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d-targaryenshoe · 2 months

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Forgotten Destiny - Anthony Bridgerton

Summary: When one wants a thing it does not mean the other lover would want the same thing, is it not?

Word count: 1543

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the sky into a tapestry of fiery reds and oranges, Anthony Bridgerton paused in his work, his pen hovering above the paper.

He glanced at you, as you were sitting primly on the edge of his desk, your delicate features set in a familiar expression of determination.

Your argument had been raging for the better part of an hour, and it showed no signs of abating.

The air in the room seemed to crackle with tension as if a storm were brewing, waiting for the right moment to break free.

You leaned forward, your voice taking on a pleading quality that only served to enrage your husband further.

"Anthony, I am your wife," you said, "and I am begging you to reconsider. We have three healthy children, which is just fine to me."

Anthony bit back a retort, unable to understand how you could be so content with your current situation.

"But y/n," he said, his voice strained, "don't you want to give our children the gift of another sibling?"

You sighed, your gaze drifting to the floor for a moment before meeting his eyes again. "Of course I do, but yet I still think we shouldn't."

Anthony frowned, his eyes narrowing. "But why? What's the problem? You know that I can provide for any number of children."

You hesitated, unsure how to put your concerns into words. You glanced around the room, feeling a sense of overwhelm.

Your house was beautiful, yes, but it was also filled with so much noise and activity.

Three children were a handful even when they were well-behaved, and you worried that another one might push them all over the edge.

"Yet it is my body, Anthony," you began.

He looked up sharply, his expression softening.

"I understand that, dearest. I do not take your sacrifice lightly. But I feel like we are such a close family, and I want our children to have the same bond that we share."

You sighed, running a hand through your hair.

"I know you do, but sometimes I feel like we lose ourselves in being parents. I want to be a wife to you too, Anthony. I want us to have time for each other, just the two of us."

Anthony's eyes widened at this admission. He hadn't realized how much you had been craving your alone time.

He set his pen down on the desk and reached across the space between you, taking your hand in his. "You and me talking in my office isn't the same as spending time together?"

"No, it's not the same. This is us being parents, have a good night, Mr Bridgerton." You snapped before walking away and smashing the door closed.

Anthony sat there for a moment, stunned. He couldn't believe you had just left him like that.

He watched your retreating figure until you disappeared around the corner, and then he let out a frustrated growl.

He knew you were upset, but he couldn't help but feel like you were being unreasonable.

The next morning, Anthony awoke to the sound of one of the servants knocking on your door.

He groaned, rolling over and burying his face in the pillow. It had been a restless night, plagued by thoughts of you and the argument.

He wished he could just apologize and make everything better.

When he finally dragged himself out of bed, he found you already dressed and sitting at the breakfast table, sipping your tea.

Your expression was still stony, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of hope at the sight of you.

He walked over to you, took a seat across from you, and gave you his most winning smile. "Good morning, my love. I hope you slept well."

You looked up at him, your eyes guarded, but not answering or saying a single word.

Anthony frowned, feeling the tension between you grow tighter. "Y/n, please," he said, reaching across the table to take your hand.

"I know we didn't part on the best of terms yesterday, but I truly am sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel like you're not important to me."

Your eyes met his, and you retreated your hand, going back to reading Lady Whistledown's new gossip.

Anthony sighed, feeling defeated.

"Y/n, I truly am sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel unimportant. I just want what's best for our family. I want us to have another child, but I also want to make sure that we don't lose sight of the love and connection we share."

You looked up at him but turned your head towards the butler who stood at the door. "Finley, would you mind cleaning the table, It just got to me that I had a talk planned with the Duchess of Hastings."

Anthony frowned, his eyes narrowing. "And what would you like to discuss with her?" he asked warily.

"I'll be back in an hour or two for tea, Finley, thank you very much."

Daphne Bridgerton rose from her seat when you entered the sitting room, your graceful movements a testament.

"Y/n, how wonderful to see you!" she exclaimed, giving you a warm hug. "It's been far too long."

You smiled, returning Daphne's embrace. "It has been, hasn't it? I do apologize for not visiting sooner. I've been rather busy with the children."

You sat down on the plush sofa, and a servant immediately brought in a tray of tea and biscuits.

Daphne poured you each a cup, taking a sip before asking, "So, how are things going with you and Anthony? I must admit, I was rather surprised when Mama said he wanted another child."

You took a deep breath before answering.

"He does...at least he does," you admitted. "Anthony is so focused on his duty as a Bridgerton, we've been arguing about having another child."

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Oh? have you?"

"Well, Anthony is headstrong that we should try for another as soon as possible, while I want to enjoy the time we have together as a family before we add to it."

"I see," Daphne said thoughtfully, taking another sip of her tea.

"It's a difficult position to be in, isn't it? On the one hand, Anthony is right in wanting to continue the Bridgerton line, but on the other, you both need to consider your happiness and the well-being of the children you already have."

You nodded, your eyes downcast as you toyed with your teacup. "Yes, it's been rather strained between us. I feel like he doesn't see how important it is for us to have that time together."

Daphne smiled sympathetically. "Well, I can understand where he's coming from as well. Anthony is a devoted father and husband, but he's also a man of duty."

Anthony cleared his throat as he entered the room, his eyes immediately darting between you two. "Ah, I didn't mean to interrupt," he said, his voice a little strained.

Daphne glanced up at him, her expression softening.

"It's quite alright, Anthony. We were just discussing the challenges of maintaining a happy marriage while balancing family obligations." She motioned for him to sit down. "Please, join us."

Anthony hesitated for a moment before taking a seat. He cleared his throat again and looked at you, his expression contrite.

"I know I've been insensitive. I shouldn't have pushed for another child without considering how it would affect us as a couple, and I never want anything to come between us. I just..." He trailed off, searching for the right words.

Daphne reached out and placed her hand on his arm, offering him a reassuring smile. "It's alright, brother. We all make mistakes. The important thing is that you recognize them and are willing to apologize."

You took a deep breath, trying to calm your racing heart. You knew Anthony meant every word he said, and you loved him for it.

But you couldn't help feeling a twinge of uncertainty. You had been through so much already, and the thought of adding another child to the mix was both exciting and terrifying.

"I do appreciate your apology," you said finally, your voice quiet but steady. "But we need to find a way to move forward together. We need to decide what's best for our family."

Anthony nodded, his expression serious. "You're right. I want us to find a solution. I want to be the best husband and father I can be."

You considered his words for a moment.

"How about this? Let's wait until the end of the season. By then, we'll have had some time to reconnect and renew our focus on our family. If we still feel the same way, we can discuss the possibility of having another child. Does that sound fair?"

Daphne smiled encouragingly. "It sounds like a very sensible plan, y/n. And if you ever need someone to talk to or someone to bounce ideas off of, please don't hesitate to reach out."

The three of you sat in silence for a moment, each lost in your thoughts. But there was an understanding between you, a sense of unity that gave you hope. Perhaps, just perhaps, you could find a way to make everything work.

#bridgerton fanfiction #bridgerton netflix #colin bridgerton x reader #benedict bridgerton #anthony bridgerton #eloise bridgerton #colin bridgerton #benedict bridgerton x reader #bridgerton x reader #bridgerton #anthony bridgerton x you #anthony bridgerton x reader #anthony x reader #benedict bridgerton x y/n #benedict bridgerton fanfiction #benedict bridgerton fanfic #benedict x y/n #benedict bridgerton x you

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lalacliffthorne · 7 months

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sweet lil halloween headcanons: modern!roommate!batboys edition 🦇

so in honour of halloween, I have been thinking about what it would be like with the modern batboys and, most importantly, what they would dress up as (or in Azriel's case, grudgingly be forced into)

Cassian's costume especially was the idea of @leafsandstarlight when I got stuck - she delivered, as usual, and I love her for it, even more than usual. mostly bc it's been stuck in my head ever since. you'll see. *grins widely*

happy halloween from this witch to the lot of you 🐈‍⬛🔮🪦

so apparently, Rhys' Halloween partys are legendary on campus

for some reason, so far, that completely went past you

(most likely because you spent the past few Halloweens with Feyre in her tiny apartment, buried in blankets, watching Hocus Pocus while eating your weight in snacks)

so you're a little confused when about two weeks before Halloween, Rhys drags you with him to meet with a caterer

you're supposed to sample food

tho you're never one to complain about something like that, you do feel a little confused when you blink up at him in question, and Rhys furrows his brows

"Wait, didn't I tell you?"

he didn't

he also didn't tell you that this year´s location is an old castle in the old part of town

it's where you meet the caterer, in the kitchens in the cellar

on the way, you freeze in place for a solid minute to gape at the cavernous ceilings with huge chandeliers and stone walls of the halls Rhys is renting for the party

it really shouldn't surprise you that much

it's Rhys after all

extravagant and over the top are basically his middle names

how he managed to snag a spot like that at Halloween is beyond you tho

connections, Cassian later says wisely

and probably a shit ton of money

when, staring at the display of different fingerfoods in various spooky forms, you ask tentatively about just how much money, Rhys sends you a grin that is downright wicked

"Well, someone has to spend something."

and spending he is

over the course of the next two weeks, Rhys disappears for hours, meeting with people for the bar, a DJ and to take care of decorations

then, a week before Halloween, flyers appear on campus

glossy and deep black, with bats and jack'o'lanterns printed on the front along with the date and location in purple letters

it's the beginning you of constantly hearing people plan their costumes in passing

and the moment you suddenly realise that crap --

you have absolutely no idea what to wear

Mor just giggles at your panic

she drops in as you're desperately scrolling through Pinterest, trying to come up with anything that you like, is cheap and can be assembled in under a week

"jesus, calm down. Rhys may make the whole thing the most extravagant student party of the year, but most people that are coming aren't spending loads of money on their costumes either, it's more about creativity and finding something you like."

that doesn't calm your nerves in the slightest

it's Cassian who, purely by accident, gives you an idea in the end

it's a few days before Halloween, and he's sitting on the couch, flicking through the book you left on the coffee table with furrowed brows

"So they're demon hunters?" he sounds intriguied, looking up at you as you lean over him to try and snag your book

you still, your heart doing a double flip

then you start beaming and pull the book from Cassian's hand, pressing a long, smacking kiss onto his cheek that makes him grin

"What was that for?"

it's for him giving you an idea

it's a perfect one really

the evening of Halloween, the city is already dark outside the windows

when you look outside, you can see kids and their parents on the street, dressed up and ringing doorbells, carrying flashlights and lanterns

Mor comes over to get ready at six

she's also the one who always gets up to open the door for children trick or treating

otherwise, she's sitting on the couch in the living room

she's wearing a long, dark red silk dress with a high slit, her hair open and wavy as she squints in concentration and paints her lips

she's dressed as a devil, complete with headband with little black horns that's sitting on the coffee table

she even put in red contacts

you're sitting crosslegged on the other couch, crunching your brows in focus as you spread the lightest shade of foundation you could find in the drugstore on Rhys' face

when he told you a few days earlier that he's going as a vampire, the first thing flashing through your mind was him in a cheap cape and too small fake teeth

it made you snort laughter and him huff

now you get it

Rhys is dressed to the nines

black silk shirt that's almost all the way unbuttoned and shows off his chest tattoos

black dresspants and black shoes

his hair is lightly styled back, and a strand falls into his face as you powder his face, causing him to sneeze and you to giggle

he even managed to get his hands on very real looking fake canines that flash in the light whenever he sends you a grin

no tacky cape

also no sparkles

he's like a modern, expensive version

almost like he stepped right of the pages of one of your books ;)

he lets you pale his skin before using eyeshadows to give him slightly sunken eyes and smear some red paint around his mouth

when he finally sends you a grin, it causes a giddy shiver to run down your spine

Mor does your make-up before, after a look onto the clock, shoos you off to get dressed

when a little later, you step back out of your room, there's a tall figure towering in the doorway to the living room

your breath hitches at the sight of broad shoulders straining against a black t-shirt, black jeans tucked into black boots and amber eyes

they're currently glaring, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out why

or at who

you hear Rhys snort from the living room

"Yeah, there's no way you're going as you."

with the way Azriel is glaring, there's also no way he's putting on a costume

which doesn't surprise really surprise

Azriel really isn't the type to invest time and care into putting together a costume

if things were going his way, he'd probably stay at home and read a book

which of course, Rhys has planned for

when you move, Azriel turns his head

he seems to still, the glare in his eyes vanishing as the deep furrow between his brows, curtesy of his scowl, smoothens

and he stares

stares at you

dressed from head to toe in black, with a holster strapped to your thigh and temporary rune tattoos all over your exposed skin

and suddenly, something is fluttering violently against your ribs

somehow, you manage to send him a cheeky grin and get your legs to moving

they kinda feel like jello as you halt in front of him, having to tilt your head back to look up at him

"Darling?"

