#auwriting

[lilac-den]

A Beastly Figure - ??? AU

Not gonna lie - I have no idea what AU is this. All y’all need to know is that there is a poll at the end and, mind you, it’s to decide the order of the four other parts. Not to exclusively select.

Also, this is a dialogue-less (or low amount of dialogue) kind of story with the MC being gender-flexible - something that I figure I’d try out - so enjoy!

It’s been a while since the land of Tel’dra graced me with their calming winds and singing birds. A good change of pace from having salty waters smack gently against my cheeks, or having snow kiss along my skin.

Being the offspring of a travelling merchant has many benefits -  to explore as many realms as the eyes can see, see diverse cultures of different civilizations, experience adventures beyond the horizon.

But like anyone who ventures through the lands, there’s always a down side. One of them is the danger of exploring vicious, hostile areas. My mother had been a victim of such danger.

Since then, my father; a retired hero who settled to being a merchant after pledging his undying devotion to my mother, has made sure I’m safe from these dangers and help me in honing the skills I now know best.

So it probably didn’t surprise him when I asked to collect the ingredients we need for our new shop - the first home we’ll make after travelling for decades - on my own. He was reluctant, but he allowed it so.

It was a little lonely, I’ll admit. But the experience to harvest on my own is proving to have a nice effect on me.

For one thing, I have freedom to roam and go as far as I can. And, going against my father’s warning, I venture into the deeper parts of the forest that everyone has been whispering about.

There were some stone arches that the people in town have talk about. Gossips of how still and quiet the forest has gotten lately, as if something inhabits somewhere deep in the center of the grassy groves recently.

Perhaps I have a sense of curiosity for the unknown from my mother - or I’m just seeking for one more excitement before living a stable, grounded life of a store owner. That being said, the sound of crinkling grass under the soles of my shoes and the soft gleam of sunlight peeking between the leaves of the towering trees are a good start to my exploration.

A trail of peddles catch my eyes. From what the villagers have told, the stone arches are found from following trailed peddles, set down by fairies...or so the tale goes.

Hopefully, the herbs dad asked for will be along the way - the forest has been bountiful so far, thanks to the Season of Plenty.

My feet follow the neatly aligned peddles, as if to say the road ahead shall be clear and smooth-sailing. But the further I go in, the more the peddles scatter. Some would lean to the left, others would lean to the right. But they’re still in the same, straight line.

Until the stone arch.

Plucking some of the wild flowers and lavenders growing around, I scan along the area - just more trees with sunlight giving it a bright view of my surroundings.

But when I look into the stone arch, what lies beyond it - it’s like staring into a shaded area. Perhaps there are more trees beyond that side than out here?

Which means there’s more herbs - maybe even rarer ones.

...

...

Well.

Dad did say we’ll need as much ingredients as possible to have a fresh start on the new shop.

Clutching onto my satchel, I make my way through the stone arch.

And just like that, the air changes. It’s as if I stepped into another world. Not in a way that’s bad. But it feels...different. Potent. Spiritually powering. Standing before me, surrounding, are each stones that stand imposingly rigid with the exact same and different symbols. Runic design carved into the stony pillars that protect this patch of land.

They weren’t here before.

Is this a stone circle?

A sound catches my ear and I turn to my left. I didn’t catch what fell, but I do notice the littlest of rustling among the small field of flowers. Making my way over, I squat down and reach to grope the ground beneath the shield of the flower petals. Slowly, I skim my fingers against nature’s surface...Until my fingertips touch something solid, something...man-made. I wrap my fingers around and sure enough, it’s as small as a pendant and wooden upon materials; you’re not a travelling merchant if you’re not familiar with the basic items. Pendants are often trinkets that my father and I enchant with protective charms - something to help villagers work on their farm without sudden attacks from beasts or monsters.

I furrow my brows. What’s a pendant doing here though? I pull my hand back, bringing the item up and turn my hand to have the pendant face me as I uncurl my fingers to reveal.

The pendant I pick up is...

