#‘what’s her beef with Nero?’ she doesn’t like his face

[candycryptids]

17.out of all the scions, which one is the one your wol gets along with the best? what about the one they get along with the least? why?

20.what is your wol's best quality? what's the thing that they do that really gets stuff done of makes people like them? hard mode: their own perception vs. a friend or partner's perception.

both for Chuu!

Of the Scions….. 🤔 that’s toughies ! I think she tolerates Estinien’s presence the most since he lets her alone. But I don’t know if he counts- by EW he’s on payroll, but the second choice I have is Thancred for similar reasons- she’s not super sociable for crowds of people and they’re the most likely to break off from the crowd for similar reasons so it’s easy to just be people-watchers on the fringes. (Though I imagine Thancred is just taking ‘breathers’ and gets back in there after a few minutes).

In the Universe where she is THE warrior o light her favorite is Y’shtola though. There’s something really satisfying about her trust in you to back up her batshit plans that coincides with Chuu’s own batshit plans. Hack it until it works and failing that? blow it up so it’s not a problem anymore. EZ. (She also actually gets on quite well with Tataru, a friendly and smiling face she can count on to be there when she comes back from whatever armpit mission and pour her some tea while she bitches about the heat, the fight, the petty politics.)

She has the most trouble getting on with Alphinaud. In the Chuu Is The Wol-iverse she carries a sore spot for the Crystal Braves and using pocket change to partially fund a personal army- but she recognizes that it’s largely a case of. Being a child with too much accolades and praise and expectations heaped on his shoulders to the point where he keeps rising to it without so much the experience to match? It reminds her of somebody. …. In non-WoL usual canon though she has trouble getting on with Tataru PURELY because she knows how to find her and WILL call her if they need her help. She’s one of four people trusted with her linkpearl connection and it took some heavy convincing for that much.

FOR THE SECOND QUESTION, THOUGH,

Chuu sees herself as The Guy you see when a technical thing is giving you trouble, or if you want to rig your manacutter to go far and beyond the safe speed because you and your Miqo’te traveling companion want to recreate pod racing through Azys La. Her assistance was crucial in the building of that weird machine to go through all of that Allagan Research. Not that she makes it terribly easy to get in touch… but she believes her best quality is being The Expert™ that you call in when you’ve exhausted all your other options and she gets to step into the scene and Fix It. And then vanish again, crucially, she does not want to keep the spotlight.

My wrist is acting all kinds of unkind so writing a bunch more is giving me trouble but I’ll tell you Nero’s perception of her is that she’s a One-Upping, Show-Offing Arrogant Pain In His Ass, who is specifically showing up whenever he’s trying to look like a competent authority on whatever they’re dealing with just to dump a milkshake in his lap and make him look stupid.

Because she is. It is her passion in life to make Nero look stupid as hell.

[Pre-DT ?’s prompt!]

[tonypinkgrave]

ride the lightning ⊹ ·˚

❥ summary : Nero thinks Dante should treat Cavaliere better— and by that, he means let him fuck Dante's brains out on that thunderous beast of a motorcycle.

3.5k words

post-DMC5

Top!Nero / Bottom!Dante

includes anal sex on a motorcycle, creampies, playful banter, & pet names

✧─── ･ ｡ﾟ★: *.✦ .* :★. ───✧

“Agh, damn.”

Nero shakes his head and throws down the magazine he was perusing. That old man had been working in Nero’s garage for hours, tinkering with god-knows-what and constantly knocking things over if the loud sounds were anything to go by. Nero begrudgingly left Dante alone to do his things, and he’s surely regretting it.

The garage was already a mess, but he doesn’t want the devil hunter screwing it up any more than it needs to be.

Nero leaves the comfort of his lazy boy and heads to the garage. As he steps in, swinging the heavy door out and quickly shutting it behind him, he avoids looking at the dark brown stain on the floor— a reminder of a tragedy long ago.

No, that’s the past. This is the present, a present where he can walk in and tease his uncle over fucking up his tools

Nero saunters toward Dante, drinking in the sight of nuts and bolts, dirty rags, oil, screwdrivers, and his signature red coat strewn about. Cavaliere, Dante's new form of transportation, sits in the middle of the garage. He knows Dante knows he’s there, but his uncle doesn’t glance at him, too busy assessing the large shotgun in his hands.

“You havin’ fun?” Nero starts, leaning on the wooden workbench.

Dante hums, “Sure.”

He says nothing else, causing Nero to bite his lip. He gives it another go, “Don’t you think that bad boy is modded enough?”

Dante then sends him a smirk. “Ironic coming from you.” He laughs, holding up his prized Coyote-A. “Nah, I was only giving it a bigger barrel. These new pests coming through lately have been more durable than ever. I guess it’s that whole, uhh,” Dante vaguely gestures, “evolution stuff.”

Nero knows the demons appearing haven’t been an issue for Dante, but the hunter is giving an old boy of his a chance to stay in the game. It’s rather sentimental, he thinks.

“With the right modifications, that thing could blow a hole through concrete,” Nero adds.

Dante snickers. “Oh, I know. I’ve been on the receiving end of a souped-up Pedersoli before. Those can turn you into ground beef real quick.”

Nero’s eyebrows reach his hairline. “What? When?”

“Looong ago.”

“Wow.” Nero crosses his arms and faces him fully. “That must’ve been tough; fighting off crazy modified shotguns, and competing with T-rexes for your food. Hard times back then, I bet.”

“Ha-ha-ha,” Dante enunciates in a snarky manner. “It was pretty funny though! Once watched your father square up against a velociraptor.”

Nero snorts at the absurdity of it all. He’s never forgotten Dante’s wit and his ability to roll with the punches. Every conversation they have, barring anything that delves too deeply into their respective issues, is chill. It’s .. nice. He wishes Dante visited more often and didn’t seem to think Nero and his home had human cooties.

He could say that, right now. He could let Dante know he appreciates him, respects him, loves him for his one-of-a-kind personality. Instead, Nero notices how much his lovely, odd uncle has let Cavaliere go.

“What the hell, old man?” Nero taps Cavaliere’s gunked-up exhaust pipes with his boot. “Why are you letting her go like this? She looks like shit.”

Dante sharply swivels. “Hey, gimme a break, kid. I can only do so much around here.”

click here to read more ♡

[kinetic-elaboration]

February 13: Star Trek Beyond

Some attempted thoughts on Star Trek Beyond.

So first it was bad lol. It is the worst. I thought maybe it would be less the worst than I had previously thought but it really, really is just irredeemably bad.

Trying to keep up with what was actually happening and talk in the group chat was too difficult and I now feel very exhausted lol. And I’m not even sure what I watched.

I liked Jaylah a lot, including her back story, characterization, “house,” traps, and cool mirror tricks.

I also like Kirk in that emergency uniform with the jacket unzipped.

That’s it! That’s all I liked.

In the past I’ve also said I liked the Spock and Bones parts but I honestly wasn’t a fan of them either this time around!

None of the characters felt IC and none of the relationships felt true or were compelling. Which is particularly egregious given that the alleged theme was strength in unity.

