Obey Me Borrower Snippet

This week I'm posting a snippet I apparently wrote two years ago??? Dang time flies. This is a short lil' borrower drabble for the Obey Me fandom about when Mammon suspects someone is stealing his stuff.

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Mammon, despite what his brothers might think, wasn’t stupid. He only cared enough to put his brain to use when it benefitted him. Give him the right incentive, and Mammon could do anything. So when his stuff started disappearing from the privacy of his own sacred bedroom? Well, it was only a matter of time before the avatar of greed caught the culprit and reclaimed what was rightfully his. 

At first, Mammon had taken the obvious route of accusing every single one of his brothers, earning several various bouts of anger in return. Asmo insisted he was above such a petty crime, Satan was nearly brought to fists at the mere accusation, and no matter how many anime figures he held hostage Levi refused to admit to touching any one of Mammon’s own precious trinkets. Beel, with his bottomless stomach but wide open heart could never tell a lie to save his life. He blatantly denied touching a single crumb of Mammon’s secret snack pile. (Of course, not a great idea to reveal to Beel the existence of said secret snack pile, but Mammon would cross that bridge another time). Belphie was still on the exchange program in the human world, and Lucifer…

Okay, admittedly, he hadn’t asked Lucifer. 

By then it was time to move on to plan B: cameras. Reviewing the evidence, it was clear there was some sort of vermin traipsing about his space! No way that was gonna fly! Mammon was furious. What, a lil’ mouse thought it could waltz right into his bedroom and take whatever it pleased? Immediately the cogs in Mammon’s mind got spinning, working overtime to devise a way to rid himself of his tiny thief problem. 

And that’s what led to this triumphant day: Mammon slammed open his bedroom door, looking oh so pleased with himself as the bell continued to jangle and indicate his trap had caught something.

“Gotcha!” He proclaimed, strutting over to the covered box. “You stupid little rat, betcha thought you could outsmart me, huh? HA! No one steals from the great Mammon and gets away with it! I’m gonna dismantle whatever little nest you’ve hidden away my treasures in, and as for you, ya nuisance, I’m gonna-” Mammon ripped the cover off, his sentence petering off as he peered into the trap. “...huh?”

Inside the trap was not the rat or mouse he had been expecting. Instead, it appeared to be… a human? Did humans come this small? 

“Oi!” Mammon yanked the cage up by its handle, bringing it to eye level and throwing its occupant to the ground. “What the heck is this? Who are ya and why are you so punny?” 

Why, this girl couldn’t be larger than Mammon’s hand, and she just sat there trembling and gazing back up at him. He frowned, giving the cage a good shake and jostling her further.

“Hello? I’m talking to you, bite sized!” Mammon sneered, still infuriated at all his stuff going missing. “What’s up with ya? And hey, what’s the big idea, coming in here and stealin’ what doesn’t belong to you? HUH? Ever thought about that?”

“I-I…” She gaped like a fish, her tiny frightened voice no higher than a whisper.

“Maybe I outta teach you a lesson.” Mammon huffed, reaching up to fiddle with the spring lock. 

“No! Please!” She cried out, but Mammon snapped her up with deft fingers. She was absolutely miniature in his hand, like holding a frightened lil’ bird. And just like a canary, she began to sing, hurriedly explaining herself as if her life depended on it. “I’m sorry, I- we’re only supposed to take what won’t be noticed, I never meant for-”

“What, so that makes it okay to steal from me?” Mammon argued, a bit peeved that someone was using the same logic he used to justify taking his brother’s valuables and selling them online. 

The little person frantically shook her head. “No, no I know it doesn’t, but I was just hungry, and you hadn’t touched it for a few days, and-”

“And what?” Mammon scrunched up his nose. “You decided to scrounge around for scraps? Gross! Why didn’t you just head to the kitchen instead of being a sneaky freeloader?”

The intruder just blinked up at him. “I… I’m not exactly a welcome guest.”

“Sure ya are.” Mammon declared. There was no way in hell he was gonna let this lil’ freeloader continue to just leech off him. If they were gonna stick around, Mammon was gonna make them everyone’s problem. “C’mon, I’ll show you where Lucifer hides the good stuff.” Mammon explained, heading out towards the kitchen.

Geralt the Giant Pt. 1

New Witcher AU where Witchers are Giants and hella badass and more reclusive than usual so not everyone knows they even exist.

Summary: Jaskier, new out of bard college and without a muse, goes wandering the continent and hears tale of Giant monster slayers. He doesn't believe it, until one night when he's nearly killed by one himself.

AO3 Link here

It all started when Jaskier was down on his luck in a charming backwater town called Posada. The lovely people of this tavern didn’t seem to appreciate Jaskier’s wonderful lyrics about abortions. Arguably, the words themselves were clever enough, but the content was admittedly dry. It wasn’t the bard’s fault- while studying at Oxenfurt, Jaskier learned how to play just about every instrument in existence with a focus on the lute, and also could identify any musical note with his pitch perfect hearing. But figuring out what to write about in his songs? Well, that’s the very reason why the academy sent bards off to discover their muse, and so far all Jaskier had discovered were muddy roads and piss poor ale. Hardly masterpiece quality.

