back, but Baz had stepped in, his arm wrapped tightly around an unfamiliar figure. Austin was in no mood to meet anyone or exchange niceties with any of the extras. Not today at least. Today he was feeling majorly self conscious, and it was bleeding into his attitude.

“We’re about to wrap up for the day, so I wanted you to meet someone.” Austin wanted to groan. To ruffle his greased up hair and throw an absolute fit. The entire Presley family were eventually going to see the film, and he was letting them down, he just knew it. He was letting everybody down by this performance. How the hell was he supposed to smile and play nice? Austin turned on his heel, wishing that he had mastered the art of the fake smile over the years he had spent in Hollywood. He was good at acting, but he had the inability to be fake.

He turned on his heel, shoving his hands into the pockets of his blue slacks before eying Baz. The older man gently pushed the mystery woman forward, motioning with his head in her direction. Austin let his eyes focus on her in the dim studio lighting. He found himself instantly regretting everything. His initial expression, his inability to properly execute today’s scenes, the fact that he had eaten garlic hummus with his lunch that day- all of it.

Oh god, it was almost as though the world had shifted beneath his feet. His heart jumped up into his throat, his hands began to sweat, and he found it nearly impossible to function. All words escaped him. The only thing that left his lips for the first few seconds was a breathy huff, his blue eyes locking on her small figure. She was short and compact, daintily made in a way that made his protective instincts flare. Her hair was dark against the bright colors of her dress, the contrast a bit shocking. The first thing he noticed were her large eyes- so bright and so very blue. Then she smiled at him. The words weren’t the only thing to escape him. So had the ability to breathe. If Baz noticed the man’s reaction, he didn’t say anything. Instead he took the opportunity to fill the silence, gesturing between the two of them.

“Austin, this is Elliot. She wasn’t able to meet you back when we had the original luncheon with the rest of her family.” His reaction was delayed as he tried to piece together exactly what his director was trying to say.

It wasn’t until she reached her hand out towards him that it finally registered. “You’re related to Priscilla then?” He felt stupid the second the question left his lips, and he couldn’t help but smile nervously as he reached out and took her small hand in his, giving it a couple of shakes.

Thankfully she found humor in his reaction and laughed, and though the busy studio overshadowed the gorgeous sound, it reverberated in his ears nonetheless. “I’m one of her granddaughters. Lisa-Marie is my mother.” Austin’s eyes really honed in on each one of her dainty features. Her small pointed nose, her warm smile and bright blue eyes. He felt embarrassed that he didn’t instantly recognize her. It was almost as though he was shaking hands with Priscilla back when she was in her twenties. The resemblance was uncanny.

“That’s it for today people! You all did great!” Baz called out, the bright lights shutting off loudly as the cameras were moved out of position. Elliot stumbled out of the way, moving to Austin’s side so that extras could begin making their way off stage and to the dressing rooms. She lingered by his side, her arm gently brushing against his as cast and crew filed past. A few people looked in their direction, staring a little too long as they tried to decipher just who she was and what they were doing together. “I got here about thirty minutes ago, so I saw the last few takes.” She explained.

Austin pinched the bridge of his nose, his cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. Of course she just so happened to show up today of all days. He had been off of his game all day long. “You were dazzling.” His eyes flickered open so that he could stare down at her, his mascara coated lashes brushing against his brow bone as he watched her expression carefully. He raised an eyebrow dubiously at her, completely unbelieving of the sweet sentiment. She threw her hands up in surrender, her smile widening.

“No, no. I’m serious, Austin. I couldn’t take my eyes off of you. It was surreal.” He had been getting a lot of positive feedback as of late, but he still wasn’t used to it. He couldn’t keep the grin off of his face as he stared down at his feet, raising his hand so that he could nervously rub at the back of his neck.

“Well that means a lot comin’ from you.” He felt like an idiot talking to her in the accent, but he was already neck deep in it. He was positive that he couldn’t turn the voice off even if he tried.

“Baz is incredibly proud of you, by the way. He kept telling me about how dedicated you are to playing this part, and it really shows.” Elliot would never know how much her words meant to him. Today, of all days, he really needed to hear those things.

The fear of getting it all wrong kept him up most nights. Last night had been incredibly hard for him. The anxiety was eating him alive. He hadn’t even been able to keep down his breakfast this morning, his nerves getting the best of him. “One of my grandfather’s biggest fears was people dehumanizing him. Everyone has turned him into more of a character and less of a man. He wanted to do something important with his life- make an impact, you know? Your performance felt human.” The woman was quick to reach out, placing her warm palm against his sleeve. Her fingers wrapped around his arm, giving him a few quick squeezes. Austin wasn’t sure if she was trying to reassure him or comfort him. Either way, she was handling him with a sort of softness that he wasn’t used to.

The actor could listen to her talk all day, he was positive. There was something about her voice that made his muscles untense and his mind quiet. It was soft and melodic, and if it wasn’t the kindness in her eyes that made him melt, then it was certainly the gentle way that she spoke to him that did the trick. Austin was certain that his knees were quivering beneath him. “I want to pick your brain,” He spoke up before he had time to second guess himself. “Would you like to have dinner with me? If you have other plans, I completely understand. Just thought it would be nice, is all.”

The girl shook her head, her dark locks falling off of her shoulders with the movement. For a second he was scared that he was being rejected, but she motioned towards the door with a sweep of her hand. “I was just about to ask you the same thing.” He let out a sigh of relief, a nervous laugh bubbling up and out of his throat soon after.

“Just let me go get changed, okay? It will only take a minute.” He had to remind himself not to run through the studio, his heart pounding in his ears as he closed the door firmly behind him. He had been terrified out of his mind whenever he had met Priscilla and Lisa-Marie for the first time. He had called Baz the night before, hoping for some sort of guidance. The director had become more of a mentor over the last couple of months, and he was hoping for some kind of a pick-me-up. Despite his constant words of nonchalance and encouragement, the anxiety lingered. He carried it in the pit of his stomach the next afternoon, and it didn’t ease throughout the entire luncheon. Austin wasn’t quite sure how he had managed to eat, but he had scarfed down way more than he was used to consuming. He went home with sweaty palms, an overactive imagination, and a stomach that was packed to full capacity. This felt oddly similar, but different at the same time.

This wasn’t a date, but Austin couldn’t seem to get the point across to the rest of his body. “Fuck.” He whispered under his breath, reaching for the hanger so that he could neatly begin taking off the outfit. He took the time to make sure that everything was hung up to Catherine’s liking before grabbing his leather duffle bag, pulling on his clothes like a mad man. He had worn a pair of light washed jeans and his favorite pair of brown boots to the studio this morning. He had spilled coffee on his shirt early in the afternoon, so Catherine had given him a spare white tee to wear home. He made a mental note to thank her whenever he saw her in the morning. Clearing his throat he moved closer to the mirror, taking a look at his hair that had been slicked back hours ago. He ran his fingers through it, trying his hardest to disarrange the hairstyle, but it only made his hair look dirty. With an exasperated groan he used his fingers to put it back into place, taking a step back to look at the eyeliner that had been dragged over his top lash line. He had half the mind to try and rub it off as well, but he knew that he’d only make himself look like a raccoon, what with the mascara on his top and bottom lashes.

This entire situation was ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. Here he was, giddy over the potential of getting to know her better, all while dressed like her grandfather. The humor of the situation was lost on him. Instead he rubbed his large hands down his cheeks, letting out an aggravated groan. He felt like he was in high school all over again. He hadn’t been this nervous about a girl in. . . well. . . - now that he thought about it, had he ever been this nervous over a girl? He hadn’t been single since he was twenty-one. He had been fresh out of high school, and the only dates he had been on prior to his ex had been double dates that his guy friends had coerced him into. He was nearly thirty years old, acting as though he was still in his twenties. He felt ashamed.