Z | H | D | A | ? |

(The link of the poll is on pendant. Choose wisely - 10th of August shall be when the poll is finalized for me to write each RO scenario in the order of the votes!)

[aeschknight]

Day 22: Your MC is being blackmailed. Their BFF is behind it. They find out. * My willow has been my spot since I arrived here. No one else takes the time to sit underneath it and watch the river laze by. No one else uses this place to relax, to get away from the world and dream of a different future. No one else comes here which means these notes have to be for me. * The rest of this story will be available at my tumblr, aeschknight.tumblr.com. Check it out! #whatanovelread #twv1 #writing #auwriting https://www.instagram.com/p/BzG5sDxg02H/?igshid=eii7j2dt4a2e

[the-lacie-archives]

Hunt With Me

Time cannot be stopped,Morning is coming.

Her heart beat furiously in her chest, as if threatening to burst from the confines of her body. Her feet pounded the forest floor beneath her, the wind whipping past, cramming her lungs with needed oxygen. She couldn’t afford to lose this kill. She’d be damned if she went hungry again.

Come to think of it, where the hell was her partner? Impatient, and concerned, she let an exhaustive bark free from her throat - "Where the hell are you!?"

Ahead, the animal she had been coursing was still within sight - the large bird, which in retrospect, made her think of a Doduo - long, gangly neck, with thin yet strong legs - was showing its tiredness. Its steps were less sharp, its head beginning to droop as the chase continued on. Just a bit closer, she thought, just a bit closer!

Suddenly, a loud screech cut through the space between them. Sabine’s front feet immediately slipped out in front, her back legs firmly planted into the earth as she roughly skidded to a stop.

Inches from her nose, the bird’s face, frozen as if in a state of shock, dangled in front of her, eyes devoid of life. The smell of blood quickly assaulted her senses, but she did not turn from it. She wanted to, she couldn’t understand, didn’t want to understand, but it felt normal, it felt satisfactory.

Her eyes traveled from the bird’s face down to its snapped neck, which was still resting in the jaws of none other than her partner. Small golden eyes studied her, as if judging if she had done well or not. A growl bubbled up from her throat - "how dare you, how fucking dare you."

With a hiss, the bird was free from the other’s grip, its lifeless body slumped unceremoniously on the ground between them. The sandy brown coat of her partner, stripes racing from her shoulder to her hindquarters, made her hard to see clearly between the flickers of sunlight above the trees, and Sabine’s slightly blurred vision from the run. What she was able to make out was the sight of her friend pushing the bird towards her.

Shaking her head in attempt to clear her eyes, Sabine looked to see the other sitting still, simply watching her. Just like how she always does…

She always looks at me, at everyone, this way.

Always watching.

Always waiting.

But for what…?

Sabine wanted to back away, suddenly realizing what was meant to happen. No wait, I don’t want it, can’t you cook the damn thing first, why am I even here, what the hell is this, why -

As her mouth opened, her hunger causing her stomach to rumble in anticipation, she swiftly lowered herself to clamp down on the bird’s stomach. Tear it open, alleviate your pain, this is how it’s meant to be -

What the hell!?

Sabine jumped up quickly, her sheets flying away from her before she quickly grabbed them to hold close. The air conditioner was still on, and the sweat that had accumulated on her skin was freezing her to her bones.

The headache that followed was sharp and unforgiving; Sabine let her fingers rub against it vigorously, trying to edge the pain away. As it slowly subsided, she began to think on what had occurred moments before.

A world that didn’t seem familiar to her at all. A large, flightless bird that reminded her of familiar things, but was so alien in the large picture.

Not to mention…whatever had killed that bird, whomever had killed it. She looked like a dog, yet clearly wasn’t a dog. Brown coat, bold stripes, eyes of gold. She was wild, there was no doubt, and there was something so familiar about her.

The golden eyes, simply watching and waiting. No anger, no sense of arrogance. Plain Jane, observing those in front, letting the world unfold before her. It was just like…

"Lacie?"

"Yes?"