Rhys is suddenly smirking in a wicked way that works even better in his vampire getup, his violet eyes twinkling

"You don't happen to still have some of those tattoos, do you?"

it takes you a second to catch on

then your heart suddenly performs a series of dips and turns

"Well...", you look up at Azriel and somehow manage a cheeky, beaming grin, "that would certainly fit."

Azriel huffs

it takes a staring contest of roughly a minute until he accepts his fate

well

or until you smile up at him, something thrumming against your ribs as you crunch your nose

"please? come on, you're not even really dressing up, just - elevating."

you grin widely

Azriel's scowl deepens

(mostly because it's unfair you just have to look at him that way and he would dress up as a pink bunny if you asked)

but he doesn't protest

just rolls his eyes a little and brushs past you to plop down onto the couch

Mor is suddenly very busy correcting a flaw in her make-up you can't seem to find

so it's you who ends up sitting in front of Azriel, his skin warm under your hands as you apply the rune tattoos left all over his arms

you can feel his eyes on your face and try to fight the warmth spreading through your cheeks

at least he doesn't look as huffy as a few minutes ago

(it's hard to stay scowling when all he can focus on is that little crease between your brows as you concentrate and the way the smell of your perfume and shampoo rises into his nose

he's a hundred percent sure there's no way you don't hear the way his breath catches every time your fingers brush his skin

especially when you lean forward to put one of the runes onto the right side of his neck)

you can feel Azriel's warm breath ghost over your skin as your fingers gently press against the side of his neck

it causes your own to get stuck in your throat, right next to your heart

(you should really get that checked)

you try not to look up, because you're pretty sure you're close enough to see the golden spots in Azriel's eyes

and that would not bode well for your concentration

(you're also close enough that your hair almost tickles his skin and that your scent is everywhere

Azriel needs to physically stop himself from slipping his fingers under your chin and tip your head up to -)

you catch movement from the corner of your eye

glad for a distraction, you raise your head

only to grow wide-eyed

because unlike Rhys, Cassian hasn't told anyone what he's going to dress up as

now, you realize why

Azriel seems to realise you're suddenly distracted, because you feel him turn his head before stilling

most likely because he also sees Cassian standing in the doorway

dressed as Ken

the skater version

complete with sun visor over his tied back hair, neon yellow fanny pack and knee pads

he even has a pair of neon pink skates thrown over his shoulder

you blink at him

once

twice

then you snort a laugh and break into a fit of giggles

it breaks the spell Cassian's outfit has cast, and Mor nearly topples off the couch as she starts laughing while Rhys dramatically faints on the armchair

even Azriel looks, tho reluctantly, impressed

(mostly because the way you're laughing, tears in your eyes and barely able to breathe as Mor drops to her knees and bows, makes up for whatever extravagent party Rhys is about to throw your way)

when you get to the castle, the place is decorated magnificently

you suddenly understand why Rhys was gone for so long

the floor is covered by whisps of smoke, the lights are dimmed

there are fake cobwebs spun over the brick walls and high ceilings and even the chandeliers

you count two dozen skeletons in one room alone, and armadas of paper bats dangling from the ceilings on invisible strings

dry ice at the snack buffet in combination with the fingerfoods makes you wonder if maybe Rhys just wanted to give his father a heart attack in case he sees the expenses his son accumulated for a student halloween party

there's even an actual bar with a menu of spooky drinks

loads of people are already there, and it's only getting more

everyone is dressed in various degrees of more or less spooky outfits

Feyre is waiting for you near the entrance

she's dressed as Katniss Everdeen, in black armor and with bow and arrow over her shoulder, a little fake blood dried on her temple and eyes bright

"How the fuck did we miss this before??"

you have no idea

you also have no idea where she got the full costume and how she can look so comfortable in chest armor

you do have an idea tho why Rhys is suddenly looking very distracted

it makes you grin cheekily enough for him to huff down at you when he finally catches you staring at him

you're almost sure tho to see his cheeks gain a little color under the pale make up

especially when Feyre grins widely at him

you spend the whole night with Feyre and Mor

you ransack the buffet (you're very proud of your choices)

try your way through the drink menu

and dance

you sometimes catch a glimpse at Cass in his neon outfit reflecting the lights as he makes his way through the mist

he looks like he's having the time of his life

finally, sometime around two in the morning, your feet hurt and the adrenaline of the night has worn off enough to make you feel tired

also you've lost Feyre and Mor somewhere in the crowd after using the toilet

trying to catch a glimpse at either of them, your eyes instead meet deep, amber ones

your heart dips and swerves in a way that has nothing to do with alcohol or tiredness

Azriel is leaning against a wall halfway across the huge, cavernous room

a strand of dark hair is curving over his forehead, the pink and purple lights make his jaw and cheekbones look even sharper than usual and illuminate the rune tattoos scattered over his skin, fitting in perfectly with his real ones

the sight of him causes something to topple over in your chest

you caught glimpses at him all during the night

usually off in the shadows, leaning against a wall or lounging on a seat, sipping a drink

every time you saw him, there was someone next to him, mostly girls, talking to him, trying to flirt

it made something dip over strangely in your chest

but for some reason, he barely seemed to notice

for some reason, every time, his eyes were already on yours, flashing amber in the flickering lights

just like now

the slight crease between his brows that doesn't quite spell uncomfortable smoothens

then he pushes off the wall and starts to weave towards you

again, your heart does a funny little thing

but you push it away and begin to fight your way through the crowd to meet him

when you finally meet, it takes one look at you for the dip of a crease to appear in his cheek

"Home?"

his deep voice makes your skin tingle even through all the noise and the music, and you deflate with a sigh, feeling almost comically relieved

you text Feyre and Mor while Azriel steers you out of the full rooms, his hands on your shoulders

picking up your coats, you feel a happy shiver run over your skin when you step out into the night sky

your breath hangs in white clouds in the air when you huddle up and Azriel offers you the crook of his elbow, his hands in his pockets

and if you take a very long route to get home, wandering through the quiet, cold city and sniffling as you blink up at the bright moon, neither of you makes a comment on it

@azrielshadows1nger @waytoomanyteenagefeels @secret-ly-here @knmendiola @luvmoo @azriels-mate123 @bookishbroadwaybish @maybe-a-winchester @stayinglow-exploringworlds @harrystylesfan2686 @icey--stars

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saltywinteradult · 2 months

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Anon needs to understand there’s more than one way to be a bad parent, Viserys and Rhaenyra are proof of this.

Viserys enabled his daughter to extreme measures, all he had to do was send Harwin away the minute Jace was born but he buried his head in the sand instead. Rhaenyra wasn’t exactly discreet either, she was very openly sleeping with Harwin for the whole court to see and was emboldened to have THREE back to back pregnancies because she knew her father wouldn’t stop her. How is this good parenting? A good father would have taught his daughter actions have consequences.

Rhaenyra is no better, through her relationship with Harwin she shows her sons they can do whatever the hell they want with 0 consequence and this has long term repercussions. Luke openly mocks the boy he DISABLED, Jace breaks his betrothal to Baela, they do whatever the hell they want because they know their mother will enable them.

Say it louder for the people in the back, anon!

Viserys set a terrible example of parenthood for Rhaenyra. Considering that, it's not surprising that she would become just as much of an enabler to her own kids. The cycles do be cycling after all. That's a large part of this story. It makes me sad to see that aspect of the story, and of Rhaenyra's character, go ignored by her fans. Then again, the Team Black stans don't acknowledge that Viserys was a terrible father either, so I don't know what I expected.

Slight tangent here, but I would like to add that not only would a good father teach his daughter that actions have consequences, a good king would've taught his heir that actions have consequences.

As entitled as Rhaenyra is, her view of herself as exceptional isn't entirely unfounded. She's a princess. She's a dragonrider. She's the first female heir to the throne. She is exceptional in a lot of ways. But no one has bothered to teach her that that exceptional position 1) does not make her inherently better than anyone else, and 2) comes with responsibility. Viserys's and subsequently Rhaenyra's enabling would've been bad enough if they were just regular people, but they're the ruling family of Westeros. Their family dysfunction and infighting literally have consequences for the entire country. That means it's exponentially more important for them to not make decisions that lead to family dysfunction and infighting. That is so obvious I feel like I shouldn't even have to say it.

Viserys marrying Alicent and then treating her and their children like shit shows he clearly didn't understand this, so it's not surprising to me that Rhaenyra didn't learn this either. Hell, Viserys literally enables and supports Rhaenyra in breaking the law! Rhaenyra knows that advocating for her bastards, who everyone knows are bastards, to inherit over trueborn heirs is treason. Viserys knows this too and he supports her anyway. Why wouldn't Rhaenyra assume that she can do whatever the hell she wants? Why wouldn't she adopt that same mindset for her own children? Of course someone raised on toxic Targaryen exceptionalism and by an extremely enabling parent isn't gonna grow up to be a good person, a good parent, or a good ruler! Again, the cycles are cycling. That's the point. These are all perfectly realistic flaws for Rhaenyra to have and perfectly realistic mistakes for her to make. But they are flaws. They are mistakes. Not acknowledging that does her character and the story a huge disservice.

#anti rhaenyra targaryen #anti viserys i targaryen #anti team black stans #tbh i hate tagging all my rhaenyra critical posts with 'anti rhaenyra' bc i really do not hate her #but apparently any criticism of her is tantamount to hate so anti tag it is i guess #house of the dragon #hotd

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selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs · 7 months

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Hello!! This is my first time requesting something so I'm sorry if I did it wrong or something, so I was wondering if you could do one with preferably Dazai where the reader is suicidal and mostly copes with humor. Oh and could the reader also be a teen like 13 years old?

Circus Hop

Self-Aware! Platonic! Dazai Osamu x GN! Teen! Suicidal! Reader

Description: You were two years younger then him, when he tried to end his life for the first time. You resemble him in more, then one way.

Warning: Mentions of Suicide, Suicide attempt. Parental Neglect. Emotional abuse. Terrible parents. Self-harm. Breakdown. English is my second language

Inspired by the song Circus Hop by YonKaGor.

List of Suicide hotline numbers can be found here and here.

____

Your father brought you to this small building. Someone from school insisted on that.

The room she asked you to stay was quiet. Her voice and your father's voices were muffled, because of the door.

Few minutes ago you were talking to the woman. She asked you about your life, your plans for the future, your friends.

Your answers were simple.

Nothing interesting. Don't have any plans for future. Don't want to meet my friends... Just don't want to.

Then she asked you about pictures you have drawn. And asking about your parents about death. And when the thoughts appeared.

Another set of answers.

I feel like drawing it. I feel like talking about it. After Granny's death.

You... think, that you feel like it. You still can feel, right?

Then she asked you to do some tests. First, you must answer, if some sentences can describe you¹, than you must finish some sentences², then group other sentences together ³.

After you finished, she asked you to wait here, while she talks to your father.

You were left alone.

You looked around.

There were nothing interesting for you. Yet, you continue sitting on the sofa and dangling your feet.

You didn't flinch, when your father opened the door, shouting at the woman, who was talking to him.

"Don't you have anything, that will fix them? They are creeping out everyone!"

Woman's voice was firm.

"I already told you, that your child need professional help. You should..."

Your father's gaze became colder.

"I will take them home. They aren't suicidal. They just a little brat who want some attention and who are angry at their mother and I for working too much and not playing in their stupid games. Come, [Y/N], we are leaving!"

He took your hand in his and start to drag you behind him. You simply follow after him.

Before completely leaving the small building, your father stopped.

"Where's your jacket?"

You point at the door, that leads to woman's office.

"There. I forgot it there "

Your father grumble something and, after slapping you on the back of the neck, he walked towards the door and enter the office again.

"Idiotic brat."

Nothing new. As usual.

