You saw Law sitting down in one of the chairs beside the bed, watching you. Staring with tense interest and restraint, ready to intervene should the slightest hint of danger rise.
Silent, observant and cold. His doctor's professionalism and eyes scanning you for tell-tale signs of distress, discomfort, or another emotional outburst and melt down. You kept your gaze on the skeleton before you. The remains of your husband. His skull within your slight trembling hands. "I'm sorry that I can no longer follow you into the afterlife, my love." You say voice above a shaky whisper. You clutch the skull to your chest. Paying attention to how raw and weary you sounded. All of the happiness and brightness shining within your eyes and voice now dulled and dimmed, minging into sadness. Your pink and blue eyes were dark and larger. If his observation was correct, then you were close to weeping.
That thought somehow pained him, his heart clenching and squeezing as if Law was grasping his own heart himself.
"I want to go out to sea, my love." You stop to inhale a shaky breath and inhale slowly. "See the world like we promised when our girls were older."
Law stared at the skull in your embrace. A shiver ran throughout his body, starting from the top of his head at the base of his scalp to the tips of his toes. He knew you needed closure, before you would leave. Even if Law saw you off his crew had already become attached to you.
The surgeon lowered his spotted hat, then leaned forward, elbows on his spread knees, locking his inked tanned fingers together and resting his chin in the middle. Twins. He grits his teeth. Him and you had twin girls. They had silver eyes and tanned skin, your silver white hair and smile. He saw them. The day they were born when helped you deliver them himself. Two tiny little bundles to hold and love tight yet carefully within his arms.
For weeks he didn't want to leave you or the girls. He knew you needed plenty of rest to recover. The only way to tell them apart at first had been the flickers of pink or blue within their eyes whenever they were becoming fussy. Law swallowed. The clear perfect memory of them holding tightly onto his finger, which strength within their bodies. They had become each other's shadow, where one would go, the other would follow. The way their faces light up whenever he entered the room, reaching for him.
The surgeon blinked away, stubborn unshed tears trying to escape. Law never really looked too far into the future. He never allowed himself to dream of perusing a partner, a wife, a home or children. Inwardly fearing any children, he had would inherit his white lead disease. He didn't want that. Couldn't bare it. Watching their life and light fade away into agony and twist into confusion spreading across the child's pure innocent face. Just like with Lammy. Law thought sorrowfully. Now? The image of these two girls clinched his heart painfully as he watched you continue to weep and sob silently.
Law had seen your body. The evidence that you had in fact became pregnant and given birth at one point. The stretch marks and extra weight didn't bother him. The birthing process for any woman was a miracle. Beautiful. Proof that giving birth was a woman's battlefield that no man could ever accomplish without changing sexes.
"I know, you wanted to try for a son to name him after your father." You whispered, closing your eyes.
Law's interlocked hands clenched. The awkward tension and gloomy atmosphere getting to him. Reaching its peak as he continued watching in silence. That confession shook Law to his very core. His thoughts drifting back to Corazon. He forced himself to endure it. The phantom heartache reawakening, causing his forehead to drench with a cold sweat.
You stripped out of your ruined tunic, wrapping your husbands' bones and remains in it to receive a proper sea burial. "You always loved the sea. You wanted to travel the world, discover stronger herbs, new techniques and unknown medicine to feed your hunger for knowledge." You muttered out loud, half turning and meeting Law's furiously flustered gaze. "I'm glad that it appears part of your original dreams came true in this life, it seems no matter how much pain and suffered accumulated along your journey, Trafalgar D Water Law."
Law's eyes widened. "How'd you know that name?"
"It's always been your name." You turn, walking towards an armoire and opening it. "Being a doctor and sea wander, or "pirate" has always been in your blood." You half turn, giving him a slow curl of your lips. "Your fascination with being a healer, a doctor, leader and swordsmen are already integrated into your very soul, Law."
Law turned his gaze and head away to give you privacy, scoffing. "I don't believe in reincarnation or magic." He muttered, cheeks red yet he didn't glance at you. "I believe in facts, scientific evidence, proof and what I can see with my own eyes." Law straitens his posture, unlinking his hands and grabbing his sword to lay within the crook of his arm.