Sabine had found herself at the girl’s doorstep in Laverre, firmly positive , yet firmly unsure as well. Lacie seemed surprised at her friend’s arrival, but she welcomed her in, gesturing to a cushion on the floor in front of the coffee table. The tea was still steeping in her cup as she looked up, eyes locking with those of the girl across from her.

Red and gold.

Not gold and gold.

But that one eye…

And that light brown hair…

Sabine swallowed hard.

"I know this is a bit sudden, but-" Sabine coughed, clearing her throat. "But I’m pretty sure I dreamt about you last night."

Lacie tilted her head. “And…?” Lacie had no idea where the conversation was going, but it was clear something was bothering Sabine. She needed to get to the bottom of it before it was too late to do any potential damage control.

As Sabine began to explain the dream, Lacie had to stop her a few times to iron out details. Sabine’s explanation was disjointed and quick, as if she was trying to explain everything before she forgot it. Sabine couldn’t help but notice that as she was describing the dream, there was a hint of recognition in Lacie’s eyes. It was vague, but she could feel it was there, she knew it was there.

After she finished speaking, she took a long breath of air, as if she had gotten a heavy confession out in the open. Even then, her mind raced with theories, trying to piece together clues that, perhaps, amounted to nothing in the end. Except -

"Dreams can be funny like that." Lacie said, taking a sip of tea. "They can take us to worlds we’ve never been to, show us things we’ve never seen before."

Sabine got the distinct impression Lacie was hiding something. Instead of responding, she simply stared at her, trying to look through her, past her. I just want answers, that’s all.

But Lacie was anything other than transparent, and with a quiet, amused huff of air, Lacie spoke again.

"Dreams can mean everything, yet they can also mean nothing." She told her friend. Sabine’s frustration was beginning to top itself.

"So which is it?" Sabine asked, a bit more sharply than she wanted to. A small smile found its way across Lacie’s face. For a brief moment, Sabine felt as if she was there again - the dead bird dangling from the creature’s jaw, eyes watching with amused interest.

Lacie took another sip.

"That’s for you to decide."

The sound of Sabine’s forehead hitting the table was the only thing that broke the silence.

[the-lacie-archives]

00:00:00

When I sang alone, it was just a bit lonely,And I called for you all the while.

She was running.

Running to no place.

Running to no one.

She was just running.

She couldn’t explain why she was so desperate, caught in fear’s icy cold grip - she had to get away from nothing and no one in particular. Most would have found it ridiculously irrational, the way she was checking the clock like numbers on her wrist as if it were counting down the last moments of her life.

For the world, it was as natural as birth and death - the numbers flickered as they counted down, all the way until it read 00:00:00. In that moment, one’s soulmate would be found, and all would be right within their personal bubble.

But for Lacie, it felt like nothing more than a trap - it wasn’t right, they weren’t right, everything was all horrible and wrong and she wanted out. How could such a thing be determined by numbers flashing across one’s wrist? How could something like that dictate something so important in one’s life?

How dare it attempt to control her choices, her life, herself.

00:10:00.

She was close to the end of the beginning - the beginning of the end. But her legs had buckled under and sent her sprawling across the soft grass of the park, leaving her covered in dirt and frustrated beyond what should have been considered reasonable in that world. She found herself curling up, her face still planted into the ground, as she began to cry and cry.

Why was the world like this? Why was all of this happening? Why did she feel as if she had been wholly wronged. stripped of all her freedom? She felt sick to her stomach, but kept what little she had eaten before from spilling out.

00:02:00.

She found a hand gently touching her shoulder. Startled, she jerked her head up to see a young, blue haired girl looking at her with worry.

00:00:00.

Both of their wrists read the same time. Cipher, zero, nothing. Lacie swallowed hard. The green of the girl’s eyes reminded her of emeralds; deep, shimmering, beautiful. The healthy green of the earth, versus the inferno of her own red and gold.

Alternatively, wine and bullion, she quipped silently to herself, with an edge of bitterness.

Lacie’s body had stopped trembling, and her tears had long since dried. With the other girl still watching her, she gently pushed the hand away, rising to her feet slowly to prevent herself from falling back down as her body readjusted itself.