But as Jaskier was shoveling bread into his trousers (a bribe from angry patrons who threw it at the stage in hopes of shutting him up), Jaskier’s perfect ears happened to overhear a conversation of note happening at the bar.

“A giant, you say?” Jaskier butted into the conversation, ignoring the irritated glares both parties sent in his direction. “He sounds quite intriguing.”

“Leave the fantasies in stories, bard.” The man who was sitting there and started the tale spat. “This giant is no man. It’s a beast, over a 100 storeys tall, destroying everything in its path-”

“Goodness, 100 storeys? Really?” Jaskier had already whipped out his songbook and was jotting this down. “Did you measure it yourself, then? Or am I not the only one guilty of a bit of exaggeration around here?”

The Crossover No One Asked For But Got Anyway Pt. 5

@showrunnerihardlyknowher owns Edix. Markus and Caden are my bois. AO3 Link Here

This is Pt 5: Caden Deserves Love

Word count: 1,431

Caden’s entire world had been turned upside down. Here was a creature who abandoned him one moment, plunged him in the river the next, and now coddled him against his chest? Edix was an unknown, a stranger who frightened Caden. He didn’t know what to expect with Edix, and that made him dangerous. Caden felt absolutely terrified in his presence, like his heart was that of a jackrabbit.

And yet… as Caden was held against Edix's chest, he couldn’t help but note that Markus never held him like this. There was a gentleness to Edix’s movements that Caden had never experienced before. What was this feeling, this warmth in his chest as Edix fretted and petted over him? It was unfamiliar, but not unwelcome.

Caden shifted, squirming a bit as his wet clothing rubbed uncomfortably. “Ah … I’m sorry.” Caden apologized, looking forward again towards Edix’s chest, too embarrassed to face the giant directly.

“Hmm?” Edix stroked a hand down Caden’s back, calming the human further. Edix’s own pet was never this docile. “Whatever for?”

“I…” Caden didn’t have an answer for that, but clearly he must have done something wrong in the first place to get thrown into the river. In lieu of an answer, Caden merely shrugged, not wanting to remind Edix of anything that he may or may not have done wrong.

Before Edix could prod more for an answer, a loud rumbling noise could be heard emanating from Edix’s stomach. Caden startled, surprised by the sudden sensation vibrating through him from the close proximity. At the sight of Caden’s expression, Edix laughed, further displacing the human.

“It seems I’ll have to look for something to eat.” Edix observed, standing up with the human still in his hands. Caden shuddered, hoping he was not on the menu. Several creatures of the forest would quickly make a meal of a little morsel like Caden, and Edix’s sharp fangs were no joke. Thankfully Edix’s attention had turned away from him, instead focused on heading back the way they came to scour around the abandoned campsite.

“I-I think we’ve got jerky!” Caden was quick to offer, wanting to ensure he was off the list of edible items. Hopefully Markus had anything even remotely edible in the satchel that was left behind. “Possibly some bread as well, though it would be a bit stale now. Usually Markus keeps a day's worth of rations on hand to tide us over.”

Edix nodded as if he was listening, already setting Caden down to sort through the bag himself. “He’s a hunter?” Edix observed, pulling a few instruments out that confirmed this suspicion. The amount of sharp objects and tripwire packed in a single bag was quite impressive. For now, Edix set these aside, focused instead on filling his stomach.

Caden nodded in confirmation. “Yes. He hunts for sustenance, as well as service. Others pay him for the parts he harvests. Markus also tends to clear out beasts in the forest, because it’s not very safe for anyone out here.”

“Especially not for you.” Edix said disapprovingly, taking a tentative bite of some dried meat. Edix grimaced, but continued eating. “What is your relation to this ‘Markus’, anyhow? Did he track you down like one of his many other catches? Or perhaps snatch you up as bait for a larger find?”

Caden shuddered, imagining himself strung up in a trap like a live hunk of meat. “No, nothing of that sort.” Caden assured Edix, thankful to avoid such a dark trajectory for his life. Who knows what could have transpired if Caden was found by someone more cruel than Markus? Already whenever they went to the marketplace Caden could sense hungry eyes following him, traders and rapscallions eager to get their grimy hands upon his tiny person. It left Caden feeling unsettled, like his worth was nothing more than a trinket to be passed around the firepit. At least with Markus he could safely hide away in a bag and avoid those who wished him harm.

But just what was Markus to Caden, anyhow? Markus had never bothered to explain what he thought of Caden in explicit terms, and fearing the response Caden never asked. It was alright, their relationship was built upon tentative truths and unspoken neutrality. Caden knew better than to hope for more; he was grateful for any kindness Markus was willing to give him.

So caught up in his own musings, Caden didn’t notice at first when Edix gave a startled cough, briefly choking upon his food. The venandi’s hand traveled down to clutch at his side, where a sudden tearing had ripped open his uniform. Caden took notice when a grimace formed, Edix appearing to be in much pain.

“Are you alright, Edix?” Caden asked, giving Edix a wide berth in case the venandi suddenly had to act and Caden was caught underfoot. Caden jogged around to the side, looking up at the torn seams where Edix still kept his hand pressed. There, beneath Edix’s fingers, several large gashes in Edix’s skin could be seen, already bleeding and soaking the fabric around them.

