#they’re not completely devoid of love for their daughter but they’re only doing it to convince themselves that they’re not horrible people
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ummmm kaider are pressured into having kids (kai needs an heir) and have a weird relationship with their daughter because of that, wolflet have too many children and go into poverty, cress gets pregnant and thorne breaks up with her, being an in-and-out father figure in his child’s life, jacinter adopts a cat and are looking at this shitshow from their fucking penthouse suite in luna.
#you cannot convince me that kaider will love their child more than they love their country#they’re not completely devoid of love for their daughter but they’re only doing it to convince themselves that they’re not horrible people#which is up to debate#wolflet likes to have sex#i headcanon that their elder son abandons their family and doesn’t make an effort to reach out at all after that#really hate that thorne will be absent#especially since he didn’t have great experiences with his own dad and it could be a#“i will never be like my father!” moment but no#daddy issues is a generational thing in his book#cress loves her child with all her heart though#cue the single mom who works two jobs song#jacinter smiles
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Forgive me if I'm wrong on this, but didn't Sesshoumaru seal InuYasha and Kagome away for protection? I know it was written in a very convoluted and stupid way but wasn't that the justification? In any case, it is awful that Moroha was kept away from her parents but the three of them seem to be cooping with that possibly very traumatic situation very well, so I guess we don't need to be too sad about that. The emotional logic is very weak in this show.
I don't think that Rumiko had much to do with anything besides the designs of the girls. When you sign away the rights to your characters and story, the executives can do whatever they damn well please with it. I mean, look at all the Marvel properties and some of the awful crap that's come out of Phrase 4.
Sesshomaru didn’t seal them to protect them, no. It was even more convoluted than that! He sealed them to protect Rin. You see this woman called Zero connected her life to Rin so if she died, Rin would die too. Sesshomaru and Jaken, like the idiots that they are in this story, thought “Inuyasha and Kagome are a problem, they could kill Zero so we have to seal them away” when the intelligent thing to do would have been:
1- HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM. Literally just tell them “hey don’t kill this women because if you do Rin will die” and that’s it, problem solved. Sesshomaru knows damn well that Inuyasha and Kagome are softies with chronic hero syndrome and they would never do anything do endanger an innocent person like Rin. Not to mention that INUYASHA AND KAGOME DON’T EVEN KNOW ABOUT ZERO’S EXISTENCE? They know about Kirinmaru and his supposed goal to kill all hanyo but they’ve never heard of Zero??
2- Best way to prevent anyone from killing Zero by mistake: seal HER in the border to afterlife instead of Kagome and Inuyasha 🙃
This is not even addressing all the plot holes and OOC decisions like how only Kagome and Hosenki II saw Inuyasha put the new black pearl in his eye, yet Sesshomaru somehow knew it was there. Or how Kagome gave Moroha to Hachi (why not Shippo??) and stayed to fight Kirinmaru and Sesshomaru WITHOUT EVEN HAVING HER BOW AND ARROWS WITH HER. Inuyasha knows how difficult it is for a hanyo to grow up alone, canon!Inuyasha definitely would have wanted Kagome to stay behind with Moroha to make sure at least one of them is with her. Also sending their 3/4 human baby daughter to Koga and his wolves??? The same wolves who EAT HUMANS???
Yashahime truly has some of the worst writing I’ve ever seen in my entire life and I question the sanity of anyone who thinks it’s a worthy sequel to Inuyasha, lmao. Also like you said, all the characters were completely devoid of life and emotions. Inuyasha and Kagome defying time and space to be together, only to be robbed of their chance to raise their first baby? Don’t worry they’re not mad about it because Jaken set up a baby monitor so they got glimpses of Moroha’s childhood from him! 🤪 Also “I’m sure Sesshomaru had his reasons for doing that to us! Let’s not confront him about it!” (seriously Inuyasha and Kagome didn’t have a single interaction with Sesshomaru after all this happened!!!)
I would be lying if I said I didn’t lose some respect for Rumiko Takahashi as a writer/creator after this. She obviously didn’t review everything that was in the scripts, but she still had an overview of the whole story and she definitely had the power to make them change some of the plot points but she apparently didn’t. It think it’s obvious at this point that she’s tired of the Inuyasha series.
I feel the exact same way. I never cared about Sesshomaru and thankfully Yashahime isn’t canon, but this whole debacle still made me dislike him. I can’t imagine what it was like for people who actually love him as a character. The only saving grace of this show is really the fact that Sunrise made Inuyasha a good father, it would have been so devastating if they had made him a distant, “doing the absolute bare minimum” father like they did with Sesshomaru 😬
#ask#khaleesiofthegreatdairystate#yashahime-critical#rumiko-critical#sesshomaru-critical#sorry i ranted a lot lmao#i erased yashahime from my memory for the most part#i keep forgetting how bad it is
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Series 6 Episode 7: A Good Man Goes to War
Heyy everyone, today we’re checking out one heck of an event episode of Doctor Who, A Good Man Goes to War. This is an episode that I came into not knowing how I felt about it on my first watch, so I was really looking forward to coming into this watch on a blank slate. Let’s see how I found it.
First of all, damn this episode has stakes. I really appreciate the scale of the story they’re telling here. The first 15 minutes build up so much anticipation for the Doctor’s reveal, with him recruiting all these people who have debts owed to him, and it makes it that much more rewarding to see him turn Demon’s Run against itself. I do find the Doctor’s army a little underwhelming (it’s just the Paternoster Gang, Dorium Maldovar, and Rory. like CMON surely you can do better than that Doc fsdglkj), but filling this episode with too many characters would’ve made it even harder to follow so I appreciate the fact that this area may have had to have been toned down.
One very important thing we do need to talk about in this episode is the Doctor’s pacifism. Typically the Doctor is a character known for not liking guns, not wanting to start fights or cause harm, etc. This kinda flies out the window in this episode and whilst some may use this as a point to criticise the story with, I think this episode does show awareness of this and the fact this is a version of the Doctor pushed to his limits. When the big standoff with Kovarian happens, there’s a lot of good talk about how good men have rules and how she won’t wanna know why the Doctor has so many. Sure it *is* kinda edgy for Doccy Who but I eat it up. I love seeing the Doctor pushed to his limits and this is another episode where we get to see that. I mean the guy turns an entire army against itself and turns their captain into Colonel Run-Away, he’s not a happy bear in this story sflgjdk.
Another character that I wanna address now for the sake of my future reviews is Strax and how his existence impacts how we, as viewers, see the Sontarans. I like him, I think he’s nice. A lot of the jokes imo land and the only issue I had with him this episode was him joking sometimes in very very serious moments that didn’t need a one-liner. Overall tho, I think he’s a good addition to the cast and I don’t think his existence makes the Sontarans completely devoid of threat. In my opinion, the Sontarans had a lot of damage done to them in the series 4 two-parter, where their “honour” that the species is supposed to hard abide by was super inconsistent throughout that episode. I do think Strax being around made creating a separate Sontaran story kinda impossible until the Paternoster gang had been filtered out, but I don’t really mind that all that much, it’s not like they were around all the time in the classic series either.
Finally, let's address the pacing of this episode. It’s a bit messy, I’m ngl. I talked earlier about the first 15 mins being this big build up, but what I wasn’t ready for was us walking into the room where our final scene takes place 20 minutes before the story’s over. For an episode of this size and scale, the fact that the actual “war” part of the episode takes up maybe a third of the runtime is a bit saddening when I feel this story really does have bucket loads of potential. Even IF I can see why they needed room both at the start for intro-ing characters and at the end for the big reveals about River Song. This is an episode that was probably deserving of two parts or just the length of a special/series finale, but sadly it didn’t get that treatment.
TL:DR/Overview: A Good Man Goes to War is a very fun episode. We get to see the Doctor pushed to his emotional limits as he kicks off a high-stakes war to find his friend and her daughter. Like yeahh the episode does have some pacing issues, and the writing can be messy at times, but hey it’s like bad pizza. I can acknowledge it not being perfect food but you bet I’m gonna enjoy it. This is A tier for me. I do find it very interesting how I preferred this to the series 5 finale, which is also a high stakes episode with lots of crossover and a Doctor being pushed pretty hard, but I think this story just kinda fascinated me more as a Dr Who viewer. I really respect the ambition of series 6 and this is one the episodes that displays that.
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The Akatsuki as Parents
Obito
Was a bit reluctant when he found out he was going to be a daddy ... at first. Not because he didn’t want kids ((he really did)), but because he severely doubted his own ability to be a father. But the second he holds the baby in his arms, he’s hooked. He will be so eagerly helpful and hands-on that during the child’s infancy, the other parent will rarely have to lift a finger. Diapers need changing? Obito’s on it. Baby needs to be fed at 2am? Obito’s already out of bed and warming formula on the stove. Rash? Fever? A cough? Obito is consulting every doctor within a 20 mile radius on what to do. Note that Obito is a hard-core traditionalist and, if he isn’t married to the child’s other parent before he gets them pregnant, he’ll be persistent about doing so before the kid is born. Sobs the first time his child calls him “papa”. As the child grows older, Obito will be a tireless teacher and mentor, and you better believe that the kid will know every facet of what was once the Uchiha clan. Sharingan training is a bit nerve-wracking for Dad, because while he wants his child to grow strong, he knows the power of the eye is a deadly one, and doesn’t like to see his son/daughter get hurt. Is the type to be a bit more strict with his sons than with daughters, in fact being a complete pushover for anything his little girl(s) wants. Very, VERY likely to insist a girl be named Nohara. Also the type to sneak and let his kid eat lots of sweets (like Obito himself does) before meals, much to the other parent’s chagrin. Also involves the other Akatsuki members as uncles/aunt in the kid’s life, especially Itachi and Sasuke as he wants the kid to be exposed to members of the family more often.
Hidan
The literal first words out of his mouth are “pregnant? Why the hell didn’t you make me wear a condom?!” Takes a long time to warm up to the idea of parenthood, but once he does, he’s surprisingly better at it than anyone would anticipate. He tends to be very fast-paced in his body movements and not really used to being careful, so if he’s holding his infant it’s best to make him sit still in a chair first. Once the kid(s) is older, it’s better, because Hidan’s energy levels will match (and overshadow) even the liveliest of children. It will be a big point of contention between Hidan and his co-parent on whether or not to introduce their kid to Jashinism, and Hidan will eventually promise to wait until the child is an adult to start talking about “all that shit”; although Hidan’s idea of adulthood seems to be when the kid is old enough to use a kunai. Puts a startling amount of emphasis on his kid getting a good education, and will be sure to send him or her to the best village school that he possibly can. The reason behind this is because Hidan himself had a poor education growing up, and is in fact barely able to read or do basic math; and he says over and over that his kid “isn’t gonna be some dumbass like his/her father”.
Kakuzu
Nearly faints when told he’s going to be a father. Will immediately get out a calculator and start figuring out expenses like diapers, food, toys, education ... is so preoccupied that he ends up neglecting the person who carries his child, causing them to go off on their own expecting to be a single parent. Oddly, it’s Hidan who sets the old guy straight. He stays on his case and talks to him until the nonagenarian sees the error of his ways, and goes after the person having his baby. Kakuzu will be gentle with a baby, and show a surprising affinity for making up and singing lullabies. As the kid gets older, Kakuzu will be a bit more strict. “Food is expensive; you better eat every bite on your plate.” “A hole in your pants? No give them to me and I’ll mend them; buying new clothes is unnecessary.” His child will grow up knowing how to stretch a buck and budget money better than any other kid their age. Kakuzu isn’t really one for showing much warmth or affection, but there will be a few rare moments in his kid’s life where his father hugs him and tells him how proud he is of him. Kakuzu knows that the life of a shinobi is hard and therefore encourages his kid to pursue other career paths, such as opening up his/her own business.
Konan and Nagato
These two are so closely intertwined that they could only be parental mates to each other. When a baby comes into the picture, Nagato will still maintain his position as leader of the Akatsuki as Pein, but will insist that Konan quit. It’s for a practical purpose rather than a sentimental one; they both lost their collective parents to war, and Nagato always thought that if he had a child, he’d ensure that at least one parent would be around to always take care of him or her. Konan, however, will still keep in touch with all of the Akatsuki members, who will become very enthusiastic uncles to her child. She’s always been a good cook but with a child she’ll level up to professional chef caliber, creating dishes that are fun and healthy. Her child(ren) will be taught all of their mother’s paper jutsus, and Nagato will work to devise a way for the brightest one to get his rinnegan once he passes. The kids will primarily spend time with Nagato through Pein, and only be taken to meet their father when Konan feels they’re ready. Because Konan and Nagato had a childhood devoid of parental love, they’re often at a loss for how to be affectionate or sentimental, instead putting a lot of emphasis on “toughening” their kids up, so that they’re prepared to face the cruelties of the world. But the kids will know that mom and dad love them; it’s obvious in everything they say and do.
Deidara
Will be the fun, loving, yet highly irresponsible father. As soon as his kid is born he anxiously awaits to see if he or she inherits his explosion-release kekkei genkai; and if the kid DOES, he’s ecstatic. “Art is an explosion” won’t just be a saying in his household; it’ll be a way of life. The child will grow up given complete freedom to express his or her artistic tendencies, with Deidara highly praising any and every impact they make on the outside world. Yet despite being for artistic creativity, he’ll be (surprisingly) strongly against the child joining any kind of organization that’s like the Akatsuki; he regrets his own decision to join as he feels it out a horrible damper on his artistic expression and independence. Likes to tell his young children stories every night, which are actually just heavily edited and sanitized versions of his Akatsuki missions. Like Obito, will be a bit more of a pushover for a daughter than a son, and will love spending hours brushing and styling the beautiful long hair that the girl inherits from him. He’ll let any member of the Akatsuki around his kids except for Hidan (because he doesn’t want his foul language around the child).
Zetsu
There are people in this world who know for certain that their lives wouldn’t be fulfilled by having children, and Zetsu is one of these individuals. While wanting no offspring of his own, he IS rather a good “uncle” to the children of his fellow Akatsuki members ((although the majority of these kids are too terrified of his physical appearance to want to go anywhere near him until they’re at least teenagers)).
Sasori
A child would be hard-pressed to elicit any kind of emotional reaction from Sasori, as the man cleared himself of most feeling when he underwent his puppet transformation. However, one thing that he could never rid himself of, was his ability to love. Even if he has difficulty showing it, he loves his child and would do literally anything to help or protect them. When the child is a baby, Sasori will spend hours crafting tiny puppet-dolls for the kid to play with. As he grew up with a skilled medic grandmother, he possesses a wide knowledge of herbs and healing, which he will painstakingly pass on to his children. Not one to baby his children by any means, as he lives by the philosophy that the world is tough meaning you have to be tougher; however will offer advice, support, and encouragement on any issues that may be troubling his son/daughter. Early on he expresses a desire for his child to learn to be a master puppeteer like himself; however will be understanding if they choose to pursue a different path. Is very smart and naturally mistrustful of strangers, so will likely choose to educate his kids at home rather than send them to a village school. The type to seem more like a trusted mentor or an interesting uncle than an actual father; also the type to relate to his teen or adult children better than young kids.
Itachi
Itachi never feels like he deserves any of the good things in life, because of what he’s done, and therefore doesn’t know how to handle blessings that are given to him. A baby is the ultimate example of this. Itachi will feel as though any child of his would be better off not knowing him or being “exposed” to the cursed Uchiha bloodline, so at first he’ll make it a point to barely be around his baby ((even though this kills him inside)). Surprisingly, of all people, it’s Deidara who will talk him out of this mindset, telling him how important it is for a child to be around their father “even if he is a damned red-eyed weirdo”. Once Itachi allows himself to fully commit to parenthood, that’s it — he’ll be the best damned father in the universe. He’ll be warm and affectionate, especially liking to pick his kid up (no matter how old they are or how embarrassed it makes them) and squeeze them. He’s not much of a disciplinarian, believing that kids need to be able to make mistakes in order to grow from them. The only time he’ll ever get angry is when the child does something that could have resulted in a serious injury. Itachi’s intelligence has always been off the charts, and he utilizes this to help his kid be a spectacular student. In fact, as the kid gets older, they’ll start bringing his/her friends around the house in order to receive Itachi’s tutoring. Itachi’s brother Sasuke will adore his nephew/niece and come home more often simply to be with them. Also Kisame will come around practically every day, and the kid will grow up learning an impressive arsenal of water jutsus to compliment the traditional Uchiha fire jutsus.
Kisame
The tall, somewhat awkward father that scares all of his kid’s friends with his intimidating physical appearance ... until he opens his mouth and they hear a god-awful dad joke come out. Any child of Kisame’s is going to be part shark, and therefore have some affinity for being in/breathing under the water. Kisame’s favorite pastime will be taking his baby (and yes, I do mean baby, as he tends to start his kid on this when they’re young) out for long swims in the ocean. Kisame has always been self-conscious of his looks, so from the time the child is born he will spend a good deal of time teaching him or her to have self-confidence and love for him/herself. Like many of the others in the Akatsuki, Kisame never received much of a formal education, and therefore puts a lot of emphasis on his child going to a “normal” school and giving it their all when it comes to their studies. When the child proves him or herself physically capable, Kisame will start training with them on how to wield/control samehada, as well as fight with a variety of swords. It goes without saying that Itachi will be in Kisame’s kid’s life from the day they’re born, and be their favorite “uncle”.
#the akatsuki#parenting#obito uchiha#itachi uchiha#hidan#kakuzu#deidara#sasori#zetsu#nagato#konan#kisame#i’d call any one of these guys Daddy including Konan 😫
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HxH Domestic Fluff Headcannons
these are just some cute and fluffy (kinda spicy?) head cannons for Feitan, Hisoka, and Chrollo with a fem!reader
a/n please send in requests and feedback. I love doing head cannons and really want to improve my writing for y’all,
sincerely Coffee
Chrollo Lucilfer
- Chrollo would have never thought that he’d settle down with someone. In truth, he’s still surprised that he did. It’s not that he doesn’t love you, he would kill for you, but he’s surprised that you managed to stick with him for this long
- This sexy man loves you so much
- he's never really felt this strongly about anyone in his whole life. He’d usually just fuck someone to get what he needs and then get the hell out of there. Honestly, he didn’t think he needed anyone being the busy leader that he is
- With you he feels so many more unfamiliar and strong emotions. He knew a few months into being in a relationship that he wanted to marry you, he was very sure about you being the one.
- However, this level of love only comes due to how much trust he has in you. At the beginning of your relationship it was dishonest for him. He had a mask, but that didn’t protect him from the eventual feelings he developed. It took him a bit of time to drop his guard, but once that happens he’s all yours.
- He doesn’t admit it, but he loves it when you call him your husband. Having a ring on your finger makes him feel more secure that you truly belong to him too. that possessive mf
- you’d have the be very patient and accepting of him and his line of work. He still goes about his spider business, even after marriage, although he tries to make it less obvious now, for your own peace of mind.
- He enjoys coming home to you cooking a beautiful meal and waiting for him on the couch. No one in his life has ever put as much thought and effort into things for him as you do.
- Will still spoil you. Your gaze lingering on that bracelet in the store too long? it’s already wrapped up and on the bed for you.
- If he thinks he pissed you off even a little bit, he’ll try to give you something as an apology. You don’t really care, preferring to just be with him.
- morning kisses! You’ll often find yourself waking up to him kissing you on your forehead, neck, and cheeks. He loves seeing you blush and act shy when he does this
- these morning kisses will have a 50/50 chance of leading to more. it’s usually lazy and sensual, but it’s what both of you need before heading off to the shower together and then taking care of the day’s events.
- He loves cuddling so much, it’s insane. He might act like he’d be the big spoon, but that’s just not happening. You’ll be watching a movie together at night and he’ll be making himself comfortable with his back against your chest. In truth, Chrollo loves being held by you
- Don’t get me wrong, he’s still going to be topping you like 80% of the time, but he really loves just taking in your warmth and the comfort you give him. Coming from Meteor City, he’s never felt as safe as when you’re holding him.
- Likes burying his face into your hair and just inhaling your scent. It’s so intoxicating for him.
- Sometimes when you two are sitting in bed he’ll read to you or let you read over his shoulder. You two would probably be reading the same literature and talking about it as a nice calm activity together.
- He’s never really considered a family before, but after marriage he’d go into a slight baby fever. he 100% has a breeding kink
- He saw you holding a family member’s young child once and something in him definitely changed. You don’t mind though. One kid would definitely not be enough for him.
- Overall, a married Chrollo continues to pamper you and will always see you as his whole world. The amount of trust and love he has for you will only grow through the years.
Hisoka Morow
- Honestly, Hisoka isn’t settling down with anyone seriously anytime soon, but for the right person he would perhaps put in some effort in his own way
- that being said, if he does ever get into a serious relationship he’d be like a house cat.
