#But Asa went of natural causes

[isthemedia]

Poolerverine-Yoink! (1/2)

Since Ao3 is down for maintenance right now.

Here it is! Part One of two. Ao3 link to come when it's up and running again!

@manicpixxiedreambitch

@leo-i-am

@nickisgirl

(Since ya'll left comments figured to tag ya)

=====================================

Logan thought he had an idea of how Wade’s moods went. Sure they were sporadic and nearly unpredictable. The keyword being ‘nearly’. There were little tells Wade had, probably just natural instincts and habits his body did. Despite the constant dying and regenerating Wade’s body did-a story Logan STILL isn’t sure he was ready for-it seemed that there were just some things that always came back to Wade. 

The way his hands would twitch when he’d be on a short fuse, ready to fight or maim or pull out god knows what kind of weapon from who knows where. Luckily Logan knew how to take a hit. He also knew just WHERE to hit to get Wade somewhat under control. 

How Wade’s leg would bounce from being cooped up for too long-sometimes five minutes would be too long. Logan needed to yank him by the hood of his sweater as he tried to climb out of the window to the fire escape cause he needed out ASA-NOW. 

How some nights, when he’d be jolted awake from his own nightmares and warped memories to see Wade also up on the pull-out. The glow of the tv casting an eerie blue glow over him, as he’d just watch whatever was playing…without a word. At least Logan thought Wade was watching what was ever on during the first few times it happened. However, once he’d get a better look, he could see Wade…well, how did that saying go? Lights are on but nobody’s home? Something like that. Those times, well, those times were the ones he didn’t really have an idea on how to handle. 

Logan figured he learned enough of those cues and habits that nothing could really surprise him with Wade anymore. 

But it was just like the fucker to come up with something new. 

Which is where Logan was now. Staring at the lump in the middle of the pull-out’s mattress. Just what the hell was Wade doing? Sure the man could be lazy, but this was something else entirely. 

“Come on!” He gave a kick to the pull-out, jostling it somewhat. “Get up! This thing takes up enough space as is!” 

Wade refused to move. Hell, he wasn’t even saying anything. It was actually pretty damn quiet, that the familiar snikt sound seemed almost too loud. “Wade, ya know I won’t be afraid ta force yer ass out.” 

No response. 

Not even a snark.

And that was pissing Logan off the most. 

That does it! Raising his claws, ready to--

A knock came on the door. 

The sound was enough to knock some of the fury out of Logan. He couldn’t quite stop the growl that left him as he turned away from Wade, claws sheathing back, and stormed over to the door. He nearly tore it off the hinges when a second round of knocking started up. “WHAT!?” 

“Huh, you do have fangs.” 

Logan faltered some. Embarrassment was quickly quelling most of the boiling rage. “Ah--Vanessa, um…” 

Vanessa smiled sweetly. “It’s fine. I had worse greetings-and most of those came from Wade. Which, by the way, gotta call from Al,” she continued. “Mind if I step in?” 

“Huh? Ah, yeah sure,” Logan stepped aside and let her in. He noticed she had a canvas bag slung over her shoulder. Figured she was out doing errands. Even though it didn’t work out between the two of them, Logan could still feel how much the two loved each other. That both would drop whatever they were doing if the other needed help. 

Vanessa made her way over to the pull out and knelt down. “How long has he been like this?” She asked. 

“Hm? All monrin’.”

“Ahhh,” she sounded like she knew exactly what was going on. Probably did, she was with him long enough. 

“He’s done this before?” 

“He has, but it’s been a while since the last time,” she set the bag down and started digging through it. “He’s not gonna move for a while when he gets like this. Well, at least when somebody can see him.” 

“Gonna fill me in on what’s goin’ on?” Logan asked as he made his way over to her. Peering over he could see the bag was filled with…quite a bit of stuff. And all of it was stuff Wade liked. Snack, drinks, shit he saw a couple of toys in there too. Looked more like something you’d bring for a sick kid.

“Hard to explain,” Vanessa said as she pulled out a small Hello Kitty plush toy. “But you know how some people just, shut down sometimes? Burnout? Crash?” 

“Yeah?” He knew that all too well. “Wait, is that what this is?”

“Kinda?” She said. “It kinda is, but kinda isn’t.” Logan huffed. These answers were getting him nowhere. “You know about his cancer, right?” 

“Y-yeah.” He kinda felt like an asshole when he decided to ask what happened to Wade. He thought all that scarring was from like a fire or a chemical spill-or maybe his mutant gene just made him look like at. It wouldn’t be out of the possibility-hell he knew Beak. He didn’t know that Wade had cancer-STILL has cancer. That his healing factor wasn’t healing that cancer, just kept replacing it. That those scars were from it. That he’s constantly dying and regenerating. 

“Well, some days that pain gets to be too much,” Vanessa continued. “Says that even the voices in his head get too grating to listen too. That everything feels like static cause he’s being watched. Like sticking your tongue to a 9 volt battery, kind of static.” 

Well now he really felt like an asshole now. Dammit. He shoulda realized something was bad when Wade stopped being so damn chatty. “So what do we do when he’s like this?” 

“Not much,” Vanessa said. “Just time, and just making sure he’s alright,” she added with a slight grin. “Watch this.” 

Logan wasn’t sure, but that grin Vanessa had reminded him of Jubilee’s when she managed to steal some snack from Hank’s hidden stash in his lab. She always managed to somehow just pull out the good without knowing. He watched as Vanessa set the plush toy on the edge of the pull-out. She slowly inched it closer to the mound on the bed. She got about three inches away, when--

Logan blinked. 

It happened so fast he wasn’t sure just what he saw. Vanessa was too busy laughing, the plush toy gone from sight. 

So he did see that right. Wade snatched it and took it under the blankets with such speed it was almost cartoonish. 

“That-is what I call the Yoink-Zone,” Vanessa explained. 

“The what?” 

“Yoink-Zone,” she grinned. “It’s hard to get Wade to come out from under the covers like this-cause again static feeling. So I had to find some way to make sure he ate something. Found this out through trial and error,” she explained as she pulled out a small pack of fruit shaped marshmallows. “It’s dumb, but it works.” 

“I guess,” Logan heaved a sigh. 

“Here, your turn,” Vanessa said as she handed him the packet of marshmallows. 

“The fuck you mean, my turn?” 

“Hey, you live with him now, so that means you gotta take care of him.” 

Logan wanted to argue with her. He didn’t need to do shit.

But that wasn’t true. Hell, if this was all it took, it was the least he could do. Wade did more for him and dealt with his nightmares. Taking a set of claws to the gut. Needing to calm him down from his fight-or-flight response. Hell there was one time he bit off two of Wade’s fingers cause he got too close to his face. And the asshole had the gall to tell him it was all alright. 

This was less destructive at least. 

Logan slid the marshmallows towards the lump of blankets, and again, lighting quick they were snatched up. “...yeah this is dumb.” 

Vanessa laughed and smiled warmly, before inching her hand towards the ‘Yoink-zone’. Instead of getting snatched violently, Logan watched as Wade reached out and took her hand. Fingers threading together, and just holding her hand gently. “Things are gonna be alright Wade,” Vanessa said softly. “I’ll stop by later on if this keeps up, but Logan should be able to take it from here then. That's alright?” She felt him squeeze her hand softly before letting go, giving a thumbs up, before disappearing underneath the pile of blankets. 

She got up, one of her knees gave a pop while doing so. “Got a couple of snacks and drinks in that bag,” she gestured. “I’ll take it back next game night.” 

“Alright, ah…thanks Vanessa,” Logan nodded as he walked with her back to the door. 

She took his arm and patted it. “It’s no problem. I know Wade can be…well, Wade…but I know you’ll help him out with this.” 

“Yeah, I got it,” he nodded. They shared their good-byes and Vanessa was on her way. Logan leaned back against the door and heaved a sigh. This was probably going to be a long week. He hoped it wasn’t going to last long, but then again Vanessa made it seem like there was no real time frame for how long this thing lasted. 

He made his way back over to the pull-out. Mary-Puppins was now beside it, whining as she stared up at the edge that seemed to be too far out of her reach. 

Alright, this could be a bit mean, but then again, Wade loved the ugly thing. So maybe it wouldn’t hurt. Logan scooped her up and set her on the bed. Watching as she sniffed and toddled closer to the pile of blankets. When she was near that space-yoink!

Mary yelped as she was pulled under. Logan heard concerned shushing and small mumbling-Wade absolutely trying to appease the dog he probably spooked like that. Logan couldn’t help but laugh at the whole thing. He only proceeded to laugh even harder when one of Wade’s hands snuck out from under the blanket to flip him off. 

--

It was only the second day of this mood of Wade’s. Logan had to go out and restock on things for the merc, since the bag Vanessa brought was emptied before noon. And to be honest, Logan needed that time to be out of the apartment. 

Some thoughts were starting to rear their ugly heads again. The more he tried to push them back. Or cut them off-only to have two more replace them. Fucking hydra analogy, like the actual hydra and not the organization…though isn’t their motto something like that?

Whatever. 

He sighed as he roamed the aisles. Maybe after this he should start thinking about moving out. It’s not like he wants to-well not fully. It’s cramped, three adults and a dog all staying in a one bedroom apartment? Two over six foot men sharing a pull-out? The apartment itself definitely has seen better days-hell seen better years with the upkeep. 

Sure they could probably move-Althea included, he knows Wade wouldn’t want to leave her behind. Despite their sniping back and forth, and that godawful namesake Wade gave her, he did care about her. Shit, Logan did too. There was something about her…she wasn’t Chuck, that’s for sure. But there was just something about her. Something comforting and welcoming. She definitely filled a gap that was missing for him. 

While all moving out together sounded nice-well, alright that was the problem. It was a nice thought. A nice idea for a nice, somewhat domestic, somewhat fucked up future. 

But, if there was one thing Logan learned in his long life was this: Logan Howlett doesn’t get a nice life. 

That’s just how it was. That was why he seriously needed to think about moving out, and away from them. Because he was getting too accustomed to the idea of living with Wade. Too comfortable with the other man laying right by him. Being a constant in his day-to-day life. 

Great so much for escaping those thoughts. 

He wasn’t sure what it was with Wade, but there was something there. Something he’s been missing for years. The lines between companionship and desire were starting to blur. Fuck he’s been alone way too long to think of Wade like that. 

Then again, it isn’t just because he’s been alone for so long. Wade was different. Different then a lot of people-and he wasn’t meaning his looks or that weird quirk of him making comments to someone he couldn’t see. Wade sorta just, accepted him. The good and the bad. Wade didn’t try to change him, or make him more suitable for living with him and Althea. 

He didn’t need to be a ‘good guy’ to bring home. To Wade, Logan was fine just as is. PTSD, anger issues, alcoholism, and all. It was something Logan never even thought possible. There was always SOMETHING about him people needed to change. But not for Wade. 

So when was the other shoe gonna drop? It was gonna happen, he just knew it was. That’s why he had to be far away from Wade when it did. 

He sighed as he made his way back to the apartment, bags in hand. Well, that can be something to go back to worrying after Wade gets over this mood he’s in right now. Couldn’t last that much longer, could it? Maybe he should call Vanessa. Get an idea on how short or long this thing lasted. 

Entering the apartment, he could see the lump on the pull out hadn’t moved, but Mary was laying on the mattress just slightly out of the ‘yoink-zone’. He made his way over and sat on the edge of the bed. Mary whined, and he just gave her a quick little pet before digging out a bag of chips. 

He slid it close to the pile of blankets. It was getting easier to catch it. Wade’s hand shooting out from under the pile to grab whatever there was, and back under again. Logan chuckled softly and shook his head. 

Wade was absolutely ridiculous sometimes…and he was getting used to it. 

Mary made a small sound before she settled onto his lap. Welp, looked like he was stuck there for a bit. Could be worse. He knows he shouldn’t, but to hell with it. He knows he’s gonna need to abandon ship sometime, but for now he could enjoy this for a little bit. 

He absentmindedly pet Mary, his eyes slowly trailing back over to the pile of blankets. With his other hand he slowly slid it across the mattress. He was expecting Wade to just snatch it when it was close enough-but that didn’t happen. 

Like with Vanessa, Wade reached out slowly. Placing his hand over Logan’s. Wade’s hand was cold, despite being tucked under that pile of blankets. It wasn’t bad…it actually felt kinda nice. Logan ran warm anyway. 

“Yer gonna need to let go or I’m gonna need ta stop pettin’ Mary if you need somethin’ else,” Logan said. Wade gave a soft pat to the back of his hand before giving an ‘okay’ gesture, and retreating back under the blankets. Logan laughed and looked down to Mary. “You get so damn spoiled.” 

--

Laura and Vanessa were over. Day four of Wade’s mood. Laura got a first hand experience and witnessed the ‘yoink-zone’. She actually jumped-claws shooting out and everything. 

“Just so you know, he’s not gonna shut up when he’s over this,” Vanessa warned. 

“How is that different from normal?” Logan asked. 

“You’re mean,” Vanessa teased. “I mean that he’s gonna be dumb and talk himself dry,” she explained. “He’s a bit, out of it for like a day after all this. So just keep an eye on him, alright?” 

“Been babysitting him for four days already, shouldn’t be a big deal if another gets tacked on,” Logan shrugged as he leaned back on the bed slightly. 

“You miss him talking, don’t you?” Laura smirked. 

“Dunno what yer talkin’ about,” Logan grumbled. 

“Suuuure you don’t.” 

He huffed and shifted slightly. He was about to say something else when--

“SHIT! I forgot!” Two, scar roughed hands grabbed onto his arm and pulled-HARD. He toppled back and found himself partially under the pile of blankets. It was dark, but he could mostly make out what was in front of him and well…over him. 

Wade had this almost soft, fond looking smile on his face. The same one Logan always saw him give Vanessa-but there was something just slightly different with this one. “Got too close there Peanut,” Wade’s voice was hushed. A bit raspy from not being used for a few days. 

“Yeah, figured,” Logan said softly. “Better?”

“Hmm…a bit,” Wade murmured. “Gonna talk your ear off, cause I had a lotta thoughts goin’ through my head during all this.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” the smile stayed on Wade’s face as he leaned down. 

It was obvious what was going to happen, but still Logan felt his breath hitch. The position was awkward, but not the worst kiss he had. Wade’s lips were chapped and scarred-but felt so right against his. He almost wanted to chase after them when Wade lifted his head. 

“...ready ta come out? Say hi ta Laura and Vanessa?” Logan asked.

“Yeah, ‘m pretty sure I’m good,” Wade nodded. 

Logan shifted and pulled the blankets back and off of himself as he sat up right. Wade pulled them back as well, but still remained cocooned in them. He shifted and shimmied across the mattress till he could comfortably lean against Logan. 

“Hey,” Vanessa greeted softly. 

“Hey,” Wade gave her a soft smile. 

“Missed ya,” she added. “Logan did a good job at taking care of ya.” 

“Hmmm he did…thanks Peanut, I owe ya.” 

“Nah,” Logan shrugged. “ Deal enough with my shit, the least I can do.” Yeah, sure, maybe this was a bad idea. Logan’s all too familiar with bad ideas. He knows that there’s gonna be a consequence for this sooner or later. But that can wait. 

Wade hummed as he felt Logan’s hand slide under the blankets. Feeling around, until he reached Wade’s hand. “yoink,” Wade said softly as he took Logan’s hand, threading their fingers together.

[possiblylando]

Whats the deal with the death devil? (YOSHIDA REAL?)

I made this fucking 'joke' back when 146 came out and I keep fucking thing about it cause its so fucking funny and I can one piece this theory into making sense hang on

I went ahead and made this chart to show the feelings towards the death devil. Both Makima and Fami wants the Death Devil dead however its unknown if they do that out of any animosity as their motives seem to be saving humanity from death. Yoru doesn't give a shit and Nayuta is in the same boat as Fami except she has no hatred towards DD. So that leads to the question, What did DD do to make them that mad? Here are the options based on what we know; 1. They don't hate DD at all they just want her to stay in hell because theoretically her presence on earth would mean the extinction of all life. 2. They HATE DD because she did something in the past that REALLY pissed them off. 3. Its a misunderstanding 4. Something else. Will the arrival of the Death Devil cause all extinction of life? (By Extension, Is She evil?) Using what we know of the other 3 Horsemen its a fair assumption to make that DD isn't pure evil or a natural disaster. For the most powerful devil to be a blank evil slate, It would be kind of boring. Even if it's something like the Darkness Devil, We've seen it happen before. We know that Primal Fears are weird and different as well because Darkness and Falling is completely different from each other. Given that I doubt DD's goal is to cause the extinction of all life, Especially because without humans there would be no fear, Thus there would be no devils.

Do they HATE the Death Devil? I think this one can be ruled out given the information we currently have as their reasons for wanting her dead seem to fall into the "Stop humanity from going extinct" angle. We could get some big reveal that DD ate the entire thanksgiving turkey one year but I doubt that'll happen. Could it be a misunderstanding? Given Fujimoto, This is a definite possibility. However I doubt the final antagonist of the series will be so easily resolved as 'Oh you're not actually evil mb'. There would be more too it. DD is probably malicious to some extent but not as much as it seems. It's also possible DD is completely uncaring for destruction and has no evil plans what so ever and just wants to visit her sisters. Because Death itself is cruel and impartial to who and what it takes. So what else could it be?

By FAR the funniest fucking option is that Yoshida actually IS the death devil and the rest of the horseman hate him because he's Trans and ruins their Sisters of the Apocalypse Gimmick. I'm not joking when I say this could ACTUALLY be the fucking solution and it's so fucking funny I keep fucking giggling at this stupid fucking One Piece Theory ass idea. Given what we know about War and how quickly Makima was reincarnated into Nayuta, It's likely that the Horsemen all have true devil forms similar to War and Pochita.

The bodies they currently inhabit aren't actually their Devil bodies and are instead hosts. Again, Given what we know of War, It can be inferred that Horsemen possess the ability to create a special kind of Fiend which is what Nayuta, Fami, and Yoru/Asa are. They're probably on par or only slightly weaker than their pure forms. As such these are more akin to host bodies than anything else. So then what if Yoshida (DEATH DEVIL REAL) is actually just DD's current host body? Yoshida is a weird case in general because he has basically no backstory yet seems related to Kishibe in some way. What if its a Nayuta and Denji situation? But then why would none of the other Horsemen recognize him as death when they met despite the fact they seem to have an intuitive knowledge of their sisters. It's possible that they don't recognise Death as Yoshida because he's actively hiding his identity as to not get outed. The Control Devil's one desire was to truly be loved and understand humans. So it's to go against their primary directive as a Devil; Be loved without control. Fami's motives are still a bit weird but they seem to just be "Eat a bunch of stuff that tastes good." Which again is against her MO as a devil; Feed the hunger instead of succumbing to Famine. Yoru, Who knows shes just a little freak. So thus the idea that the Death Devil's wish would be something like "Live among humans and keep them from dying" would somewhat match an inverted directive. Yoshida is a devil hunter after all who by extension stops humans from dying. So Illustrate how funny this would be if it was true:

But this requires Yoshida to not get fucking pwnd next chapter by another weird Queer Woman.

Time is a flat circle

[agentcable]

Chicago Justice Season 1 Ep. 2 "Uncertainty Principle"

Dawson faces an uncomfortable situation when the State's Attorney's office accuses Officer Kevin Atwater of using excessive force to apprehend a man accused of drug dealing, who later died in custody. As a result, Stone is compelled to charge Atwater with murder.

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

ASA Anna Valdez arrives at Chicago PD and asks Sergeant Trudy Platt to see Adrian Carrera, who is in the drunk tank with his lawyer, Arnold Rifking. Carrera is offered a plea of 20 years, for today only, by Peter Stone. Rifking rejects the plea on assault charges. Anna informs him that the victim died at Chicago Med and they are filing murder charges.