Then you heard, how the secretary and one of the janitors were talking.

"Another one of these parents. At first, they refuse to treat their children, because they don't have time for that..." Janitor said, glaring at the office door.

"And then, they must find time to bury their kid..." The secretary's gaze was full of sympathy, when she looked at you.

Your father returns with your jacket. You put if on and follow your father again.

He was mumbling under his breath.

"The nerve of this woman... [Y/N]! Just stop being sad. Be happy!"

You mindlessly nodded. You didn't pay much attention to your father's words. One thought were circling in your head.

"Is it important... to attend someone's funeral?"

_______

It was important. At least, The Internet said so.

Your parents... Work hard. If you die, they won't be able to go to your funeral.

You shouldn't die. At lest, for now.

But... You were so tired. You were so afraid. Future was scary. Life was scary.

and you were a failure

You remembered, your father's advice.

"Just stop being sad. Be happy."

Maybe... you could...

________

For a year, you followed your father's advice.

For one year, you manage to keep up a happy façade.

You became interested in life again.

probably... you do become interested in your hobbies again... at least...you don't even scratch your legs or pull out your hair that much.

Dad's advice works.

kind of... your jokes freaked people out... but the school therapist insisted on helping you in secret from your parents.

when dad found out, he enrolled you in a different school.

he yelled at you for being a brat

mom yelled at you for being a difficult child

You must stay happy. Just be happy.

Pretend to be happy.

you just want to be truly happy again

________

You liked BSD even before these thoughts appeared in your head. Your Granny bought you BSD Manga as a birthday present. It is special to you.

Dazai was one of your favorite character before. Now, he truly became your most favorite. You two are similar. He laughs and jokes. You laugh and joke.

both of you need help

You shake your head, chasing away the thoughts.

You open BSD Mayoi app, humming that song again.

________

Dazai felt nervous.

Two weeks ago, he and the rest of BSD Cast finally got into your world. And, he didn't like what he saw.

First, your parents left the country for a business trip. Leaving you under the care of a complete stranger. Who checked on you two times a day. For the rest of the day, they were doing their own business. And don't pick up the phone.

Your parents left a thirteen-year-old you on your own!

Thankfully, with a few bucks from Fitzgerald and a death glare from Fukuzawa, your 'babysitter' left. You were under BSD Cast care now.

Second, your jokes are concerning. Dazai isn't a hypocrite, he admits, that he jokes about ending his own life! When he and others heard your jokes, back in their world, Dazai was sure that it was his bad influence. But, it turns out, the truth was much darker.

Dazai stopped joking about suicide. He didn't want to worsen your condition even more.

Third, the scratches on your legs.

You scraped your knee a few days ago, and Yosano bandaged it. And she saw this strange marks on your legs. Scratches. Deep. Dazai had a feeling, that you were the one, who made them.

Dazai was worried about you. He wanted to help you.

_______

With each day, it became harder and harder for you to pretend to be happy.

BSD Cast makes sure of that.

They weren't rude. They didn't yell. They... were there.

Asking if you need help. Telling you, that you are allowed to cry. That they will always be there for you.

You wanted to tell them everything. To tell the truth.

But, the call from your father happened.

_____

"Why your voice shaking, [Y/N]? Are you being a brat again?"

"I...I..."

"You're a little ungrateful... You want to make our lives hard?! Did you like it?! You know what, fine! If you didn't want to be there so badly, then d[|||||||||||||||]! See, if your mother and I will cry."

The call ended.

And you were broken.

______

It was dinner time. And you were uncharacteristically silent. No laughter. No jokes. No questions. No talking about your day. Nothing.

Then in the middle of the dinner, you start humming the song. Song, that they heard you humming all the time.

But your eyes were empty.

Dazai carefully touch your shoulder.

"[Y/N], kiddo? Are you alright?"

You slowly nodded. An empty grin appears on your face.

"I am! I am fine... I am happy! I...I can even sing a song!"

BSD Cast looked at each other. Dazai carefully spoke.

"A song?"

You nodded, taking your phone. You quickly found an instrumental.

"Yes! Want to hear it?"

You didn't wait for his, or anyone's response, you pressed play button. The song started playing from the middle.

A cheerful melody start playing.

Soon you sang.

"I shall now accept the fact that I'm a failure (You're a failure). 'Cause I'm still afraid the future might be scarier (It is scarier). I'll slip while having fun and cut off my own tongue. They'll think I was dumb!"

The grin on your face and empty gaze was frightening. Everyone slowly stand up from the table. Fukuzawa took a step towards you.

"[Y/N], if something is wrong, please..."

You ignored him.

"Up from the sky, I won't want you to cry. So here's an act for everyone to sneer at"

Suddenly, you stand up and star jumping up and down.

"So sing along, it's such a silly song. The cackling carousel, it spins and never stops. The acrobat who's waiting at the top. Should do a circus hop!"

You let out a hysterical laughter.

Mom and dad won't cry. No one would care. You can't be happy. You didn't feel anything. No one would care.

"I've said goodbye, I don't want you to cry. So have a laugh with everyone but me"

You were now standing in the middle of the room. You didn't pay attention to BSD Cast. To their pleas to talk to them.

The only thing that matters to you was the open window.

Quick.

You made a dash towards the window. For some reason, you still sang.

You forced yourself to sing. Like this song gave you strength.

"So sing along, it's such a silly song. The cackling carousel, it spins and never stops. The acrobat who fell off from the top. They did a little drop!"

Right before you grab the window's handle, something heavy crushed against you.

You fall down on the floor.

Dazai was pinning you to the floor, making sure, that you can't move.

Something wet fall on your face. You looked up.

Dazai was crying. With shaking hands, he hugged you.

BSD Cast surrounded you. You were in a group hug.

"[Y/N]! Never, never do it again! Kiddo..."

"[Y/N]! Are you hurt? Do you need medical help?"

"First thing tomorrow we are going to the therapist... No! I will find the therapist right now! There must be someone working right now!"

Tears. They were worried about you. They were crying for you.

For the first time since Granny's death, you cried.

"I... I am so scared! After Granny died, I was so alone! Mom and Dad weren't home! They didn't answer my questions about Granny! One day... I just stopped to care about the future. I was afraid of future! Live became so hard! I didn't feel anything... I just want it to end! I want to..."

You didn't finish your sentence and sobbed, hiding your face in Dazai's chest.

Dazai's words were warm. His voice was still shaky.

"You are not alone, [Y/N]... We will be there. I will be there."

_____

For the next few days, you were constantly under supervision. BSD Cast make sure, that you don't have any access to sharp things, medicine, windows.

You start attending therapy. What surprised you the most, that Dazai were attending it with you.

"I will be a bad big brother, if I don't act as an example."

Your parents were fired. Fitzgerald pressed charges about neglect and abuse.

You don't know how, but Fitzgerald adopted you almost instantly.

You had a long way ahead of you.

But you know, you will be better.

Because, one time, you finally thought about your future. And you were waiting for this future to come.

____

¹ Modifications of "Eysenck's Personality Test" for Teens is used to diagnose suicidal behavior.

²Modification of "Sacks Sentence Completion Test, SSCT" is used to diagnose suicidal behavior of teens and children.

³ One of the test, that is used by psychologists in Russia.

#self-awarebsd #self-awareau #bungou stray dogs au #bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd anime #bsd x gender neutral reader #gender neutral reader #platonic #self aware dazai osamu #dazai osamu x reader #dazai x reader #bsd dazai #bungou stray dogs dazai #platonic Dazai #tw: sucidal thoughts

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grandlinedreams · 7 months

Note

i love your law writing sm!!!

may i request for a law x reader where reader gets turned into a doll in dressrosa🫣

OUGH ANON YOUR MIND but also I hope that I can do this justice for you!!

[Heads up!: Dressrosa spoilers, devil fruit effects (Sugar's), hefty dose of angst, Strawhat!reader, some comfort at the end!]

This is bad.

The sound of hard plastic over stone resounds through the air, a lone doll darting down the road, glass eyes fixed on the extension of string across the sky like a bird cage. Exactly like a bird cage.

You're fully aware that the situation has continously gone from bad, to worse, to steadily worsening ㅡ a domino effect that you're not sure how to solve.

Especially when you've been turned into a doll. Knobby ball joints allow you more freedom of motion, but your footsteps still stagger on the occasional odd step, unaccustomed to being so small. And made of plastic.

Damn that kid, you think, recalling your unfortunate encounter with the small green haired girl. She'd been crying, leading you to believe that she'd been looking for her parents in the chaos ㅡ and then she'd touched you, turning you into a doll.

"You're with the Strawhats," she'd told you evenly. "Serves you right."

Thankfully you'd taken off before she could continue, and you've yet to spot her giving chase. Now you're desperate to find whatever crewmates you can, to tell them what's happened to you ㅡ and if it can be fixed.

Zoro is the one you come across first, though he doesn't spare you a glance as he darts past you.

"Zoro, wait!" You take off after him, ball-jointed fingers reaching to snag into his pant leg. "It's me, Iㅡ"

"Get off me, I don't have time for this!" It's hardly a kick, but it still sends you flying, the hard click of plastic as you skitter across the cobblestone.

Despite your body being made of something inorganic, it hurts ㅡ and you stare at Zoro's retreating figure.

Had he not recognized you?

Picking yourself up, you stumble towards a fountain, hands flat against the rim as you peer into it. Glass eyes stare back at you in the same color as your own, the same shade and length of hair ㅡ and a deep crack in your cheek that spider webs out. No doubt from the impact moments before ㅡ and you touch it.

Surely if he'd known, Zoro wouldn't have done it. And he seemed like he was in a hurry ㅡ so you can't fault him. Resolve renewed, you pull away.

You need to find the others.

ㅡ

None of them recognize you. Not a single one of your crewmates seem to remember that you belong with them ㅡ undoubtedly an effect of Sugar's ability.

Regardless, it still hurts ㅡ that your presence has been completely wiped clean, reduced to nothing but plastic limbs and a hollow body.

What if you're stuck like this forever? If the rest of this is true, the other toy citizens of Dressrosa have been like this for years ㅡ how many of them have families? Children? Loved ones ㅡ are they toys too, or they people still?

If you could cry, you would.

Perhaps this is best. That they forget you completely, leave you here ㅡ being a doll can't possibly be so bad, can it?

You shake your head, hating the click of the movement as you bury your face in your hands. You don't want to be a doll anymore.

You want to be remembered.

ㅡ

"Still awake?"

Law's voice makes you turn from where you're seated in the kitchen of Kyros' house, staring out the window at the night sky.

"Can't sleep," you admit, studying the cup of tea you've let grow cold. "I don't think I did much to help, so I shouldn't be tired anyways."

Law blinks, lets his gaze drift over your face, stopping at the bandage carefully taped to your cheek. "What happened?"

"Huh?" He nods to your cherk, and your fingers brush the bandage. "Oh...I got turned into a doll and had a mishap."

You'd already recieved an apology from Zoro, and from the others for them forgetting your existence ㅡ and while it helps to know that they'd never truly do that to you, the dark thoughts still linger.

"You should be resting," you say, staring at the wrap of white bandage around Law's arm. "You almost lost an arm, that's way more serious."

Law gives a vague shrug. "You look like there's something on your mind."

You watch as he takes a seat across from you, and you sigh. You like Law, have found it easy to grow accustomed to him and his ever thinning patience with your crewmates' antics ㅡ and feel genuine relief that he's going to be fine despite his injuries from Doflamingo.

"You don't have to talk if you don't want to," Law prompts softly, "but I don't mind keeping you company, either."

"That's kind of you," you answer, offering a small smile that quickly dims as you stare at your hands ㅡ hands that just a handful of hours ago, had been made of plastic. "I just...when no one remembered who I was, I thought abiut what would happen if I stayed like that and it's still sticking with me, I think."

Law watches you curl in on yourself, made smaller for the slump of your shoulders, the shimmer to your eyes that promises tears you fight hard not to let fall.

"If they'd be better off without me..."

"They wouldn't." Law's voice is crisp and cool, and you look up to find him staring at you. "Strawhat is a lot of things, but someone to regret the people he surrounds himself with isn't one of them. You're part of his crew for a reason." He pauses. "I'm also fairly certain you're one of the only ones capable of listening and following a plan."

