#Why yes the eternal trio are now Ancients
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Prompt 242
He looks the same as he had that fateful day, a storm raging around him and risking sending the ship down into the abyss. Hair whipping in the wind as the sky roars its deadly challenge echoed by the beasts they all sought to bring down those centuries ago.
It looks just as human as they- that is to say not at all, not anymore. A body twisted, sand and lightning melding into a molten sea ever-expanding. Its eyes as gold as the treasure it guards, brilliant blues and greens dancing across bodies in sigils unknown.
It looks exactly as it did that time ago, smile dancing on its lips as the sky opened up in torrents, like blood gushing from a wound. “You’re free to go,” it says, in words they understand and words they don’t. “You don’t have to stay here any longer.”
“Where will we go?” They ask, so very tired of this eternal battle, of being trapped in crashing waves and storms of water and sand. Being tossed one way and the other, never able to go home, for home was gone long ago.
It looks up, their own gaze following, the ship crashing through the dredges of a storm they had thought eternal. And for the first time in eternities, they see them. The stars. Dancing and dripping from a serpentine form that cradles the Sun and Moon, smiling down to the beast and them alike.
And so, they take from the seas, and take to the stars instead.
#Prompts#DCxDP#DPxDC#Storm Core Tucker#Space Core Danny#Life Core Sam#Look I’m just saying I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some trapped spirits from one of Tucker’s past lives#let liminals/ghosts be eldritch to normal people#Why yes the eternal trio are now Ancients#No ghost king Danny here just space man who loves his husband & wife#they might have accidentally made a few cults#And the other ancients aren’t helping they’re cooing about it#like its babies first drawing or something#they’re just tryin to fix this shit that was done through these dimensions a while ago#Sam might have been behind the league of assassins accidentally#Time travel & dimension travel is honestly part of their normal#Sun Core Dan#Moon Core Ellie#Dan & Ellie cackle at them until they get dragged into the accidental pantheon too#Dan gets revenge by telling the mortals that Danny/Phantom/etc is his mother which causes misunderstandings#You know how creation and god myths can get lmao#Ellie claims different things to each dimension and giggles mischeviously#Also feel free to do any sort of crossover or multiple crossovers#Danny Phantom#danny phantom crossover
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@electrivolt said: The idea of researching the titans was a spur of the moment, more of a necessity, now that there was some semblance of peace and a moment to breathe. Volkner was aware of it already— no matter how much faith he had in the legendary, there was only so much Zapdos could do, only so much it could control.
He couldn't afford this suicidal recklessness anymore. Not now that people needed him, that he was wanted. ( and what a realization had that been )
The legendary itself was reluctant, at first, despite how much it may long for what once was also a home to it— and Volkner couldn't blame it, not after all that must've transpired there, enough to force it to flee in such a condition, but... he needed the answers Zapdos couldn't give him. They both did.
With a quick goodbye and a promise to return soon ( because by Arceus he refused to leave them again, especially Roark— ), taking flight was like a storm, harsh and swift, just as the lightning Zapdos itself carried. Johto was close enough, he would just have to find his answers, know of the titan that had chosen him and return home. He expected no more than that, however long it may take, even with his own reluctance to leave home for too long. ( he wouldn't admit how it lingered, that dread settled deep within, the fear of having everything he held dear ripped from him once again )
He did not expect another bird to find them mid-flight amidst the fleeing flocks. Another one of the legendaries, wasn't it? Even with his own unfamiliarity of mythos outside of Sinnoh ( and Hisui, regretfully— ) he felt it. Zapdos felt it— recognized it even.
Had Articuno felt their arrival? Was it safe to continue? He could already feel the icy cold creeping in, hid himself just a little more in Zapdos' feathers for the warmth he was lacking. Whatever exchange the two birds may be holding was lost on him, yet selfish as it may be, he couldn't bring himself to care when he felt like he was right back in the middle of the snowy highlands—
"Zapdos— t-tell it w-we need to land—" / he’s not going back to hisui but he’s certainly going to get a history lesson. | closed.
The synergy of the parted trio of birds would be eternally present, for they were the very aspects of weather itself—siblings connected by purpose and kin, to foil one another lest they become danger to the land they were to protect. To say Articuno didn’t miss their siblings would be a bold-faced lie, but in all of the centuries of conflict among humans, those of recent history may have been the most invasive for all of them. For their siblings to flee from the region entirely... well, it would be inherently selfish and hypocritical to hold a grudge when the titan of snow and ice had a welcome refuge at all times.
To be able to remain autonomous and yet still be cared for.. revered like ancients’ past... such things were a luxury. Humans were fickle creatures and the only way to truly understand them required blood to be spilled, in the end. Still. Articuno would consider themselves lucky, in all regards. So, perched in Violet City, they would remain patient with their siblings. They will reunite, inevitably. They do not control each other, after all, for they temper one another. As long as they all still exist, the equilibrium remains.
It’s a simple way to justify the loneliness that would come of only faintly sensing their siblings, some thousand miles apart.
Perhaps that was why Articuno had launched itself with such a gust of chilly air, sensitive to the presence of a titan within the geographical boundaries of Johto, leaving a flurry of flakes behind, only for them to melt away seconds upon gently pressing into the grounds of the Yukihane estate.
Thunder itself—yes, this was most assuredly Zapdos ( what a relief, actually, to know they, too, were okay ). And despite the gracefulness of the titan of snow, the effects of these birds being in such close proximity in their excitement was near instantaneous—the darkening of clouds, spreading in their general vicinity like misty claws, the air temperature at their altitude dropping still as Articuno approached in haste the moment keen ruby eyes at spotted the golden flash on the horizon.
( ah... does he have a herald, now? yes... yes, they have the bond... )
When only feet apart, it felt as if thundersnow could break out at any moment, between the trill of ambient static and the bite of chilly air, but the birds themselves would be unfazed, ecstatic even, to the point of Articuno circling the two multiple times, acknowledging the dissemination of information with the soft caws of response—they wanted to learn how to preserve their bond. Understandable logic, given such practices were all but lost outside of the Yukihane’s duty to preserve whatever was left. It was only practical to seek out Hayato... which must have been the meaning behind his mentions of a temporary resident. Of course he wouldn’t have mentioned the arrival of his brethren. How unkind.
The birds’ exchange would be halted at the shivered words of Zapdos’ herald, looking rightfully chilled to the bone being trapped between two legendaries, both of whom did not truly care much for the extremities of temperature, considering they embodied each spectrum. Ruby peers towards the gym leader, assessing him, it seemed like. The brief recollection of the events that eventually lead this herald to the decision of coming to Johto by himself... he was intelligent, Articuno could tell. Selfless, perhaps, given the sacrifice of the self was such a pertinent aspect of Articuno’s own trials. Their gaze shifts back to Zapdos, soon gently nodding and turning tail southward—back to Violet City. The weather would follow until the siblings had grown used to the proximity, hopefully.
‘We must catch up on these long departed moons, brother.’ Words unspoken and unheard to Volkner, but at the very least, Articuno seemed content at their arrival, even as it lead the thunderous titan with the glimmer of tailfeathers, coasting with such grace that was nowhere to be found on Zapdos. Even in the speed these titans could manifest, communication was as easy as if they were simply perched on the same rocks next to one another. Legendaries had it easy, didn’t they?
‘Hayato did not mention it would be you who would come. You have chosen that human, did you not? He’s troubled for such a young man. Will he be okay undertaking such strain...?’
#electrivolt#🌙 ━ / asks.#❄ — 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗐𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋. / articuno ic.#good morning it's bird lore hours ((it's 12:30))#long post
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When Our Eyes Meet
Inspired by mmajjyc’s art on TikTok.
Pairing : God Izuku Midoriya x Reincarnated Katsuki Bakugou
Prompt : God falls in love with a mortal, only to lose him. The reincarnation of his lover slowly remembers him after making eye contact with a painting.
Genre : Romance, Fantasy, Anime
Word Count : 1,550....I think.
It was a sudden visit to the museum, nothing interesting to be expected besides the random pieces of art made years ago by artists known and unknown. And some new pieces of modern art of course. Eijirou thought this trip would be a great outing, something different from the amusement parks, arcades, and movie theater. He also needed the visit so he could write the 5-page essay on specific pieces of art for his college class that was due in two days. Not like he was going to tell any one of his friends that though. Unbeknownst to him, Denki and Katsuki did know the moment Eijirou pulled out his notebook from his backpack once they stepped foot on the museum’s front steps. They just did not want to ruin the positive atmosphere.
Grumbling as the trio walks further into the museum, Katsuki separates himself from his friends but stays close from behind as they enter the Japanese God’s and Goddesses exhibition first. There were a decent amount of people examining the art and sculptures, silently speaking amongst themselves. Some even attempting to sneak a few pictures of the angels in the paintings.
Eijirou and Denki walked at a fair pace, catching glimpses of everything here and there. Coming up to a huge mural-like portrait painting, Katsuki stops in his tracks and stares up into the eyes that suddenly caught his attention. He stays fixated on this piece of art that displayed a crying angel, paying no mind to his friends who continued walking, leaving him behind.
Deciding he wanted to know more, out of pure curiosity, he calls out to Eijirou. “Oi. Shitty hair, give me the guidebook.” He demands, not sparing him a glance as his focus stayed on the painting. “I wanna know who this is.” Eijirou turns to him (as well as Denki) and brings the book up to his face, flipping through the pages.
Finding the right page, he reads it out to his friend who was ready to listen. “It’s a representation of Izuku, The God of Peace. He answered people’s prayers and was worshipped in all Japan in ancient times.” “One day he fell in love with a mortal, and he was banished from the god realm.” An image of Izuku with a huge smile flashed through Katsuki’s memory suddenly, causing him to shudder. He did not know why but it felt like déjà vu to him. Like he has experienced seeing that smile before in person.
“Legend says he is among us, trying to find the reincarnation of his long-lost lover… who remains unknown?”
Katsuki’s eyes stayed on the face of the green haired angel and his eyes widen as another memory flashes through his brain once more. This memory was vividly clear to the point a single tear fell down his cheek. He shakes his head to rid the memory, but it was no use. Then he recalls the dreams he had that he never remembered the morning after. Unable to tear his eyes away from the green ones that stared back, Katsuki jumps to the touch of his friend’s hand on his shoulder. He turns to them with teary eyes. Eijirou and Denki stand their shocked, not knowing what to do since this was the first time seeing their hardheaded friend so emotional.
“Are you okay Bakubro?” Eijirou asks, “Did I say something wrong?”
Katsuki uses his sleeve to wipe his tears and shoves his way past the two.
“Woah. I didn’t know he cried. He’s usually so kept.” Denki states, watching his friend leave the exhibit. He looks at Eijirou, “I’m worried. Should we go after him?”
It doesn’t take the red-haired friend more than two seconds to respond, “Just give him a minute. I think he needs to be by himself for a while. I’m sure he’ll message us if he goes home.”
“Okay.” The two continue their visit.
~
Katsuki makes his way out of the museum in a rush, not caring if he bumped into anyone on accident. He was somewhat thankful that his friends did not follow him out, not wanting to break down even more in front of them. He treks down the stupidly long cement set of stairs and when he finally reaches the last step, he trips over his own feet. With no way to prepare himself for impact, he closes his eyes, only for him to land in a pair of sturdy arms.
“Woah. Are you okay?” The person who caught him asks, helping him to his feet. “These stairs seem to be a little steep. There should be a sign that says, ‘watch your step’. Haha.” He jokes before pulling his hands away from Katsuki. Looking up, the two make eye contact and the memory floods back.
~Flash Back~
Izuku’s face was covered in dirty tears as he held his lover in his arms, his face buried in the ash-blonde hair that was now stained red. He screamed out to the gods, begging for forgiveness so he could heal his dying lover. Alas, the gods did not respond to his cries. He rocked his dear Katsuki, kissing his face over and over in hopes that the gods and goddesses saw his pain.
“Don’t die on me. I cannot live on this world without you. I just can’t.” He pulls him closer, “Please Kacchan. Please.”
Katsuki lets out a small cough, placing his hand on Izuku’s tear stained face. “I wish I could, but I don’t have immortality like you, my love.” He whispers, “Or else I would walk on this earth with you for eternity.”
“No. Not like this Kacchan. I won’t let you die.” “I can’t be healed, whether it be from the gods or yourself.” Izuku cries get harder, “This is all my fault. If I didn’t fall in love with you, you would be living peacefully.”
“Yet here we are.” Katsuki coughs, “It’s not your fault Deku. None of this was your fault. I fell in love with you, and nothing could come between that, not even the gods. Please, do not blame yourself.” More coughs erupt and blood falls past Katsuki’s lips.
“I’m sorry, my love.” Izuku apologizes. Katsuki uses the last of his strength to bring Izuku’s head down so their foreheads touch.
“What did I say Deku? Don’t apologize.” He grunts, “We will meet again. And when we do, I may not remember until my eyes meet yours.”
“O-of course.” The two share a final kiss and once Izuku pulls away, Katsuki’s body falls limp.
“Got damn you!” He shouts up at the sky, crying harder. “I did nothing wrong but fall in love with someone who had a heart! You all would do the same if you were in my place. You let me keep my immortality but at what cost. To see my suffering for falling in love!”
He looks down at Katsuki’s body once more, “When our eyes meet. I’ll see you again Kacchan.”
~End of Flashback~
Reality sets back in and Katsuki is in shock. He does not break away and looks deeper into the familiar green eyes. “Deku?”
Izuku, equally shocked, slowly starts breaking out into tears. “Kacchan? Is that you?”
Engulfing Katsuki into a hug, he brings his hands to the ash-blonde hair. Soft and spikey, same as before. He pulls away for a second, examining the face he dreamed about every night. The lips he remembered kissing. The eyes he stared into for hours on end. “Please tell me you remember me.”
Katsuki smiles back, “I do. It’s cloudy but I do my Deku.”
“Yes. I’m your Deku.” He laughs through the tears, hugging his lover again. “It’s been so long Kacchan. I almost lost hope.”
“Like I said, I may not remember until my eyes meet yours.”
They make eye contact again and finally, after decades of their souls being separated, they share a kiss. A spark flows through the two of them, rekindling the fire that has been waiting to be ignited once again.
They can finally live in peace.
~
At the top of the stairs, Denki and Eijirou fist bump. “Our job is done. Great work partner.”
“Do you think we should tell them that the Goddess of Love sent us?” Denki asks.
“Nah. I think they’ll be better off knowing that the gods regret their decision to banish him. Plus, Midoriya is no longer immortal.” They look at Izuku, smiling when they see he is finally at peace and can rest after decades of searching. “It seems like he already knows that.”
“And I don’t want to know what Bakugo would do to us if he finds out we knew about this this whole time. We might be the goddess’s helpers; we can still get hurt.” Denki nods rapidly in agreement.
The two watch on as the lovers walk away, holding each other close as they disappear into the crowd. “We are good friends.”
“THEY DID WHAT, DEKU??!!!” Katsuki shouts, running back towards the museum with Izuku right behind him.
“Hey. Do you still have that essay to write?”
“Yup. Wanna go back to the apartment and help me finish it?”
“Yup.” With that, the two book it.
“KACCHAN. THEY DID IT FOR US! DON’T HURT THEM!”
“THEY’RE DEAD.”
The End.....
So, it is the end of the short story I promised. It took me 4 hours to write since I wanted it to be perfect. I tried to input as much detail as possible get make it short. I cried at the flashback part. I also didn’t know if I wanted to do parts but it took me some thinking and I just decided with this. I also added a little funny ending for my pleasure since it’s what I do in my regular writings.
I hope y’all enjoyed it! Let me know if you did!
Also, thanks to mmajjyc for allowing me to write a short story of the duo! You art is beautiful and inspired me to write this since there wasn’t gonna be a part two. Lol! You are amazing!
Thanks again! Much Love - Maia❤️
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alyss-spazz-penedo
But, but! @secret-engima, please, the CROSSOVER POTENTIAL. Some cult in another franchise standing around a pentagram and chanting, calling for an ancient being of primordial darkness to answer their summons, an unholy Scourge with which to curse upon their enemies--and they get Funny Hat Man.
alyss-spazz-penedo
What I'm saying is that if it's Nox's luck to accidentally trip his way into alternate universes, it is ABSOLUTELY karma for Ardyn's to be being continually summoned into them by people looking for demons and the like but pulling up Ardyn fucking Izunia like a terrible wrong number
Me: How dare you make me ACTUALLY WANT THIS TO BE A THING NOW. Also just- literally the first thing to pop into my head was HP fandom but the SECOND was NETFLIX CASTLEVANIA of all things (I’M NOT EVEN IN THIS FANDOM BECAUSE I HATE VAMPIRES) and now I’m picturing the Trio fighting desperately to prevent some Random Bad Guy Cult from summoning a demon with their Summoning Circle of Evil but the circle glows and there’s an explosion of smoke and-
Funny Hat Man aka Ardyn Izunia aka The Former Accursed Who Is Really Done With This Nonsense Already looks around, adjusts the hat on his head thoughtfully, immediately pegs Sypha as the Only Braincell in the area and calls to her politely, “Excuse me, young lady, can you please explain what’s going on here? I seem to have been summoned by a death cult right before my teatime again. Most inconvenient.”
While Alucard mouths “again?” to himself and Trevor parrots an incredulous “TEATIME?”, Sypha takes a gamble and answers Ardyn’s question, that yes, he has been summoned by a death cult, what is he going to do about it?
Ardyn, who can peg the living Misfit Hero Trope in front of him, purses his lips, eyes the death cult who are now screaming at him to go forth and destroy because they summoned him for this dread purpose-.
Sits down and pulls a book out of armiger, “No.”
Everyone stares. Then someone starts the fight again and Ardyn ignores them all until Sypha takes a hit and a cult member is about to finish her off, then there’s a snap-crack sound of warp and Ardyn has effortlessly beheaded the cultist with his red sword and is already turning around to crush a potion against the startled Sypha’s skin, tutting the entire time about being polite to ladies.
And like- I’m not even in the Castlevania fandom so I’ll move on to some other summoning shenanigans because hgfhgfd this is hilarious.
Ardyn gets summoned by some idiot in HP fandom: “Oh LOOK a tiny new Nephew!!!! What’s your name New Nephew? Harry Potter? Hm, unorthodox name but alright. I’m going to call you Hadrian.” Also Ardyn: Proceeds to effortlessly carve his way through Death Eater ranks to kill Voldemort because honestly you call this immortality? Horcruxs? psh as if he can’t track those down by magical feel and effortlessly destroy them with a stab of his sword and then purify Harry because honestly child that cursed thing in your scar must give you the worst migraines you poor thing.
Ardyn gets summoned by some moron in the DC fandom: “This place looks atrocious and what ARE you wearing? Is that a bat costume? Why a bat? Wouldn’t a demon be more intimidating?”
Ardyn summoned into FFVII by eco-terrorists: How is it your grand solution to save the planet is summon something from another planet. HONESTLY have you know sense I could have been worse then the cure! I’M THE ACCURSED you fools my entire JOB is destroying worlds. Also Ardyn, upon finding Young Aerith: This is my Niece now. If anything were to happen to her I would kill everyone in this city and then plunge the world into eternal night.
Just- Ardyn gets summoned ANYWHERE and it’s always the pattern of everyone being a Clue Screen because UMMMM Funny Hat Man is NOT what they expected when this happened and then Ardyn just sighing in annoyance because Titus is going to throw a FIT when he gets back. Then Ardyn does something Utterly Terrifying and then wanders off to find some Smol Child to claim as Nephew or Niece.
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A Decade
Kamilah x MC
So the angst piece @mrskamilxh requested, I finally did it. May have cried a little writing it but I thought this was a beautiful idea when I came up with it.
Tags: @mrskamilxh, @wildsayeed, @made-me-deep-blue, @thequeenofbaddecisions, @iam-the-fuckin-queen, @witchesplayatnight, @kamilahsqueen, @kamilahsayeed-owns-me, @kamilah-sayeed-let-me-love-you, @h-doodles. Let me know if you want to be added!
Kamilah sat back in her chair, staring out the office window at the late hour. New York ever awake, ever lively. Her fingertips wrapping firmly around her drink for the night, Alice’s favourite whiskey. A vivid reminder of the cost of war, the cost of her heart. She glanced at the photo on her desk, Alice insisting they take it before they finally told each other how they felt. Kamilah would do anything to go back to that garden, to have a few more minutes with Alice in her arms, entirely enraptured. Their hearts belonging to each other.
“Ms Sayeed. Adrian Raines rang, he asked if you were attending?”
Kamilah put down her whiskey, her thoughts broken. “Yes. I’ll meet him there.” Her voice a little shaken, like it always was when Adrian contacted her every year for the past decade. A solemn reminder of a life she didn’t have. But the only one she wanted. A decade with the one she loved.
Kamilah finished her whiskey, pushing the empty glass aside before rising from her chair and grabbing her coat. Leaving her desk a mess, not caring much for her job anymore but doing it to keep herself occupied more than anything. She approached Central Park, seeing Adrian and Lily waiting. Both dressed in their usual. Lily holding a few flowers in her hand. Kamilah recognising them, wiping a tear away before they could notice. Alice’s favourite.
Adrian was the first to break the silence between the trio. “Shall we?” His voice solemn, grimacing as Lily offered Kamilah the flowers.
“You got them.”
“I got them for you to give.” Lily insisted.
Kamilah taking the flowers and admiring them. “Her favourite. Lillies and lavenders.”
“Lavenders never use to be her favourite til she met you.” Lily smiled. “Come on.” She gently put her hand on Kamilah’s back and urged her forward. The trio making their way down to the old temple. Adrian and Kamilah paying for a section to be restored. The throne removed but replaced by a solid stone bench. Two urns sitting together, in good company but a grim reminder of what was loss.
Adrian pulled out a small cloth, cleaning the katana. “Jax, your clan is well looked after. They always will be.” Adrian stepped back and stared at the second urn. Feeling Kamilah shutter a little, Lily and his eyes meeting before stepping back to give Kamilah space.
Kamilah glanced at Jax’s urn before finally laying eyes on the second urn. Tears glistening in her eyes, love lost, a life lost, a future they talked about together lost. “It should have been me.” Kamilah whispered. Remembering the exact moment Alice took the blackened dagger protecting Kamilah from Rheya. “You should be here.” She gently placed the flowers beside her items of importance. A framed photo, of the group and then another of Kamilah and her, in Tokyo together.
“I promised I would burn down the whole world to keep you safe but I couldn’t protect you. I failed you.” Kamilah couldn’t keep her promise. “A decade doesn’t change how much I miss you everyday. How I wish you were in my arms, safe, happy, loved.” She knelt before Alice. “I loved you. You were my world. Why did you have to save me. I would have sacrificed myself happily to keep you safe. Why did you have to get in the way.” Kamilah remembered the moment perfectly.
Ten years ago...
The fight was chaotic, blood everywhere as they fought. Rheya and her going toe to toe with daggers. Alice taking care of Dracula, Serafine switching sides and aiding Adrian and Lily dealing with her guards. Alice thought she had knocked Dracula out and went to kill Rheya with the dagger, only for Dracula to tackle her, the dagger sliding across to Rheya. Kamilah and her fighting over the dagger, Rheya overpowering her quickly and throwing her aside before picking it up. Alice saw Rheya’s eyes flick over hers before turning to Kamilah.
“You think you know pain. Before I kill you. I want you to suffer. To lose everyone like I did. Only then will you understand my pain.” Rheya’s words still pierced her soul now. Time seemed to slow down. Jax had saved Alice’s life and she was prepared to do the same but nothing had prepared her for what happened next. Rheya charged, dagger ready for the kill. Kamilah’s closed her eyes, accepting her fate.
“No!” Rheya screamed.
Kamilah opened her eyes, Alice standing in front of her. “Alice.” She barely whispered before catching Alice in her arms, seeing the blackened blood spread like wildfire. “No no no no.”
Rheya fell to her knees, pulling the dagger from her heart. Kamilah hearing the dagger clanging to the ground. Seeing that Alice had managed to stab Rheya, Gaius coming over and beheading her before she could make another move. “It’s done.”
Kamilah felt Alice’s hand touch her cheek, drawing her complete attention. “This wasn’t how it was suppose to be.” Kamilah insisted. “I’m not ready to lose you again.”
“Promise me.”
“Anything.”
“Don’t go back into your shell.” Alice caressed her cheek. “I need to know you will live. A full life. Without me.”
“I’ve already lived a full life. Yours was just beginning.” Kamilah could feel Alice wiping away her tears. She brought her closer, their faces inches apart. “I’m not ready to live in a world without you. I can’t do it, I need you Alice.”
“You did it for two thousand years.” Alice pressed her forehead to Kamilah’s.
“She doesn’t have long.”
Kamilah glanced at Adrian. Offering the stake to her.
“No. It won’t be you who does it.” Alice wouldn’t let Kamilah have this burden. She grabbed the stake. Holding it against her chest. “I love you Kamilah Sayeed.”
“I love you Alice so much.” Kamilah could feel her heart breaking, “your the love of my life, you are my forever.”
“I know.” Alice smiled. “And your mine.” She leaned in and gently kissed Kamilah, Kamilah closing her eyes at the contact. Her hand tightly gripping Alice’s wrist holding the stake.
“I’m not ready.”
“Neither am I. But I don’t want you to see me as someone else. I’m your Alice.” Alice pushed the stake into her chest. Grimacing.
Kamilah pushing their foreheads together, speaking an ancient Egyptian prayer. “We’ll be together one day.”
“I will wait an eternity for you.”
Kamilah watched Alice turn to ash before her. Her warmth leaving her, her heartbeat forever gone. Her heart thumping hard, struggling to cope with the loss before her. Her hands trembling. Unable to form anything, unable to process anything. She wasn’t even sure how to continue, how to go forward.
Present day...
“Kamilah.” Kamilah turned her head, seeing Adrian and Lily standing there, her mind pulled out of the memory of Alice’s death. “It’s time.”
“It’s almost sunrise.” Lily spoke up.
Kamilah stepped back, composing herself. Taking one last look at Jax’s katana, before glancing at the photos of them all. Celebrating their victory of Vega, having no idea what was to come. Not realising how much Alice would mean to her, what she would do for her, how she would awaken her every desire. Then watch as her entire world fell apart. Her heart broken for eternity.
“Until next time.” Kamilah spoke softly. “My love.”
#kamilah x mc#kamilah sayeed#kamilah sayeed x mc#bb mc#bloodbound#bloodbound mc#choices kamilah sayeed#choices bloodbound#kamilah is my queen
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Of Gods and Goddesses (II)
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Of Gods and Goddesses
The goddess of light, too, had a home. It was something she had seen once in the lands below. A small cottage caught between a forest of birchwood and oak. The exterior was painted white, though age shown through the cracks. Tall sturdy trunks held the humble abode in place and there was a fire burning within. The house forever looked lived in.
Farore had once questioned her why she chose to have stockings drying above the hearth and the faint smell of baked goods eternally wafting, but Hylia could only smile and say that she enjoyed the ambiance. It was more nuanced than that. The goddess had made trips to the surface. The amount was scarce as her sisters had disappeared not long after, but they did occur. On one instance, it was because of a prayer.
---
It was a particularly blistering winter when she had arrived. Wind howled fiercely against the cottage. The door was open, slamming mercilessly against the wall. Hylia was unable to feel the effects, but she knew well of the cruelness the cold inflicted upon the people. From the outside, the house looked empty but she knew the prayer came from within. In the form of a white feline, she entered and willed the door shut behind her. Snow had already piled into the doorway, so she had willed that away too. Hylia observed. It was small. A modest kitchen with a wood-fired oven sat idly in one corner. A hearth with a smoldering fire was the center point. Stockings hung from above, long dry. A painting hung from the wall by the door. The paint peeling now, in it was a man and his wife along with five children. The cottage had seen history and told tales of the inhabitants on its walls. The chairs to the small dining table were battered with use and the floor beneath it scratched from scraping. The small jutting wall by the kitchen had marks along it to signify to growth of the children. Hylia had been entranced. She could feel the happiness, the sadness, the burning memories of the cottage that brought life to seven unique souls. And then there was a bed.
In it one soul, but two bodies.
In her form, Hylia had jumped onto the bed feeling the prayers coming from the woman’s lips. Her hand wrapped tightly around the old man’s hand. His soul had been swept away in the night and she was left alone.
Madelyn was her name. Her physical form was weakened, it had been deteriorating for weeks. Her husband had been her caretaker until then. She was breathing faintly and her lips moved to make soundless words. Madelyn had prayed for light, warmth, and a peaceful passing – as her husband had. Hylia sat at the foot of the bed just as the woman looked her direction. Surprise filled her eyes and then settled.
“I hear your prayers,” the goddess had whispered into her mind to quell her fright. “You have time left on this plane.”
Hylia willed a fire to flicker alive in the hearth and a steady warmth filtered through the room. The woman smiled, closing her eyes and kept a tight grasp around her husband’s hand. This time, Madelyn spoke with her voice. It was scratchy from her tears and no doubt from the cold she felt. “We met under a willow tree. It was a blessed summer,” Madelyn said just above a whisper. Hylia moved closer to hear her words. “We married in the same season the next year. He told me he never wanted to live another second without me.” A smile blossomed on her cheeks and for a moment she seemed younger. “Childbirth almost killed me a number of times. It was grueling. But the happiness I felt to see what our love was capable of… it was worth it.”