“You’re bleeding!” Caden gasped, paling as the crimson substance began to drip through. Even though Caden traveled with Markus and saw all manner of animal insides torn open, the little human felt sick to his stomach as he watched Edix’s wound get worse. “What- what’s happening?”

Edix grit his teeth, fangs catching his bottom lip. “It appears someone aboard my ship has decided your Markus needs to be punished.”

Caden frowned, not understanding even as he began to feel a sinking, all encompassing dread. “What do you mean? What’s Markus have to do with this?”

“During a dimensional altercation, the two host bodies are linked.” Edix explained. “I spontaneously was harmed and therefore the source must be an attack on Markus’ end of the link.”

Caden’s mind came to a screeching halt. Markus was injured. Edix was injured. Shit, what did Markus usually do about an injury? If he helped Edix, would that help Markus too? Were they both going to be okay?

Unable to just sit there and think about the endless negative outcomes, Caden poured his energy into what he could do in the moment, sprinting towards the satchel left lying on its side.

“Where are you going, pup?”

Caden ignored Edix’s question, diving into the bag and scouring around. It was dark inside the leather satchel, but Caden’s eyes quickly adjusted to the familiar surroundings. It also helped that Edix had already sorted out most of the belongings as he searched for food. Caden found his prize tucked away at the bottom, hidden within a fold of the thick fabric. Caden grasped the roll of bandages and pulled it out towards the entrance. Before Caden could retreat further, Edix’s hand wrapped around his body, searching fingers finding Caden inside the bag. Quickly Caden grasped onto the bandages to keep a strong hold on them as he was plucked up and out into the light.

Caden blinked, squinting for a moment in the sunlight as he was brought up to eye level with Edix once again. “We have bandages.” Caden explained, wanting to offer them up afraid he’d drop them. Instead Caden hugged them to his chest like a gigantic pillow, making it slightly difficult to see around the large fabric roll.

Edix chuckled, his eyes fond but his smile belittling. “Oh pup, that’s very sweet of you, but entirely unnecessary. See?” Edix held Caden out further, allowing Caden to reluctantly get another look at the wound. Edix’s spare hand was still pressed there, but the blood flow had slowed, the cuts beginning to naturally scab over.

“It stung for a moment, but it was mainly surprising.” Edix assured him. “It seems your Markus has seen fit to cooperate, for the betterment of both of us.”

Caden fidgeted, still feeling on edge and jumpy at the notion of either giant being harmed. “I just want to help, both of you. It pains me to know you’re hurt and sit here doing nothing. Won’t you at least bandage yourself? It’s unsafe to leave an open wound.”

Edix let out a long sigh, as if very inconvenienced by this request, but to Caden’s surprise Edix lifted him up to place a kiss upon Caden’s head. The human’s little mind was wiped blank of any thoughts as Edix set Caden gently on the ground, taking the bandages from him with ease. “You’re too sweet for this world.” Edix informed Caden, lifting up his shirt and bandaging his torso.

The Crossover No One Asked For But Got Anyway Pt. 4

Time is a social construct

@showrunnerihardlyknowher owns Edix and Jacob and Talan. Markus and Caden are my bois. AO3 Link Here

This is Pt 4: Fuck Talan Pt. 1

Markus listened carefully to the announcements, first trailing through regular occurrences like the weather or daily menus. Jacob tried to engage him in conversation again, but Markus just placed a finger to his lips and tilted his head towards the corner where the sound originated. He struck gold when the announcement began to explain an error in some sort of experimental system (Markus wasn’t able to understand all the complicated lingo). The gist of it seemed to be a transmutational body swap, and warned against potential new stowaways who would need to be locked up until they traded places back, lest their bodies come to harm.

“Shit.” Markus cursed, carefully extracting his legs from the bed and standing up. “I don’t do well in chains. Whelp, looks like it’s time to blow this joint.”

“Wait, you can- hold on!” Jacob screeched, his little voice raising to an annoyed shrill as Markus prowled around the rest of the room. “Where are you going? What the hell are you talking about? Don’t tell me you can actually understand that gibberish.”

Markus paused, glancing back at the human. “What, like it’s hard?”

Villain Gets Tiny Hero Action Figure

Did somebody say Gt superhero/villain content? 😈This was a one-shot fic I wrote for @showrunnerihardlyknowher a couple months ago for a trade and this was the prompt:

"a hero/villain type of thing in which the hero becomes tiny as a result of a fight that's now very quickly going south before villain shows up and takes all the other foes out. of course when he sees what's happened to the hero though, he has no desire to kill them, but he also doesn't have any desire to return them to their normal size >:3c"

Word Count: 3,262

(minor character death warning)

This battle, suffice to say, was not going well. Captain Freeze winced as one of the many Forces of Evil threw him down through three stories of the laboratory. Clearly a minion opponent judging by the standard maroon uniform, but the super strength still left an aching in his back that Freeze was sure he’d feel in the morning. Unfortunately, the Captain didn’t have any time to pity himself. The icy superhero got to his feet, dusting off his light blue and white costume and readying his hands to blast a few icicles at his masked opponents that sauntered through the door.