It's a roundabout, awkward way of comforting you that feels entirely on par with who Law is, and you blink before a weak smile tugs at your lips. "I appreciate that. Thank-you, Law."

"You're welcome." He watches you silently before a smirk tugs at his his lips as he adds, "And besides, if Strawhat doesn't need you, I could always use someone like you on my crew."

#ㅡmine.#one piece scenario #one piece x reader #trafalgar law x reader #law x reader #anonymous #ㅡanswered.

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mclennie · 5 months

Text

In the prequel, Suzanne Collins continues exploring one of the central themes of the THG trilogy: how the adults and government in the series use children, the most innocent in society, for their own aims.

This is primarily seen in the original trilogy with the cruelty of the games, where the government has deemed it legal and proper to take custody of children, throw them in harm's way, and make them kill each other to pay for the sins of their forefathers.

In TBOSAS, we get to see how Lucy Gray and the other tributes were dehumanized and thrown in cages to be gawked at by Capitol citizens who viewed them as little more than animals. They were kept in chains and survived on handouts, with some tributes having to entertain Capitol citizens for food (tbosas, pg 96).

But it's also clear Capitol children aren't as protected in Capitol society as expected. Dr. Volumnia Gaul makes Clemensia Dovecote retrieve the proposal she claims she worked on with Snow from the tank of rainbow snakes, knowing she could be seriously injured. She even hides the truth of Clemensia's injury from her parents, saying she has the flu.

This makes Snow, who witnessed Clemensia's injury and the death of his classmate Arachne earlier by another tribute, reel at the implication that the Capitol puts little value on children's lives, whether Capitol or district.

"He buried his head in his hands, confused, angry, and most of all afraid. Afraid of Dr. Gaul. Afraid of the Capitol. Afraid of everything. If the people who were supposed to protect you played so fast and loose with your life... then how did you survive? Not by trusting them, that was for sure. And if you couldn't trust them, who could you trust? All bets were off" (tbosas pg 116).

Even Snow gets put into harm's way when Dr. Gaul asks him to retrieve Sejanus from the arena, with the peacekeepers guarding the arena lying to him that they "have his back" (pg 231). But when the pack of tributes goes after Snow and Sejanus, the peacekeepers don't do anything to save them, forcing Snow to kill Bobbin in self-defense. When an angry Snow complains to the peacekeepers, they all say they were following Dr. Gaul's orders (pg 239).

And it goes back to something Sejanus says when confronting Gaul in front of all his classmates. Shouldn't the government protect everyone, district and Capitol alike? (tbosas 92). Not in Panem's society, where children are seen as complicit in their parents and grandparents' crimes, where their innocence is stolen from them, where they are asked to kill or be killed.

#tbosas #lucy gray baird #coriolanus snow #thg #a ballad of songbirds and snakes #suzanne collins #the hunger games #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark

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nixie-writes-aot · 10 months

Text

Reactions to S/O with Abusive Family

Warnings: mentions of abuse and trauma, abuse of power/status, mention of murder, threat of bodily harm, hurt/comfort, fluff

Characters: Levi Ackerman, Erwin Smith, Hange Zoe

Author's Note: The third and last part. Honestly these headcanons were so fun so I might do more hurt/comfort in the future!

Levi Ackerman

Levi, like Mikasa, is also not terribly surprised. I don't think any of the veterans would be honestly

They all are too used to what the world is like and how cruel it can be even to those who don't deserve anything like that. Especially Levi

Now there are two different reactions Levi might have depending on which Levi

If its Levi from the Underground, sorry but your family is dead

Thug Levi has killed for much much less. Hell, he killed a group of thugs just for getting in Isabel's way and upsetting her. So the chances of actual abusers surviving after you told him what they've done? Not bloody likely

Levi will, of course, hold you close and bury his face in the crook of your neck all to comfort you

He's very emotionally repressed so you shouldn't expect much else

Now Captain Levi?

Much different story. For example, unless they were an active threat, particularly in s3, he wouldn't kill them. But oh boy

Levi is someone who can easily, and will without hesitation, calmly rip into someone just for wasting his time. After all, Levi is one hell of a composed and stoic motherfucker

Now, the worst he might do for non-threatening is harsh words and maybe his own threat, albeit empty

But an active threat? Much different story. Levi learned from Kenny and the Underground that active threats must be taken out

Now regardless of him killing your family or just making them hate him, he is dragging you into his office. The one time he doesn't sweat the potential filth on your clothes, simply pulling you into bed with him and burying his face in your chest

"I wanted to kill them."

His statement is meant to be reassuring, that it would always be you and never them in his eyes

But also Levi is one very emotionally repressed bitch

Erwin Smith

Honestly Erwin probably already knew you had a rough home life, not many parents would just sit by and let their children become Scouts under Keith Shadis

The Scouting Legion is still viewed poorly when he takes over, don't get me wrong, but we're talking about a man who had a mental breakdown in the middle of the street and in front of not only all his men but the public too

Erwin would never

Now Erwin knowing and being told is two different things. Erwin could probably only think about his own childhood when you told him so he pulls you close, into his lap and starts playing with your hair and massaging your scalp. As he does, Erwin tells you about his dream and the will of his own father way back when

Erwin has accepted what happened by the time he's Commander Erwin but he still doesn't feel great about it, obviously, so its a moment of weakness for both of you

And thats exactly what Erwin wanted you to see. That you opening up and being vulnerable didn't have to be so one sided even if he was your commander

Now Erwin has a lot of power to throw around, especially if your family weren't anyone like the merchants or nobles or the Wall Church

So Erwin uses that power, lets you see how beneficial he can really be with that always so polite smile on his face even if he's currently ruining the lives of those who ruined your own life

"There are some that simply do not know how to behave, those should either keep quiet or have every dirty little secret spread among their peers."

Like I love Erwin but dude lowkey manipulates a lot of things into happening. Especially when it was concerning Levi in the No Regrets OVA

Hange Zoe

Hange is probably the only shocked veteran when you open up

They are appalled

"But why!? Titans should be the concern, not each other!"

And you even almost hear them swear but when you only shrug, they pull you close and sigh. They are well and truly refusing to let you go for even a minute. Hange is very clingy during the night you tell them and even the following day

Only Levi, Miche, or Erwin would be able to pry them away. Maybe Moblit

They just want you to feel reassured and comforted by their presence

Hange probably takes you out to train with the ODM gear just to give you a proper outlet. They know they like training when upset

Dear god if they see your family? It is one of the very very few moments you see them angry. Even Levi seems nicer in comparison. Hange storms right up to your parent, decks them and stands over them

"If you touch them again, I will personally make sure you don't have a hand to do that with again."

You probably have to pull Hange off your parent actually

And afterwards, Hange is clingy all over again. They're wrapping their arms around you, shoving their face into your back and sighing loudly

Hange probably spends the next week making sure you know how much they love you and how much they would do just for you

Normally, you're an average soldier but Hange keeps dragging you away from your squad to their own squad, doing science stuff with them and Moblit

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viridis-mundo · 4 months

Text

City with no name, person with no history

A thousand years ago, Pix voluntarily went into the desert and never returned. A thousand years later, it still has consequences. A short look at friendships that span lives.

"You’ve been spending a lot of time here lately," Pix smiles, there is no claim, no hint of suspicion. The smile is soft, he is simply observing the fact. The sky is blue, the grass is green, the ancient city that Pix is working so hard on has no name. Fwhip has been spending a lot here lately.

It is the middle of summer, and the sun stands high and shines for a long time, making its way even underground to the goblins. Gobland is cooler than the surface, but everyone still works a little slower and a little lazier than usual. Fwhip decided to stop construction during the heat wave. However, when your hands are not busy with materials, it turns out, that he has too much free time.

"Are you against it?" almost escapes Fwhip, but something inside him is suddenly afraid - what if he really is against it? What if suddenly Pix will say that he is tired of the company and overall the goblin is getting under his feet? What if he suddenly leaves? Which is honestly hilarious. Pix may disappear for a day or two or even a week, but everyone knows that this man has simply buried himself again in some ancient hole and sighs in admiration over half-broken vases.

"Someone should make you warm up, old man, otherwise you’ll wither away like your precious artifacts," Fwhip grins, kindly, of course, and Pix laughs too, a little muffled, as if from afar. Fwhip is again overwhelmed by the feeling that Pix is going to disappear right now. Pix has always been... Fwhip doesn't want to use the word "weird" because it implies that everyone else was normal (which they weren't), but there was always something ELSE about Pix's presence. He will tell you a fact and then add something ELSE that he shouldn't know, he will ask you a question, but there is something ELSE in the question, but you don't know for sure what it is, you will say the answer and he will hear something ELSE, incomprehensible to you. And then he will smile again and for some reason, you will feel sad.

"As if I don’t have enough warming up without you, little children," he is only like maybe eight years older than Fwhip, but Pix again looks into the distance, at the restored castle, and in his eyes is the regret of an immortal. Fwhip resists the urge to grab Pix by the sandy (it's blue-gray) shirt, like a really small child afraid of losing a parent at the festival. "I do need some fresh air from time to time," Fwhip adds more quietly, still hoping to keep his voice light-hearted, but, judging by Pix’s look, failing catastrophically. Pix looks at him closely, but not as intensely as, for example, Scott, with his magic eye, or Gem, with the carefree attitude of a princess, but with hawk's sight. Pix’s gaze is soothing, like a heavy blanket after a nervous day, like a mug of warm milk before bed, like the quiet dance of stars in the night sky. And just as centuries ago, people looked at the sky and looked for constellations, so Pix is always looking for something in someone else’s soul. With the precision of an archaeologist, he unearths long-forgotten (or buried) emotions, and Fwhip has always taken this as a challenge.

I have nothing to hide! Here I am!

But today, under Pix's magnifying glass, something too forgotten turned out to be, something that Fwhip was not ready to face. This something had a taste of redstone, gunpowder, and for some reason sand. The sand got into his teeth, into his nose, into his eyes, and that’s probably why Fwhip found that his eyes were watering. He nuzzles his nose into Pix’s shirt (it’s blue-gray), and he smells of copper - he was working on the copper aging machine underground. And this smell also calms, but for some reason, the tears keep flowing and flowing.

"I’m not going anywhere," Pix says quietly, hugging Fwhip back. And there is no consolation in the voice, only a promise, as if he was going somewhere, but changed his mind. And Fwhip believes, he nods his head, as if agreeing with the decision, and holds Pix even tighter.

A thousand years ago, these same hands could not find a sand shirt to hug and cry into. A thousand years ago, Fwhip stood alone in the middle of a desert that stretched for thousands of miles around him and wept alone. A thousand years ago, Pix voluntarily disappeared into the desert. A thousand years ago his friend did not return.

"I'm here," Pix says again as Fwhip calms down under the setting sun. The night embraced friends.

#empires smp #empires s2 #pixlriffs #fwhip #empires pixlriffs #empires fwhip #immortal pixlriffs #gunpowder boys #i wrote it at like 2am #they just came to me honestly

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seramilla · 2 months

Note

So Sera and Carmilla meet up after thousands of years apart and Carmilla seeing Emily is trying to find away to ask who the other Angelic parent is and since heaven is probably strict on these things who Sera ended up married to. (She's not jealous much) Eventually Sera realizes what Carmilla is trying to know and tells her Emily was made not born and is her sister and Sera hasn't had any luck with anyone after her.

Sera can't say she's surprised to see that her former lover has children. Carmilla fell from Heaven thousands of years ago, when the two of them were still very young. She had her entire existence ahead of her, and Carmilla had always been able to roll with the punches. Of course, Sera figures, she'd been able to get over her, and move on when Sera hadn't.

Sera had been lucky, in a sense. After losing so many other angels during the fall, Heaven had wanted to start over. They'd created Emily for her; a very young thing, that Sera could mold and mentor into becoming her replacement, eventually. A being that Heaven could control more easily, a less rebellious one, than the likes of Lucifer and Carmilla.

Of course, Carmilla had moved on with her life. Her daughters are beautiful, and Sera can see she's raised them to be strong, capable girls in their own right. Carmilla, however, hadn't expected Sera to show up with Emily. The fallen angel is confused, at first, as to the young angel's origins. Rather than beat around the bush, she asks Sera outright, "Who does she belong to?"