There was a pause and Madelyn opened her eyes to look at Hylia once more. “My goddess, forgive me. If that time isn’t spent with him then it isn’t time worth spending at all.”
Though, the goddess didn’t understand completely she bowed her head. “If that is what you wish for, Madelyn.”
“It is. I have on more request. Would you stay with me?”
“Yes.”
And Hylia had.
---
Her cottage reflected Madelyn’s so long ago. Something about that moment kept bringing Hylia back and presently she was within, thumbing through a novel written from the Surface. The door opened with squeaking hinges and Hylia looked up from the table her veil was resting on. Alikah stepped through as if he had never left.
“You’re back,” she said simply, setting the novel down to give him her full attention. A blissful feeling of familiarity accompanied him as he closed the door. “I’m back,” he plainly replied, “Same house.”
Then, she smiled. “Same house.”
Hylia stood to properly greet him, but he had already crossed the small room and engulfed her in his arms. Fleeting laughed escaped her as he lifted her up in a tight hug to meet his height. “Where have you been for so long?”
The god of protection breathed her in as her feet touched the floorboards once more. “Exploring,” Alikah smiled that grin that told you he was hiding more than he cared to voice, which meant his stay would be prolonged – much to Hylia’s preference. He traced her face with his eyes, the first time he had seen it in decades. The mortals’ statues, as beautiful as they were, couldn’t hold a candle to the goddess herself. “And?” Hylia found herself speaking. Again Alikah grinned, there were very few moments she was impatient and he was content that one of these occasions were for him.
He didn’t keep her waiting for long. With a seat on a cushion and the goddess of light at his side once more, he lamented about his adventures on the surface. The mountains he climbed, the many mortal inventions they created, and the friends he made. Since the surface began nurturing life, Alikah had been itching to explore every inch and every budding culture. Hylia watched the excitement bounce in the blue of his irises and he saw the wonder in hers.
The goddess of light and the god of protection had a long history that spanned a millennium. Their paths crossed constantly, tying and tangled into a tight knot that their parting affecting both in a way neither would outright admit to each other. Alikah had met Hylia in a field of roses. Before the Ancient Ones spiraled into madness, when there was stability. Ever since then they were like spinning moons in one another’s gravitational pull; never quite touching, but their collision inevitable.
“You should accompany me next time. You’d love it. We can see open fields together that are far less stuffy than this place,” his hand edged against hers. He knew of her fondness for mortals. Hylia had a different role in restoring life to the surface than her sisters. They were able to rear the land at their will, Hylia however worked with the skies to shutter out darkness in the day and allow budding life to bloom. Despite that, their antics forever intrigued her and she took enjoyment in assisting in their growth wherever she could.
Hylia’s smile dropped slightly, “I can’t, Alikah. At least not now.”
“I know,” he said softly, “It was worth a shot, though. Right?”
With a closed lip smile, her head dropped to study the seams of the cushion next to their hands. His pinky laced with hers.
“At the forum, is what you said about your sisters true?” Alikah peered at her through his bangs, he looked cautious. She observed his hair for a moment, how he had cut it to fit in with the crowd below.
She sighed silently. “It’s what I suppose they’re doing,” she said. The Trio had the power of foresight. Their predictions have always been impeccable, but they never spoke about the future and she learned to trust them. “To be honest, I’m not sure if they will ever come back.”
“But they,” Hylia scoffed, shaking her head, “They can’t know that. Not when there’s a chance.”
A deep guilt settled in the pit of his stomach watching her go through the motions of her doubt, his voice picked up. “There’s something else I’ve come upon.” A hand fished through the satchel at his side.
“There’s several settlements on the mainland that I managed to pass through. They’ve given themselves a name,” as Alikah spoke there was a mysterious glint in his eyes.
Hylia tried peering behind him at whatever the god was holding, but he wouldn’t allow it. “A name?” She mused.
“Oh, yes,” he nodded with fervor. “For themselves and the land. They’re calling themselves Hylians.”
Alikah watched with amusement as her face blanked and her tongue tested the syllables. “Hylians?” His grin grew wide.
“After you, my love.”
“Me?” Hylia’s hands gathered at her bosom and a smile spanned across her cheeks. “Well, I… I can’t…”
Her sputtering paused when he unfolded his hand to reveal a small statue with etchings in the likeness of Hylia herself. She gathered the small trinket in her palm and felt tears spill over.
Alikah warmed at the sight. He had seen many things while venturing on the surface. The god experienced the joys and sorrows of mortality over that duration. He learned quickly that mortals weren’t weak beings. Sure, any god of war would reason that they were expendable. But they couldn’t see beyond flesh. The spirit of the mortals he met was overwhelming. Notions that they forced upon him were strange at first, like spending your last hard-earned rupee over a bet or risking your life to climb the highest mountain just to see if it was possible. The thing about mortals was that they knew their time was short and though they didn’t exactly know if there was another side of life – they sure as hell were going to make the most out of what they were given. He strived to do the same.
One of those notions stood out suddenly and as Alikah watched Hylia turn over the small statues in her hands he knew that there wasn’t a second more worth spending if it was without her.
#i did a little dash moment bc i heard my timeskips can be confusing :x#hylink#zelink#legend of zelda#loz#fanfiction#ashleyswrittenwords#of gods and goddesses
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1987- Day 22 Warmth Prompt
This one is a M rating, as it includes violence, hate speech and vengeance. Proceed with caution.
Also, I cheated a bit with this chapter, I had already written it before this challenge existed, but since I’m short on time (I’m at the airport now) and this fits with the theme, here it is. Sorry.
For @drawlight
1987
In Soho’s restaurant district, a single figure walks, umbrella overhead to protect him from the slight drizzle that has given the pavement a smooth sheen that reflects a dazzling rainbow of colors created by the various neon lights above. The gentleman, clearly a gentleman in his tidy appearance and eloquent manner, had just finished a more than satisfactory dinner consisting of a cheese tasting plate, caviar stuffed gnocchi blanched in a nage reduction, a delightful duck confit with seared Brussels sprouts and finished off with a bottle of 1963 Chateau Lafite Rothschild.
This mild mannered gentleman hummed softly to himself as he turned the corner, leading him down a dimly lit side street. Three shadows slinked menacingly under the glow of a hazy street lamp. He looked up, noting a sinister chill in the air as the three shadows, belonging to three young men, strode towards him with ill intent.
“Good evening,” Aziraphale nodded and offered a smile. “Fine weather we’re having.”
The three young men triangulated themselves around him, the eldest of the trio sneered as the other two crossed their arms.
“Look what we have here! A proper pansy all dressed in his Sunday best.” The eldest spat bitterly. “Well, well, well. Do we take kindly to faggots on our turf boys?”
The other two men remained silent as they shook their heads.
“See here, I do not want any trouble.” Aziraphale attempting to appeal to their rational sides, said calmly as he lowered his umbrella.
“Don’t want no trouble, eh homo? Just out of the prowl for a boy to fuck, and we’re supposed to just let you, you disgusting pervert?” The elder man laughed cruelly. “Aye Merrill, show him how we deal with boy-fuckers ‘round here.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, the tallest of the three throws a punch, striking Aziraphale under the left eye, causing him to stagger backwards. The other man forces Aziraphale to the ground with a sharp kick, knocking the breath from his chest. The eldest man, laughing with sickening glee, kicked him once more in the ribs. Aziraphale desperately tried to cover his face, dazed as another blow hit him in the back of the head. All the while, the men were shouting such terrible, terrible things at him.
The leader of the trio takes a step back and from the inside pocket of his jacket, he pulls a serrated knife that he flips once over in his hand.
“Oy Tommy, you didn’t say anything about pulling a knife.” The one called Merrill said in a low voice. “He owns that bookshop downtown, you can’t just...”
“Don’t be a faggot,” Tommy sneered. “It’s just a bit a blood. Hold him up, will ya!” On command, the two men grabbed him by an arm and dragged him to his knees in the middle of the street. The elder boy, grinned with delight as he gripped the knife’s handle tighter, his hand steady as he pointed the blade at Aziraphale. “Time to die, disgusting pansy. Any last words?”
“You don’t have to do this.” Aziraphale pleaded as blood dripped from a gash on his head.
The man named Tommy laughed as he raised the blade, poised to strike Aziraphale in the chest.
Suddenly, two huge yellow eyes struck without warning, an enormous black snake latched it’s fangs into Tommy’s arm, tearing tendon and flesh as he struggled to break free, his limp hand released the knife and it fell to the ground with a clang. Mitchell let out a blood curdling scream as he frantically sprinted away. The other man attempted to help pry the massive snake from his friend’s unfortunate appendage, and for his efforts, was bitten in the thigh, a deep wound that most certainly would never heal fully. Both men recoiled in horror as the serpent lifted its great head and seemed to grow and grow and grow until it was as tall as them. The towering figure seamless morphed from beast to man, yet any who would be so unfortunate as to catch a glimpse of this creature knew that it was nothing of this earth; a slender, yet menacing creature with hair ablaze and wings as black as night. Wings that when stretched out, filled the entire street, blocking out the light from the overhead lamp until the only sight visible were those two, huge and furious golden eyes. The figure growled in a low, ancient hiss that filled the air surrounding lower London with a grim terror; stirring nightmares and malcontent in its wake. “Sssss leave now before I send you to Hell.”
The men, clutching their bleeding wounds, stumbled off into the night. Unknowing that their souls were already marked for unending torment, forever scarred and eternally cursed.
“Arizaphale!” The demon cried, lowering his wings and defenses, cradled the angel in his arms.
“Crowley,” he whispered. “Oh Crowley. You didn’t kill them, did you?”
“I should have.” Crowley snarled through tears as he tried his best to wipe the blood from Aziraphale’s face.
“Take me home, my dear.” Aziraphale begged, still trying to catch his breath. He closed his eyes and leaned in against Crowley; finding strength and a softness that made him feel safe.
He helped him to his feet, and together miracled themselves into Aziraphale’s bookshop. He drew some water into one of Aziraphale’s numerous antique china bowls and drew a tartan handkerchief from the stack the angel kept on his oak desk.
“Come on, let me have a look.” Crowley sighed as he dipped the kerchief in the water, and began to clean off the blood. As he wiped, the cuts and bruises healed, leaving no signs of damage upon the angel. “A little demonic miracle of my own.” He muttered, trying desperately to get a reaction from Aziraphale.
“They were so angry, Crowley. I could feel their hatred the moment I saw them. Why?” His bright blue eyes filled with tears, and soon they were streaming down his cheeks.
“Oh, don’t cry angel! It’s over now. Then won’t hurt you ever again.” Crowley had always found it impossible to understand human emotions, much less the nuanced reactions to handling them. Normally, he would have retreated to the only coping mechanism he had actually learned from humanity over the millennia, and poured both he and Aziraphale a large glass of whatever alcohol was on hand. But this, seeing his angel in this state, nearly brought him to his knees in despair.
Crowley set the kerchief down in the bowl, and sat beside Aziraphale on the plush upholstered couch.
“I don’t know, angel.” He said softly. “I don’t understand why hate comes so easily to them.”
“Imagine that it wasn’t me they ran into tonight, but another young man- like they were, and they took out their hatred upon him instead...” Aziraphale’s eyes grew wide in fear. “They would have killed him.”
“They were going to kill you. If they had, they would be spending eternity in Hell, and even that is too good for them.” Crowley replied.
“But why? What is it about love that inspires such hate?” The angel asked.
“You know how humans are, their capacity for evil, evil deeds outweighs anything we demons could conjure.” He reasoned.
“They called me terrible names.” Aziraphale whispered.
Aziraphale’s mind goes back to the assault, back to the pain, back to Crowley. “I have never see you like that before. The last time you took serpent form was...”
“The Ark.” The demon’s voice flat and without affect.
“Your hair was on fire.” Aziraphale, suddenly finding a deep need to run his fingers through those fiery locks, whispered.
“Hmmm.” Crowley nodded as he continued to brush the dirt from Aziraphale’s clothing.
“I didn’t know you could do that.” The angel said, clearly impressed.
“I’ve never been angry enough before.” Suddenly Crowley stopped moving and raised his eyes to meet the angel’s. “That man was ready to kill you.”
“Lucky for me you were there to save me.” Aziraphale said gently, longing to reach out and take the demon’s hand, but thought better.
Crowley straightened himself, “I don’t see why people get so upset over how others choose to live their lives anyway. Seems to me that humans were given free will, only natural they would use it in any way pleasing to them.”
“Does that include love?” The angel asked delicately.
“Eh.” Crowley shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, I think love is a spectacular feeling.” Aziraphale mused. “Love feels as if all the goodness in the world is spinning around you, surrounding you in a beacon of light that fills your heart with such joy. It’s all so very wonderful.”
“Yes, well demons aren’t capable of love. No warm lights, no fuzzy auras and certainly no wonderful feelings.” The demon said quickly, as he silently miracles away the rips in Aziraphale’s usually well kept clothing.
The angel studied the creature before him; as he worked, he felt the familiar heat radiating from him, a brilliant glow of warmth surrounded the demon, a dazzling dance of white light glinted and reflected from the ochre of his eyes. Such a display of affection he had felt and seen several times before, but this time, there was an aura of pronounced protection. He knew the encounter tonight had left him rattled, perhaps more so than himself. So he watched, silently adoring the one being who burned so brightly, who loved so fiercely, and who tried so desperately to play his role of evil if only to protect him- to protect them both from the recourse of Heaven and Hell. If only you could see yourself right now, through my eyes. He thought. What good would come from admitting his own feelings, to confessing that long has he stifled his own longing and desire to give his love and receive love in return? But he knows, in his heart, he knows that there is no greater joy than the love he feels in this moment, and for right now, that will have to suffice. “Oh Crowley,” he sighed as he gazed upon the vibrant swell of light surrounding his demon. “So sorry to hear it.”
“Nothing to be sorry about, angel.” The demon had finished his mending, and sat carefully inspecting his handiwork. “Just the nature of being a demon.”
“Crowley,” His voice just above a whisper. “Thank you. You’re always there for me when I need you. It’s quite a miracle, really.”
“Well, suppose it’s just the luck of the Devil.” The demon grinned, but the angel knew better; this was Crowley’s way of diffusing the tension, adding humor to quell the complication of his feelings, feelings that mirrored his own. For this, he would always be thankful and for Crowley, his love would remain ever faithful and ever patient.
#31 days of ineffables#good omens#ineffable husbands#crowley#aziraphale#bamf crowley#justenoughofabastardtobeworthknowing
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Stacking The Deck
Yet Another Good Omens Fanfic from the Ineffable Bastards Universe (Also available on AO3)
Harriet wanted to be asleep. She’d just had a baby a few hours earlier, and all she really wanted was sleep. They had given her something for the pain, but it didn’t stop her having to use the restroom, which was NOT FUN right now, and it took a while for things to settle back down and she just. wanted. sleep.
What she got, was voices.
A few she recognized, distant and muzzy, as the nuns who’d helped deliver the baby. There was also the one not-nun who’d shuffled in during the chaos, wrinkly as an old apple with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, who had actually delivered the baby before quickly shuffling back out again. The nuns had treated her with deep respect, whispering to each other about ‘a touch of the Old Adam’ she carried about her.
There was now a lot more raucous laughter coming from down the hallway, and some singing of what were definitely not religious hymns. Mingled in were the voices of men, which some deep part of her brain realized were from her supposed security detail, who’d abandoned her the minute the live feed with her husband had ended.
But under those voices was another voice, one that she’d learned to listen to when it whispered a little too loudly to ignore. And it was telling her to check on the baby, to check on Warlock. Right Now.
With a muffled groan Harriet slid her legs over the side of the bed and eased herself to her feet. With the dimmed lights and muddled by whatever they had given her, it took her a moment to realize that the bassinet wasn’t there. No Warlock. And no guards. And no nuns.
The coolness of the linoleum felt good against the bottoms of her feet and she shuffled dreamily out of the room into the empty hallway, too well medicated to feel panic, but the little voice was getting louder. And it was talking with an odd accent, which was weird. And it was calling her by her full name now, which was even more unusual. Find your baby, Harriet Sibyl Dowling. Find him now or lose him forever.
She swayed uncertainly at a crossroads, the darkness and everything conspiring to make the two hallways seem interminably long and full of oddly moving shadows. What finally moved her was the out of tune singing that seemed to be going on about ‘hedgehogs can never be something at all’. Harriet liked hedgehogs, and on unsteady legs she moved towards the voices.
“Let me just pop out and get another bottle!” A splash of light and noise flooded the end of the hallway and Harriet turned away in self defense, pushing through a swinging door and finding herself in the tiny nursery. There were three babies in bassinets, lined up in a row, clearly having just been tended to and awaiting return to their mothers.
On the little weighing table next to the door, three tiny bracelets drew Harriet’s attention ,and the part of her that had been raised to be helpful picked them up and moved towards the trio of babies. She’d always been good at kenning, as her grandmother had called it. Said it was a special gift that only a few people were born with, and she had warned her solemnly to keep it secret. She’d never even told Thaddeus, not that he would have believed her. It had led her to him, had told her just where she needed to be to be noticed by him.
She’d been making quite a bit of money, going down to the boardwalk and the street fairs and watching with wide-eyed innocence as some fast talker shuffled cards or shifted cups while asking people to make bets. She’d pretend shyness and let them flirt with her, and feign delighted shock when she’d lose and lose and lose only to win in the very end, much to everyone’s amazement, especially the ones doing the shuffling. But that day she’d gone and watched other people play and lose, and when the man from her dreams walked up, dressed fancy and looking to impress his friends, she’d let her grandmother’s sun hat float away on the breeze and land at his feet. The rest had fallen into place, as they say, like magic.
The thought of magic had her turning to look at the little sleeping babies snuggled in their blankets. Harriet knew right away which one was hers, all hers, little Warlock in the cream blanket. She tied the little bracelet back on his wrist, stroking her finger over the curve of his cheek. “Hello baby Warlock. My little miracle baby.” She thought of all the effort they’d gone through, her and Thaddeus, to get to this point, and here he was, small and wrinkly and perfect.
The little baby on the left shifted and sneezed and Harriet stifled a giggle, looking down at the other two bracelets, squinting at the bad handwriting, not that it mattered, because she knew the right tag went to the left baby, bundled snuggly in a red blanket. She squinted at the name. “Hello little Adam. Do you have a touch of the Old Adam in you too, I wonder? You look like a little angel to me,” she cooed, tying his little bracelet on.
All that left was the right baby, sleeping soundly in blue, looking supremely satisfied. “And here’s another little angel, waiting to fly off to his mommy and daddy. They’re going to love you very much, yes they are, yes they are,” she cooed, feeling supremely satisfied herself with a job well done. She’d had a baby and had averted disaster and all would be well with the world when she could finally get some sleep.
Sister Theresa Garrulous was laughing at a joke the midwife was telling when she pulled up short in the doorway to the nursery, the much shorter woman walked into her back with a muffled yelp. “Mrs. Dowling!”
Harriet smiled dreamily and shushed the nun and the little grinning woman behind her. “Shhhh! You’ll wake them.”
“You shouldn’t be out of bed, dear,” said the shorter woman, gently taking Harriet’s hand and trying to lead her back to her room.
“I needed to check on the baby,” Harriet told her. She twisted around to look at him again, clearly not wanting to let him out of her sight.
Sister Theresa anxiously looked over the babies, checking their tags and sighing in relief that this time Sister Barbara Jane Obstreperous hadn’t foolishly taken off their tags during their baths, as the old hag was usually wont to do, no matter how much Mother Superior scolded her. “Why don’t we bring him back with you,” said Sister Theresa soothingly, unlocking the wheels of the center bassinet. “He’s all tidied up for now and it will be a bit before he needs another feeding. Maybe you’ll be more rested by then.”
“I hope so,” said Harriet, smiling down at the wrinkly old woman who wasn’t actually as old as Harriet had assumed. “The little voice was getting quite loud,” she confided.
“Oh, they do that sometimes,” the midwife agreed, patting Harriet’s hand and helping her back into her bed. “Stay in bed now, there’s a dear, you’ve had a rough time of it and no mistake.”
Harriet nodded, feeling sudden tears pooling in her eyes. “It’s a miracle we had a baby at all,” she said, smiling over to where the nun had settled Warlock’s bassinet. “He’ll probably be the only one I have, but I’ll love him no matter what. My little miracle baby.”
And Sister Theresa shared a smirk with the midwife before happily bustling herself back to the party, assuming the midwife was following along behind. Much like winking, smirking was an ancient and versatile communication device. For example, Sister Theresa Garrulous’ smirk said: A dark and sinister miracle seen to by Hell’s Chosen Envoy, Master Crowley, to deliver unto her the Adversary, Destroyer of Kings, Angel of the Bottomless Pit, Prince of This World and Lord of Darkness. We shall be greatly rewarded for our work here this terrible night, basking in eternity under Our Lord Satan’s great and sullied wings!
And she had assumed the midwife’s smirk had meant: Indeed, Sister Theresa, foul and dark deeds were done this night and you and the others of your order will reap the many rewards promised to you, I assure you of this as a Chosen Emissary of Hell, Satan’s Own Midwife.
Whereas the midwife, knowing full well what Sister Theresa’s smirk meant, had smirked back while thinking to herself: Get gone you daft bloody besom, before I send you to your reward myself. How absolutely binkers do you have to be to want to destroy the very planet you live on? With tenderness she patted Harriet’s hand, tucking her back under the covers. “I have no doubt you will love him with all your heart, dear. What did you name him?”
“We were going to name him Thaddeus, but one of the nuns suggested Warlock and I knew it was just right.” They both looked to the small form sleeping in the bassinet and the midwife canted her head and cracked into a wide smile and followed Sister Theresa out of the room. She turned left instead of right though, heading for the main doors, her work for the night done, and done well if she said so herself.
When a shadow passed in the hall Sister Mary Loquacious popped out of her little room near the entrance, where she’d been tasked to keep an eye on the door in case they had any other visitors during the evening hours. “Oh, leaving so soon?” she said with a slight sigh of disappointment. She really had hoped to geta chance to join in on the sinister celebrations going on in the refectory.
“‘Fraid so, love, got other patients to see to back in Lancretown. Don’t look so glum dear, I see good days ahead for you. Just steer clear of Master Crowley and that lot, yeah?”
Sister Mary frowned in confusion at having a Chosen Emissary of Hell telling a Satanic nun to avoid dealing with demons, but she liked Nanny Ogg far too much to contradict her. “I’ll, er, keep it in mind Nanny.”
“You do that my dear, and you’ll be golden,” Nanny grinned, giving Sister Mary a wink and slipping out the door.
Back in her room Harriet shifted a little, just beginning to finally drift off to sleep, smiling as a cool hand brushed against her brow, tucking her mussed hair away from her cheek. That’s my girl, the not-so-little voice whispered, a faint image of a handsome middle-aged woman in old timey clothes shimmering in the air beside her bed. I’m mighty proud of ye, Harriet Sibyl Nutter Dowling. Everything’s right where it needs to be.
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The Mummy (1999) Review
"You better think of something fast, because, if he turns me into a mummy, you're the first one I'm coming after."
The Mummy, a (very) loose remake of the classic Boris Karloff horror film of the same name, was released 20 years ago today. To mark the occasion I've decided to a look back at this classic adventure film and explain why it remains my favourite blockbuster of 1999. Yes, I actually rate it higher than The Matrix. Look, it's great an' all, but does it have a scene where Neo scares away Agent Smith with a cat?
No, it does not, and that's why The Mummy will always be better.
Despite being savaged by critics upon release (its Rotten Tomatoes score is only 58%), The Mummy was one of the big hits of summer 1999, earning $415m worldwide. It was followed by two sequels, the CGI saturated mess that is The Mummy Returns, and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which committed the unforgivable sin of replacing Rachel Weisz so I have boycotted it on principle. There was also a spin-off, The Scorpion King, a fun, but forgettable Conan knock-off which is little more than a stepping stone on the Rock's eventual path to global superstardom. There was also that reboot from a few years back with Tom Cruise, but we're not going to talk about that. The franchise may have crashed and burned, but the original film, well, the original remake of the original film, has endured amazingly and is probably more popular now than when it was first released.
Thousands of years ago, in the Egyptian city of Thebes, the high priest Imhotep is having it off with the Pharaoh’s mistress, Anck-su-Namun. When their affair is discovered by the Pharaoh, the pair murder him. Before they can be captured, Imhotep flees and Anck-su-Namun kills herself, knowing her lover will use that old black magic to resurrect her, which has to be the most extreme version of a trust exercise I have ever seen. Imhotep takes her corpse to Hamunaptra, the city of the dead and one of ancient Egypt’s top three tourist destinations, but is stopped by Pharaoh’s bodyguards before he can complete the resurrection ritual. As punishment for his crimes, Imhotep is mummified alive and cursed so that one day he will rise again as a super-powered zombie and bring about the end of the world. Why is it so many curses make the cursed super powerful? If Imhotep wasn’t evil this could almost be his superhero origin story.
Anyway, skip ahead a few millennia and Hamunaptra is now a ruin being guarded by the decedents of Pharaoh’s bodyguards, who are no doubt cursing their ancestors for their obvious shortsightedness. This might explain why they half-arse guarding the place. Instead of maintaining a full-time garrison to keep away any wannabe treasure hunters, they routinely leave the place wide open so any idiot can just waltz in. So, really, they've got no one but themselves to blame when a curious librarian decided to have a flick through the Book of the Dead and start waking up mummies.
The Mummy is the closest anyone has ever come to recapturing the joy and spirit of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It is by no means that film's equal. Raiders was made by one of cinema's greatest craftsmen, while The Mummy was made by the guy responsible for Van Helsing and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the action scenes, which are often unremarkable and a little too reliant on sometimes dodgy CGI for their spectacle. Fortunately, though, the film succeeds in spite of this obvious handicap.
What The Mummy might lack in amazing action and effects, it more than makes up for with lots of great humour and some amazing heroes. I really have to give Sommers some credit here; he might not be a great director, but he wrote a fun, breezy script that doesn't takes itself too seriously, but avoids slipping into self-parody. It's also endlessly quotable. The quotes section of this review will probably give War and Peace a run for its money.
But at the end of the day, it's the characters that make this film what it is. They are why I keep coming back to it again and again, why I occasionally bother with the sequel, and they are why I will always prefer this movie to The Matrix. That film might have groundbreaking special effects and some exceptional action sequences, but when it comes to its heroes... well, let's just say that Neo is a character best suited to Keanu's own unique brand of minimalist acting.
The Mummy, though, is blessed with a fantastic central trio in Rick, Evelyn and Jonathan, all brilliantly bought to life by Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and John Hannah. Sommers really hit the jackpot when he cast those three. There have been many pretenders to Dr. Jones' throne over the years, but Rick O'Connell is the only one that ever seemed like a serious contender. Evelyn is the brains of the entire operation and while the story often places her in the damsel in distress role, she never, ever feels like one. And Jonathan is essentially the anti-Jar Jar, a comic relief who is genuinely funny without having to resort to cheap laughs or silly pratfalls. He may not be as heroic as Rick or as smart as his sister, but when the fighting starts Jonathan is always there to help out and if you need some ancient Egyptian translated in a jiffy, well, he'll try his best.
Notes and Quotes
--The name Ardeth Bay is a tweaking of Ardath Bey, the alias Imhotep used in the original. The character was originally meant to die, but test audiences liked him to he got a reprieve.
--While all the heroes are great, Imhotep himself is a pretty flat villain. He's mostly just an excuse for the FX department to show off.
--Difficult not to think of Scooby Doo when that American loses his glasses.
Beni: "O'Connell! Hey, O'Connell! It looks to me like I've got all the horses!"
Rick: "Hey, Beni! Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the RI-VEEER!"
Rick: "Well if it ain't my little buddy Beni. I think I'll kill you."
Beni: "Think of my children."
Rick: "You don't have any children."
Beni: "Someday I might."
Evelyn: "I know, you're wondering...what is a place like me doing in a girl like this."
Hangman: "Any last requests, pig?"
Rick: "Yeah. Loosen the knot and let me go."
Jonathan: "Americans."
Rick: (a spooky wind blows through Hamunaptra) "That happens a lot around here."
Evelyn: "Look, I... I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O'Connell, but I am proud of what I am."
Rick: "And what is that?"
Evelyn: "I... am a librarian."
Jonathan: "Imhotep. Imhotep."
Evelyn: "I will give you one hundred pounds to save this man's life."
Hassan: "Madame, I would pay one hundred pounds just to see him hang."
Rick: "I only gamble with my life, never my money."
Evelyn: "Patience is a virtue."
Rick: "Not right now, it isn't."
Evelyn: "You swear?"
Rick: "Every damn day."
Rick: "Well, you probably won't live through it."
Winston: "By Jove, do you really think so?"
Jonathan: "Well, everybody else we've bumped into has died. Why not you?"
Evelyn: "Abdul? Mohammed?... Bob?"
Evelyn: "Oh, I've dreamt about this since I was a little girl."
Rick: "You dream about dead guys?"
