#BAH. all of that aside thank you for reaching out. that was extremely thoughtful of you and i appreciate it a lot

[carlyraejepsans]

i lowkey disagree w u on ur position on fictional ships and certain portrayals of topics such as incest and pedophilia, but oh my fucking god to have the fucking. AUDACITY to accuse someone of real life pedophila and incest because they MENTIONED being NEUTRAL on a certain topic?? like you didnt even say you think fictional incest is cool and rad or wtvr u afaik (which. even if u did that ask would Still be abhorrent) but ur explicitly Neutral and are VERY carful to tag shit and i just. 1/2

cut for length and also sensitive topics

i cannot fucking imagine accusing someone of such a horrid act with such conviction bc u SLightly DIsagree on a topic. jfc. i block tags and if ur conversations ever drive me over the edge id Unfollow. im so so sorry people are such fucking assholes man. i hope people gain some sense abt these topics im so sorry

yeah no i completely respect your opinion. and i do know where it's coming from. to tell you the truth (basic decency of tagging triggers aside), i DO find most of those fanon portrayals to be cheap and uncalled for a good majority of the time, at least from a literary standpoint. things like dating a minor or your own sibling have serious implications on a character's moral code and interpersonal dynamics where most characters would... not fucking do that! and the moment you don't engage with those implications, it becomes either incredibly ooc or altogether shallow. some people act like a topic being problematic makes it inherently complex and rich, when it can be as tropey and flat as any other "safe" topic. being problematic doesn't make you interesting etc. my point isn't arguing over literary value, it's more like... there's people behaving horribly and cruelly towards the AUTHORS, and making disgusting assumptions like the one that was made against me, all because of fiction you can always filter out at the end of the day (assuming basic tagging etiquette is respected ofc) and like. that's too far. nobody deserves to be treated like this.

not to mention, the "incest fiction recs"/"pro incest posts" those freaks mentioned were literally 1) me gushing about revolutionary girl utena, a deeply feminist and self-aware series that unpacks the misogyny behind anime incest tropes by treating that abuse REALISTICALLY as patriarchal manipulation from a male relative and showing how the female victim suffers and emancipates herself from it and 2) me being annoyed that hs showed one of its characters suffering from csa without acknowledging it AS abuse, even when it would've been not just the morally decent thing to do, but also a genuinely good addition to his character arc (apparently it does do that in the endstory, but i didn't know it at the time). those are both posts about realistic, condemning, and well-thought depictions of incestuous abuse in fiction—which is the only way i ever enjoy the topic btw—but that didn't stop these people from deciding i had an incest fetish and harassing me for weeks on end to the point of accusing me of sexually abusing my teenage brother. like you said, it would be a ghoulish way to treat someone even if their assumption had been right (and it wasn't), but it's like they saw the topic being mentioned and that fact alone was unforgivable, regardless of context. and this crap happens to people all the time! if that's not fucking stupid i don't know what is

[captains-writing-desk]

Chapter Three: The Faceless

Universe: The Mandalorian

Character: Din Djarin

Type: Reader insert (female reader)

Words: 2,251

Warnings: Swearing

Note: Woo Chapter three! Frog lady is on board and you’re both questioning your ways of life. Some fluffiness and an attempt at answering questions maybe...

 

-

 

Generally, the thought of having another passenger on board would be a nightmare but she took away from the slight awkwardness that came from the burning curiosity that radiated off of the Mandalorian. He had questions, you knew it but then what did you expect after pulling a stunt like you had back on Tatooine. Maybe you just let your anger get the best of you and you should let curious minds ask curious questions. You always wanted to know more and explore more but you just weren’t the asking type, thus making you not the answering type either.

You sat on the floor below deck consumed by your thoughts and unsuccessfully trying to distract yourself with tending to your batons. Maybe sharing secrets wasn’t the worst idea but you would have to confront those secrets yourself first before giving them so freely. Especially considering you barely knew this Mandalorian, hell you never really even spoke to him on a personal level but this long haul trek through space without jumping gave you time to start questioning all about the situation you were in. It was the first time you actually felt content in the company you were in and even with him annoying the hell out of you on Tatooine and previously just having travelled around with him and kept tabs on the kid- occasionally him too. Fuck me, you needed to get a grip on the way you were feeling, not just flicker between various stages of anger and just existing. You hushed your thoughts when the Mandalorian came down into the bay.

“Where’s the kid?” He asked upon finding the little sleeping cubby empty. You looked around and saw him with his hand in the vat of eggs.

“Hey!” He beat you to it and went over to stop him as he ate one of the eggs to which he got a telling off. Were you really so out of it that you didn’t notice?

“Get some sleep.” It was like he read your mind as he crawled into the space with the kid to take a nap, so you let yourself drift off into a nap of your own finally.

-

“Hey! Hold on down there!” Your nap was interrupted and you stood up immediately to see what was going on only to be thrown off your feet. Had you not had enough of being airborne? You made several attempts to get to your feet but you had no idea what turns he was making with the ship and you were still absolutely shattered despite the nap you’d had. So, you had no choice but to just let yourself slide around on the floor and try and cushion the blow of being thrown into the panels. You heard the engines go and the ship dove straight down, sending you hurtling into one panel before being thrown to the landing doors. Thankfully before you acquired too many new bruises you were eventually thrown into the ladder up to the cockpit where you were able to brace yourself and clamber up.

“What the hell is going on?” You braced yourself when you got to the cockpit and looked at the scanners. “X-wings?” The hell did they want and why were we coming into an ice planet.

“I may or may not be wanted,” He read the question on your mind, “Hold on.” He repeated but there wasn’t really much to brace yourself on. All it took was one sharp knock and you were crash landing to the ground. You kept yourself steady somehow, until touch down where you were able to climb to your feet once more. It was honestly tragic how much time you’d spent in mid air or flat on your ass lately. That was until the ice broke beneath the ship and once again you found yourself falling, well you got thrown back down the ladder and plunged into darkness.

You woke up with the Mandalorian hopping off of the bottom rung of the ladder and  touching his hand to your shoulder. Your ears were ringing but you could make out that he was saying your name and moving his hand to the bottom of your visor which took you off guard and sobered you up very quickly.

“ ‘m fine.” You rasped and grabbed his wrist making him jump then quickly relax his hand before you let it fall from your grip, his hand remained extended to you though. You stared for a moment before reluctantly taking hold and letting him pull you to your feet.

“Thanks,” You twisted your torso to stretch your body out and took note of the huge hole in the side of the ship and the sparking wiring, “Shit, this is bad news.” Your breath clouded in the air as you really took note of the ice and snow that had drifted in to the hold.

“I know...” He sighed.

-

It was freezing. You really wanted rid of the heat on Tatooine but this was an extreme shift in temperature. You could barely get some shut eye despite how heavy your eyes really were. You felt bad for the amphibian as neither of you spoke her language but she was clearly exasperated trying to communicate something but she was told it could wait until morning. You heard her tinkering around and watched her fiddle with an old droid that lay against the wall in a few pieces. You glanced at her eggs which she had covered with her own blanket and you sighed. She needed to keep them warm, you could tell that much. You reached out and pulled the vat towards you which you placed on your lap, underneath the loose cloth that draped around your shoulders. She watched you for a moment and nodded, which you could only assume was meant as gratitude but you had little time to figure it out as sleep suddenly washed over you.

-

Once again you were rudely awoken along with the Mandalorian. The amphibian had gotten the droid partly working so it could translate what she needed to say, that she couldn’t wait much longer or her eggs would perish. You were slightly stunned when she took a dig at the Mandalorian’s honour but to your surprise it worked and he grabbed his toolkit and left, muttering on his way out. Maybe his creed and integrity were being questioned even by himself. You chuckled and set the eggs aside then hauled yourself up to go give him a hand.

 

The silence for once seemed deafening. He had questions and you, well you had some questions but you almost just wanted to give him answers for once in your life, but it was something you would certainly struggle with.