As she leaves, the lawyer tells her that he is also representing the man in the drunk tank beside Carrera, Justin Wilkes. She says that if she doesn't hear from him by 2 pm, she will put the case before the grand jury. Carrera told them to shove their offer, and Stone tells her that she will be first chair on a murder case. As she experiences a moment of excitement, Rifking calls her to inform that the client next to Carrera has passed away. He is currently at the hospital with the client's mother, Mrs. Wilkes.

At the hospital, she learns from Rev. Fitch that he is ensuring their office investigates Justin's death thoroughly. Justin did not die of natural causes; he passed away from fatal injuries while in police custody. She watches as the mother says goodbye to her deceased son.

Stone and Anna meet with Mark Jefferies and share all the information they have about Wilke's case. He instructs them to act quickly, beginning at the hospital and working backwards. With Rev. Fitch on the case, Rifking's tenure as Wilkes' lawyer will be short-lived.

Stone discovers from the ME that, regardless of his level of intoxication, the moment the sternum broke, the victim was doomed. It is evident that the injury was cause by a blow to the chest, which is typical of car accidents. She informs him that she is designating the cause of death as homicide.

Antonio Dawson and Laura Nagel discover that it took the ED over five hours to reach Justin. Laura questions how they knew he was drunk if no one examined him. The nurse states that some of their regular patients are drunks but is uncooperative in providing further information. She only reveals that he died from exsanguination. Laura and Antonio were startled when EMS informed them that Justin smelled of alcohol and had vomited all over them during a call to rescue an 8-year-old who had been pulled from the lake with no pulse. As they walked away, Laura reminded Antonio not to get sick, and he replied with a sarcastic comment about not being a black male. One of the paramedics shouted to them that the child from the lake had survived.

Antonio and Laura then went to the Chicago PD to speak with the Detective. Officer Kevin Atwater arrested Justin, whom he knew from their childhood. Atwater explains the events leading up to the arrest and subsequent death of Justin. When asked if he followed proper restraint procedures, Atwater explains that Justin was resisting arrest and he used reasonable physical force to subdue him. He then slams his locker and brushes past Antonio.

Antonio defends Kevin. Rifking brings in his client Carrera, who claims to have information from the night Wilkes died. Carrera says Wilkes might have told him a cop hit him. Rifking offers a deal, but Stone turns it down. Meanwhile, Antonio requests video coverage before throwing Kevin Atwater to the wolves to keep the peace. He promises to have it in a couple of hours.

Jefferies meets with Mrs. Wilkes and Rev. Fitch. Fitch produces cellphones for people who are afraid to go to the police. He offers them to Jefferies, claiming that Justin was definitely murdered. Antonio and Laura watch the videos of Kevin Atwater's arrest. Antonio supports Atwater, but Laura reminds him that they are partners now. Atwater tells Antonio that he should have just been allowed to sell his drugs because it will always be someone's child. The group gathers to review what they know about the case so far.

Antonio tells Anna that she knows Atwater. Stone also mentions that he knows Sergeant Hank Voight's unit and wouldn't describe them as shrinking violets. He takes no pleasure in going after a cop, especially someone like Kevin Atwater. Antonio advises him to drop it, but Stone reminds him that their obligation is to the victim and his family. Antonio grabs his coat and says he doesn't have to be a part of it.

Antonio updates Voight on his efforts and expresses concern about the possibility of Kevin being the killer. Voight responds that if Kevin did kill the victim, then the victim deserved it. Stone decides to pursue legal action against the police officer who arrested Wilkes, the EMTs who delayed his transport to the hospital, and the doctors who failed to treat him in a timely manner. He was made a ward of the state upon his arrest. The EMTs and doctors treated him poorly, as if he was not worth saving. In the end, he became a victim of murder.

At a bar, Stone explains that he is not suggesting a conspiracy, but rather it was the collective actions or lack of actions that led to the victim's death. She reminds him that this concept does not exist in the criminal code. Paul Robinette, who served with Stone's father in NYC, arrives and defends police officers. After Voight called him, he came to help Atwater. Robinette has a motion to preclude grand jury action, but Stone informs him that this does not exist in Chicago. Robinette suggests letting the presiding judge make the call.

During the court proceedings, the judge requested an hour to review Robinette's request for all subpoenas from the ASA office. The lawyers argued about the preclusion. Stone did not pay attention to Kevin Atwater's characteristics until after the trial. Robinette mentioned that Stone reminded him of his father, but Stone quickly dismissed the comment, stating that his father has nothing to do with the way he practices law. Peter is advised to call his father and apologize. Stone denies any knowledge of the situation, but Robinette believes otherwise.

In court, the judge denies his motion. Anna returns to Jefferies' office and reports that the grand jury has indicted Kevin Atwater for first-degree murder. Stone bows his head as Jefferies orders them to obtain an arrest warrant within the hour and execute it immediately. Stones says Atwater would turn himself in, but Jefferies orders him to work on all the reasonable doubt they handed Robinette.

Antonio brings Atwater in as Jefferies gives a press conference. Antonio defends Chicago PD and confronts Stone for accusing Atwater of causing the victim's death.

The medical examiner confirms that the victim suffered blunt force trauma to his rib cage, which caused it to splinter. Stone presents videos of the arrest, and the medical examiner admits that the arrest could have caused the injuries. The victim died at 4:06 pm, and Atwater arrested him at 7:10 am. Robinette brings up that Stone attempted to indict the EMTs and doctors for not knowing the true cause of Justin's death. Witnesses from the neighbourhood knew Justin Wilkes as a drug dealer.

Antonio tells Kevin that he did what he could, but Atwater is upset that it obviously wasn't long enough. They used to ride together, but everything has changed now that Antonio has moved to a bigger house. The defendant is upset that a black woman testified today, implying that he is betraying his community by being a police officer. Due to death threats, his younger siblings are currently staying in a hotel. Antonio has offered to take them in until Kevin is cleared. Atwater suggests that it may be too late and that he may have killed the victim or used excessive force. Antonio reminds him that they act for the right reasons.

Stone is experiencing a crisis of conscience after Robinette's assertion that several people were responsible for Justin's death. Jefferies inquires about Carrera, the jailhouse snitch, and whether he knows for a fact that he is lying. Carrera claims that Justin told him that the arresting officer had beaten him severely. The court adjourns until the following day.

Stone and Robinette discuss how a criminal's testimony carries more weight than that of a police officer. Robinette requested that the charges be reduced to aggravated assault with a six-month probationary period, but Stone declined and proposed a one-year sentence. During the court proceedings, Kevin Atwater provided a testimony of the events, while Antonio exited the courtroom.

Laura wants to talk about something, but Antonio doesn't. She shares a childhood story with him, telling him that she has learned to pick a side and stick with it. She tells him that she is happy he is her partner. Antonio reviews the case and discovers that there was no blood tox report and no vomit on him.

Anna and Stone arrive at the prison and inform Carrera that his deal is off the table. Stone tells Carrera that he has only two choices: concurrent or consecutive sentences. He is now being charged with Justin's murder on top of the man he killed in the bar. Carrera admits that he killed him for a cigarette.

Back in court, Stone vacates kevin Atwater's sentence and charge. He admits to Atwater that sometimes they get it wrong and apologizes to him. Antonio and Atwater nod to each other. Robinette shakes hands with Stone and tells him that his father would be proud of both of them. Antonio visits Stone's office and apologizes, telling him not to worry. Stone picks up his baseball and calls his father.

[simptasia]

HI OKAY, SORRY! No I am the Aaron accent/Dialect anon and may have sent other anons, but that's neither here nor there, but I come with updates? So I was really interested in this especially with your answer (which thank you so much for answering by the way I really appreciate it like so much! And never apologise for taking time to answer anons your time is your time!!! Play Sims 2 it's the best and if you do answer do it when you want to and have time to again it takes brain time to think of answers so don't like, apologise for that!!! :^D) BUT ANYWAY did some lil looking up the internet and I came across a study done in Antarctica where this exactly is happening which leads me to believe not only would Aaron accent shift but everyone else would as well? Here's the link (https://pubs.aip.org/asa/jasa/article/146/5/3327/993882/Phonetic-change-in-an-Antarctic-winter) to a really interested article and a TikTok (https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJVt8mfm/) in case you're like nah I don't want to read all that, but the gist is they sent 8 British people, 1 American, 1 German and 1 Icelandic person to a remote station in Antarctica for work, there completely isolated from the world for a few months working and when they came back they were all pronouncing their vowels more similarly than before, and they were doing stuff like pronouncing their vowels 30 milliseconds longer and doing something called o fronting which is putting the o sound in the front of the word. SO WITH ALL THAT, I NOW BELIEVE THAT NOT ONLY WILL ARRON AND JIN YEON WOULD DEVELOP A NEW ACCENT. Sorry for the cap locks and super long explanation but It's so interesting cause okay let's imagine a world where none of them ever left they stayed on that island isolated from the world in a small community, they would start to see the beginning of a brand-new accent. Even though most of the islanders are American like i said there from all over so different pronunciations you would have Kate's Iowa twang mixing with Danielle's French while simultaneously mixing with Shannon's Cali girl style and getting drenched in The two Brits and single Aussies many slang words and ways to pronounce them then mashing that against Hurleys gorgeous Spanish accent (which I went and listen to god is there anything that man cannot do?) . Even if we follow a normal timeline where they make it off the island, they may be changes in Kate and Hurleys accent from hanging around Sawyer/ Charlie too much. Humans are human you copy stuff of your friends certain pronunciations copying quirks now take that to an isolated island in the south pacific. Again, so sorry to fill your inbox with this nonsense, but just imagine Ben and Locke's terrible divorce also ended up in their accents copying each other due to the nature of everything. Like imagine you hate this guy on the island and months later your accents are literally copying certain or mashing with their's to form a new one I would be so mad, I really would start biting people.

ooh wow i stand corrected, maybe Aaron and Ji (and other hypothetical island babies) would sound more weird than i realised!

again, don't say sorry. what's nice is that LOST is so multicultural that one's mind can lead to wonderings like this!

oh, oh, what you said about ben and locke there reminded me of a headcanon i have about hurley and ben. basically that because they're gonna spend so much time together, they're gonna start affecting each other. like hurley dresses neater (button up shirt + his curls in a poytail), ben starts being more casual (looser shirts and more unkept, like unshaven). and this idea includes hurley becoming more articulate and ben speaking less formally. it's not a full on uncanny valley transformation but they have influenced each other

legit, ben and hurley end up like, a good marriage

without the sex. but that's just my opinion

[luckyrave]

Chainsaw Man Chapter 109 Thoughts

I knew it!  I just knew it was all about patience and waiting this entire time. A perfect allegory to describe this feeling when it comes to Chainsaw Man Part 2.  Tatsuki Fujimoto is really quite an anomaly when it comes the current generation of anime and manga. A lot of people I believe can attest to this especially after watching season 1.  He just knows full well what his readers want to see in storytelling, but instead of giving them what they want off the gate. He likes to make sure proper time and care is placed before certain things occur within the story, and this is definitely one of those situations.

 Yuko’s onslaught continued like it never even stopped despite what Asa attempted to do when “that student” offered to save her life. It got significantly worse when a few members from The Devil Hunters Club attempted to land a mark on Yuko, but she repeats the same thing as before. Instant death before they even got a chance to escape with their lives in tact. Once that was taken care of,  she notices Asa unconscious on the ground with much concern as to how her best friend ended up in this condition.  At least, before she notices “The student” that hid behind one of the broken infrastructure of The Academy  and grabs hold off of her believing that’s the reason Asa is knocked out. Thus, a single person steps in before Yuko could kill “The Student she has in her clutches”.  Somebody many people have been anticipating for quite a long while. Denji. 

He swoops in like a hero stepping in at the last second when all hope is lost against a villain causing havoc and chaos. Yuko doesn’t view him as much of a threat while using the same evasive action she took against the other students who stood in her way. There was only thing that didn’t cross her mind which was a simple fact that Denji was Chainsaw Man. The mere sight of his presence caused her to instantly freak out and wanted to stay away by using her tentacles, but nothing really worked as he slices and dices everything that comes his way. 

What left Yuko in confusion was being unable to read any of Denji’s movement.  All she could really do was read his mind and be puzzled by the thoughts going on through his mind. ALL HE’S THINKING ABOUT IS HOW TO EXPOSE HIS SECRET IDENTITY  WHILE MAKING IT SEEM NATURAL.   No lie that had me laughing because it was just classic Denji! A simple concept of relying on sheer instinct which was something I think we all knew Denji’s done before.  Moments later,  Asa regained conscious while feeling some pain as she gets back up on her feet to witness Chainsaw Man standing before her. Not even a second passes for Yoru to regain control of Asa with an ounce of disgust towards Chainsaw Man as both look towards one another bringing a close to the chapter. 

All in all, This chapter of Chainsaw Man gets an Amazing+ rating. It was a huge adrenaline ride from start to finish seeing how things escalated within this small section of Yuko’s attack on the school. I absolutely loved Denji’s entrance into the story again looking completely unfazed and confident to take on The Devil that’s attacking his school. There was no holding back just the amount of sheer will and strength as he took on Yuko was done amazingly. The only minor nitpick I have with this chapter is that we don’t exactly know what happened with “The Student” after Denji took out the Justice Devil, but I definitely feel like we’re gonna find that out in the next chapter.  Not just that, but Tatsuki Fujimoto just knows how to leave his readers wanting more by having Chainsaw Man and Yoru stare off in the final two pages. You could also add in the fact that it went by really quick as a minor nitpick, but damn Fujimoto knows his writing and it’s incredible. So far I’ve posted each chapter thought day after day and I think given my current pace I should be caught up before the latest chapter drops her shortly, but that’s just only gonna add more for what’s to come with Chainsaw Man.Until then, I hope you all take care of yourselves out there.                    

[yzeltia]

Closer to You

Chapter 18 Characters: Natsu Obinata, Fuyu'li cen Zwhan, @driftward 's Zoissette Vauban, Y'shtola Rhul, Y'hmitra Rhul, Asa Obinata, @erickgage 's Erick Gage and Ryssthota Sundstyrwyn, @niraff14 's Yesuntei Kagon, Clauiden, Y'zel Tia Rating: T for Teen Notes: Thank you @driftward for the mechanics pass

“Please, do keep your enlightenment to yourselves,” Y’shtola said, ears flattening with impatience.

“I…well…I’m not sure what I saw,” Natsu breathed out, leaning on Claudien for support.

“I do. He’s at the aetherial sea. My tracker for the auracite stopped working near Carteneau and the Hinterlands, it must have been a coincidence Y’zel was traveling the same way and branched off toward The Antitower,” Claudien answered, looking rather graven. “I think he intends to helm one of the vacant seats of Omphalos, or rather, it was implied that he could do so…the Echo was a bit fuzzy on the details on that front. Still, he could cause untold harm to our star, bringing the auracite down there.”

“A vacancy…what, does he fancy himself The Lover? Does he intend to play matchmaker across the star to ease everyone’s loneliness?” Y’shtola asked, seeming skeptical that her cousin could do much harm.

“That does, well, sound very in line with his romantic nature,” Zoissette said before standing. “Regardless, I shall assist in stopping him before he can cause a larger problem. If you will excuse me, I will see if I can rally others to the cause.”

Zoissette rose from the table then moved away to go contact others while Y’shtola rapped her fist against her cheek. “You’d think being involved with so many people who have ‘god-felling’ on their resumes would give him a bit of pause. Speaking of which, was Violet not with you?”

“She insisted on seeing Jannie back to Ishgard for the latter’s wedding,” Natsu explained before holding herself. “We won’t…we won’t have to kill him will we?”

“When I was possessed, I more or less was rendered unconscious, shelled by the manipulated aether around me,” Claudien answered, voice tinged with hope.

“Yet Y’zel, we assume, has not been possessed and is operating entirely of his own free will,” Y’shtola mused, “Or at least that is what I’ve taken from what you’ve said.”

“I have sent out a request for support. Everyone will meet in Idyllshire and take flight on the Lunar Whale to the Antitower to attempt to reign him in,” Zoissette announced, returning to the group. “Are we ready?”

🍎 

Natsu swallowed as she hurried down the upside down halls of the Antitower. She felt the aether within her being drawn downward, into the deepest parts of the castle. Claudien led the charge, almost making it difficult to keep up with him as he navigated the familiar halls of the abandoned research facility. 

“This is where you two met, is it not,” Natsu asked breathlessly.

Claudien shook his head, not looking back as he gave his answer. “No. It was the Gubal Library. This is where I worked with his late father, Y’lem Tia, before my family left in the exodus. Though I cannot say for sure his father didn’t take him here. It is probably why he chose this place. No one was left to see it safeguarded.”

“Aside from Master Matoya, though she'd readily write Y’zel off as a non-threat,” Y’shtola chimed in.

“Little surprised she did not clock the auracite,” mumbled Zoissette, looking the place over as they went.

“The crone lives!?” Claudien balked.

“I would be careful disparaging her. You don’t know what wards she has in place for ne'er do wells and sassy children,” Y’shtola warned.

Y’mhitra chuckled from behind. “You'd know the latter well.”

“Good point,” Ryssthota said, pulling a pomander from their satchel and tossing it ahead, illuminating potential traps and wards along the path and walls.

“I would like to point out that Gubal also has its interests here, and would have anyone alerted me on my nephew's sudden possession of a lethal artifact, or that I had a swiving niece running around with you, I might have been been able to mitigate some of this nonsense,” Asa growled as he struggled to keep up in his Forum robes.

Erick keeping pace with Claudien and Natsu looked between them. “I hope you know I’m billing Y’zel for use of company time for this. I have real problems to deal with,” he said, Yeusentei scribbling into a notebook as she shadowed him.

Claudien slowed a bit then rounded a corner before coming to a complete stop. Peeking around him, Natsu looked out into the distance, seeing Y’zel aloft in the aetherial sea, the Heart of Sabik floating just above his chest as aether swirled into it, making it glow. The stone was quick to pulse out a barrier, preventing them from getting too close.

“His aether isn't his own... It's enormous and familiar but I cannot place it,” Y'shtola said before pushing Claudien forward. “Go, Claudien. Talk to him. Reinforcements have yet to arrive, though I imagine if it comes to it we'll manage if we must stop him here.”

“Y’zel!” Claudien yelled out, advancing forward onto a narrow platform.

Y'zel's eyes flitted open as he lazily turned his head toward his friends and family. Yawning, he floated down onto a circular platform, hand out to catch the auracite as it fell slowly into his palm. “It’s too late,” he said dejectedly, avoiding eye contact with the others.

“It’s never too late! Give up the stone and forget this path,” Ryssthota called out. “Have you not learned from the others that handled auracite before you?”

“This must be done! The age of fate has come to an end and I must be the one to reweave it! Without Hydaelyn, without the Gods, there is no longer a direction for our star! Our loved ones are constantly being ripped from us. And what of those we meet anew? I do not desire a calamity…I did not desire godhood. This power was given to me and I shall use it to set both the waking world and our lifestream onto one track so that we might arrive at the destination of our fate together! A one, eternal Heaven, where none shall be torn apart again,” Y’zel said, closing his eyes.

Erick shook his head then stepped forward. “A lovely speech, and a ridiculous waste of time. Allow me to summarize for you. You're scared of a world where you have to make choices, and where you can make mistakes. Fate is a way to offload the responsibility for the choices we make. It is our choices that define us, and I won't let your pathetic inability to face your fears take that from everyone."

