#just a draft

Just wanted to write a little because it's been a while since I've done so. And I thought of the bone king; so… here's a little something ^^

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At first, nothing was out of the ordinary. Everything was even more than normal when he opened his eyes. The Bone King knew who he was. He knew what he had to do, he knew what was happening. Everything had come to his mind as if he were in those dreams where you don't know you're dreaming. Where you know that you are you and that you continue to act in accordance with the laws of the world that you inhabit, without worrying about anything.

Then, his eyes met the faux-bronze pupils of that shadow-furred monkey, and the world shook like a dream world would when too strong an emotion was about to jolt you out of your dream. This intrigued him. He had approached the stranger to understand what was happening, despite his mind screaming at him to stop moving forward, and memories he didn't know he had. Memories that were starting to pound his skull. His insides told him that if the world continued to shake like this, if his reality shattered, he would be no more. Still, the Bone King ignored this instinct, because he found it ridiculous. He was an invincible king. Nothing could defeat him, and his threat could not be summed up as a trembling monkey demon feigning bravery to protect a kid the king had planned to get out of his way quickly. He stopped right in front of the demon. He heard her voice, a little more confident than her posture was. The king's world shook again. He heard two voices screaming in his head as his vision flickered between blue and gold, before the latter returned to normal.

“Macaque”

The voices in the king's head had shouted in different tones.

The king then decided to take Macaque with him. It was an abrupt decision. Something he had chosen in the moment. The desire was too strong, and the confusion too curious. No matter how strange his memories were still, or how his mind seemed to have conflicting thoughts towards the monkey demon. He was sure of one thing. Macaque was his. He had to be since his mind seemed so perplexed about him. Macaque was a warrior and a champion. Macaque was the best of warriors. One like those the king deserves. The shadow monkey was his warrior far too deadly, and that made the king frown. He had to train him later, try to toughen him up.

After that, it took a while for Macaque to obey the bone king. The shadow demon had tried to flee, plot against his king, and rally the bone king's minion to his cause. Each attempt had ended in failure that Macaque had regretted each time. His proud little look quickly disappeared under the tremors, and his arrogant smile was now hidden by his scarf, which he pulled up to his nose, to escape the cold and all that it meant. He lost his confidence, answered his king's questions more often, and remained eternally trembling in Wukong's presence. Macaque changed from what the king remembered.

The more he did it, the less reality shook, and that was enough to assure the king that he was going on the right path. On rare occasions, the ice demon that followed him everywhere seemed to give the bone king a strange impression. It wasn't enough to shake the world, as it was with Macaque; but it left the bone king with an unpleasant feeling, and put him in a bad mood for the day. At those times, he sent the fake mayor elsewhere, or ordered him to go find Macaque for an even more unsatisfactory training session. Nevertheless ; and the king knew it, Macaque was the only one who was sufficiently at his level to hold out against him one on one for so long. And if the bone king was sometimes displeased enough that Macaque, during his unpredictable bursts of motivation, managed to make him flinch for a moment, to the point of causing the king to be more harsh towards Macaque, the shadow monkey would never know.

Today however was strange. The Bone King didn't know if the uneasy feeling he felt had to do with Macaque. For some time now, the shadow monkey had been getting closer, he had stopped fleeing from him. Now he was watching her from afar. He always stayed within sight, but did his best to keep the king from paying attention to him. Then he went back to hide for a few hours, and came back to see the king. The times when the two monkeys crossed paths were more frequent, and Macaque seemed to be more willing to initiate contact. It was strange…

New and familiar.

And today, the bone king was almost impatiently waiting for his weak little warrior to come within sight.

He saw her in the corridors. Macaque didn't seem to pay attention to the bone king. The king could see that the demon was preoccupied. By what ? He didn't know, but he figured it must be something to do with him. Him, or the strange kid who ran away from him and came from time to time to confront him before fleeing when Macaque noticed that he was in danger.

-Macaque.

The person concerned jumped violently when he felt his wrist being caught in the king's hand. The Bone King hadn't noticed that he had run to catch up with Macaque. Had he run? But how could he have arrived so quickly alongside the other? He could have teleported. Would he have done it unconsciously? Everything was too strange today.

-My king? You… do you need me?