“What will you do when you find another Mandalorian?” You decided was the best way to break the silence. He took a moment before he answered, processing the shift in the way you were interacting with him.

“I would ask them for help. They would know where to find the kid’s kind.” He continued his work as he spoke, as did you.

“Do you know what his kind is?” You asked out of genuine curiosity.

“Not really. I’ve heard mentions of Jedi.” He said plainly and you paused for a moment, pondering on whether to take your chances.

“Do you know much of the Jedi?” You asked a little timidly.

“No. I know he can move things with his mind and he can heal wounds. That’s as much as I’ve seen.” He admitted. So he knew very little then. He had no idea of the full extent. Your silence did not go unnoticed by him. “Do you?” He asked quietly.

“A little.” You admitted.

“What are they?” He pressed.

“They are wielders of the force. It’s like a religion. Very few remain.” You sounded stupid but you really didn’t know how to begin explaining.

“I see.. What else can they do?” He turned his head slightly to you, pausing in his work.

“A great many things if they put their mind to it. It requires a lot of practice and will of the mind.” You couldn’t help yourself being so vague and in the pointed silence that followed, you also stopped and turned your head to him.

“How did you-“ He was cut off by the kid appearing and making some noises while pointing. He told him to make himself useful and come help but he wandered off instead so the Mandalorian followed and left you to carry on repairs.

He hadn’t been gone too long but you felt uneasy all of a sudden so you came around to the hole in the ship and noticed the footprints that lead off into a cave system. You heard faint noises and approached the cave carefully, then you heard his blaster followed by explosions and they were getting closer. You backed your way to the ship with your blaster drawn on the cave entrance and watched as they appeared with a hoard of arachnid type creatures on their tail. You opened fire on the creatures and held the cloth that covered the hole in the ship open for the amphibian to climb through and take the child and her eggs from the Mandalorian. He ushered you in before him and you covered him while he clambered in too.

Up in the cockpit, you all struggled to get the door shut and he told you to start the engines. You did as you were told as he torched the creatures that held the door open. You didn’t get far off the ground before a giant arachnid leapt on to the ship and dragged what you hoped was it’s mouth over the glass. You racked your brain for some sort of escape plan but you came up empty, Only somebody else seemed to have come to the rescue. The Mandalorian went to see and you waited in the hold out of sight, in case it wasn’t a very friendly rescue.

 

-

 

Once again you found yourself working to repair the cockpit, enough to hold until you made it to Trask. The kid watched with his face pressed against the window as you both worked on the outer layers of the cockpit. You watched him back for a moment, thinking about how much more confident he seemed or that maybe he was growing. He seemed to be babbling an awful lot recently, though it still made very little sense to either of you, you could at least somewhat tell how he was feeling. You held your palm up and he watched as you slowly brought it closer to the glass with his own hand pressed against it.

“Bah!” You suddenly smacked the glass in front of him and he wailed before falling backwards. “Shit.” You muttered, trying to withhold the chuckle in your throat but the Mandalorian chuckled first which made you smile. The kid reappeared at the glass looking a little unsure and you felt for him a little then.

“You think it’s hard for him, having two faceless idiots to look after him?” The Mandalorian asked out of nowhere and it hit you in ways you hadn’t expected. It was the first brush with the topic of neither of you having your faces shown. Not the first ever, but the first time between the two of you where for however many months it had been, there was a mutual respect for the choices you each made on that front. Secondly, they were a clan of two but now it was the two faceless idiots that were in charge of the kid. Was this his way of saying you were no longer just a passenger there to help, or was he asking?

“Maybe. Did you ever find it difficult?” You tilted your head in his direction.

“Sometimes.” He paused for thought, “I got used to it but I wouldn’t like to say that Mandalorians are well known for the way they handle emotions. It’s not like we could see faces either.” He spoke quietly. He would never admit to it but between considering letting Omera remove his helmet and letting IG-11 remove it, he found himself straying further from the path of his creed. Not that he would ever desert it, he owed them so much but he had other priorities now with the kid. He was just conflicted.

“He knows he is protected and safe. He can see it but more than anything he can sense it.” You gently interrupted whatever thoughts he had and you both looked at the child once more whose face and hands were pressed against the window. You reached out again and he flinched for a moment but you remained steady and placed your hand on the glass lightly. He looked at your hand then put his tiny little hand up against yours then looked to the Mandalorian.

“See?” You said and looked at him too. You heard a barely audible hum from his modulator and watched him place his palm against the window too. You could feel the warmth of whatever this energy was that passed between the three of you. You felt it in your heart at first as a tingle and as you drew breath and exhaled it pulsed down through your arms, sending goosebumps with it.

“He will be fine.” You smiled, hoping he would hear it in your voice then went back to your work.

[justthehiddleswrites]

Bah Hiddleston | Tom Hiddleston x OFC (Tamra Harmon) | Chapter 10 | Blue Christmas

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x OFC (Tamra Harmon)

Summary:  Tamra Harmon has no mind to mess with Christmas. All that talk about Christmas magic and the joy of the holidays is just a bunch of mumbo jumbo. But will a chance encounter with perennial Christmas lover Tom Hiddleston change all that?

This chapter: Tom and Tamra both realized they have screwed this up, but Mother Nature provides a new stumbling block.

Warnings for story: smut, oral sex, implied smut, vaginal sex, light angst

-

Tamra cried the whole way back to her rented flat. The Uber driver asking her more than once if she was okay through the rearview mirror.

“I’m fine. Thank you.” she lied.

It was still dark which she reached the Airbnb. She fumbled with the keys and juggled her suitcase through the door. The room seemed cold and sterile after having spent the last several days at Tom’s. She sobbed as she thought of Bobby curled up at her feet and how the place always smelled of books and coffee.

Tamra pulled back the covers and slid between the cool sheets. She didn’t even bother to change into pajamas. As she drifted into an uneasy slumber, Tamra’s mind played over the note she left. She feared she made some sort of mistake. Her heart already realized the answer.

-

Once Diana called, Luke made it over to the house within the hour; Benedict and Sophie soon followed, children in tow. Waves of guilt rolled over Tom at the thought of ruining everyone’s Christmas with his problems. Especially since this was all his fault.

Diana kept the kettle warm and everyone took a seat around the kitchen table while the children playing with their newly acquired toys in the living room. Bobby, sensing something was amiss, stayed close to Tom’s feet.

“I fucked up.” Tom commented with a flat affect.

“How is that different from—” Luke started in but Diana’s hand gripping his shoulder like a vise silenced him.

“Luke dear, I normally would love nothing more than to watch a signature Windsor dressing down of my twat of a son, but perhaps today we can keep the conversation to helpful suggestions.” Diana commented, her hand never leaving his shoulder.

Luke glanced over at Tom still seated in the chair he fell into earlier. Sat before him was a haunting shadow of the famous Tom Hiddleston. His eyes still sparkling blue but now bloodshot and rimmed with red. His ginger curls laid in a disheveled mop. If his fans could catch him now, they would be appalled.

“Of course, Diana.” he responded and only then did she release her grip.

They each read the note while Tom took to chewing on his thumbnail. A nasty habit he long broke but manifested itself in times of extreme stress.

“I don’t understand what the problem is?” Ben questioned. “She loves you and you love her.”

Tom’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know I love her? How can you possibly know that?!” His voice rising and accusatory.

“For one, you made me throw a Christmas party in less than 24 hours for a girl you barely met.” Benedict responded, ignoring his friend’s tone.

“You did what Thomas?!” Diana exclaimed.

“Not the time, Mother.” Tom interjected.

“Two, I am sitting at your dining table on Christmas rather than being at my home. And three, Luke told me.”

Tom shot daggers at his publicist.

“Not the time, Tom..” Diana echoed his words. “So how do we fix it?”

“Ritual suicide?” offered Luke.

“Grand gesture of love?” countered Benedict.

Sophie rolled her eyes. “Men. Always going to extremes. Suicide, grand gestures.” she tsked. “How about a radical idea of telling her how you feel?”