The movie was especially lacking in K/S content or even K & S interaction, which obviously didn’t please me. And it’s definitely the worst Kirk characterization I’ve ever seen. There’s no excuse for that either because it’s halfway through the 5YM, which means he should be pretty close to TOS Kirk--yes, he has a different set of experiences, so there’s going to be some variation, but there’s comparatively less excuse for a radically different characterization than in STXI and STID. They should have had Shatner read the script and make notes lol because whatever else you might say about him he KNOWS Captain Kirk.

Like, he (Kirk) lacked humor and charm and, often, confidence. He had moments when he was very smart and moments when he had a commanding presence. But he had just as many moments when he was whiny or bored and his Captain’s log??? I deserve financial compensation for every time I’ve listened to that. Bored of space?? No, this man is bored when he’s stuck on Earth. He stagnates in desk jobs. He is an adventurer and explorer before he’s ANYTHING else; if you don’t get that, you don’t need to be writing Star Trek.

Also, as I have frequently complained, I’m tired of him having no internal conflict or emotional complexity past his father issues. First reboot movie: dealing with his dead father’s memory and his step-father’s abuse. Fine, that makes sense for how they set up the AU. Second reboot movie: entirely motivated by the need for Manly Vengeance upon the person who killed his father figure. And for this redundant story line (in many sense) we had to lose Pike? Third reboot movie: you’d think he’d finally be ready to move on to other conflicts but actually no this time he’s sad about his birthday and having a longer life span than his...you guessed it!! father!! Yet again.

What else has ever motivated him? Legitimate question.

The destruction of the Enterprise was truly horrific. Long, boring, unwarranted, and without any emotional punch. As if it were just any ship! No, she’s a character in her own right and she’s not to be sacrificed like that but please tell me again how Simon Pegg is a true fan who brought the franchise back to its roots?

B said he did like that they split up the crew into unusual units but I have mixed feelings about it. I don’t entirely disagree, but I don’t think they did a lot that was interesting with any of those separated units. Uhura and Sulu are a cool pair (but this would have been a good opportunity to include Sulu’s semi-canonical crush on Uhura but whatever... a different rant) and they almost did some interesting stuff with them. There were glimmers of a caper in that story line and times when I could tell they were straining especially hard to make Uhura, their Sole Female Main--now that they cut out Rand, Chapel, and even Carol Marcus--into something Feminist and Interesting. But it didn’t quite gel for me. Like, Uhura would be having almost interesting dialogue with the villain and holding her own...and then she loses track of her colleague and has to watch that person die, thus undercutting everything she just said about unity and seeming to prove the villain’s point. Is she competent or not?

Bones and Spock are a pair I care about and like but again I think their canonical relationship in TOS is more interesting than STB showed. I personally read them as like...reluctant best friends who originally just had one person in common, and then realized they also like each other too, but they’ll never really say it. They understand each other but pretend not to. They have fun with the barbs they throw at each other. They both deeply love Jim but in different ways. They enjoy their intellectual debates. (That’s one thing that was definitely missing from them here! The intellectual debates!) So again, there was something there but not enough.

And Kirk and Chekov just happened to land near each other; nothing was done with that relationship per se. They really aren’t people who have much of a relationship in TOS so there’s not a lot to work off of but then on the other hand there IS an opportunity to create something new. Maybe I’m being too harsh and too vague but it just didn’t gel for me. The only specific K and C moment I remember was that supremely un-funny joke about Kirk’s aim as he sets off the “wery large bomb.”

But like there are possibilities.. they’re both pretty horny and Chekov is a whiz kid and Kirk is also very smart and has always been smart... Like in other words people Chekov’s age don’t end up on the bridge crew, in either ‘verse, without the Captain’s say, so even though he’s TOS!Spock’s and AOS!Scotty’s protege, Kirk is important to his life. Something with that maybe??

I’m upset that Spock’s individual story line was about whether or not he should go off and make baby Vulcans because, again as I have complained many times before, that was a conflict he faced and resolved in ten minutes two movies ago, and it doesn’t make sense to me for him to bring it up again now just because the Ambassador is dead. Like... the Ambassador told him to stay in Starfleet!! “Ah, yes, I will honor him by doing precisely the opposite of what he wanted me to do.”

Also--if they had made his motivation different or gone into it more, I would have been more into it. Make it about New Vulcan! Say there’s news from New Vulcan that it’s not doing well. Or what if T’Pring got in contact with him? Or what if we used this as an excuse to bring in Sarek?

This is part of a larger point for me which is that STXI set up a really cool AU and STID tried to do something with it--a little hit or miss, but it tried--and instead of pushing even more at the AU and developing it more and doing more with it... STB just ignored it! Was that part of what Paramount was warning about with making it “not too Star Trek-y?” Was it SUPPOSED to be a movie you could watch without having seen the last two? If so they did succeed but like.. .why? They made the supremely ballsy move of blowing up a founding Federation planet two movies ago and now they’ve just forgotten about that and all the reverberations that would necessarily have?

But of course we got a call back to Kirk being a Beastie Boys fan so.... Guess it was Deep all along.

We all three agreed that the core story of this film was potentially interesting but could have been done as a 50-some minute episode of a TV series rather than a whole-ass 2 hour movie. First off, cutting or cutting down the action sequences would have shaved off half an hour easily.

I’m frustrated in large part because there are certain things that are interesting here. I do like the concept of the crew being pulled on to an alien planet by a ship of former Federation crew, from the early days of the Federation/deep space flight, who were presumed missing but are somehow still alive because they have turned into aliens/used alien tech to prolong life, and who have also captured other aliens, like Jaylah, for the main crew to interact with. All of that was cool.

I would even be okay with these old Federation crew being villains but I don’t think that’s necessary or even the most interesting take.

But...first of all, as my mom pointed out, Krall was basically Nero in his illogical motivations: feeling aggrieved because someone who couldn’t help him didn’t help him and then just maniacally wanting revenge. It made more sense to me with Nero in a way. Maybe that was because he was better characterized, maybe it was because his anger was more personal (the loss of his wife), maybe--probably--it was because he was angry at Spock and Spock had actually promised to help, so there was some kernel of logic in his sense of betrayal, even if it was out of proportion etc. Also, Nero’s mania was portrayed as mania--we were all supposed to recognize that the strength of his emotion was warranted but his logic was deeply flawed. I think we were supposed to think Krall had some kinda... real criticism of the Federation, but in fact he doesn’t! He’s wrong! So like if he’d been angry with the Federation for abandoning him but the narrative and the other characters explicitly recognize that he’s wrong--the Federation tried but he was just doing something very dangerous and he recognized that danger on signing on--that might have been more palatable to me.

I’m not sure I’m making sense here entirely or explaining myself as well as I could.

I just don’t entirely get Krall’s beef with the Federation. I don’t get that whole “being a soldier and having conflict makes you strong and having people you can rely on and connections and community makes you weak.” That seems pretty obviously false. It also doesn’t really seem, not that I’m an expert, but particularly in line with military ethos either.