“Such a chilly reception.” One of the feminine minions teased, a bit odd considering the Forces of Evil weren’t exactly known for having a sense of humor until they climbed up the villain pyramid scheme. Captain Freeze always thought of the minions as just some poor kids who got recruited by the wrong organization post-power development, stripped of their identity and used as tools for taking down governments.

Then again, these ‘poor kids’ were now trying to skewer him with his own icicles, so… Captain Freeze could only feel so sympathetic.

“Well it wasn’t exactly a warm welcome.” Captain Freeze bantered right back, dodging an energy blast from the woman.

“I can fix that!” A third enemy ran into the fray, eyes ablaze with a pyro’s touch. Oh damn. Quickly Captain threw up an ice wall, watching as the little maniac began to melt through it with ease.

Freeze grunted, a large chunk of debris grazing his side when it was thrown by the strength opponent. The concrete block soared further into the lab where the Captain winced at the sound of equipment being shattered. Orion Enterprises wasn’t going to like all this destruction to their lab, but Captain Freeze was a little more focused on living long enough to minimize the damage. Hopefully the minions hadn’t just unknowingly destroyed the lifelong pursuit of a cancer cure in those petri dishes.

The Crossover No One Asked For But Got Anyway Pt. 3

Yeah this time I'm late because I'm very sick and feverish don't worry about it I plead the fifth this is definitely Monday

Shoutout to @showrunnerihardlyknowher for reminding me to post this and also for letting me steal her OCs for this fic (Edix and Jacob). AO3 Link Here

This is Pt 3: Edix is bored and Caden is nearby

Edix, for his part, spared the curious human not another spare thought, intent on his own mission. The pair who originally set up camp obviously had picked this location with the stream in mind because it was only a few paces away. Edix settled down on the stones along the edge, cupping his hands to bring the water to his lips and take a few slow, careful sips. This Edix did several times to quench his thirst.

Unfortunately, no matter how much Edix tried not to focus on it, he couldn’t get the image of someone else currently in his bed, touching his stuff, perhaps even threatening his human-

Without even realizing it, Edix had begun to growl, his claws itching for a fight as if he was about to shred the trespasser galaxies away. With a huff, Edix tried very hard to control himself, smoothing over his ears to calm down. There was quite literally nothing Edix could do at the moment to save his pet. He just had to blindly trust that a stranger who was willing to keep one human would be willing to not immediately kill another.

And if this Markus did hurt his human… Well, Edix would just have to hunt him down through the multiverse and tear him limb from limb.

The Crossover No One Asked For But Got Anyway Pt. 2

Somebody hound me to put this thing on AO3 so it's actually easy to find this thing lol. Also a reminder Jacob and Edix belong to @showrunnerihardlyknowher (as does Talan, who shows up but not yet).

This is Pt 2: And They Were Roommates (Markus & Jacob)

Markus woke up to the sensation of a warm bed and a soft pillow. With only these clues on hand, Markus felt properly intimidated. No good ever came from luxury given for ‘free’, Markus had learned that the hard way; not to mention, Markus didn’t remember being offered such a bed, which meant some deranged kidnapper took it upon themself to … gently swaddle Markus in blankets?

Whatever their nefarious purpose, Markus was not going to be caught here unaware. He quickly sat up, feeling the blanket pool at his waist as a soft cry was muffled by the fabric, a tiny creature caught up in the cascade.

“Ah, shit.” Markus winced. It wasn’t the first time Markus had woken up in a tizzy and forgotten to take account of Caden’s position. To his credit, Caden was disturbingly small in stature, so Markus could hardly be blamed for accidentally packing Caden away with the bedding more than once. At least nothing truly traumatic had happened to his human companion yet, and here on this suspicious bed of luxury there was an even tinier chance of harm befalling the little one.

“They got you too, eh?” Markus rubbed at his hair, watching as the squirming bundle went suddenly still. Markus was preoccupied with patting himself down, checking for his weapons. Not a single one of the hunter’s dozen was accounted for. Not altogether surprising when dealing with a kidnapping, but frustrating nonetheless.

Instead, Markus turned his attention to the rest of their surroundings, taking in the white walls with a wary glance. It was so… bland. A fair bit of color originated from some foriegn flora sat atop a table, but the large majority of the room was tasteless mixtures of grey. There were a fair number of foriegn machines as well, unassuming as they emitted irregular beeps and flashes that were minimal but irritating to Markus’ senses.

“Where the fuck are we?” Markus murmured. “Did you see anything last night? I was out like a light. The sons o’ bitches must’ve used a tranq or somethin’.”

Now the giant turned his attention to the nightstand by the bed, rifling through a drawer that was left partially open. Convenient, because Markus spotted no handles anywhere to open the darned thing. The contents brought no light to their situation, however Markus began weighing the unknown objects anyways to see if any had a good heft to them or a sharp edge to make a makeshift weapon. He had a feeling one would be needed before the day’s end.

It was only after Markus selected a large spherical object for a projectile that he realized the kid had yet to say anything. “You alright there, little fella?” Markus turned back to the blanket blob, a little human face now peering out from beneath the fabric.

Markus blinked. That… wasn’t Caden.

The Crossover No One Asked For But Got Anyway

I stole @showrunnerihardlyknowher 's OC, Edix, and I made him swap places with my Markus so the two giants are in the wrong settings and interacting with the other person's tiny human and it's great.