Austin braced either of his hands on the dressing room counter, staring up at himself through his lashes. He had rather liked the dyed black hair, but he suddenly felt ridiculous standing there in the mirror. He had to go ahead and set himself up for disappointment. If he didn’t try, then there would be no chance of rejection. He needed to go ahead and dash whatever fantasies were floating around in his brain before they got the better of him, because how embarrassing would that make things for him? He wouldn’t just be friendzoned, he would be grandpa-zoned. Elliot saw him as one of the men tasked with telling her family’s tragic story. This was important to her, he could tell. This dinner was going to be nothing more than two potential friends talking with one another. It was going to be a great opportunity for him to hear rather intimate stories about the legend, passed down to her by the only woman that really knew the true Elvis. After a few deep breaths he stood up, brushing his hands over his shirt a few times before heading out the door. The overhead studio lights had been turned back on, a few of the crew members still lingering around as they taped wires to the floor, readjusted certain lights, and readied themselves for tomorrow's busy schedule.

Elliot’s back was to him, so he took the opportunity to get a better look at her. Her dress was a seventies style slip dress that brushed against her upper thighs. Her short dress and calf high boots made her look a lot taller than she really was from where he was standing. Of course he had seen her up close, and knew that she was well below his chin. Both her mother and grandmother were on the shorter side, so he wasn’t surprised. Her hair, which he hadn’t gotten a very good look at when the two had first been introduced, was incredibly long. It cascaded down her back in loose waves, ending right at her hips. Austin didn’t allow himself to stare at her for too long, not wanting to get carried away. ‘Friends’, he reminded himself as he walked up to her. “Elliot,” He called her name to get her attention, his eyebrows furrowing when he noticed that there was something in her hand. She turned her head to face him, grinning ear to ear as she flashed him a pair of ivory white panties. She had her fingers looped into the waistband, and it didn’t take him long to figure out that she had stumbled across the prop by accident. She must have been laughing to herself for a little while. Her cheeks were slightly red from smiling. “Nice.” She said simply, tossing them into one of the crew member’s folding chairs before nodding her head towards the door. “Shall we? I’m starving.”

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here-to-read-and-read-fics · 11 months

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Hello everyone, I'm new to this fandom and was wondering if you have some multichapter fic about BTS x reader to Recommend ?

Can be any trope, any genre 😁

Thanks a lot !!

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myreia · 9 months

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Bound by Faith

Chapter One: Philia

Chapter Rating: T Pairing: Aureia Malathar (Warrior of Light)/Thancred Waters Characters: Warrior of Light, Thancred Waters, Urianger Augurelt, Ryne, Alisaie Leveilleur, Alphinaud Leveilleur, Y'shtola Rhul, Cyella Chapter Word Count: 5,377 Story Word Count: 5,377 Story Summary: With their enemies defeated and the First saved, the Crystarium is alive with celebration. Despite the joy around her, Aureia is uncertain about the next steps to take. So is Thancred, for that matter. The puzzle of their lives has sat incomplete for years, but finally this last, precious piece may be able to slide into place. Spoiler Warning: Spoilers for the end of Shadowbringers base. Notes: This chapter does not contain explicit sexual content, but a later chapter will.

🡒 Read on AO3 🡐

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Alisaie says after a moment. “This moment of peace. It doesn’t feel real. It’s something we’ve dreamt of more times than we can count, and now it’s here… I can’t shake this feeling there is something we’ve forgotten. That some imminent crisis is going to raise its ugly head and undo everything we’ve fought so hard to achieve.” “I know,” Aureia replies. “The thought has occurred to me, too. I don’t doubt we will ever be free of one crisis or another.” “And that’s the problem, is it not? I dislike feeling this unsettled. It’s hardly fair after everything we’ve been through. I have this unrelenting need to do something, Aureia, as if taking a moment for myself is never enough. I’m not like Alphinaud. I can’t slip so freely into rest and respite. For all his complaints, I know he prefers the quiet. Not that I wish desperate times on anyone, that’s not what I mean, but there is a restlessness in me that needs to do something. And perhaps it’s easier to placate it with thoughts of what could go wrong in the future, rather than accepting that nothing has in the present.” She lets out a long sigh and shakes her head. “Bah. I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to become so introspective, not on a night like this. You certainly don’t need to be weighed down by my useless thoughts.” “They’re not useless, Alisaie. If anything, I share them. When you have achieved that singular goal you spent years pursuing, how do you come to terms with that? I don’t know if there is an answer.”

#emerging from my hiatus to drop the link to first part of the multipart i've been working on since March #story chapters are too big to be posted to tumblr adsfasdf #ffxiv #ffxiv fanfic #ffxiv fic #ffxiv wol #wolcred #ryne #alisaie leveilleur #alphinaud leveilleur #y'shtola rhul #cyella #aureia malathar #only tagging characters who appear in this chapter #shadowbringers #shadowbringers spoilers #writing tag

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sapphire-writes · 1 year

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actually me trying to hold back from starting a modern!Aegon x reader fic series until I finish my other WIPS

#fighting my demons #the demons are a new multipart fic #saf speaks

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runawaycatwalker · 1 year

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Part 18. Who You Know (Veritruce, part C)

<<First | <Previous | Next>

Description below the cut

Ladybug flies up through the sky.

Ladybug (internally): I can't believe he... No. Focus. Plan first.

Ladybug flies up towards a cloud, headed towards a darker opening within the cloud.

Ladybug (internally): I don't have my yo-yo, but I can still... wait, is that a hole inside this cloud?

From inside the cloud, Ladybug sees a cloud doodle of Rena Furtive above the words “Detransformation Safe Zone”.

Ladybug (internally): I didn't even realize she was out tonight. Thanks, Rena.

Ladybug (aloud): Spots off!

Cut to Mayura pointing her fan up towards Catwalker threateningly.

Mayura: So now it is only you and me, Catwalker. You may not know Chat Noir's identity, but you clearly are not unfamiliar with keeping secrets. Talk.

Catwalker, still stuck in the upper cone, looks down in annoyance.

Catwalker: Just because I told Ladybug about Adrien, that doesn't mean I'll tell you all about Chat Noir. You almost killed him.

Mayura: And I regret that.

Catwalker leans against the cone and points an accusatory finger.

Catwalker: If you truly regretted your actions, you wouldn't be trying to hunt him down. Or is what you regret that you failed to kill him?

Mayura raises her hands in exasperation.

Mayura: I don't want Chat Noir dead! I am trying to make up for the harm I've caused him!

Catwalker: If you actually wanted to absolve yourself, you would have revealed Shadowmoth's identity to us.

Close-up of Mayura wringing her fan in her hands.

Mayura: Protecting Shadowmoth and Chat Noir is the decision my conscience can live with.

Catwalker: You have another decision: Walk away. Whatever Shadowmoth's goal is can't be worth it.

Mayura: Even if he'd wish for something that Chat Noir desperately wants?

Catwalker leans back and raises a contemptuous hand.

Catwalker: You don't know Chat Noir very well if you think he'd be swayed so easily.

Mayura: I know him better than you think.

Catwalker: That still doesn't mean you actually care about him as a person.

Mayura: I literally cannot lie to you about this!

Catwalker hits his fist against the barrier wall.

Catwalker: Sure you can! You control the amok. You could have ordered Veritruce to not react to your lies. And even if you didn't do that, it only detects your belief in what you say. Beliefs can be wrong. So whatever you claim about caring about Chat Noir, your lie detector can't prove that you're speaking the objective truth.

Mayura: Then perhaps I can provide you external evidence?

Close-up of Mayura in profile. There is also the image of Marinette blushing as she holds up the charm bracelet she gave Adrien, as well as the scarf she made for him behind her.

Mayura: Ask your kwami to verify this: A girl Chat Noir knows well likes to give him gifts. A charm bracelet he carries with him at all times. A birthday present she made for him that was misattributed to another. Opportunities too, she will advocate on his behalf so that he can enjoy freedoms he might not have otherwise. She admires him greatly and Chat Noir, in turn, considers her a most precious friend.