BUT the idea that he had a life that was comfortable to him as a soldier and then the Federation comes in and forms Starfleet and says, actually, we’re going to pull back on the soldiering and up the diplomacy and the exploration and the science--yeah, I could see that. I DO think Starfleet is military but even if you must insist it’s not, it’s clearly based on and formed from the military, and it has certain military functions. So obviously the first people to join or be folded into Starfleet probably were more explicitly military.

So he’s one of those people. Now he’s supposed to be a scientist and a diplomat and an explorer and he doesn’t like that. He’s given this very prestigious and interesting mission and jumps at it. Starfleet warns him, you might go beyond where we can reach, we might not be able to help you. That’s fine. But then when his ship is stranded and he is lost, he gets angry--maybe somewhat irrationally, but understandably--why?? Why did the Federation do this to him? What was even the point? When he put himself in danger before, at least he knew why. But just flying around space for the hell of it, and this is the cost? So that’s what creates his anger.

I thin this could be tied into Kirk’s diplomacy at the beginning--if the scene were written to not be a comedy bit where Kirk looks like an incompetent buffoon and is completely disrespectful the whole time. He’s good at this job and we should say it. But we could emphasize that this IS a diplomatic mission often, just as often as it’s a military or scientific mission. Maybe we could include other bits of their missions, too, to play up the variety of things they do and roles they play.

Another thing I think could be interesting, going back to my point about Spock, Vulcan, and using the first two movies and expanding on the world building... what if Spock wanted to leave Starfleet for better, more well-defined reasons, and we used that? Paralleled the two? Connected the two?

Because I think Vulcan in the AOS verse is very interesting and the movies didn’t do nearly enough with it. First, we have the Romulans showing up way earlier, at least visibly: in TOS, no one knew what they looked like or their connection to Vulcans until Spock is in his late 30s. In AOS, it happens not long after he’s born. So he’s growing up probably with more anti-Vulcan racism floating around the Federation. THEN Vulcan is destroyed. Now it has nothing and it needs to rely on the rest of the Federation, which must be both humbling and frustrating to many Vulcans, on top of the extreme tragedy of losing everything. Most of their population, a lot of their history, their manufacturing, their scientific facilities, their resources, their animals, literally whatever else you can think of that a planet has--all gone. Now all of the survivors have lived some period on an alien planet, by definition, and they’re probably very dependent on the Federation not just to set up the new colony, but to replace all of the resources--natural and Vulcan-made--that they lost. And they’re a founding Federation member, Earth’s first contact. They’re especially important. And now they’re weak, and reliant on others.

So maybe Spock, early on, hears from New Vulcan and they’re not doing well. Maybe we hear from Sarek or T’Pring (...I’d just like to see reboot T’Pring). Maybe it’s not about, or just about, having children, but about being from an important and ancient family, and being seen as a hero for his part in the Narada mission, that makes him want to go and help rebuild their government (taking his mother’s place perhaps? she was on the High Council) or their scientific facilities, or the VSA, or their space travel capabilities--you know Vulcan had space ships of their own, outside of Federation ships. This would be the perfect place to showcase that tension between wanting to be independent--out of pride, out of fear, even--and needing help, because Vulcan could not survive without the Federation, probably less than 10 years out from the original planet’s destruction.

And then you feed it back into Krall.

So I could see like... well the tension, and then Krall comes in, and he's angry that the Federation "abandoned" him, but we actually explicitly address this. Maybe Spock gets to interact with him and say "I get it. You had a life and a mission and a purpose that was comfortable for you. Then the Federation came in and changed everything. A lot of my people are also feeling upset for similar reasons. But here's why actually you're wrong."

So anyway as you can see I’m smarter and more interesting than Simon Pegg.

I also hated, speaking of writers of this movie, the gay Sulu thing and HEAR ME OUT on this. It’s homophobic. His husband doesn’t have a name? Might not be his husband at all? Looks like he could be his nanny or his brother? As B said “at least grab his butt or something.” That was the most sanitized, no-homo depiction of a gay person I’ve ever seen. He’s gay (see, progressives and queers! gay! you like that right!) but DON’T WORRY STRAIGHTS--he’s in a monogamous relationship and has a child, he’ll show nothing but the most platonic physical affection with his male significant other, and the plot point will be so minuscule you’ll need a microscope to detect it. Also, we’ll throw in a no homo joke about two male characters not wanting to hug and we’ll make sure Kirk and Spock interact as little as possible, because we know they give off Big Queer Vibes every time they’re together.

Yes the last point is a little unfair but can you blame me for being angry about all the “look how hip to the times we are” back-patting that went on in 2016 when canonical bisexual Kirk is RIGHT THERE and we could have had ex-boyfriend Gary Mitchell instead of Unnamed Nanny??

Also Sulu is a hella random choice because again, like... he may not have had an s.o. in TOS but nor was there any indication he was gay. So it seems a LITTLE like they picked him because (1) his original actor is gay and gay people can’t play straight people duh so probably Sulu was Gay All Along I mean did you not get vibes???; and/or (2) asexual Asian stereotypes preclude giving Sulu any kind of love interest, male or female, that is actually... sexual, outright romantic, anything.

Anyway I can’t remember if I had any other thoughts, but I’ve said quite enough I think.

I miss Kirk so much... real Kirk... even my version of AOS Kirk who is probably not even characterized that well but at least I worked with love!!!

[headoverjojo]

I always check if your ask box is open. What a relief to see it didn't say "🚫giogio-xp is no longet allowed here🚫"! If La Squadra boys went to Tonio's restaurant, what would he cook for them so they feel better? I bet it would be funny to see them freak out, like Josuke did at first.

Helloooooo :3 ahahahah!! No no, no fear, your requests are always so interesting and challenging, at most you could see “giogio-xp is more than welcomed here”!! And aaaaa I loved this request, I love to write about food :,) Here we go!! I hope you’ll like it :3

La Squadra di Esecuzione at Tonio’s restaurant

(Under the cut for length!)

Risotto Nero

One look at him, and Tonio immediately understands that Risotto’s main problem is his immense lack of sleep. Even if the Capo has his usual stern and neutral face, Tonio can see the tiredness that peeks from his traits, from the serious line of his mouth, from under his eyes and his frown. Now he knows what he has to cook to make him feel better.

The chef presents him a dish that makes Risotto’s heart leap in his chest: sarde beccafico. He remembers he ate this dish when he was a child, when his uncles came from the sea with a fish so fresh that it seemed ready to bounce around… he still remembers the delicious smell of chopped parsley, anchovy and sultanas that were the stuffing of the sardines, and then all his relatives’ voices and laughs, his mother, father, grandparents, various uncles and cousins, all together to share the meal. It is like going back in time…

Since the first bite, Risotto feels like a weight is being lifted from his shoulders. He’s suspicious, but the chef doesn’t seem dangerous -and he has more than a sixth sense for dangers-, so he gives another try. Again this feeling, this time more intense. The sardines are delicious, like the ones his grandma cooked, and he’s feeling… less tired, he’d say. Keeping his eyes open doesn’t seem anymore a trouble, his muscles seem to be stronger, faster. He didn’t feel like this since years. He also feels lighter in his soul, as his constant mourn and stress have been lifted from him, leaving him, for the first time in years, free, free from mourn, guilt, stress and nervousness. Even if he’s absolutely not old, now he feels young again! It’s like he has finally recovered all the sleepless hours spent in his office doing paperwork or in mission. He’s more than ready, now, to go back to work, stronger than ever!

