#apparently information sharing was not their strongest skill
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Interview with I.N.A. (Spread Beaver / Manipulator, Percussion; Music producer) (summarized)
Published in the hide BIBLE (by Akemi Oshima) 2008
Note: INA calls hide “hide-chan” throughout the interview, and in the spirit of being as authentic as possible without actually giving a literal translation, I will, too.
Note 2: As with Sugizo’s interview, this is very, very close to an actual translation. Many of the things I give you here are INA’s exact words, just moved from first to third person. The prompts and questions of the interviewer are actual translations.
The reason why I stick with this format for now is because there are some parts where I can figure out the meaning but wouldn’t know how to accurately put them into English sentences. Doing it like this allows me to work around that. It also allows me to skip some small bits and fillers that I cannot figure out, although there were hardly any of those this time. There is nothing in terms of content value missing from this.
INA-san’s memories with hide-san must be like a mountain, aren’t they?
INA could talk about anything (laughing). When he’s given interviews since, he gets asked to recall memorable incidents, but it was all memorable, so he doesn’t know where to start.
You first met hide-san when you were working for X?
When INA was working with hide-chan for the first time, he was stage manipulator for X’s Jealousy-tour in 1991.
What kind of work did you do until then?
INA had been working on the recording of popular music. He was thinking that he would like to work more with actual artists, but of X he had never heard before, even though they were all the rage then. When he was shown a video of them, he thought “Eh?” and “What am I doing here?” But he did it anyway. Hide-chan he first met at the rehearsal studio. Since there were so many heroic stories about them, that was a little scary…
You heard a lot about them, didn’t you?
That had been a problem. But when he met them for real, they all turned out to be good people. Because they were with SONY then, there also was a lot of staff. But even though INA was the new guy, hide-chan often invited him to go drinking with them.
About the Jealousy-Tour
Ever since then, INA and hide-chan worked together, and that continues until now.
Any memories of the tour?
At that time, after the show, all the members would gather and go drinking together. Going outside in their full flashy set-up, clothes and all. Surprisingly, the fans went with them into town and would just have conversations in the bars as if that were normal. INA also went along.
Your working with hide-san
It started with INA sampling hide-chan’s voice for his solo corner “HIDE’s Room”.
“HIDE’s Room” started out as improvisation and developed from there, right?
So it seems. When INA got involved, “HIDE’s Room” already existed. But it was still pretty improvised. Hide-chan said he wanted to make a variety of noises and they sampled his voice like that. INA added keyboard and drums on top of it and it gradually developed from there. After that came the three days at Tokyo Dome that Taiji resigned with, and then, half a year later, INA went to LA for the recording of "Art of Life".
Wasn’t going to the US for "Art of Life" delayed by half a year?
In the meantime, they did things like Talk Live at Budoukan. For Talk Live, INA was on stage with the orchestra, tampering with the computer in a tuxedo (laughing). That was the time Yoshiki did "Art of Life" alone at the piano with the orchestra.
After Jealousy, getting involved with "Art of Life" happened naturally?
INA was told they wanted him to come along. Before that, he had helped Yoshiki with his solo-songs – that kind of progression.
Yoshiki’s solo?
Violet UK. INA was there for the very beginning. 15 years ago now? Even sooner than that.
After the Jealousy-tour, Violet UK already had a name, that’s amazing.
At that time, it probably didn’t have a name yet. The good thing about going to LA was that for the first three or four months, INA had nothing much to do and just went drinking with hide-chan and Heath. Various incidents happened. Fire trucks were involved.
Fire trucks?
Hide-chan, drunk, pulled the apartment building’s fire alarms in the middle of the night and a lot of fire trucks came, which made everyone flee into Heath’s room. Hide-chan then went to sleep on Heath’s bed, and the next day during the recording of "Art of Life", Heath reported, “He won’t wake up.” (laughing) Heath himself had gone to the studio having barely slept at all.
INA-san’s previous work?
When he thought about working for X, he had already stopped doing that. He thought those people were interesting. After that, hide-chan made a song for “Dance 2 Noise” with J and Inoran. At first, he was working with the machines himself. He always said to INA, “I don’t get it, I don’t get it. Please teach me how.” He did his best to do it on his own with the crappy hand-down equipment at his disposal, but he fell asleep during INA’s explanations. Then he asked INA to help him, because he didn’t understand it, and they decided to do it together. Hide-chan and INA were in LA for the recording of Art of Life, J and Inoran and the programmer were in Japan, so it was a constant back and forth with the data. INA’s professional working with hide-chan started there. They secretly went and used the studio X had claimed for themselves when it was empty. Song recording happened in Japan. Afterwards, INA went to the US again. At that time, he came and went. Next, hide-chan made that movie with Tusk, and the called INA and said, “Let’s make the soundtrack together.” They returned to Japan to create it during a one or two weeks long break in the recording of "Art of Life".
About making hide’s solo music
It started around that time. Hide-chan decided to go solo and was thinking about various things, like finding a producer, who should play the keyboard, and in the course of this, when hide-chan wasn’t able to find the right partner, INA was called to the collaboration that continues to this day. He now thinks the work on the first single went smoothly (laughing). Therefore, he now thinks it was fortunate he got invited to work with hide-chan. Back then, not so much.
What do you mean?
INA doesn’t know if it’s a good thing or not, but he was told to be open with hide-chan and during the vocal recording they basically had a fight. Because INA was also strict and insistently kept telling hide-chan, “No, wrong!” Good things came from it, thought, so hide ultimately didn’t resist it.
hide-san gave up on doing it on his own?
He probably still wanted to when he started to work on his solo. He borrowed a computer from INA, and then called him incessantly with things like, “It doesn’t work,” “I don’t understand this,” “It doesn’t have power.” At that time, he called INA wherever INA happened to be, it was a problem. It was a time without mobile phones, but he still managed to find him wherever, bafflingly. Even at his parents’ house (laughing). Then he accepted that he couldn’t do it alone and said, “Let’s do this together!”
Did you also act as vocal director?
Yes. INA had already done that on X’s demos, so it happened naturally from there. But even so, why him?
Hide-san rarely asked people to do tings like that, he must have trusted you from that time.
At that time, hide-chan still lacked self-confidence and didn’t want people to hear his voice.
In the beginning, he said he hated his own voice.
He sang a lot at that time. He practiced, recorded. Practiced, recorded. Over and over, until his voice was all rough. “Doubt” was recorded almost in one go, but other songs he had to sing hundreds of times. The music they listened to back then was similar, so talk was quick, but it was probably a good thing that their musical backgrounds were completely different. INA liked black music, hide was a rock guy. INA thinks hide-chan found it more interesting to work with people from different backgrounds, since he wanted to do a lot of different things.
What was music you both liked?
During that time, industrial rock and fusion came up and they talked a lot about how good they thought Nine Inch Nails, Prodigy, or Jesus Jones were, “I wonder how to go at it, to make something in that style,” and things like that.
Did you want to make that kind of music yourself?
INA did not know rock until he met X, and he thought it would be good to add another component to the things he liked. Hide-chan probably thought the same way. INA had things hide was looking for, and he also had a lot of experience in the technological aspects, so that was a perfect mixture.
What was your impression of hide-san at that time?
He went drinking a lot. He went drinking with INA. One way or another, there had been a strong impression of alcohol consumption. Returning from the studio, they absolutely had to go drinking until morning. Why did he have to drink so much? (laughing)
Did you also like drinking?
Yeah, INA liked it. He was a pretty heavy drinker.
It’s probably a happy thing that you two became friends.
They could go drinking together. In the course of doing so, they also took trips to Hakone and things like that.
Along with Pata-san?
No, others. Various other people came along. If they went somewhere for fun, it probably couldn’t be helped. In LA as well, people were always with them when they went out to drink.
Any episodes from that time?
Plenty. (laughing) The fun episodes with hide-chan are mostly stories of alcohol. A lot of memorable episodes from when he was drunk. He said he was going to drive the van on the vast grounds of their American apartment complex. Since it was private land, they figured it would be okay, and INA, Pata, and Heath got on the ride, except they somehow ended up in the mountains where there were no roads. Thus, Pata flipped out, yelled, “Asshole! Matsumoto, you fucker! This is going too far!” and everyone was surprised by how angry he could get. Because hide-chan was going up a cliff. (laughing) That was the first and the last time INA saw Pata get that angry. And then, there was stuff like throwing things into the pool.
Didn’t you also live together?
Of course not. In this, they practiced abstinence (laughing). But INA certainly spend more time at hide-chan’s studio than in his own home. In Japan it was the same. Since hide had a studio at home, that’s where they worked all the time. [Note: These studios, according to INA’s book “Kimi No Inai Sekai”, were simply little extra rooms that weren’t soundproof, and the neighbours having opinions about the noise level drastically limited what they could do in them.] They were among the first to record things at home. Equipment like that wasn’t really in use back then. In any case, they were early with it.
He liked new things.
Seriously, he was a person who did not know whether he was a commoner or a celebrity. He had opinions about the cost of alcohol that was several thousand yen, yet easily bought new equipment that cost tens of thousands of yen. He’d say, “INA-chan, here’s a new computer,” and bring it along with a smile, while INA went “How expensive was that?!” He was quite strange. In his heart he was a commoner, though, extremely so.
After you finished his first four solo songs
After that, they went drinking together. “We’ll do it together,” INA was told earnestly. And, “You’re not in my employment. I want you to openly tell me if something is good or bad.” And also, “I don’t want you to work for anyone else, INA-chan. I want you to use your talents only for me.” And INA thought this person was amazing, and replied, “I get it. Let’s do it together.” At the time, hide assembled a bunch of specialized people and created the prototype of LEMONed. Two weeks later, they went to the US, and it was like they were living in a new rock’n’roll castle. An apartment building where Toshi-kun and Heath and hide-chan all lived together. In a room there, they prepared a system for audio recording and the beginning of the first album was made. It was also around this time that the X Film Gig was happening in Japan, wasn’t it?
Ah, yes, that film gig that was an entire tour.
At that time, Yoshiki was still working on "Art of Life". INA’s work on it was done by then, so the year 1993 was entirely dedicated to hide-chan’s album. At that time, hide-chan became all well-behaved so as not to cause trouble anymore. They stopped going out and secluded themselves in hide’s room for a while, to work. Without taking a break either, from noon until two or three at night, only working. Every now and then they would go out to drink. This repeated every day for about half a year.
Still, you always went to Japanese bars.
They didn’t know LA very well at the time and rarely went to American bars. Just once, to a place that was like a giant disco. Later, they went to more places, but at that point, they were living in a pretty narrow world. After going back to Japan, they recorded the last three songs of HIDE YOUR FACE, then went on a nation-wide tour after.
That tour was your debut, INA-san?
Before, when hide was on TV for the promotion of his singles, INA was with him – maybe because hide-chan felt it would be better if there was someone else in addition to him, so INA had to do it. Since he had never done anything like that before, he hated it. There was a “?” constantly hanging over his head.
Can you elaborate on that?
Regarding his solo, hide-chan said he hated being on his own. When they had a live for the press at the tie-up of “Tell Me”, they did that together, too. INA doesn’t know what to make of that. (laughing)
How did you do it together?
INA was freestyling on all the machines (laughing). Because of this, he also joined the band for the tour, probably. Back then, programmers like INA never went out of stage like that.
Now that happens a lot, though.
INA wonders if they weren’t the first to do it. Since there was no one else doing it, they had to figure out how to go at it. At that time, scratching on DJ equipment wasn’t a thing yet, but INA had played drums as a student, so should he maybe beat those a bit? He was never really at the keyboard because they had DIE for that. INA thinks he did a good job overall. Since programmers didn’t go on stage, they were never seen in public. So, he created his own thing for himself to do. In regard to that, he wasn’t really told, “Do this,” or “Do that.” Maybe hide simply wanted more people on stage (laughing).
Or maybe he just wanted to be with you?
It’s funny. Just now, INA worked through the uncut MCs of the first and second solo tours on the DCR, and they are amazingly long. Second tour, ten hours altogether. INA is going to be busy with that for months. On the first tour, it was only 104 minutes of MC in total. But for the PSYENCE-tour, ten hours. At the end, there would be fifty minutes of talking in a two-and-a-half hour concert (laughing).
The MCs were that long?
Chatter. But it was interesting to listen to. During the first tour, INA searched and searched, but they barely talked at all.
The first tour’s rule of no alcohol the day before a live stuck around, right?
During the second tour, they had to abstain as well. They did that part when they were done (laughing). On X-tours, on the other hand, they drank a lot. They went through hotels and such until five or six in the morning.
After the first tour was finished, hide-san’s solo activities took a bit of a break, didn’t they?
Yeah. They went back to LA for X. For the recording of DAHLIA, they were there for a good while this time. 1995, wasn’t it? The solo tour ended in spring 1994, until summer they worked on videos, after that they went to LA. Zilch came into being at this time. X and zilch and the solo stuff… LEMONed was also started, they published a compilation, it was an extremely busy time.
You had to deal with all of that, right?
For real. INA went to Osaka for X, came back to Tokyo for solo recording, the next day it was off to the US for zilch… like that. And they travelled with all of their equipment. INA and hide-chan and the manager, all those people, and about 20 pieces of equipment, going to the US every week. At the end, the customs people only went, “There they come again” and waved them through. That was terrible. While INA finished the second album, hide-chan went to record the vocals for zilch. Then he had to go to the studio to play guitar for X. In this time, they mostly divided the work. If they worked together all the time, they felt they wouldn’t have been able to get it all done on time. The recording of Toshi’s vocals for "DRAIN" was also done at hide’s apartment. The bass was also recorded at home rather than going to the studio.
Was his home studio that enormous?
No, it was about the size of an 8-tatami room [Note: About 13 square meters or 142 square feet], where they crammed in all their equipment and recorded the sound.
What about zilch?
It was a mess (laughing). When INA and hide-chan came to the studio, they were earnestly there to work. They took what they did seriously. When the others were fooling around in the studio, hide-chan and Ray McVeigh often clashed. Hide then said, “INA-chan, I’m going to lose my temper today, so you better go home early,” and then they’d have a fight. It was quite interesting. Since zilch and hide’s solo activities happened at the same time, INA and hide-chan spread their work out between them. They had a producer as well, and the project grew as more and more people got involved.
Did you hear about the conception of LEMONed?
He didn’t. Only after the fact, just like with Spread Beaver. Hide just dropped that information casually in the middle of a conversation. When the LEMONed store opened, they were in LA. INA remembers how hide passed him a video and said, “It turned into this kind of business.” At the time, they did a bunch of things in Japan. The “Misery”-PV had a home-made feel to it because INA edited it himself from raw material of stuff the two of them had filmed at home. It was a time like that (laughing). The lip-syncing for that PV they filmed in front of a blue TV screen at hide-chan’s home. The staff just turned the light here and there. It cost 0 yen (laughing).
There had been a plan to make a video like that, huh?
INA thinks that a plan for filming a video like that already existed within hide-chan. But he had no plan for the actual contents.
Here, staff member Motoyama provides the information that they made the video by sending it to Japan for the design team t.o.L. to edit, and those then send it back to LA.
INA once again emphasizes that, seriously, it cost no money, and laughs. INA did not get a salary, of course, and he even had to be the chauffeur. “INA-chan, you got free time, right? Let’s go take some pictures together.” Also, in the desert, their car got stuck and they all had to work together to get it free. That time was really fun. It felt more like an extension of their playtime, not at all like work.
A lot of people said the same thing: That it was like playtime.
When INA was down with a fever, hide-chan got worried and came by to make him rice noodles. At that time, they lived in a world made up of ca. four to five people, in LA and Japan. At the time of PSYENCE, hide-chan said he wanted to create “The best possible work with the least possible number of people in the shortest possible amount of time.” Song creation aside, they needed about one month to finish the recording. Which was pretty terrible, actually. They finished work at five in the morning and started again at eleven… like that (laughing).
And when you were done at the end of the day, you couldn’t even go drinking.
They could not. It was hard, but they pulled through.
How was the second tour?
Combined with the LEMONed event, there were nearly twenty shows. Strangely enough, while INA had his doubts about how to handle it in the beginning, in the end it turned out to be fun. At first, he was concerned with how to proceed, but as the tour continued, it all just fell together and solidified. Hide-chan was amazing when it came to bringing out people’s talents – not just with the musicians but also with the staff and everyone. He didn’t say, “Please do it this way because that’s the way to do it,” but instead, “This is want I want to do, but do you have any alternative suggestions?” And if a suggestion was made, he’d go, “That sounds good, let’s do it!” He had that stance towards everyone, so everyone enjoyed working with him and had a good time. Even if he ended up not doing what had been suggested, he gave it serious consideration. There aren’t many people who can say they were given a chance like that. Since hide-chan quickly realized the ideas he liked, everyone had fun and gave their best. By the time the tour was over, they had really grown close as a team. Even now, the staff from the PSYENCE-tour called it the most fun one they were ever involved with. Regardless of whether they contributed in big or in small ways. In this regard, hide-chan was amazing.
INA-san, your hairstyle became very flashy. Why was that?
Miyagi-kun, hairstylist at LEMONed, said, “This is gonna stand out!” and pained INA’s hair in fluorescent colours. But that paint would come off, so they decided it would be better to dye it if INA was to sport those colours every day. Miyahi-kun also went over the top (laughing).
It wasn’t done by hide-san?
Well, it had been kind of a spontaneous thing. But hide-chan also dyed INA’s hair. He had a beautician’s licence, after all. During the first tour, he also dyed DIE-chan’s hair. And Pata’s, way back.
And after the PSYENCE-tour?
The incident where hide-chan fractured his skull. All of a sudden, he just stopped contacting INA one day. Usually, they were in contact every day even after the tour to make up a time for INA to come to hide-chan’s place to work on songs. But now, there was no phone call at all, and INA was told by the office, “hide-san got injured, so we’re taking a break for now.” They didn’t give him any details and he didn’t hear anything else for about a month. INA didn’t do anything, but he wondered what was going on until hide-chan himself contacted him one day and told him that he had been hospitalized. INA was surprised to hear this (“Eeh, what happened?”), while hide was rather dispassionate about it (“Broken skull.”). INA was startled, even though he only heard about it after the worst was over. They were talking about going to the US to resume work and start recording for zilch, but the doctor told hide he wasn’t allowed to fly. Regardless, hide went anyway, then told INA that there was this terrible ringing noise in his ears during the flight. When INA heard that, he went pale and thought, “It’s over.” But it was okay; after this they stayed over there for a while. In fact, that was their longest stay. They resumed the work with zilch that had been postponed for the PSYENCE-tour and only returned to Japan in Summer. [Note: They had left for LA around February.] After that, X JAPAN announced its dissolution.
He just went about song making as if there were nothing happening, though?
Basically. Get it done, get it done… he worked like that all the time. He finished one song about every one or two weeks. But when they were in Tokyo, he just wanted to play around. Abroad, he calmly worked in the studio every day, but in Japan, things immediately got in the way and no work was done. Kiyoshi or whoever would come over to hang out and they wouldn’t work. One day during the creation of “Ja, Zoo”, in order to get them to focus, the record company send INA and hide to a camp at Lake Yamanaka. It was supposed to be refreshing, but since there was absolutely nothing around, the two of them turned a little weird about two days in. They were alone in that mountain hut, there was no one else around, outside was nothing. “I wonder if there isn’t anyone in Tokyo who can come to visit,” they said and kept making phone calls. Inevitably, they went out at night, but there were no establishments around, so they kept circling the lake in their car until morning. [ Note: INA makes it sound like they were the only people in the area, but according to “Owaranai Kizuna”, the book of hide’s former manager Kuma, there was an entire team with them, and also Kuma himself, who got stuck there when hide abducted him on the way to the retreat and set his mobile phone on fire. (More at eleven.)] Then, the people from the record company said, “Good work!” and invited them to the Atami Onsen as a reward. And thus, hide-chan, who had shown great restraint until then, let loose, went berserk while drunk, and broke his foot. And that just a couple of months before X JAPAN’s Last Live in Tokyo Dome. [Note: Actually, it seems that it was more like one month before the concert, as the accident happened in late November.] Just before that incident, INA, in a good mood, had warned hide’s brother and manager Hiroshi to make sure that hide did not, no matter what, injure his hands. And his hands were safe. Instead, he came back with a broken foot (laughing).
No kidding. (laughs)
But, at the time, it was adorable. When hide came back from the hospital and INA knocked on the car and asked if he was okay, hide pretended to be asleep (laughing). When INA later asked him about it, he explained, “I didn’t have a clear answer, so I decided to just feign sleeping for the moment.”
The photographs for the jacket of “Rocket Dive” were taken at that time, weren’t they?
Staff member Yamamoto again: That’s right. Hide-san just said, “I’m sorry” regarding those photographs.
INA: That day, his leg was still in a cast.
Yamamoto: They could only photograph the upper part of his body.
INA: At the Tokyo Dome, he was already well healed.
Yamamoto: He ate small fish all the time. He had put it in his mind that he would be healed for X JAPAN’s last live.
INA: Everyone brought calcium and such. But within a week, hide-chan already resumed pre-production at home. Since he needed to stand while singing, he did so while carefully balancing on his tip-toes.
Did you hear about X JAPAN braking up in advance?
INA did, by accident. Even hide’s manager didn’t know about it, no one knew about it, so he kept it a secret.
Did you say anything?
They didn’t speak much about this matter. Only after the press conference announcing the break-up. They walked home, worked on “Rocket Dive”. There was an air of “March on to the next thing” after they watched the press conference on TV. But then, in the afternoon, an old friend contacted hide and they decided to go for a drink (laughing). At that point, the Last Live had not been decided yet and it felt like it would end with that press conference, so INA thought it made sense that hide-chan wanted to drink.
X JAPAN’s Last Live was on New Year’s Eve 1997.
INA was there backstage. After that was the Kohaku-performance at NHK, so after the live was over they immediately had to move on to the NHK building. Those who, like INA, were left behind, were like, “There they go.” Afterwards, they had a closing party with the members. Ah, yeah. Pata-chan was there, too.
Yamamoto: There was a full -page advertisement for “hide with Spread Beaver coming…1998” in the morning issue of the Asahi Shinbun, so they waited for it in a pub while drinking.
INA: Except no one had heard about that yet (laughing). INA had known about it, but Joe was all, “Eeh, what’s Spread Beaver?” Since they had been working together all the time already, it wasn’t a problem to just turn them into a band, but everyone was still delightedly surprised. There was no formal contract, so at that point, nothing really changed. After that, they went to LA for recording again. Everyone was involved.
What did you record?
“Pink Spider”, “ever free”, and stuff for the album. But work on the album did not go as planned. “Pink Spider” and “ever free” were to be released in May, and it was decided that they should return to Japan for the promotion. The plan was to release the album and go on tour then, but now there was talk of doing something like a pre-tour, since the album wasn’t finished. First, a pre-tour with the three new songs, then the zilch-tour, then the real national tour once the album was finished. “No matter how you look at it, there isn’t enough time,” they said.
How come the completion of the album was delayed?
Basically, a sense of “Let’s make it better”. It was changed over and over, and the promotion of the singles also got in the way, so the time for recording just disappeared. But they made it to the point where it should have been finished in a month, maybe a month and a half.
Did you hear anything regarding hide-san’s thoughts on the world?
He wanted to do western music, but by the time zilch was started, western music was already circulating in Japan, and he wondered if it wouldn’t be more interesting to take Spread Beaver aboard. He wasn’t just obsessed with “The World”. Rather, he’d said, when PSYENCE was completed, “This is great, INA-chan. If this doesn’t sell, we will go abroad, we will give up on Japan.” He’d always been conscious of foreign countries and the world as a whole, but it’s not like he absolutely had to make it there above all else.
INA-san, you continued participating in hide-san’s work after he died, didn’t you? Just now, you told me about listening to and editing ten hours of his MC.
That’s simply because it’s interesting. Separate INA from it for an hour and he’s already going back to it. Everyone else from Spread Beaver also comes at once if they are called back without warning. INA didn’t do anything for it for a bit, but this year [2008] there was a lot. He edited the live album and there were also lives to perform. Listening to it as music of today is strange.
Where there ever times when it was difficult?
That, too… There were times during the work on “Ja, Zoo”. And then, after, the tour without hide. That was hard. Because they had to keep smiling amongst the thousands, ten-thousands of people in the audience who were all crying. But it’s because of this that they are here now. Even if there were also grudges… There were a lot of people who held it against them that they did this. But there were also those who said it saved them, so he is now glad they did it.
In that sense, those were difficult circumstances, weren’t they?
To be honest, there were times when INA thought that he also wanted to be saved. However, they decided to do all the things hide-chan had wanted to do in 1998. They did the things they could do, like release a Best of-CD or re-release “Tell Me” with the band. And when things calmed down, they opened the hide museum. Altogether, they held a lot of events. Since INA is the one participating in the museum the most (laughing).
And so, DJ INA was born. (laughs)
At first, he was a false DJ. He did hide’s tour as a DJ. After all, there were people waiting for it who did not just want to listen to hide’s music at home but enjoyed experiencing it loudly with everyone else, and things would continue after this. There was the memorial summit with X JAPAN, Luna Sea and all the others, as well as tens of thousands of people. If there were things INA could do for that, he ought to do them.
There are too many memories, aren’t there?
When INA thinks about them, they rapidly come back. At the launch party for the memorial summit, he talked to Pata and it brought back a lot of stories. Things normally forgotten that none the less stayed in everyone’s heart.
Did you ever fight?
When it came to making music, there were things resembling fights, but never outside of that.
You were the same age?
Yes. Their birthdays were one day apart. INA’s is on 12 December.
INA-san, what kind of person was hide-san to you?
He honestly doesn’t know.
Anything you want to say to hide-san?
Things like “Thank you.” It was interesting, and it stayed interesting after hide-chan was gone. It’s strange, though… INA’s feelings haven’t changed now that he supports hide’s activities after his death as opposed to them working together when he was alive. What he wants to say is just “Thank you.”
#hide#hide bible#x japan#hide with spread beaver#interview#translation#sort of#summary#INA#and staff member yamamoto I suppose#this one was less horrible than most#in fact I would actually say it was fun#but still#so much work#anyway#way to not tell your band members that they are now a band hide#never mind the other things#apparently information sharing was not their strongest skill
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Seiroku’s journey into medicine wasn't as traditional as people who encounter him now might expect. His mother was the first one who shared some medical knowledge with Seiroku; and rather than dismiss it as most people do, he retained that information. It was something that gave him an edge that most bushi lacked when it came to treating simple illnesses. He didn't have to go to doctors or medics when he could take care of it himself. But that was relatively all he knew in the beginning. SImple teas, a few plants to help disinfect wounds, and that was all. He didn't NEED more than that. Seiroku was first and foremost a FIGHTER. As the latest chapter just revealed, he was the strongest fighter in the time before the demon blades, when it was solely human on human fighting.He stood head and shoulders above other swordsman from a young age, taking to swordsmanship like a fish to water. He was strong, fast, and graceful in a dangerously captivating way. He quickly began mastering complex styles and beating those older and stronger through a mix of his own strength and his strategic skills. As he got older, his strength and experience continued to grow and he seemed destined to ensure the success of his band as they decimated competition and expanded their territory and resources. Seiroku thrived in the heart of battle. He was the one people looked to for victory. Their expectations rested on him. Each time he rose to the challenge, pleased to be able to make people in his band proud. He LIKED being able to help his band in this way.
The arrival of the oni and demon metals changed all of that. Chaos ensued at the beginning. During this time, Seiroku helped keep some stability as he continued to spearhead human on human confrontation. But those quickly began to disappear and grow less and less common as attention turned towards fighting the oni.
It would be a lie to say there wasn’t some initial bitterness with the arrival of the oni. At first, it didn't seem so bad. There were colors, but many were still piecing together what the differences meant. But it soon became apparent that yellow was not the color to be on the frontlines anymore. Seiroku was no longer to be on the frontlines. It was a bitter pill for Seiroku to swallow. He went from spending years on the frontline to being forcefully removed and banned from the position. This revelation was devastating for the first few days, and no one could blame him for that. It was like losing a part of himself. He hated the pitying looks, the murmurs about what would he do? What could he do as a support instead of a fighter? But in the end, he was still determined to help. He would simply need a different approach than what he was familiar with. He strategizing skills were still useful, and he quickly found that he had the ability to heal people with one of his techniques. Though he missed the frontlines, he refused to simply be washed up in this new era. He would adapt; he quickly began utilizing his ability to heal instead.
It was a new perspective for Seiroku. In the era of humans fighting humans, Seiroku hadn’t thought much on the role of healers. He knew their value of course, anyone who has troops would. Seiroku always sought to minimize deaths and injuries, but it was impossible to avoid completely, and he was thankful to the healers despite not knowing the details. He didn’t think about the hard work that went into it or the expectations put upon them. On the battlefield its kill or be killed, in the hospital, someone ELSE's life is in your hands. Seiroku was quick to learn the art of healing with his strings almost as quick as he had learned the sword. It seemed like almost any injury he could heal so long as he could identify what was wrong. A fitting power for someone so strong. Soon it was a new kind of pressure that Seiroku faced. It wasn't just 'ensure success on the battlefield' but became 'ensure everyone survives, we're depending on YOU. ' Everyone thought he could fix everything as long as they weren’t dead when they got to him.
Or so he thought.
Battles were rarer for Seiroku to participate in, but they still happened on occasion. He loved those times even when old instincts still sang in his blood. But one particular battle led to one of his swords snapping, and taking with it not just a weapon, but the lives of dozens of those he’d healed. Seiroku’s created reality was shattered as his technique broke, and the original reality came forth; wounds reopened and limbs fell off, burns resurfaced and scars his healing had made reappeared. It was then that Seiroku discovered the real nature of his ability. It hadn’t been miraculous healing. He’d been bending reality to his will. If Seiroku said something would be, then those affected by his strings would have their reality warped to what he desired of their healing.
It was a terrifyingly strong ability fit for the once strongest swordsman. In the battle, few people realized what was happening. Many died and were dismissed as causalities of the fight, or others thought they had gained wounds they didn’t notice from adrenaline. But Seiroku had witnessed it. People thought he was creating an invincible army with his healing without realizing the truth that Seiroku had discovered. It would be years before some people began to piece it together. And when they did, they forced him to maintain it perpetually to create a near-invincible army at the cost of Seiroku had been reduced to barely a conscious holding the strings together. They didn't CARE about him. People expected it of him. They pushed the burden onto him, to heal, to maintain this unbeatable army. He hated it. He hated the burden. He hated what the band became. He hated THEM.
But before such hatred and tragedy befell him, after the incident on the battlefield, Seiroku took a very serious study towards medicine beyond the basic means he knew. He worked hard to learn different injuries, to learn healing plants and ointments, to learn more about the intricacy of the human body. It was essential in his eyes. The power he had was not endless, it had its weaknesses too because it depended on him. When it came to knowledge, he didn't rely solely on his own band either. Seiroku would take time to learn from the local people when they traveled, to learn what locals had discovered for medicine and local fauna, and he would read scrolls on medicine they had. He wanted to genuinely treat people with or without his strings. His strings could be a good temporary stabilizer, but they shouldn't last forever or their lives would be placed on his shoulders to maintain until they died naturally.
– But people didn’t like that. Who wanted to wait for stitches to heal when Seiroku's strings could fix it perfectly in a few seconds? It planted a seed of irritation in his chest because they didn’t understand. Irritation turned into resentment as he was ordered to use his strings when he tried to explain. They just wanted things now. And while he’d been respected as a fighter, such respect had begun to fade in the era of fighting oni.
And then, tragedy. Hatred. And finally joining the Obsidian Eight.
This is when Seiroku’s medical knowledge leapt far beyond other healers. Choking on hatred, he used bushi as case studies and test subjects for his theories and curiosities. How much could the human body endure? What could it do without? What could the mind take before it shattered? How did distorting senses effect the body? Seiroku didn’t care about the victims; bushi deserved to suffer and die. But he could make them USEFUL to him at least. He began understanding more about organs and the senses than anyone else, he got even better at predicting human behavior, especially in pain and fear. He was also a witness to those who failed as Obsidian Eight members and went made from the black hearts.
During this time Seiroku also began to learn the dark side of his reality manipulation; he could HARM just as easily as he could heal. And unlike with healing, the damage his harm caused remained (like the blood loss Naoe experienced during their battle). He has spent decades continuing to expand his medical knowledge; the more he knows, the greater trauma he could inflict on victims and the crueler he could be in toying with them before killing them. But he also learned genuinely good things through the horrors as well. He simply no longer had any reason to apply it in most instances.
It is only with the Date that the healing side of Seiroku's skills has begun to be utilized again. At first, it was purely for twisted reasons. It was to be able to DESTROY the band in one easy move in the future. He’d heal the injured and then, when the confrontation with the Obsidian Eight happened, he could undo his strings influence and watch waves of them drop dead or severely injured again. It would be DEVESTATING, and it would be ruthlessly effective. Not to mention the psychological trauma it would effect upon the band at every level. It was a PERFECT plan, and an easy way to explain why he needed to be there so long. It was only when his feelings began to genuinely change that he began to undo this as best he could. When they would be injured or reinjured, he'd undo the binds of his string and slowly genuinely apply the medical knowledge he had to help save and properly address the wounds his reality manipulation concealed.