- you’ll be doing chores around the house and he’d come behind you for attention until you stop doing the dishes and cuddle with him
- With Hisoka, he’s either always giving you affection or will be ignoring you. There is truly no in between
- don’t go seeking attention and kisses. If you initiate he’ll be mildly annoyed and won’t indulge you. He is a massive tease and will start initiating affection at the worst times
- you’re busy with work? Too bad. He’s horny and wants to take you on the desk right now. trying to fold the clothes from the dryer? you better do it with his arms wrapped around your waist and him breathing down your neck.
- His method of affection will be neck kisses and hands wrapped around your waist. He’s not too into holding hands or cuddling.
- He has a weird obsession with calling you sickly sweet pet names until you get annoyed. he definitely won’t stop even if you get pissed off by it
- dates with him are also truly something else. He’s pretty clueless about what normal couples do. Some dates can be sweet, with him taking you to an expensive dinner or a romantic walk around town. Other times they be weird, with him taking you to a random abandoned lot and making out with you for an hour.
- Hisoka is incredibly possessive in public. He’ll be clutching onto you if anyone starts looking and flirting with you. you are HIS and it pisses him off that someone doesn’t realize this.
- which is exactly why he likes the idea of marrying you. He can make it official that you belong to him. PDA will increase so much after you get married.
- He also leaves way more hickies on your neck. He loves to make sure people know that you are his.
- When you two are getting ready in the mornings he’ll teach you how to apply makeup. Always gets the best stuff for you, he steals it sometimes, but he pretends he doesn’t know. Seriously though, he’s great with hair styling and tries to teach you all his tricks.
- This sexy clown will be a shitty gift giver. He forgets some important dates, but makes up for it with hastily bought presents. also eats you out as an apology
- He’s pretty stubborn, so when you get into real arguments don’t expect him to beg for you back. He’s going to be pouty and ignore you. All you have to do though is ignore him back and eventually he gets frustrated enough to pin you against something and fuck you right there.
- He refuses to have kids. That’s just not his style. He’d rather you and him had an easy to maintain pet that doesn’t require much work
- If you do end up getting pregnant, he’ll be displeased and most likely won’t alter any of his actions. He warms up to the idea later on, but initially it’s pretty rough getting him on board the idea of a family
- Hisoka is a strange lover to be married to, but he does love and care for you in his own ways.
Feitan Portor
- Don’t expect many words from him. If you want to hear “I Love You” and other words of comfort, it would be incredibly rare and only ever when he’s really tired and not quite in control of his demeanor.
- He would only want to settle down with you if you were self reliant. He’s not always going to be there so you need to take care of yourself
- You would probably also be a Spider or some form of assassin/hunter. He needs to be able to know that you can take down enemies when he’s not with you. You being able to beat down enemies turns him on so much.
- Feitan also probably sees marriage as an unnecessary formality. You’d probably be dating for a while, so why do you need a piece of paper telling you how much you love each other? If you wanted it though, he wouldn’t protest too much.
- He’s not COMPLETELY devoid of emotions though. He still loves you very much. His form of affection comes from small changes in his body language and the little things he does
- He will remember important dates and occasionally give a word of praise on those days. This lack of affection is definitely not because he doesn’t love you, but rather because he just does not know what to do when it comes to romance
- His form of romance also comes in more romantic sex. We all know that Feitan is a kinky mf, but after being with you for so long, he mellows out a bit. He worships your body however you want as his main form of reassurance
- Sometimes with urging from the rest of the Troupe he tries to bring you things you’d enjoy. Will get you some form of matching clothing or maybe a practical knife.
- He actually gets you a cat on your birthday. He’ll act like he didn’t plan it, but he knew you wanted to take care of something while he was gone. Pretends he hates the cat, but they’re really similar and get along well.
- Due to his background and upbringing, trusting and physical contact is foreign and unnatural to him. It would take a lot of time together and loving nights for him to finally let you cuddle and have him kiss you often
- After you two break that barrier he can’t stop holding your hand, touching your waist, giving you forehead kisses. he is so touch starved, give him love
- Will probably never seriously consider children. In your lines of work it would be too dangerous with not much of a benefit. That being said though, if you do end up getting pregnant he won’t protest too hard
- The kid will end up growing on him though. He definitely doesn’t want more though, one is more than enough for him. Will secretly find it adorable when his son or daughter calls him dad. He will teach your kid how to torture and interrogate someone in 10 minutes.
- He loves the family you two have and wouldn’t trade it for the world. Be patient with him and he would take a bullet for you
part 2??
#feitan x read#feitan#hisoka#hisoka x reader#chrollo#chrollo x reader#hunter x hunter#hxh#fluff#domestic fluff#headcanon
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this is gonna be a controversial take mayhaps, but i.... love shadow weaver. not as a PERSON, mind you, but as a character? she's so fascinating!
i think the biggest key to her character is thst everyone expects abusive parents to be completely void of affection for their children, but that's rarely the case. even shadow weaver-- twisted, manipulative, and selfish as she is, still cares about the kids she'd fostered. even twenty years later, she jumps in to save micah, despite him wanting to do nothing with her. and she saves catra, too, and tells her she's proud of her, despite spending her whole life making catra feel like garbage.
here's the thing, though. it doesn't cancel that out. nobody expects you to go 'OH, well, shadow weaver was actually such a sweet loving person the whole time'. being abusive to your kids, making them suffer, and caring about them -- in some twisted way or another -- is not mutually exclusive, and i find it extremely mature of she-ra's writing to acknowledge that.
abusive parents very rarely know they're abusive. they're not thinking 'i love making this kid suffer and fucking them up psychologically for the rest of their lives'. most of them choose to remain completely unaware of the effect their abuse has, and most of them, if you asked, would probably describe themselves as a perfectly good, hardworking parent. shadow weaver is just the same. even though everything she's ever done has been in favor of obtaining power for herself, she's ALWAYS had justification for it. she's always talking about how it would benefit a bigger cause, and i really do think she's convinced of it herself. as far as she's concerned, she's only ever done the 'right thing'. her raising of catra and adora is no different.
when she was held captive before being sent to beast island, and buttering catra up? telling catra all this stuff about how she always saw herself in her, and was simply trying to make her strong through 'tough love'? of course she was saying what catra wanted to hear in order to get her to do as she wished. but i don't think she was just making that stuff up, either. she certainly held unreasonable anger and resentment towards catra, simply for failing to meet adora's golden standard, and maybe for reminding her too much of herself, as well. but it doesn't cancel out the fact she did, ultimately, consider her a daughter figure.
i don't know, i think it's such a refreshing take. shadow weaver is a horrible, abusive, egocentric person -- but she isn't a sociopath, she's not wholly devoid of empathy. and she proved that when she gave up her life to save her girls-- but in the same breath, she proved she never really changed right to the end.
in shadow weaver's mind, she never did anything wrong, and she died the way she lived: just trying to be a good mother, just doing the right thing for the greater cause. she never apologized to catra, never showed remorse, never even acknowledged how thoroughly she screwed her up. her last words were a smug 'you're welcome'. her perception of herself remained egocentric and disconnected from reality, but her big heroic act did contribute to saving the day in a major way. i'm not even sure you can call that a redemption, but i think this is as close to one as shadow weaver should've been able to get. and i love it.
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Two Faced | Chapter One
↳ levi ackerman, the very person who was about to kindly behead you by a surprising turn of events manages to become your loving husband? you would be elated if this was true love, but it's all thanks to a mysterious magic spell that your life is spared. for now at least.
pairing :: duke!levi x duchess!reader
genre :: royal au, angst, fluff, slice of life etc
word count :: 2.6k
→ click here for the next part !
Shock-waves of terror rush through your body. You can feel your heart thump erratically against your chest and your train of thought is a complete mess. All you know for sure is that your fate is certain, you're going to die. The illegitimate daughter of the Rambova family from the Negri Republic is going to be killed and it just so unfortunately happens to be you. Your eyes are coated in a fresh layer of tears and all you can do is sit there huddled in the corner of your room whilst you pray. Pray to who exactly? You're unsure of that detail.
The days of pain and neglect that you constantly endured ended with the war caused by a single man. That man who was rumored to be cruel enough to murder the child of another enemy noble in cold blood. The Duke of the Paradis Empire. Levi Ackerman. By the emperor's orders he took an army to conquer all of the rebelling, independent countries which surrounded Paradis, and unfortunately for you the Negri republic was one of them.
Soon, the Rambova family was the last of the nobles left within the nation.
"Y/N. Even a little pest like you has a role to play. You must stay back and protect the castle." that was the first and last thing your father said to you when news of the war spread. Your father threw you away and so did the rest of your household. Not even a thank you was issued when they all dashed past you towards the palace's back gates. Truth be told you were simply a child born out of convenience, born to marry another aristocrat to strengthen the family's reputation, but the war made you see your position with even more clarity.
No one ever loved you in this palace, it would be futile for you to say they did, lying would not ease the numbing ache in your heart.
"SEARCH EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY!" One of Duke Ackerman's men alerts the other soldiers and that's when you begin to shiver in pure terror. The shrill screams of the palace maids can be heard and are more than audible, they echo back and forth, settling in the shells of your ears. You really are going to die today and no one's going to save you. Who would? The servants who laughed at you because of your shameful origin? Those servants seem to be at deaths door themselves, you don't hold anything against them. Or would it be your "family" who treated you like the dirt beneath the crevices of their shoes? That "family" had ditched you and left you for dead in the palace. Duke Ackerman was a wild animal and you were a piece of bait to everyone else. No one was going to help you and this was the end of the line.
You gaze out your window and see even more of his army approach. There's not enough time for you to run, even if you attempt to do so you'll be killed in no time at all. Your mother's words echo in your mind. No one was willing to keep her around. A toy, that's what she was for your father, a play thing on the sidelines for when his real wife wasn't well. A few years after giving birth to you mother had fell gravely ill but father did nothing to help. The money needed for her treatment wouldn't have even made a dent in his riches but he did not see it fit to spend such a large sum on the likes of her. He wasn't going to help a courtesan who refused to abort what he deemed a nuisance. That's what you and your mother were - problems, issues, nuisances and inconveniences he wanted nothing to do with.
But right now all you can think about are her last words. They ring in your head and you feel your tears creep right back up. However, they subside when you take the true meaning in.
"Listen carefully, when the grim reaper comes for you, act proudly and look him in the eye without fear. You must do so for me." the one time you had seen her force a smile was then, on her death bed she had smiled so daintily it felt fake. Why did she have to act strong even in her last moments? Why did she have to try her damnedest to hide her pain and suffering from you?
Without a seconds thought you decide to follow her last instructions and what she taught you. Deciding to look death in the eyes, it's the way your mother wanted you to leave. To die proud of yourself was a privilege she never received.
Shakily, you walk towards your dresser and throw on your best dress. It isn't amazing considering the fact that your father barely invested any time in you let alone any money but you made do with it. Tying the faded baby blue ribbon that came with it around your waist you play around with the frilled sleeves. Screams are all you can hear but you swallow away your fear. Putting your hair up into a bun and pinning it back as tightly as you can, your face is in full view now, you won't be able to hide behind your hair when you're finally taken away.
With faith and hope in your heart, that is how you choose to exit. Faith that after this something better was coming. An after life with mother, one where she would be treated the way she deserved. A place where you'd be able to see her smile in sincere clarity. As you stick the last pin into your hair the door to your bedroom rumbles. It takes a matter of seconds for it to be knocked down by three soldiers.
Two of them march towards you and yank you away from where you are in front of your mirror, in the chaos a vase full of flowers shatters and hits the floor. The sound of the glass shattering and hitting the marble floor only makes the situation more intimidating.
The soldiers drag you through the hallways of the castle and the way they grip tightly onto your arms irks you slightly. They're quite literally dragging you towards the slaughter house yet they continue to handle you and the other innocent people within the palace's walls with this degree of brute force. You know you don't deserve to die, nobody here does.
At some point you're thrown to the floor of the main hall, a pain shoots up your side due to the impact of your hip hitting the floor but you soldier through it. You try to look death in the eye but it beats you to it.
Multiple bloody corpses are scattered across the floor. A heap of them are piled up in one corner and your eyes water in defense. The Palace's head chef is one of the latest additions to this pile, her guts hang out, she's been sliced open mercilessly. The contrast between her current form and her usual stern but soft face haunts you.
This was your fate, your body was going to be hauled atop of this pile of corpses. How were you to die? Would you be cut up into bite sized pieces? Would your heart be ripped out of your chest, left to bleed out until you and death would meet?
You place your hands in front of you and they land on the floor as you raggedly breathe in and out trying to calm yourself down. Mother said death was scary but you never thought death would be delivered to you in the form of cold blooded murder.
Your haphazard thoughts are suddenly put to a halt when you hear a deep, gravely voice from above your head.
"Child of the Rambova Family." He pauses and your head shoots up to see who's addressing you.
Shaking once again the tears you've been holding back spill out. You are face to face with death himself, the grim reaper in human form. Duke Ackerman. His feline eyes are devoid of any emotion and he looks down at you through his eyelashes as though you're an animal.
Looking you up and down as if you're nothing but a pest you can't help but smile at that. Everyone thought of you that way, you weren't ever good for anything right? Your thoughts make you wallow in even more sadness and you burst into an extensive crying fit in front of the Duke himself.
He murmurs something inaudible under his breath then you see him swing his leg backwards. He savagely kicks your left shoulder and you fly towards the cold hard floor."You're oh so, stupid." Shrieking, as his boot drives further into you, the lump in your throat hardens. "For not." another kick is delivered to you this time, it hits your right shoulder angularly. "Running away." a final kick lands on the left side of your face and despite his boots digging into the hollows of your cheeks you don't cry out in pain like you did the first time. That is until he swiftly holds you by the neck and firmly slams you up against one of the marble walls to perfectly punctuate his point. Letting go of you midway, you crash to the ground again, gulping and gasping for air.
His eyes. They're stone cold. You can't sense any emotion behind him. Yet he kneels down to your level his slim fingers trace the tear stains across your cheeks. The coarse but warm texture of his hand catches you off guard, you aren't accustomed to human touch and by reflex you unintentionally move slightly closer to his warm palm. He sneers at you absolutely disgusted with the way you react to his touch.
"It's a shame that you're objectively my kind of woman." His eyes snake towards the ribbon which cinches your waist in and the tension you feel increases ten fold. His gaze then meanders to your collarbone which is now crudely exposed after your one sided fight. His eyes darken "What a shame indeed." He mutters.
You begin to think that maybe the man above you has some pity left in his heart and you reach your hand out to possibly negotiate but before you can the fatal sound of him unsheathing his sword is heard.
Not even a knife can cut the tension in the air but somehow the words he shamelessly announce next manage to do just that.
"I shall give you the honor of having me personally see to your death."
Your life flashes before you eyes. He darts towards you and the cold edge of his sword is as close as it can be to your neck.
Don't close your eyes, Don't close your eyes. Look him in the eyes for the sake of mother.
Defiantly, you glare at him through the tears which mingle with the perspiration which coats your face. The tears rain down your cheeks and a droplet lands on his hand.
He flinches at the damp feeling but you see the grip he has on his handle harden.
You hadn't noticed in the previous frenzy and chaos but he's covered head to toe in blood, the ugly sight causes you to try and hold in your external reaction. But you can't fight away the tears, you clamp down on your lips so tightly that blood gradually trickles down your chin.
There were so many activities you wanted to try. You wanted to wear a beautiful dress, you wanted to fall in love, you wanted to marry, you wanted to see the world and all it had to offer. You wish as hard as you can for some sort of help some sort of release. You feel terrible because you aren't facing death in the eye. You aren't proud, you've betrayed your mother. Your blood and tears mix together and you swear you see a glint of something from the corner of your eye, but that's not the issue right now. You're about to die. This is real. This is all real.
You watch in fear as he swings his blade above his head preparing to end it all, right here, right now but suddenly a flash of white light illuminates your surroundings, you and the Duke are both momentarily blinded by it. The light morphs into an intricately beautiful symbol. Then, the clatter of his sword falling to the floor is heard. Your thoughts race, what on Earth is going on? At that moment a streak of light pierces through Duke Ackerman's chest and he groans in pain.
Pulsing from the pattern is a strange, bright light. You watch it flicker, changing colors from silver, to a misty white, then it suddenly weaves itself into a sky blue. You clench your fists, your nails digging deeper into your palms. Threads of silver then engulf both you and the Duke. You both become a part of the stunning floral designs. It's whimsical being trapped inside the kaleidoscope of colour, it's all so beautifully horrifying.
Out of nowhere both you and the Duke are flinged to the floor and the performance evaporates away. Curled up in a ball you're far too fearful to look up and see what has happened. You hear his voice again.
"My lady, please forgive me for my rudeness." The Duke murmurs his words and you can't make out whether or not he's being condescending or is genuinely apologetic.
Then he does the unthinkable, he falls down on one knee.
"And please allow me to receive the pleasure of marrying you." He sticks his hand out gracefully expecting you to hold it but you stare at him in pure horror.
"From the moment I saw you my heart was simple ensnared by your beauty." He holds onto your cheek affectionately, it feels different this time, you can feel the love practically spill out of his voice and touch but you're ultimately confused. He can't possibly love you, you're strangers. Oh, and he did try to decapitate you a few seconds ago.
His eyes are the definition of infatuation, they seem to glint with happiness even in the dimly lit hall and you have no idea what to say to this sudden confession. You don't even know where this confession has come from.
Then realization dawns on you.
It does sound impossible but it's really the only thing you can find remotely believable at this point.
Has someone perhaps cast a spell on the Duke? And is that someone, you?
You stare at his hand apprehensively and you know you've got no other choice. Even if he is joking and ridiculing you, at least you know you've tried to not fall directly into death's expectant hands.
"I...am yet to except. However, I shall give you a fair trial to court me." You awkwardly agree and place your shaky palm into this hoping he isn't fooling around. Much to your relief he isn't, you witness the man's eyes soften as he faintly kisses your knuckle.
Your surroundings are a landscape of dead bodies, you want to jerk your hand away from the monster in front of you, but your goal is survival.
Thinking about what exactly you have got yourself into, it doesn't seem to be pretty at all.
#levi ackerman#attack on titan levi#attack on titan#aot#snk#levi x reader#levi x y/n#levi aot#aot fanfiction#aot headcanons#levi fluff#levi angst#levi smut#the smut comes later ok ok pls don't attack me T__T#duke levi#leviiattacks
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HAPPY IS HER
Warnings: Unrequited love.
Pairing: Zuko x Mai x f!Reader
Characters: Zuko, Mai, Uncle Iroh, Azula, Ty Lee, Ursa, Avatar Aang (mentioned)
Requested: No.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor the gif. Credit to the owners.
Summary: You remember the time that lead up to Zuko's coronation.
A/N: I feel like Mai is often villainized in some fics? Which definetely works in some cases, but in this one i just wanted to do something nice for her as well. So yes, you get to actually be Mai’s friend in this shot. She’s a queen. Hope you like it!
Zuko had a beautiful face.
It was something that you'd discovered in your childhood, and it still caught your eye now that you were an adult. Maybe even more so.
Growing up next to him, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee enabled you to see how much he'd grown. You remembered running around in the gardens and training in the palace grounds, playing all those silly games with them. Being the daughter of a Fire Nation General enabled you to spend a lot of time with the prince and princess.
“Mom, can you make Zuko play with us? We need equal teams to play a game,” Azula explained, running up to the Fire Lady and her brother while you, Mai and Ty Lee watched. “I’m not cartwheeling!” Zuko declined. “You won’t have to. Cartwheeling is not a game, dumb-dumb,” the princess crossed her arms, but he shot right back. “I don’t care! I don’t want to play with you,” Azula payed him no mind, instead persuading her mother. “We are brother and sister. It’s important for us to spend time together. Don’t you think so, mom?” her big golden eyes, a common trait of the Royal Family, looked at Ursa expectantly. “Yes, darling, i think it’s a good idea to play with your sister. Go on, now! Just... for a little while,” she gave in, strolling on without the prince. He didn’t seem particularily enthusiastic but he stepped up next to you, causing a blush to rise on your face. Luckily, nobody seemed to notice.