“I agree, Sophie. The simplest solution is generally the best one.” Diana agree, moving to hold Tom’s hand, giving it a small squeeze

Tom picked his head up to look at his friends and mother. He pushed the chair away from the table and rose.

“Thank you all for the food for thought. I don’t want to keep you from your homes and families. Now if you’ll excuse me.” He kept the facade together until he stepped away and only then did he cried for the infinite time that morning. He slammed the door to the bedroom on his way. The sound reverberating off the walls.

Everyone stood as well and Diana walked each of them out.

“Thank you for coming. Merry Christmas. I’ll keep you posted.” She made apologies and excuses before shutting the door.

She headed down the hallway and knocked softly against the door. When she heard no response, she pushed the door opened. She found Tom sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to the door and his head in his hands.

She sat down next to him, placing her hand on his knee. He turned and cried.

“Mum, I’m scared.”

“I noticed, dear.”

“Why am I so scared? I’m been in relationships before. Why is this different?”

Diana gave his knee a squeeze. “Because…” she sighed. “…you recognize that this is the beginning of the last relationship you’ll have and you are not sure you’re ready to take that leap, no matter how much you want that life. Forever is a long time.”

“You really believe it will all work out, don’t you?”

“Yes I do.” Diana stood and walked to his nightstand. “You never throw a bet. Particularly a bet that requires you to cook. That means this is something much more than a fling.”

Tom managed a laugh. “How did you figure it out?”

“You are my son.” She handed him his phone. “Now go get the girl and start the rest of your life.”

Tom nodded. He unlocked the phone and tapped the screen. Diana slipped out the room and shut the door behind her.

-

Tamra dragged herself out of bed just before noon. She found some cereal and milk. Tamra gave the milk and sniff and decided she wouldn’t die before pouring. She found her phone and the battery indicator teetered close to 1%.

“Shit!” she fished through her purse for the charger cord and came up empty. She dug through her suitcase, dumping the contents onto the floor.

“Fuck!” she yelled as her hunt came up empty. Her brain flashed to the cord plugged into a socket in Tom’s kitchen. “FUCK!!!”

As she prepared to go into another cursed filled tirade, her phone buzzed in her hand.

“What?!” she snapped to the other person on the end of the call.

“Did I catch you at a bad time, honey?” her mom asked, worry in her voice.

Tamra took a deep breath to collect herself. “Not at all. What can I do for you?”

“Merry Christmas, honey!”

“Merry Christmas, Mom.”

“No bah humbug? Are you feeling okay? You sound sick. Are you sick?”

Tamra choked back tears. “No, I’m not sick.” her voice cracked. “But I’m not okay.” She sobbed.

“What happened? Do I need to fly out?”

“I meet a guy. Not just any guy, THE GUY. And he is amazing and smart and talented. And… and…” her voice trailed off again. “Why do I screw up everything?!?” she wailed.

“Love is complicated, darling. It causes something with the dopamine levels in the brain. Makes people act all loopy.”

“You read that in a magazine somewhere, didn’t you?”

“I’m sure. But if this guy is as special as you describe. He is worth the fight.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Any time dear. Now tell me more about this guy.”

“Well you might know him.” Tamra started.

“Really? How would I—” the line clicked dead.

“Mom? Mom?” Tamra looked down at a black screen.

“Fuck!” she threw the phone onto the bed. She thought about heading out to see if any place was open to buy a charging cord. She was dismayed to stare out the window to find it snowing heavily once again.

“Merry fucking Christmas.” she whispered as she crawled back under the covers.

-

Tom threw his bedroom door open, startling his mother watching the television.

“It keeps going to voicemail. I’m going over there.” He grabbed his pea coat.

“No you’re not.”

“And who is going to stop me?” he demanded.

“Mother Nature. Look out the window.” Tom pulled aside the curtain to the nearest window.

“No, No!” he cried in anguish as he saw the landscape buried in snow and it continuing to fall with no end in sight. “I hate snow.”

“Keep trying the phone. She can’t ignore you forever. It’s Christmas.”

-

But she never answered and with each unanswered call, Tom grew more and more frantic, almost unhinged. If it had not been for Diana, he would have braved the storm and most likely froze in the process.

Phone calls from friends and family offered him little comfort. Only the news of both Emma and Sarah joining the family tomorrow elicited any happy response. He attempted to put on a good show but inside he was dying. His mother comforted when he allowed her.

“Have faith, dear.”

“I’m calling the police.” he declared after the phone once again went to voicemail.

“You will not. What would Luke say?”

Tom sighed. “He would say ‘don’t be stupid’.”

“Luke is a wise man. So sit down and watch the movie. It’s my favorite.”

He picked up Hugh Grant’s monologue come over the TV and he excused himself.

-

Tamra found a frozen dinner buried in the freezer. Not the Christmas dinner she had hoped for. But with the snowstorm and the holiday, nothing was open. She longed to call Tom, to apologize and beg forgiveness but there was nothing she could do with her phone dead. She didn’t remember his number.

She alternated between the bed and the sofa, catching snippets of restless sleep between crying jags. The day reached a low point when she flicked on the TV and heard the Pointer Sisters Jump! playing and saw Hugh Grant dancing over the screen. She flashed back to that day at Tom’s, the movies, the tree, that kiss. She switched off the TV and threw the remote in disgust.

Tom and Tamra tossed and turned that night, chasing sleep. Tom finally dozed off sometime around midnight, Bobby never leaving his side. Tamra lied awake until well after one in the morning, clutching the pillow for comfort and wondering how she screwed up the best thing that happened to her.

[rheisa-midnightfury]

Where the beans at?

@vlanderzine had a great idea of “What if they had to hide the coffee from Kai.” And I felt called out to write it. So... here goes nothing.

Drip. Drip. Black drops dripped slowly into a dark concentration of liquid into a transparent jar. Maroon eyes starred at the beverage across the glass. Arms on the table, Kai rested his head on them, looking at the coffee with dreamy eyes. Almost the same look he gives to his own reflection. The kitchen was empty, the master of fire tried to be here before the others get out of the bed. Quietly stomping his feet impatiently he leaned closer to the coffee jar.

”Why does this take so long?” He looked behind himself, making sure he didn’t wake up any of the ninjas. ”Come on you!” As the words left his mouth, the coffee had been ready to drink. ”YES! Finally!” Yelled in joy, but he realized in time that he shouldn’t have. Reaching for a red mug on the shelf, he looked around once again, quicker this time and grabbed the jar. One drop of coffee almost hit the bottom of the mug, when a raspy clearing of throats sounded from behind.

”Kaiii! You know what caffeine does to you.” The water ninja stepped next to her brother and took the mug from his hands. ”Do you wanna drive us crazy?”

”C’mon sis! Like when did I ever drive you guys crazy?” and he gripped back his mug from Nya’s hold.

” Er... Every time you drink coffee? Don’t you remember what happened last time?”

”Bah! Why do you have to bring it up?! I said a MILLION times I’m sorry.” Replied with a high pitched voice.

”We still have some bruises left from when you were so eager to hug all of us and burned our arms since you had no control of your power.”

”Gee! I was just extremely happy for you guys letting me drink coffee. Is that a bad thing?”

”Being happy is not, hurting us is!”

”Come on! One sip won’t hurt anyone.” Taking the red mug away, he aimed for the whole coffee jar to drink from.

”No! More! Coffee! For you, Kai!” And just in time, Nya took the coffee jar from Kai, spilling some on the floor. ”Wanna have coffee? Drink decaf ones.”

”You can’t be serious.” Eyes widened, jaw dropped in disbelief. ”I won’t drink decaff. It’s like, eating veggies for the tase and not for the vitamins.”

” What!? Some vegetables are actually tast… Argh! No Kai. It’s for the best.” 

Embracing his lose, Kai collapsed into one of the chairs around the dinner table, resting his jaw in his fist, like a child. In the meantime, Nya placed the jar on the counter alongside with free mugs. Green, black and gray. Milk was poured into all of the mugs, such as coffee.

