Holding his hands tenderly within yours, rubbing reassuring little circles into the back of his palm. Lowering your lips onto his skin, feeling his body heat waft against your lips, gently caressing every inch it could reach. Pressing a small, soft kiss into his palm, before glancing up at him.
Lilia let out a little sigh, a small smile sliding across his lips. His shoulder slump ever so slightly, the tension melting away from them gradually. He looks at you, a loving gaze that made your heart skip a beat.
Clasping his hands within yours, feeling the callouses that line his palm. Rough, hardened patches of skin, the fruit of all his efforts. The results of the training he endured as a young man. The scars from a war he fought eons ago, for the people he loved.
The story of his life, etched in flesh and blood. Yet not all of the pages were filled with misery. Lilia has more callouses now, from his days in Night Raven College.
Tough patches on the very tip of his fingers, from nylon strings pressed too tightly. His bass has a tendency to bite back whenever he strummed its strings a little too vigorously. Could you really blame him? With the music blaring all around him, the bass shaking the very stage, and the crowd of students screaming out the lyrics alongside him….the adrenaline just rushed through his veins.
Perhaps he would still have some semblance of self control, then. Until Lilia met your eyes. In the throng of people, screaming your throat out. Waving to the beat of the song, cheering for him as loudly as you could. He saw himself reflected in those lovely irises of yours.
Only Lilia, in your eyes, filled with the gentle twinkling of awe. Well, since you’re watching ever so passionately…. Lilia just supposes he’ll have to put on a show. This old man still has some life in him yet. Goodness, you really bring out the best in him, don’t you?
His palms have changed,having enrolled in Night Raven College. Callouses on his fingers, from writing long, sweet letters to you by the moonlight, pen skating through the page in its sleek cursive. For the plainness of instant messaging wasn’t as intimate as handwritten letters, packed and sealed with a gentle kiss.
Callouses on his fingers, from strumming his bass all day, trying to figure out the words he’ll use in his song. A hymn to you, and only you. Music is the language of love, was it not? Let Lilia attempt to speak to you, straight from the melodies of his heart.
Lilia changed, ever so slight. But is that not beautiful? Is it not the destinity of something… someone so loved?
To be loved, is to be changed.
Lilia doesn’t mind too much, if it meant he could be loved by you.
Dreams can tell a lot about a person. Their wants, their fears. But sometimes they can tell you the truth, and sometimes it isn't pretty.
Supporting Characters; Baul (for a second), Sebek Zigvolt
Content; Soulmate AU (I call them soul matches), gender neutral reader, can be read as familial, platonic, or romantic, Chapter 7 spoilers, hurt/comfort, some General Vanrouge
Content Warning; Chapter 7 spoilers, war, death (talk, I don't describe it), angst? (idk man)
Word Count; 5.5 K
Don't put my works into AI, as AI steals in order to "create".
Sebek's Story | Malleus's Story (next WIP)
The Thorn Fairy had gifted a blessing to the fae, a blessing of soul matches.
A connection forged between two souls. Such a connection is rare, and different variations do occur; primarily in beastmen and merfolk. Each clan had their unique soul match bonds. And the fae were no different. However, their history was not written down on paper, or carved into the corals. The information and history of fae soul matches was an oral history, passed down from generation to generation through hushed tones.
To outsiders, they shrugged it off as just another odd behaviour of the clan, but the fae had good reason to be wary. In the past, the knowledge of fae soul matches was shared with an outsider, and because of that blunder of misplaced trust, the royal family was targeted. But that was many a queen’s reign ago. But the fae do not forget such transgressions, no; that story, that history, is used as a warning. Tell no one but whom you would trust your life with any information regarding your soul match, lest it be used against you. No one outside of the fae, save for their soul match, is to know of this most treasured bond.
Despite the secretiveness of fae soul matches, they were celebrated once they manifested themselves, as they were a blessing from the Thorn Fairy herself. There is a catch though; due to their long life spans, it can take years, decades, or even centuries in the very rare and unfortunate cases, for the bond between soul match partners to manifest itself. The only thing more unfortunate than it taking centuries is if their soul match were human… for a human lifespan is only a fraction that of even the more short-lived fae clans. It was seen as a tragedy, a doomed pairing from the beginning, with a heartbroken fae as the only possible answer. Such pairings were pitied, and seen as bad luck.
But what does the bond between soul matches take the form of within the fae? What does the Thorn Fairy’s blessing of soul matches look like?
There are many speculations on that. Many scholars say it is a mark on the body; a mole, or three scratches. But that is not correct. It is not a shared song, a stone messenger, or a coloured thread on their finger. And there is a written record of the bond as well; one just has to dig deep into the records, scrolls, and tomes that exist within the library of the former castle of the Draconia’s.
It is also a melody, a hum on the lips of many fae if by chance you are able to hear it. I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. The soul match bonds between the fae and their match took the form of shared dreams, tinted the colour of their soul. They cannot truly see the other, or speak to each other, but the gleam in their eyes is one that will stay in their mind, as it is so familiar a gleam.