Rick: "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
Evelyn: "The only thing that scares me, Mr. O'Connell, are your manners."
Evelyn: "You know, nasty little fellows such as yourself always get their comeuppance."
Beni: [laughing] "Really? They do?"
Evelyn: "Oh, yes. Always."
Beni: (Translating) "Come with me, my princess. It is time to make you mine, forever."
Evelyn: "For all eternity, idiot."
Rick: "Mummies!"
Three and a half out of four wrong sides of the RI-VEEER!
Mark Greig has been writing for Doux Reviews since 2011
#The Mummy#Rick O'Connell#Evelyn Carnahan#Jonathan Carnahan#Ardeth Bay#The Mummy 1999#Doux Reviews#Movie Reviews
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Kindle - Chapter 5
What's a Monday without Harry and Ginny fussing over Teddy? Welcome to the Hinniest chapter yet and please tell us what you think!
Now also on FFnet and AO3
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gryffindormischief&
fightfortherightsofhouseelves
Somehow, Harry manages to work on his research with minimal freaking out for almost three hours before Teddy wakes, which is pretty adult and mature and responsible. And definitely not because Harry woke up at an unnatural hour with that blasted headache and couldn't fall back asleep because his heart was pounding at the thought of Ginny being in his flat in less than ten hours.
So by the time Teddy pads into Harry's office, rosy cheeked and bleary eyed, Harry's feeling pretty good about himself, professionally speaking. And considering his tendency to overthink, Harry decides to keep things busy, mostly by giving Teddy the most overfull and overly planned day he can manage. Enough so that by two hours before Ginny's set to arrive, Teddy's in desperate need of a nap otherwise Ginny will definitely not take the job or whatever it is when you ask your best mate's sister on whom you have a crush to help you watch your half-adopted godson while you work on a research paper for a grant that he wants and now half thinks he can get -
Anyway, Teddy drifts off for a short nap that will hopefully not destroy Harry's chances of getting to sleep at a reasonable hour tonight, and Harry putters around the house, trying not to obsessively clean the flat. Though he does do that little 'chop' thing on top of all the throw pillows Mum had said made him look civilized.
At about quarter 'til four, Harry's changed his t-shirt to a button up to another t-shirt and finally ends up wandering about topless and hopeless with messy hair, bare feet, and a lingering hangover.
He's staring uselessly at the kettle as it fills with water from the tap when Teddy pads out from his bedroom and wraps his little arms around Harry's thigh tiredly. "Is Ginny comin' still?"
Harry turns off the tap and twists to run his free hand over Teddy's flyaways. "She is. You be on your best behavior, yeah? We want her to like being here."
Teddy scratches his nose a bit clumsily. "Sure," he looks thoughtful, "She's pretty."
Biting back a smile, Harry sets the kettle to heat and pulls out a mug for himself, and another for the milk Teddy's sure to request. "Yes, but that's not why we'll be behaving around her, Ted."
Eyes rolling in a manner that has Harry dreading the teen years, Teddy uselessly grabs for the tea biscuits that rest in a jar at the back of the counter. "I know. Do I have to wear a shirt?"
Fingers straightening his glasses, Harry blinks down at Teddy, "Er- yes?"
"But you don't."
"I- I was about to put one on," Harry answers, hoping that will satisfy Teddy's curiosity.
In vain, apparently, because Teddy prods further. "Why'd you take yours off?"
"Because - " Harry falters, not quite sure why he doesn't want to admit his sudden inability to dress himself, until he settles on, "I didn't want to end up with spilt tea or biscuits all over it. Bad impression."
Teddy nods knowingly, "So I should take mine off too."
Which is how Harry and Teddy end up crowded around the eternally cluttered kitchenette table shirtless, giggling, and covered in varying amounts of crumbs. Perhaps the no shirt idea is a good one - just hose off after meals. Or if that gets too chilly, they could just wear raincoats.
Together, they demolish a bit more of the biscuit package than is strictly healthy, but Harry's feeling too light to care. And anything that gets Teddy's face flush with happiness and eyes crinkling like Tonks' - it's difficult to say no.
Once they've both brushed the crummy bits from their chests, Harry grabs the tea towel from the bartop and begins scooping the little mounds into his hand while Teddy slowly moves each dish into the kitchen, one at a time.
Harry's setting the suds rising in the sink when he hears the front door slam against the wall with a dull thud, followed by the blood rushing from his face and his heart slamming in his chest because Teddy's not at the table anymore -
With clumsy, rushed feet, Harry stumbles into the entryway halfway through shouting Teddy's name in a panic when he comes chest to face - she's really quite short - with Ginny Weasley. Sucking in a breath when her hand presses to his sternum, Harry tries to grind his brain back into gear enough to convey his concern about his missing godson.
Who luckily, chooses that moment to reappear at Harry's hip, grinning widely. "I gotted the door."
Ginny suddenly becomes fascinated with the wallpaper pattern and pulls her hand away - much to Harry's regret - giving the little family a moment for a tete-a-tete. As she pushes the door shut and slides the lock home, Harry squats and holds Teddy, who is beginning to look like he's catching on that Harry's less than happy, still in front of him. "Teddy, what's the rule about answering the door?"
Ducking his head, Teddy murmurs something into his clenched hand, shuffling his feet nervously. Harry gently tugs the fist away and taps Teddy's chin with soft fingers, "Sorry mate, I didn't quite catch that."
"Y' said not t' do it unless I ask you first."
"Got it in one, little man," Harry says, firm as he brushes Teddy's hair back from his forehead, "And why?"
Teddy frowns, "So I stay safe."
Harry presses a kiss to his sweat clammy forehead and shoos him toward the bedrooms. "Now how about you go put a t-shirt on, eh?"
Nodding, Teddy vaults off to his room, likely about to make a mess of his bureau while he searches for the perfect shirt. After watching him go, Harry rises from his squat to find Ginny watching him thoughtfully, gaze never leaving his form. And though there's a flush on his cheeks, she doesn't balk when she notes he's charted her mapping of his bare chest. "If I'd known dress was so casual, I'd've left my blouse in the car."
Before he can ponder about just how wildly inappropriate it would be to suggest it wasn't too late, Teddy jogs back into the room and tugs at Harry's trouser leg, "I brought yours too."
Harry thanks Teddy and pulls the tee back over his head, eyes reemerging just in time to see Ginny watch a bit mournfully as his midriff disappears beneath the fabric. But they both seem to simultaneously recall this is hardly the time for ogling and flirting and - whatever else - and refocus their attention on Teddy, following as he babbles and leads them toward the den.
For nearly three quarters of an hour, Teddy conducts a seemingly endless parade of his 'favorite' toys which Ginny reacts to with the required 'oohs' and 'aahs', sharing teasing glances with Harry when Teddy's distracted. Eventually, Teddy does tire of the impromptu show and tell session and plops on the couch and lets his head droop into Harry's lap and blinks up at him, as if to say 'Well, you're up."
Tickling at Teddy's belly, Harry steals a glance at Ginny. Her smile is as soft as her fiery locks appear, drifting from Teddy's grinning face to Harry's. "What next, sir?"
"We've got a favorite park nearby - lots of grass to play in."
Teddy nods. "Plus we get ice lollies."
Ginny chuckles and claps her hands on her knees, "Well that settles things. Take me to this grassy land of ice lollies."
Like they've done it a million times before, the trio preps for their jaunt - pausing for Teddy to show off his light-up trainers - and soon spill onto the sidewalk. While Teddy swings their hands happily, Harry tries to subtly take a deep breath before turning to Ginny. "Thank you."
Her gaze shifts toward him. "Whatever for?"
"I - well for coming over and for entertaining the idea of whatever harebrained scheme I pitched to you in a drunken haze."
She snorts. "Ron was well and truly pissed - and he's got an iron liver - so I'm shocked you were as lucid as you were."
They stop at the crosswalk, Teddy staring pointedly at the red hand delaying his trip to the park, and Harry murmurs so little ears can't hear. "I'd not had a night off in - too long. At least a night off that didn't involve copious edits and a depressingly low amount of alcohol."
"Don't drink and edit, Potter."
Foot traffic begins moving again and they silently agree to lift Teddy over a sizeable puddle glistening ominously in the middle of the street, which earns gleeful squeals and sickly sweet looks from a couple of ancient looking ladies who Harry assumes believe they're a family.
Which, Harry will admit in the privacy of his own mind, doesn't sound all that hideous. But he's fairly certain no one in their right mind would take a statement even close to that sentiment well after knowing each other less than a fortnight. So he settles for continuing their conversation. "If I didn't drink when I was editing, I wouldn't have touched anything alcoholic since uni."
Ginny's laugh is loud and boisterous, her brown eyes twinkling at him in the late afternoon sun before she turns her attention to Teddy, "Your godfather is a bit dramatic, eh?"
Flushing, Teddy giggles and presses his forehead into Harry's leg, but nods. Traitor.
"Oi! I am not," Harry shoots back, though a smile is tugging at his lips, "Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. I'm supposed to be your favorite, Ted."
"Rookie mistake there, Harry, I always win."
And Harry doesn't think he's imagining the way her voice goes a little warm as his name passes over her lips, and he really doesn't think he's reading into the way her lips quirk flirtatiously as she boasts. But he also knows he can't be that creepy bloke who assumes the potential nanny is also a potential - something else. It's been so long, he's likely to confuse most standard adult interactions with flirtation. So he lets the conversation drop, turning his attention to Teddy as he outlines each and every thing they will show and do with Ginny - which would take at least a fortnight of trips to the park if they followed through - and guides them toward a particularly beautiful section of the green space, complete with a duck pond.
To clear his head, and also give the duo some time together to click without him present, Harry distances himself a few paces away, watching as Teddy gently removes each treasured toy from his pack. After some debate, Teddy and Ginny settle on a simple game of catch, tossing the soft ball back and forth to mixed results, only stopping when a runaway football careens straight for Teddy's small head.
But instead of making impact and leading to a trip to hospital or at least much crying - from Teddy and Harry - Ginny darts forward in a blur of red and sends the ball flying with a swift strike of her foot. And at that point, he's not sure which of the two of them is more starry-eyed, but Teddy manages to get himself under control first and throws himself into Ginny's arms.
"You're the best," he turns to Harry, "Isn't she? Better than you."
Scoffing, Harry trots over and gracefully drops to the ground beside them, wild clumsy limbs cooperating for once. "I didn't take you for such a little traitor, Ted, but I guess I know better now."
Teddy giggles and buries his face in Ginny's neck as Harry's fingers tickle at his sides while Ginny playfully bats Harry's attacks away. "Don't listen to that spoilsport, Teddy. He's just jealous because I'm loads more qualified to train you to be a world class striker before you're out of primary."
Complying when Teddy tugs him down into the grass, Harry props his head on one hand and narrows his eyes at Ginny, "Everyone knows winger's the best position."
Ginny presses her hand to her chest with an affronted gasp. "You speak blasphemy."
And as Harry watches Teddy slowly twirling a lock of Ginny's bright hair around his little finger, he knows she's the one well on her way to having one Potter and one Lupin wrapped around her own.
Which is how Harry ends up wandering through the little grocery shop a couple blocks over, strolling through the aisles for the ingredients to make a pizza - because ordering it would be much less healthy. And more importantly, less fun.
So while Ginny guides Teddy through the process of searching the shelves, Harry trails close behind with the trolley, trying and failing not to enjoy just how disgustingly domestic this whole thing is. And if he had a simple schoolyard infatuation before, he's well and truly on the way to fancying Ginny Weasley's socks off.
All in all, a state of affairs that makes their amazing, off without a hitch evening a fantastic mixture of pleasure and torture that ends with a mutual agreement that Ginny'll report for duty relatively bright and early the following morning. Which in academic 'I'm not teaching any classes' speak means around ten.
It's lucky she's returning so soon, since Harry's fairly certain that promise and a demonstrative kiss from the woman herself are the only things that keep Teddy from a very loud and melodramatic protest when Ginny is slipping out the door just a handful of minutes before Teddy's normal bedtime.
The remaining half hour before Teddy's asleep is mostly spent ushering him through the usual routine - washing up, teeth brushed, pajamas on - while he recounts his favorite parts of their day with Ginny. Which, as it turns out, ends up being mostly everything.
Eventually, Harry does manage to get Teddy to drift off, tucked snugly into his bed save his left foot which forever droops over the side no matter what Harry tries. And once he putters around tidying the living areas as best he can, stripping down to his t-shirt and pants, and finally preparing a relaxing mug of tea, Harry collapses onto the couch and lets the tiredness seep into his bones.
Until his phone nearly buzzes itself off the table and Harry grabs it just before it tips over the edge. After taking in the photo of Sirius with his face squished close between Snuffles when he was still a puppy and Harry, all three pulling their own version of a grin, he sighs and mentally prepares himself for the drama forever implied by a conversation with his godfather.
Swiping his thumb across the screen, Harry brings the phone to his ear and collapses back against the seat cushions. "'Lo?"
"How's my favorite godson?"
"Only godson."
"Semantics."
Harry snorts and drags himself into a seated position so he can sip his tea. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"
"Can't I just want to say hello?"
"In theory, sure," Harry laughs around the rim of his mug.
Sirius sighs. "I'm too old for this. I may or may not have come into some interesting information."
"Which is - "
"You've been entertaining a woman this evening."
After making a mental note to give Ron the cold shoulder 'til he gets at least a half dozen freshly made doughnuts free, Harry takes a long draw of his tea and rubs his eyes tiredly. "Yes, I had a wild evening of passionate romance while Teddy never sat more than two paces away. I suppose Ron failed to mention that his sister was coming over for a babysitting test run."
"I have no idea who you're talking about. But if I did, I would say this Ron fellow and I agreed that there were more than a few sparks flying between you and the young Miss Weasley."
Harry rolls his eyes and slumps further into the couch. "I'm not quite sure where to even begin."
"Skip the longing looks and get straight to the snogging."
"We didn't snog."
Sirius lets out a long-suffering groan, "I know, that was advice."
"Goodnight, Sirius."
"Goodnight, my ungrateful godson."
___
The next week and a half pass with surprisingly little drama, considering the general state of upheaval that is Harry Potter's life. Family dinners are a slightly more common occurrence as everyone seems to feel the weight of their impending division, Harry doubles down on his research at the expense of sleep and occasionally hygiene - if Teddy's feeling particularly difficult.
But it's all made better by a certain red head's presence at the flat four times a week, at the cost of her own thesis writing process, Harry reckons dejectedly. And that's only in part because of the lightness she brings to Harry's disposition just by being around. Ginny's fallen into place in their little family so quickly Harry almost can't recall what it was like before she was around, and he dreads the idea of her leaving.
Though it seems, at the moment, the only people destined to leave his daily life are two Potters and a Black. Which is still painful and a little scary, but light years less daunting of a thought now that Harry's secure in the idea that he won't be facing his new life alone - alone. A development that couldn't have come too soon, since James, Lily, and Sirius' moving day has manage to sneak up on them.
Luckily, Lily's knack for planning has outstripped James and Sirius' favor for utter and complete procrastination, which means they're entirely packed the day before they're set to fly to the States. They - meaning Lily - had also managed to get their larger items shipped ahead of time so it's simply a matter of sorting through the last of their necessities, getting the last few boxes shipped off, and packing for the flight itself.
It's Saturday, which is one of Ginny's usual days, so Harry'd offered her the morning off since they'd all be together. But she'd rolled her eyes and said she'd see him at eight.
Which was a lie, because Ginny arrived at quarter 'til with two coffees and entirely too much spunk for such a disgustingly early hour, particularly since Harry's normal state at any time pre-nine in the morning is bleary eyed and utterly riddled with bed head.
But she seems unperturbed, handing him his steaming cup with a wink before striding into Teddy's room to help him get ready for the day.
They take the Tube to James and Lily's - Sirius had moved in earlier that week for ease - and by the time they arrive, Ginny's got both boys in stitches with a riveting tale of her team effort with Ron and George to prank their rather swotty brother the Christmas before last.
Around eleven, Teddy starts getting stir crazy so Ginny herds him out to play footie - or some version of it - in the yard while Harry and the others collapse in chairs around the table. James is making himself busy searching for something to snack on when Lily turns to Harry. "She's lovely."
Harry meets her emerald gaze with his own and drawls, "Yes. Lovely."
James claims a seat and passes out bottles of water, tossing one to Sirius as he re-enters after his visit to the loo. "Lovely? She's amazing. Did you hear that bit about playing football at uni?"
Sirius takes a healthy swig of his water and tips his chair back on two legs, "I heard she almost went pro."
"You three are the worst."
Lily pats Harry's hand placatingly. "I'm just saying she's rather unbelievable."
Something flowery rushes in on the breeze just before Ginny chuckles, "I hope that's a good thing."
And somehow, it's James that comes to the rescue as he swings Teddy onto his lap and offers Ginny a seat next to him, "We were just saying it's a shame you've shown up just as we're leaving - we'd like to get to know you."
She smiles, accepting the bottle LIly slides to her and glances at Harry so quickly he almost thinks he's imagined it, before she says, "Well I don't plan on leaving, so you've got time."
___
After family dinner crowded around a sticky table at a nearby sandwich shop, Harry calls an Uber to take them home. Ginny refuses his offer to get dropped off, nodding her head toward Teddy where he's draped across her shoulder, completely and utterly asleep. She confirms the address with the driver in a quiet tone and ushers Harry into the car before sliding in after him. The car pulls away from the curb and Harry lets out a deep sigh, blinking away the wetness in his eyes.
But apparently not before Ginny noticed, since she slips her hand across the seat between them and wraps her fingers around his. Harry squeezes her hand gently and figures she'll pull away, but neither does until the car stops in front of his flat.
Working with an easy tandem they get Teddy bundled off to bed, teeth brushed and decked out in fresh pajamas, and then quietly wander into the kitchen silently.
Ginny flicks the kettle on and leans against the countertop while Harry putters around needlessly after he retrieves two mugs from the cupboard. She watches him quietly until he finally breaks. "I've never really been alone before. Even when I was at uni, or whatever else - it was always temporary and Mum, Dad, Sirius - they were never more than a phone call away."
"They're still a phone call away, just - long distance," Ginny says softly, knocking her elbow against his.
Harry's lip ticks up in a smile. "I know - it's just. I've always had a safety net. Now there's just - me."
She snorts, "Well now you're just being a git. They're not going away forever. And you've got me and Ron. And Hermione. Ron would even agree to be attached at the hip to you, much to his girlfriend's chagrin," Ginny laughs as she pours the steaming water from the kettle, "You two are a bit codependent; it's nasty."
A laugh leaves Harry's lips for the first time since they waved goodbye to his parents. "Thanks, I think." Ginny rises up on her toes and presses a chaste kiss to his cheek. "You're welcome. Now let's go binge something funny. And bring those ginger biscuits you think no one knows about."
___
Harry'd always had his teary goodbyes, but since the flight was entirely too early for anything remotely emotionally draining...Still Sirius does call him from their gate. "Good morning, my child," there's a muffled discussion that Harry's too overtired to comprehend and then Sirius returns, "James says I'm not your father so I have to say my godchild."
"It's four in the morning," Harry murmurs into his pillow, "Is there a point coming around any time soon?"
"Allow me my dramatics, Harry," Sirius says with a sigh, "It's my one joy. Well that, and my dog. My beautiful, well behaved, house trained, loving dog. Who - I might add - once rescued you from a horrid head injury."
"It was a tennis ball."
"Your skull hadn't fully formed."
"I was twenty."
There's a loud announcement in the background and Sirius refocuses, "We're boarding - pick up Snuffles from his vet this afternoon. He's staying with you, love you, bye."
Harry groans and tosses his phone to the mattress, only to be met with an angry groan and a tumbleweed of fiery red hair. "Can you throw your tantrum somewhere I don't have to hear it? Or maybe after ten o'clock?"
Just to be sure, Harry rubs at his eyes and fumbles his glasses onto his face, "Why - "
"You got all melodramatic about me traveling alone at night and I sassed you but your bed looked really comfortable and I was super tired."
"And I'm here because - "
"First, we're adults and second, that couch is not good for your back because you're an old man."
Flopping onto his back, Harry somehow manages to repress the tension rising into his shoulders because Ginny is in arms distance and warm and soft and in his bed and - "I'm going back to sleep."
Only Ginny's snores answer.
___
The next month passes in a blur, Teddy basically the happiest he's ever been with Ginny around more than she's not and a dog living with them full time, while Harry fights the pull of a nervous breakdown when his research stalls and his computer decides to crap out.
Teddy's just gone down for the evening and Harry's balled up his upteenth failed handwritten - thanks for nothing Genius Bar - draft when Ginny wanders from Teddy's room to Harry's 'office'. "I was going to head out for an evening of mind-numbing study."
"I'm going to stare at a bottle of Scotch and pretend I'm drinking away my troubles."
Ginny chuckles and plops into the lumpy chair Harry bought from his old neighbors. It still smells of mothballs, but it's cozy and Harry's a little attached. "I'm sorry, your whining has become a dog whistle for me."
Harry sticks out his tongue and tosses a stray mess of a draft at Ginny with what he would call definitive accuracy. Or would have, before Ginny caught it with barely a glance and immediately pelted it at his forehead. "What seems to be the problem, sad PhD man?"
Running his hands through his hair, Harry droops back into his seat and lets out a groan. "I've got this bloody grant looming over my head, my department head is finally showing some confidence in me, and my thesis is shite."
Ginny throws one leg up over the arm of her chair and rolls her eyes. "You're just piling three problems together to make it sound bigger than it is. In fact, the middle one isn't even a problem. And really the first one isn't either. And I would bet the third, which is the only actual legitimate problem, I would remind you, is being caused by your fixation on the first two."
"Don't be smug."
"I'm only smug when I'm right."
"You are constantly smug," Harry snorts.
"I'm constantly right," Ginny teases, working her hair free of its braid with deft fingers, the lamplight catching the gold in her hair, "You've got to just do the work - forget about the deadlines and the pressure. God forbid you take a day and give your poor brain a rest. In the meantime, just talk at me whenever you get stuck."
"I don't think you know what you're signing up for," Harry laughs, already lighter.
As he pushes the detritus on his desk away from his chest, Harry props his legs on the corner and leans back in his chair. "I'm a right mess."
"Don't be so sure of yourself, I've got six brother's worth of angsty boy experience," Ginny shoots back, fiery as ever. Though Harry can see the way her eyes go a bit hazy when she stumbles over the six. It's not been that long since Fred, and with these things, Harry's not sure the wound will ever heal - at least not fully.
But he honors her apparent wish to brush past the topic and lets it drop. "My paper - you know the Atacama Desert?"
"Sure."
Harry chuckles. "Well that particular region in Chile was at one time inhabited by the Inca, and there are these infamous pillars scattered through the desert and up until recently, no one was quite sure what they were. But there've been a few research trips by international teams over the past year or so and they're fairly certain the arrangement was connected to the the stars, particularly on the Autumn Equinox."
Flushing, Harry pauses and ruffles his hair, "Sorry you don't want to hear all this."
Ginny flicks her hair tie at his chest, "Don't make me come over there and fight you. Just finish the story, Professor."
Ignoring the way his heart picks up at the term Professor coming from Ginny's lips, Harry takes the opportunity to have someone listen to him babble and plows ahead. "My theory is that it was more significant than a way to track the year - the sun god, Inti, was a huge deal and heavily associated with the Inca State."
Ginny nods and Harry continues, "So wouldn't it make sense that a place believed to be a seat of power for the patron of the state to also be where you'd bury the greatest leaders?"
"Sounds like a pretty solid theory to me," Ginny says, thoughtful, "Why not just, write down what you just said and all your ideas related to it for the moment? Almost word cloud it a little? Brainstorming helps get out the ideas, good and bad."
Harry's gaze catches Ginny's for a minute and holds, before she lets out a breath and rises, "Well, I've done my duty. See you day after tomorrow?"
"Ted's going to be beside himself without you," Harry answers, following her to the front door.
They linger for a moment, his hand resting on the doorknob and Ginny's warmth and fresh flowery scent filling his senses as her dark eyes find his. "So - I - don't work too hard."
Laughing softly, Harry musses his hair with his free hand, "Never. Don't die of boredom."
"Is that what happens when your brain leaks out your ears?" Ginny asks, smiling wryly.
"Wrong kind of doctor to ask," Harry jokes, and he'd almost swear Ginny swayed closer before clearing her throat and taking a definitive step back.
"I'll uh, see you when I see you?"
With a somewhat awkward nod, Harry pulls the door open and watches Ginny as she makes her way to the lift, raising his hand in a wave as she steps inside.
He wakes the next morning, beautifully rested and more relaxed than he's been in about a thousand years. Before he rolls from the bed to rouse Teddy, Harry grabs his mobile from the nightstand and taps the message notifications - a few unimportant meme type messages from Sirius, Mum's daily good morning message (which is timed to be for his mornings because that's just Lily Evans Potter), and then a simple, stark message from Ginny Weasley: We need to talk.
Just to be sure he hadn't missed any previous messages, Harry taps on the thread and finds absolutely no context, just that one simple text that sends terror through his entire body.
The less brave part of himself wants to ignore the message, while the slightly more damn the torpedoes Harry favors answering with another text, and finally, reasonable adult Harry figures a vague 'we need to talk' message really means 'call me.'
So, after taking a gulp from the glass on his bedside table, Harry taps Ginny's contact and raises the phone to his ear. He's half hoping to get sent to voicemail, but she answers on the third ring. "Alright, Potter?"
"Er, as of now, yes. But if you're about to quit, I'm probably going to go into heart failure, fair warning."
"I - what? No, I have an idea for your article, or how to get it going I suppose," Ginny says, "Why did you think I was quitting?"
"Your exact message was 'we should talk' - if we were dating, I would've thought you were breaking up with me."
"Well I am not, so point one for me, and I have a little fixer for your article, so point number two," Ginny counts off, "Which means you really owe me pizza."
#itsblissfuloblivion writes#hinny#hinny au#hinny au fic#modern au#harry x ginny#teddy lupin#jily#romione#sirius black#gryffindormischief#fightfortherightsofhouseelves#kindle#kindle chapter 5#fab collab#share the hinny love#monday update
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how about arranged marriage and time travel for credence x percival?
From the fanfic trope MASH-UP meme. I am having heaps of fucking fun with this guys, feel free to send more.
Confession time: time travel has never really been my thing, because paradox makes me crazy. So I stuck Outlander and Terry Pratchett’s Night Watch in a blender, in true fanfic trope MASH-UP fashion, and …. Well.
I have accidentally committed fic. The beginnings of fic. It was an accident, that’s the important part to remember, okay? I DID NOT MEAN TO DO THIS IT JUST HAPPENED.
Trigger warnings for suicidal thoughts and sex education that honestly makes the stuff Americans get in health class look good by comparison.
New York, 1926
Graves liked drinking at the Fountain of Youth.
The Fountain was a proper wizarding bar, all gleaming grey marble shot through with streaks of silver and elaborately complex goblin-forged steel fixtures. It was named for the fountain set into the wall at the back of the bar, which fed the reflecting pool that ran the full length of the room. Some enterprising soul had spelled the surface above the water as hard as the marble around it, so that patrons could cross over the pool without fear of getting their shoes wet. Or, if you believed the rumors, without fear of coming into contact with the water, which was supposedly cursed. Graves suspected that last bit was pure fiction. St. Brigid’s Hospital notified MLE of all curse-related injuries – assuming MLE wasn’t already involved – and no one had ever reported a single incident at the Fountain.
He didn’t really care one way or another. He liked the Fountain because it was far enough away from the Woolworth Building that he was unlikely to encounter anyone who worked there. It was also expensive enough to ensure that that if he did encounter someone he knew, it would probably be a politician or a fellow department head with someone who very definitely wasn’t their spouse rather than one of his subordinates and was therefore disinclined to talk shop with him.
No one bothered Graves at the Fountain. It was peaceful, a little oasis of calm at the end of a shitty day.
“Another round, Director?”
Graves set his empty glass back down on the bar. “No, thank you, Hawthorne. I think I’m done for the evening.” Magic knew he wanted another drink – his day had been far too fucking long, and tomorrow wasn’t going to be much better – but all another drink would do was ensure that he started tomorrow with a headache instead of finishing it with one.
He reached into his pocket for a trio of dragots to pay for his drink. He wanted to go home and collapse into bed, but there was a small mountain of case notes waiting for him in his home office that he needed to review first.
Fucking Grindelwald. He’d stopped rampaging across Europe two weeks ago, and the entire wizarding world was waiting to see where he’d turn up next. The intelligence community suggested he was turning his attention towards America, but there hadn’t been a sighting yet.
Hawthorne shook his head. “No need.”
Graves glanced down at him. No one drank for free at the Fountain.
The house elf tilted his head, indicating a wizard tucked into a shadowy corner with one large pointed ear. “Gentleman in the corner paid for youse.”
“Did he,” Graves murmured. “Did he say why?”
Hawthorne gave him a pitying look. “Ain’t youse supposed to be some kinda hotshot Auror?” he asked. “Why does any wizard by somebody a drink?”
He had a point.
“Maybe he wants to be friendly,” said Graves.
“Yeah,” said Hawthorne. “Friendly. Is that what they’re calling it these days?”