This is Pt 1: Edix and Caden become Best Friends

Caden, outside the safety of his colony walls, had become a light sleeper. It wasn’t paranoia, per se, but Caden was well aware of the food chain out in the wilderness and how low he fell on that totem pole. Of course it was helpful to have Markus around to scare off most predators, but Caden always harbored the fear that one of the stupider creatures would still be curious enough to sniff Caden out in the night.

So when Caden awoke to the feeling of something furry brushing against his face, he just about had a heart attack.

The poor human scrambled back on his hands and knees, frantically trying to put as much distance between him and the thing while his eyes darted around to assess the situation. In place of the giant camping companion Caden has fallen asleep beside, a massive stranger dressed in an unrecognizable fashion slumbered on. The furry appendage which had startled 10 years off Caden’s life seemed to be a tail, casually flicking about in a lazy feline fashion. Curled up as the stranger was, Caden could also spot the stranger’s face, with furry ears protruding from its head to match the tail. The creature yawned, showing off fangs that could easily rip Caden to shreds with ease.

The trembling human kept his hands pressed tightly to his mouth. While he desperately wanted to call for help and ask Markus where the hell are you when I actually need you, Caden also didn’t want to draw the attention of the half-giant / half-monster that took up residence at their camp. Unfortunately, despite Caden’s silent pleas, the cat being’s yawn was a predecessor to him giving a wide stretch, slowly joining the waking world.

The cat monster, known more formally as Edix, woke up with a frown, the surface beneath him feeling far more terranean than his chambers. Worse yet, Edix clutched his hands to his chest and couldn’t feel his pet’s familiar form. Immediately the venandi sat up, scanning his surroundings for any sign of the little human. He was indeed surface-bound, on an unknown planet with appropriately sized flora to his own stature (as opposed to the distinctly miniature plants found at his human’s origin).

It was then the venandi caught a flicker of movement. Edix quickly turned to watch the sneaking escapee freeze. With a narrowed gaze, Edix locked eyes on a tiny human form, but definitely not his human.

Caden’s Very Long Night

I’m still figuring out a title for this work as a whole, but here’s part 3 of the chronicles of the human outcast Caden and the mysterious giant Markus!

word count: 1,173

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 (here) | Part 4 tbd

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Caden didn’t sleep at all that night. He stayed up late into the dark hours, peering into the bonfire’s glow as he contemplated how things had changed so quickly. The flames no longer towered high above him, the embers now just tall enough for Caden to convince himself it was a regular fire pit, if a fire pit was twice the size of town square.

Caden let out a long sigh, thinking about how just 24 hours ago he had bid Elizabeth a good night, worried what might happen to his best friend when the wretched letter was discovered come morning. Caden didn’t envy Elizabeth, knowing that should the author be revealed there would be great consequences. Last night Caden hadn’t gotten much sleep either, tossing and turning as he debated whether or not to out his friend. Visions of Elizabeth being tossed to ravenous monsters plagued Caden’s guilty conscience enough that when the sun rose Caden vowed to keep his lips shut. In the end, his vow was for nothing.

The human lad tensed, listening to the howls of beasts off in the distance. Closer still, Caden could hear the steady in and out of Markus’ breathing. It was strange, how peaceful it became to listen to that powerful rhythm, gusts of air sucked in and out without even a spare thought. So much power contained in a single being. 

Markus could have crushed him with little to no effort, snapping his limbs between those mighty fingers, now curled casually (comfortably?) against his chest as the giant lay beside the fire. Markus, were he more beastly, could have ripped him to shreds and tossed his remains to the forest dwellers. Markus could have even wiped his hands of all responsibility, leaving Caden to his fate tied up against that stake in the clearing.

And yet…

And yet.

Keep reading

For this week’s prompt, I got to bring to life @tinyenthustiast ‘s wonderful OCs, Cornelius and Elowyn! (A pirate captain and a flightless fairy). They’re so much fun to play with and I’m honored to write about them. Enjoy!

——————————————————————————————————-

“The locals were speaking ‘bout an Isle o’ Fairies.” 

“Fairies?” Cornelius leaned in, listening to the gossip his men had picked up at port.

“Aye, just a few knots to the southeast and yer’ there.” The man confirmed. “Could be a load of hogwash, if ye ask me. Just another local legend.”

“Could be.” Cornelius agreed, but he tossed his ale back all the same. “We set sail in the morning.”

The men voiced their consent, following their captain’s lead and drinking their own cups dry. While Cornelius was an eclectic sort, he never led his crew astray; everywhere they went, every rumor they followed, some hidden treasure always awaited. Usually it was a stash of gold hidden by tales meant to drive sailors away, but occasionally Cornelius would strike truth and come aboard the Bloody Siren with a new unicorn or a grindylow. 

As the man strode confidently onto the shore with a bird cage in hand, Cornelius had a good feeling this journey would be a success. Already he could see unnatural glowing amongst the tree branches, and taking in a deep breath Cornelius felt a pleasant magical tickling at his nostrils.

“Watch the ship.” Cornelius ordered his first mate, striding into the jungle alone. No one dared interfere with the captain on a hunt. Cornelius worked alone.