Zoissette’s eyes darted back and forth, taking in the scene. She murmured something, as though talking to someone on the side, then nodded. She began to pace around the barrier, holding a hand out to it. “You do not even know what fate is,” she said. “Fate is not a singular thread. It is a braid of many paths, and I would see this thread cut before allowing the will of the many to be suborned by the will of the one.”

“A braid frayed. How many have thrown themselves into the lifestream? For me alone: my mother, father, dad, sister, fiance, and now husband. I simply seek to reweave the lifestream and our Source together so that none shall be forced to be separated again,” he declared, a cold chill emanating from him as a platform of ice began to form below.

Natsu cried out as she felt aether being drawn to her. The sea around them began to groan as streaks of light twisted like silk being washed in a river, all reaching toward Y’zel and the auracite. “Brother! Stop this!”

“Brother? You don’t even know me,” Y’zel responded coldly.

Fuyu’li bared his fangs and put an arm around Natsu, “And yet she’s cared for you and worried for you all this time! You talk about reuniting people and connecting them and yet you just dismiss Natsu! Your aim isn’t unison then, or caring!  This isn’t about the star! You’re just a coward that’s closing off their heart and making sure you’re spared from feeling the pain of loss! You're just a selfish fool!”

Y’zel’s ears folded back, but he did not budge from channeling aether about him, the sea around him starting to freeze into solid crystal. “That is just it. I will spare everyone from feeling pain and loss by doing this. All of us here were bound by our connections to one another. I just seek to strengthen that bond into a singular fate. My will won't be denied!”

“Please stop this! I am sorry that I have dismissed your romantic notions of fate and soulmates. My intent was not to hurt you,” Claudien called out. “Do you not remember when we went apple picking? You fell from the ladder and I had caught you but in that millisecond before you strayed too far from my arms. I had an intrusive thought that day. That if I could not get you in time I’d just be set aflame in that moment so that I might be with you again. I beg of you, stop this madness before you cause untold damage to us and to our star!”

Y’zel opened his once aether-blue eyes now a bright crimson. He smiled, a tear rolling down his cheek before advancing forward toward them. 

“Do not worry, my love. You will never have to fear that loneliness again…” 

[duderosiers]

it is a joke because jean-claude is hyper aware that asa is married to his job for reasons he simply cannot fathom. a library? the vampire couldn't think of a worse place to be for extended periods of time. it was probably to do with the fact he wasn't a natural reader, and had never been, something many found confusing considering he was an artist and often the two went hand in hand. j.c was simply too much of a social person to be stuck inside for hours at a time - at least the pawn shop had interesting characters that came in from time to time. he imagined a library courted similarly boring and bookish people.

not that asa was boring just...bookish.

"everyone's happy for me," the grin on his face is wide, and wicked, for he finds it to be true. for the first time in so long, the turbulence that comes with his own immortality is merely a breeze, grounded by the affection he has for another and vice versa. jean-claude has been tethered to greywood, and finds he doesn't mind it. what's 30, 40, maybe even 50 years in the life of someone who lives forever?

while waiting for the thin sheet of paint to dry, he goes searching for a white pencil, digging through his battered pouch of art supplies before procuring it. asa's ask causes his neck to crack as his head whips up, his dear friend suggesting being set up on a date.

"i do know many people," jean-claude agrees with a nod. "though, they might not be what you're into. what is your type, asa?"

Asa's not one to make the inappropriate jokes, so when he does, he enjoys seeing JC's delight in it. Watching his good friend double over and squawk in delight. He just rolls his eyes with a shy grin, shaking his head and working on covering up the offending graffiti. The work is simple enough and kind of cathartic, but Asa wishes he could spend it on something else - like painting? Drawing? Anything that doesn't involve covering up peoples' lewd drawings in his rare and sometimes out-of-print books.

"Yes, busy." He knows it's probably a joke, because Asa lives and breathes the library and is there far too often. Practically lives between those aisles, skulking about with his cart and putting things away. Perpetually reorganizing. And when he's not there, he's scribbling down event ideas, making new signs, flyers for the various business downtown... and maybe, on a rare moment, he'll get to sit and relax. Or get his back blown out in the room with the photocopier. "And I'm so happy for you." Asa rolls his eyes, but he's smiling. Perhaps had he not been over 100 years old, and storied with time and experiences and his own lovely traumas, he would feel some pang of jealousy of a former hook-up and his good good friend being in a relationship. Instead, it just seems natural, if not a little saccharine to hear about when he's... doing whatever he's doing.

His intense focus stops and he looks back up at JC in thought. "...You know many people." He comments. An obvious statement. "Maybe you could... set me up. On a um. A date." He looks embarrassed to even ask.

[fieldslegacy]

[drakenology]

Ma'am, DILF!Asahi. Soft lil chubby/curvy housewife. Babysitting friend's lil tot. Bigger family, more breeding, and utterly filthy, filthy lovemaking. Tiny size kink, wifey like being picked up, makes her feel small and safe in his big strong arms. Mating press and nipple sucking okay?

Asahi wants to be a daddy and he asked politely... enough, don't you think? 👉👈

-🦑

ᵇᵃᵇʸ ᵐᵃᵐᵃ ˣ ᵃˢᵃʰⁱ ᵃᶻᵘᵐᵃⁿᵉ

꒰ఎ ♡ ໒꒱⠀synopsis : asahi catches you being the cutest little caregiver to daichi’s sons when you babysit and the sight just makes him feral. it makes him want a baby of his own. ;)

꒰ఎ ♡ ໒꒱⠀warnings: smut, dilf!asahi, smidgen of size kink, breeding kink, cunnilingus, some fluffy stuff and just Asahi being a service top

You had to be about the sweetest little wife Asahi could ever ask for. He knew the day he met you that he had to spend the rest of his natural born life with you. You had this warm aura about you that made him fall for you all over again. Every morning, he’d find himself missing you on the drive to work; missing your touch and the soft kisses you give him on the cheek as a goodbye present. 

When he got home to see you in the kitchen cooking up dinner for you both to eat together his eyes almost teared up. Home for Asahi was wherever you were, and he always made sure to show you. 

“Hi, sweet baby.” He’d coo at you, smothering you with kisses on your cheek and down your neck. You look up from the pot and kiss him on the lips, giggling at his big, goofy grin. 

“Hey, honey. You’re just in time for dinner.” You chime, shooing him away from the stove so you can fix your plates. Just like routine always called for, you shared a meal together and then you shared each other’s bodies in the sanctuary of your bed until it was time to go to sleep to start the next day and do it all over again. 

Today was a little different. You agreed to watch Daichi’s sons while he went away to practice, welcoming them in your home with open arms and fun activities to do. You spent the day trying to keep them occupied, a little nervous since you don’t have any kids of your own with Asahi just yet. But the boys ended up loving you as if you were part of their family and you had a blast looking after them too. Asahi got to come home early from work today, practically jumping out of his car to hug and smooch to his sweet baby. 

But when he opens the door to see you in the living area covered in finger paint and running around screaming and laughing with two 5 year old boys something stirs within him. His intentions with you were no longer innocent. He’d always wanted a family with you -- in fact it was his ultimate goal since marrying you. Watching you play with Daichi’s kids made his cock stir, his sperm itching to leave and enter your fertal womb to make his own children with you. 

You turn and look at Asahi; who was just standing in the door way with his briefcase in hand. 

“Honey! I forgot to tell you the boys were coming over today. Sorry about the mess.” You say sheepishly, rubbing the back of your head as the boys run around in circles where you stood. Asahi just smiles brightly and kisses you on the forehead after snapping himself out of his hazy daydream.

“We can clean together when Daichi picks them up later. Let’s have some fun!” 

                                                      ꒰ఎ ♡ ໒꒱⠀

“Thanks again for watching the twins guys. I hope they didn’t give you two too much trouble.” Daichi says, laughing a bit when he sees the state of you and your husband - covered in finger paint and flour from baking cookies with them.

“Not at all. They were angels.” You say, waving them goodbye as Daichi walked the small boys to his car to return home. When the door shut, you turn to start cleaning up your now trashed and trampled living room. Asahi wanted to help, really he did. But the way your clothes were clinging to your curves - the way you became a second mother to Daichi’s children; running around playing and rough-housing with them and filling his mind with fantasies of you with children of your own all swollen and plump from being pregnant��pitched a tent in his pants he could no longer ignore. As you tried to mop the floor, Asahi’s strong arms wrap around you, kissing your neck sweetly. 

“H-Honey! Stop it, the living room’s a mess.” You whine at him - half giggling half moaning as his hands caress your hips, causing him to chuckle - lust thick in his tone. 

“I know, baby. I need you. We can clean later.” Asahi cooed, lifting you off your feet to whisk you away to the bedroom - your lucky mop dropping to the floor with a clang. 

The sound of Asahi’s big feet against the hardwood of the stairs boomed as he climbed them, practically running with you in his arms to get you out of your paint-covered clothes. He rests you on the bed gently, sliding your shorts and panties off with one swift move. He takes off his shirt and tosses it aside eagerly, his back muscles on full display for you as you watch him in the mirror in front of your bed. 

His big hands pull you to the edge of the bed, his mouth devouring you as soon as he took one look at your pretty cunt. His tongue glided along your folds, groaning when he tastes you. Your hands catch his long locks, tugging lightly as his fingers rub your clit softly. His eagerness to be inside you overtakes his want to taste you, pulling away from your now sopping wet cunt to crawl on top of you. He tugs off his pants, his weighted cock springing free from his boxers as his hands grab the plush flesh of your thighs to put them over his shoulders. 

“Haah, ‘m sorry, baby. Need your pussy so bad. Be good and take me, okay?” He said, sliding into as he talked. The dull stretch only made you wetter, your weeping hole pulling him in so deliciously Asahi saw stars. 

“You feel so good, honey.. always so fuckin’ good ‘f me.” He praised as he folded your body in half, leaning into your neck to kiss it. You felt him so deep you swore he was reaching your stomach, yelping with every slow thrust of his cock - feeling his thick veins dragging alongside your velvety walls.

“A-Asa-hi!” You gripe, your nails clawing at his back as his muscles flexed. He held himself back from completely pounding you for way too long now, his mouth latching onto your hardened nipple as his hips start to snap against you.

“F-Fuuck, baby you feel so good. I love you, baby just keep takin’ it. Keep takin’ it.” He huffed, his balls tightening as you clamp around his thickness. You’re gasping for air as he railed you into the softness of your bed, every thrust knocking the wind out of your lungs as your eyes tear. 

“’M gonna cum, Asa- nngh!” You mewl, your back arching up into Asahi’s body, your pebbled nipples pressed against his chest. Once Asahi felt those slick walls squeezing him tightly, there was no holding back anymore - his balls emptying every drop of his hot stick cum inside you with a loud and hungry groan. You feel him cum in ropes inside you, locking eyes with him as your hands brush some of his hair away from his face. Asahi slumps over top of you, his cock still inside as you both pant and bask in the after glow of your love making. He peppers sweet kisses on your cheek, smiling in your hair as he finally pulls out and rolls over next to you. Asahi’s big strong arms pull you into an embrace once more, seeming like he didn’t wanna let you go. 

As his lips press more kisses into your skin, you both doze off in each other’s arms - sweet dreams of parenthood filling your minds as you snooze away. 

[tsarbomba567]

The Ouroborsian Faith

Asaka (Devourer): Goddess of Earth, War, and Strategy; has 6 arms

Wojira: Goddess of Water, the Weather, and Sailing

Thazor: God of the Sky, Cosmos, and Navigation

Zatsekh: God of Agriculture, the Harvest, and Nature

Asa: Goddess of Life, Health, and Fertility; has 4 arms

Ulsa: God of Death, Decay, and Justice; has 4 arms

Derzit: God of Knowledge, Education, and Science; has 4 arms

Othoki: Goddess of Peace, Prosperity, and Nation Building

Asarge: God/Goddess of Metalworking, Metallurgy, and The Forge

*Asaka is 15' and Wojira is 14'8"; Thazor is 14'2", Zatsekh is 13'5", Asa is 14'6", Ulsa is 14'6", Derzit is 13'7", Othoki is 14'4", and Asarge is 14'.

*The Serpent Gods are able to change their height/size, as well as their form (ex. human, Oni, etc.), at will.

- Creation Myth: In the beginning there was all the realms except for Ninjago. One day, 9 eggs suddenly appeared in Chima, and it's denizens - confused and fearful of what they might bring - casted them out of their realm, where they proceeded to drift towards the center of the Ethereal Divide. When they hatched, the nine Serpent gods deities emerged, and they started to construct a new realm that they would call their own. Asaka first created the planet itself, while Wojira then filled it with water, leaving islands and a mega continent upon completing her task. From these land masses, Asa and Zatsekh filled the world with animals, humans, and plants; Asaka then created the Amethystine and the Vermillion - the proto-Serpentine - before branching them off into the five Serpentine tribes; Wojira created the Maarays and - with Asaka's help - the Hydrophiline. Meanwhile, Thazor created the moon, sun, and cosmos, using his shed scales to fill the sky with stars; he then created the Questozoals, before bedding Asaka and creating the Chrysopoline. Derzit then gave both humanity and the Serpentine the intelligence and knowledge to create fire, while Asarge taught the two groups metalworking and forging. While Othoki maintained the peace between human and Serpentine, as well as helping the two civilizations thrive, Ulsa presided over the souls of the recently deceased, judging them before allowing them to cross into the Realm of the Departed, the Underworld, or the Cursed Realm.

- The Five Great Tragedies:

Several millennia after the creation of this new realm, the FSM and the Overlord appeared in Ninjago. The Overlord proceeded to corrupt Wojira with darkness, turning her into a great beast, causing great storms and tides. The other 8 gods, along with Nyad and the Merlopains, eventually put the former goddess into a deep sleep, which calmed the seas and weather.

After a few centuries of peace, the Overlord launched a surprise attack with his Stone Army, to which the FSM, Thazor, and Asaka and the Amethystine responded. During the fighting, Thazor was slain by the Overlord, while Asaka sacrificed herself to block a concentrated beam of Dark Matter from hitting the FSM, becoming the Devourer. With Asaka now reduced to a small beast, the Stone Army proceeded to go on a genocide against the disorganized Amethystine, destroying all trace of their existence; the FSM won only by separating the supercontinent of Ninjago into two: The Dark Island and Ninjago itself. The FSM - at the requests of Thazor and Asaka - took their respective elements for himself, not wanting them to end up in the wrong hands. The death of the Amethystine and Thazor, on top of Asaka being reduced to the Great Devourer, caused the Unified Serpentine Kingdom to disintegrate into smaller clans, which then consolidated into the Serpentine Confederation five centuries later. This also convinced the other living Serpent gods to go into hiding, not wanting to suffer the same fate as either Thazor or Asaka. (Note: Aspheera's coup of Mambo V occured only one century after this, and the Pyro Vipers declined for two hundred years after her imprisonment until they went extinct.)

When the First Serpentine War started, Clouse uses some of his magic to prevent the Serpentine from contacting the remaining Serpent gods. This left them in the dark as the Serpentine were being killed in large numbers by the Elemental Alliance. It was only after the War ended, and Chen and Clouse were exiled from Ninjago, that the gods learned of what transpired. To add insult to painful injury, the Elemental Masters and humans began to destroy the Serpentine holy temples and settlements, in addition to the pillaging of important relics and artefacts, greatly enraging the gods. In response, Ulsa caused a plague that wiped out 20% of the human population, while Zatsekh caused crop failures, with the resulting famine killing an additional 10% of the human population. Othoki, meanwhile, caused the humans to suffer the greatest economic depression in recorded history, which went on for 15 years before it finally recovered.

When the Great Devourer was released, the six gods were horrified about Ninjago being swallowed whole by the corrupted Asaka. Asa then had the realization that Garmadon could use the Golden Weapons to cleanse Asaka of the Overlord's darkness, giving the others hope that the rampaging goddess can be saved. Their hopes were dashed, however, when Garmadon used the Golden Weapons to kill the Devourer, which also ended Asaka's life. The 6 proceeded to mourn her, while also cursing Garmadon to never achieve his goal of world domination, and if he does, make it short lived.

When Wojira was released by Kalmaar, the six living Serpent gods were immediately drawn to the fact that she was both being uncharacteristic of herself and in pain. They then quickly realized that Kalmaar was using his trident to control Wojira by electrocuting her, much to their dismay. To make matters worse, while Kalmaar was eventually eaten by Wojira after his trident was destroyed, there was a brief window where Wojira was herself again, questioning why she was flooding Ninjago, before being slain by Nya, who had merged with the Endless Sea to defeat the sea serpent. After Wojira's death and leaving to become one with the Endless Sea, Nya stumbled across the six Serpent gods, though before she could say anything, they immediately left, not wanting to give this outsider any legitimacy.

- The Chosen and the Great Plan: After the end of the First Serpentine War, the six remaining gods realized they couldn't free the Serpentine themselves, since the Elemental Alliance put runes on the Serpentine Tombs' entrances that prevented them from interacting with them. Attempting to find another solution, Asa proposes that they mark a Serpentine to carry out a plan to revive the Amethystine, those Serpentine killed during the war, and both Asaka and Thazor (and Wojira after her death). While it was controversial at first, the six eventually came to accept the idea. After marking their desired Serpentine, Asarge goes about creating a device - in the shape of an enneagram - to perform the task. Sometime during the design phase (after the Second Serpentine War), they come into contact with a long lost servant of their long forgotten religion: Alistair, a human that was also granted the blood of the Anacondrai by the gods due to his extraordinary service to them. He's come to inform them that he's gotten into contact with the spirits of the FSM, Asaka, and Thazor (eventually Wojira too), and that they would like to help with their mission. The living Serpent gods don't hesitate to agree to let the three - Alistair included - help, since the human also knows a certain person of interest that might be crucial when it comes time to actually construct the device.

[seragamble]

Season 12 of SPN but Better

This is my rewrite of s12 in which the main changes are after Lucifer knocks up Kelly he fucks off back to the cage, the BMOL are actually scary, and the narrative finally interrogates how people who aren’t human are treated. Note: I use monster and non-human interchangeably here. (Thank you @autisticandroids for your help with this post.)

The season starts off the same. Sam is perhaps a little more suicidal during his kidnapping, having just lost Dean and fresh off of having to be around Lucifer.

Sam’s myriad of mental health issues pop up here and there throughout the season, after Lucifer and dealing with what Lady Bevell did to him. He does his best to make sure none of this is seen by his family, but Dean eventually figures it out.

At least two episodes where the A Plot is Cas and Crowley investigating a case.

“American Nightmare” is just the start of a theme we see throughout the season of Sam bonding with monsters/non-humans/the ‘other’. He becomes a resource for them and in turn connecting with them helps him feel better about himself.

Cutting the Hitler episode because that was seriously just… :l

Instead Aaron comes back and it’s just a fun episode

Samantha Smith is amazing as Mary but please just take a moment to imagine “Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox” if Mary’s actor was actually ~28

At the end of “LOTUS” Lucifer goes back in the cage 

The events of First Blood take place over two episodes so we can gets stuff like: 

Cas and Mary hunting together

Cas and Mary (separately and together) threatening people they think can help them find Sam and Dean

Dean and Sam (Sam especially) losing their grip on reality whilst in confinement 

Instead of the American hunters largely rejecting the BMOL many of them embrace them. Mostly thanks to the weapons they freely provide. The BMOL also import their idea of “Hey shouldn’t ALL monsters be dead actually.” This becomes a serious issue as we get to see that there are plenty of monsters who aren’t hurting anyone, but are now being hunted.

At the end of “The Raid” we get our first foreshadowing of what else the BMOL are doing when that hunter, who betrayed them to the vampires, is taken to an onsite facility full of various monsters in cages.