Slowly, the rest of the team had also made their way into the kitchen. Some were in pajama and some in… sort of pajama. Kai wore tight underwear with socks and tank tops on. Nya had shorts with a spaghetti strap shirt. The green ninja had gray gym shorts on and a tight white t-shirt. Jay had long black pajama pants on, blue tank top and fluffy slippers. Black, tight tank top was on Cole with matching long workout pants. Zane went with the classic pajama, with some snowflakes patterns on it.

Loud yawning and whispers of ’Good mornings!’ filled the room. Lloyd sat next to Kai, already drinking his own coffee and sprinkling some cinnamon on top. He was too tired this morning to get anything else for breakfast. He’ll have something to eat if there will be any leftover toast or eggs. Jay almost dropped his cinnamon bun from his plate as he slowly walked to the table and took a seat, in front of Lloyd. Gently stroking his boyfriend’s back, Nya also took place in the dinner table with a ham sandwich and his cappuccino. For Lloyd’s luck, Zane prepared some toast for everyone. Cole stayed beside him, looking for some milk for his cereal. As the last slice of bread had popped up from the toaster and a mountain of whipped cream was placed on Cole’s mug of coffee, both the earth and ice ninja had joined the rest of the team. Kai and Lloyd reached for the toasts, as soon as the plate’s bottom hit the table. Everyone was quiet. Only silent chewing filled the otherwise silent kitchen. Cranching on his cereal, Cole looked at his mug and opened his mouth to speak, breaking the almost comforting silence.

”Man, I can’t believe we ran out of chocolate sprinkles.” 

Tired eyes faced the earth ninja, as Lloyd tossed the cinnamon shaker to him. ”Here, use this.”

”Thanks, man!” Relaxed smile sat on Cole’s face as he sprinkled the spice into his drink. But not everyone was this relaxed and calmed. 

”What a disaster you can’t place sprinkles on your coffee. Well, guess what! I can’t even have a SIP of coffee.” Fists slammed on the table, chair pushed backward with a loud squeak as Kai jumped up from his seat.

”Whoa! Easy there!” Confidant pair of eyes faced Kai’s angerful ones. ”No need for this just because caffeine has a bad effect on you.” 

”Yeah. Look! I’m not drinking coffee either. Am I angry about it? No.” Spoke Jay with mouth covered with cinnamon and frosting. 

”You don’t even like it.” Kai found his usual annoyed tone switching from the previous furious one. He calmed down. At least he tried. He had to. He didn’t want to start his morning with a fight, especially not with Cole who always had extreme strength no matter the time of the day. 

”Just enjoy your breakfast. After all, we’re just talking about a drink.” The rested and calm voice eased the fire ninja. Grabbing his friend by his arm, Lloyd smiled at Kai and pushed his mug away. ”If it makes you happy, I won’t finish mine.”

A sour smile sat on the red ninja’s face, he sat back to his chair and remained silent for the rest of the time. He crossed his arms and waited for everyone to finish their food and leave. 

Last bites were taken, dishes had been cleaned and one by one, everyone left the kitchen. Everyone, but Kai and the mug that Lloyd had put aside was still on the table. Kai swallowed, as he already felt the taste of coffee in his mouth. He reached for the mug and…

”No, Kai!” Nya stepped back to the scene just in time. ”I won’t argue about it. You can’t have any and that’s IT!” 

And the coffee was poured into the sink. Grumpy huff left Kai as he leaned back on his chair and watched his sister leaving the room once again. As Nya left, the fire ninja jumped up from his chair and rushed to the jar, only to find it empty. He searched through the whole kitchen, but he couldn’t find the beans, nor the instant powder. However, there was only one cabinet he hasn’t checked. He wide opened the wings, and there it was. A whole bag of unopened powder of coffee. He grabbed it and rushed back to the coffee machine. He almost opened the bag, when his eyes caught on the wrapping of the powder. ’Decaff’.

”Argh! COME! ON!” He didn’t even fancy putting the bag back to its place. Instead, he just left it on the counter and returned to his own room to finally get dressed.  Thought his usual morning routine will drag his attention from the fact that Nya had hidden the beans somewhere. He laid down in his bed, to his back, looking at the ceiling, juggling with a small ball of fire. Thinking. Taking a big breath, the fireball vanished in his palm, got up from the bed and walked to the mirror. Starring at his own reflection he squinted and leaned forward.

“I’m sure she hid them somewhere.” He shrugged and grabbed a bottle of hair gel, from a drawer next to him. Making his hair as spikey as possible, he winked at himself with a satisfied smirk. But the smirk slowly faded and his features became more annoyed-looking. “But where can those coffee beans be?!”

The door opened, Kai stuck his head out to get a better look at the hallway. Cole’s room was just on the other side of the hall. The usual loud music, which was coming from the black ninja’s room had suddenly muted, which only meant one thing. He switched to headphones. Kai knew the only reason Cole would place headphones on. It’s a sing he either started working out or doodling. Perfect. The fire ninja sneaked out from his room and carefully opened Cole’s door. Just as Kai expected. The black ninja had started lifting weights. No way he’s gonna turn around. At least, that’s what Kai hoped. He now entered the room and started searching. Nya knows how much he hates dueling with Cole, so she expects Kai not to enter the earth ninja’s room. But the coffee was at stake. His coffee, which he deserved.

The room looked surprisingly neat. His bed was nicely embedded, all the CDs were in a nice order next to his stereo. There wasn’t much stuff there, and everything had its own place.

Tossing away piles of sketchbooks, cd covers, and deodorants he gave up. It must be somewhere else. Kai tried to place back everything to its place, or at least he tried. Thinking he made a good job cleaning and removing his traces, he left. Carefully closed the door and leaned back to the wall. The next place to check was Lloyd’s room, but the green ninja hardly ever leaves his place and he’s always on a high alert, hears every little sound. No way he can go searching in his room. Sighing he slow-walked to the one door next to his own. Worried smile rested on his face, as he placed his ear on the door, listening if the lightning ninja was in his room. Jay hardly ever stayed in, as a social junkie he was. He usually hangs out at Cole’s place and annoyed the earth ninja with his endless talking. Luckily Cole got used to his friend’s behavior and learned how to lock out his dinginess. If not there, he would also lay on the couth outside, playing video games and waiting for someone to approach and have a conversation with. 

The room seemed empty. Door opened, Kai entered. It was empty indeed, but the sight wasn’t pleasant for the fire ninja. Laundry clothes were all over the floor, bags of chips and cans of drinks were at the table. Stacks of old games and broken controllers at one corner, rusty and oily spare parts in the other. 

“Yikes! Looks like someone needs a big clean-up.” Grabbing a half-eaten pizza slice he gave a pitty full smirk and throw the food under the bed. “How could my sister fall for you? HOW CAN WE BE RELATED?” Between several of annoyed groans, huffs, and grunts he dug up the whole place wich looked in better condition now, than when Kai entered. 

“This is hopeless. If the beans were here, there would be no way to find them in such a huge mess.” Slammed closed the door and buried his head to his own palms. Two more rooms left to check: Nya’s and Zane’s. With all the cameras and security systems placed at the nindroid’s place, there was no way on Earth he’ll attempt to enter. Even if he’s able to play out the system, all the hidden cameras would record his every move. ‘Why does Zane need such a defense in his room. Huh, that dude always has been weird.’

No other choice left, he needed to look at Nya’s room now. Same thing he did to Jay’s place. First, observe if his sister was inside, or not. Nothing, but silence. There is always a chance she’s not staying in her room, with Nya it’s always a mystery. Slowly, carefully, the door opened and the eyes of the fire ninja caught on one thing right away. Blushing in embarrassment, he half-closed the door, so he could hear everything clearly, but not see.

“KAI! DON’T YOU KNOW HOW TO KNOCK?!” Burst out his sister in such a high pitched voice, that Kai had never heard.