The pirate captain was silent as he stalked through the jungles of the so-called Isle o’ Fairies, keeping a tuned ear out for anything unusual. That was how Cornelius caught the unicorn back in his glory days; at that time, it had been a misplaced whinny, too much resembling the faintest hint of a siren.

This time, it was the frantic chirping in the branches, so close to that of a songbird that if you weren’t listening for it you’d never tell the difference.

Cornelius followed the sound of their little twinkling voices, listening to the calls grow in urgency. A bush nearby was shaking as if by itself, the interior giving off a faint glowing hue. With a grin, Cornelius dared approach a few more paces, preparing to dive and catch the fairies off guard.

Unfortunately, it was the pirate who found himself startled as a half dozen glowing pixies darted out of the bush, moving too quickly for him to catch even with battle-honed reflexes. Cornelius stomped his boot, throwing his hat to the ground in his furious outburst.

“Blast!” Cornelius cursed, scowling at the bush that, until recently, had held such an abundance of fantastic creatures. It was his own foolhardiness that had cost him everything; the little beings must have sensed his approach.

With a sigh, Cornelius picked up his hat and began to carefully dust it off, placing the expensive garment back on his head. 

Now back at square one, Cornelius would need to restart his hunt entirely. With the proven existence of fairies, he would need just one to add to his collection, and then the fairytale fanatic could leave this island. In the meantime, Cornelius would not rest until one of those magnificent winged critters was safely stored aboard his ship.

The pirate captain lowered himself to the forest floor, examining the bush in which the pixies had hidden. Was it a nest of sorts? Would they return? Perhaps it would be worth setting a trap. They must frequent this area often, for some of their residual glow was still left behind on the plant. 

Eager for any more helpful knowledge on these rare creatures and their habits, Cornelius parted the branches, shocked to find one staring right back at him fearfully.

“...Oh.” Cornelius felt a sly grin growing on his features. “So they left you behind, did they?”

The fairy chirped up at him, stumbling back in fright. Before it could fly away like the others, Cornelius lunged forwards, wrapping his hand around its fragile little form.

“Oh, shush.” Cornelius hushed it, numb to its struggles as it fought to free itself from his grasp. Cornelius brought it closer to his face, in awe as he studied its features. The little fae appeared to be not unlike a shrunken little lady, with long dark locks and enchanting green eyes narrowed at him in such a pouty little glare that it made Cornelius chuckle. 

The captain turned her around in his hand, taking in the wings which drooped over his knuckles. They were both pale and withered, the purple hues of a possible glow now long since gone, if it was ever there.

“Aaaah.” Cornelius nodded in understanding, lifting one of the wings with his free fingertip. The fairy stiffened in his grasp, ceasing all her struggles. “I see now why you didn’t fly with the others.” 

Well, it mattered little to Cornelius. A defective fairy was better than no fairy at all; perhaps even better than a normal fairy, because this one couldn’t escape.

“Not to worry, little one.” Cornelius explained, gently placing the fairy into the birdcage. “Where we’re going, you will never have to fly again.”

Stop asking Questions, you don’t like the Answers

This week I was delighted to use @showrunnerihardlyknowher ‘s OCs, Greyson and Thomas, who first appeared in this wonderful oneshot: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27108463

Summary: The drakainian prince Greyson has taken the newest addition to his horde, a terrified human named Thomas, back to his lair. 

Word count: 1,297

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Be Careful What You Wish For

Summary: Valentine visits the gardens and finds an unexpected fae visitor. They strike a deal.

Word count: 843

Just a lil’ snippet to show Valentine and Cam interacting in the beginnings of knowing each other! Didn’t actually get too much into the wish/deal consequences because I figure that’s a future thing I want to use.  Feel free to send in more prompts from my bingo card below! Also check out my writing blog @hiddendreamerwriting for more of my work!

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Valentine was taking a stroll through the royal gardens, just past the petunias, when he came across a peculiar sight. The fae child, Cam, sat alone among the blossoms, appearing to play with the stems.

“Fae girl!” Valentine called out. She sat up straighter, clearly hearing him but refusing to turn his way. Well, that was downright rude. “Whatever are you doing out here without your charge?”

“I was told to go where I please.” Cam answered easily.

“Your Garth is under my jurisdiction.” Valentine reminded her, stomping over in a huff. “And I never said you could go anywhere.”

“I’m not under your jurisdiction.” Cam shot him an irritated glance. “No human commands me. On occasion, I simply respect my friend’s wishes.”

“A friend.” Valentine laughed. “How ridiculously simply you phrase it.”

To Cam, perhaps it was a simple gesture of goodwill. But to the rest of the world, the very idea of Fae and humans being on civil terms, let alone friends, seemed to be nothing more than a forgotten dream. Valentine was raised all his life to be cautious of his supernatural neighbors, knowing that the Fae often brought devastation and heartache to any human who fell into their clutches. The kingdom of Vesper was teetering on the brink of war, magic versus mortal in a fight for the right to survive. As such, it was simply astounding to Valentine that the farm boy had managed to tame a Fae at all- even if Valentine’s advisors were quick to argue that a Fae could never truly be tamed.

“Are all fae so carefree in choosing their allies?” Valentine asked, wondering if he himself could coerce such a strange being to his side. 

