#But it still sticks around on any humans—her dad is the only one though | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

invisiblestringmm · 1 year

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chapter one

secrets i have held in my heart are harder to hide than i thought

pairing: fem!reader x mason mount

summary: A one night fling that turned into the reason of your whole life, then a month of falling in love with him… until he ghosted you. Mason was never there to watch her grow, completely unaware of his daughter’s existence. It was just you and Lilian Maisie against the world until fate decided play with you and change that — now you have to face the consequences of your decision to keep him out of her life for almost five years. And also try not to fall for him again when he reveals to be the best dad to your little girl.

author: I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Thank you for sticking around, it means a lot!

warnings: this chapter contains fluff, angst, mentions of a tough pregnancy, language.

word count: 4.879k

Watching her was one of your favourite things to do; the way the soft dark brown curls bounced as she swayed around the living room, the way her cheerful laugh echoed every corner of the house and those big, brown eyes sparkled with pure innocent bliss - Lily was your everything, she was your whole life and though, at first, being a young single mum terrified your entire being, she became the reason of your existence. It felt like a lifetime, but it was just four years before that day that you were sitting where your dad was, on that large and comfortable armchair, with your feet up as you stared at a tummy poking out. You remember how that was the first time after finding out you were pregnant that you went from miserable to somewhat joyous to know a tiny human was growing inside you.

FOUR YEARS BEFORE

Every little thing bothered you to the point you’d grab the first object in front of you and throw it against the wall. Your hormones were everywhere, the nausea was unbearable and you knew it was a matter of time until you’d find yourself with another IV fluid bag hanging on your bedside. Four months of what had already earned the first place on your “lifetime worst experiences” list, when it shouldn’t be like this. You should be happy, and thrilled, planning your days and making a list of potential boy and girl names for your child. But you weren’t, considering this was far from what you expected of your first pregnancy.

The long sigh that parted your lips clashed against the daunting yet peaceful silence that took over Foxwoods House the minute your parents went out for grocery shopping after you insisted you’d be fine on your own for a few hours and how much you needed it. Even if they meant well and were just making sure you were healthy enough to be on your feet, all the attention could be suffocating, though their attention wasn’t focused only on you. Though exhausted, you tried your best to focus on relaxing once your eyes closed.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Slowly, you felt lighter, your body finally relaxing on your dad’s favourite armchair, and, unconsciously, your hands rested on your stomach and your eyes shot open when you noticed that there was something there that wasn’t the last time you touched it. Avoiding any kind of touching, talking, and staring at yourself in the mirror had been your way of coping with your new reality, even if it wasn’t a smart way of doing it. It wasn’t easier, either.

“Oh hello,” you whispered, poking your tummy with your index finger. “I don’t think you can even listen to me yet, but… can you bear with me, peanut? Hm?” Brushing your thumb against your skin, your eyes burned with tears. You wanted things to work out, you wanted that kid to be born into a healthy environment even if it included just you — of course, your parents would be there, but in the end, you’d be a single mum. The idea of it terrified you but, deep down, you could feel some courage sparkling.

“I’m still new to this mummy thing, and I hope you’ll like me once you’re here with us, running around… but I promise you that I'll do my best.”

Finally, you allowed the tears you were holding to fall, wetting your cheeks as you sniffed and quietly rubbed your stomach. For the first time since the pregnancy test was positive, you felt love engulfing you most softly. You felt peace and a strong motivation to fight for your child’s happiness. You’d be their best friend, the first person they’d think of whenever they needed something or whenever they were happy, sad, or confused. You’d be their everything because, as you watched that tiny bump, you realised they were your everything too.

PRESENT DAY

The final whistle blow and the loud groan that parted your dad’s lips brought you back from memories of the early and hard pregnancy days.

It wasn’t the first time you watched your dad so upset that England was out of another World Cup, but this time Lily mimicked everything he did and as torturing as it was to watch, it was also funny. Both clapped their hands in front of the TV, mumbling words of encouragement to the squad though they obviously couldn’t hear it. Lily was dressed in her England kit, one of the many your dad bought her along with Arsenal kits, as he was a die-hard gunner and used to take her to most of the matches with him. There was no way Lily would grow up without football being such a huge part of her life. It was part of her and who she was, it was in her DNA - even if no one but you and your best friend knew about that.

Watching the scene in front of you became harder when he was on your dad’s big flat screen, and though your daughter was mimicking her grandad, she was the spitting image of him. Her dad.

For the past four years, you’ve found yourself doing your best to run from him but Mason Mount was pretty much everywhere you looked, being Chelsea’s star boy and part of the England squad. It hurt you, it opened a wound that you fought so hard to heal but he had to come back to haunt you now and then. You’d turn your look away, turn off the TV, and ignore his face whenever you drove by Stamford Bridge - but he was everywhere. He was on Lily’s face, bottom nose, and all. And, as far as you reminisced of his laugh, hers sounded identical.

It hurt, it cut deep, and it made you swallow hard the horrible sensation that effortlessly took full control of you - so you had to inhale and exhale at a slow pace as soon as your sight blurred. Mason not being there for her still made you feel vulnerable, and not good enough for your daughter for you often felt like you were keeping her from being happier as she was always mentioning how much she wished her daddy was around, and you had either to make up dumb excuses or distract her with something else. You’d often listen to her through the baby monitor, crying out in whispers for her daddy - it always sounded like she was praying.

The warmth of your mum’s touch, softly squeezing your arm, made you feel slightly better and safe. She didn't know who Lily's dad was, but she knew what went through your mind whenever you spent too long gazing at your daughter. Not knowing the full story never stopped her from fully understanding you - she was a mum too.

“I'm alright,” you reassured her before she could say something, and watched her lips form a delicate line as a reaction to your words. She knew you were far from being alright - with Lily asking more questions than ever about her dad - but didn’t know what to say. It was something she’s never been through and thought you were both brave and a bit stupid for dealing with it all on your own, when even your dad, who wasn’t as warm as her, was entirely supportive since Lily became part of your lives. You adored them even more for being so respectful of your decisions.

“I never judged you and I never will, and I still wish you’d talk to me as you’ve always done… including anything affecting my granddaughter,” your mum confessed, doing her best to hide she was a bit upset, but failing miserably.

You nodded, moving your stare from Lily to your mum. “I see him every time I look at her, and it hurts me.”

“Because you still have feelings for him?”

“I don’t,” you were as quick as possible on clearing that question, it felt like a lifetime ago that Mason was the reason for the butterflies in your stomach and he managed to end that himself with his stupid behaviour. “It hurts me because my daughter is being deprived of a life with her father around.”

“You can always find him and tell him,” your mum moved her hand from your arm to your back, rubbing it softly.

“It’s not-” you sighed, brows furrowed, as your eyes searched for Lily again. “It’s not that simple.”

“It’s always simple, love. As a mum, you know it’s always simple when it comes to making your child happy.”

Always the optimist, your mum pecked your cheek before leaving you alone with your thoughts. Not knowing the truth never stopped her from giving you advice that’d often feel right, but so wrong at the same time. If Mason was any other normal guy, you would’ve let him know the day Lily was born and you held her in your arms for the first time, seeing how much she looked like him.

You would’ve let him know the day she took her first steps.

You would’ve let him know the day she screamed her first word - a loud, cheerful “goal” when Arsenal scored, making your dad the proudest grandad in the world.

You would’ve let him know the day she kicked a ball for the first time.

You would’ve let him know because you’ve always wanted Mason around, simply for being around and raising that beautiful girl as best as you both could. But there you were, doing it practically alone.

“Mummy,” Lily woke you up from your thoughts, softly pulling your sweater while curiously staring at you with her big hazel eyes. She giggled when you took her in your arms, sitting her on the kitchen counter with her little legs around your waist. “Are you sad it’s not coming home?”

“Well, baby… I’m a bit sad because grandpa is sad,” you watched her pout, nodding in agreement, as you played with her hair around your fingers. “Why don’t you go there and give him all the smooches in the world, huh? Maybe that’ll cheer the old man up a bit.”

Lily nodded again, a bit more cheerfully this time and you put her back down, watching her rush to her grandpa he nestled her in his arms as she kissed his face and squeezed his cheeks with her chubby hands. The truth was you were more than glad that the torture was finally over, with no more of him on your TV while your dad proudly cheered for England and, consequently, for Mason whenever his gorgeous face showed up.

For the rest of the weekend, you enjoyed the cosiness of Foxwoods House and that included long walks with Lily, baking with your mum, and playing poker with your dad while you shared half a bottle of whiskey - one of many in his collection.

Although you loved London, a life away from the city’s fuss had always been your goal, even more so after Lily was born so you’d often take advantage of your parents owning that huge estate and drive to Cotswolds to enjoy a few quiet days with your girl. You could tell how much she loved, always bringing up that there were just two things that’d make your getaway even more perfect: her daddy and a puppy. Usually, you’d just give her a smile as an answer and kiss her forehead, but on your drive back to London you thought about how Foxwoods would be such a great place for some family time.

On Monday, you quietly walked into the usual warmth of your office, only nodding at a few colleagues who cheerfully welcomed you back after a disappointing weekend for football fans. You spotted Willow, your childhood friend, walking towards you with two mugs of the steamy coffee you always shared in the morning in each hand, and a smile splattered on her face - to which you frowned, because Willow had never been the one in a good mood in the morning.

“I’m guessing you had a fun weekend?” You asked, taking a mug from her hand and closing the door behind you as she made herself comfortable by sitting in the armchair by the window.

“You’d know if you returned my calls, Y/n.”

“And you know how my dad is,” you shrugged, feeling your body happily welcome the hot liquid. A large dose of caffeine and chatting with your best friend was always the best way to start the day, and you were lucky to work in the same place as he – just a few doors away as you two were responsible for different departments at the Swedish fintech you’ve been working for a couple of years. “No phones allowed when it’s Foxwoods weekend unless it’s-”

“An emergency,” she chuckled. “I know, I know.”

“So?” You raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to tell you whatever she had to tell, as you lazily checked a few emails.

“I was feeling a bit bored on Saturday morning and decided to go to Paris.”

“Willow, you’re so fucking random…” You sighed and she rolled her eyes.

“Met with Arthur there, and we spent the weekend together.”

Arthur, her longtime french fling, the idiot who only showed up when he wanted something from poor delusional Willow.

“Well, can’t say I’m surprised, because I’m not,” you moved your eyes from the laptop screen to your friend, who still had that same smile on her face. “Why are you so happy, though?”

“I met his parents.”

“He introduced you to them?”

Then, when she sighed, you knew it wasn’t as she wanted you to believe and she was making a fool of herself again for a guy who just wasn’t interested. This time, there wasn’t a single trace of pride for being right, because it meant your best friend was now hurt. Deeply hurt. You watched her nervously chew the inside of her cheeks, sipping her coffee and looking out through the window as if there was anything fascinating outside.

“Hey,” you called her, bright green eyes looking at you. “Lily’s ballet recital is right before Christmas and rehearsals start today. Come with me.”

Finally, she flashed you a smile; one you loved seeing for a sad Willow made no sense as she’s always been the happiest person in your life, always cheering up everyone and looking after people while you looked after her, so she’d be fine too. The bond you two shared became stronger when you found out you were pregnant, and Willow had been there since day one - appointments, baby shopping, days you spent at the hospital due to HG¹, and sleepless nights when it hit you that Lily would grow up without her dad around. There was no one like Willow, she was the sister you never had.

You wrapped up work a bit earlier than usual so you’d, for once, make it in time for your daughter’s ballet class. It wasn’t unusual for your mum to pick her up from school and take her to classes, and even so, sometimes you’d arrive 10 minutes after all the mums had picked up their little ones once class was over. It made you feel horrible seeing Lily there, anxiously waiting for you, and getting overly enthusiastic when spotted you arriving at the studio - she’d smooch your entire face, and tell you how much she loved and missed you.

“Mummy,” she called you, squeezing your hand as you walked to the studio with Willow on your side. Looking down, you smiled so she’d continue. “Ice cream after ballet?”

How could a wrong choice in life guide you to this? To her? Almost four years later and it still overwhelmed you, because you never believed you had that unique thing that’d make you a mum, but somehow, you managed it just fine — with extra help from your family and friends, unquestionably, but at the end of the day it was just you and Lily. And her fish, of course. The only pet you allowed her to have for now, so she’d start to have some sort of notion of commitment.

“We’ll see about that, peanut, but if we go then it’s on auntie Willie.” Lily giggled as a reply, entertained by the funny scowl on her godmother’s face for she knew that auntie Willie would do anything and everything she asked.

“I’ll pay if you eat dinner first, Lils!” Willow said, and Lily sighed in return, as if her life was the most complicated she now had a tough decision to make.

She remained in silence for a while as you chatted about work with Willow, an important deadline approaching right before Christmas break and she knew someone would have to interfere or the firm would lose such a significant client like Nike. You thought that was the issue of making partnerships with companies that had their marketing branch and the ideas had to match.

That gentle hand squeeze was there again, Lily looking at you with her big, brown eyes that softened your entire being. “Mummy,” she called. “Can Summer come too if we go get ice cream?”

Summer, the ballet bestie you never met because you always dropped Lily at the studio later than the other kids normally arrived, and she was gone before you went back to the studio to pick up your daughter. You only knew what she looked like because one day Lily came home with a cute Polaroid picture of the two of them, taken by Miss Albright, the teacher. Your heart melted a little at how precious that was, the two girls clutching each other, tiny chubby arms around each other and big smiles on their faces — you could even swear they looked alike, maybe that was a bestie thing.

“First I have to meet her mummy and make sure she trusts me, so she feels safe to leave her baby girl with me.”

“Just like you do, mummy?” You nodded, a big proud smile on your lips at how easily Lily understood things. “My legs are tired.” She said, completely changing the subject and stretching both arms at you so you could carry her but Willow was faster and nestled Lily in her arms.

“A ballerina with tired legs? Oh my,” Willow faked a shocked expression, hands on her chest as she gasped, getting a cheerful giggle from Lily. You loved how she closed her eyes and tilted her head back whenever she laughed - your chest clenched at her adorableness.

“I played footy at school today, auntie.” Lily covered her mouth with her small hand, letting out a loud yawn. Your heart skipped a beat for a second, sharing a look full of meaning with your best friend as Lily laid her head on Willow’s shoulder and closed her eyes. “Mr. Martin said I’m good.” She mumbled.

Of course, she was good. How could she not be good at something that was part of who she was?

Willow gave you a comforting smile, knowing how much this could affect your mood, as you walked in silence into the ballet studio; a smiley Miss Albright welcomed you, gently pinching Lily’s chubby legs with a kind smile curling her lips. She was the most loving and understanding lady.

Lily quickly awakened from her short nap, impatiently wiggling her legs in the air so Willow would put her down. She stormed out to meet her classmates after blowing you and Willow a kiss - you left out a soft gasp, allowing the blissful effect that your daughter had on you to fully embrace you. Lily was constantly full of energy, always beaming, brightening the room every time she walked in.