“Yeah, dude! Not cool!” Yelled Jay too, who was holding Nya at his arms with several of smooch marks on his face. 

“I… er…” Kai froze in a second. He wanted to slap Jay in the face so badly, he still couldn’t get used to him making out with his sister. All sorts of emotions sat on his face just in a minute to finally decide to leave. Leave before Nya asks him what he wanted and finds out he’s seeking the coffee beans. He took one step back only to find himself bumping into a muscly chest.

“Do you mind giving us some privacy?” 

Kai turned around, finding Cole standing behind him. He still had some pearls of sweat on his forehead and biceps from working out. “What were you doing in my room, pretty-hair?” Holding a small mirror in his arms for proof. It must have had fallen out from Kai’s pocket while he was staying at the earth ninja’s room. Nervous laughs left the fire ninja as he carefully reached for the small mirror, already making up a dumb excuse.

“D-don’t you remember? You b-borrowed it, to fix your eyebrows.” Smiled sassily.

“Since when would I ask for your tiny mirror when I have a big one in my room. And when did I ever wanted to pull my eyebrows?”

“Maybe you should try it, a small makeover would make those bushes look better.” 

A growl left Cole, making Kai back of a little. Searching for a small gap between the black ninja and the doorway he almost escaped to his room when Zane stopped him. He was holding a tablet right into Kai’s face.

“Was there a reason why you lurked around my door? You know you have the permission to enter any time for help.” 

 Even more nervous laughs, another dumb excuse. 

“I just… dropped my… hairt…tie?” He swallowed. “I had to pick it up.” It’s now or never, leave them to think and return to his own room. That was the plan. He almost got away, when Jay jumped up from the bed and hurried to the ice ninja to take a better look at the footage. 

“Ey! You weren’t just lurking in the hallway. You entered my room!” Yelled in his usual whiny voice.

“Hey! Guys! Let’s just all calm down… and b-be reasonable.” He gently took of Cole’s grip from his shoulder, but the earth ninja quickly grabbed him again, not letting him escape. For his own defense, he put on the typical of a charming smile, but it did not work… as usual. 

“Kai! What is the meaning of this?” Nya walked next to her brother, releasing him from Cole’s strong hold. “You broke into Cole’s room, but you also did to Jay’s. I repeat, to Jay’s.”

Looking around the whole group, Kai had no other choice, but to admit his loss. He took a big breath, looked everyone in the eye and shrugged.

“I just really wanted to find the coffee beans you hid from me…” 

Nya shook her head in disbelief. “Hide the beans? No. Kai…” She smiled at her brother, trying to make him feel better. “We just ran out of coffee beans. I was about to get some this afternoon. No one is hiding anything from you.” 

“Really?” Kai looked rather surprised and relieved at the same time. “Sorry for messing with you guys.”

“Yeah, you’d better.” Added Cole. “Now I have to reorganize the CDs to be in genre order.” And without further ado, he returned to his room, beckoning for Zane to do the same.

“Maybe I overreacted a little…” Kai rubbed his neck before turning around, leaving the couple alone. Jay raised his eyebrows on the fire ninja and then turned his head towards to Nya.

“Did we really ran out of coffee beans?” 

The water ninja didn’t reply, not immediately. She first closed the room's door and started giggling, taking a bag of coffee beans out from her purse. 

“No, we didn’t”

[callme--starchild]

Crazy Old Man

Summary: Scrooge didn't need a growing hero to rescue him, but he didn't know why it essentially bothered him that he did it.

If Scrooge had been hinted that the adventures were in his life even if he was doing something other than being Donald and Della's tutor, he honestly wouldn't have doubted it.

However, he did not expect at all to appear on a quiet afternoon of work, being one that did not involve treasures, while the twins were in high school, when his hardheaded ward was not overprotecting him to make sure he did not get hurt as well as Della.

The years had passed since the death of their parents, the twins had finally accepted it and though the pain was still present they decided to move on, the panic attacks of the male, young duck had finally diminished thanks to the sessions with the psychotherapist and they already saw the adventures as the daily bread when they did not fulfill their academic work.

Their personalities had been molded, despite having small nuances that managed to differentiate them since they were ducklings: Donald, though more predisposed to accompany them, was still the same wee lover of the sea, cautious about temples, caves and other explored places, besides having inherited the homely and overprotective behavior of his parents—making him their vivid portrait—and extremely temperamental in fighting for his family; Della, on the other hand, had inherited his passion for adventures and treasure hunting in places unknown to the rest of the world, the wee space lover always looked forward to the next adventure with her uncle, equally stubborn and throwing herself head on to danger, with a more moderate character compared to her brother.

That is why he would have been surprised when, returning to the mansion in the limousine—driven by Duckworth of course—he was surprised by a crash caused by a pantry truck against a set of vehicles, a chain reaction that caused traffic to crowd around it.

"What in the blazes is this city with car accidents?" He growled under his breath, adjusting his spectacles and watching the cloud of smoke from the windshield that he had understood from the capot of several cars. Discreetly, he watched that again some of the drivers, especially the truck's, will not escape; his nephew and niece had not been able to sleep in peace until the driver who had crashed into their vehicle was arrested, a process that also had not been very easy.

Unfortunately he was not very patient, and the board that was waiting for him in the money bin's office for the meeting either.

He got out of the limo without even listening to his butler raising his voice slightly despite his always monotonous accent, saying he could find a shortcut before he closed the vehicle door, beginning to walk the streets of Duckburg.

Better to walk to the money bin and endure Duckworth's complaints later than wasting time and money on gas that he could later replenish in the manor.

He had walked more during the adventures he had with Donald and Della and was still feeling quite young, after all. Thanks, but no thanks, he didn't need someone to care about him.

Not even when strange purple ducks stopped in front of him?

Bah, nothing he hadn't faced before.

"Wha' are ye, participants oaf a circus? Or a bad imitation of the Beagle family? Beca'se beli've me, ye're nothing Ah hadnae seen." He thought out loud, raising his cane to the ducks in front of him, who only looked at each other, surprised at the snarls of the Scottish duck.

One of them shrugged, seeming to raise his eyebrow—he didn't know, it was indistinguishable from the helmets they seemed to use. Two of them got off their flying skateboards, and quickly got into battle pose, ready to fight.

It was nothing he hadn't witnessed before.

One of them raised his ray gun—which seemed to have been obtained from a low-budget sci-fi movie—toward him, making him accommodate the brim of his top hat and hold his cane more tightly until his knuckles pale.

"Well, I'm late for the tea party? What a shame."

A voice was literally heard from the heights before a clearly metallic object struck the faces of the violet-skinned ducks causing them to fall before returning from it starting point in a boomerang effect.

Scrooge didn't have time to look at the adjoining roof when a masked duck landed in front of him, leaning on his right knee and left hand, the wind waving his cape and the ribbon of his blue sailor's cap while the sun's rays bathed him as if the special effects of a movie—paid for by McDuck Studios—were used.

He had turned his back, refusing to let him see the withering look that in spite of the mask was distinguished on his' face.

"What's up, guys? Have you felt so humiliated to be defeated by someone young that you now attack the elderly? Not even I fall so low, you disappoint me."

But despite the confidence the superhero distilled in his words, Scrooge could not help but sigh indignantly and frown.

Yes, clearly he was someone young though his deep voice contrasted to a short stature, and he also did not declare himself so young when he was over a century old, but who believed that child to refer to him in such certain way?

What did he not know with who's talking to? With someone who don't need to be rescued!

"Ye knoo? Ah appreciate yer help lad, but Ah'm fine, thank ye very much.” In a harsh voice, he touched the superhero's shoulder, feeling an electric current moving from his spine to the tips of his fingers as he brushed the cloth.

"Excuse me? If you have not noticed Un—Mr. McDuck, you was about to become a Coolflame, I am not so rude to attack—you sir," throwing his shield again while taking advantage of the rookie error of the aliens, smiled when he saw how the movement struck the guns, away from their reach.

For a moment he saw the blue eyes of the duck, causing a chill whose motives he did not know how to specify.