…
…
…
Rest is a luxury, a luxury that Lilia could not spare. The war would not wait for the general to be well rested, or wait for him to have a nap. No, it would continue until it either ended with one side coming out the victor, or it would end with peace negotiations. Rest can wait. But the fae in his company were sleeping, and he was on the first watch.
But there was something else which made him avoid resting; his dreams. His dreams were black and white, devoid of any colour, and he was always alone in them. Yes, there may be other people, but they didn’t interact. His soul match was nowhere to be seen. Three hundred years and there has been absolutely nothing.
He wasn’t alone on watch duty though, Baul was beside him, staring out into the dark.
“You need to rest,” he huffed, shooting a look towards Lilia from the corner of his eye.
Lilia quirked a brow, but his gaze did not waver from the darkness of the forest. There was something out there, waiting. “I can rest when this is over.” His voice was cold, sharp, like that of a blade. “I cannot rest while a war is still being fought on our lands.”
Baul pushed his shoulders back and turned his eyes back to the darkness of the forest. “General, if you do not rest, it will eventually catch up to you. Whether you like it or not.”
He was right, if Lilia did sleep, it would eventually catch up with him in the worst possible moment. The last thing that he needed was to fall into a microsleep in the middle of battle. Thirty seconds of vulnerability in the heat of conflict could spell the very end for him. He let out a tired sigh, “I suppose you are right. When our shift is over I can rest.”
After an uneventful night watch, save for the crack of a stick in the distance — which turned out to be nothing more than just a deer passing through — Lilia turned in for the night in his tent. He stared up to the ceiling, and tried to fall asleep, but the harder he tried the more difficult it became, but eventually exhaustion won over frustration and Lilia fell asleep.
His dream was black and white, as always. They have been devoid of colour for the past three hundred years, so why would they be any different now?
He was a child again, playing in a flower meadow with Malenoa and Levan. Well, Malenoa was playing whereas Levan had been dragged along against his will. And Lilia? Well, wherever the crown princess went, he followed; part of it being that they were friends, the other being that he was raised alongside her and swore to protect her.
“Lilia! Come on,” Malenoa shouted from across the glen, a big smile on her face. “Last one to the thicket is a rotten egg!” And she took off, dragging Levan behind her, the young boy letting out an undignified squawk.
Lilia gave chase, a peel of laughter escaping his lips. “That’s not fair! You got a head’s start!” He eventually caught up to the two royals at the large rose thicket on the outskirts of the meadow. “I guess I’m the rotten egg,” he huffed before sitting down next to a dishevelled looking Levan.
He didn’t really understand why the Thorn Fairy had bonded them together, Malenoa and Levan couldn’t be more opposite of each other. But soul matches do work in mysterious ways… But Lilia wondered when the Thorn Fairy would place that blessing onto him. He had spent, and would spend, his life serving the royal family after the queen had taken him in, so why didn’t the first of the royal bloodline deem him worthy?
Malenoa was looking at the roses until she found one that she liked. She plucked it from the stem, whispered a quiet thank you to the briar patch, and then placed it behind Lilia’s ear. A baby pink rose, but he could not see the colour of the flower, only that it was pale. A stark contrast against Lilia’s jet black hair.
“What’s that for,” he asked but did not dare remove the flower. He should have been used to Malenoa’s antics by now, but she still caught him off guard despite their time spent together.
Malenoa hummed, “Pink suits you, plus since you were the rotten egg, you stunk so badly that you needed the rose to cover up the smell.” She stuck out her tongue and pinched her nose with her fingers, giggling. “A stinky, stinky egg! Right, Levan?”
Levan looked tired, but he nodded his head. “Unfortunately it seems so.” He coughed, trying to cover up the chortle that nearly escaped his lips.
The easy nature of the dream shifted, the briars from the rose thicket separating Lilia from Malenoa and Levan. The thicket then caught on fire, smoking out the dream (the memory?) in a thick, dark, smoke.
Lilia woke with a start, and placed his hand over his heart. It was beating fast, and he was covered in sweat. He then heard a commotion coming from outside, and it wasn’t the usual squabbling he heard as people tried to barter over the best breakfast options.
He strided out into the camp, and he didn’t make it very far until one of the soldiers came clamouring over to him, tripping over their feet in the process.
“G-general!” They heaved, looking pale. “N-news! From the front lines!” They handed him a scroll before taking back off to their tent.
Lilia opened the scroll and his eyes froze, pupils contracting into harsh slits. The parchment crumpled in his tight fist, but he regained his composure. They had a war to end, but Lilia’s mission had shifted from that of victory for country. It had shifted to justice; to serve justice to the murders of Malenoa. For his friend, his family, for Levan, and for her unhatched egg; the hope, and now only future, for the Draconias.