Prosciutto

Tonio seems to scan Prosciutto, the moment the man enters his restaurant. Oh, so it was it… It doesn’t take long to the chef and his stand to see that Prosciutto smokes, from his slightly labored breath. Now that he knows it, Tonio can work on the right dish to make his customer feel better!

After a little, Tonio brings him a wonderful slice of pizza rustica. Prosciutto sighs, smiling slightly, remembering when his mother gave him, usually around Easter, a slice of it for lunch at school or when he was around Naples’ streets with his friends. So many good memories… a thought, however, lazily swirled in his mind: how did Tonio know that he was from Naples? Still, maybe it was just a coincidence…

Prosciutto knows that the pizza rustica can be spicy, as it has, inside, spicy salami, but so spicy to make him cough smoke? What the hell?! And it doesn’t seem to stop!! Now he knows how his Grateful Dead feels, always spitting smoke… Prosciutto almost tears up from all the coughing and the smoke. It’s a thick, grey smoke, it seems to be endless… until, finally, it stops. He’s still coughing some puffs of smoke, but nothing all. The first thing he pretends to know is what the hell just happened?! And, after Tonio’s explanation, Prosciutto is left completely surprised. That dish… cleared his lungs. Now that Tonio said it, Prosciutto notices that in fact he can breath better… well, so Tonio really didn’t mean to harm him, after all. He releases his Grateful Dead, bringing Tonio to his youth, muttering an apologize. Well, never freaking out an assassin, that’s common sense!

Pesci

Tonio almost don’t even need his Pearl Jam to check what was wrong with Pesci: his posture. Pesci is tall and shy and this leads him to always try to shrink down and hunch all over himself in order to be less noticeable; this, after a while, had its bad effects on his posture and back, to the point that he can’t almost keep his back straight for more than few minutes.

And so, after welcoming him, Tonio goes to cook a delicious baccalà alla napoletana, that he serves him after a little. Pesci is stunned: how did the chef know that that was a dish of his childhood? He and his family lived by the sea, near Naples, and his grandpa and father brought home the fishes they didn’t manage to sell. Baccalà alla napoletana was a common dish, at home, and he loved it so, so much, the wonderful taste of olives, capers, cod and oregano… it was a symphony of flavours.

And, even if Tonio’s isn’t as good as the one he ate when he was a child -super fresh and local ingredients make a huge difference, after all- it still is a delicious dish. Just that, after a couple of bites, Pesci feels strange. His back is hurting more than usual… he yelps when it just snaps straight, raising him up of a good ten centimeters. And, even if his back is completely straight in a correct posture, it doesn’t hurt. This prevents him from calling out Beach Boy and unleashing it on Tonio, but he still pretends an explanation. The chef, after introducing him his stand, explains the benefic effects of the food he cooks, leaving pesci baffled. It is so, then… this explains everything. And so, Pesci leaves the restaurant with a new back and the recommendation to not hunch over himself again, but to walk proudly and with a straight back!

Formaggio

Pearl Jam immediately notices that Formaggio’s problem is in his liver. Tonio assumes that his customer is a drinker, and he isn’t wrong; Formaggio, even if he’s not an alcoholic, likes to go out, alone or with his teammates, to have a good drink, especially after missions, but this, on the long run, has a bad effect on his liver; effect that Tonio is ready to erase with a dish!

Formaggio recognizes the smell even before Tonio brings the dish on the table: carciofi alla romana. He never forgot that smell that so often impregnated the air in the run-down apartment block where he lived. His neighborhood, a old lady who had more grandchildren and nephews than years, when she cooked artichokes in that way, always gave a portion to Formaggio, knowing that his father wouldn’t have ever cooked for him even if Formaggio was just a child. When he could eat those delicious artichokes filled with garlic, parsley and pennyroyal it was always a feast and this memories stays in his mind also now in this restaurant.

Immediately after the first, blissful bite, Formaggio starts to sweat. He immediately recognizes it isn’t a normal sweating, as his sweat smells of alcohol. What the hell?! What is this?! He immediately fears an enemy stand attack and, since he started to sweat right after the first bite of artichokes, the first one to be suspected is Tonio himself. Immediately calling out Little Feet, Formaggio, panting and sweating, pretends an explanation that is quickly given; at Tonio’s words, Formaggio stumbles back, surprises. A stand that heals others through food? Amazing. And, following Tonio’s instructions to check himself, Formaggio notices that, in fact, he’s fine, no, more than fine: he never felt so light! His right side, which always hurt, now it’s perfectly ok; he feels fantastic! Formaggio takes note of that place: he could always come back to fix some other ache, one day…

Melone

It doesn’t take a genius to understand what’s wrong with Melone: he’s seriously underweight. His body would be slender even if he’d eat, but, since he’s always focused on his stand or one of his experiments, he often forgets to eat and this, in time, led him to be so underweight. Guess Tonio will have to give him the right nourishment!

And Tonio, after a little, comes back to his customer with a good dish full of grifi. Melone’s eyes almost stings, as that so familiar smell permeates his nostrils: he remembers so well when his mother cooked it for him and his siblings, he remembers the strong and delicious smell of tomato paste, onions, cloves, thyme and red wine, the ingredients that made beef meat so special… he sighs, with a small smile, almost seeing her smiling at him, that bright smile that made him forget about his father’s violence, for a little. This really is a throwback…

Melone, even when he eats, takes usually few bites and nothing more. His stomach is not used anymore to eat a proper meal, but Melone never cared a lot about it: as long as his muscles and organs function properly, there’s nothing to worry about. But this time is different: he doesn’t stop after a couple of bites. Even if slowly, he finishes the meal; the first to be surprised by this fact is Melone himself. He doesn’t even remember the last time he ate so much… and looking at himself, he notices some changes. His arms aren’t anymore so bony, as his legs and torso. Not fat and neither too thin, but… normal. As he didn’t see himself since long. Could just a meal do something like this?! More curious than scared, he asks Tonio to explain, listening, intrigued, to his explanation about Pearl Jam’s powers. A stand that works for health… finally something interesting!

Illuso

Illuso’s problem is less obvious than what it may seem, as he’s very careful not to show it around. Still, Tonio spotted it quickly, when Illuso squinted to focus on the cook: the assassin’s sight is pretty poor. Still, thanks to his stand, Illuso always managed to fool not only his enemies, but his teammates too, since he despises glasses and can’t wear contact. He couldn’t fool Tonio, however!

And so, after checking him with Pearl Jam, welcoming him and then going back in the kitchen, Tonio comes back with a dish that Illuso hasn’t eaten since ages: polenta e schie, a typical venetian dish. He still remembers when he went with his friends to fish schie, typical small lagunar shrimps, and then, back home, he always was served a slightly richer dish, since he worked to fish the shrimps. He still remembers the silky and delicate flavour of polenta and the strong and tasty flavour of the shrimps and how they perfectly mixed… it reminds him few good memories he has of home, of his Venice, and, for once, he softly smiles.