Like her daddy, who had no idea about her existence.

A soft poke on your shoulder woke you up from your thoughts and you turned around to face a heavily pregnant woman accompanied by, apparently, her mum, considering they looked a lot like each other. They were both smiling at you, and the youngest pointed at your daughter, who was now clutching a little girl.

“Which of you are Lily’s mum?”

“Guilty,” you raised a hand, eyebrows softly furrowed as you let out a giggle. Taking another peek at the two little ballerinas, you frowned at how indeed they looked alike. It was easy to identify that one. “I assume that’s Summer, and you’re her mum?”

“Jasmine, but you can call me Jaz,” you shook hands, smiling at each other. She introduced you to Debbie, her mum, and you introduced her to Willow who quickly engaged in a cheerful chat with the woman.

“I’m Y/n. It’s lovely to finally meet you, Lily just won’t shut up about Summer,” you giggled, thinking of the never-ending talks about how your daughter’s ballet bestie is the… best.

“She’s Summer’s current favourite person,” Jasmine said, linking her arm to yours and walking you to where the other mums were. That sudden loving gesture made a soft smile curl the sides of your lips - you weren’t friends with other mums, especially the ones from school. They were so hard to bond and you missed having someone else - who wasn’t your mum - who’d understand your daily routine of wonderful moments and struggling as a mum.

It was easy being around them, your mum arrived at the studio shortly before class started, and quickly bonded with Debbie about the wonders of being a grandmother; how they both spoiled the girls and were spoiled by them.

The rehearsal went on fine, full of the cuteness of 4-year-old girls in baby pink tutus. You were happy to be there, so you could see how happy your daughter was as she occasionally waved between clumsy pliés and pirouettes. Nonetheless, she was a natural, and you weren’t being too biased — as a ballet dancer herself, Willow made sure to point out all the right things Lily was doing. Watching Lily so focused on everything Miss Bennett said, all the instructions she gave, and how your little one did everything so clumsy yet so perfectly made your eyes burn a little with some tears. You’d still think she was the most perfect creature even if she wasn’t your daughter.

Once the rehearsal ended, you spotted Lily yawning and blinking heavily, but you knew she’d remember the ice cream. Sometimes, you couldn’t negotiate nor change the little one’s mind, and she got all that stubbornness from you.

“Mummy,” she started, and you took her in your arms, pressing soft kisses all over her face as she giggled.

“I know, my little monster. I didn’t forget your ice cream.”

When you invited your mum and best friend for dinner, they both apologised over and over, saying their time off had been exclusive to Lily’s rehearsal and they had to go — your mum, to your dad, because even after 30 years together they just couldn’t stay away from each other; and your best friend, back home, because she needed to meet her dad for dinner. That was when, kindly, Jaz invited you and Lily for Italian at a place she loved; when your daughter looked up to you with her best puppy eyes and the biggest pout she could pull off, you couldn’t say no. Lily knew very well that most of the time she did that you’d quickly say yes, the dimples showing up when she pouted made your heart melt.

And you were also looking forward to seeing your daughter and her new bestie interacting as if they were two adults, which happened, for your amusement. Though you were engaged in chatting with Jaz and Debbie, who were two sweethearts, you couldn’t help but feel completely hypnotised by how Lily behaved throughout the whole time you spent at the restaurant; she shared a colouring book with Summer and they both talked about school, ballet shoes, and pink tutus.

Bonding with the two women was easy, especially with Jaz. You found out that Lily and Summer almost shared a birthday, with your daughter being just a few days older than hers; that you both had big families although you were an only child and she had three siblings. Debbie quickly explained that the siblings part was a bit complicated, but easy to understand, and in the end they were all family; she didn’t get into a detailed explanation, though, which you didn’t mind for it kept you from having to share something just because they shared too, although you noticed some curiosity sparkle in Debbie’s eyes when you mentioned it was just you and Lily living in a brand new flat that had more space. Your father kept teasing you about giving his favourite girl a puppy for Christmas, and you knew it’d end up in more than just teasing so you’ve decided that more space would be needed considering Lily wanted a golden retriever.

“Don’t forget about Moana, mummy!” The fish, your daughter remembered, to which you just nodded with a smile on your lips.

You watched Lily having her strawberry ice cream as if there was no tomorrow, and you could only hope all that sugar wouldn’t keep her from falling asleep right after you bathed her or it’d be a long night trying to calm her down from a sugar rush. Jaz was going through the same struggle as she watched Summer; you noticed her eyes widening a bit but she giggled each time her daughter hummed in delight with one spoon after another of her chocolate ice cream.

When you said your goodbyes after sharing the bill, and before you left, Debbie kindly invited you and Lily over on Saturday for lunch, so the girls could spend a day together, playing, something they didn’t get the chance to do yet.

“Jaz will have her mocktail and I can make us some mojitos,” the woman said; Lily looked at you again with her pleading brown eyes, blinking heavily as she let out a long yawn.

“We’d love that, Debbie.”

After exchanging phone numbers and Instagram accounts, you went in different directions of the street - you wanted to squeeze both Lily’s and Summer’s cheeks when they blew each other a kiss after a long hug. Happiness washed over you seeing that it wasn’t hard for your daughter to make friends, and bond, even if not having her father around clearly affected her behaviour sometimes, often noticing that she, sometimes, was a bit needy and clingy - but also extremely kind and sweet.

Soon, you were home and while Lily went straight to her bedroom to pick clean pyjamas, you quickly fed her fish and met your daughter already waiting for you in the bathroom; ready for her bubble bath. Even clearly tired, she chatted the whole time, telling you how much she enjoyed dinner and that Summer was her best friend in the world - she also thanked you for being an incredible mummy and allowing her to spend Saturday with her friend, which made you swallow a sob at how adorable your daughter was. Raising that wonderful little girl mostly on your own was tough, but moments like this were proof of the fantastic job you were doing.

Thankfully, after properly tucked under the covers, Lily mumbled an ‘I love you mummy’ and quickly fell asleep. You gently pressed your lips against her forehead, getting a sigh from her in return as if she had been waiting for it; when you walked into your bedroom, flickering heavily as you yawned, Lily was already snoring lightly - you chuckled at the baby monitor. You showered, switched into your pyjamas, and decided to check on your social media once you found yourself after the covers: there was a text message from Jaz but it was too late for a reply, and she also followed you on Instagram; you smiled at a picture of Summer in a pink tutu and of another one where the little one was between her parents, a wide smile, and her tiny arms was over their shoulders.

But you wish you had never met Jasmine, or that your daughter had never met Summer at all when you found a picture of her entire family at a stadium, all of them dressed in England jerseys and a familiar face in the middle was on your screen when you decided to zoom in on the photo. You dropped your phone on your stomach, feeling your mouth instantly drying and your eyesight blurring - if you weren’t already in bed, the weakness you felt spreading from your legs through your body would bring you to the floor.

Breathe, Y/n.

That was Mason, and it didn’t take you much to realise who precisely he was. Or who Jasmine was.

Mason was her brother.

Not believing what your eyes just saw, you went back to scrolling through her Insta and you felt your whole body trembling now, tears filling your eyes and rolling freely down your cheeks; there were a bunch of pictures with him, of the entire family on Christmas, of him with Summer. You felt the urge to vomit, your heart pounding against your chest so loud you could nearly listen to it.

Mason was her damn brother.

Mason, the father of your daughter.

Lilian Maisie.

********* words:

HG: hyperemesis gravidarum: A severe type of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy.

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#mason mount imagine #mason mount fanfic #mason mount x reader #mason mount x y/n #mason mount x you #mason mount series

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emelinstriker · 1 year

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Red Son ♤ Parental Guidance

Reader’s pregananant but only present towards the end btw

Now, I know DBK isn't actually a bad father. Like, we've all seen at least the scenes of him breaking out of the demon webs to get to him, as well as for example him catching his son after extracting the Samadhi Fire. Or even them just being generally wholesome as a family. Thing is, specific moments we see of DBK on his own where he cares about his son are only being seen by us, the viewer. Not his son. Red Son tries to impress his father just BECAUSE he thinks he needs to gain his father's love and attention. Which he technically already has. But he wouldn't fully understand that with the few encounters we've seen between him and his father. Which is why I'll be going off on the encounters we've seen of both. I love their general dynamic so much though hnfgnhfg

So i was like, 'what if I take the common insecurity about questioning if you'll be a good parent and add doubt on a grandparent's part to it?' So now is not only Red Son questioning shit, but also his dad in a mentioned way. And I really should start working more on stories where you're not married to the chosen character yet. I can't help it though, established married couples are easier to write hnfhngfggd

Also, I'm fully aware that I could keep the pronouns gender neutral on this one as well and just say you're afab, but I personally prefer using she/her pronouns when it comes to specifically pregnancy one-shots, so I'll be sticking with that.

ⓘ Reader is FEMALE

♤ ~ Comfort ~ ♤

Red Son was actually quite confident about his capabilities in your relationship. Ever since you both agreed on having a child, and after hearing that you were finally pregnant, this man was over the moon. He was already coming up with an idea for a nursery made up out of his mechanical creations.

However, you suggested a nursery with less mechanical components and more wood, like a regular nursery. You two ended up with the compromise of a regular nursery, but with an advanced safety and security system because your husband didn't trust those pathetic mortal safety measurements. And also to ensure that the nursery wouldn't catch on fire since it's located in a castle surrounded by basically anything that can easily burn wood.

The first months of your pregnancy went by pretty smoothly, actually. Despite feeling like shit more often and your husband gaining a bit more respect for female hormones(, mainly due to you scaring him with your mood swings), Red Son was taking great care of you.

Your parents were filled with joy, but only to an extent. They were still a bit concerned about you being married to, and having a child with, the son of the Demon Bull King. That didn't hinder them from showing up at your wedding and meeting your husband's family though.

Red Son wasn't as anxious about their presence as you were, but he was still a little concerned about their safety. He really didn't like the potential outcome of your parents getting killed off in front of you during their visit. So he made sure to tell his parents beforehand not to try anything on any of the human guests. They both seemed chill about it and a bit amused.

And once the news of a potential half-demon spawn spread around the family, Princess Iron Fan was extremely happy about finally having a grandchild. The Demon Bull King however...

Well, it wasn't the idea of a grandchild that was making him show a bit of disapproval. Rather it was his son's relationship with a mortal human that was rubbing him the wrong way. Not only did it feel wrong to him that a puny human with barely any strengths would join his family tree, but you would also die so much sooner than any of the demons.

An immortal being in love with a mortal one was a recipe for a tale ending in heartbreak and despair, after all.

At least Princess Iron Fan was already immortal when he met her. You on the other hand were a simple human craving for noodles...

Actually, that's what you were craving the most in recent times due to your hormones. And so, Red Son would be seen at Pigsy's Noodles a lot more, which was surprising to MK and the gang.

They didn't question it much at first because he said that he's just bringing the order to someone close to him and didn't want to have MK deliver it. However, as he came in more and more, the others started to notice that he would always say the same thing. And it started to feel like he was getting those noodles for someone a lot more closer to him than he claimed.

So naturally, the others got curious.

MK told Monkey King about the red demon's strange behavior and the simian decided to chill with the gang for a day and see for himself. Red Son came in at roughly the same time every other day and would order online. So it wouldn't be hard to catch him picking up the order.

And as suspected, his order came in around the same time as usual. While Pigsy was preparing the demon's order, the others were thinking of who the guy was delivering all that food to. It couldn't be his parents as they had their own food in the kitchen. They probably didn't even know about the noodle shop. It was actually quite weird in general that he would specifically get noodles from Pigsy's instead of just letting one of his Bull Clones cook noodles for free. There had to be a reason.

A little over half an hour later, the bull demon arrived at the shop to pick up his wife's usual order, when he noticed another familiar face's presence sitting by the counter today.

The simian in a rather poor disguise, at least in the red demon's opinion, gave him a lazy wave at his entrance. "Sup, Bull Son." The other demon rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms, approaching the counter.

"It's Red Son, you imbecile", he retorted with a scowl.

"Yeah yeah," Monkey King started as he used the same hand to wave dismissively. "Anyway, my buddies told me you come pick up noodles a lot recently. And I'd like to ask, why don't you just cook them up yourself in your kitchen?" Now it was the simian's turn to cross his arms as he turned towards his old friend's son.

Red Son huffed as he leaned across the counter to reach his order. "My wife asked for specifically noodles from this place. She said something about the quality here being incredible compared to what my family's kitchen offers." While talking, he opened the bag to check on the order as usual before nodding in approval.

The room went quiet and Red Son, confused, looked back up at everyone's surprised expressions.

"YOU'RE MARRIED??"

The group's shocked, and some excited, yells startled the fire user so much he almost dropped the bag that held your food. Once he recovered from their outbursts, he awkwardly coughed into his fist, a faint pink tint visible on his cheeks. "Uh, yeah, obviously. Did you guys not notice the ring I wear during any of the times I came here?!" He then put the bag he was holding back onto the counter before showing them the ring around his finger.

"Yer orderin' quite a lot of noodles for her, kid", Pigsy noted with a smirk. "Heh, I get that my cookin's great, but the amount yer usually orderin' for one person is... odd."

Red Son turned to face the pig with a prideful smirk of his own. "That's because she's eating for two and craves your noodles specifically. So you better feel honored that Red Son's wife even bothers asking for your cooking."

Silence.

...

" W H A T ? ? ?"

Red Son covered his ears this time before the group could potentially damage his hearing. Mei ran up to him and pulled him into a firm hug. "Why didn't you tell us?? THAT WOULD MAKE ME LIKE A FUTURE AUNT!" She then squealed in excitement. "RED BOY IS BECOMING A RED DAD!"

"Oh great, why not scream it louder and let the entire world hear about the news", he said sarcastically, trying to get out of her hold. But apparently Mei ignored the heavy sarcasm in his voice as she let go of him before proudly putting one arm around his shoulders.

She pulled out her phone from her pockets with a bright smile, "Great idea! I'll let my people know right away!"

But before she could turn on her livestream, Monkey King grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. He shook his head with a chuckle. "I don't think Bull Son over here would be comfortable with you showing off this moment to the whole world just yet. Besides," he started before turning to the other demon with a grin, "he hasn't even told us who his lucky lover is."

Mei's mouth shaped into an 'o' before slowly turning her head to face the now ticked off 'Red Boy'. She gave him an excited look he could easily read as 'Please tell us about her'. And so, rolling his eyes, he gave in because he knew the gang would keep pestering him about it if he just left.

He gave a brief description of you, how you two met, how you fell in love, as well as how you were faring these past months.

But there was one topic he seemed to be avoiding. And Sun Wukong knew.

"Quick question," he started as he crossed his arms again, "how did your parents react to your relationship?"

Red Son froze, his eyes widening just slightly, yet it was enough for the simian to take notice of. The Monkey King sighed as he shook his head. "Not all that positive, I guess."

The bull demon suddenly felt like avoiding eye contact while putting his hands in his pockets, leaning further back into the counter. "Tch, naturally."