"Uno, are you there?" He spoke when the X-Transformer was within reach again, looking again and again at Scrooge and the Evronians scrutinizing his eyes.

"Strong and clear, Old Cape. Literally, lower the volume of your microphone please." A voice was heard, making him impossible to recognize the accent. "Wait, I can do it myself."

"Fine, I need you to take Mr. McDuck to a safe place." Donald knew that the Artificial Intelligence, despite the teasing, might be able to hack the limo and make Duckworth not only get out of traffic unexpectedly, but also achieve make it faster to fulfill his work.

That they attacked surprisingly when they used to do it at night, not only had he escaped from school, risking that they would call his uncle and risk his identity, but they had also made a fatal mistake dealing with someone in his family.

Even the smartest villain his uncle had knew he had never had to mess with one of them.

He kept his eyes fixed on the aliens when he sensed his uncle's vehicle approaching, smiling smugly, thinking about the confusion that might be on the butler's face.

This would be fun.

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

The attack and consequent Paperinik's rescue had not taken long to appear in the news, from 00's to those of other well-known newscasts, so Scrooge was not taken by surprise when Donald stumbled into the mansion throwing his backpack towards the recliner, his blue flannel shirt messy and panting heavily.

"Unca' Scrooge!" He raised his voice as soon as he slammed into the study. The Scotsman had already made the counted coins aside, expectant to see his startled nephew. Beside him, Della was walking at a quieter pace, but that didn't take away her worried expression. "We hear what happened, are you alright?"

Practically the young duck squawked playing with the hem of his shirt. Scrooge requires remembering to schedule the next speech therapy for the boy.

He soon felt the teenager's arms surround his shoulders in a hug. The duck was incredibly strong for someone sixteen, not to mention he was measuring his strength so as not to hurt his uncle.

"Dinnae worry, lad, Ah'm fine. Th' egoc'ntric... hero, Paperinik, was there" the old man had been spitting his words while stroking the ward's hair feathers. The hero's pride had a collision with his, the excessive respect he still had as a completely new vigilante drowned him.

He said nothing when Donald hugged him harder, he did not perceive the tension that recorded his features.

When Della approached, though, he hid his face in his uncle's neck, stroking—almost preening—the askew feathers present there.

"Donald practically rushed Duckworth to get home faster, he wanted to know if you were okay. You know, typical Donald." She smiled nervously, playing with a lock of hair.

Scrooge patted her nephew's back awkwardly, stroking his back and forth, feeling back in time when the hardest part was sleeping a small, terrified duckling before a nightmare.

But the young duck closed his eyes tightly, coding even more in the face of his uncle's emotional contact.

He had to find a way to thank Uno for his quick assistance, he thought, leaving behind his dominated emotions about his devil-may-care and cool-for-being-affectionate behavior.

Because he was aware that he would do anything to protect his family, from the unthinkable as escaping from school when he received an Evronian alert that involved his uncle, to the most dangerous as being a superhero in the company of a bossy orb and keeping it secretly before a life where adventures were presented on a daily basis.

Because these ducks don't back down.

[corishadowfang]

Cut Scenes: The Dragon Lady

So while I’m going through this draft of On my Heart, I’m realizing there are a lot of scenes that need to be cut or altered, some of which I really liked.  So I thought: hey, why not post them?  At least they’ll get use somewhere.

The “dragon lady” scene is one that’s going to be rewritten more than completely cut, due to changing plot points.  This original scene happens earlier in the story--pretty much right after Jackie, Aiden, and Kiru team up--and definitely has a more mystical, ominous feel.  It was super fun to write because of the titular dragon lady’s--Elise Gable’s--personality and history.

This one’s a bit of a longer scene because I wasn’t quite sure where I wanted to cut it.

           They stopped at a two-story house with chipped blue paint and sagging edges.  A cat roused, saw them, and scampered under the porch.

           Aiden whispered, “Are you sure this is the right place?”

           Jackie left the car.

           “Hey, wait!”  He scampered after her.

           Jackie pounded on the door.

           An old woman cracked the door.  One eye flicked over them.  “Can I help you with something?”

           Aiden wondered, Isn’t this unnecessarily creepy?

           Eh. Jackie’s going in first.

           Jackie asked, “You’re Elise Gable, right?”

           “I suppose.”

           “We have a few questions.”

           She laughed, harsh and grating.  “I’d know a cop anywhere, undercover or not.  No, ma’am.  I won’t be talking to you.”

           Aiden said, “She’s not an officer anymore.”

           Jackie scowled.

           “She’s helping me. I have questions.  The police don’t know about this.”

           The eye flicked towards Aiden.  “And who are you, hmm?”

           “A-Aiden Cooley. And Kiru.”  He lifted his arm, and the Familiar phased out, wriggling from the sleeve.

           “Well, I suppose you’re no cop.”  Her eye glinted, and a crooked smile flashed.  “Hmm, well, I suppose I haven’t had much company in a long while. You can come in.”

           Aiden hissed, “If she tries to cook us, do we run?”

           Kiru shrugged.

           Jackie started towards the door.

           “Not you.”

           “I’m here for protection.”

           “Against what?  A harmless old woman?  No, no, retired or not, I want no business with cops. Besides, you couldn’t do much lame, could you?”

           Jackie’s expression briefly turned enraged.

           Aiden briefly thought, I couldn’t do much, either.

           Gable said, “Well? Come in, child.”  She opened the door fully, revealing a relatively normal-looking middle-aged woman, black hair streaked with gray, with high cheek-bones and sunken eyes.

           That’s how they get you, Aiden thought.  They look harmless, and then kill you when you’re not looking.

           And then, perhaps more disconcerting: She looks a lot like Tyson.

           Jackie stepped aside, fists balled.

           Aiden almost apologized to her.  His jaw clacked shut at her expression, and he hurried through.

           The door creaked shut. “The fool doesn’t even carry a Familiar. Bah.  Some cop.”

           “How can you tell?”

           “No threats, no unnatural gleam to the eyes, no occasional flash of color to the skin. Now yours—let me have a look.”  She leaned closer, catching Kiru’s lower jaw.

           Kiru jerked away, claws unsheathed.

           “You called it ‘Kiru.’”

           He bit back a sigh. “Yes.”

           “Those flames are unusual.  They’d suggest an unstable creature, but it seems to hold itself together fine.”  She ran her hands over them.

           Kiru growled, shrinking.

           “Hush.  I’m no threat to your master.  I’m simply curious.”

           Kiru tilted his head, eyes narrowed.

           “You’re not the first person to say that.”

           “Ha!  Someone else interested in a unique Familiar?  I find that hard to believe.”  She settled into a tattered chair.

           “Have you ever heard of someone named Gertrude Ferry?”

           “The name rings a bell. I think she’s done some business around here, though I’ve never met the woman.  But I’m guessing you’re here to ask about my son instead?”

           Aiden’s throat went dry.

           “What did that fool do this time?  Try to pawn some useless items onto high schoolers?”

           “He killed someone.” His voice came out surprisingly even for how hard his heart was pounding.

           The chair creaked. “And I suppose the murder was Familiar-based?”

           “Yeah.”

           “The idiot.  I taught him better.”  She shook her head, muttering something.  “This person was close to you, that right?”

           Aiden didn’t answer, though he wasn’t sure whether that was because he didn’t want to tell her the truth, or because he was simply uncertain about how to approach the topic.

           “Revenge, then.  I guess I have to make this difficult for you, considering he’s my son.”  She worked her jaw.  Some spittle dripped down her chin.

           “Um, you have something,” Aiden touched his mouth.

           Kiru snorted.

           Aiden hissed, “I’m trying to help.”

           The woman’s eyes suddenly brightened, and, for a moment, seemed to gleam yellow.  “Tell you what.  We’ll do a question for a question.  I’ll ask about something, and you have to answer.  In turn, you get to ask for something.”

           “Anything?”

           “Of course, but the same goes for me.  And if you don’t answer, I don’t answer.  Deal?”