Cam dodged his question, plucking a rose from the garden. “I hardly think you’re deserving of an answer.” She replied, shifting the prickly stem carefully between her fingertips.

“Hey, that flower is mine!” Valentine protested, pointing to the displaced rose clutched in her hand.

“It was never yours.” Cam insisted. “Once it was my sister’s, now it’s of the world. You humans want to own so much that’s never yours to own. Why must you take, and take, when so much is freely given?”

“You speak in riddles, fae.” Valentine frowned.

Cam gently brushed the rose’s petals. “Perhaps. But no matter what language I speak you never seem to understand.”

“Does Garth?” Valentine asked, sitting down on the bench. Cam continued to sit amongst the bushes.

“…I’m not certain.” Cam admitted. She looked up at the young prince. “Why are you here?”

“I could ask you the same question.” Valentine countered.

“I asked you first.” Cam reminded him.

Valentine huffed. “Well, I live here. You’re trespassing.”

“I’m visiting.” Cam didn’t bother to negate Valentine’s claim. She looked across the many plants, glancing at the glass walls which enclosed them. “This garden gives a semblance to my home, however small that resemblance may be.”

“Your home?” Valentine peaked up at this new information. “You’ve never mentioned it. What’s it like?” After all, no human had ever journeyed into the land of the Fae and lived to tell the tale to Valentine’s knowledge. It certainly seemed like too mystic a place to be compared to a common greenhouse, even one as regal as Valentine’s home estate.

“You ask a lot of questions for someone who doesn’t answer in turn.” Cam’s tone turned chill, taking on part of that ethereal quality that drove so many humans away. Valentine was too bravely stupid to be turned off by her less human qualities, knowing Garth could keep the fae in control.

“I don’t have to answer your questions, I’m the prince.” Valentine put a hand to his chest for emphasis. 

Cam shrugged. “If royal lineage locks lips, perhaps mine ought to stay shut as well.”

“You-? Wait, hold on a moment!” Valentine leaned forwards. “Are you… do you mean to tell me that you’re some sort of fae royalty?” 

“Now what did I just say about questions?” Cam gave a knowing smirk, entirely too human. It was clear she had spent too much time with Garth.

“Alright, alright, very well- what do you want?” Valentine asked. If the Fae Girl was going to play tricks, Valentine was willing to play along.

“Hmm.” Cam plucked another rose. “A great many things, to be certain. And also, in some ways, nothing at all. But in this case, I think I’d prefer a favor.”

Valentine squinted suspiciously at her, not knowledgeable on the ways of fae. “What sort of favor?”

“I’ll be kind.” Cam sighed. “Suffice to say it will be non-lethal. Is that acceptable?”

“Non-lethal?” Valentine clutched at his heart, his expression turning quickly towards outrage. “You were threatening me?!”

“Not yet.” Cam raised an eyebrow. “Would you prefer lethal?”

“No no, non-lethal is fine.” Valentine hastily corrected. “But you are an incredibly vile creature and these answers better be worth it.” After all, he didn’t like the idea of staying indebted to a fae for long.

A cold chill blew through the greenhouse. “Noted.”

Forming the Bond

“We need to get close to the giant.” 

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Spara was right; this was insane. Not only were they dealing with a giant unpredictable beast, but the stakes were high if they were caught as well. Marshall shuddered at the prospect of yet another round of Calder’s wrath. 

“The coast is clear.” Marshall whispered, leading the charge regardless. His keen eyes peered around corners, checking for any of the royal guards on their patrols near the cavern entrance. Marshall waved Spara on, the two young men keeping a keen ear out for any unexpected visitors in the night. It seemed lady luck was on their side; they reached the caverns without any interference. Both crept down the staircase, footsteps light and not making a peep. Just before the stairs opened up into the ledge, they paused.

“Do you think it’s awake?” Spara whispered.

Marshall listened intently, shaking his head. “It’s asleep.” After all, he had grown quite used to the creature’s snores when flanking the slumbering beast on the way back to the city.

Sparta nodded, murmuring under his breath and letting an orb of light appear in his palm to see and confirm the report. The giant was slumped against the back wall, dead to the world as its chest continued to blow huge gusts of air on a whim. 

“Be careful.” Marshall warned. Spara scoffed; he was always careful. 

The cavern walls were decorated with several ledges like the one the boys were standing on, winding all around the perimeter for previous access to prison cells. With the new renovations, several of the pathways lower down had been cut off, limiting the amount of danger Kitlevians would hopefully face. 

The current ledge Spara travelled along was at the same level as the giants head, craned back in a way where the giants head rested against the wall and the pathway led to an exposed space behind the giants neck. 

Spara’s hand went to his knife, the usually brave prince feeling on edge as he felt surrounded with the giants head forming a roof above. This close, spara could hear the giants every movement. The shifting in is sleep.  The growling of its stomach. The hitching of its breaths.

Wait… Spara listened closer, confirming that the breathing had become uneven, almost as if the creature was crying in its sleep. Was the beast having a nightmare? What could be so terrible that it frightened a beast?

Unfortunately, Spara might be about to find out. 