#᛭ — [HEADCANON] twist the threads of reality [SEIROKU INUKAWA]#me yapping on and on and on#do you care? idk#but now i have this#it hurt to see my hc of them forcing him#to always be healing with strings made canon#and the devestation it did to him
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OC: Asteria Violette Gaudare
For IF: @spider-lilies-if
“Announcing Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Asteria Violette Gaudare, Daughter of King Aris Vermillion Gaudare; Heir Apparent to the Kingdom of Vanthelia; and Débutante into Society. Now, please bring your hands together as the Princess shares a dance with her father the King, to open the beginning of the Social Season.” - Master of Ceremonies for Asteria’s Debut Into Society
Name: Asteria Violette Gaudare
Gender and Pronouns: Female (She/Her)
Appearance: Asteria has pale skin and waist length pale white hair that has been described as being like starlight or moonbeams. She also has heterochromia with a gold/yellow left eye and a purple right eye. Standing at 5′7″ fully grown, she has delicate features with a slim build and soft curves. She often wears soft or pastel colours in her day-to-day wardrobe, but has dresses with richer hues for court functions too. (Very similar but not completely the same as this dollmaker, for example the hairstyles are extremely limited but I WAS pleasantly surprised at the fact that it lets you pick eye colour individually, and that it has yellow and purple options.)
Personality: Asteria is a kind and gentle person, patient and sweet to the point it’s very often remarked on ‘how is it possible that that man has raised such a pure and innocent soul’ and honestly Aris agrees with them. He wonders every day on how it’s possible that he of all people was blessed with such a child, who is surely the best in the whole world. But of course he worries about her too. Not only about how many people would want to steal her away to bask in her presence, but how many people just in his own court would want to take advantage of her good nature. Of course he will protect her in every way possible so she can stay as she is...but that’s only as long as he is alive, and he knows he has even less time with her than most fathers have with their children. So while he encourages her kind disposition and sends many many bodyguards with her when she ventures into town to visit the townspeople/play with the children/do charity work etc. (most of them are stealth though and not easily visible) because he wants the people to love her (to prevent a coup once he’s gone) he also prepares her to outmaneuver the snakes in mental warfare and diplomacy, the latter which she is much more gifted than him at.
Orientation: Panromantic Asexual
LI(s): Valar Oryvale Fleuret (Main, Engaged-from-Childhood path), NB!Kamil Zahir, M!L / The Angel
Pet(s): Peryton (Valar’s route), Jackalope (Kamil’s route), Griffin (L’s route) but in my personal headcanon, in my heart, Asteria has all three at the same time.
Skills: With the limited information I have, for now I’m thinking of having her strongest skills be Tinkerer (but in upgrading things rather than making from scratch), and her Bloodline powers but with Sharpshooter close behind (skill with guns rather than a crossbow.)
Relationships: I’ll get more in depth once we have a demo, but for the RO characters, Asteria’s relationships with each of them can easily be summed up as if she’s not romancing a certain character, she’s friends with them instead. With the exception of L who’s a secret romance who I’m guessing you can only unlock them under certain circumstances and can only interact with them with the intention to romance??? And also S because again, they are a secret who can only be unlocked a certain way and since Asteria is good and noble, S won’t be interested in her at all and because of that they may never even meet. And if they will, it’s as enemies.
And of course besides her chosen RO, her Papa is the most important person to her in the world and she loves him so much! And of course she loves the rest of her family too which includes Ren, Canna and Intira.
Trivia:
- Of course, Aris teaches Asteria how to garden once she expresses proper interest in it and time spent in his greenhouse is definitely parent/child bonding time. But when she’s a toddler she is also there “helping” him garden by digging in the dirt. But this is definitely something they both enjoy.
- No matter what, Asteria would name her first child after Aris with a boy being named Aris and a girl named Aristia (but if that child was NB I feel like Aris is a pretty gender neutral name anyway so that would be a good name for an NB child of MC’s too.)
- Having Aris’s and Asteria’s initials be the exact same was actually an accident on my part, but it’s actually nice since Asteria could use any of Aris’s monogrammed things without changing anything and vice versa.
- I MAY BE WRONG but I feel like Aris secretly has a lovely singing voice/storytelling voice. So even in to adulthood he would read Asteria a bedtime story or sing her to sleep if she asked, but she only requests it when she’s sick. When she was a child he also sang her to sleep if she had a nightmare but she also asked to be hugged while he did so, so she could feel the vibrations of his singing in his chest because she found that comforting as well. And then he’d just end up staying the night since she wouldn’t let go of his shirt even while asleep, and let’s be honest, why WOULDN’T he want to cuddle his child the entire night? That’s right, this is one situation that he would not fight to get away from lol. I also imagine her singing him to sleep when she can see he’s exhausted, and making him go lay down at the very least, and her tucking him in for a change.
- The way I’m imagining her from having to stop him from threatening (and going through with) poking people’s eyes out because they look at her wrong or for too long at her debut when she’s 16. WHAT IF HE MADE THE GUESTS WEAR BLINDFOLDS THE ENTIRE TIME LMAOOOO it wouldn’t actually happen in canon, but just imagine. But I think the suggestion would definitely be raised by him though, before some brave soul being like ‘your majesty this is impractical’.
- I’ll put more parent/child headcanons and romance/friendship headcanons here when I think of them.
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Tobirama Senju x Uchiha Reader [M/F]
Title: | Lover's Death |
Chapter 8: "Small Accomplishments"
Summary:
Reader is busy with combat training. And in the most unexpected moment, she gets an opportunity to show what she's learned so far.
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Admiring the sky high above, you wish to be a part of the many clouds throwing shadows onto the towering big trees around you. What a careless and peaceful life you'd be living, free of any kind of worries, a life full of nothingness. Ah yes, that would be careless life.
Another shadow casts over you, but this one doesn't belong to the clouds high up in the sky.
"I thought you wanted me to train you, idiot."
The lightly scolding voice of your friend Akari, compelles your gaze to land on her hovering form above you. You are currently lying on the ground, between a blanket of soft grass and the scent of the many plants around you. A strong fist from your friend had forced your whole body to collide with the ground, you were unprepared. The move she's currently trying to teach you is a counter attack. And even though you've memorized pretty much every single step of it, it's still hard to execute it on a Shinobi as talented your best friend.
Akari has been training you since the early morning, giving you the time she usually spends at training other Shinobi's at the training grounds.
She offered you to join her other students, but you had refused.
You would've felt too intimidated by the sight of unknown faces and their many talents. Besides, you doubt anyone would appreciate your presence there...
"Apparently not." , she says in a mocking manner.
"I do!" you exclaim indignantly and abruptly get to your feet. Regarding her with determination, you get to position, waiting for her attack.
This has been going on for nearly two weeks. She has been training you mercilessly from morning to noon. If it's for the benefit of self defense then Tai-jutsu is ideal for it, she had explained.
Learning the basic skills of combat was surprisingly not a hard task, you have talent, your friend told you proudly. Hearing such encouraging words from her, one of the strongest female Shinobi's in your clan, had made your determination increase positively. You had feared you might be a hopeless case, but being told the opposite spurred you on immensely, compelling you to give even more effort into your training.
In the first week of your training, you gained the ability to awaken the Sharingan on your own will.
Stress was the cause of it's appearance, you came to discover. It happened while being mercilessly attacked by your friend Akari. On your own wish, of course. You wanted to be trained like all the other Shinobi's; mercilessly and earnestly.
You recall your friends expression the moment you were finally able to awaken your ocular prowess on your own will. She was thrilled at the sight of it, making you cringe inwardly.
When it comes to the Sharingan, you don't share her pride in your clans ocular prowess. But having different opinions on it isn't enough to seperate the two of you. Regardless, she had instructed you to use your eyes powers, explaining the benefits of it in a fight. You had listened carefully to her words, taking in every single information she gave you, despite of your reluctance towards the Sharingan. You want to be able to defend yourself, people close to you. And for that you are determined to use any power available.
Remembering your friends words, you awaken your ocular prowess. Legs stretched apart you wait for her to attack.
You train until noon, not once succeeding in seeing your friend on the ground.
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"So, how is your training going?"
Your sensei's gentle eyes flicker between you and the paper's in his hands, currently going through the medical reports of his patients.
Hiroshi sensei was the first person to hear about your intentions of training in combat a few weeks prior. You can still vividly remember the surprised expression upon hearing your announcement. You became a Medic Shinobi in order to avoid a full Shinobi training.
Obviously you couldn't give him the full explanation for your change of mind. You couldn't possibly tell him about the occurrence that had lead to such a drastic change in you. Alone mentioning to him that you entered the forbidden woods would've gotten you in trouble.
So you simply told him that you want to become stronger. That you want to be able to protect others and yourself.
Hiroshi sensei may be an older man, but that didn't stop him from giving you a concerned look and seeing right through your explanation. He knew you were hiding something, but as always, he didn't push you into telling more than you're willing to do.
You also reassured him that your intention wouldn't mean that you would neglect your training by his side. That you are still willing to extend your abilities in medical ninjutsu.
In the end, he had respected your choice and reduced your time in his lectures for your combat training.
Which is why you are currently here, assisting him with his usual paperwork.
"I want to say good, but I have yet to land a decent hit on Akari."
Your sensei snickers at the answer, putting his pencil down to indulge himself more in the conversation.
Over the years of your training your bond with your sensei has grown and you appreciate it. He became something akin to a father figure to you, a person of utmost trust. You enjoy spending time with him, it almost makes you forget all the other villagers disdain towards you, almost.
After a light-hearted dialogue about your combat training the conversation shifts into more serious matters as in the conditions of his patients. You come to the conclusion that with a certain herb their conditions might stabilize. Of course you don't mention your thoughts to the old man, he wouldn't allow you to put yourself at such a risk and enter the forbidden woods where enemies only wait to ambush their targets. Something you had come to witness with your own being...
But your decision is made regardless of your reluctance of returning to the dangerous forest. It has been almost two weeks now without the clan indulging in battle. The possibility of an announcement for the next fight coming from the clan leader is most likely.
So you conclude, it would be smart to handle and have some kind of 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 that would help you in the battlefield.
____________________________________________
"You're an idiot."
You jolt in fear and halt in your movements, abruptly lifting your head. Tobirama is crouched down on a branch of one of the many trees towering around you, watching down on you with a reproachful expression.
You can't stop but give him a meek smile as you feel the tension leaving your body.
"I guess you're right... "
Indeed he is, because entering the woods after being almost murdered in them is definitely not a smart move. But upon spotting the wondrous herbs the moment you came closer to the territory where they sprout, the fear of being attacked slightly vanished and you quickly started to pluck a handful of them.
The silver haired man clicks his tongue at you as soon as you continue gathering more. He jumps down from the tree, landing a few meters opposite from you.
Arms crossed over his chest, his expression doesn't waver, obviously still displeased with your decision of coming back.
"But I must admit, " he starts after a while, his voice compelling you to lift your head, "I thought to see you even sooner."
Does that mean you are less of an idiot in his eyes?
You snicker at his words, your smile widening.
"Well, I've been busy... " you inform him and contine your task by stuffing a few herbs into your bag at your waistband. By doing so, you realize how the trembling in your hands have completely stopped. You feel at ease around the man who not once but twice saved your life.
Tobirama lifts a grey brow at that, a hint of curiosity writing over his features. You raise your head when there is no response coming from him. He is watching you, expectant.
"Oh, ", you halt in your movements and wipe away the dirt from your hands on your robe, " I have been training... In combat."
It is rather strange for him to indulge in a conversation with you. You would've expected him to scold you for being so careless and quickly drive you away from the forest grounds. It seems you are not the only one who starts to feel an odd sensation of comfort in the others presence. Or maybe you're just over thinking things...
"Show me."
You blink a few times, trying to decipher his words.
"I suppose your skills must be good," he holds out a hand your way, you blink at the gesture, "For you to feel confident enough to enter a dangerous territory."
You open your mouth slightly, perplexed. Confusion noticeably dissolving on your features, you slowly take his hand.
Why do you feel like you've just set your own trap?
"Fight me." He clarifies as soon as your standing in front of him.
What?
You're so bewildered by his words you don't even realize that your still holding onto his hand. Quickly you withdraw your arm, taking a few steps back you regard him cautiously.
The corner of his lips start twitching, as if he's able to sense your sudden fear. He seems to be amused by your reaction whereas you're still trying to understand the reason behind such a turn of events.
"N-now?" You stutter out rather smartly and take another step back. "But I just started my training!"
You know Tobirama is strong. He single-handedly took out two grown men in a matter of seconds. You doubt you could win against him in any kind of way!
"Attack me." He orders suddenly, ignoring your words. You watch with wide eyes as he shifts into a defensive posture, waiting for you to strike.
The confusion never leaving your features you quickly try to think of a way to over throw a man with a strength such as Tobirama's. You try to remember the moves your friend has taught you, but your mind is blank. Taking out a kunai from the bag on your waist, you try to calm your nerves. You don't know why you're suddenly acting out his instructions, you guess it happened the moment you saw the seriousness in his piercing red eyes.
But no matter how hard you think, you can't come to any kind of conclusion as in how to over power him. It's just too sudden!
Tobirama narrows his eyes at your lack of movement. "If 𝘺𝘰𝘶 don't make the first step," You watch with big eyes as he changes his posture, "Then I'll be doing it for you."
You shriek when you see him charging towards you and unconsciously squeeze your eyes shut. Immediately realizing your mistake you open them again, they widen at the sight in front of you; Tobirama is no where to be seen.
It's only when you feel a sharp sensation on your throat that you register, he is standing right behind you with a kunai positioned on your throat. Your body is frozen in place, overwhelmed with the Shinobi's speed.
"And...You're dead." He informs you as a matter of factly, his breathe brushes over your ear. You swallow hard, waiting for him to lower his weapon.
"Whoever is training you," he continues. The volume of his tone decreases by each word, the disappointment- and slight irritation, is impossible to overhear. "They're doing it irresponsibly."
Your eyes flash at the insult directed towards your friend. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 may be a slow student but that doesn't make Akari's efforts in training you a failure. Irritation swells in your body at his words, eyes narrowing slightly. You force your breathing to calm down, your senses suddenly working overdrive.
Tobirama must take your calming stature as a sign of surrender because he slowly lowers his kunai from your throat.
With a speed almost comparable to his own, you drop down into a crouching posture. Twisting on spot with a leg spread out, you kick his ankle. Tobirama almost loses his balance, but before he can stabilize his posture you collide your shoulder with his chest. The grey haired man falls down to the ground with a groan, leaves stirring around him.
You straddle his laying body and swiftly point your own kunai towards his throat.
You caught him off guard.
Tobirama's gaze flickers between the kunai at his throat and your eyes. The surprised expression changes on his features and he raises a brow. You watch as the corner of his lip curves upward.
"You don't play fair it seems..."
The sound of his voice makes you blink a few times. You feel as if you're waking up from a trance. Breathing heavily you regard the defeated man under you. The fact that you accomplished the move you had learned from Akari makes you fill with pride. Your face lights up and you give the man beneath you a delighted smile.
"Is there fairness in battle?" You ask, your smile widening.
Tobirama's gaze lands on your curved lips, regarding them intensely.
"I guess you're right... ", he repeats your earlier words.
A chuckle leaving your lips, you slowly put the kunai away and get to your feet. The grey haired man does the same and starts brushing off the leaves stuck on his outfit.
The realization that you didn't even need to awaken your Sharingan hits you suddenly and you're more than satisfied with yourself. It may not be a big accomplishment, but it certainly feels that way for you. You've only been training for almost two weeks, after all.
Your gaze lands on the man in front of you again and you suppress another laugh as you witness a few leaves also stuck on his hair. He raises a brow at your amused expression, ignorant of the disarray at the top of his head.
You close the distance between the two of you and start picking out the dirt and leaves from his hair.
He grunts in acknowledgement after you finish the procedure, his thoughtful gaze lingering on your face.
You're still smiling at him, the fact that you were successful in defending yourself gives you a blissful feeling.
"What about Nin-jutsu training?" He asks suddenly.
Your smile decreases slightly and you tilt your head to the side. "I thought Tai-jutsu would suffice, for now."
Tobirama clicks his tongue at that, obviously displeased with your answer.
"You should train Tai-jutsu and Nin-jutsu, " he suggests as he folds his arms over his chest, "Nin-jutsu is more often utilized in a fight than you might expect."
Raising your brows at that you think about his words. He is right, of course. In fact, people who use Nin-jutsu have more chances of overpowering an opponent, the words of your best friend.
But even if you wanted to train in both subjects, that's just not possible. Akari had mentioned that the training in Nin-jutsu is more time demanding than any other jutsu training. Besides, she barely had time for your training in combat since she is instructing official Shinobi's. You doubt she could afford to give you more time than she already does. Especially for someone who only wants to train for their own benefits. Even if that someone is her best friend.
And you doubt anyone else would be willing enough to train you...
"It must suffice, for now... " you conclude and fold your hands behind your back, your gaze drops down to the ground.
The blissful feeling from earlier vanishes entirely, and a strange feeling of disappointment fills your body. Why, you are not quite sure.
"What's your chakra nature?"
You blink in confusion and lift your head.
Garnet orbs turn surprised, he looks taken aback.
"You don't know your chakra nature?"
The confusion in your features must increase, because the man in front of you sighs in annoyance, palm landing on his face.
"I-i told you, I'm only at the beginning of my training!" You explain sheepishly, heat coloring your cheeks.
Tobirama glances at you through the fingers on his face. Slowly he let's his hand fall down to his side, eyes shifting into thoughtfulness yet again. For a short while he doesn't say anything, gaze fixated on you. It's like he his lookin right through you instead of at you...
You start squirming under his gaze, not sure what to say or do.
"Tomorrow, " he says suddenly, folding his arms over his chest again, "Meet me at this exact same spot, at the exact same hour."
Your eyes widen, mouth opening in bewilderment.
But before you can say a single word, the grey haired man grabs his kunai from the ground and abruptly leaps onto the same branch where he had lingered earlier.
You expect him to vanish between the towering trees around you, but he gives you a glance over the shoulder before doing so.
"I take back my words from earlier." , a slight smile dissolves on his features, "Whoever is teaching you, their work is notable."
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#fan fic update#naruto shippuden#tobirama x reader#tobirama senju#tobirama x y/n#naruto shippuden fic#naruto#naruto fic
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Aww yeahhh time for Kiyo to make his entrance!
I wrote an entire essay about him (again whoops) so it’s very long and under the cut for your viewing pleasure ;)
Kiyo
Age: 29
Hair color: Green
Eye color: Brown
Element: Stars
Kiyo, the Guildmaster of the Asterstone Guild! He only took up the position recently and has had the Guildmaster title for about a year and a half. He was the previous record holder for youngest Guildmaster until that title was stolen by Taku. (Kiyo holds a grudge about it but it’s playful.)
Kiyo, just like lots of other characters in ATS, was taken in by the Asterstone Guild at a young age. He’s similar to Shima in that he has no previous memories before showing up outside the guild one day, battered and bruised. (That marks three characters in this series with amnesia now! Wrow) He grew up under the watchful eye and tutelage of the previous Guildmaster, and because of how attached to him she’d gotten, it wasn’t long before he began to express desires to take over the guild once she retired. After a lot of thought and contemplation she eventually handed over the position to him. This initially resulted in a lot of outrage from the guild members because they did not think Kiyo was suited to be the Guildmaster, but he eventually proved them wrong once he stepped up to the plate and showed them he could act like a true leader!
They did have good reason to be nervous about that, though, as Kiyo is normally a very laid-back and carefree person and is strictly non-violent. This has lead into lots of situations where he’s opted out of fighting, leading his guildmates into lots of trouble when they needed a hand, and they labeled him as both a coward for avoiding necessary battles on missions (which is practically a requirement for a guild member going out on dangerous quests, you sort of have to have a battle prowess to take on any foes) and lazy for not participating when he should. Initially this bothered Kiyo a great deal, but the previous guildmaster assured him that not everybody is suited for battling others, and that he can still pave his own way to success in a non-violent manner. While Kiyo may not have a liking for fighting, he has an extremely smooth tongue and is very capable of talking himself out of sticky situations (mostly by bribing. He is VERY good at that lmao). He has a talent for manipulating others into doing what he wants them to, though he rarely uses this on people he considers friends. When Kiyo’s able to complete a mission and win the day without resorting to using their elemental powers in a fight, his guild members have to stop and think for a second like. Hold on. He just did that so easily, he made it look so simple, we really need to stop underestimating him and calling him totally useless (Kiyo: Hey. HEY).
Kiyo’s pretty close to all of his guildmates despite their constant ribbing—the one person he’s close to that adores him completely is Lacie, because he was the person to bring her into the guild (she was around 10, he was 17), and being the first person to genuinely show her kindness that wasn’t for ulterior motives, Lacie became very attached to him. Kiyo acts like an older brother to her, and Lacie supports him in whatever he does. She was thrilled when he took on the Guildmaster position, and he has a very soft spot for her :’) She always sings his praises to anybody outside who will listen, and gets angry at Emrys the one time he called Kiyo incompetent.
After becoming the guildmaster, Kiyo actually does a good job at taking charge despite the general opinions that he wouldn’t. He’s still very casual about it though and is a bit more flexible with how the guild is run, preferring to let the guild members do things their own way and be less strict about the overall rules. He’s basically got the “Do whatever you want!” and “Just wing it!” outlook, and while a lot of the members don’t like this attitude, a lot of them do. At the end of the day they all do respect him, though! While he isn’t a fighter he’s very good at giving orders and keeping things in check around Asterstone lol
Despite Kiyo’s insistence on staying out of battles, he’s actually an extremely skilled fighter, and is probably the strongest and most dangerous person in the entire guild. The issue with this, though, is that whenever he gets into a fight, he tends to get too “serious” and starts going off the walls, treating the battle as a game and something fun and entertaining. This leads into him not knowing when to stop, and nobody else being able to stop him, so he’s seriously injured other people without meaning to—revealing that he’s actually terrified of violence because he loses himself in it, and why he prefers to stay on the sidelines. It’s only when Kiyo gets really serious in battles that a darker side comes out, and where the star mark in his eye appears. It’s only been seen a few rare times throughout his life at the guild, so nobody really thinks much of it or notices it. It’s only after the star mark appears that Kiyo passes out afterwards, having exerted a lot of power and extremely skilled battle prowess nobody has ever seen before. However, after a grand guild tournament where Kiyo faces off against Taku and gets too into it, revealing his star mark and almost slicing Taku’s head clean off, one of Kiyo’s advisors at the guild starts to look into it out of concern for both Kiyo’s safety and that of others.
In the middle of all this mess, Kiyo meets Toru, and after nearly forcing him to join Asterstone, the two start growing closer 👀 Toru joins the squad of not putting up with Kiyo’s bullshit, but that’s only after he gets over his starstruck fanboy phase. Because Toru is newer to the guild and because he’s a non-elemental not suited for fighting, Kiyo instantly becomes attached to him, finding similarities in their preferences and backgrounds. While Toru does think Kiyo’s an idiot sometimes he treats him very kindly, and is usually the first to defend him when the other members playfully tease him, so Kiyo’s just like you are an angel sent from heaven just for me and I adore you. Still though with Toru being a non-elemental Kiyo stresses about his safety CONSTANTLY, even after Toru gets official training in self defense. If Toru’s in danger Kiyo will blow off literally everything else to go rescue him first, which the other members have to get used to as it happens more often than they’d like akdasbmlads
Later down the line the guild is caught up in something terrible, and find themselves being targeted by a descendant of a great inventor and sorcerer (not Elymas this time tho lol). She’s apparently seeking what’s known as the Velle Nova, and has reason to believe Asterstone is in possession of it. After Kiyo’s forced to fight and unleashes the power behind his star mark, the descendant reveals that Kiyo has the Velle Nova, and then the truth finally comes out…
Kiyo remembers everything about his past. Years ago, his town had been caught up in a great disaster, and he was the only survivor. He was forcibly taken in by several scientists, one of them being the ancestor of the girl descendant. They were attempting to recreate the Velle Nova, one of the great sorcerer Elymas’ inventions, which is said to grant any sort of wish imaginable. They wanted to claim that power for themselves and possess the powers of the universe itself. However every attempt had failed, and without the real Velle Nova they couldn’t achieve what they were after. So they decided to pour all of their research into Kiyo instead, and try to create the weapon inside of a human being. This ended up making a twisted, broken version of what should have been the Velle Nova. But Kiyo couldn’t contain its power—it was going to unravel the universe itself and either destroy everything or alter it tragically into something unimaginable. One of the scientists working with the group realized how awful their experiment was and, being a Time elemental, decided to erase Kiyo’s memories (with some help) and send him centuries into the future so that the rest of the group couldn’t get their hands on him. Hence Kiyo winding up outside of Asterstone with no memories, and the truth behind his star mark. It had been granting Kiyo his wish the whole time—the longing to protect the things he cares about by being able to defeat any threat in his way. Of course with the unstable power that he can’t control, it usually leads into disaster;;
Kiyo, now having recovered his memories, realizes that the same thing is going to happen again, and decides to seal himself off to protect Asterstone and the world before the universe unravels. Cue an epic PMD-esque goodbye scene where he bids farewell to Toru, gives him his trademark scarf, and vanishes, escaping into a dimension between time and space where his power can be contained. *Starts playing I Don’t Want To Say Goodbye*
Toru, absolutely devastated by Kiyo’s farewell, decides he’s going to break time and space to save his man, except there’s one small issue...nobody else remembers that Kiyo even existed, and Toru only managed to by some miracle (and also maybe bc Kiyo handed him his scarf idk some magic soul connection thing). But after a while...a long while, maybe like a year or more...they finally unlock the key to finding Kiyo!!
Toru and Kiyo share a tearful reunion, and Kiyo cries a lot because it had been so lonely sitting in that black hole all by himself for so long. Toru begs Kiyo to come back, and suggests that Kiyo separate himself from the Vella Nova in order to live a normal life, but Kiyo informs him that he and the Vella Nova...are the same. They’re the same combined entity! Kiyo says that if he tries to unfuse, he’ll just end up destroying himself, because there’s nothing to separate, being one singular existence. So Toru points out uh hey since you’re the same thing, don’t you get a say on how your power is used? “It’s your power, Kiyo” yes we’re referencing Tododeku here we go
Kiyo’s like hmm uh yeah I guess you have a point;; so we went through all that for nothing huh. And Toru tells him you’re a fucking moron and Kiyo’s like ahh yes but you loved this moron enough to come rescue him from the void ;) And they kinda sorta confess but not really? Kiyo’s too nervous and Toru’s too distracted trying to figure out how to get them out of there but no worries they sort it out later. Kiyo tells him that hey I’m still dangerous and I could lose control at any given moment and Toru’s just like well I guess we’ll just have to stop you and bring you back to yourself. So with the knowledge that he’s got a whole guild of awesome people backing him up and a boy who broke the laws of the universe to save his ass, Kiyo and Toru escape the rift and finally return home together 💕 And that’s pretty much how their arc ends!
Extra personality traits
-He has a really short attention span so this makes things painfully hard on mission briefings, which leads to Kiyo usually screwing up the mission one way or another
-He often charges ahead without thinking and is the first one to become a target in a bad situation. Nobody really feels bad for him though because most of the time it’s his fault for walking right into it LMAO
-He can be very childish sometimes and most of the time he does it on purpose. His guildmates complain that their leader is a whiny, immature brat
-He is an expert on how to annoy people do not test him oh my god
-He can be incredibly selfish;; He’s gotten better with it during recent years, but he got scorned for it a lot when he was younger. He’s also very emotional, and you can read what he’s thinking like an open book! When his friends can’t read him that’s when they start getting worried.
-He has no experience in romance whatsoever and it’s the one (1) thing that can get him flustered. Nobody at the guild has ever seen Kiyo get mildly embarrassed or caught off guard, so they begin to think it’s impossible to make him blush. Then Toru shows up and ruins everything lmao
-He has a great sense of humor and can always make others laugh! He’s also very mischievous and sometimes plays pranks on other members of his guild.
-He’s very stubborn when he wants something and not in a good way. He also pouts a lot when he gets like this
-He loves his guild and his guild members man :'( If any of them are ever in any real danger he's quick to offer himself up first as a target. He's protective of his friends and will do anything to keep them safe!
-A very very affectionate person. He mostly shows this through physical acts like hugging and generally touching other people. In return he also craves affection and gets very soft when it’s given back to him. I’d probably say he’s a little touch starved despite being in close contact with others all the time lol
#Me: Time for a new OC! *Writes a novel-length essay about their background*#Kiyo#Among the Stars#ATS#Shima's OCs#This took me way too long to write fnaskbldads god#Original character#Character art#Character design#Digital art#Art#Character sheet#Character reference#Shima arts#Long post#shima-draws
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Didyme, Part 2: Something, Something, Plato's Allegory of the Cave
Continuing from here, and we’re doing sub-parts for this bit. I’m genuinely surprised I had this much to say. (And fun fact, I almost lost the entire goddamn post, but fortunately I was copy-pasting into Word just in case. Not today, Satan.)
2.1. What Canon Tells Us
Didyme’s murder by Aro (and with Caius’ apparent assistance, either during or afterwards), is only mentioned on the page in Life and Death, the 10th Anniversary gender-swapped version of Twilight. Edythe/Edward mentions it briefly when discussing the painting of the leaders Carine/Carlisle brought back from Volterra, but it’s just background information with little narrative weight. I bring it up just to highlight Caius’ involvement and knowledge -- I’ll get back to that.
Now, here’s the “canon” backstory we have to work with. Per the illustrated guide, Didyme was Aro’s younger sister, and he turned her at some point after meeting Marcus, Caius, and Athenadora. Interestingly, the Guide doesn’t say anything about Aro returning to Didyme out of brotherly love; apparently he just wanted to see if she would have a powerful gift like his, only to be underwhelmed (”disappointed,” according to his Guide entry) by her actual ability -- she made people happy just by being around them. Then she and Marcus fell in love, sharing “the strongest romantic bond of any of the Volturi” (from Marcus’ Guide entry), and this prompted a suddenly very single Aro to seek out his own mate, Sulpicia. The Guide says Didyme “distracted” Marcus from Aro’s goals, and that the pair eventually made plans to split off on their own, leading Aro to murder Didyme so he could hold onto Marcus and his valuable gift. Although nothing written so far suggests that Aro even liked his sister, the Guide does state that Aro “truly loved her” and that his grief upon killing Didyme was genuine.
Apparently Caius’ role in all is was something Meyer thought up later, because none of the leaders’ Guide entries mention him being in on it. (You can’t see me, but I’m staring pointedly at Part One.)
2.2. Fuck Canon, Actually
(This just seemed like the funniest place for a cut. Continued below~)
I’ll be honest with you, person who’s persistent/unfortunate enough to still be here: very little about this murder scenario makes sense to me. I’m going to start with the “disappointing” nature of Didyme’s gift and that it was supposedly much less useful to Aro than Marcus’, because that’s just...stupid, frankly, and there’s no way Aro would have missed the inherent utility of Didyme’s gift. I don’t even have to read into anything to get this idea -- the Guide itself shows us how useful it is! It says right there in Marcus’ entry that Aro went off to turn Didyme, and returned with his sister, “along with the first members of the guard -- vampires who were drawn to Didyme’s aura of happiness.” That is a direct quote.
Just -- I practically shrieked when I read that. You’re telling me that Didyme’s gift was the stated reason their coven got its first subordinates, and I’m supposed to believe that Aro thought that was disappointing? Fuck off! Fuck off!! Even if Didyme’s happiness aura isn’t as powerful as Corin’s opium haze, well, Aro doesn’t have Corin yet, does he? He has every reason in the world to want to keep Didyme around, drawing other vampires to his cause -- even if most of those vampires aren’t gifted or skilled enough to join the guard, it’s still good PR.
At this early stage in the Volturi’s rise to power, it isn’t a good time to lose Didyme -- or any of his inner coven, really. Yet Aro apparently considered her disposable enough that he killed her. I can’t square this with what we know about Aro: that he’s still coherent despite holding god-knows how many people’s lives in his head; that he’s very intelligent; that he’s cunning, charming, and persuasive. Aro, once he learned they were thinking about leaving, would have tried to talk to Didyme and Marcus and done everything in his power to convince them to stay just a bit longer, until the Volturi’s position was more secure. And maybe he did; the timeline of all this is hazy, but nothing in the Guide suggests that Aro jumped straight to duplicity and murder. Clearly, though, whatever negotiations or arguments he presented failed. So what does their desire to leave the Volturi at this critical stage say about Didyme, or Marcus for that matter?
2.3. What It Says About Didyme and Marcus (Mostly Headcanon)
Brace yourself, because we’re into full headcanon territory now. To follow me, please refer to @therealvinelle ‘s meta about the larger mission of the Volturi and why they’re necessary, because I’m starting from the perspective that the Volturi are ultimately a force working in vampires’ and humans’ favor. While Meyer and the Guide would have you believe that Aro’s just power-hungry, actually looking at the impact of the Volturi and the benefits of enforcing secrecy shows that his broader vision isn’t just world domination, but establishing a world in which vampires and humans can both thrive and endure. There’s no way the rest of the inner coven was unaware of this goal; we know Aro talks a lot, so he’s certainly talked his coven’s ears off about this.