…
…
…
Another four hundred years had passed, and Lilia’s dreams were still black and white. And where he may have had been bitter in his younger years, he no longer held that resentment. Yes, he still questioned why he had not received a soul match, but he had accepted that it was simply not to be. Besides, he now had more meaning in his life. He had been many things in his life; a friend, a soldier, an advisor, and now, a father. The silver haired baby that he had found years ago, Silver, was everything Lilia could ever really ask for. He loved Malleus, but not to the same degree as Silver; Malleus was the heir to the throne above all else.
Lilia was content with how things currently were, happy even. He had found his purpose.
“Hmm, this school year should prove interesting,” he hummed to himself. The ceremony was today, and it proved to be a most interesting one at that. He did wonder what the newcomer, the one not suitable to any dorm, would do. They didn’t seem like the type to just leave things alone. He shook his head though, and made himself comfortable in his bed, turning in for the night.
He was in the meadow of his youth again, but it was now overgrown. The vines from the rose thicket choking out all of the other flowers and grasses. And all but one rose was withered away. And this single rose was pink. Lilia could see colour, and the pink bled into the rest of the dream, casting everything in a rose-tinted light.
After seven hundred years, the Thorn Fairy had finally answered his call. And everything was pink. “After all this time, now you have decided they can enter my life,” he whispered, looking directly at the rose.
If he were younger, he would have been overjoyed, but Lilia knew that he did not have the commodity of time at his side. Despite the fae’s long lifespan, he was old, and his magic reservoir was running low. And the bitterness that he had since forgotten reappeared. “Why would you put them through this?”
He turned on his heel, but stopped. At the edge of the meadow was his soul match, he could not make out their face, appearance, nor their voice, but he knew it was them. “You should leave.” His words were not spoken, but were instead written in the air in glowing pink letters. But instead of turning around and leaving, they took a step forward, and then another, before coming to rest in front of Lilia.
“Who are you,” their words were written in pink letters, just like his. And even though he could not see their face, he could distinctly tell they wore an expression of confusion. “And why is everything pink?”
Lilia woke up to the sounds of his alarm going off, ripping him out of the dream. Why is everything pink? His soul match didn’t know what the colour ment, which could only mean one thing; his match was not fae. His soul match was mortal. And that revelation made a lump form in his throat.
He was worried about his soul match outliving him, that the possibility that he would outlive them never crossed his mind. Why had the Thorn Fairy chosen them? Why did she gift him an ending that would end in heartbreak?
…
…
Ever since finding yourself in Twisted Wonderland you started keeping a dream journal. Alongside the weird, and sometimes downright disturbing, dreams about future overblots, you had rose-tinted ones with a stranger in them. But they kept their distance. And you hadn’t found any answers for them.
“Human!” The sharp shout from Sebek tore you away from your thoughts, as the first-year student was incredibly… loud. “Do you know how rude it is to ignore somebody when they are talking?! Did you not sleep last night?!”
In the few months that you’ve been stuck here, you came to call the abrasive Diasomnia student a reluctant friend. He may be prickly, but it was his own way of showing that he cared… in his own roundabout way which usually involved yelling and non-intentional insults.
Did you not sleep last night?! Yes, but it was anything but restful.
You were in the midst of a battlefield, which was now long over. The only evidence being the hollow armour of warriors long fallen. And, as in all of your dreams, there were roses everywhere. Their thorny vines creating a wall, trapping you and the pink stranger in together.
This wasn’t your dream, it was their’s… or more like a memory? It was all way too centred in reality, in mourning and loss, to be a dream. What did they live through?
“What happened here?” Your words floated gently in the air and only disappeared when the stranger noticed them.
They picked up a broken spear and held it gently in their grasp. “What do you think? War. War is what happened here.” Their words floated in front of you, and you could see the weight of them on their shoulders. “The dreams of many died here, the only thing remaining of them being the armour that was supposed to protect them.”
What the hell have they lived through? “... were you there?”
The dream shifted, no longer were you standing on a long forgotten battlefield, now reclaimed by nature, but you were now sitting in a dark castle. Not even the pink hue over everything could brighten it.
The stranger went up the stairs. Go away, can you not tell I am not the best person for you? Our story will only end in hurt. But they said none of that, continuing to go up the long winding staircase. “Did you hear me? I asked you if you were there!” You yelled after them, following them up the spiralling staircase until the both of you came to a halt in front of a large wooden door, scorched at the bottom.
“Yes,” the words floated in your face before fading away. “I was there… I led the battle. I led them to death.”
I led them to death. You were sweating buckets, but before you knew what you were doing you wrote down a note in your dream journal
Roses. Thorns. Battle. Magic. War. You had no real idea what it all meant, but it was somewhere to start. A step in the direction of figuring what it all meant
“No,” you said, avoiding Sebek’s concerned gaze, “I didn’t sleep well… not at all.” You hadn’t slept soundly in weeks. You hadn’t had a pleasant dream since you woke up here. “Nightmares,” you whispered, “night after night. And a stranger, the same stranger, who is avoiding me.”