"W-what?" Sera asks, almost not sure if she'd heard Carmilla correctly. She's immediately taken aback. "What did you say?"

"Your daughter," Carmilla explains, which sends a blush shooting straight to Sera's face. Her neck and cheeks are gold-colored, and her ears are hot. "Who else does she belong to? Anyone I know?"

The flush on Sera's face deepens one thousand-fold, turning as molten as a golden volcano. She can't believe Carmilla is asking her this. She covers her eyes, unable to meet her former lover's gaze.

"She's not..." Sera starts, clearing her throat. Why is this so difficult? "She's not my...she's my sister. Heaven made her, after you and Lucifer... Umm, th-there was no one else after you, if that's what you're getting at."

"Oh," Carmilla replies, eye widening, not expecting a response like that. Sera had always been rather timid in their youth, and only ever had eyes for her. She shouldn't be surprised about that, really. "You mean you haven't at all...since we...?"

Still blushing profusely, Sera shakes her head, burying her face in her hands, continuing to avoid Carmilla's gaze. "N-no? Who would I have-?"

Sera lets the question hang in the air, hoping she's getting her point across without having to actually say it. Carmilla looks over at Emily, who is chatting it up with her girls, Odette and Clara. It isn't that long ago that they'd met, and already, they're on the way to becoming fast friends.

Smiling, Carmilla takes Sera's hands in hers, and the taller woman is finally brave enough to meet her gaze. Her cheeks are still flushed, but she smiles back at Carmilla, looking awfully sheepish. Carmilla hopes her expression is comforting. She takes Sera's cheek in her large hand, stroking it gently.

"It's okay, Ser," Carmilla whispers, kissing the golden infusion of her face, right on the tip of her nose. "I didn't mean anything by that. Your sister is adorable. Just like you are."

That statement doesn't help Sera. Not one little bit. With an "eeep!", Sera immediately retreats into her wings, wrapping them around herself until she's thoroughly hidden beneath a canopy of feathers. Carmilla cackles. This woman is still as skittish as ever around her, and it still so easy to get her riled up if she's not careful.

In the thousands of years they've been apart, she realizes, very little about Sera has actually changed at all. At least not where Carmilla is concerned. She's still very much in love with her.

Carmilla's thankful for that. She chuckles, and begins the laborious process of digging her now-reunited partner out of her own feathers. This might take a while.

#hazbin hotel #carmilla carmine #sera hazbin hotel #odette hazbin hotel #clara hazbin hotel #emily hazbin hotel #ask #anon #fan theories #seramilla #sera x carmilla #carmilla x sera

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weministertomonsters · 2 months

Text

Naga Father (Araza) x gender neutral reader - 3

@rivalriotrenegade @viviansnowmain Update! <3

The party is underway, and you couldn't be more grateful that it's going so smoothly. You and Sam made the invitations together, and he had chosen to invite three kids from his class that he got along with. They were triplets. You had babysat them a couple of times and while they were always a handful, they were the sweetest children you'd ever met.

All three of them attended and they brought presents. They're now playing outside, taking turns burying each other in the sandbox and demolishing the garden as they toss the sand everywhere. You put a lot of thought into the games for the party, but they are having so much fun with their self-devised game that you don't mind. Mr. Araza peers outside, looking amused.

"Human children are not so different," he muses. "Every day I see more and more similarities."

"Well, I'm glad," you reply.

You mean it. In the weeks that you've known him, he has become less guarded. You've even seen him greet the neighbors sometimes as he goes off to work. He's not as harsh with Sam and it causes the dear boy to flourish. Looks like there are improvements all around.

You're taking the cake out of the fridge when you notice something. Mr. Araza has gotten relaxed around you to the point that he leaves his tail to sprawl. Miraculously you haven't stepped or tripped on it yet. Today it looks less glossy than usual. You feel like you need to point that out.

"Oh," he says, clicking his claws on the counter and looking at his tail. "Yes, I'm about to begin shedding."

"I've never seen that before," you respond.

"Because my kind is almost always on suppressants. I haven't been taking mine for a while."

"Might I ask why?" You question as you poke the candles into the cake.

"They can cause damage with continuous use. Short breaks are recommended," he responds.

A lightbulb goes off in your head and you whip your head around to look at him.

"Doesn't that mean you go through a heat cycle as well?"

Stupid, stupid, the small voice in your head chants, but you can't take it back.

Mr. Araza gifts you with a rare smile.

"Someone has been looking things up."

"Uh... I was just curious. Just trying to understand your kind better," you stammer.

"You don't have to use the internet for that," he says. "You can just ask me."

"Really? That's..." You blank out as you search for a lighter for the candles.

"Ask me again," Mr. Araza says, the tip of his tail winding and curling, doing its own thing.

You decide to suck it up and just be forward with it, so you repeat your question.

"Do you go through a heat cycle when you're off the suppressants?"

"If by that you mean a fire racing through my veins along with the urge to mate with any soft thing in my territory, then yes," he says with a soft chuckle. "Most definitely."

You almost drop the cake as your heart jolts in surprise. Did he just say that? You had been asking out of curiosity, not with an ulterior motive.

"Sir," you say sternly.

"Apologies," he chuckles, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

You're shaking your head when another thought occurs to you.

"What are you going to do about Sam when... You know, it happens?"

"My parents will pick him up and he will spend the week with them."

"The week?" You make a face.

"A heat cycle lasts that long, yes."

"Oh. I probably shouldn't be asking about this. It's unprofessional," you say.

"Ask what you like. It is nice to have a human show some curiosity," he replies.

You smile at that and step out to the door to call the kids in for cake and ice cream. Sam gets a smaller portion so that he doesn't end up hurting his stomach with overly rich human food. The party ends on a note of success, and you have more trouble than usual getting Sam to go to bed because he doesn't want to part with his presents. This is the longest you have stayed yet, and you've enjoyed every moment of it.

When you come downstairs Mr. Araza is in the kitchen, eating a slice of birthday cake. He looks up, his eyes shimmering gold. Your pay is on the counter. As you tuck it into your pocket he says,

"Do you want to stay for a drink? Coffee?"

Your lips tug into a grin and you glance at the clock, trying not to look too eager.

"Then again, it's late, so if you want to be on your way..."

"No, I'd love some coffee!" you almost shout.

You fix yourself a cup and pad into the living room. He joins you on the couch, his tail shifting restlessly as he tries to get all of himself up on it.

"I think you need a bigger couch," you point out.

He grumbles and flops down, letting his tail spill into your lap, the end flicking and curling gently around your wrist. You blink and take a sip of your coffee to try and calm down.

"Mr. Araza..." You begin and he flicks his tongue out, his eyes sharpening as he considers what he tastes in the air.

"You can call me Lith. We are familiar now."

"Lith," you repeat, trying out his name.

"What did you want to tell me?" He asks, pressing his cheek against one of the pillows, getting even more comfortable.

"I... I don't want you to pay me anymore," you blurt out. "I enjoy spending time with Sam, and I'd love to come over often. If you'll let me."

His eyes flicker closed and he lets out a bone-weary sigh.

"When did I get so comfortable with you, little human? You have invaded my life like a worm in an apple."

You consider this for a moment. "Is that... A good thing? I can't tell."

His eyes open, gazing at the ceiling. "It is a dangerous thing. Sam has imprinted on you. He sees you as someone he can trust."

Those words make you all warm, and your smile grows wider and more confident.

"And what about you? Do you trust me?"

"You have given me no reason not to," he muses. "Your personality draws me in, it beckons like a fire. It is a warmth I would like to bask in."

You've been resting your hand on his tail without realizing it, stroking it absently. He doesn't seem to mind, so you let your hand remain there, tracing his scales. You're content to sit in silence with him and contemplate this new level you're at with him. After a moment you realize he's squirming restlessly. Again.

"Is something wrong?"

"No." He pulls himself closer, setting his chin on his palm and staring at you.

"What?" You frown. "Do I have cake on my face?"

His gaze darts down and he eyes your lips for a moment, looking contemplative. The world seems to stop for a moment. It's just you, and him, and the crickets chirping outside. His eyes narrow and when his tongue flicks out again the tip nearly boops your nose. He pulls away with a soft sigh.

"You're welcome to visit whenever you like," he says simply and then slithers off the couch.

That's your cue to leave. You take a moment to rinse the mug in the kitchen before you grab your jacket. Lith follows you to the door.

"I'm booked tomorrow and the day after that, so I won't be seeing you two until Saturday, at least." You dig your hands into your pockets and add jokingly. "Think you can manage?"

Lith lifts his shoulder, his tail coiling somewhat restlessly behind. "Well. I might miss you. Goodnight."

The door closes softly in your face and you blink at the abruptness. Maybe things got a little too mushy for him. Something was definitely happening in there, but you're not sure what. You head to your car, humming. You're already looking forward to Saturday.

Unrelated but what's the boop all about? Can someone tell me please? I'm seeing it everywhere but I have no idea what's going on. It looks fun!

Edit - My dumbass just looked it up!! Should have done that first, lol.

#this was a long time coming #it was a battle not to make this spicy ngl 😫#I want to hug him #fluffy #exophilia #terato #monster x reader #monster lover #monster x human #naga

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raayllum · 7 days

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for @kradogsrats

It takes the third time of Viren shutting a cupboard more firmly than he needs to for Kpp'Ar to sigh, raise his head, and ask, "What is it this time?"

At his best, Viren is dutiful if prideful as a pupil; at his worst, he is frequently stressed and, when bothered enough, moody and bad-tempered. This seems to be a combination of all simultaneously, as he's kept his eyes on the records book Kpp'Ar had assigned him to update all morning, and his concentration hasn't wavered, but... his mood has only soured as the day has gone by.

Viren glares at him, running a pale hand through his hawkish mop of brown hair, freshly anointed wedding band glinting, and Kpp'Ar thinks for a moment his apprentice won't say anything when Viren grits out, "Lissa's pregnant."

Kpp'Ar nearly drops his wrench, the clock on his work table not quite tuned right. He turns, a strange swooping sensation in his stomach. "Oh."

"We knew... we thought we wanted children. But not now." Viren buries his face in his hands, sighing deeply. "I don't know what we're going to do."

Kpp'Ar is quiet, each word sticking in his throat less measurable than the last. What does he know about having offspring? If there's one thing he's avoided more than people, it's tiny, wailing, squishy-faced people who can't control their own thoughts and impulses.

Finally, he says, "Don't be daft. You'll do quite well for yourselves. You have the castle to live in, and—"

"There's more to raising a child than putting a roof over their heads," Viren snaps. He crosses his arms like the petulant child he may raise. "Not that my father would know," he grumbles in a lower voice.

Kpp'Ar rises, reaching for his cane and wincing. His joints are always worse this time of year, and Viren's crisis isn't worth it, maybe—the man is dedicated and singleminded to a fault, so long as he pays the child proper attention, there shouldn't be many issues—but...

Kpp'Ar curls a hand over Viren's shoulder. "So long as you show up, and love them, I'm sure you'll be a perfectly adequate father."

Viren's lips twitch. "That seems like an awfully low bar." He straightens, puffing his chest out slightly. "And I intend on being far more than adequate."

"There you go," Kpp'Ar says, moving back to his bench. "Treat it like you have something to prove, and you'll have an easy path laid out ahead of you."

As easy as parenting can be, anyway.

"It cannot be that straightforward," Viren says, his mood gone, eyes alight with amusement.

Neither will ever admit it, of course, but Kpp'Ar knows—secretly—that they both enjoy the intellectual challenge of their constant bickering as much as any other pursuit of their partnership.

"You have good intentions," Kpp'Ar counters. "Many fathers do not even have that."

"Hm." Viren goes and pulls down a flask from one of his stores in the walls, taking a swig.

Six months later, Viren and a smiling Lissa bring by a little boy with blue eyes and wisps of golden hair, and an only slightly squishy looking face. The old cogs of Kpp'Ar's heart stir in ways he didn't think he was capable of.

He makes the boy trinkets, and his sister too, when another one follows a year or so later.

Soren is frail and dying the last time Kpp'Ar sees him, a father's fury in Viren's eyes. Good intentions, Kpp'Ar thinks, as the gold swallows him up.

(You know what they say about hell.)