MK's head perked up from the table at the chosen wording. "What do you mean 'naturally'? Is it normal in the Demon Bull Family to not be supportive of another's relationship?"

"It's not that", he responded as he took out one hand from his pockets to scratch his head a bit. "As I've already told you, my wife is a human. A mortal one at that. My mother was actually fine with the relationship, including the marriage. She was also extremely happy about getting a grandchild. My father on the other hand..."

He angrily looked down before sighing to avoid having another raging outburst over a simple memory. "Let's just say I'm having a hard time convincing him that this is my life and I chose to live with my lover's consequences of mortality myself. But, he did genuinely seem happy when I told him I'll be having my own child to raise soon. I guess his own fatherly senses decided to show up for once in a long while."

Tang hummed in thought. "To be honest, I'm quite surprised myself that you found a human lover, let alone one you wish to have a child with."

Red Son raised an annoyed eyebrow at the other man sitting on a stool. "What are you getting at?"

"It's just... surprising is all. After all, DBK himself wasn't the best role model as a father. Even in a lot of the stories of the past. Not only because he's been sealed away for so long, but also because we know what he's like with you in the current days", Tang pointed out, upsetting the already semi-heated demon.

"Are you implying that I'll be a bad father? Just because of my own father's past doings and constant absence in my past?" He stood strong for the first part, his ponytail turning halfway into flames for just a second. However, his walls started to slowly crack as the rest of his words left his mouth.

"Uh... I don't think Mr. Tang meant it like that exactly", Sandy's quiet yet rough voice commented from across the room as he raised one index finger. Tang nodded swiftly as he somewhat attempted to anxiously try gain distance between him and the demon... Which was very much difficult to achieve, considering he was on a stool without wheels. And aggressively jumping away from him would be too obvious. As such, all he could do was to lean back.

"There is a chance you might end up treating your child the same way your dad treats you", Monkey King added from his own seat. "After all, the saying 'like father, like son' can happen in certain scenarios."

They all noticed Red Son's hair starting to flare up in anger again, so MK decided to speak up before things could get out of hand. "W-Well, that doesn't necessarily mean it will happen! Right?" He then turned to his mentor, who simply shrugged in return, mumbling a small 'Dunno'.

"Why you little... HE WASN'T A BAD FATHER, OKAY?! Just because you can't comprehend how my family operates does not automatically mean-" He paused as something seemed to flash within his memory. "UGH!" His fist made contact the counter. It wasn't strong enough to leave any damage, which relieved Pigsy, but it still startled everyone except for the Monkey King. "I REFUSE TO DEAL WITH YOU PEASANTS RIGHT NOW!" Suddenly, his hair turned into a rather wild flame for a few seconds. The demon in red then forcefully took the bag of noodles and stormed off in a rage, slamming the shop's doors in the process.

The gang turned to the Monkey King with mixed expressions that ranged from 'Why did you have to say it like that?' to 'Could he actually become bad to his kid?' The retired hero just held his arms up in surrender, unsure of how to react. "What? I was just being honest", he said casually.

The shop owner rolled his eyes at the monkey. "Well, the noodles for sure are cold by now. But I guess the anger this guy produces at the moment might just be enough to heat 'em right back up."

What the gang wasn't aware of however was that Red Son's walls crumbled more and more the further he got away from the noodle shop. The doubt of being good enough as a father creeping in on his conscience. The demon grunted to try ignore the painful frustration building up within his chest, using his flames to transport himself back home.

Upon arrival, he decided to consult his mother about this matter. Just to... get advice.

Luckily, Princess Iron Fan was sitting by the dining table and was reading a book, until she noticed his entry. She placed a piece of paper as a bookmark between the pages she was reading before closing the book. "You seem troubled, son."

"...I'm actually just seeking insight, mother. A bit of guidance, if you will", he responded as he took a seat at the table, placing the bag of noodles in front of the seat next to him. At least his father wasn't here right now, so he wouldn't have to fear bringing up the topic as much. The black-haired woman hummed to signal him to continue.

He awkwardly coughed into his fist once again before finally popping the question. "Do you... Do you think I'd be a bad father to my unborn child?"

And just like the gang, his mother became quiet.

"...Okay, tell me who fed you this bullshit of a mindset."

That... was not the reaction he was expecting. Let alone hearing his mother curse, which she very rarely does. His eyes were wide open as his mouth was slightly agape. His mother wasn't joking either, he could tell by the raging fire in her eyes.

He shook his head quickly, flailing his arms around a little in panic. While he was upset with a certain monkey's phrasing, he did have a point on a fundamental level. "N-No, no, mother! Heh- It was just a civil conversation with some... friends about my marriage. At one point the topic came up of, uh, if I'll become more absent and negligent in raising my child like father-"

Princess Iron Fan slammed the book she was still holding onto the dining table, startling the young demon.

"Your father may have not been actively present your whole childhood, that is true. But, that did not stop him from loving you and caring about you." She sighed, crossing her arms and closing her eyes.

"If he didn't care about you, he would've just helped extract the Samadhi Fire from you without taking you back home. He would've disposed of you to make sure you would never become such a threat ever again."

"But he didn't", Red Son added, starting to connect the dots.

"Yes," she gave her son a worried glance, "so don't ever think he doesn't care. He cares in his own way. And about being absent... Well, what could he even do when he was sealed away by that damned monkey." Her son scratched his head in thought.

She then gave him a warm smile. "You know, on the other hand... If you do need more parenting advice for when the child has already been born, you know where to find me. Because let's face it," she let out a small laugh at certain memories, "despite caring about you, your father truly sucked at actually taking care of you."

"What do you mean-"

She cut him off, giggling. "He set the kitchen on fire while heating up milk. He also somehow managed to lose one of your used diapers. I'm not joking when I say the smell came from practically everywhere." Red Son couldn't help but hold his face in his hands in embarrassment. Yet his mouth held a smile as he tried holding back his own laughter at the amusing story.

"Haha! Anyway, you know just as well as I do not to take your father's big bad bull façade to heart. If anything, you should take this as a lesson." She trailed the outline of her book with her finger, seemingly lost in thought. "Simply appearing as a bad parent to others should not be of your concern. What matters is that you are there for your child when they need you the most, to help them grow up healthy. But It's also important to give them free range to roam and choose how they wish to spend their own time."

Princess Iron Fan clenched her fists. "Those friends you spoke to simply do not seem to understand that we're more than bull demons. We're a family. Your friends are not the ones responsible for raising your child, after all. Others may give you advice and suggestions, but the way they handle things does not necessarily mean it's the way for you to handle things."

Red Son glanced down at the book in front of his mother as he spoke. "I see..." He then slowly stood up from his seat before bowing just slightly in respect. "Thank you for your time, mother. I'm... glad to have you here to help me", he said softly, giving her an embarrassed smile. She gave an amused one in return.

He grabbed ahold of the bag once more, but was stopped before he could leave the table. "One more thing, son." He glanced over at his mother, confused. "You better heat up those noodles properly before you deliver them to your wife. I'm speaking from experience when I say you will be dealing with a different kind of demon if you serve those cold to her." She gave him a knowing wink.

Red Son grumbled a little to himself, also fully aware of what you were like when he didn't meet your craving's standards. After all, that was the side of you he was actually scared of. He picked up the bag, but then put his hands underneath it before using his abilities to heat it up slowly. The bull demon then made his way down the hall to your shared quarters with a sigh.

His mother's words echoed in his mind as his body moved on autopilot. To be honest, he was still somewhat doubting himself. But the knowledge of his own father being flawed in taking care of him, yet still helping with whatever he could was kind of inspiring. The demon was so deep in thought that he almost walked past your bedroom door. But your faint voice from the other side of the door caught his attention. Apparently you were on the phone, talking to someone.

Your husband entered the room and you looked over to him from where you lay on the bed, noticing him with your noodles in his hands. The smile you gave him made it all seem worth it. You told your mother that you would talk to her later before hanging up and putting your phone on your nightstand.

"Welcome back, honey! Took you a while to return", you greeted him as he walked over to the bed.

He sat down before pulling you a little closer so he could kiss your temple. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. I was being verbally held hostage by the people at the shop." Your husband then used the same hand that pulled you closer and placed it on your round belly. "...Do you want to eat on the bed or use the desk?"

You tapped your chin in thought, but he knew you were faking it. He already knew your answer. "Hm, the baby and I feel like staying in bed right now. But..." You put your own hand on top his, staring at him lovingly. "We also want you to stay here with us."

Red Son blushed with a little smirk before his doubts came back to haunt him once more, turning his smirk into a frown as he avoided eye contact. Of course, you took quick notice of his sudden change in behavior. "What's bothering you, honey?" He sighed, circling his thumb over your skin.

"...Do you think I would make a good enough father?"

You were dumbfounded. "What kind of question is that? Of course you would be!" Your free hand found its way to his cheek, forcing him to turn back to face you. "Listen, I wouldn't have agreed to have a child with you if you wouldn't be. I know you're gonna be incredible with the baby. So don't doubt yourself." You gave him a quick peck on the lips since he was already turned to you.

"And by the way," you started with a smile, "even if you end up struggling with taking care of the baby, I'm here with you. Taking care of a child takes team effort, be it from two parents, friends or family. It's also my child too, therefore it's part of my responsibility as well. As long as you keep trying, and want to try support the child, that automatically makes you a great dad by default."

"For what it's worth," you leaned in and kissed his cheek, "I know for a fact that you'll be an amazing dad."

Your comforting words weren't exactly surprising, but the words coming from you was what he really needed the most right now. He huffed with a smile as he gently pulled you in for a hug, making sure you weren't uncomfortable with the position. "I love you so, so much you don't even know."

Your own smile only became brighter. "I actually believe I do... 'Cause I love you just as much. But, now that this topic's over, the baby and I would like to eat-" Suddenly, you felt a slight bit of movement coming from your belly. You gasped in delight before grabbing one of your husband's hands and placing it back on top of your belly, confusing him.

"Wait, what's happening?" Red Son didn't know why you placed his hand there until he felt it. It was a tiny kick.

"I'd like to believe the baby heard your woes and is trying to tell you how awesome of a dad you are... Either that, or that it wants to beat you up until you no longer have any doubts that you can raise it well", you commented. Your husband couldn't help but let out a laugh as a few tears started to gather in his eyes from the joy and relief he felt. He gave your belly a quick kiss.

"Thanks, little flame... I promise to give parenthood my all", he said before he looked back at you, now filled with confidence.

You grinned at his sudden change in mood before leaning over to grab the bag of noodles. You took one good look inside the box before determining with a frown, "...It's cold."

"...Fucking shit, not again..."

> Link to Masterlist <

♡ Part 2

#lmk x reader #lego monkie kid x reader #red son x reader #redson x reader #lego monkie kid #comfort #angst if you squint #tumblr is being difficult rn istfg #pregnant reader

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fangirl-writes · 2 years

Text

Wolfie

Jasper Whitlock/Hale x Fem!Werewolf!Reader

Request:

hiiii! idk if you’re still writing about jasper, but i was wondering if maybe you could do like where jasper is dating a wolf, like from jacobs family, and they are fighting the newborns and jasper nervous for her, and like after the fight the volturi comes and the reader stays with jasper and like clings too him, but she’s still like in wolf form? i don’t know if that makes sense but i’ve been trying to find a story like that but i can’t sadly and i rlly like ur stories so i was hoping you’d write it:) if not it’s totally fine, i totally understand if you cant!

much love xxx<3

Warning(s): Canon-level violence and related mentions of blood, broken bones, etc.

Notes: My first twilight imagine! Yay! This is way too long but I hope you like it. I had to rewatch Eclipse to write this. Honestly, the movies are pretty good all things considered.

Summary: Wolves and Vampires are meant to be mortal enemies. But, occasionally, there are times they work well together. Fighting newborn vampires is one of those times. Of course, you and Jasper never liked the whole rivalry in the first place.

You met Jasper in the woods.

The only place you could go to be what you truly were. Do what you truly loved. And that was running.

Whether it was in wolf-form or not, you would run through the trees and feel the wind whipping at your face. It was freeing, you felt connected to your roots and to the wolf inside you.

You usually ran alone, since no one could ever keep up with you. Not even Jacob. Hell, Jacob’s motorcycle couldn’t keep up with you.

Your dad, Billy, said it was a special spiritual connection you had, being able to run so fast without shifting into wolf form.

A running partner would be nice though, someone to talk to while running instead of just filtering between your thoughts and Sam’s, and Jared’s, and Paul’s until you got far enough away for radio silence.

You thought about asking Sam a couple of times, but he was such a stick in the mud you knew he’d kill your vibe if he even agreed to go. And Paul and Jared got on your nerves so you didn’t even let your mind go there.

It was kind of lonely sometimes.

But not today.

You weren’t sure if it was werewolf instincts or basic human intuition, but you could tell someone (or something) was following you.

If it was Jacob or any of the other boys, you could recognize their scent a mile away, but there was nothing. You couldn’t smell anything (wasn’t close enough) and there was nothing to see or hear, but it was definitely there.

The scent of fresh blood nearby made it seem like it was a predator. Perhaps a mountain lion or a real wolf, which didn’t worry you as much as the alternative. If push came to shove, you could take one of those things.

Something flashed through the trees overhead and you gasped, feet digging into the dirt as you skidded to a stop.

Your heart was pounding as you glared at the forest around you. Something was there. You could smell it.

“Where are you?” You said, softly, more to yourself than to the creature stalking you.

You heard leaves rustle and followed the sound, turning in circles and getting increasingly more worried as the thing circled you. “Show yourself, coward!”

God, you wished you could get that telepathic link back and call for help. You supposed you could shift and howl if things got really desperate. But that sounded humiliating, especially if this thing was a vampire.

A large sense of calm suddenly washed over you, the weight of worry lifting from your shoulders and you sighed almost involuntarily.

A man walked out from behind a tree.

“Sorry,” he said. “I had to get close enough to calm you down. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

He was blond and lean and he smelled like rotten candy. His skin was riddled with scars, spaced thickly together on his neck and jaw. Others lined his arms in a faded white that told stories. He had been in more fights than you could imagine, and he'd never lost.

His eyes were strikingly gold, but there was a darkness behind them.

You had the feeling you’d do anything for him. If he asked you to kill yourself you would without hesitation.

And oh- oh no.

Panic began to build again and the handsome stranger strengthened his gaze on you, your emotions shifting back to calm. But there was something else, too.

That desperate, longing feeling…the strong desire had vanished too.

“Wh-what did you do to me?”

The man’s face softened. “I just calmed you down. That’s my ability; I can control emotions.”

“A-ability? What are you-“

You felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over you as the realization set in. It made sense: the speed, the smell, the golden eyes.

Your imprint was a vampire.

“I’m Jasper,” He said. “I know your scared. This is not a normal thing… at all, but Alice- uh, a girl in my family, she can see the future. And she saw us, together.”

It was all too much at once. You felt like you were drowning. You couldn’t get over the simple fact that a vampire was your imprint.