“Sometimes I really wish Seraphina had decided to uphold Prohibition,” Graves told him, just to piss Hawthorne off.
“Yeah, but then where would you drink?”
Graves snorted in amusement, slinging his greatcoat over his arm as he headed towards the wizard in the far corner. He wasn’t in the mood to fuck his frustrations away – or have them fucked out of him, depending on what the other wizard wanted – but good manners dictated that he at least thank the other wizard for the drink.
“Percival Graves,” he said, by way of introduction.
“Oh,” purred Gellert Grindelwald. “I know.”
New York, 1693
The surface of the lake in Morrow Woods was smooth and cold as mirror glass, undisturbed by man or beast. Nothing lived inside the lake – not fish or fowl or any other sort of creature. No one swam in it, not even in the height of summer, when the cool water might have provided some blessed relief from the heat. It was cursed, or so Credence had heard it said. Even magical creatures gave the lake a wide berth. There was something about the lake that disturbed them.
Credence stripped out of his clothes, shivering in the cold night air. Curses frightened him far less than marriage. He dove into the water before he could lose his nerve.
The cold drove a startled shriek from his lungs. Credence sucked in water and choked, surfacing with a wretched sob. For one long, terrible moment he had more water in his lungs than air. He forgot how to tread water, splashing noisily while he tried to suck air back into his lungs. His feet hit the bottom of the lake – he must not have dove in deep enough, he was still too close to land – and he managed to stand, hacking up the last of the water.
“Please,” he rasped, pleading with the curse. “Please, take me away.”
No one drowned in the lake, or if they did, their bodies were never found. The curse took them instead.
“Please,” he begged.
The water was so cold it burned. If he stayed, he risked freezing to death. Or maybe drowning. Drowning did not seem so very bad, compared to the certainty of what lay ahead of him.
Suicide was a mortal sin. Credence had convinced himself that if the curse took him, that was magic and therefore the extension of God’s will, even if he died of it. But if he stayed in the water and let the cold take him, that death would be the work of his own hands.
A brief mortal life full of suffering was probably better than eternal damnation.
Credence thrashed his way out of the water, his limbs heavy with cold. He fumbled his clothing back on and went home, weeping silently.
*
“Get up.” Ma’s voice was as implacable as iron. She had no patience for sluggish layabeds, and having to come fetch him for his morning chores had likely already roused her ire.
Credence opened his swollen eyes and tried to obey. For once, his swollen eyes weren’t because of tears. The cold from the lake had settled into his bones, burning him up from the inside out. His head ached, a throbbing counterpoint to the rest of him. He couldn’t stop shivering.
“Sorry,” he rasped. “M’sorry.”
Ma frowned at him. “You’re ill,” she said flatly. She pressed the flat of her hand against his forehead. Credence almost wept with relief. Her hand felt blessedly cool against his skin.
“Sorry,” he said again.
Ma pulled her hand back. Credence almost fell over trying to follow it.
“Lay down,” Ma said. “I’ll bring you a potion. We need you healthy when Mr. Graves arrives.”
“Yes, Ma,” Credence said. His head felt like it was filled with cobwebs. He couldn’t think.
Ma made a faint noise of disapproval when she came back with the promised potion. “You wretched, miserable boy,” she sighed, but for once the words held none of their usual sting. Her hands were gentle as she helped him back into bed. She hadn’t raised them to him at all since his marriage to Mr. Graves had been arranged. Credence was Mr. Graves’ property now, and Mr. Graves wouldn’t allow anyone to mistreat his property but him. He had been very clear about that. “You were finally going to be useful to us and now you’ve taken ill. You’d best pray to get your strength back quickly, for Mr. Graves’ sake.”
“Yes, Ma,” said Credence.
The potion she gave him tasted vile, and it only served to make him even sleepier. Credence closed his eyes and let it drag him down into the dark, where the nightmares waited.
New York, 1926
Graves drew his wand. “Gellert Grindelwald, you are under arrest for crimes against wizardry –”
“Oh, don’t be tiresome, Percival,” Grindelwald chided. He had been handsome in his younger years, but there was something unsettling about him now. His blonde hair had been bleached an unnatural white, and his pale, mismatched eyes burned with frightening intensity.
Grindelwald had no intention of going quietly.
“Please,” said Grindelwald. “Sit down.”
Grindelwald hadn’t drawn his wand yet. He felt comfortable, clearly in control of the situation. No one else was in danger yet.
Graves intended to keep it that way.
“If I sit down, will you let everyone else go?” he asked.
Grindelwald smiled. “If you like,” he agreed. “I am not an unreasonable man, Percival.”
Graves had some doubts about that, but he kept them to himself. He tucked his wand back into his sleeve and snapped his fingers for Hawthorne instead.
Hawthorne disappeared from behind the bar and reappeared at his side, his expression startled and wary. Graves had never summoned him before, not like that. Only an asshole would mistreat a creature who couldn’t fight back; house elves were meant to be honored for their servitude. Decent wizards treated them kindly.
“Clear the room,” Graves commanded.
“Director –” Hawthorne began.
“Tell no one,” Grindelwald warned him. Graves shivered. There was an eldritch note in his voice, something ancient and awful. It sounded the way the Imperius felt.
Hawthorne made a startled, hurt sound.
Graves rounded on Grindelwald. “What did you do?”
Grindelwald frowned at him. “I forced him to obey my commands.”
“You didn’t need to do that!”
Grindelwald sighed, as if he found Graves tiresome. “He’s just a house elf,” he said, dismissive. All around them, the other patrons of the Fountain were gathering up their things and leaving. Hawthorne urged the last of the stragglers on, jaw working as he looked back at Graves.
He was trying to say something, Graves realized. Trying to warn them, despite Grindelwald’s command. Hawthorne clawed at his mouth, drawing blood.
“Stop!” Graves cried, unable to watch Hawthorne hurt himself. Hawthorne flinched at the command. “Just – leave me, please. I’ll be fine, Hawthorne. I swear it. My word as a Graves on it.”
Hawthorne gave him an unreadable look. For a second, Graves thought Hawthorne would try to disobey him too, and then Hawthorne vanished.
“So soft-hearted,” Grindelwald mocked.
“Only an asshole mistreats a house elf,” Grave snarled. “What do you want, Grindelwald?”
“Why, you, Percival,” Grindelwald said, sounding genuinely surprised that Graves hadn’t figured that out already.
“I wouldn’t fuck you if you were the last wizard in the world,” Graves told him. “Thanks for the drink, asshole, but you’re under arrest.”
Grindelwald laughed. “I’ll grant that you’ve a certain brutish appeal, Percival, but that’s not what I want you for.”
“What exactly do you want me for, then?”
“I want your life,” said Grindelwald. “I want your position and your name. I want your face.” Already his own face was shifting, his hair and eyes darkening. The shape of his jaw changed to match the stubborn set of Graves’ own. In less than a minute, Graves was staring at a man who might as well have been his twin.
He meant to take Graves’ life for his own, Graves realized. Grindelwald wanted to wear Graves’ own face like a mask to serve his own ends – to hurt Graves’ people.
“Fuck that,” he snarled, drawing his wand and firing off a curse.
“Dilaceratio!”
The slashing hex caught him in the wand arm. Graves’ grip on his wand weakened, just for a second, before training and experience took over. He took a firmer hold of his wand and ignored the bleeding, countering with a “Relashio” he hoped would make Grindelwald drop his wand instead.
Grindelwald hit him with lightning instead. Graves screamed in pain and fury, bringing his wand up to fling Grindelwald across the room.
Fuck, but the bastard was fast. Powerful, too.
“I see rumors of your prowess have been greatly exaggerated,” Grindelwald said. “How … disappointing.”
“Fuck you,” Graves retorted.
“I thought we’d established neither of us want that from the other,” Grindelwald said, surging up with a volley of hexes.
Graves blocked the first two and missed the third. The fourth took him in the chest, momentarily blacking his vision. Instinct took over and he returned fire.
There was only one way for this to end. Either he died or Grindelwald did.
Graves had cast the killing curse three times over the course of his career as an Auror. He didn’t count the times he’d used it during the war. The war was different.
This felt like the war – the chaos of battle and the certainty of his conviction. It was him or Grindelwald, and Graves would do whatever it took to ensure that if only one of them survived, it would be him.
“Ava –”
Grindelwald sent him crashing into the marble fountain behind the bar. Graves hit it hard enough to fracture the spells on the reflecting pool. He landed on hands and knees in the fountain, still clinging tightly to his wand.
Something strange happened when his blood touched the water. The reflecting pool shone bright as the heart of a star, just for a second, and then the whole world went white.
New York, 1693
Credence’s nightmares were filled with the day Ma sold him.
“We need men like you,” Ma said. “Good men.”
Gondulphus Graves scoffed. “You don’t want me because you think I’m a good man, Goody Barebone. You want me for my wand arm and my willingness to use it.”
Ma kept her back straight to look Mr. Graves in the eye, her hands folded demurely in her lap. “Yes,” she said flatly. Mr. Graves was not a man who appreciated artifice or flattery, preferring plainspeaking to pretty words. “That’s what I want. What will it take to get it?”
Credence was not sure why Ma was bargaining with Mr. Graves. Mr. Graves was clearly going to join them anyway. Credence had heard it said that Gondulphus Graves was powerful, but there were plenty of powerful wizards out there.
Mr. Graves turned cold eyes on Ma. For a second, Credence thought he would ask for her, and he was not sure what he would do if Mr. Graves did. Challenge him to a duel? He was little better than a squib; he didn’t even have a proper wand. There was no point in giving him one.
After a second, Mr. Graves’ cold eyes slid past Ma and landed on Credence. Credence resisted the urge to shudder in revulsion; he felt trapped by Mr. Graves’ eyes, as though Mr. Graves could strip him down to his skin with just a look.
“That’s a comely lad you’ve got,” he said.
“Adopted,” Ma said. “But no less dear to me than my own flesh and blood.”
“Of course, of course,” said Mr. Graves. “Is he a virgin?”
Ma bristled. “Of course!” she snapped, a hint of steel in her voice. “As if I would tolerate such behavior under my roof. You insult me, sir.”
Mr. Graves held his hands out in a placating gesture. “No insult was intended, Goody Barebone. Truth be told, I’d prefer it if the boy were untouched.” His smile sent chills down Credence’s spine. “I prefer to break them in myself.”
Ma stared at him coldly. “I will not,” she said, enunciating each word slowly and deliberately, “tolerate such behavior under my roof.”
Mr. Graves considered that. “Give him to me, then,” he said.
“Give!” said Ma, going pale with rage at the insult. Credence knew better than to think that it was on his behalf. Ma was just insulted that Mr. Graves thought she would sell him so cheaply. “Bad enough sodomy is a sin, but sodomy out of wedlock? No, sir. I will not stand for it.”
“Neither of you needs to stand for it,” said Mr. Graves, laughing at his own wit. “He only needs to lie back and spread his legs.”
“Ma,” Credence whispered, terror forcing him to speak. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want Mr. Graves.
Ma got up and backhanded him swiftly. “You will speak when spoken to,” she commanded, sitting back down again. Only Credence’s bleeding lip gave any sign that she’d moved at all. “I raised him better than that,” she told Mr. Graves. “He’d be a good helpmeet for you. Knows his way around the domestic chores.”
Mr. Graves eyed Credence. “May I?”
Ma made a be my guest gesture.
Mr. Graves got up, cupping Credence’s chin with hard, calloused fingers. He turned Credence’s face this way and that, releasing Credence’s chin so that he could wrap it around Credence’s throat instead, squeezing in clear warning. He used his other hand to stroke down Credence’s chest, his buttocks, between his legs. Credence squeezed his eyes shut, praying for it to be over soon, cheeks burning with humiliation. He couldn’t stop the frightened whimpers that escaped, but Mr. Graves seemed to like that.
“Give him to me,” said Mr. Graves, “in marriage, if you must, and I will join your cause.”
No, Credence thought, desperately willing Ma to hear him. To care, just once, about what he wanted. Please, please, don’t do this.
Please don’t give me to him.
Ma nodded once, decisive. She held her hand out for Mr. Graves to shake, the way a man might.
“You have a bargain, Mr. Graves.”
“Good,” said Mr. Graves. He shook Ma’s hand. “Feed him up a bit, would you? He might have the Barebone name, but I’ve no desire to fuck a little pile of them. I’ll be back to marry him by midwinter. I’ll join you then.”
Ma pressed her lips together, but she nodded.
Mr. Graves pressed a mocking kiss to Credence’s trembling mouth. “Smile, sweetheart,” he told Credence. “We’re to be married.”
Credence looked at Ma in mute appeal. It did no good. Ma had made her mind up.
“Yes, Mr. Graves,” he said.
*
Credence did not know, exactly, what passed between men in their marriage bed. He understood that sodomy was a sin, but he was less clear on what it involved.
“He’s going to put his prick up your bum and roger you,” said Ned Ponsonby, who worked at the stables of the inn. Ned was a No-Maj, but he knew about Credence’s kind and didn’t care, as long as their coin was good. He wasn’t exactly a friend, but Credence knew he took coin from men in exchange for certain services, and was thus the closest thing Credence had to an expert.
“He’s going to what?” Credence asked, numb with horror.
Ned clucked at him. “Put his prick up your ass,” he said again. “And fuck you until he comes.”
Perhaps ignorance was bliss after all.
“That’s – that’s –” Credence gave up. “Does it hurt?”
Ned shrugged. “Sometimes. If he’s big, or if you don’t stretch well enough ahead of time.”
“Stretch?”
“Are you going to repeat everything I say like a nervous virgin?” Ned asked, squinting at him.
“I am a nervous virgin, Ned!”
Oh, God, he hadn’t meant to say that. Terror had stolen his control over his tongue.
Ned sighed, taking pity on him. “I know that, Credence,” he said, almost kindly. “Everyone knows that.”
“Oh,” said Credence, utterly humiliated.
“Look, I don’t know what your people do, but us ordinary folk, we use a bit of grease to get ready, yeah?”
“No,” said Credence. “I mean, not no, we don’t do that, no, I don’t know what you mean.”
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” muttered Ned. “It’s like watching a lamb get led to the slaughter. Coat your fingers in grease, rub them around your hole, ease ‘em in and make some fucking room, alright? If this man of yours is half the brute everyone says he is, he’ll tear you if you don’t.”
“Isn’t that how it’s supposed to go, the first time?” Credence asked. “Women bleed.” There was talk if they didn’t. He didn’t want there to be any talk about him, not if everyone already knew that he was untouched.
“You’re not a woman, dumbass.”
“I – Yes, but –”
“Just – Oh, hell. Just take my advice, alright? Get yourself ready as best you can, and if you can’t do that, then come see me after. It’ll be easier to explain things to you once you know how everything works.”
“I – yes. Thank you, Ned.”
“Credence,” Ned said firmly. “My coin?”
Credence passed over his meager savings. It was wizarding currency rather than No-Maj, but coin was coin.
He walked away from the stables and resolutely did not weep.
Graves surfaced with a howl of rage, thrashing in water far colder and deeper than the reflecting pool of the Fountain. He twisted, trying to find Grindelwald, but there was no one else in his immediate vicinity. He was entirely alone, floating in some kind of lake that literally had not been there a minute ago.
“What the fuck,” he said.
Fuck, he was cold. The water was freezing. He had to get out of the water before the cold sapped his strength.
Get out of the water, find Grindelwald, then kill him, Graves told himself.
He swam towards shore, grateful that he was near the edge of the lake and not in the middle. His waterlogged clothing made swimming difficult, and he had to resist the urge to kick off his shoes and rid himself of a bit of the weight. He’d need his shoes once he was ashore; the area around him was entirely forested.
Where the fuck was he?
At a guess, Graves thought he might be somewhere in upstate New York. The trees were oak and ash and sycamore, just like the ones around Graves Manor. The air even smelled the same.
How the fuck had he gotten to upstate New York?
What the fuck was in the water at the Fountain? And it had been the water, Graves was sure of that. Everything had been – well, not fine, but normal – until his blood had touched the water. Was that how the rumored curse worked?
Find Grindelwald, then kill him, he reminded himself. Everything else could wait, including getting answers to every last one of his questions.
Graves spelled the water out of his clothes, casting a wordless warming charm.
Grindelwald was unlikely to be lurking behind trees. And while it was tempting to wait and see if Grindelwald surfaced in the lake as Graves had, Graves suspected that Grindelwald was somewhere else.
Grindelwald was also probably wearing Graves’ own fucking face, just to add insult to injury.
“FUCK!” Graves yelled, startling several birds into flight. The trees accepted this silently, offering no censure for his outburst.
Graves felt ridiculous anyways. Yelling like a toddler who hadn’t gotten a cookie wasn’t going to do any good.
He sighed, looking around himself for signs of human habitation. There was a dirt road leading towards the lake, the dirt lined with ruts from wagon wheels.
Graves frowned at them. There was something not quite right about that.
He followed the dirt road away from the lake, pausing only to bandage his still bleeding arm and occasionally curse his shoes, which were perfectly fine for sitting at his desk in the Woolworth Building and completely useless for wandering through the fucking woods. He couldn’t even run in the fucking things. How had his life gotten to the point where he owned shoes he couldn’t run in? He was an Auror, for fuck’s sake. He needed to be able to run.
After twenty minutes or so, Graves thought he could hear the sound of people, somewhere in the distance. He stopped short once he crested the hill, staring down at the small settlement the dirt road led to. The buildings were short and made of wood, smoke rising from chimneys and cookfires. There were people, too, dressed in clothing Graves hadn’t seen since he was a boy at Ilvermorny, learning about the original Twelve Aurors and the Founding. Women in petticoats and men wearing stockings and breeches.
Maybe they were just historical reenactors, he thought, but Graves knew himself well enough to know when he was grasping at straws.
Graves realized, somewhat hysterically, that he’d been asking the wrong question. He shouldn’t have been asking where he was.
He should have been asking when.
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Blooming
With her infant daughter in her arms, Mardra gleefully rushed to the door and threw it open. Her dear friend Jillian stood with a beaming smile, a two year old boy held tightly in her arms.
Mardra embraced her friend tightly and the two shared tearful laughter.
Once inside they settled down, with a warm cup of tea to brighten the cool fall day.
“How old is she now?” Jillian asked glancing at the infant squirming on the soft rug before the fireplace.
“Three months,” Mardra said, her eyes glistening in the light of the fire.
Jillian saw Mardra’s anguish and took her hand, “And how are you my dear friend.”
Mardra sighed, and wiped a tear from her eye, “I have my moments. Moments where I feel my loss will consume my heart and soul. If Frinz keeps me up late into the night, sometimes I find myself crying with her in exhaustion and grief. Her smile, and every breath she breathes keeps me from falling. Knowing that she is the essence of her father’s love and spirit, pushes me to work hard and raise her to be strong.”
A smile touched Jillian’s lips as she stared into the face of her dear friend, a passion and love like no other reflected in her eyes.
Her attention was caught by her son, who knelt over the tiny infant, “Ah, Arron, please be careful! Be gentle.”
Arron stared at the tiny baby before him, and touched her head, “Baby!”
The two woman laughed.
“I wonder if their fates will be as intertwined as our have become?” Jillian said with a sigh.
“Only the future will tell my dear one.” Mardra said sipping her tea, and relishing in the rare company.
As the years passed, Jillian fought hard for her health. A sickness took hold of her for weeks or months at a time, keeping her home with Arron. Frinz and Madra remained at the cottage, keeping hidden from the world of Thurnangl.
Mardra’s heart broke when she learned of her friend’s illness, and wanted to be near. Jillian assured Mardra that all would be well, and that Frinz needed to be kept safe. Mardra listening to her friend’s whim. The two kept close with constant letters.
When Frinz was 4 years old, Jillian’s health regained, and the two met at her home in. Precautions we taken to make sure Frinz was kept safe.
Mardra knocked at Jillian’s door, and waited anxiously. The sweet scent of a new spring day was around them as she danced in place. Frinz was quietly holding her mother’s hand.
The door opened revealing a worn and tired Jillian. Her eyes were dark and shadows stretched over her face, but she smiled none the less.
“My dear friend!” she said embracing Mardra fiercely.
“How are you feeling?” Mardra said touching a hand to the side of her friend’s pale face.
“I am recovering slowly,” She said letting them both step inside, “I am simply happy to not be in bed all day like I was.”
Her attention turned to Frinz, “My have you grown little one.” Mardra stroked her hair and smiled, “She looks just like Machlior.”
Frinz smiled and let out an adorable giggle.
Arron came running down the stairs, “Is this Frinz?” asked the six year old.
“Yes, do you remember her?” Mardra asked with a smile.
“No not really, but that is alright, we are still friends. Come on Frinz, let us go play!” Arron took the little girl’s hand and they ran off together, laughing gleefully.
The two woman sat in the living room in silence, enjoying tea and the company of one another. They had sent letters to one another constantly over their years apart. Their friendship never faded.
Jillian took a moment to break the silence, “I wonder what is to come of my family if I am to succumb to my illness…”
Mardra was about to shout in protest, but hesitated. She took a moment to listen to the echoing in her heart before she spoke, “I know for certain you are strong enough to fight this, but I know without a doubt that if your life ends by this, you will linger on. Always by the side of your son, guiding him, loving your husband eternally in a never ending way.”
Jillian’s eye glistened with tears, “And what of you, my dearest friend?”
Mardra threw her head back in laughter, “Jillian, my deep love for you my dear cannot simply be shattered by something as simple as death. You and I share a friendship and a connection that can never be parted. I have dealt with a great loss once, and I know I can do it once again, knowing you are with those you love always.”
Jillian smiled and wiped the tear from her eyes, “I do not think I could have asked for a better friend in life.”
“Nor could I.” Mardra said, looking down at their children gleefully playing, untouched by the horrors of war.
Time passed, and Jillian’s health rose and fell with her illness. After their meeting when Frinz was seven years of age, she began to study with Raymond more often. She was deemed strong enough, and protected enough by those who knew her, that she could venture out so long as she was never alone.
One such day, Frinz who was now eight, Mardra, Raymond, Arron, Solon, and his young daughter Liane, were at the Ancient Library. The children were running and playing together in the surrounding fields, save for Frinz who was buried deep within a book.
Arron offered a hand to Frinz as she sat, not looking up from her reading, “Would you like to come play?”
“Play? Why? Playing games cannot offer me the knowledge and skills I need to carry out the prophecy.” Frinz snapped.
Arron and Liane exchanged a puzzled glance.
“Well, that is years from now…” Arron added.
Frinz laughed, “So you may think. Only I will know when the time is right, when Thurnangl will call to my heart… And until then I need to be as knowledgeable as possible, ready for any challenge that will come my way.”
Liane laughed, “Well if it is knowledge you want, I shall show you many books within the Library that can help you. My father and I have picked a number that would be of great use to you.”
Frinz smiled, she was glad to have support from those around her. Someone she could call, a friend. Arron’s eyes met her, and he smiled as well, and offered her a hand to her feet. As Frinz took his firm grip, she blushed.
As the group wondered through the Library, the three young children seemed to blossom in a lifelong friendship.
Mardra beamed with pride and said to Raymond, “It is wonderful to see such friendships form before our very eyes.”
Raymond nodded, “No battle can ever be won by just one.”
Liane danced around the endless shelves her eyes glistening with glee, “I cannot wait to live here when I am older.”
Frinz and Arron stifled a laugh, “Live here? Why?”
“I want to know every book, every spell that lives within and be the guardian of this knowledge. I want to keep it safe, and be sure to find all spells, potion, and incantations that can help you both on this journey.”
The trio formed a deep friendship, passeing letters to each other in the months that kept them apart. A year later, tragedy struck.
Jillian’s body could no longer fight off the sickness, and she passed with her son and husband by her side.
Mardra was devastated when she learned the loss of her dear friend. She hugged Frinz tightly, and they both wept.
They flew that night on Zabrina’s young wings, landing just before they could see the city on the horizon. She waited there for them.
Jillian’s funeral was breathtaking, surrounded by all who adored her.
Mardra stood before the crowd, of close family and friends, and spoke words that rang true for all.
“Death cannot part hearts connected by love. Though many I love are gone from this world, I know they are by my side always, with me always. Jillian lives on in her son, her husband, and all the people of Thurnangl. Every time you close your eyes and think of her, she will be there, encouraging, and loving unconditionally as she always did.”
Frinz looked up at Arron, his eyes swimming with tears. Though she had never met her father, the pain of his passing never left her heart. She knew her mother’s words were true, for them both now.
She took Arrons hand in hers, and he turned to her almost shocked. Her smile never faded, even as their eyes met.
There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to express to her, but the words would not form on his lips.
He simply smiled, tears falling down his face, and held her hand tightly.
From that day forward, Arron and Frinz were almost inseparable. When they were kept apart by harsh winters, their letters were constant between them. Friends and loved ones quickly picked up on the pair’s connection, but never mentioned it, savoring the growth between them.
Frequently Arron traveled and stayed with Mardra and Frinz at the cottage. Many times Liane would accompany him, usually carrying a tower of new books for everyone to study.
Mardra relished in the company of the trio. Her home was full of laughter, and hard work. Though Arron was not a skilled Wizard, he offered what magic he could to Frinz’s aid.
One summer day, when Frinz was fourteen she and Arron were studying at the library in the cottage. Liane had only gone home the day before, bursting with excitement as she was just about to move into the Ancient Library, her lifelong dream. The trio had agreed to all be there that day to help settle her in, and celebrate.
Arron and Frinz sat silently, each nestled in lounge chairs side a table stacked high with Liane’s notes. She was intently reading, but Arron’s eyes never left her face. His expression grew serious.
Frinz felt the atmosphere change, and she looked up, “What is the matter?”
Arron seemed to struggle with his words for a moment, his face flushed with embarrassment.
Frinz reached up from her perch and took Arron’s hand. His heart almost jumped from his chest.
“You know you can tell me anything Arron, no matter what,” Her purple eyes never left his, a deep pool of an undying love.
Arron jumped up and slammed his hands on the table, “I- I want to marry you!”
There was a deafening moment of silence as Frinz let his words sink in, she almost laughed, until she saw his face, the deepest shade of red her eyes had ever beheld, serious with every word.
She smiled lovingly, “While indeed my love for you is outstanding, I think that perhaps marriage at this time is not the best idea.”
Arron’s eye fell to the floor, embarrassed at his outburst. Seeing his pain Frinz explained, “My love, you know my heart is yours, but accepting such an offer now is unwise. I have much ahead of me, and must put my heart and soul into carrying out the Prophecy. I know you are always here to help, and it is appreciated, but a relationship would distract me from my task. That is something I simply cannot allow at this time.”
Arron rushed forward, took her hand and knelt to one knee beside her, “Then I swear upon my life I will stand by you, at every battle, at every turn I will be at your defense. I understand your heart lies within your destiny, but I simply cannot allow my deepest of feeling to go unheard. I offer you this, a vow, deeper than the darkest oceans and brighter than the sun in the sky, the very moment this war is won, I would be honored if you would take my hand in marriage.”
Frinz let her serious resolve fall, and tears welled in her eyes, “I love you Arron, and upon the day this war is won, I will accept your offer with all my heart.”
Arron scooped Frinz into his arms and the two shared a tight embrace.
Mardra, listening quietly outside the library door, felt her heart swell with such joy. As she closed her eyes, feeling tears fall, she felt two hands on her shoulder. One of a dear friend, one of a beloved husband.
“A vow that can never be broken,” she whispered.
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Episode 1 - "Time to put on a bra and take some selfies." - Leigh
Episode 1 saw eighteen players, some fresh faces, and some veterans arrive on the Indonesia beaches, ready to play and ready to win. On a somewhat quiet Obor tribe, Leigh/Trent bonded over the age difference on the tribe (with a cunning plan reliant on using the word ‘lit’) and Anabel/Trent begun to form a bond that would survive the test of time.
On the Cahaya tribe, Matt/Jess feared the casting of one another, and Julian arrived plucky and ready to avoid another prejury experience, determined to improve. Owen/Stoner quickly formed HOS 22: Bermuda, and set to work spreading their connections across the tribe, forming at trio with Julian.
After a decisive victory in the Scavenger Hunt, it was revealed the returnees would have to send two returnees to the other tribe as “infiltrators” casting a sole vote. In an attempt to force the result, Julian went “offline”, in an attempt seen-through by his fellow tribe mates, but one that was ultimately successful, with Owen & Julian sent over as infiltrators.
At Obor’s tribal council, Evan quickly emerged as an easy vote, for his minimal challenge contribution. Two key alliances formed, a newbie majority alliance of Trent/Chris O/Leigh/Anabel/Lorelei and a girls’ alliance of Lorelei/Anabel/Leigh, with Anabel armed with an idol to boot.
As expected, Evan was sent out unanimously, but not before Julian trashed on the Cahaya tribe during tribal council... in a tribal seen... by the Cahaya tribe. With Evan out, the torches still inspiring such hate, and the infiltrators returning... that drew round one to a close.