The boys have a case that ends up being hunters who fucked around by going after innocent monsters, and found out. It’s a not at all subtle allegory about two monster siblings, where the older sister killed a pair of hunters to protect her little brother. This is the tipping point where Dean finally has a major mental shift in how he views and treats monsters.

There’s also a case where they look into weird supernatural phenomena and it turns out to be the result of hunters disrupting completely (super)natural stuff. It’s an episode about a supernatural creature that has zero interest in killing humans, they’re just strange and otherworldly, and hunters persecuting them has caused a major local disruption in the world.

Instead of the BMOL having their students fight one another to death, they have them kill monster children. We get a flashback of Mick killing a crying werewolf boy.

After Mick has his change of mind about what the BMOL are doing they don’t kill him. Instead he is taken to the facility (seen previously at the end of “The Raid”). This is where the BMOL experiment on monsters, as well as dispose of humans by using them as test subjects. There’s a scene where we see that hunter from before get injected with something, go through a weird mutation, and dies.

The timeline has to be shifted around a little, but instead of Cas being off in heaven trying to find something to find Kelly (which lead nothing to the narrative and went nowhere) the BMOL just make it seem like that’s what he did, while really they have him locked up.

Their reasoning being that if a nephilim is going to be born they want to know all they can about angels, but also they just genuinely don’t see anyone who isn’t human as a person so why not experiment on them. The whole experience is really dehumanizing.

Ketch is there, and I would like to remind everyone about the line, “I do enjoy an angel,” which is a) haunting, and b) implies Ketch has dealt with angels before.

Remember how in “Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets” Cas can immediately identify that angel blade as being Benjamin’s? Ketch has a few and taunts Cas about what he may or may not have done to their owners.

They torture Cas/do a lot of medical experimentation. The torture is “extremely horny for no reason, shave your chest father of two it’s fanservice time”-y (thank u autisticandroids).

On the brighter side, Mick and Cas bond during their captivity because Cas deserves to have a friend who isn’t a Winchester. Also go ask @autisticandroids about this.

We see Mick question his long held beliefs about monsters and grow more as a character. He also gets turned into something, perhaps a Shapeshifter.

During this time we get to know various other monsters being held and undergoing experimentation.

Instead of Mary finding out Mick is dead she finds out about the facility. Same thing happens as in canon where they brainwash her. This time she’s just killing hunters who won’t fall in line with the BMOL, instead of all American hunters (which I feel made no sense).

Garth comes back at some point because of course he does. Why have an entire season about people who want to eradicate all monsters and then not bring back their one friend who would be most affected by this? His whole family and community are at risk of death if the BMOL have their way.

“Twigs and Twines and Tasha Banes” happens next season because I want Max and Alicia to be part of the attack on the BMOL and it’s better for their narrative if they disappear for a while before coming back after that episode. Instead they show up in a standard motw episode to drive home the fact that it’s fucked up to automatically consider witches to be evil.

One of the narrative points would be how the BMOL tolerance of witches is extremely conditional on them only using their magic for them, and the presence of the BMOL in America has led to an increasingly hostile environment for the Banes family.

The people the Winchesters recruit to help them attack the BMOL facility are a mix of monsters they’ve helped out, and hunters who respect them/didn’t fall in line/have noticed their friends getting murdered. 

The end result is the beginning of a new relationship between hunters and non-humans.

It might be odd after a season long narrative about not demonizing people just because they’re not human, to have the Winchesters still be all “Let’s forcibly abort this fetus,” but, with the added element of Sam dealing with his Lucifer trauma all season, I think it would make sense to have Dean be in extra Protective Mode™. That combined with Cas, fresh off of having to be rescued and feeling even worse about himself, decides to take the Kline issue into his own hands. The narrative follows along with canon. Since Lucifer isn’t around it’s AU!Michael who kills Cas and Mary tackles back through the rip.

Alternatively if you hate that and want something more domestic you can picture the following: with their newfound POV TFW rescues Kelly and takes her back to the bunker, promising they’ll take care of her child.

[angelanimedesaray]

A Demon’s Promise Part 11:  Lights and Edges

AN:  There’s a bit of time jumping in this, across the span of a few months, cause this was going to get bogged down and drawn out if I was trying to write all this in detail, cause it was just a lot of general stuff, really slow plot, it wouldn’t have worked well.  So we’re jumping across the span of 7 ish months, and the next chapter is going to be around the 9 month point.

Characters:  Incubus!Levi, Reader, Ida, Asa, Isabel, Captain (You’ll see), Various BG Characters

Pairings:  (Eventual) Levi x Reader

Warnings:  Language, Blood, Gore, Violence, Death, Brutal Death, Major Injury, some Angst, Mentions of Sexual Acts, Heavily Implied Sexual Acts.  But also Domestic Fluff and Dad!Levi :D

Word Count:  12674

<----Previous Part    Masterlist    Next Part---->

(Four Months Later)

*Reader’s POV*

You could have started small.  There were a thousand ways you could start trying to make things work with Levi.  But the first thing you did was try to force yourself not to hold the children hostage from him.  They were his children, too, and from what you could see, he loved them.  It wasn’t fair to him--cruel, even--that you kept the twins just out of his reach or sight more often than not, or you’d leave the room with them before he could even ask to hold them.

You needed to let him try to be a father.

You still didn't want him in your space, so if he asked to come in to do something, it was an automatic no.  You still needed boundaries, and that was your safe space, and he was going to stay out of it.

But when you left your room, you stayed conscious of natural excuses to let him hold the twins.  Maybe one of them needed changed.  You would ask him to feed one while you fed the other.  He seemed to be strangely pleased if he was asked to give them baths, which at first was just a gentle sponge bath in a special seat.  If your arms got tired or the wrap started to sit uncomfortably, you would pass them off to him to hold for a while.

Once he realized you were giving him opportunities to hold the twins, Levi stopped any and all pushing to be allowed around them, because you were giving him that time.  The most he ever did was offer help if you were struggling and hadn't yet thought to ask him for help.  Most of the time, you felt you had things pretty well handled.  But sometimes you were at the end of your rope and unable to figure out what it was that the twins wanted.  It was in those moments Levi tended to approach, stoically asking if he could try figuring out what they wanted.  Most of the time, they tended to calm down after a few minutes with him.

Which began to convince you that the twins just wanted time with their father.  And you weren't going to deny your twins that if it was what they wanted, as well.

So, gradually, over the first few months, you relaxed your grip, let Levi be with his children, let him wander the house with them, out of your sight.  He would take them both when you sat down to eat so you could have a peaceful dinner, or he would just take them for an hour or so just to be with them, usually reappearing when they were hungry or tired.  If they were tired and were going to do more than nap, he would bring them back to you so you could put them in their cribs in your room.  The cribs in his bedroom were still, at this point, unused.

By now, though, you were starting to trust him with the twins.  You'd seen him change around them, seen a bit of that indifferent exterior crack to reveal a surprisingly soft individual underneath.  You'd seen how gently and carefully he gave them their baths, how patiently he endured it if they were trying to gum his fingers, hair, or clothes--and how he discreetly washed his hands or changed his clothes afterwards, or how quick he was to keep dangerous objects out of their mouths 

Just because you saw how he was with the twins didn't mean everything between the two of you was magically fixed, though.  There was still tension between the two of you, though you were trying not to treat him like he was liable to go on a rampage and hurt you or the twins anymore.

Frankly, you were trying to pin down where that feeling came from in the first place.  Levi was a lot of things, but he'd never raised a hand to you, the twins--you'd never seen him physically threaten anyone.  You didn't want to admit it, but this concept that he was out to hurt you seemed to develop around the time you found out he was a demon.  Which meant it was probably entirely rooted in the fact he was a demon, which made you one hell of a hypocrite since your children were half-demon and would one day be full-demon, yet you held nothing against them and didn't fear any possible innate malice in them.

The duplicity made you hope maybe it was just rooted in how Levi had hurt you in the past in non-physical ways, and a fear with the reveal he was a demon and all those harsh words and suggestions that he didn't give a damn about you meant he might one day escalate to physical violence.

But again, he didn't show any signs.  It was just the fear you harbored in your mind, and he knew the fear was there.  He didn't complain, though.  He seemed to quietly accept and endure it.  He didn't react when you wouldn't let him touch you, or you flinched away if the two of you accidentally came into contact.  He never forced his presence upon you, and for the most part, made himself scarce and let you have your space.  But as much as that made you feel relieved, allowed some of the tension to drain out of your body...it also made you feel alone, in this giant strange house that wasn't yours.

That, oddly enough, was the next thing that you started to work on.  And it was from the stupidest whim, too, that you started to warm up to the house and finally, finally accept Levi’s statement that the house was yours to do with as you wished. 

The floor could be cold on your bare feet when you walked around the house, wood or stone, and one day when you found yourself reluctant to get off the couch because you were warm curled up with your feet on the cushions but the floor below was freezing in comparison, you'd wondered if any of those catalogs Levi kept updated in the bookshelf had rugs in them.

You went through the pile--new catalogs having replaced the ones that had been there when he'd initially showed them to you--and picked out the ones that looked like they might have some nice rugs in them.  You ignored the prices, just to test how far this offer actually went, and simply sought out one you liked best, marking the page and circling the item like Levi had told you to, placing the catalog in the other basket tentatively and then scurrying away.

The next day, you'd realized the catalog was back in the stack.  Not too much longer and the ordered rug was delivered, and after the basic questions had been asked by Levi, it was rolled out and covering the floor in front of and at the base of the sectional couch in the living room.

No complaints, no questioning if that was what you wanted, nor even any passing comments suggesting it didn't match the rest of the room.  Levi bought it and placed it for you without hesitation and the only question being where you wanted it and how it was supposed to lay.

Now that you knew he was actually going to follow through, you picked up a bit more confidence and went to the bookshelf a bit more frequently.  Browsing the catalogs became a pastime, at least for a little while, as you slowly redecorated the downstairs half of the house into something more to your taste.  At first it was just little things--curtains, rugs, a bigger coat and shoe rack by the door, a few plants, little things like that.  After that, you got things like baby clothes--the twins were growing, and from the advice you’d managed to scrounge up, you knew that they would burn through clothes like gasoline in a poor mileage vehicle.  Toys made an appearance, and soon decorations and little knick-knacks that caught your eye that you really didn’t need, it was more of a want.  He didn’t complain about those, but you /swore/ you felt a /look/ on occasion when the two of you happened to be in the living room at the same time when he came by to check the catalogs.  You were even considering trying to liven up the outside of the house as well--the ivy that had grown over the stone could be pretty if the yard was decorated a bit more--that way it would look decorative instead of abandoned.

Of course, you weren’t the best with plants, but it would give you something to do besides take care of the kids and lounge around all day.

That one thing ended up being the topic Levi pushed you on.  Not giving the twins to him to take care of every now and then, not making the place your own, it was getting out of the house that not even his blatant ‘hints’ could put a stop to.  You hadn’t found a part time job, and you’d only browsed a few things you could be doing on whims, never committing to anything, and if something really caught your eye, you ended up finding a way to do that at home.

It wasn’t healthy.  You were probably going to go stir crazy if you didn’t have something to get out of the house soon, but you were afraid to leave.  Maybe you trusted Levi to handle the twins when you were around, but there was something so much more real about leaving them in his care when you left the house.  Any time you thought about leaving with him to take care of them, something in you seized up with panic, and you quickly backed out.

Until, apparently, Levi had enough.

Four months old--he waited until the twins were four months old to give you the chance to get your life back in gear before he took matters into his own hands.

Levi making breakfast had become habit by now, and he was catching on to the things you liked and what you left untouched if he made it.  He still put variety into breakfast, but it was more personalized to your tastes now.  In fact, you had the sneaking suspicion he actually enjoyed this, enjoyed practicing his cooking skills and getting the chance to make at least the first meal of the day, even if he didn’t eat and the twins were still only drinking pumped breast milk.

He waited until you were halfway through your meal before he ambushed you, dropping what at first glance appeared to be a business card and a credit card on the counter beside you.

Holy shit, that was a fabled black card.

You stared at the credit card like it might bite you, brain crashing as you tried to figure out why he would throw something like /that/ at you.  How loaded was he?  Who did he have to kill to have that kind of money?

“Never seen a credit card before?” Levi asked flatly.  You were starting to understand that was just the way he talked, and he didn’t mean anything by his brisk way of speaking--it was just the way he was.  If he was trying to intentionally make a jab at you or piss you off, you would know.

“Not a shiny black one, no.”

Levi gave a soft, irritated sigh and pushed the card out of the way with his fingers, bringing the business card back into focus.  As opposed to the sleek black card, this was simple cream cardstock, with curly, almost cursive letters spelling out what was clearly a business name.  You picked up the card, arching an eyebrow at the name printed across the surface and staring at Levi.

“Rose’s Touch Spa?”

What was that supposed to mean to you?

“Turn it over,” he said with an exasperated sigh that you couldn’t even figure out what it was on your own.  You did, in fact, turn it over, and on the other side was a simple list of appointment information filled out by hand.  The date was written in light pink for today, in about two hours, a Platinum package for one already paid for.

Slightly alarmed, you looked up at him.  “Uh, what is--”

“It’s been four months,” Levi said, cutting you off before you could question or decline, his voice firm and leaving no room for argument.  “You haven’t left since you got here, not even for a jog.  That package is a full treatment, right down to all the amenities.  Take the day.  Relax.  Do whatever else you want, as long as it’s not here.”

“But the twins--”

“Will be fine here with me for one day until you get back.  You're not getting out on your own, so I took some initiative.  It’s not up for debate, you’re going,” Levi said flatly.

“You know I hate it when you make decisions for me,” you said hotly, but Levi didn’t rise to the bait, calmly pouring himself some more tea--the two of you were having breakfast alone while the twins slept after their morning meal, grabbing a rare quiet moment, so it was just the two of you in the room having this conversation.

“I left it to you for four months.  You didn’t do shit.  It’s not healthy, and I’m stepping in,” Levi said bluntly.  You chewed nervously on your bottom lip, mind suddenly buzzing with all kinds of things that could go wrong while you were gone, and that persistent, underlying, general sense of fear that wouldn’t leave you alone when Levi was involved.  “If you’re that worried, you have a phone for a reason,” Levi added at your nervous disposition.  However, he didn’t seem to be anywhere near changing his mind on the subject.  In fact, he was starting to clean up as if everything was already finished.

“They’ll treat you as a VIP, so you won’t have to wait very long once you get there.  You can probably leave thirty minutes before and get there with plenty of time,” he said casually, water running as he started scrubbing at the dishes.

You were quiet for several long moments, the only sound Levi cleaning up what remained of the morning breakfast mess.  “I don’t want to leave the twins,” you eventually said in a soft, barely audible voice.  Levi paused, appearing to consider your words for several long minutes.

“Your life didn’t stop because you had the babies.  If it has, it's of your own doing.  Nothing’s stopping you.  Nothing will happen to them while you’re gone.  They'll still be here when you come back.  I promise."

He didn't look at you while he said it, but there was a sincerity in his words that made you believe you could at least attempt it today.  It would do you some good to get out of the house, and to get a full package at a spa, and then do whatever you wanted with no limit to your spending…

It didn't look like much when it was just two cards on the counter, but he was really pushing to give you a day to yourself, a bit of freedom and fresh air.  Maybe you wanted to see ulterior motives in it and that was what made you scared, but you really needed to stop doing just that.  If you kept looking for problems everywhere, you'd find them, usually of your own making.  And one of his biggest complaints had been you twisting his words.

You were going to give him this chance, and if nothing bad happened...maybe you could stand to trust him a little more.

"Fine…" you murmured softly, taking both cards and tucking them away for later.  "You're not going to be busy today?"

"I don't have to be anywhere until Saturday."

Right.  One upside of being around all the time was that you were becoming quite familiar with Levi’s schedule.  He always went out on Saturday nights like clockwork, and always came back wanting to see the twins.  Every now and then, he didn't walk through the door like a normal person--he'd come from upstairs like he'd been home the whole time, which left you wondering how he got inside in the first place.  Another demon thing, maybe.  Usually when that happened, he was a little worse for wear and kept more covered up than usual, which only made you more suspicious about what was happening when he went out on Saturdays.

Then, of course, there were those hours he spent locked in the tower doing God knew what.  You hadn't snooped around to try and find out, and you'd told yourself you didn't want to know, but with how frequent it was, you were starting to wonder.

Thanks to the twins and their knack for waking you up at odd hours with their crying--and if one started, the other was grunted to join in--you'd also found out Levi didn't seem to sleep much, as you could hear him moving around the house at all hours of the night.  And in the early mornings, when the sun was just starting to rise, he tended to go out for a jog.  And Tuesdays were his cleaning day where he made sure the whole damn house was spotless.

So, you'd asked if it was all right with him because you didn't know if he planned on locking himself in the library again, today.

Well, apparently not, since he'd scheduled this appointment with the intent to get you out of the house all day.  Which meant you had no excuse.  The twins were going to be with their father today, and you were going to get out of the house for the first time in months.

You hadn't realized how much you actually needed this say to yourself, no strings attached, until you were right in the middle of it.  When Levi had said he got you the full package, he hadn't been kidding.  An hour long massage, manicure, pedicure, haircut however you wanted it, facial, the works.  By the time you left, you almost felt like an entirely new person, and you realized you were suddenly faced with an entire town of things you could do.

Food was first, with you going to your favorite restaurant to get whatever you wanted--except alcohol, since you were driving yourself around.  After that, you went to the nearest mall and browsed, ogling the puppies in one of the shop windows and buying yourself a nice sun dress to go with your new makeover.  Strolling around downtown opened a few doors you hadn't been expecting, as you caught sight of one or two advertised classes or workshops that caught your interest, Levi’s suggestion that you pick up a once a week hobby that got you out of the house regularly flashing through your mind.  You finished up your night with a movie, the sun having set long ago by the time you left, and a longing to get back to the twins now firmly rooted in your chest.

You'd decide if you were going to commit to a weekly class later after some online research and contemplation at home.

It was strange having a home with a driveway and a large stone gate, how you had to park and get our of the car to open the gate before you could drive inside, and having to get out again to close it behind you.  You felt like you were driving up to some ancient, off limits castle instead of somewhere you were living.

I really need to liven this place up, you thought as your gaze flickered across the plain front lawn, driving the car up to where it usually stayed when it wasn't being used and putting it in park.  You gathered your things and, mindful that it was an hour that the twins should be asleep, you quietly entered the house.

It was completely silent inside, which put you on edge as much as it helped relax you a bit not to be greeted with chaos.  But Levi didn't appear to see who entered the house or show you the twins were fine, either.

As you set your bags by the door, you were fighting off fearful thoughts, things like Levi making off with the twins while you were gone.  So as soon as you were free from the things you needed to carry inside, you started searching, going straight up to the bedrooms and peeking your head inside to confirm that the twins weren’t in the cribs in either room.  You went up to the library next to see if the door was locked and Levi was inside, but it was empty.  At that point, you were starting to panic, hurrying downstairs in a rush to check the kitchen to see if Levi was feeding them in there--he wasn’t.  You were basically running when you checked the living room, and promptly came to a full halt at the scene inside.

Two bare feet sticking out from behind the couch caused you to hurry forward enough you could see what was on the other side.  The floor blanket playmat thing you’d bought a while back for the babies was spread out and plush on the floor, on top of the carpet for extra cushion.  Both babies were lying on their backs asleep, one of the baby blankets thrown over them to keep them warm and a few baby toys lying on the ground around them, like a rattle or a few stuffed animals.  Beside them, lying on his side with one arm draped protectively over them, was Levi, asleep for once as you’d rarely seen him do.  You weren’t sure he intended to fall asleep here, but he’d definitely planned on being here for a while based on the pillow he had under the elbow of his other arm, which might have been propping up his head before he fell asleep.