           He exchanged glances with Kiru.

           Kiru jerked his head towards the old woman and flicked his tail.

           “Okay.  Do you—”

           “I’ll start, thank you.  How did you come by such a unique Familiar?”

           Aiden frowned.  “He was in Familiar Co. storage.  Do you know where Tyson might be?”

           “No.”

           Aiden glowered.

           “You didn’t expect much when you gave such a paltry answer, did you?”

           “Fine.  He—”

           “Nope.  My turn.”

           Aiden’s fists balled.

           The old woman laughed. “You gave your Familiar a name and talk to it.  Why?”

           “He’s got higher artificial intelligence than normal.  He can reason and act on his own, without my input.  I’m guessing that’s why they put him away.  Most people don’t want an independent Familiar.”

           He waited for the comment about how this couldn’t be possible; about how he was using Kiru to cope; about how he was too old for this sort of make-believe.  But the old woman only watched with a curious expression. “Interesting.”

           “M-my turn.  You’re part of a group that advocates for less restrictive rules on Mach Stages.  Was Tyson part of that?  Is there a place where I could find them?”

           “That’s two questions.”

           “The first one, then.”

           The old woman didn’t answer for several long moments.  “I think we could get along, you and I.”  She stood slowly and walked towards a cabinet.  “I raised Tyson with looser Familiar restrictions, but he was never interested in our group.  He thought we were too extreme, wanted to do things in the system.  We aren’t extreme, of course, but he never really liked that business.  The fool tried to come home after his job fell through.”

           “Did you let him?”

           “After insulting all of my work?  He made his choices.  He has to deal with the consequences.”

           Would Mom feel the same way?

           The old woman dragged a book from the highest shelf.  She ambled back to her chair and settled it into her lap.

           Aiden eyed it.

           She tapped it and chuckled.  “You’ll have to wait to ask about this one.”

           Aiden rubbed his temples.

           “Now, I want to know why you’re here with a former police officer, instead of a current one.”

           Aiden stalled.

           “Perhaps not so good with the law ourselves?”

           “You only get one question.”

           The woman gave a full-bodied laugh.  “I suppose so.”

           Aiden considered the question a long moment.  “The woman I mentioned.  Gertrude Ferry?  She suggested Jackie to me.  She said she’d be more likely to help.”

           “And is Gertrude some sort of old friend?”

           “My turn.  What’s in the book?”

           The woman gave him a toothy grin, and Aiden had the uncomfortable feeling that he’d just fallen into a trap.  “This is my records book.  It contains all the information I’ve collected over the years on, well,” she paused and twirled a hand, “Familiars and related topics, shall we say.”

           Aiden reached for it.

           She pulled it away and tutted.  “You want to see it, do you?”

           “Is that your question?”

           “Ha!”  She shook her head.  “I want to know exactly what kind of trouble you’re in.”

           “Nothing.  I’m not in trouble.”

           “Oh, dear.  I suppose we’re done here, then.”

           Kiru phased in.  Tell her the truth.

           Are you crazy?

           Okay, maybe not the whole truth.

           Aiden deliberated a few moments.  “Your son attacked me.  My Familiar forced me to activate a Mach Stage to defend myself.”

           The yellow flickered in her eyes again.

           Kiru said, I have a question.

           Make it a good one.

           Does it, he paused, radiating unusual uncertainty, does it have information on Familiar creation.

           Aiden froze.

           “Well, boy?  Are you going to ask your question?”

           Aiden licked his lips. “Kiru wants to know if it has information on Familiar creation.  The book, I mean.”

           “Of course.”

           Kiru’s interested piqued.

           “Now for my question. When did this attack happen?”

           It took a few moments for the question to register.  “I don’t have to answer that.”

           “That’s quite alright. I think that gives me all the information I need.”  Her grin broadened.

           “I think we should leave.”

           Kiru protested, We need that book!

           The world turned black. Ambient noise was replaced by dull ringing.  Blurred shapes returned to focus and he found himself lying on the floor.  “Ja—”

           A yellow Familiar scratched his nose.

           “I don’t think that would be wise, do you?”

           Kiru phased out and hissed.

           Footsteps clunked towards him. “So.  I didn’t expect to entertain a dragon, of all things.”

[melodymemorandums]

Planning For Coerthas

Jigumundo Darkbore sits behind his desk, behind a huge stack of book and papers, examining his glasses through squinted eyes. He'd scratch his cheek, thinking intensely, and reaching for a quill to note something down.

Melody Adagio enters none-too-quietly, baby Aria was strapped to her back wiggling and 'talking' up a storm.  She rounded the corner holding a small tray which held a hot kettle, two cups and a tray of crackers, cheeses and grapes. "Hello-OW- Aria, not Mommy's hair!" -throat clears- "Hello, Papa, we've come to see you!" Jigumundo Darkbore: "Huh." He peeked from behind his usual desk mess, squinting his eyes even harder, recognizing the voices. Too bad the figures were shapeless blobs... "Well, look at you, Mama and Aria... I hope."

Melody Adagio: "Is that sarcasm I hear?" she continues into the room towards the desk to see him squinting at them.  "Oh dear, you were being literal."

Jigumundo Darkbore nodded with a pinch of bitterness pointing at his glasses being cracked before he'd slide them on his nose. "Yes. Yes I was. I've spend hours trying to find a way to fix my glasses... I'm afraid I might have to get myself a new pair. Again." He sighed deeply, displeased with the concept of spending money. "This was my favorite pair..." Melody Adagio frowns as she places the goodie tray carefully onto the table. "Hmm, I liked that pair on you too." Aria made an appropriate sounding disappointed noise, or it could have been disapproving.  Who knows, it's hard to tell with babies. Melody Adagio : "You want me to take a turn at it?" she asked as she fixed them some tea. Jigumundo Darkbore shrugged bouncing off his chair, making his way to Mel. "Sure. Although I don't know what you will do... one of the lenses is broken." He took off his glasses handing it to his beloved, trading the specs for a baby.

Melody Adagio maneuvered to help get Aria out of her carrier. "Oh, well that makes it harder doesn't it..." she takes the specs and assessed the damage with her own, currently better sight.

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Since we came back I spent every evening researching a spell that would fix them. Neither Thaumaturgy or Conjuring has a solution." He sighed. "All my research for nothing..." He'd hang his head dramatically in front of Mel-blob. Melody Adagio: "That's a true shame.  One would think, with so much magick in this land there would be something for this situation.  Though I suppose that's how optometrists make their gil." she patted Jig's cheek lightly. Jigumundo Darkbore: "I need to find a reliable Machinist to get me out of this one..." It almost feels like he completely missed the point . Professor sighed, taking his glasses back, putting them where they belong. "You look... favorable today, dear." Melody Adagio raised an eyebrow at him.  "I-uh...Thank you?" she blushed the tiniest bit. Aria had been looking at Jig and quietly baby talking to herself, but when his glasses came back she took her chance to grab at them. "A-Bah!" she cried joyfully. Jigumundo Darkbore got taken by surprise. Caught completely off guard by the baby got his frames snagged from his face. "Gah! Oh... Aria. Glasses are not for babies!"

Melody Adagio chuckled a little.  "She's too much." she turned back to the tea and finished the preparations.  "So, aside from broken spectacles, how has your day been?  Anything new?"

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Quite a few things in fact. I have an interesting project in mind. At least proves to be challenging enough to keep me interested."

Melody Adagio nodded and left his cup on the tray so he could take it when it was wanted.  She took her own and settled on the couch beside them, letting out a deep breath of relaxation.  "So then tell me about it?  What sort of excitement do you have in mind?" she grins, munching a cheese cracker she'd snagged from the tray.

Jigumundo Darkbore would probably gesture energetically but his hands were full of baby. "So... what if I would find a way to go on adventures... from the safety of my office!" His words were worthy of a madman but everybody knew that in his case... it's not necessarily far from the truth. Yet... as mad as his ideas sometimes are, they usually work.