MATT
first confessional give me idol?
also hi Jones
OWEN
okay so im walking onto the boat.... my hair is thinning, my skin is getting wrinkly, im ancient at this point. nonetheless im back for like the sixth time. or seventh, honestly who can keep track anymore. i see these like cute little new people. ANABEL's vid is AMAZING gay icon, lorelei legend likes pokemon mystery dungeon, Leigh is near chicago, like... i literally love all these new players but then i realize NONE OF THEM WILL BE ON MY TRIBE SKADSFJH.
instead? im stuck with crazy ppl. there's julian who i voted out premerge in the season I won, and Matt who was in my most recent season nnn but NOT the matt I worked with in that game. and of all people CHRIS STONER LMAO. to be fair, chris isn't that bad bc I know he'll work with me hopefully but also I know he's a good player and wouldn't hesitate to cut me out. thank god olivia and jess are here tbh.
omg and just when I thought it couldn't get any worse.....a furry shows up. WHAT THE FUCKKKKKK lmao I remember foxx back from the old old days and he seems scary :((((
good news is julian said him and isaac haven't ever gotten along and that isaac has voted him out twice :') so that might be good. and i'm fairly sure stoner and jess would have my back rn i just need to talk more to them. but for real, as soon as there's a swap or something if I survive that long? bye bye returnees :)
i dont see myself getting very attached to anyone at the start so ill just do my best to ride out this beginning and maybe have some fun
LEIGH
I'm looking forward to seeing how long our tribe chat is just "Hey *Tribe Member's Name*!"
I think it could go on a while.
OWEN
chris: ditching u for the other stoner tho
chris: tumblr needs an all stoner f2...
7:23 PM
me: thats ok im ditching u for the gay girl from the first post
me: but for now? u and me <3
7:23 PM
chris: deal
stoner and I rlly did speak this into existence....... it'll happen
LEIGH
So this tribe has literal children on it. 15, 16 years old. I might have to backstab ACTUAL CHILDREN! How do I even fit in with them? Trent suggested we could buy fidget spinners. I said maybe yoga pants and a crop top? There are people here BORN AFTER 9/11!!! What the fuck I didn't even know you could be born after 9/11 and be out of kindergarten. What year is it?
EVAN
Just met some other castaways, they seem pretty chill.
FOXX
What's up. So this fox has returned after an eternity of a hiatus with more grey in his muzzle and hopefully some self-awareness to go with it. I played some pretty solid games in the past but after taking a long time lurking and sort of forgetting Tumblr Survivor Crooks asked if I wanted to play despite not knowing I have played before. That's how old and irrelevant of a has-been I am. Back from the dead.
I'm glad my star has faded and I can go in with a blank slate. My biggest concern is that I am not on my anxiety medication so my social interactions, especially on call, will be a lot more stilted and I'm terrified this will impair my judgment but we'll see.
Right now I'm not trying to come off as a huge strategist. I made an intentionally crappy intro video, made fun of myself, and just tried to be funny without coming off too weird/desperate etc. Almost like I'm not taking this too seriously. However, already I'm noticing a patterns in how people on my tribe are.
I have no fucking clue who these mammals are. People will have extensive conversations about people, twists, running jokes, etc and I'm totally lost. That hiatus really did fuck with my ability to ingratiate myself with this community. That will be a huuuuge advantage coming to dealing with the newbies since I can leverage that to not seem so threatening but right now I think I'm doing a fair job being friendly and making people laugh. I hope. God.
So my thoughts on my tribemates thus far:
Stoner: Vaguely know who this guy is. Aptly named. He's clearly blazed as hell but I can tell he's bright and likable. Says "oh shit" a lot and he seems like depsite his facade he's probably someone I can work with.
Isaac: We talked about Overwatch a bit and he seems nice but he's not coming on my radar too strong.
Jess: Definitely made a fairly strong impression on me since we're similar ages, Francophone, and we bonded over our mutual detest and hatred of furries and then I calmly sneak in the fact I am a furry an hour later and holy shit I was trying so hard to not bust into tears. She's funny and likable and seems like she's someone I could work with.
Matt: Talked a bit about me coming back. Very little in group call.
Michael: Talked a fair amount about D&D and made some fun Upside Down jokes. Seems like we have a lot in common but him being a different time zone could prove hard to keep up with. Being the outlier on Time Zones is playing on Hard Mode.
Olivia: Love her! We bonded over animals and she seems like a total sweetheart and I definitely wanna share pics of my cat with her some more!
Owen: We talked a bit about literature and it was fun. Definitely seems intelligent and he's someone I know a bit about from Olympics.
In an ideal world I'd want to work with Stoner, Jess, Olivia, & Michael but everything in on fire.
Also, no luck on the idol so fuck me I guess
JESS
So... first night has been interesting?
I was going to do your typical "first impressions" confessional but...
FOXXX or whatever the fury's name is.... is playing too hard too fast. Am I being a Paranoid Patty and reading this the WRONG WAY entirely? Possibly.
HOWEVER... It's been less than 5 hours since we were thrown into this hell hole of a game (The hosts are lovely individuals but we all know this is about to get insane) and he's telling me if I want to make a move that he's my guy? Ummm....
WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN OUR FIRST IMMUNITY YET?
I'M NOT THINKING MOVES RIGHT NOW?
I BARELY CAN REMEMBER YOUR NAME!
MICHAEL
https://youtu.be/Swisjdq1R4s
OLIVIA
Have I befriended a furry???????? Is this real life????? Is he actually a furry or just really in deep on this joke? Why are there so many Dylans in orgs? Also fucking goddamnit I like EVERYONE HERE I just wanna be friends with all y’all damn. All of the newbies are so adorable and seem so excited and unknowing to the pain that’s gonna come :’) Annabelle especially like my wig flew with that intro! I wanna meet them all. Also wtf is with the torches I WANNA KNOW ALREADY! Anyways that’s all I’m excited for this season. Owen and I renewed the o alliance :-) and Jess seems cool as hell I really clicked with her and the furry. Michael seems sweet and I already know Julian from Mykonos, the absolute crackhead. Real sweetie tho hopefully we’re friends. I hope I’m not coming off as too insane I was so nervous on the phone call with the tribe :( it was so fun but I felt like every time I said something it fell flat I felt so awkward abhhhhhahshsjaj. Anyhoo yay! New season!
Should I write the rest of my confessionals in japanese? Neko. Boom
JESS
So coming into this game with a TS under my belt is different...
I still have no expectations whatsoever BUT I do know how HARD people go for in these games and I'm planning to go just as hard.
The first night was wild. Everyone on my tribe except for Matt and Julian were lively on the tribe call. Everyone seemed pretty cool and super... out there.. I think Isaac might be the one to watch on my tribe. He's been around the block and knows most people on my tribe (new and old). WHICH IS WHY.. I'm going to try my best and get super close to him. I need to make sure I'm not disposable to these "older players" and as asset to these "newer" players.
I just know need to cool my jets on the whole socializing bit in the main chat (Yes I know it's literally day 1). I want to be as irrelevant as possible so no one thinks I'm a threat but no one really wants to get rid of me either.
Gotta focus on those INDIVIDUAL RELATIONSHIPS.
Hopefully these other players with more TS's under their belts become bigger shields than me because if not... yikes on yikes.
ROB
I like everyone so far. Evan is giving me a few red flags because he’s only giving me one word answers, so i might take that into consideration when voting.
FOXX
We had a very fun group call with the tribe last night. Definitely haven’t laughed that much in a while. Love my tribe thus far so I hope we can keep the good vibes going.
Jess & Stoner are people I feel like have talked with me the most Nd Olivia, Owen, & Michael are also friendly so I think I have options.
One thing I’ve noticed is how casual and sociable this tribe is. Nothing is more frustrating than a tribe full of overserious gamebots (*cough* Selwyn *cough*) but it’s a group of funny and chill people. It’s gonna be a great game!
OLIVIA
I love these hosts 🙂 HATE the idol system but honestly it doesn’t change much I’ve never gotten an idol before and probably never will so it won’t change my gameplay lmao
I like Isaac a lot too! Forgot to say. But I’m also a little wary of him because I know he’s very experienced
JULIAN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKDvx7VxRC8
ANABEL
well. yesterday i found an idol on my second guess. and made two new friends. so yesterday was great. today was bad. i outed myself. my mom heard me tell my eyebrow lady that i was gay. this is a sad confessional and i wish i wasn’t so loud. im real fucking sad. sorry. but at least i have an idol and some friends.
LEIGH
Time to put on a bra and take some selfies.
I'm glad I shaved today for that tattoo selfie.
OLIVIA
There’s an alliance I’m not in isn’t there
Why am I so FUCKING awkward
ANABEL
im so fucking good at survivor like... good lord. trent and i are like best friends already (see, i knew this would happen, i always meet a nice old usually straight man and we become friends, it's like the hallmark of my survivor experiences) and we came up w a plan where i am gonna try and seduce evan and rob and make them my lil minions so im gonna lie to them and tell them that im a cheerleader bc that's hot right?? so ya my womanly charms will be utilized to their fullest potential. go me.
MICHAEL
https://youtu.be/aAqEUHoyy78
LEIGH
Can we talk about how bullshit it is to have "Lipstick in your tribe's color" when we're yellow and they're RED? Honest to god might as well have "Lemon in your tribe's color" to make it fair.
Alex coming in with bold capslock "MAKE SURE EVERYONE ON YOUR TEAM HAS SUBMITTED AT LEAST ONE THING" ... Just DM Evan directly my dude.
OLIVIA
Feeling much better about this game today than I was last night I think I was just spiraling 🥰 we’re doing really well on the challenge and I hope we win!! Two people messaged me saying I’m doing great on the challenge and idk how to respond. Just tryna make sure we don’t lose I will NOT be the first vote out. Newbies go hard on scavenger hunts but I go even harder 😈
LORELEI
Ok so! I'm super bummed that obor lost the challenge, I really thought we would win! Now we have to get rid of someone and it sucks but I feel like we all know who it has to be. It's not even personal, it's just the fairest thing and the best thing for our tribe. Also, alliances are forming! I like Anabel, Leigh and Trent so I'm with them but I'm gonna try to connect with everyone so I'm not on the outskirts. I hope that the boys haven't formed an all boys alliance bc if they have, then the girls could be in danger. That's it for now!
STONER
guess I’ll follow Alex crook’s rules... https://youtu.be/ndsfCdjtcQI
Not much, about to sleep! https://youtu.be/v12a2AbklVw
MICHAEL
https://youtu.be/4inKBNkg87M
JESS
It's 2:30am so WHY NOT post ANOTHER confessional? Am I right?
Honestly, we won which I'm BEYOND THANKFUL for. I hate tribal and I can now at least say I wasn't first boot. THANK GAGA.
I'm just really trying to solidify things with Michael right now. I think out of everyone on my current tribe I can honestly see myself making a run at this game with him (at least up until merge). I offered him the prospect of sharing idol clues (it's literally the only collateral I have at the moment) so hopefully this doesn't bite me in the fucking ass.
Other than Michael I was kind of hoping to somehow get closer to both Julian and Matt (plot twist I know). Matt has hosted me before and it's no secret he is a founding father of the "I Hate Jess" Club. However, these two seem to be the odd men out right now. They aren't overly socializing with people so there's a high chance they'll be taken out if our current tribe loses. HOWEVER.. I see potential numbers in them. So I can't let that happen.
As of right now both Foxx and Stoner seem to be the ones to watch out for. I just can't let them think or know... that I know that about them. Stoner gives me mega "I say the same things to everyone" vibes. He's clearly playing a strong social game so far. I just need to play dumb and ensure that he thinks he can control/trust me. Honestly, as soon as he doesn't see value in me I have no doubt he's gonna cut me. Foxx on the other hand, just seems like he's playing too hard. He's another guy who I strongly believe is going to drop me as soon as I have no value to him. I'm just going to have to have to lay low and be dumb.
Owen scares me shitless. He's giving me PTSD from my last season because homeboy is playing a strong contender game. He's definitely a pick to win. He's another person who I'm going to have to try and pretend I'm under their spell.
Am I playing too hard too fast? I'm not entirely sure. I'm just going to slow my role a bit and see what happens
MATT
What’s Up? WHAT’S UP?!?!?!? how dare you ask me such a ludicrous question. Alright so first real general confessional of the game here. I wanna eventually try and record some video confessionals, but that’s if i have the time. but for today, we’re good with a text.
So starting off the game on the Cahaya Tribe, which consists of entirely returnees. So right off the bat it makes nervous bc i’m really not around much in the community. Yeah i’m in a few VL’s and i played once before, but i really don’t know anyone. So being the odd one out for that reason was a real fear for a little bit. Looking at my tribe, there are a few names that stood out the most to me. Owen stood out bc we both played Kuwait, and even tho we never met each other, we still have that little connection. Chris motherfucking Stoner is here too!! Chris is such a chill dude. we played together once before and i voted him out pre swap. But that game was so long ago, and i really don’t think he cares (i know i dont). So i’m looking forward to reconnecting with him. Jess is also here!! Jess and I had met previously because i hosted her in Celestial Komnata, and we had some rough misunderstandings there. But months have passed and I know that I am well over it bc i frankly don’t care. But i feel like she still probably cares which will not be good for me. Michael was the last person that stood out to me. Not because I know him, or know of him. But because he’s the only Non-North American in the cast, which means if i can stay up late and socialize with him, he might favor me over other When i looked at the other tribe, i think the only person i know is Anabel? We played together once, i hosted her, so we have somewhat of a connection that if we swap together, i hope that works in my favor.
So on the first night of the game, i was very busy with Celestial All stars premiere, so i didn’t get to talk as much as i would’ve liked. which resulted in me telling jones on call like 5 times that i’m gonna be first boot. But the first night, i talked with everyone (to some degree) except Issac bc i forgot Issac was here.
The torch twist thing i have no idea what it’s going to be and it worries me. My first thought is that it somehow would result in a third tribe bc there were six torches. so someone would light a torch and be placed on that tribe. But it’s too early to figure out what they even mean and i’m sure as the game progresses.
LEIGH
Woooo so what's happened. Well, we lost the challenge and it wasn't even close. I haven't looked at the spreadsheet to see the final scores but I feel like Me, Trent, and Anabell did the most work. I talked to a few people last night and put Evan's name out there cuz I know most people are too scared to say a name first and I feel comfortable enough about my position to be the one to say a name that most people should agree with.
A mutual alliance formed between me, Chris, Trent, Anabell, and Lorelei. Within it, an all girls 3 alliance formed which I'm super happy to be part of. I'm sure Trent will be paranoid about that sooner or later so hopefully Chris and I can make him feel confident. Trent is sharing idol guesses with me so I'm hoping that means I'm like the closest person to him right now. I like the number of options I have so far.
I feel like Facebook might be falling out of style so maybe these youngin's don't even have it or aren't familiar with Facebook ORGs. The only other people here who know my history as far as I know are Foxx and Chris, and I hope neither of them bring it up. If I can stay UTR that'd be nice. Also, I think I need to stop capitalizing letters/using punctuation if I wanna fit in with these kids. Did I already confessionalize that? Not sure.
Apparently Lorelei missed the HII thing day one haha oh well. I'm compiling guesses from me, Chris, and Trent. Hopefully I'll get them from the girls too. I'm not showing the girls' guesses to Chris though. I don't think he'll be mad at me for it. We gotta play close to the vest sometimes yo
TRENT
So far I think the game is going alright. My tribe is incredibly quiet for some reason but I guess that isn't too bad. I made a connection with Anabel and Leigh pretty early on. Decided to suggestion and alliance and both we in so I added Chris and Lorelei so we had a majority. This is the alliance I wanted from the beginning. I wanted the older people to stick together and then add in one young one. I think it's a pretty solid idea. Ive been messaging both kenny and dylan as well. I don't want an alliance with them, but I would like for them to like me and want me to stay in. I also think im getting along pretty well with the two infiltrators right now. Julian was spilling all kinds of info about his tribe to me this morning and then me and owen connected really well. Hopefully this will help me in the future if there is a split soon.
OLIVIA
Jess was hinting that her, foxx, stoner, and I should get together and I said we’d make a nifty cool group. A NIFTY COOL GROUP WHAT THE FUCK IS A NIFTY COOL OLIVIA
ISAAC
This twist can become SO detrimental. And I’m so MAD Owen went over there first because that bitch is unbelievably charismatic. Hopefully it paints a bigger target on him but like it’s whatever.
I like my tribe. We seem chill and I seem to vibe the most with Olivia and Jessica Messica. Foxx is cool. Julian is....Julian ig. Matt has yet to talk to me so that’s a wig ig. Michael seems nice but ngl I get kinda bored when I try to talk to him? He seems very gamebot-y which could be frightening but idk he’s not my biggest problem atm. I’m terrified of Owen - he’s unbelievably charismatic and has the ability to twist people around his finger so like I’m gonna keep my eye on him and I’m not gonna let him out of my sight. With that being said I do wanna see him live for at least a little while for meat-shield purposes.
Anyways I hope I do well this game but 👀 I have a sinking feeling.
KENNY
So yeah.. it seemed like a pretty laxxed day and Evan was the vote. How true is that? Idk but I have to trust strangers. But just heard he through my name out like 20 minutes ago, with less than 3 hours to go. So I just hope everyone’s being honest 😭
OWEN
what’s up? Everything :’)
I couldn’t help as much in the scav hunt as I liked because I was living my life. But thankfully we won anyways bc my tribe kicked ass! I still contributed some and I made sure to keep talking to people. I still love olivia, and matt has been fun to talk to. Don’t rlly know why but foxx seems hard to get to know. And not big into michael rn either. I think I will stick with Julian and chris, hopefully can pull in jess and olivia to do something if we lose. Chris mentioned that both him and jess DO like foxx so we will see....
The main thing is that this twist worked out perfectly for me!!!! I couldn’t call when we were decided and I REALLY wanted to go. Thankfully I was able to take advantage of the majority vote thing and pretend like I wasn’t online hehe and by some miracle I got picked to go. MEANT TO BEEE and let me say I was right, I do love this tribe so much more than my own for some reason. Trent is great, Annabel and I are talking like I wanted, the Chicago girl and the Pokémon mystery dungeon girl. It’s so good over here, but the biggest surprise has been chris o. I really like him and could see myself working well with him if we swap. The only thing is that Julian said he was sketchy sometimes..... hehe so down the road I might have to tell chris o that Julian is after him :~) but I don’t need to snake too hard yet, for right now I’m a crocodile lookin like a log.
Vote should be easy on Evan from what I’ve heard but if it changes? I’ll be living for the drama!
LORELEI
It looks like Evan is the consensus. I feel really bad though because it's not his fault. He tried to plead his case with me by saying that he wasn't the only one that was inactive, but that doesn't change the fact that he contributed the least. I know it's the fair thing to do but I feel bad about it. Voting out people is so not fun, I really hope we win the next challenge so I won't have to do this again.
EVAN
I’m pretty sure I’m fucked. I’ve been trying to get people to vote Kenny but idk fuck
KENNY
“I know I’M voting Evan = I might be voting Evan but I know others are voting you”. Or am I being paranoid
JULIAN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaH8l2R-Xt0
MATT
i feel like i did pretty good on the scavenger hunt. i managed to scoop up a bunch of items that were left over and some that were high points. so i do feel good about my performance and think i pulled my weight. Speaking of pulling weight...Julian is...there. I think he only submitted one item which was the Vine. I mean i get you have work and are busy, but like...most of us were the same? even issac who was celebrating his birthday did more.
after challenge results we got on call in the tribe chat (olivia, chris, michael, myself). and we were talking about the infiltrator twist and the challenge results. We agreed to have myself and Olivia go, but we needed 5 for a majority. Julian shows up and says he “might wanna go tbh”. and then disappears. We’re on call laughing bc we wanna submit this and not randomize it, so someone who isn’t here gets forced to go. BUT JULIAN won’t talk in tribechat even tho we’re all like, “hey we’ll take turns and you can go next time.”. but no. Julian is only talking in olivia’s pm’s and she’s telling us whatever he’s saying. eventually the hour is up, and julian got randomized to go. that fucker strong armed us into randomizing and he still went god damnit.
I think that call was good for my game because we were just chatting for like 1.5 hours about the game stuff and people. After michael/chris left the call it was just Olivia and myself on call and we stayed on for another hour and a half(????? ish??? probably less i can’t remember). But that was a nice call and i think helped start to solidify a bond. Olivia is someone i can see myself working with in this game. Same goes for Michael and Chris. I feel like that call group was pretty natural and we got along really well. I’m too nervous to initiate any kind of alliance talk, but i know it’s gonna have to happen eventually. i’m sure alliances already exist on the tribe and i’m obviously not in them. I think for starters, i need to work on conversations a bit more, because they are somewhat weak right now. My goal for the future is to work on olivia, michael, chris and owen. Those are the people i feel most good about. Foxx is cool but idk it seems hard to gel with them. Julian is cracked and i hope he’s our first boot. and the four of us on call forgot issac was on the tribe so that’s not good for him.
i think i’m in a decent position for now, but i’m not gonna count my chickens before they hatch (i think that’s the saying idfk)
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Hero
Chapter 17/??
Relationship: Todoroki Shouto x Reader (Your/Name), (Full/Name)
Summit: It all begin at the Sports Festival when Shouto’s other half met Endevour by mistake. The student never thought to see his partner fight against his father just to show him that he is wrong. It started from that instant, Shouto’s new path started exactly from that moment thanks to his friends and his beloved one.
---
When the school is open again, inside the Class A there is so much commotion. Everyone is talking about the ones who compliments them, or someone that show their compassion on them after the festival, even Shouto is trying to get along with his classmates, such development makes you happy and proud of what you’ve done, everything was worth it. Izuku approaches you with a joke about your bandaged hands and sit next you. Hiding it from the others, you and Midoriya are worried for Tenya he has a dark light inside his eyes. Revenge, rage and bloodlust, can be fatally blinding.
Aizawa comes in finding the class deadly quiet. He explains that the lecture of the day is special, and the adolescents panic immediately, a surprise test? God please no, have mercy.
Thankfully, it’s not, everyone must find their hero name, so when they go in the internship, their identities will be safe and people will start to recognize them as saviors. A hero name to start a heroic career. He shows on the blackboard all the heroes’ requests they got after the festival. The most requested ones are obviously Todoroki, Bakugou and (Y/N). The others get some requests of sidekick too, still, the difference between them is too wide; Todoroki has 4123 requests, (Y/N) has 4010 and Bakugou has 3556 of them. During explanations, Midnight gets inside the class to check the students’ hero names are suited for the future heroes. Meanwhile, Aizawa will take a nap.
Someone has found their name already; Tsuyu, “Rain Season Hero: Froppy,” or Eijiro, “Sturdy Hero: Red Riot”. The woman is so excited to read and guess the meaning under their names, some are too weird or too long, so she corrects them or gives them another idea.
“This is going smoother than I thought.” <<The last ones are Bakugou who need to rethink of it, Iida, Midoriya and (Y/N), right?>>
“What name should I use? A name that will not scare people…” while you think about it, Izuku stands up and shows his code name, “Eh?” everyone read your mind, so they ask why he chose “Deku”, it was born to be derogatory, right? After his superb reason, you look at him doing a strong nod of approbation.
<<Have you done, (Y/N), Iida and Bakugou?>> the teacher says enthusiastic, when she sees your figure stands up from the seat, <<Oh (Y/N)-chan, come, come! I’m really curious about your choice!>>
“I’ll become a hero that reflects this name.” you sigh to release the pressure on shoulders, <<It’s embarrassing to explain it, so please listen to me, I don’t want to say this again…>> a light blush is raising in your cheeks.
<<Don’t worry, go ahead.>> the heroine and your classmates are fully focused on you.
<<I’ve chosen this name, because of this.>> hitting the earring, blue fiery wings appear on your back and lit the class with its light bluish light, <<People think that I am scary when I use this mode, but I want to be someone who can light up the path of everyone, and my Envy form is the brightest one. So, I’ll be “The Fallen Hero: Belial”.>>
<<Wait, who was Belial?>> the teacher replies thinking and then asks it at the class, but no one know the right answer.
<<He was the protector of God’s throne.>> the girl touches again the earring that seals the bright and warm flames, <<The myth says that Belial went against God’s orders to save the people, who for him didn’t deserve to die. God took that as a betrayal, Belial was banned from Heaven and cursed by God itself. That curse was living with the stronger flames ever created, so everyone would be scared of him and he would live alone the eternity.>>
<<…Do you see yourself in that angel?>> asks Kirishima, <<I don’t think it’s right, no one hates you, (Y/N).>>
<<Like the ones who accepted Belial.>> you smile proudly, <<At the beginning, Belial spent many years alone, but one day, a villager called him. He wasn’t scary or evil, there was nothing to be scared about a poor fallen angel. That person gave to him a reason to live: illuminate the path when the night falls upon the Earth. So guys, when you can’t see where to go, call my name and I will show you the way.>>
<<Angels can be evil too.>> Aizawa is woken up by everyone’s claps and cheers for your speech, <<Are you sure to follow the angel path and not the demon one?>>
<<Aizawa-sensei is cultured about ancient mythology.>> the girl takes her name and looks at the man with a smile, <<I’ve chosen Belial for a reason. Unlike Azael, Belial didn’t change his mind, he kept helping everyone and guiding them inside the scary and cold darkness. Belial gave them a light to follow, a strong feeling called “courage”, a warm wave that protected them from a cold danger. He kept doing it until God killed him, envious about the fact that the curse turned into a blessing.>>
<<So that’s why that form is called Envy and has blues flames…>> now the class knows the origin of one of the the seven sins you always carry with you, <<You thought about it a lot, eh?>> Midnight pats you on the back proud to have such wonderful students.
<<Yes, because like Belial did, I’ll keep moving forward and light the path for the one who cannot see it, until my last breath.>>
---
During the break lunch, you keep reading the list of the heroes that asked your help. You are too focused on it that you are forgetting to eat and ignore Todoroki, Izuku, Midoriya, Uraraka and Kirishima’s calls.
<<Ah!>> Izuku takes a piece of paper and a pencil, <<Her grandpa taught me this trick.>> he writes a sentence and slowly slices it under your eyes.
<<This is too far, this is one hasn’t what I want…>> your eyes keep scrolling the page, <<I guess the most active one is- Please look up.>> automatically, you raise your head and find a smiling Midoriya, <<Oh no, did I ignore you guys again?>>
Shouto’s arm passes through your vision field, grabs the papers and pushes over your lunch. He doesn’t say a word, his expression speaks itself.
<<Todoroki-kun was calling you for a while.>> explains Izuku, <<He brought the lunch, but you were focused on the paper that you didn’t notice him. I guess he didn’t know how bring you out that zone, so…>>
<<Oh… I’m sorry, dear.>>
<<You don’t have to apologize. Just eat your food before lessons start again.>> he says with a worried tone, <<You can’t take meds without eating. It’s bad for your health.>>
<<You really like get in your focused zone, aren’t you?>> jokes Kirishima, <<You are so cultured too.>>
<<Ah… my mom influenced me. I read every book that I can have…>> she blushes and plays with her fingers nervously, <<These day I wanted to buy a new one, but with this chaos…>>
<<Oh, now I remember.>> says Shouto after drinks his water, <<At your place, there’s a whole room filled with books. It’s like a little library.>>
<<Woah, did you read all those books?>> asks Uraraka, <<That’s why (Y/N) is so cultured and smart!>>
The break keeps going with your friends teasing you for read so much books, and when Todoroki said that he found your glasses, everyone started to pretend to see a picture of you with them.
You return to the class first to see which medicine you need, and all the girls are waiting for you. Oh no, and now? What they are planning? Those face aren’t nice at all…
<<(Y/N), can we ask something?>> Mina says with her cheerful smile on her face, <<What do you like about Todoroki-kun?>>
“I knew it!” <<Um…>> when you make a step backwards, Uraraka pushes you forward, <<I-I… Right now?>>
“What’s happening?” Shouto hides behind the door and hears what the girls say, “Why (Y/N) is so agitated?”
<<C’mon, say us what do you like about Todoroki-kun!>> Mina and Hagakure are so excited.
<<Ok, ok…>> you blush again and reply with a warm smile, <<I like his voice. It’s like I can hear the sound of it from the color of his eyes.>> the girls stay silent and then scream and hug you happily, <<Don’t say it to him, ok? I feel so embarrassed talking about these things…>>
<<You get embarrassed with everything.>> comments Mina again, <<You aren’t like your image looks like.>>
<<T-that’s rude! …Until I came here, I always done the opposite of what I do now, so I’m not used to all this “girl talk” and things…>>
<<You are too cute!>> before they could crush you with their hugs, the bell rings, saving your life.
Everyone get at their seats and wait for the teacher to start the lessons, but Aizawa gets in with a strange face. The lessons of the day are a little hard than usual, the students’ brain was still excited for all the support received. When the last bell rings, everyone greets All Might and prepares themselves to leave. While you and Todoroki are talking about the dinner, Kirishima, Uraraka and Midoriya slowly approach you to not disturb the conversation too suddenly.
<<What’s wrong guys?>> you ask a little worried, they look so uncomfortable, <<Something happened?>>
<<I-it would be bothersome if we ask you a f-favor, (Y/N)-chan?>> why Ochako is so agitated?