Frankly, you were surprised that none of them had woken up with all your running about.  And...you were a little glad, too, because now you got to see this scene.

You lingered, deciding against waking him up for the time being.  They all looked so...peaceful right now.  The scene was soft and warm, Levi’s hair falling gently in front of a face that was suddenly gentle and missing signs of hardness or harsh edges.  He looked perfectly comfortable and at peace lying there beside the twins, and you kind of wished he’d stay like this solely because...well, he seemed more approachable like this, at least to you.  He looked...sweet, lying there with the twins.  Even the twins looked slightly more peaceful than normal when they slept, like they were aware they were being protected while they slept, safe under his arm.

After simply gazing at the scene for several long minutes, you left them alone--at least for now--and retrieved your things by the door to put them away.  Almost all of it went to your room, so it was one quick, quiet trip and then you were coming back downstairs.  Levi and the twins were still asleep in the living room, but now you didn’t have an excuse to delay, and the twins really should have been asleep in their crib.  So, quietly, you knelt down beside Levi, reaching out to gently touch his shoulder to wake him up.

He took a sharp breath in as he stiffened, eyelids opening even though his eyes were foggy and darting around to take in his surroundings, leaning slightly back to look at you.  Once he realized it was you, he started to relax slightly, rolling his shoulders and starting to sit up.

“It’s late.  Let’s get them in their cribs,” you said softly, receiving a grunt from Levi in acknowledgement as he sat up and gently pulled the blanket off of Asa, wrapping Ida up as he gently picked her up, taking care not to wake her in the process.  You picked up Asa in the meantime, freezing for a heartbeat when Asa twitched and you thought he might wake up before, thankfully, he settled back down, and you were able to get to your feet without waking him.

This was one of the few times you would let Levi into your room, just for the few moments it took for him to safely put one of the twins in the crib.  He made sure they were covered and warm, lying on their back without anything in the way before he backed up to the doorway, leaning on the frame just outside your bedroom.

“How was the spa?” he asked you as he watched you situate Asa in his crib, watching the twins for a few moments just to make sure they really were going to fall asleep.

“Very nice,” you said honestly, a little part of you in the back of your mind grateful that the two of you had at least gotten to the point you could have simple conversation.  “I even rescheduled...a month out.”

Levi’s gaze wandered to the sun dress you had laying on the bed.  “And had a shopping spree afterwards?”

You shrugged, stepping away from the cribs and making your way towards the doorway.  Levi stepped out of your way and let you walk by, closing the door behind you before he followed you back down the stairs to the living room.

“Not really.  I browsed a few places, but didn’t buy much.  I had dinner, saw a movie, walked around downtown--just a regular night out,” you said simply, starting to pick up the baby toys on the floor.  Levi helped, especially since he’d contributed to the mess, folding up the blanket and putting the pillows back up on the couch.

“Will you be going out again?  Before next month’s appointment?” Levi asked casually, though you were well aware he was hoping this one day out had inspired you to get out of the house more.

“Maybe.  I’m looking at some things, I’ll let you know,” you murmured, playing idly with the stuffed animal in your hand.  “What about while I was gone?  They weren’t too fussy, were they?”

“They seemed fairly content.  I think they were looking for their mother sometimes, though,” Levi said honestly.  You appreciated the honesty.  As much as it tasted bittersweet that they’d missed you, you also appreciated that he didn’t try to claim they’d been perfectly happy without you, with just him to keep them company.  At least he hadn’t made it sound like they didn’t need you.  “You look different.”

You turned to look at him, stuffed animals in your arms with your hand wrapped around the baby rattle.  “You booked the full package, didn’t you?  It was practically a full makeover.”  You shifted, suddenly a little self-conscious, though you couldn’t for the life of you figure out why.  “Is that a bad thing?”

“Never said it was.”

An awkward silence lingered between the two of you for a few moments, what could have been a nice moment spoiled by the tension of the history between the two of you as you turned away.  “I’ve been running around all day.  I’m going to head to bed...I’ll see you in the morning,” you said softly, already leaving the room before you even finished talking.

You were tired, and you wanted to rest, but you also wanted to get out while the conversation was positive, leave things on a good note before the two of you had the chance to spoil it by accident or bringing up things that didn’t need brought up.

Let this moment stay a good day, a good memory.  Which was exactly what it became when you were able to fall asleep that night without any other incident.

(One Month Later)

You had slowly grown used to the house, made it your own.  There were still a few things that made you reluctant to call it home, namely the continued awkwardness and unease living with Levi, but you were starting to be able to coexist with him, which was the important thing.  You had your spots around the house now, places you liked to be.  There was your room of course, but now there was also the library, where you liked to go up to the balcony floor to read, and outside, where you were working on some yard work to make the place feel more at home.  You were planning on putting outside toys in the back when the twins were old enough--sprinklers on a water hose for the kids to play in, a playhouse, swing sets, that kind of thing.  In the front, you were more worried about plant life--flowers, trees, bushes, the like.  Maybe put in some rock beds.  If you were lucky, maybe you could even convince Levi to let you put in a fountain or two--make the place look nice.  You were determined to put in the flowers, bushes, and at least one tree.  You still needed to talk to Levi to see if remodeling the front and back lawn was part of his ‘make this place yours’ statement, but you were drawing up plans for larger alterations while making the smaller ones like the rock beds, bushes, and flowers.

At the moment, however, you were looking for something a bit less laborious than gardening.  You just wanted some quiet time in the library while the twins were down for a nap, which meant you were heading up to the tower with the baby monitor on your person, hoping that Levi wasn’t currently holed up in there with the door locked, which would have meant your plans were entirely spoiled and you’d have to think of something new.

You paused with your hand hovering over the doorknob, able to hear Levi’s voice once again, faintly, from the other side of the door.

Shit, he was in there, which meant the door was probably locked, and you couldn’t go in.  So much for a bit of reading for your time to yourself.

You started to back away from the door, but paused, that curiosity that you had managed to keep at bay for these past few months cropping up much stronger and more intense than it had been, especially when you knew all you had to do...was press your ear up to the door for a few minutes and listen, just long enough to get context and figure out what might be going on behind that door, combined with what you saw of him afterwards usually--though usually he disappeared to his room or the bathroom directly afterwards unless he was needed.

You really should just walk away.  Part of you was afraid to know what was happening behind that door.  But at the same time, the curiosity was killing you.

Fuck it.  Just get it over with.

Slowly and hesitantly, so you didn’t make any noise that might give you away, you gently pressed your ear against the wood, closing your eyes to focus more on what you heard and not get distracted by the grains in the wood or something.

For a few moments, you didn’t really...hear anything.  Just soft but heavy breathing--well, if you could hear it, it was probably panting.  There was the softest grunt, and you heard him speak again.

“There.  Right there…” Levi said, his voice sounding a little strained and followed by a low moan.

Wait a second…

You strained you ears to try and catch maybe another voice, a different pitch, but all you could hear was Levi, no one else.  Which made you doubt your brief moment of almost realization.

But then you heard a low chuckle that made a tingle go down your spine in an almost conditioned response.  “Faster?  Impatient today, aren’t we?”

Oh yeah, that was definitely what was going on in there.  It would explain why the few times you saw him afterwards he looked disheveled and a little sweaty if he didn’t get a chance to clean up first.  As for the lack of a responding individual...well, either he was rubbing one out for himself, which would suggest a stupidly high sex drive bordering on addiction with how long and often he was up here, or he was performing for an audience that wasn’t necessarily here.

Whichever it was, you really didn’t want to be listening much longer now that you had a hint about what was going on in there.

Also, if there was an audience, it would explain why he wouldn’t want you walking in on that.

You shook your head after pulling away from the door and hurried back down the spiral staircase, trying desperately to erase the image that your mind easily called up with your...extensive experience with Levi what you were now forced to realize was hardly a year ago.  A whole year since the wild three months of regular wild sex that had led to the situation you were in now.

And now that you thought about it...he hadn’t once touched you since that last night.  Not at all.  Only accidental brushes or the occasional assistance with the twins, or when he’d carried you into the house that first night here.

You didn’t think you hated him anymore, after the past five months with him and the twins.  But you still didn’t like him.  Still, you couldn’t help but wonder...what were the two of you?  What were you now, and what were you going to be?  Was there even a name for whatever this arrangement between the two of you?

Maybe you just needed to wait a little longer and find out what would happen next.

But right now, you really didn’t want to be thinking about what he was doing up in that tower.  You’d been right the first time, it would have been better if your curiosity remained in check.  Now you were going to have to try and avoid thinking about what he was doing up there every time he locked himself in the damn library.

Fuck.

(Two Months Later)

*Levi’s POV*

While domestic life was gradually getting easier between Levi and Y/N, especially with her getting out of the house for glass blowing lessons every week--that hadn't been what he expected her to pick up, but he wasn't going to complain so long as she was getting out every now and then--Levi was mostly focused on the twins, who had been growing rather rapidly.  Not abnormally so, just, he hadn't expected them to grow this quickly.  Y/N was practically ordering new clothes for them through the catalogues monthly, though he had a feeling she was also trying to get ahead of the growth spurt, buying clothes for one year and older as well and not just the seven months they were currently at.

With both of them not working, considering they were living off the mass of wealth Levi had stolen and accumulated over the centuries and the money he'd made in more modern times doing sex work, they were both there for many of the firsts with the twins.

Two months in, the now calm coexistence with Y/N had still been rough and more tense than anything.  But that had also been the time when Levi had entered the same room as Y/N when she was walking the twins around for some sight seeing outside the bedroom.  As he rounded the corner and approached, Asa had turned his little head at the sound of Levi's approach and smiled for the first time upon locking eyes with Levi.  It had cut him right to the heart--in a good way, and softened his expression immediately, a faint smile flickering across his face as well with the bright look his son was giving him, and one of his firsts, at that.

The first thing Asa smiled at in this world had been him.

Of course, he'd tried to hide it, simply because at that point he was worried about how Y/N would react knowing Levi got the first smile from the twins.  Thankfully, Ida smiled at her mother a few days later, which made Levi relax a bit once more with the relief of Y/N getting the same first with Ida, at least.  The last thing he'd wanted was her to have another reason to be jealous or upset with him.

Not that he could help it, or would apologize for it.

His son smiled for the first time when he saw him.  How could that make him feel bad, besides when he overthought it on his own time worrying about how Y/N perceived him?

While he dodged a bullet with the first smile thing, since it was split between the two of them, the first laugh was singular to him, and him alone, for both twins.  Thankfully that had been roughly around the four month mark, and Y/N had been far more tolerant and forgiving of him by then--hell, she’d been willing to let him take care of the twins on his own while she went out for a day to herself.  That was progress.

One of the twins he’d made laugh by accident, while the other was definitely on purpose, though he hadn’t known it was their first laugh at the time, so he’d felt a little guilty that he’d accidentally made it so he shared more of the firsts with the twins than she did.

Ida had been the first one he made laugh, and it had been entirely by accident.  Him and Y/N started to get into a bit of an argument over something petty, as usual, something that didn’t matter overall and was mostly fueled by the old wounds between them instead of the matter they were arguing over.  The twins happened to be in the room at the time, and in an effort to get the topic to be dropped so the twins wouldn’t have to be in the room as it escalated into a full-blown fight, Levi had looked away with his signature, dismissive ‘Tch’ sound.

That little sound had made Ida giggle and squirm happily while staring at him with a wide smile, which had effectively shut down any argument they’d been having in favor of the fact one of their twins had laughed for the first time.  More specifically, she’d laughed at the funny noise her father made, but still she’d laughed, and they’d both heard it.

And frankly, if she was around and he made that little noise, she would giggle at it.  It actually made him a little self-conscious of how often he made that noise.

Asa had clearly been the one he’d made laugh on purpose.  It had been while he was playing with the little boy, which right now consisted of simply tickles, silly little games, waving interesting objects in their face, that kind of thing.  Levi had been tickling his tummy and feet to keep Asa entertained while they laid on the floor, Asa on the play mat and Levi stretched out beside it, and as his hand came in for quick little tickles all across the little boy’s tummy and sides.  Asa had let out a squeal, legs lifting momentarily into the air and arms pinwheeling beside him and thumping into the ground at the tickles.

And again, Levi smiled in turn, not at that moment realizing it had been Asa’s first laugh.  That part came later, when he mentioned he’d gotten Asa to squeal-laugh while playing with him and he’d seen the downcast look on Y/N’s face.  That look had told him she’d missed something before she’d told him that was the first time Asa had laughed, and it had been because of Levi again, while she was out for the night at the glass blowing class she’d decided to give a try.

Again, he felt a little bad that he currently had experienced more of the children’s firsts by his own hand than she had, but he wasn’t going to let that taint the memories themselves.  They were still good, precious memories he was going to hold onto.

Like their first baths--actual baths, not the sponge baths they got for the first few weeks after coming home from the hospital.  That had taken some convincing, since that had been when the animosity was still fresh, but with Y/N’s supervision, he’d been able to give them their first baths, which he’d insisted on doing.  The twins hadn’t been sure how to react to the experience, both of them appearing to find it all strange and new, but not yet deciding if it was a good or bad thing.  Ida kept trying to grab everything he used to clean her to inspect them, but he kept it firmly out of her reach and stayed focused on very carefully cleaning every part of them so there wasn’t a trace of filth or stink on them, leaving their skin smooth and soft since he’d been careful they didn’t end up dried out, either.  In his opinion, they seemed a bit more active and squirmy afterwards, like they’d been pleased with the clean feeling afterwards despite the alien experience.

He was definitely there when Y/N started to slowly get them eating food instead of just breastmilk.  That was still new, since it was usually recommended around the six month mark, which they hadn’t passed that long ago.  It was strictly baby food right now, no soft melting finger foods yet, just spoon fed baby food, but it was still a graduation from breast milk, which had Levi excited that his anxiety over Y/N possibly being impatient to pump milk and feeding them straight from the source would finally be over when they graduated completely from breast feeding.  When he was the one feeding them, he was always careful to make sure they were paced no matter how eager to eat they might be, and that they didn’t get too much in their little mouths, so they wouldn’t inhale the food and choke.  And, of course, he was always trying to make it as neat of an experience as possible, to the point he’d gotten pretty good at catching stray baby food with the spoon without leaving any traces behind.

They were also able to sit up by now, in a way.  That one was Y/N’s doing--she’d apparently sat with them on the couch and discovered they could officially sit up as long as they were propped on something, which meant that they could play with some toys to entertain themselves on their own for a little while as they read or watched a movie or whatever it was that they wanted to do.  Y/N liked to prop them up on the crescent shaped pillow with a few baby toys within reach and read books from the library.  Levi, however, was still in a mindset to snatch each and every moment he could, just in case Y/N’s favor towards him turned foul in the future and these moments became scarce.  So when the twins were with him, usually all of his attention was on them.  He, of course, tended to have the lingering feeling like this was time he was being allowed to have and he needed to make the most of it.

Even though he was painfully aware of the fact that he and the twins had an eternity stretched in front of them as long as nothing terrible happened, and Y/N only had a few short years with them.  If anyone should be acting like every moment was a rare allowance, it was her, but she wasn’t aware she was on a clock, and he didn’t like to think about it--not at this early stage.  Let her enjoy these years of firsts and infancy in peace, let the memories be pure.  He’d tell her when they got a bit older.  While she still had a few years left, but after the first couple of innocent years had passed untainted by the knowledge.

They were rolling over now, too, which had Levi a little leery about the house.  He was thinking about officially baby proofing it, and just how gung-ho he wanted to go with it.  Considering they had twins and they were his children, it was probably better to be safe than sorry.

Ridiculous amounts of baby proofing it was.  Until some of them frustrated the hell out of him and he realized the lack of necessity for some of them through trial and error.  But right now, if they were going to be crawling around and exploring soon, all sharp edges and dangerous items and open electrical sockets needed taken care of.  And gates needed to be put up.  Fuck, were there baby gates for grand double staircases?

At the moment, it was a rare moment of familial quiet time in the library, the twins snoozing on the baby mat in front of Y/N piled on top of each other like kittens clutching toys and stuffed animals, Y/N curled up on the couch with a book down below while Levi perused his collection on the second floor looking for something he wouldn’t mind reading again.  A lot of the books here were ones that he’d read before and decided they were worth keeping a copy of because he felt they could be read more than once.

As he was passing by the window, moving from one bookshelf to another, he glanced outside, past the large semi-finished lawn and to the street he could view from this high up at this particular window.  However, his movement was brought to a halt in front of the window, gaze fixed on the same spot with burning intensity as he took a step closer to the window to get a better look.

There was someone standing on the opposite side of the street, looking up at the house with as much attention as Levi was currently looking down on them.  The people walking around on the street didn’t seem to notice he was even there, as if it was just open air.  The tingle on the back of Levi's neck confirmed he was seeing someone currently in between, someone keeping themselves unseen to the human eye.  He didn’t have a name for the person he was gazing at, but there was faint recognition.  He felt like it might have been one of the demons who had initially dragged him back to the Infernal Council trial that had led to Levi having to impregnate Y/N.  A vengeance demon, if he remembered properly, and not at all a friend.  A threat, at the very least.

Their gazes locked, and a dangerous burn entered Levi’s gaze, body tensing as he realized he couldn’t let confirmation of where he and the twins were living get out.

I see you.

Y/N wasn’t paying attention to him at the moment, thankfully, so Levi shifted into the in between himself, wings unfurling as he stepped right through what had been a physical wall, his wings controlling the rapid descent as he made a beeline for the other demon that was turning to make a run for it.  The other demon just had to get the information to someone else.  Levi just had to silence him before he could.

The other demon took off with bat-like wings smaller than Levi’s own draconic ones, trying to zip through small places and outmaneuver him.  Levi, however, wasn’t shaken, following with ease and rapidly gaining speed, coming closer and closer as they flew above the roofs of homes and businesses.  Finally, the vengeance demon made the mistake Levi had been counting on him making, and he tried to plummet down and enter Hell so he could shout the information to the nearest demons and let gossip and natural spread of information do the rest.

However, as soon as he tucked in those wings and started to plummet, Levi tucked in as well, diving with the speed and accuracy of a bird swooping down upon an unsuspecting mouse.  His arms wrapped around the other demon with a snarl, turning them both to the side and keeping them from shifting one more plane down into Hell.  They crashed to the ground, Levi making sure the other demon was taking the brunt of the fall before he jumped back up to his feet two paces away from the other demon.  As the other let out a frustrated growl and his twisted true form burst through, Levi’s eyes narrowed, his own human form bleeding away to reveal his demon form, wings, horns, tail, and all.

This was a slightly more matched fight.  Vengeance demons could be vicious, but they were oddly enough considered a lower class of demon like incubi and succubi.  Though he still had some nasty natural weapons Levi was going to have to be mindful of if he wanted to come out of this fight on top.  Like those claws he was staring at, or the fangs.  Vengeance demons certainly weren’t crafted for allure like incubi were, looking more like the Dracula vampire form in the Hugh Jackman Van Helsing movie.

Thankfully, one good thing about all the deals he’d been making and years he’d been gaining, was that he was pumped full of vitality and strength, more than he normally was.  Clearly the Council hadn’t been thinking about that little side effect when they put him in the position to have to make this damn deal.