Now, we know very little about Marcus and what he was like before he was all dead inside. Based on what would be a logical balance of personalities, with Aro as lead decision-maker and Caius as ruthless enforcer, it seems likely that Marcus was originally the voice of reason and/or mercy. I also think Marcus would have had a strong sense of duty. The Guide says that Aro was the first friend Marcus had as a vampire, and I believe that Marcus cared about him very much and was committed to the Volturi. I think he would have been genuinely conflicted about leaving, especially considering the stabler, safer world the Volturi have been striving to build, and which they haven’t yet secured. Again, it’s a very bad time for any of the leadership to split off -- but in the end, Marcus and Didyme are going to do it anyway.
What for, though? Why leave? @theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin has an interesting take on that question here: that Didyme saw that she and Marcus would be locked into the Volturi life and a thankless existence for eternity and tried to opt out while she still could. I like it a lot, it’s a great post and that scenario makes sense, but the tone of it feels...too forgiving. Maybe that’s because I’m evil. But the way I see it, given the magnitude of the Volturi’s mission, and its (at best) very tenuous grip on power at the time Marcus and Didyme plan to leave (they haven’t even defeated the Romanians yet), jeopardizing the entire operation so that they can pursue their romance unburdened strikes me as...well, fundamentally selfish on some level, so much that I find myself side-eyeing Didyme and Marcus for it. Although to be clear, it’s not the desire to live their own lives apart from the Volturi that I find selfish, just the timing of their departure.
Honestly, I’d like not to vilify another female character if I don’t have to. Given everything I’ve just said, I see Didyme in much the same way as I see Bella: not a bad person, but someone with definite selfish tendencies. At best, she’s likely short-sighted or naive if she doesn’t see how leaving the Volturi at this stage is fucking them over in a big way. However, I hesitate to read into the happiness aura as a straightforward indication of Didyme’s fundamental goodness; I think she probably was kind, charming, and delightful to be around, hence the nature of her gift -- but that capacity for selfishness is still there. (I’m certain Meyer wants us to take her gift as proof of Didyme’s goodness, to reinforce how evil Aro is for killing her...but I think I’ve made my disdain for what Meyer wants me to think pretty clear.)
2.4. MURDER MOST FOUL
I am not saying it was justifiable or okay for Aro to murder his sister. I’m really not. It’s actually better, from a character standpoint, that it isn’t okay -- that Aro has to carry this with him for the rest of his life while Marcus sits in the throne next to him, reduced to a husk, so that in effect Aro has lost them both after all. It’s got that Greek tragedy element @theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin mentioned in her post. (Even better from that standpoint, the Guide implies that Aro found Chelsea relatively soon after killing Didyme, which compounds the tragedy.) I mean, it’s terrible, and it hurts me because I love Aro, but it’s compelling stuff.
What I am saying is, I can see how their insistence on leaving might have deeply hurt and offended him. And that brings me to my issue with the calculated murder scenario the Guide gives us -- I still think Didyme’s gift is too valuable for Aro to throw away by killing her in cold...venom (or whatever), even as the price for keeping Marcus in the fold. Plus, there’s the fact that Aro does love Didyme, and I imagine her gift makes it very difficult for people to think of harming her...when they’re calm, anyway.
Yeah, the only way I can really see the murder happening is if Aro killed Didyme in the heat of an argument about her leaving, possibly even by accident -- except you can’t accidentally kill a vampire, can you? It’s a very deliberate process wherein you have to dismember them and burn every piece, which also means it probably takes long enough that any irrational, overwhelming rage would wear off before you were done. But now that you’ve started....
I mean, at that point it would certainly be awkward to put your half-rubble sister back together, and Aro would be in a whole other load of shit even if he did. It’s possible, given what we’re told, that Aro could have lashed out and yanked Didyme’s head off before snapping out of it, only to realize that his sole option now is to finish the job. If he doesn’t kill Didyme now, she and Marcus won’t just leave, they’ll be sworn enemies of Aro from then on. And thanks to Didyme’s gift being the draw for a lot of the guard, and the inherently bad look of a leader who would brutally attack his own sister, a chunk of the guard would probably leave with them, destroying Aro’s plans. No, the only way to salvage it is to follow through.
Then Aro has to call in Caius for help with the cover-up, because it wasn’t actually planned and it’s just pure luck that no one walked in on the murder as it was happening.
And maybe Aro learns a hard lesson about learning to let people walk away, leaving the possibility open that they could be drawn in again. Because if Aro had just waited, he would have found Chelsea, and with her gift he could have had Marcus and Didyme back again.
Assuming everything didn’t fall apart as soon as they left, of course. But that’s a whole other what-if scenario.
#and those are my thoughts on didyme#...mostly#but i need a break now#twilight#twilight renaissance#twilight meta#i stared too long and the twilight abyss gazed back#didyme volturi#aro volturi#marcus volturi#sources cited:#therealvinelle#theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin#i'm going to go lie down
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More than a Match
Felix Graham de Vanily is back in Paris for the summer, determined to make amends with his cousin. While standing in for Adrien at a photoshoot, he has to deal with a most disagreeable character by the name of Lila.
Unstoppable force, meet immovable object. There can only be one winner here, and Felix is not about to lose.
links in the reblog
Felix Graham de Vanily was more than a little apprehensive about returning to Paris for his mom's summer movie shoot, and for good reason.
The last time that he was in the city, he had caused no small amount of chaos. He had threatened his relationship with Adrien over a (in retrospect) petty, poorly-considered attempt at revenge- how badly their friendship had been damaged really remained to be seen- and gotten off on the wrong foot with all of Adrien's friends, which could make finding people to hang out with more than a little difficult. During that same revenge attempt, he had truly behaved poorly towards one of the city's superheroes, and he would have to try to apologize for it if he could get close to the superheroes again without endangering his life. On top of that, he had palmed his uncle's ring, which- well, was it really stealing when Mr. Agreste had gotten them through less-than-honest means in the first place?- with the full expectation that it would be at least a year before he and his mom returned to Paris, so his uncle might have simmered down by then.
It hadn't been anywhere near a full year yet. His uncle would no doubt still be furious about the retrieval of the ring, and so Felix had to be very careful with it.
Right now, that meant wearing the ring on a strong chain around his neck, hidden under his shirt. If he was going to be spending more than the odd minute here or there in the Agreste mansion, he and his mom might end up looking into getting a safe box for them to lock the ring up in, so that his uncle wouldn't steal it back.
"Don't let on that you're nervous," his mom coached as their train pulled into the Paris stop. "Be confident, don't react to questions about the rings. With a little luck, perhaps your uncle will assume that he misplaced it. Emilie always said that he would mess with his ring when he was designing and she was worried that he'd end up taking it off and misplacing it for good. He's already called me once demanding the ring back and I told him that we didn't have it and maybe he had just lost it."
Which meant that Felix could just act bored about the accusation instead of being surprised. That was useful information.
"I also got us an apartment that's a bit further outside of the city center," his mom continued after a moment. "Both to stay out of the way of the majority of the akuma attacks, and to give us some space from your uncle. We're near a subway line, though, so it'll be easy enough to go and visit."
Felix nodded. His mom had already mentioned that, and he knew that there was a third reason, too: apartments of a decent size close to the city center were expensive. Their family might be wealthy, but (largely due to his father's influence, Felix suspected) they still had never be people to throw money around without due consideration first. "But Uncle Gabriel won't bother to come out and bug us?"
"Of course not. When was the last time that he left that house of his? And if he does- well, I have no problems with kicking up a legal stink. Gabriel would do well to remember that the only reason he has connections to the Mayor's family is because of Emilie and I, so he has no advantage there." Amelie sniffed. "Not that he'll bother to remember that. If anyone asks him, I'm sure he would say that he worked himself up from nothing and made all of his connections himself with his superior bargaining skills."
"Ah, yes, the scowling and yelling and refusing to meet in person is very persuasive, I had forgotten."
Amelie laughed. "Yes, exactly. Emilie was the one who handled more of the PR and meetings with investors, really. If Gabriel had been trying to do it himself, he would have failed miserably." She shrugged, turning back to him with a large smile. "Don't let your uncle ruin your summer, Felix. He roars and rages a lot, but he's always been all bark and no bite."
Felix nodded, taking a steadying breath as the train came to a complete stop and they got up, reaching for their bags. "Right. Of course."
Somehow, he got the impression that that would be easier said than done.
Really, it- it wasn't as terrible as Felix had thought. The summer had started out slowly- he had seen Adrien at dinner shortly after arriving in Paris, and then Felix had spent a week and a half entertaining himself while his mom started filming on the movie and his cousin finished up his school year.
It wasn't bad, really. He found a small bookstore that was cool and quiet, and he settled down there in a corner to read. It was nice and it was peaceful.
Alas, it was not to last. His mom expected that he would go hang out with Adrien, and so... Felix did. The first three times that he went over, the two of them simply hung out in Adrien's room for part of the day and played some of the video games that Adrien had around. His cousin seemed on high alert at first- Felix certainly noticed fewer things lying around his room, and there were several things with locks on them that hadn't had locks before- but willing enough to try again. By day three, their conversations were far more relaxed, and Adrien spent nearly an hour telling Felix about all of his friends. He wasn't bragging about having them, Felix could tell, but was just genuinely happy to have them and wanted to share that with him.
...unfortunately, Felix knew that it was more likely than not that a large number of Adrien's friends would not be very thrilled to meet him. He had not made a particularly good first impression, to say the least, and they- unlike Adrien- had not had any other interactions with him to go by. Felix didn't resent them for their judgement of him (after all, he rather deserved it, he could admit that much) but it would make meeting them a bit awkward, particularly if Adrien hadn't had a chance to mention how things were going now first.
Or if Felix hadn't done anything obvious to make amends for his earlier behavior. Thankfully, an opportunity to both put off the inevitable meeting and to make things up to Adrien properly practically fell in his lap after Nathalie scheduled a photoshoot right when Adrien was hoping to get together with his friends.
Or, rather, when Adrien had put a meet-up with his friends on his schedule and Nathalie deleted it last-minute to replace it with yet another photoshoot, because apparently she didn't know the meaning of fun. Or being nice, or kindness, or not being a terrible human being, really.
"Are- are you sure that you want to model, Felix? It's not exactly the most fun thing in the world."
Felix nodded resolutely, glancing towards his cousin's door and hoping that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. "You want to be with your friends, and I would like to make a good impression this time around before meeting them anyway. It's no big deal. I can sit and make clothes look good for an hour or two."
At last, Adrien nodded in agreement. "I- okay, if you're sure. I'll text you the time and location, so you have it, and-"
"Won't your bodyguard be expecting to drive you there?"
Adrien paused. "...oh. Oh, yeah."
Felix tried not to sigh. Oh, yes was right. Clearly logistics weren't his cousin's strongest point.
"Well, I can ask him to bring me there early, so that I can have some time to relax in the park!" Adrien said after a moment's thought. "And then we can meet and swap outfits there- or I'll bring an extra, actually, it'll be less hassle. It'll be harder for me to get to Marinette's place from there, but I'll manage it. There's a bus line nearby that'll get me close enough."
"Your father actually lets you out enough for you to know how to take the bus?" Felix inquired, unable to help feeling a little incredulous. His cousin hadn't been allowed to walk to his collège, which was only a few mere blocks away, so he had assumed that his uncle had required use of the chauffeured car for all of his other travel. "Count me impressed."
A quick grin flashed across Adrien's face. "He doesn't let me out, exactly. I tend to sneak out. And then, of course, I need to know how to get where I'm going fast, or else I'll get picked up by the Gorilla right away before I have a proper chance of escape."
...that was just sad.
"Anyway, I should probably coach you if we're actually going to do this. You know, give you some pointers and all. Uh." Adrien twisted his ring around, glancing up at the ceiling as though that was going to help him any. "Um."
Felix rolled his eyes. "I hardly think that I'll need extensive coaching to be able to sit in front of a camera and pose."
"Yes, but-"
"Will I need to know several dozen poses to do in rapid-fire succession? I've heard that some models do that."
Adrien sighed. "No, Simon prefers to take more organic shots. I've been learning the fast poses on my own, in case I ever get a photographer who needs that or if I end up branching out and start modeling for catalogues instead of just ads, but Father prefers Simon's artistic vision. So he'll tell you what he wants in general, then give tweaks. Like, there's some moving my head around, maybe, but..." He trailed off, shrugging.
Well. If Felix actually needed any advice to pass off as Adrien during the photoshoot, he was pretty certain that he would be more or less out of luck. With advice like that, it would be a wonder if he wasn't left completely unprepared when he arrived.
"I've not had, like, professional training as a model or anything," Adrien added after a moment. "It's all been informal, which is maybe a bit unusual considering what father's like the rest of the time, but maybe it's good for publicity somehow or something." He shrugged, looking remarkably unbothered by the prospect of his father basing his decision on how to treat Adrien during photoshoots on what would sell best. "So just listen to Simon and don't forget to look towards the camera unless he tells you otherwise, and don't be too stiff but don't slouch, either, and-"
Felix tried not to sigh.
"If- if Lila's there, just- ugh. Just don't agree to anything she says, and- well, she still tries to lie to me all the time, even though I know better than to trust anything she says. She loves manipulating people, so..."
Adrien's comment about his sometimes-coworker- probably the most intriguing and useful part of his "advice" for the photoshoot once he actually managed to think of something to say- ran through Felix's head as he arrived at the site for the photoshoot, a lovely little park in a less busy part of the city. This Lila character sounded like trouble, and he wasn't much interested in trouble. Or in being manipulated, for that matter.
How very fortunate, then, that Felix had more than a little experience with manipulation. He would be able to spot any attempts coming from a mile away. From what Felix could gather, this Lila person was a sloppy manipulator at best, relying on flashy stories and crocodile tears to keep her influence. They were things that would perhaps work in the short term but would wear off and become ineffective in the long run, particularly once people started picking up on inconsistencies. Eventually, things would backfire on her, and then she would be left alone and hated.
Felix preferred more subtle manipulation, and (unless he was not thinking clearly) only when a situation warranted it. A little nudge here and there to increase the odds of things going his way was rather different than Lila's graceless shoves to make everything go her way, to get the kind of popularity that Lila clearly wanted. His technique was sustainable- after all, infrequent manipulations were less likely to be picked up on- while hers was not.
His cousin hadn't really said much about Lila other than to mention that she might be there and to not fall for her lies, but Felix already disliked her.
"Felix! You got here all right, good!"
Felix pushed away his thoughts and smiled as Adrien ran up. He had a bag slung over his shoulder, presumably with an identical outfit to the one that he was wearing. "Yes, I've had sufficient down time to figure out the system. It wasn't hard to puzzle out."
"Oh, great." Adrien glanced around, clearly making sure that he wasn't being followed, and then passed his bag off to Felix after pulling a smaller bag out from inside of it. "I have an identical outfit in here. Are you good, or...?"
"I'll be fine," Felix assured him. "Go on, go hang out with your friends." He paused and considered Adrien. "Ah, are you going to wear a disguise or something? You know, in case anyone takes pictures of you and posts them?"
Adrien nodded, pulling- surprise, surprise- a baseball hat and a large pair of sunglasses out of his bag. "Yeah, this will work fine! There's plenty of guys in France with blond hair, so as long as my hair isn't visible and they can't see all of my face..."
Felix hoped, for Adrien's sake, that that actually somehow worked and he didn't run into any of his more fanatical fans. Maybe the most basic of disguises would work against most of the population, but there were a few weirdos who probably prided themselves on being able to identify his cousin with the smallest of clues.
"Anyway, hopefully it'll work," Adrien finished after a moment's pause. He glanced back at Felix. "Are you sure you're good?"
"Positive. Go."
Adrien went. Felix watched him for a minute, then made a beeline for the public restrooms building that he had seen earlier. He hated the idea of changing in it, truth be told, but he hardly had a choice.
...well, maybe he could have coordinated outfits with Adrien yesterday and only had to fiddle with his hairstyle at the park instead, but hindsight was 20/20.
Despite Felix's worries, the bathrooms weren't bad at all. He changed quickly and did a fast brushing of his hair into Adrien's hairstyle- it was a little difficult to account for the difference in their hair length in a few places, but he managed it well enough- before leaving the restroom and tracking down the plaza where the photoshoot would be taking place. It was a fairly basic set-up, honestly- a small trailer with the outfits to be worn in it, an equally small tent for changing, a couple chairs for touch-ups to makeup and hair with a screen nearby to block the wind. A few things for lighting and the photography equipment were scattered around, but otherwise it was incredibly minimal.
He had to wonder what normal shoots- ones that weren't solely for the boss's son- looked like. Surely not everything that Gabriel did was so low-budget.
"Ah, Adrien, you're on time- early, even!" A man with a camera hanging around his neck- Simon, Felix assumed- appeared behind him, clapping him on the shoulder and making Felix startle. He chuckled. "That's a nice change from the past couple shoots, hmm?"
Felix only nodded, not sure what to say. In all honesty, he hadn't been expecting the photoshoot's staff to be talking to him much, other than to issue directions for the shoot itself. If he had known that they were likely to be chatty, he would have asked Adrien more questions.
Thankfully, Simon seemed willing enough to move on, immediately turning to the job at hand. The first outfit that "Adrien" was supposed to wear was already in the tent, so if he could just go ahead and change so that they could get started...
Felix was more than willing to comply. The sooner they started, then maybe the sooner they would finish. And while Felix didn't exactly have anything else that he wanted to do- hanging out at his cousin's house while Adrien wasn't there didn't sound like fun, nor was he particularly interested in crashing Adrien's friends' get-together- it was hot outside and changing into a dozen different outfits in quick succession and getting poked and prodded at wasn't Felix's idea of a good time.
Three outfits in, and Felix noticed a girl lingering around the edges of the photoshoot area. She wasn't getting shooed off by security, which meant that it was incredibly likely that she was meant to be there. And sure enough, a minute later, the girl headed into the second half of the changing tent.
That must be the Lila that Adrien had warned him about. Felix had rather hoped that he would get lucky and not have to deal with the liar, but apparently luck wasn't on his side today.
Or was it? Felix gave that a minute's thought. He had been a bit bored thus far, and doing a bit of manipulative sparring might be just the thing to spice up his afternoon. Little Miss Terror wouldn't be expecting it- after all, Felix didn't doubt that Adrien's approach to Lila was rather on the tepid side- and it might be amusing to throw her off her game. Going too far might alert her to the fact that he wasn't actually Adrien, though, and she might tattle, so that added another level of complexity, another thing to think about.
He was so busy trying to figure out how strong he would want to come off that he completely missed Lila snaking up behind him until thin arms slid around him in an entirely unexpected (and unwelcome) hug.
"Adrien! I'm so happy that we get to work together again!" Lila cooed, leaning forward to try to press a kiss to Felix's cheek. She missed when he dodged, just enough to get out of her path but not so far that it would look obvious. Lila pouted, but didn't make more of a fuss. "Aren't you?"
"Mmhmm," Felix murmured noncommittally, disengaging himself from Lila's groping hold smoothly to step away and move into the next pose that Simon had wanted. Lila was forced to back off for the remainder of Felix's solo shots, and then he could escape into the tent to change while she did a few solo shots of her own.
And then came the duo shots, aka the absolute longest forty-five minutes of Felix's life.
(Well. Okay, maybe there had been some other instances when time had stretched out far longer, but as far as normal everyday situations went- well, then this ranked waaay up there.)
Things had gone smoothly when Felix was on his own. Despite never having done photoshoots before- or at least clothing photoshoots, he had posed for a few family portraits over the year- he had gotten the hang of it right away. He followed Simon's instructions with little need for further correction, and the photographer had been beaming.
With Lila added to the mix, though? All of that was completely shot. She was completely unprofessional, and quite handsy to boot. Felix managed to get away from her hands most of the time, dodging where he could and stepping smoothly away to make it look natural, but it was absolutely aggravating.
Thankfully, he got a bit of a reprieve when he loudly complained that she had wrinkled the sleeve of the light coat that he was modeling with her vice grip on his arm and she got scolded.
Unfortunately, that reprieve only lasted for five minutes before she was right back at it. She didn't hold on nearly as tight as before when he had longer sleeves on, sure, but other than that there was no real change. If anything, she was brushing her hands over his shoulders and arms more often than before.
Needless to say, by the time the last picture of the last set of clothes had been snapped, Felix was more than eager to be done, change back to his- well, Adrien's- normal clothes, and be rid of the Italian pest for good.
But Lila clearly had other ideas.
"Oh, I think we could pose for a few more minutes, don't you, Adrien?" Lila purred, fluttering her eyelashes at him. Felix could see where her fake eyelashes were starting to come detached. Clearly she had no idea how to apply them correctly, considering that they had been crooked to start with. "Maybe some, ah, closer poses? Oh! I know! Summer romance always sells, right?"
Felix raised an unimpressed eyebrow. Slick, she was not. Her attempts at manipulation couldn't be any more heavy-handed. Or more distasteful. "I'll pass on that, thanks."
Lila's pout grew. "You don't want to? I think it would be fun! I thought that we were friends." The last word was bitten out with a bit of an edge to it, an unspoken threat. Felix had no idea what it was meant to be.
Forget his cousin coaching him about modeling, clearly Felix had needed more insider info on how to interact with Adrien's friends and classmates.
"It is far too hot outside to be close to anyone," Felix countered tartly, refusing to let himself pause in the conversation. "We have a number of photos already. I see no need to risk heat stroke for more. Additionally, this is a clothes company, not a manufacturer of cheap romance novels, and there was nothing about summer romance in the shoot briefings."
Lila's eyes narrowed. Felix refused to back down.
"Adrien is right," Simon said, glancing over his notes. "And if the shoot goes much longer, we'll go into overtime, and Mr. Agreste hates that. It costs the company money, you know. So we're done for the day. Thank you for your work."
Felix murmured a quick thank-you in return. Lila looked as though she had maybe swallowed a lemon. Before she could recover and come up with a new ploy, Felix turned and strode off to the changing tent to switch back into Adrien's normal outfit as fast as he could.
He made sure to keep a suspicious eye out for any unusual ripples in the fabric of the tent. Felix didn't trust Lila to not try to sneak a peek of him changing. She seemed to have a complete lack of respect for normal boundaries and more than a slight fixation on him (or, rather, his cousin), so Felix wouldn't put it past her to try to look or even snap a picture.
A picture would probably be the more appealing option to Lila, if he was reading her right. Properly hidden so that no one else would discover that she had it, it would make valuable blackmail to get Adrien to play along with her little games.
One final change later, Felix exited the tent to see Lila talking with Nathalie. From the look of it, she had been the one to approach Nathalie rather than the other way around- after all, Nathalie had been standing in the same spot for most of the shoot- and she seemed to be trying to persuade Nathalie of something. And- odder yet- Nathalie actually seemed to be listening.
Felix frowned at that. Nathalie actually listening to someone who wasn't her boss? That was unusual, not to mention incredibly suspicious- and so was the entire inclusion of Lila in the Gabriel photoshoots, honestly. Why would Nathalie- and by natural extension, Mr. Agreste- want to bother working with someone like Lila? She was hardly a talented model. Even though she had had more experience with photoshoots than Felix had, and it was Felix's first time modeling to boot, she had needed more direction (and redirection) than he had. She rarely did exactly as the photographer asked, particularly with several shots alongside "Adrien". She preferred making her poses more flirty and having her hands on "Adrien" whenever she could, even arguing with the photographer about the poses he wanted. Lila was hardly any great beauty, either, and her atrocious hairstyle wasn't doing her any favors. And she was hardly rich or famous to start with, despite what she reportedly liked claiming.
Surely Mr. Agreste and Nathalie wouldn't fall for her lies. Maybe they weren't the sharpest tools in the shed, but they had enough experience to navigate what his father had always referred to as shark-infested waters of the business world. They should be able to pick up on the lies and manipulation without a problem.
...so why was she here? What was Mr. Agreste getting out of their arrangement? Besides higher bills from photoshoot staff because of Lila holding things up, of course.
Felix didn't like this. Not at all.
Nathalie finally nodded, making a note on her tablet, and then she and Lila parted ways. Felix glanced away at once- he didn't want to appear to be inviting her over, after all, he had already had more than enough of her for the day- but he could see her making a beeline for him regardless. Felix deliberately stepped away, headed for Adrien's bodyguard. He would very much prefer to go back to the house now, but Lila was faster.
Faster, and had very sharp nails.
"Surely you weren't about to run off without saying good-bye?" Lila crooned, her voice so sickly sweet that it nearly made Felix gag. "How rude."
"If you put holes in this shirt with your nails, my father will hear about it," Felix warned her instead of replying with a cutting comment about how hypocritical it was of her to call anyone rude. Lila only scoffed and tightened her hold, ignoring his words just as he had ignored hers.
"I feel like you're forgetting about our arrangement, Adrien." Lila's voice had dropped to a hiss. "Or do you want everyone to turn on Marinette, hmm? Think about it."
She didn't give him a chance to respond before giving his arm another painful squeeze and flouncing away, trailing her fingers across his chest as she went. It was probably just as well that she left, really, because Felix really wasn't sure what to say about that.
What kind of arrangement his cousin had with that wretched girl, Felix didn't know, but he didn't doubt that it was neither a good one nor a smart one. Considering that it apparently involved threats against one of Adrien's friends- the friend Adrien had gushed about the most over the past couple of days, coincidentally- there really was no way that it could be a good arrangement.
He brought it up with his mom that night, bringing up the fact that Adrien had thought to warn him about Lila and her lies, but he hadn't mentioned the harassment- the sexual harassment, really, considering the fact that Lila had tried to kiss him and rub her hands all over his chest- that was clearly normal for her interactions with him. That seemed like a rather important thing to mention, and the fact that he hadn't...
"Adrien's probably been raised not to raise a fuss," his mom said once she was done ranting and raving about shameless harlots and the adults who enabled them. "Or- you mentioned some sort of deal. Adrien might have decided the best way to protect his other friend was by just tolerating this monster, because no one's taught him better."
Felix blinked. He had heard his mom criticize her sister before, but not since her disappearance. It was a bit strange to hear, honestly, no matter how the indirect the criticism was, but he wasn't going to point it out.
"Emilie wouldn't want someone harassing Adrien," Amelie said after a minute of angry muttering under her breath. "I'm sure she would have taught him about exceptions to the whole politeness rule after he started attending school and running into less savory people. And she would want me to step in now." Her fingers started tapping against the table, an angry staccato as she thought. After a couple minutes, she spun to face Felix with an eager clap of her hands.
Felix, who was more than used to this sort of behavior by now and who had resumed eating his dinner while she thought, merely raised an eyebrow and set his fork back down on his plate neatly.
"You said that Adrien has regular photoshoots with this girl, correct?" Amelie asked eagerly. Felix nodded at once, raising an eyebrow at how hopeful his mom sounded.
"Yeah. And he mentioned that the start of his summers always has a higher concentration of photoshoots, to make up for not having them during exams and studying. That's why I offered to go for him today, because he's been kept so busy that he's not been able to see his friends. And because he had scheduled something with his friends, and then Nathalie just knocked it off of his schedule to put the photoshoot there instead and that didn't seem fair."
Amelie muttered something uncomplimentary about that, too, then her determined expression returned. "Well, that works in our favor. Tell Adrien that you'll do his next photoshoot, too- if you're willing to, of course," she added hastily. "And then I want you to tell this girl no. Tell her to back off. Enforce your boundaries- which I know you're good at doing."
Felix hesitated. He could see where his mom was going with her plan and why it would make more sense for him to be the one to confront Lila instead of Adrien, but- well, another Lila-filled photoshoot really wasn't that appealing.
But it sounded like he wouldn't have to deal with Lila's nonsense this time and could cut it off like he normally would, abrupt and sharp. He could see her downfall in person, see her expression go from overconfident to uncertain to crushed.
Maybe it was a bit petty and vindictive of him, but... well, Felix was a bit petty and vindictive, so what.
So he nodded. "I can do that."
Amelie lit up, clearly excited. "If I'm reading this girl right from what you've said, your no will mean next to nothing to her and she'll persist. To press charges and win, we'll probably need audio- and I can set you up with something that can hide under your clothes without showing."
Felix couldn't help the grin that flashed across his face. "Very nice."
"If my schedule allows, I'll be there too," his mom added. "As close by as I can be, so I can step in as needed. If Nathalie thinks that she'll be telling Adrien- you- to simply endure the harassment, she has another think coming."
"I like that," Felix said at once. "I mean, I don't like the idea of having to tolerate any more of Lila's company, but I can do it."
"Fantastic." Amelie leaned forward, her eyes narrowed in concentration. "Now, as for the rest of the plan..."
Convincing Adrien to let Felix take over for his next photoshoot was easier said than done, particularly after Felix told him about the brief face-off that he and Lila had had after the photoshoot. Adrien wanted to step in and work to smooth things over before Lila could lash out at Marinette in retribution, but Felix pointed out that Lila wouldn't be able to lash out at Marinette if Felix carried out the photoshoot like his mom wanted him to. She would be completely and thoroughly discredited, and if she turned into an akuma for it- well, so what? Better her than Marinette, surely, or Adrien.
Adrien hadn't considered that, obviously. After another moment's consideration, and the reassurance that it was Amelie's plan and not Felix's, he had given in and sent a screenshot of his photoshoot schedule to Felix so that he could show his mom and they could plan. Thankfully the next photoshoot wasn't too far out, so Adrien might not have to deal with keeping Lila happy in the meantime so that she wouldn't try to smear Marinette's reputation.
(Apparently Marinette was the only one of Adrien's friends who had been told about Felix's stepping in for a photoshoot thus far, and the only one told about Felix's plan to knock Lila back. He hadn't seen her again in person, but from what Adrien told him, Marinette had already forgiven Felix for the fiasco he had caused during his previous time in Paris.)
(Marinette was also the person that Adrien was going to be spending his time with while Felix was doing the photoshoot. Apparently most of his other friends were going to be busy, but Marinette wasn't, and she had been plenty happy to spend some time with Adrien.
Adrien had been pleasantly surprised by that, since he had been sure that she would be busy, too, but Felix hadn't been. After all, Marinette was in love with Adrien, wasn't she? Of course she would make time to spend with Adrien, that shouldn't have been a surprise.
Or had she not confessed to Adrien again in the months since Felix was last in Paris? He would have thought that she would have.)
"Remember to turn the recorder on," Amelie reminded him as they pulled up near the school, where Adrien was finishing up with a fencing lesson. He and Adrien were hoping to make the swap earlier than they had the previous time, since the photoshoot was pretty much right after Adrien's fencing lesson got out and it would be hard for them to swap without risking someone noticing. "And be very clear vocally about your objections, so that the recorder will pick them all up."
"Will we be able to use the recordings, do you think?" Felix asked, a thought occurring to him last-minute. "Or is it against the law here? I think it's fine back at home, but…"
"I'll deal with it if there's any legal issues," Amelie assured him. "I have connections, and I'm not afraid to use them."
That didn't quite answer Felix's question, but he supposed that it was as good of an answer as any. With one last check to make sure that he looked like Adrien and had everything he needed, Felix hopped out of the car and slipped into the school, making his way to the locker rooms. The fencers were finishing up their last matches, so it was easy enough for Felix to head to the bathrooms and text Adrien to make sure that he would know to come into the bathrooms, too. They wouldn't see each other face-to-face before the photoshoot- after all, Adrien's teammates might question how he had somehow doubled himself if they ran into the two of them in the bathroom- but it would make the trade much easier.
It wasn't long at all before Felix heard someone else enter the bathroom. He straightened in his stall, listening closely and keeping an eye on his phone. That could be Adrien, but it could just as easily be one of his teammates.
Luck was on his side. His phone buzzed, and a message lit up the screen.
Adrien: In the bathroom. Left my fencing bag on the chair near the door- you can take it so that the Gorilla doesn't wonder where I left it.
Felix nodded and shot back a quick message.
Right. See you later.
After another pause, Felix stepped out of his stall, heading for the sinks and washing his hands before claiming the fencing bag that was sitting on the somewhat out-of-place chair near the door. One glance- or rather, one whiff- inside assured him that it was Adrien's bag, and so Felix slung it over his shoulder before heading out into the locker rooms. A few good-byes to Adrien's teammates later and Felix was in Adrien's car, being whisked efficiently away by his bodyguard to the photoshoot.
Trade-off: smooth as butter.
Now that he had been to a photoshoot once, there was far less hesitation in Felix's step as he headed into the small tent to change, then out to hair and make-up for a touch-up. He had to wonder why Mr. Agreste would schedule a photoshoot for right after fencing in the first place as the stylists teased his hair to perfection. Surely the real Adrien's hair would be sweaty and messy after fencing and it would have made more sense for him to have some time for a shower first?
Maybe this was a one-off thing, just happening because they were trying to catch up on photoshoots after exams and they also had to work around Lila's schedule. If she even had one, that was. Something made Felix guess that Lila simply spent a lot of time holed up in her room, scheming and plotting. Maybe she pretended that she had a packed schedule in front of her friends, but in reality...