Catwalker stares ahead in shock.

Mayura: Will that suffice for now?

Catwalker: How do you know all that?

Mayura: Because I know him. He's someone I would protect with my dying breath if need be.

Catwalker: And you think you'll protect him by making sure that I'm the one endangering myself to fight Shadowmoth.

Mayura bows her head and looks away.

Mayura: I won't try to kill you. But we still need the wish. And if you are our adversary, the inevitable fallout will be better than if Chat Noir were still involved. Will you agree to keep him out of this?

Catwalker looks down. His earpiece is visible in his ear.

Catwalker: If Chat chooses to involve himself, that's his decision. But I won't give up my miraculous to anyone besides Ladybug.

Mayura: That should be enough. Thank you.

The point of the bottom conic barrier hits the top barrier with a clack. Veritruce looks up in surprise.

Catwalker (internally): Mayura said these barriers were reinforced by truths. With every truth we've said, they've grown thicker, and now they're close enough to touch.

A close-up of Catwalker glancing upwards. There is also the image of Ladybug falling down through the sky.

Catwalker (internally): And Ladybug is almost back—she'll need my help, so I'd better activate my...

A close-up of Catwalker’s hand as his ring charges with destructive energy.

Catwalker (aloud): Cataclysm!

A close-up of Mayura’s shocked face.

Mayura: What??

Mayura (internally): When did he recharge his miraculous?

Cut to a flashback when Catwalker was the one flying upwards through the sky. Alya answers her phone while looking out on her balcony. Catwalker places a finger in his ear to activate his earpiece to make a call.

Alya: Hello?

Catwalker: Rena, I need somewhere safe to detransform.

Alya: Catwalker? Did you steal my phone number from my flute?

Catwalker: Don't make me answer that, there's a lie-detecting sentimonster here.

Alya: Okay, but where's 'here'?

Catwalker: Can you see the speck flying above the Agreste mansion? That's me.

Alya: I'll get you some cloud cover. Trixx, let's pounce!

Cut back to the present as Ladybug falls downward from the sky, her yo-yo in hand.

Ladybug (internally): I've got my yo-yo back, but Catwalker's still trapped and powerless, so I can't rely on him. But that barrier now has holes I can still use to my advantage... If I aim...

Ladybug, still falling, throws her yo-yo through one of the holes in the lower conical barrier. In the cone above, Catwalker places his hand against its barrier.

Ladybug (internally): ...just... right...

Both barriers begin to disintegrate.

Catwalker: Cataclysm!

Mayura: What??

Ladybug’s eyes widen.

Ladybug (internally): He destroyed the barriers? Oh no... He's falling right towards—

Ladybug’s yo-yo catches on Catwalker’s arm right above Mayura’s face, snagging him away before he can catch her.

Catwalker: Ngh!

Ladybug (internally): My yo-yo.

Mayura and Veritruce flee off the rooftop, while in the background Ladybug tries to disentangle Catwalker from her yo-yo.

Ladybug: Let me untangle—

Catwalker: Don't worry about me! We can't let Mayura get away!

Below is the same image as above, only without text:

#runaway catwalker #ladybug #catwalker #mayura #alya cesaire #sentimonster #spanner in the works nathalie #apologies for another late update #part of it is just the burnout i get when doing a multiparter #but also i injured my shoulder a few weeks ago and recovery has been very annoying #also trying to work on the fic i started posting to ao3 for ml secret santa #in short very busy and not enough spoons to get it all done #i'm surprised i was able to get this pulled together enough to post today #pretty sure the next page will be back on schedule #thank you for your patience

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readychilledwine · 7 months

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Bound by Fate - part 3

Summary - Kaylee's life has been filled with training. But as her mate is left with no choice but to distance himself, it allows another connection to form.

Warning - none really? At least I don't think so? There's fire at the end?

A/n- you know that one song from lion king? Reflections of Mufasa? All I can hear at a certain point in this part is that dramatic build and crescendo that starts around 3:55 mins into the song. Hopefully the writing shows that.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4 Part 5

Kaylee was panting, her hands on her knees, and sweat dripping from every inch of skin. Despite the two-piece cropped tank top and leggings Cassian had her training in, she was still so hot.

He handed her water his own sweat making his muscled forearm glitter in the sunlight. "You're doing great, Kaylee. The perfect little partner for me to spar with right now." She looked at his beaming smile, a brow raised, before sticking out her tongue and making the male laugh. "We're done for today, but Rhys and Amren will be coming to work on magic with you." Kaylee looked at Cassian, her brows raised, waiting for the information she secretly knew was coming.

Cassian sighed before continuing. "Azriel is still holed up with Nesta and Elain at the House of Wind. He's the only one Elain will respond to. I'm sorry, Kaylee. I understand your frustration." She knew Cassian did just based on the distant look in his eyes.

It had been two weeks since they discovered Elain would only speak or allow Azriel near her. It drove the new feral part of Kaylee's mind and soul to madness when he'd come to bed, reeking of Elain's soft floral scent. He would comfort Kaylee however he could those first few days, but at the start of the second week, a switch had flipped. Az stopped sleeping with Kaylee. He stopped eating lunch with her at the Riverhouse. He stopped sending his shadows to spend time with her.

Kaylee had never been a jealous person before this. She had never once questioned her self worth or value, but this had her wondering why her mate wouldn't spend time with her, why he actively avoided her, when she stopped being enough for him.

A hand on her shoulder ripped her from the void she was allowing herself to fall into. "Stop doing that to yourself," a soft voice said. "He misses you too. She just-" Rhysand paused to turn Kaylee to look at him. "Elain only eats when Azriel is there, and therefore Nesta will eat. I know it hurts, little bee. I am sorry." Cassian muttered an inaudible phrase before kissing Kaylee's forehead and moving inside. "Take a bath and a nap, Cass. It's an order." Cassian lifted a single finger over his shoulder as he moved inside.

Rhysand crossed his arms over the black t-shirt he was wearing. He was dressed casually today, indicating to Kaylee they were heading into the forest. "Once she is stable, Kaylee. He will be comfortable coming home." He offered her his arm. "Amren is already in the clearing we will be using." She took his arm, closing her eyes tightly as he winnowed her away.

They had left Kaylee in the center of the clearing meditating. She was acutely aware of every sound around her. From the rushing water in the creek, to every soft scurry of small rodents around her, Kaylee heard it all.

Even with her eyes closed, she felt as though she was seeing clearly. She was watching the forest move past her slowly from higher than she had ever stood. Strong legs carried what felt like her body. A stable mind moved her without thinking about it's path. She watched as hooved feet moved into a crystal blue lake, enjoying the feeling of the cool water on warm legs.

Two heart beats became one as Kaylee tapped further into that feeling. She focused solely on that rhythm beating into her own chest until it overtook every sense she had left.

And then, to Rhysand and Amren's shock and horror, Kaylee disappeared.

Rhysand ran the clearing, searching in the air for any signs of her, before landing and looked at Amren. "Did she just shatter the shield we had in place?"

Amren smirked, her voice light and airy. "She did. I told you she would. You didn't listen. Idiot."

Rhys immediately called for Cassian and Azriel, cursing himself loudly as Amren smirked and began to walk along the forest line, watching for any indication of the young sister.

While Rhys was too lost in panic causing him to only look for obvious signs, Amren had predicted this day's ago when Kaylee's power first tried to tap into her own being, and then Rhysand's beast form, only to have both of them turn her away. And this was confirmation to one clear thing to Amren, their beasts only turned them away because sweet Kaylee was not strong enough, yet.

Her silver eyes locked on several butterflies and bees, dancing together, twirling together, and flying into the same direction deep into the trees.

Azriel appeared first, his face exhausted from lack of sleep. "What happened?"