Macaque's voice had faltered at first, but he brilliantly managed to show the king a half smile despite the trembling of his limbs and the worry in his eyes. A memory was superimposed on the scene. It was too fleeting for the king to retain it, however. The memory was something joyful. Sweeter than this strange moment. The Bone King took it as such, and he felt his tail hit the ground behind him. There was a little silence. Macaque's tail tightened a little on his leg as time passed without the king doing anything to release him. He would have problems, wouldn't he? He had noticed the movement of the king's tail, and it worried him to wonder what amused the king so much? What kind of sadistic thing could have crossed his mind? He never knew if it was the thoughts of the bone lady or Wukong that took priority in Wukong's behavior. When the king needed contact, Macaque knew it was Wukong, and when the king seemed to displease him more than usual, he knew it was the lady. Some days were more bearable than others. Macaque knew full well that the fact that one or the other took control of the bone king's mood changed nothing for him. Both beings hated him to the point.

-You've been acting strange lately.

Macaque's heart raced at the king's observation, and his tail tightened a little tighter against him. He didn't dare move, but his thoughts were racing. Had the king noticed something? So that was how long he had before Wukong and the lady noticed that Macaque had placed a seal on them. He had been stupid to think MK's plan would work. If Macaque could have easily left a magic seal on MK, without the latter noticing it; that would not be the case with the bone king. Obviously the latter would notice the shadow magic on him. Yet Macaque had been so active in being present to hide the fact that the seal was on the king. He had tried so hard.

“Sorry MK… it was a failure. »

Macaque thought as the king frowned a little more.

-It’s as if…

“Get it over with!” »

Macaque screamed internally as fear tore at him. He was totally in trouble.

However, the bone king does not finish his sentence. His world was starting to shake again. The memories came together before him. The face of someone smiling at him and telling someone he loved them. The memory of gentle caresses. The feeling of being supported in his cause, the memory of a rabbit so adorable in his frozen hands before his attention was drawn to a man with a bun, and a stern look, who seemed to be worried about him. Wukong's vision seemed to flicker between Macaque and the memories that burned his retina and melted his mind. Around him, the world was becoming blurry, as if it were going to disappear. Then, his heart jumped, when Macaque's face was covered in blood, Painful memories. Blood and flames on once-shining lands. A face destroyed by tears and blood; a little rabbit who died while crying for him. The feeling of injustice in the mix of memories he didn't even remember.

-something… whispers the bone king.

-Wukong?

The bone king did not correct Macaque. He was too focused on fighting his own thoughts, trying to even understand them. And Macaque's voice seemed to mingle with the memories. Be part of it. He seemed genuinely worried. The bone king's hand left Macaque's wrist to squeeze his shoulders.

-I… I always… I always wanted…

The Bone King searched for words as two states of thought screamed their worldview into his mind. His vision was swaying, and he clung to Macaque like one clings to a lifebuoy. The Bone King never knew what he said to finish his sentence. He doesn't even know if he even said anything. He just knows that Macaque looked at him with immense shock before his gaze softened,

and let fear not give way to worry. Concern for the king. The shadow monkey was still trembling when his hands approached the king's face, and he was still trembling when he silently asked the king to bend down to kiss his forehead.

-Don't cry, my king.

The bone king did not know to whom Macaque was speaking. The six-eared monkey often called him his king, but thought of someone else. But this time, he wasn't sure who this moment of comfort was for. The mode turned white on contact. Silence fell in his mind, his vision stopped disrupting his memories, and calm returned. He was himself again. Macaque still had his forehead pressed to that of the king, his eyes closed, his hands on his cheeks. The bone king is not sure when he knelt in front of Macaque to allow the latter to grant him this simple contact.

He also did nothing to push Macaque away, or to let him know that he was feeling better. Macaque had stopped shaking. Something so rare about the shadow monkey, and part of the king didn't want it to stop. He stayed like that for a minute, just enjoying Macaque's presence.

-My king? I did what you asked.

Macaque was the one who broke contact. This immediately soured the king's mood. Had he not sent this puppet far away? Oh ! That's right… he asked her to place a spy in this strange child's group. The Bone King immediately forgot what had just happened, and focused on the present moment. It's true. He should stop this kid and his friends from coming to bother him. They weren't a threat, but they were getting annoying. It was good to know that he could finally know when they would come to bother him, and act accordingly.