"The Will of D." You spoke as you began to dress. "Enemies of The World Government." You held your breath. "Anyone who knows the origins and the worlds forced rebirth would be killed without mercy." Your hand stroked the healing scar. "It happened here." You admitted, feeling the blunt and composed man's silver orbs drilling holes into your back as he remained quiet. "It started here that night. Evermere was the Speakers, Elbath Giants and Minks its protectors, Wano, it's story tellers and scribes."
"Here?" Law sprang to his feet and rushed towards you. His warm, sweaty palm touched your shoulder, firm yet gentle. Your skin felt cold as ice. Your body tense, fists clenched in anger. He began to retreat his hand back to give you space, but instead you reached behind you, grabbing his hand, interlocking your fingers. "The Lost Century was eight hundred years ago. It's rare to find anyone one who could read the road poneglyphs aside from perhaps Nico Robin from The StrawHat Crew."
Despite the unsettling coldness, every breath spoken of such history aloud felt like danger, and it only send a thrill of excitement through Law's veins.
PS: the reason i’m doing these this way is because i kept making all these chapter moodboards but i didn’t know what to do with them because the fic is being released all at once, BUT since i planned to share some wips of each chapter anyway, i just decided to make them extra fancy! oh and sunday because the fic releases on a sunday… and seven in total because it was a seven (there’s seven chapters lol) 😈
-.-. .... .- .--. - . .-. / ..---
December 23, 1995
“And what’s that?” Holly points to a gray box with numerous dials and switches.
“That’s a transceiver. It’s part of my old ham radio.”
“What’s a ham radio?”
“Well, uh, it’s kinda like any radio—only you connect to specific radio frequencies used for non-commercial broadcasting… like it’s meant for personal communication and you can even communicate with people across the globe, although unlike a walkie-talkie, you need a license in order to transmit anything—I still have my license too—actually renewed it last year even though I haven’t touched a ham radio in years…”
December 23, 1985
Will checks his watch again, it was 10:23 am—What’s taking him so damn long?
Another three and a half minutes go by and then Dustin’s mother’s car comes into view and he watches him exit the vehicle and quickly hurry up the driveway. But before Dustin even has a chance to knock, Will opens the door and huffs, “You’re late.”
“Yeah, sorry. My mom kept arguing with me about not wanting me to go anywhere by myself anymore because of Jennifer Hayes—apparently she’s been missing since Friday—”
“Jennifer’s missing?”
🎶 a song from chapter two 🎶
rating: mature
tags: alternate universe, not canon compliant, major character death, grief/mourning, ptsd, blood and injury, supernatural elements, time shenanigans, butterfly effect, thriller, angst with a happy ending
"Mario, Luigi! I'm so glad you both could make it!" Peach's eyes sparkled with joy as she approached them with open arms. Leaning down just a touch, she enveloped Luigi in a warm embrace, who gladly reciprocated the gesture. Afterward, she gently cradled Mario’s face and pressed a soft, loving kiss on his lips, causing a slight quiver in his knees.
“Oh, for crying out loud!” Luigi exclaimed, feigning irritation. “Do you guys really need to be all lovey-dovey at this time?” He made a silly face and stuck his tongue out in mock disgust.
With a shared glance and mischievous grins, Mario and Peach turned to Luigi, ready to respond. They leaned in for a series of affectionate Eskimo kisses, their noses playfully touching before their lips met again, this time lingering a bit longer. Luigi, unable to resist the moment, dramatically clutched his stomach and bent over as he pretended to retch. Mario and Peach erupted into laughter, enjoying the lightheartedness of Luigi's antics, with Luigi soon following suit.
It had been a month and a half since Mario and Peach officially began their romantic journey, and despite his lighthearted teasing, Luigi felt a genuine sense of pride in their enduring relationship. He had always been their cheerleader, but watching their love unfold wasn’t without its challenges. In the early days, Mario and Peach would often invite Luigi to join their outings, but he would politely decline. He understood their intentions were good, yet it stung to see them together. On the rare occasions he did tag along, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being a third wheel. There were evenings when he returned home feeling downcast, especially when they seemed lost in their own world, sharing tender moments that left him on the sidelines.