The other girl rose as well, and for the longest time, silence was their witness. The girl extended a hand.

"My name’s Kit." The blue haired girl said, smiling a little. Lacie wanted nothing to do with her; she didn’t want to take her hand, didn’t want to touch her, to even look at her. Lacie was disgusted, both at herself, and at the entire situation.

But she could feel her heart aching, you know what that feels like, why make her endure it?

Lacie’s hand reached out, and their hands held each other in a haphazard grasp. Lacie remained stoic, and Kit’s smile began to falter.

"Lacie," Lacie finally said, her voice cracking a little. "I’m sorry, Kit, but I cannot do this. This isn’t right."

"W-what do you mean?" Kit asked her, trying to search her face for a sign, but found nothing.

"If this world’s laws are meant to restrict, than I shall break those laws. I am no gentle lamb to be shephered." Lacie said, her voice quickly gaining strength. Kit began to back away from her, frightened for all the possible reasons.

"Your happiness is not with me."

Lacie turned, and began to run. Kit was wide eyed, unable to understand.

Not even kindness or dreams,can keep me here.

[the-lacie-archives]

00:00:00

Lacie was not one to adhere to the laws of society - both written and spoken.

She had been quietly sipping tea just outside one of the myriad cafes in Lumiose City - a bustling Thursday morning, hazy with the heat of summer. It was hardly an excuse to avoid the hot rush of the Irish breakfast tea however; Lacie always functioned better when tea had found its way into her system. No different than ice cream in winter; it was something to indulge in, something that made her feel better.

Absentmindedly, her eyes wandered from the book she had been reading to the flickering numbers along her wrist. 01:20:00. One minute and twenty seconds, and she would, supposedly at least, meet her soul mate. She scoffed as the personal clock continued counting down.

She was not refusing the idea that she would meet her soul mate one day - she was refusing the idea that it was decided by a visible countdown etched on one’s skin. Who put the numbers there to begin with? Why were they there? It all suggested it had been done by man, but was it possible that outside forces could create such a thing? She was no stranger to the unusual, the improbable, happening - and yet it all felt so horridly wrong to her. She felt like her life was being controlled by someone she could force to end it, yet she had no clue where to begin.

00:40:00.

And yet, there was no stopping the rush of adrenaline either. The idea that something was coming, and soon at that, excited her, yet frightened her at the same time. She was used to a quiet countdown until destruction, until it was time to take up arms; and yet, this time, it was a countdown to a possible happiness. She was hardly acquainted with such things; Murphy’s Law was almost never on her side. It dogged her every step of the way, and she wanted nothing more than to walk away from it.

00:20:00.

And yet, what if all of it was true? What if her soul mate was to meet her twenty seconds from then? What if she was fighting something that was meant to happen anyway, and it only seemed horrible because it seemed so unlikely? So controlled?

00:10:00.

She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She could no longer focus on the book in front on her; instead, she focused on getting the last of the tea down her throat.

00:05:00.

A girl stepped out from the front of the cafe. Short haired, locks of brown, a laptop bag at the side of a healthy, pear-shaped form.

00:02:00.

The girl turned to look at her; it felt like slow motion to her. Was it only because the countdown was almost over, or was it something more?

00:00:00.

The girl’s grey greens met Lacie’s red and gold.

For what felt like the longest time, silence. Lacie glanced at the stranger’s wrist. 00:00:00. She could feel a lump in her throat.

She wasn’t sure how to feel - anger, irritation, euphoria, joy? - all of it meshed together, and it felt like her head, her world, was spinning around her.

Both girls wanted to say something, to move somewhere. But the two of them had been rooted in place. The book had closed itself as Lacie’s hands unconsciously moved from their place on top of it to her lap. The strange girl’s fingers curled around the strap of her bag.

Suddenly, movement. Almost in a flurry, Lacie had jumped from her chair, grabbing the book and placing it inside her own bag before letting it hang from her hand limply at her side. To the other girl, the way Lacie’s strawberry honey haired flowed as she stopped to stare at her more had nearly caught her in a trance. When her own eyes snapped back to Lacie’s, she still found herself paralyzed.