The other demon lunged at Levi, who stood his ground and lowered his body into a charging position at the last moment, his horns now perfectly aligned to impale the demon that charged him.  When the other howled, Levi quickly backed up before he left his neck exposed any longer than necessary, moving out of range of those wicked claws that slashed at him.  Black ichor dripped down his horns and onto his skin, gold and black eyes flashing as he braced himself for another attack.  The demon lunged itself at him again, and this time Levi met him head on, hands flashing through the air as the two exchanged blows, Levi deflecting most of the others hits and landing a few solid hits of his own, causing black blood to spatter onto the pavement below.  Some of it, unfortunately, was his own.  Those claws managed to do a bit of damage even when Levi deflected since they were so damn sharp, breaking skin wherever they connected.  Levi ignored the sting, however, and stayed focused on the fight, stepping back and leaning away every now and then to avoid the snapping fangs that tried to savagely rip at any flesh it could come into contact with.

Levi ducked and weaved around the other demon, keeping his attacks quick, his movements agile, doing his best not to let the other demon land any solid hits on him as he methodically tore them apart.  The other demon could probably sense he wasn’t going to win this fight, his attacks turning wild and unrefined, Levi able to dodge almost all of them as he put the demon on the ground, pinning him beneath Levi’s weight as he proceeded to beat them to death.

It was a brutal way to go, but he didn’t have any demonic weapons on hand to finish him off, so it would have to be by his own hands.  Killing demons could be tricky, and this was someone he couldn’t let slip through the cracks and risk telling people where Levi and the twins were.

Mid swing, when the demon below him started to look like a bloody pulp, a sudden surge of strength from the being beneath him caught Levi off guard, and he felt sharp claws sink into his abdomen, slender, bony fingers pushed past--it felt like it went all the way through, at least barely.  Levi choked, pain wracking his body, but determination and fierce protectiveness for the little family he had back at that mansion pushed him through it so he could slam the full weight of his fist into the demon’s temple while its head was pressed against the ground, hearing a sick crack and feeling the hand that had impaled him go limp.  He didn’t remove it, yet, knowing that would only cause the bleeding to worsen and the injury to get worse, which he did not need right now.

A few more hits, and he was certain the vengeance demon wasn’t going to be getting back up.  There was no breath, no heartbeat, and he still did another hit or two--overkill, yes--just to be sure.

He needed to get back home.  He needed to take care of this, before he bled out and died.  This was arguably worse than the wounds Zeke gave him.

Being extremely careful he didn’t cause any more damage than was inevitable, Levi let his wings unfurl again, ready to take flight the moment he was free as he slowly pulled the clawed fingers out of his torso.  The demon beneath him was already turning a matte black and seemed to be crumbling, which confirmed that yes, they were very dead, and no one would be able to retrieve the information of where Levi and the others were located.

Though he really needed to figure out what trail had led the demon there in the first place.  He’d have to ask Furlan to look into that.

Those thoughts could wait for later.

As soon as the fingers were clear, Levi pressed his arm against the holes in his abdomen to try and staunch the flow of black ichor, wings already lifting him into the air with temporarily powerful beats in the air, carrying him as fast as he could manage back home.  By now Y/N would have noticed his sudden disappearance, but she was going to have to deal with his disappearing act a little longer.  He didn’t want her seeing this.

By the time the house appeared within view again, Levi was barely keeping himself in the air, head swimming as he bobbed and weaved almost drunkenly through the sky, breaths labored as he simply aimed for making it to the bathroom in the house.

It was a crash landing, Levi ending up curled up on his side on the cold floor as his demon form slowly bled away and gave way to his human form again and he fazed back to the physical plane, skin clammy and eyes half-open as his gaze roamed his familiar bathroom.  His foot weakly kicked the door shut.  He dragged himself over to the cabinet he kept the towels in, dragging out the black ones to press hard against his wound while his bloody hand reached for his phone to make a call--or rather, text--for help.

Human hands or means he couldn’t die from.  Demons and Angels, supernatural beings, that was another story.  Which was why he couldn’t let himself bleed out here in the bathroom.  He had two children that were going to need him after their mother was gone, and he needed assistance with this injury.

The bastard had actually gotten a good last hit on him, and he hated it.

I need help.  Don’t let Y/N see you, the text read when he sent it.  Now all he had to do was sit and wait and hope he didn’t bleed out before help came.

He was borderline unconscious when Isabel finally showed up, walking through the In Between so Y/N wouldn’t see her and she could just walk through walls instead of worrying about locks and doors.  Her words were far away when she picked him up off the floor and leaned him against the wall, but it didn’t take much to figure out what she was trying to say to him despite his current condition.

“Vengeance demon was watching the house.  Had to take care of him before he told anyone,” Levi murmured as Isabel got a good look at the injury, moving around the bathroom to find the first aid supplies Levi kept, water, more towels, things like that.

“A vengeance demon did this to you?” Isabel asked skeptically.  Levi snorted acerbically.

“Caught me off guard.  Guess I’m a little rusty,” he mumbled.

“It’s fixable, but it’s not going to be pleasant.  Your healing’s done part of the work already, but try not to move or fall asleep for a while.”

“I know the drill...Isabel...I don’t know how he found out about the house, but--”

“I know.  I’ll tell Furlan, see what we can find.  Maybe you guys should go to one of the other safe houses until we find out where the leak is.”

Levi shook his head.  “No...Y/N’s just started to settle in and get a life again.  I don’t want to move her.”

“Tell her it’s a vacation.  Go to that beach cottage you love so much.  Take the kids to see the ocean.  Just for a couple weeks, and then right back after we figure this out.”

“...Maybe.  We’ll see.”

There was a knock on the door, and both of them grew quiet, Levi becoming a bit more alert and trying to sit up as Y/N’s voice sounded from the other side of the door.

“Levi?  Are you in there?”

Levi cleared his throat, taking a moment to make sure there wouldn’t be traces of pain or weakness in his voice as he asked a quick, simple, “What?”

“You disappeared, I just...are you okay?”

“Fine,” he said, his tone almost curt, though he made sure it was soft enough she wouldn’t think he was angry at her.

“Okay, but...I have my class tonight, so you’re going to have to watch the twins in an hour or so.”

Levi cursed in his mind, grinding his teeth together.  “I’ll call Isabel, then.”

There were a few long moments of silence where Isabel stared at him, Levi well aware he just accidentally tipped his hand if Y/N had learned anything about him and how he felt about the twins.  He never gave up a chance to be around them and take care of them, and was always more than willing to have one on one time with them.

The doorknob rattled, the door starting to open since neither Levi nor Isabel had bothered to lock it--or in Levi’s case, hadn't been in a condition to lock it.  Levi quickly leaned over and pushed it shut before she could get it open enough to see what was happening inside, his hand pressed flat against the door and a low groan of pain escaping him at the sudden movement.  He hoped she hadn’t heard that, with how his face was maybe two inches off the floor, the sound quiet and maybe not heard over the click of the door shutting.

“I respect your privacy.  Do the same for me...please,” Levi ground out, tagging on the last part so he wouldn’t come off too harsh.  They were finally getting in a good place, he didn’t want to ruin that because he was hurt and his answers were a bit brisk right now.

There were a few moments of silence again, except this time, Y/N simply walked away.  Isabel was right next to him, a hand pressed against his injury to keep it from bleeding more since he’d just agitated it, helping him to get back in a sitting position.  This time he managed to keep the gasp contained, though the pain was spelled out across his face, surely.

“Babysitting?” he asked Isabel briefly as she got back to work on his injury.

“I’ve got it,” she answered just as quietly.

Damn, he was glad he had at least some friends to help him with all this.  He’d be shit outta luck if he didn’t have Isabel and Furlan.

Levi leaned his head back and let Isabel do her work, simply focusing on enduring the pain and keeping his eyes open as his mind raced with what he should do now.

Predictably, Y/N hadn’t been open to leaving the house for a vacation when she was finally making it home and she had her weekly classes.  She’d been open to the vacation in the future, but right now, she wanted to stay here with the babies, and she had not been open to leaving.  So, Isabel, Furlan, and Levi had to work around that stubbornness to make sure the house remained safe, and Levi had to default to settling for his other, more long term safety measure.

It wasn’t a full solution, but it was a nice start, and it would do more than just add a bit of security to the property.

He had an unannounced day out besides a bit of a warning to Y/N earlier that morning, telling her he didn’t know how long he would be gone, but that he should at least be back in time for dinner.  She didn’t get angry this time--she’d stopped getting angry when he left, since now it was part of normal everyday life and the twins had been home for a few months now.  Not to mention, he rarely went out on days that varied from his usual, except when there was something he needed to do or get for them.

The first three-fourths of his day was spent searching for the perfect fit.  He went to several stores, some out of town, looking for the perfect one, which was a lot more difficult than it might have been for normal people.  The last small part of the day was reserved for supplies, which would be easy once he finally settled on his choice.  He’d done a bit of research two or three days prior, and he knew generally what he was looking for.  Now it was just the matter of finding the right one.

He was looking for a dog.

A puppy, more accurately.  Very young, probably recently started on the transition away from their mother.  He wanted a puppy so that he could start training early, and so that the little one could grow up with the twins and they could form a comfortable bond.  He already knew the breeds he was looking at, he’d narrowed it down to a Doberman pinscher or a German shepherd, and since he knew what age he wanted, it should have been easy, right?

No.  It wasn’t.  Not for a demon.  Dogs could sense the infernal nature in him, and they were not very welcoming whenever he walked into a kennel or a pet store.  Most of them growled or barked or were on edge when he entered.  It might have been another reason he was looking for a puppy.  If he got them that young, they could learn to be comfortable around him and the twins, instead of naturally being hostile.  But it was also making his search a little more difficult.  Not only did he have to find a puppy of one or both of the breeds that fit what he was looking for, he had to find one that took to him fairly well that wasn’t going to be on edge because of his infernal blood.

It didn’t help he could feel some judgmental looks from the caretakers whenever all the dogs responded negatively to him.  He ignored it, though.  If he looked long enough, surely he’d eventually find one that would warm up to him.

His search finally came to an end not at a pet store or a shelter, but at someone’s home.  They’d put up an add that their dogs had puppies and they were selling most of them, and he’d decided to give it a try.  The Doberman father of the puppies had admittedly tried to bite him when he arrived, but the owners had put the dog in another room and brought him into the room they were keeping the puppies in.  The German shepherd mother they had to put on a leash, because she nearly freaked out when Levi was brought into the same room as her puppies, but thankfully the owners were still letting him look.  Patiently, Levi took a seat on the ground instead of the couches, putting himself on the level of the puppies who were old enough to be wandering around and be separated from their mother if they were picked, but young enough they were still being kept around her.

Most of the puppies scattered and hid or went to their mother, but there were two or three brave souls who wanted to check him out and see what this new person that smelled funny to them was.  One left after the mother barked at them when they got too close, and another wouldn’t get close enough for Levi to touch them, but the third…

The puppy was a boy, more Doberman in coloration, but with a German shepherd lean in body structure.  He had little light brown eyebrow and ear markings, a soft light brown underbelly marking and up half of his legs, two light brown, symmetrical patches at the front of its chest, a light brown muzzle, and a little tuft of white/grey fur running in a stripe from nose to between the eyes.  This little guy ignored any warnings from his siblings and mother and went up to Levi, albeit hesitantly, who stayed still and let the puppy sniff him experimentally, occasionally jumping back as if he kept expecting Levi to do something before he would approach again.  When he got comfortable enough to linger around Levi, he carefully extended a hand and let the puppy sniff him, even letting it nibble playfully on his fingers before he very gently and carefully gave the tiny puppy a few gentle pets.  After that, he seemed rather confident, crawling right into Levi’s lap and looking for a comfortable position as he snuggled in.

Finally.  Ironic how it ended up being a mix of the two breeds he’d been looking for.  Or maybe that was part of what made it so perfect.

After that he just had to talk to the owners about price and what the puppy had already been given regarding shots and the like, and if they were already starting house training him or were leaving that for the next owner.  He had the whole discussion with the puppy in his lap, acting as if it was entirely normal that this was happening.  He had twins that happily lolled around in his lap--thankfully they weren’t crawling yet--so a puppy making a happy home in his lap was nothing.

After the discussion with the owner and paying, Levi left with one very tiny nine week old puppy who was already asleep tucked under his arm.  It might not have been the safest, but he let the little guy stay there and drove back to the best store he’d been to one handed, the puppy in his arms waking up at the drastic change in the air after the car came to a stop and Levi stepped inside.  He sat the puppy down in the grass to do his business before picking him back up in his arm and heading inside to get all the dog supplies he needed--with help from one of the store associates, who talked to him about what he’d need for a puppy, and he needed to talk to in order to set up training lessons as well--the basics, at least.  The more advanced guard dog stuff would have to wait until the puppy was older and would probably need a different kind of trainer.

He also let the little guy run around on the floor in the toy aisle to pick some toys while he worried about dog food, bed, leash, collar, food bowls, all that kind of stuff.  The collar ended up being a dark green and gold one, which he got a nameplate for at the kiosk in the store.

Which also meant he needed to come up with a name for the puppy on the spot.

He watched the little guy after filling out address and phone number for if he got lost, the name the only thing still needed as he watched the puppy bounding around, currently entertained with a canvas toy he was absolutely enamored by, tail wagging furiously as he gnawed on the toy.

Hmm...a guard dog...but he didn’t want it terribly cliché, so nothing like Cerberus, Spike, Fang, or anything like that.  Maybe something the twins might eventually be able to say with ease--in a way.

Levi cocked his head to the side, giving it a few more minutes of thought before he finally keyed in CAPTAIN in big letters to have engraved onto the golden name plate.

Once he had everything, Levi and Captain headed back to the car, all of the stuff loaded into the back and Captain getting a seat of honor in his lap where Levi could make sure that the puppy was safe during the drive--after he was let out into the grass again, just to make sure he didn’t need to relieve himself again before they got in the car.

Normally, he probably should have brought this up to Y/N first, but after the encounter with the vengeance demon, Levi wanted some kind of layer of protection for the family he now had to take care of.  He couldn’t ask Isabel and Furlan to constantly keep an eye on the house, and no security system in the world, no matter how state of the art, was going to be able to protect against a demon walking through the In Between plane.

But a dog, a dog could see--a bit--creatures that walked in the In Between.  Cats could, too--animals in general had always been sensitive about that kind of thing.  But a dog he could train to alert them when there was something in the In Between lurking around the property.  It could help if Levi wasn’t around, or if Levi wasn’t somewhere he could see with a glance out the window.  It was another layer of protection, even if it was slight, and it would help Levi have a bit of peace of mind that they would be a little safer on the grounds.  It would take a lot of hard work and training when the dog was older, training him to growl or bark a certain way when there was a demon in the In Between lurking around, but not to bark or growl at Levi or Furlan when they were walking around in the In Between.

He’d figure it out when the puppy was older.  Right now, it was all about integration into the house...and convincing Y/N to let the fact he’d done this without asking her slide.  And convincing her it was a good idea.

When he came home, he once again let the puppy in the grass to do its business, having been told by the store owner that the puppy was going to go all the time in this early stage and he’d have to be vigilant and patient, and that messes inside were inevitable until the puppy was old enough to be properly potty trained, and he eventually was trained successfully.

Twins and a puppy...he really was taking on a lot at once, but...he needed this extra layer of protection for the twins, and he needed the puppy to be young so he could get them used to demons, for his and the twins sakes.  He couldn’t exactly wait, either, considering the threat was real now, even if he wasn’t planning on making it known to Y/N.  Not yet, anyway.

Once Captain had done his business once more, Levi scooped him up and headed inside, leaving the supplies and toys in the car for now.

As soon as the door closed behind them, he heard Y/N moving from the living room, coming over to the foyer with Asa in hand and then freezing when she saw the tiny excited thing wiggling in Levi’s arms wanting to run over and check out the new person and the new surroundings.

“What the hell?” Y/N asked, sounding for the moment too stunned to be angry.

Levi kept a firm hold on Captain, unaware where Ida was and wanting to be safe for the time being.  He planned on Captain getting used to the twins scents and adjusting to being around himself and Y/N before he did an actual first meeting, so he was keeping a tight hold on the puppy for the moment.

“I know I didn’t give you any warning, but this...is Captain.  He’s going to be our new guard dog...eventually,” he said, scratching Captain behind the ear and watching as the puppy turned to investigate, nibbling at his fingers again.

“You got a puppy,” Y/N said blankly, still staring, though Levi didn’t miss how she held Asa a little tighter.

“A puppy can adjust to being around three demons.  And he can grow up with the twins, too, so they’re used to each other,” Levi explained.

“And you didn’t think to ask me first?” she asked pointedly, and Levi grimaced inwardly.  The question that he couldn’t get around.

“I did,” he said honestly.

“But you didn’t ask me.”

“Because it was something I was going to do regardless,” Levi said, giving the puppy little strokes along its head as it licked at the hand holding it.

“You should have asked me.”

“Yes,” he agreed.  “But it still doesn’t change anything.  We need a guard dog, and the best way to go about it is get a young puppy to raise with the twins and get used to being around demons.”

“We need one?” she asked incredulously.

“Yes.  A guard dog can do what a security system can’t for us,” Levi said calmly.  “I won’t be pushing any more responsibilities off on you--I’ll be training and taking care of him, you won’t have to worry about him, usually.  Except the few times I’m not home and he needs let out.”

“Are you sure having a puppy around the twins is a good idea?  What if they don’t get along?” she asked in concern.

“I’m not going to throw them together right away.  I’m going to have him get used to their scent and make sure he associates good things with them first.  And I specifically got a breed that’s good with children and families.”

“Families?”

Levi glanced up at her, realizing for the first time the connotations he was bringing to light whenever he referred to or thought of them as a family.  A dysfunctional one, for sure, unique and with strange relationships...but they were, weren’t they?  Children, mother, father, even if mother and father weren’t together and had a strained relationship.  Now they even had a family dog.

“Is Ida in the other room?” he asked, instead of saying anything about his use of family.

“Yeah, she’s napping on the floor, Asa wore her out.”

Levi nodded.  “If it’s all right with you, I’m going to get a few things from your bedroom with the twins scent on them for him to start getting used to the smells before meeting the three of you.  I’ll keep it out of destructive reach and put him in my room while I bring his things in,” Levi explained, waiting for her express permission before he moved.

Hesitantly, Y/N nodded, still looking a little upset and unsure about the whole thing before Levi headed upstairs to start getting Captain settled into his new home.

Next Part---->

(Strikethroughs Couldn’t Be Tagged)

Everything Tags:  @antisteller​

Levi Tags:  @clary-quinn @humanitys-hottestsoldier @whalerus @sunny-flo @thirstyforsometea @hauntedhousecat @peaches-and-clouds @queenofcurse @wubbawubwub04 @lollobos @pasteldays @xcocolinox @itsmeaudrieee @macaronnv @tokyo-banana @apuci-kis-szornye @morgana-olson @yellowminb

A Demon’s Promise Tags:  @wo-ming-bai @rindulacre @seeeyounara @myherotrashbin @roseestuosity @drunkenlionart @mikamaek @logicallevi @whore-for-anime @krissykat0207 @september-sunsets @rockssocksthou @french-girl-online @kimuranini @tartxglia @beaniebanby @leviandhisgoonsquad 

[nocluewhatsupg]

Also, bitch i will make you an Asa only blog, don't try me >:] Can i get a nice slasher on slasher action with Asa and his male slasher s/o? Not smut, but like... killer friends? Idk

📻 and ✨ believe in Asa supremacy. 🙅, the more sane mod of this blog, does not agree.

Here’s Y/N dying of dehydration that we wrote at 3 am then forgot about for a week.

Asa x Male!Slasher!Reader

God fought in your stomach, twisting and pulling delicate flesh. Bile rose in your throat, coating a dry mouth and stinging. At 5:54, you arose from the dirty mattress you slept on, pushing the ratty blanket off of your frozen body. Raising a scarred right hand, you grasp a cheap wooden table with the strength you still had, and pulled. Drilled into the floor, the table was a good counterweight as you fully rose from a would-be grave.