Thankfully, Mario and Peach were not entirely oblivious to Luigi’s feelings. They reached out to him, apologizing for unintentionally sidelining him, especially knowing he was still healing from his crush on Peach. Their empathy and awareness helped heal his heart, and two weeks after their relationship became official and he shared his feelings, Luigi could confidently say he had moved on. He still held a deep admiration for Peach, but now it was strictly as a friend, just as she viewed him.
Yet, watching Mario and Peach bask in their love stirred a different kind of envy in Luigi. Their happiness sparked a longing within him, making him question if he would ever find a love like theirs. Although Peach had comforted him with the promise that he would meet someone special, his confidence in that notion was fading. The Mushroom Kingdom, as he saw it, was largely populated by Toads, amiable Goombas, Koopa Troopas, and Bob-Ombs, with hardly any humans in sight. Luigi was accustomed to seeing interracial couples back in Brooklyn, but the notion of interspecies dating was completely alien to him. He never entertained the idea of a romance with a Toad or Koopa Troopa. He believed that if he wanted to find love, he would need to return to Brooklyn should the opportunity arise. However, the thought of leaving Mario behind was too painful to bear for him. He would never dream of putting Mario in the awkward position of having to choose between him and Peach. It was equally unfair to put Peach in a situation where she might lose the only person that she had formed a romantic bond with, especially considering her home was a world devoid of human companionship. Thus, Luigi came to terms with the possibility that he might live his life without ever forming a romantic connection.
“Luigi,” Mario called with worry etched across his features, pulling Luigi from his reverie. “Are you okay?”
With a bashful smile, Luigi shook his head, realizing he had been caught daydreaming. The knowing look on Mario’s face confirmed that their twin bond had revealed his inner musings. He chuckled while scratching the back of his head in a playful manner. “Everything’s just fine, Mario.”
A faint line formed on Mario's forehead, a clear indication that he was not entirely convinced by Luigi's claims. Luigi let out a resigned sigh, anticipating the relentless questioning that would surely follow as Mario sought to uncover his hidden thoughts. To his surprise, Mario simply offered a gentle smile and rested a comforting hand on Luigi's shoulder, easing some of his tension. However, Luigi couldn't help but notice a strange undertone in Mario's smile, as if he were concealing a secret. Nonetheless, he quickly dismissed the idea, thinking he was reading too much into it.
“Good, Anakin. Breathe and cast. And when you are away from others, and everything around you is safe, what do you do then?” Master Fisto asks.
“Then you let go. You channel. And you come back.” Skywalkers says.
“Good. Good.”
“Can I speak, freely?”
“Of course.”
“Everything you say in this room, stays in the room.” Master Koon says.
“It is unfair that we’re not allowed to form attachments. It’s not fair that we’re supposed to suppress our emotions for the ‘greater good’. And it’s unfair that we can’t express ourselves freely in order to uphold a certain look or tradition. Attachments don’t make us weaker, they make us stronger. As do our emotions.”
He looks over at Skywalker. He shares many of his ideas. But the way that the teenager goes about things, the way he escalates things is unacceptable. He doesn’t disagree with many of his assessments though. A part of him finds that concerning. Another part of him can’t help but wonder; If he can find a way to channel Skywalker’s emotions for something good, maybe he can turn the tide?
“Maybe so, but is that worth hurting your loved ones over? And where lies the balance between protecting those you love, and abandoning your duty to the galaxy?” Master Koon says.
“There are ways to do both,” Master Fisto looks briefly at Master Koon and then back at Skywalker, “But is not easy, and it means you have to keep control.”
“Strength lies not in the force of the body, but in the perseverance of the mind, and charity of the heart.”
I thought I’d share a little sneakpeek of what you’ll be doing in chapter 2! The demo is still on track to release during the winter months, I’ll get more precise as I work on chapter 3!
As you walk through the capital city of Ahn-Seriel, you’ll get to meet one of the ahns, the little fae creatures who give their name and their power to the Ahn’né people.
Your exhaustion is drawing in a cloud of ahns, flying around you at a small distance. You see people giving you quick glances when they notice, your upper body almost glowing with the many little lights, dancing as they follow you.
One of the ahns comes closer and closer, until they land lightly on your shoulder. Completely weightless, you only notice them because of the light they emit hitting right into the corner of your eye.
[[You accept the help of the ahn.|2.2.1]]
[[You politely decline the help of the ahn.|2.2.2]]
You’ll cross paths with the barge docks, where the Ondines man the barge system that runs through the Dreaming Woods.