Cassian landed at the same with a loud thud, a brow raised at Rhysand. "It happened, didn't it?"

The High Lord nodded slowly before turning to Azriel to explain. "Amren and I have been working with Kaylee to distract her. She started almost tapping into the essence of an animal in the forest after she unknowingly attempted to tap into my beast form."

Rhysand held his hand to Azriel as the shadowsinger immediately began to try to speak. The sun had begun to set, and finding Kaylee was going to be impossible in the dark. "It was almost as if her powers made it so she and this animal could become one being, one mind, one body, one soul."

Rhysand paused. "Yesterday things came to a head. She almost tapped into it fully, but she could not sync something. She became frustrated and we could not figure out why, and she could not express why. Armen suggested quiet meditation today instead of us guiding her, and we learned today what it was. She needed to sync their hearts. As soon as she did, she disappeared. I could not tell what she was linking with before it happened, though."

Azriel felt anger setting in slowly and his shadows immediately left him to search for his mate. "So my mate with powers we do not understand is somewhere in the forest with Gods knows what? Why did no one tell me this was starting? I should have been here! I should have been with her! If you had not ordered me to take care of Elain, I could have been here."

Rhysand wanted to answer but he was interrupted as Amren whistled and pointed up and then to the ground. "The creatures are all heading the same direction." The ancient being began to slowly follow their path. "Are you idiots coming or are you just going to stand there with each other's dicks in your hands?"

They trekked for what Azriel's heart felt like was hours. Every snap of a twig, rustle of leaves, and song of a bird had him on edge.

His Kaylee, his sweet defenseless Kaylee, was somewhere in this forest, a forest he, Cassian, and Rhysand rarely even entered because of the dangers that lay in it. Not even the trees themselves in this forest could be trusted. They almost moved with minds of their own at times, trapping fae within the hallowed ground that these woods have become. It was filled with wildlife that had a taste for blood, lower fae that enjoyed harming others, and countless predators. This was not a safe place for his mate who had hardly begun to use her magic and hardly knew how to fight. Azriel had already made up his mind. If anything happened to Kaylee while she was alone out here, he'd kill Rhysand, and based off the look his brother had just shot him, the High Lord knew that.

Amren was far ahead of them. Watching closely as each bird flew further and further into the heavy bush. She had no choice but to believe they would lead her to the High Lady's youngest sister. After another few miles, she finally paused, stopping them on the edge of another clearing that surrounded a quiet lake.

They were all surrounded by countless animals who seemed to be watching with anxiety and anticipation. Rhysand moved to step closer for the ancient being to turn and growl slightly. "Not a single step closer, boy," her voice was hushed and tight.

There centered in the lake, her long blonde hair completely loose from the tie she previously had it in and blowing gently in the breeze was Kaylee.

She was waist deep into the blue waters, the sunshine was kissing every inch of her skin in golden light. It was as if she was radiating, as if she was almost glittering in her power. It was intoxicating for all of them. Seeing her like this had a small smirk forming on Cassian's face, it had Rhysand's breath hitched in his throat as worry and pride set in, it had Amren feeling her own soul almost buzzing, and something primal and deep in Azriel began to stir, something he hadn't even realized was there until now.

The sight was beautiful, but it was what stood before Kaylee that had Azriel, Cassian, and Rhys on edge. A great creature stood in front of her. It's head lifted in pride and dignity as it looked down at her form.

It towered before her on long sturdy legs lean with muscle, its dark red coat shone with health. It was at least triple her size and could easily harm her if it had wanted to. she barely reached its cream underbelly. The beast released a loud call, making the other animals all seem to flutter with joy. Itss antlers were twisted and numerous. Had they been in Autumn, this would have been a prized buck hunted for sport and hung above a mantle. Here, in its domain, though, it was clear this beast was the King of this forest, and on his head did not sit horns, but a crown.

It commanded respect, and clearly was testing Kaylee to see if she would offer it. Kaylee's right hand slowly raised, and she held it in the air, waiting for the red stag to welcome her touch, allowing it to make a choice. She would not force the being to her, but instead let it decide.

Not a single word came from the fae or animals as the King studied her, evaluating if Kaylee was indeed worthy for him in all of her glowing power. Azriel almost laughed as Amren's hand gripped Rhysand's wrist almost anxiously until Cassian's hand found his, gripping it tightly as well in support and worry.

In minutes that felt like hours, the great antlered animal began to move its head lower to Kaylee, and his decision was made as he put his long nose to Kaylee's palm.

Unknowingly to the four of them, the beast sent Kaylee a single message in the bond that was beginning to form between them. You are enough, little one.

Light came between the two as her skin made contact with his fur. It was white and almost blinding screaming of innocence, of untapped potential. It was warm, welcoming, but fierce in its own right.

"Beast tamer," Amren finally said slowly. "Kaylee is the Cauldron and Mother's beast tamer."

The two beings began to nuzzle each other closer, and Kaylee's forehead came to rest on the King's.

Azriel would have given the world to frame this moment. His mate shining as her powers were finally acknowledged and known. The happiness radiating from her soul. The tranquility between her and this monstrous animal was almost deafening.

His Kaylee, his honeybee, blessed with the powers long lost to the Cauldron.

And in turn, his Kaylee, his mate, cursed by the Mother with powers so ancient they had not been seen since the Gods of old roamed the lands.

Kaylee felt warm wet tears streaming down her face as the stag released another loud call, causing the other animals around them to begin to cry and call in celebration.

It is time to step into your power and responsibility. A deep voice rang into her soul. I am glad to be your first companion on this journey, Kaylee. Now go to your mate. He is terrified.

Kaylee turned around, seeing Amren and Rhysand smirking behind her. Cassian was wearing a beaming smile as he smacked a hand to a stunned Azriel's shoulder. The Little beings of the forest moved, creating a pathway. "Az, I made a new friend."

Azriel moved forward. Stepping into the water and getting close to her. "I can see that, my heart." He moved closer again slowly. "Am I allowed to come get you?"

The king, in response, pushed gently on Kaylee's back, throwing her into Azriel's arms. I will be in the clearing you normally train in tomorrow. He moved with another call, causing the animals to return to their normal lives.

Azriel held Kaylee tightly as they flew back home. Amren had opted to fly with Rhysand ahead of them, looking back at the two of them and Cassian.

Once they landed at the Riverhouse, Azriel did not give Rhysand and Amren a chance to ambush his mate and carried her up the stairs to her room.

He slept in her bed that night, his arms locked tight around her, wings cocooning them in. He fell into a deep sleep, accompanied by dreams of them living in a cabin near that clearing with three small children and countless animals.

Meanwhile, Kaylee's dream was filled with darkness, the only light source coming from the lit torch she was holding. Her footsteps were the only thing she could hear aside from deep, heavy breaths and her own humming.

A huge creature with scaled skin was suddenly looking at Kaylee with one of its black eyes. It roared loudly, teeth bared to her before turning its large head and neck up. Fire erupted along the ceiling, allowing Kaylee to finally see its gargantuan body, rows of jagged sharp teeth, and massive wings. Kaylee woke up screaming in terror for Azriel. Her heart raced as she sat in silence, hand clutched to her chest, breath coming out in uneven shakes.

Azriel was immediately up, comforting his mate as Rhys ran into the room, his eyes wide in disbelief and locked on Kaylee. The high lord and shadowsinger held eye contact. "Kaylee," Rhysand began slowly. "Did you feel a call before you ended up in that cave? Did it feel similar to the buck?" She nodded, trying to calm her racing heart. "Kaylee, look at me. I need you to make sure you do not sync with what you just saw until we have a better understanding of your powers and more control. Bond with it in your dreams, speak with it, but you do NOT sync with it. Am I understood?"

The young sister just nodded. Azriel looked between his brother and his mate before gently touching Kaylee's cheek and moving her head to face him. "Baby, what did you see?"