Melody Adagio quirked her head and stopped chewing.  "M-what you mean?" she swallowed.  "Why wouldn't you leave your office?"

Jigumundo Darkbore: "I don't know... in case some expeditions would prove to be too dangerous?"

Melody Adagio still looked confused.  "But how? I still don't understand." she took a sip of her tea to wash down the cracker.  "I'm very curious."

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Imagine another me..."( Everybody run!) "...but mechanical."

Melody Adagio took a pause..."I think one of you is just the right amount for everyone, dear." she obviously still needed more explanation. "Are you telling me you're big idea is a mechanized clone of yourself?"

Jigumundo Darkbore: "More like a puppet. Yes. Let's say... a mammet that I'd be able to control."

Melody Adagio took another sip of tea. "I see...And would this mammet also be able to wield magic for you as well?"

Jigumundo Darkbore: "No." He'd shake his head. "Instead I would arm him with a selection of weapons and gadgets to... substitute for my magic." He'd pause for a bit, bouncing little Aria a few times in his arms, fixing her position. "Obviously it'll be physically stronger than me which I intend to utilize as well."

Melody Adagio: "But..." she scrunched her eyebrows. "What makes you want to hide in your office while your mammet handles all the fun?" it was her turn to miss the point now.  "This seems a little toward the extreme..."

Jigumundo Darkbore: "It's for extreme cases. And if I won't be physically able to do it. I'm just considering different scenarios." He shrugged again. "Besides nobody has ever something like that. Not that I know of it. That would be some breakthrough research."

Melody Adagio quirked her head, then gave a small nod in agreement.  "I guess you're right.  Something like that could be very useful if it works right." she leans back a little farther.  "Careful though, you may accidentally start a trend."

Jigumundo Darkbore: "At least I would get old and die knowing that I did something meaningful." He'd clear his throat. "Aside from the obvious, which is parts and all the utilities, I miss one crucial thing to make it possible..."

Melody Adagio: "You know you're not old yet, right?" she smirked from behind her teacup.

Jigumundo Darkbore: "I know. But it's also healthy to think about the future!" He'd raise his finger finally reaching for his cup and taking a sip. "Back on track though... We're going to take a trip to Dravania."

Melody Adagio nearly spit her tea back into her cup. "We-t-Dravania?" she blinked.  "What in the name of the Twelve do you need there?"

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Have you ever heard of The Great Gubal Library?" He'd walk towards the table to look over the globe.

Melody Adagio tapped her chin.  "I think I'd heard it mentioned around town a few times?  Isn't it an old Sharlayan relic of a building, though?" she hopped off the couch to join him at the globe.

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Which holds an immense collection of tomes and scrolls. Nearly infinite storage of data and knowledge.  Including some Allagan tomes..."

Melody Adagio: "Aaah, I get it." she smiles. "So first you'd need to know exactly how to make a mammet, then.  I'm a little surprised you don't know how to do that yet since you can rebuild yourself the walking magitek armor..." she smiles at Jig.

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Believe it or not but Mammets are a little bit more intricate than a crude walking tank..." A duh, so obvious Melody, go educate yourself, geez.

Melody Adagio: Gives him a look of annoyance "Sooo sorry, Professor.  I suppose I've simply no knowledge whatsoever as to mechanical ANYTHING." she frowned at him.

Jigumundo Darkbore leaned in to peck her cheek. "Not your fault." He cleared his throat again, pushing the glasses further up his nose. "Building a mammet is going to be the easiest part of it... controlling it over long distances is a whole different thing."

Jigumundo Darkbore: "I'm hoping to find my answers there."

Melody Adagio 's frown faded after his little kiss.  "True. I wonder how you would manage that.  Maybe a sort of remote signal?"

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Perhaps. Or by sending Aether over long distance... I don't know yet.  We shall travel to Dravania through Ishgard. Perhaps we would find some help on our way."

Melody Adagio beamed with excitement at the thought of traveling to such a new place.  "What about this one, though?" she looked down at Aria in his arms. "Would you be okay bringing her with us?" she poked at her baby's chubby cheeks.

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Uh... I don't know. That might be tricky. This might be too dangerous for her." He pondered for a minute. "Wait. Isn't Marzia in Coerthas now? I remember you mentioning something."

Melody Adagio: "She's been trying to stay down here lately.  I think I finally talked her out of continuing her pointless search for Brio..." her eyes hooded a bit in sadness.  "But maybe she can at least join us for part of it.  Maybe like a guide of sorts." she looked back up with a grin.

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Excellent idea. And after that she would keep an eye on Aria while we explore Dravania. Land of the dragons is not a place for a child... not for now anyway."

Melody Adagio: "I'll try to convince her it's a good idea." she giggled at the thought of Mar trying to take care of Aria for an extended period of time.  "So, just the two of us would go you think? Or did you perhaps have others in mind to join us?"

Jigumundo Darkbore: "It might be too dangerous to go just the two of us. Even with my magic and your skills... We may need a skilled healer and somebody to do actual fighting if the need arises."

Melody Adagio: "Miss Tisharu may need some more time to let her eyes fully finish healing, but she's capable from what I understand.  Maybe we could ask her if she'd be up to it?"

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Preparations may take enough time for her to fully recover. If we're talking about Miss Tisharu, then we need to count Miss Leuvoix as well. She proved herself as a capable healer on our previous escapade. She'll be a fine addition to our expedition."

Jigumundo Darkbore: "...as much as difficult it is for me to admit." he places a finger on his chin, thinking. "I think I... owe her an apology..."

Melody Adagio: "Wait, what?  You mean you still haven't apologized for throwing her out a window?" she seems shocked.

Jigumundo Darkbore: "No. Why would I. It was her own fault..." He shrugged.

Melody Adagio  buries her face in disbelief.

Jigumundo Darkbore: "I owe her an apology for something different."

Jigumundo Darkbore: "That's not important though."

Melody Adagio looks at him oddly. Jigumundo Darkbore: "We have a lot of work to do!"

Melody Adagio looks annoyed with Jigumundo Darkbore.

Jigumundo Darkbore: "...what?"

Melody Adagio: "Can't say I care for when you don't tell me things..."

Jigumundo Darkbore: "I was a bit too strict with her if that really concerns you this much."

Melody Adagio raises an eyebrow and decides she'll just take his word for it.  "I see.  Good for you, then." She grins tauntingly at Jig.

Jigumundo Darkbore: "I don't understand how being excessively strict with somebody who didn't deserve that is good for me, but I'll let that slip..."

Melody Adagio rolled her eyes. "I meant for you apologizing and acknowledging a mistake you've made." she can't help but grin, then steps up and returns the peck on a cheek.

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Oh. All right then..." He returned the smile taking her hand. "Also... there's another thing I need in Coerthas, making it important to make a stop there."

Melody Adagio: "It's going to be a busy trip, then, isn't it?"

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Definitely. I abandoned my Magitek  Reaper in Coerthas. I'm going to need it's parts. So there's that."

Melody Adagio: "Huh, I had been wondering where you've been hiding it.  Makes sense."

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Uh... hiding is a bit of a stretch..."

Melody Adagio: "Do I need to be worried?"

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Uhm... No?" He bared his teeth in a troubled grin.

Melody Adagio: "It's not buried in a collapsed cave or something ridiculous like that....is it?"

Jigumundo Darkbore keeps grinning. A drop of sweat just slid down his forehead.

Melody Adagio sighs despondently

Jigumundo Darkbore: "It's not my fault!"

Jigumundo Darkbore: "...fine it is. A little bit."

Jigumundo Darkbore: "But not entirely!"

Melody Adagio: "I suppose we'd better bring some sturdy shovels."

Jigumundo Darkbore: "Heheh.... perhaps. LET US WASTE NO TIME!"

Jigumundo Darkbore walks a few steps towards the door, but stops and comes back really fast to hand Melody the baby. "Here. Hold her." And then he leaves.

Melody Adagio: "Uh...Jig?...JIG??!"