#happy birthday!!#kpp'ar #high mage club #tdp #the dragon prince #my fic #ficlet #fic #headcanons #pre series #tdp viren

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stardewlily · 1 month

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My Everlasting Light AU

A Stardew Valley fan fiction about the relationship between Sebastian and my farmer, Lily. What might have happened if they had met as children all those years ago on the farm? A modern day fairy tale complete with junimos and wizard magic!

Notes: This is the origin of the title of my longfic, an old tale I've recently felt compelled to rework. It's a lengthy story (approx. 8000 words) so please bear that in mind when reading

Synopsis: Two troubled children form a bond that is quickly put to the test by fate, family and the magic of the valley

Cast: Original Female Character, Sebastian, Demetrius, Robin, Maru, Other Original Characters (grandparents/parents)

Contents: Established Relationship (married), Childhood Friendship, Innocent Love, Bonding, Family Dynamics, Drama, Trauma, Magic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending

Warnings: Small mentions of childhood abuse

Tags: @kissingtruth It's not cherry blossoms in Pierre's store but I hope you find something to like in here...

A Dream I Once Had

"Be careful you don't trip," Lily said as she followed Sebastian down into the farm's basement. She flicked the light switch at the top of the stairs but the bulb was so dim it barely made any difference and she let out a little huff of self-recrimination. She had always meant to do something with this place but had been so busy with the farm ever since she moved here that the cellar had seemed less important.

"It's okay," Sebastian laughed as he made his way down with the first of the boxes they were putting into storage. "You know I'm used to stairs like this, I spent most of my adult life till now in a basement, remember?"

Lily watched him fondly as he tucked the boxes away on the many shelves that lined the walls and turned to take the ones she was carrying.

"You shouldn't have brought so many on your own, sweetheart," he chided her gently. "You have me to do all the heavy lifting!"

"I know, Sebby, I'm sorry!" She smiled, wondering if she would ever get used to the fact that he was her husband now. They had only been married for one week and she still felt happiness bubbling inside her every time she woke up and saw his sweet face sleeping next to hers. She gazed giddily into his eyes as he took the boxes from her, then let out a little gasp of surprise as one fell from the stack and hit the floor with a thud.

"Oops," Sebastian quickly knelt down to rescue the spilled contents. "Hope there was nothing breakable in here!"

Lily joined him on the floor, determined to bring her hoover on their very next visit. The amount of dust! Dear Yoba! They probably should have cleaned before they decided to move stuff down here but they were trying to make more room for Sebastian's belongings and hadn't planned much further ahead than that.

"I think it's just some things from when I was a kid," she said, picking up a few items. She laughed under her breath when she opened the folding picture frame in her hand and saw the two images inside. "Look…" she tilted it towards Sebastian. "It's me when I was little."

Sebastian cupped her hand and gazed at the photos. In one, a tiny, nervous looking girl with a mass of dishevelled auburn hair peeked out from behind a broadly smiling white-haired man and woman, and in the other the same girl could be seen with her arms around the neck of a grinning border collie, face so buried in the dog's fur it could hardly be seen.

"You look just like me when I was a kid," Sebastian chuckled. "I hated having my photo taken too." He stared thoughtfully at the pictures. "Are they your grandparents? It's weird, I never really met them even though they lived in the same town. "

"It's not surprising," Lily said wistfully. "My gran died a long time ago and I think grandpa kept to himself more after that." She touched the photo gently. "I know it doesn't look like it but I was actually happy here on the farm with them, the memories I have from that time are pretty much the only good ones I have of my childhood." She sighed. "When I was five, my dad had a feud with them and moved us away. I never saw them again after that."

"Don't worry, love," Sebastian said softly. "We're gonna make plenty more happy memories together, just you and me."

Lily smiled gratefully up at him then looked away and sighed again.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know, Sebby, I really don't…" she sounded anxious, frustrated. "For some reason I feel like there's something I should remember, something about when I was little."

She returned her gaze to the ground and he saw her twitch as her eyes fell on something else that had fallen from the box.

"Oh!" She reached out and picked it up, cradling it carefully in her hands. "It's this! I'd totally forgotten I even had it! And it's so pretty too…"

He looked at what she was holding. It was a pine cone, but not just any pine cone, this one had, against all odds, opened in such a way that it almost perfectly resembled a tiny flower.

"Woah!" he exclaimed. "It looks just like a rose! Who would have thought that a pine cone could look like this?"

"I know…" her voice was dreamy, distant. "I remember this now… I used to always keep it with me when I was small even though I could never remember where I got it from..."

Sebastian felt a twitch run through his own body at her words, like a dormant memory was stirring in him too. "You know what?" he said, "I think I have something similar. Hang on a minute!"

He hurried to the boxes he'd placed on the shelves a short time ago, feeling all of a sudden like he was on a burning mission to find something vitally important. Heart pounding, he finally found the right box and lifted the lid, rooting inside until his fingers closed on the item he suddenly remembered with startling clarity.

Eyes wide, he turned to Lily, hand outstretched, and in his palm sat a stone shaped in such a way that someone with a good imagination could have decided it looked exactly like a little frog.

"Oh Seb!" Lily looked from her pine rose to his stone frog, saw the expression on her husband's face and knew that he remembered too…

Demetrius rapped impatiently on the door of the farmhouse. Where on earth was this Mrs Donnelly Mayor Lewis had told him about? He needed someone to take care of Sebastian as soon as possible. The damn boy was just too much for his wife to cope with right now.

His stepson, as though feeling his animosity, squirmed in his grasp and Demetrius frowned and tightened his hold on the boy at the same time as he raised his hand to knock at the door again. Before he could, however, it opened before his glowering gaze and a tiny, white-haired woman with wide hazel eyes stared out at him, a sweet smile on her good-natured face.

"So sorry to keep you waiting," she beamed up at him, wiping her hands on her apron. "I was busy making pastry and had to wash my hands. What can I do for you?"

"Rose Donnelly?" Demetrius snapped, never a man to bother with social niceties, even when he was asking for a favour, which he was about to.

"I am indeed," the woman nodded and smiled some more, noticed the sullen boy at his side and directed an even warmer smile his way. "And who might you two be?"

"I'm Demetrius Dawson, this is my stepson, Sebastian."

"Oh, you're the new people who moved into that house up in the mountains! I'm so pleased to meet you! Clifford and I meant to come up and greet you this weekend, that's one of the reasons I've been baking and…"

"Yes, yes," Demetrius interrupted. "That would be lovely but I'm in a hurry right now. I really came here to ask if you could babysit Sebastian for the next few weeks, my wife is trying to cope with our ill daughter, Maru, and I'm afraid Sebastian here is being rather troublesome and demanding. Mayor Lewis said that you enjoy looking after children and I am willing to pay you for your time."

"Oh, that won't be necessary," Rose held out a hand to Sebastian, who seemed completely flummoxed by her kindness and turned his gaze resolutely to the floor. "It can be hard when your sibling's ill, can't it, sweetheart?" She looked up at Demetrius again. "Don't you worry, I'll take good care of him for you. You just come back for him when you're ready."

"You're sure? He can be rather an awkward child. Very moody and…"

And now Rose interrupted him, a little frown finally finding its way onto her face. "No need to worry, Mr Dawson, he'll be just fine with me, I assure you."

"Very well then, I'll leave him in your care." Demetrius looked down at Sebastian, who kept his gaze firmly on the ground. "Behave yourself, young man. If I hear you've given Mrs Donnelly any trouble…"

"As I said, Mr Dawson, he'll be fine. Please go on back to your wife!" Rose took hold of Sebastian's hand and shooed his stepfather away as though he were the awkward child.

Demetrius gave her a look that could've sliced glass then turned abruptly on his heel.

"I'll be back for him this evening."

"Goodbye," Rose called after him, smiling wryly to herself at the almost uncontrollable urge to add a 'Good Riddance!' to that.

When he'd gone, she looked down at the child standing so quietly at her side. He was a beautiful boy, maybe six or seven years old, with jet black hair, pale skin and large, dark grey eyes that seemed far too full of sadness for someone so young.

"Now then, Sebastian," she looked down at him and he looked back up at her unblinkingly. "How would you like to come help me make an apple pie? My poor apples are going to be burning in the pan thanks to your mean old stepdad! How about you save them for me by stirring them while I finish my pastry? I could do with a good little helper like you!"

His eyes widened almost imperceptibly at her mention of his mean stepdad and she laughed as she guided him into the kitchen, set him on a stool and gave him a spoon to stir apples that were actually perfectly fine and not even cooking anymore, not that he needed to know that!

She looked over at him as he studiously stirred the apples for her. He was so like her Lily in manner that it was uncanny.

"How would you like to play with my granddaughter when she gets back from whatever she's up to?"

He looked over at her curiously and she smiled at how silent he was. She was used to this kind of thing.

"I think you might like her. She's a lot like you."

His face twitched ever so slightly.

Rose chuckled to herself. To think there were two of them like this. It was almost as though they'd been made for each other!

She looked up at the clock. Nearly dinnertime.

If anything brought Lily home it was usually hunger.

Lily paused outside the farmhouse door and hugged the happily panting dog next to her for reassurance. She was really hungry after a full day playing on the farm but she had a terrible feeling that her nana was not going to be very happy when she saw the state she was in. She tried vainly to rub some of the mud off her skirt and frowned when she saw that she had not only made it worse, but now had mud all over her hands too.

"Um… Laddie?" she looked worriedly at her grandpa's old collie. "Do you think she's gonna be mad at me?"

Laddie tipped his head to one side and let out a small bark. Lily's frown deepened as she noticed that Laddie was just as dirty as she was. She looked up at the door with a calculating gaze. Maybe if she snuck in unnoticed…

It was worth a try. She fastened her hand around the handle, gently eased the door open and managed to tiptoe precisely one step before she heard her nana's voice raised in dismay.

"Lily! Oh my Yoba! What on earth have you been up to, you naughty girl?"

Sebastian looked up from his current task of helping lay the table to see Mrs Donnelly rushing across the room towards what he could only assume was some kind of forest spirit. A tiny creature covered in mud, sticks and leaves with a mass of auburn hair flying every which way immediately turned and tried to flee back out of the door through which it had just come.

"Oh for heaven's sake! And Laddie too!"

A border collie that had at one point in its life been black and white bounced madly around the escaping forest creature and Sebastian gaped in disbelief as the tiny old woman who had been so nice to him somehow managed to snatch up both dog and creature, stowing one firmly under each arm.

"You two are coming straight to the bathroom with me! If Grandpa catches you both in this state there'll be trouble!"

The tiny creature wriggled frantically in her grasp as she turned and headed for a nearby door.

"Sebastian," she looked over at him with an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry about this naughty granddaughter of mine!" She tightened her grip on the squirming bundle which immediately ceased its movement on catching sight of him. "I have to go give her a bath right now, why don't you go into the living room and look in our bookshelves? I'm sure you'll find something there you'll like while I deal with this."

Sebastian gaped in even more disbelief at the now quiescent creature.

This was Mrs Donnelly's granddaughter?

He'd never seen anything like her in all his life!

"You're coming with me, young lady!"

Two wild, bright eyes peered unwaveringly at him from beneath the mass of hair as he watched them disappear through the doorway. He stood very still for a moment, wondering what on earth had just happened, then shook his head and made his way through into the living room. Books always made him feel safe and he needed that more than ever these days.

Sebastian couldn't help but stare at all the food on the table. This was more than he'd seen in ages. His mom hardly ever cooked these days, she was so worn out from looking after his sickly sister all the time.

"Now don't hold back, you help yourself, lad!" boomed the grizzled old farmer who had appeared on the exact chime of six o'clock for his meal. "There's plenty to go around and a boy needs to grow up big and strong in order to work hard!"

Mrs Donnelly smiled indulgently at her husband as the small boy shrank back in his seat. "Now then, Clifford," she said, "there's no need to shout, you're scaring him." She gently took Sebastian's plate and started to fill it with food.

"I'm not shouting!" the old man boomed even louder and began to pile his plate high. "Just offering the young 'un some good advice, that's all!" He looked around the table, noticing the empty chair at one side. "Where's that granddaughter of mine? Doesn't she want her dinner?" His plate of food was now teetering dangerously.

"She does, dear. I think she's just a little shy." She laid Sebastian's plate in front of him and nodded towards the door. Sebastian looked in the direction she indicated to see two faces peeking around the corner of the doorframe. One belonged to a cheerily grinning collie dog and the other…

He blinked… who was that?