Sebek’s face paled, and he placed his hand on your shoulder. “Human,” his voice was now quiet, guarded. He led you to a classroom and made sure no one was around. “Are these dreams a certain colour? Do words float in the air? Can you not make out their face?” Even though this was the quietest that he has spoken, it was also the most serious Sebek had been with you.
You nodded your head, “All of that, yes. How did you know?” Your brows pinched, and you let out a deep sigh. “Sebek, if you know something, please, just tell me.”
Sebek was fighting a war in his head; tell the truth to you, or keep the fae soul match a secret. But the dark bags under your eyes told him enough. “You have a soul match, and they are fae. I’m… sorry.”
The bell rang and he was off to his next class, leaving you alone with this world altering information. I have a soul match? They’re fae? … why did he look so sad for me?
…
…
…
Lilia noticed something off about Sebek the moment he walked, or rather stormed, to the confines of his room. So, he followed, gently knocking at the door, waiting for an answer.
“May I come in?”
He heard Sebek scramble up and open the door. “Of course, Lilia-sama!” He was just like his grandfather; loud, a bit too stiff for his own good, but loyal, almost to a fault.
Lilia walked over to the bed, and patted the spot beside him. “Come, sit. You seem to be carrying quite the burden.” He had noticed Sebek’s odd behaviour all day, and it wasn’t like him to do so. “Come now, out with it.”
Sebek picked at a loose thread on his bedding, and massaged his temple. “It’s about soul matches.”
Lilia felt the lump in his throat form again. “What about them? They are a blessing from the Thorn Fairy herself. Who are we to question her decision-”
“A human disclosed that they have a soul match, a fae soul match. And I told them that. I broke the oath to not tell anyone!” Sebek clenched his fists and looked down at the floor. “They aren’t even my soul match, and I told them!”
Lilia placed his hand on Sebek’s back, and started patting him on the back. A gesture that meant everything was going to be okay. “Well,” a breathy chuckle escaped his lips, a soft smile on his face, “they deserve to know what is ahead of them, do they not?”
Like I have been trying to tell mine, but they still have not left it alone. They keep on showing up, night after night.
Sebek seemed to calm down, but there was still a lot weighing heavy in his mind. “It’s not my place to talk. It is for them, and their match to decide. But,” he took a deep breath, and that familiar intensity in his eyes was back, “I can’t help but worry.”
Lilia recognized the look in his pseudo-adopted son’s eyes, it all too well reflected the look Baul would get before battle. And this was Sebek, concerned for a human, which would only mean one thing; whoever they were, they were a friend of his. And that narrowed everything down. Time to do some sleuthing of my own. “They’re strong, most likely stubborn. They shall be fine,” his voice was light, trying to brighten the atmosphere of the room. “It’s late, you should really get some rest.”
With that, Lilia walked out of the room and softly closed the door. There was something that he needed to do tonight, in his dream.
…
…
This dream was different from all the others. There were no signs of the thorny brambles of roses. There were no signs of war. No, instead Lilia found himself in the courtyard of Night Raven College, the sun high overhead and a slight breeze playing with loose leaves. This wasn’t his dream; it was his soul match’s. And you were sitting under a tree, looking up at the sky, just watching the clouds pass by.
“This is a nice change of pace,” the pink words drifted slowly in the wind. “Better than nightmares and bad memories.”
Lilia felt a twinge of guilt. Better than nightmares and bad memories. Those were his doing. And instead of him being subjected to your nightmares and memories that you would rather forget, the both of them were here, in a quiet moment in time. There was no war, there was no loss. There was only you and Lilia, and an easy feeling. “You are too kind,” he sighed. Thank you. That is what he meant.
You hummed, “I can’t control my dreams, so it’s really just a fluke.” You sighed and rested your head against the tree, closing your eyes and enjoying the filtered sunlight. “I’m just happy it’s a pleasant one.”
“As am I,” he took a seat next to you and looked up to the sky, watching the clouds aimlessly pass by. I need to tell them. “It is cruel, what the Thorn Fairy has done to you. Gifting you a fae soul match.”
You turned your head towards him. Even though you couldn’t truly see who they were, you could see that they carried a lot on their shoulders. You didn’t say anything though, but instead offered your silence as an indicator for him to continue.
“How much do you know about soul matches?” It is their and their soul match’s decision. He wanted to tell them everything, so that they could decide for themself if they wanted him in their life.
You sighed. So now they decide to tell me? “Pretty much nothin’. Just the basics; soul matches exist, which I can kinda infer what it means, they’re gifted by the Thorn Fairy, and you’re fae. I have found absolutely nothing that even talks about the subject, and nobody but my one friend has mentioned it.”
Nobody but my one friend has mentioned it. Were they friends with Sebek? That would narrow down everything drastically, and would also explain why they were relaxing at Night Raven College in their dream. Lilia knew them. They were already closer than he ever thought.
“So, please,” you turned to look at the stranger, your soul match, eyes gleaming gently. “Tell me, tell me everything.”
So he did, he and you sat under the tree for the entirety of the dream, discussing what soul matches were, the different forms and bonds they come in, and what you could expect from this.