Well, one had to be really uninteresting to go to the same amount of effort that Lila was to get attention, and that generally suggested a lack of real activities to do.
Just like the previous time, the photoshoot started with individual shots. Felix went through the motions, posing and adjusting his expression as requested. It all went very smoothly...
...and then Lila showed up.
While Lila did her first individual shoot and Felix changed into his next outfit, he pulled the recorder that his mom had given him out. It was small and discreet, easy enough to hide until his shirt or in a pocket without creating any lumps. He got it set up to start recording, then headed outside, resigned to at least a few minutes of dealing with Lila and her grabby hands.
And as expected, Lila started clinging to him the second that Felix got back outside.
"Positions, please!" Simon called. "I want you back to back, but not quite touching, just next to each other-"
"Don't you think that we should be closer, though?" Lila asked immediately, wrapping her hands around Felix's bicep. "We could play a couple!"
"Not for these outfits," Simon told her. "Backs to each other, please-"
"Oh, but I think-"
"I think my sleeve is getting wrinkled," Felix commented, trying to step away from Lila. "And if you don't let go, you're going to bruise my arm."
Lila scowled and finally released him. Felix readjusted his shirt- there were no wrinkles, of course, the lovely light fabric that the shirt was made out of wasn't the type to get creased up by a minute's clinging- and then slid easily into position.
"Good, Adrien, perfect!" Simon called. "Lila- no, not like that, I want your arms crossed- if you stand like that, it looks like you're trying to cop a feel, and no one wants that."
...Felix wasn't even surprised.
The next few shots went the same way. Lila was clingy, but not as incredibly forward as she had been at the end of the previous shoot. Maybe getting her off required several reprimands and comments about how she was messing up his outfit, but she did get off. Eventually.
And then they changed outfits again, and Simon consulted his shot sheet. His eyebrows raised, and then he glanced between Felix and Lila. "The top suggested theme for these outfits is, ah, summer romance."
Felix blinked. That... was not what he was expecting. It sounded like something that Lila would have suggested, not something that Adrien's stick-in-the-mud father or his secretary would come up with.
And then it hit him like a brick. He would bet anything that this was what Lila had been talking to Nathalie about at the previous photoshoot. She had been the one pushing and pushing for a 'Summer Romance" theme for an excuse to get close to him in the previous shoot, and now she had gotten it.
"Oh, that's lovely, isn't it, Adrien?" Lila trilled. She attached herself to his arm, plastering herself against his side. "There's so much to work with there! Hugs, kisses- we'll be so cute together!"
"I'm not comfortable with that," Felix said at once, looking to Simon. "You said that was a suggested theme. Would it be possible to go with another theme?"
Simon nodded, referencing his sheet. "Yes, of course. One of the other suggestions was-"
"Oh, I think we should at least try it!" Lila insisted. Her grip got tighter, and her nails dug in. "Here, let's just start now and not overthink it!"
With that, she bounced up on her toes and tried to press a kiss to Felix's cheek, aiming for close to his mouth. Felix leaned back as fast as he could, dodging her completely in one quick movement.
Maybe he had complained about taking gymnastics as a child, but sometimes it really did come in handy. Perhaps he should consider picking it back up again.
"I'm not comfortable with that," Felix told her clearly, ignoring Lila's scowl and the way her nails dug in even deeper. "And since I said no, we're not doing it."
"Well, I want to!" Lila insisted. "Come on, Adrien! We're friends, aren't we?"
There was that edge again. This time, Felix knew what it meant: by the time the photoshoot ended, she was probably going to start her attacks on Marinette's character. It was an attempt to bring Adrien back under her control.
Too bad she was dealing with Felix, not Adrien.
"That doesn't mean that I'm comfortable doing romantic shots," Felix said firmly. "Particularly if you're going to try to spring unwanted kisses on me. Now kindly let go of my arm. Your nails are digging in."
A scowl flashed across Lila's face before she pasted on her happy face again. "How can you know that you aren't comfortable with it until you've tried it? At least a few shots-"
"Remove your fingers from my arm or I will remove them for you."
Lila's grip only got tighter. "Stop complaining, I'm hardly-"
Felix didn't let her finish. Before she could break any more skin, he grabbed two of her fingers and bent them back sharply. They gave with a (satisfying, Felix had to admit) crack, and Lila snatched her hands back with a cry.
"My fingers!"
"I told you to let go," Felix told her tartly, stepping away and rolling up his shirt sleeve to reveal the dents and cuts from Lila's nails. "Simon, would you mind snapping a picture of this? I have a photo from when she did this during the last photoshoot, but this is far worse."
Simon nodded at once, getting in close and snapping photos from all angles. Across the way, Nathalie finally noticed the commotion and hustled over, glancing between Felix and the sobbing Lila.
For once, Felix was willing to bet that the tears weren't fake.
"He broke my fingers!" Lila sobbed, clutching her hand close to her chest. "Adrien, I can't believe that you would be so mean-"
"Nathalie, I think you should look at this," Simon told Nathalie, pulling her over next to Felix. "Adrien has commented numerous times during photoshoots that Lila is holding on to his arm too hard. He asked her to let go several times in a row before he pulled her off, and- well, I can't blame him, she's drawn blood."
Nathalie's lips pressed together in a thin line as she inspected the injury, and then she pulled out her phone. "I'm going to call Lila's mom, and then I'll call Mr. Agreste. I think it's safe to say that Lila will be fired. This is unacceptable."
Felix could barely hide his smile.
Twelve minutes later, Mrs. Rossi rushed into the park, her wide eyes locking onto the still-sobbing Lila almost immediately. She rushed to her daughter's side at once, kneeling down beside her.
"Mio caro, what happened?" Mrs. Rossi asked, reaching for her daughter. "Ms. Sancoeur said that you got your fingers broken!"
"What happened is that Lila learned the consequences of sexual harassment," Felix cut in coolly before Lila could speak up, and Mrs. Rossi's head swung to the side, her eyes wide. "Some of the consequences, at least. I will be pressing charges, and she'll be lucky if I'm the only one."
"Se- sexual harassment?" Mrs. Rossi exclaimed, glancing between him and Lila. "Surely that's an exaggeration, Nathalie, how on earth would Lila do anything that could be considered sexual harassment to her boyfriend during a photoshoot? Surely this was just an overreaction to a lover's spat-"
"I was not aware that your daughter was dating anyone, least of all me," Felix told her, since- well, it was true. After all, Adrien wouldn't touch someone like Lila with a ten-foot pole. "Frankly, considering how often Lila lies, I'm surprised that you believed her at all. No one wants to be dating a liar, particularly a social-climbing liar with no respect for personal space."
Mrs. Rossi reeled back. "A- a liar? No, Lila's a sweet girl!"
"They're just trying to frame me, Mommy!" Lila sniffled, and Felix rolled his eyes. Of course she would pull out the mummy card now. "Adrien just a-attacked me out of nowhere, we were just modeling-"
Felix snorted. He had abandoned his Adrien act for good now, and from the looks he was getting from Nathalie, she had caught on to the switch. He held up his injured arm, deciding to ignore Lila completely. She clearly wasn't going to admit that she was in the wrong, so entertaining her at all was a lost cause. "A 'sweet girl', hmm? She's given both me and my cousin bruises from clinging so hard, and now she's broken my skin. And she's been threatening to destroy the reputation of one of my cousin's classmates, all because she's a petty brat who hasn't been properly contained."
Mrs. Rossi shook her head, her eyes wide as she took in the injuries. "No, that doesn't sound like her at all! Why- why would she want to destroy anyone's reputation, that makes no sense!"
"Because I haven't-"
"Because Marinette called her out on her lies," Felix told Mrs. Rossi tartly, raising his voice over Lila's whine. "The lies about knowing all sorts of famous people personally, because she 'saved their cat' or was personally helping them with songwriting or was running a million charities, or the lies about going on a- what was it, a three-month trip out of Paris during the school year, when she was actually here the entire time?"
Mrs. Rossi slumped on the ground. "No, no, I can't- I can't believe this-"
Lila shuffled closer to her mom, still clutching her hand to her chest as she made another effort to squirm out of the situation. "They're lying, mama, don't listen to them-"
"Well, you had better start believing it!" Amelie snapped, appearing out of the nearby trees and striding up to the group. She waved her phone. "I have pictures of your little hussy of a daughter trying to force a kiss on my son, and we have evidence of her refusing to let go of my son's arm. You should be ashamed, really! I don't know how I would be able to show my face in public if my son acted the same way that your daughter has! Lying and manipulation and sexual harassment and threats for months and months and months on end, and what have you done to stop it? Nothing, by the sounds of it!"
"I didn't know-" Mrs. Rossi started, but Amelie cut her off with a scoff.
"You didn't know? Oh, excuse me for not being very impressed there. I've been busy as anything quite often with my projects and modeling and films and charity and events, but you had better bet that I made the time to check in with Felix's teachers! If I didn't have the time to go in before or after school, I emailed them. I made sure that I met his friends. I knew the instant that he started acting out, and I could talk to him about it. Have you done any of that?"
"No, but-"
"And this whole business with Lila being 'out of the country' for months! How did you miss that she wasn't going to school?" Amelie demanded.
Mrs. Rossi flinched. "I- she said that the school was closed because of akuma attacks-"
"For three months? That's not even a good lie! Do you live under a rock? Sometimes the akuma attacks drag on for a bit, but it's just hours, not- not even days! All you would need to do to disprove her ridiculous lies would be to turn on a TV! Or do a Google search, that only takes seconds!"
"I-" Mrs. Rossi swallowed hard, and her voice got quiet, nearly inaudible. "I was busy at a new job, and I- I thought that I could trust her."
"Clearly not!"
"In any case, Lila is fired as a Gabriel model, and we will be plenty transparent with the media as to why should they ask," Nathalie told Mrs. Rossi, consulting her tablet. "Adrien has confirmed that he's been grabbed at just like Felix, and that is unacceptable. Mr. Agreste expects that his son be able to work without being sexually harassed by other models."
Mrs. Rossi only nodded, all of the fight drained out of her. Lila whipped her head back and forth between her mom and the rest of the group, panic starting to spread across her features.
"Mama, you don't believe them, do you-"
"Quiet, Lila," Mrs. Rossi snapped. "I've heard enough. I've seen the evidence. I know that you're lying now."
Lila's face screwed up, and then she suddenly lunged to her feet, right at Felix. "How dare you! I had everything going my way, and you've screwed it up! When- when I get akumatized, you'll regret this, Adrien!"
Felix stepped neatly out of the way, extending one foot just enough to send Lila sprawling back to the ground with a wail of pain but not enough that it would be obvious that it was completely on purpose. "Boo-hoo, cry me a river. Also still not Adrien. Try his stunt double instead."
Lila only sobbed on the ground, clutching at her fingers. Her mom hauled her up, looking completely ashamed as she hustled her daughter away.
"Well, I think that's the end of this photoshoot," Nathalie said as soon as the duo was out of sight. She sighed, massaging her forehead in clear exasperation. "Felix, can I ask that next time, Adrien actually shows up like he's supposed to?"
Felix raised an eyebrow at her. "Why? It's not like anyone will be able to tell the difference."
"Gabriel would be most unhappy-"
"Gabriel is unhappy about most things most of the time, so I don't see how it makes any difference," Amelie told her tartly. She looped her arm through Felix's. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I think that Felix and I have a lawsuit to go file. Good-bye."
As it turned out, Gabriel didn't even have to tell the press why its newest model had been abruptly dropped. An Adrien fan had been hidden nearby and watching the shoot, and had taken video of the entire Lila downfall. It had been uploaded at once, and spread across the internet by other fans.
Fortunately, it meant that- at least in Paris- no one would ever believe Lila Rossi again. The outrage over everything that she had done- and especially the attempt at a forced kiss and the clinging to Felix hard enough to break his skin- was enough that Felix was pretty sure that no one would even try to be her friend out of pity. There was no way that any of Adrien's classmates would miss the news, either, which was really what they were most interested in.
Unfortunately, Adrien's fans were over the moon at the idea of an Adrien stunt double, because it meant that there were two of them.
...and unfortunately for some particularly avid and over-eager fans, Amelie Graham de Vanily was none too thrilled about her son and her nephew getting chased around Paris and was still riding high on the success of her lawsuit against Lila. One dinner with the Bourgeois family later and it was officially against the law in Paris to chase after teen celebrities and to form what amounted to search mobs, and there was going to be further investigation and adjustment as needed to prevent other future harassment. Also- and on a completely unrelated topic- Audrey Bourgeois would be in charge of the wardrobe department on the next Graham Films production.
And as for Felix... well, all of a sudden, Adrien's friends all became a lot more receptive to the idea of inviting him to their get-togethers. Some were still a little wary of him, but that didn't bother Felix at all. After all, Felix was used to people regarding him with some trepidation at home, and he was hardly going to make himself comfortable by acting all warm and cuddly. But several of Adrien's friends were fine with that, or perhaps they just were accepting because they knew that it would make Adrien happy.
Felix didn't suppose that it really mattered either way. He wasn't trying to form lifelong friendships in Paris, just trying to enjoy his summer as well as he could. And with Lila firmly out of the picture- she had been shipped back to Italy to attend boarding school, mostly to keep her away from akumas- and with outwardly friendly company...
Well, the summer was looking bright.
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I’ll Be There - Criminal Minds Reader Insert
Pairing: Morgan x reader (platonic)
Warnings: slight angst, sweet Morgan
Word count (original): 1240 Revamped: 1519
It had been on a flight back from a long case in Nevada when the topic of siblings had come up.
Spencer had quickly quipped, in a matter of fact tone, “Well I don’t have any, at least to my knowledge.”
Morgan had been eager to share a number of tales about the antics he and his siblings had gotten into when they were younger, many of which ended in him being scolded by his mother.
Hotch had simply stated how much ten years in age can really separate a pair of siblings.
JJ had stayed silent, a sad, reminiscing smile on her face, and no one had pushed her to talk about it.
Rossi had simply listened to the conversation, with no apparent insight of his own to add.
Then, as you had been sitting, quietly observing throughout the conversation, Spencer turns his attention to you.
“What about you Y/N? I’ve never heard you talk about any siblings. In fact, I’m not quite sure if you even have any.” He questions you, bringing the attention of the rest of the team onto you.
You shrug nonchalantly, before responding, “Um yeah, I have an older brother.” You hope that it would be left at that, but of course, that wasn’t the case, especially since you were surrounded by highly skilled profilers, who could most certainly sense the trepidation you were feeling.
“Mama, you never said anything! You gotta tell us what kinda trouble you used to get into ‘cause I just know you did.” Morgan’s words are light and humorous, but you feel anything but. Especially now that you were put on the spot, which is something that has always made you uncomfortable.
“Uh, ya know, typical sibling stuff.” You mumble, looking anywhere but at the faces of your team members.
Rossi decides to use this moment to join the conversation. “Oh come on, Y/N. You have to have done something crazy with your brother.”
You lift your head, your eyes falling on Morgan. As you stare into his chocolate brown eyes, you say, “My uh, brother, and I aren’t close. He had to take care of me growing up a lot and wasn’t happy about all he missed out on because of it.” You blurt out before embarrassment creeps into your thoughts and across your face. You feel your face heat up and your heart start racing. You stand quickly, rushing to the bathroom as you feel tears fall down your cheeks.
You close the flimsy door to the jet bathroom and scrunch up on the floor between the small sink and the toilet. Of all the emotions you were feeling right now, remorse was one of the strongest.
You wish you had had a brother who was willing to get into trouble with you. You wish you had been close enough to your brother that you could call him a friend and a comforter. Yet, despite your best efforts, your brother had informed you the last time you had called him that he despised everything he had to do for you. Which had broken your heart and had effectively cut off all communication.
A soft knock sounds on the door. “Hey, baby girl, why don’t you come out of there?” Morgan’s soft voice echoes through the door. You roughly brush the tears from your eyes before pushing the door to the bathroom open a crack. Morgan takes one look at your face before shoving the door aside and pulling you into a tight hug.
“I’m sorry baby girl. I shouldn’t have pushed it.” He murmurs near your ear. You tighten your arms around him, pressing your face into his chest, your heart aching at the thought of what you had missed with your brother.
“It’s not your fault.” You mumble, your voice muffled by his chest. You feel his hand softly rubbing up and down your back, helping calm your frazzled nerves.
“I’m sorry you weren’t able to have crazy adventures with me baby girl.” His grip on you tightens before he pulls back and gently wipes the tears from your cheeks.
When you return to the jet cabin, Morgan pulls you down next to him on the couch. You lean against him as he starts talking about the house he was currently working on remodeling. He wraps an arm around you, pulling you close. It doesn’t take you long to fall asleep; Morgan’s warmth and comforting scent surrounding.
----
After that flight back to Quantico, Morgan changed. He was always caring and gentle around you before, but it was different now. He went out of his way to make sure you knew how important you were to the team, and to him. He made sure to spend time with you on your days off and the two of you had even started pranking Reid and Garcia on slow days in the office.
Morgan had even talked you into helping him do a few things in his most recent remodel. You had learned how to make new cabinets, grout tile, refinish a floor and even replace a toilet. No matter the number of times you had accidentally hammered Morgan’s hand, which was surprisingly higher than the number of times you’d done it to yourself, or the number of different screws and parts you’d ‘misplaced’, Morgan never lost patience with you and he never got mad at you. Although you weren’t entirely sure if you would use any of these skills again, you were glad you were able to spend time with him, doing things that you hadn’t ever had the chance to learn.
----
It was Christmas eve and the team had just gotten back from a case in Texas that had lasted over two weeks. You were sitting at your desk, trying to finish the case paperwork before you headed home for the evening. The office was quiet, as only you, Morgan, and Reid remained in the bullpen.
“Why don’t you guys go home and enjoy as much as you can of Christmas before we get another case.” Hotch’s voice filled the bullpen, pulling your concentration away from your paperwork.
No one says anything, but Morgan and Reid start to gather their belongings to leave. Knowing you didn’t have anyone to celebrate the holiday with, aside from the small get-together the team had planned for New Year’s, pending no case interruptions, you didn’t make any move to get up from your desk.
Spencer sends you a look as he passes, mumbling a tired, “Merry Christmas” in your direction. Morgan, on the other hand, is currently standing in front of your desk. You turn your attention from your paperwork to him, raising an eyebrow at him in question.
“What are you doing?” He asks you, giving you a look as though you should know what he’s talking about.
“Um...paperwork, last time I checked.” You give a sarcastic reply, not really in the mood to play at the guessing game you feel is coming.
“Well, we gotta go or we’re gonna miss our flight.” He answers, grabbing your jacket and bag.
Even though you have no idea what he’s talking about, you shut off the lamp on your desk and stand. He helps you into your jacket as you ask, “What flight?”
“Our flight to Chicago. It leaves in two hours.” His tone is matter of fact and straightforward.
“You mean to visit your family? For Christmas?” Your confusion continues to grow as you follow Morgan to the elevator.
“Well yeah.” He lays an arm over your shoulders and pulls you into the elevator with him.
“But I’d be intruding. This is a time for you and your family. You don’t want me tagging along like some lost puppy.” You mumble, sadness welling up inside you as you attempt to back out of his invitation.
As much as you want to spend Christmas with Morgan, who has become something like a big brother to you, the big brother you always wanted and never truly had, you couldn’t bring yourself to invade on Morgan’s time with his family.
He looks down at you, his eyes finding yours. He releases your shoulders as he brings a hand to the side of your face. “Why do you think I’m bringing you, baby girl? You are family and I know Mom and my sisters will feel the same way.” He gently says, as his thumb rubs slowly over your cheekbone.
“Do, do you mean that?” You whisper, your heart swelling at the thought of being a part of his family.
“Of course I do, Y/N. You are like a sister to me and I couldn’t ask for someone more important to me to bring home for Christmas.” His words have you tearing up and he wraps his arms around you in a tight embrace.
“You are family.” He states simply and firmly, putting an end to the conversation. Your heart swells at his words and you relax into his hug, excited for Christmas for the first time in a long time, especially since you’d be spending it with your ‘brother’.
#criminal minds#criminal minds imagine#criminal minds fandom#criminal minds fanfiction#criminal minds reader#reader#reader insert#fanfiction#fandom#criminal minds reader insert#morgan#derek#derek morgan#derek x reader#derek x you#derek morgan x you#morgan x reader#september reblog#revamped one-shot
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IMMA DO A CHARACTER ANALYSIS (THAT IS MOSTLY HEADCANON AND DRAWING CONCLUSIONS FROM TINY THINGS WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE PROVEN WRONG IN THE FUTURE!) ON EACH MEMBER OF THE BLIGHT FAMILY AND THEIR DYNAMICS WITH ONE ANOTHER FROM WHAT LIMITED INFORMATION WE HAVE ON THESE CHARACTERS!!! OBVIOUSLY MY ANALYSIS ON THE BLIGHT SIBLINGS WILL PROBABLY BE MORE ON POINT THAN OF THE PARENTS.
Mrs. Blight: It seems very likely to me that Mrs. Blight likely comes from a high class background. I mean, both parents obviously hold some status, "Blight's only associate with the strongest witchlings", right? But Mrs. Blight in particular likely comes from a place of huge influence, even compared to her husband, as we can infer from her decision to make her daughter dye her hair green, which suggests inheriting Mrs. Blight's traits is ideal for their children which means Mrs. Blight likely comes from a higher up place on the social ladder. The glimpse we see of Mrs. Blight in the background of the flashback in Young Blood Old Souls can actually tell us a bit about her upbringing. Mrs Blight is sitting up straight and tall, a smile on her face (though she doesn't appear particularly pleasant even with that smile), her hair pulled back out of her face completely and into a neat bun.
Mrs. Blight appears to have herself collected and well put together even from a very young age. I suspect her own parents were rather controlling judging both by her general appearance and the fact that she's sitting besides her future husband, implying the two were quite possibly pushed together by their parents at a young age (weather they were romantically paired up or pushed to become friends). I suspect Mrs. Blight is an only child. She has a clear obsession with status and keeping up appearances (she forced her daughter to dye her hair cause...'they need to match') and is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain that (she was the one responsible for threatening to get Willow rejected from Hexside). This is why I suspect that Mrs. Blight was an only child. Her behavior seems like that of somebody who's family legacy rests solely on her shoulders. Having no siblings would ensure that there was always the utmost pressure placed on Mrs. Blight and Mrs. Blight alone, which would explain her apparent perfectionism. On top of this, she supposedly has a bit of a rivalry with Boscha's mother, which further solidifies the idea of her being an only child into my mind, because in high class high pressure families, children often don't have the opportunity to form rivalries with outsiders because they're often fighting for attention and assets within their own families. If she does have any siblings, she's likely the oldest child and her parents' uncontested favorite, inheriting their assets and their legacy and all the pressure that came along with it. She appears to be have been a student in the oracle track. We all know that the track with the most potential is the abominations track, so for Mrs. Blight to be in a different track, I suspect she was quite the prodigy in oracle magic. She's almost certainly part of the emperor's coven. Mrs. Blight seems extraordinarily cold, calculated, and cruel. That satisfied smirk on her face during the flashback in Young Blood Old Souls, the lengths she goes through to control her youngest daughter in particular, the threats she made in Understanding Willow against a five year old she didn't even know? Mrs. Blight is cold and ambitious and fits right in with the emperor's coven. And while I have no doubt that for such a high status woman to be in the Oracle Track rather than the Abominations Track she must have been quite the prodigy, Mrs. Blight most likely wouldn't have gone into the Oracle Coven no matter how skilled she is in the subject because she needs to keep her status. She's almost certainly part of the Emperor's Coven, I believe. She's likely always stood out. Always been very impressive, very ambitious, very visible and in the public eye throughout her life judging by the way she carries herself.
I don't think she loves anyone in her family. I feel like she and Mr. Blight were clearly pushed together from a young age and it was more a marriage of convenience than anything else. Two high class ambitious children paired up purely for their wealth and status. Her willingness to abuse and manipulate and hurt her youngest daughter makes me believe Mrs. Blight doesn't have a natural motherly love for her children. In fact, from what little we've seen from Mrs. Blight, it seems entirely possible that she may even have a personality disorder of some sort- specifically Npd. One of the biggest causes of narcissism is suffering from previous parental abuse of some sort, and judging from her treatment of her own daughter, it is very probable that Mrs. Blight may not have had amazing parents herself. Mrs. Blight seems to view herself as incredibly important judging by how she forced her daughter to dye her hair to look more like her and from how she talks down to those she thinks are 'below' herself. She's the type to take advantage of other's to get what she wants. She's cold and manipulative and self centered from everything we've seen of her. And she seems to do this very dangerous thing that's seen in a lot of abusers with npd where she speaks gently and with a smile towards her victim while manipulating and abusing them. As is common in narcissistic parenting, her children take on the Golden Child/Scapegoat roles with one child being seen as 'perfect' and are endlessly coddled while the other child is hurt and belittled and abused. This happens partially when the parent unconsciously projects onto their golden child, using them to reflect back their own ego, and partially as a conscience tactic to turn the children against one another, sparking rivalry and resentment and making it less likely for their scapegoat child's abuse to be taken seriously because their golden child isn't being hurt in the same way and isn't inclined to side with the abusive parent over their sibling. We can see something similar to this sort of dynamic among the current Blight siblings (Amity is literally a textbook scapegoat), adding more fuel to the possibility that Mrs. Blight may very well be narcissistic.
Mr. Blight: He seems like the less dominant personality between himself and his wife. In the small glimpse we see of him in that flashback, he's slightly slouched with messier hair than his wife and a disinterested expression. He appears to be mostly unconcerned with what's going on wheras his Mrs. Blight sits up straight gazing smugly at the scene in front of her.
When we see the two in Understanding Willow, Mrs. Blight clearly leads the conversation with Amity, and their children all take on Mrs. Blight's hair color instead of their father's, even Amity, who was born with brown hair. The family pressuring their youngest daughter into dying her hair Mrs. Blight's color makes me think that Mr. Blight likely comes from a slightly less influential background from his wife. I believe he likely comes from a family that, while powerful, is less so than his wife's. He seems no stranger to high expectations. Mr. Blight was in the abominations track, the track which offers the best opportunities and seems to be held in a high esteem. In Understanding Willow he was also the one who brought up how Blight's only associate with powerful witches, and of course he was deemed of a high enough social standing to be an acceptable match to Mrs. Blight, who I read as being the heir to a very influential family. I do believe that Mr. Blight likely has siblings, though, or at the very least cousins on both sides who may be able to carry the family legacy. I say this because he can afford not to be as ambitious or perfectionistic as his wife. As I pointed out early, he's slouched over and appears disinterested in the small flashback we see him in, and unlike with Mrs. Blight, Dana hasn't really mentioned anything about him or his past such as rivalries with other characters. I theorize that he was likely expected to do well and not embarrass his family, but that he had older or more promising siblings to carry their family legacy and thus wasn't saddled with as many expectations as his wife would be. I personally believe he's most likely in the abominations coven. This is in line with his upbringing as I picture it, him doing well for himself as there are clearly great opportunities within the coven and being part of it, especially if placed in a high rank, would be acceptable of someone with his stature, however as he was likely never faced with the same pressure as his wife and hasn't truly shown the signs of ambition she has, he saw no need to overachieve and may not have aimed for the Emperor's Coven like I believe his wife did. Overall, I doubt he's overly ambitious. He doesn't show the signs of a manipulative, overly callous, perfectionistic, or egotistical personality that he wife does leading me to believe he's in the category of "slightly above average, nothing special but satisfactory for his status". Mr. Blight clearly isn't a good parent, though. He was very cold towards his daughter in Understanding Willow, and while he didn't give me quite as bad of a feeling as his wife did, Mr. Blight certainly shared in her dissatisfaction. We haven't heard much evidence that he's overtly abusive to the same extent his wife is (in fact, we don't hear much about Mr. Blight at all except for him sitting next to or backing up his wife whenever she's being mildly interesting), however from what we've seen from him he's certainly not a very good parent either. I feel as if he's likely just mostly detached from his family. He'll monitor that they're achieving the appropriate amount and fulfilling the expectations that befall someone of their class and influence and voice his disapproval when they aren't, but mostly just kinda ignores his children, leaving them to their own devices or for their mother to deal with in any way she sees fit. This is reminiscent of the way I previously stated he was likely raised. Where he was expected to handle himself the way he ought to and not embarrass his family, and as long as he was satisfactory he will have been left alone in favor of his older or more ambitious siblings. He seems like the type of person who faced neglect as a child and is, as a result, generally cold and detached from those around him. It's possible that Mr. Blight, unlike his wife, is capable of love and does love his children, but that his own upbringing where he wasn't given much if any attention prevents him from being a good parent. He likely won't feel the need to pay any attention to the oldest two because their performance is satisfactory and he never learned how to give positive attention. "They're fulfilling our expectations, they haven't done anything wrong, why would I need to acknowledge them?" because from the way he handles himself I suspect his own parents wouldn't have much to say to him either unless he'd messed up (rich influential people are never good parents tbh, especially not in a classist dictatorship like the one they live in). On the other hand, he's likely mildly abusive towards his youngest. Not to the extent that Mrs. Blight is, but he won't be any stranger to weaponizing neglect and aiming cold disapproval towards his youngest when she 'acts inappropriately' as she's been known to, and of course he has been shown to back up his wife in her high expectations and abusive behaviors.
I don't believe there's a specific mental health problem we can definitively attribute his behavior to (unlike how I said Mrs. Blight seems suspiciously similar to someone with Npd from what we've seen of her so far). Maybe Schizoid Personality Disorder because he seems very cold and detached from what i've seen so far and I believe he likely had an upbringing that was very much lacking in warmth and praise from his family.
(note that it's entirely possible neither of them will fully fit the criteria for the disorders I mentioned. Some people don't fit any specific disorder even if they are abusive and do have a specific cause for said behavior, i'm just using these disorders as a reference point for any of you who want to look more deeply into the kind of behaviors and backgrounds i'm suggesting for the two as my current interpretations and theories for how they were raised and who they are and how they treat their families fall in line with narcisistic personality disorder and schizoid personality disorder respectively)
Okay, now onto the characters we've actually seen more of and know more about!!!
Emira Blight: I know this goes against the trickster archetype Em and Ed both fit into, however I think she's by far the most traditionally impressive of the Blight siblings. I think she's certainly the most in line with family expectations. Emira is clearly a very talented person. She's very good with illusion magic and canonically gets high test scores even despite skipping classes. She's highly intelligent, and even moreso, she's very charismatic. Emira is clearly the leader between herself and her brother. She seems to be very convincing, can encourage other people (like when she got amity to use that fire spell to save them in episode 12 despite how she 'didn't actually think you could do it'), and doesn't have much issue telling other's what to do (again, thinking back to episode 12 when emira kept ordering her brother around). That’s not even mentioning how easily she drew Luz in back during episode 7.