6:00 came and went. Your meal was nowhere to be seen. What did move, rustling from stagnant stillness and shaking dust, was a doll hung high on the ceiling. In one, beady black eye, the glint of a camera. As you stare on, you did not feel the horror surrounding you. Panic, however, drowned the god in your stomach with a mighty wave.

This was a test. You were being tested.

You ran a dirt-covered, blood-soaked hand through your disheveled hair in pure exhaustion. Your eyes flicked around the cell you were kept in, a much better fate than nailed to the wall or stuffed in a trunk. It was barren, with only your mattress and a table. Thick iron bars separated the room in half, half where you were trapped, and half for visitors to stare and marvel at the collection.  There was nothing to hold, nothing to tear or burrow or slash. Control was slipping through your fingers, and you could feel it.

"Come on, man. We were friends, remember?" You call futilely to the void of a human watching you. "I-I scratched your back, you scratched mine?"

Using charm that dodged you death row, you spread your arms wide, opening yourself up like a bear trap and inviting him to pass the glimmering steel jaws. He did not fall for your friendly tricks. He could have you open and disarmed whenever he pleased.

The city was glorious. Under your booming voice and his silent sadism, the city trembled at your feet. It was only natural to join forces, to grow above a population so doltish it left its doors wide open to you. It was only natural to see you and him were a different breed to the simpletons you tormented, and you belonged together.

He didn't see as similar as you expected, or he simply didn't see it at all. The longer you spent clawing at your own skull inside a fabric laced box, earth shattering rage screaming in your head, you realized he was a different breed entirely to you. It wasn't about control to him. It was about collection. He never saw a partner, an opportunity like you'd spent your life chasing. He saw a curious specimen, and to your fury, something below him. The longer you thought about it, pacing around your cage, the more delusional he seemed.

Instead of the devil incarnate, he believed himself to be a god higher than the one that fought in your stomach. The ultimate higher being, while a dog of order, it was all for a higher cause.

You didn't have a job, and you couldn't keep the madness out of your eyes long enough to land one. It was always someone else that provoked you, and in your reason, if they left you alone it would've all been fine. He had a stable job, and the ability to leave and flit among the herd peacefully.

You, however, put your face in the blood, left caricatures pointing out your best features on the walls. You left mangled, torn survivors to scream of your terror in hospital beds as they died. You made yourself in the headlines, carving desperately your cursed name into the stone of history and praising yourself in human sacrifice.

He didn't even leave survivors. The press couldn't even come up with a funny name to dull the horror he created. Quick and impulsive, dealing little damage that built up as the week went on, versus his calm and planned, where his bi-monthly attacks were awful enough to trump all the work you've done in a year.

With a warm smile, you tasted sweet opportunity on your tongue, and charmed your way into his life. It used to be a monthly agreement, a collaboration to bring more pain to the city for no other reason than your entertainment. Then, the schedule and him along with it, changed to satisfy your voracious need for blood. Monthly became weekly, and you'd meet him in the cobweb covered basement of a local bar. On the knife-scratched oak table, he would display his week's work, blueprints and careful planning. He carried detail in every operation, and took twisted pride in discerning to you each step of the plan. It warmed your small, black heart how he showed you just how the night's activities would play out, just for your itchy trigger finger to ruin it all and force him to improvise.

While he wore his mask around the clock, you thought it looked nice in the dim lighting shady bar basements provided. You knew it looked better when it was covered in blood, multicolored LEDs bathing the dance floor in deep purples and blues, screaming mingling with pounding and high beat music. Impulse ran your very existence, somewhere around your first or second kill you realized it didn't matter what happened. We all die in the end, you either kill yourself or get killed. Not a second thought passed your mind after the first, solidified idea came, and you pressed in. The blood you'd smeared on your face as a makeshift mask smudged on his. Halfheartedly, he shoved an arm between the two of you, his slim knife catching on your shoulder. A survivor huddled in on herself as she pushed against the shadow darkened wall desperately, whimpering as she watched with eyes blown wide you pushing him back into the pool of blood on the floor. Someone important once said 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer', and you couldn't get closer than that.

You lick your lips, and no moisture transferred between. Time was running out. Pent up anger vibrated in your bones, and you begin to snap your fingers impatiently.

"Come on, I'm not asking for much. I'm sure there's a hell of a lot more people you've got who ask for more. All I want is some water. Simple thing." Most importantly, you did not plead. You bargained. "Just a little aqua, compadre."

He never was a fan of your quirky sort of humor, and even in the face of dehydration, you smiled the charming smile of a dysfunctional bear trap.  

Every piece of furniture in the hotel, from pure hell to castle-like, was carefully chosen to not only appear luxurious. It struck fear, the sheer normality and absurdity both. He drummed his fingers on the table, entertainment in both glowing eyes as he watched you flail wildly, desperate to catch the camera’s eye. The dim room he sat in was illuminated by only the screens before him, buzzing with knowledge and control. Beside him, sitting on the uninteresting wooden table, a tall glass of water. Cold to the point sweat had begun rolling off the clear glass, fresh from a tap, and what you were dying for kept just out of reach.

An alarm cried, beckoning for his attention. He tilts his head to the sound, a warm expression on his face as he thinks.

You'll survive just a few more minutes.

[bungou-stray-dingus]

If you’re still doing requests, can you please write chuuya and Dazai holding their new infant son/daughter and their new life of being a father?

CUTE

SUPER CUTE

BABIES ARE ADORABLE

OF COURSE I WILL WRITE

YESSES

I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!! WORK HAS BEEN CRAZY FOR ME AND IVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY EXHAUSTED BUT I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN!!!

❤️❤️❤️

Chuuya

The suitcase was packed, the nursery was set up, painted a beautiful pastel pink.

Chuuya sat up with you in the bed, holding your hand as he timed your contractions. He hated seeing you in pain, but he knew that the closer your contractions were, the closer it would be to meeting his daughter.

Finally your water broke, and he helped walk you to the car, pulling the suitcase behind him.

He wasn’t anticipating the wait, sure he read that it could take a couple hours for the baby to be born, but he was impatient and he just wanted to be home with you and his new baby girl who refused to make her appearance.

He held your hand the entire time, praising you for being so strong, breathing with you as you tried to power through the contractions.

The sun began to rise, it was five o’clock in the morning, he felt like a zombie. He was just about to fall asleep when you called out for the doctors. It was time.

He had read every book, every article on the web, but nothing he read prepared him for the delivery. You gripped his hand with such force that it felt like his fingers were going to break. You screamed at him, cursing him for doing this to you. He stayed by your side the entire time, apologizing for causing you so much pain, but unable to wipe the smile from his face.

He watched through the mirror that was facing down between your legs. The head slowly coming out as you screamed in his ear, the doctors telling you to push. The head was out, then one more push and she was finally here.

He proudly cut the cord and watched as the doctors whisked his daughter away to clean her up and clear her throat. Your labored breathing was the only sound in the room for a second, then he heard his daughter cry. It was the most beautiful sound to him.

She was born August 15 at 6:45am. She weighed 6lbs 8ounces, 49 centimeters long, and she was absolutely perfect.

Her name was Asa, born in the morning, and she was his pride and joy. Once you and his daughter were able to go home he wouldn’t put her down. He held her while she was awake, when she was sleeping, when she was calm, and when she was crying. It didn’t matter, she was always in his arms.

When you were holding her he would take pictures of you and her together, not wanting a miss a single moment of her life. She was his background photo and lock screen on his phone, he had a wallet photo book that was nothing but pictures of her that he would whip out and show anyone who wanted to see and even those who didn’t ask.

When she would wake up in the middle of the night he would jump up to get her immediately, even if he had just went to bed. He felt like work kept him away too long, and that’s why he didn’t mind taking care of her at night.

He would hold her close against his bare chest, letting her find comfort in his warmth while he held the bottle with his chin. He would raise her carefully, letting her head rest on his shoulder while he tapped her back gently to get her to burp.

Sometimes in the middle of the night you’d wake up to the sound of his voice coming from the nursery. He would sing to her, lulling his perfect daughter back to sleep after her bottle. You would find him sitting in the rocking chair, his legs propped up on the ottoman as he rocked back and forth, staring down at his perfect creation.

Dazai

He wasn’t exactly prepared to be a father, he hadn’t planned on you getting pregnant, although he didn’t take the precautions to prevent it either. He spent the months of your pregnancy worrying whether he’d be good enough, his self doubt was through the roof now. He wanted to be a good father, show you that he could, but he didn’t know if he was capable of doing so.

When you went into labor he went into panic mode. He didn’t know what to do, so you had to help him help you. He was terrified, seeing you in so much pain. He was used to destroying everything and everyone that even thought of hurting you, but he couldn’t. So he sat in the armchair that was next to the hospital bed, and he waited, and waited.

The doctors came in a checked you, in and out, it seemed to go on forever. He would watch your eyes flutter shut, only to shoot back open a couple minutes later when another contraction came on. He didn’t understand why woman did it, how they got through the pain and still wanted to do it again sometimes. It just didn’t make sense to him.

He wiped away the strands of hair that clung to your sweat beaded forehead, shocked that even through all the pain you were still smiling.

The beeping slowed and everyone’s head turned to look at that monitor. Heart rate dropping, the baby was in distress, wasn’t going to make it, call the code, get the room ready. The words were thrown across the room, back and forth by the doctors that had rushed in. He looked to you for answers but your eyes were filled with tears as your mind registered what they meant before he did.

They threw a blue suit to him and he held it, dumbstruck, as they wheeled your bed down the long white hallway.

He quickly suited up and followed the doctors into the large room, the smell of bleach and disinfectants burned his nostrils. The large fluorescent lights shone down on your stomach as they wiped it down with more disinfectant. His worries about whether he would be good enough washed away as the scalpel sliced through. He didn’t care if he wasn’t the best dad in the world, he would try his best. He didn’t mind that he hadn’t planned for a child, it was what life had given him.

His heart seemed to stop beating, he held his breath through the entire delivery. The baby was blue when it came out, the cord had been wrapped around their neck and every time you contracted it was strangling them. He hadn’t noticed that he was crying until the cry of his child filled the room and he finally took a deep, shuddering breath.

It was a boy, born November 10 at 3:38PM. He was 7lbs 5ounces and 50cms long. His name is Kazue, a single blessing.

Dazai was nervous to hold his son for the first time, but as soon as that little bundle of joy was in his arms he was a natural. He held him close, his steps were bouncy as he cooed his sons name. He would run his hand over the small tuft of brown hair on Kazue’s tiny head, mesmerized that this tiny sleeping human was part of him.

He was already pretty protective of you, but he went even further to keep his son out of harms way. After the fear of losing him during his birth, he didn’t want to worry about that anymore. He baby proofed the apartment before his son could even sit up on his own, but it eased his mind, so you let him do whatever he felt like he needed to do.

Your son had a room of his own, but he rarely ever slept there. If he wasn’t being cradled by you or Dazai, he was in between the two of you in the bed. When he woke up in the middle of the night Dazai would scoop him up in his arms and walk the entire length of the apartment a few times. If that didn’t get Kazue back to sleep, he would sit on the couch and feed him a bottle as he tells stories about his uncle Oda.

He knew that if his friend were here he would be so proud. Oda would absolutely adore Dazais son, and they would get together for drinks and talk about the children instead of Port Mafia business.

Being a father seemed to make Dazai forget about wanting to commit suicide. He didn’t want to leave his son without a father, so dying was completely out of the question. Sometimes he would lay awake at night and watch you and his son sleeping, and he knew that he could never leave the two of you.

His love for you and his son made him fight harder, he had two reasons to live waiting for him at home, and he wasn’t going to keep you waiting long. Whenever he came home from work he would grab his son out of your arms and hold him close. It was comforting, especially when he would place his finger in his sons tiny hand, and he would wrap his hand around Dazai’s finger, his heart melted.

His life was complete now. He had the two of you and that’s all he needed. He was finally happy. He hoped that Oda was looking down at him, he would see that he finally found the light he had told him about.

[halfrest]

* kaylee bryant, nonbinary + she/they  | you know airi miura, right? they’re twenty-two, and they’ve lived in irving for, like, all their life? well, their spotify wrapped says they listened to blue moon by billie holliday like, a million times this year, which makes sense ‘cause they’ve got that whole aged brandy in a chipped-peter-rabbit-illustrated mug, lipstick stains placed like open wounds, and deeply ingrained guilt in the form of lingering eau d'hadrien thing going on. i just checked and their birthday is february 7th, so they’re a aquarius, which is unsurprising, all things considered. 

pinterest.

born to surgeon-extraordinary dr. asa miuri and his wife, katherine, airi grew up in the huge, elegant home a little far off from town, close to abernathy creek. it was a bit of a lonesome childhood. her birth was unplanned….a mistake really. the miuris already had a son, many years airi’s senior, who was their pride and joy. the only other occupant of the house was asa’s father who liked things a certain way and most of the household was under his watchful eye. 

emotional abuse tw / katherine was a homekeeper, restricting certain rooms, which were guest-only or adult-only places. there was a certain resentment she held toward airi and it was a sort of prevalent feeling throughout airi’s life. in a way, you could probably view it as jealousy, like katherine saw airi and was like...here’s this girl who has her whole life before her and she’s getting all the things i could’ve never done...either way, it was a fucked up dynamic and their relationship was always cold. / end tw

her dad didn’t provide much emotional warmth either, although he was less in your face -- he was always working at the hospital and was often late. when he came home, he would just drink his wine, get quiet and watch television. her older brother, ren, was off to college, coming home only to be lauded for his accomplishments. 

illness tw, death tw / as for her grandfather, airi doesn’t remember much except that he would lecture on end about various topics, always going on about rules, and then after that, she remembers him tied up to various iv lines and heart monitors in a room located in their home, taken care of by in-home nurses until he passed away. then, things became more lonely because now she didn’t even have him to talk to her at home, at least. / end tw

that being said, airi did live a privileged life. she was given music lessons, could go off to summer camp, and do all those sort of things rich kids do that i’m too lazy to list.<3 they even had a housekeeper so it wasn’t like she was expected to do any chores. airi’s isolation at home did kind of transfer over to her other social prospects unfortunately. she was never the warmest presence and it was simply bc she did not know how to be that kind of person...the way people would hug as they greeted each other...take pleasure in each other’s company n other normal forms of human interaction were just uncomfortable for her. she wanted it so bad, but just didn’t know how to do it. ofc people didn’t know the reasoning behind her distant nature and just assumed she was a pretentious rich c*nt that thought she was just better than everyone else. airi let them think that bc you know...what else was she gonna do. </3

a lot of airi’s life is her trying to figure out where she fits. like she just desperately wants to find her niche but feels like she’s just not Right...she thinks she’s broken in a way </3.... and doesn’t know how to fix that. a part of her thought she’d find herself away from irving and that’s when she went off to college. 

anyway, this year she has been guilted back. her father’s sick, soon to be bound up to ivs and monitors just like her grandfather was (according to her mother). it’s a strange adjustment. these past few yrs airi’s been getting over the sort of fucked up childhood she was put through on one hand but on the other hand...she still hasn’t shaken things completely. let’s see what connections she still has and what’s changed. xoxo gossip girl

[xbellaxcarolinax]

Forging A Heart (Ivar the Boneless) Epilogue- Home

Pairings: Ivar x Artemis (OFC)

Word Count: 5105

Warnings: Only that Ivar likes to monologue like a super villain.

AN: And we've finally reached the end! Again, thank you to those who stuck around, liked, reblogged, and left such lovely comments 💙

28- New Beginnings

...

The gods had blessed their journey with fair weather.

The mountainous skyline was finally in their line of vision after months of travel. The sun followed them, searing them through their wool lined clothes. Most of the men grumbled, removing the layers of heated fabric and leather to find some relief under the sweltering heat.

The water was bluer than Artemis remembered, the colorful fish swimming beside their ships as if greeting them. Their surroundings were vivid and full of color, far from the gray skies that dominated the sky in Norway. The Mediterranean skies were full of unimaginable life.

She brings her eyes to the shadowy figures atop the cliffside. One by one foreign men mounted on impressive horses lined up on the edge of the rocky hill watching the ships head closer to their captured coast line. She was hoping it was a lie, or that perhaps these men had left back to where they came from. But those were childish thoughts, and she couldn't hide her disappointment. She grips tightly at the wool covering her knees, knuckles turning white from the pressure.

"Andalusian's." Ivar comments beside her, the hood of his cloak hiding the seasick look on his face. He watches her features harden, her eyes holding a reckless darkness to them. He reaches over to cover her hand with his own, successfully loosening the tension between her fingers and laces their fingers together.

She lets out a breath through her nose, muttering something that was most certainly insulting towards those men, but remains silent after that.

"They will come to greet us at shore," He says after a moment, "And they will try to threaten us." Artemis finally turns to look at him, tightening her grip on his rough hand.

"Are you worried?" She wanted so much to tease him, but only succeeded in revealing her own concerns. She was the worried one.

Ivar scoffs.

"I command the most powerful army in the world," He boasts, waving his hand about, "There is nothing to fear." Artemis smiles. She always did admire her husband's courage and ambition.

Under Ivar's command was an impressive fleet, accompanied by his best warriors such as Dafi and Whitehair, alongside Bjorn and his men. The oldest Ragnarson joined their expedition without hesitation, honoring the alliance between Kattegat and Hedeby, as well as honoring his own ambitious heart. He loved the Mediterranean.

Bjorn too had his eyes on the cliffside, commanding his men to have their shields at the ready, and Ivar followed suit with his own warriors.

Artemis struggles to remain calm, closing her eyes as the salty wind caresses her heated cheeks, her ears focusing on the soft grunts of the men steering their ships. For a moment her mind wanders back to Kattegat, to Hvitserk who was ruling over the Kingdom in their absence, and most of all, to their child that was left behind for safety. The image of their little princess appears behind her lids, and she wanted so much in that moment to hold her.

"Baby bird," Ivar calls out to her, releasing the hold she had on his fingers to tug the sleeve of her simplistic tunic, "Our daughter is fine." He reassures her. Even now he always seemed to know what she was thinking. He pulls her closer in an embrace so that she may settle against him, planting a kiss to her brow. "You know Hvitserk is protecting her. He loves her as if she were his own."

"Yes, I know." Was her mumbled reply.

"And I'm sure she is having a wonderful time with Asa and Heracles." Artemis listens, but her eyes go back to the men on the cliff side.

"But she is so young, and if we don't return..."

"Artemis." Ivar reprimands her as if he were reprimanding their own child. He never once thought that his daughter would become orphaned while they went on this journey. It was simply a scenario he refused to mull over. He vowed to return to her, no matter the circumstances.

"I miss her." Was all his wife said, resting her head against his shoulder in comfort.

"I know, I miss her too. We will reunite soon enough, hmm?" He lays his head atop of hers, stroking his fingers over her hair, "I promised you long ago we would journey to your homeland. I did not intend to break that promise." Artemis lets out the smallest hint of a smile, lifting Ivar's large hand to place a kiss on it.

The hours passed slowly, until finally they neared the shore. The ships hadn't quite settled onto the sandy bank, and before Ivar could blink, his wife was already splashing into the water, her bow and quiver in hand. He watches her struggle, the water seeping into the material of her thick breeches weighing her down but still, she pushes forward.

Ivar grunts, swinging his legs over the edge of the small boat before stabbing his crutch into the wet sand. He pulls himself up, moving through the shallow water as quickly as he could manage before the waves could set in. He barks out orders, telling his warriors to be alert in case of attack, their swords and shields on hand. Ivar himself was covered in his weapons, his axe and sword hanging from his waist, as well as his usual daggers hidden within his trousers.