-That's good. Coldly congratulates the Bone King before turning his attention back to Macaque.

The latter was tense again in his presence. But the Bone King could still feel his world wavering slightly. It was annoying. But this day in general was strange.

-You.

-Yes? Macaque is quick to respond.

-Out of my sight.

Macaque did not hesitate. He fled immediately. The ice demon followed Macaque with his gaze until the latter disappeared, then he returned his attention to his king.

-Are you sure of yourself, my king?

The Bone King frowned.

-You think I'm not capable of knowing what I want?

-No! No, of course my king. I was just wondering if it was safe to let this simian get away with it. He could warn the group.

-Hm. Watch him.

The Bone King didn't miss how the fake mayor's smile had widened a little too much. He didn't like it. But he couldn't stay with Macaque here, now. The ice demon flew away, and the king groaned, placing a hand on his face.

Young Sephiroth & Frieren

The apprentice & his Master

Grumbling, Sanji removes the rackets he put on to hike up the mountain and snaps on his skis to go down and look for signs of a person (how could someone even get off-piste on ACCIDENT? It’s not possible you’d have to be purposefully trying to get away from the neatly delineated track ?? It would take EFFORT to go off piste into the forested areas)

Zoro doesn’t understand how his friends got lost on this beautiful piste- they seem to have disappeared and suddenly he was all alone out here, with way more trees towering over him than before . Well- more peace and quiet and enjoyment for himself, he thinks. Less people to slalom around and avoid, and more piece and quiet and fresh mountain air for him to enjoy with his solitude.

But then he hears someone behind him calling out and turns around to see a skier in a sleek blue jumpsuit. The person seems really angry at him for some reason. Weirdo.

He keeps on snowboarding a little more but the guy catches up to him and cuts him dry by stopping his skis right in front of him.

Glaring at the skis, his eye means to see who the asshole who stopped him is but he doesn’t make it there immediately. No, instead it slowly trails up long, long legs that the jumpsuit somehow wrap around tightly in a way that makes his throat a bit dry. He realises he’s been starting a bit too long so he snaps his gaze up and is met with soft, messy blonde curls being freed from a hat and googles and a red, scowling face. Cute. There’s still some red lines marked into his skin when the accessory was digging in just seconds ago.

He doesn’t know what he’s done to get this man’s attention, but he unfortunately knows he likes em’ kind of like this…a little flushed and combative.

After some wrangling and bickering Sanji drags this oddly muscular and attractive customer (and of course it was a fucking snowboarder. Always think they’re so cool and above the rules, don’t they?) back to the resort where a worried group of 20-somethings thank him for finding their idiot friend. A really beautiful red-headed woman tells him he should join them at a party later so her friend-Zoro? Can buy him a drink as thanks- and what a weird thing to offer up for someone else (especially considering the man’s protests at the idea) but he can’t say no to a face like that and a free drink, so he politely agrees to pass by.

The curly blonde- Sanji, Nami tells him, does end up passing by so Zoro makes good on his promise and asks him what he wants to drink. Unsurprisingly the prissy dude orders an equally prissy drink with some complicated liquor name in it- but Zoro quickly learns he doesn’t mind too much, because the man turns out to be the biggest lightweight after drinking just a couple of them, and highly entertaining when drunk. Their banter at their booth quickly devolves into an argument about skis va snowboards. (Snowboards are obviously cooler and better, duh)

Soon enough Zoro watches Sanji join the dance floor, elegant limbs moving to the thrumming beat of the bass, curly blonde strands of hair sticking to his sweaty face and neck, and he finds himself fantasizing about getting his hands on those hips and his tongue on that skin and getting those lips making soft noises in his ear- he gets to his feet, unconsciously deciding to join the tempting man- he spots Nami looking at him in surprise, then quick, smug recognition when she sees where he’s heading.

The next morning Sanji doesn’t remember much, but knows that despite the hungover he’s nursing he needs to go teach his beginner ski class. He’s lucky is the adult one and not the children’s one today, so he can count on the comfort of fawning over a group of middle aged women for the day.

But god has other plans for him apparently. Or rather, a certain mosshead who he knows can hold his own very well on his snowboard. Is he there to mock him? Annoy him? Discredit him in front of students?