Kaylee's eyes met Azriel's, they were filled with fear and tears causing his heart to clench. "A dragon." Kaylee took another still deep breath. "I saw a dragon."

Bound by Fate taglist:

@impossibelle @luvmoo @wallacewillow0773638 @nightless @cat-or-kitten @knmendiola

@holb32 @mis-lil-red

#acotar #acotar x reader #azriel acotar #azriel #azriel x reader #azriel x oc #azriel multipart fic #multi part fic

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ghost-proofbaby · 1 day

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since astarion won that poll - y'all got any requests for our friendly neighborhood vamp?

#i have one request that turned into a multipart that i'm writing just to see how it plays out #not really a full blown fic? maybe?#i have one started that just feels a bit sad #i started it around the time i wrote the smutty one so it also feels far too close to being similar to that one where i'm like 'eh'#astarion #astarion x reader #astarion x tav #yes im using those tags for reach #it can be anonymous but if it's smutty i prefer you to *not* be on anon

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blackholelynn · 1 year

Text

His Salvation - Part Five

<- Read Part Four

Summary: You have left your old life behind and started over with Dean, but you soon realize that you know almost nothing about the hunter you now live with.

Pairings: Dean Winchester x Reader

Word Count: 3.3k

A/N: Hello!! It's been a while! I'm just going to plop this here and slink away because I have no excuses. This is literally done and has been for months, SO SORRY!!! Life just be like that sometimes, so I will see you all on the next update (whenever my dysfunctional brain allows me).