When he can finally savour the first bite, his eyes start to sting. It’s strange… they sting as before a royal cry. And so it happens: he starts to tear up and he can’t stop it. He doesn’t even know why he’s crying!! He doesn’t feel like crying, but his eyes are tearing up so much, like never before, as if he’s under a powerful allergic attack. He can’t even see anymore, with all those tears in his eyes, he tries to dry them as much as he can but nothing seems to work… until, as suddenly as they started, the tears stop. Illuso can finally dry properly all the tears and, when he opens his eyes, to his utter stupor he… sees. He can see again, he sees so good that he can’t believe it. He doesn’t need to squint anymore to focus on Tonio’s smiling face, as he’s seeing him perfectly. How the hell…? He doesn’t freak out, hearing the chef’s words and seeing Pearl Jam. It’s really a useful stand, and frankly he has seen weirder stands… Pearl Jam is kinda cute, other than useful.

Ghiaccio

Someone would think that Ghiaccio’s main problem is his sight, seen the glasses, but it’s not so. His main problem is his bones. He always had fragile bones, he always had the tendency to break his limbs. Even now he slightly limps on his right side, as his right leg didn’t heal as it should. That’s why Ghiaccio prefers to skate than walking: when he skates, he has White Album’s support and he doesn’t limp.

Tonio’s attentive eyes immediately notices that Ghiaccio is limping, even if it was so slight to almost be unnoticeable. So, he goes back to the kitchen to prepare the right dish for him: panissa. Ghiaccio is silent and full of stupor, when he sees Tonio serving him a dish he ate so many times in his childhood and teenager years and that he hadn’t eaten or smelled since so long… it’s like he never left Piedmont. The smell of rice, beans, onions, salam d’la duja and wine brings him back to his youth, to the long afternoon spent in the ice skating track, when he still dreamed to be a top tier athlet, when Olympic Games seemed so near to reach, before his world crumbled down… luckily for everyone around, the panissa brings just happy memories, so no one is in danger, for the moment.

However, after a couple of bites, Ghiaccio freezes. His bones are hurting like hell, it’s like a hammer is hitting them again and again, as to mold them. The pain is so intense to be almost unbearable!! It’s worse to be poisoned, he doesn’t even have terms of comparison for this pain. The temperature in the room drops dramatically and instantly, as Ghiaccio stares, with a murderous look, at Tonio, whose breath now comes in steam puffs, and gets up, charging at him without even calling White Album out. He doesn’t need his stand to beat the shit out of someone. But, before he can actually unleash his anger, Tonio asks him if he noticed that he came to him without limping. Blinking in surprise, Ghiaccio takes few steps back, noticing, as Tonio said, that he’s not limping. He broke his leg when he was 15, he almost doesn’t remember how it is not limping… and, after Tonio’s explanation, he finally lets the temperature go back to normality, to Tonio’s utter relief. Ghiaccio is more than enthusiast: now that he doesn’t limp anymore, he’s even stronger than before and nothing can stop him, now!

[etlunainmorte]

🖤 I See My Future Before Me 🖤

***

IV

***

Once inside, V noticed that not only the lobby got to be lavished with such care and attention when it comes to decoration.

Nico’s unit was surprisingly neat and decorated in such a way that made Nero stare in disbelief and V look with wonder. Several paintings that depicted some popular stories of the Greek Mythology, like the sojourns of Heracles, the forbidden love of Aphrodite and Ares, and the abduction of Persephone, hung on the wall. There were fragile things around, like some painted vases, that would surely make anyone be mindful of their movements. There were even some old collections, like Homer, Alighieri, and even Lovecraft, on the shelves located on the beige - and - black - ensemble living room, small, but impressive, all the same. But, most importantly, there was a classic feel, and distinct scent, about the whole place that simply made V right at home.

“Looks like someone feels comfortable.” Nero said, but he was ignored as V practically strode directly towards the glass top table in the living room where a black violin case was left forgotten.

The markings on V’s skin vanished as Griffon and Shadow made their way out and made themselves comfortable like their master.

Nico came in, bringing in the delivery of pizza that just arrived a few minutes ago.

“Who knew someone like you could own a place like this?” Nero mocked the woman, pointing at the impossibly beautiful and cozy place. “Surely doesn’t sound like you.”

“Shut it, psycho!” Nico shot back, enjoying her banter with Nero and unceremoniously dropping the three boxes of pizza on the table near the violin case, startling V a bit. “And just to inform ya, I don’t own this fancy place.”

“Whoa, then who lives here?” Griffon, who has made himself comfortable on top of the shelves, joined in on the conversation. “Don’t tell me you stole it!”

“No, little chicken! Any questions?” Nico screamed at Griffon’s face, almost making the demonic bird fall off the shelves in fright. “I’m livin’ here for a while, and I will appreciate it if ya don’t make a mess, or else I’ll throw you out,… or cook you in a steel pot!” She collapsed on the comfortable black sofa beside Nero and crossed her legs. “Any more questions, huh, little chickee?”

She reached into her pocket for a cigar and immediately stopped, suddenly looking horrified. She shook her head and cursed under her breath.

“What’s wrong, given up with that nasty habit of yours?” Nero asked, already opening a box and digging in.

“No, it’s just that,…” Nico said, fidgeting with her fingers. “She doesn’t allow it here.”

“Who?” Nero said, mouth already full of the special loaded beef supreme.

Nico pointed at the violin case in V’s gentle hands ( in a space of a few seconds, nobody noticed the tattooed man as he picked it up ). “The one who owned that, and this place.”

The childish smile on V’s face disintegrated as he carefully out the violin case back down on the table. “Then, I guess I shall have to ask her first. Where is she?”

Nico shrugged. “Dunno. Said she’ll be back before sunset.”

“But, it’s already half past six.” Nero retorted, mouth full of his third helping of the beef supreme.

“Yeah, well, she’ll get by.” Nico answered, reaching into her pocket and producing a small piece of black envelope. “What we need to focus on right now is this.”

As Nico put the envelope down on the table, V sat at the sofa across her and Nero, eyeing the suspicious thing with furrowed eyebrows.

“This is an RSVP from a wealthy man who lives just a few blocks away from here.” Nico explained.

Nero chuckled, already picking up his fourth helping of the pizza. “Is that an invitation for a fancy party, or something?”

“See for yourself.”

Nero was about to pick the envelope with his oily, messy hands when V stealthily snatched it away with his gloved hand, immediately tearing it open. And before he could extract the actual invitation inside, he carefully glanced at Nico and Nero’s direction.

“If I may?” He said in a low voice, his smirk truly branding him as the mysterious man that they knew.

“Go ahead.” Nico conceded, throwing her hands up in the air.

“Thank you.” He said, finally extracting the small piece of paper inside and reading its contents aloud. “You who are brave enough to face the wrath of the Gods, come to this place this coming Saturday at exactly eight in the evening. It said nothing else,… except for the address,…” V’s eyes lazily went back to the note, scanning it and making sure that he would not miss even the tiniest bit of detail, then looked at them once more. “… and the dress code.”