“Here goes everything.” Spara murmured, putting up mental barriers to protect his own sanity. If this went poorly, Spara could lose himself. He tried not to think of all the other horrible things that could go wrong- what if the giant woke up?

But Spara was not going to sit by and let the kingdom fall to ruins. He would discover the beasts plot himself, his curiosity was too strong.

“You better not drive me insane.” Spara hissed, before placing his shaking palm against the beasts neck.

Instantly, Spara was flooded with an overwhelming amount of information. This was not the mindless bleating thoughts of a sheep; this beast had thoughts, dreams and sentience all so complex and foreign Spara feared he may drown trying to make sense of it all.

Spotting something familiar, Spara dragged himself into the memory of when the giant first woke up in the caves. Watching the events unfold from the eyes of the giant this time, Spara could feel the emotions of the beast: indignation, wrath, and most prominently, fear.  Spara shuddered, feeling as though a fear so great might overwhelm him entirely.

Spara dug further, trying to get a sense of where all this fear was coming from. He saw Magdalene, hovering food and water barrels towards him in offering, but Spara felt more scorn for her than usual. Over and over the glowing orbs of the cavern seemed tied to the giant’s hatred as well. Why? Why?

“Dect dectla teche.” 

It felt like an answer, but Spara didn’t understand what it meant. He dug further, looking back into the giant’s past, only confused further by the images which came to surface.

“Laureli Huilou Valentine!” An unfamiliar elderly figure proclaimed, in a sparkling ballroom the likes of which Spara had never seen. Laughter. Faces, familiar to the giant but not to the Kitlevian. A golden crown was offered to Spara, but before he could take it the memories shifted.

A great scaly beast. A girl dressed in pink petals. A great crackling noise, the ground beneath Spara falling away to send him plummeting into a glowing chasm-

“Magic is dangerous.”

Spara gasped, stumbling out of the connection and falling with a lack of grace onto the ledge beneath him. Spara knew with complete certainty that memory hadn’t been spoken in Kitlevian. But then … 

It seemed Spara wasn’t the only one jolted out of the connection. The giant above him shifted, letting out a loud groan. Spara froze, terrified as the gargantuan person before him shifted without any knowledge of his presence. 

It seemed as if time stood still for a moment, Spara still feeling the after effects of the fear inside the giant’s mind. He trembled, begging whoever was listening that the giant wouldn’t find him in such a vulnerable state.

Thankfully, while startled by the connection break, the giant didn’t seem to notice the mental (or physical) intruder; with a sigh, he slumped back once more, sending some rock debris scattering down onto Spara.

Spara flinched, stuck trying to process out his next move as he listened to the giants breathing and even out in sleep once more. Waiting longer than was strictly necessary, Spara crept out along the edge, hurrying back to his worried friend.

“Magic.” Spara declared. “He’s scared of magic.”

Make an Example

Summary: Caden is sacrificed to the giant in the forest for a crime he didn’t commit. The giant who finds him is mostly confused.

Word count: 1,243

Had a lot of fun with these characters and can’t wait to work with them again, be it for another bingo prompt or something else. Feel free to send in more prompts from my bingo card below! Also check out my writing blog @hiddendreamerwriting for more of my work!

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“Shall one of our own turn against the tide of the Almighty, punishment is mandatory. To preserve the fate of the many, that traitor must be sacrificed to our greatest enemy. Only then will their spilled blood cleanse the region of the dark shadows cast by their treachery.”

Caden had memorized the ordinance since he was a babe. Caden knew the rules, the no-nonsense commandments and the punishments set for each crime, terrified of the fate that would befall anyone who stepped out of line. Indeed, though the judgement was fierce, the penalty did its job; no one dared speak out against the elders, for fear of the monstrous beast that could sometimes be spotted lurking at night outside their city walls. The city wasn’t always the happiest of places, but it was safe, and that’s more than most humans could expect in a world of such cruel beasts.

But here Caden was, the first human to be sacrificed to the enemy in over a decade- and he wasn’t even guilty of the crime. It had been Elder Shawn’s daughter who wrote the blasphemous letter, but when it came time to make an example out of someone Caden quickly learned that innocence was of no consequence. Eager to spare her life, Shawn accused Caden, and the elders rallied around one of their own, deaf to Caden’s pleas.

The poor lad shifted, the ropes around his wrists beginning to chafe after so many hours tied to this pole. Caden had been brought out at sunrise, to the chorus of cheers from the people who had raised him and grew up beside him for 22 years. Now the sun was setting. His voice was hoarse from screaming for mercy, knowing no one would come. Caden was too far for the village to hear his cries, regardless. His throat was parched, lacking any water to quench his thirst.

But worst of all, Caden could feel faint tremors in the earth, rhythmic like footsteps.

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Just a Tiny Bit of Crime

Here is my gift for @short-on-main for the G/t secret santa event happening over on @secret-shifters! Hope you enjoy! :D

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Sharon checked and double checked her bag, making sure all of her heist gear was properly sorted before heading into the bank. She was cool as a cucumber as she slipped by security, heading for the women’s restroom. From there Sharon shimmied into the loose ventilation shaft that she had prepped a few days prior. Not a peep was heard as she braced against the metal walls and began descending into the underground vaults. Yes, everything was going fantastic. 

Crime is easy when you’re a few inches tall.

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