<<What’s happening? You are scaring me. Why are you so nervous? Did I do something bad?>>
<<Can we come to your place to study what the professors said today??>> Kirishima said that so fast that you barely understand a word, but fortunately you got the concept, they didn’t understand some lessons. The trio bows and screams, <<Please!>>
<<Woah, woah, raise your head guys!>> you make them look at you, <<Of course you can come, and of course I help you, why were you so nervous about it?>>
<<Since Todoroki-kun lives with you, we thought that maybe he doesn’t want us so…>> speaks Midoriya, <<And you two seemed focused on something, so I thought it would be something about the house…>>
<<We were talking about the list for the grocery shop, nothing else.>> replies Shouto confused, <<And why I shouldn’t want my friends near me? If (Y/N) says that you can come, I’m ok with it too, don’t worry.>>
<<Let’s go then!>> you smile and guide the group outside the school.
During the way, everyone has having so much fun. Before going to (Y/N)’s place, they stopped to a grocery shop to buy something, the girl said that she didn’t have anything for dinner since she needed to restore her home with food. The classmates help her gladly and they feel strangely adult. She organized the list together with Shouto and both are choosing the ingredients carefully and of course, they ask if everyone agrees with the choice. After paid everything, they start to walk again, fortunately, near (Y/N)’s house there is this huge shop center and they don’t have to bring those bags for too long. The girl apologized with them, because she couldn’t bring those by herself, and the classmates lightly scold her, she apologizes too much.
Once in front of the gates of the house, Midoriya, Kirishima and Uraraka stare at the building a little surprised. That house is really beautiful and big and… Wow. There is a colorful garden, the estate itself is modern and well kept… Guess her mom was really famous if she could buy a house like this.
<<(Y/N), did you leave the lights on?>> says Todoroki while you search for the keys inside your bag.
<<No, I didn’t.>> she notices a few lights are on, <<What the hell…>> she puts the keys inside the lock of the gate, but it is already opened, <<….>> she and Shouto looks at each other worried.
<<Only I and you have the keys, right?>> he asks, “Who the heck is?” everyone moves carefully and quietly to the main door, checking if there are some signs of break-in, but the door is clean.
Once inside, they take off the shoes quietly and leaves the bags there to avoid noises. In the instant, they put a foot on the warm parquet, a man walks in drying his hand with a towel.
<<Oh, welcome back sweetie.>> he smiles happily, <<How was your day?>>
<<Grandpa?!>> you exclaim, <<The hell are you doing here?! How did get in, you don’t have the new keys yet since I changed the… Wait, don’t tell me->>
<<Yes, I did it. Sorry sweetie, but I fixed everything already, so please forgive this old man.>> he joins his hands and makes a worried smile, “She will be angry? I hope not…”
<<Oh yeah, your quirk…>> she remembered, <<Next time, call or mail me. You gave us a heart attack!>>
<<Did you bring your friends along?>> the man rushes to pick the bags up and runs back to the kitchen, <<Make yourself at home boys, I’ll prepare something for you.>>
Everyone bows and thanks politely while you guide them in the living room to leave the school bags on the big couch. Uraraka, Kirishima and Midoriya noticed immediately the beautiful black piano inside that huge room. Everything is so stylish and modern, the last release TV, consoles, a big shelf where there are a lot of books, CDs, videogames, magazines, and a lot of pictures too. Curiosity wins over Midoriya and he goes to see those pictures while (Y/N) is voicing a few ideas for the future study session. He picks the first photo and looks at it. A woman dressed in a wonderful light blue dress between a few children and two adolescents.
“(Y/N)’s mom… What a beautiful woman. Who are these children with (Y/N)? And the older ones?” thinks Izuku when his eyes caught a recent photo. (Y/N) is older, as the children on the precious picture. The two who are hugging the girl are so alike, are they twins? There is a shy member held still by a happy tall guy, while the last one is smiling in a strange way. “I wonder who is this people… Their look doesn’t seem to be Japanese. Are they foreigners?”
His senses warning him to put the photo back and moves to a hero magazines. He follows his instinct and a hand rests on his shoulder making him jump. He turns to see (Y/N) with a smile and asking for his opinion about the idea she proposed.
“Thank you, instinct… Um, crap, I wasn’t listening at all…” <<Yes, no problem for me.>> he replies hoping that he didn’t screw something up.
<<Great.>> the girl walks away and when he is about to sigh relived, she adds, <<Come here Izuku and tell me what you didn’t understand, I will be back right away.>>
<<Yeah.>> Midoriya sits on the sofa and checks his bag, “Thank god she didn’t caught me…”
While everyone is setting the little table in front of the sofa with their stuffs, (Y/N) opens the door, leaves it a little opened and speaks with a worried and annoyed tone at the same time.
<<Grandpa, your wife is here too?>>
<<No sweetie!>> replies the man loudly from the kitchen, <<She had some urgent issues to do!>>
<<There is someone on the second floor, then?>> you ask looking at the little light that you can see after the stairs, <<There is a light on near my room!>>
<<My bad! I was there but I forgot to turn it off!>> he hears your footsteps moving towards the stairs, <<Don’t worry dear, I’ll go to turn it off! Stay with your friends!>> “Those idiots, if she finds out that you are here too, she’s gonna kill us all!”
<<He is hiding something.>> you close the door and sit between Kirishima and Uraraka, <<That old man…>>
<<(Y/N)-chan, can I ask something about your grandpa?>> says Ochako, <<What he did to get inside if he didn’t have the keys?>>
<<Oh…>> you sigh and touch the back of your neck a little embarrassed, <<His quirk wraps the time backward, but he can only use it on human that aren’t dead yet and on things that aren’t full destroyed. So, he broke the door and then fixed it.>>
<<He isn’t so old, but he doesn’t seem to be strong enough to break down your door.>> comments Shouto, he knows that the main entrance is heavy and not easy to break.
<<I think he used his quirk on himself.>> you guess since you didn’t see it and don’t have a footage to prove that, <<His quirk allows him to go back in time when he was younger, so his body changes as he wishes. And…>> you stop seeing Izuku writing on his notebook, “The nerd is awake?” <<Let’s start this session guys!>>
It takes a while before dinner is ready, so your classmates are taking their time to copy your notes. How do you this? They are well disposed on the page, you use a lot of colors to focus on different topics, advices are write in a spot where the eye often fall, and the topics themselves are much easier to understand with your notes… So organized! Shouto does his homework, he is quite smart so he doesn’t need a summit or something. Izuku as well, he just didn’t understand a step on an exercise, so once resolved, he helps (Y/N) with Kirishima and Uraraka.
In the middle of the last exercise, your grandpa knocks on the door announcing that the dinner is ready. The five students stand up and leave (Y/N) guides them inside that huge house. Once in the kitchen, they find the table full of steaming food, they smell so good too! Is your grandpa a chef or something?
<<Don’t you think you went a bit too far?>> you say look at the amount of the food, that’s too much.
<<Maybe…>> the old man invites the students to take a seat and eat without compliments, <<I saw that you lost weight again, I thought that you don’t eat well or you don’t have time to cook something healthy, so my hands slipped, haha.>>
<<Geez grandpa, you’re worrying too much.>> you sit too with a smile, <<I’m fine, but thank you.>>
Everyone thanks for the meal and starts eating while chatting and laughing. Those dishes look simple, but they taste so good and they are light too, so the students eat almost everything. During the dinner, a sound attires your attention.
<<What’s wrong (Y/N)?>> asks Shouto when he sees you stop eating, <<You don’t like it?>>
<<I heard a click sound.>> you reply thinking about to go and check or not, <<Like a door closed…>>
<<Sweetie, I know your senses are sharp, but if a door would be closed we will hear that too.>> says the man, <<But we didn’t. You are too tense dear, relax a bit more.>>
<<Yeah, you are right. Sorry guys.>> the girl starts to eat again, “You can’t fool me, I heard a door being closed, I’m sure of it. There is someone else here? Should I send my beasts to patrol the house?”
---Continue....
Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 21.5, 22, 22.5, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, Last Chapter
#todoroki shouto#shouto todoroki#midoriya izuku#bnha#boku no hero academia#my hero academia#bnha scenarios#scenarios#fanfictions#deku midoriya#anime#manga
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A Matter of Life and Death, that’s the title of this story I’ve been working on...it’s my first legit thing so don’t hate on me.
Lei and Melody Pond pressured me into posting this ASAP last ight so it’s all I could do. But hey, I gotta say it’s some cool stuff about the universal entities, Life and Death...plus some other dudes.
I dedicate this novel to my family and friends who inspired me and helped me write this story...and to readers like you! Yes...you reading this...right now.
Prologue
Tony Torelli, unlike most people Death came accross, was satisfied with his life. He had managed to stay alive for 99 years, which was far longer than any of his uncles, aunts, or his parents had.
Tony was rather impressed with himself, considering that he had immigrated to America with nothing but his wife by his side and his ambition. After starting his own bakery with the money from selling little pastries on a cart and from Mrs. Torelli doing the neighborhood's laundry, Tony had a total of five children, who each provided two grandchildren for Mr. And Mrs. Torelli.
Death recalled meeting his wife, Abrielle Torelli in 2010, she was surprisingly rather calm considering she had just died of lung cancer with no actual knowledge of how the “Passing Procedure” functioned. Although he was never entirely sure about what lied beyond each of the doors to the afterlife, Death knew that the sweet elderly Italian woman would be heading for something pleasant. So Death felt a wave of satisfaction, knowing that Mr. and Mrs. Torelli would be united as soon as Tony Torelli finally finished groaning in pain and collapsed on his kitchen floor.
As his heart stopped beating, a wisp rose from the old man’s body and formed into his ghost. Death gave a little wave from his seat at Mr. Torelli’s kitchen table. The ghost of Tony Torelli stepped back, scared and confused, Death pondered whether Torelli was more scared by his own ghostly appearance, or by the sudden appearance of a black cloaked skeleton with a scythe against his chair. Either way, he looks like he’s seen a ghost, Death silently chuckled at his own horrible joke.
“What is this, am I dead? Are you- are you the Grim Reaper?” Torelli asked worriedly. Death stood up and brushed off his cloak, “Yes and yes, but don’t worry, most of this isn’t so bad as most think” he said in a surprisingly comforting tone.
“It works like this; I ask you a few questions about your life and if you are honest and if you meet the qualifications, you can go to the afterlife of your choosing”. Torelli nodded slowly, despite the baffled expression on his face, he seemed to understand. Huh, this one’s a strong one.
“So Mr. Torelli, how did you die?”
Tony Torelli thought for a moment, “Well it seems like I have just died of a heart attack,”
Death nodded in approval.
“That’s right, not the most noble death, but the noble ones always tend to be the most painful anyway. Moving on, do you think you were a good person?”
“Well, I suppose. I’ve never been involved in anything illegal, I tried to provide the best life I could for my family. Of course I’ve sinned, but I ask our Lord and Savior for forgiveness regularly, I try not to judge others...I’m not going to hell am I?”
Death glanced into the old man’s soul. He’s just too innocent, it’s a bit disturbing really, but as always, Death could sense that Tony definitely wasn’t lying his way to a better eternity. Death raised a finger over one of the ancient symbols carved into his scythe, it glowed white. Yep, he’s a good one.
“No Mr. Torelli, you’re a decent man, even though I’m only a gatekeeper, I’m sure that you’ll be joining your wife today”. Death swung his scythe in the air and planted it firmly on the floor, a stream mixed of shadows and light bled from the end of the scythe, the stream gathered together and created a sudden archway. Even over millions of years, Death couldn’t quite find a way to describe it, it was the most beautiful and most threatening thing Death had ever seen; an array of conflicting shadow and light, he supposed, much like that of the stream. Tony Torelli drifted towards the portal and disappeared. One down, another several hundred to go. Before he could teleport to his next destination, Death froze to a stop. Something changed, Death could feel it within the scythe, he could feel it in the air. He took a deep breath and smoothed out his cloak, regretting that he had chosen his skeleton form. Why today? “Hello old friend, it’s been awhile since we’ve spoken,” Death turned around to face Life. Of course, she was as obnoxiously radiant looking as usual. “It’s been a week, and a rather peaceful week too,” Death chided.
“Why did you have to reap Tony? A few more months and he would have been a hundred years old. One. Hundred. I don’t get to do that very often and it’s really annoying when you just come along and reap them at the last minute”.
Death sighed, “Life darling, he died of a heart attack, everyone has to die eventually, and I help make the transition easier. You don’t create children, you just open their lives to the world. Are you okay Life? Something seems to be troubling you.”
Life sighed and bit her lip. “Well, I came here to talk about far more than a possible hundred year old man...Death, we have a problem. You know our friend Noir? She’s gone missing”. Death laughed, “Well I doubt that, she’s a reaper; she’s most likely just off doing paperwork for some particularly complicated death, our jobs aren’t easy you know”. Life’s expression darkened, switching her aura of serenity to something far more sinister in a matter of seconds.
“That isn’t the case Death, you sense people dying, I sense people living; Noir is alive, but she’s oddly distant, there’s something going on that may affect more than just one of your Reapers”
“Distant, you say? Life, you know that Noir is more than just one of my helpers, she- she’s a close friend. If you truly think there is something going on, I’ll need your help investigating it”. Life nodded, and pursed her lips, “well, there’s something else too, you know how the most accurate way to connect to reapers is through blood or DNA, well since we don’t have Noir’s blood sample on hand, I’ve recently discovered, um, another possibility”.
Death twirled his scythe in anticipation, “Yes?”
“She apparently had a child with a mortal named James Mourn about twelve years ago, especially considering that the girl has inherited Noir’s abilities, she’s our best and only hope.”
Death fell silent, “she never told me that she had a kid, she never told me- never told me any of it...of course you’re right though, I’ll find the girl, you keep gathering more information,” he said quietly. Life nodded, deciding it was best to leave her friend to his thoughts as she turned to leave, “her name’s Lucy. The girl, her name is Lucy Mourn”.
Chapter One
“What if I had a death that was so tragic that my favorite bands would feel the need to come play at it? I mean that would be so cool, maybe Panic at the Disco could play “Far Too Young to Die” or something, I’ll add it to the list of stuff on my will,” Lucy Mourn cheerfully wondered out loud as her math class drew to a close. The new student sitting next to Lucy glared at her, “You’re so weird, why do you have a will already? We’re only in 7th grade, isn’t it a bit creepy?”. Lucy tilted her head and smiled as her pale green eyes widened, as if this was a questioned that she loved answering. “Why, it’s never too early to write a will, we could die any day now, at any moment at all. I don’t see why I shouldn’t be just a tad bit prepared,” she chirped. The kid next to her gradually scooted away, unnerved by Lucy’s nonchalance on the subject.
“Okay class I know that it’s winter break but that doesn’t mean you can’t study your geometry, we have a test a week after you return from break!” Mrs. Harrison desperately called out as the students gathered their backpacks and headed out the door. The new kid who had been talking to Lucy rushed away from her before the bell had even finished ringing. Lucy’s shoulders slumped as she put on her black cat-ear beanie with the little pins on them; one normal smiley face, one with x’s for eyes, and finally a little skull pin, along with a few from various bands. Another failed attempt at friendship but that’s okay, I’m just too brilliant to share my friendship with anyone.
She swung her black and pastel pink backpack over her shoulder and skipped out into the preteen-packed hallway. Lucy weaved past the packs of students scattered about the hall and left school for Winter Break, it was a shame, she tended to feel less lonely when she was at school; at home everything just turned into an abyss of time, boredom and loneliness. Outside she saw half of the kids going home by foot, or bus, and the other half being picked up by parents or relatives. She couldn’t help but feel a tinge of envy at the sight; her Father was often at work as an accountant and she had never met her Mother. Every time she tried to bring her up while talking to her Dad (which wasn’t very often), he quickly tried to change the subject. As a result, the most she had ever been told about her mother is that she was a green eyed French woman named Noir Arquette who had ran off not long after Lucy’s birth. Lucy climbed on the bus and took the only seat that had not been taken, (which was most of them, including those in which kids suddenly sprawled across the seat in a precarious position as she walked by). After Lucy finally sat down, she looked out the window on the bus as she sketched a scene of unicorns and zombies into her notebook. By the time the bus came to a stop Lucy had drawn an intricate portrait of rainbows raining over a trio of bloodthirsty unicorns trampling on zombies as the undead creatures tried to bite back at the unicorns in vain. Satisfied with the sketch, Lucy jumped off the schoolbus and skipped towards her house on Briarwood Boulevard. The house was pretty small and it was always a little cold, and the inner decor was a little too grey and unwelcoming, but it was Lucy and James Mourn’s home.
“Dad I’m home from school and it’s time to start Winter Break fun!” Lucy sang as she dropped her backpack, threw off her black jacket and striped scarf as she danced around the house. Of course there wasn’t a reply; her Dad was still at work, as always. Lucy untied the shoelaces on her bowtied boots and kicked them off as she went to the kitchen to heat up some ramen noodles from the pantry shelf that she could barely reach due to her petite height. Before she could do so, Lucy stopped and her heart lifted as she saw a little note on the kitchen counter. Dad might've left a note to apologize for not being here, that would’ve been so nice! Yet as Lucy reached for the note her heart fell straight back onto the little hole it was in a moment before. The note on the counter wasn’t written in James Mourn’s handwriting. Thanks Dad.
Dear Lucy Mourn,
I’m sorry I didn’t meet you in person today, but most humans tend to be quite frightened upon meeting me. Essentially, I am Death, you might think this is a prank from your dad, but it’s not. I can’t really prove it but if you notice that the flowers next to your kitchen sink were alive this morning and now they’re all wilted. Sorry about that. Anyway as you may or may not know, I am a friend of your mother, Noir, and I am in need of your assistance in order to help her. I’ll be seeing you tomorrow at noon.
Sincerely,
Death/Grim Reaper/Shinigami/Thanatos/etc.
P.S. You may or may not be in grave danger.
Lucy tilted her head, and couldn’t help but giggle. “I have no idea what’s going on but I also don’t know whether I should be amused or disturbed,” Lucy said to herself. Ask Dad about it later, it’s definitely not a prank, he’s not cool or weird enough for that, her mind answered back. Thanks self. Lucy made the ramen for herself and went to her room to put her earphones on full blast as she started a new sketch, this one of a vengeful little ballerina puppet strangling it’s master with it’s strings. By 6:49 Lucy heard the door unlock as her Dad came home.
“Hiya Dad! Did you see that weird note on the counter? I saw it earlier and decided to ask you about it,” she called as she skipped to the living room. James Mourn set down his briefcase and began to undo his tie as he sat on the couch. “Hey Lucy-Luz, what note are you talking about, there’s nothing here but the ramen packaging you must’ve forgotten to throw away earlier,” he sighed.
Lucy went to the kitchen counter and sure enough, the note was gone. “It was right here, a little note, it said it was written by Death, like the Grim Reaper. He was talking about my Mom, did you put it there as a joke?”
James Mourn froze, then sighed. “Look, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull here Luz, but I’ve had an exhausting day at the office and I’m not ready for your weird goth crap,” her Dad snapped in exasperation.
Lucy drew back, surprised and hurt. “First of all, I’m not lying, and that ‘weird goth crap’ is just how I am, but you wouldn’t even know that would you?,” Lucy said with all the calmness she could muster.
“Don’t sass me, Lucy, I’ve had a long day and I’ll be having another one tomorrow, just go to bed,” her Dad scolded. Lucy scoffed and drifted back to her bedroom, where she practiced smiling until the tears stopped and she changed into her skull covered pajamas. Since it was still only 7:05, Lucy decided to listen to music and watch anime for hours, and hours, until she fell asleep in a tangle of blankets and earphones.
Lucy sat alone in a dark room that resembled the old ballet studio that Lucy used to attend, despite the teacher being exasperated with the alternative dance style Lucy practiced between warm-up sessions. The teacher, Ms. Warrington was never very patient with the children she taught, and Lucy was the only one that actually excelled in the class while still being the most hated by the teacher. Eventually the teacher had an angry outburst and yelled at Lucy, causing James Mourn to take Lucy out of the class. But this wasn’t Lucy’s 4th grade ballet class. It was dark, and there weren’t any instructors or students in sight; It looked wrong. Lucy would have liked to say she was alone, but the mirrored wall with the barres against them reflected images of Lucy, except...different, she looked older, and sadder...it was all wrong. Along with the twisted reflections, there were dark shadowy figures surrounding her. It was impossible to tell how many because of the mirrors, but Lucy was surrounded. Even her reflections looked panicked, and began running towards the surfaces of the mirrors, screaming until they dissolved into black feathers. The spidery, shadowy figures didn’t seem to notice as they advanced towards her, and a little light rose from Lucy’s screaming mouth. ‘You can’t escape’, the shadows sang as their shadow fingers wrapped around her throat.
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
Lucy’s jade green eyes popped open and she gasped for breath as she sprang out of bed to turn off the alarm she had set on her phone. Since school was out for a few weeks she had set it to 10 am instead of 6 am. After a long shower Lucy changed into a black t-shirt with a pink broken heart design on the front over a pair of buckled black jeans. James Mourn had already left to go to the office that morning, leaving Lucy to do a few chores around the house. So, after consuming a small bowl of cornflakes Lucy got started on dusting the house. All the while Lucy nervously checked the clock, waiting for Death. Lucy laughed at the idea of it. She looked up at the clock in the living room. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock.
Eventually it was noon and Lucy was still home by herself. No Death, no information about Noir. She scolded herself for being stupid enough for even considering that Death would come knocking on her door. Lucy sighed and took a moment to be jealous of those who wouldn’t have given the notion a second thought, or whose parents would’ve just given a simple “yes or no” without getting triggered and angry. She shrugged it off and finished up dusting the kitchen and began to make herself a sandwich, until she froze to a stop while passing the trash can. What if Dad had the nerve to throw away the note? Lucy flipped open the trash. There was nothing inside except the ramen packaging she had finally remembered to throw away. “Finding anything interesting in there?” a low voice asked from behind her. Lucy whirled around to see a black hooded figure standing in her living room. He was holding a tall black scythe with unfamiliar engravings lining the handle.
“You’re Death,” she whispered with a smile.
Death stepped back, taken aback by the terrifying look of delight on the young girl’s face. “Yes, that’s me, shouldn’t you be a little more, I don’t know, alarmed?”
Lucy kept smiling, “I am alarmed but I’m also pretty happy, I thought I was being crazy and stupid but now I think it’s just plain crazy, but I’m used to that part anyway”.
Death tilted his hood back, revealing a rather confused looking skull. How can he look confused while having no expressions? The world may never know! “You’re late you know, your note said you would be here by noon but now it’s 12:16, you should have said ‘approximately noon’ in your note, then it technically wouldn’t have counted as late”
Death still looked perplexed “I was busy dealing with a guy who had been murdered up in Scotland, he kept on trying to deny that he was dead and it took a surprising amount of time to convince him otherwise. You must be Noir Arquette's daughter, Lucy Mourn”.
Lucy nodded, “So upon reading your letter I wondered; if you’re friends with my Mom then do you know why she’s never been around for me?”
Death seemed to frown, “I didn’t even know you had been born until another friend told me yesterday, I didn’t know that she had abandoned you either”.
Lucy sat down to process everything for a second, “where is she now? Can I speak to her?”
“Well, you see that is exactly why I came to see you. First off, I have large group of people called reapers who help me with my duties as the Grim Reaper, after a while of serving me they develop some of my powers such as teleportation, and being able to reap the souls of the dead by themselves. So when people die, the reapers and I cooperate to open up the doors to the afterlife for them. Your mother, Noir, well she’s- she’s a friend as well as an especially powerful reaper. Yet as I said, I’ve been informed that Noir is missing, and since you have a blood connection with her-”
“I’m your only hope at finding her,” Lucy finished. Death nodded grimly, “I’m also not quite sure if you noticed, but you should have inherited some of your mother’s powers as well”.
Lucy grinned like a maniac, “I can teleport and reap the souls of the dead? I’ve always wanted to do that!”
Death tilted his head, “somehow don’t think that was sarcasm...anyway are you going to help me or not?”
Lucy looked down at the pink little bows on her boots, I’m gonna help my Mom, then I’m gonna give her a little wrapped up box of hell. Lucy reconsidered the offer one last time. “Yep, that sounds like a plan”. Death raised his scythe and slammed the bottom of it towards the ground, suddenly the world erupted into shadows. When light returned, they were standing in a large, dim study with leather bound books lining the walls. Lucy staggered, “Did we. Just. Teleport?”
Death nodded and chuckled, “you must be Noir’s kid considering that you haven’t vomited on my new robes yet”.
“Ha, but um, I forgot my jacket though can we go back for a sec?”
After teleporting back in order to get Lucy her jacket, gloves, and phone, Death teleported them back to his ‘house’, which really seemed more like one of those cool gloomy castles that served as a secret lair for villains in movies. Lucy sat down at the study’s sofa as Death poured some tea.
“So do your deathlings live here too?”
“First of all they’re called reapers, never call them deathlings again, and yes, some of my most trusted reapers live here”.
“Does that include my mom?”
Death paused, “yes, Noir normally lives in the northern wing over there,” he said, pointing towards the staircase down the hall. Lucy laughed bitterly, “I’m in my mom’s house, I’ve been standing where she stood, it’s just so weird”. Death finished pouring the tea, “I um, I understand that this isn’t easy for you,so would you like some feel-better madeline's to go with you tea?” Lucy bit back a laugh. The Grim Reaper eats little pastries with his tea? “Hey, hey stop laughing at my madeleines, I get enough of that from your mother and Life”. Lucy stopped laughing and thought for a second before gaping, “Life? Is- is life a person too?”
“Technically she’s more of a magical entity sorta thing like myself, she’s the friend who informed me that Noir was missing, and of your existence. You know since she like senses people’s lives and things, she should be joining us in a few moments now”. Lucy opened her mouth to say more-
“HELLO DARKNESS MY OLD FRIEND!” a feminine voice sang from the other room.
“Damn it Life, I’ve been telling you to stop doing that since the 1960’s, can’t you just say hello like a normal person?”
The door to the study swung open for a beautiful woman in a long white and cream dress. Her skin was a radiant shade of caramel and her blondish hair was pinned up so that only one wave of curls hung by the side of her head. Yet it was her eyes that intrigued Lucy, at first she thought they were dark brown, but they were frequently shifting to a moonlight shade of pale gold; like some brilliant array of shadow and light. “Why, I’m just making a fun first impression, Death, and look at little Lucy here, she looks- wow she looks just like Noir doesn’t she?”
“Hmm, that’s an exaggeration, she just has Noirs’ face shape and eyes. Oh, and don’t get too enthralled by Life, Lucy; she’s crueler than she looks”. Life’s radiant eyes dazzled as she flipped her curls as a wicked smirk spread on her face. “You always have to spoil the fun”. Death laughed, “well someone had to warn the child, didn’t they? Come now Life, join us for tea and madeleines”.
“Pfft, you and your little tea cakes-”
“Shut up,” Death said as he poured another cup of tea for Life. “So, Lucy how do you like your tea?”
“Sugary and creamy”Lucy chirped, still watching the way Life almost seemed to glow and bring light to the dim study. “Ugh you monster, oh well, some cream and sugar for Lucy, and I know that Life likes her tea with honey and lemon”. Life produced a lemon out of thin air and squirted a bit into her cup of tea. Lucy opened her mouth to speak. “No puns please, the ‘life gives you lemons’ jokes get really, really old” Death said quickly. “Come now Death, the only thing that gets old around here is your weird skeleton aesthetic, I mean it’s just overly dramatic in my opinion” Life said with a mischievous grin as she sipped her tea. Lucy watched in awe as Death grudgingly shifted from a cloaked skeleton to a dark haired man in a black suit. Death muttered something about aesthetic as he took a sip from his cup. “You guys can shapeshift? Can the reapers and I shapeshift too?”
“Not in a thousand years, literally, we haven’t seen anyone do that by themselves in a little less than a thousand years.
“Oh well, I kinda expected that.”
“You might learn someday, your mom did it once”
“A thousand years ago?”
“She wasn't human; when someone becomes a reaper, they are immortal”
“So, she was born in medieval times?”
Death nodded, “I think she was in her early twenties at the time, just beginning as a reaper. A wicked man with a strong soul had died, and he wasn’t very happy about it. After becoming a ghost he drifted off to haunt an enemy of his by driving him mad and chasing him off a cliff. Noir distracted the ghost at the last minute and reaped him. Yet while doing so she ended up falling off that cliff, as I ran to help I saw your mother vanish into thin air, and a crow flew in her place. The crow flew up to me and suddenly transformed into Noir, who if I recall had been grinning like a maniac the whole time. That’s the last actual shape shifting I’ve seen from a reaper”. A thousand thoughts and emotions filled Lucy’s mind. Her heroism would’ve ended her, perhaps she’s gone missing for similar reasons. “Well, that’s the last time a reaper has shapeshifted, but I had a kindler who shapeshifted into a cat around three years ago, yet I always thought he seemed more like a dog person,” Life said, changing the topic.
“What are kindlers?”
“Death has his reapers, I have my kindlers, they go around, sparking life into pregnant mothers”.
“Doesn’t that mean that a kindler had to spark life into my Mom, a reaper?”
Life nodded, “Yes, it does seem a bit odd, I’ve been looking for the kindler that sparked you into existence since yesterday. Despite being easier said than done, I found her this morning, she’s the same kindler that sparked your mother, a few other reapers, and even a few of her fellow kindlers, so I thought that we could pay her a visit to ask about Noir’s absence”.