“A riddle, huh?” Nero said. “Sure doesn’t sound like Devil May Cry business.”

“You’re wrong right there.” Nico muttered, having her first slice of pizza. “That exact invitation was sent to others within the country. Devil Hunters, to be exact. Hey, V, wanna eat?”

“I’m good, thank you.” V answered, outright politely refusing the offer.

“How did you even know that?” Nero asked.

Nico leaned in closer to Nero like she was going to tell a huge secret. “So, I have contact with the others, like Lady and Trish. It seems that they also received the invitation. They even mentioned some famous and obscure names in the Devil Hunting business who got the invitation.”

V listened in, absorbing every piece of information he could take.

“And, let me mention this - Dante also received one.”

All of a sudden, all three of them heard a yelping sound near the window. Griffom almost fell off the shelves while the two men stood up, drawing sword and cane, ready for battle.

“Someone’s listening!” Nero said, revving his Red Rose.

“Looks like we have an,… unwanted visitor.” V whispered, slamming his cane against his left palm several times, ready to give some beatings. “Best to make it at home - ”

“Guys, guys! Stop!” Nico practically shrieked, standing up between the men and the window where they heard the suspicious sound. “What did I say about making a mess?!”

“Hey, hey! There’s an intruder right - AHH!” Griffon flew off the shelves, almost ripping the cream curtains when the tattooed woman suddenly grabbed him by the beak and forcefully threw him across the room, making both Nero and V dodge the incoming projectile. Shadow, who was actually unfazed all throughout the ordeal, looked up as Griffon flew, involuntarily, from point A to point B, and went back to lounging on the carpeted floor near V, chin resting on sleek, black forelegs.

“To not make any?” Nero muttered, answering Nico’s question but still not willing to put his weapon down.

“Exactly! That’s just the - ah - neighbor’s cat!”

“That,…” V said, pointing at the window using his cane as an extension of his arm. “… does not sound like a feline, at least to my ears.”

“Okay, okay, guys! Trust me and put your weapons down. Thank you!” Nico breathed a sigh of relief as the men calmed down a bit. “Now, as I was saying, we must go to this event and find out what this, wrath of the Gods, is!”

“We cannot go shorthanded.” V mentioned, still looking at the window suspiciously. “If we take the riddle in a very literal sense, then,… we would not have enough strength. We would be dealing with the wrath of the Gods,… after all.”

“That’s where I come in!” Nico crossed her arms and smiled proudly. “Nero, how’s the breaker coming along?”

Nero held up a blue metal arm which V shamefully did not take notice of before. “It’s fine, sure.”

“Oh, yeah? Then, I’ll be making new ones.”

“Isn’t this enough?”

“No!” Nico screamed, then turned towards V, and using the same tone she used on Nero, she spoke to him, making his eyes leave the window. “And, you! You seem interested in all this, yes?”

“As a matter of fact, I'am.” And it was the plain truth.

“Then, go get your own formal wear! I can’t provide you with one. I’m an artisan, not a freaking, fancy tailor!”

“Wait, like, right now?” Nero asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Duh?! Are you, like, gonna wait till Saturday for that? Go, go, GO!” Nico, despite her diminutive size, tried to push both Nero and V towards the door, making the two of them leave.

But, why?

Nero might be easily swayed by the woman, but V remained sharp. His eyes lingered for a second at the direction of the window when Nico snapped her fingers right in front of his eyes.

“Hey, hey, if you’re looking for some chicks, then you’re in the wrong place!” Nico sassed. “Get moving!”

V sighed, getting annoyed by the woman. What was she hiding from them?

He called in Griffon and Shadow, who went to him without question, and followed Nero outside, hearing the woman close the door quickly as soon as they got out.

And as soon as the two were safely out, Nico hustled towards the place V was intently staring at, drew the heavy curtains, and revealed the wide - eyed girl who was just hiding at the balcony right behind the window pane. Nico opened the window and let the girl in.

“Are you crazy?!” She shouted at the girl. “Why would you be hiding there? This is your home, for crying out loud! Are you a thief, or something?!”

You just looked at Nico, (E/C) eyes still wide, chest still heaving.

“It’s him, Nico.” You said.

“I’m sorry, what?”

You grabbed Nico’s shoulders and gave them a mighty shake. “It’s him! The man with the violin in my visions!”

“Who?!”

“The one with the markings on his skin!”

It was Nico’s turn to have widened eyes. She looked behind her at the door the two men just walked out of, then looked back at you. “The mysterious man? Are you sure about that?”

Yes, you were very certain of it. “It. Is. HIM!”

***

🖤🖤🖤

***

[thedyingmoon]

🖤 I See My Future Before Me 🖤

~ A V X Reader set in an Alternate Universe wherein V, Nero, and Nico get to eat pizza together. 🖤

~ I really wanted to dedicate this to everyone who liked the first four parts. Thank you so much! 🖤

~ And to @acieoj , I hope I'm not ruining your sleep again. 🖤

~ And also to @heaven-on-a-landslide , you're a very nice person. Thank you so much for the likes and reblogs. 🖤

~ Enjoy! 🖤

***

IV

Once inside, V noticed that not only the lobby got to be lavished with such care and attention when it comes to decoration.

Nico's unit was surprisingly neat and decorated in such a way that made Nero stare in disbelief and V look with wonder. Several paintings that depicted some popular stories of the Greek Mythology, like the sojourns of Heracles, the forbidden love of Aphrodite and Ares, and the abduction of Persephone, hung on the wall. There were fragile things around, like some painted vases, that would surely make anyone be mindful of their movements. There were even some old collections, like Homer, Alighieri, and even Lovecraft, on the shelves located on the beige - and - black - ensemble living room, small, but impressive, all the same. But, most importantly, there was a classic feel, and distinct scent, about the whole place that simply made V right at home.

"Looks like someone feels comfortable." Nero said, but he was ignored as V practically strode directly towards the glass top table in the living room where a black violin case was left forgotten.

The markings on V's skin vanished as Griffon and Shadow made their way out and made themselves comfortable like their master.

Nico came in, bringing in the delivery of pizza that just arrived a few minutes ago.

"Who knew someone like you could own a place like this?" Nero mocked the woman, pointing at the impossibly beautiful and cozy place. "Surely doesn't sound like you."

"Shut it, psycho!" Nico shot back, enjoying her banter with Nero and unceremoniously dropping the three boxes of pizza on the table near the violin case, startling V a bit. "And just to inform ya, I don't own this fancy place."

"Whoa, then who lives here?" Griffon, who has made himself comfortable on top of the shelves, joined in on the conversation. "Don't tell me you stole it!"

"No, little chicken! Any questions?" Nico screamed at Griffon's face, almost making the demonic bird fall off the shelves in fright. "I'm livin' here for a while, and I will appreciate it if ya don't make a mess, or else I'll throw you out,... or cook you in a steel pot!" She collapsed on the comfortable black sofa beside Nero and crossed her legs. "Any more questions, huh, little chickee?"