Without another word, Lacie turned away from Sabine, her steps strong, calculated. Move! Sabine’s body cried out, but all she could do was, almost mechanically, raise her hand, and stretch her arm out, as if to try and grab Lacie.

But Lacie was still moving, and her form was growing smaller and smaller against the backdrop of the city. By the time Sabine found herself running, Lacie had rounded the corner down a side street.

By the time Sabine herself turned the corner, Lacie was gone. There was no sign of her in the crowd.

Lacie had disappeared, as if she were a phantom.

Sabine began to question if she was still in reality.

Perhaps she had simply dreamt it all.

[the-lacie-archives]

I didn't actually think you'd do it

(Under a read more, some pretty heavy things here.)

Heartbeats, thunderous and heavy, echoed in her chest. Her heart threatened to rip itself from the cage that was her bones and muscles, let me out, I’ll show you how black it is.

Her lungs pumped oxygen full tilt, her breaths raspy - a mixture of horror and supreme bliss. But her hands were steady, almost too steady, clutching the handgun to the point where it hurt. But the ache was nothing compared to the adrenaline that tore its way through her- it did not come gently, no hush hush it’s alright. It wanted her to feel what it meant to be the one alive, what it meant to pull the trigger, what it meant to take a life.

The boy had since fallen to the ground, laying on his side - he had all he could do to look at her. She could see the life beginning to fade as his eyes seemed to turn dull with Death’s advent. The horror that had been there inside her was slowly being replaced - a cruel smirk formed on her face.

"Did you know…" She started, sauntering towards him, the victorious huntress with her prized kill. "…That shooting a gun creates the same chemical reaction in the brain as a passionate kiss?" When she reached him, she knelt down, brushing the barrel of the gun along his jawline. "A true kiss of death…"

The blood was still pooling beneath him, his breathing become shallow. She unceremoniously rolled him over, all but a weak cry coming from his mouth. With a little more care, she placed herself on top of him, still holding the gun, but now shoving it under his chin. She could feel everything at once - lust, superiority, euphoria. She laughed quietly, bending down to bring her mouth to his ear.

"I’ve told others, but perhaps you never were." She hissed, readying the gun for another shot as it remained in place. "I am a wicked woman. You can never expect anything of me."

He appeared to attempt to speak, but he found himself choking on both blood and tears. Gently, she placed her lips to his forehead.

Just as she pushed the trigger back, and felt everything all over again.

[the-lacie-archives]

I'll let you know when I'm ready if that's alright...

I won't keep you, I won't keep you, I won't keep you holding on. If you wait on me, I promise it won't be long.

It was Autumn. The Sun ushered the morning in, fog thinly veiling the forest. Light reflected off dew drops, still clinging to leaves up high, leaves down below.

The air was crisp, yet it was comforting. Breathing it in, chilling the lungs, releasing it as warmth vaporized by the outside - repeating the process. Such was how life lived - breath in, breath out, nice and steady.

The chirps of birds echoed between trees, singing of the season and the coming of the comparatively harsh winter. It was the calm before the storm, before survival of the fittest. For the moment, peace.

Leaves suddenly scattered as a Lucario sprinted through, his breaths releasing in raspy wisps of vapour. It was clear to any who witnessed that he was frantic, focused on something in the distance; he never stopped, never staggered as he ran. He continued on, onwards to the distance, closing the gap between him and his goal.

He abruptly stopped at a small grove of birch trees, lungs expanding as wide as his eyes as they begged for air. In the center of the grove lay a body - a young girl, one arm stretched across her stomach, the other resting on the forest floor. Her eyes were closed, but her face gave the appearance of contentness - any passerby could have been fooled into thinking she was asleep.

Beside her, a Sylveon lay, her head resting on the girl's chest. Her ears perked up, before raising her head to see the Lucario. She flattened her ears, calling quietly in a mixture of sadness and fear. The Lucario hardened his gaze, only to soften when he looked at the girl again.