On top of that, she isn't exactly the best person. I know everyone loves Emira. Hell even I love Emira, don't get me wrong. And I don't think she's purposefully a bad person. However she can be very cold and cruel, unempathetic and unapologetic. Again, Emira is very much CAPABLE of love and empathy, however it's clear that she often can't express these feelings or possibly has a weaker sense of empathy than other's do as a result of her parents own skewed morality. It's very clear that Emira has some sense of ambition too. This is revealed by her worst fear being stuck with Ed forever (it's very possible and assumed by most people that Em was lying about this fear but i personally find the implications that come with the possibility that she was being at least semi-truthful wayyy too interesting not to analyze that possibility.) I mean, if she wasn't lying about her worst fear, that has such big implications for her character. It's very obvious that Emira loves her brother very much and that the two are extremely close. She may say mean things to him sometimes because Emira's sense of empathy has been poorly developed (again, I don't think she's incapable of empathy at all, however as I said before, I really don't think she's had the opportunity to properly develop her natural empathy which is why her moral compass is so skewed), but Emira clearly does love her brother nonetheless and enjoy spending time with him. So why would her biggest fear be being stuck with him forever? Well, they're twins. They were conceived together and born together and raised together and still to this day spend all their time together. And twins who look as similar as these two do and spend as much time together as these two do aren't always viewed as individuals. Ed and Em are, in many people's eyes, just Ed and Em. A pair, a duo, permanently solidified as being one in the same. And this kind of thing is fine for some people. But Emira is intelligent and charismatic and talented. Emira could probably achieve any goal she could ever have in life. Given who her parents are and the kind of pressure they put on their kids, Emira probably very much has big ambitions. And for someone with big ambitions that she very much could achieve, being seen as "half of a pair" could easily grow very very tiring and very very concerning. Overall, I think Emira reminds me very much of her mother, and I feel like she's probably the 'favorite' child among her parents. It makes a lot of sense that their mother would grab onto Emira as a projection of herself. After all, Em looks a lot like her mother with gold hair, green eyes, and a small nose. Literally just like her mother even down to being the same gender. And personality wise they're both intelligent, both talented over-achievers, both not too caught up with morality. I feel like Emira and her mother are likely very close on the basis of Emira being absolutely perfect for the role of her mother's golden child. And I can't help but wonder if Em wants to join the emperor's coven. I mean, i'm fairly sure their mother is in it and if she's using Emira as a projection of herself, she'd want Em to follow in her footsteps, surely? Especially since the Emperor's Coven is the absolute highest coven a witch can join. That would explain why she learned that one fire spell too (i mean, amity would want to know it cause she's got a natural love of learning like the nerd she is, but emira clearly isn't all that invested in learning if her skipping classes and mocking the idea of hanging out in the library is anything to go by, so i can't see em learning any magic she doesn't /need/ to know, and unless her plan in life was to join the emperor's coven, she wouldn't need to know anything not illusion based). I can't imagine Emira is as close to her father as she is to her mother just based off the differences in the two's personalities, but she'd certainly receive preferential treatment from him over her younger sister as well just off the basis of fitting better into the family's ideals. Again, I believe he's very distant in general and not one to offer much affection, but any praise he does give will likely be directed towards Emira (*maybe* ed too *sometimes* but praise from their father likely isn't a very common thing so while I don't think ed is really mistreated by their father, he still may not get very much affection just cause that's how their father is). And as for Emira's feelings towards her siblings? She definitely thinks of herself as being 'above' her siblings. Being better than them and this is probably because their parents think she's better than them. She's very close to Ed and loves him very much, so her feelings of superiority over him on account of being their parents' favorite definitely takes form in protective instincts when it comes to her relationship with Edric. She feels the need to guide and defend him, taking on a leadership role and creating a minor power dynamic in Emira's favor within their relationship in the process. Emira's relationship with Amity, on the other hand, is much worse than Ed and Em's relationship. In my opinion there's no question Amity takes on the 'scapegoat' role in their family dynamic, facing the brunt of their parents' abuse, which is likely the cause of Emira's distasteful behavior towards her younger sister. To quote an article I read, "Sometimes the ‘golden child’ is not so benign, and more often than not will take great pleasure in supporting the narcissistic parent in destroying the scapegoat child’s confidence and self- esteem." , because when a child with a relatively positive relationship to their parents sees their sibling being abused and gaslit by those same parents, they often grow to be on their parents' side and believe that the other child did deserve it or that they are lying about how bad things were. Emira Blight watched her sister be mistreated from a young age and when her parents said Amity deserved it...Emira believed them. To quote that article again, "The golden child learns very quickly that to gain the narcissistic parent’s approval, one must behave in this un-empathetic, judgemental, disgusting way. If they behave like the scapegoat, (concerned, empathetic, and loving) they will be treated like the scapegoat. The narcissistic golden child refuses to stand in the corner with the scapegoated child and have stones thrown at them. Instead, they unconsciously decide that one will fare better in this family system, and may even gain some approval, or feigned love and support if they take on the role of psycho bully." I mean, what normal functional human being thinks publishing their baby sister's diary all over school is a reasonable response to getting tattled on?
Emira is a golden child. She herself isn't a narcissist in the same way her mother is, we see very clearly that Emira does have the capacity to love and empathize with people, even if her moral compass has been skewed by her awful parents, however her moral compass HAS most definitely been skewed, and Emira DOES participate in the abuse of her younger sister.
Edric Blight: Edric, like his twin sister, is very talented. He has high test scores, good grades, and is very talented in illusions. I will admit he's not quite as intelligent in the traditional sense, not quite as ambitious, etc. Overall Edric isn't quite as perfectly suited to his family's ideals, and whats more, he seems to have more capacity for empathy than Emira does. His moral compass is still skewed, don't get me wrong, but it isn't because he doesn't care when he upsets people, it seems more like he doesn't really realize when he does something hurtful. Edric seems like he just wants to have fun overall. He does what seems entertaining in the moment without putting much thought into what he's actually doing and the possible complications that can arise from his actions. Edric is impulsive and doesn't fully understand social cues and so he doesn't really get it when he does something wrong. I feel like this is probably, at least in part, due to his heavy reliance on Emira. She's charismatic, intelligent, etc, at luckily for Edric they're a pair. Edric never really needed to rely on his own common sense because Emira is the leader in their dynamic. She makes the choices for both of them and Edric just kinda follows along without really thinking about it. Edric can't really function on his own.
Tbh I think that plays into his worst fear of being alone. He needs someone else there to guide him because Edric never needed to think or act on his own. I actually feel like his dynamic with Emira is what saved him from being a target of their parents abuse and put him in the 'golden child' role instead of the 'scapegoat' role. He's a good person, but his obedience and compliance outweighs that. He does what he's told to do by his sister or by his parents and he doesn't stop to think about or object to it. That's what keeps him from being a target of his parents, he doesn't question his mother or her delusions and by nature of just how much time he spends with Emira and how reliant he is on her, they've become functionally one entity in the eyes on many people, which makes Edric look satisfactory in his parents' eyes when he otherwise may not be. He gets good enough grades not to be a problem, he's compliant enough not to be a problem, Edric isn't a problem, he doesn't challenge his mother's delusions and managed to incite the protective instincts of his twin sister by emotionally clinging to her like he did. And i'm not sure if this is intentional or not. I mean, he won't have done this consciously no matter what, but I wonder if there was a subconscious motivation to become so reliant on her as a survival strategy living in the environment they do or if the protection it lends him is just a convenient result of their closeness. Either way, I feel like Ed literally can't survive without Em. She's his shield against being targeted by their family and his guide through navigating the rest of the world. He's really got no capacity for independence. I feel like Edric is headed for the Emperor's Coven too simply because I think Emira is. As I established before, he cannot function without his sister's guidance, Ed wouldn't be able to handle being in a different coven from her. And of course their parents would probably want him to join the Emperor's Coven because that's the highest honor a witch can have, right? And he's got enough blind obedience and magical talent to be a member. He likely won't reach any position of influence due to his lack of leadership skills or true critical thinking abilities, but there's no reason Edric wouldn't be able to at least get into the coven. I feel like Edric's relationship with their parents is very similar to Emira's. He's adored and praised by their mother because he subconsciously managed to camouflage his way into the role of a golden child. This is reflected both in how Amity said most people saw BOTH Ed and Em as "perfect" and with how Edric calls their mother "mom" instead of going with more formal terms, which I kinda...can't see their younger sister doing with their parents. Again, like with Emira, I feel like he'll have a less close but not bad relationship with their father. Ed and Em will likely see their father as the type who's a little distant and has trouble expressing himself but still loves them and is a good dad in the end. Because Ed and Em don't have the same experience as their sister does. They won't be talked down to by their father, he won't weaponize his coldness against them, Ed and Em may even get an occasional pat on the head from their father when they do something particularly impressive because they're the golden children and are 'perfect' in the eyes of their parents. I also find Edric's relationship with his younger sister interesting though. He's not a bad person, his sense of empathy is dampened because he doesn't UNDERSTAND when he hurts people, not because he doesn't have the full capacity to CARE when he hurts people. When he's mean to Amity it isn't because he's cruel or callous, he's just messing around and doesn't realize he's going too far because his understanding of the world is almost entirely based around Emira, and if she doesn't think they're doing anything wrong, surely they aren't. Ed's just trying to have fun, really, and he thinks that Em's motives and feelings on the matter are the same, not realizing she's got slightly more malicious intentions than he does. That's the difference between Ed and Em in their relationship with their sister. He really is just messing around and trying to tease without realizing how cruel it can be.
Edric doesn't realize he's hurting anyone and isn't trying to be malicious whatsoever while Em is very aware that her actions are hurtful and does them maliciously, she just doesn't grasp how morally fucked up that is because she's got awful parents who think abuse is perfectly okay.
Amity Blight: And then there's Amity. She's clearly the scapegoat of the family, there's no question there, really. And it's pretty clear why she was picked for that role. Well, actually, there are two reasons. The first being birth order. Ed and Em were born first and already had claim on the "golden child" role by looking so much like their mother and seeming so pliable to her will. And, well, narcissists often do need somebody to lash out towards, and that next born child is a perfect target. Especially given Amity's auburn hair was a clear source of displeasure to their mother. It's only natural that Amity be the immediate scapegoat. And there's a third reason she STAYED the scapegoat. To quote an article I read, "The scapegoat has the empathy gene, and they know how to love. They can put themselves in someone else’s shoes, and feel their pain. This ability to feel the internal pain of others is what drives them to speak up about the abuse from the narcissistic parent towards both the ‘golden child,’ and themselves. It is not clear as to why the scapegoat child is more sensitive to the feelings of others and has more empathy.". That's why she continued to be the scapegoat throughout her life. Because Amity Blight has ALWAYS had very strong morals. At a young age we see her befriend Willow and acknowledge Boscha and Skara as "mean", showing that even as a little kid, Amity didn't have the same moral handicap as her older siblings and parents. We see even at the beginning of the show that Amity has a very strong sense of integrity. That she doesn't lie or cheat and, that she hated Luz for cheating, hell she even canonically lost all her respect for Lilith when Lilith cheated, which is a very strong sign of morals. We see, once again in early episodes BEFORE befriending Luz, that Amity regrets coming across and cold towards Luz, who she thought was a bad person at the time. For fucks sake, she even happily reads to little kids in her free time.
Amity has a very strong expression of that 'empathy gene' scapegoats often portray. I mean, hell, i'm always going on and on and on about how Amity's strongest trait is her integrity, right? Well, "The scapegoat has integrity. They never back down on this integrity" according to an article I read. And it's just painfully fitting of Amity. Another thing that's VERY common of scapegoats is that they will often publicly question their parents. they consciously reject the narcissistic parents beliefs and values. They question the narcissist. They decide to treat people respectfully whenever possible and hold a clear distaste for their family's behavior. We see Amity do just this. When her parents told her to stop being friends with Willow her first response to their classist bs was basically "hell no" until she was literally forced to do as she was told. She expresses a desire to "have somewhere to go", she blatantly goes against her family's will by befriending Luz and Willow, she was certainly disobeying by discarding Boscha as a friend. Amity's got the clear awareness that her family sucks and that too is a scapegoat trait. Amity's one biggest flaw that makes her a target in her family is her capacity for empathy and integrity and respect. Her refusal to play into her family's delusions when she doesn't have to. Common beliefs that scapegoated children face include the idea that there's something disgusting about their physical appearance (Amity dyes her hair because her mother made her feel so awful about her natural color), that if they aren't being productive they're worthless (Amity's obsession with working hard and being the best is obviously very unhealthy, look at her behavior in I Was A Teenage Abomination, that was a fucking MELTDOWN.), that if they disagree with those around them they'll be rejected and exiled (She let Boscha and her gang pick on Willow despite the fact that Amity herself clearly didn't enjoy it because she was scared to openly disagree and I think it's pretty obvious where she learned to be so compliant from), etc. Out of everyone in her family, I feel like Amity will have the worst dynamic with her mother. Ed and Em may be abusive siblings due to their positions as "golden children" and her father may be cold and controlling, but honestly I don't think anything can compare to how horrific narcissistic parents are. Her mother will likely belittle her constantly with awful verbal insults and constantly raising expectations that she can never fully meet. Of course narcissistic parents are also master manipulators. Look back at Understanding Willow where this awful woman spoke so pleasantly, as if she wasn't being abusive and awful. I have no doubt this woman will absolutely try to gaslight her daughter nonstop and convince her that she deserves to be abused. Which is just horrible. Amity's father, on the other hand, I feel, will likely be much more straightforward. He'll be much colder in general than his wife, but that's honestly a good thing with abusive parents because he probably won't be as obsessive in his gaslighting or as trying to come across as a loving parent. He's abusive but at least he'll keep their interactions short and professional. Then there's Ed and Em. They seem to have this inability to empathize with the intensity of the pain and abuse their sister's put through. If they could they'd stand up for their sister or at the very least they wouldn't partake in the abuse themselves. "most of the narcissist’s children turn a blind eye, look the other way, and allow for the scapegoated child to get pecked and pecked and pecked, until there is literally no soul left to peck at.", and of course these parents will convince the golden child(ren) that the scapegoat deserves to be abused or even that they're lying/exaggerating. That they're unhinged, mentally ill, overly emotional, manipulative liars, etc, and if this sort of thing is happening in the Blight household (which I don't doubt), then that's probably one of the big reasons Edric and Emira are so cruel to their sister.
I mean, I can’t help but feel like their lines of “It’s for her own good” and “She needs this” to try and convince Luz that posting Amity’s diary all over school was appropriate behavior...sounded a lot like a gaslighting parent. In fact, so did their annoyance when Amity got upset at them for reading her diary, the way they kinda brushed it off and said “Looks like mittens killed the fun- again.” as if they didn’t just hurt their sister. And it’s really no question who they got that kind of behavior from.
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OCAF | Ch. 3 “Heart, tell them what you came for”
Warnings: read the masterlist first
Songs: “Tell Them” by James Blake, "Forever & Ever More" - Nothing But Thieves, "Bad Man" - Esterly, Austin Jenckens
LEVI'S POV
"You shouldn't be here. Do you miss prison so much?" I asked her.
"I'm doing anything wrong. Please, get lost..." she paused and then slightly turned her head, just to say "captain".
Captain. I repeated the sound of her voice articulating that word a couple of times more. Captain. Captain.
"Tch. I don't care. You should be in your room, sleeping"
"I can't" She confessed.
Well, apparently, I wasn't the only one not able to catch some sleep.
"Again. I. Don't. Care. Go back to your room"
She stayed silent, ignoring me and still staring at the sky.
"Oi. Are you deaf? I said. Back. To your room. Don't make me repeat myself or I'll push you down the building"
She suddenly turned her head over her shoulder, staring at me intensely. If looks could kill, I'd be dead right now. And yet, on second thought, her eyes were pretty reddish. Glassy. Close to tears. Was she crying before I caught her?
Too distracted by my own thoughts, I didn't notice she had slowly gotten up and pretty close to me. "You are all talk, captain, and no trousers, you know? Always threatening me with death and yet here I am. Still very much alive. Living and breathing"
Her tone ignited something almost animalistic inside of me. Something wicked. And at that moment, I totally lost it. Who she thinks she's talking to?
I fiercely grabbed her collar, brought her to the very edge of the roof, almost shoving her out of it. One of her feet slightly whipped out of the corner, but her face remained stoic. Stony-faced. She grabbed my wrist to steady herself like she was trying to provoke me, fight me, but still stayed almost unmoved.
Looking me dead in the eyes, she was waiting for the death sentence from her executioner. Not a single word. Not a single whine. Isn't she afraid of me? Isn't she even afraid of dying?This must be a bluff. And yet, she never flinched.
Enough. I decided to let her go, throwing her to the ground. "Back to your room" I said once again.
"Captain?" she mumbled while I was already closing the roof's door behind my back.
Again. Captain. Captain. I turned back.
"Captain, before you go... I wanted to say... I-I'm sorry"
"Ok. Got it. Now, back to your room"
"No" She declared standing up, right in front of me "N-not for this. Well, also, but I wanted to say that I'm sorry... for Farlan...and Isabel... I've never stopped thinking about it. You know, about your reaction. They were close to you, weren't they? I'm so sorry... I was ordered to-"
"Don't" I interrupted her "Don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't know and that was your mission, right?" and then we stared at each other for what seemed a very long time.
I was looking for something else to say or some way to say nothing at all, but a little voice inside me told me to speak. To talk to her about it. But why? So, I soundly sighed and opened my mouth.
"Yes" I declared "We were close. Friends, you could say. More like a family, actually" She immediately tensed.
"I told you, don't be sorry... I don't need your pity" I spat as she was lightly shaking. What is the matter now? Why does she even care? Criminals don't care.
"I am. I am sorry" she replied straight away.
"You know, I'm pretty familiar with the underground. It challenges you in any way humanly possible until you can't bear it anymore, until you are capable of the most horrifying things, just to survive. Swim or you'll drown, right?"
She flinched a little and then said "So, I was right. You are the guy from the underground"
"Yeah... to be honest, our stories are pretty similar" I confessed.
"I don't think so, captain"
And then again, my childish curiosity spoke for me: "So tell me about it, cadet"
"There isn't much to say... You already know pretty much everything. Just a regular thug from the underground. Before that, to quote one of your comrades, a slut. A poor orphan making a living by working in a whorehouse. Oh, and I once was a survey corps' prisoner. The rest is history"
I couldn't find the right word to say. She really was a prostitute. And Oruo had the audacity to provoke her like that. I felt so upset. He was a great soldier but... a loutish most of the time. I was still speechless. If only she knew that also my mother used to work as a pr-...
"Well, captain, I've bothered you long enough now. So, I-"
"Forget about it" I suddenly spat "Whatever happened back then forget about it. Let your past die and most importantly, don't have any regret"
"Like you did?"
"Yes, and like you should. Be a better person. Do something good. Make new friends"
"I'm tryin-"
"No, you are not. I saw you today. I observed you. You barely speak to your mates. They are your comp-"
"I know you stared at me the whole time, captain" She teased me looking up at me. Was I staring at her? Was it that obvious? I thought.
"Shut up. That's my job, cadet. I have to survey you and your fellows"
"Whatever helps you sleep at night, captain"
"Tch. Be more sociable. Full stop. Now, back to your room..."
"Look who's talking..."
"Cadet. I warn you: you're playing with fire"
"I'm just saying that I did everything I was supposed to do today. I ate. I trained. I didn't try any "funny business" as you said, so-"
"That's not enough. You have to trust them and they have to trust you. Some of them will join the Survey Corps. Some of them we'll be in our squad, so you need to trust them. The next expedition will take place soon, so be more sociable. End of discussion"
"Ok, I wasn't sociable, buuuut I observed them if that counts for anything"
"Tch. Let's hear. Enlighten me, cadet. Share with me some of your wisdom"
She frowned her forehead, upset by my little tease, and then she started "Some of them are already both talented and motivated, like that Mikasa. Then we have a bunch of "I don't know why I'm here" beefy guys. Similarly, a bunch of "I want to be here but I don't know if I should", you know, the motivated but poorly skilled type. Still, I admire their spirit, like that Armin. He seems a nice person. And lastly, the ones who give me chills. Like that blondie, Annie. Her eyes looked almost dead... Even though she was the only one truly challenging me during the combat, she mumbled some nonsense, like that she wants to survive, she won't join the survey corps. And yet, she was one of the strongest in the group. Weirdo. Oh, and talking about weirdos, let's not forget our Jean. He hit on me three times. Three. Only during the training. And then once again soon after it ended"
"So, you can be very talkative when you want to, Daphne" And also, she had quite a good intuition. She could really read people. Wait... Did I just call her by her name?
"I-I was just trying to give you my point of view, captain..." Is she blushing? "I need some more time to trust them" She continued "I'm not good at socializing, let alone trusting people. I'll do better next time"
Yeah...I know what you're talking about...Trusting people ain't my thing either.
"Try. And now, go and try to sleep" I ordered "Tomorrow it'll be quite a busy day. Erwin just informed me there'll be Eren's sentence. Have you heard of him?"
"I heard Mikasa and that short blondie talking about him. They seemed pretty worried about him. So, is it true that he can shift?"
"Yeah, he's the guy. Tomorrow the Supreme Commander will determine which division will look after him... well, survey him. He's fundamental for our mission. We can't afford to lose him. So-"
"Yeah, I know. Back. To my room." She sighed almost mimicking me. I stared at her dead in the eyes. She enjoyed teasing me way too much for my liking.
"Good night, captain"
I nodded, unable to respond, while my head was still focused on that captain.
DAPHNE'S POV
I think I'll never get used to the sky.
I've dreamed about that so many times and yet I couldn't still find my peace. It felt like I couldn't allow myself to feel at ease, let alone content to even that view.
I had no choice, and actually, their offer had given me a little more time to think again about my plan. I would have wait and then, when the right opportunity would have come, I'd run away.
Maybe during the next expedition...What a coward, I thought immediately. I couldn't not only accomplish my mission but also I was no use to their cause. What a coward. Maybe I should have helped them, for a while, and then escape.
I was so conflicted, confused.
That night changed everything for me. When that thing, the titan, attacked me nothing else mattered. Any worry I had ever had in my life couldn't compare. Its expression haunted my thoughts throughout the day as I was trying to plot my way out of that place.
I needed to go back to the underground again, I couldn't let things that way. Wait for me... Wait for me, Abi...
As her face appeared between the shining dots of the wild blue yonder, a single tear dropped down along my cheek to my jaw. "Crying won't fix anything, you coward. Stop it" a voice in my head told me.
And that's when I sensed him. Someone. No, Levi was watching me, and soon after I said something to get his attention. He was just surveying me, yeah sure, but still, his presence didn't bother me that much, quite the opposite.
Scratch that, not only the titan, also the captain and his revelation about being the guy from the underground haunted me all day and for the rest of that night too.
Fortunately, the night didn't last that long, and "a busy day" awaited me.
First thing in the morning I headed to the cafeteria where a quite enthusiastic Hange was already bothering an unfazed Levi.
"Good moooorning, little early bird!" she shouted at me, while Levi only nodded in my direction, simulating a greeting.
"Why so early, darling?" Hange asked.
"The captain had informed me just yesterday that today we would have had a lot on our plate, so I wanted to be ready as soon as possible..." I replied.
Sincerely, I didn't want to be in their way. The faster I would have gained their trust, the faster I'd had a chance to run away.
Moreover, Levi seemed rather pleased with my answer. Did I catch him hiding a little smile in his cup?
"That's great! Since she's already here you two should accompany commander Erwin to the court, I'll go get the kid. I'm so thrilled to finally meet hiiim! See you there!!" and so she left.
Again, I was left alone with the captain. He took another sip and then extended one of his arms to a table behind him. "Here, eat something, so we can arrive at the court before the crowd" said Levi, not daring to even look at me.
"Good morning to you too, captain... and thanks anyway" I didn't make him repeat it and I did as he said. But here he was again, bossing me around while being nice.
He had prepared a cup of tea and some slices of bread with jam. Did he prepare it? For me? Is he just acting like a hunter feeding his prey right before killing it, or is he actually a caring person?
My little and silent breakfast was soon over, so we headed to the stable to get a couple of horses. Levi seemed to have his own and then he grabbed another horse for me: "Take care of it. Horses are pretty smart animals" he said while brushing his horse's mane "They have a great memory and they can understand human emotions. They'll read you right away...They are known to be able to smell fear, you know? So, remember what I said to you yesterday: forget about the past and be present. Moreover, don't be afraid. Whatever you're going to see today, trust me, trust us"
I nodded, swallowing soundly. I somehow did trust them. I trusted him.
"You're such a good little liar, aren't you, Dafne? You trust him, you trust them but they shouldn't trust you. You don't deserve being here, you don't deserve being a soldier" said again that voice.
However, we made it to the court and met Erwin right in front of it. I saw both of them chatting about something and before I could catch any clue the assembly had already started. The room was packed with people: soldiers from all the ranks, regular people, and even a priest.
"Get here, next to me" said Levi catching me by surprise "Be a good girl and stay quiet until the very end" When will he stop bossing me around?I want to punch him so bad.
"Now, look there. Right in front of you. See, that's the gendarmerie, our opponent. A bunch of chickenshit... If they win Eren's custody, they'll kill him straight away. And they still dare to call themselves soldiers" he explained.
I listen to him carefully as I scanned them one by one. Then Levi pinched my hand "Here he comes".
As soon as Eren got inside the room the air got heavier. The gendarmerie was pretty agitated, they made a big fuss while arguing with a mad priest. On the contrary, Erwin confronted them and without losing his cool he proved his point. He was in charge.
But still, everybody seemed to be afraid of Eren: what if he couldn't control himself? What if he was a bluff? What if-
While the whole commission was arguing, Eren was kicked right in his face. LEVI. What the fuck is he doing??? He kicked him again, and again, and again. Even harder than before. He was ruthless. What the-
But I soon realized what he was doing. He was trying to prove he was in charge, that he had Eren under his power. He was the only one who could have stopped him if necessary. Fair enough, but isn't he even a little afraid of that kid? Levi is still a mystery.
Soon after, Mikasa tried to scream and suddenly stood up. So, I moved closer and stopped her "Wait, Mikasa. Wait and see. Trust me" I told her.
It was a setup, I knew it.
When Levi was satisfied with his job, Erwin started to speak again. He explained once again how indispensable was Eren's power to their mission and proposed to assign the boy to the only one who could have surveyed him: captain Levi. The supreme commander accepted. They won Eren's custody.
Soon after the end of the assembly, Hange, Erwin, Levi and I escorted Eren back to the HQ and tried to help him with his bruises. Hange had carried some medicine with her, but Eren was so in pain. Levi had been far from gentle with him.
That's when I remembered an unguent Martha used to hand me whenever I encountered a difficult customer. I once was beaten up pretty bad and I still remember Martha's words "Here, take this. You know, sometimes this type of thing happens around here. Get used to it, babygirl"
Yeah sure, like it was totally normal.
However, I tried my best to replicate the recipe pretty fast with some ingredients brought there by Hange.
"What are you doing, cadet?" immediately said Levi, standing behind me and observing what I was doing.
"What does it look like to you, captain? I'm trying to help him out" I confronted him.
We stared at each other. None of us dared to look away.
"Oh, c'mon Levi, cut her some slack" said Hange.
I glared at him once again and then got back to my recipe. Soon after I was finished and I handed the unguent to Eren.
Half-kneeling down in front of him I said "It should help speed up the process. Or at least it'll help endure the pain. It contains aloe" I smiled at him, trying to cheer him up a little.
"T-thank you s-so much, it feels really nice" He stuttered.
"You're welcome, kid. You did well today" I said as I playfully rubbed his head. He giggled.
"Wooo, it's true! It does feel nice. Where did you learn that, girl? I want the recipe now" Hange said enthusiastically as she was applying a little of my unguent on her arm. "This girl continues to amaze me, I'm glad you two captured her" she laughed and then she turned to face both Levi and Erwin. And so I did too.
The captain eyed me. Unfazed. A penny for your thoughts, Levi?
However, I chuckled a little. Hange's fervor was quite contagious, I must admit.
Suddenly something else caught my attention: Eren's bruises started to fade away. What the fuck?! "I think I saw something even more amazing, Hange. Look at his skin..." I said pointing to him "I don't think that was my unguent" What kind of witchcraft is this?
"No, darling, that's the titans' power. But still... how fascinating..." said Hange, drooling. Another weirdo. Well, another nice weirdo.
However, that's what Levi was talking about before. "Don't be afraid. Whatever you're going to see today, trust me, trust us" he said. I turned around to watch his reaction and he instantly glared at me. A hint of a smile appeared on my face. I wanted him to know I wasn't afraid.
The more I spent time with them the more I could see what they were about.
Soon after, Hange escorted Eren back to his dorm, while Erwin, Levi and I headed down the hallway in the opposite direction.
Before he left, Erwin said "We made it. Another step further" and then he approached me "You did well today too. Thanks for handling Mikasa, she could have gotten herself into trouble without you"
"Don't mention it, commander. She was just blinded by her feelings. She was clearly worried about Eren's fate, I totally get it" I replied.
"Sure, but you demonstrated a lot of self-control and discipline today. Well done, cadet"
"I'm just good at reading people and situations, but thanks commander" I tried to minimize my actions. "Look at yourself: behaving, obeying, being a good girl... what have you become, Daphne?" that voice inside my head echoed once again.
The commander discharged us, so Levi and I headed to our respective rooms.
"Are you happy now?" Levi suddenly asked me when we were almost at my door.
"Excuse me, captain?"
"Now I'll be on Eren's ass. I won't have time to survey you" he said, getting close to me. Way too close "Consider yourself lucky, cadet" he continued.
"If you ever miss my ass, captain, you can make an appointment. I'll definitely keep myself free for you" I teased him, preparing myself for the worst.
His jaw tensed as he scanned my face. He inhaled soundly, never looking away from me. He looked like a wild animal, a predator. His eyes were running furiously all over my face, restless.
"Calm down, captain. I was just messing with you..." I hissed, almost feeling my own breath coming back to my face. He was way too close.
"I've already warned you. Smartmouth, drop it already" he whispered "Just because you behaved today, it doesn't mean I'm buying it. I'll still keep an eye on you"
"Oh, my dear captain, I know you'll do" I teased him.
My fault. I brought it on myself. He gripped my jaw with just his hand and so my head banged on the door. He stared at me furiously but a small grin painted on my face. You don't know who you're fucking with, Levi.
He groaned and let go of me. His expression suddenly changed: did he regret acting out of rage?
"C'mon captain, it's time to go to sleep, right?" I whispered massaging my chin and trying to make eye-contact with him.
Levi suddenly grabbed my hand and took it away from my face. With his left one he cupped my cheek, so he started stroking my jaw with his thumb. I stared at him trying to keep my heart from jumping out of my ribcage.
His thumb softly traveled back and forth on my jaw, while the other fingers stayed solid on the back of my neck. What was that all of a sudden? And the expression on his face...He seemed sorry. Then his eyes traveled from my chin to my eyes, looking for something. He sighed soundly and moved his attention back to my jaw.
He eyed me once again and then left me there, without saying a word.
Once in my room, another sleepless night awaited me, and yet another day came. I really was a lucky bastard.
However, when the daylight hit my window I got up, showered and then headed to the cafeteria where again a silent Levi was waiting for me. Sitting next to him was Eren, quietly eating. On my usual seating position, there were a cup and a plate. Again, Levi had prepared that for me.
I noticed the plate was stuffed with biscuits, slices of bread and some fruits. Was he making amends for yesterday? I smiled at him, but he stayed silent.
While I was still focused on the food, he shyly scanned my face, looking for some evidence of our last encounter. I saw him out of the corner of my eyes so I kindly asked "Is everything alright, captain?" but he just gave me a dirty look.
Once he was finished with his tea he started to speak "Today we'll move out of the HQ. We will travel a little and get to an old castle, which is actually the old HQ. There we will hide you, Eren, so that freak can continue her experiments on you in peace. Hurry up and meet me at the stable" and so he left.
I rolled my eyes, so Eren laughed a little. He was clearly afraid of the captain. How can I blame him?
"Scary, isn't he?" said Eren when Levi left the cafeteria.
"He is all barks and no bite, trust me. However, I guess he is just trying to be a good captain... in his own way, but I think I get it" I admitted.
"I heard he went hard on you too, right? You are the criminal from the underground... Oh, I'm sorry, it didn't come out that well... "
"No, don't worry. You're right, I am the criminal from the underground. And yes, he wasn't that gentle with me either" I said.
"But you don't seem frightened around him, how do you do that??" I really didn't know what to say... Maybe it was because if Levi wanted me dead, I would have already been worm food.
I didn't know for how long it would have lasted, but to be honest, judging from his last behaviors Levi seemed as conflicted as I was. Luckily for me.
After we finished our breakfast, we headed out and started our little trip along with the Special Operations Squad, also known as Squad Levi: that creep Oruo, Eld, Gunther and Petra. The elite squad of the Survey Corps, hand-picked by the almighty Captain Levi.
Once there, we all reunited in front of the gate.
"Oh God, this place is a mess. Look at all that weed!" exclaimed Gunther.
Indeed, it was a mess. A huge castle, for sure, but it rather looked like a dump now.
"In which case we have a problem, don't we?" said Levi, coming from our backs "Best get a broom and get to work".
Is he for real? A question mark appeared on my face and Petra immediately caught it.
"Oh, that was just the calm before the storm, now you'll see what captain Levi is really all about" she giggled as she took me by the arm, escorting me inside the building.
#levi ackerman#levi fanfiction#levi x oc#levi x reader#levi smut#snk levi#levi fanfic#aot fanfiction#snk fanfiction#Captain Levi#levi heichou#levi#read on ao3#read on wattpad#ytlcaf#fanfic
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Love your writing! Renruki prompt: Married!RenRuki get into a fight and Renji's acting all gloomy when he goes to work the next day. He accidentally~ shares his woes with Byakuya.
Ahhh, I am not good at writing fights!! I think I am on the record as to saying that I think Renji and Rukia only fight over stupid shit, and I had a heck of a time figuring out something for them to fight over. Anyway, I did my best, at very least, this contains a lot of Byakuya Being Byakuya.
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“I think it’s in here, sir,” Third Seat Yuki explained, leading Byakuya into the Officer’s Lounge. “On second thought, you wait out here, I’ll bring it.”
Sixth Seat Taniguchi was sprawled on the floor, groaning. Rikichi stepped over him, and looked around. Fifth Seat Kuchiki had his leg propped up on a table, a bag of ice on his knee. Seventh Seat Shirogane and Fourth Seat Kuchiki were leaning against each other on the couch, snoring in unison. Rikichi picked his way toward the couch and poked Shirogane in the arm. “Hey! Hey, Shirogane! What happened to the training reports on the first-years?”
“Eh?” Shirogane asked, sitting up. “Training reports, right.” She shoved Kuchiki to one side, and extracted a thick binder, bristling with colored tabs from the depths of the couch. It was barely in Yuki’s hand before she was slumped against Kuchiki again.
“Found it!” Rikichi announced cheerfully, waving the binder and picking his way carefully back out.
“What… happened?” Byakuya asked gingerly. “It is not usually like this, is it?”
“Oh, no, sir,” Rikichi replied. “There was sparring after morning drills.”