She reached into her pocket for a cigar and immediately stopped, suddenly looking horrified. She shook her head and cursed under her breath.

"What's wrong, given up with that nasty habit of yours?" Nero asked, already opening a box and digging in.

"No, it's just that,..." Nico said, fidgeting with her fingers. "She doesn't allow it here."

"Who?" Nero said, mouth already full of the special loaded beef supreme.

Nico pointed at the violin case in V's gentle hands ( in a space of a few seconds, nobody noticed the tattooed man as he picked it up ). "The one who owned that, and this place."

The childish smile on V's face disintegrated as he carefully out the violin case back down on the table. "Then, I guess I shall have to ask her first. Where is she?"

Nico shrugged. "Dunno. Said she'll be back before sunset."

"But, it's already half past six." Nero retorted, mouth full of his third helping of the beef supreme.

"Yeah, well, she'll get by." Nico answered, reaching into her pocket and producing a small piece of black envelope. "What we need to focus on right now is this."

As Nico put the envelope down on the table, V sat at the sofa across her and Nero, eyeing the suspicious thing with furrowed eyebrows.

"This is an RSVP from a wealthy man who lives just a few blocks away from here." Nico explained.

Nero chuckled, already picking up his fourth helping of the pizza. "Is that an invitation for a fancy party, or something?"

"See for yourself."

Nero was about to pick the envelope with his oily, messy hands when V stealthily snatched it away with his gloved hand, immediately tearing it open. And before he could extract the actual invitation inside, he carefully glanced at Nico and Nero's direction.

"If I may?" He said in a low voice, his smirk truly branding him as the mysterious man that they knew.

"Go ahead." Nico conceded, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Thank you." He said, finally extracting the small piece of paper inside and reading its contents aloud. "You who are brave enough to face the wrath of the Gods, come to this place this coming Saturday at exactly eight in the evening. It said nothing else,... except for the address,..." V's eyes lazily went back to the note, scanning it and making sure that he would not miss even the tiniest bit of detail, then looked at them once more. "... and the dress code."

"A riddle, huh?" Nero said. "Sure doesn't sound like Devil May Cry business."

"You're wrong right there." Nico muttered, having her first slice of pizza. "That exact invitation was sent to others within the country. Devil Hunters, to be exact. Hey, V, wanna eat?"

"I'm good, thank you." V answered, outright politely refusing the offer.

"How did you even know that?" Nero asked.

Nico leaned in closer to Nero like she was going to tell a huge secret. "So, I have contact with the others, like Lady and Trish. It seems that they also received the invitation. They even mentioned some famous and obscure names in the Devil Hunting business who got the invitation."

V listened in, absorbing every piece of information he could take.

"And, let me mention this - Dante also received one."

All of a sudden, all three of them heard a yelping sound near the window. Griffom almost fell off the shelves while the two men stood up, drawing sword and cane, ready for battle.

"Someone's listening!" Nero said, revving his Red Rose.

"Looks like we have an,... unwanted visitor." V whispered, slamming his cane against his left palm several times, ready to give some beatings. "Best to make it at home - "

"Guys, guys! Stop!" Nico practically shrieked, standing up between the men and the window where they heard the suspicious sound. "What did I say about making a mess?!"

"Hey, hey! There's an intruder right - AHH!" Griffon flew off the shelves, almost ripping the cream curtains when the tattooed woman suddenly grabbed him by the beak and forcefully threw him across the room, making both Nero and V dodge the incoming projectile. Shadow, who was actually unfazed all throughout the ordeal, looked up as Griffon flew, involuntarily, from point A to point B, and went back to lounging on the carpeted floor near V, chin resting on sleek, black forelegs.

"To not make any?" Nero muttered, answering Nico's question but still not willing to put his weapon down.

"Exactly! That's just the - ah - neighbor's cat!"

"That,..." V said, pointing at the window using his cane as an extension of his arm. "... does not sound like a feline, at least to my ears."

"Okay, okay, guys! Trust me and put your weapons down. Thank you!" Nico breathed a sigh of relief as the men calmed down a bit. "Now, as I was saying, we must go to this event and find out what this, wrath of the Gods, is!"

"We cannot go shorthanded." V mentioned, still looking at the window suspiciously. "If we take the riddle in a very literal sense, then,... we would not have enough strength. We would be dealing with the wrath of the Gods,... after all."

"That's where I come in!" Nico crossed her arms and smiled proudly. "Nero, how's the breaker coming along?"

Nero held up a blue metal arm which V shamefully did not take notice of before. "It's fine, sure."

"Oh, yeah? Then, I'll be making new ones."

"Isn't this enough?"

"No!" Nico screamed, then turned towards V, and using the same tone she used on Nero, she spoke to him, making his eyes leave the window. "And, you! You seem interested in all this, yes?"

"As a matter of fact, I'am." And it was the plain truth.

"Then, go get your own formal wear! I can't provide you with one. I'm an artisan, not a freaking, fancy tailor!"

"Wait, like, right now?" Nero asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Duh?! Are you, like, gonna wait till Saturday for that? Go, go, GO!" Nico, despite her diminutive size, tried to push both Nero and V towards the door, making the two of them leave.

But, why?

Nero might be easily swayed by the woman, but V remained sharp. His eyes lingered for a second at the direction of the window when Nico snapped her fingers right in front of his eyes.

"Hey, hey, if you're looking for some chicks, then you're in the wrong place!" Nico sassed. "Get moving!"

V sighed, getting annoyed by the woman. What was she hiding from them?

He called in Griffon and Shadow, who went to him without question, and followed Nero outside, hearing the woman close the door quickly as soon as they got out.

And as soon as the two were safely out, Nico hustled towards the place V was intently staring at, drew the heavy curtains, and revealed the wide - eyed girl who was just hiding at the balcony right behind the window pane. Nico opened the window and let the girl in.

"Are you crazy?!" She shouted at the girl. "Why would you be hiding there? This is your home, for crying out loud! Are you a thief, or something?!"

You just looked at Nico, (E/C) eyes still wide, chest still heaving.

"It's him, Nico." You said.

"I'm sorry, what?"

You grabbed Nico's shoulders and gave them a mighty shake. "It's him! The man with the violin in my visions!"

"Who?!"

"The one with the markings on his skin!"

It was Nico's turn to have widened eyes. She looked behind her at the door the two men just walked out of, then looked back at you. "The mysterious man? Are you sure about that?"

Yes, you were very certain of it. "It. Is. HIM!"

***

🖤🖤🖤

[reesebird]

New Post has been published on https://reesebird.com/2019/08/13/meeting-family/

Meeting family?

I apologise in advance this is long and complicated TW (mental abuse/alleged sexual abuse/physical attack) (Note: I am currently 29 years old)

My mother has always been a single mother. I am repeatedly told by her and her friends how she gave up her job and life and everything for me. She never ever ever tells me a thing about the past. To the point where one of her friends would let slip “when we were teens and snuck out to the cinema…” my mum was absolutely furious and got extremely angry at her friend for telling (trying to tell me) a story about her and also at me for “listening to her sh*t” I CANNOT know ANYTHING. And the only friend who let things slip has now died.