“Good plan,” Death said in agreement as Lucy looked down at her tea in confusion. She found it pretty unnerving that they would be meeting the person who practically gave life to both herself and her mother along with countless others just as part of her daily routine. The thought actually seemed put her off her tea. Death saw her reaction and snickered, “oh Miss Mourn, if you think this is strange already then you’re in for quite a ride”.
Chapter Two
Once they were finished, Death waved a hand over the tea set and it vanished into darkness. “Shall we then?” Life asked as she twirled out of the living chair she had been sitting in and strutted out of the room.
“Oh, she meant now? Like- we’re going right now?” Lucy asked. Death sighed and straightened his tie as he rose from his chair, following his lively friend out of the study. The hallway outside had a similar, stylishly gothic style as the study. Lucy took note of the picture frames on the walls, most filled with people whom Lucy assumed were various reapers. She paused before a portrait of a green eyed woman with high cheekbones and long black hair. Despite having a smile on her face, the woman had a very brooding, shadowy look to her. Lucy understood what Life had said about there being a strong resemblance between her and her Mother. With a little smile, she joined Life and Death at the foot of a staircase. “Life, you do realize that we could just teleport to your kindler’s house right now?”
“Yes but your study looks gloomy and just a little bit sad, it’s nicer in this hallway, you need to put flowers in there or something”.
“I always end up killing flowers after trying to water them. You know this, you’ve seen it happen many times”.
“Yes but I like to encourage you to do otherwise because you look like a depressed kitten every time you fail at gardening”.
“That’s insulting and it doesn’t even make sense…”Death muttered while blush spread across his face.
Life shushed him as a gold staff appeared from her hand and the world disappeared into glimmering light. A second later they stood in what appeared to be in the kitchen of a luxury apartment with a view of the busy streets of New York City. “Amy are you home? Me, Death, and Noir Arquette’s kid are here, we want to talk to you”. The only response was silence. “Let me rephrase that, Ambrosia Galanis you better get out here, ‘cause it’s a matter of Life and Death and I will personally release my wrath against you”. There was some shuffling heard from the other room and a woman rushed in. She was tall with curly brown hair and tanned skin, despite having a gleam in her eyes that Lucy normally would have found a little intimidating, the effect was ruined by the terrified expression on the Ambrosia’s face. “Guys, I didn’t know anything about Noir’s disappearance, I just heard about it yesterday, I’m sorry but I can’t help you”.
“Well you seem a little worrisome considering that you know nothing,” Life noted with a skeptical glare as her staff began to glow as her eyes darkened.
“No I’m telling the truth! Well, I felt her grow distant, you know? I thought it was nothing at first but after a while I got worried…” she trailed off with a look of terror in her eyes as she backed away from the dangerous glares coming from Life and Death. Lucy looked at Ambrosia, who was practically cowering in front of her. So this is who sparked my existence? Her patience was growing thinner by the second. “Listen up, I don’t care how much these two scare you. If you know anything about what happened to my Mom you might as well spit it out right now instead of sitting here like a pathetic bundle of fear,” Lucy growled as she stepped forward from Death’s side. If anything, this somehow seemed to frighten her more than Life did. She mustered a smile as she looked down at Lucy’s green eyed stare. “Look how you’ve grown up, you remind me of Noir”
“So I’ve been told. Information. Now.”
Ambrosia’s smile faded, “look, I last saw her the other day reaping a suicide after sparking someone a few minutes before. Of course, I stopped and said hi to her, apparently she was going to meet up with the Balthazar Jones so she was in a bit of a hurry. But I’m sure that Balthazar had nothing to do with the disappearance; he wouldn’t do anything like that I’m sure”. Death shifted his jaw, “Balthazar is one of my strongest reapers; if he was responsible for this, I’ll impale him with my scythe,” he growled, gripping his scythe tightly enough for Lucy to see the whites of his knuckles. “Thank you for your reluctant cooperation, Ambrosia. But I’ll keep a careful eye on you considering just how willing you were to hold back information from me,” Life said to Ambrosia, who had a look of relief on her face before it was filled with shame once more.
“Of course,my Lady, I promise to keep in touch if I learn anything”. Life gave a nod of approval, and with a wave of Death’s scythe, the room disappeared into darkness. Lucy blinked and staggered into what appeared to be an empty store. ”You know what Mr. Death I think I would like a warning next time we teleport, what are we going to do now anyway, where are we?”
Death sighed “well since Life’s almost-traitor didn’t have an answer to whatever happened to Noir, I suppose I’ll have to go beat it out of Balthazar”. Life shifted her jaw, “it’s not my fault that Ambrosia was tight lipped about the subject, she’s been loyal to me since ancient times, I won’t punish her too much for her weird thing for Balthazar.”
“She’s been around since ancient times?”
“Yes, she’s one of my oldest followers, yet I thought she would’ve at least developed some better tastes in men over time”. Death laughed, “Well, I won’t judge people’s interests, Balthazar isn’t so bad as he seems; of course, that was before I knew he was involved in all of this”. Lucy was curious about this Balthazar Jones now, she looked around again, “Oookay but you still haven’t told me why we’re in a store, that doesn’t have any items, or employees, or anything?” Life and Death looked around, as if they were just noticing this. Death didn’t have an emotionless skull to hide his annoyance, “this was a shop for dress clothes a few weeks ago, wasn’t it Life?”
“It had a sign saying that it was clearing out in two weeks, Death”
“Oh,” he said looking disappointed, “very well, we’re in a mall in Seattle, Balthazar hangs out here most of the time, let’s go,” Death proceeded out of the shop and into the busy shopping mall as Life turned to Lucy and murmured,
”he truly is horrible at remembering dates like this, I keep telling him to put little reminders on his fridge but he’s impossibly stubborn”.
“Isn’t anyone in the shopping mall going to question seeing a man and woman holding scythes and staffs?”
“Ha, nope, we go completely unnoticed by mortals, unless we want them to see us”.
Sure enough no one questioned Death, who was twirling his scythe like a cane, or radiant Life, who was strutting through the shoppers without receiving a single glance, not even from the group of guys who were snickering at a display in a lingerie shop. They went unnoticed by everybody, all except one.
Sitting by the edge of a fountain, a messy haired man in a leather jacket was giving the trio an impish grin. As Lucy drew near she saw that the curtains of mousy untamed hair were hiding a long scar that ran from the bridge of his nose to his cheekbone, despite his grungy appearance, he still had a somewhat handsome face. “Hey Mister Grim, it’s been a while! This isn’t about that time I used my scythe to open that door even though it turned out that the door wasn’t stuck, just a ‘pull to open’ door I was trying to push?”
Death looked befuddled as he processed that question. “No, um, we might talk about that later but that’s not why I came here. But I think you know that, Balthazar.”
Balthazar Jones went pale as Death looked him in the eyes. He pushed a lock of matted hair back and stared at the floor, “I know what it might look like, but I just wanted to warn her. I knew what was going to happen and I told her to prepare herself, is...is she okay?”
Life’s staff began to glow and spark in an violet manner, as if it was ready to explode. Death looked eerily calm for a second before he swung his scythe at Balthazar and stopped the blade as it was only an inch away from his throat. Life put a hand on Death’s shoulder, “Come on Death, you don’t want to kill him, you want to keep him alive so he can suffer.”
Death ignored this comment and kept his dark eyed gaze fixed on Balthazar.
“Zar, I know that you’re actually a good guy, but if you don’t tell me the whole story people are about to be quite startled by such a sudden decapitation,”
Balthazar Jones whimpered, “really man? I thought this whole threatening stuff was more of Lady Life’s sorta thing. B-but yeah, I understand. I knew that they were going to set her up. That’s why I’d wanted to talk to Noir, to warn her. She just wouldn’t listen she said that if they wanted her she would go to them and start a fight”. Lucy summed up her courage and slowly moved Death’s scythe away from Balthazar’s throat, thankfully he didn’t put up much of a fight.
“Who took her? Tell me what happened to my Mom.”
Balthazar took a deep breath, “Death and Life have lost reapers and kindlers in the past, sometimes they themselves are reaped, other times, they just disappeared. They overused their magic, or got caught in a barrier, so they left without Death’s guidance; we always assumed that they died or just erased from existence” he breathed shakingly.
“We were wrong. They- they transformed”.
Life scoffed as her staff’s glow began to go out of control as it burned white hot, “they transformed into what? Into dust? Don’t chide about lost kindlers and reapers, Jones, or you might just join them.”
Balthazar swallowed. “I’m not kidding, or chiding- whatever this isn’t a joke! Reapers and kindlers, we’re immortal, magical even, but deep down we’re still human, these things, I don’t even know what they’ve become. I saw them, among them I saw Chetan Malhotra, he was a friend and fellow reaper, until he disappeared a hundred years ago. He was different when I saw him, a monster, his appearance and even his...mentality was unrecognizable. Like a monster, with..all these shadows, not like Death’s, these ones were just...wrong.”
Lucy recalled her nightmare from the previous night and shuddered. It was all wrong.
Yet Life arched an eyebrow, unconvinced. Death looked as if he was ready to swing his scythe right back at Balthazar’s head.
“Just how do you even know this, how did you know what would happen to Noir?”
“Well you see, that’s where it get’s weird. It um, it kinda came to me in a dream”.
Lucy stared, unblinking. “You expect me to find my Mom based off of some dream? I had a dream that Cthulhu became a ballerina against his parent’s wishes and that hasn’t happened yet...at least I don’t think it has-”
“What Miss Mourn is trying to say is that you’re an idiot when you’re awake and I think your brain turns into solid rock when you sleep.”
Life smirked at this comment while Balthazar looked a bit hurt. “Yo that’s a bit harsh, Mr. Grim.”
“My point is that you seem pretty unreliable at the moment”.
Balthazar’s voice wavered, “That’s what Arquette thought before she was set up. She didn’t believe me but I had a dream, no, a nightmare where they surrounded me, one second they were the kindlers and reapers who I used to know and the next they showed themselves as what they’d become. They want a world without Life or Death, they want the rest of the kindlers and reapers to join them, First they tried to make me become like them, they told me to open up a barrier and fall through it and I would be like them, I could kill whoever I wanted without consequence, I would never have to die, I wouldn’t have to struggle through life; I would just join them in their sick version of peace. When I said no to them, the dream shifted. I saw a cage with a little light inside it, a little bird, a crow I think, flew towards the light, when suddenly the others, their arms sprouted from the bars of the cage and dragged the bird in, when it entered the cage it turned into Noir”.
Lucy’s mouth went dry as she looked up at Death. “My Mom turned into a crow once,” she uttered, but she was thinking so much more. A little light. Death nodded grimly, “Indeed, okay Zar, this um...this seems like a pretty legitimate dream, do you know where they are right now?”. Balthazar shook his head, “I’m sorry man, I know that Arquette was-”
“It’s okay Balthazar, you’ve told us all you could, I’ll keep in touch with you. Unfortunately people are starting to stare at you and Lucy talking to yourselves right now so we’ll have to get going”. And so he promptly turned and walked away. “I’ll see you later, Jones,” Life said before running after Death. Lucy thought over everything that Balthazar had said about his dream.
‘Lucy Luz’. L u c y L i g h t.
In my dream I breathed a light while being strangled by shadows.
“Well that’s interesting,” she said aloud. Lucy had caught up with Life, “What’s interesting, that Balthazar Jones just happened to have a dream that explained what could be going on right now while also bringing up an issue to distract us from Noir?” she asked sarcastically.
“Um, nope. That’s not what I found interesting. What I did find interesting is that a light was in a cage, my Dad’s only nickname for me is Lucy Luz, my Grandma was hispanic so she taught him spanish while he was growing up, apparently ‘luz’ means ‘light’ in spanish. Plus I had this nightmare the other day where a light came out of my mouth. Isn’t it a little more than weird that my Mom just happened to be flying towards a light?” she asked quietly. Life furrowed her brow, “that is rather interesting”. When they caught up with Death, he was waiting for them in front of a coffee shop. “Lucy, this seems to have grown to be a far more dangerous problem than I had anticipated, I think you might have to begin a career as a reaper”.
Chapter Three
“I’m sorry what now?”
Lucy asked as her cat eared hat nearly flew off as she skidded to a halt. Life appeared just as startled as Lucy did. “Um, Death? You’re my oldest friend, my business partner, and as much as I hate to admit it, you’re a bit of a genius too. But I don’t know where you’re going with this. I’m not sure if you know this, but Lucy is only twelve years old, she’s a child. You can’t force her into this!”
“Life darling, I’m not forcing the girl into this, it’s just a suggestion! With danger on the rise she’s going to need to tap into her powers to defend herself!” he snapped back. “Don’t ‘Life darling’ me!”
Lucy ran the words over in her mind as Life and Death’s argument blurred out into the background. That was until their argument got loud enough to make it hard to block it out. Lucy took a deep breath and looked up. “SHUT UP!” she shrieked. Life, Death, and a few shoppers stopped and looked at Lucy, who had now fallen silent.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be that loud,” she added, lowering her voice,”anyway I accept your offer, I think I should be able to have some magic on hand and I would love to help you with your work”. Death had a brief look of satisfaction as Life glared at him with eyes like golden daggers. She didn’t look convinced.
“Lucy, this business is not a game, you’ll grow up, but after that you won’t age unless you choose to eventually retire, but I have seen that humans find immortality addictive. You can see your home, your friends, family, everything you know may grow old and perish, you may even be the ones to take them to the afterlife. I’ve seen immortals get torn apart by this, yet they still feel the need to live forever. I don’t want you to get drawn into this unless you truly want to”. Lucy pursed her lips, “well, I don’t have any friends and I barely have any family so I guess I might as well do something cool like reaping the souls of the dead,” she said decidedly. Death gave Life an ‘I told you so’ look of smugness as she stared in puzzlement. “Are you sure you don’t have any friends? Not even a crush or good acquaintance, you seem like a likeable girl”.
Lucy lit up, “Wowee, do you really mean it? Plenty of adults say that and regret it later but I think you really mean it! Actually the sad part is that I think you guys are the closest thing I have to friends. Huh, that’s depressing when I say it out loud”.
While Life smiled awkwardly, Death’s face softened in pity as he smiled, “if you truly feel ready, then let’s go get you a scythe”.
“So this scythe is mine? You’re actually giving a magic, fully functioning blade to me, a child? That. Is. Awesome!” After teleporting back to Death’s house, he had led her back to his study and held out his hands, producing a small, ebony handled scythe with ornate carvings and a smooth, curved blade. “What kind of metal is it?”
“Honestly I just call it death metal.”
“Like, the music genre?”
“Yeah…I think one of my ex reapers coined the term for the music genre to annoy me…just put your hands on the handle.”
“Oh, okay.”
It was more like a mini-scythe, smaller than a baseball bat, but it still had odd aura of power around it. Lucy placed her hands on the scythe, it felt right in her hands, like it had been a missing part of her before. “Don’t get too excited Lucy, you still need to agree to the terms and conditions,” Life said from her seat at the reading chair, engrossed in a book. Death rolled his eyes amusedly and turned his gaze back to Lucy.
“Lucia Nicolette Mourn, do you swear to obey the laws of Death?”
“Yes, but I’ll like to hear the laws and how the heck do you know my full name? That’s a bit creepy.”
“Just shut up and continue the ancient ritual.”
“Did you name the laws after yourself?”
Death ignored her and continued. “Do you swear to send the departed souls to their rightful place, to be unbiased as you open the various doors to the afterlife?”
“I do”
“Do you swear not to use the power of the scythe for greed, and with the exception of my permission, to use it only to transition the deceased?”
“I do”
“Do you swear to remain loyal to me and to Life for the rest of your immortality?”
“I do”
“Then do you accept all the duties of being a reaper?”
“Yaaaaasss!”
Life bit back a giggle as Death facepalmed, hiding his half-smile.
“A bit of an untraditional response but okay. Lucy Mourn, you are now a reaper”.
Lucy released a shriek of maniacal laughter as she did a violent little victory dance that caused Death to step back nervously. “Can I have my scythe now?”
“I’m seriously regretting this decision,” he said as he set the scythe in her hands. “Wait a minute I have something else too,” he said as he stood up and reached into the desk behind him, pulling out a leather container. “You can switch down the blade of the scythe- no not like that you’ll slice your hand off-that’s it-okay now you have it, anyway after switching it down it can fit in this case which you can wear on your back, almost like a quiver”. Lucy put her scythe in the case and slung it over her back, “sweet, but what if someone asks what’s inside?”
“There’s a symbol by the opening flap-there you go, now mortals can’t see it.”
“Couldn’t it just be a button, why is it a fancy little symbol?”
“That’s what I suggested,” Life interjected from her reading chair.
“Magic symbols look cooler, plus the magic used to place the symbol is a lot easier than having to manufacture a button on them.”
“That’s a good point,” Life agreed with a frown as she put down her book. Lucy reached back in her case and pulled out the scythe. “So how do I use this? It doesn’t seem long enough to plant into the ground like Death does it”. Life laughed, “he does that for aesthetic and style, it actually doesn’t need to be that dramatic.”
“You do the exact same thing.”
“I can have style and aesthetic too.”
“Aside from style and aesthetic, all you need to do to activate it is will it to do as you ask, sometimes planting it into the ground or doing a sort of pose is the thing that helps you bring out your own power, like the old quote from Galileo Galilei, ‘You cannot teach a man anything; he must find it within himself’. Basically it’s your scythe, you can figure out how to use it,” Death explained.
“When do I start?”
“Tomorrow, approximately 11 am, it’s getting late, I think your father may be getting off work soon,” Lucy checked the time on her phone, of course Death was right, it was 6:20, James Mourn would be home soon enough.
Lucy Mourn took a shower and changed into her pink nightgown. Upon being teleported back home, which now looked even more mundane than it had before It’s been one hell of a day, now I’m one of Death’s reapers on a mission to save my Mom. Lucy began to process how eerily calm she was about the matter. A matter of Life and Death? She giggled and skipped to her room, where she took out the scythe out of her case and ran a finger down the carvings on the handle, my new favorite toy. “Lucy Luz, I’m back from work”. Lucy sighed, shoved the scythe back into it’s case and placed a finger over the symbol by the opening a second before her Father walked in and adjusted his glasses, “I wanted to apologize for how harsh I was yesterday, I understand now that you were acting out because you just wanted to talk,”
“Sure Dad, because my weird changing body and my weird changing mind are rendering me incapable of starting a conversation like any other human being”.
“That’s a bit much but yeah, that’s what I gathered from it”, he responded, apparently ignorant to the overpowering sarcasm in her voice. “Anyway I thought that I could make dinner tonight, does spaghetti sound good?”
Lucy sighed again, at least her Dad got something right. “Yes, spaghetti’s good.”
“Maybe after dinner we can,um, talk? About stuff?”
“Sure, Dad, I need to- um study some maths. We have a test after break.”
“Oh, okay Luz,” he said after going to start dinner.
It was moments like this where her Dad seemed to try, and that’s what mattered. She wished she could tell him about everything that had happened that day. She wanted to see his face when he learned what her Mother had been up to for the last twelve years. The mother of your child reaps the souls of the dead for a living. Lucy giggled, she wouldn’t tell him yet, she would wait to tell him after finding her Mom so that they could all tell the story together.
Like a normal family.
The thought of it put a smile on Lucy’s face. She pulled out her sketchbook and started dragging a pencil across one of the empty pages. By the time she was finished she was looking at a cartoonish sketch of Death, Life, herself, and her parents. She had remembered her mother’s face from the photograph she had seen earlier, Death wasn’t too hard to sketch, in fact Lucy had drawn Grim Reaper-looking figures before, so the only difference was that instead of posing in a surreal manner, he was simply having a cup of tea. It was hard for her to capture Life’s supernatural beauty on the page, but she had managed to draw an alluring woman with Life’s same features and style, which was close enough. Then she drew James Mourn, sitting down and listening intently as Lucy held her new scythe and talked to him. She drew the picture as something to work for, no matter what sort of trials she was going to end up facing, the sketch would be a promise. A promise that Lucy was determined to keep with all of her being.
“Dinner’s ready!” her Dad shouted from the kitchen.
“I’m coming,” Lucy replied as she hastily put away her sketchbook and skipped over to the dining room to set the table for two.
“So Lucy, what did you do today?” James Mourn asked once they were seated.
Lucy froze for second, afraid she would spit out her drink.
“Stuff. I did stuff. I did the chores I needed to do, um…”
It was never this hard for Lucy to think of normal thing to do before then. “TV, I read TV, watched books, y’know...things”.
“Um..cool, that’s cool. I did stuff too. Not that kind of stuff of course, I was doing paperwork and things all day.”
There was a minute or so of awkward silence. “I gather that you wanted to talk about your Mom the other day, you were wondering if she’s dead?”
Given the recent information from Balthazar Jones, Lucy was starting to wonder that. “Well, I guess, we don’t talk about her often, and sometimes I wish that I knew more about where I came from”. And I did receive a load of that so I can’t complain much.
“Well then, if you really want to know more about her, we met while I was in college. I was a student at Cambridge University and I was trying to take the bus to school that morning but since there was such a horrible car accident, there was enough traffic that I decided that it would probably be faster if I just walked the rest of the way instead.”
Lucy put quite a bit of effort into keeping a straight face as she was beginning to grasp that her Dad had likely interrupted her Mom in the middle of a reaper work shift.
“As I got off and started walking I saw her walking away from the area where the accident was. I figured it must have been pretty bad if the accident had delayed the traffic for such a long time so I went up to her and asked if she knew if the drivers were okay. I remember her taking off her sunglasses and I panicked for a second because I realized I had just spoken to such a pretty woman. She looked oddly calm as she was telling me that they’d died. It seems a bit sick to fall in love with someone as they talked about dead people, but I did so anyway, I think it was the French accent.”
Lucy put her fork down.
“Please tell me you didn’t make plans for coffee after several people had just died, that’s just a tiny bit too weird.”
“Of course not, I asked if the crosswalk where I needed to get off to the University was blocked and well, it was, getting rid of my plans for the day. I don’t think she had much else to do either, given that she had started a conversation, asking if I was a student and such, so a few moments later I knew that her name was Noir Arquette, it seemed like a fitting name, she had a dark sort of look to her in a way, as if she was constantly mourning, maybe that’s why she started dating me after I saw her again and we talked few days later. It seemed to be a second chance for me to ask her out, so I did. She didn’t like to talk about her family, saying that they had died long before then, but she said that she worked at a morgue, making the irony of all of it even sweeter.”
You don’t even know the scale of the irony here.
“We fell deeper in love over time, and over a year later she found that she was pregnant with you. Even though we weren’t married, everything went smoothly for a while, Grandma and Grandpa were supportive of us and we were happy. And when you were born everything was complete for a while, I’d never seen your mother smile quite so brightly after seeing you for the first time, and that’s saying a lot because she was always smiling, a lot like you do. But one day I woke up and she was gone, there was a note that said that she was sorry and she hoped to see us again, but that was it, half of her belongings were still there but she was gone. After thinking it over I realized she had a few friends she had said were back in France. There was a guy named Mort who she had been friends with. She said they were friends, and that guy Mort worked with another friend named Liv, I just assumed they were a couple, but your Mom didn’t talk about them too often. In the end, she could’ve ran away with Mort, or maybe she just wasn’t ready to have a child. Either way, she was gone”.
Lucy looked down at what was left of her spaghetti, she didn’t know what to say. Hey Dad, Mort and Liv are actually Death and Life, and they’re all just good pals that deal with dead people and living people as their job? She figured that probably wouldn’t go over well. “You’ll know the whole story eventually Dad, I know it”. James Mourn looked up, suddenly looking older and more worn than before.
“If you say so Lucy Luz...but um, I hope dinner wasn’t too poisonous, and I have to go do the dishes”. Lucy gave a reassuring smile to her Father and went back to her room. She was determined to have a conversation with her Mother when she found her, and she was eager to have a talk with Death the next day.
By the time she woke up the next morning, Lucy’s Dad had left for work and she had started getting ready for her training with Death. By 11:24 Lucy had been waiting for a little while and Death appeared in a shroud of black smoke that had disappeared as soon as it had materialized.
“Good morning Lucy, are you ready for our training session?”
“Yep, right after you tell me why my Mom wasn’t able to stay with me when I was a baby.”
“I’m sorry what?”
“My Dad said that before leaving she had left a note saying that she had to go. Why couldn’t she have stayed?”
“Well, there’s no reason she wouldn’t have been allowed to, I have plenty of reapers with mortal spouses and families, heck I have reapers whose entire families work with me and Life. She could have simply told me that she had a family instead of running of to ‘work’ or hiding away all the time. I’m sorry Lucy but I don’t know why she would’ve left you,” he said with a touch of bitterness on the subject. Lucy nodded in understanding as she picked her scythe case off of the chair she was sitting in and pulled it over her shoulder.
“Well then, I guess I’m ready to do some training.”
Death gave an odd skeletal look of approval before slamming his scythe into the ground and teleporting them to a sidewalk in a busy city with plenty of tall buildings looming over their heads. “Where are we?”
“Seoul, South Korea, and if my scythe is correct, as it always is, we’re about to see someone die”.
Chapter Four
“You can’t just say that someone’s about to die and then start walking down the street! It’s not very polite for anyone as confused as myself.”
“We’re about to reap a soul, it’s a rather major part of the job.”
“So we’re reaping a soul in Seoul?”
“Was that pun really necessary?”
“Yep.”
Death tilted his skull in a way that suggested that he was rolling his eyes. “Seoul has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, so one of these buildings is more than likely going to have someone fall down the side of it in three....two...one…”
A screech rang out and before any of the surrounding people could process what had happened, a woman was lying face down on the pavement.
“Holy- you’re right, there’s a dead person!”
“Is it really? I would never have known,” he said with his words dripping in sarcasm.
“Well, Jesus I’ve never seen someone’s death before, oh my god shouldn’t we do something? I feel like I should be much more disturbed than I am right now,why am I so calm about this?”
“Everyone is calling the police, the hospital, etc. But it doesn’t change the fact that she’s dead...- come on Lucy don’t look at me like that- watch this”. Lucy watched as a wisp rose from the woman’s grotesquely sprawled body and transformed into a ghost. The woman’s ghost rose, with a petrified look on her face as she saw medics take away her body, then her gaze shifted over to Lucy and Death. She began frantically speaking in Korean, looking like she was about to cry.
“Don’t worry Gi, I’ll be here to make sure you’ll get to your afterlife, you can’t change anything now”.
Lucy was confused. After thinking for a moment, she realized that it was only reasonable that Death should be able to understand every language, everyone (no matter what country they lived in) died eventually. Death seemed to notice Lucy’s puzzlement as he placed a cold, skeletal hand on Lucy’s shoulder. Suddenly the ghostly woman’s words became clear.
“I was just getting so tired of living and now, here I am! But now I can’t believe I’m dead, I’m regretting it a little actually...it’s too late now though, isn’t it?” she asked Death with translucent tears in her eyes.
“I’m afraid so, Miss Gi. But everything should be alright after I ask you a few questions, with my assistant,Lucy Mourn, here to help,” he explained, gesturing towards Lucy, who gave an awkward little wave.
And for the magician’s final act, assisted by the lovely Lucy Mourn, he takes a suicide victim to the afterlife!*applause*
Death pulled a small, leather bound booklet out of a pocket in his robe and handed it to Lucy, “go to page 3 and read the questions,” he murmured under his breath.
Lucy fumbled with the packet and found page 3, much to the confusion of the ghost woman, Gi. Lucy bit her lip as she looked down at the paper and saw a series of questions written.
How did the deceased die?
“So um, Gi, this is a stupid question but how did you die?”
Gi pushed back a ghosty strand of hair, “Young girl, did you not see me just jumping off of a building?”
“Yes. Yes you did.”
She looked down at the second question.
Did the deceased find themselves to be just of heart?
“Do um, this is really weird, do you think you’re ‘just of heart’?”
Gi tilted her head and furrowed her brow.
“Um,” Death interjected, “she just means if you think you’re a good person.”
Gi’s expression softened. “No, I’m useless and I don’t fit into society, that’s why I left.”
Lucy looked at Death for help.
“But if you looked at the world in a different light, and if society didn’t break you, then how would you see yourself?”Death asked softly.
Gi looked down, “if I was able to fix everything, if I could find a purpose, then I would be good, looking back, I wish I could have talked to my family. My aunt might miss me. I feel bad about it now.”
Lucy’s scythe began to give of a bizarre, gentle vibrating feeling. She looked down and saw that one of the sigils along the sides seemed to glow white-ish. “You’ll see her again, sooner than it may seem,” Death assured her.
“Now Lucy, this is when you open the door to the afterlife.”
“What.”
“You can do it, trust your scythe.”
“What.”
Lucy bit her lip and gripped her scythe tighter. What if she thought of it less as an object? It felt like a part of her, but what if it was a part of her? Then all she would need to do is make a simple cut with the blade, cut open the door. Lucy thrust out her scythe and cried out as a bright yet shadowy sort of stream shot out of the blade and formed itself into an archway. Holy crap that worked.