I know you, that look in your eye is so familiar a gleam.
…
…
Ever since that dream from a few days ago, you have noticed your soul match get more playful and teasing in your dreams. They no longer held you at a distance, it was a drastic but welcomed change. The cold was gone, and instead there was warmth. But something still felt off. With everything that has happened, with seeing each other's dreams and memories, you still didn’t know who they were. And everytime you tried to tell them your name, the words didn’t form. It was annoying.
“Something on your mind, Prefect,” a familiar teasing voice chuckled from behind you. Lilia shot you a teasing smile, eyes twinkling with mischief. He used to startle you whenever he decided to sneak up on you, but you grew accustomed to his playful nature.
You shot him a look, but then shook your head and chuckled. “Just thinking is all. What about you?” You had noticed that Lilia had gotten more lively, the dark cloud that seemed to hang around him for the past few weeks had seemed to vanish. “You seem to be in a more chipper mood,” you chuckled.
He gave you a quiet chortle, the only real evidence of it being the subtle movement of his shoulders and the quiet exhale from his lips. His magenta eyes gleamed softly in the dim lighting of the hallway. They were familiar, but you could have sworn that you had seen them somewhere before, but the answer was avoiding you.
“Just a lot has happened is all, and it brought a surprise with it.” Lilia was cryptic, but it was a part of his odd charm. A mix of something old beyond your years, and a more youthful impishness. It was endearing.
He reminded you of somebody, but you couldn’t quite place your finger on it. “Fine then, old man, keep your secrets. One day I’ll make you spill.”
The two of you exploded with laughter, and Lilia patted you on the shoulder. “Maybe someday. I’ll be looking forward to it, Prefect.” He waved you goodbye as he made his way to his next class. Leaving you alone in the hallway.
You hummed to yourself as you made your way to your next class, History of Magic, where Trein was preparing on his lecture to tell the first years about the fae-human wars. Something that you had already witnessed the aftermath of, despite not knowing it at the time. After all, that’s what that one dream was about; the one of the meadow, the rose briars, and the rusting armour laying half buried in the earth. But you didn’t know the true horrors of war, and your soul match made sure that you would never have to witness what he had.
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…
You were back in the meadow, in the middle of the fray. No longer were the rusted armours and broken weapons half buried, their wielders were alive again, and you were caught in the middle of it. The sky was an angry shade of pink, and thunder rumbled ominous in the distance… nope that was cannon fire.
Everything was absolute chaos, and you were thankful that nothing could harm you in the dreams, but that didn’t make you flinch any less whenever a ghost arrow flied through the air. Or maybe it would be more accurate to call you the ghost. You weren’t going to dwell on that though, since you didn’t want to push your luck. Something you seemed to be in short supply of.
You saw a flash in front of you, and a bat-masked figure was in front of you, glowing red eyes staring at you, before running back into the battle. Even though this was a dream, you could have sworn that they saw you. And then you were ripped away from the battle ground, being pulled up by your underarms. Looking up you saw the fuzzy and distorted visage of your soul match, pulling you away from danger.
“What were you doing?!” They snapped at you. You couldn’t hear what they were saying, but you could infer their tone and emotion from their body language and you know, hauling your ass away from danger.
You patted their forearm, and looked back down to the flashes of magic and metal gleaming in the waning light of the setting sun. “Were you here? This is more than a dream, isn’t it? This is a memory.”
Dreams are often a flight of fancy, but for Lilia, and for you, they were more than randomly concocted scenarios played out by the sleeping mind. These dreams held truth, the dreams were memories. And this memory showed the most impactful one.
“How many?”
That statement could mean so many things. It could mean how many battles. How many lives were lost. How many lives had he taken. “Too many to count,” is what he decided on saying. It was true though, Lilia had lost count of how many times he had done all of those things. “You must think of me as cruel,” a sad yet harsh laugh left his mouth, and he looked down at you. “A monster.”
You looked back. There was sadness in your match’s eyes, but also a tiredness. “I don’t think you’re a monster, or cruel though.”
Lilia looked into your eyes. You were being honest, sincere, and your eyes showed that. They were the only part of you that he could clearly make out. They were familiar, they were warm. “I am down there though, leading the assault… against the humans.” Against you.
“The past is the past. What is done, is done. We can’t change that.” Leading the assault… didn’t Professor Trein talk about the wars today? “I won’t judge you based on your past, especially if you’re super old which I know pretty well that your are, gramps. But you can’t change it. It has left its scars, but what matters most is the present and what lies ahead.”
You were right, and Lilia felt foolish to let that small part of himself, the insecurity of not being wanted, fester. “I’m the old one? You sound far more wiser than your years… you whippersnapper.”
The battle faded away, and the two of you floated down to the meadow. It had morphed, morphed back into the meadow of Lilia’s youth; filled with wildflowers, grasses, and the rose thicket was in full bloom. And if you listened close enough, you could hear the laughter of a young girl in the breeze as a raven flew overhead.