The creature that caused your transformation- your extremely painful and terrifying transformation- was your soulmate. The perfect match for you.

God, your ancestors must be rolling in their graves.

“I-I’m sorry…this is just so strange. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around it…” you said.

“That’s alright.” He- Jasper replied. “Can I come closer?”

He was stood about ten feet away from you, a respectable distance, which you were thankful for.

You took a moment to consider before replying. He was a vampire, he could kill you without a second thought, but he was also your imprint. He’d come so close to Quilete land just to find you and he’d been nothing but kind since he revealed himself.

“Okay… yeah, yeah, you can come closer.”

He smiled, relieved, and closed the distance between you.

As he neared, you realized how tall he was. But instead of threatening, it was charming.

And his scars, you realized with horror, were bite marks.

Jasper chuckled. “I didn’t think the wet dog smell would go away, but I was prepared to make sacrifices.”

You smiled, feeling more at ease (whether that was yourself or his powers, you didn’t know, but would come to learn the difference). “And you don’t smell like rotten candy anymore.”

That made him laugh. “I didn’t know we had such an aroma.”

That desire was starting to creep back in. You wanted to know everything about him, wanted to be near him all the time, wanted to smell the sweetness of him. It was a pleasant feeling and wasn’t unwelcome any longer. You guessed that’s why most shifters felt happiest by their imprintee.

He reached up a hand and caressed your cheek.

“Your hands are cold,” you said.

“I’m sorry.” He replied, retracting his hand.

“No, no,” you grabbed it gently and placed it back on your cheek. “I like it.”

If vampires could blush you were sure he would’ve.

You kept one hand over his and used the other to feel up his arm and over his chest, trying to commit every curve to memory.

“And you’re so warm,” he whispered, placing his other hand on your waist and pulling you ever so closer.

“I guess we’re a good match then,” you replied, just as softly. It felt strange to be so intimate with someone you’d just met. But nothing had ever felt so right.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked.

You hummed. “Yes, please,”

His lips were cold, like the rest of his skin, but they were soft and gentle, easing into the kiss. Your stomach fluttered and you shivered as he ran his hands up your arms before curling around your back.

Your fingers knotted in his hair, pulling him closer, wanting more.

That desire inside strengthened, but you supposed that was just the way it felt to kiss your soulmate. And, god, did it feel good. The same hands that could end your life in a single motion were holding you tenderly.

You finally pulled away to catch your breath (Jasper could’ve stayed right there kissing you forever) and pressed your forehead against his.

“By the way,” you said. “My name is Y/N.”

It was the scandal of the century when you left the pack to be with a vampire.

Your dad didn’t like it, but he supported your choice. And, unlike your brother, he still talked to you when you visited.

Jacob practically disowned you. He hated vampires and it only got worse when Bella Swan fell in love with Edward.

Jacob felt like the Cullens were taking away everyone he loved and they were going to turn them into cold, heartless bloodsuckers.

Which was preposterous at best. All the Cullens were very aware of themselves and what it means to be a vampire. Most of them didn’t have a choice in the matter, being what they are. And despite them not beating, they still had hearts.

Hearts that welcomed you and loved you the moment you stepped through their door.

Well, Rosalie needed some convincing and Edward was less than thrilled, but the others were great!

Of course, it was an adjustment having an alive person in the house and not wanting to rip their throat out. You just made sure to avoid bleeding at any cost, as if that wasn’t something you already did.

Alice immediately accepted you as her sister and you thanked her for leading Jasper to you, which she insisted wasn’t necessary.

And Bella, the girl you once babysat over summer, was surprised to see you when she visited with Edward the first time.

“Y/N?” She said when you came into the room with Jasper.

The two of you had just been out hunting/running and you smiled wide when you saw her. “Bella!”

You guys hugged.

“Wha- why are you here? Jacob said you weren’t around anymore.”

“Um. I’m not, sort of.” You replied. “Let’s talk in the other room shall we?”

“What’s going on, are you a vampire, too?” Bella asked.

“I can’t believe you know that already, but no, I’m not a vampire. I’m...something else. I can’t tell you what I am, you know too much already. I’m with Jasper though. He’s, uh...he’s like my soulmate.”

“Soulmate?” Bella said. “Vampires have those?”

“I guess?”

Of course, Bella was the start of SO many more problems. James, Victoria, and Laurent, Bella’s papercut, the Cullens leaving town (and leaving you and Bella behind), Bella finding out about the pack, and the Volturi finding out about Bella and you.

But those events had brought an understanding between you and the boys.

Which brings you to where you were now, celebrating Bella’s graduation.

“Quil, Embry, Jake!” You threw yourself into each of their arms, hugging them. “So glad you guys came!”

Jasper was standing nearby, not one to leave your side very long, and Jacob shot him a sour look.

“Hey, Y/N!” Embry replied, ever the optimist. “You need to come visit again soon. Sam sucks as a wrestling referee.”

You laughed. “Give me a call next time and I’ll be there.”

“Will do.”

“Seth misses you, too,” Quil said. “Won’t shut up about how you made life with Leah more bearable.”

“Oh, you guys should leave her alone.” You chastised. “She’s just as sour as Sam, anyway,”

The boys shrugged and grinned. Neither conforming nor denying your words.

You glanced over to the stairway to see Bella and Jasper talking to Alice. Alice looked frightened. And that was never good.

“They’ll be here in four days,” Alice said, once the present Cullens and the four shifters gathered in a side room.

“This could turn into a bloodbath,” Carlisle said.

You exchanged a look with Jasper.

“Who’s behind it?” Edward asked.

“I didn’t see anyone I recognized.” Alice said. “Maybe one.”

“I know his face,” Edward said, reading Alice’s thoughts. “He’s local. Riley Biers...he didn’t start this.”

“Whoever did is staying out of the action.”

“Must be playing with the blind spots in your vision,” Carlisle said.

“Either way,” Jasper spoke up. “The army’s coming and there aren’t enough of us to protect the town.”

“Hold on,” Jacob said. “What damn army?”

“Newborns.” Carlisle explained. “Our kind.”

“What?” Jacob turned on you. “Did you know about this?”

You shrugged and smiled sheepishly. Yeah, you did.

“What are they after?” Embry asked.

“They were passing around Bella’s scent,” Alice said. “A red blouse.”

“They’re after Bella?” Jacob said. “What the hell does this mean?”

“It means an ugly fight,” Carlisle said. “With lives lost.”

Jacob looked to Quil and Embry, a decision being made between them.

“Alright,” He said. “We’re in.”

“No,”

“Bella-”

“You’ll get yourselves killed, no way.”

You sighed, resisting the urge to roll your eyes.

“I wasn’t asking for permission,” Jacob said, lowly.

“Edward,” Bella pleaded, looking towards her boyfriend to back her up.

He gave her no such rewards, looking between the boys and Bella before saying, “It means more protection for you.”

“No, I won’t let you do this, Jake,”

“He can take care of himself, Bella,” You said, glaring at her.

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Then what was it?”

“Look, just because you decided to abandon them-”

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you!”

“Enough!” Carlisle interrupted. “Jacob. Do you think Sam would agree to...an understanding?”

Jacob’s jaw tightened and he got that brooding look in his eye. “As long as we get to kill some vampires.”

Asshole.

“Jasper?”

You looked to your boyfriend who had been sitting quietly next to you for the better part of the conversation.

“They’ll give us the numbers,” he said. “Newborns won’t even know they exist. It’ll give us an edge.”

“We’ll need to coordinate.”

“Carlisle, they’re gonna get hurt.” Bella protested.

You bit down on your tongue and Jasper sent a wave of calm over you.

“We’ll all need some training,” Carlisle replied. “Fighting newborns requires knowledge that Jasper has. You’re welcome to join us.”

Jacob nodded. “Alright. Name the time and place.”

“Jake. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Bella, this is what we do.” Jacob replied, icily. “You should be happy. Look at us. Working together.”

He looked over at you. “And you are the one that wanted us to get along, right?”

“Asshole.” You said, a bit of a smile tugging at your lips

“Bitch.” He replied, smirking.

After that you returned to the Cullen house. Not much was said as you and Jasper lounged on the couch, reading. You could tell he was thinking about the approaching fight and his past battles because he never turned a page.

When Edward returned from dropping off Bella, you could tell by the way he stalked into the room that he was looking for an argument.

“Must you always provoke her?” He asked.

You looked up from your book. “What, did the princess complain about me the whole way home?”

The disgusted look on Edward’s face only grew at your reply. “What’s your problem with her? I thought you and her were friends.”

You snapped your book shut. “Look. She may have you and my brother wrapped around her little finger, but not me. Someone has to be the bearer of bad news that the world doesn’t revolve around Bella Swan.”

“She’s in danger, Y/N. The least you could do is try to be civil.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that she was the only life that mattered here-”

“Stop.” Jasper said, sternly. The snapping of his book closed filling the room and shutting the two of you up. “Edward’s right. If you can’t keep this little rivalry you have-”

“Rivalry?” You were standing now, absolutely aghast at his accusation.

“Y/N-” He began, reaching out for you, eyes trained on you.

“Don’t.” You spat. “Don’t play with my emotions right now. Don’t you dare.”

He had the decency to look guilty about it.

You stormed out of the room, making sure to knock into Edward’s shoulder as you headed for the balcony.

The anger was bubbling up. If you didn’t leave now you’d shift in the house and destroy something or hurt someone. And it helped that you couldn’t stand being in the same room as those two right now.

You climbed onto the railing and dove off, shifting halfway down and landing on all fours. You took off running into the woods, making sure to howl to really twist the knife in Jasper’s gut.

Rivalry? You thought. Rivalry?! Who does he think he is? We don’t have a rivalry. It’s not like were competing for a spot on team Cullen. Bella’s just like that annoying younger sister who gets everything she wants, leaving you to the sidelines. To rot like second best-

You skidded to a stop.

Oh, shit. Am I jealous of her? No. No way. Not jealous, just...

The anger began to dissipate into confusion and hurt.

It made sense all of the sudden. You were jealous of Bella.

You’d tried for years to get the tribe and the Cullens to get along. They made you choose. To pick between family and love. But then Bella came along and was able to live in both worlds. She didn’t have to pick.

It helped that she was pretty ignorant to it all for a while. You knew too much, more than she did. You knew the tribe’s history, to the connection to vampires. You knew all of the Cullen’s darkest secrets and dreaded pasts. You were fully immersed in a way she never could be.

And it wasn’t that you wanted any evil vampires to try to kill you, but it would be nice to not have to face the consequences for the choices Bella makes. For her to undo all the progress you’d made just by existing.

It would be easier if you were a vampire instead of a shifter. You can’t say you hadn’t thought about asking Jasper to...well, he’d never agree to it anyway. And who knows what it would do to you.

You shifted back, realizing where you were. Stopped dead in the same spot you’d met him. In that little clearing between the trees.

The leaves rustled in the wind and you shivered. Your clothes had ripped off with your transformation, leaving you cold and alone.

But you couldn’t go back. Not yet. You were still mad, even though the anger was gone. His words hurt. You weren’t ready to see him yet.

So, you shifted back into a wolf and curled up against a tree. A nice sleep in the woods might help you clear your head.

You sensed Jasper before you saw him. Your eyes opened as you caught that familiar sweet scent that only he carried.

You sat up, having turned back into a human sometime through the night, and rubbed your eyes. “I know you’re there. You can come out.”

He slunk out from the trees. He was carrying a fresh pair of clothes for you and had a blanket slung over his shoulder. You could’ve kissed him.

He handed them to you gently, allowing you to reach out and take them from him.

He kept his distance as you dressed, about ten feet away.

Once dressed, you tossed the blanket over your shoulders and smiled tiredly at him. “Now doesn’t this look familiar?”

Jasper chuckled. “Can I come closer?”

You nodded, beckoning him forward. “Come on,”

He sat next to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and you rested your head on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry for what I said. That wasn’t what I meant and I should’ve thought about my words before I spoke.”

You shook your head. “No, you were right. I’m carrying this distain for Bella and I need to let it go. It’s not making anyone happy and if her and Edward are going to be together, I’m gonna have to get used to it.”

Jasper hummed, kissing your temple. “She could never replace you, you know?”

“Yeah...thank you.”

“We’re supposed to go meet with the wolves for training in a few hours. Do you want to go back to the house for breakfast beforehand?” He asked.

You furrowed your eyebrows. “But you guys don’t eat?”

“I...may have bought a bunch of your favorite breakfast foods. To make up for my mistake.” He said, a little sheepishly.

You laughed. “Never change, Jasper Whitlock.”

“Is that a yes?”

“That’s a yes.”

You both stood, holding hands.

“Do you think...” You bit your lip. “Can I invite Bella over? I can’t eat all of that breakfast by myself.”

Jasper smiled. “That’s my girl.”

Emmett flew through the air, hitting the ground with a crash that would’ve killed any human. But he got up with a ferocity in his eyes and said, “again.”

Edward pulled up in his silver jeep carrying you and Bella in it and parked half-hazardly in between two trees.

You got out from the backseat and immediately went to Jasper’s side.

“Wouldn’t even let us eat breakfast alone,” You whispered. “I think he thinks I’m gonna eat her or something.”

Jasper bit back a laugh and turned with the rest of the family as the Uley back emerged from the trees. All ferocious and upset looking.

“They don’t trust us enough to be in their human forms,” Edward explained.

“They came, that’s what matters,” Carlisle replied. “Will you translate?”

Edward nodded.

Carlisle and Jasper approached the pack, standing before Sam, Jared, and Paul. You hung back by Bella and Alice. Last thing that bridge needed was a loose board.

“Welcome,” He began. “Jasper has experience with newborns. He’ll teach us how to defeat them.”

“They wanna know how the newborns are different from us.”

“They’re a great deal stronger than us,” Carlisle explained. “Because their own human blood lingers in their tissues. Our kind is never more physically powerful than in our first several months in this life.”

With no further questions from Sam, Carlisle turns the speech over to Jasper, who swaggers to the center of the group’s gaze like he was made for it.

“Carlisle’s right,” He said. “That’s why they are created. A newborn army doesn’t need thousands like a human army. And no human army could stand against them.”

A growl from Sam.

“Now, the two most important things to remember are first, never let them get their arms around you - they will crush you instantly - and second...never go for the obvious kill.”

You smirked.

“They’ll be expecting that. And you. Will lose.”

Jasper turned to his side of the group. “Emmet.”

Now things were going to get interesting.

(Tbh just go watch the scene on YouTube for this, not much changes besides the Alice and Jasper stuff and there’s a bit extra at the end.)

“Don’t hold back.”

“Not in my nature,” Emmet replied, grinning.

You nudged Bella and she looked at you. You lifted your fingers and counted off three, two, one-

Emmett surged forward, plowing into Jasper's middle like a football player. Jasper, expecting this, planted his feet and dug them into the dirt as he was pushed backward.

Emmet threw him over his shoulder, sending Jasper spiraling into the air and landing messily on the forest floor, but never falling. He sprang up and sprinted right back into the fight.