Long, wavy auburn hair surrounded a tiny face with big hazel eyes and a pink, rosebud mouth. As soon as it saw him looking its way it immediately disappeared back around the corner, pulling the dog along with it.

"Lily?"

Sebastian's eyes popped. He quickly tried to recover himself, forcing his face to blankness again.

That was Lily? The weird forest creature he'd seen earlier?

The old man looked over at the doorway and clucked his tongue impatiently. "Lily! For goodness' sake girl, what are you doing out there? Come on in here right now!"

The face did not reappear.

Mrs Donnelly's forehead creased in consternation. "Now Clifford, don't be like that. You know how she is. I'll take some food out to her."

Clifford frowned impressively. "You'll do no such thing, Rose! She needs to start acting her age for once!" He turned towards the empty doorway, fixing it with a fierce glare. "Did you hear me, Lily? No food for you till you come in here."

A tiny little scrap of a face inched around the doorway again, a more daring doggy head panting beneath it.

"That goes for Laddie, too! No food for him either unless you come to the table! You don't want to see poor old Laddie go hungry, now do you?"

The little scrap looked sadly down at the dog which lifted its head to lick the scrap's face.

"Oh Clifford, leave the poor little mite alone, just let me take her some food later."

"Ah... Rose, she has to learn. It's for her own good!"

Sebastian watched as both faces retracted again. He felt a core of anger growing in him at the man's words. How often had he heard that same thing directed at him? For your own good! According to Demetrius, him learning to be less reliant on his mother was for his own good too. So often it seemed to him that adults said that when what they really meant was that it was good for them!

He let out a little growl under his breath and then, before he even realised what he was doing, climbed to his feet, picking up his plate from the table as he did so. His gaze fell on a bowl on the floor full of biscuits and dogfood with the name 'Laddie' painted on it in bright red ink. He picked that up as well and walked slowly over to the doorway, setting both plate and bowl carefully down before pushing them gently through to the other side. He heard a small gasp and then the cutest little pixie in existence darted into view, snatched up his offerings, dazzled him with the brightest smile he'd ever seen and ran off leaving him totally and completely stunned in its wake.

Rose relaxed gratefully in her porch rocking chair. It had been a long, tiring day and the tiny form of her granddaughter was a warm and comforting presence in her lap. Never one for the spontaneous hugs and affection of her other grandchildren there was nonetheless something about the motion of this chair that seemed to soothe her and the usually reserved little girl would happily spend all night curled up quietly until sleep claimed her.

Rose treasured these moments more than any other.

"Nana?"

She looked down, surprised to hear her speak.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"That boy that came today…"

"Sebastian? What about him, love?"

"I like him."

"That's good, Lily. Then be kind to him, because he's just like you."

"Like me?"

Wide eyes peered curiously up at her.

"Yes," Rose smiled sadly, remembering the off-handed scolding the boy's stepfather had meted out on collecting him. A scene she was all too familiar with for other reasons. Not for the first time in her life did she wonder how anyone could be so casually cruel to something so small and innocent. "He's missing the love of his mommy and daddy too."

She sighed and lifted her gaze to the stars, so lost in her adult thoughts that she didn't notice the expression of hope and wonder that crossed her granddaughter's face.

Sebastian sat in the orchard pushing along the big wooden train from the set that Mrs Donnelly had given him. It was a clunky, old fashioned thing, probably from the woman's own childhood, but he found it strangely soothing to play with. He tried to focus all his attention on it, tried not to think about the fact this his mother seemed to care only for his sister Maru now.

Only for his sister and not for him.

He felt something treacherously close to tears well in his eyes and scrubbed angrily at them.

Boys weren't supposed to cry, after all.

He heard a sound to his left and turned to see Mrs Donnelly's granddaughter, Lily, standing nearby, staring at him shyly, one foot twisting nervously on the ground behind her. She was wearing a pinafore dress and blouse, both of which were clean for the moment, her hair was a wild array of waves around her face and her seemingly permanent companion, the old farm dog, Laddie, was panting good-naturedly at her heels.

He gaped at her, feeling awkward as he always did around other children, wishing desperately he knew what to say or how to act.

For a long moment they just stared at each another then she gave a little jump, as though suddenly remembering something, and held out her hand to him.

"I want you to have this," she said, her voice, the first time he'd heard it, high, sweet and light. "Because you look sad and I want you to be happy."

He looked at her open palm. In it lay a funny shaped stone that looked just like…

"A frog!" he exclaimed. Where had she found such a treasure? And why was she was giving it to him?

"I knew you'd see it too! Doesn't it look just like one?"

He took it from her, turning it over in his hands in wonder. "It does," he looked up at her. "Are you really sure this is for me?"

She looked at him, eyes sparkling. "Of course it is! Do you like it?"

"Yes," he said quietly, wondering why those earlier tears felt like they were returning. "I like it."

"Oh yay!" Lily clapped her hands together. "I'm so happy! Let's play, but not here! We'll go play in Grandpa's flower garden, it's so pretty! He may be scary sometimes but he has the greenest thumbs ever, there's nothing he can't grow! Oh, and then we could go play with the bunnies, Grandpa says he keeps them for their fur but I know that's a fib because he's not an animal farmer anymore, he keeps them for me to play with when I visit!" She tried and failed to wink at him, then started bouncing up and down. "Oh, oh! And while we're there we can pick some berries, the salmonberries are growing right now, they're wild so we can eat as many as we like! Ooooh, and the pond's down there too! We can look for tadpoles, there's loads right now! And then we can play with Nana's kitty, Bella! She's so soft and fluffy, she has blue eyes and she's a pedi… pedi… um…. she's special and really friendly, she loves pets just as much as Laddie! Oh, this is gonna be so much fun, c'mon!!"

She grabbed his hand excitedly and, dazed but delighted, Sebastian allowed himself to be led away.

All of sudden it seemed to him that the light had been turned back on in his life and its name was Lily.

Rose carefully opened the door onto the porch and tiptoed out, smile crossing her face at the sight that greeted her eyes. Laddie lifted his head from his paws at her approach and she bent to gently pet him while looking fondly at the two children sleeping in a tangled heap together on her rocking chair, fluffy Birman cat purring contentedly beside them. Her smile grew wider as she noticed their berry-stained mouths and the jar of tadpoles at the foot of the chair. She climbed to her feet, cast one last glance over their slumbering forms, the way their tiny hands were clasped so firmly together, and then she turned and walked back inside.

She had never seen Lily open up to anyone the way she had to this boy. Well, his stepfather would be along soon enough to collect him and for now she wanted nothing more than to allow those poor children as many moments of peace and happiness as possible.

Lily hugged herself excitedly as she waited for Demetrius to bring Sebastian over for the day. She didn't like the man at all, he was big and tall and had a cold face, but his arrival meant Sebastian's arrival and that was something Lily wanted more than anything in the world.

She had never really had a friend before, always spent all her time alone, had learned at a very young age that other people were not to be trusted. Other than her nana and sometimes her grandpa no one had ever really been kind to her. The last few weeks in Sebastian's company had been the happiest of her life, his quiet, gentle nature made her feel so safe and content that when she was with him she could forget…

She pursed her mouth and folded her arms determinedly… no, she wasn't going to think about those things right now, not with Sebby due to be here so soon!

She heard the sound of a car door slamming and bounced her way into the kitchen just in time to see her nana open the front door and a furious Demetrius immediately start shouting and gesticulating wildly.

Fear surged through her at the sound of his anger, it reminded her far too much of those things she wanted to forget.

She shrank away, instinct demanding she flee, but her gaze was caught by Sebastian's face, by the look of utter loss and despair in his eyes.

Suddenly she found that she couldn't run away, wanted instead to run to him…

Because she knew just how he was feeling right now…

Had felt that way so many times herself.

"Mr Dawson, please, he's just a child!"

Lily cried out as Sebastian wrenched himself from his stepfather's grip and charged back down the path from which they'd come.

"Sebby!"

She couldn't let him go without her!

"Come on, Laddie!"

She streaked forwards, ducked under the reaching arms of the adults and shot out onto the path after her friend, a black and white dog-shaped blur following quickly in her wake.

Voices rose behind her but she paid them no heed, all she cared about right now was catching up with Sebastian and being with him again.

"I think we got away from them," Sebastian put his hands on his knees and paused to catch his breath. They had run all the way past the ranch and deep into Cindersap Forest before they'd finally come to a halt. He looked up to see both Lily and Laddie laid flat out on the ground panting for all they were worth. They looked so funny collapsed next to each other that, despite all that had happened to him that day, he started to laugh.

Lily pouted. "Don't laugh, Sebby, you're a boy and that means you can run faster than me!"

"What about Laddie, though?" he grinned. "He's a dog. What's his excuse?"

"Laddie's really old," Lily sat up and put her arms protectively around the dog who promptly painted her face with a big lick. "He's like twelve or something, that's positively ancient!" She looked up at him and her face fell. "What happened, Sebby? Why is your daddy so mad at you?"

Sebastian's grin vanished. He glared at the ground, kicked a stone viciously into the air.

"He's not my dad!"

His glare became more intense and Lily, feeling a little scared, hugged Laddie even harder.

"What do you mean?"

He sat heavily on the ground and let out a sigh. "He's not my real dad. He's my stepdad. My real dad's gone."

"Oh." Lily edged closer to him, trying to peer into his face. Was he still mad? She couldn't tell. But she wanted to comfort him. "What happened to your real dad?"

"He left."

He looked down at her and she was shocked to see tears in his eyes. She didn't know that boys cried too.

"He left two years ago. He didn't care about me. Then my mom married Demetrius and they had my sister Maru and now my mom doesn't care about me either."

"Sebby…" Lily took his hand and held it. She didn't know what else to do to help him.

"I hate Maru!" he blurted. "She took my mom away from me, she's all anyone cares about now. Poor Maru, take care of poor Maru, she's so sick, keep Sebastian out of the way!" Tears streamed down his cheeks. "Well, today I took her medicine and I poured it down the sink and Demetrius found out and he hit me… and my mom didn't say anything, she just sat there, with Maru and… and…."

His voice trailed away, lost in misery. He pulled his hand away from hers, buried his face in his palms.

Laddie, sensing the children's sadness, licked them both gently.

"Sebby," Lily began to shake next to him, suddenly remembering all the things she didn't want to remember. "I… I know how you feel. My daddy hits me too."

He turned to look at her with wide, surprised eyes, tears halting at her words.

She fixed her gaze to the ground.

"He drinks this funny smelling stuff," her voice was tiny. "And then he gets mad and hits me and sometimes my mommy, too. I feel scared all the time I'm home because I never know when it's going to happen."

She was shaking so hard now she didn't think she could stop, almost jumped out of her skin when two boyish arms wrapped around her and pulled her close.

"Don't worry, Lily," Sebastian's voice sounded determinedly in her ear. "I'll look after you. We'll live together in the forest, just you and me. We don't need the grown-ups anymore!"

She looked up.

His face was so close to hers she could see every detail of his eyes.

They were beautiful.

Then his mouth pressed against hers.

It was so soft…

So warm…

She lifted her hand to her chest.

How could something hurt yet feel so wonderful?

She saw the same tender confusion in his gaze too…

"Sebby…"

"Lily…"

He blinked and then smiled so sweetly she felt that wonderful hurt return once more.

"Come on," he stood up and offered her his hand. "I read a book that said there's a magical tower somewhere in this forest. Let's find it and make it our new home!"

"Okay," she returned his perfect smile and wrapped her fingers around his.

She could think of nothing she wanted more than to live in the woods with him. Safe in a place where no one could hurt them ever again.

Demetrius and Robin sat at the Donnelly's kitchen table, the young, red-haired woman shaking and sobbing inconsolably as Rose and Clifford looked on helplessly.

"Now then," Clifford chewed uncomfortably on the stem of his pipe. He didn't like dealing with other people's domestic problems. "They're only wee bairns, they can't have gone far. We'll find them. I've already got Lewis and Willy out looking for them and I'll be joining them in just a minute."

"I'm sorry, Robin. I shouldn't have lashed out at him like that, it's just… ah, he made me so angry, that was his sister's medicine after all!" Demetrius looked stricken, trying and failing to find some way to soothe his wife.