Series Tag List: @leigh70

Dean Winchester/Jensen Ackles Tag List: @siospins2

Supernatural Tag List: @hobby27

Also cross-posted on my AO3 account, you can read it here!

~~~

"Damn it!" Dean cursed, swiping at the spell set up on the war room table. The components went clattering across the floor, scattering across the concrete. The older Winchester stepped away from the table and continued to seeth towards the wall, but the damage was already done.

Sam stooped his tall frame over to gather the debris, not surprised by the outcome. "We've tried every location spell we can think of, and she hasn't come up yet. Dean--"

"She's not dead." Dean's voice cracked as he tacked on, "She can't be."

"That wasn't what I was suggesting. Some of these spells locate a person even if they are dead, so that's not the issue here."

"Then what do you think it is?"

Sam sighed as he emptied his hands of the failed spell and sat down in one of the chairs while crossing his arms. "The only thing I can think of that would hide her this well is an angel brand."

"You're thinking Cas?" Dean's disbelief was unmistakable. Considering the last time he had seen you two together, you clearly had not gotten along, so it was a stretch to think that the two of you would be helping each other. “There’s no way. Those two were practically at each other’s throats when they met.”

“I’m not saying anything for sure, but if it’s not Cas, then another angel is helping her.”

The thought of another angel being around you shot Dean into action, and without another thought, he pulled out his phone and started dialing. Ignoring Sam’s querent expression, Dean listened to the dial tone with his breath caught in his throat. This was his last resort, the very last thing he could think of.

The voice on the other end of the phone had its usual exhausted quality. “What do you want?”

“Kevin, we need your help with something. I need you to figure out if there are any ways to get past angel branding.”

“Dean, I’m not your little bitch. I’m still in the middle of translating the Demon Tablet for the last trial, so–”

“I don’t care what the hell you’re doing. Whatever you’re doing, drop it. This is more important,” Dean snapped, immediately regretting the words as soon as they came out of his mouth.

Before he could even voice an apology, Kevin retaliated, “Oh, more important than shutting the gates of hell forever? More important than me getting my life back? Please, enlighten me on what’s so important.”

His similar wording only brought the memory of your argument back again, worsening the guilt he was already feeling. “We need to find someone.”

“You better be looking for God if it’s that important.” After a silence, Kevin asked, “Is that who you’re looking for?”

Dean groaned and ran a hand down his face before slamming that hand on the table in a fist. “I don’t have time to debate this with you! I just need to know if there’s anything in the Demon Tablet that can get past the angel branding for a location spell!”

Sam rolled his eyes and stood up, wrenching the phone from his brother’s hand. Sam took the conversation to another room, and all Dean could hear was the hushed, apologetic tone his brother held as he continued talking to Kevin. This left Dean alone in the room to pace and feel like he was crawling out of his skin.

He never thought he would be comfortable bringing someone into his life, especially after what happened to Lisa and Ben, but you had broken down every wall he had thought he built up so well. Now that you were so close, it was hard for him to cope with you being apart.

Abruptly, Sam entered the room again and loudly set the phone on the table, giving Dean a chastising glare. “I smoothed things over.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Dean asked defensively.

“You were being a dick,” Sam responded simply. Before Dean could even formulate his retort, Sam laid down a notepad on the table with a loud slap. It has a list of ingredients scribbled hastily down the piece of paper. "But Kevin came through for us. You sure you want to do this?"

Dean snatched up the notebook, eagerly reading the list of ingredients despite his unfamiliarity with spells. "Of course. Do we have all this stuff?"

Sam nodded. "I just checked, and yep. Pantry's fully stocked."

"Then let's get this show on the road!"

Dean was out of his seat before the other Winchester could even process what was said, but Sam quickly trailed after him to the library. The two were silent with concentration as they gathered the spell's components. It required some particularly rare ingredients, but thankfully the Men of Letters were a group that was seldom caught unprepared; their stock of materials was extensive.

Dean stood pensively at the side of the room as he watched Sam stir together the ingredients above the map they had spread on the table. The mixture in the container was brown and had the consistency of sludge. After what seemed like forever, Sam stopped stirring the components and swiftly turned the container upside down above the paper map.

When the concoction plopped unceremoniously onto the paper with no reaction, Dean surged forward. "Is that it?"

"I…I don't know?" When Sam caught Dean's disapproving glare, he continued defensively. "Kevin just gave me the instructions! He didn't tell me how it would work!"

"Are you kidding me, Sammy? You didn't think to ask how we would know if it worked? So now we don't know if the spell was a bust because she's warded too much or because you mixed up a tablespoon with a teaspoon!"

"I didn't mess up the spell!"

"Considering it looks like a sewer vomited on our map, I'd say you messed up the spell."

"No, I followed Kevin's instructions to a T."

"We'll, thank God we called Kevin!" Dean sarcastically huffed, throwing his hands up and turning away. "How could we go without making whatever the hell that is?!"

"Dean?"

The older Winchester was nowhere near done with his tirade. "You know, we make sure that kid is safe and that Crowley's goons don't get to him, and what's our reward?"

"Dean."

"Oh, right. A pile of brown ooze when we asked for a location spell. Because why would we ever need an actual spell? Might as well just give us the recipe for fake dog shi–"

"Dean!" Sam interrupted, and when his brother turned around, Sam pointed at the map. The thick concoction had spread itself out on the map leaving only a tiny area completely untouched. "Looks like it worked."

For the first time in days, Dean grinned and clapped his hands together, calling out as he left the room, "Pack your bags, Sammy! And make sure to remind me to buy Kevin a steak dinner or something!"

Sam looked down at the pristine spot on the map, a current of unease washing through him. What happened that hid you from their other spells, and if you were that thorough, should they really still be looking? Before Sam could think about it anymore, he took a mental note of the location and crumpled up the map.

It swished into the garbage can as he passed, going to pack his bag as instructed so they could head back out onto the road.

Once again, you were sitting in a library in front of a computer for far too long. Because of Castiel's absolute inability to use a computer, that job fell to you while he combed the bookshelves. You could see him from where you sat, and he was sitting at one of the tables surrounded by stacks of books. His brow was knit in intense concentration.

Focus.

Your brain chastised you for the millionth time since you had begun your Google journey to get back on track. Your focus was nearly non-existent, quickly getting lost in your tumultuous thoughts. It was taking every excuse to avoid the task you needed to be doing.

You wrenched your eyes to the computer screen and continued scrolling through the search results. You were sure you'd know the ins and outs of how to best use a search engine by the time all was said and done. You barely got through another page of blue links before your mind wandered again.

This time it was as though your brain was torturing you as one wrong gust of AC caused the smell of Dean to be noticeable from the flannel you wore. It was only a moment, so short of a time that you weren't even sure if you really had smelled it or if you were just remembering, but the smell launched you into a memory.

Shortly after you had started living with the Winchesters in the bunker, you had decided to make dinner for them both as a surprise. It wasn't special, considering that they never kept any actual groceries in stock, but it was something. You vividly remembered how Dean looked at you like you were his whole world at that moment. It was exhilarating, wonderful, and…terrifying. That wasn't something you remembered feeling in the moment, but looking back, it scared you to be so important to someone so soon into the relationship.

"Hello?" Castiel's gruff voice snapped you back to reality, and you saw a weathered book open on your keyboard. When he saw how dazed you were, you could see a note of concern cross his face. "Are you alright?"

You nodded profusely, turning all of your attention to the book as a means of deflection. "Yeah, all good. What did you find?"

Castiel paused as he continued surveying you, not entirely convinced. However, you ignored the angel's worries and continued skimming over the book. It was open to a Nordic poem, and after reading a few lines, you caught a word you knew – draugr.

You grimaced in disgust. "Ew. Please tell me this isn't the monster we're dealing with."

"You've had previous encounters with them? I thought this was your first time hunting alone?"

"They're not obscure! They're in an Elder Scrolls game, so yeah, I know what they are." You closed the book and handed it back to Castiel before typing 'draugr' into the search bar. You pointed to one of the pictures that depicted the game model of a rotting corpse with glowing blue eyes. "That thing. They kind of suck to deal with at really low levels."

Castiel narrowed his eyes and peered closer at the screen before shaking his head. "I believe we're looking for something more closely resembling myth."

"Well, obviously. I wasn't suggesting this thing was strutting around town unnoticed." You thumbed at the picture on the monitor before switching to the web page results, scrolling through the different links. "It is definitely going to make finding info hard, though."

"In this passage I found, it describes the draugr taking the shape of a cat, and while the victim was sleeping, the cat sat on the man's chest and suffocated him. That would be consistent with the injuries we saw on the bodies."

His tone made you look around the library nervously, and when you were satisfied that you hadn't drawn suspicion, you chided Castiel, "You can't say things like that so loud. We're in public."

"Regardless, I think a machete is our best option."

"Okay, number one: what did I just say!" You shut off your computer and stood, leading the oblivious man away from people and out of the library. The fact that you hadn't checked out the book in his hand escaped you in your haste. "And number two: how is a machete going to help?"

Castiel shrugged you off him now that you were both on the sidewalk and opened the book back up, pointing to an excerpt of text. "It says here that the draugr was slain when a warrior cut off its head while it was preying on its victim. A machete is typically the best weapon for decapitation."

"Oh. Wonderful." Your sarcasm flew over Castiel's head, but you didn't linger on that sentiment long. "I guess that means we've gotta find ourselves a cat."

"Why?"

"You said it yourself, angel boy. It found all its victims by being a cat, so we shouldn't be any different. We find it, take it home, I go to sleep while you pretend to leave, and then you give it a particularly close haircut before it can off me." You were already striding down the sidewalk to your car, eager to go on the search for stray cats. "A perfect plan, really. I see no flaws."

"I see several," Castiel remarked as he followed after you.

"Well, I didn't ask, now did I?"