“Here’s the way it goes,” his sister said, plucking an apple from a tree. “Now what you do is, try to knock the apple off the other persons head. Like this,” After placing the fruit on Mai’s head, Azula proceeded to take a few steps back, standing between Ty Lee and Zuko. “Zula, are you sure this is a good idea?” You asked, unsure about the game. “Of course it is, silly. It’s going to be fun!” Mai didn’t look to pleased with her task, tough she stood still in front of the fountain, balancing the apple. But it didn’t stay that way for long. Azula produced a flame, using two fingers to coordinate it towards her target. The leaves of the fruit atop Mai’s head were aflame in a second. She screamed, causing Zuko to run forward and pushing her into the water-fountain, resulting in both of them landing in the water. Azula cackled, placing a hand on your shoulder. “See? I told you it would work!” Ty Lee nodded and pointed a fiinger in their direction. “Awww, they’re so cute together!” A flicker of jealousy rose in your chest, but you pushed it down quickly. Zuko didn’t respond, he only stood up and walked away, huffing. Mai wasn’t in a good mood either. “You three are such... ugh!” she didn’t really finish her scentense, but anyone could see how upset she was. “Come on, let’s get you out of here,” You said, reaching out. She took your hand reluctantly and once she stood on solid ground, Azula and Ty Lee dragged her with them to find some dry clothes. You, on the other hand, were already running after the prince. “Zuko, wait!”
Many memories of Zuko were forever branded into your mind. Even then you'd stolen glances at him whenever you felt unobserved. But that was before he participated in an Agni Kai against his father.
You’d turned your face away when it happened. Zuko lost, his screams echoing through the halls, even when he finally got to the healers. Since then a glaring red burn mark graced the skin around his eye. A reminder that would last for life. And that wasn’t even the worst part of it. He was banished. Burdened with the hopeless conquest to find and capture the Avatar. You’d cried as you hugged him goodbye, almost certain you’d never see him again.
"Do you really have to go?” you mumbled into his shoulder, staining it with your tears. The embrace was rough. He recoiled in a matter of seconds, pushing you an arms-length away. It wasn’t the loving touch you were used to. “Yes, i have to. I need to restore my honor, (Y/N),” he said, his tone devoid of any emotion but anger. “But Zuko-,” he interrupted you. “No!” fire was blazing in his eyes. You’d never had his anger directed at you before, and now that you did, it shocked you into silence. “Just leave me alone,” he said, turned around, and walked away. You stood there, rigid, until General Iroh moved to your side. “Please don’t take it personally, (Y/N),” he folded his hands in front of his stomach, looking after his nephew, who was stomping onto the deck of his ship. “He is very desperate right now,” You nodded shortly. “I know,” A sigh left your lips. “That’s why it hurts even more,”
There was nothing. Nothing you could help with. You were losing your best friend and the only thing you could do was watch. Years went by without word or sight of either Zuko or Iroh and not a day went by without remembering them. The prince may be banned from the Nation, but he couldn’t be banned from your heart.
Needless to say you were ecstatic when he returned. You all seemed to be. In the few days spend on Ember Island you all discovered something about yourselves, and each other. You, for example, discovered that you were still very much in love with Zuko. Being with him, talking to him, laughing with him... it all seemed so easy that it ripped your heart apart to see him with Mai. But nevertheless you were more shocked than relieved when she ended things with him.
“Zuko?” you’d followed him after he stormed out of Chan’s house, finally finding him on the steps of their old residence on Ember Island. “What happened?” You sat down next to him. A few moments passed in silence, with both of you lost in thoughts. He didn’t look at you, but eventually he started to speak. “Mai ended things between us,” “Oh...” you weren’t sure what to say... but maybe pretty words weren’t needed for once. Zuko looked stricking under the moonlight, almost unreal. It was a sight so pure that you were reconsidering the idea in your head, but eventually you just followed your heart. “Come here,” He furrowed his brows. “What?” You sighed. He was still angry. After all those years he hadn’t learned to let go. “You need a hug. Come here,” And this time he did. He felt warm, just like he did back when you were kids. Maybe not everything had changed completely, you thought. Maybe things truly could turn out okay.
So when he left once again, for the Avatar, you had to make a choice. With Mai and Ty Lee by your side you eventually stood against Azula, helping Team Avatar to escape the Boiling Rock.
“You should’ve feared me more!” Azula roared in anger at your betrayal. You and Mai had known the consequences of restraining the quards and helping Zuko to escape. And yet you did it. Both of your wirsts were behind your back, bound with a rope, making it almost impossible to defend yourself. But honestly? In this state you would have no chance against Azula. Not even with Mai by your side. The only thing that kept you sane in that moment, was knowing that Zuko had made it out alive and safe. The princess made her move, bringing her fingers together to produce her flames, but it never came to that. Ty Lee blocked her chi faster than anybody could realize what was happening. Azula grunted and gasped as she fell to the floor of the plattform. “Come on! Let’s get out of here!” Ty Lee ran over to try and pull you and Mai away, but the guards surrounded you before you could attempt anything more. “You’re all fools,” Azula growled, still laying on the ground, until the men picked her up. “What shall we do with them, princess?” her face was disorted with rage. “Put them somewhere i’ll never have to see their face again!”
And now that Sozin's Comet was over, Zuko became the Firelord.
He looked like a true leader in the traditional robes, laced with red and gold. A proud expression graced his face, as you looked up at him. His smile genuine and happy. He'd become a wonderful man fit to rule the Nation. Grown more mature with his experiences, something that showed in the look on his face and his posture. And in that moment you were sure. Zuko had never been more beautiful than in this very moment. His amber eyes shined in the sun, glimmering full of love as he looked at Mai.
Deep down you'd always known that the two of you weren't meant to be. You'd known when you were little, playing by the water fountain, the two of them blushing whenever Azula teased them. Or when he was back, leaving the palace in the evening, going out to see her. And you'd known when Mai recieved a goodbye letter, before he joined Aang. Because you didn't.
Now you were stuck in the crowd, applauding the new Fire Lord. Watching as he was joined by the Avatar and pulled Mai into a hug. As the tears welled in your eyes, you felt a hand on your shoulder, squeezing softly. "You're not to blame, (Y/N)," Uncle Iroh's calming voice soothed your nerves, as it did so often before. "The heart wants what it wants,"
You nodded, throat burning from the bottled up emotions. “You’re probably right,” Like he always was. “Happy is her. It was never me,”
You, daughter of a former general, should now become advisor to the Fire Lord. But honestly? You couldn't. And you couldn't bare to tell him. Watching him with Mai filled you with joy. So much joy. And pain. Your two closest friends had found each other to form a beautiful bond. Who were you to take it from them?
So this time, again, Mai was the only one to recieve a letter. It sat on your pillow, were she'd certainly find it. The both of you had formed a habit when you were young, often sneaking into each others bedrooms once it was late, talking about every thought that clouded your minds. Everything but the fact that you were in love with her boyfriend.
Dear Mai,
I want to say that I’m sorry. I need to. By the time you’re reading this letter, i am gone. And i want you to know why.
First of all i want to apologize that you and Zuko will have to look for another advisor who will stand in my place, for i am not coming back. Please don’t search for me, or try to reach me. This is the path i have chosen for myself.
I don’t want to blame you for my disappearance, and yet i have to tell you why i had to leave. I am in love with Zuko. I have been since we were kids. Nobody ever noticed. And i never said anything, because i didn’t want to hurt you. I love you, Mai. I love the both of you so much, it hurts. And i can’t deny the fact that i would’ve liked to be where you are right now. But i know that you love him. And you make him happy. I can live with that. Though seeing you two together every day is something my heart can’t seem to bear anymore. I’m cursed to love someone i cannot have. I don’t want to have. Because i see how joyful you are, now that the two of you can finally be together. I don’t want to be the person to destroy that bond in my jealousy.
In conclusion i thought it would be best to remove myself from the situation. And from the position offered.
I’m going to miss you so much, you have no idea. I want you to know it’s not your fault. And that i am always with you in mind and heart. Nothing i have ever done was harder than writing this letter. No fight was ever more brutal than leaving you, my friend. I wish you all the best. And i love you.
Your best friend,
(Y/N)
You’d asked yourself often... why him? Out of all people, why did it have to be him? But if you had to be genuine with yourself, you knew exactly why. Zuko was someone who had to face a lot of trauma to be who he was now. To be who you loved. His strength, his humor, the way he rubbed his neck when he was embarrassed or the dimples in his cheeks when he smiled. You could name countless reasons why you loved him. But you also knew all the reasons why you shouldn’t. And Mai. The stunning, silent, wonderful Mai. She deserved everything and more. And spirits, you wished them all the best in this world.
"Thank you, Iroh," you whispered blinking back the tears, before you turned around and went. You left behind your best friends, the Fire Lord, your Nation. All was lost as you your back faced the crowd, climbing into the next carriage. It was finally over. Once and for all.
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Umbrella Pantheon pt 3
Continuing onward we now arrive at the Winterses. One gripe i have abt Re8 is that we didn’t get as much Mia as we could have so she has a bigger role. I love these guys and Ethan’s dumbassery. I’m close to finishing playing re7 so i’ll have something written out for the Bakers too.
The Winterses
Before she met Ethan, Mia was a part of an order of knights who observed and protected minor gods in order to use them to their benefit. Mia and Ethan were married by the time she was exposed and given godhood by The Spurned Daughter and the Baker Pantheon. Through the gift of Eveline she gained memories of the War Maiden in the ancient past and, although weak at first, became a force to be reckoned with in the pantheon.
The first encounter Ethan had with the Bakers didn’t leave a good first impression of gods in general. After coming from a distant land, Winters, one by one, dispatched each of the gods in order to rescue his wife. Though he could not quite kill them as he had no awareness or control over his godhood. Eventually Ethan arrived and had to face his wife gone mad with godhood and eventually became her anchor for her humanity.
Once they escaped the western pantheon they were guided by a cloaked warrior known as Redfield. They lived content in Leagăn with their shared and peaceful divinity until Mother Miranda kidnapped their child in order to recreate her own daughter in a perfect form greater than that of any god before or to be.
Ethan Winters / Demigod of Equilibrium and Endurance / Cold Night / It that Will Freeze / The Godslayer
Ethan and Mia immediately were on the move. After he and Mia were separated he was taken personally by Heisenberg, who took interest in this new demigod, to his mother. Miranda scorned Ethan and said that the only chance he would ever see Rose again would be by completing impossible tasks given by each of the gods. These would take years to fulfill individually but he was willing to put in the time to save his family, even still without knowing the extent of his divine capabilities. Though every so often either Heisenberg or the Duke will offer boons to aid him in his tasks. Ethan tries not to rely on gods too much but does relent when a task is too great. Despite his patience wearing thin with each of the gods with each passing day he moves forward. He has no regard for how they make of him and insults the gods directly if they piss him off. Only the Duke is able to soften him with good food and good conversation, and the thought of Mia and Rose waiting for him.
The Tasks:
Moreau tasked him with helping him with making a new cure for a sickness harrowing his worshippers, with a key ingredient lying underneath the bottom of the great lake’s waters.
Dimitrescu tasked him with fulfilling each of her daughters with their one true wish. Bela wishing for the most thrilling hunt of her life, Cassandra wishing for the most filling meal she’s ever eaten, and Daniela wishing for the heart of a maiden (in a romantic way).
Beneviento tasked him with finding the rarest flowers to be used as set dressing for her newest play; they must all have each individual petal in place and unharmed.
And Heisenberg tasked him with simply embracing his father, Sturm Heisenberg, giving him just a moment of peace.
The more he progressed with these tasks the more Miranda realized that he could not be stopped and consistently sent whatever forces she could spare to delay his progress to give her more time with the vessel of her soon-to-be daughter. When she consulted with the Dark God as to the nature of this man she received visions of the lush land of Leagăn being covered in frost and ice, devoid of its gods, and enshrouded in an eternal night. But after this age of gods a new one would sprout and change the world completely, either giving it a new start or its true and final end. And still Winter’s trudges onwards towards his goal, the entire time while he completes these tasks collects tools that could be used to kill the gods in case they double cross him. Some of these tools included: Wolfsbane and Dagger of Death's Flowers.
Mia Winters / Demigod of War and Passion / The One Part Mother / Battle Incarnate
Mia took to the war path fighting against every werewolf in her path. She was able to carve a path for Ethan to break through but she was eventually captured, but she still resisted. From within the dungeon of Mother Miranda’s Palace she repeatedly fought warriors that were spawned from the Grimm Egg. She was kept as a gladiator for the gods to watch fight endless battles at their leisure. Heisenberg took pleasure in sending her some of his own creations to test their mettle and Donna sends in puppets to practice battle choreography. This kept a large part of their forces from being focused on Ethan and his quests. Donna would occasionally visit and watch her battle it out for inspiration for plays and the like. On the occasional moments when she rests, some gods will speak with her while she is exhausted and unable to harm them. Moreau will talk with her about Rose and how she is doing while being raised by Miranda, any news gives Mia joy knowing she is safe and will ask requests of him to tell her daughter she loves her. Dimitrescu has a hard time staying away from her as she is a fellow god and mother, but Alcina’s loyalties lie strongly with her own mother (this doesn’t mean she won’t have an occasional conversation taunting her husband's efforts or complimenting her ferocity).
Rosemary Winters / God of the Beginning and End / She that Could End All / The Promised Child / The Warmth in the Cold Night / Reborn From the Knowing Grave
Rose has a few faint memories of her true parents, but being little more than a toddler there isn’t much to remember in the first place. Her growth within the circle of the Four Great Lords is an odd one, she is being raised to be a god above all gods but hasn’t shown much capability as of yet, despite the forewarning she would be the only god left in the end. The Aphid sisters enjoy the presence of a brand new sister-god to rule with and Alcina gladly offers to teach her and look after Rose at times. Neither Moreau nor Heisenberg know how to properly act or treat such an infant. Moreau tries his best and offers her treats and encourages Karl to make toys and trinkets for her, but the best that comes of it are things resembling bear traps. He insists they’re safe but the toys are actually tests to inspect the capabilities of this young god. Donna is Rose’s rescuer in this instance offering a variety of playmates that will never tire and know thousands of stories between them.
Only time will tell if Rosemary Winters truly becomes the blooming flower in the frozen night, or ensures the end of heat itself.
#resident evil#resident evil village#dimitrescu#moreau#donna beneviento#karl heisenberg#re8 au#re8 village#Ethan Winters#Mia Winters#rose winters#umbrella pantheon#mother miranda
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I posted 14,703 times in 2022
That's 12,374 more posts than 2021!
666 posts created (5%)
14,037 posts reblogged (95%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@the-astro-ambassadors
@sabertoothwalrus
@shellyseashell
@greenalmond
@riverside-lavender
I tagged 2,164 of my posts in 2022
#tlc - 67 posts
#the lunar chronicles - 51 posts
#linh cinder - 24 posts
#wolf kesley - 24 posts
#prev - 23 posts
#scarlet benoit - 23 posts
#jacin clay - 22 posts
#winter hayle blackburn - 20 posts
#my art - 20 posts
#miraculous ladybug - 18 posts
Longest Tag: 138 characters
#they’re not completely devoid of love for their daughter but they’re only doing it to convince themselves that they’re not horrible people
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
give me the most random tlc hc's you have about the crew during the revolution
oh yes please!
number one, wolflet DID NOT HAVE SEX ON THE RAMPION VIOLETA I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL FIGHT YOU TO THE DEATH ON THIS
wolf sang to himself and hummed while making coffee
jacin was purposely luxurious in using the rampion’s supplies. maybe because it had been a while before he could be mean to his peers without punishment, so he took this chance to mess with cinder. because he’s a little bitch.
iko and cress were very close. their friendship started when iko cut her hair and cress confessed to iko about her feelings for thorne. i have no idea if iko’s mental age is fourteen or forty five, but i think it’d be a fun experience for her to just be a girl and have fun. and cress totally did weird technology programming stuff to her. sounds creepy but. oh well.
kaider had unsatisfactory sex for the first time on the rampion and felt a little embarrassed about it for a while, but they eventually powered through it and kept their relationship strong.
wolf wanted to grow a beard, like a huge one, but felt that it would only bring attention to the fact that he’s TWENTY THREE YEARS OLD, so reluctantly kept it clean shaven. he and thorne were definitely beard buddies after the war though.
THORNE AND WOLF ARE BROTHERS OK. wolf is like the older male figure that thorne looked up to, and thorne is wolf’s chance at another younger brother. their contrast between abused lunar soldier and rich, sheltered american really seals the deal for a bomb dynamic. and wolf would totally redefine the idea of masculinity for thorne, really make him get rid of all that toxic shit. he also calls thorne carswell to piss them off. no this is not a carswolf post but could be.
scarlet was either bra-less or only wearing a bra on the rampion. not in a sexual way but in a farm girl way.
129 notes - Posted May 22, 2022
#4
177 notes - Posted March 3, 2022
#3
it would be so cool if the tlc adaptation kept the characters’ accents!! chinese for cinder, iko, and kai, french for scarlet, american for thorne, maybe create something new for lunars? let the voice actors have fun!
197 notes - Posted January 30, 2022
#2
208 notes - Posted January 7, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
oh, marissa ;)
273 notes - Posted May 12, 2022
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The Champion of Olympus - Ares’s Arrogance
By thegeneralguy
Revised by @amalianetwork
The chariot of the sun was finishing its daily round over Mount Olympus, leaving a crimson trail in its path. The beautiful sky was painted red, the golden rooftops of the monumental temples and lavish palaces reflecting the majestic sunset´s light. In the inner circle of heaven, the faint sound of metal clashes resonated through the cloudy hills, where all the Olympian´s residences stood proudly watching over the vast extent of the celestial realm. The furious battle cries were coming from the dominion of the god of war. The magnificent mansion stood out of the rest of the buildings due to the dark marble composing its solemn columns, along with a vibrant bronze rooftop that illuminated the surroundings in a permanent hue of carmine.
The aggressive cacophony was coming from the inner courtyard, which occupied the biggest part of the palace. Ares was in the middle of a fierce battle against two other gods, wielding his giant golden spear to strike them with fury over and over again. His extremely muscular body did not impede his battle prowess, as he gracefully danced with the spear as an extension of his limbs. Both lesser gods brandished two identical golden swords, masterfully avoiding and countering the bigger deity's attacks. With the might of his enormous arm, the god of war planted his weapon on the ground propelling himself into a somersault and successfully jumping over the two surprised beings. Suspended on the air he then knocked down both his foes with a fast sweep of his powerful leg, landing gracefully on top of them.
"Again."
He said in a gruff bass voice, his fiery crimson eyes glaring down at the two defeated gods struggling to get back on their feet. Just as they were getting ready to clash weapons again, a bright pink flash replaced the bloody red atmosphere for an instant, leaving behind the most beautiful woman in existence. Ares put down his spear and walked towards his past lover, Aphrodite. She stared seductively at her forbidden object for desire. After all the eons resisting the urge to touch again, the mighty god of war still looked as imposing as the first time they fell for each other. His white robe was perched over one shoulder, exposing one half of his titanic chest. The enormous arms he once used to crack the skulls of his enemies rippled with power, thick veins pumping the holy ichor inside of them. His legs looked stronger than the dark marble columns supporting the palace. Many mementos from his previous battles decorated his bronze skin in the form of many little marks left by the few weapons that were able to harm him.
His brutish face was half concealed by a dense black beard and had a big scar that ran across from his hanging brow, through his eye, and got lost in the hair on his square chin. His intimidating appearance was only accentuated by his bald head, along with the piercing red eyes that flared with the rage of a thousand wars underneath. He approached the goddess, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her close, only to be pushed back by her slender arm.
"You know how he gets when he knows we're together, Ares."
The beautiful deity could barely hold her urge to make love with the masculine god in front of her, but the fear was greater than any other primal instinct she could feel. Ares grunted annoyed, and let the woman out of his embrace.
"I could take on him you know, and you would be finally free. Free to be with me for the rest of eternity."
Aphrodite looked at her former lover with a deep-rooted sadness behind her dark pink eyes and raised her elegant hand to caress the god's rough cheek. Ares took her hand delicately, like a gorilla grabbing the most delicate of a rose's petals, and planted a kiss full of passion and nostalgia of an immemorial time, when they were together, on her palm. They both stood still for a moment, and then Aphrodite removed her hand from his grip and took a step back.
"You know that can't be. Even though you're the god of war and combat, you're still no match for Hephaestus's might. Remember what happened last time."
Ares's winced for a moment, his melancholic visage quickly returning to its natural angry sneer. Of course, he remembered the humiliation his brother put his own wife and him through, exposing their affair to the rest of the gods. The animosity both of his parents felt for him only increased, making the god even more of an outcast than he already was. Only his desire for the goddess of beauty was stronger than his undying loyalty for his father, trying desperately to gain his favor in every conflict. But all his attempts failed miserably, especially when his sister Athena was involved. Zeus, although prideful and violent, was a brilliant strategist and he always sided with his wiser and more intelligent daughter, often leaving the god of war hurt in his pride. He looked back at Aphrodite reproachingly, wondering what the goddess's visit truly meant.