…
…
Lilia needed to find you. Your dreams were filled with premonitions, and they sat heavy in his mind at the repercussions they could make. They sent off alarm bells in his mind. Lilia was in a tizzy. I have to find them.
His magic was running out, and he knew that his lifespan had shortened drastically. He would be lucky to live another sixty or seventy years, which was nothing in the eyes of many fae. But that was a human lifetime. A lifetime that could be spent with not just Silver and Sebek, but you. He wanted to find you. He didn’t care what form your soul match bond took; be it like the relationship of family, of friends, or of lovers. He wanted to find you, needed to find you.
I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam. Those eyes, they were the only part of you that he could ever make out. Eyes filled with mischief, responsibility, curiosity, and kindness. He knew those eyes. They were your eyes, the Ramshackle Prefect’s eyes. How could I be so blind?
It made all too much sense. The dreams had only started when you showed up. He felt drawn to you, like a moth to flame. It made sense that you would be the human that had made Sebek drop his guard and tell a human about fae soul matches. It made all of the sense in the world. And it had taken until now for him to realise. Perhaps he really was an ‘old man’ and already going senile like you joked, both in and out of the dreams.
That is how he came to find himself at your front door, in the middle of the night, still wearing his hot pink and neon green pyjamas. All because of the one dream, the most recent dream of overblot, and his own realisation of who you truly were. So he knocked three times, and waited for you to come down.
You groaned awake, the faint memory of the dream still weighing heavy on your mind. I can never catch a break, huh? I swear if it’s Ace I’m going to drop kick him. You begrudgingly made your way to the front door, and opened it right as a yawn escaped your mouth. “Lilia?”
What was Lilia doing at your front door? It was like two in the morning… although his bat print pyjamas were pretty great. Was that ‘Bat-tastic’ written in swirly font? Where in Twisted Wonderland had he found that?
“What are you doing here?” Was what you said instead.
“Do you recognize me,” he whispered, taking your hands in his, rubbing his thumb over your knuckles.
Recognize you? “Your Lilia, of course I recognize you, old man.”
He looked at you, magenta eyes practically glowing in the dark. Familiar magenta eyes. Eyes that held such familiar a gleam… as if you had seen them countless times in your dreams, tinted a paler shade of the colour. “Prefect, have we met before? I could have sworn that I met you… once upon a dream?”
It all made sense. It all made sense. The coldness at first, the memories of war, the playfulness. Why everything was pink. Your match, the perceived stranger, was no stranger at all. They were Lilia.
“So you’re them,” you said softly. “We’re soul matches?”
He shot you a playful wink, “It would seem so. And I’m happy that you are them, and they, you.”
All of those centuries spent alone, wondering why the Thorn Fairy had not granted him the blessing of having a soul match, and then the confusion of finally receiving one after years of nothing, now had an answer. It was you, and Lilia knew that the seven hundred years may have been lonely, but whatever time he had left, he would be more than happy to spend with you.
Fin!
Author's Note; Enjoy this word vomit. If you want to read more, do check out my masterlist.
Honestly i need more of this. I love the idea of soulmates with Lilia cuz it's one of the tropes that contains a perfect combination of fluff and angst. Thank you for writing this author<3
“My greatest gift was, and always will be, you.”🦇⚔️
This started as a Silver birthday comic, but it kinda evolved from there. I was talking with my sister about what Silver’s first word was, which I then turned my ramblings into this comic! I’m really proud of it, especially how it looks as I tried really hard to use lots of manga techniques in it and I think it adds to the nostalgia…though I did reuse some lineart for the last page. I like to think that not only was that Silver calling Lilia ”father” for the first time, but Lilia calling Silver “son” for the first time as he might not have been sure of his role in this human’s life that he found.
Lilia was leaving. If it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world. Lilia had announced it himself at the third years' initiation conference where everyone had gathered to discuss their plans for the future, which was kinda something Idia hadn't exactly, well he hadn't liked the idea of it at all in the first place, and the other third years had made a huge ruckus about him being employed at Olympus. With Idia being the Keeper of the Underworld, family business and all that, it was only for a short term anyways, so he didn't see what they were so excited about. It wasn't anything of an achievement to speak of. His thoughts revolved more around his boyfriend, Silver.
Lilia was his father, Silver had revealed that to him. Silver often talked about Lilia, and the childhood days spent with his loving, sometimes teasing fae father in the forest. Idia had only met Lilia a few times, and he reminded Idia of someone he knew fairly well online- no way, Muscle Kurenai and Lilia could never be the same person. Could they?
Muscle Kurenai had left gaming and all Idia wanted was to coop himself up in his room and cry, but then he thought of Silver. About how it must hurt him, the excruciating pain he must feel about his father leaving. Idia had never been close to his parents, but he knew Silver must be hurting. A lot. Silver just didn't show it. He had his usual stoic expression and understanding responses on default mode the whole time, but Idia could tell that he had the slightest of tears in his eyes. No one could really tell these small things about Silver, given that the prince-like boy always had the same, poker face almost everytime he spoke. His surprised expression, his happy expression were only shown with a slight widening of eyes or a small curve of his lips upward- things Idia never failed to catch. Silver had him head over heels for him, and there wasn't a thing about Silver he didn't know. At least he thought.