"It's not your fault, it's mine! I should have done something, said something!" Robin wailed, clutching her crying infant daughter to her chest. "Oh, he's just a child, he doesn't understand!"

"Don't blame yourself, dear," Demetrius laid an awkward arm around his wife's shoulders. "Sebastian has been nothing but trouble since Maru fell ill and…"

"But he's my son, Demmy! And he needs my attention too. Oh, Sebby, I'm so sorry! I promise, if you come back I'll never send you away again!"

Demetrius fell silent as he wife rocked back and forth, Maru's tiny face growing redder and redder at her mother's distress. Rose and Clifford exchanged meaningful glances.

"Look after the Dawsons, love," Clifford sighed. "I'm going out to join the search. We'll find them, don't you worry."

The door slammed shut behind him and all that could be heard in the kitchen were Maru's angry wails and her mother's despairing sobs.

"This tower must be really deep in the forest." Sebastian looked around, frown creasing his forehead. He didn't want to admit it but he was starting to worry. The trees seemed a lot thicker and denser now than when they'd started, he could hear weird scuffling sounds from all directions and everywhere he gazed it seemed that something was lurking in the shadows. He shivered. It was cold too. He looked over at Lily, wrapping his fingers more closely around hers, trying to be brave for her sake. She seemed to have shrunk into herself over the last hour, even Laddie looked subdued, head drooping, tail hanging squarely between his legs.

"I'm sure we'll find it soon," Lily shakily declared, her little mouth quivering. A bird squawked nearby and she jumped, squeezing his hand so tightly that he yelped in surprise.

She let out a sob at his cry. "Oh, Sebby, I'm sorry…" her face fell and her sob became a wail. "Sebby! I'm scared, Sebby, I'm scared… waaaaaaaah!"

Sebastian stared at her, aghast. Oh Yoba, it was true. He couldn't deny it any longer. He didn't know what to do. Didn't know where they were or how to get back home. His heart sank into his boots. This was all his fault. He shouldn't have been so mean to Maru, shouldn't have run away like that. He looked at Lily, tears pouring down her face, pretty hazel eyes screwed tight as she bawled her fear into the uncaring forest.

He shouldn't have done this to the one person he cared for in the entire world.

"Lily, it's… it's gonna be alright."

He tried to convince her, convince himself.

And then, in that moment of complete helplessness, something fell softly to the ground beside him.

He glanced down and stared in disbelief at the pine cone that had dropped at his feet. Perfectly impossible at this time of year, yet there it was, a tiny wooden flower, every petal so exquisite it were as though some forest spirit had carved it…

...for Lily.

It had been made for her.

He knew it.

Without a shadow of a doubt.

He knelt to pick it up, a sweet, golden silence descending as he lifted it towards her, stilling his precious love's tears in a heartbeat.

"Lily, look, it's for you, it's just as pretty as you are."

Time stood still as she took it in her hand, her face a beacon, he could see little coloured shapes flitting at the edges of his vision, hear tiny chirps of otherworldly music, like some special magic was being set in motion and all that existed was him and Lily… he wanted to hug her again… started to climb to his feet… then everything shifted, tilted, warped, the coloured shapes cried out in fear and a tall, leaning tower covered with thick green moss and vines slammed into being before them, a hooded owl glared from a high, peaked roof before soaring down towards them, a terrible screech leaving its beak and suddenly it seemed as though every twig within a hundred mile radius snapped at once, wind tugged violently at their clothes, a dog howled and they screamed and clung to each other as a deep voice boomed through the air.

"This won't do, this won't do at all! I cannot allow mundanes to see my abode!"

Darkness clapped down on the world and when light returned where once there had been two children and a dog now sat a man in long purple robes, a mottled owl perched docilely upon his shoulder.

"Children were much more well behaved in my day," he muttered to himself, before climbing to his feet and heading towards his tower.

"Where are we?" Lily's voice was a tiny quaver in the darkness. He could feel her huddled next to him, shivering in fright. "What happened?"

"I don't know." He bit back a whimper. "It's too dark to see."

"Sebby, I'm scared of the dark!"

He beat down his own fear, filled with a desperate need to assuage hers, and reached into his pockets. He always carried a box of matches with him, along with an array of other items that only a child would deem useful.

He pulled them out and quickly struck one. A flare of warm light shot up and he could see Lily's panic-stricken face but little else. He looked up. Wait, was that a trapdoor just above them? He pushed against it but it refused to budge even an inch. The match fizzled out and he let out a cry as it burnt his fingers.

Lily squealed as they were plunged into darkness again, clinging to him in terror. "Sebby! Don't let the light go out, please!"

He looked down, unable to see her, but knowing she was there, aware of her warmth, the beating of her heart, her tears soaking his t-shirt. He should have been afraid, but he wasn't, all of a sudden he felt incredibly strong, strong for her. He would protect her. That was his job.

He lit another match and she let out a sigh of relief. Their eyes met in the little cone of light.

"I won't let the light go out, Lily," he said softly.

"Isn't it burning your fingers?" Her bottom lip trembled.

"It doesn't matter." He put an arm around her and she burrowed closer.

"Put your hands over your ears, Lily," he said. "I'm gonna get us out of here."

She obediently covered her ears and he lifted his head and started to shout.

He didn't know exactly where they were, but if anyone was nearby he would make sure they were heard. He smiled as Laddie barked along with him, didn't even wince when the match went out, scorching his fingers again, he simply lit another one and carried on shouting.

He would keep the light on for Lily until they got out of here. No matter how much it hurt.

The forest spirit chirped loudly at the wizard and he frowned as it bounced on his doorstep, refusing to let him back in his tower.

"Yes, I know you were about to show them the way out, but, foolish sprite, in so doing you also revealed my tower to them! Now don't worry, they're quite safe and will be found soon. I know who they are and what they will become. I've been watching them, both now and in the future, for a long time."

The spirit bounced more meaningfully, waved an angry little arm.

"Well, I'm sorry if I scared them, but they needed to be scared! This is not a place for mundanes to be snooping about in, least of all ones of such small stature."

Bounce. Chirp.

The wizard sighed.

"Yes, I told you, I know who they are. They're the ones who will take over the farm in the future. Yes, I am aware of how important that land is."

CHIRP!

"Very well, I will send her grandfather there now!" He snapped his fingers in the air. "There, it's done. Now stop your blasted chirping, I need to return to my meditations!"

Sebastian's voice was growing ragged, his fingers raw and throbbing from all the matches he'd held, so when he heard the sounds of the trapdoor grating open above them he almost cried with relief.

"There you are! I told Lewis we should never have let this old community centre fall into such disrepair. It was only a matter of time till something like this happened!"

"Take Lily first," Sebastian called up. "She's really scared."

"Of course." Lily's grandpa held out a hand for his grandchild. "Come here, love."

Lily looked from Sebastian to her grandpa and back again, then locked her little arms so firmly around him that he didn't think she was ever going to let go.

"Sebby, Sebby!" she cried his name as her grandpa prised her away and he could only stare up after her, afraid, though he didn't know why, that he was never going to see her again. Then he was being lifted up too and they were being examined by the town's doctor, fussed over by parents and grandparents and before he could do or say anything he was being dragged down a path and bundled into a car, finally managing to cry out that he would see her again tomorrow for sure.

He heard her calling desperately for him as the door shut and his earlier fear returned. He struggled to get out but was held back and then they were driving away and he felt panic grip him as never before.

He knew something bad was going to happen, he just knew it…

"I'm taking Lily away."

Clifford frowned at his son and quietly closed the kitchen door. His wife had just gone to bed and he'd be damned if he'd give her any more upset today.

"David," for once he tried to speak softly. "You're being unreasonable. Lily is fine, nothing bad happened to her."

"Nothing bad happened? You let her run off with that young hoodlum! What if it happens again? What if you don't find them next time?"

Clifford's frown grew sterner. "If you really cared so much about Lily you'd stop all your drinking and…"

"That's none of your business!"

"It is my business, you're my son and that's my granddaughter. You act like you care so much and yet you treat both her and her mother like dirt."

"Yoba dammit! I'll not stand here and listen to this!"

"Keep your voice down! You'll wake your mother!"

"I don't care! Lily is never coming back here again and that's final!"

Lily sobbed alone in her room. Her father had locked her in when he brought her back, angry with her constant crying and demands for Sebby. Her mother had been too tired as usual to offer any help and her beloved nana was far far away now and could no longer rock her to sleep.

She picked up her little pine cone rose, remembering when he had handed it to her.

Pain flared in her chest.

She wanted him.

Wanted him more than anything.

Was she really never going to see him again?

"Sebby!" she wailed desperately and, out in the night, a little spirit chirped miserably and went flitting away from her window.

"What do you mean, Lily's not coming back?" Sebastian glared at his mother as she sat on his bed next to him.

Robin lifted a hand to smooth his hair away from his face. Her poor boy. He'd never been very good at making friends and now the one friend he had made had been taken away from him.

She sighed. Things had been so difficult since Maru had been born. She was such a sickly child, always demanding so much time and attention, and Sebastian had already been suffering ever since his father abandoned them both. Was there anything she could have done better? Guilt gnawed at her as she looked at her son's indignant little face.

"I mean she won't be coming back to the farm again. Her daddy took her away and…"

"Why?"

Robin's hand dropped limply to her side. How could she possibly explain this to a six year old?

"Sebby, sometimes adults have to…" she groaned internally. "You wouldn't understand…"

Sebastian shot to his feet. "I understand, I understand just fine! You adults take everything away. It's not fair!"

He darted past his mother and out into the hallway, wrenching open the door to the basement, half falling down the stairs till he threw himself in a corner and curled up into a ball, rocking himself while he stroked the little frog-shaped stone he'd pulled from his pocket.

"Lily," he said softly and then his tears started to fall.

A soft chirp echoed his tears and a sudden breeze momentarily lifted the dust on the floor.

"What's that you say?" The wizard looked up from his bubbling cauldron. He had never been so bothered by the junimos in a long time.

Chirp, chirp, chirp…. chiiiirp!

"Have they now? Hmm, I see…"

He stopped what he was doing, raising a hand to rub thoughtfully at his beard. Well. Here was something he hadn't foreseen. He had witnessed much of Sebastian and Lily's future, how vital the two of them would be to the revitalising of the land to the north, but, for some reason, the mists had not shown him this. He glanced down at the madly bobbing spirits before him. He could understand their agitation. Although he professed little concern for the mundanes he was not completely without a heart.

"You are quite right, my little friends, this does seem unnecessarily cruel. Very well. I shall cast another spell." He turned to his almanac and leafed through its pages until he found the right one, whereupon he began intoning a string of archaic sounding words before waving his hand in a slow circle around his head.

Chirp?

"I can do little to change the way their lives must unfold, nevertheless I have cast two spells which may offer some help. The first, a simple spell of peace and dreams to ease their immediate pain, the second a shroud of deep forgetfulness so that to all involved it will be as though they never met."

Chirp!

"Not to worry, it won't last forever! They and everyone around them will remember again when the two items come back together. For now this is all the succour I can give them."

Lily and Sebastian ceased their crying and looked in wonder at the item they held in their hands. Whatever it was that had made them so sad was gone for now and in its place was a little glimmer of peace and hopefulness, that one day there would be a bright light in their lives and all they had to do was wait for it. Both of them closed their fingers around their treasure and fell asleep where they lay, dreaming… dreaming of a distant future…

"Oh Seb!" Lily dropped her pine cone rose to the floor and flung her arms around her husband. "It was you! I remember now, all those years ago!"

Sebastian let his stone frog fall from his fingers and pulled her close. Lily. His precious Lily. How much she'd meant to him then. How much she meant to him now. This explained everything. He knew her. Had always known her. Always loved her.

"Lily," he sobbed into her hair. "I always knew… knew you belonged to me!"

"Sebby, oh Sebby! Thank you!"

"What for?" he choked on his tears, searching out her face, desperate to see her, touch her, kiss her.

"For being my everlasting light!"

Then they were both sobbing, kissing and holding each other as tight as they could. Husband and wife. Together forever. Just as they were meant to be since time began.

The spirits bobbed happily in an unseen corner before silently disappearing.

The world came full circle once more.

And everything was finally, perfectly complete.

~The End~

Cute little page dividers by @chachachannah / Boring old plain green ones by me!

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