“Everyone must have had an excess of enthusiasm, to have worn each other out so,” Byakuya observed. He was a bit sorry to have missed it. A spirited affray sounded much more entertaining than the interminable breakfast meeting with Lord Noragashi he had endured.
“Er, not exactly,” Rikichi excused, rubbing the back of his neck. “When I said ‘sparring’, what I meant was, ‘Vice-Captain made everyone fight him.’ He was in a bit of a mood this morning.”
“I... see,” Byakuya drew out. It had been quite some time since Abarai had felt the need to pummel his way through the top ranks. Byakuya had hoped it was a sign that the top officers were improving, but apparently, it had just been the recent improvement in his lieutenant’s disposition. Disappointing. “Any indication as to what precipitated this sudden bout of pugnacity?”
Rikichi paused and glanced around. “I think he might have had a tiff with the missus,” he said, voice barely above a whisper.
Byakuya arched an eyebrow.
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Byakuya pretended to be deeply engaged by the newest edition of the Standards for Disposition of Historically Significant Hauntings while taking occasionally surreptitious glances at his adjutant. He needn’t have bothered with the covertness, Abarai was clearly too tightly wrapped up in his own misery to have any sort of situational awareness.
The thunderstorm of ire that had possessed the man earlier had passed, leaving behind a drizzle of gloomy resignation. Abarai had dragged his brush half-heartedly across his paperwork for a while, but now all he could manage was to stare out the window listlessly.
Byakuya was not a nosy man and clearly, this was none of his business. In fact, he ought to chide his subordinate for this childlike behavior. However, Byakuya hesitated. This could very well be pertinent to his sister’s happiness. Now that Rukia no longer resided with him, how was he to know her daily mood, her overall humor? If there had been a row, surely Abarai was the one at fault. It was practically Byakuya’s duty as a brother to discern what had passed between them.
“Lieutenant,” he said sternly.
Renji seemed to come to himself suddenly, and straightened in his seat. “Yessir!”
“You seem out of sorts this morning.”
Abarai swallowed. “Sorry, sir! I don’t… I’ll do better, sir!”
Byakuya folded his hands. “Obviously, I expect only the strictest of professionalism from you, as always, Lieutenant, but you know that I care for your well-being. We are family now. If you have a problem you wish to talk through, you know that I am an excellent listener.”
Abarai’s face was overcome with what was obviously great emotion at this generosity. “Er… it’s nothing, sir. Really.” He grabbed his brush and began writing with great vigor.
Curses. That hadn’t worked at all. “Rukia is in good health, I trust? All is proceeding accordingly?” Perhaps there had been a disagreement regarding their pending offspring. Perhaps Abarai had suggested a ridiculous given name, which Rukia, in her wisdom, had rejected.
Abarai’s eyebrows furrowed. “Uh, yeah. Same as, uh, yesterday, when you asked.”
“You seemed distressed. I wondered if perhaps she had fallen ill.”
“Oh, no, nothin’ like that. She’s actually been feelin’ a little better lately.” He fiddled with his brush and looked back down at his paperwork for a moment. “Look, sir, can I ask your opinion on something?”
“Of course,” Byakuya replied, carefully keeping his face in its usual, disinterested mien, despite the fact that he was, in fact, very interested.
Abarai nodded slowly. “Okay, so, imagine there’s two people, see, a boy and a girl, kids like.”
“I can imagine it.”
“And they grow up together and they fall in love, right? But it’s hard for them to tell each other that, because they’ve been friends a long time. And they drift apart, it’s not looking good for either of them, but then the boy writes the girl a poem. It’s not a very good poem, it’s about how tall he’s gotten, not a great call on his part, but the girl goes for it, and she writes this lucky bastard a poem back.”
Byakuya nodded slowly. As usual, Abarai’s storytelling was circuitous and only dubiously coherent. Byakuya was familiar with the basics of Rukia and Renji’s courtship, although he hadn’t known poetry had played such a key role. He found that rather charming, actually.
“It works out,” Abarai continued on, “and they get married. Now, this woman is basically perfect. She’s beautiful, loyal, loving, the whole package. On the other hand, the guy is a real piece of work. He clearly does not deserve her.”
“I am following,” Byakuya nodded.
“So he’s a huge jerk, he doesn’t know what he’s got, and he cheats on her.”
Wait, what? “Excuse me?” Byakuya echoed.
“It doesn’t make any sense, but that’s what you get for marrying a guy who writes you a poem, I guess. He’s such a scumbag, in fact, that he thinks she’s cheating on him, too, just because she never calls him on this really obvious affair, and that’s how the slimeball mind works, I ‘spose.”
Byakuya tried to perform some mental math. Abarai had only been married to his sister for five months. How had he possibly had time to accomplish all this? Byakuya was beginning to think this was not actually an autobiographical story, in which case why was he telling it?
Abarai was waving his hands around enthusiastically at this point. “So he spies on her, trying to catch him in the act, and get this-- all he catches her doing is writing a poem about how she hopes he’s staying safe while gallivanting around with this other lady! I just bet he felt bad!”
All of this was beginning to sound vaguely familiar. Byakuya squeezed his eyes shut, trying to place this story in its proper context.
“Now, don’t get me wrong, this guy is a sleaze. I am not defending this guy in any way. But it’s not really about him, see? It’s about the lady, and the purity of her love for him--”
Byakuya gripped his head. “Abarai, this is just the plot of Izutsu, isn’t it? The noh play?”
“Oh, you’ve seen it?” Abarai asked. “We went on Wednesday, and I thought we both enjoyed it, but then yesterday, Rukia asked my opinion on it, and I gave it to her, and, uh, a big fight happened.”
“Of course I have seen it, it is one of the classical noh dramas! And Ariwara no Narihira is one of the Six Poetic Genius, he is not ‘a sleaze.’” Byakuya paused. “Rukia had strong opinions on it?”
“The strongest of opinions. She said the lady was dumb for pining over a shi-- poet, and that someone should have konsoued her in the first act. And I think she just really missed the point, I mean, it’s noh, it’s not like anyone’s here for a good time, how are you supposed to have any heartfelt songs about suffering in love if you ain’t got any suffering, am I right?”
Although one would never be able to tell from his facial expression, Byakuya found this entire shaggy dog story interesting on a number of levels. For one, every time he had ever taken Rukia to noh and asked her opinion of it, she had replied that the costumes had been very beautiful or that the dancers had been very skilled. She had never once expressed an opinion on the content. Reason number two was that Hisana had very strong opinions on the content of noh dramas. In fact, Hisana used to refer to Izutsu as the ‘Never Trust a Poet’ play. Byakuya very distinctly remembered her opining that “the husband was bad and he should feel bad; he should be the one who has to come back and haunt the damn well.” Byakuya eventually came to realize that Hisana’s complaints were primarily a ruse for the purpose of getting him riled up, and that the best way of short-circuiting them was merely to start kissing her and then to get riled up in a different way. He would give up his sword before he shared that piece of information with Abarai. The third interesting piece of information, though…
“I would not have expected you to take theater criticism so personally, Lieutenant,” Byakuya observed mildly.
Renji opened his mouth and then closed it again. “It’s just a dumb play,” he muttered.
Byakuya minutely adjusted the position of a paper on his desk. “Art is a reflection of our strongest emotions and a chance to explore the boundaries of concepts like love and forgiveness. It can be quite disconcerting to find yourself on the opposite side of a philosophical divide from the one person in your life whose opinions on romantic love are actually pertinent to you.”
“I just don’t understand why she’s mad at me!” Abarai lamented, throwing up his hands. “I liked the play, she’s one who said it was dumb. I don’t see how you can get mad at someone for liking a thing.”
Byakuya sighed, and reminded himself for the millionth time that Abarai had spent his formative years literally headbutting the humanoid mountain goats of the Eleventh instead of metaphorically headbutting an equally stubborn classical literature tutor. “Clearly, you find ongoing devotion in the face of obstacles to be an admirable quality, and were moved by the wife’s pining, which is, broadly speaking, the main theme of the play. However, consider the perspective of the one who is pined after, presented in this piece as a flawed idol, a cause of agony and suffering so severe that it persists past the confines of mortal existence.”
“Oh,” replied Abarai. There was a long pause. “Oh.” His face transitioned through a number of contortions, but not further words came forth.
Byakuya picked up the Standards for Disposition of Historically Significant Hauntings again, and pretended to flip through it. “Do you need to take an early lunch break today, Lieutenant?”
“Um, ah…” Abarai looked at his calendar. “I got Advanced Hakuda Skills with the upper seats at 11.”
“I don’t think they’re up for it today,” Byakuya noted dryly. “Go ahead.”
Abarai scrammed.
#my writing#this is the last of the OLD old drabble prompts!!!#i still have two medium old ones to go#but i am hereby declaring renji's birthday CLEARED#this is VERY REALISTIC#by which i mean it is slightly autobiographical#except in my case it was over a kdrama#jeez i did SIGNIFICANT RESEARCH for this#these drabbles are supposed to be LOW EFFORT#but I have NO CHILL#i have never actually seen izutsu#noh stans please do not get up in my mentions#i mean i am sure i deserve it#but please i am so small and tired#also 'never trust a poet' is from a very old youtube video where bjork explains how computers work#i think about that video at least once a week
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Imagine you live on the edge of town (I)
“Did you hear?” The barmaid, Nyssa, clutched her tray. “The werewolf came again last night. It killed five of Jonathan’s sheep.”
You looked up from the dough you were kneading and wiped the sweat from your brow. The tavern hadn’t closed for the night, and yet Nyssa was there with you in the kitchens. You didn’t want to think about the complaints about empty cups. Your hands moved to your hips, dusting the fabric of your dress with a starchy white. “It’s just a wolf. No one’s ever seen it properly.”
“Tomas saw it! He said that it was over a head taller than him!”
You sighed. You needed to nip this in the bud. “If it was a werewolf, wouldn’t it only transform on full moons?”
“No.” Nyssa shook her head. “Werewolves can transform whenever they please.” Her grip on the tray tightened until her knuckles turned white. She looked down and her stare become distant. “They’re at their strongest on the full moons, and they’re at their most ravenous, too.”
You scowled. “Who told you this?”
“Nikolas.”
You rolled your eyes. You should have known. Nikolas was a hunter. He had arrived in Fyerdin two years ago. Since he had travelled to so many places, many thought him to be an expert. You couldn’t help but scoff at his stories. He went on and on about creatures and monsters and other things that lurked in the dark as the other townsfolk would lean in, enraptured by his tales. You knew exactly what he was doing; if the townspeople were afraid, they would pay him more to keep them safe. He was the only hunter in the town. He was the only one that could use a sword, handle a bow, and track game through the forest.
Nyssa eyes began to water. “The full moon is soon, isn’t it? The first one of the spring? Right before-…oh.”
You turned away from her. You folded the dough over and flattened it with a rolling pin. Last year, your fiancé, Ilya, had disappeared one night. He had been hunting on his own rather than with Nikolas. You had warned him against hunting at night, but he hadn’t listened. Nikolas had gone out for days on end to search, but couldn’t find any sign of him. You and Nikolas hadn’t been on good terms to begin with, but Ilya’s apparent death had made things even worse. When Nikolas had told other townsfolk that he thought a monster was to blame, you realized that he was trying to profit from Ilya’s disappearance. As the only hunter, he was the town’s only protection now.
“N-Nikolas said that werewolves are the same as other animals. Springtime is their mating season. Do you…Do you think that-“
You waved her off. “If you’re worried about the werewolf, you can go home early. I’ll clean things up here.”
“Thank you! Oh, I should get back to work.” With that, she hurried out of the kitchen.
Your gaze shifted to the window. The sun was gone. Darkness had fallen. The moon wasn’t visible yet, but the brightness of it was beginning to discolor the sky.
You shook your head, rolling the dough into a ball. Nikolas needed to stop filling her head with stories.
You had almost forgotten about the werewolf until the date of the spring festival was ordained. The elders had, amidst some controversy, chosen the day of the full moon. You had heard several gasps and whispers from the townsfolk when it was first announced. Nyssa, who had been standing closer to the mayor, had turned from him and watched you. You only spared her a glance. It wouldn’t change anything. The beast wouldn’t show itself in the middle of the day.
You had woken up early on the morning of the festival. You spent hours putting the finishing touches on dishes and getting everything ready for transport. The festival took place outside, in a field dotted with wildflowers. That meant you had to cart everything out yourself. It was a pain, but you couldn’t argue against tradition, lest everyone else suspect you of being a witch.
When the sun was at its highest, the festival began. Children danced and wove ribbons together into colourful braids. The adults chatted with each other like it was any other day. The food you had laid out was crowded amongst the other offerings. The baker had laughed heartily about how good her recipe had become. The kitchen-master of the local inn insisted that his meat was superior, despite all of it coming from the same butcher.
You stood off to the side. Spending so much time slaving over food had drained your appetite. You weren’t one for festivals. At least you had gotten some compliments on your pastries. Your pumpkin bread was a hit yet again. Several of the other women in town pestered you for the recipe like it was tradition, but you had skirted the question. Competition was steep in small towns. If you had the best pastries in Fyerdin, then you had an edge.
Nyssa caught your eye. She was playing with some of the younger children. The sky was changing colour now, which meant that the children would soon be heading back to their homes while the festival continued. Despite having no children of her own and no husband, she acted like a mother to anyone younger than her. She was good at it, too. She could calm even the most colicky of babies and soothe the fieriest of toddler tantrums. You didn’t share that talent. Children would grasp at your skirt and ask you to sneak them another pastry, but that spoke more of your baking skills than your motherly instinct. Ilya had laughed about it. He had said that your children would certainly grow up with a healthy appetite.
Your gaze shifted to Nikolas. He was sitting alone at one end of the feasting table. Other men were nearby, crowded together as they shared stories and laughed. You weren’t surprised to see Nikolas finish his cup and stare down at his food. He never ate anything that you made. When you had first met him, you had made him some pumpkin bread as a housewarming gift. He had refused it. You were frustrated, and Ilya had tried to smooth things over by informing you that Nikolas wasn’t raised with sweet things. They had already been good friends and hunting partners by that point, so Ilya knew more about Nikolas than you ever would.
Your thoughts were interrupted by the music suddenly changing. Woodwinds and string instruments became louder and the rhythm grew faster. You exhaled though your noise. You recognized this music. It was yet another tradition. A dance for all of the unwed men and women. The elders claimed that the gods would grant dancers with increased fertility. Your stomach lurched at the word. You tried to avoid the dance every year, but now you found yourself wanting to outright leave the festival.
You weren’t even given the chance to escape unnoticed. Henris, the miller’s son, sidled up next to you and took your hand. His smile was as warm as the sun’s light on your skin. “Dance with me,” he offered as he guided you towards the other dancers that had begun to weave and spin.
You complied, though you wouldn’t be dancing with him for long. The dance involved changing partners frequently. Some unions lasted more than others depending on mutual interest. After a while, the sound would abruptly end and partners would be considered blessed by the gods in the form of children. You weren’t sure why it was only the unwed who were supposedly given fertility. Perhaps it was meant to result in more marriages.
You couldn’t leave, so you went through the motions. You danced with Henris. He had quite the talent for it. You weren’t surprised that he was so popular with the other young women. Then, you separated with a flourish and a spin to find other partners. Nyssa smiled at you as she skipped by. You were abruptly stopped by a hand around your wrist. You turned, pulled off balance. It was Kelv, the mayor’s son. His hand moved to yours. He was a few years older than you. He was, by far, the most sought-after bachelor in Fyerdin. So many girls lusted after him. So many young ladies confessed to him, only to be turned away. He claimed he was after a woman of a higher caliber. In short, he wanted a woman with a hefty dowry.
You let go of his hand. A single turn revealed some of the married men heaving Nikolas up from his chair and ushering him toward the dance. You dodged Nyssa and a fisherman. You tried to find Henris, only to be guided away by a traveling merchant. Either he was used to such customs, or he had caught on quickly. It didn’t matter. You just wanted to avoid Nikolas. You sighed in relief when Nyssa took his hands and danced with him.
You took a step in the other direction. The merchant’s grip on your hand tightened. You looked at him warily. You wrenched your hand away. You casted a glare as you distanced yourself. You weren’t in the mood for this. All you wanted to do was-
Dark clothing was all you caught in your periphery before you walked straight into someone else. You stifled a groan as you righted yourself. It only took a glance. The sight of Nikolas already looking past you in search of a different partner made your mood darken. His hands came down on your shoulders. He all but forced you to one side so he could get by.
The moment his hands left you, the music cut out and everyone stopped. Young women gasped and young men laughed as couples exchanged flushed glances. You didn’t turn to look at Nikolas. You would rather be alone than share good luck with him. There was no consequence to having no partner at the end of the dance. Some girls were distraught and feared they were undesirable after ending up alone, but you had no such worry.
After a brief round of applause, the music began again. Partners and married couples danced together. You graciously took your leave. With the start of spring, you had a lot of work to do.
You drew a sharp breath. You pressed your knuckles into the small of your back. You had finally finished the preparations for Jenny’s bridal shower. The actual baking wouldn’t start until tomorrow morning, but you wanted to have everything ready beforehand. She had requested so many cakes and pastries and other goods that you would be baking for the next few days. Henris, the miller’s eldest son, had looked like he was about to drop to his knees and ask for your hand in marriage when you listed off everything you wanted to buy. You glanced to the window. The sound of shouting and cheering had continued well into the night, but things had long since gone quiet.
With everything sorted and packaged for the morning, you stepped out into the bar and immediately wilted. Since Nyssa had left early the night before, it was still a mess. Ale was soaked into the floorboards. Cups were strewn about. You gathered your apron into a makeshift pouch so you could begin to gather everything up to be washed or disposed of.
A deep, loud noise gave you pause. It carried and echoed in the night air. A wolf’s howl. You imagined that Nyssa would be in her bedroom now, frightfully curling up beneath her blanket and praying that the beast would stay far away from Fyerdin. You kept moving. The sooner you were finished, the longer you would be able to sleep before the rooster-
Something rustled in the next room. You straightened and turned toward the noise. You kept still, lest everything cradled in your apron clatter against each other. You waited. You fully expected to hear nothing else. It was just the wood of the building settling from the cold.
But there it was again; another noise. It was coming from the pantry. You scowled. You had been salting a fair bit of meat. A few of your customers had asked about it. You wouldn’t be surprised if one of them was drunk and trying to steal it. You carefully set what you were holding onto the bar’s surface. You headed down the hall. Getting closer, you heard a snarl. You grabbed the broom that had been leaning against the wall. You had used it to chase off scavengers before. They usually ran off the moment they heard you coming. The rest fled when you swatted at them.
The pantry door was ajar, blocking your view of whatever was inside. The muffled sounds grew louder and was followed by sloppy chewing. You raised the broom. You could afford to lose a slab of meat or two, but not the entire lot.
“Mm…So good…” A low voice growled through a full mouth.
You froze. A person? You rattled off a list of the men in town. You didn’t think that any of them were enough of a slob to sneak in and eat raw, salted meat. The travelers currently lodged at the Badger’s Den seemed respectable at first glance.
You discarded those thoughts. Whoever it was, you needed to stop them and teach them a lesson.
The person took a step back. Then two. It sounded odd. It wasn’t the sound of shoes or bare feet hitting the floor. It almost sounded like scraping. You moved closer, broom at the ready. If they were about to drag the tray of meats out with them, you wouldn’t let them get far.
A hand gripped the edge of the door. The sight of it stopped you in your tracks. Fur covered the skin. The nails were long and dark. The tips dug into the wood like it was made of softened butter. You stiffened. This couldn’t be happening. You had just drifted off while taking a break in the kitchens. But the dread working its way through your bones felt all too real. The broom in your hands was definitely there.
The beast stepped further back. You only caught a glimpse of them before you ducked into the kitchen and pressed your back against the wall. With one hand still holding the broom, you covered your mouth with the other. In that sliver of a moment, you had seen it. It had been hunched over, though you couldn’t tell if it was just its natural posture or because it was too tall to stand properly in the hallway. Its entire body was covered with long, dark fur. It walked on the pads of its feet. It was claws that had made the scraping sound. Its head was that of a wolf; a long snout, pointed ears on top of its head. A pink tongue had slipped out from between sharp teeth to lick up stray grains of salt.
Your resolve wavered. The beast was real. You had seen it with your own eyes. More importantly, it was still inside the tavern. It was still so close.
“Such a good little cook.”
You didn’t move. Did it know who you were? Had you met while it was human.
It padded down the hall. It sniffed. “Ah, she’s been baking again. Let’s see.”
You froze. Your eyes flickered to the back door. The beast was moving slowly. It wasn’t even halfway down the hall. Maybe, if you were quiet enough, you could escape.
It continued to sniff the air. You could hear the saliva dripping from its maw and hitting the floor. “Sweet rolls. Tarts. Almond cakes. But there’s something else...something so much sweeter…”
You flinched as something knocked against the wall. It was right behind you. You pressed your hand even harder over your mouth. You didn’t make a sound, but you knew that a cry could have so easily leapt from your throat. Did it know that you were there? Could it smell you? A growl came from the other side of the wall. It leaned closer. Its presence was stifling.
“You’re up late, sweetheart.”
You knew that this was your only chance. You turned and ran for the back door. You didn’t make it far. Its claws snatched the bow of your apron and yanked you backward. You lost your grip on the broom. The wood clattered across the floor. In the next moment, you were pushed down onto the table. The impact caused what remained of the flour and other powdery ingredients to puff up into the air. You winced. One hand was still curled around the ribbon of your apron. The other pressed between your shoulders. You could feel its claws slicing through the fabric of your dress, but they didn’t press deep enough to cut you.
“Did you think that you were hiding?” Its claws slipped out from beneath the ribbon. Only the hand on your back kept you still. No matter how hard you fought, you didn’t gain an inch. “I can smell you from miles away.”
You tensed as it buried its snout into your hair and neck. It inhaled deeply, then withdrew with a sigh. “You always smell so good, but something’s different this time. Like a pinch of cinnamon added to that pumpkin bread you make that everyone loves.” It sniffed its way down your spine. Further and further. Your body tightened, muscles coiling like springs. Its hand wandered downward, settling just above your hips to keep you pressed against the table.
You gasped when its nose nuzzled into your skirt. You kicked at him blindly in attempt to drive him away. Your foot kept moving through the air, missing or not reaching far enough. When you did manage to land a blow, the beast didn’t even react. It didn’t stiffen or grunt in pain.
“Let go of me,” you hissed. It kept sniffing. Short puffs of air rustled your dress and hair. The more it took in, the harder its hand pressed against you. “If you don’t, I’ll-“ Your words caught in your throat as the beast loomed over you once more. Something hot and sticky pressed against your skirt. Your eyes widened. You hadn’t been sure before, but now you knew that it was a male. Nyssa’s comment about spring returned to your mind, carrying more weight than before. It couldn’t be real. He was more wolf than man now. Surely he would have just found a feral dog instead.
You tensed as the beast grabbed your skirt and lifted it. The material was then bunched around your waist. You shivered as cold air met your legs. The beast exhaled above you, the last of his breath shifting into a ragged snarl. His cock, even warmer now that was pressed against your skin, rubbed against your smallclothes.
You swallowed. “You can take whatever you want from the pantry.”
The beast’s hand slid down your back. “Are you trying to barter with me?”
You hesitated. You didn’t know if the truth would anger him. You chose to risk it. “I-I can leave food for you every n-night so you don’t have to hunt.”
“And trying to sweeten your offer, no less. It won’t work. I know exactly what I want from you.” He dragged your smallclothes down to your knees, leaving you bare for him. His mouth opened. Hot air pooled across your back as he panted and growled.
“Your scent is always sweet, but to be so close is…intoxicating.” His teeth were bared as he spoke, like he was barely clinging to human speech. “I’ve always wanted to have you, but now you smell so good. So…fertile…”
Your heartbeat pounded in your ears. His thumb strayed to your inner thigh. He forced your legs apart bit by bit. With just a bit more pressure, he parted your folds and revealed your entrance.
The familiar heat and slickness prodded against you. You tried to fight against his grip, but could barely move. His claws dug into your flesh. You winced as the little marks stung and droplets of fresh blood bubbled up.
“Stay still,” he growled.
“Find someone else!” you pleaded.
“No, I’ll only ever have you. Wolves mate for life. From the moment I saw you, smelled you-“ The tip finally found its mark. It stretched you open. His breathing became labored as he plunged deeper and deeper inside of you. “I knew…I knew that I had to have you.”
Your fingernails dug into the table beneath you. You hadn’t been with a man since Ilya had disappeared. Even then, the beast’s cock was different than a human’s. You felt every movement, every stutter of his hips as he tried not to carelessly rut into you. Tears filled your eyes as the head of his cock found your cervix. The tip nestled against it like a passionate kiss. You pressed your forehead against the table. You felt like you could barely breathe with something so big still inside of you.
The beast let out a long, pleased hum, like he was tempted to howl in victory but knew better than to alert the other townsfolk. Nikolas would be the one to stop him. If he knew countless stories about werewolves, he would be the one to kill the beast once and for all.
The beast’s cock withdrew. His body quivered with a feral need as he shoved himself back inside your heat. “Oh, sweetheart…You feel so good…” The instant that you tried to lift your upper body, his hand shot out and pinned you back down. “Stay there. Yes, just like that.”
You were relieved to feel that he didn’t go as far the second time, but his pace was becoming faster. The more his cock rubbed against you, the easier it was for him to snap his hips back to meet yours. You were still wrapped around him so tightly, and yet his path was becoming slick with his fluids. The feeling of his fur against your thighs was strange. It was softer than you thought it would be, but the heat of it loomed over you. Despite the night air being so cold, you didn’t feel it at all.
He slowed, then stopped. He straightened as if to look something over. He angled his hips experimentally. You waited, unsure of what he was trying to do. Then, without warning, his hips snapped forward to meet yours. You let out a sharp cry as he hit something different. When he pulled back, the head of his cock rubbed at your walls in small, deliberate strokes. It made your legs quiver. Your mouth hung open as he kept going. Wetness dripped down your thighs.
The beast laughed. “There we go. You like that, don’t you?”
You didn’t answer. Your face burned with anger and shame. Your expression faltered. You felt dizzy. You hadn’t felt anything like this in a long time. Not since Ilya had left, and your bed had grown cold. Your body relaxed against the table. You were thankful that it was there hold you up. Your legs were getting weaker. You couldn’t find the strength to kick and fight against him.
He plunged into you once more. This time, something had flared at the base. It pushed at your entrance. It teased you open before finally slipping inside. You made a small noise at the discomfort as his hips withdrew, but the bulb tugged at your walls. It came out, but it was still growing. Soon it wouldn’t be able to get inside of you. Or out. Your heart leapt into your throat. Could a monster…could he really- The muscles in your back tightened as the bulb pressed against you again. It was bigger now. Your body offered more resistance to the intrusion. You hoped that it wouldn’t fit. Maybe it would convince him to back off.
Instead, he rubbed the tip of his cock against that sweet spot inside of you. Over and over and over again. You moaned softly. Heat pooled between your legs. Each time, the wideness prodded at your entrance. It spread you further apart with every stroke.
With a sudden, sharp thrust, the beast forced his way back inside of you. You squirmed. The feeling of it made you uncomfortable. It swelled. When he withdrew, even though it was only slight, your walls tightened around him. He snarled. His hips snapped back against yours. You yelped in response to the pressure against your cervix. It nearly knocked the breath from your lungs.
The beast’s movements became shorter. He rocked back and forth at a leisurely pace. It was only a façade. You could feel the way his hips twitched and stuttered. His hands slammed down on the table on either side of you. The sound of it made you jump. The small jolt made you tighten around him. The wood splintered and groaned beneath the weight, but didn’t break completely. His claws dug into the surface. He began to move again in quick, deep thrusts. The table creaked with each change of direction.
“I’ve always wanted to have you, just like this. Underneath me. Taking everything I give you. Ilya was always in the fucking way. I made me sick to see him with you. Parading you around like he deserved you. As if he had done anything worthwhile to prove himself the worthy candidate.” His dark claws dragged down the wood, creating rows of tears. He drove into you harder, the tip of his cock never straying far from your cervix.
You panted and gasped. You wanted to get away from him, but you didn’t have the strength. Your body was exhausted from fighting. Your muscles ached. The tension in your belly had been growing, little by little. Now it was overwhelming. You knew that you were nearing the edge, no matter how much you tried to stop it. He was stretching you so wide. Going so deep. Your body glistened with a thin layer of sweat. The fur at his hips was wet with your slick. It was cold as it brushed against your thighs. “Please…”
He rewarded you with another rough tilt of his hips. “Please what?”
“Take it out. Don’t- Don’t come inside of me.”
The beast didn’t like that answer. His hand pressed against your back, pinning you down onto the table to keep you in place. “No. Not after I’ve waited for so long to claim you. I’m going to breed you. I’m going to fill you so full that your body has no choice but to take my seed. And I’ll watch, day by day, as your womb swells with my pups until everyone in this fucking town knows that you’re spoken for.”
You tried to arch your back to get his hand off of you. Your arm blindly reached out in an attempt to push him away.
He snatched your wrist. His claws bit into your skin. “Do you understand? That fucking hunter might have been your fiancé, but that just a useless half-title. I’m going to be the father of your child. That’s more than some flowery promise and metal on your finger. You’ll be bound to me by flesh and-!”
The coil snapped. You whimpered and squirmed as your walls spasmed around him. Instinct took over. He let go of your arm. He hunched over you, hands gripping the opposite end of the table as he pushed his hips flush against yours. Searing heat pooled into you. Each time you tightened around his cock, more and more fluid spurted inside of you. His cock twitched with every flutter. You could feel something pulsing amidst his fur.
His hand moved your hair from your shoulder. He buried his snout into the crook of your neck and inhaled deeply. He nipped at your flesh, his tongue quickly darting out afterwards to lave against the marks. You didn’t turn to look at him, even though a part of you wanted to. It wasn’t likely that you’d be able to tell who he was. A wolf’s head was different than a man’s. You doubted many features carried over during the transformation.
You forced yourself to relax against the table. You stared at the grooves in the surface and prayed that the knot would shrink quickly. His seed was still pouring into you. With the knot swollen so snugly inside of your walls, none of it could escape. You could feel it, warm and viscous, as it poured into your womb. Every time he shifted his weight in an attempt to get comfortable, the fluid sloshed and more was pushed deeper. His hand wandered downward. His palm rubbed the inside of your thigh in slow, deliberate circles.
You flinched as he filled you to the brim, but more kept coming. His knot still wasn’t going down. An uncomfortable fullness quickly gave way to pain. You whined and tried to push him away. He growled, angry that you were trying to refuse his knot.
“It’s too much,” you wheezed. “It hurts.”
To your surprise, he relented. He pulled you further down the table until only your chest and arms were splayed across the surface, all while still locked inside of you. You sighed in relief as it took some of the pressure off. It only lasted for a moment. The beast’s hand moved from your thigh. It slipped further up your dress. It smoothed over your stomach. Softly enough that it didn’t add to the discomfort, but enough that you knew your belly had rounded out slightly. There was a weight to what he touched. You were so full that your womb had swelled outward just enough to be felt.
“You’ll carry my pups so well.” His voice rumbled through your back. “I can’t wait to see you showing through your clothes.”
A trickle followed. His cock shifted inside of you. The discomfort lessened. He stepped back. His softened knot slipped out with a wet pop. Fluid poured down your thighs. You sniffled, tears finally falling. You straightened despite the ache in your back. You stumbled a bit, but managed to keep yourself upright. You pulled your dress back down to cover yourself. You didn’t look. You didn’t want to. You just wanted him to leave.
Your wish was granted. Footsteps softly padded away. The back door opened and closed. A howl rang through the air. Closer, then faded as the beast ran off. You tiredly cleaned up the floor as best as you could. You weren’t willing to leave any trace behind. You stared at the table for a moment. You couldn’t do anything about the marks. You’d just have to keep it covered the next time Nyssa wandered into the kitchens. A bath was your next step. The wounds on your hips, arm, and shoulder stung. With your body still wet, you collapsed into your bed. Sleep came quickly.
The rooster’s call made you groan. You felt like you had only slept for a few minutes. Sitting up brought a dull ache to your hips and entrance. You stared warily down at your lap. You had hoped that the events of the night before had just been a dream influenced by Nyssa’s ramblings, but you hadn’t been so lucky. You got dressed. The soreness of your body persisted.
It wasn’t until you got downstairs that you heard talking. You were the only one that lived there, and Nyssa wasn’t supposed to arrive until noon. You headed toward the noise and rushed into the kitchens.
Two heads turned to look at you. Nyssa’s eyes were wide. She was clasping her hands in front of her chest. Nikolas was with her. He was wearing his usual hunting gear that was made from a dark leather. He had none of his weapons save the dagger strapped to his thigh. His arms were crossed. You couldn’t read his expression through his full beard, and you honestly didn’t care. He had been in your eyesight for all of two seconds and you were already tired of his presence.
You slipped a new apron over your head and cinched it tight behind you. “What are you doing here?”
“I asked him to come,” Nyssa explained. “Didn’t you hear the howling last night? I-It was coming from this side of town, so I wanted to make sure that everything was okay.”