He got into the car after you with only a harumph, and you didn't speak for a while. The silence let you start to reminisce again, analyzing every moment in the bunker for the past few months. How many times did you ignore your brain screaming at you that everything was too soon? How many times had you looked past Dean's brooding? How often did you struggle to be alone because if you were alone, then you thought about Laurie and the nixie?

Your brain swam with different questions and reflections until Castiel asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," you quickly denied. Your eyes focused on the road ahead to avoid his blue ones staring intently at you.

"I can tell it's about something you regret. I know that look all too well." Castiel let a moment of silence pass before he spoke again to give you the chance to admit it. "You don't have to talk about it, but denying that you're caught up in your thoughts is pointless. I have had that same spiral down myself."

"I just don't know if you'd get it since you're an angel and all." You did not want to have a gossip session with an angel, much less an angel that you were pretty sure was Dean's best friend. That seemed like the worst option at that time.

You could see Castiel's head cock in confusion in your peripheral vision. "What would I not 'get'?"

"You know…" you trailed off, but he didn't know. You'd have to explain it. "Feelings. Romantic ones, specifically."

"Ah. Romance. I actually do know a thing or two about that. Nothing meaningful, but I've had my fair share of–"

You quickly cut him off from whatever escapades he was about to describe. "Okay, we are not close enough yet for you to be telling me about your heavenly one-night stands, but I appreciate the attempt at bonding."

"None of them were in Heaven."

"Great to know that you angels aren't boning up there, Cas, but it's not the point."

Suddenly, your angel companion grew silent, and you were unsure why the conversation had stopped so abruptly. Considering its direction, you were far from complaining, but Castiel's sudden silence created some concern. You were starting to put aside the bad first impression you had and were beginning to enjoy the company.

You spotted an alley teeming with cats and pulled over to investigate, but before either of you got out of the car, you asked, "Did I say something to upset you? I'm sorry if I did."

"No, you said nothing wrong," Castiel replied, though he looked as though he was only half there with you in the car. The dazed look in his eye signaled that his thoughts were somewhere else.

"I guess you do know that look. You have it right now." You shut off the ignition and turned in your seat to face him. Castiel met your inquisitive gaze, and you parroted, "You don't have to talk about it, but denying that you're caught up in your thoughts is pointless."

One corner of his mouth quirked up as you repeated his words, and he chuckled a bit. "We have more in common than I thought we had upon meeting."

"Yeah, I'm starting to get that too. We both have the 'I don't know what the hell I'm doing' vibe."

"Vibe? As in vibration?"

"Well, no…not exactly?" You cut off your explanation, realizing that you had to stay on track. "The point is that we can help each other. You've already helped me a little bit with figuring my mess out. Let me help you."

Castiel hesitated but nodded. "That logic does make sense, but we should continue while searching for the draugr. We don't have much time to waste."

"I like the way you think! Multi-tasking is a crucial skill." You opened the car door, quickly surveying the alley in front of you. Some of its feline inhabitants skittered away with the approach of your car, but most of them still resided in the alley.

One cat, in particular, caught your eye because he was so fat and fluffy, and although you were pretty sure he wasn't the cat you were looking for, you wanted to try and approach him anyway. Your conversation with Castiel was quickly forgotten as you inched closer and closer to the cat, making sure your steps were light, and your form was hunched.

You were just a hair's breadth away from touching the cat's silky fur when Castiel said, "I don't think that's the cat we're looking for."

The cat scurried away at the sound of Castiel's voice, leaving you standing with your hand outstretched, and you quietly sighed, "No. No, it wasn't, but it would've been nice to pet."

"I see…" Castiel stiffly followed you into the alley. He looked so out of place among the garbage cans, litter, and stray cats, and it was clear he was pensive. You had assumed it was about your surroundings until he said, "It had caught me off guard when you called me Cas."

You didn't look away from the next cat you were slowly stalking towards, but you still held an apologetic expression on your face. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize it would upset you."

"I'm not upset," he quickly clarified. He awkwardly mimicked your posture to a nearby cat which quickly became frightened and scurried off as well. "I just had not expected you to call me that. Sam and Dean are the only ones who do so frequently."

"Do you miss them? It doesn't seem like you're around the bunker much, but the way you've talked, you were all really close."

"I would say…" The angel seemed to analyze his own feelings at that time like he had never thought about it before. "Yes. I do miss them. Although, ultimately, it has been my decisions that have made our time together few and far between."

You hummed in understanding, identifying heavily with his sentiment. "You ever think about going back to the bunker and staying there with Sam and Dean?"

"Not–" Castiel's sentence was abruptly cut off as he held his breath, finally getting close enough to pet one of the cats. His mouth pressed into a concentrated line before he sighed and stood, allowing the feline to skitter away – not the draugr. He continued, "Not very often anymore. I don't think it's the right place for me."

"How do we find the right place?"

"I don't know."

Your conversation petered until you saw a particularly malnourished cat sitting away from the rest, carefully cleaning its mangy fur. It showed no hesitation or fear as you approached, and once your hand made contact with it, you knew it was the draugr you were looking for.

You picked up the cat and carried it back towards the car, saying to Castiel as you passed, "We got 'em. Now time for the plan."

Castiel followed you wordlessly back to the car, and although you had just been in a disgusting alley trolling around garbage for feral cats, he had actually had fun. So had you. For the first time in months, you started feeling like you had a handle on your life again.

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nostalgia-tblr · 15 days

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regretting convincing myself another multi-chapter was "a good idea" and "fun," stuck worrying about the need to update it and the need to finish it in a reasonable timeframe.

#i don't think it's made me resent fandom's focus on multichapters any less either :S now i resent both that AND the fact i am writing one.#am i betraying the noble oneshot? am i admitting they're “not proper fics”? why am i even worrying about this stuff?#the complete multiparter will still be considered a short bitesized fic by the standard of everyone else's 300k that they wrote in a week :#meanwhile i feel like my current writing style is a bit too wordy and tending towards bloatedness so idk where to go from here #think i'm still vaguely unsettled by that “can you write an AU in only 5000 words?!?!” tumblr challenge a while ago #seems like everyone else writes lord of the rings on their first go and readers subscribe to everything assuming it'll get more chapters #ffs of all the things to feel insecure about why am i bothered by WORDCOUNTS?!#fic related #worrying about writing

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wooahaes · 8 months

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#BTW WONWOO IS NOT AN OPTION since i wrote lonely hearts club for him. unless theres serious uproar lmao #maybe someday in the future haha but i dont wanna do another multipart fic for him w a chubby fem reader #wooahaes.poll

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patchwork-crow-writes · 9 months

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A Heart, Brimming With Light

Part 1: Endings and Beginnings

He had always known this day would come.

The adventure was finished. The threat of the Roaring had been averted. And the balance between Light and Dark had been restored. Their immediate purpose fulfilled, the darkners visiting from their respective worlds had been returned to their rightful places, to continue their roles as assistants to the lightners that had need of them.

And now, there was only one thing left to do.

Something much more difficult, more painful, than forcing a Titan back. Something he'd always known he'd have to do since meeting them. Something he'd managed to put off wondering about, something he'd almost succeeded in convincing himself couldn't possibly happen until suddenly it was happening and Ralsei had no idea what to do or how to be when the two most important people in his short, sad life - the most important person to him - were ready to shrug off the mantle of "heroes" as easily as if it were a tatty overcoat, and go back to their humdrum, enchanted lives as teenagers.

'Hey, cheer up Ralsei,' said Susie, knocking his shoulder gently with a clawed fist and shooting him a toothy grin. 'Y'know we're gonna be coming straight back here after school tomorrow, right? So ya better have somethin' absolutely freaking DELICIOUS for us when we get here!'

He clutched the spot where she made contact, pretending to wince. She rolled her eyes, but snorted in approval when he broke out into a wide smile and a sly wink.

'Of course, Susie!' he chirped, 'it would be my pleasure. Is there, um, any flavour you would prefer…?'

'How 'bout you surprise us? It's no fun if you just TELL us what it's gonna be in advance! Right Kris?'

All eyes fell onto the human, looking for their response. But it seemed as if they hadn't heard her. Their head was bowed slightly, as if daydreaming.

'…Kris?' said Susie, waving a hand in front of their face. 'Hey, Kris, you in there?'

'It's, um… it's okay,' said Ralsei, gently lowering her arm with a pat. 'I'm… sure they're just tired after everything that's happened. Some rest will do them some good, I'm sure.'

'Arright, DAD. Whatever you say. So, big ass cake tomorrow, yeah? To celebrate our win and all that crap.'

The caprine hummed quietly, but something in his expression must have leaked through, because his friend's eyebrow lifted slightly and her exuberent smile became a terse frown.

'…hey, uh, Ralsei. Is everythin'…'

'You… don't have to.'

Susie blinked. 'Don't… have to what?'

'Come back here tomorrow.'

'But hey… wait, what? You kidding, toothpaste boy? Why wouldn't we, huh?'

He did his best to repress a sigh. She really was the best… even if she'd never admit as much. And his heart sank just that little bit lower.

'…Kris isn't the only one who's tired,' he said. 'That last fight… took a lot out of all of us. I'm barely holding it together myself right now, haha. And I know you're putting on a superb facade, Susie, but… well, you need rest too. We all do, I think. So, why don't we give tomorrow, um, a miss and you can come back here the day after, hm?'

'But that's Sunday, dude. And besides, I ain't tired at all! You nerds just can't keep up with my… my--'

The dragoness's maw hinged open to let forth a mighty yawn, almost roarlike in its ferocity. Then she seemed to realise what she was doing halfway through, and clamped her jaws shut with a snap.

'…liar,' Ralsei smirked, adjusting his glasses.

'Yeah WELL,' she intoned through clenched teeth, 'It's cause you're all so BORING and shit. All "you should give hugs more often, Susie", and "look after your wellbeing, Susie". You're really annoying, and boring, and lame, and I… I, uhh…'

Another yawn cut her tirade short.

'…okay FINE I guess I am a little tired. Happy now?'