Emmett swung, Jasper ducked and caught his arm, sending him onto the forest floor.

Jasper smirked. “Never lose focus.”

You hoped the pack couldn’t smell the desire radiating off of you.

Edward and Carlisle squared up to demonstrate next, Jasper looking on as a coach.

Carlisle gave a curt nod and the fight began. Carlisle slid, Edward jumped over. Boom, back up and running. They caught each other by the neck, forcing each of them to make steps backward.

You glanced at Jasper, who was expressionless, silently observing. You heard Sam growl from nearby.

Edward went spiraling as Carlisle threw him over his shoulder. You felt Bella tense next to you.

Carlisle threw a punch, Edward ducked, Carlisle went for another and Edward caught him by the chest, sending him to the ground.

Edward straightened up cockily.

“And one more thing,” Jasper said.

Carlisle grabbed Edward by the leg, reversing their positions.

“Never turn your back on your enemy.”

Sam seemed slightly impressed, if his expression changing from a snarl to indifference was any sign.

Jasper beckoned Rosalie forward with two fingers. She sauntered up like she’d rather be doing anything else, which was probably true.

Punch. Punch. Jasper ducked each time, her jabs missing him. He caught her arm, she spiraled and landed gracefully in a bent position.

Poser, you thought with a grin.

Alice was next. And you never underestimate Alice.

Jasper was on the offense this time and Alice moved out of striking range every time like it was the easiest thing in the world, cartwheeling out of his reach.

Jasper advanced again, throwing punches that didn’t (and wouldn’t) connect. Then, Alice disappeared. Jasper, used to knowing people’s next moves, was confused.

You glanced up, just in time to see Alice drop from the tree behind Jasper and send him to the ground.

"Y/N. You’re up.” Jasper said as Alice walked back towards Bella.

You nodded, quickly taking off into the trees to shift.

You came back in your wolf form. A brown wolf, similar to Jacob, but a little darker. Jasper almost lost himself admiring you, but it was hard to ignore when a giant wolf was running at you.

He caught your form, his hands almost making it around you before you rolled and pushed him with your back feet. Jasper grunted, falling onto his butt and watching as you summersaulted in the air and landed on all fours above him.

Jasper was slightly turned on, but only smirked at you sexily. You rolled your eyes and got off him, to which he responded by jumping on your back.

You felt his weight and immediately leapt up, sending him back to the ground.

He stood up as you rushed back into the trees to turn back.

“Sometimes you won’t be able to get the newborn off of you so easily,” Jasper said to the pack. “Like we said, they’re strong.”

“But that’s what you guys are there for right?” You said, clutching on to Jasper’s arm. You were dressed down now, in a simple tank top and leggings.

“Correct,” Jasper said softly, tilting his head and smiling.

He hardened as he turned back to the wolves. “We will do our best to keep each of you safe, just as you will do for us. And if in doubt. Go for the head.”

That about wrapped it up for the day, so the wolves left and the Cullens regrouped to go home.

Jasper and Bella were talking so you went to Edward, who was watching the interaction intensely.

“You know, she’s not gonna die if you take your eyes off of her for a second.” You said, nudging him.

He looked at you. “Thank you. For trying.”

You shrugged. “I needed to get my head out of my ass. Now it’s her turn.”

Edward frowned, but didn’t comment further.

You pricked up suddenly, feeling Jasper’s emotions changing from pride to guilt and sadness. You immediately knew what he was talking about, so you walked over, Alice not far away.

“I thought what Maria and I had was love,” He said. “But I was her puppet, she pulled the strings. I didn’t know there was another way...until I found Alice. Well, she seen me coming, of course.”

“Kept me waiting long enough,” Alice joked, walking up to him and leaning on his shoulder.

Jasper chuckled sadly, tears in his eyes. “My apologies, ma’am.”

You smiled softly.

“I don’t know what I’d’ve become without her. She brought me to Y/N. And she, well,” he looked over at you, his golden eyes meeting your (e/c) ones. “She taught me what real love was.”

Bella smiled.

Jasper walked over to you, taking your hand and kissing you as he’d wanted to all morning.

When you pulled away, he was serious.

“You don’t think less of me for my past, do you? I know I’ve done some pretty awful things, but I don’t think I could-”

“Hey,” You interrupted, touching his face. Your warm hand calming him down. “I could never think less of you. I love you. And the past is in the past. You never have to be that person again. We’re good, okay?”

He smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

You raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, darlin’“

“That’s better.”

You met Jacob in the clearing where the fight would be. Edward, Bella, Jasper, and you coming from one side and a shirtless Jacob from the other.

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes. “You own a shirt?”

“You’re not fighting?” Jacob asked, ignoring you and directing his words at Edward. “What, you pull a muscle or something?”

“He’s doing it for me, okay?” Bella defended.

“Whatever,” Jacob drawled back.

Now you rolled your eyes. Oh, the never-ending love triangle at it again.

“Just tell me the plan.”

“This field will give us an advantage in battle,” Jasper explained. “We need to lure them here with Bella’s scent. And it needs to end here.”

“Edward and I are going on a campsite,” Bella said. “Even if he carries me, they’ll still pick up on our scent.”

“Your stench, however, is revolting.” Edward snapped.

You frowned but didn’t comment.

“Dude, you really don’t want to start comparing stinks,” Jacob retorted.

“What he means is,” Bella interjected. “That your scent will mask mine if you carry me.”

Jacob gave a curt nod. “Done.”

“This is not a good idea,” Edward said.

“It’ll work,” Jasper replied. “They won’t want to get anywhere near his...odor.”

“Rude,” You said, jokingly.

“Your odor, however, is delightful.” He said to you.

“Aw, thanks.”

“Okay, stop,” Jacob said, pulling a face. “Let’s try it.”

Bella walked over and Jacob picked her up.

“Ode of wolf, coming up,” He said.

Edward grimaced.

“Run.”

Doing as he was told (for once), Jacob took off into the woods.

After a few minutes, Jasper took off into the woods, too. Tracking for any signs of Bella’s scent.

“Soooo,” You started. Being left alone with Edward was not your version of fun, but your nose wouldn’t be of any service. Different species senses and all that.

“Don’t start,” Edward replied.

“Wasn’t gonna,” You said with a shrug. “But you really should calm down. Your worry is almost as potent as Jake’s odor.”

“Could you step back? Your odor is really starting to bother me, makes my eyes water.”

“Oh, is that how it’s gonna be?” You asked with a challenging grin.

Edward cracked a smile.

“Alright, mind-reader, you don’t wanna smell all the scents I can conjure up.”

“All I picked up was wolf stench,” Jasper said, coming back out of the woods. “No Bella.”

“Good work, Major Whitlock,” You teased, he bumped you with his hip.

Edward still seemed uneasy, despite your lighthearted conversation.

“This will work,” Jasper reassured.

“Great.” Edward replied, shortly.

Great indeed.

When the day finally came, you were nervous.

Not that you doubted the Cullen’s or the pack’s abilities to win the fight. It was just that things always seemed to go wrong even with the best laid plans. You had this terrible pit in your stomach.

You almost forgot about it, waking up in Jasper’s arms was business as usual and he did nothing to make it seem like he was nervous.

“Good morning,” Jasper whispered.

“Morning,” You replied, groggily.

Jasper didn’t sleep, of course, but he didn’t mind holding you while you did. He even closed his eyes, just to relax and focus and think. Sometimes you wondered if that was the closest thing to sleeping he got.

You stretched out of his grip and sat up, remembering what day it was. “When are they coming?”

“Soon.”

“Right. Soon.” You stood up and headed for the bathroom to prepare yourself for the fight. That was when the worry started to creep in.

Jasper noticed, of course he did.

“Hey,” he said when you walked back out of the bathroom. “This’ll work.”

You nodded, taking a deep breath. “I know, I know. I always worry about this stuff.”

“Would you like me to...?”

You shook your head. “No, not yet. I’ve gotta work through this or it might come back with a vengeance later when you’re preoccupied. And we don’t need that.”

He nodded in understanding.

You chuckled as he walked up to you, playing with your fingers. “You can tell we’re opposing monsters, the way we dress.”

Jasper, forever cold, was dressed in dark jeans, a dark t-shirt, and a button up underneath a heavier jacket. You, forever warm, were dressed in a pair of yoga shorts and a loose t-shirt.

He pressed his forehead against yours, eyes closing. You closed your eyes in return, taking the moment to breath him in and accept the moment of peace before the battle.

He kissed you softly.

“Have you got everything?” He asked.

You threw your bag over your shoulder. “Yeah, I think so. Just my spare clothes.”

“Good. It’s time to go.”

When you got to the clearing, you could smell Bella’s blood everywhere. On the trees, in the grass, on the rocks. Oh yeah, this would work.

“The storm really hit here,” You said.

“Well, hopefully we can use that to our advantage,” Jasper replied before turning to you. “Are you ready for this?”

“Well, I don’t take pleasure in killing innocents, but I’ll do it to protect my family.” You replied.

“We appreciate everything you’ve done for us, Y/N,” Carlisle said.

You smiled softly. “Thanks. I have to go.”

“Be safe,” Jasper replied, kissing your forehead. “I’ll see you on the battlefield.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” You said, mock saluting before running off into the trees to find the pack.

“She’ll be fine, Jasper,” Alice said.

He nodded. “I know she will be.”

When you reached the pack you noticed a significant absence of your brother. “Where’s Jake?”

“On his way.” Sam replied, bluntly.

“Yeah, he wanted to help protect precious Bella overnight,” Embry joked.

You nodded. “Course he did.”

“It’s time,” Sam said.

All of you shifted in unison, hearing the sounds of the newborns ripping through the trees.

The entire newborn army blitzed out of the woods and into the field. There’s a frenzy in their eyes. Their thirst rabid at the scent of Bella’s blood. But it ends there and they are met with the Cullens, ready and willing to defend.

The two sides meet in a flurry of shouts.

Jasper claims the first kill, knocking one of the newborn’s heads clean off his shoulders with a single punch.

The newborns have the numbers, but are inexperienced and sloppy. They swing and miss and the Cullen’s gain the upper hand almost easily, but they can’t account for them all.

That is when the wolves come in.

Sam’s large, black wolf jumps over the threshold first, taking the first wolf kill for himself. He is followed closely by you and the rest of the pack.

It’s unexpected, and the newborns are brought down easily by the shifters.

You’ve blacked out at this point, allowing the wolf to take over your actions so you won’t be burdened with the guilt and memory of killing these people. These kids.

It’s too easy to rip into them. Their skin cracking like glass and ripping like paper.

Jacob rips through the trees and attacks immediately. You wish he could hear your thoughts so you could tell him he was an idiot and to be careful.

In your distracted state, one of the newborns managed to get you to the ground. You flailed and rolled, trying to get him off of you.

Jasper ran through three newborns to get to you, a fury in his eyes. He wouldn’t lose you. Not like this. Not ever.

He rips through the newborn’s head like it’s made of water.

You make eye contact with him, a silent thanks, and the battle continues.

It almost isn’t fair how easily your side takes them down. No training, no preparation. Almost like they were...a distraction.

You looked around, trying to spot Victoria’s red hair in the crowd or the trees. She was gone. She was going for Edward and Bella.

You howled, hoping they or Seth would hear you and be prepared.

Then, it was like a door opened up in your mind. Seth’s thoughts came streaming in like someone was adjusting the tuneage on a radio, distorted at first then became clearer and clearer.

Thanks, Y/N. It’s over.

You sighed, thankful.

“Y/N,”

You startled, looking over to see Jasper approaching you. You shifted back.

“It’s over,” You said. “Victoria’s dead.”

“It’s not over,” Jasper replied, looking over his shoulder at Alice, standing before the burning pile.

She had that dead look in her eyes that she got whenever she got a vision.

“Alice, what is it?” You asked, pulling Jasper’s coat over your body.

“The Volturi,” She said. “They’re coming.”

You and Jasper exchanged a look.

“How long?”

Bella and Edward appeared from the trees, finally approaching the group.

“Fifteen minutes. Maybe ten?”

“The pack needs to leave. The Volturi won’t honor our truce with the werewolves.” Carlisle said.

“I’m not going anywhere,” You growled.

“I didn’t ask you to,” Carlisle clarified. “But you need to tell the pack to leave.”

You nodded, turning towards where Leah stood, watching over. Jake came out of the trees to join her and see what was happening.

A stray newborn emerged as well.

That pit in your stomach grew bigger, you opened your mouth to shout, only to be cut off by Leah growling and heading straight for the newborn.

“Leah don’t!” You and Edward shouted together.

The newborn got his arms around her and you panicked, ripping off Jasper’s coat and shifting as Jacob ran over to help her.

He caught him by the neck, ripping him off of Leah’s back.

The two wrestled and you checked on Leah, she was fine and you ran for Jacob.

But it was too late. You heard the cracking of his bones just as you managed to get there, snatching the newborn off Jacob’s back.

Sam and Paul joined you in ripping him apart.

This one you took pleasure in.

Jacob shifted back, his body responding to the pain.

“Jacob!” Bella cried, running over to him.

Edward and Carlisle beat her there, tending to him to find out what was wrong.

“The bones on the right half of his body are shattered,” Carlisle explained.

You and the pack came running out from the trees, all now at least partially dressed.

“Jacob, you idiot, I had it!”

“Leah,” Sam scolded, joining you and the others knelt at Jacob’s side.

“I need to set the bones before his accelerated healing sets in,” Carlisle said. “It’s already starting.”

“We need to get him out of here,” Edward said. “We’re not gonna win a fight with the Volturi.”

“We’ll take him back to Billy’s,” Sam said.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Carlisle replied.

“Hang in there, Jake,” Bella said.

“You’ll be okay, Jacob,” You said, squeezing the half of his body that’s not shattered.

You watched anxiously as the pack carried Jacob away, that pit in your stomach the biggest its ever been.

A wave of calm settled itself over you and you knew it was Jasper when he touched your shoulder. “He’ll be alright,”

You nodded, “I know.”

You didn’t.

“They’re coming!” Alice shouted.

Jasper’s wave of calm wasn’t helping. Your worry and sadness shifted into anger at Alice’s words. You shifted.

The Volturi appeared out of the forest in the haze of fog that had settled after the storm. Their eyes the same startling red you remembered from meeting them the first time.

Jasper stood in front of your wolf form, clinging to you, ready to fight if needed.

Edward did the same to Bella.

The Cullens were eerily quiet.

Their hoods came down and you resisted the urge to growl. The Volturi had sent their lackies, the youngest (or rather the youngest looking) of their cult to approach you.

“Impressive,” Jane said. “I’ve never seen a coven escape an assault of this magnitude intact.”

“We were lucky,” Carlisle replied, diplomatically.

“I doubt that,” Jane replied, red eyes flickering over to you.

You glared, resisting the urge to growl.

“It appears we missed an entertaining fight,” Alec said.

“Yes,” Jane’s voice is slippery and she speaks with a snake-like demeanor. “It’s not often we are rendered unnecessary.”