“Well, my house is still standing and I’m still alive, so everything seems to be in order,” you countered.
“Not quite.” Nikolas gestured to the table. “It seems the werewolf truly was here.”
You approached, even though you knew what they were so interested in. You stared at the gouges in the wood. You scoffed. “Maybe it’s a werecat. I’ve never seen a dog scratch at furniture.”
“Where were you last night?” Nikolas asked.
“Here,” you replied. “I finished my preparations and cleaned up. Then I went to bed.” Your brow furrowed. “Why does it matter?”
He stared back at you, unwavering. “I find it odd that you didn’t hear anything.”
Your temper flared. “Are you excusing me of being the werewolf?”
“I’m addressing a concern,” he shot back in a flat tone. He took a step to the side. “I want to check your inventory.”
You placed yourself in front of him, barring his path out of the kitchen.
Nikolas pulled his shoulders back. “Interfering like this tells me that you’re hiding something.”
“I’m not hiding anything.” You moved even closer to him. He was a head taller than you, but you weren’t afraid of him in the slightest. “You’re the one trespassing. I didn’t invite you in here.”
“Investigating a werewolf-“
“There isn’t a werewolf!” you argued. “They don’t exist. The only reason that you insist on telling these stories is to sc-“
“That’s enough!” Nyssa pushed herself between you and Nikolas. “Stop fighting, both of you. Ilya wouldn’t want to see you fighting like this.”
Both your and Nikolas’ expressions soured. You kept silent, albeit begrudgingly.
You relented. You went to the pantry, even though you knew what you were about to find. When you opened the door, you were well aware of the footsteps following you. The light patter of Nyssa. The heavy boots of Nikolas. You didn’t look, but you felt him looming behind you. Nyssa tried to peek on either side of him.
“What’s missing?” Nikolas asked.
You sighed. “A slab of meat. Maybe two. It doesn’t prove anything. Wild dogs would do the same.”
“They would have had trouble with the door,” he countered. He didn’t flinch when you glared at him. “And a man couldn’t eat a whole slab.”
You shut the pantry door. “Then I suppose you should go out and scour every cupboard in town to see who stole it.” You waved them both away. “I need to get started on my work. You can both go back to whatever it is you were doing before you came to bother me.”
“Wait!” Nyssa hurried after you as you went back to the kitchens. “Will you at least let Nikolas put up some wards? You were lucky enough that you didn’t get hurt last time, but…if it comes back…”
You turned. Your gaze lifted to Nikolas. He was staring at the pantry’s door. More specifically, he was looking at the dents in the wood. You hesitated. Nyssa wrung her hands. If you didn’t assuage her fears, it was unlikely she’d ever set foot in your tavern again. You couldn’t make food and serve drinks at the same time. You shrugged. “Do whatever you like, but I’m not paying for it.”
“I charge for game,” Nikolas called after you, “Not protection.”
“How altruistic of you,” you muttered.
The moon waned, waxed, then waned again. The werewolf didn’t return to your home. Instead, some livestock had been found dead in the fields. Large chunks of meat and been ripped and bitten from the bodies. Many of the townsfolk were becoming concerned. A wolf’s jaws were too small for such a thing, but a werewolf was a different story.
You refused to credit Nikolas’ wards. You couldn’t fathom how a little carving above each door and window could possibly keep a creature like that out. Even now, as you entered the kitchens amidst the early morning cold, the little image on the door frame looked pitiful. A figure within a circle. You had overheard Nikolas explain that it was a moon looming behind them. You shook your head and grabbed your apron, slipping your head through the top strap. You have too much work to do to worry about anything, especially Nikolas. The town council was having a meeting and wanted you to cater it. Kelv had brought over a list of his father’s demands. It was far too much food for six people, but it wasn’t like you could argue. You wanted to get paid, after all.
You moved toward the table. The grooves were still there from the werewolf. You averted your gaze and tightened the ribbon of your apron, only to pause. Your gaze fell. The way it draped over you felt…different. You loosened the knot and tied it again. The uneasy feeling was still there. You gently smoothed down the front of the apron. It moved lower and lower, and yet you felt no change. Then, your hand froze just beneath your navel. A slight curve. Not even noticeable at first glance. You pressed your lips together. A few days ago, one of the drunks had teased you about gaining weight.
...
No, it couldn’t be. You had to just be imagining it.
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A Promise Broken with a Vow - Chapter 1
A Scarlet Vision Victorian AU
Sequel to An Auspice of Scarlet
Overall Summary: Three months after leaving New York and the lives they knew, a series of events leads Vision to decide it is finally time to break his promise to Tony and make a new one with Wanda.
Chapter 1 Link
Dear Mr. Stark,
As I write to you, we are approaching the beginning of our third month. Due to the unexpected delays, which I have dutifully outlined in my prior letters, we are currently traversing through Iowa instead of being well into Nebraska. I worry each day what else will go wrong and how detrimental it will be to our timeline. A week ago we discovered the Lyons-Council Bluff lineA, so heavily touted by the inhabitants of the prairie towns, does not actually exist yet. The stakes have been laid to mark its path, but going forward it appears as if the railroad is no longer a viable transport method. A thought that, for a time, was unfathomable. We rested for two days in Iowa City, long enough to map out a plan, purchase extra horses to haul the railcar over the rougher terrain, and I was able to find enough materials to reinforce the wheels so that we will not repeat the crisis in Springfield when the tracks uprooted.
The line of the d juts up with a violent shake of the car, no doubt due to a rock in the ground. Vision instinctively glances down towards Wanda, whose slumber is somehow unperturbed by the latest turbulence. He does, very gently, inch her head back up his thigh and tilt her shoulder several degrees so she does not roll off the seat when this inevitably happens again. Next he looks to Helen, who shares a commiserate, exasperated head shake, Amadeus’ driving skills are the least refined of the four of them, but the nonstop nature of their schedule means he still is in the rotation, even if he discovers more bumps in the road than is statistically likely to happen by chance.
Vision returns to his letter, frowning at the assault of jagged ink on his otherwise pristine words (truthfully any writing in a moving vehicle is less than pristine, but he has become admirably skilled at it over the months). The intention is to spend up to two nights in Council Bluffs for planning the next leg of their journey and a reprieve from sleeping on the ground or in these seats, and also, fortuitously, a chance for him to rewrite his letter in a stationary setting. For now he keeps going, never sure how much depth to give or even if the letters ever make it to Tony.
For a time we did discuss rerouting to the south and taking the path through Nicaragua that Dr. Cho and Mr. Cho
He pauses, wracking his memory on whether or not he has shared with Tony the surprising truth of the familial connection between Helen and her traveling companion. Of course he may never have mentioned it because, according to etiquette, gossip such as that is not meant to be shared via ink and parchment, even if Helen would not mind. Perhaps it is best to remain socially adroit despite the lack of refinement around them. Principles do matter regardless of environment.
traversed to get to the Exhibition. Yet the seaward path is, as Dr. Cho so eloquently phrased it, months of being embraced by soggy air. An environment we all concurred was not ideal in my present state. Thus
Now his s squiggles along, lurching across the paper in time with the inertia that shoves their bodies to the left (his free hand holds Wanda’s shoulder to keep her steady), while Amadeus curses loudly and the horses release aggrieved whinnies. “Amadeus,” Helen has slid her window open and is hanging half out of it as she speaks with their driver in JoseonB. Even if the words are incomprehensible to him (if Wanda was awake she would help translate some of it, having shown an astounding predilection towards language acquisition), the tone is unmistakably reproachful.
In his lap, Wanda begins to stir. Immediately he runs his hand gently along her temple, easing her back into a steady sleep.
“Apparently,” Helen returns to her seat, tugging her boots on over the hems of her trousers, “we’re stuck in mud.”
An aggravatingly common experience since losing the rails. Vision nods at the information before delicately cupping Wanda’s head, even more delicately lifting it, and then he slides out of the seat, grabs his coat from the bench across from them, and bunches it under Wanda’s ear. He waits six seconds, the average time it takes for Wanda to rouse if he fails at a seamless transfer. At seven seconds she is still blissfully and beautifully at peace.
Vision pulls on his own boots, a shoe choice that was rare at the manor but has become the sole option in the unkempt wilderness where puddles are hidden by tall, swaying grass and unassuming, even idyllic scenes, are frequently rife with moist unpleasantness. It is, per usual, the smartest choice, the squelch of leather sinking into mud greeting him as soon as he steps out of the train car.
“He says he didn’t see it.” The it that Amadeus-by-way-of-Helen is referring to is a sizable sinkhole that appears to be devouring the left rear wheel. It is likely a truthful claim, the knee high grass of the area a perfect screen for most disasters.
Vision walks around the vehicle, eyeing the various junctions where their car interacts with the ground. When he reaches the offending wheel, he squats down, steadying himself with the handhold affixed to the side of the car and ignoring the unhappy grind of the steel fasteners in his joints.
The wheel is stuck, as they already knew. A few careful and serious tugs confirms that it is very stuck, the mud forming a viscous vacuum around the wood where every application of shear stress seems to increase the overall viscosity. Scientifically fascinating albeit disheartening. Back near Wheeling, after a surprise deluge, they were able to apply friction to escape. That, however, is unlikely to work now given how deep the wheel has already sunk, and how it keeps settling in with each pull of the horses. Vision stands, allowing the wince at the sharp pain in his hip to happen freely since no one else is next to him.
At least he thought he was alone. “You said it wasn’t bothering you.” Vision does his best not to flinch at the comment, both from surprise and shame, and turns to face the accusation, finding Helen’s arms crossed and face serious.
Bothering is subjective. Every day, every hour, every minute, his body bothers him, stuck in a continuous fight against the unnatural exoskeleton riveted into his bones. There is never a moment where it is not bothersome, but sometimes it is less so, like when he’s deep in conversation with Wanda, all of his attention on her words and the way she forms each syllable and the small touches of her fingers to his hand when making an important or jocular point. Or when he’s working, the singular joy of butlering meant his day was scheduled down to the millisecond with menial tasks to keep his body and mind busy. When distracted, he can pretend, for a brief time, his discomfort is nonexistent, that he is just a normal man. What Helen is trying to imply is that his hip has gone beyond the typical level of bothering into something more worrisome. A fair and not wholly incorrect conclusion. “I believe the way I was seated today has aggravated it.” He knows it is a weak response, as does Helen’s increasingly dour glare.
“When we get to the town, we’re doing a full check.” The understood? is silently implied, which means he provides an equally wordless affirming nod. “Good. Now what do we do about this?”
He shifts his mind back to the wheel. Friction is out. If they had an acceptable item to use as a lever, it could work, but nothing they have on the train, at least without dismantling the vehicle, is sturdy enough or long enough to apply the necessary force needed. If they were not already so far behind in their schedule (at least two weeks, by his calculations), Vision could piece together some sort of gear based lift, or a simple hydraulic process, no more complicated than what he constructed in his youth. Yet it would require dismantling and then remantling the inner workings of the car, a far too timely process. “We could attempt to utilize vector forces?”
“That could work.”
Her quick agreement creates a momentary comfort at the potential success through empiricism. What they need now is a rope and an anchor point far enough in front of the vehicle to provide sufficient resistance for the application of a perpendicular force. Unfortunately the only thing around them is a vast expanse of swaying grass leading to a horizon of small hills and even more lowly vegetation. “I am not certain we have anything sturdy enough to utilize as an anchor.”
Helen accepts this the way she does any hurdle to scientific advancement, with a shrug and an increased concentration on finding an alternative solution. “I’ll go check the car for anything we could use, we might still have spikes.”
“Thank you.”
While Helen is in the railcar, Vision walks a line from the front of the car, careful not to aggravate the already on edge horses that are now released from their harness and grazing happily. Each muddy boot lands with the heel just kissing the toe of his other foot until he is roughly sixteen feet away. He turns back towards the conundrum of the day, mouth falling as his mind works through the calculations, which is a difficult matter given he does not have enough data. What will be their anchor? How much tension exists in their rope? He cannot even recall how long their rope is, although he is certain it is likely not long enough to reach him here, an unfortunate thought given he is not sure even this distance is enough to help produce the necessary Newtons to remove the wheel from the mud. Even if it did work, they need a sufficient perpendicular force. The horses are the strongest, but also the least reliable, especially now that Amadeus is letting them enjoy a bit of downtime and they tend to get obstinate when it is time to move again.
All of this is wrong anyway, he should be assessing this from the end closest to the wheel. So Vision walks back, this time with his usual gait, no longer needing to measure the distance. It’s as he moves towards the back of the railcar that a voice surprises him, “Try to stay optimistic, Vizh.”
“Wanda, I-” the tilt of her lips matches the lightness of her admonishment, his worry lessening slightly. “I hope we did not wake you.”
The pressure of Wanda’s hand running along the edge of his spinal plate immediately calms his mind, a power he still doesn’t fully comprehend but appreciates nonetheless. “Helen woke me up, said you needed some help.”
A correct assessment. “Yes.” Her hand moves along an ovoid path, soothing away the displeasure in his voice until it falls somewhere around incredulity. “I am simply astounded and mortified at the sheer number of vehicular issues we have encountered and we still have all that,” Wanda follows his voice before he even raises a hand towards the neverending sea of prairie ahead of them, “and more to traverse until…”
“We’ll be fine.” Wanda flashes him a smile imbued with surety, one that sends a jagged jolt along the metal pathways of his body, her confidence growing exponentially since they waved farewell to Tony, this woman remarkably and gloriously at home in their current state of survivalism and independence. “You have me.”
The press of her lips to his cheek renders his mind and body still, enraptured at the sway of her hips, which is made all the more prominent by her adopting the rational dressC standard set by Helen. Vision’s eyes follow as she circles the railcar, hands dancing back and forth in front of her waist, testing the strength of the predicament. Once satisfied, Wanda steps several feet back, heels spread to just past the width of her shoulders, her left foot in front of her right, and then her arms weave a spell through the air, the scarlet energy shimmering, sending prismatic waves along her skin and braided hair. There is never any doubt in his mind nor heart at how much he loves her, but he is always amazed at how much more he loves her every day, particularly when he can witness her in such a free and powerful state.
Creaking emanates from the wheels as they’re loosened from the mud, rising up into the air with a bend of her knees and deep concentration dragging her features down into a scowl. It is awe inspiring to witness this, and yet, it isn’t even her most impressive feat. Around La Fayette a bridge over the Wabash had washed away and Wanda, single-handedly, was able to get them across. Truthfully, if not for Wanda and her abilities they likely would never stand any chance of reaching their goal.
The car settles onto dry land and Wanda wipes her hands, turning towards him with a prideful arc on her mouth. His body responds immediately and instinctively, all else fleeing from his mind except her. Eight steps and his arms can wrap around her waist, pulling her towards him, the laugh eeking out of her mouth echoing inside of his as he kisses her. “You,” he pulls back to look at her, amused and fascinated by the dissipating red in her irises, “are extraordinary.”
“Are you,” the walk of her fingers up his chest matches the feisty pace of her words, “trying to woo me?”
He strives to make his, “Always,” forthright while mirroring her tone. “Have I been successful—”
“We’re losing light.” Helen’s sensible interruption shatters the moment and Wanda ends their physical connection with a sly wink that leaves him a bit shallow breathed. “Do you think we’ll actually make it before sundown?”
It’s a fair question, the sun inching ever closer to the horizon. Night travel in their current railroadless condition is far too dangerous, the last broken axle they experienced delayed them four days. If, however, they were within an hour of the town, he could easily argue the benefits of pushing onward. “Well,” Vision removes his once pristine map from the pocket of his trousers, bothered a bit at the frayed edges and the way the ink is starting to crack where the creases are located. He bends his index finger so that he can use the distance between his knuckles to measure out their trajectory, “Perhaps four miles.”
“Assuming we keep our normal pace, we should get in not long after dusk.”
Wanda’s cheery, “That’s not bad,” counters the dolefulness of Helen’s calculations. “Vizh you said there was a hotel?”
“Um,” his hand dives into the pocket sewn inside the breast of his waistcoat, removing the city guide he bought for a cent in Iowa City. The legend at the bottom is numerically organized while the map is numbered in a haphazard fashion, an aggravating design decision, but eventually he finds the answer. “There are two.”
Wanda squeezes his bicep in gratitude for the information. “Two hotels which means a better chance at separate rooms,” this garners Vision’s attention, the switch from living in a spacious manor with only one other person to a cramped railcar has been trying, at times, “and a bathhouse,” now Helen seems interested though not convinced. Wanda adds, “I’ll drive,” as one last push for them to continue.
Comfort, though truly wonderful, isn’t, to Vision at least, a worthy opponent to remove the preventative logic of making camp for the night and avoiding another broken part, even if he desperately wants to sleep in a bed instead of the benches in the car. “I believe—“
“As long as you drive, I think we try it.” Helen provides her opinion and Vision shutters his own, willing to trust them in this risk.
The trust is earned tenfold, a hundredfold really, as Vision sits in a warm, dry, moderately cushy room at the City Hotel, able to stretch his legs and sit at a desk that does not jolt and vibrate. Wanda even managed to negotiate with the proprietor a stable stall for the horses (even if their railcar is across town near the wagon trains), aid in carrying their belongings to the rooms, and a reduction in the rate from one dollar to seventy five cents a night on the basis that they were renting two rooms and the competitor two doors down (the not nearly as cushy Robinson HotelD) charges fifty cents a night. Vision would never have had the tenacity to push for the accommodations, always believing that prices and terms are a balanced decision between fairness to the customer and the economic needs of the business. Wanda insists this increases the likelihood of him being swindled, which may be true, hence why she accompanies him anytime they need to procure a larger purchase. Even if she haggles further than he is often comfortable, he might be willing to tentatively accept some of her methods as more useful than his own.
There is a knock at the door and Vision gathers a handful of coins before he answers, pleased and appreciative of the ill-polished silver cloches filling a tray in the server’s hand. “Thank you.” He grabs the tray from the man, the waft of minced venison pies forcing him to feel his hunger more acutely, and then offers the service tip, something he knows is not common outside the upper most echelon of society, and even there it is normally a bribe, but he has always viewed it as a chance to show true gratitude and so he refuses to eschew the custom, even now that they are far removed from Mr. Stark’s lifestyle.
The man, who might only be a year or two younger than Vision, stares agape at the money. He provides an overzealous, “Have a good night, sir,” and scurries away, seemingly fearful Vision will reconsider the payment.
Vision places the tray on the oaken desk, focusing less on the generous tip and more so on the word Sir. It’s one Vision hasn’t really utilized more than a handful of times since leaving New York, having transitioned from the individual for whom Sir must always be on the tip of his tongue to the eponymous Sir. It is an odd feeling, one he hasn’t really accepted with the transition from butler to refined traveler. It doesn’t help that the standing mirror reflects back at him the butler, with a tad more mud speckling the fabric around his knees and the shirt a less brilliant white, all of it with more wrinkles than he prefers, a side effect of sitting all day in a train car. He doesn’t truly know this slightly unkempt man, the closest approximation was back at university, but that man, one who had not fully embraced waistcoats or bespoked suits, lacked the heaviness in the eyes and the ever present cogitations about the betrayal of his body.
No, Victor died a long time ago and the butler cowl was hung up three months prior. This is someone new. Someone he is still discovering.
Vision’s mind transfers to more practical matters, sliding his gloves off, first the right and then the left, and placing them one on top of the other on the desk. His joints crackle with each flex of his fingers. Next he shrugs out of the coat, hanging it gently on the back of the desk chair, a bit annoyed at the lack of hangers in the room for more civilized clothing care. He turns towards the mirror again to fiddle with the bowtie, eyes staring firmly at his trembling fingers, wordlessly encouraging them to loosen the perfectly tensioned knot. A mild tug undoes it, the tie falling limp along his chest, slithering from his shoulders with a second tug. He lays the fabric next to the gloves, smoothing the wrinkles out with his right hand. Vision removes the various papers from his pockets, the “railroad” map from his trousers, the town map from his waistcoat, and then his hand dives into the inside pocket of his coat, hanging on the chair, and retrieves a pile of folded parchment tied together with string. All of these he arranges next to the tie.
He removes the waistcoat and lays it over the bedpost, not happy with the location, vowing to move it before they turn in for the evening. Then he sits, lungs expanding a bit more than usual, which he blames on the steep, narrow staircase to the room. When he tries to bring his left foot up, a searing sharpness jabs at his hip and immediately he drops his leg, the wooden heel of his shoe knocking against the ground. An aggrieved “Brilliant,” falls from his lips.
This started twelve and a half days ago. Not all at once, it was gradual, as it usually is, barring a catastrophe. One day it’s an iota more of pressure when he bends over and then a few days later it begins to warm into an ache, and then comes the shooting pain when he moves his leg more than fifteen degrees, all the way up until it gets feverish, locked in place, a little putrid, and well, deadly. Five years, however, has given him an understanding of the typical progression and this isn’t bad yet, really, this is typically a one month post treatment feeling, so the fact they are three months on the road means he may still last the journey, assuming nothing happens to hasten the descent of his bodily functioning. Unfortunately he has found the environment is far more difficult to control than at the manor, an understandable finding given nature is gorgeously cantankerous.
None of this is productive. All he wants to do is get his shoe off, a simple task that does not require musing on the longevity of his hip. It’s been a tactic all his life to narrow down enormous situations to easily attainable steps. Right now it is to finish undressing and then, well, then perhaps he can contemplate the philosophical underpinnings of his life. He uses the toe of his right shoe to ease the heel of his left down, a small kick sending his loafer between the mirror and Wanda’s carpetbag. He repeats this with the other shoe and decides, for now, to just ignore his socks because that is a trickier obstacle.
Vision leans back in the chair, exhaling away his exhaustion and frustrations. It has been a long day and it has taken its toll. There is nothing more insidious than that, or so he tries to convince himself. But then his eyes slide to the papers on the desk and soon his mind follows, untying the string and carefully opening the papers. On top is his letter to Mr. Stark, marred by rivers of wild ink. Vision places it to the side and separates the other two sheets into parallel existences. He runs his hands over the documents, easing them into flatness as best he can before he uses the cheeky terrier shaped paper weights provided by the hotel to hold them down. One of the documents is covered in his handwriting while the other is only half full. Vision tests out the hotel’s inkwell and pen on a spare corner of Mr. Stark’s letter. Happy with the result, he begins to continue copying over the contents of the full document.
As for my shares in Stark Industries, three quarters will be returned to Anthony Stark while one quarter will be transferred to the esteemed medical doctor, Helen Cho, to provide yearly funding for new scientific pursuits.
To Wanda Maximoff, my
Vision left this blank on the original, not certain what to place, whether it is betrothed, beloved, or, maybe, before this document ever needs to be executed, it will be something else. He decides it should remain an enigma, easily filled in depending on the state of their relationship should Wanda ever need to use this.
To Wanda Maximoff, my ________ , I leave everything else. This includes the entirety of my savings, the homestead in Normanskill, all patents, innovations, and intellectual property that may be sold or given to other parties at her discretion, my collection of books, and any heirlooms that may currently exist or be found for the Williams family.
When he attempted to discuss this with Wanda last month, she was less than enthused, understandably so, it is, as Mr. Stark would bumptiously point out, a morbsyE topic, though an essential one. Their strained conversation did confirm his supposition that she wanted nothing to do with Stark Industries. That was as far as they got. Wanda is a brickyF and industrious survivalist, having been through far worse in her life than his demise would bring. If he does die on this trip, she will eventually move on, will live a long, extraordinary life. What he wishes to achieve in leaving her the wealth he has amassed as Mr. Stark’s butler, is to provide some financial standing for her to do whatever she may want to accomplish without having to worry about affording food or a place to live. Not that he wishes for that to be the result, it would be far preferable to be by her side and watch her take on the world. Regardless, he believes it best to leave a little extra space in case he thinks of any other assets that may have slipped his mind.
It took him far more time to determine how to repay Mr. Stark’s kindness and support, only deciding it the other day while speaking to Helen about her current manuscript.
To Anthony Stark I give my full permission to use my identity, life, body, and experiences in published papers that would encourage the scientific advancement of medical technology.
“Hey Vizh,” Wanda’s voice catches his ear right before the creak of the door reaches him.
Vision stands immediately, heart racing at her sudden entrance, his hands working to stack the wills and slide them to the side. He pivots towards the door, lips always lifting at the sight of his beloved, “Let me help you.”
“I’m okay.” Scarlet dances along her hands as she shuts and locks the door without physically touching it, a steaming jug wrapped in ivory cloth clutched between her hands. “Weren’t you supposed to be ready once I got back?”
“I-” he glances down at his shirt, cheeks forming a glow at getting distracted from his task, “Yes, my apologies.” His fingers begin to fiddle with the tortoise shell buttons, sliding them out in a steady pattern while he watches Wanda pour the water into a metal basin next to the mirror. Her hair isn’t soaking, but it is still wet enough that the fabric near the nape of her neck is a shade darker than the rest of her lilac housecoat. “How was your bath?”
Wanda flashes him an engaging smile, “Fantastic. I feel so much better.”
“Wonderful.”
He continues to watch her move through the room as he undresses, awed at the way her confidence makes it seem like this has been her house since childhood, her hands sure as she finds everything they need. Then she pauses, just for a moment, a quizzical tilt of her head in his direction. “What are you looking so spoonyG about?”
“You.” The exaggerated roll of her eyes doesn’t dampen the effect of her self-conscious smirk. Vision closes the four feet between them, lips curving to match the crescent moon of her mouth as his hands run along her cheeks, “You are amazing.”
“Oh?”
“Yes,” his thumb brushes a strand of hair slicked to her forehead, “and you look just like you did the day we first met, well,” his hands travel down her arms, encouraged by the gleam in her eyes, “mostly, far less distressed and irate at the moment.” This receives a breathy laugh. “You know I believed I was meeting a naiadH that day.”
Her nose crinkles at the comparison, “You got a witch instead.”
“Much preferable.”
Wanda traces the plate on his sternum as she talks, “I know you’re trying to put this off.”
He attempts to play aloof, mainly because he still is unable to logically explain his hesitation, “Would you like to eat first, before it gets cold?”
This gets him his second eye roll of the night and if he can manage two more it will be a personal best. “Just take your gas pipesI and drawers off before the water gets cold.” With a pat to his chest, she turns away and Vision complies, a bit haltingly on the left leg, but he is successful. Once done, he waits, standing in the middle of the room, fingers drumming against the vibranium rod along his thigh, comforted slightly by the fact she remains facing away from him. A towel, framed in a scarlet aura, floats in front of him followed closely by the understanding and comforting tone of Wanda’s, “You ready?”
Vision sits in the desk chair, his side leaned against the back of it to allow the majority of his body to be available, and then he lays the towel on his lap, for some reason still insisting on an ounce of modesty even though the sight is not a mystery to Wanda. “I suppose.”
“Great.” With time they have established a protocol. First, Wanda sets the basin of water on a small footstool, placing it in a location where they can both reach without much trouble. Next, well in a slight change of protocol she lightly shoves his shoulder and then tosses his coat onto the bed, and then she hands him a sponge, keeping one in her own hand. Lastly, she enters his mind, a burst of affection always filling his body at the way it feels to not be alone, her presence like the sunshine on a spring day, chasing away any chill from the wind. The practicality is important, or so they have discovered in pursuing their life together, any time his well-being is involved, her concerns are eased if she can feel his pain and his experience, that way she can adapt before he needs to tell her to. It is more than he ever expected or would have asked, and it is enormously appreciated.
Carefully they begin, the tingle of her powers forming a shield over his vibranium as he gently and studiously dabs the warm, sudsy water along the skin of his chest and arms while Wanda does the same to his back. This routine is one that formed, not naturally, per se, but gradually with each stop in various towns. He was petrified the first time she came into their room as he bathed, uncomfortable at the openness of his body in front of her, having relied on the shadows of the room and sheets of the bed to mask the full effect of his injuries the two times they’d been intimate by that point. Unsurprisingly, she handled it the way she has since they first talked after the fateful séance, with aplomb and respect, never once flinching at the raised, discolored scars or the unpleasant tinny waft of his exoskeleton. To be frank, it has actually become easier with Wanda’s help, her powers allowing more leeway in the inevitable drips that form when the sponge has not fully been wrung out, making the whole process a bit more soothing than perilous.
Vision looks at the mirror as he dips and twists the sponge, eyes consciously not staring at himself, but instead at Wanda, the tip of her tongue peeking out of her lips as she works on his shoulder blades. At one point she brushes something from his shoulder and he can’t stop from noticing the contrast of her skin to his, a naiad soothing a dying duck in a thunderstormG. Immediately her eyes snap up and he sheepishly meets her glare, usually far more careful at controlling disparaging thoughts when she is present in his mind. “I am...”
“Gorgeous.” He’s unable to look away as she places her lips to his skin, a challenge rippling through her actions. Her kiss lingers for several seconds to prove the point of his idiocy all while sending a tingle down his arm, erasing the thought he was trying to convey. “Just like a swan.”
He scoffs, mock (mostly) offense stitched into each syllable, “I’d rather be a dying duck than a vile beast.”
“Why don’t you tell me more about it, so I can understand this fascinating preference.”
No amount of coquettish charm nor slow, sensual tracing of his neck will break his resolve on this topic. Other topics, yes, he is weak to her spells, but not this one. Vision steels his features, a tiny shake of his head accompanying his response. “Never. It was not a proud time in my life.”
A third eye roll and flick of scarlet to his ear, “Fine.” Then her face shifts into seriousness, “You are stunning though.”
Vision mimics her, staring at the two of them in the mirror. Unlike her, he struggles to find evidence in support of her opinion, particularly when he can compare himself to the woman leaning on his shoulder, can remember the reactions of the crowd of objective onlookers who saw him. He is also aware that if he outright denies it that her wrath will follow, Wanda the greatest champion of his ego and self worth. “I suppose my eyes are a striking enough color.”
Wanda frowns, eyes narrowing into a bellicose defiance aimed at his logic. “For being quite a dizzyJ, you are so often a wooden spoonK.”
Pacification now means they can stop assessing the glaring imperfections of his industrial physique, so he imbues his voice with an honest cheerfulness. “It is a good thing I have you to straighten me out.” The next kiss she gives him is shorter but happier, a flutter on his neck that is replaced by the dampness of the sponge as she continues in a pleased silence.
“You know,” he spent so many of the last five years pretending as if he never existed before Mr. Stark brought him to the states, that it is peculiar to him each time a memory emerges from that past life, “my last year at university they introduced the wooden spoon award and it was everyone’s fear that they would win it.” Wanda’s eyes flick up to meet his for a second, a sign of interest before she stares down at his back. “I studied so hard to ensure I would not receive it.”
“Did you get it?”
Suddenly he remembers why he never dallies with the past, his heart dropping several inches as he answers her question, “I, um, actually never got to take the test…” he stops, certain the implication is clear.
A splash fills the tenuous silence between them. His muscles twitch at the unexpected pressure of Wanda’s body against his back, her arms draping over his shoulders and her face nuzzling into the crook of his neck with a soft, “Vizh.”
Vision watches her reflection, notes the creases forming around her mouth and the sadness in her eyes, and then guilt blooms deep in his chest for bringing down the mood in the room yet again. He lifts his free hand and envelops her own with a gentle squeeze. Perhaps a new topic might lift the spirits. “I was speaking with the proprietor while they were setting up the rooms and he mentioned a shop down the road where we might find a suitable mystic tablecloth.”
For a moment he expects to win the wooden spoon, her eyes exasperated until she shifts with his distraction, kissing his neck before she stands up. “We can look at it in the morning.” She dips the sponge, wringing it out with her powers. “I want to set up a table near the wagons tomorrow.”
“It does seem a promising location.” She hums in agreement, dipping out of view of the mirror to reach his lower back. “The proprietor also informed me that the trading post has numerous supplies and maps for the next part of the journey.”
Her disbelief rises up and over his shoulder. “More maps?”
In Vision’s opinion, one can never have too many maps, each one adding a slightly different view of an area depending on if it concerns roadways, railways, geologic structures, political and financial resources and leaders, or his favorite, topographical details. He currently has four for Iowa alone. “Yes, it is important to have a full grasp of the terrain,” his sponge dabs a bit more aggressively at his thigh as he emphasizes the importance of his mapping knowledge in the face of his betrothed’s skepticism, “plus all of our detailed maps end here, so it is vital we purchase more.”
Wanda pops back into view, “Want to do your hair or stand and lose the towel?”
“Um…” It is factual that the question was said with utmost sincerity and not a lick of sauciness, yet his heart always beats a touch faster whenever the air of suggestion can be found in her words. This mixture of lust with the demoralization of even needing help with bathing is a concoction of emotions he has yet to grasp and navigate, often leaving him indecisive and tongue tied. “Hair?”
“Okay, sit back,” his body complies with the guidance of her hands, bringing his back to the cold slats of the chair. Wanda steps away long enough to retrieve the wash basin and move it behind the chair. “You should only get one map this time.”
Mixed emotions are sloughed away immediately, “That is preposterous, two is the bare minimum.”
“They aren’t even right most of the time.”