“That was faster than I expected,especially considering that it’s her first day on the job,” Death explained to Gi, who for a second seemed to be regretting her decision to die. Yet within a moment she drifted towards the archway and it all vanished.
Lucy staggered and took a deep breath, “so this is what you do?”
“Yes, this is what I do, and you’ve completed your first training session.”
“It’s pretty cool, I hope she went to heaven, or...whatever...what happens afterward anyway?”
“Hell if I know, why would the doorman know what happens at the party?”
“That’s a good analogy. But is the afterlife-opening always so dramatic?”
“No, it actually looks a pretty choppy and anticlimactic the first few times, but at least now you have the main idea of it. I’m actually quite amazed, I was certain that I would need to help you at some point.”
Lucy smiled smugly “I’m special.”
“Well, yes...yes, it would seem so.”
“I’m the chosen one.”
“That sounds stupid.”
“Nope I’m the chosen one”.
Death sighed, “now that you’ve activated the scythe, it should notify you when there’s a death you can take care of.”
“But people die every second,”
“Yes but I have quite a few reapers working for me, so the worst case scenario is that a ghost ends up haunting something for a short period of time but it’s nothing that can’t get cleaned up later.” In a whirlwind of darkness, they arrived in Death’s study, where Life was putting some yellow flowers in a silver, skull shaped vase on the ebony desk.
“Does she um, live here?” Lucy wondered aloud. Death chuckled.
“It seems like that sometimes, but no, she kind of leaves for a while then shows up to annoy me again, a bit like weeds. Life darling, did you teleport in here without my permission again?”
Life stopped fussing with the flowers and rolled her eyes.
“It would be nice if you stopped assuming that, Your reaper Mei Katayama opened the door for me.”
“Isn’t she supposed to be in Japan?”
“She’s down in the Halls of the Departed, doing paperwork, apparently six men shot each other at the exact same time so she’s trying to file who killed who.”
“Poor girl, I’ll have to give her a pay raise for this month,” Death sympathized.
“What are the Halls of the Departed?”
The yellow flowers went into full bloom as Life gave them one last touch, “it’s basically where Death keep files on all dead people in history. Halls of the Departed just sounds nice and intimidating. My place has the Halls of the Living, which is essentially the same thing but with files on all living people,” Life explained.
“Actually, I was just about to take Lucy by there to the Location Center to further our search for Noir,” Death said.
Lucy raised an eyebrow, “I assume that the Location Center is for locating people?”
“Exactly, I can locate all of the reapers from there,” Death responded as he took a black box from his desk and left the room, black cloak flowing behind him. “I’ve never understood the skeleton aesthetic,” Life muttered as she and Lucy followed him as he continued down the hall and began to go down the stone staircase. They had entered a part of the house Lucy hadn’t seen before. It was similarly decorated to the rest of the house but with more portraits and art on the walls. As they turned the corner the trio nearly collided with a bespeckled young woman in a leather jacket with several folders in her arms.
“Death! Life! How nice to see you, I-i’m sorry I was just about to ask you to check these files, I think I’ve finished them up but I want to make sure I know who killed who. Y’know because these guys all shot each other at once-”
“Yes, Life told me. It’s nice to see you too Mei,” Death said as the bespeckled reaper, Mei, handed Death the folders. After running a skeletal hand over them with his head lowered he looked up and nodded, “excellent job Mei, you’ve managed to figure out that Haru shot Gyo who shot Kyle who shot Yuki who shot Greg who shot Ben who shot Haru. If I didn’t know better I would say that you’ve been working here for forty years instead of fourteen.”
She sighed with a relieved look on her face, “that’s great because for a second I thought that Gyo shot Ben who shot Yuki while he shot Haru while he shot Kyle while he shot Gyo while he, finally, shot Greg. I would’ve been in the Halls of the Deceased all night if that was the case.”
“Nope, although that would’ve been a disaster, you got it right.” Death said with a proud smile. Mei’s gaze fell on Lucy, “and who’s the little goth girlscout?”
Lucy took this condescending remark with a smile, “actually I think I’m a little too old to join girl scouts, and it’s too much of a time commitment anyway.”
Mei raised an eyebrow as she glanced questioningly at Life and Death.
“Noir Arquette’s missing and we’re trying to find her with her daughter’s help. Death also had the genius idea of making Lucy the youngest reaper ever recruited,” Life said with a skeptical glare in her color-shifting eyes. Death only smiled smugly and cleared his throat.
“Actually, Life darling, you should know that Lucy just performed her first reaping a few moments ago. And she did so within seconds.”
Mei pushed her rectangular glasses further up her nose,“within seconds, for the first time? Huh, little miss girlscout has a bit of a gift for the necromantic arts.”
Lucy did a little twirl, “necromantic arts, gosh that almost cooler better than soul-reaping, I think that’s what I might call it sometimes”.
Death looked back at Mai, “we were about to take her to the Location Center to find Noir, would you mind assisting, Miss Katayama?”
Mei nodded and continued around the corner to a large set of double doors. Above the doorframe there was a golden plaque.
The Location Center
Lucy’s eyes widened as she entered the circular room. There were quite a few small, silvery black stones placed along the walls, each stone had engravings on it’s edges, just like the engravings on the scythes. In the center there appeared to be a raised pool filled with a luminous substance resembling mercury.
Lucy smiled in awe, “wow, what’s that shiny stuff? Can I touch it?”
“Do you want your hand singed off?” Death asked grimly.
“I can’t tell if that was a warning or a threat but still want to touch it.”
“Uh, Girl Scout, I would strongly advise against that. It’s the torilnkal, when an immortals’ DNA comes in contact with it it can help locate them or their recent reaping. Yet it’s pretty deadly for anyone other than Life or Death to touch it” Mei explained.
“I said I wanted to, not that I was going to. It just looks so pretty.”
Mei shook her head, “as insane and fun as your little reaper seems, I’ve gotta get back to Tokyo, there’s this other kid and a lot of murder, and then this rubber duck,” she explained as if that made perfect sense.
“Anyway see you later guys,” she then twirled her scythe and disappeared.
“I like her. Anyway what about the deadly silver stuff?”
Life laughed as she ran a smooth brown hand along the wall’s silvery black stones, “I have a kindler who touched the torilnkal, she got a really high quality prosthetic foot though.”
“A foot?”
“Somehow she thought that if she used her toe to touch it t wouldn’t be as deadly...to be fair she was a bit drunk when she did it though. Moral of the story; don’t be an idiot and get drunk while standing next to torilnkal.”
Lucy joined Life by the wall stones, “What are these?”
“There’s a stone for each reaper, I’ll get you one too soon enough, now go up to the torilnkal.”
“I thought you said my hand would burn off?”
“Don’t touch it, just approach it, gosh Lucy pay attention.”
Lucy shrugged and skipped towards the silvery pool. As she grew closer it smelled like paper and pencil lead, with a hint of Cedarwood. Lucy drew close enough for the glimmering light of the torilnkal reflected on her face.
“Now what?”
Death reached for her hand and before Lucy could react he grazed it with the blade of his scythe. Lucy gasped and sprung back, clutching her bleeding hand. Death calmly dipped the edge of his scythe in the torilnkal, letting Lucy’s blood drip into the shimmering liquid in a grimly beautiful manner.
“You just cut me you old skeleton bastard!”
Death recoiled a little at these words as Life stifled a giggle
“That’s a bit of a harsh thing to say, but yes I’m very sorry, I can get you a bandage and fix it up?”
“No you just cut me! You literally just sliced my hand open, what the hell man?”
“Things like this hurt less when they’re unexpected. I didn’t want to hurt you more than necessary”
“Yes but it still hurts. Because I’m bleeding. And you just cut me. I mean you could’ve just asked me for a blood sample. Bastard…”
Death waved his hand and a spool of bandages appeared, he looked at Lucy reproachfully “I can bind it, and Life can heal the cut.”
Lucy cautiously held out her bleeding right hand.
At least it’s not my dominant hand…
Lucy pouted and scowled as Death wrapped a bandage around her hand, “I’m not trusting you. You had gained some Lucy Trust Points earlier but you just lost them.”
“Once again, I’m sorry, and that hurts Lucy, it really does.”
“Not as much as my damn hand.”
“But you have something called ‘Lucy Trust Points’? That’s speaking in the third pers-”
“My hand. Is still. Bleeding.”
Death hung his head as he finished up the bandage and Life stepped forward to grasp her bandaged hand. Life’s own hands started glowing as a sharp pain shot up Lucy’s arm. Lucy cried out when the pain suddenly stopped as soon as it had started.
“Healing sometimes hurts kiddo, you have to used to it,” she said with a wicked little smirk. Lucy took a mental not to take away a few Lucy Trust Points for Life later.
“Look, the torilnkal’s taking effect,”
Lucy whirled around as her gaze fixed on the silver and red pool, which was now swirling around and shaping itself into a human figure, a woman’s figure, who appeared to be swinging a scythe before walking away.
“Noir,” Life breathed as Death stared at the pool, transfixed despite being familiar with the torilnkal’s properties. Another figure appeared in the blood. It was twice as tall as the female figure and was sickly distorted, with multiple, long, twisted limbs. It wasn’t the only one, all they needed to do was approach the female figure and she seemed to writhe in pain. A little whine filled the air as it increased into a violent scream.
Lucy gasped as her green eyes widened in fear, Mom?! The scream was laced with chokes and sobs. With every second, Lucy began to feel her mother’s agony stronger and stronger. A tear slipped down Lucy’s face as she watched her mother’s silhouette writhe in pain.
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Death yelled as the image in the torilnkal disappeared. Lucy’s breath hitched and she stepped back. Death swallowed, “I’m so sorry Lucy, you shouldn’t have seen that. But she’s alive, I could sense from the torilnkal that they brought her to some...other realm, like another layer of reality, underneath Paris.”
“I suppose they wanted to kill her in her birthplace…” Life breathed bitterly.
Death’s expression hardened as his dark eyes seemed to look more like voids.
“Was that. Really. Necessary, Life? You couldn’t just acknowledge the situation without saying anything, could you?”
“I’m sorry but it’s the truth. These things aren’t the reapers you used to train, these are hollow monsters that by the looks of it, are planning to add a bit of irony to your fvorite Employee of the Month’s death. I’m sorry you have to hear this, especially you Lucy, but that’s how it’s going to be unless we pick up our staffs and scythes to save her.”
Lucy blinked away her tears and nodded in understanding before looking at Death. For a second it looked as if he was about to lash out and cause some sort of mass genocide, but instead he sighed.
“You’re right...you’re right again Life. We just have to carry on.” Lucy’s shoulders relaxed as exhaled she backed away from the torilnkal. She hadn’t realized that she had been holding her breath. “So...now what? My- my Mom’s being tortured in Paris. Are we gonna go there and ‘carry on’ as you put it?”
Death tilted his head as he saw Lucy forced a determined fire in her eyes, “so far you haven’t ceased to amaze me Miss Mourn, I searched Paris for her yesterday but as I said I’m starting to believe that they opened up another realm.”
“Another realm...like an alternate universe or something?”
“Not quite,” Life answered before Death could open his mouth.
“It’s more like, a little disposable pocket based on reality where you can do whatever the hell you want, we’re in another realm right now, Death and I created our homes in alternate universes, you know because we wouldn’t want anyone knocking on Death’s door,” she said with a sly grin when she got to the pun. Lucy smiled, and she felt her spirits lift a little.
“The puns between the two of you are going to become unbearable,” Death murmured, “but yes, that’s an adequate description. Noir’s in a realm of Paris, we just have to figure out where.”
“Then let’s go to Paris and look for a monster realm.”
“Now that you say it like that it sounds stupid.”
Life rolled her eyes at Lucy and Death as she began to glow brightly for a second, When her glowing faded- wait. Was it his glow now? Life appeared to have morphed into a handsome, fair haired man in his late teens.
“Dress up time guys, I’ll play a college student who’s lost while looking for their campus and looking around France like an idiot.” he said with a French accent.
It seemed as if Death couldn’t help but grin and was immediately cloaked in shadows for a second, when they lifted a young girl not much older than Lucy stood there. As Lucy half expected, Death was rocking a bit of a gothic look with his- her dark hair and makeup. Lucy began to feel uncomfortable by how beautiful Death looked, especially in comparison to herself. “So...do you guys even have genders, if you’re, y’know, universal entities and stuff?”
The pair glanced at eachother and Life shrugged.
“We’re whatever we want, really. Does it really matter considering how beautiful we are in every form?” Life asked with a sarcastically innocent bat of his eyes as Death scoffed.
Death was about to swing her scythe, which was now nearly taller than she was, when she stopped and looked at Life.
“What if I’m you’re clueless American cousin who’s confused in a foreign land?”
“Good idea, we’ll do it like that time in Constantinople.”
“I actually had an okay feeling about this plan until you compared it to the Constantinople Incident of 1792.” she said before she swung her scythe into the ground and everything erupted into shadows.
Chapter Five
“So this is Paris? It’s very...Parisian, isn’t it?”
Lucy asked as she attempted to pry her eyes away from the eiffel tower in one direction and the Notre Dame Cathedral in another. They seemed to have shown up on the patio of a French cafe’, luckily the locals and tourists didn’t seem to give them a second thought. Life raised an eyebrow at Lucy’s question as he leaned up against a wrought iron fence,“you know what Lucy, no, it’s Egypt, you can tell because of the Eiffel Tower right over there.”
“Keep an eye on your saltiness, buddy; you might turn into Death, anyway how are we finding this realm-portal thingamajig?”
“Normally Death and I can just teleport, but since we were unaware of the realm before now, we’ll have to find the right frequency.”
“Frequency?”
“We’ll have to sense it using our magic, like Death is doing right now, yet she kinda looks stupid while doing it,” he explained while gesturing over to Death, who was standing a few yards away and lowly waving her fingers by her sides as she stared off blankly into the distance. Despite the her odd movements, Death didn’t really look stupid with her long black curls billowing in the wind. Lucy looked back at Life, who’s bright gold eyes assumed a similar distant look as he scanned his surroundings. Lucy tried to see if she felt anything different, or otherworldly-realm-portalish, but all she noticed was a man approaching the trio with a confused look on his face.
“Do you kids need any help?” he asked. The man spoke french, and strangely enough, Lucy could easily interpret it. She recalled needing Death’s help to understand other languages before, but now that she had performed her first reaping, she must have been just as bilingual.
“Um...well you see sir, um..”
Am I speaking french? Wait, I am speaking french. Gosh that sounds nice…Wait a second-
Lucy nudged Life, who seemed a tad distracted in finding the portal frequency. He looked over. “Oh forgive me monsieur, My cousins and I have never been to the Citiy of Love before, and we’re simply taking in the sights,” he casually replied in french as he tousled his thick glossy hair. The man raised an eyebrow as he looked between Life, Death and Lucy. The entities certainly could’ve picked forms that looked a little more like Lucy, for between the freckled green eyed girl, the olive skinned dark haired girl, and the fair skinned and haired teen didn’t seem to have much of a resemblance. Fortunately, with Life’s charisma, the man walked away with a shrug, wishing the trio a safe journey. “Works every time”, Life chuckled with the same wicked snicker he had in his previous, feminine form.
Death snapped out of her trance, “I’m sorry did I miss something?”
“Just the stupid look on your pretty little face,”
“You know what Life? Look who’s talking,” she snapped through the mild blushing on her cheeks.
Lucy rolled her eyes and stopped as she felt a cold buzz from her scythe sling. She reached back into the leather container and brought out her scythe, so cool and comforting in her hand. The scythe began to pull at Lucy, drawing her away from the cafe’ patio and towards the Notre Dame Cathedral in the distance...
“Lucy wait!”
Death said, placing a hand on Lucy’s shoulder after catching up with her.
“I felt the pull too, it’s a dead person,”
“Well I kinda gathered that by the fact that I felt it from a scythe meant for reaping the souls of the dead,” Lucy chirped.
“Yes but it’s a trap.”
“Someone died specifically to trap me?” Lucy asked skeptically.
Death pulled her closer with a grim look in her jet black eyes. “That death is just by the Notre Dame, according to Life, that’s where Noir was born. Now isn’t it curious, that as we search for mother, we are distracted by a murder in that exact same spot?”
Lucy gasped as her blood ran cold, she gulped.
“Is it her?”
“No. But it seems as if they’re luring us.”
“So do we follow them and find my Mom or do we find an alternative?”
Death shapeshifted back into his suited form and straightened his tie, greatly disturbing Lucy who was watching a pretty teen transform into a grown man in a flash of shadow. Death kept his hand on Lucy’s shoulder and began to lead her back to the cafe’.
“Wait where are you taking me? Aren’t I gonna help my Mom? Isn’t that why you’ve been keeping me with you guys this whole time? To find her?”
“I needed your help in finding her, but not saving her, you are going to stay here with Life while I go negotiate.”
Before Lucy could respond she heard someone clear their voice. She turned around to see Life standing not a foot away from them, back in her female form with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Excuse me, Death but I’m not going to be babysitting Lucy while you go storming off into some unknown realm. I’m scarier than you anyway.”
“That’s a fair point.”
Life rolled her eyes. “You know how realms can be anyway, let alone one ruled by monstrous psychopaths.”
“Well what now? We let Lucy strut right in with us, maybe they’ll have mercy on her if she sells them some Girl Scout Cookies-”
“Once again...I’m not in Girl Scouts,” Lucy protested, “and I really want to-”
“No” Death snapped. Life looked down at Lucy and made what looked like an attempt at a sympathetic smile, “Lucy, you literally became a reaper yesterday. Death’s not even stupid enough to let you in this.”
“Thanks Life”. Death scoffed.
“Anyway, I think you can see our point,” Life reasoned.
Lucy could feel her eyes tearing up. Life gave a submissive sigh while Death was struck with a panicked expression as he saw the young girl try not to cry.
“Don’t fret dearie, I have a plan.”
“Is it as good as the ‘Hey-let’s-make-this-kid-a-reaper-and-tell-her=she-can-help-us save-her-mom’ plan?” Life interrupted.
“I think I have a babysitter for her.”
Lucy clenched her fists and began to argue, “NO YOU CAN’T DO THIS-” but before she could finish, Death teleported her with a twirl of his scythe.
When the shadows cleared, Lucy’s scream rang out as she fell onto the cold hard ground. Wherever she was, it looked as if it was the middle of the night. She got up on her knees and looked up, there were a lot lit up signs (which Lucy could now read as Japanese) advertising for bars and restaurants. Great, just dump lil’ old me into some dark alley in a foreign country so that I’m confused and alone, that’s way safer guys! She thought while rising to her feet.
“Y’KNOW WHAT? THAT’S IT. NO MORE ‘LUCY TRUST POINTS’ FOR YOU TWO! ASSHATS!”
She shouted as she stomped her feet on the ground. But she wasn’t alone.
“What do you think you’re doing, screaming around at this time of night, kid?” barked the gruff voice of a nearby local, who’s stumbling walk suggested he was drunk.
“The dead man’s right about one thing, you better watch your language, Girl Scout.”
Mei Katayama stood waiting by a motorcycle at the end of the alley, twirling her scythe in her hand.
The man scowled, “what did you just call me?”
“A dead man. Don’t ask me how but I’m especially good at sensing these sort of things.”
“You’re crazy, all crazy,” he proceeded to mutter about craziness as he walked out of the alley and towards the busy street.
Mei scoffed as she stomped towards Lucy, “I just got a text from Death..I guess that makes me your babysitter...as if I haven’t had enough to deal with. I mean I know he’s saving Noir but can’t someone else watch you...? I just hope this isn’t like the Constantinople Incident.”
“Did you just let that drunk man walk into the street?”
“Why would I not? Even if I told him not to, we can’t change fate; he would die at the same time, even if not the same exact death.”
“Huh,” Lucy mused. Another thing Death probably should have told me before dropping me off in Japan. She looked up at the night sky.
“What time is it?”
“4:00 am, I’m ending my work shift after this guy,”
“Long day?
“Child, you don’t even know. Long story short I’ve officially decided to never have kids-”
Screeeeech.
Lucy heard the tires from the street.
Mei strode to the side of the road, where a ghostly man stood, dumbfounded.
“You were right. I’m dead.”
“Uh huh, that’s what it looks like,” Mei said as she turned to Lucy.
“Go ahead, work your magic. I wanna see if Death was right about your skill.”
Lucy swallowed and stepped forward, then stopped.
“Do you have that handbook?”
“What?”
“There was a handbook with the judgment questions in there..?”
“Oh yeah I haven’t looked at that thing in at least a decade,” she laughed as she pulled a leather bound booklet from the bottom of her scythe sling and tossed it to Lucy. After fumbling the booklet and barely grabbing it before it fell, Lucy flipped to the page with the questions.
“Okay Mister I’ma ask you these questions, and if you’re an alright person and you answer them right then you go to an afterlife of your choosing.”
The ghostly man looked down with a puzzled look on his face, “but I’m an atheist.”
“Oh, sucks to be you then...yeah I have no idea what’s about to happen-”
Mei cleared her throat loudly,
“-but I have confidence. So, how’d you die?”
The ghost man looked at his mangled body on the street, saying nothing.
Lucy winced, “okay yeah I get your point...are you just of h- I mean, were you a good person?”
The ghost man scratched his translucent hair, “I had a drinking problem, dying seems to have sobered me up though...I guess I’m not that bad when I’m sober... I’m a jerk though.”
Lucy’s scythe symbols glowed grey. Lucy tilted her head and looked to Mei for directions.
“Just do the thing, the symbols don’t have much of an effect on the actual job.”
Despite confused looks from the ghost, Lucy focused and held out her scythe like before, a stream blasted out and formed an archway.
“It was nice meeting you, good luck!” Lucy chirped as the man drifted into the portal.
Mei stared in disbelief.
“You not only just performed a reaping suitable for at least a year-long member, but you freaking wished him luck as he got taken into the gateway of death.”
“Well I don’t think I gave a very good description and I figured it would be nice to make up for it by wishing him luck,” Lucy replied with a shrug.
Mei smirked and tilted her head, “I’m starting to like you, you’re a really nice kid, creepy as hell...but nice.”
“I get that a lot,” Lucy said with a grin as Mei started walking towards her motorcycle.
Lucy froze in her steps, “can I ride it?”
Mei turned around, “no, you’re going to run behind my bike as fast as you can until we get to my house.”
“Couldn’t we teleport there?”
Mei shrugged, “Yeah, but Suzy is a smoother, not-as-nausea-inducing ride.”
“Suzy?”
“The name of my Suzuki bike.”
Mei hopped on her bike and turned on the engine, then gave Lucy an expectant glare. She cautiously pulled herself onto the bike, sitting awkwardly behind Mei.
“What? Do you wanna end up like our friend on the street? Hold on, Girlscout.”
Lucy gripped her arms tighter around Meri’s waist, close enough to smell her leather jacket and for Mei’s dark brown ponytail to whip Lucy’s face. Suddenly they took off, and as Lucy suspected, the ride was far more pleasant than a teleportation.
“Whoohoo!” she accidentally cried into Mei’s ear. Lucy muttered an apology as Mei clenched her teeth and the bike wavered dangerously. Yet the apology was swept away by the wind rushing in her ears as Lucy stuffed her hat in her coat pocket and let her hair whip around her head. Through the brown locks over her eyes she could see the bright lights and signs of Tokyo. She continued in this daze of bewilderment until Suzy slowed to a stop at a modern, narrow house that looked a little more like a high end apartment.
Mei took off her helmet and adjusted her glasses, “So, this is the place. I didn’t want to watch any more damn kids today but it seems like a matter of life and death-err, Life and Death...whatever. Until I get more details about the ‘shadows’ Death gave a brief description of, I’m keeping an eye on you guys.”
Lucy’s knees wobbled as she climbed off the bike. “What do you mean ‘any more kids’, and what am I gonna do about my Dad? What will I do, text him that I’m hanging out with some strangers on the other side of the world?”
Mei grinned as she fumbled with a keychain. “You’re a curious little Girl Scout aren’t you? Heh, at least you’re asking the right questions...there’s this other girl, around your age. Whatever shadows Death’s talking about, she’s been connected to them too, I’ve been running around with this kid all day, I know reapers aren’t supposed to get too involved with mortal business but I knew there was something more than that.”
“I thought you were the one mocking Death for recruiting me.”
“For your information, I’m not recruiting Akiro, I just want to keep the kid safe. And as for your dad, just tell him you’re sleeping over at a friend’s house, or that you’ve been kidnapped, whatever you kids do these days.”
“Yeah, yeah, sleepover or something, he’ll think I’m just in a weird teen rebellious phase and stay out of it…anyway tell me more about this Akiro kid you’ve been babysitting,” she said while walking into Mei’s house. The interior was as modern as the outside, but with a few traditional twists such as the shoji panels and paper lanterns that hung over the living room that gave the room a warmer feel.
“Shoes off.” Mei demanded, stepping out of her sneakers in the entryway of the house. Lucy nodded and slid off her own boots, dusting off the little pink bows on the ankles as she did so.
The space was chillingly silent, and it was only broken with Mei’s sigh as she slumped into a nearby chair. “C’mon sit down, I’ll make some tea or open up some snacks in a sec. As for Akiro, I think her father has something to do with these shadowy beings, apparently she was staying at his house the other day when the shadows started surrounding her and her sister. I was reaping that group of guys who shot each other all at once when I saw them running down the street. I asked them what was wrong, I wouldn’t have believed them if I didn’t see the fear in their eyes. The younger one couldn’t have been much older than five, no five year old should look that afraid. So I told them to stay put while I investigated, their dad was lying on the floor, cut and bruised. Apparently he’s in some sort of coma now. I called 911 and took them to their mother’s house. But both of them kept ranting about these ‘tall shadows’ trying to grab them, especially the little girl, Natsumi. I tried to calm them down but Akiro was persistent and determined to find answers. She’s clever, that one. Later in the day she went back to her dad’s place to pick up a few of her and her sisters’ things, the shadows appeared again. I was watching this time, I wanted to keep an eye on the kid, but when those things reached out for her...something happened, they recoiled back from her, and by the time I was ready to fight they just faded away. I mean Akiro is almost as creepy as you but not enough to prevent an attack like that. So, I’ll keep an eye on her for the next few days while she stays with her mother...you could see why I didn’t want to tell Death or Life about this,” she explained. Lucy nodded,but at the mention of their names her thoughts immediately strayed back to whatever Life and Death were doing at the Notre Dame.
Are they helping Mom? Is Mom hurt? Are they hurt? Wait- can Death die? Can Life die? Is everyone dead? Wait nononononono...Shut up conscience, SHUT UP.
She shuddered and tried to focus back onto the information she had just processed from Mei, wondering what the beings wanted from Akiro and how she was able to prevent them, unlike Lucy had in her nightmare.
“Well, anyway, that’s what I was did today and I think that’s enough disturbing topics for today, I’ll get some food made, I guess I’m making two servings now...I have some mangas in the shelf over there, a few of them are in english so knock yourself out”.
Lucy pulled out her phone, the timezones had changed on the clock and it was now 4:31 am, Japan time, Lucy was too lazy to calculate whatever that was back in America, but she wasn’t that tired, so she figured it was in the afternoon. Considering what Mei said about her manga, she walked towards the bookcase by the t.v.
“Sweet mother of manga…” she murmured, the shelves were almost entirely full of various mangas.
“Don’t judge me, Girlscout, mangas are actually common reading material her in Japan,” Mei called over from her kitchen.
“I’m not judging I’m admiring, and no one gives you weird looks or asks why you’re reading comic books here either?”
“Pretty much,” she answered, followed by a series of clanging pots and pans.
Lucy let herself smile as she found one written in english and engrossed herself in it until Mei had prepared lunch, or dinner, whatever it was. For a brief while, Lucy wasn’t worried over her family or immortal friends or long shadowy beings coming to strangle her, just whether the demon hybrid princess was going to go on the quest the prophecy foretold.
“Food’s ready,” Mei announced. Lucy’s stomach growled in an oddly lod manner as Lucy put down the manga and skipped over to the low, wooden table Mei was waiting at. Lucy didn’t quite recognize some of the foods, but she could see that the meal included fish and rice. Lucy sat down on one of the low chairs across from Mei and sat there in silence.
“Ugh you’re the ideal awkward houseguest. Go ahead and start eating I didn’t make this food for nothing,” Mei said with a smile. Lucy dug into her food with her chopsticks, and although Lucy knew how to use them, bits of rice fell back on her ate as she attempted to eat them and it took Lucy longer than she would have liked to figure out must how to grab certain things with them. She assumed it looked pretty pathetic judging by how Mei was barely hiding a Life-like smirk.
“This is really good, I honestly don’t know half of what I’m eating right now but it’s still great.”
Mei looked down at her food proudly, “You should try Death’s cooking, I’m telling you Death’s like a freaking master chef, they’ve had like centuries of practice but there’s still some serious talent there.”
Lucy raised an eyebrow, “Death can cook?”
“Oh yeah, it’s one of the things that Death rubs in Life’s face all the time considering that Life may or may not have started the Great Fire of London over some burnt scones, it’s never really been proven but I’ve heard that it’s a possibility. People have like, cried after eating Life and Death’s cookies, for two very different reasons and two very different cookies.”
“Huh,” Lucy said as she took a bite of fish.
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