"What are you looking for Aphrodite? If you know Hephaestus doesn't like to see you with me, what is it that brings you to interrupt my training?"
"I know how these situations tend to put you under too much pressure. I just wanted to ask what you were planning to do concerning the trial of the Champion."
"It's been a long time since father has put a challenge on all of us. This might be my opportunity to prove once and for all that I'm the one he should be turning to in troubling times, not Athena."
The god of war was a force to be reckoned with. His prowess in battle was matched by no one in Mount Olympus, and his sheer force was only rivaled by few other deities. But although he was a fearsome opponent for whoever dared in challenging him, he had one fatal flaw: his arrogance. His thirst for blood and violence, when combined with his superiority complex, bred poor choices in and out of battle, often resulting in the mighty god being ridiculed. All the emotions from defeat were only magnified by his enormous ego, creating a bitter outcast who was often ignored by the rest of his fellow deities. Aphrodite knew that deep inside that glorious body and arrogant demeanor was a deep sadness product of rejection from his own family.
"I know how you feel Ares, but I would advise you not to waste too much energy in this affair. You know how Zeus can be when it comes to a world-ending crisis. I don't want you to get more hurt…"
She then took a step forward to put her hand on his gargantuan chest. Ares quickly turned his back towards Aphrodite, unable to keep the emotions from projecting on his face.
"What do you, the goddess of beauty, know about rejection? Father is completely blind to my superior power, and it's my duty to show him he has the most mighty ally for whatever challenge he might face. I have to eclipse the other competitors to take my rightful place on his side. Especially Athena."
The rivalry between the god of war and the goddess of wisdom was not unheard of in Mount Olympus. Even the epic tales from the terrestrial plane depicted the many victories Athena had against Ares. The big scar on the god's face was an eternal reminder of the goddess's superior abilities, often fueling the god's rage in battle every time he caught a glimpse of it in the reflection of a shield. Aphrodite wasn't very keen on Athena either, often clashing with her because of their separate views on vices and virtues, but it was nothing compared to the strong hatred Ares felt for her. The goddess of beauty then took a few steps forward to stand next to the strong deity.
"I guess there is no point in trying to stop you. I would advise you to be careful though. I don't know if you noticed, but Zeus's demeanor seemed very strange during the reunion. You'd be deceiving yourself if you didn't think the ascension of a new champion is not something out of the ordinary."
The god of war stood quiet for some time, reflecting on Aphrodite's words. It was true that the ritual of ascension was a holy ceremony, reserved for heroic acts of celebration instead of an emergency of this type. The last time he tried to gift a mortal with the divine essence, he watched helplessly as his devotee was consumed by its power, obliterating him. He couldn't even remember when was the last time the ritual was successful. But all these concerns were of little meaning for Ares. Before he stood a perfect opportunity to demonstrate his power and to show his abnegation for his father.
"I already made up my mind, Aphrodite. I will personally descend to the Earth and create the best Champion there is. No one will be able to stand against him, for he will be forged by my superior power."
Aphrodite let out a frustrated sigh, knowing her attempts of dissuading the god from taking part in this ridiculous plan were pointless. This whole plot seemed very suspicious for her, but she couldn't exactly point out what was going on. If Ares wasn't going to help her find out, she'll have to resort to other more extreme means. She then looked at the two godlings standing firmly waiting for Ares's command. Both looked practically identical, standing tall and strong like their father, but their handsome faces devoid of their progenitor's magnificent beard. They also had heads full of thick dark brown curls, encasing their more youthful faces. Their muscular bodies were also covered by numerous scars, mostly done by their father's spear.
"Look at my poor children. What have you done to them, Ares?"
Phobos and Deimos were the twin children of beauty and war, born out of human's innermost primal instinct: fear. Both godlings owed an undying loyalty to their father, often accompanying him in each of his affairs. Ares walked towards them, inspecting every inch of his two soldiers, who stood there firmly in silence awaiting their father's command.
"I made them into what they're right now. Two war weapons capable of sowing despair out of mortal hearts. And it seems I'll make use of their service once again. I'm going to make use of a couple of tricks you've shown me."
"If you already made your decision, it is useless to remain here and try to convince you otherwise. Just a word of advice Ares, don't let your pride be your downfall once again."
The goddess disappeared then with a flash, leaving Ares and the two godlings alone once again. The god of war then pondered on the goddess's words, wondering if he should change his mind and challenge his father, like many members of his family were going to. He remembered an ancient saying from another mortal cult: pride goes before the fall. But he quickly dismissed any doubt circling his mind. An opportunity to gain Zeus's grace wasn't going to present itself that easily again. It was his chance to demonstrate his superior existence, and take Athena's place right next to their father. His rugged face was drawn with a sinister smile. He was going to reap a human from his sister's flock, proving once and for all who the most powerful warrior of Olympus was.
It was an unusually agitated day for Athens High. The days before summer vacation were always received with enthusiasm by the students, and relief by the faculty members. Colorful school banners announcing the graduation ceremony for the seniors decorated the hallways, proudly signifying another school year's death. Every student was filled to the brim of school spirit, enthusiastically signing yearbooks, taking pictures, and joking with their soon to be former teachers. All except one. Leon Machiavelli sat quietly at his desk, tapping his feet nervously while he waited for the ultimate call for freedom that was the ringing of the bell on the last school day.
High school could be harsh for someone like Leon. The 19-year-old always felt like a fish out of water when it came to socializing with his classmates, most of his time spent on furthering his knowledge and improving his chances of getting into an Ivy League college, finally ridding himself of the shackles that an upbringing in a small rural town in the middle of nowhere could bring. The few friendships he managed to make over the course of his years through school were few and far too insignificant to regret his choice in moving to the other side of the country and never hearing from them again. Not to mention his troubled relationship with his parents, who were concerned by their son's more hermit nature. His family had been living in that town for a few generations, owning some small businesses in the surrounding area and establishing itself as one of the most aristocratic families in the county.
The swan song of the school year chimed in the form of the bell's ring, causing excited screams and cheers from all students. Notebooks were propelled into the air, paper falling everywhere painting the floor with white. Girls exchanged teary hugs, immortalizing their last moments in the classroom with their smartphones and guys hollered and smashed against each other in fraternal hugs. Leon swiftly picked up his backpack and made a beeline towards the exit, already feeling claustrophobic in the middle of the chaos. He made his way through the sea of students, already feeling the scorching hot summer air blowing at his face. When he was just a step away from freedom, he felt a meaty hand on his shoulder pulling him back inside. He turned around with an exasperated look on his face, only to find out the hand belonged to Kevin Volker, the varsity football captain.
"Leon, bro, what's up? I haven't seen you all day."
The relationship between the hunky jock and the hermit bookworm was, to say the least, complicated. Both boys practically grew up together, their families living next to each other and going to the same school from kindergarten all through to high school. Childish wonder pushed them to form a very good friendship in their first years of development. Family barbeques, playdates, camping trips, both boys had all the necessary qualities to become the best of friends. The fact that their parents were also friends and business partners was also a good advantage for them to keep interacting almost like brothers. All their years of primary school were spent joyfully carefree, with both boys enjoying the wonder of practically living together and embarking on whichever childish adventure they wanted.
But things got different once Kevin's biological clock sent him spiraling into puberty. The gorgeous blonde boy became an athletic teenager, and his energetic nature combined with his newly acquired physical prowess turned him into a social sensation in school. The allure of the childish fantasies he used to share with his best friend was slowly replaced by the enjoyment a real-life circle of friends could bring. Kevin naturally went up the ladder of the monstrous social scale that was high school. The sports teams didn't waste any time in hunting him down, but it was the school's most prided one that caught him in the end: the football team. After just four years the cute teen had developed into a strapping young man, with an all-American jock face and a body to die for.
Watching his best friend turn into the king of school wasn't easy for Leon. The slow abandonment combined with his frustrations over his very delayed development slowly bittered him. Instead of growing up big and strong like Kevin, Leon just gained a few inches in height, but a lot of pounds in weight. He resented his friend for getting the attention of their peers and leaving him alone to fuel their fantasy world on his own. He resented his friend for gaining the grace of other students, and soon cut all ties to him. The chubby red-head grew up alone in the darkness of his bedroom, while the blonde stud dwelled in the sunlight. His natural curiosity pushed him into pursuing knowledge, far prioritizing the cultivation of the mind instead of the body. His academic achievements mixed in with his hidden frustrations bred an arrogance delusion. Leon convinced himself that he was too good for other people, shielding himself from the pain of rejection. Completely dismissing any attempt of remaining active took a toll on his body, turning the chubby teen into an overweight young man with a disheveled appearance. Every time he saw Kevin, he remembered their lost childhood and caught a glimpse of his true reality. The muscular jock served as a window of truth in Leon's arrogant delusion: his loneliness was a product of his own doing.
"I was just busy getting my things ready for tomorrow's speech. Can I help you with anything?"
He bitterly stared into the jock's blue eyes and saw exactly the look that he hated. Even though Kevin grew dismissive towards him, he never once participated in the occasional bullying red-head suffered, often offering to help out with whatever he needed. His usual cocky gaze hid a deep-set sympathy for the lonely nerd, and Leon hated that. He didn't need the sympathy of someone he considered inferior.
"No, it's all good thanks. I'm going to drive home first to pick up my gym bag, and I wanted to offer you a ride. It's too fucking hot out there, man,” said Kevin with a burst of awkward laughter. His deep voice vibrated on his chest, which twitched playfully from time to time. Leon scanned his former friend with a resentful gaze. The heavily muscled jock was encased in the trendiest designer clothes, his bulging arms threatening to rip his polo's sleeves apart, and the tree trunks he had for legs wrapped in skin-tight chinos, showcasing the deep definition within the heavy muscles. He tried his best not to stare too much into the body and kept his apathetic frown fixed on his piercing blue eyes.
"Thank you, but I'm gonna take the bus. There's some stuff in town I need to sort out first."
"That's ok, guess I'll see you tomorrow in the graduation ceremony then,” said Kevin with a subdued sigh. Leon turned around without saying anything and headed outside towards the searing sunlight. Even though he kept a straight face during the exchange with his former friend, his fists were clenched due to the anger he felt. Even after all those years, Leon's heart still skipped a beat every time the jock was nearby. No matter how much he tried to deceive himself into thinking he was the superior of the two, he couldn't get rid of the feelings he had for his former friend.
"Congratulations on the valedictorian thing by the way!"
He managed to scream before Leon was outside the door. The chubby red-head barely turned around, and with a weak thanks, he was lost in the blinding light.
The little town's main street was buzzing with activity on the hot summer afternoon. Families paraded themselves on the sidewalk, eating ice cream and letting the kids play on the numerous water fountains around the place. Little restaurants and boutiques decorated the sides of the street, offering a colorful option of both local and imported goods to the town's small population. The Machiavelli family owned many of those businesses and almost every convenience store in town. Leon was heading to the family's favored tailor to meet his mother to get his outfit for the graduation ready. After all, the son of one of the town's most important families couldn't show up in his usual disheveled state to his high school graduation. Leon always thought things like fashion and social status were frivolities, intellectually inferior people used to feel better about themselves, so he gave little importance to them. Even now on the threshold of the rest of his life, he could care less about how he looked, but his mother insisted so much that he gave in to her requests to keep her from nagging him any longer.
The little bell on top of the door chimed in when he entered the door, attracting the attention of his mother, who was enthusiastically discussing ties and bows with the tailor.
"Honey, you made it! Step in front of the mirror please, Mr. Schneider will take your final measurements."
No one would think the chubby teenager was related to the elegant woman standing next to the counter. She looked flawless despite her age and dressed impeccably no matter if she was at a charity ball or going to the supermarket. The only trait that tied both of them to each other was their fiery red hair, which she kept in a perfect updo fully solidifying her upper-class status. Without saying a word, Leon stepped up to the little platform surrounded by three body-sized mirrors. The tailor approached him, fully armed with his measuring tape and a set of pins to hold the seams and folds in place.
"What do you think of this tie honey? I think the green would highlight your…"
The excited chatter of his mother soon faded away, as Leon focused more and more on his reflection of the three pieced mirrors. It looked like puberty forgot about him in the middle of the way. He never really grew that much in height, topping at a shorter 5'5. The prominent curve of his stomach was visible through the simple black t-shirt he was wearing, deforming The legend of Zelda's Triforce symbol together with his sagging chest. His stubby arms laid powerless on his sides, and his chubby legs were hidden under a pair of oversized jeans. His pale freckled face was covered by pimples, accentuating his unclean appearance, and it still sported the signs of infancy he never outgrew, with chubby cheeks and a small nose. The most prominent feature on him was his bright green eyes, courtesy of his mother's Irish heritage, along with his unkempt red curls. He had convinced himself long ago that an unkept body was not a problem as long as the mind flourished, so he gave up on any attempt in bettering his appearance. Dwelling in his thoughts he didn't realize the tailor was done measuring and was discussing the suit's finishing touches with his mother, who didn't wait for her son's approval on the rest of the accessories.
"Is that all mom?"
He asked a bit annoyed whilst grabbing his belongings and heading to the door.
"Yes honey, I'll arrange the rest with Mr. Schneider. You will look so handsome tomorrow. I'll see you at home later."
She answered without even looking at him. Leon sighed and headed outside, not wanting to spend another second thinking in tomorrow's ceremony, and made his way towards his house.
The Machiavelli family's estate consisted of a big two-story house, a big garden with a swimming pool, and a small guest house. There was no doubt that it belonged to very affluent people. The mansion's pearl white walls reflected the afternoon sunlight, almost giving it an incandescent glow. Leon entered through the massive oak doors and headed straight for his room. On his way there he couldn't help but catch a glimpse of the massive family portrait in the house's foyer. A younger Leon smiled faintly back at him; his chubby body encased in a black suit just like his father. The elegant man looked imposing with his strong physique and masculine features. The only common thing Leon and his father had was their last name because no one would say the pale red-head was related to the mature Italian stud that was his father. His mom looked perfect as usual, leaving Leon sticking out like a sore thumb between his two impressive progenitors. He tried his best to ignore the picture like he always did and enclosed himself in his private sanctuary.
His room was decorated with posters of antique temples, beautiful palaces, and imposing sculptures. Leon's love for fantasy had slowly driven him into researching the origin of human imagination itself, and therefore human's creative history. His ultimate goal was to become erudite of anthropology, teaching and researching in the most lauded institutions on the field and finally gaining the recognition of better people than the small-town folk he loved to look down upon. He sat down on his desk to revise his prepared speech for the graduation ceremony one last time. Despite his parent's best effort to dissuade him, Leon was willing to perform a bitter soliloquy expressing his frustrations against his classmates and solidifying his status as the class' arrogant intellectual. Beneath the snarky remarks and morality lectures written on paper, laid a profound pain product of his loneliness. His train of thought slowly brought the image of Kevin into his head again. Leon was going to finally be free of watching him blossom more and more every day. But even if he moved across the country, he was still unsure he would ever be able to forget the handsome jock. After all, despite the endless hours he spent convincing himself Kevin abandoned him out of malice, he was the only person Leon ever loved.
The chubby red-head barely gave any thought to his sexuality. He considered any kind of lust as a distraction, a primal burden that impeded the full growth of the human psyche. Unlike practically all of his classmates, he wore his virginity as a badge of honor, his mind completely clean of the stain of sex. But despite trying his best to suppress his natural urges, the thought of Kevin always came through inside his head. The connection they shared when they were children still transcended the barriers Leon tried to put up to elevate himself. And the fact that the handsome jock looked like a classical Greek sculpture come to life didn't help the lascivious thoughts leave the nerd's mind. Leon tried to hate Kevin as much as he could because if he didn't, he would become the ultimate shackles preventing him from breaking free from his small-town life once and for all. The last golden rays of sunset light came into the room through the big windows, illuminating the red-head's face. His gaze was glued to the sheet of paper in front of him. This speech was an ode to intellectual growth, and a farewell to the life Leon chose to leave behind. He went into bed exhausted, nervous about the events coming up the next day. It was going to be the last time Leon Machiavelli graced his classmates with his thoughts. Afterward, the only way they could catch a glimpse of his brilliant mind was either buying his future publications or listening to his TED talks.
It was past midnight when Leon was woken up by a shiver down his spine. The pale moonlight illuminated his bedroom, casting out gruesome shadows out of every corner. The nerd had the feeling something was staring at him from the darkness. The entire room was scorching hot, despite the cold night air flowing through an open window. A low animal growl attracted Leon's attention towards the darkest corner in the bedroom. His face went pale with fear when he discovered the two big glowing red eyes staring at him maliciously. A black figure slowly crept out of the shadows, making itself visible thanks to the white moonlight. Leon stared speechless at the giant black dog growling at him menacingly from the other side of the room. His big snout was curled up into an angry snarl, making the dagger sized fangs visible. The terrified nerd was petrified in his bed, unable to muster the minimal courage to even scream for help. Without taking his eyes off of him, the black dog spoke with a deep man's voice.
"When the time comes, follow me. I will give you what you want"
And as soon as it appeared, it melted into the shadows, leaving the red-head alone to faint out of the fear he just experienced.
The golden rays of sunlight in the late morning woke Leon up, who groggily rubbed his eyes and got up. Despite sleeping through the night, he felt exhausted. He was unsure if what he saw in the darkness had been real or just a product of the stress before graduation. He looked at the clock on his nightstand, only to realize he had slept through his alarm and was already running late.
"Damn it"
He yelled exasperated as he jumped out of bed to get ready for his ceremony. He splashed some water face and combed his red curls a little bit just to hide the mark the pillow had left on his head. One of the maids brought up the finished suit his mother had bought the previous day. It was a beautiful dark grey suit, Italian cut, with an emerald green tie and a handkerchief to match. He quickly put it on, feeling it snug against his body. Despite the suit being tailored to his exact fit, the outward curve of his prominent stomach was still visible, putting a slight strain on the buttons. The emerald green tie did highlight his eyes, just like his mother told him before buying it. He took the cards for his upcoming speech and made sure he had everything ready for the ceremony. On his way out, he looked at his reflection on the big mirror in the hallway. Even after neglecting his appearance today, the beauty of the suit made him look almost distinguished. He felt strong, ready to sever his ties to this town and his past. It was going to be a memorable day, marking the beginning of his new life.
He arrived at the ground floor of the mansion, only to find it empty. A small note was laying on top of the little table next to the entrance.
"Your father and I went to the club for a quick workout. We'll see you later at school. Tell Charlie to drive you there if you don't want to take one of the cars."
He crushed the little note on his hands, feeling a pang of pain due to his parents' absence. It wasn't unusual for his mother to delegate accompanying him to the chauffeur, but Leon thought the day of his high school graduation was going to be different. He quickly dismissed any sorrow from his head, replacing it with a fiery determination. His speech today was also inspired by his aloof parents, who barely gave their only son a second thought. He looked at the big family portrait one last time. With this suit, he might have looked a bit like he belonged, but he knew the truth. His destiny was far away from this little town, which was below his expectations.
The school was buzzing with activity, with teachers running everywhere getting every last detail prepared, and students getting their graduation robes ready for the ceremony. Colorful banners decorated the main courtyard, where a scenario with a podium and a line of seats was built. The many rows of chairs in front of it were already filling themselves up with enthusiastic families, readying their cameras for their children's special moments. Leon scoffed at the scene, thinking how sad it was that this was going to be the only highlight in their offspring's life. He picked up his robe and valedictorian sash and headed towards his seat. In the distance, he saw Kevin arrive with both of his parents. The gorgeous stud was impeccably dressed in a beautiful sapphire blue suit. Every muscle was perfectly framed and enveloped in the expensive fabric, accentuating the dramatic angles his body formed. His dirty blond hair was perfectly styled in his usual messy style, and his white smile beamed stronger than the sun itself. Leon couldn't take his eyes off from his former friend, making an inhumane effort to remain focused on his goal. This day was going to be about him for the first time, not about Kevin.
The ceremony began after all the attendants took their seats, with the principal opening the day with a generic speech about school spirit and class fraternity. Leon fiddled with his cards nervously, the pressure of his big moment slowly starting to overcome him. He couldn't help but ask himself if he was willing to pull through it. After all, his classmates were still people deserving of respect, even if he considered them intellectually inferior. But then the memory of Kevin laughing with all of them, sharing the fabled fraternal bond the principal was talking about, and excluding Leon from their circle solidified his decision. The words he was going to say could be harsh, but it was something he felt entitled to share.
"And now, please welcome the Athens High class of 2019 valedictorian, Leon Machiavelli."