Crap, I sound like some kinda shoujo protag rn, bye.
He swerved around slightly on his gaming chair and stared at his computer screen, tears still fresh in his eyes as he ran his fingers over Muscle Kurenai's goodbye message. He wished he could meet him. Oh wait, even if he did, Muscle Kurenai wouldn't ever like him anyways. He was a useless, weird looking, lame, gloomy shut-in.
Silver's words rang in his mind.
You're not useless at all, Idia. You're very kind and have strengths of your own. I admire you for all of those strengths of yours. Do not put yourself down.
Silver who needed him now.
Idia, I love you.
Silver who was on the verge of tears, back in the cafeteria, though he didn't really show it.
If you are feeling down, I suggest we go for a walk. My father said it often helps. Don't worry, I know a place where people don't often go. I could perhaps introduce you to some animals? If that would help you.
Silver who was trembling ever so slightly when his father revealed he was leaving forever, but regained his composure.
I made you some coffee- don't push yourself too much.
Silver needed him. Idia was down, sure he was, but more important than that, was the one person who always cheered him up when he was down. Idia knew he couldn't do it, he'd never talked comfortably to someone irl before Silver came along, and consoling someone was super ooc for him- but this was Silver he was talking about. He had to try. Silver always put his troubles aside and prioritized helping Idia. If he put Silver aside to prioritize himself, that'd make him the laughing-stock of the decade, maybe failure of the century.
"Nii-san?" Ortho's worried voice reached his ears, a hint of concern in his eyes, but Idia didn't respond as he fidgeted with the sleeves of his oversized hoodie, eyes fixated on the screen. It was only after a long silence that he spoke.
"Ortho, can you detect Silver on the campus for me?" Idia asked. Ortho immediately complied with his request and started a scan for Silver on the campus.
"Target detected, 130 m away from the school main building." Ortho replied mechanically after a few minutes. He turned to his elder brother for a possible response as to why he'd made Ortho detect Silver.
"Thanks." was all Idia offered before he wiped his tears on his sleeves and dashed out. Ortho had almost never seen his brother like this, and it was quite surprising to him, concerning even. He just hoped nothing was wrong.
–
It took Idia a while to find where Silver was, given that he'd dashed off without his tablet or Ortho in a hurry, which was a stupid decision, maybe most stupid decision of his life, okay maybe not most since he'd done plenty of cringe things in his life. His legs were giving out from all the running, and as if that wasn't bad already, it started snowing. Where was Silver, for the Sevens' sake?! Frustration etched itself onto Idia's expression, but faded away as he heard low whimpers.
"S-Silver??" Idia made his way carefully towards Main Street where Silver sat, stifling tears as he stared with blurry eyes at the white snow gathered under him. The snow was a pure and ethereal colour, just like Silver's soft hair, that Idia always liked to run his hand through, feeling Silver nuzzle into his touch as he slept on one of the many days that the knight slept over with the Ignihyde housewarden.
"Idia-?" Silver's voice was shaky as he lifted glazed auroral eyes to look at him, as his arms trembled, from the cold or the pain, or maybe both. Idia felt his heart crack at the sight of Silver's tears, his heart wrenched as Silver tried to stop his tears. "I-I'm sorry about your online friend-"
"Stop." Idia placed a hand in the air to silence Silver then placed a hand on his cold, pale cheek. Silver seemed to ease up under his touch as more tears spilled from his eyes. "My online friend- I'll be emo over that later, kk? You need me rn and I'd be stupid to not notice that." Idia carefully pulled Silver into his chest, in a warm embrace.
Silver leaned into him and wrapped his arms around Idia's waist. A warm feeling crept its way into Idia's heart as he ran his hand through Silver's hair, rubbing Silver's back with his other hand.
"H-He's leaving-" it was rare to hear Silver stutter, and it absolutely crushed Idia's heart. "I-I was planning to repay him with m-my life- he'll be gone- Idia- what do I do?" Silver looked up at him with a mixture of inquisitiveness and hopelessness in his eyes, as if he were lost in a dream and wanted to wake up. Usually it was Idia who asked Silver to comfort him, not the other way around. He'd read lots of mangas and reverse comfort fanfics- but it was always puzzling to Idia, he had no idea what to say. What if he ended up saying something that'd hurt or annoy Silver?
Don't give up before you try. You can do it.
Silver's soft voice reverberated in his heart. The very Silver who was crying now. Who was in so much pain he felt hopeless. Idia kissed Silver's forehead then placed his own forehead against Silver's, looking down at their intertwined hands as he ran a thumb across Silver's slender, bruised fingers, rough from training.