“If you would’ve arrived a half hour ago you would’ve fulfilled your purpose,” Edward said.

Jane’s eyes are locked on him. “Pity...you missed one.”

Bree, the young newborn that had been hiding behind the group, moves, startled and nervous.

This time, you do growl.

Jasper waves a hand to subdue you and walks over to her side.

“We offered her asylum in exchange for her surrender,” Carlisle explained.

“That wasn’t yours to offer,” Jane said, a sick smirk on her lips. “Why did you come?”

The question is directed at the girl, who’s standing terrified next to Jasper.

Then, she screams, body reacting to the overwhelming pain Jane’s stare inflicts.

You flinch. You remember the pain.

“Who created you?”

She screamed again, rolling on the ground in agony.

“You don’t need to do that, she’ll tell you anything you want to know,” Esme said.

“I know.” Jane replied.

It makes you sick to your stomach, knowing that she takes pleasure in inflicting that much pain.

“I-I don’t know,” Bree chokes out. “Riley wouldn’t tell us...he said our thoughts weren’t safe.”

“Her name is Victoria,” Edward said. “Perhaps you knew her.”

Jane’s eyes change emotions. Perhaps they did know.

“Edward,” Carlisle interrupted. “If the Volturi had knowledge of Victoria, they would’ve stopped her.”

They all know his words carry no truth.

“Isn’t that right, Jane?”

Jasper’s gaze tightens on Jane. She’s looking back with nothing to reveal.

“Of course.” There’s a pause and then, “Felix.”

He moves forward-

“She didn’t know what she was doing,” Esme said.

Jane’s arm flies out to stop Felix.

“We’ll take responsibility for her.”

Esme’s heart was too kind. The heart of a mother knowing too much tragedy.

“Give her a chance.” And Carlisle was known for his second chances. His desperate need to protect the innocent.

“The Volturi don’t give second chances. Keep that in mind.” Jane said. “Caius will be interested to know that she’s still human. And that you still keep the...dog around.”

You growled again.

“The date is set,” Bella said. The wedding.

“Take care of that, Felix.” Jane said, removing her arm and allowing him forward. “I’d like to go home.”

There’s nothing any of you can do to stop him as Felix walks between Carlisle and Esme, both mourning the girl already.

The Cullens watch in horror, but you can only focus on Jane’s sadistic smile, as Felix takes care of the problem.

And then it’s over.

The Volturi leave with threats made and notes taken. The rest of you are left with new demons to hide away; an ever growing collection. And you and Bella are racing to Billy’s for Jacob.

You join her in her truck, too overwhelmed with emotions to run. You needed another person to be there with you.

He’s screaming when you arrive.

“Dad,” You said, running to Billy’s side. “Is he-”

His screams persisted and you tear up. Bella stands frozen.

“That’s been going on for a while,” Quil explained.

“Docs are breaking his bones,”

“Why did he have to but in I could’ve taken that-”

“Give it a rest, Leah,” Paul snapped.

The door opened and Carlisle and Sam stepped out, looking somber.

“The worst is over. He’ll be alright,” Carlisle said. “I gave him some morphine but his body temperature will burn it off soon. I’ll come back to set up a drip.”

You sighed thankfully, standing up to hug Carlisle, which he accepted.

“Thank you,” Billy said.

The two of them shake hands, an unsaid understanding crossing between them. Somehow, that makes you feel better.

Bella, it seems, didn’t feel the same.

“He’s asking for you,” Carlisle said, nodding to her.

She seemed hesitant at first, all the eyes watching her, but went in anyway.

“God, dad, I tried, but I couldn’t get there fast enough-”

“Hey,” Billy interrupts, patting your hand. “Don’t do that. He’s alright.”

You nodded, tears forming in your eyes again. “I knew he would be.”

You felt a cold hand on your back and turned to see Jasper.

“Is he alright?”

“Yeah, thanks Jas,” you said, standing up and hugging him tightly.

He returned the hug and rubbed your back comfortingly.

Him and Billy exchanged a look.

The two had never been particularly chummy, but they had an mutual respect, for you, if nothing else.

This time, though, Billy reached up and patted Jasper’s back. “Thanks for being here, son,”

Jasper nodded. “Of course.”

The rest of the pack shifted uncomfortably. A man who not long ago had been barking orders like a drill sergeant was now comforting one of their own.

You didn’t care. You just wanted to be in his arms.

When Bella came back out, she seemed conflicted.

“He’s sleeping,” she said to no one in particular.

You nodded to her.

Y/N.

You pricked up. You knew that voice. It was Jake’s.

Don’t beat yourself up over this. I know you will. It’s not your fault. And I know you can hear this so don’t be a stranger.

Asshole. You thought.

Bitch. He replied.

“Hey, you okay?” Jasper asked, noticing that your emotions had shifted.

You smiled, blinking back tears. “I’m wonderful.”

#jasper hale x you #jasper hale x reader #jasper hale x y/n #jasper hale imagine #Jasper hale x werewolf!reader #jasper whitlock x reader #jasper whitlock imagines #twilight imagine

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amphibimations · 3 months

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Choose your own adventure comic, poll below!

You spend a very long time trying to decide what shape to make Pete. You immediately decide against a human or cow shape; A human would be too boring, and you don’t want to even try making something imaginary like a cow. The decision you struggle with is whether it will be a rat or a dragon… you really like both animals.

You decide you like dragons a bit more, so you gather up a mound of dirt and sculpt it into the shape of a tiny wyvern. You were thinking about rats so much while sculpting that it ends up looking a bit rat-like… that’s fine. It’s still clearly a dragon, even with the whiskers.

You take a little stick and carve his name into his forehead (it’s the only thing you know how to spell in Shebic), and then you use petramancy to bring him to life!!!

He doesn’t need any instructions from you, he automatically knows what to do. You’ve made Pete so many times that he can basically read your mind. He runs off and starts searching the pitcher plants and sundews, quickly finding plenty of little bones. You’re so proud of him.

He drops the skeletons he's collected so far at your feet, and then turns around and runs off again to collect even more. Suddenly, you hear soft hoofbeats approaching. You turn around and see…

YOUR ARCH NEMESIS!!!!! ... It’s Heather Destrier. She thinks she’s so much better than you just because she’s a year older and knows history facts and is the daughter of a baroness. She thinks she’s better even though she has a weird haircut and a weird dad. One time she put a worm in your food when you weren’t looking. And she’s always saying mean things. Mean things like… “Ugh, what are YOU doing here?? You’re like, a two hour walk from your house… Did you get lost?? Is your brain made of dirt?? Is your dirt-brain the reason you’re always playing in the mud? That's so embarrassing for you.” Heather says.

You bet she’s just jealous that you can make a golem and she can’t. It doesn’t stop you from feeling angry. More than angry, though, you’re confused. Why is Heather riding her unicorn all the way out here? Right now, you two are at the farthest point into the bog you feel comfortable going. If a person goes much further they start running into the fairies, the harpies, the water monsters. They start running into the deceptive blankets of ground that float above the water and suck you in when you make a wrong step. Heather could die if she rides out there. You think about what you should say next.

Your first thought is that warning her away from the bog will be a great opportunity to call her an idiot, and just insult her in general. And she'll totally owe you one for saving her.

Your second thought is: why even warn her! If she gets lost that’s her own fault. You should skip straight to the insults. You could even remind her that her dress is illegal. She hates that.

Your third thought is…maybe you should try to stop her from going any further… by force. She needs to be saved from her own stupid decisions!! You could use magic to knock her off her unicorn! It would totally be for a good and moral reason. And not just because you want to knock her off her unicorn.

This collaborative choose-your-own-adventure comic is called Codex Calluna. A new page will be posted every Saturday evening (est). If you would like to, reblogs mean more people will be able to see this and participate!

Archive blog with only the comic pages: here Page one

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homestuckreplay · 5 days

Text

Here's How GG Can Still Win

(page 637-650)

9/14/2009 Wheel Spin: Movie Reference Verdict: John’s Life Might Be Too Weird For Movies

9/15/2009 Wheel Spin: being silly :3c Verdict: being scared and terrified D:

John’s hammer, despite being sick as hell, turns out to be dangerous for him too. This is poetic, given the number of injuries he sustained from the pogo ride as a child, that he’s now finding newer and better ways to injure himself with it. Rose’s sweet catch is really good – and I’m always impressed at her 20-dexterity video game reflexes snatching Dad’s PDA from the air and sliding John’s bed beneath him just in time to avoid injury – but in this case, her move also stops John from falling through the hole into Dad’s room. Is this a coincidence, or is she still focused on stopping him from getting in there?

The Big Imp has entered the house, but is too big for the rooms inside. It’s going to cause serious destruction just by moving around if John can’t kill him soon – and John’s reached a high enough level that a second one is following close behind. It makes me wonder if the Big Imp will drop different, stronger types of grist that can be used to reinforce the house against mundane physical damage. Server player is definitely a full time job despite what Rose says about being ‘just a facilitator,’ and when Rose does enter the game and has to divide her time between server and client goals, this game is going to get even harder.

The visuals of page 641 don’t quite work for me, as the top two pictures overlap each other, and it’s hard to make sense of where the overlap begins - I turned it into a single image to get a better view (comparison below). I think this page would have worked much better as three sequential pages. The following page does this much better – despite the white space between panels, each starts where the previous ended, and it comes together in a visually pleasing way. I mention this because the problem will only compound as the scale of John’s house continues to increase, and the necessary aspect ratio continues to change. There are rare examples, such as pages 376, 484 and 494 where slightly taller images are used, and there are also animated and [S] pages, such as 246 and 250, where we are able to zoom out or pan up or down to see the world on a bigger scale. We haven’t seen it yet, but there could also be interactive panels, where we can use arrow keys or zoom buttons within a panel to see different parts of John’s house ourselves, while sticking with the standard panel dimensions – like having access to a ‘view only’ version of Rose’s server controls.

‘TT: In a way, thieving you of your free will as an adventurer, and the need to advance by your own skill and ingenuity.’ (p.643) I think it is deeply arguable how much free will John has as an adventurer or player, and I hope that the explicit mention of free will means it will be discussed in more depth later. The mechanic does make sense, though. If Rose could just pick up the bed and click and drag John to the first gate, that’d be a huge exploit in the game. Despite being in beta testing, we haven’t really seen any bugs in Sburb so far – it’s extremely well made and tightly programmed, arguably more so than most AAA game releases.

I thought Sburb would operate on video game logic where player characters don’t need to eat, sleep, use the bathroom, brush their teeth, or do other human things to sustain themselves, so long as their gel is viscose enough. So, what does it mean for John to sleep within Sburb? Is sleep still necessary for human survival, is it unnecessary but simply nice to take a nap, or is it something that could provide game benefits – such as minigames that can be played while asleep to gain extra resources, faster/automatic recovery of gel, or saving the game state to potentially return to that point later?

Also, the new sleepy John song is very windchimey to me, reminding me of Windchime Foley from page 82.

‘if you obtain the code for any item at your disposal, you think you could theoretically send the code to John and he could make it himself.’ The Sburb server disc didn’t work out, but Rose’s instincts are good. I wonder if there are any other items in Rose’s house that could help John out. Such as, I don’t know, whatever she’s got hidden in that purple box on p.218. A Grimoire for Summoning the Zoologically Dubious could be helpful too, as could a 20-foot tall granite statue of the mighty wizard, ZAZZERPAN THE LEARNED. This sadly makes me realize that Sburb alchemy is restricted to items that are small enough to captchalogue.

It’s certainly interesting that the Sburb server CD doesn’t have a captcha code – this must be intentional on the part of the developers. The relationship between the captchalogue system and Sburb as a game is really interesting to me. It makes sense that certain items just can’t be alchemized because they’d break the game, and these items wouldn’t need codes. We know that the Medium, where John is, exists outside of time – how possible is it that the sylladex system is also created by Skaia’s power (as it transcends those same digital-physical boundaries) and was always created to be a companion piece to Sburb? Or alternatively, did the sylladex system exist previously but without the codes on the backs of cards, and Sburb has somehow exploited that existing system to place those codes only on cards that will then be used in alchemy?

The forest fire is approaching Rose’s mausoleum much faster, and now the generator has gone out. It either hasn’t recharged the laptop’s battery at all, or its shutting down has caused the laptop to shortcircuit, as Rose’s laptop immediately goes dark. This is certainly much more dramatic than switching back to battery power. I asked a few weeks ago for the tension with Rose’s situation to ramp up so Act 2’s pace can accelerate, and I think we’ve officially hit that point – which I’m really excited about.

Rose’s main focus is on saving herself. This makes sense on two levels – she’s scared and entering self preservation mode, and it’s also necessary on a practical level, because John can’t progress in the game if his server player dies. I see Rose as someone who likes to be independent and self-reliant, and it must be hard for her to have to depend on someone else to get out of this situation. In this way, she’s the opposite to John, who wanted Rose’s help but was left without it when her laptop died – I love the storytelling here, it’s a great beginning of both their character development to challenge them and put them out of their comfort zones like this.

So, who will be Rose’s server player? Dave seemed likely, but he’ll almost certainly have to escape Bro’s rooftop saw traps before he can get the discs, and I don’t think Rose can wait that long. John seemed possible, but Rose’s plan to send him the disc code failed, and I highly doubt he’ll locate his dad’s car and the original disc any time soon. That means the only person left is our good friend gardenGnostic, who also happened to be the person who originally tipped Rose off about Sburb. This would be poetic, going from the snow to fire, from talk of a dead cat to sitting beside its corpse, from the birthday gift of an important tip to the ultimate gift of saving Rose’s life.

I think Homestuck will throw a curveball and suddenly introduce GG at Rose’s moment of greatest need, just as Rose was introduced at John’s. So far our characters have been introduced in early act 1, late act 1, and early act 2 – so if act 2 is heading towards endgame, which I think it is, this is the moment to finally reveal GG. They’ll need to happen across a server disc somewhere, so whatever the source of their prophetic gifts is could kick in to reveal its location. Alternatively, GG has said that ‘mail takes a while to get anywhere from here!!!’ so if they have been signed up as a beta tester without their knowledge, some delayed mail could be arriving right now. Either way, I think we’re about to get GG discovering a disc and swooping in to save Rose.