The sound of the applause woke Leon up from his daze, as he stood up and made his way to the podium. All the eyes in the audience were for the first time focused on him. The scorching sunlight made him feel a little light-headed, his hair matted with sweat, and his body sticking uncomfortably to his suit. He looked at the seats below him, squinting his eyes due to the sun's intense shine. All of the chairs were occupied, except two, very close to the front rows. Leon let out a sorrowful sigh, the last ember of hope of sharing this moment with his parents dying. He put his cards down, took a big breath, and started speaking.
"My fellow students of Athens High. The promised day is finally upon us, the day when we will finally take flight and begin the rest of our lives. Most of you don't even know who I am, but after today you will never forget my name. When I was writing this speech, I couldn't help but notice a few ironic facts that I would like to share with you. It is fitting that our school mascot is an owl because that is how I've felt all these years. I've dedicated countless hours to quietly observing your behavior, your desires, and every intricate social structure in our school, and I can't help but feel immense gratitude. Thanks to all of you, I've blossomed into the epitome of human intelligence and wisdom that I am today. And let me tell you why. After a long analysis, I've come up with the conclusion that my greatest fear is becoming as simple as one of you…."
Something beyond the sun's glare caught his attention. At first, he thought it might be a mirage caused by the burning heat, but the more he focused on it, the clearer it became. A shadow beneath a far tree looked eerily familiar. Leon's hands started to tremble in fear, as he recognized the black dog from last night staring at him from the distance, its glowing red eyes visible through the blinding sunlight. His entire speech suddenly vanished from his mind, together with the fleeting empowerment he was feeling moments ago. He fumbled nervously with the cards, only to drop them by accident.
"You….uh…..I…"
The echoes of his nervous words coming from the speakers resonated through the courtyard. Curious eyes focused on Leon, who quickly turned into a sweaty mess. He looked at Kevin in the front row, who had a worried look on his face. He felt a shame he had never felt before. Being humiliated in front of half the town was the last thing Leon wanted. He searched for the dog again, only for it to vanish without a trace. He looked at the public in defeat and managed to scavenge some last words to minimize the embarrassment.
"I want to thank you all for coming. Enjoy the rest of the ceremony."
With those last words, Leon left the podium and sank into his seat, wishing for the earth to swallow him. The principal took the microphone again and followed through with the protocol.
"Thank you, Leon, for those, uh, inspiring words. And now, we will present the students with their diplomas."
Leon sat in his place quietly, staring at the green grass. In his mind, the only thing that was present was the horrible feeling of embarrassment. Everything he had planned; all the preparation and previous excitement had been for nothing. The muffled sound of pomp and circumstance blasting out of the speakers was all he could hear, as the principal went through the line of students calling each of them to the podium and shaking hands with them. One face still stood out from the rest: Kevin's. One thing was failing in front of his classmates, but failing in the presence of the person he wanted to impress the most made everything worse. Now Kevin would never find out how well-off Leon thought he was despite being abandoned by the handsome jock. Somewhere inside the cacophony governing the courtyard, he heard his name, and without taking his gaze off the ground he stood up and picked up his diploma. He gave the principal a weak handshake and quickly slid back into his chair. This moment was indeed immortalized in his mind, but not in the way he intended.
Once all students got their respective acknowledgments, the ceremony ended with Oxford caps decorating the sky accompanied by deafening applause. Families reunited in the whole courtyard, hugging and blasting pictures everywhere. Leon was still in his seat when he saw both his parents approaching him.
"Honey, sorry we're late. How was your speech,” asked his mother without any hint of remorse in her voice. Leon was used to being left behind by his family, but this time he felt actual pain. If his parents were there, the only people with whom he shared some kind of superficial connection, he wouldn't have felt so helpless in the aftermath of his speech debacle. He looked up at his parents with cold wrath in his eyes, tears starting to slowly well up inside them.
"I don't ask much of you. I don't mind when you hide me at your parties, or when you go on extravagant trips without me. I just asked for your presence for one day. One day."
His reproaches were met by the unchanging poised faces of his progenitors. His mother was the first one to speak.
"Honey, not here. People are looking,” She said with a simulated smile.
"I don't care about your deluded picture of perfection, mother. You ruined the last time we were going to connect as a family. And for what? A sauna bath in your pretentious club."
His father's petrified face showed a glimpse of anger. The Machiavelli patriarch had never been very fond of his only child, considering him a nuisance and a liability for their public image. Leon just didn't fit well as the heir of the family's fortune, completely lacking charisma and skill to lead. In his eyes, the only thing his son did was cower behind his infinite collection of books in his room.
"Quit whining, Leon. You should be thankful your mother and I made time to come and congratulate you. Now, let's take a picture. We will discuss this back at home."
Leon's last hope of acceptance from his family died as soon as the flash from the camera was gone, his young heart completely overtaken by the coldness of rejection. His aloof parents then proceeded to greet the rest of the attendants. The young nerd felt completely lost inside the crowd. All he wanted to do was to get back home, pack his bags and leave on the next bus out of town. While he was analyzing the best way to scurry out of there, a sapphire flash caught his attention. He then looked towards it, only to find out the colorful splash of light came from Kevin, who was heading into the school through a side entrance. At first, he didn't pay too much attention to it, but then he saw the black dog from earlier following the handsome jock. After some consideration, Leon managed to conjure the courage to follow Kevin into the building, worried about what that black creature could do to his former friend. He pushed the door and entered the school's auditorium, only to find it dark and empty. The light to the locker rooms was on, so he made his way through the big hall towards it.
"Kevin? Are you in here?"
His nervous voice echoed through the rows of metal lockers. The air in the room felt damp and heavy, the lingering musky smell of sweaty athletes permanently staining the atmosphere. Something else was mixed in the aromas, a metallic scent, like rusted metal. He hesitantly stepped further into the locker room, his only companion being the sound of his footsteps on the tiled floor. The cold lights flickered from time to time, giving the entire scene a very ominous appearance. He turned around the corner and finally found Kevin in front of the sinks. He was staring emptily into the mirror, completely unaware of Leon's presence. The young nerd was terrified but kept approaching the young jock.
"Hey Kevin, are you alright?"
He said as he put a sweaty hand on Kevin's shoulder. He was able to perceive a red flicker on the jock's icy blue eyes, and then Kevin reacted to his touch.
"Leon, what's up? You look scared bro, are you alright?"
He said casually beaming his celebrity smile towards Leon, who just stared completely puzzled at the handsome jock.
"I saw a black dog follow you into the auditorium. Have you seen it?"
"Black dog? Bro, I really think the heat has started to affect you. I just came inside to freshen up a bit, but I haven't seen any black dog."
"But I swear I saw it come inside, I was a bit concerned it would attack you or anything. That thing has been roaming around school premises since the ceremony. I saw it during my...."
He made a pause, remembering the events that had just taken place moments before during the ceremony. The rage product of his humiliation returned to him.
"During my speech. Never mind, I can't say I'm surprised you're unable to notice even the most obvious things."
Kevin's smile faded from his face, his gorgeous gaze gaining the depth that bothered Leon so much because it made him care for a person he had convinced himself was below him.
"Leon, bro, I know things haven't been okay between us for a while. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel bad or something. I was just going with the flow, I never intended to hurt you. But I can't keep myself away anymore. If today is about a cycle, then there is something I need to set straight between us."
Leon's cold gaze lightened up a bit, curious about what he was talking about. He had never seen Kevin this nervous before. The young jock stared at the floor and fiddled nervously with his hands. The words came out a bit forced out of his mouth like someone was making him recite a memorized confession.
"I need to tell you something, but not here. Come to my place tonight for the party. Everyone will be there."
"I don't know Kevin. Parties aren't really my cup of tea…."
The handsome jock put his strong hand on Leon's shoulder and gave him a mischievous smile that not even the nerd's toughest defenses could resist.
"I promise to make it worth your while."
Leon hesitated for a second, completely incredulous for what he was hearing. He had already decided not to go to the party, but the day was not going according to plan. He could feel his heart beating almost out of his chest, excited and intrigued for whatever the jock was going to tell him.
"Sure, I'll see you there."
An eerie spark lit up behind Kevin's blue eyes, but Leon was so dumbstruck he completely missed it.
"Sweet bro, I'll see you later then. Nice clothes by the way."
Kevin then pulled the smaller man up for a hug, smothering him with his strong body. Leon could feel the hardness of his muscles through the expensive blue fabric. The jock then made his way towards the exit, leaving Leon in a disoriented haze. For a moment he completely forgot about the gruesome black dog and his failed speech, all he could see in his mind was Kevin's gorgeous smile.
The sun was already setting when Leon arrived at the Volker residence. Many groups of his fellow students were approaching the mansion through the extensive courtyard, already with some drinks on their hands. The young nerd hesitated, his social anxiety crippling him for a moment. He still despised the rest of his class and saw no point in trying to interact with them. If he was going to this party, it was for Kevin only. Maybe something good would come out of this terrible day after all. When he crossed through the house's massive portal, he was immediately assaulted by an explosion of light and sound completely overwhelming his senses. A sea of young adults covered the big parlor and the adjacent rooms, drinking and dancing like there was no tomorrow. The big chandelier hanging from the ceiling was adapted to flash beams of light of different colors in all directions, and a DJ booth was installed on the far end of the formal living room, blasting some modern music Leon couldn't recognize. He was an absolute amateur when it came to partying, so he felt lost and scared inside the crowd. He tried looking for Kevin everywhere, but due to his short height, he wasn't able to look past a few heads before him.
Leon approached the drinking table and ordered a soda. He tried to find a quiet corner to drink in peace before resuming his search for his former friend, but everywhere he looked was swarmed by the inebriated guests. He was quickly losing his patience, as he was pushed around by the dancing crowd over and over again. Somehow, he found his way to the big spiral staircase leading to the upper floors and jumping over the barrier to keep attendants on the ground floor, he quickly went up a few steps to get a better overview. Despite gaining the higher ground, his attempts in finding his friend proved unsuccessful. He was about to give up and head back home defeated when something caught his attention through the mahogany banister. The monstrous-looking black dog was staring at him from above, its glowing red eyes visible despite the chaotic party atmosphere. After making sure the nerd saw it, it walked further up the stairs into the second floor.
Leon remembered what the beast had told him the night before, and followed it into the higher level of the mansion. Once he made it to the upper floor, he saw the dog walking through a long hallway and entering the furthest room. The young nerd continued his pursuit and found himself in what he assumed was Kevin's room. The lavish bedroom was decorated with all sorts of trophies and medals, as well as an entertainment system appropriate for an active teenager. Leon's attention was drawn to the row of portraits on the big bookshelf. Pictures of young Kevin in all sorts of family trips and sports events were displayed in delicate frames. One picture, in particular, stood out from the rest. Leon couldn't believe his eyes as he took the silver frame in his hands and stared at the photograph. A young Kevin had his arm wrapped around a young Leon, both sitting on top of a rock next to a river. They were laughing, radiating genuine happiness through the picture. Leon couldn't believe that after all those years, Kevin kept memories from their childhood so close to him. The young man the nerd considered his bitter rival and enemy never antagonized him.
The big glass door to the balcony opened suddenly, letting a warm gust of wind into the room. Leon put the picture back in its place and headed outside. The stunning twilight sky was painted in different shades of red, showering the scenery with crimson rays of light. The hot summer breeze rustled the leaves on the trees surrounding the properties, producing a serene sound that drowned the music from downstairs. The nerd stepped on the balcony, and finally found what he was looking for. Kevin was standing on the edge of the marble banister, watching the beautiful sunset.
"Kevin?"
The handsome jock turned around to face Leon. The only thing the young nerd could see were the icy blue eyes inside his former friend's shadow, his silhouette completely encased in a red halo product of the dying sunset.
"I knew you would come. Come here, I want you to look at this."
Leon stepped forward, taking place right next to the handsome jock. Kevin flashed his regular charming smile at the nerd, who instantly turned red as a beet. For an instant, he was thankful for this unusually bright sunset that hid the blush on his cheeks.
"I wanted this evening to go perfectly. And now that you're here it's finally complete."
"Just tell me what you want Kevin. We haven't talked in years and suddenly you take interest in me. I just want to know why."
Kevin diverted his gaze into the sunset, suddenly turning serious. Leon could see the distress in his eyes.
"I never lost interest in you Leon. It was you who pushed me away. You were the one that decided to stop hanging out with me."
Leon clenched his fists in anger, the painful memories of his friend exchanging him for more popular friends still poisoning his mind.
"How dare you say that! You were the one that went away, that grew into…."
He made a nervous pause, uncertain about what he was about to say. The wrath inside of him made him spill out the words without thinking.
"Into a mindless meathead. Look at us, Kevin. Your physical prowess is unparalleled, that's a fact. But I got what truly matters: a brilliant mind. I have preserved my psyche in the best way possible. I've resisted the allure of petty teenage necessities. And now, I'm in the way of becoming one of the most brilliant thinkers in recent years!"
Kevin turned around to face the angry nerd, who was on the brink of tears due to the pent-up rage he was feeling.
"Is that what you truly want bro? It sounds very lonely to me."
"I don't need anyone. Soon, I'll be where I'm supposed to. I don't mind being alone."
Kevin grabbed Leon's arm, pulling him closer. The nerd could feel the intense heat radiating from the hunk's body. He stared directly into his former friend's blue eyes.
"Are you sure you want to be alone? I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I got all the attention I want, from anyone. When you look like me, it's an easy task."
He said flexing his meaty arm, straining the soft blue fabric on the sleeves of his suit. Leon couldn't take his eyes off of Kevin's body, completely mesmerized by the jock's posing show. He failed to notice his friend's eyes shining in a dark red shade from time to time. The jock's voice turned from warm and concerned, into cold and aggressive.
"No matter how much you lie to yourself Leon, you want to be like me. To finally be accepted by everyone, including your parents. Picture it for a second. Finally, be worthy of being called your father's son. What use is your intelligence to the Machiavelli family, when you lack the courage to destroy your fears? Truth is, you're no more than a resentful dweeb."
Kevin continued flexing, taking off his suit's jacket, his movements starting to take on a seductive flair.
"Stop it. You don't know what you're talking about."
"Of course I know. I know everything about you bro, including your darkest secret."
Leon suddenly opened his eyes like plates, completely incredulous for what was coming out of the jock's mouth. It was impossible anyone knew how he felt about Kevin, he didn't tell anyone. Kevin smiled with a hint of malice, knowing he had Leon right where he wanted him. His blue eyes now shone in a permanent crimson hue.
"That's right, I know that you like me. Your mind is indeed a complex maze, but no psyche cannot be cracked open. I could feel the fear of being discovered practically pouring out of your pores."
Leon looked down in defeat, feeling the embarrassment bubble out of him. He knew this was too good to be true. Kevin approached Leon once again, taking his chubby face with his hands and pulling it up to face him. The nerd's green eyes were pooled with tears.
"There's no reason to be miserable. The reason I called you here tonight was to tell you I feel the same way about you."
Leon couldn't help but open his mouth incredulously, his mind still registering the words that just came out of the jock's mouth.
"Wha—what?"
"I've also never connected with anyone the way I connected with you. You know the real me, buried beneath this sculptural body. That means I also know the real you. You don't have to be alone."
The young nerd's sad frown slowly turned into a smile. His face was inches away from his friend's, feeling the jock's hot breath on his skin. And then he smelled it. The same metallic smelled he caught in the locker room back at school, only this time it was much more intense. He also took notice of Kevin's glowing red eyes.
"Wait, this is not right. What's happened to you?"
Kevin's grip on Leon's face tightened, his face gaining a sinister flair.
"I'm exactly who I'm supposed to be. The question here is: are you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Are you who you are supposed to be? I know the real you is buried beneath this intellectual façade. We just gotta pull him out."
Kevin started caressing Leon's overweight body, rubbing his torso over the suit's jacket. The young nerd was giving in to the moment, closing his eyes and enjoying the sensation of his friend's strong hands on his body. One last glimmer of resistance made him suddenly pull away.
"No. I don't want this. I'm above these carnal sensations. I've never done anything with anyone."
Kevin smiled, unbuttoning the first two buttons of his shirt, exposing the ripped divide of his upper chest.
"I know you're a virgin, I don't have any problems with that."
"But I do. I don't want it to be this way. If it ever comes to it, I want it to be special."
Kevin's confident smile quickly disappeared, replaced by a displeased scowl.
"Look at this Leon. The sunset, the balcony, the hot summer air. You said it yourself, this is the end of one phase of our lives. Isn't this special enough for you?"
"I don't know Kevin; this doesn't feel right."
"Look, it's very simple. I want to be with you, and I know you want to be with me. I just need you to renounce this ridiculous virtuous perception of your virginity. Give in to your flesh, and your body will become what you truly desire."
"My body is okay as it is."
Said Leon embarrassed by the remark of the increasingly impatient jock.
"You know it isn't. All these years you have deceived yourself in thinking you value the brilliance of your mind when in reality it's what has alienated you from everyone. Relinquish that notion, and you shall have everything you desire."
The nerd looked at his friend nervously, completely unsure about what he wanted. He thought he was sure about who he was, but what Kevin said was true. What's the point of intelligence if all you need to be accepted is purely physical? Was brilliant wisdom worth the loneliness? While Leon dwelled in his thoughts, a shadow materialized on the corner behind him. What first looked like a black dog slowly grew into a human form, taking the appearance of an extremely muscular young man, his body full of scars. He planted his crimson red eyes on Kevin, who nodded in agreement as his face grew more sinister.
"I'll make it easy for you. Kiss me. If you do, I'll know you're ready to take the next step and leave your old self behind. You'll finally be better than anyone else, just like you wish. Be warned though, there will be no turning back."
Leon was then assaulted by all the painful memories of his past. The loneliness of growing up as an outcast, the abandonment of his parents, and the disconnection from everything and everyone started crushing him. He had an opportunity to have what he truly wanted, not what he convinced himself he wanted. Hypnotized by the jock's supernatural gaze, he approached his friend with determination. Standing on the tip of his feet, he placed his lips on his. Black smoke started enveloping them, completely encasing the entire balcony and isolating it from the world. Leon felt butterflies in his stomach, as the kiss continued to gain intensity. A scorching hot feeling started seeping into his being, product of Kevin's mouth. When he realized what he had done, it was too late. He was completely under the control of the handsome jock, who started to take on a dominant role, aggressively pushing his tongue into the nerd's mouth. The last thing he consciously realized was what that taste in Kevin's mouth was: blood.
Energy started seeping into Leon's body, slowly impregnating his being. He was lost in the intense feeling his connection with Kevin was causing. The waves of power-hitting his body started making his blood boil, turning his body into an incandescent mass. He was sweating profusely, as the energy coursing through his veins unleashed different chain reactions in his cells, resulting in a vastly increased metabolic rate. The fatty deposits inside of him started to melt away, vaporized to fuel the nerd's body's incredible energy demand. His pants fell, as the rest of the suit started to hang loosely from his body. The formerly chubby red-head was left practically only in skin and bones. Kevin broke the kiss and looked at what his friend had become. His green eyes were dull and lifeless, and his formerly round face was left looking severely malnourished. He smiled victorious, knowing the spell was doing its job. He needed the man in the back to complete the transference, so he called him forward to participate in the passionate scene.
Kevin took his finger, rubbing it on his friend's lips seductively, as the muscular man in the back slowly pushed down the shoulders of the now skinny nerd to the ground. In one swift motion, the handsome jock ripped his pants off his legs, exposing a menacing bulge that was quickly gaining size in front of Leon's entranced gaze.
"Is this what you wanted? To serve and pleasure me?"
Asked Kevin dominantly, looking down at his friend. Even though Leon was still watching everything going on, the sensations in his body were driving him like an automaton. A part of his consciousness still resisted, yelling desperately that he was better than what he was becoming, but it was slowly getting smaller as if it were burned away by the divine energy coursing through his veins. He answered in a stupefied voice, unable to resist the temptation
"Yes."
"Wrong answer."
Said Kevin fishing out his manhood from his briefs and putting it on the nerd's open mouth. The same metallic taste accompanied by other muskier aromas immediately assaulted Leon's senses. He licked and tasted the meaty tube inside of him, desperately worshipping it with his tongue. The scarred man behind him then pushed his head further into the jock's crotch, making him swallow the entire seven thick inches at once. Kevin then proceeded to drill inside his friend's mouth with aggressive thrusts back and forth. Each time the phallus penetrated the nerd's mouth, the pressure inside of him caused his bones to elongate. Each limb stretched several inches, along with his spine, leaving the nerd with over a foot and a half extra height. The hands holding the jock's legs cracked and grew, along with his formerly small feet. Once his skeleton stopped breaking, the scarred man pulled Leon to his feet, his pants staying on the floor. There was a fight between bliss and misery inside of him, causing a blast of emotions that quickly flooded his head. It was like his mind was inside a pressurized pot ready to explode.