Bjorn settles beside his youngest brother, surveying the familiar area as quickly as he could. The nature surrounding them was just as breathtaking as the first time he had seen it.

"Well?" Bjorn questions him, "What do you think?

"You always did dream of sunnier places," Ivar tells him, "I now understand why." The brothers stayed silent for a moment, enjoying the sound of the waves and the squawking of the seagulls soaring above.

"I took her away from her home and you've managed to bring her back," Bjorn comments. He crosses his arms, licking his dry lips before casting down a look towards his brother.

"She deserves it." Ivar replies, not wanting to disturb his wife's peace. They watched her as she reached down to touch the sand, grabbing a handful of the grainy stuff only to watch it slip through her fingers. Quickly she bends to remove the boots from her bare feet to feel the hot sand between her toes.

With a smile he looks on before whispering to himself,

"Welcome home, my love."

...

Ivar's suspicions were correct. The entourage of men from the cliffside met their own, their horses stomping around in an act of intimidation. That didn't work out too well. Ivar, finally within his chariot, smirks. He leans against the railing, already looking like a predator waiting for its prey. It has been quite some time since he's killed anyone.

"Do not taunt them, Ivar." Artemis mutters a warning as she moves to stand beside his chariot, casting him a look when he scoffs in reply before bringing her attention towards the well dressed leader.

He was a man of a darker complexion with equally dark eyes lined in khol. He immediately recognizes Bjorn, the smallest hints of a sneer forming on his lips. It seemed Bjorn had left an impression in the past, and from the looks of it, not a very good one.

"I see you're back, Bjorn Ironside," He grunts, his accent heavy on the northern tongue, "There is no mistaking those ships." Both Ivar and Artemis look at the man before turning to Bjorn in disbelief. Bjorn was not at all phased with seeing this particular man again.

"A pleasant surprise, Abu Hafs," The oldest Ragnarsson says the man's name as greeting, "The years have been good to you," The man barks out a laugh, tilting his head in amusement.

"I can't say the same for you, Viking." He proceeds to rake his eyes over his companions.

"My brother, King Ivar of Kattegat, and his wife, Queen Artemis." Bjorn answers the silent question. The man makes a low noise of confusion, eyes scrutinizing them. How could they be king and queen looking the way they did? The King was quite tall, but leaned heavily on a crutch. Metal wrapped around his legs like iron serpents. The Queen had on as much leather as a man would, wearing the gear of a warrior. The Arab man blinks, thinking what an odd pair of royalty they were. He did not miss the look they both held in their eyes, though he noticed the King's gaze promised far more danger then he let on.

"It is a pleasure, King Ivar, Queen Artemis," He politely greets them with a tiny bow of his head, and the pair return his sentiments. He then shifts his gaze towards their warriors behind them bearing their weapons. "I don't suppose this is a friendly meeting?"

"We're not here to raid." Artemis responds in her native Greek, far too tired of fake pleasantries and small talk. She approaches the man with careful steps, being mindful of the large horse he was mounted on. The horse whinnies, but does nothing more at her presence. Said man was taken aback, his brows shooting up so high they could have hid under his bright orange head wrap.

"You're Greek?" He asks in disbelief, wondering to himself how he hadn't noticed it before.

"Yes," She answers, "From this very island." Her tone was far from agreeable, it could have been picked up from anyone in hearing distance. The leader narrows his eyes, not appreciating her insinuation. He mutters something in Arabic that she couldn't make out, causing his men to snort in quiet laughter.

"Then what are you all here for, woman?" Artemis scowls, pushing down the strong desire to shoot this man with an arrow. She could already sense what he was about and what he thought of the opposite gender. Crossing her arms, Artemis lifts her chin up to look at him directly despite how much shorter she was.

"I seek a blacksmith in one of the main villages in Chania."

"You've come all this way for a blacksmith?" The man replies to her, finally jumping off his horse. He wasn't very tall, much shorter than anticipated, but still, he towered over her.

Ivar immediately moves his chariot forward in response. He picked up on a few words in their conversation, getting a sense of what was being said, and he did not like the sound of it. He steps off the chariot, masking his discomfort well, and stood behind his wife, ready to defend her if need be.

Bjorn stares between the Arab leader and his sister in law, catching very few words as he did not pick up Greek as well as Ivar had.

"We've come for my father."

"Ahh," Then Arab man quickly sweeps his eyes over her again before coming to a conclusion, "You were taken by these people as a slave."

"With all due respect, that is no concern of yours."

"How cunning you must have been to become queen of a foreign people." Artemis blinks, not sure how she should retaliate without potentially endangering them all. She glares at him, and the Arab man smirks back.

"Should I kill him?" Ivar asks her rather loudly, his fingers lightly dancing on her waist, "I could kill him."

"Ivar." Bjorn warns, but is cut short when Artemis removes a hidden dagger from Ivar's side, bringing the pad of her finger to the tip.

"Or I could do it myself." She says casually, speaking as if the man weren't there. She teasingly points the dagger at the Arab man, waiting for him to react. The Andalusian warriors immediately point their weapons at them, swords and bows just a few feet away. Ivar's men did not hesitate in reciprocating their actions, axes glimmering in the sunlight.

Bjorn stomps over to snatch the dagger from Artemis's hand with a hard yank.

"Enough," The older Ragnarsson says, putting a hand up in a form of surrender, "When did you become as impulsive as my brother?"

Suddenly the Arab man barks out another laugh, clearly amused. He orders his men to lower their weapons before putting his hands to his hips.

"I see you both make for better company than Bjorn ever did," He jokes, watching Bjorn furrow his flaxen brows in displeasure before bringing his attention back to Ivar, "Your wife is very vivacious, King Ivar. An admirable trait."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Ivar bites out a quick response, a smirk settling on his lips as he holds her tight.

"Very well, I will accept you are here in search of someone, a certain blacksmith, but what have you to offer in return for allowing you and your men into my lands?" Artemis scoffs, rolling her eyes at the sheer audacity this man had at calling the island his. Before she could spit out a sarcastic comment, Bjorn interjects.

"We wish to trade," He tells him, "I'm sure you will be satisfied with the items we've brought." The leader hums.

"Go on."

"We bring furs from all over Scandinavia," Ivar continues, "The best pelt's of brown bear from Norway." He motions to Dafi, ordering him and a few men to drag a crate off one of the ships. Once opened, Ivar digs a hand inside, pulling out a shiny pelt of fur belonging to a large brown bear. He runs his thumb over the soft hairs, offering the pelt to the Arab man, who took it from him with eager hands.

They all watch the man inspect the fur, impressed with the fine quality. He nods with a grunt of approval, handing Ivar back the pelt.

"Very well," He says, "I will grant you my hospitality," He mounts his horse, steering the beast round with his men following his lead. Picking up the reigns he turns to glance at them, "I humbly welcome you all to the Emirate of Crete."

...

The Emirate of Crete.

Artemis thinks bitterly, her eyes glaring daggers at the Arab leader's back. She didn't like him, she didn't like his men, and she most certainly didn't like his arrogance.

"I fear your face will remain that way." Ivar jokes, peering up at her with his charming smile. It was his attempt to calm her nerves.

"I don't like him."

"Neither do I, my love," He mutters, "Though he trades with us decent goods."

"Slaves?" She mutters defensively, and Ivar thinks that perhaps Bjorn was right, she was taking after him.

"Some slaves, yes," He responds, "Among other items." Artemis only grunts in response. "Such is the way of the world, Artemis, you know this."

"And they will not be as lucky as I." She says, finally deciding to rip her eyes away from the offending man and towards their surroundings.

Part of her didn't want to be there.

How long had she dreamt of this very moment, only to feel like she wanted to run and hide?

4 years?

4 years of sadness, pain, happiness and peace all in one congested mess of emotions that had her questioning her sanity in such moments.

She remembered that day vividly.

It was as if it all occurred just days ago. Sometimes when she closed her eyes, she could reimagine it all again, the screams, the blood, the tears.

She chooses to watch Ivar's face taking in the foreign sights. It was a lovely distraction. He'd never been this far from home before. Ivar wouldn't admit it, but he was fascinated to be in such a land so unlike his own, where the sun never seemed to set and the heat was beyond anything he'd felt on his pale skin.

He seemed so childlike, like a curious babe entering the world.

Artemis wanted to appreciate such a moment, the rare sight of her husband being absorbed into his surroundings was adorable. He swore no lands could outshine Kattegat, but judging by his curious eyes, he found something close to it.

Finally, her eyes catch the sight of the monastery. That was when the dam of her emotions broke, and she couldn't hold herself together any longer. She fights with herself, the stubborn tears already pooling at the rim of her eyes, threatening to spill. She sniffles, wiping the falling tears angrily. Her hot tears fall against Ivar, droplets landing on his hand.

He gazes up at her again, seeing how she wiped at her face furiously, skin flushed from fighting her emotions. Ivar frowns, taking up her hand to brush a kiss over her knuckles. He lets her have a moment to herself, deciding to wrap an arm about her waist in simple comfort.

Keeping a tight grip on the reigns, he turns to look at the infamous monestary, made of white stone and now donning a symbol that he knew was not that of the Christian's.

Abu Haf's men led the procession along into the bustling village, the roads small and rocky under the wheels of the chariot. It looked war torn, signs of battle and struggle through every corner. The people gaze at Ivar's men with wide eyes. Many glared, and many others hid in their homes and shops. Just like the Andalusian's, they were not welcomed.

It was a short ride. Bjorn took it upon himself to stay back and watch over the ships with a few of his own warriors under the watchful eye of the Andalusian men.

A few moments later and the procession stops in the main square of the village.

"The blacksmith," Abu Hafs says from atop his horse. He points to the familiar shop, but Artemis already knew the way. She grips Ivar's shoulder tightly in her nervousness. Everything appeared the same, though the stones were a bit eroded since she was there last. Smoke escaped from the chimney above, a clear sign that someone was at work.

"Artemis?" Ivar questions, moving to push a few stray hairs behind her ear. She turns to him with shining eyes, a look of fear settling within the dark pools. She hadn't looked that frightened in such a long time. It broke his heart to see her in such grief.

"Are you ready?"

"No," She whispers, "No, I don't think I am." Her feet seemed rooted to the base of his chariot, and it appeared she wouldn't be moving for a while. Ivar stood with a grunt, quickly placing a kiss to her cheek before stepping off into the direction of the shop.

"Ivar?" She calls out to him frantically, "What are you doing?"

"Going to meet my father in law, is it not obvious?" He turns around to look at her with a smile, "He is part of the family, no?"

"Yes but-"

"You come in whenever you're ready, hmm? Dafi, watch over her." Ivar orders the warrior, giving a quick glance to Abu Hafs, his eyes sending a warning.

Once he pushes the door, he immediately catches sight of an older man. He was of moderate height and quite burly for his age. He worked as every blacksmith would, dipping a sword into a bucket of cold water. The steam rose and cleared before Ivar decided to speak.

"Giannis?"

The older man turns around, immediately stiffening at the sight of him. He stares at Ivar long and hard, raking his eyes over his form before whispering.

"Viking."

Ivar smirks, hobbling in to get a closer look at the man who truly had a strong resemblance to his wife. It was unmistakable.

He searches his mind for the proper words before speaking.

"Your daughter has been waiting for this moment a long time," He tells him, finding a stool to sit on, "And in some ways, I have as well. She speaks fondly of you." It was quite amusing really, to see the man as frozen as a deer moments before its death by an arrow.

The man says nothing, his hand twitching over the pommel of the sword left to cool in the bucket. He scrutinizes the northerner before him and his calm actions. Ivar doesn't bat an eye when the man lifts the sword in a defensive stance, pointing it towards him.

"I want no trouble." The man, Giannis, says, thick brows furrowing when Ivar scoffs, waving his hand about as he usually did.

"I'm not here to cause trouble." The blacksmith was even more confused, slowly lowering the sword cautiously. Isn't causing trouble what Vikings did?

"You know, she is a queen now." Ivar tells him, choosing to observe his surroundings. It was a quaint little forge, supplied with what was necessary, similar to the one back home. He could already imagine Artemis scurrying about in there once upon a time.

The man blinks, quite stunned into silence. Frankly, it appeared as if he were struck in the face. He couldn't fathom what was more odd, a pillaging Northman sitting before him, or the fact that he spoke Greek. Both were equally odd.

"You understand me, yes?" Ivar questions him, eyebrows raised. He leans his arms on his crutch, waiting for the man to answer him. The blacksmith nods, placing the sword atop the table before removing his gloves. He then glances at Ivar's braces and crutch, finally bringing his gaze to look him in the eyes. The same eyes of his wife.

"You like them?" A smile begins to curl at the corners of Ivar's lips, "Your daughter's creation. You taught her well."

"How do you know my daughter?" The man's voice was suddenly like a whip. Any normal person would have flinched, but Ivar was far from normal. Ivar lets out a chuckle, as it became clear to him where Artemis had inherited her temper from.

"She is my wife," Ivar articulates as best he could, enjoying the way the man's face went from panic, to an even greater panic, "And that makes you my father in law."

"What?" The blacksmith sneers.

"As well as a grandfather." Ivar continues his chatter. The man was greatly overwhelmed. He runs a hand through his graying hair, his aged skin seemingly more pronounced as he ponders the situation.

"I don't understand," He says, "My daughter was killed by your people."

"She was captured," Ivar corrects, though not very happy to have said that, "And is very much alive." The older man grunts, picking up the sword and placing it back into the bucket with a force that surprised Ivar.

The blacksmith says nothing, walking toward the far corner of the forge and quickly producing a clay jug along with 2 clay cups. He pours himself wine, quickly gulping it down before filling the other cup and handing it over to Ivar.

"Drink."

Ivar sniffs at the wine out of habit, not much a fan of the fermented grape drink as his wife was, but decides to take a sip.

"It has been nearly 4 years," The man begins, bringing a stool over to sit a few feet from Ivar, "Artemis is dead. I have come to terms with it." He pours himself another cup and downs it with a deep grunt, holding the cup so tightly Ivar thought it might shatter in his grasp. "We haven't seen your people around here in quite a while, so tell me, has a man of the North come to kill me, or pester me, hm?"

"Neither." Was Ivar's simple reply.

"Then what is it you want? Weapons?"

"Just a man wanting to reunite his wife with her family." The older man was skeptical, looking at Ivar with narrowed eyes.

"If what you claim is true then where is she?"

"Right outside."

As if on cue, Artemis bursts into the forge, her chest heaving as if she ran for miles. She swallows thickly, her throat feeling dry from the anxiousness.

Both Ivar and her father turn to look towards the outburst, only to find a nervous young woman wringing her hands together as she slowly steps forward.

She didn't know what to think, what to say, what would he-

Her fathers eyes found hers instantly, and the cup fell from his hand, shattering across the floor in pieces. She takes a step back on instinct, her eyes following the shattered clay pieces that scattered towards her feet.

"I must be dreaming," The blacksmith says, shooting up from the stool, yet makes no movement to approach her, "The devil tests me." Ivar snorts immediately, bringing them both out from their haze.

"This is no work of the devil, I assure you." He tells him.

Father and daughter merely stare, eyes battling each other, waiting to see which one of them was the illusion.

"Father," Artemis's voice cracks, "I thought you were..." She stops herself, choking back a sob. She couldn't speak after that, giving in to the grief of painful separation. It hurt Ivar to see her in such a state. He hated it. He attempts to reach for her but stops himself short when her father finally strides forward, grabbing her into a tight embrace.

"My sweet girl." He struggles to say through his own sorrow, enveloping his daughter in a tight embrace. This was the moment that Artemis had been waiting for, the moment she thought impossible. To feel her father's touch again was almost bittersweet, as her new home was worlds apart from his.

After a few moments her father pulls away from her.

"Let me get a proper look at you," He says, holding her at arm's length, "You've not changed, though your state of dress is certainly different." He gives her a teary smile, hearing the tiny hiccup of a laugh within her sobs. Her delicate face hadn't changed much, but it was obvious to him that she had matured. She was far from the young girl he remembered. Her eyes held many tales from across the seas.

"This Viking says you are a queen, that you are his wife." Her father's tone was gentle as he was known to have a soft nature by those who knew him well. His previous panic with Ivar had subsided and was replaced with a new found curiosity. Artemis nods, wiping her face free of tears.

"His name is Ivar," She begins, "It is true...I am his wife. We rule a kingdom in the far North." She tries to keep her voice leveled, wanting to be strong. She was proud of being wife to her husband. Turning to look back at Ivar he offers her a reassuring smile. He was listening intently, making sure to follow their conversation. She smiles back, feeling much more confident.

"I thought I would never see you again," She admits, turning back towards the older man "And when I was told about the Andalusian's, I assumed nothing but the worst for you." Her father nods, running a hand down his face.

"It has been a challenging few years," He admits, "But we still persevere. We always do." He then turns away from them for a moment to collect his thoughts, a question burning in his mind. He turns back round with a sigh, placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I was told you have a child?"

"A daughter, Sól," Artemis smiles at the thought of her little girl, "She is back home with Ivar's brother for safety." Her father hums in response, though he was saddened at his daughter's idea of home.

"Home? Is it not here in Chania?"

"This place is just a memory of what it once was. There is nothing for me here. There is nothing for you here either, father." Her father frowns at her response. It was true. Though the Andalusian's ransacked their island, it was still home.

"Her home is where her family is," Ivar finally interjects, "And her family is in Norway." The older man gives Ivar a stern look.

"Tell me, Viking, do you know the pain of losing a child?" His voice was calm, but behind the cool exterior was a slow boiling rage. Ivar clenches his jaw, his lips forming into a tight line. He gives the man a hard look before bringing his gaze towards his worried wife, and then towards his hands gripping his crutch.

"No," Ivar answers bitterly, "I do not know of such pain. Nor do I ever wish to feel it with my own child."

"I have lost a wife, a son, and for 4 agonizing years I believed I had lost a daughter," The blacksmith explains, grunting as he sits back down upon the stool opposite of Ivar, "Your people have caused damage to many hearts here." Ivar remains silent, fingers tightening over his crutch while he listens to the words of the old man.

"Forgive me for wanting my daughter to return home." He raises his eyes to glance at his daughter, who stood beside the northern as if she were always meant to be there, "But I could already see that remaining here is not part of her plan," He sighs with smile and a shake of his head," Artemis has always been a force to be reckoned with."

"Oh?" Ivar grins, bringing his eyes to his wife. Her cheeks burned red.

"Father-"

"Did she ever tell you of the butcher boy? Scared the poor boy to death when she tried bringing a hammer to his head. Put me in much trouble with the boy's father." Ivar grins hearing the tale, his fingers trailing over Artemis's lower back.

"I would very much like to hear more of these stories." He laughs at his wife's embarrassment, squeezing her tight from round her waist.

Her father beckons his daughter forward, offering his aged hand for her to grasp,"Oh daughter," He stands, embracing her again, "My heart both sings and weeps for you." She hears the pain in his voice, the grief of an old man at wits end.

"You mustn't worry for me. I am well and Ivar takes good care of me."

"He treats you well?"

"Like a queen." She responds, and the father could feel her smiling against his tunic.

"And your daughter?"

"Takes after her mother," Ivar answers, "She is the jewel of Kattegat." The blacksmith smiles, quiet content with the answers received. They stayed silent for a few moments before he lets out another sigh, speaking with slight amusement in his tone.

"Well then," He begins, looking down at Artemis, "I suppose I can't threaten to marry you off to the butcher's boy anymore, hmm?"

Artemis breaks out into a smile more blinding than the Mediterranean sun.

...

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