"Honestly, idk either. I know you loved Lilia-shi a lot, and he's kinda my father-in-law too, technically. It hurts for me too, since Muscle Kurenai left. So, I'm prolly of the same mind as you. I mean, someone important leaving, thats literally a doom flag." Idia knew he wasn't helping at all. He was dumb. A dumb, stupid idiot. Still, Silver kept listening carefully to him, hanging on to each word. Oh, how Idia loved his prince. That gave Idia the strength to continue.
"But, y'know, we can't exactly change things. Whoever's gonna leave, ends up leaving. We feel like we're useless and all that stuff at the time but- we didn't sign them up for the angst genre. Nor can we actually convince them to stay. And sometimes, maybe ig, [THIS LINE IS OVERUSED, IDIA SWEARS], we should let them go if we love them. And all that stuff. And we should be happy and move on," Idia tucked a loose strand of Silver's hair behind his ear. "-cause thats what they would want too." Idia managed a small smile, which hopefully wasn't his usual SSS tier creepy one.
"Mm." Silver's grip on him slightly tightened, but never too much. Silver had enormous strength, but he always treated Idia gently, so as to never hurt him or overwhelm him with too much physical touch. Which added to Idia's long list of reasons about why he loved Silver. Idia wiped a stray tear from the corner of Silver's eye, his beautiful eyes that captivated Idia whenever he looked into them. Idia leant in bravely and kissed the corner of his boyfriend's eye, something which made Silver's eyes widen and a slight blush spread across his face as a grateful smile tugged the corners of his lips upwards.
"Thank you, Idia." he murmured as he embraced Idia again, tears now at bay. Idia gently rubbed his back in silence. "I love you." Silver whispered, at which the tips of Idia's hair turned a shy pink.
"I love you too." Idia felt his face heat up as he wrapped his arms around Silver, who had started to fall asleep in his arms.
"Hold on, I'll get an umbrella or smths- I've got something else to bring too." Idia grinned. A warm drink would cheer Silver up. They'd gaze at the wintry sky together. It'd def cheer Silver up. Silver nodded slightly, then tugged Idia down by the sleeve wordlessly. The taller male glanced at him curiously, but not for long. Idia's eyes widened as Silver's cold, sweet lips fell on his in a gentle kiss, a quick one, but one that lingered on his lips long after it faded.
"I'll wait for you. At the-" he paused for a second to keep his tears from spilling out again. "-farewell party."
"Yeah." Idia smiled. Not exactly what he'd planned, but well, maybe the party would cheer Silver up. He didn't wanna go, but for today, he was willing to throw himself into any kind of impossible event or tedious grind irl- he just wanted to be there for Silver.
Little did he know that they wouldn't meet for that promise.
summary: a collection of requested drabbles for a anniversary celebration for my blog, taken from two prompt lists! (ft. ace, riddle, azul, jade, floyd, ruggie, leona, kalim, jamil, vil, (platonic) ortho, silver, lilia, malleus).
info: 3.9k words, drabbles, fluff, angst
Ace Trappola
❛ don’t go where i can’t follow. ❜
Ace doesn’t even realize the words are out of his mouth until you turn to him in surprise, a cheeky grin tugging at your lips.
“What’s this? Scared I’m going to leave for alchemy class without you?”
Ace shrugs. There’s an urge to agree with you and pass his words off as a silly joke, to ignore whatever moment of vulnerability overtook him. After all, it was you he was talking about. Fearless, kind, clever. Always with a solution to every predicament he and your other friends ended up in.
But you were still a magicless human, thrown into situations most grown mages would tremble at. And sometimes, you’re so busy running towards the next adventure, he’s afraid that you’ll slip through his fingers.
“I mean it,” Ace said, ignoring your gaze. “If you’re going to do something stupid, don’t forget to bring me along.”
“I only do stupid things when I’m with you, don’t worry,” you tease. “I wouldn’t dream of leaving Ace Trappola behind.”
He rolls his eyes. Typical. He would simply have to run faster to keep up with you.
Watched the Sleeping Beauty (1959) film to compare with Twisted Wonderland.
This also strengthens my theory that it was originally Silver's family that ruled Briar Valley, but now Malleus and his family rule over it after usurping it. Malleus also stated in one of his cards that "power is an easy way to make others obey you". Maybe thats how the Draconias have ruled and thats how he's been taught. Maybe the Draconias are usurpers and Silver's family left him with Lilia who they know was kind so he doesn't face a cruel fate like they did. Like how Aurora's parents left her with the three good fairies so she doesn't suffer a bad fate in the film. Briar Rose is Aurora's name, so wouldn't Briar Valley be Aurora's [Silver's]? The Draconias have been ruling for thousands of years yes, but maybe Silver's family were being hunted as they were successors of the defeated royal family. This is a common move made by rulers to prevent rebellion.
Lets remember that Maleficent was never even a ruler in Sleeping Beauty. Her castle was in much solitude. Which strengthens my theory.
I would like to hear your thoughts and please be reminded this is just a theory and not factual! Its a "what if" theory based on some facts from the game and movie, and it would be fun if my theory came true.