"You are the one that has to be served and pleasured. You have to conquer fear."
Kevin lifted the now taller red-head with supernatural strength and flipped him around, exposing his naked rear. Leon fell forward, grabbing on to the scarred man to remain on his feet, and felt the scorching hot head of his friend's member rub menacingly on his crack. He desired him more than anything in the world, his carnal passion completely overtaking his puritanical nature.
"Once we finally break your mind, you'll be able to become the god you were chosen to be."
And with those last words, Kevin impaled his friend mercilessly, getting one last howl of agony out of the nerd. Leon felt as if a dam had broken inside his head, flooding his mind and washing his old self away. Kevin's thrusts started pumping more divine energy into the red-head, which traveled inside his body filling out his newfound emptiness. Pure pleasure caused him to moan loudly. His blood pumped new power into his whole body, causing his muscles to twitch and ripple responding to the strength. His glutes were the first part of his body to expand. The handsome jock's phallus was quickly being swallowed further by two inflating globes of muscle. It looked like he was humping a pair of overgrown watermelons. The growth spread down his legs, filling out his quads and hamstrings with thick columns of muscle, growing as thick as two oak trees. Deep cuts were etched painfully on them, the skin stretched to its limits over the massive muscles. His calves grew to match the upper legs, gaining enough size to rival a football. His feet expanded to accommodate the still coming weight.
The pumped energy seeped simultaneously into his core muscles. Veins started gaining thickness the more power flowed in them, changing the muscle underneath. His lower back took the form of a large spearhead, two pillars of muscle slowly crawling up his back. His lower abs popped into existence, framed by two increasingly large obliques. First two, then four, then six, and ending in eight grenade-sized bumps on his stomach. The muscular pillars on his back started flaring like two flags, spreading growth into the red-head's lat muscles. The suit's jacket couldn't resist the growth for long, shredding itself to pieces revealing the sweaty skin underneath. Kevin grabbed the growing back with lust, feeling the searing hot muscle underneath move and inflate. The man's lats spread wide like a fighter plane, the muscle fibers fighting to fit into the already large frame. Mountains and valleys decorated the expanse of the magnificent back before the thrusting jock.
His chest was the next to grow as if gravity was pulling the muscle downwards. Two massive slabs of flesh etched themselves in Leon's upper torso, increasing his weight and making him widen his stance to find his new balance. The inflating pecs rose higher too like they were trying to reach his chin, while the lower parts expanded themselves reaching the limit of the red-head's anatomy. Once the veins reached his shoulders, these exploded in growth, reaching the size of an ancient Grecian helmet. Divine blood pumped into his arms, his biceps swelling to the size of big cannonballs. His triceps expanded underneath his arms, quickly adding girth to the now powerful limbs, reaching the size of a Howitzer cannon. His lower arms etched themselves with strong sinews, growing as wide as baseball bats. His hands hardened and swelled with new strength, gaining the power to crush the hardest skull with ease.
Thick veins traveled up his neck, followed by thick muscle cords making it seem more like a bull's neck than a human's. Once his Adam's apple finished its transformation, his high moans of pleasure slowly turned into a low manly grunt. Muscle piled into the squaring jaw, giving him a cartoonishly hyper-masculine look. His cheekbones rose higher, and his nose grew and broke, filling in with thick tissue. His forehead expanded further, hooding his eyes and giving him a menacing look. Kevin accelerated the rhythm, reaching the mortal limits of his body.
"Taste true power brother, and take your place above those beings you always deemed inferior."
With one final thrust, he emptied his burning load into the titan in front of him. The divine seed seeped into every tissue, making his body gain even more thickness than before. The muscles gained the strength and prowess of the best warrior the world had ever seen. The essence then corrupted what was left of his being, turning him into a new deity. Blood flowed out of his pupils, forever turning the former green eyes to an intense crimson hue. A new personality engraved itself in his head, growing increasingly aggressive the more he became aware of his existence. His puritanical nature was replaced with an insatiable lust for flesh, either in sex or in battle. His enviable knowledge was replaced by a killer instinct that made him a fearsome foe for whoever was misfortunate enough to challenge him. Eons of battle techniques and combat prowess flourished inside of him, aging him into a man in his masculine prime. The former erudite was reborn in the form of the fiercest warrior in the world. And as such, his nature turned dominant, making him displeased about the situation he was in. He stood up, now much larger than the two other men next to him.
"That's more like it,” He said in a deep voice, flexing his new muscles. Kevin and the other man stared triumphantly at their creation, watching the giant relish in his raw strength. They both felt a psychic bond form with the titan, now that he gained dominion over them. The former Leon turned to face them, his glowing red eyes staring at the scarred man with lust.
"I'm still not quite there yet. Come, brother. It's your time to serve me."
He pushed the muscular man on the banister and grabbed his own still tiny penis. He could barely hold it with his massive hands, the 4 inches stuck out barely enough for his fingers to grab. With inhuman strength he pulled the muscular man's ass apart, exposing the coveted goal for his manhood. He managed to penetrate the scarred man, and another wave of pleasure assaulted him, making him roar in bliss. He started thrusting into the man with such force it started cracking the solid banister underneath. The lesser deity moaned delighted, as he felt the member inside of him grow further, pushing deeper into his body. The titan's phallus grew to heroic proportions, gaining almost 8 inches in length and resembling a thick torpedo. The balls slapping the man's muscular thighs expanded as well, dropping lower to bovine proportions. New hormones started pumping into the giant, altering its appearance even further. Kevin watched smiling as his red curls receded a bit on his head and turned pitch black, along with his eyebrows, which grew thick and arched themselves upwards. His face started taking on a more exotic look, his lips thickening and his nose growing a bit more. The black bubble around the fornicating gods started breaking, dark smoke seeping into every pore of the giant. His pale skin darkened to a light brown, and dark follicles started popping out of his entire body. His manly jaw was quickly covered by a shadow, which grew into a magnificent black beard. The hair was so thick the skin underneath was not visible. A carpet of black hair covered his body, growing thicker on his crotch and under his arms. He kept thrusting with increased fury, feeling his own divine seed churn in his balls. He was drenched in sweat, a manly aroma quickly surrounding him. He smelled like old iron, like burnt gunpowder, like a warrior in his prime. With a powerful roar, he exploded inside the scarred man, fully cementing his new birth as Assad, the king of war.
The scarred man dropped to the ground completely exhausted, leaving Assad standing naked under the crepuscular sky. The jock scanned the titan from top to bottom, savoring every aspect of the new god before him. Assad barely gave him a second look, his old knowledge and memories gone.
"Father will be very pleased."
"Indeed I am."
A bone-chilling voice came out of the shadows in front of them. Assad watched as the god of war emerged from the darkness in his full glory. Ares rarely smiled, but he couldn't help to curl his lips up a little bit once he saw his sons' creation. He was right in delegating his power and the transference to them. Assad immediately fell on one knee, bowing respectfully before his master.
"You bred it into a full warrior, well done."
Kevin just smiled solemnly, accepting the god's compliments. Ares suspected the chosen one had to renounce voluntarily to his virtue to achieve its fullest potential. That is why he let the natural lust do his task for him. He provided the essence; the rest came from the new champion.
"Ready to serve milord.” Said Assad without lifting his gaze.
"And you will. I gave you a new life as a descendant of humanity's most powerful warriors, and in exchange, I own you now. There's something I need you to do. If you succeed, you will be allowed to take a place next to me as a worthy god. I want you to destroy the goddess Athena."
Ares then took his spear and cut his arm open. Ichor fell to the ground, taking the shape of a golden sword. Assad took the weapon in his hand, feeling its power course through him. A shining bronze armor formed around his torso, along with a helmet and a red cape. Ares was satisfied by the look of his new pawn.
"Meet me in Greece, by the feet of Mount Olympus the night of the next full moon."
"Yes, milord. I won't fail you."
With a powerful kick of his legs, the giant leaped into the sky, disappearing in the red horizon. Ares approached the banister and stood next to his sons, watching his creation advance towards his destiny.
"You can get off that meat suit now, Phobos."
Kevin's face produced one last sinister smile, as a dark shadow stepped out of him, his body falling to the ground completely unconscious. The black mass took the form of another overly muscular scared man, identical to the one still laying on the ground.
"This was way too easy, father."
"Don't be arrogant. Influencing a mortal's free will is no easy task. It's different than just persuading them with fear, as you might know."
"I didn't have to do much. This mortal in particular had very strong feelings for the champion. I just had to break his self-control barrier a bit. And I admit I let him feel some of the pleasure too, although I'm sure Deimos there had way more enjoyment."
Ares stood silently staring into the sunset. He made sure he created the best warrior of them all. He proved that the virtues so dearly preached by his stuck-up sister were vulnerable to his raw strength. He chose to let the champion be corrupted by his own desire. This was going to be his opportunity to eclipse his siblings and get his father's acceptance. He looked at his son, able to see the beauty underneath the godling's intimidating appearance. Aphrodite's image came back to him, remembering the unbreakable bond both gods possessed. He wondered if she would be capable of moving against Zeus. The goddess of beauty was not to be underestimated, so Ares spared no effort in creating the best Champion he could to compete.
"So, you interfered with the mortal's love interest. Your mother wouldn't approve."
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Can you make a scenario where Subaru and his lovers would raising a cute little daughter, please?
Hi! Sorry, this took me ages to write! It’s part one of a drabble series I hope to have on this blog.
I hope you’ll like it <3
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Daddy! Subaru x Mama! Reader Part One: (4 pages)
You gave Subaru something he never believed he would be fortunate enough - or deserving enough - to attain. You had given him that, which he was convinced he was unworthy of.
A family.
You had given Subaru Sakamaki a chance. A chance to have what he never did in his childhood - a loving, proper family.
And he loved you. He loved you so much more than you would ever know - he loved you more than he could ever be able to effectively convey.
It was hard to believe, now, that your daughter’s third birthday was fast approaching. If you’d told him eight years ago that he would even get the chance to fall in love - he would have bitterly scoffed and demanded you leave him alone - or else.
He still had no idea how he got so incredibly lucky, but he was glad for it. So, so very glad.
With ruby eyes, Subaru observed as you ran about the Rose Garden with your beloved daughter. You had named her Haruka Christa Sakamaki. It had been your suggestion to name her after his mother - a choice he’d been reluctant with, but eventually agreed on - his mother had been far from a saint. in fact, she scarred him psychologically for life, but at the same time he could never bring himself to hate the woman who had given him life; even if she then abused and neglected that life.
She was his mother and he loved her, and he always would - despite it all.
And, if anything - it only served to further the fire of hatred in his heart for his father. He often wondered what life could have been like, had Karlheinz died when he was young. It was without a doubt that if Karlheinz had died when the brothers were still young, they would likely had had significantly better relationships with each other.
Life would have been so much better if only his father had been out of the picture completely.
“Subaru?”
Your tender loving voice snapped the albino out of his troubled thoughts. His gaze fell upon you and just like every single day of your lives, merely looking at you took his breath away. “Are you okay?”
He turned to look at you with smiling eyes. “Yes,” He responded, “I’m just...thinking.”
You were about to ask what was troubling him, but Haruka’s voice interrupted you “Daddy!! Mama!!”
You smiled, “Here’s my baby!” You exclaimed, crouching down with open arms, the wind blowing through your hair ever-so-gently as your two-and-a-half-year-old daughter ran into your arms. You wrapped your arms around her and picked her up, bouncing her softly up and down.
To Subaru, the entire scene was out of a dream. Something that had always felt so foreign and distant - and now, it was here and it was his.
You were his moon - the one who had helped him through the darkest of nights, who was always there when he needed you - even if he couldn’t see you - and who lit his way when all felt hopeless and lost to ensure he could stay on the right path.
And Haruka was the stars in his vanilla sky.
She was his beautiful, bouncing baby and he adored her - and you - both of you were his sky - his world. At this point he could never fathom an existence devoid of either you or your daughter, even imagining such a thing was far too raw and painful for him.
Recurring nightmares haunted his mind for weeks on end on a regular basis - terrible dreams where you were both taken from him - slaughtered mercilessly in front of his very eyes.
It killed him a little more each time to witness, if only in dream form.
But right now - his Moon and his Star - were here, beside him, safe from any harm.
As it should be.
“Daddy!!” Haruka exclaimed, and he now realised that she was holding a crown made of flowers in her tiny hands, wriggling in her mother’s embrace to get closer to him. It was also at this point Subaru acknowledged the bountiful crown of petals and leaves perched upon your own head, as well as his beloved daughter’s.
If Subaru from the past - brash, abrasive and cold - could see the man he’s become...well, he wasn’t sure whether he’d be pissed, impressed, embarrassed or grateful.
Shows him how much he’s changed to himself, huh?
His heart fluttered as an involuntary laugh escaped him and allowed his daughter to place the crown of flowers on top of his head. His body language was awkward and stiff, which caused you to let out a loud giggle.
Haruka clapped her petite hands as soon as Subaru lifted his head, the flower crown making him look terribly pleasant.
He was still not quite...used to things like this. It felt strange - in the best of ways, of course, and though he feared he would never fully get into the flow, he wouldn’t change this for the world.
“You look very beautiful, King Subaru.” You teased with challenging, amused eyes, knowing fully well that your remark would cause him embarrassment.
Subaru glared at you for a moment, then sighed, loosening the muscles in his face, the blush contrasting with his pale complexion.
Eight years he’s known you - and somehow even after all this time, you managed to make him flustered.
He still had troubles with himself - often - times he’d breakdown in front of you, screaming for you to get away from him, to leave him - it was only natural after all he’d been through and being raised to believe himself a monstrous being.
But you stayed by his side and he knew, even in times of sorrow-clouded doubt, that you would remain right there, beside him, until the end of time - because you had proven yourself and your love for his time and time again and after all that you had been through together he knew that your love was an unconditional one.
Haruka was the very embodiment of that pure, unconditional love.
“Daddy looks pretty!!” She squealed out in joy, beaming with laughter, and you laughed, too, and Subaru smiled - a true, real smile; one he thought impossible until he met you.
You changed his entire universe and now you created an emblem of hope for him from the seeds of your womb.
You thought for a moment, and then gently handed your child to him. Even now, Subaru still feared to hold her just as he had fretted over it when she was a newborn. It was endearing, but these days you were beginning to get sick of it.
“You won’t drop her,” You whispered into his ear as you transferred the bouncing baby girl into his arms, smiling reassuringly. You had to bite back your laughter when he held her as if she were made of glass - he always held her like she was the world’s most fragile little thing. And you mused to yourself that, in his eyes, she probably was.
The way he looked down at her as he held her, cooing and whispering sweet promises to her about how he would protect her from harm and always keep her safe warmed your heart and was almost enough to make you cry.
You loved your husband so, so much.
______________________________________________________________
Subaru begrudgingly wore the flower crown for the rest of that night, alongside you and Haruka, who insisted on it. You’d helped her to create them, teaching her methods of folding the flowers over each other and securing them into harmonic knots. Due to her young age and unskilled hands, you’d been the one to do most of the work when creating them and she observed you, but you told her that she’d been a huge help because you knew that she loved helping others. A surely wonderful trait for a toddler to have - you could only pray to the powers that be that you would be good parents to her.
So far, so good, though.
When it was time to tuck Haruka into bed, Subaru offered to do it. You smiled and agreed as you brushed your hair in front of the vanity table in your shared bedroom and waited no longer than a minute before placing the brush down and hurrying out to the corridor to silently watch from the shadows.
You leaned your figure against the door frame of Haruka’s bedroom, smiling with teary eyes as you witnessed Subaru singing to her a lullaby that you assumed Christa had sung to him when he was a baby - before it all came crashing down.
You’d only heard him hum and sing on a few scarce occasions, so this was a big deal since he always felt humiliated and embarrassed by doing something so...flamboyant as singing.
The gentle expression on his face made a tear drip from your eye down our cheek, because he was so beautiful - they both were - and this was your life and it was perfect.
There were difficulties and eternal danger looming over you - but you couldn’t care about that at the moment, not when you had the most astonishing family in the world here with you.
It was a futile attempt to blink back your tears, for they fell like silent waterfalls the moment you saw Haruka’s little eyelids fluttering shut and saw Subaru kiss her little forehead goodnight. He leaned back and stood from the corner of her bed, tucking her in, his entire attention upon her.
He then touched the flower crown with the tips of his fingers, taking it off just to stare at it for several moments.
And then he kissed the petals, too, and proudly placed it back upon his head. When he returned to your bedroom, you had a feeling he would take it off and place it on his bedside table or your vanity whilst acting as though you had forced him to wear it unwillingly (in a joking manner, of course) but you knew, like you always did, that he loved every second of today.
Sneaking off before he could hear or sense you, you returned to your room, smiling contently as you sat in your chair, staring at your reflection with pure, unadulterated happiness.
- Mod Rozalia
#subaru#subaru x reader#x reader#x you#subaru sakamaki#sakamaki#Dialove#Diabolik Lovers#Diabolik brothers#diabolik lovers imagines#diabolik memes#diabolik love#diabolik lovers haunted dark bridal#diabolik lovers x reader#Reader#reader insert#fluff#relationship imagine#Vampire#vampire x reader#Writing#Fanfiction#Writing commissions#Yandere x reader#Soft yandere#yandere x you#yandere x reader fluff#yandere x reader insert#yandere Subaru#Soft yandere subaru
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Like Pristine Glass - Chapter Twelve
ao3 - ff.net - masterpost
(tagging these cuties: @humanexile @skychild29 @rhysandsdarlingfeyre @candid-confetti @rhysandsrightknee @missing-merlin @azriels-forgotten-shadow @books-and-cocos @sezkins79 @city-of-fae @someonemagical @dusty-lightbulb @messyhairday-me)
this has been delayed far too long, so i’ll leave a note at the end.
---
November 5 - 4 years after
Nesta cannot fight the broad grin on her face when she wakes to find her sons back in full health. She’s happy they’re better, and thrilled to have her daughter back in the house. She rushes through her day at the shop and still can’t help herself; she leaves to the nursery at three fifteen. She tries to make the walk as long as possible, stopping to chat with Aysel along the way, but arrives at twenty to four. She won’t take them out early, as that would probably only upset them. But it feels like too long since she’s had all of them together, to herself, that she only barely manages to stop herself outside the building.
“Oh, hello, Nesta,” she hears behind her.
She turns. “Hello, Classia.”
“All alone today?” she asks cheerfully. “Me too, Ulvi’s at the boutique. I’m rather miserable with numbers, you know.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“How are the boys?” she says, tone more sympathetic.
“They’re here today!” Nesta can’t keep the excitement out of their voice. “And Avery’s coming home!”
Classia blinks, unused to seeing such enthusiasm from Nesta. “Oh, where was she?”
“Cassian had her. At Miri’s house. I didn’t want her to get sick,” she says, hurriedly adding the last part. That’s the last rumor she needs spreading around; she is dividing up her children between herself and her...their father.
“It’s wonderful that he’s here, then,” she coos. “I know you’ve had such help from the whole of Sugar Books and Zeyn and Adil and Miri especially, but it’s not the same as a partner, is it? To share the emotional burden?”
And that is enough to wipe the smile of Nesta’s face, but not enough to completely dim the light inside her at the thought of holding all three of her children in her arms again.
He’s been here over a week. Probably the longest he’s been away from his duties as General Commander… ever. She knows it’ll end soon, which is why she is forcing herself not to let him share the emotional burden. Sure, he can love them and he’s been a great help with the boys these past few days, but she is the primary parent and caregiver.
The timer on the locked gate to the nursery finally ticks four and swings open; she is the first through it and to the door. Nicky sees her first and runs to hug her. She bends down and catches him, then Avery and Ollie follow, all of them laughing through their chatter and blissfully, blissfully, normal-temperature.
“I missed you three,” she says to them, a bit muffled as she drops a kiss on the top of Avery’s head.
“Where’s Appa?” Nicky says.
“I missed you, Ava.”
“I missed you too, Ollie!”
“Where’s Appa?” Nicky asks again, more insistent, squirming out of Nesta’s grasp.
She lets them go. “At home. Come on, let’s go.”
They held hands as they walked, Avery and Nicky on either side of her, and Ollie holding Avery’s hand. She’s more tuned into their conversation than normal, having missed the sound of their little voices together.
She’s so engrossed in them, watching them, she doesn’t notice Cassian before them until Nicky calls his name and breaks free from her, running and leaping into his arms.
“Hi,” she says to him when they get closer.
“Hi,” he says, putting Nicky down and taking hold of Ollie. “I didn’t realize you had already picked them up.”
“I missed them,” she says. Oddly, she feels a little guilty. “I was bringing them straight home.” It’s not stealing his time from them, but it feels that way.
But he grins easily. “Straight home?”