The capital city is split in two by the river, barges passing through multiple times a day and offering the fastest way of travel through the Continent that doesn't rely on irha.
You've never personally interacted with an Ondine before, despite a few of them living on the docks of Ahn-Seriel, and many more in the waters flowing directly inside the city.
[[That's one of the reasons you're so excited to ship out soon.|2.5.1]]
[[You're a bit apprehensive at the idea of leaving the city.|2.5.2]]
[[You've never cared much about meeting the other races.|2.5.3]]
And as you finally get home, to the mother-tree where House Haravel resides, you’ll get to interact with a member of House Haravel, your kin.
House Haravel is the largest Dreamer kingroup in Weavers Grove. An entire mother-tree serves as home for your kinsmen, whereas most Houses and other citizens of Ahn-Seriel share the space of the giant dreaming elms throughout the city. [...]
[[At last, you enter.|2.8]]
Every last one of your senses is assaulted as soon as you cross through the veil. A loud clamor is accompanied by a flash of blue light, and something heavy barrels into you with all its might.
[[It's Enor, your twin.|2.8.1]]
[[It's Dülla, your neqe.|2.8.2]]
[[It's Sÿlen, your best friend.|2.8.3]]
I hope you’ll enjoy playing through the Shadowwalkers at least half as much as I enjoy writing it! All questions about the world and the story are more than welcome as we wait together for the release.
Incredible moodboard created by @crownofstardustandbone @therollingstonys thank you so much! 💖
********
One might’ve thought that after surviving being bombed, kidnapped, experimented on, and nearly suffocating in the middle of the desert, Peter might’ve earned some kind of get out of jail free card on any further life-altering trauma, but apparently the bombing/ kidnapping was only the warmup. It was barely a year later that the wormhole from space opened up over their Tower home, allowing the Chitauri aliens to invade New York City. And then that led to the huge mess with Project Insight and trying to figure out how to deprogram Uncle Bucky, which then led to Obie breaking into the Tower to kidnap Peter again, which then led to him spending almost three months in a coma after being pumped so full of HYDRA’s magic wannabe super-soldier drug that his mind literally had to shut itself down until his enhanced immune system could fix it.
And all of that happened before HYDRA decided to unleash a bunch of their semi-enhanced zombies on him, nearly killing him three separate times before they switched their attention to Papa and arrested him, torturing him for an entire month before Peter was able to track down where they’d taken him.
And after all that, after Peter had managed to figure out the hidden location of the HYDRA bunker, fight off yet another semi-enhanced goon, and finally break in to the otherwise invisible building and find where they were holding Papa, his dads had still felt the need to tell him that he wasn’t allowed to officially join the Avengers until he turned eighteen.
It just wasn’t fair.
Oh, he could train with them, in their massive training arena up at the Compound where his family usually spent the weekends. He could practise all the manoeuvres that he’d been perfecting ever since his genetic mutations began expressing themselves, including using his homemade webbing and web shooters that had so impressed Dad that he’d started using a few of Peter’s design techniques in some of the new tech he was building for the team, but he still couldn’t call himself an Avenger.
Even Pietro and Wanda, who’d only been with the team since the end of May and were still learning how to use the full extent of their abilities, could call themselves Avengers.
But not Peter. ‘Cause he was still “just a kid”.
Hmph.
The full chapter will post on Monday, September 7th 😊
As promised because this is amazing. I am giving a preview to Long Live the Dead. The new chapter comes out on Friday, so stay tuned!
Immediately after declaring that there was a problem, Caleb passed out again. Julie gaped, looking at the boys and then back at Caleb. “Did he really just—?”
Reggie nudged him before looking up and nodding. “He’s out cold again.”
Julie groaned, throwing her arms up at the ceiling. “At this rate we’re never going to figure out what’s going on!”
Luke walked over carefully, putting a hand on Julie’s shoulder and rubbing circles on it with his thumb. “Hey,” he said softly. She met his eyes. “It’s gonna be okay, alright? We’ll figure this out.”
THE PREVIEW FOR FORLORN CHAPTER 2 IS OUT. Enjoy! Huge thanks to Brookie Morgan (Blake) and Cassandra Martinez (Yang) for their amazing voice acting skills!