A fair point that she has made every single time they have this light argument and a point that only underscores the purchase and use of multiple maps. “That is precisely why I have so many.” Wanda drapes a rose colored towel around his neck, the ends hanging down low enough to brush the tip of his sternum plate. “It allows me to combine them into an accurate and usable map for our return journey.”
The chair shifts suddenly, tipping him backwards, his feet lifting from the ground to dangle in the air. The first eight times she did this, it was disorienting and a mite terrifying, now he doesn’t even flinch. Scarlet sparks in his periphery as Wanda’s hand touches his chin, her fingers strutting up his nose and along his forehead, slowly leaning him farther back until his crown is level with her chest, providing him a lovely view of the broad smile on her face. “Our journey back?”
Vision is confused at how euphoric she seems, “Well, yes, or even if-“
“Stop there, don’t ruin it.” Her lips, in conjunction with her plea, silence him with remarkable efficiency, his body overcome with a rush of love that singes away all pessimism whenever she kisses him like this—brazenly and passionately, her powers tinging his sight and thoughts in red while the tickle of her loose hair along his cheek seems to sensitize him to the pressure and movement of her lips. Wanda pulls back far far too soon, a playful peck given to the tip of his nose as she stands back up. “Are your feet cold?”
The rapid turnaround in thinking borders on whiplash, his neck craning to see the navy wool on his feet. He had forgotten about that failure. “It is a new fashion I am experimenting with.”
Her laugh explodes in the air around him, bathing him in the pleasure of victory. “It is a, uh, strong statement.”
“I do think it is striking enough that it may come inL .”
“It lacks a bit of refinement.” Vision closes his eyes at the feel of her fingers running through his hair. “Might need to add in a top hat.”
The mere image of this outfit, or really lack of one, is amusing, in a purely hypothetical sense given any individual who attempted to walk down the street would be immediately arrested for lewd indecencies. Typically such stark and silly differences between reality and hypotheticals are not of interest to him, yet bantering with Wanda seems to erase all need for remaining in line with reality. “It is quite unfortunate I am a taken man since it sounds like a proper tot-huntingM outfit.”
“Oh,” Wanda stops combing through his hair, her breath light against his ear as she leans down, “but we’re not married yet.” This causes him to open his eyes, take in the impishness flickering in his lover’s gaze. “Maybe,” her powers come up through the chair to wrap up and around him, “you can try it out tonight?” In less than a second the mood lessens with reality, “As long as your hip is doing okay.”
The semantics of pain are vague, one person’s bothering or okay markedly different from another. Even for himself, situationally the same pain can be radically different. Earlier it was too much to take off his socks, but right now, under her adoring and concerned gaze, it is a stray thought loosely flying through his mind despite logically knowing there is no reduction in physiological difficulty and thus no backing to willfully act to aggravate the issue further. The mind and the heart, he has discovered, do not always have to agree. “It would be a shame to not fully utilize having our own room and,” the hunger inching into her smile seems to dam up his pain perception, “I just so happened to bring the top hat in with the luggage.”
“We should finish up then.”
“Yes, but,” a tiny ounce of self preservation kicks in, “I do request this time be tamer than our, um,” his voice quiets at the indecorousness of the event in question, “dalliance in the barn as I do believe that may have been the impetus of the issues with my hip.”
Wanda nods in understanding while bringing a bowl of water up towards his brow, “I’ll be gentle and you need to be honest if something hurts.”
“That is amenable to me.”
The rush of water over his ears and the anticipation of what is to come drowns out his doubts and worries. Whoever he may be now, he is a man utterly in love.
Victorian Language and Culture Decoder
AThe Lyons-Council Bluff railroad is annoying. I have accumulated a folder on my computer of over a dozen maps of the US in the 1850s. About half are of the New York region at that time and the other half are travel maps showing railroads, wagon trails, steamboat trails, etc across North America. I have 4 maps of Iowa between 1848-1853. Two had this railroad and two didn’t and it drove me crazy. I didn’t find out about the lack of the Lyons-Council Bluff line in October 1853 until I found a secondhand account of a son writing about his father’s experience helping to lay the stakes for this line in 1853 and that the rail wasn’t actually put in for another year. Basically, I’m in awe of historians who spend their lives tracking this stuff down. It’s exhausting.
BKorea was called Joseon during this time period
CRational dress: women who wear pants
DEven though I have a map of Council Bluffs from 1853 with the names of the hotels, I could not find anything about either the Robinson or City Hotel, so I cannot attest that the City Hotel was better. It just looked bigger on the map. Also the prices are based on hotel advertisements I found for other, similarly sized towns at the time. The main hotel of the town was actually the Pacific House but it wasn’t finished until December 1853. It was magnificent though, from all I’ve read.
EMorbsy: melancholic
FBricky: brave or fearless
GSpoony: being a fool in love or sentimental
HA naiad is a river spirit. This is a nod to one of my all time favorite books - To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. This book was a large influence on some key aspects in setting up this AU including them meeting at the river (with Wanda being soaking wet), having a seance as a centerpiece for part I of AOS, and a lot of background on spiritualism in Victorian times. It’s a fantastic book, if you ever are looking for a Sci-fi/time travel/historical rom-com/mystery novel.
IGas pipes: pants
JQuite a dizzy: a clever man
KWooden spoon: an idiot. It does actually come from taking a mathematics test, only it was at Cambridge, not University of London. It was a literal wooden spoon (that got bigger and bigger each year) given to the lowest score of the student graduating with honors. It does seem like many places took on the practice, so figured why not include it. This practice no longer exists.
LCome in: become fashionable
MTot-hunting: On the prowl for eligible young women
#scarlet vision#wanda maximoff#vision#alternateuniversescarletvision#thescarletvisionnetwork#the vision#helen cho#AOS#victorian au#mine
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Who is the “Person of Chaldea”?
For those who didn't know, there is a mysterious helper who appears in the Lostbelts and aids Chaldea indirectly by helping the people they made contact or would make contact. Here cut under spoilers the information we have and already old destroyed guesses and theories:
We know little about this man (assuming is a man which seems most likely right now) who appears in Lostbelts when Chaldea isn't around to give a helping hand. The direct (not speculation related) info we have is:
He is referred specifically as the "カルデアの者."
Wears white.
His clothes are dirty and tattered, covers his head and face with a hood.
He apparently fights with a curved, thin sword or something alike it (note this is an old Yaga describing this so if he was using some magic trick he wouldn't know).
He knows magecraft of the Ages of Gods that isn’t rune based.
He knows how to treat injuries, plague, and has the skill as a physician. He is called a 'sensei' in LB3.
Knows assorted skills like how to take care of fields.
He is able to manifest in the Lostbelts by mysterious means.
Pronouns: 私 and お前 to address others.
He has a 'tch' tongue clunking quirk but he claims is because of his sore throat and body.
He is shocked to find people who would put themselves in a disadvantage to offer him kindness and hospitality.
He seems detached about humanity at some level and a pragmatic point of view.
He might appear different than he used to look or have a different body.
He says his goals haven't changed and he has done the same things in the past (without such welcome). "His actions are the same."
Holmes speculates he’s a “survivor of Chaldea.”
Those are the official things we know. There is more I could add that could be related to him but that goes in identity theory.
DEBUNKED: MUSASHI+ DIFFERENT SERVANT ON EACH LOSTBELT
When Musashi appeared in LB1, plenty of fans (and even the characters) assumed Musashi who also claimed as an ally of Chaldea (but using a completely different label and not カルデアの者) was this mysterious helper: she had covered her face with a hat, she wielded a katana and all. But they didn't notice the lack of quirk and the lack of healing expertise. In LB2, the Person of Chaldea is an overpowerful mage, so ruled her out unless he was a new one. By LB4, it leaves clear that is the same person that travels in all Lostbelts, he gets dialogue and internal monologue for the first time. Leaving the theories of Musashi, Ryoma, Muramasa, Paracelsus, etc out of the running.
DEBUNKED: IT’S A CRYPTER
Before LB4, there was a popular theory the Person of Chaldea was actually a Crypter, in particular, Kirschtaria Wodime, because he favors white. But after LB4, we know the man travels alone and that for a Crypter to move between Lostbelts, they need the help of an Emissaries. Evil Mercenary Tamamo is good for such task. Crypters are more than antagonists but they are unlikely to be the Person of Chaldea.
POSSIBILITY # 1: IT’S A NEW SURPRISING CHARACTER OR SOMEONE UNEXPECTED LIKE MARISBURY ANIMUSPHERE
Because the person is hard to fit on the old characters we know, perhaps it's a new one. Abe no Seimei is a good possibility when there are characters related to him introduced. Murasaki, his student, his foes Tamamo and Douman. However, my only complaint here is that they yanked our chains for two years of mystery to introduce a new character? The possibility exists, but it seems like poor writing. If we are talking of dark horses, Marisbury Animusphere is certainly another possibility, although the pronouns don't fit, and he has no notable physician experience that we know, he wears white, he's from Chaldea, and the shoes (not the coat) match the man in the OP. I mean to put him here as a possibility he's connected, but my suspicion is that Marisbury is more unfortunately linked to the antagonist, the God of Another Planet. I'll leave that for another post. His possibilities to be the Person of Chaldea raises if Daybit is an antagonist and not the potential aloof ally he seems to be.
POSSIBILITY # 2: IT’S SOLOMON
Romani, Goetia, a combination, etc. Solomon. "But Solomon disappeared!" I can cite a lot of things, from Goetia voicing the PV, to Roman in the Lost Room, to the fact both left remnants (which Ars Nova shouldn't have allowed) and Chaldea is stated to want to build a record for Romani specifically. But I frankly don't care about this, Nasu would explain this if the time comes. The Lostbelts have revised the Modern History anyway, and whatever happens inside their Wall of Storms is not "our World" technically.
So far is the most likely possibility, and why there's a tease and red herring from one or the other. Unrelated but completely important is the scene in the Lost Room, the final shot of someone picking up one of Solomon's rings from the thrones before leaving. The question remains is which Solomon?
THE CASE FOR AND AGAINST GOETIA: "Goetia is in Romani's body" seems to be the most popular theory since the OP image show up (along with the initial "was that Marisbury?"). Goetia does use, among other pronouns, watashi and omae. The personality of the Person of Chaldea seems colder and harsher than Romani usually displayed, so fits more Goetia, as well as the fact of "is this appearance?" which makes him mull over how he's treated, which could refer to wear Romani's body and clothes as he did to Solomon. Maybe he gained medical knowledge too. However, are we sure is him or Nasu wants us to assume is him for taking to face some superficial statements? The main case against is that his current actions don't match his past ones, even if one is to assume his goal and motivation remains the same (he feels sorry for humans), that he has indeed wear Roman's likeness in the past (with Mashu) and he shouldn't be shocked about the benefit of a human appearance when his shtick was passing himself as Solomon or Roman or making his pillars take human vessels. The other case against is the tsking. Tsking and tongue clunking to my memory are not one of his quirks. IMO, Goetia is a strong if not the strongest contender. I'm not sold about Roman's body, because Roman's body disappeared (and I feel it's irritating for his sake and Roman he's still under his shadow rather than stand as his own character), the tongue quirk could be because whoever body he’s using or inhabiting has it.
THE CASE FOR AND AGAINST ROMANI (SOLOMON): "A doctor in white" was the second most popular theory but fell off a little after the monologue of the Person of Chaldea because he lacked Romani's nicer personality and his usual pronouns (Boku/kimi). It's true it cannot be the same Romani Archaman we know, but this doesn't mean it cannot be him. We'll start for the case for: a physician with assorted talents (all that could be feasible for Romani/Solomon - and yes, includes having a legendary long thin blade listed in wikipedia - and this also can be listed on Goetia’s favor too!) that wears white, is from Chaldea, and still has the same actions, goals, and motives. The actions might have been weird, but with episode 0, we saw Romani walk the world on his own and doing odd jobs including acting as doctor in disaster zones, until he turned to Chaldea to complete his mission. How is that different from the Person of Chaldea’s present actions? The main objections are sound: the man doesn't talk or acts (in temperament) like Roman, and the quirk isn't his. However, after becoming Solomon again did use watashi and omae (he switched gradually from boku to watashi in the temple, if you carefully replay his unused voice clips and read his farewell scene) and his personality would be different if he was in possession or manifestation of a new body, as most Pseudo Servants (Ishtar wouldn't act like Rin if she wasn't in Rin's body, for example, we know this from Strange Fake - the vessel influences the spirit). The Servants who cannot manifest alone require vessels and the vessels can influence the way they talk, their temperaments and -obviously- give them a new appearance which our Person of Chaldea might have. Despite his friendliness, Romani seemed to speak and think of humanity from the distance (Accel Zero comes to mind where he reveals he's pretty pragmatic who wouldn't go around to change things as Waver did), he also thinks people should hate him (in his Blurb of relationship with the Master), so if it's Solomon post Roman's self-loathing, him acting surprised that those people in India Lostlet are willing to accommodate him with the little they had and were so kind toward him is unfortunately not as weird as we might think. Da Vinci changed from a sassy libertine to a (dull) angelic younger sister type after her rebirth just after the Prologue if we need a precedent.
As for me, whoever the person of Chaldea is, I would prefer if Roman remains Roman. I absolutely dislike the change in Da Vinci (looks and personality) but I am not blind not to see the possibility with the metaphor of the "peppermint green book" in the latest event the doctor appeared (you know that whole “things -people- you believe lost might be returned to you but with differences”). There is another case I'm considering but is more self-indulging, because doesn't mean desecrating Solomon's second corpse (even if it disappeared!), Goetia's arc, and Romani's whole self. The one of assimilation like Kingu and Enkidu which means the Person of Chaldea could be a new Solomon created of Romani and Goetia mutual elements. They used to share a body. That’s another case, but I’m not sure. My heart leans closer to Goetia in this, but my gut feels he could be red herring for Solomon 2.0.
Of course, this could be all be wrong and it’s truly Abe no Seimei or something outlandish like Future Ritsuka (I forgot to debunk this, it feels laughable when Ritsuka has a very limited character or arc, and cannot do a single healing spell to know magecraft of the Ages of Gods - plus would give Gudako an edge over the male Ritsuka -who uses ore as pronoun- and that won’t be allowed, sadly). You never know. I just wanted to share past and present theories. From a writing perspective, I just don’t think some new character would be right when they are treating this as a slowburn mystery arc and purposefully used Musashi as an in-game red herring. Maybe if Abe no Seimei -or whoever if it’s a new character- gets a better set up, certainly. Marisbury possibility is still strong if he’s not an antagonist.
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The Pokemon Company has released new information, video, and screenshots of Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield introducing Gigantamaxing, new Pokemon, the Galar Pokemon League, and new gym leaders.
Get the details below.
■ Gigantamax Pokemon
The previously discovered phenomenon known as Dynamaxing can only occur in specific areas of the Galar region. While Dynamaxing seems to be a phenomenon common to Pokemon from Galar, it’s been discovered that there’s a special phenomenon known as Gigantamaxing. Not only do Gigantamax Pokemon become bigger, but their appearance also changes. Like normal Dynamaxing, Gigantamaxing boosts the power of the Pokemon—and it also allows each Gigantamax Pokemon to use a unique move known as a G-Max Move. Each G-Max Move is particular to a specific species of Gigantamax Pokemon, and regular Dynamax Pokemon are not able to use G-Max Moves. Only certain species of Pokemon can Gigantamax—and even among such species, only rare specimens will be able to Gigantamax. The majority of Pokemon will keep their usual appearance when they Dynamax. Two Pokemon species revealed to have Gigantamaxing capabilities today are Drednaw and Corviknight.
Gigantamax Drednaw
Type: Water/Rock
Height: 78′9″+
Weight: Unknown
Ability: Strong Jaw / Shell Armor
The power of Gigantamaxing has allowed Drednaw to stand on its hind legs and become bipedal. From its standing position, it can come crashing down on opposing Pokemon and crush them with its massive body. Drednaw normally keeps its neck retracted within its shell, but when it attacks, it can rapidly shoot its neck out. Its jaws are also incredibly strong and can easily bite through huge metal towers. The strength of its jaws combined with the force of its neck gives Drednaw the power to punch a hole through a rocky mountain in a single strike. Water-type moves used by Gigantamax Drednaw will change to G-Max Stonesurge. G-Max Stonesurge doesn’t just deal damage to an opponent—it will scatter sharp rocks around the opponent and cause Pokemon entering the battlefield to take damage.
Gigantamax Corviknight
Type: Flying/Steel
Height: 45′11″+
Weight: Unknown
Ability: Pressure/Unnerve
Corviknight uses its massive wings to catch updrafts created by Gigantamax energy to hover in the air while it battles. The armor on its body has been reinforced, so attacks from Pokemon on the ground barely have any effect. Gigantamax energy has caused the armor covering Corviknight’s wings to separate and become blade birds, capable of flying independently. Flying-type moves used by Gigantamax Corviknight will change to G-Max Wind Rage, which removes any effects of moves like Reflect, Light Screen, Spikes, and Electric Terrain that the opponents may have.
■ Newly Discovered Pokemon of the Galar Region
Alcremie
Category: Cream Pokemon
Type: Fairy
Height: 1′
Weight: 1.1 lbs.
Ability: Sweet Veil
Alcremie can produce whipped cream, which becomes richer the happier Alcremie is feeling. Desserts made using this cream are invariably delicious, so many pastry chefs strive to have an Alcremie as their partner. When attacked by an opponent, Alcremie will throw sweet-scented cream to distract them or temporarily blind them, giving itself time to escape.
Gigantamax Alcremie
Type: Fairy
Height: 98′5″+
Weight: Unknown
Ability: Sweet Veil
The cream pouring out of its body hardens when subjected to impacts—the stronger the impact, the harder it becomes—giving Alcremie an impressive resistance to physical attacks. Additionally, the giant “Berry” decorations on Alcremie’s body are as hard as diamonds, and it’s said that most attacks won’t even be able to leave a scratch. Alcremie will launch high-calorie cream missiles around itself to attack its opponents. Any Pokemon that touches this cream will be filled with energy and euphoria but at the same time will fall into a state of complete confusion. Fairy-type moves used by Gigantamax Alcremie will change to G-Max Finale, which will heal all Pokemon on Alcremie’s side while dealing damage to an opponent.
Yamper
Category: Puppy Pokemon
Type: Electric
Height: 1′
Weight: 29.8 lbs.
Ability: Ball Fetch
Yamper tends to be drawn to things that are moving quickly. It can chase after people, Pokemon, or even vehicles. It has an organ in its body that generates electricity, and it’s activated when Yamper runs around. Yamper can’t store the electricity it generates, so it’s often seen running around with electric sparks crackling around it. Yamper’s Ability, Ball Fetch, is a new Ability that comes into play when the Trainer throws a Poke Ball at a wild Pokemon but fails to catch it. If Yamper isn’t holding an item, it will fetch the first Poke Ball that failed to catch the Pokemon, regardless of what type of Poke Ball it is.
Rolycoly
Category: Coal Pokemon
Type: Rock
Height: 1′
Weight: 26.5 lbs.
Ability: Steam Engine / Heatproof
Rolycoly’s red eye can illuminate dark areas, while it uses the lump of coal attached to its body like a wheel to move through coal mines and caves. It is able to travel smoothly even over rough terrain. Until about one hundred years ago, every household in the Galar region had a Rolycoly. The families would use the coal that dropped off its body for cooking and heating their homes. Rolycoly’s Ability, Steam Engine, is a new Ability that provides a Speed stat boost if it’s hit with a Fire- or Water-type move during battle.
Duraludon
Category: Alloy Pokemon
Type: Steel/Dragon
Height: 5′11″
Weight: 88.2 lbs.
Ability: Light Metal / Heavy Metal
Duraludon live in caves and mountainous areas. Their two arms have slightly different shapes, and they use them to grind down rock surfaces for food. Its body is composed of incredibly durable metal but is also surprisingly light, so Duraludon can move quite quickly despite its appearance. Its body is susceptible to corrosion, however, and is known to rust easily. They share their habitat with Tyranitar, so these two Pokemon are often seen battling each other in the mountains of the Galar region.
■ The Galar Region Pokemon League
In the Galar region, where Pokemon battles are big entertainment, the region’s Pokemon League holds tournaments to determine the next Pokemon Champion. Players will have to compete with their rivals and challenge the Gym Leaders of the region for their chance to take part in this tournament.
The Gym Challenge is a true celebration of Pokemon battling. Participating Trainers strive to collect all eight Gym Badges, and only Pokemon Trainers who have been endorsed by specific people, such as Gym Leaders, can join. During the Gym Challenge, each challenger wears a special uniform for the occasion. Trainers can choose the combination of three numbers on their own uniform.
Once a year, a series of Pokemon battles known as the Champion Cup are held in the Galar region. The Champion Cup decides who will be able to challenge the reigning Champion for their seat. Exemplary Trainers throughout the region, such as those who successfully complete the Gym Challenge, can participate in the Champion Cup tournament. The Champion Cup battles are broadcast on TV in the Galar region and are watched by everyone.
■ People of the Galar Region
Leon
Leon is the strongest Trainer in the Galar region, and he won the Championship in his first-ever Gym Challenge—without being defeated in battle a single time. To this day, his winning streak continues to grow, and his formidable talent for Pokemon battles is unmatched. He’s aided in his countless victories by his partner Charizard, and he’s known to go all out during battles, no matter who he’s facing. His battle style has captured the hearts of the people of Galar.
Chairman Rose
Rose is the chairman of the Galar Pokemon League and the president of a large business conglomerate. He’s made the Galar Pokemon League famous by implementing Gym Battles featuring the Dynamax phenomenon. Chairman Rose was also the first to endorse Leon for the Gym Challenge.
Oleana
Oleana is Chairman Rose’s secretary and is known for her calm and collected personality. She also serves as the vice president of Rose’s company and is largely in charge of the day-to-day running of the company.
Bea
Bea is a prodigy in Galar karate, carrying on its century-old traditions and techniques. Known for her stoicism and rarely showing her emotions, Bea is also an expert on Fighting-type Pokemon. Her battle style remains very precise even when she’s backed into a corner.
Allister
Allister is a talented Trainer of Ghost-type Pokemon who has taken on the mantle of the Ghost-type Gym Leader at a young age. He’s extremely shy and fearful, and he always hides his face with a mask when around other people. Allister rarely makes public appearances and apparently spends most of his time around ruins or in cemeteries.
Certain towns in the Galar region will have different Gyms that Trainers can challenge depending on whether they’re playing Pokemon Sword or Pokemon Shield. In Pokemon Sword, they will face down Bea, while in Pokemon Shield, they can test their skills against Allister.
■ Double-Pack Bonus and Version Differences
As a special bonus for purchasing the Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield Double Pack, Trainers will receive two codes (one per game) that will reward them with special items known as Dynamax Crystals. By using the Dynamax Crystals in the Wild Area, Trainers will be able to face Dynamax Larvitar and Dynamax Jangmo-o, Pokemon that are normally encountered later in the game, in special Max Raid Battles. Larvitar won’t appear in Pokemon Sword and Jangmo-o won’t appear in Pokemon Shield during normal gameplay, but players will be able to catch them in either version by using these Dynamax Crystals.
■ Downloadable Version Early Purchase Bonus
If a Trainer downloads the downloadable version of the games from Nintendo eShop by January 15, 2020, they can receive a code that can be redeemed for twelve Quick Balls. Quick Balls are special Poke Balls that are more likely to catch Pokemon if used as soon as a battle begins.
Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield are due out for Switch on November 15.
Watch the footage below. View the screenshots at the gallery.
English
youtube
Japanese
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#Pokemon Sword and Shield#Pokemon Sword#Pokemon Shield#Pokemon#Nintendo Switch#Gematsu#Don't read the site's comment section#long post#I'm not getting involved in that movement that's been going on.#Especially not if those death threats and false accusations I've heard being thrown around actually happened.
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Lacuna (starmora AU)
fae!AU that is pure crack, with forest spirit!Gamora and fairy!Peter Quill
Summary: “Are you fucking kidding me?” Peter shouted. “Are you. Fucking. Kidding me?!”
He couldn't believe this.
Gamora could stand to look a little less pleased, smirking like she was at his reaction.
If she was supposed to be his mentor inducting him into this whole fae thing, she could at least pretend not to be enjoying the reveal so much.
The exact nature of his bloodline had been kept a secret from him while she showed him the ropes over the past few months. They'd even become friends- that teasing sort of smile on her face was usually one he was all too happy to see. But not tonight.
Gamora had known what he was the whole time, but apparently it was some policy or something to keep it confidential from the newbies that had been raised in the human world as their mentor introduced them to the magic world- part of the training or something.
All this time- he thought it would be something cool. Maybe a forest spirit like her- though he had seen some pretty nifty tricks from a couple of fire elementals (seriously, fire fairies with fire magic was fucking awesome).
But no. After all this build up-
God fucking dammit.
AO3 link
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Lacuna
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“Are you fucking kidding me?” Peter exclaimed. Even that descriptor was being generous. He's shrieking right now, his voice so high it would be enough to send the forest birds scattering through the tree branches and into the sky if they hadn't already been asleep this late in the night.
Gamora was pretty sure every nocturnal creature within a half mile radius had been alerted to their presence, thanks to his shrillness.
“Are you. Fucking. Kidding me?!”
He couldn't believe this.
Gamora could stand to be a little less pleased about it, smirking like she was at his reaction.
If she was supposed to be his mentor inducting him into this whole fae thing, she could at least pretend not to be enjoying the reveal so much.
The exact nature of his bloodline had been kept a secret from him while she showed him the ropes over the past few months. They'd even become friends- that teasing sort of smile on her face was usually one he was all too happy to see. But not tonight.
Gamora had known what he was the whole time, but apparently it was some policy or something to keep it confidential from the newbies that had been raised in the human world as their mentor introduced them to the magic world- part of the training or something.
All this time- he thought it would be something cool. Maybe a forest spirit like her- though he had seen some pretty nifty tricks from fire elementals. He'd even heard about some fae whose specialty was music (for some reason, it seemed like fairies relating to bodies of water often had musical abilities under their special skills too). Even as he learned about all these different types of beings, the magic they possessed, and the properties of this realm he had no idea existed for most of this life- he still knew so little about what he was.
Peter had an inkling, lately. He thought maybe something to do with the moon, or darkness.
His magic was related to night- Gamora had been teaching him how to use his powers the past couple weeks. Small stuff, without giving too much away about his lineage. She was more working on getting him familiar with his magic, getting him used to the feel of it. Teaching him some little tricks that didn't really give him much to go on in terms of what type he was. There was a reason they practiced at night, though.
She said the more he practiced the better he'd get, but for now his powers were strongest at night.
Apparently being a forest spirit meant Gamora had a wide variety of elements and powers that didn't usually cross over- one of the reasons why Peter was her mentee, she told him.
Gamora was more than adept with nocturnal magic, among others, so she would be able to teach him how to use his.
She hadn't given him anymore to go on than that- which he'd been able to glean from their nightly training sessions, thank you very much.
“Please tell me you're joking,” he begged one last time, even though he knew that wasn't the case.
Gamora took her job pretty seriously.
She'd known what he was from the beginning, and hadn't let it slip once before he was 'ready', no matter how much he pestered her the past couple months, and Peter Quill could be very annoying. Using his skill set to his advantage.
“I assure you, I would not joke about this sort of thing,” Gamora said, sobering up slightly. The spark of amusement in her eye betrayed her though, as she tilted her head forward in a show of seriousness. “I thought you would've learned by now- I do not dance, and I do not joke.”
Peter could see the grin peeking out from behind her lips, and Gamora raised her eyebrows, almost daring him to contradict her.
He almost did. He wanted very badly to correct her that actually she does dance, that one night she danced with him- but he was too hung up on what he just learned to fall into their friendly teasing.
He felt like pulling his hair out.
“A fucking tooth fairy?” Peter screeched, voice rising another octave. He wanted to flip a table.
Unfortunately, they were outside in the middle of the night, thus there were no tables for him to flip.
He'd give the whole universe a big F U if he could. There aren't words for how much he was flipping the universe off in his soul right now.
Fuck the world, fuck everything, fuck fae and magic powers, fuck him for being a goddamn tooth fairy, fuck his life, fuck fuck fuck. God dammit! Peter Quill officially hated everything.
“Oh calm down,” Gamora chided him, once she'd had her fun watching his very entertaining reaction.
Peter threw an accusatory finger at her. “Don't you tell me to calm down! You've known this whole time! All this fucking buildup, these night training sessions, being all secretive and not telling me what I am, you're this cool elusive forest spirit, and I'm a fucking tooth fairy! God dammit, Gamora!”
Her cheeks felt warm at his words- even when Peter was upset he was giving her compliments. Not that she needed his validation, but she did have to admit her chest did feel all warm and fuzzy at his offhand comments. Even if she only rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh, or grumbled in response, rather than show how pleased it always made her.
Cool elusive forest spirit was a new one.
“The tooth fairy is just the English name,” Gamora informed him, expression softening into something undeniably fond. She liked teasing Peter, but he was her friend too, and she wasn't a total jerk. “There are certain... customs attributed to your kind, and that is where the human folklore of tooth fairies get their source material from. There is a wider array of what the beings that humans refer to as tooth fairies cover than their association with teeth.” She paused then, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully. “The general human consensus is not wrong per say, just... limited in scope. Tooth fairies deal in more than just teeth. It's just that humans have only attributed their tooth related behaviors to them, hence the name. Teeth are one of the things, yes, but it would be more accurate to say they deal with... bone.”
Peter perked up a little at that. “Seriously?” He narrowed his eyes at her, suddenly suspicious she was just saying that to make him feel better. Or to get him to stop screeching.
But that was undeniably more awesome than fucking teeth. Bone he could work with.
(The naming thing tracked too, if he thought about it. Probably a lot easier for humans to spot a correlation between fairies and teeth, since teeth were a whole lot more accessible than bone.)
Gamora nodded. “It is another reason you have been paired up with me,” she said, suddenly excited. “Because your area of expertise is not an element- and it is more than just night. There is a reason I am your teacher, and not a fae linked to shadows or the stars. A daughter of the moon would be an ill fit to teach you about your powers. There is a reason you were paired with a forest spirit. Because your domain is also that of a living thing.”
Gamora was practically bouncing on her toes, beaming at him as she said all this. It was kinda adorable. Clearly she had been wanting to share this with him for awhile.
Peter paused. He wasn't thinking of it like that.
He'd of course learned that newbies and 'guides' were paired up due to similar powers. It only made sense for someone who was familiar with your type of magic to be the one teaching you.
He would never think to classify forest spirits and bone faeries together, but when other classes were things like fire, wind, night and day- it kinda made sense. Inanimate parts of the universe that had never been part of a living thing, elements that were parts of the natural world, just how things were.
A lady of the lake had magic drawn from the water, and fae made from star dust had stable constellations in the sky. They didn't work with dead things; the things had never been alive in the first place.
But the forest was living, an interconnected life force that had a circulatory system made up of tangled roots and webs, the creatures that called it home, all indelibly tied together to make an organism of it's own. Bones were part of something alive too, and more inextricably linked to the forest than Peter Quill had any idea of.
When a fox made its burrow in the earth, took shelter in her wilderness, it became a part of the system. One cell among many that gave the forest life. But even cells die.
As much as a forest was the trees that marked its place, the thorned bushes and the berries growing upon them, the grass that spread across the floor, the wildflowers the bloomed in the spring, the leaves that fell in the fall- the forest was more than just the flora. It was the creek that made its bed under the canopy of leaves, the rains that watered ground, the rocks and dirt of the earth below. It was the fire that cleared out the underbrush, that made room for new things to grow. It was the sunlight, and the lightning strikes the forest needed to last.
And it was the animals who made the forest their home. They were as vital to the forest as the rest.
The birds who nested in the scraggly branches and sang to mark the morning, the creatures who only came out under the cover of night- they were all part of the ecosystem, essential to keeping the forest alive and breathing. The critters spread seeds, kept the system in balance. They provided the nutrients for the soil to continue giving life.
One day, the fox who made its burrow will lay down on the forest floor for the last time.
Time will take care of the rest. Soon all that will be left is bones.
The fox, the birds, the mice that scurry across the ground- predator and prey- it's the natural way of things. Life and death are tied to the forest, and the skeletons that are left behind are a part of the forest too.
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“I'm surprised you haven't made a joke about boning,” Gamora appraised him, almost taunting him into making one- she didn't say yet, so fair game.
Peter slammed his hand over his heart with a dramatic gasp. “I would never!” That's a lie, they both knew he totally would, but still he continued in his mock offense, grinning, “I am a class act-”
“Mhmm, sure you are.”
_______
Peter decided maybe he wasn't so upset about being a fucking tooth fairy if the only reason he met Gamora was because of the overlap forests had with what was apparently a tooth fairies domain.
He'd hate to have been taught by anyone else.
If this was what it took to bring them together, then he was pretty lucky being what he was.
If Gamora was only assigned him as her charge because of that, yeah, he was good with bones or teeth or whatever the fuck got him in her orbit.
#starmora#gotg fic#gamora#peter quill#gamora x peter quill#guardians of the galaxy#MCU fanfiction#alternate universe#fairy AU#fanfic#my gotg fics#my fic
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