“I want to go to the park!”
“I also!”
“Home first,” Nesta says firmly, ducking her face into her coat and fiddling with the buttons. “We’ll go later.”
“Mummy’s rules,” Cassian says to them, looking down.
“I’m hungry.”
“We’re almost home,” she says, picking up her face now the burning has faded. “Come along.”
Cassian moves closer to her. “Could we have dinner together? Tonight?” His voice is low enough that she knows only she can hear it.
Her throat tightens. She doesn’t open her mouth for a few moments, afraid of what she might say.
“Sure.”
---
November 14 - 1 year after
Somehow word had gotten around, in this tiny, gossiping town, and by the time Nesta came back to her room at the inn, everyone knew she was pregnant.
Brilliant. Perfect.
They were being whatever their definition of tactful was, she knew. Which wasn’t very impressive. But she could hardly blame them, could she? She imagined a pregnant, Other female from Prythian was hardly something that shook the rumor mills of Sugar Valley every day.
No one was malignant. No one said much of anything, really—not to her, at least. But everyone at the bookstore smiled at her more often. Zeyn kept offering her water. Miri had urged her to sit while she sorted the books—here, she’d be happy to help!
The healer, Amorette, was competent enough. She had explained her options to her, which weren’t anything novel. She could either terminate the pregnancy or give the child away to someone else.
She couldn’t have the thing herself. That much was clear.
And so Nesta wasn’t particularly worried. This was unfortunate, sure. And emotionally disturbing and physically a nuisance. But nothing to write home about.
She should write… to her sisters. In general. Not about this, of course. This was nothing. This was… not her child. And so not their business, as it was barely hers. Either all this would be over in a week, or she’d be carrying someone else’s child, and that didn’t concern her sisters.
It certainly didn’t concern Cassian. This was… no. No reason to say anything.
She didn’t want other people’s opinions getting in the way of her own, after all. She needed a quiet room to keep a clear mind and make her choice.
Her room in the inn was nearly silent. The only noise was the scraping sound her nail made as she ran it over the coin.
Because that, it appeared, was what it would come down to. A coin toss.
Would she spend the next nine months creating life? Building a whole new person, half herself, half… Illyrian? With dark hazel eyes and wings and curls like hers and maybe some warm brown skin, the shade between theirs...?
Or would she… move on?
Yes, that was a nice way to put it.
She shut her eyes tight, ridding the image of a child from her mind by counting upwards by seven. It was too much. Little hands, little toes, little… kicks… inside her.
And that nearly made her decision. Pregnancy was gruesome. She didn’t want that. A whole other person inside of her she had to take care of? Clearly, Nesta wasn’t even good at being around people next to her. For just a few hours a day. She couldn’t do this.
And then… for what? For giving it away?
Of course, she told herself immediately. You can’t be a mother.
That much was true. Certainly not alone. It took a village, didn’t it? And while Nesta did stay in this small town, well… she didn’t really have it, did she? And she didn’t have… anyone. To be with.
Coward, a voice inside her head jeered. She ignored it. She didn’t owe this to Cassian. She was—hurt. And angry. He didn’t need to be privy to any of this.
She wasn’t ready. She couldn’t be a mother alone. She probably couldn’t be a mother ever. She was broken inside. She thought she wasn’t, for a while… that he had helped her get fixed… but no matter. She would go to Dadashov, schedule an appointment, and… all would be done.
A few weeks, at most. She would go through the procedure, spend a few days at home, and then go back to the bookshop. Continue her new, quiet life as an archivist.
---
December 6 - Year of
Cassian knew he had his work cut out for him this time.
He had to be smart. He couldn’t sneak up on her like he had at Emerie’s shop—that was miserable. But he also couldn’t give her too much time to… well… run away. But after nearly a week in one of the rebelling camps, with his days occupied with strategy alongside Rhys and his nights taken up only by her image in his eye, he felt he knew what to do.
He waited until an hour they both knew she would be home and awake. Too late to be working, too early to be asleep. He made no effort to hide his steps to the house, and made enough noise as he could while still in the realm of conceivability while opening the door. He did so slower than usual, giving her ample time to hide in her room.
He didn’t let the unmoved chocolate bar on the kitchen counter deter him as he made his way to her door.
He knocked twice, and said—cheerfully, normally, “Hey, Nesta. I’m back!”
And then he waited.
He could practically feel her incredulous look through the door—she thought he was stupid, she thought he must be joking—but all that didn’t matter, because she opened the door.
“Hello,” she said carefully, her face devoid of any real emotion. That same detached politeness they had shared last week; as if they were neighbors and he had knocked on her door to ask for a cup of sugar.
“How was your week?” He could feel her bemusement in his bones, along with slight suspicion. But ever the cards-player, Nesta’s face betrayed nothing.
“All right. And yours?”
“Long,” he said, grinning. “I’m exhausted. Join me for dinner tomorrow?”
This threw her off-guard, and she narrowed her eyes a touch. “Sure,” she said.
Sure. A resounding success, he thought. Now she would be there. All he had to was not fuck it up.
---
November 5 - 4 years after
Perhaps they had not had enough running around time today at nursery, Nesta thinks as she watches the triplets run themselves ragged at the park. Or they’re just excited to be playing together again.
“Good to see them all together, isn’t it?” Cassian marvels, throwing himself on the bench next to her, echoing her thoughts.
She nods and doesn’t say anything else. He sits with her for another few minutes, until he joins the triplets again and she watches them until the sun has nearly set, and calls them to walk back home.
“We were having so much fun at the park, Mummy, do you remember?”
“Yes, Nicky,” she says, unbuttoning his coat as Cassian herds Avery and Ollie inside. “It was seven minutes ago.”
“I had so much fun!”
“I’m glad. Take off your boots. Ollie, you too.”
“I’m not tired.”
“Yes, you are. Upstairs, let’s go.”
“I can give them their bath,” Cassian says. “Why don’t you get started on dinner?”
Nesta glances upstairs to wear the children are climbing together. “Sure,” she says, and turns to the kitchen.
Cassian always eats at least twice what she does, so she prepares four times what she would for herself. She works quickly and sets the pot to keep warm on the stove when she’s done, and goes upstairs to the children’s room.
She hears them laughing before she enters the room. Pushing the door untill it’s slightly ajar, she leans against the wall and watches them. He’s wrestling all three of them, with Nicky latched onto his neck from behind, and Avery and Ollie on either arm. They’re so… like him, she thinks. Avery and Ollie’s eyes, Nicky’s hair. And their wings. How had she ever managed to look at them and think they were all hers?
It scares her and she’s not even sure she likes it. But there’s no more denying it: he’s a part of them. Just as much as she is.
He catches her standing there and grins at her. “All right,” he says. “Time for bed.”
They tuck them all in, and Nesta starts on the story Ollie chooses, but they’re all asleep before she finishes, truly beat from their time at the park. She and Cassian creep out together, careful not to stir them.
Cassian pours her a glass of wine in the kitchen as she ladles out dinner. She takes a large swallow before she says, “Now what’s this about?”
He laughs. “Don’t fear the worst. It’s not the end of the world.” But his smile fades. “I… have to go back tomorrow.”
Something inside Nesta sinks. “You’ve been here long,” she says.
“Not long enough,” he replies. “And I’m going to come back as soon as I can. You know that. You know that, don’t you?”
“I do,” she says truthfully.
He relaxes for a moment. Then he tenses and says, “I wanted to ask you something.”
Nesta raises an eyebrow as she takes a bite of pasta.
“I want you to think about coming over for Solstice. To Velaris.”
Nesta cocks her head. Lets out a dark laugh. “You…cannot be serious.”
“Just think about it,” he says, raising his hands. “And really think about it. I know you… I know how you feel about Rhys and Mor. But they’d love them, if you’d let them. And they really want to. And your sisters,” he adds, and she does appreciate that he pretends not to see her flinch. “They miss them. And you. Just… think about it. Sleep on it.” He swallows his own forkful of pasta, then he says, “How are things at the store?”
Which is kind of him, she supposes. Or… perhaps kind is not the right word. But she likes that he approaches the topic and then switches to one she is more comfortable with without making her respond. “Not the best,” she admits. “Adil and Miri came back. No brilliant authors just yet.”
“Have you signed anyone?”
“Three,” she says. “Two from Leyla and one from Maz.” She rolls her eyes. “As if Maz’s author is going to be any good.”
“Zeyn’s not back yet?” he asks casually.
“No,” she says, keeping her voice even.
She’s not gone so long without talking to him since she moved here. It’s jarring. She feels she’s done something wrong, even though she knows she hasn’t.
“Well, maybe he’s got ten authors in tow.”
Nesta scoffs. “You sound like Adil. He’s being so weird about it all.” Although, privately, Nesta wonders if she’d be the same if not for Cassian’s money.
“I really don’t want to see anything happen to this shop,” she says suddenly. “Adil was… he helped with all of this, you know.”
“I know,” he says, nodding solemnly. “I owe him so much.”
He had truly taken her in his care; giving her that job, helping her buy the house. She hates seeing him so stressed over this.
Perhaps, she thinks wryly, he would like her to go to Velaris. See if she can find some authors there.
She's still too upset with her sisters to know if she’d go there right now for them. But she’d definitely go for Adil.
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November 15 - 1 year after
The quiet of the bookstore was not the bliss she once might have wanted; it is—she cringed as she thought the word—pregnant. She knew they were all awkwardly tiptoeing around her, unsure of what to say.
“Nesta,” Zeyn said, approaching her for the umpteenth time that day.
“I’ve said I don’t want tea, Zeyn,” she said through gritted teeth. Really. Courtesy was one thing, but Nesta never liked hovering. No one liked hovering.
He laughed. “No, I know. I guess I’m annoying you.”
“No, of course not,” she said flatly, making him laugh again.
“I’m sorry. It’s just… you probably know how fast the rumor mill turns here. And. Well. We’re… the whole shop, we’re here for you.”
Nesta restrained a roll of her eyes. “Thank you,” she said. As if no one had ever been pregnant before. “But I think I’ll be fine.”
“Of course. Just, you know. You think you’re alone here, but you’re not. We’re a community.”
Nesta picked her head up from the book she was spining. She narrowed her eyes a bit, taking in his earnest expression. The slight nervousness alongside the warmth in his brown eyes. “Thank you,” she said again, more easily this time.
He grinned. “Can I… I mean, you’re probably. Well. Would you like me to show you around Sugar Valley? Have you been to Jamal’s?”
“No,” she said, vaguely aware that he was talking about a diner, and then very aware that he was asking to take her out to dinner. “But I won’t be able to go out any time soon,” she said hurriedly. “I’m very busy.” She snapped her book shut and turned without waiting to hear anything else, walking briskly to the back room. She gave no sign she heard his “oh, all right, another time, then!” as she left.
Neighborly pleasantries were one thing. Agreeing to go to dinner with a male was quite another. She wasn’t nearly there yet.
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December 7 - Year of
Emerie nodded slightly to Nesta as she walked in the door, in their typical morning greeting.
Nesta didn’t nod back today. Instead she said, “I’ve agreed to have dinner with him.”
Emerie’s lips parted slightly. “Oh,” she said, after a beat of silence.
Nesta glared as she forcefully took off her cloak. “That’s all you have to say?”
She blinked. “What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t know,” Nesta gritted. “Something useful, perhaps?”
Emerie’s lips quirked upwards a bit, while squinting her eyes, which Nesta very much didn’t like. Her sister’s looked at her like that, whenever they weren’t taking her seriously. “Well, why did you agree to dinner?”
“I don’t know. He asked. It was… strange. It was cordial.”
“You like cordial.”
“It was fake cordial.”
“You’re fake cordial.”
“That’s not how I want to live my personal life.”
“He’s a part of your personal life?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped, pulling some folded climbing pants off a shelf to re-fold. She was very skilled in hiding her emotions and managed to keep her face turning the burning crimson her heart was trying to color, with the sudden rush of blood to her cheeks.
“Are you scared of him?”
When Nesta picked her head up a minute later, Emerie was still looking at her expectantly. “No,” she said finally, unsure of if it even counted as a lie or not.
Emerie was quiet for a few minutes, too. Then she said, “Just… remember what I told you. About my… cousin.” When Nesta didn’t acknowledge her, she said, “I hated him for not fighting for me. But… not enough to wish him dead. And now he is.”
Nesta bit back her Yes, I remember your riveting tragedy, because she liked Emerie and she did feel for her. Emerie was perhaps the only person alive whom she could stand right now. Instead she said, “If we’re smart, we’ll start selling light wear next month. Others will start in February. We should be ahead.”
And the day passed as slowly as she could stretch it, painstakingly laying out the details for every day of sales for the next six weeks, but evening fell before long, and since she made the mistake of telling Emerie about her dinner plans, she kicked her out before the sun had truly set.
She took her time walking back, going as slowly as she could without truly terrifying the young Illyrian female walking hand in hand with a child. Nesta wasn't sure if it was her own. The pair walked in front of her, and the girl kept turning her head, discreetly trying to tell if Nesta was still there. Following her. Hunting her, perhaps. The thought made her scoff.
Other girls had always been intimidated by her, she thought. Even when she wasn’t trying to make them feel so. Elain once told her she stood too straight and narrowed her eyes too much.
But she couldn’t help it, even when she was very young. It was just her natural posture, her face. Up until now, she had been perfectly pleased with everyone steering clear of her, but now it was ridiculous. She’d never killed anyone.
The walk was not long enough and Nesta found herself standing in front of Cassian’s house. She gave herself a few moments of lingering outside before forcing herself to go in.
“Good evening,” she said as she walked in the kitchen, stiffly, in that same odd tone they had used yesterday.
He looked up from the pot he was stirring and grinned at her—wholly unlike anything from their exchange yesterday. “Hi, Nesta.”
She bit the inside of her cheek.
“Sit down,” he said cheerfully. “Please. I’m just about done.”
“All right,” she mumbled, sitting at the table. He set it. With… mats. She didn’t even know he had mats.
“Here we are,” he said, bringing over two dishes. She narrowed her eyes when she saw them. Duck and a sweet potato casserole. He was clearly trying to get in her good graces.
But what was this new tactic he’s using?
He took her plate and scooped too much food onto it; she’d never be able to eat that much. But she took it from him anyway. He poured her a glass of water.
This was too odd.
“How was your week?” he asked her.
“Fine,” she said after a beat. “Yours?” She stabbed some of the duck with her fork and twirled it.
“Long, as I said.” His expression turned more serious. “And I didn’t like how we left things.”
Nesta froze. This was not fake cordial. This was entirely too confrontational.
“I know you won’t forgive me any time soon, but can you let me try and make it up to you?”
She wanted the earth to swallow her up or some bird to crash into the house and carry her away—some Illyrian, maybe. The hope and sadness on his face was entirely too real, disorientingly different than what she was expecting and had prepared for.
Her eyes darted around the room—then at her own hand when he covered it with his.
“I’m really going to try, Nesta,” he said, voice low.
“Try what?” she said, finally finding her voice. It didn’t sound as scared as she felt, which she considered a win.
“To do right by you,” he said.
Nesta’s eyes dropped from his face back to their hands. He still hadn’t let her go.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she said in a small voice, “How?”
Here he grinned again. “We can start with dinner.” He took his hand back and began to eat, watching her intently.
After a few seconds, Nesta did too, trying the duck. Lemony, which she wasn’t expecting, but… she liked it.
He could tell. She looked at him and she knew he could tell.
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hey guys!
first i want to say i hope you're all keeping safe. i know it can be hard to stay in your home--work, necessities, just cabin fever--but it's so important. for your safety and your weaker loved ones and even young and healthy people because actually, we are not immune.
i have been thinking about you guys. i really hope this fic has managed to give you a bit of escapism, or comfort, or anything to take your mind off the trauma of day-to-day life in a global crisis. i really am going to try to update much faster to do the smallest thing i can to maybe make someone just a bit happier in these rough times.
lastly, i want to say to those of you who mostly read fic: write some! even if it's horrible and you don't want to share it with anyone ever! with so little we can do safely (my country has restricted movement; no one is allowed 100 meters away from their house), creating is one of the few active, productive things left. so write. or draw. something that isn't passive enjoyment. keeps your soul healthy.
i love you guys. stay safe. stay healthy. stay home.
---
Chapter Thirteen
#like pristine glass#nessian au#nesta archeron#acotar au#acotar fic#y'all. so happy to get this out there.#AHHHHHHHHHH the world's just...so different. from last time i posted#we all gotta find some way to stay sane#this is a good way for me to do that i think#normally i ramble about the chapter in the tags but now it's just like....ahhhhhhhh where is my head????#i'll shut up and post this now lol
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Deeper Relations: 05
(Freddie Jackson x Reader)
A Freddie Jackson Multi Chapter Series
Chapter 05: The Denial
Summary: Being the youngest sister of Jackie and Maggie, you were quite young when Freddie Jackson went to prison. Upon his return, you cannot help but recall your innocent love you had for him back then. And surprised by your transformation into womanhood, Freddie cannot help but form a desire towards you. Will a dangerously seductive attraction grow between the two of you? What will be the consequences?
Requested by: @97freaknik Thank you for your detailed request 😘
Author’s Note: Finally got some time to work on this again. Sorry for the delay. Hope y’all enjoy this!
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4
(A week later)
A week earlier, the thought of Family Dinner would have almost sent you to the brinks of hell. Especially given the events that took place right after the last one. But, to your relief, you were completely at peace this time.
With your heart as calm as the still waters, you felt like yourself once again for the past week. The version of yourself before his return, that was. Yes, you did not even dare mention his name, even in your heart. With your heart devoid of him, the chances of seeing him in public also grew almost to NIL the past week. Not even a happy coincidence. For you were not inclined to. Plus, with Marcus around, a problem that was as unnecessary as that was not in your list of priorities.
Perhaps because of the history of friendship, Marcus did not treat you as he treated other girls in relationship. You were dear to him, you saw in his eyes. You were something so precious he safeguarded with all his might. The hours spent together grew more often, yet it was spent no differently as before. Except for the occasional loving glances shared in secret, or even the sweet kisses stolen every now and then between sips of coffee and library study sessions. During all that time, Marcus made you feel safe. Excitement? Not really. Passion? Certainly not. But safety? Absolutely.
“Oh! They’re here!”
Lena Summers rushed to the door upon hearing the doorbell ring. You assumed it was Jackie and the family. Setting the table with Maggie, you took deep breaths, mentally preparing yourself with enough peace to face him, and to face whatever nonsense he will bring up this time, especially when he catches you alone. Except this time, you were not going to break down. For your heart was safe.
Looking up, you wore your brightest smile to welcome the Jacksons, only to have your eyebrows slightly furrow with confusion upon seeing him.
Contrary to your expectations, Freddie Jackson appeared nowhere near conflicted nor sarcastic. He was clean and sober much more than you’ve ever seen him before in your life. Dressed neatly, his eyes was distinctly clearer, and more beautiful than ever. Certainly different from your previous memory of him. And the way he greeted you, it was evident he had remorse hidden in his eyes, silently begging you to forgive him.
You could not figure him out. Even during dinner, you could not help but wonder what had changed Freddie. He seemed more in control. Of his actions, and of his emotions. You could honestly say you blinked with surprise more than a dozen times, wondering if this was actually a dream.
“Could you pass the gravy please, Y/N?”
Freddie’s voice woke you from your thoughts. You blinked once again for a few seconds, confused by his politeness.
“Yeah…uh sure” you struggled, handing him the gravy boat, to which he smiled.
“Thank you…” he replied, in a deep tone.
Nodding, you wanted to look away. Except you were tempted to stare. All the while your sisters and mother had a conversation of their own without your slightest attention.
“…Don’t know…let me ask him…” Jackie said, looking over to her husband, “Freddie, babe…you at home tomorrow night?”
“Of course, babe…” He answered obediently, with the same smile.
“Y/N…” You looked up from your plate as your sister addressed you, “Cinema tomorrow, you coming right?” She asked, whilst Maggie and your mother looked at you excitedly. Opening your mouth, you hesitated to answer.
“No, thanks” you said, “I…uh have plans”
Which was certainly an answer that made your family raise their eyebrows.
“You never miss the cinema…”Maggie said, “You love it…it’s the Summers tradition”
She was right. You would be the first person to leap up in excitement to go see the pictures with your mother and sisters. It remained a tradition since you were young. But this time, you had become selfish enough to ignore it all.
“I uh…” you began, as everyone waited for a valid reason, “ I guess this is a good time as any to say this…uh…”. You struggled, as you continued with a deep breath:
“Marcus and I…We’re seeing each other”
The reactions were so quick you barely could observe everyone else’s, but all you could remember was you mother’s, whose eyes were widened with curiosity.