She is so secretive about my actual family that any friends (or friend’s parents) who’d ask about my dad or why she never married she’d never let me talk to them ever again (which made school awkward).

She is extremely controlling with my friends, if I go somewhere she HAS to drive me. She also has to pick me up. This is to confirm I am with who I say I’m with. If I’m vague or if she doesn’t see me actually meet my friend she will wait somewhere around the area and sometimes she sends her friends and her friend’s daughters out to spy on me. Example: One time I said I’m meeting “Natasha” at Starbucks at 11. Got dropped off in town. Natasha couldn’t meet until 1 and we went to Caffè Nero. My mum was furious at me because she walked past Starbucks and sat outside waiting for me and I never showed up. “Who were you with, where were you what were you doing, you’re a liar, this is why I don’t trust you” The next day I met a different friend “Kayleigh” and outside the place we were meeting was my mum’s friend’s daughter who watched me go in, who I sat with and immediately started typing on her phone. (I was 28 at the time this happened. Not young!). She’ll also go into shops or cafes or places my friends work and ask if I was in and who was I with and things like that.

She refuses to let me have my own bank card and my own money. I need to say what I want the money for, show her the items I bought and also reciepts.

For some random reason when I was a child (maybe 6,7,8?) she told me my Nan (Dad’s mum) wants contact with me. My dad’s side of the family live a 6 hour journey away but I chose yes, I want to see them. My mum let me meet my Nan briefly but made many snide comments about hating her and contact dropped off. I WAS allowed to meet my aunts and uncles. And their children (my cousins). I could meet anyone I wanted as long as it wasn’t my Dad. And I was to never ask about him (at such a young age I was terrified to go against my mum’s wishes).

When I was 14 I started to ask about my Dad. My mum went cold and ignored me for a week straight then she got her friend to tell me he’s a loser who has no money and he only wants mine (umm, what money does a 14 year old have worth stealing?) They also said he’s a pervert and only wants contact me because I’m young. They said he has sexually assaulted my mum’s friend, my mum’s friend’s daughter and has attacked my mum.

I never saw or spoke to the family much. I only ever remained in contact with one aunt and her children. I was under the impression Dad re-married and had a wife and 3 kids. I contacted the girl on social media and considered her my sister. My mum was so angry and got someone to hack into my account, send my sister a load of abuse and blocked her.

When I was 18 (in 2008) we went to a big family party for my aunt (the first family event we had been to and we could only go because my Dad wasn’t there). My sister was there and it was the only time we’d ever met and she hid because she was terrified of ME.

Now I need to make this bit clear: I WASN’T HERE FOR THIS NEXT EVENT. This happened outside and I was inside at the bar. The one friend I took with me was with my mum. A cousin who my mum has always made it clear she hated and she tried to make me hate (“he stole your toys when you were 4” “his mother got him tickets to Disneyland and all you got was a photo album, isn’t that unfair?” and so many sly comments and looks) had attacked my mum. I got there as he pushed her up against a fence holding a glass bottle to her face and my cousins (his sisters and brother and our other cousins) were pulling him off of her and helping her. He claims she started it but she says she never said anything directly to his face. My friend confirmed this. Though my friend has since been caught out in many lies amd eventually blocked me. And my mum? Well she’s getting more aggressive. Example: She’ll go to a restaurant my friend owns and I temporarily worked at and demand freebies, refuse to pay and call him a tight fisted “see you N tea” and constantly tell other customers (even new ones who just walked in) how much she hated the food there. Eventually he banned her then banned me from working there, because of her behaviour. And (stupidly) it’s only recently I’ve started to think maybe my mum did cause the incident.

My mum’s been extremely paranoid about the incident. She was scared of him for years because he’s “loose” and “got away with it unpunished” (I have since found out he got over £1,000,fine! But for years she constantly told me they “couldn’t find the security footage” so “the whole family have tool his side and it’s a massive cover up and they’re all involved”). She absolutely forbid me to speak to any of the family at all.

The family continued to send me letters, wedding invitations, birthday cards. My mum would rip them up and it all eventually stopped. Around 5 years ago (so about 6 years after the incident) my cousin I was closest to and who helped pull her brother off of my mum added me on social media. I told my mum about it, lucky for me she’s not on social media but as I said, she has spies and I knew her reaction if she did find out. She told me I can do what I want but she won’t be happy. Then she told me to accept so we can spy on the family. So I added my cousin and as many names as I could remember from the family. Only a few accepted.

Only a few months ago a blank profile contacted me on social media with a phone number saying that’s my Dad’s. I’ve been too scared to phone it because if it got back to my mum I can’t even imagine. Also I have always feared he is dangerous because of what my mum and her friend have said. But it’s always confused me how he’s married and has other kids if he’s so “dangerous” One thing I’ve noticed is he is very rarely in family pictures. I must’ve come across around 2 in total. I stalked his children, the girl I think of as my sister. Her dad is not mine. Not the same face, not the same (first) name. She is my dad’s brother’s. She is my cousin. I’m not sure why my mum freaked out all those years ago when I spoke to her specifically. How is she different to my other cousins?!.

Now one of my cousins has spoke about coming down to visit me. I’d love to see her and I hope she has answers. The problem is she didn’t exactly ask. She just sort of said she is coming down to visit and has already booked the hotel and travel. The few people I trust to cover for me and not blab to my mum have all said it’s extremely important I meet her because she’ll have all the answers. I’ve also been encouraged to call my Dad. But I am so scared of my mum and her reaction. She is mentally and emotionally abusive and she gets physical, too. And if I do the slightest thing wrong she gets her friends, and their friends, and their kids to call and message me what an awful person I am (last time was “I forgot my sandwich, can we turn the car round” because how dare I be demanding and spoilt and MAKE my mum turn around etc etc) so I am too afraid to do something REALLY wrong.

I am so afraid of being caught out in a lie that I’ve been honest and told my mum my cousin is visiting. She thinks it’s an ambush. It’s revenge for all those years ago. She thinks I’ll go to meet one cousin and the whole family will be there waiting to attack me. Then she ignored me all night and when she spoke the next day she said I can only meet my cousin if I’m with her and she’s gonna punch my cousin before my cousin punches us. I don’t think my cousin is aggressive or after revenge because we are actually friends and speak all the time (mum doesn’t know this). (Example of my mum’s paranoia: I asked for some money to go on holiday. She gave it to me, my own and she made up what i cant afford. but kept saying the holiday is not going to happen. She still believes it didn’t. All the pictures of me on holiday? Photoshopped! She thinks I ran off with her money. Where did I go if not on holiday?).

I don’t think my cousin is aware of the beef because before she booked the hotel she asked to stay with us. I don’t want to explain about my mum yet as I dont want to put my cousin off coming. It’s so important that I meet her. But I also have no idea how I’m going to hide her! I don’t know how to start explaining to her.

Side note: I’ve had my mum seen to by doctors and she outright denies any mental health issues and refuses to take any meds because “nothing is wrong”