The prince gave her a smile, taking her hand in his before she could withdraw it. Ahh, how warm her touch, how soothing the feel of her hand enveloping his! If only he could somehow reach across destiny and take hold of his friends whenever he wished… if only he could know that warmth until the end of time… maybe then, he could bear what had to come next.

'Rest well, both of you,' said the prince softly. 'And thank you both so much for everything you've done. You're every bit the heroes I thought you'd be. A-and I, um… well, I'll miss… I mean, I'll… see you soon. Okay?'

'You got it, man,' replied Susie, returning the smile.

Then, Ralsei turned to Kris, who still seemed lost in thought. He deliberated for a moment, before unwinding his scarf and handing it to them.

'Something to remember our time together by,' he said. 'Take… um, take good care of it. Okay?'

They stared at it for a moment, seeming baffled by the gesture, and the prince was afraid they might not accept it. But then, they seemed to understand, and reached out to gently take the bundle of fabric from his hands. Their fingers brushed lightly against his skin, in a slow way that almost made it seem deliberate. But Ralsei had never been good at reading Kris's mood or intent., not even at this last vital juncture.

'W-well,' he said, no longer able to hide his cheeks flushed pink,'I, um… think it suits you, Kris…'

He was cut short as they scooped him up into a tight hug, and the rosy glow upon Ralsei's face became burning scarlet. The refreshing scent of apples washed through the prince's nostrils, and a hint of something else, that unmistakable Kris-scent that reminded him so much of a home he lost long ago.

To have lost it once was unfortunate. To lose it all over again, like this…

'Hey… Hey Ralsei,' said Susie, 'You just gonna give Kris your scarf and not give ME anything?! What gives, dude?'

'You've already extorted a cake from me, in case you forgot,' he replied, still glowing from Kris's embrace. 'This way, you have something to, um, look forward to when you come back! And if you still want a scarf for yourself, then… well, I'll knit you one, how's that sound?'

Susie tch'd, rolling her eyes. 'Yeah, I mean I GUESS that's fine…'

'Good! Then… well, you'd best be going, hadn't you? It wouldn't do to keep all your friends and family waiting, would it now?'

'Yeah, yeah, we hear ya,' Susie waved a claw lazily at him. 'C'mon Kris, let's leave his royal highness alone for a bit, if that's what he wants.'

No, he wanted to scream. No, it's not! Stay, please, just for another minute! Don't step back into the light, because when you do…

The lightners' shadows grew long as they stepped towards the doorway back to their world, footsteps echoing in the void between them, louder than the frantic beating of Ralsei's breaking heart.

'Good-bye, my beloved friends…' he whispered to their backs, as light swallowed their forms without trace. 'I wish you nothing but happiness and love, back where you belong…'

Kris turned, scarf clutched tightly in their hands, and opened their mouth as if to say something in return.

And then, the light flickered, faded, and was gone. And the only sound that could be heard in the darkness then was the lonely prince's faint, broken sobbing.

____________________________________________________________

A day passed. Two days. A week. And the lightners did not return.

His footsteps echoed through the forlorn castle, the stonework creaking with old memories. He shouldn't have been surprised. He shouldn't have been so bitterly crushed by it. The truth was self-evident - darkness and light could never mix for long, except during times of great need. With that need now fulfilled, the light would cleanse their memories of their adventures, of the hardships and triumphs they had shared…

…and of him, as well.

This was not a secret to Ralsei. He had known this would happen from the moment of his inception, and he had acknowledged it as an immutable law of the cosmos. It was for the good of all worlds, after all, and that knowledge would sustain him in his loneliness.

But a spark had ignited in his heart, which corroded that unfeeling logic and overturned all rational thought. The deathly light of hope burned Ralsei, small but blindingly bright amidst the otherwise-unbroken abyss of the dark world, a fire that comforted him with the faint possibilty that they might yet return, even as it chilled him with the disappointment that they would likely never think of him ever again.

It was a light that could not hope to survive contact with reality. But no matter how hard he tried, the Prince of the Dark could not completely extinguish it. And so it seared him anew each day, wearing away at his resolve and driving him to resentment at his cruel fate.

What reward was this, for helping to save reality? To have his heart filled and buoyed up by love and friendship, only to have it sink back into the primordial nothingness? Where was the fairness in that?

Next to this monstrous injustice, no memory could offer succour, no matter how wonderful it was.

Finally, he arrived at his destination. The crooked blue door had faded slightly - its purpose long-since fulfilled, it was now destined to return to the formless dark that had created this world. But Ralsei still had need of it, and would not let it fade without one final purpose.

The room beyond was achingly empty. Gone were the bedside tables and drawers, that had been piled high with shiny trinkets and thoughtful gifts. Gone was the large wardrobe off in the corner, which contained every conceivable outfit that a young person working themself out could ever hope for. Gone was the immaculate bed, soft as a waking dream, and the trophy-stacked shelves that had hung dangerously over it. Gone were the stars, placed there by the prince's own hand and imbued with gentle magic that made them twinkle so prettily in the dark….

Now, it was just an empty room, its bare walls scrubbed of all sentiment. Providence had been thorough and efficient in disposing of its props when they were no longer called for, and it was only through a tremendous force of will that Ralsei had been able to keep hold of this forlorn shell from slipping into oblivion. Here, then, was the very last space in this world that tied him back to the light; back, however tenuously, to Kris.

He set down some objects on the floor, carefully laying them out as if they were each divine relics… which from a certain point of view, they were. Objects that had been gathered together on his many adventures with the lightners, appropriated for their seeming significance, though he'd hardly understood why at the time. But now he knew, and it was with great apprehension and anticipation that he set them out in preparation for his ritual.

A moth-eaten jumper, its green and yellow stripes faded by time. Gloves and socks, all of completely different colours, patterns and sizes, that had been lost over the years behind chests of drawers and computer desks. A small shock of brown hair, the only surviving memento of a disasterous attempt at a self-haircut. A well-worn pencil that had been chewed and sharpened down to a misshapen nub. And tying it all together, a heart-shaped box of tooth-decaying, gut-destroying chocolates, wrapped up pretty with a large blue ribbon.

Ralsei cast a weary eye over the arrangement. All junk, all of it. No longer worthy of purpose, the dark did not bless them with form or thought. But he would give them new purpose, and with it would come new form, and new thought. Such would be his final act as Prince of the Dark.

…well then. No more stalling.

Standing before the display, clasping his hands together as tightly as he could manage, Ralsei closed his eyes and prayed. Almost at once his magic responded, manifesting as smoky wisps of green that trailed through the air around him. Once a spell for healing, he had turned it to a new function, and the cords of his will snaked their way down to the effigy lying at his feet, clinging to clothes and hair and heart-shaped object like stubborn memories that refused to die.

They meant nothing to anyone. No-one would miss them. But gathered here now, bathed in a pallid glow, they meant something to Ralsei. They meant so much to him. He would use that power - the very same power that had breathed life into him, oh so long ago. And he would never, ever be lonely again.

Something tugged at the forefront of his mind, and he felt the magic streaming from his body run taut - a connection had been established. He willed himself to remain calm, to not become overexcited - seconds later, however, his burgeoning joy dipped into concern, and then panic, as the spell, greedy for more power, began to draw yet more energy from his form. The prince tried to pull it back, to stem the onrushing tide, but to no avail.

Could he have miscalculated? He had known there was a risk, that no darkner alive could hope to harness the scope of magicks required to perform such a blasphemous act. But such depth of feeling coursed through him, such longing and such heartbreak, that he had assumed would suffice for his purposes. He had not reckoned upon his own creation attempting to wrest it from him in its formative moments.

The tide of power became an unstoppable storm surge, draining into the prone body and disappearing without trace. Viscous pain poured crimson from Ralsei's chest, spreading through his body like an out-of-control conflagration, as every last drop of his energy and focus was siphoned into the rogue spell. And as his mind grew hazy and his vision blurred, a strange resignation washed over him.

It didn't matter what happened to him, really. This, after all, was an act of profound love. If he had to die so that his masterwork could live… in a way, it would be like immortality, of a sort. His energy, his will, would live on through them. And that wouldn't be so bad, now would it…?

Then… CRACK.

The psychic blowback from the spell's breaking sent Ralsei careening backwards, almost as far as the doorway leading to the rest of the castle. There he lay, dazed and bewildered, while the world around him spun and swayed like a jittering carousel. The pain from earlier seemed very far away and unimportant, until suddenly it was upon him again, collecting in his lungs and manifesting in a shuddering coughing fit. Then, once he had ejected the worst of it from himself, the fatigue rushed in to take its place, filling him with a cool torpor that pinned him in place.

What had happened? Clearly the exertion hadn't killed him - he was much too alive for that - but why had the connection shattered so abruptly? He had never experienced such a thing before - there again, he had never attempted something that required so much energy as this. To heal was merely to repair what already existed - you had a template to follow. But this - attempting to create something entirely new - this was the work of a god, and would require equivalent levels of determination and power.

Had… had his grand experiment failed…? Was he truly destined to remain alone for the rest of his life, waiting for the Quiet to overcome him as it would everything else?

He heard it before he saw it - the rustling of clothes, the scraping of a soft hand against rugged stone, a sharp, deep intake of breath. Then, footsteps, stomping and irregular, growing louder, louder… still louder…

And then, a face loomed into vision. So familiar and yet… etched onto that angelic visage was an expression of clear concern and fear, eyes shimmering with questions, deep sadness and curiosity and love, all at once. An unseen hand squeezed his paw, sending warmth running through the prince's ice-cold veins.

'…are you okay…?' the person asked.

Ralsei attempted to say something back, his quivering heart fit to shatter completely, but could only manage the first syllable before darkness overtook him and he knew no more.

'Kr…'

#writing #fiction #fanfiction #Deltarune #Ralsei #kris dreemurr #susie deltarune #postgame setting #Romance #angst #abandonment #loneliness #longing #original character #...sort of #my first multipart fic for quite a while #hope you enjoy it :)

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