“You mean…that nice boy we talked about?” She asked. You nodded.
“Yes…” you said, with a shy smile. Only then were your ears brimmed with loud, happy exclamations from everyone, even Jimmy’s.
“Oh my god-” Jackie cried out happily.
“I can’t believe it” Maggie followed suite as she cupped her own face with wonder. Your mother stood up in excitement, making you walk over to her open arms.
“Oh! Darling…about bloody time!” She cried out, pulling you into a hug, “Oh! I’m so happy for you…”
“Mum, relax…we’re just dating” you chuckled, being held tightly in her arms, “ And would you mind terrible if I asked him to join us for brunch next Sunday?”
You asked, knowing completely the extent of her excited squeals.
“Of course I won’t, love!”
Pulling away, you watched the others clap for you with pure excitement.
All except Freddie.
Though he wore a smile on his face, you could tell he was knee deep in pretense. Especially when those beautiful eyes were far from smiling.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“See? We always knew Marcus would be the one…”
“Stop now! It’s not like we’re getting married…”
You said to Maggie, although you could not stop smiling. The kitchen was infused with soap smell as you joined your sisters and mother clean up the dishes after dinner. Even hours after, your family still could not get over the great news you brought.
“Actually, I’m quite excited for Sunday…” you admitted, drying off your hands after washing the last plate, “I really can’t wait for him to properly meet you all”
Watching the eyes of your sisters and your mother shine, made you feel warm inside. For the first time ever, you knew what it was like to be the daughter your mother wanted, and the woman your sisters hoped you’d become. Away from all the chaos. Into a normal life that was peaceful.
The sound of glass shattering made all of you jump in alarm.
“What was that?” Lena inquired, before one of Jackie’s daughters raced in to the kitchen.
“Mommy! It’s Daddy! He’s hurt” she cried out.
Your heart sank involuntarily into the sea of concern. Suddenly, you were dying with impatience. Rushing into the dinning room together, you all found Freddie sitting there by the table, with his hand gripping on to a broken beer bottle whilst a river of crimson flowed out of it.
“Oh Freddie! What did you do?” Jackie cried, as she held his hand. Shaking his head, Freddie couldn’t care less of what happened.
“It’s nothing babe…just a cut” he muttered coolly. Jackie scoffed, whilst taking the broken bottle out of his hand. Without any hesitation, you headed back to the kitchen.
“Just? You’re bleeding like mad” Your sister said as she put a napkin on his cut, applying the needed pressure to stop the bleeding. Returning with the medical kit, you handed it to Jackie.
“Thanks, Y/N…could you keep pressing this on his hand?” Jackie asked, before you could even object. But you were not cruel. You could not be. Not to Freddie. Not today.
“Yeah, sure…” , you said, moving towards him. Gently taking his hand on yours, you kept pressing the napkin on his cut, shyly avoiding his gaze on you.
Muttering to herself, Jackie opened the box and took out gauze and medicine.
“Seriously Freddie, what happened?” She yelled with concern to which you could not blame.
“Nothing babe…” he insisted, “my hand slipped…” he added, whilst sneakily looking your way.
As much as you wanted to avoid him, you could not help but worry for the man. What was he up to? You wondered. As you continued to press the napkin, you secretly prayed for his speedy recovery. It was secret, for you had no intention of verbally declaring. It was not your place to do so. And most of all, a simple misunderstanding could do more damage than expected.
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(Sunday)
Excitement became you as you smacked your lips. With the last smear, you closed the lipstick while staring into the mirror. The mellow yellow cotton dress complimented with the Rouge lips, which was a special color you wore for this special occasion. Yes it was just brunch, but brunch with Marcus and the family.
“Oh my!” Maggie’s voice reached your ears with her arrival into the room, “Love this shade on you, love” she said, giving you the thumbs up of approval. You smiled excitedly.
“Thanks…” you said, feeling your curled hair, “..is everything ready?” Looking out of the room, You asked with concern, to which Maggie stopped you with a pat on your shoulder.
“Don’t worry about a thing…” she said with assurance. And you believed her.
The ringing of the doorbell made her squeal before you “Oh! It must be him”.
12pm. Just in time. You were already proud of him. Skipping lightly, you made your way to the door. Opening the door in a graceful like fashion, you curtsied in an attempt to make your boyfriend laugh.
Except it was Jimmy who stood there.
“Jimmy!” You said with disappointment, clearing your throat to change your tone, “Hey!” You greeted him, feigning enthusiasm.
“Y/N Hey! Sorry…” he said, lowering his voice, “…is Marcus here already?” He whispered with concern. You shook your head.
“No not yet actually…” you chuckled nervously as he entered.
“Anyways…” Jimmy began, “Freddie said he can’t make i-”
“Yeah! yeah alright…” you cut him off, having no regards to anything he just mentioned, “Thanks Jimmy…” oblivious to the entire situation, you stepped out of the house.
Hoping this won’t a sign of bad luck, you waited for Marcus.
15 minutes later, you paced around, looking to your left and right with focus. Could it be that something had come up? Impossible. It was a Sunday. “Come on…Marcus” you muttered to yourself as you kept on waiting.
Half an hour later, your foot began to tap nervously as you stood there in front of the house with your arms folded. Could it be that he got into an accident? What if he was badly injured somewhere with no access to a telephone? Shaking your head, you were convinced you were overreacting.
An hour passed, yet you held on to the little hope that managed to linger even when everything else was proving you wrong. When the second hour finally passed, you were at the brink of giving up. Slowly taking your heels off, you walked back inside with messy hair and a cold expression.
“Where is he, love?”
Your mother asked you with genuine concern as you entered the dinning room, With the food already gotten cold in the table, you saw the pitiful looks everyone gave you. Though they were quiet, you could hear it all. You felt guilty, you were confused to the fullest. But most of all, you were heartbroken.
The friend you thought you could trust enough to love, ditched you right before your family. Coming to that realization, the tears that you fought so hard to hold in, flowed down your rosy cheeks continuously as you stormed into your room, closing it shut.
______________________________________
Chapter 6 HERE
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My mama, and I, are so set in our ways. My mom can’t help but say triggering things - I perhaps can’t help by being triggered by maybe mundane things. It’s work (Work™) not Reacting, and I’m working very hard at it because we are in a scary pandemic and my dad already died this year.
But after washing dishes and saying a goodbye which felt loaded for me and probably/hopefully just flew over her head, I think it was natural to find myself thinking about my dad. My dad had such little access to me - even when circumstances changed and I grew up. He was just grateful to spend time with me and see me. There were times he wanted influence over my life, what parent doesn’t, but it wasn’t the entirety or even a majority of our relationship. I don’t say this as a critique of my mama - she and her side of the family had to do the raising and all the actual work of caregiving, so it’s natural that she also wants a heavy hand in transforming me into what she thinks is right. I’m just saying that there was a balance there. Maybe in safe, well-adjusted families that balance exists with both parents as a unit. With mine it was polarized between them. All that to say, I felt that balance palpably growing up and I wonder if I ever conveyed outwardly to my dad or even to myself in recognition that I appreciated the unconditional nature of his love.
The one year anniversary of my father’s death is in about three weeks. It feels like it was just yesterday. I was writing on tumblr the day it happened because pen to paper was too hard (it’s still kind of hard).
I have hit many roadblocks with processing his death. No death of this magnitude can be easy, but the isolation is unbearable. I will never be able to see my father’s final resting place. When I think of him, there is so little tangible to hold or places to go.
After seeing my mom I ended up driving to the last place he lived when he was here. It was hard. Trying to hold vigil, trying to manifest ritual in these circumstances feels like grasping at vapor, at punishing myself and trying to discipline out memories of places and images that must be somewhere in my mind. It’s also hard because my father lived a life of such transience. His last home in the city was an affordable housing unit, but it’s in a glitzy part of Old Town in Chicago with super commercial streets all around. The building is gated and secured because it is, by its nature, a place people try to access for sanctuary. I was only there for a few minutes. It didn’t feel right to be there, seeing its gentle and cheery Christmas-light bedecked lobby several feet behind the fence while people in need of sanctuary waited outside.
I remember my dad’s unit. If any of you have read the screenplay to Brokeback Mountain, when Alma Jr, Ennis’s daughter, comes to visit him at the end of the book, she’s saddened by the utilitarian nature of his dwellings. That’s how my dad lived too. Is it how all divorced, working class dads with adult daughters live? He had his inflatable mattress on the ground, a hearty and healthily stocked fridge, a TV that only kind of worked, a dial radio, a small closet of pretty chic dad clothes and fancy leather shoes, a lot of magazines and library books. That was it.
I drove around Old Town a little. I could see him walking around there. I could see where he’d post his mail and where he’d board the red line, and where he’d go get groceries.
I went to our old apartment. It was the apartment I was born in, and where my father probably last lived a full 20 years ago. When my parents were together, our family occupied several of the units in the building. This apartment was the backdrop of all of my baby videos and photos. After my parent’s divorced, my dad stayed there still. It was super shitty, to be honest, and at the time, mice-infested haha, but I didn’t know any better. It was home. Its crappiness kind of made it a place of some level of abandon. Once it was just my dad (but even before then), he - and I guess the whole family - had given up on me not drawing on the walls so at some point everything under three feet was just Scribbles, for example.
During that period where it was just my dad in that apartment, I remember a few things - my dad had hung up his target practice headshot sheets (from... work? he was a security guard) on the walls, lol #art. He once made a makeshift swing which hurt my butt and broke a lot but was fun anyway.
One time - ha - I found a tube of bright pink lipstick in the bathroom and subsequently used it to adorn the scribbly walls with a pop of color. I distinctly remember as a kid being like this is weird, but okay. And now, as an adult, I wish I had a camera on me when the implications of my lone, always alone, dad having a random singular tube of hot pink lipstick in his bathroom dawned on me l o l. I was driving down the highway to my childhood home and after being the lady calculating numbers meme for a hot second started cackling hysterically Through The Tears™. My father was just a person, after all. We are all just people. Full, complete, independent people with lives that are always somewhat secret from our loved ones.
I got to our old apartment and there are these two big rocks that have just been there decoratively on this Chicago corner for 30 years at this point. One of them used to be a white/light gray, smooth stone and the other one was a rugged rock with one fully geode encrusted face. I distinctly remember being little enough to climb on them (the white one was slippery, the geode one had purchase making it easy to climb). They’re still there, although now I could literally just climb from one to the other like they were steps on a set of stairs lmao, and the white one has been darkened thanks to city grime ✨. That was the strongest memory of this particular vantage point of our home that I have. All other memories are from the window looking outward, like waiting for my dad’s taxi (like all immigrant south asian dads, mine too was a taxi driver at one point) while listening to the sounds of traffic on wet pavement after the rain.
I texted my brother to ask if he remembered which floor we lived on. He said “wow, weird”. He had just had a dream of our apartment last night. My brother is currently about a half a day ahead of me time-wise, so I think he was both very surprised by our connected subconscious and also perhaps a little concerned that I was visiting no longer familiar neighborhoods at 1 in the morning. But my brother is gentle about this. He didn’t have much of a relationship with my father, his stepfather. He was the first person I called when I was told of his death and he soothed me in all the perfect ways as I drove the 15 minutes it took to get to my mom’s from work. He told me I had been a good daughter, that my father had loved me with the entirety of his being and had lived solely for me, and that I had made him proud and that he had known I had loved him. I wept and wept apologizing that he had to comfort me over someone he had a difficult relationship with, over a stepfather who hadn’t treated him the best, and I could hear him shrug over the phone. He said my father had been a simple man who was constrained by a difficult life and that he had not any ill will towards him. May God protect my brother always, inshAllah.
It’s funny attempting to create ritual, chasing some sort of catharsis or relief in places that felt loaded with meaning, but on physical approach, are devoid of it. My father’s most recent place does not hold his spirit, my birthplace apartment is now occupied by another family and probably furnished up to code. I arrived back to my place having had a stilted cry, a period of smug laughter, a nice conversation with my brother, and now a headache. I’m still stuck in some ways. I’m still figuring out how to process a grief that has elusive, elusive memories attached to it and nothing physical to represent it. But I tried, and my earlier hurt from my mom doesn’t feel all that present anymore. We will keep on trying.
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The Fats follows a evolved fox-rat family of 8 brothers and 1 sister as they fight a human mad scientist and other threats to humanity alongside their adaptive father/mentor, 2 human allies and other cross-animals in the distant future while trying to accept each other as family.
Patriot Fat(voiced by James Arnold Taylor) is the “den-mother and leader of the team and is the most calm and experienced member, but hurt his family and he will hunt you down to the ends of the Earth. He is a hard-headed and serious cone, scolding his siblings when they don't follow orders. He is colored brown, blue pants, has a red belt, black gloves and boots and has blue eyes.
Wreck Fat(voiced by Nolan North) is the most angry and self-loathing loner of the group. He often argues with Patriot about who should be leader of the team. However, they will work together when the situation calls of it.He has intense arm firepower, wiping out enemies in a matter of seconds. He is coloured grey, speaks with a New Yorker accent, red pants, red belt and hazel eyes.
Engineer Fat(voiced by Yuri Lowenthal) is the kind-hearted, calm and gentle pacifist and inventor of the team. He is socially awkward and book smart so much so that his sibling cannot keep up with him. Even though he shows a greater interest in technology than his training, nevertheless, he will defend his family and fight his opponents when there is no other choice. He is also skeptical as he believes humans do not exist and that animals have always been the sole species of Earth. He has red eyes, has a mole on his right cheek, has a cyborg arm, has metallic yellow pants, a blue belt and is coloured silver.
Mischief Fat(Voiced by Mikey Kelley) is the most wild, funny, immature and party-loving surfer dude of the team. He loves riding on his hoverboards, fighting evil and is extremely creative with arts. He is also a member of the Prank Trio along with Runt and Bullsnark. He wants to be part of the human world and he will convince his family to do the same by any means necessary. He also serves as an unofficial second-in-command whenever he comes up with brilliant plans that save the day or gets the Fats out of life-threatening situations, becoming the closest thing a team has to a second leader.He also has a sad side as he borders on depression as a result of spending years with his siblings and father on a island. He is coloured Yellow, has freckles, dark blue pants, a gold belt, has a beard at 16 years old and has green eyes.
Angel Fat(Voiced by Colleen O'Shaughnessy) is the smart, tomboyish, arrogant and independent tech support of the team and bit of a narcissist and will often bring on about her intelligence. As the only female member of the family, she always has the best of intentions. She is coloured yellow, has a gap between two of her front teeth and has green eyes. She is a great mathematician as she can easily hack into any computer data base by correctly guessing their security codes, Unlike the rest of her family(who wear pants, gloves(except for Buster, Engineer and Growly), shoes and are shirtless), she has blond hair, wears a Fat shirt, is coloured mix-purple/Yellow as a result from a lab accident, has a pink belt and gloves and blue shorts with sockings.
Buster Fat(voiced by Steve Blum) is the biggest and most strongest member of the family. He loves training all day and he hates it when his sibling interrupt him. However, he has a good heart and will go by any means to protect them. He also cares for normal animals, fighting to his last breath to save them. He is coloured green, speaks with a Brooklyn accent, has dark green pants, yellow belt, black boots and has golden eyes.
Runt Fat(voiced by Josh Keaton) is the most dim-witted and dizy, yet lovable member of the team. He’s been part of the Prank Trio since Day One and is often made fun of his stupidity by siblings, however when the situation is necessary, it ultimately proves to be his greatest strength. He is also something of a womaniser as he tries to say something to cross-animal females, but can't bring out the exact words and he is the most gullible of the family, causing him believe whatever lies are told to him, even causing him to betray his family, only to rejoin them in one of the future games. Nonetheless, he is one of the most purest cross-animals, never truely joining evil and always finding out to know the truth about himself and his family. He is coloured red and has one red eye and one hazel eye.
Bullsnark Fat(voiced by Roger Craig Smith) is the adventure-loving everyman slacker, jester-like and thrill-seeker who wishes to travel the world. He is sarcastic, playful and completely devoid of cynicism. He is also one of the member of the Prank Trio along with Mischief and Runt. He’s very loyal to his family and always stands up for them and keeps his promises despite his impulsive and impatient nature. He can be sentimental when villains threaten the world and won't stop until they're defeated and can provide tactical strategies. He is coloured orange, has black boots and gloves, yellow pants, a blue belt and has purple eyes.
Growly Fat(voiced by Trevor Devall) is the strict and irritable, yet caring and kind-hearted powerhouse who breaks up fights between the family. He is prone to anger when someone pranks or tricks him, but deep down, he loves his family very much. He was born somewhere in Mississippi and he is also a history junkie as he collects every newspaper, article and art of the world's history. He isn't fond of humans too much until much later on in the game. He is coloured blue, speaks with a Southern accent, dark grey pants, green belt, black boots, and has blue eyes.
Hopper Frog(voiced by Billy West) is the mean, brash, cocky, militaristic and demanding yet kind-hearted father of the Fats, but as the game progresses, he becomes a more supportive, caring and wise parental figure. He has a soft spot for children and he will be a role model to them whenever he sees them. At the beginning of the game, he is overprotective of the Fats, fearing they could die if they go into the human world, but throughout the game, he accepts that his children are teenagers now and he says that he is proud of them. He wears a green military uniform with no pants, speaks like a mad scientist and has brown eyes.
Sarah Stewart(voiced by Jennifer Hale) is the most beautiful, kindhearted and attractive teenage girl the Fats have ever known. She was abused in school and she has recently graduated from high school to apply for science. She can also sense betrayal in strangers she doesn't know. She is also an orphan as she lives with her aunt, uncle and their daughter. She is a blond teenage girl with pink sleeveless shirt and blue jeans. She also has light freckles on her nose and baby blue eyes.
Peter Braxton(voiced by Ben Diskin) is the comedic, shy and loyal sports player whose life is forever changed when he meets the Fats. He is like a modern-day Prince Charming and he has a crush on Sarah Stewart when he first sees her, but does not kiss her until the end of the first game, He also becomes best friends with Wreck and Growly throughout the game as they play hologram games together. He is also a pacifist as he lost his father in a flying car accident and starts campaigns and TV ads to prevent anyone from suffering the same fate. He is a black haired teenage boy with orange eyes, a sports jumper and brown pants.
Dr. Otto Jekyll(voiced by Mike Pollock) is a highly selfish, insane, cocky and arrogant mad scientist and the main antagonist of the series. He wants to end peace and liberty on Earth and will do it by gaining control of the world's governments, police and money. He is also a deceptional liar as he constantly lies to the Fats and their friends, trying to convince them that he can help people have more improved lives until the end of the first game when he reveals his true motives. He is an mildly obese man with balding brown hair with a goatee and a lab coat with red clothing and black and white rubber gloves and boots. He also has yellow eyes.
Gaming Mechanics:
1. The video game series will be an open-world where you can play side-missions and help people in addition to the main story. You can also visit other countries in free-roam in the game.
2. You can use multiplayer as 4 of the each titular 9 Fats with the ability to change between the 8 other Fats until all 9 are all dead and the game resets.
3. You can have collectibles, art and unlock new weapons throughout each level of the game.
4. You can also play as the human characters Sarah Stewart and Peter Braxton in stealth missions.
5. Once you’ve completed the game, you can revisit any of the levels. So you won't have to worry getting through 13 hours without completing the entire game 100%.
6. As I said, you can fire weapons with 2 of the Fats, Engineer and Angel who are the tech support of the team while the rest of the team fight hand to hand.
7. The game will have the feel of a Disney movie , Thomas Perkins-like art, the art of Ratchet & Clank and the backgrounds of Young Justice and The Super Hero Squad while still rendered as a 3D dimensional video game.
And lastly, here’s the title for the prequel tie-in novel: The Raoxs: Animals of Science.
Series Outline:Set in an utopian future where all war, problems and disease has been wiped out, the Fats live on a peaceful island with their adaptive Frog father, Hopper Frang, but they have never truly accepted each other as family or understood their father’s lectures, even starting a war with one another once. On their 16th birthday, they are allowed to leave the island and venture into the Human world. But when a scientist named Dr. Otto Jekyll(a pun on the Dr. Jekyll character from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) becomes Dr. Peace-Destroyer and threatens to end the era of peace by conquering the world, the Fats are forced to come to term with their calling as a family and what it means to be heroes with the help of 17-year old science intern (smart blond) Sarah Stewart and 18-year old Sports player Peter Braxton.
This would be a Playstation 4 and Playstation 5-exclusive and would be rated E+10 for more cartoon, fantasy or mild violence, mild language, and/or minimal suggestive themes.
Do you want to see this video game series brought to life?
#playstation 5#disney#insomniacgames#sony interactive entertainment#playstation4#video games#fats ps5#fatsps4
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