The girl was scarcely breathing, her breaths only visible a few seconds at a time. The Lucario approached, kneeling down next to her, resting a paw on the girl's forehead. The girl opened her eyes, glazed over in a certain tiredness that one would show when on the throes of death, awaiting its arrival. She smiled with great effort.

"Hey you..." She said to the Lucario, before turning to the Sylveon, struggling to run her fingers along the Pokemon's spine.

"Why did you not tell me?" The Lucario spoke to her, a mixture of anger and pain evident in his telepathy. Though he spoke to the girl, he glanced at the Sylveon as he finished his sentence.

"You were still asleep. She followed me." The girl replied, her voice deprived of vitality. The Lucario's paws clenched.

"You should have woken me up!" He said, his head lowered, shoulders slumped. "Did you seriously believe I didn't want to be with you when it happened?"

"No...no I did not." The girl told him, the effort to talk clearly wearing her down. "But you know me well enough."

"Lacie...even so..."

"Tanek, Sakura." Lacie spoke with great effort, addressing both Pokemon. "I'm sorry that it has come to this. I'm sorry that...I will be leaving the both of you. My body can no longer continue on this world. It's time for me to go."

Sakura, the Sylveon, began to wail, burying her face in the girl's chest, pressing into it more as if to become one with her. Tanek remained silent. He could not bring myself to face his trainer yet.

"Go to where everyone else is - I left them with Sycamore..." She told them. Both Pokemon's head shot up. The reason Lacie had left Tanek and Sakura at home, had been gone for hours, only to come back missing the balls that belonged to the rest of the team.

She had been discussing what was going to happen to her with the professor, had entrusted her team to him. No longer would they battle, she had told him. I want them to live as quietly, as peacefully, as they can. But, if they wish to continue on with someone else, do not stop them either.

The professor had been at a loss for words. But he had woefully agreed, promising to uphold her words for the rest of his own life. She had left with a smile - a sad smile, thankful for his cooperation, heart aching from the reality of leaving everyone behind. Tanek and Sakura would be the only souls to truly know. Then again, she had mused on the way home, her team in its entirety probably knew. She had Xerneas, after all...

"Don't go..." Tanek meekly said, tears falling. In the corners of Lacie's eyes, tears began to gather as well, before sliding down her cheek, disguising itself with the dew that was beginning to dry under the Sun's warmth.

"I have to. You know that..." Her voice was becoming more weak - it was barely above a whisper. "This has been going on...for a long time. I...regret leaving you all behind, but...I do not regret the time I spent with you all. You all taught me so much, and I met so many wonderful people and I..." She paused, the need to prioritizing her breathing coming first. "I love the both of you. I love all of you. I love everyone. I know I'm not the greatest person alive - my demons are as trecherous as my angels are as lovely. But...I can only hope you were all happy with me. That...I made a difference in your lives."

Tanek's throat grew tight, as Sakura wrapped her ribbons around Lacie as best she could. An embrace; a loving, sorrowful one. An embrace that said all the things that needed to be said, but begged for just one more minute, one more minute.

Tanek joined the embrace, arms gripping the girl tightly. No longer could he speak to her. Audible whimpers were all he could manage. But it was all Lacie needed to hear.

"...I'm glad." Her voice hitched. "I'm glad I was able to do these things with you, for you. And everyone else...

...Thank you. Thank you all so much. I love every single one of you..."

Three beats.

Two beats.

One beat.

Nothing.

Going, going, gone.

Silence became the only witness. There was not a sound - no singing birds, no leaves fluttering in the wind. In that moment, the forest had silenced itself for her, for her companions. The Sun was the only intruder, its light giving the appearance of fire as the colour of the leaves became vibrant beneath it.

"Lacie...wanted to die here." Tanek finally said after the longest time. "And...I can see why. It's...beautiful here. She...wouldn't want to be in her bed, surrounded by walls and darkness. She wanted to be surrounded by nature, by the beauty of the world outside..."

Tanek gently began covering the body in leaves, Sakura helping him silently. The grove was in the middle of nowhere - nothing could disturb it. There, Lacie was where she wanted to be, in a place she had chosen for herself.

There was no greater freedom than that.