#homestuck #reaction #will the fact that rose has a note signed with a drop of her own blood be relevant. Will there be a moment when she has to alchemize her ow #chrono

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crushedsweets · 9 months

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I know you spoke about how things would "end" for Toby and Nat if O/S ever came together again, but what about Nina and Kate? I figure things would be hard for Kate seeing as she's been there for like a decade.🤔 maybe they will move to NYC idk

did you reference nyc cuz u remembered that one ask... if yes that made me smile. also u guys asking for these sort of 'good' endings remind me of Laundry & Taxes so u guys should go read it..

anyway, it is probably the hardest for kate. she has an 8th grade education, only shreds of humanity, blood on her hands, and no clue where her family is. she can't remember a single address or phone number.

just maybe, and this is difficult for me to imagine, nina could convince her to call a police department. she's been a missing person, not a wanted criminal - her family and friends all assumed she was kidnapped and killed long ago. so maybe she could go in, tell the police her name, have them search a database or two, figure SOMETHING out. go back to her dad. . .make up some story, claim amnesia of the last decade. use this a chance to get her GED and a job. but that's such an unlikely path for kate, i rlly struggle to imagine it...

so, like toby, she'd probably stick around that farm. work with toby.

i could see her asking BEN for one last bit of help, see if he could somehow go through whatever database that could get her SSN and whatnot, so she could get a job on her own . . without having to go home. maybe i should have BEN just create/steal one for Toby... regardless, she'd try to get some sort of stable footing. i could only see her working pretty physical jobs, not customer service or anything like that. maybe a job at a morgue... graveyard shifts and the sort... fitting for her.

in this circumstance, kate would try to stay with toby as long as he'd let her. but if he's with clocky, things would be pretty cramped, and get tense. so maybe she'd go live with jack for a long while... quiet, peaceful, familiar.

if nina and kate were together(or getting there), then i think . .

nina would beg kate to move in with her, stay full time at the apartment. it'd be hard at first, only to get even more difficult. they'd start arguing, kate would leave for days. not because she's angry with nina, but she's scared that if kate cant keep her emotions in check, the O/S syndrome will set right back in and make kate a danger.

but then she'd come back in the middle of the night, climbing into bed with an exhausted nina, pretending nothing bad happened. and then nina would wake up and she'd have to ask why kate left and kate would be like ? isnt it obvious. we were arguing. and ninas like BUT THATS NOT THE POINT and they'd get overwhelmed and have to deal with it again. cuz ninas not letting kate go. and kate doesn't wanna go.

once kate starts getting paychecks, she's terrible at saving. immediately blows it on nina, as thanks for all nina's done. buying her dresses, jewelry, ordering meals, skincare, spending hours going thru the magazines nina has around. nina would ask her to save a bit more, and she would listen, and then realize it's probably more helpful to buy things like groceries, pay bills, etc. but money doesn't hold much meaning to her, she never attributed her terrible life to a lack of money, so she's still quick to throw it away to make nina happy . . but nina would start sitting her down and being like STOP WASTING UR MONEY!!!! . oddly enough kate finds comfort in being told what to do. feels like guidance, in a way? especially because she KNOWS nina does it with love. not so kate does what she wants

and eventually, they'd be able to save to move. regrettably, not to NYC, because that's too expensive for either of them. but somewhere nice... a quiet neighborhood, preferably only a 20-ish minute drive from any fun attraction nina wants to visit. i could see them agreeing on somewhere near a beach(though that'd be far in the future cuz expensive..). the forest was so suffocating to kate, so the openness of the ocean would be a good change of pace

i think kate just wants to lay on a bed with blankets fresh out the dryer.

#creeped #hcs #asks #kate the chaser #ninakate

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darkmasterofcupcakes · 6 months

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So basically, CWF Human AU Adam, alongside obviously being a better person, is also a healthier one, since here, there's not this thousands years old gap between his human time and modern actions, and specifically for CWF, between being a father for his sons and having fathered Vaggie.

So while CWF Adam only vaguely did stuff regarding to Vaggie once or twice, this Human AU Adam didn't really want to do father shit with Vaggie, but only a early*on thing, a majority of his mind was reassured about Lute wanting to take care of Vaggie alone, but he at least wanted it to be known he's her father at least by her, even if Lute is the main parent, which would give him room to deal with his shit and see if he feel like being a father.

Which make sense since here, Lute dealt with a less messy, and one which hasn't yet coped regarding Eve by being the worst™.

So he's definitely a bit more honest, at least to himself, that he care for Lute, so even if they aren't a full on couple, it not even being put on the official paper is what really hurt him, since he can see why Vaggie have the Guerrera name, but it doesn't mean he couldn't be on the official document.

Lute probably felt guilty about it, but felt like it was for the better.

Though this drama also explain why Adam became more of a womanizer I think, because Lute kinda closed the door to becoming his full-on romantic partner, let alone wife.

And considering Lute and Adam pretty much always stick around one another, poor Sera definitely had to care for Vaggie while her parents were being messes.

At least Vaggie didn't lacked for aunts, because Lute's army buddies (which I think, due to administrative mistakes, were all women soldiers with the exception of Adam) also stepped in.

I think Lute said to Vaggie that Adam was her Godfather prior to Vaggie learning the truth from Cain.

So, what were Vaggie and Seth's reaction to Cain's reveal of Vaggie being Adam's daughter?

Yeah, Adam is a lot healthier in the human AU, in part because his sons are all pretty active kids and while Adam isn't really into playing sports, he will usually play around with them, both when he still lived with Eve and the boys, and when they visit him at his new place following the separation and divorce. He’s not skinny by any means - he’s still got a bit of a gut, especially by the time his youngest are teenagers, but he’s got some muscle on him too.

He's definitely not looking to actually help when it comes to raising Vaggie. He can't deny that he was relieved when Lute made it clear that, if she did end up keeping the baby (because she did admit to Adam, pretty much as soon as she told him she planned to carry the pregnancy to term, that she genuinely wasn't sure if she was going to keep the baby or put it up for adoption) she would be raising them on her own and didn't expect or really want, any help from him. Which worked fine for Adam. He loved his sons, and he did take care of them when they visited, but if he was honest, he hadn't been ready for fatherhood when Cain was born, and that didn't change much, if at all, with the births of Abel and Seth, and if anything, he felt even more unprepared to even consider the idea of being a father to Lute's baby.

But he did want to be acknowledged as being Vaggie's father, even if it would only really be known by a select few people and would likely rarely come up outside of official documents. And, yeah, part of that was because part of him didn't want to completely shut the door on the idea of at least sometimes doing things a dad would do with their kid, with Vaggie. Or even just spending time with her sometimes as she got older.

He even gets into a very short argument with Lute about it, because he was honestly hurt she didn't want him even to be listed as Vaggie's father. To him, it kind of felt like a bit of an insult that she would go that far to try and deny it, but it also didn't help that, on at least some level, I do think he had started to realize he did have genuine feelings for her - which was part of why, even if he didn't plan to be actively involved with the pregnancy or the baby afterwards, he did do what he could to make sure Lute was taken care of the whole time.

And Lute does feel kind of bad about it, but tells everyone, including herself, that it's really for the best that she does this. Whether anyone would agree with her or not, especially once Vaggie learns the truth, is the real question.

It did not help at all when it came to that. I don't think Adam was really thinking that far ahead at the time - he and Lute had literally only hooked up twice before she showed up at this place and told him she was pregnant. But before that happened, he had actually started wondering about the possibility of properly asking Lute out, once his divorce was finalized. Personally he saw nothing wrong with just starting already, since he and Eve both agreed the divorce was happening and while they'd try to get along when they had to be around each other, especially for the sake of their sons, they weren't going to get back together. But after they hooked up each time, Lute did kind of scold herself for "sleeping with a married man" despite Adam's insistence that it was fine. So he decided he'd drop the whole thing until after he was no longer legally married...then she got pregnant before that could happen.

Adam did actually ask Lute about the idea that maybe they could give a real relationship a shot. It was in part his way to trying to convince her to put his name on Vaggie's birth certificate when he saw it. But Lute very firmly shot the idea down. They pretty bluntly said that they were just friends, they made some mistakes, now it was best to just pretend none of it ever happened and they should just move on with their lives. And Adam, hurt but kind of knowing he's not going to be able to change her mind, does accept the decision, if begrudgingly. And yes, this does help turn him into more of a womanizer. He gives up any desire to have proper relationships with any woman, and just starts resorting to casual short term hook ups and one night stands.

Vaggie was close to all her mother's old army buddies, who she did consider to basically be her honorary aunts. She also did sometimes try to get any of them to tell her about her father, since she had a feeling they had at least some idea, but none of them would tell her anything that actually helped her with trying to figure out who he was.

Adam is actually Vaggie's godfather, and the person who would be charged with taking care of her if anything happened to Lute. Something that Sera actually convinced her to do, by pointing out that since Adam isn't listed as Vaggie's father anywhere legally, if Lute doesn't specify a guardian for her daughter in a will or something...should anything happen to her, Vaggie would either be immediately placed into the system, or put into the care of her next of kin. Which would be Lute's parents, Agatha and Hector....and Lute pretty much knew that they'd refuse to raise Vaggie, since they don't even like that she was born, meaning her daughter would end up in foster care no matter what if she didn't do something. So after talking to Adam and making sure he'd be okay with it, Lute officially wrote up her will to leave all her possessions and assets to Vaggie, and officially named Adam as Vaggie's legal guardian, should anything happen to Lute before Vaggie is legally old enough to be on her own.

When Cain accidentally spilled the truth, Seth and Vaggie were both stunned, though Vaggie quickly became angry. She kept trying to deny it, calling Cain a liar and insisting he had no idea...but deep down she did start to wonder if it could be true, and then the anger started turning a bit towards her mother for never telling her. And she did confront Lute about it when she picked her up from the party - a confrontation that did result in a bit of an argument because of course Vaggie was angry her mother kept this secret from her for her whole life, and Lute was angry that someone else told Vaggie the truth.

#Hazbin Hotel #Adam #Lute #Vaggie #Hazbin Adam #Hazbin Lute #Hazbin Vaggie #Cradle Will Fall #Vaggie is a Guitarspear Baby AU #Human AU

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certifiedlavendarmenace · 2 months

Text

A lengthy post on why Lada's parents suck

Disclaimer: I hate them both equally the dad does not get off easier

The Father: On that note let me start with the dad because he truly does not get enough flack. A wise man once said "I'm biggest hater I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk" and that's how I feel about the father.

I've seen him be praised for the grand act of not being a homophobe in 2024 and I didn't mind because his wife is a menace and his only crime was being passive and "clueless". However I still didn't like him, sure he loved Lada and supported her decision regardless of what she did but that is quite literally the bare minimum for any parent and the fact that other queer people have parents that struggle to trip over that mark does not make him exceptional in any way. Beyond that he only advocated for her in private and when he did it was half hearted. He was far more concerned with keeping the peace with his wife then he was with defending his daughter. Which was fine when we assumed Lada didn't know either of her parents knew she was queer.

Then you could argue that he was waiting for Lada to come to him and he couldn't possibly know what the mom did. However this new episode shows that Lada knew that her mom knew about her being queer so one would think a father who is a #ally would tell his lesbian daughter that her mom is actually secretly homophobic and maybe she should be mindful of that.

What makes him worse is the fact that he knew the mom orchestrated the breakup and he sat there and watched his daughter who he 'supports' suffer for years. He didn't even bother confronting the wife he just sat on that information, comfortable to let his only child wallow in misery until her mother forced her to marry a man. Never once did he think 'hey maybe I should tell my daughter the life altering breakup she's barely surviving was orchestrated by my evil wife and she should probably get back with the love of the life since I again am a #ally'

I will die hating that man. He's so complacent he might as well not be there. He's like a cartoon angel on the mom's shoulder that gets batted away every few minutes. If that's allyship and supportive parenting then he can keep it because obviously it makes no difference. Passive parents are just as bad as their evil/abuse partners. He was not cursed with the witch he chose her and he's sticking beside her.

The Witch: Now lets get to the she devil. My feeling for her transcends hatred . I haven't wished this much misery on a character since the old bat from Gap. She is so caught up with her idea of what Lada's life should look like she's willing sacrifice her own daughter. She wants Lada to be a hallow doll, a human sized trophy whose only goal is to please her and whose only purpose is to be paraded around so that anyone who might be looking can see what a great mom she is because her doll is so accomplished.

She caused her daughter to go through an unimaginable amount of pain and even when she saw her at her lowest she didn't feel a shred of regret because to her the love between women is just fundamentally inferior for no other reason besides the fact that 'it just is'. She even had the audacity to twist the knife and paint herself as some beacon Lada could cling to because she would always be there and she 'loved' her so much.

I don't believe that woman knows what parental love is. That whole scene with the husband where she basically blames Earn for her choices she also talks about Lada but she never really talks about her. Instead she talks about what she did, how she molded her and how perfect Lada was as a result even though Lada told her none of that made her happy.

Then the show had the temerity to pull the sick card just like in Gap and just like in Gap Lada goes running back and now Earnlada is in jeopardy again. Just once I want these writers to kill the homophobe. She wont be missed and it saves me the pain of watching them forgive and forget simply because she's sick. Why is it always forgive and forget? For some relationships it works but there has to be a line where things become irreparable. Where even if the characters do forgive they can heal privately, free from the people that hurt them. Not everyone has to hold hands and kumbaya sometimes we can say fuck the homophobes and leave it there.

In conclusion, Lada deserved better. Earn should have snitched. I will never like the father and I will be praying on the mothers' death.

#and no I wont be accepting the 'its just the way they were raised' excuse #if you as an adult never take the time to interrogate the bullshit that was force fed to you as a child that is a personal failing #especially when you have a gay daughter #if that doesn't make you reflect than you don't deserve grace #once again fuck them both #lada #the secret of us #also justice for wisanu the witch was manipulating him too

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arachnixe · 2 months

Text

Execution

(Part 9 of Night’s Longing - Previous: Past Hungers, Past Mistakes)

Carmen seems more withdrawn than before after sharing that story, as though even she was caught by surprise that those memories still have some power over her. A little fun in bed helps distract her for a moment, but I get the feeling she also uses it to distract me from the topic.

I try to get her to open up to me, permit herself to show even an ounce of vulnerability, but she smoothly redirects my efforts with flirtations until we’re fucking again because I simply cannot ever resist her.

At the very least I can offer her my company and my support, even when it’s four in the afternoon and I notice that Carmen’s snuck out of bed to brood in silence. I make her coffee just the way she likes, bringing it to her and sitting in the same room as her.

I wonder, and not for the first time, how much heartbreak someone her age has experienced. I guess it never gets any easier.

The story she told sticks with me for more reasons. She described a collection of vampiric abilities I have heard of but never before witnessed in the possession of any single vampire. I have heard tales, of course, of the “archvampires” slain by my ancestors, the greatest of which commanded a similarly fantastic array of powers. Until recently, I believed them to be exaggerations for the sake of inflating the reputations of those old, revered hunters. Yet Carmen’s abilities are perfectly in line with even the tallest tales.

It terrifies me the first time I watch Carmen pass by her curtains—frankly inadequate ones, letting slip a thin slice of sunlight through the gap during the pre-sundown hours—and I watch, stunned, as the light momentarily passes over her with hardly a sizzle.

“Not sunscreen,” she tells me, laughing, when I confront her with my first, admittedly silly, guess. “It is not the same ultraviolet radiation which gives humans a sunburn that also purges our kind from the world. It is specifically daylight. We are ontologically of night itself at the most fundamental level. A vampire is dispelled by the sun in precisely the same way that night is.”

I can only reply with stammering, half-formed words stumbling over each other, but she takes pity on my confusion and offers me a little more explanation.

“Resistance is not altogether impossible, though I remain a creature of night. You could say I have kissed the moon and may hide in its shadow.” She gestures as if groping for words that don’t come easily to her, at least in English. “In an occult sense, I mean to say.”

It’s clear that I’m not satisfied by such a metaphorical answer, and Carmen sighs. “It works something like your Boltman blessings. Here. One visible element of the work of many years.” She lifts her shirt to direct my attention to a particular cluster of lines tattooed below her ribs. “Before I ever became a vampire, I was something of a mystic. I have always loathed my own weakness, thus I work to diminish what flaws I cannot eliminate.”

Something about Carmen’s body language reads as vulnerable as she confesses this one small detail of her early life, and she seems relieved that I choose to pull her into a hug rather than pry further.

“Sorry.” My words are muffled with my face pressed into her. My heart isn’t done pounding with that initial panic of seeing the sunlight touch her. “I just need a second.”

Her gentle touch on my back is reassuring. “You do not need to worry about me.”

“I do a lot of things I don’t need to. Don’t try to talk me out of this one.”

“As you wish, darling.” She wraps her arms around me too. “I only mean to say that I have offered to help you overcome the circumstances of your birth, which would be an empty promise indeed from someone unable to exert similar influence even on herself. I ask you not to doubt my strength.”

I groan. “Fuck, I hate it when you talk like my dad. Worrying about you isn’t a slight, Carmen! It doesn’t mean I think you’re less cool and smart and powerful! It doesn’t mean I doubt your ability to help and protect me! It means I care about you!”

I feel a tremor in Carmen’s body, at first seeming much like sobbing, but after a moment I realize it’s laughter.

“Even now,” she says quietly, to herself, and I can’t guess what she means, but I only hold her tighter.

We stay like this together for a while longer.

---

The notification sound sends my heart bouncing around my ribcage. I check my phone, and it’s Liz. No greeting, no preamble, just a time and an address.

“Do you need a ride?” Carmen asks without needing any explanation at all.

I nod dumbly, momentarily paralyzed by the unexpected shattering of this peaceful time together before the phantom voice of my father roars in my brain to move.

I move. My gear is propped in the corner, waiting for me, and I make myself ready for battle faster than I ever have in my life.

We scream across the city in her convertible, once again hitting all the green lights—and now I’m wondering which of her tattoos controls the flow of traffic—on our way to where my target is supposed to be. The sunset casts the city in shades of gold which Carmen only requires a pair of shades to endure.

She could probably take on someone like Ylio without breaking a sweat, couldn’t she? Based on what she’s told me of herself and the stories passed down about how far beyond ordinary vampires the archvampires were, it would be no trouble for her even if Ylio brought friends to back them up.

I look to my left at her handsome face and remember how she immediately offered this very ride. How she offered to save me from the doom of my bloodline. Of course she would be willing to help. She might even insist on it.

But asking someone to kill their own is not an easy thing, is it? It’s a terrible burden to place on someone, especially when this is not her fight at all. It’s mine, for the sake of me and my sisters. Bearing the guilt of this assassination should be my burden alone.

I can’t let her come with me.

“Carmen, I don’t want your help with this.”

“As you wish.”

After bracing myself for an argument, I’m caught off guard. “Huh. Just like that?”

“Darling, I understand more than most the importance of vengeance against one’s own killer.” After a moment’s silence, she adds, “I also admit to some curiosity. How does a modern Boltman fight, I wonder? I will enjoy observing from a distance.”

A modern Boltman. In this context, hunting a vampire, I suppose that’s just what I am. It’s a role bolted through my flesh into my bones, and right now, as I wear the uniform of what I am, how can I pretend that I am anything more than Hanna Boltman, Vampire Hunter?

Deep breaths, Hanna. I can endure this the same way I always have. I just need to hold my feelings at arm’s length and let the body do as it was trained to do.

Exiting the car a few blocks early, I leave Carmen to find a place to park and a vantage from which to watch. With wary steps, I approach my destination.

I expect someone as pompous as Ylio to feed at one of the ritzy and exclusive vampire clubs. Sanguine Dreams, for example, feels like their speed; it’s a place that requires reservations in advance, and if you’ve got the connections and ability to pay for the VIP lounge, I hear they bring your food and entertainment to you live, and the presentation is supposed to be something really special. Now that I think about it, I’d bet Carmen could get in. That could make for a nice date night.

This side of town, though? It’s far removed from all Clan Sarthe fronts and infrastructure I’m aware of, and the address turns out to be an old, dilapidated building, four stories tall and from the turn of the last century. I can’t guess what it was once for. Banking? A factory? Moonshine during Prohibition? The windows are boarded up, the roof looks partially collapsed, and even the brick wall looks dark and rotting. The words “no entry” are spray painted on the side of the building.

What, does Ylio go after squatters? How unexpectedly pathetic.

It’s still early. I’m in luck that Carmen’s solar resistance means that we didn’t have to wait till full sundown to head this way. I have just enough time to scout the area, lay my trap, and find a place to hide.

The parking lot is overgrown with weeds, crumbling chunks of concrete filled by a late addition of gravel to smooth it out. Light glints off shards of glass and other assorted garbage among the detritus. Not an ideal place for a fight, all things considered. Keeping my footing here could be a challenge, but I might be able to hide something small in the cracks, cover it with gravel.

And there, adjacent to the parking lot, is another old building. Not quite so large, not quite so condemned, it should make a good place to hide. The alleyway between it and the next building down is just narrow enough for my purposes. I sprint, vault onto a friendly dumpster, leap toward the opposite building to kick off the wall and catch the lip of this building’s roof.

The roof is flat, with enough of a raised ridge around it for me to lay flat and conceal myself from anyone below me. The drop back down is only two stories, which is perfectly doable without a roll—and after seeing all the broken glass down there, I count myself lucky for that.

I prep my crossbow and settle in to wait.

It’s hard to ignore the itch in the back of my mind telling me something is off. My target isn’t just prideful; according to Liz they’re influential. They have allies. This is the sort of place haunted by weak, orphaned vampires, those without connection to their own community.

In a place much like this, back when I was a teenager, my father supervised my first few solo hunts. I remember at the time feeling shocked at how easy those kills were. Back then I didn’t even see vampires as people.

“That’s it?” I asked. “One shot to the heart, and it’s over?”

“Frail, weak, easy pickings for even a novice,” he said. “That’s the fate of anyone, hunter or bloodsucker, who lacks the support of others.”

It was one of many lessons he drilled into me repeatedly over the years.

“Without me, you wouldn’t know how to operate that crossbow. You wouldn’t have practiced your aim. You wouldn’t know where to shoot.” He severed my victim’s head to make absolutely sure they were finished. “Without my mother, I would not have known to teach you those lessons. Without the generations of Boltmans who came before us, without our clan’s hard-won discoveries and the lore of our allies, you and I would be as helpless as babes.

“Each of us is born owing a debt to our clan. Some few of us have the ability and work ethic to pay that debt in full before we die. If you manage to pass the trials, inherit my sword, and continue our family legacy, and if you or one of your descendants manages to rid this world of its vampiric scourge, then perhaps I will have done enough to pay mine off.”

I was 14 years old. “That’s a lot of pressure, dad.”

“It is the appropriate amount of pressure, Hanna. Our bloodline, like few others, is a holy one. It is blessed. We have been gifted the profound privilege to devote our lives in service to others.” He clapped me on the shoulder in a gesture that seemed like camaraderie, the sort of gesture that was as close as he ever got to expressing fatherly affection.

“Yes, sir. We are elevated above others for a reason, and it is our burden to bear that responsibility.”

“Exactly. Remember, none of us matter as individuals; all that matters is how we contribute.” Through repetition, he burned these lessons into my heart. “I do not matter, though I can make myself useful by killing monsters and sculpting you into the family’s next great weapon. You do not matter except through your obedience to me and how well you prove your dedication.”

“Yes, sir. I will make you proud.”

“See that you do. As my only heir, the worth of my life depends on the worth of yours.”

In a way, I’m glad I learned selflessness from my father. Family comes first— remembering that lesson dispels whatever unease creeps up my chest. Killing Ylio is not just a matter of revenge for my own sake; doing so eliminates a threat to my sisters. I cannot fail.

Twilight dims. Voices drift upward from the empty lot. Two figures round the corner of the broken-down building to chat in the ruins of the parking lot. One leans against the wall, looking relaxed, while the other scans in every direction, acting as lookout for threats.

I hear a soft crunch of footsteps far too close to me. I turn and see the silhouette of a third against the sky, standing on the opposite side of the roof from me. Did they leap up here just now? They’re keeping watch too, I realize, but whoever this is, they haven’t noticed me yet, their attention focused on the street below.

Shit, this is a complication I hadn’t planned for. The other person’s head turns in my direction, and I have no time to think before I fire my crossbow to stake the unexpected intruder in the heart. They collapse in near silence, the sound masked effectively by the city’s background noise of car traffic and distant sirens.

I check the body to be sure. Fangs. For the first time in years, I’ve killed a vampire again. Not even my target, just a witness, killed out of panic. Shit. Who were they? No identification, no Sarthe markings—or markings of any other clan I recognize—only a winged ouroboros tattoo on their back.

Did you have a family? Is there someone out there who will stay up wondering why you never came home? Or are you all alone in this world like those first poor, nameless victims of mine were?

I knew I might have to kill more than just Ylio. Liz said they have allies. I knew I might have to do this.

There will be time later to mourn the cost. Already I hear more voices approaching, and I think I recognize the imperious sound of my target’s among them. I reload my crossbow and wait for the right moment to spring the trap.

The three new figures approach the two. I hold my breath, straining to catch their words.

Ylio speaks first. “Look all around, the moon shines bright.”

“We and the dead make swift our flight,” replies the one leaning against the building with an air of ease.

The one on guard seems to relax after this exchange, and the two groups approach one another. Such a tight cluster of them, nearly ideal, but something makes me hesitate. That itch at the back of my mind returns. This isn’t what I expected to find. Something else is going on here.

“What news from Sarthe?”

Ylio makes a dismissive gesture. “The pieces move into place. No new risks. What obstacles remain are on track to be dealt with.”

The wail of a siren masks the reply, and by the time I pick out more words, Ylio is speaking again. “…your recovery efforts?”

“Our associates overseas have delivered his left hand to the courier. We anticipate delivery in a matter of weeks.”

“Should we be expecting you?”

“No. Best to avoid showing our faces. You’ll meet the courier directly.”

“I will set expectations accordingly.”

Shit, one of Ylio’s companions has broken away from the group, and the longer I wait, the more risk I take. It’s now or never. I twist my hand into the trigger sign and leap from my perch as artificial daylight blooms into life inside the parking lot.

Lucky break for me, the wary one was standing right at the center of the blast, and as the brief flash of light fades, all that remains of them is ash. With a twang, the one who stepped away from the blast is staked through the heart. I drop the crossbow and draw my sword.

Three badly charred vampires remain, staring me down with bloody murder in their eyes. It’s the dead of night, and their burns are healing right before my eyes, but right now I have a brief window of weakness to capitalize on. God, they’re still fast, though, dodging every swing of my blade as if I were moving in slow motion.

The one to my left lunges for me, fangs bared, and I nearly fail to raise my silvered bracer in time to defend myself. He screams in pain as the metal brands his skin, giving me an opening to strike that I have to abandon in order to dive away from the swipe of Ylio’s clawed hand.

I roll and leap to my feet, drawing a set of knives to fling in one smooth arc toward my attackers. Ylio bats one out of the air with contemptuous ease, but in a stroke of luck, one pierces the throat of the other vampire, dropping her to the ground as she hisses and claws in vain at the ensorcelled metal. She’s down, at least.

Ylio keeps coming for me, and they’re only getting faster and deadlier as their burns heal. The one who chomped my bracer is back in the fight too, and he’s furious. At the very least his blind outrage is making him a poor collaborator for Ylio, and the two interfere with one another enough for me to keep dancing out of their reach.

Still, all I can do with my sword is buy myself a little breathing room, one swing at a time. I utterly fail to land a single strike.

Then my luck takes a turn for the worse. I slip on loose gravel and tumble backward, and in a blink my assailant has pounced on me.

“You wretched little shit, I’ll make you—“

“Idiot.” I shut him up by ripping my talisman off its chain and shoving it in his mouth. You don’t stop to threaten someone in the middle of a fight, as I quickly demonstrate. When I speak the invocation, he bursts into flames. I kick the burning body at my last remaining opponent, making space to leap back to my feet.

“I know that voice. Elizabeth’s dog.”

Shit. “N-no…?” Good work, Hanna. That ought to throw them off the trail.

“You are.” Somehow they see through my cunning lie. “At last I begin to fit the pieces together. She has been hiding a vampire hunter in our midst this whole time.”

Ugh. I have one last trick up my sleeve, and I won’t be able to make it work unless they get in close. Worst case scenario, Ylio flees, knowing that I am a vampire hunter, and spreads the story of what happened here. No evidence of past heroics could save me from the condemnation that would follow. But more important than me is what would become of my sisters if they were believed to knowingly smuggle a hunter into a Sarthe stronghold.

“As if she knew.” I put as much scorn as I can muster into my voice. “You asked how a low-class vampire like her got a bloodbag of her own? I chose her for her gullibility. The status I could bring her was too good a deal to scrutinize very closely.”

I hope they buy it. Better for my sisters to be seen as fools than traitors.

“How I almost pity her.” Ylio shakes their head, accepting my story. Few things are easier than convincing someone that a person they despise is an idiot. “Ah, but instead I will enjoy using this secret to destroy her reputation.”

“You’ll have to kill me first. Without taking me as proof, nobody will believe the bloodbag you killed just got up and started murdering people back.” I grin and brandish my sword with a flourish. “But as you can see, I’m pretty hard to put down for good.”

“Cocky. But I have stalled for time long enough, and as you can see, I am back at full strength. Now, for the last time, I bid you goodbye, dog.”

Ylio moves in a blur almost too fast to track. In an instant, they are upon me, claws at my neck. My sword falls from my hand. The vampire’s deadly strike is slowed down only for the briefest moment by the gorget I wear.

However, I am ready for them, and that brief moment is all I need. I squeeze the trigger secreted in my palm and spray a fine mist of holy water—really a specially prepared emulsion of salt water and oils enhanced with theurgy—and the fine cloud halts the attack, forcing Ylio to recoil immediately.

Skin sizzles. They choke and gasp, inhaling more into their lungs, inspiring a paroxysm of coughing and hacking up blood. I run my sword through their chest, and the fight is over.

Numbly, moving on autopilot, I behead all four bodies, just the way I was taught, though only the one with the knife through her neck is still twitching and clinging to life.

Six vampires total, dead by my hand. None of them carry any identification on them, though all bear the same mark of the winged ouroboros. Except for one, I’ll never even know their names. Maybe in another life, we could have been friends.

Six more faces that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I drop to my knees and give myself permission to grieve.

Though my hands are stained with death, at least my family is safe.

#my writing #Empty Spaces #Night's Longing #vampires #romance

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