#Familiar AU

[all-purpose-dish-soap]

im begging you to make more shapeshifter!141 tormenting witch!reader pleek

since you said pleek :)

65 / 1.1k / part 2 of shapeshifter familiars!141 tormenting witch!reader

...

You pour two warm cups of cloudy sloe ale—one for you and one for Price. You're the only one who feigns enough interest to sip it.

Price laces his hands together and leans forward. "I didn't come for blood."

None of them did, apparently. You curl your hands around your tin cup. He wasn't supposed to come at all. He visits when the moon is full. That was the deal. "I understand that."

Price’s gaze flicks to a bit of drying blood on your hand, and you feel his displeasure at the sight. "Then you also understand my irritation when I learn I've been kept in the dark."

"About what?"

"A number of disturbing reports from the townsfolk."

"Hm." Tension rolls through your muscles before you force them to soften. "I wasn't aware you spent time in the village. Do you visit often?"

Price doesn't like your coyness. His voice loses some of its politeness. "The villagers have become too savvy. They forge protective charms. They invoke holy names. They line the thresholds of their homes with salt and rue." He leans forward. "Now, how would they know to do that?"

You swallow delicately around the lump in your throat. "Old folk tales, I imagine."

"Folk tales?" He chuckles. "They're not paying protection money to cupboard sprites. Old tales don't teach them how to bless trees and cut the lumber into cradles."

"Then I wouldn't know. The villagers don't speak to me on principle."

"Then you have no knowledge of this? You’ve accepted no coin from them in exchange for your talents?”

"You know I'm banned from trading in the village market. The guards would take my head off the moment they caught me inside the walls."

“Maybe so. But there are other ways of propagating information, aren’t there?” Price leans back, arms crossed. “Rumors spread.”

You scoff to sound braver than you are. "They've puzzled out how to keep you away from their daughters. It has nothing to do with me."

Price's blue eyes flicker. "We’ve been quite careful with our food source. Gone out of our way to be discreet. They shouldn't suspect us of being in the area, let alone come up with protections against our kind."

You tilt your head in a stiff shrug. "Maybe Soap let one get away."

"Soap is brash. Not sloppy." Steel creeps into his voice. "He's more likely to bite his tongue off than spill our secrets."

You go to sip your ale again, but Price's fingers latch around your wrist as you raise it.

"Careful with that." His grip tightens as he forces your hand back down to the table. "You'll inebriate yourself if you're careless."

You slowly release the mug. After a long beat, he releases your wrist.

He doesn't say anything else, but you can't meet his eyes. The cold metal of his rings still burns against your skin.

He studies you in silence. The dry glint in his eye tells you he doesn't need to pry for what you're hiding from him. He knows already. But a deal is a deal, and you're under his protection. "Regardless of the reason, our feeding options are suddenly limited. If you insist on keeping my boys half-starved, we'll travel outside our territory to offset your stinginess."

"Fine. We’ll suspend our contract."

"Certainly not."

Your jaw sets. "A temporary suspension of our terms would serve all parties' needs well enough, would it not? You seek your fill elsewhere."

"I will seek it where my needs are most pressing."

"I don't have the means to leave my hut. I assure you I'll keep to myself until you get back."

Price smiles, and your heart sinks. "Another witch might. You?” He hums. “Besides, you know how they get when they're deprived."

You’re hyperaware of Ghost's shadow falling over you. His rough hands cover the back of your chair. It creaks in his grip. You squelch the instinct to cover your blind spot and, fisting one in your skirt under the table to steady your nerves, keep your back to him. You also ignore the gleam of two other sets of eyes behind Price, hovering in the pitch-blackness of your kitchen.

“That’s kind of you,” you say finally, “but there’s no need to be overprotective.”

Price stands. He pours the last sip of your ale out onto the soft dirt floor. You hadn’t even seen him pick it up. "We'll come for you tomorrow night, witch. You'll travel with us."

Your head spins. No, no, this isn't how it was supposed to go. You covered your tracks. You planned perfectly. He can't just uproot you—can't just kidnap you like this.

"No, I—" You stand before you realize it. All four shapeshifters turn back to glance at you. Price looms halfway out the front door. You steady yourself with a white-knuckled grip on the table. "I'm not leaving my home."

Price takes in the defiant look on your face and the tense, brittle set of your body. "No? Hmmm." He rubs his beard. "We're in a tight spot, then. Ghost, what do you think?"

The scars on Ghost's tight scowl gleam in the candlelight. "I think she owes us a meal, and we expect to eat. One way or the other."

Gaz scoffs. "There’s a proper solution."

Soap grins. "We could just take her, you know. Suspend the contract and make her come with us."  His eyes light up. "We could have a lot of fun on the road."

"Not if there's a fight," Gaz says, eyeing you. "She can make real trouble if she wants to."

"No' if she knows what's good for her."

"That's enough," Price says. He looks back at you. "Lads are in a mood. They've been feeding from the villages as a stop gap, and they're not nearly full. Their tempers are short, their stomachs are growling, and they have energy to burn. You understand?” His gaze steadies on your neck. “We'll be back tomorrow night. You'd better be ready to go or else ready to give them a full meal."

Soap’s grin sharpens. The implication is obvious. Payment is payment. If you don't give them what they want, they'll take it by other means.

They turn to go. Ghost is the last to step over your threshold. "Blood won't be enough," he says. Then he's off, a black dog bounding into the night.

...

← part 1 / more Price / more Ghost / more Soap / more Gaz / masterlist

[ky-landfill]

[threesided]

Heyo, i finished this silly lil comic from @tswwwit 's familar au.

I got the idea from bill amnesia au, where dipper taps his eye tattoo and bill binks. I think that was cute.

So here it is!!

[justanothersanjilover]

Here me out:

One Piece Zosan Soulmate AU, where at 18, you get the ability to summon a familiar. An animal of any kind, natural or mythical. The familiar is there to keep you company and help you get through your life. On a rare occasion, you bond with your familiar so much that it becomes your soulmate and turns human - but that’s not the norm because you have to love your familiar with every fiber of your being, and it has to return this feeling. It’s hard work, and most people don't even bother because you don't have the desire to only live with your soulmate until your familiar turns into it.

Judge always told Sanji that he couldn't summon a familiar because he had modified him, so he didn't have one or couldn't reach his. In his eyes, he’s too weak to deserve one with all his emotions.

On the quadruplets' 18th birthday, Judge, in his generosity, gave Ichiji, Niji, Yonji, and Reiju permission to finally summon their familiars because he knew they would use them like weapons. Sanji is left outside of the ceremony because he doesn't have a familiar and thus doesn't need to know how to summon one. He really wanted to watch but couldn't sneak past the guards in front of the throne room.

So he watched as his siblings all walk out of the ceremony with big animals as familiars. Ichiji got a lion with wings that’s taller than him. Niji had an eagle with an iron beak and claws that could carry him on his back. Yonji’s familiar turned out to be a huge silverback gorilla with stone fists that could fight with brutal force like crazy. And Reiju got a big snake that could spit venom over fifty feet wide and had a blade as it’s tail tip. The deadly Germa soldiers just got deadlier.

But it wasn't easy for the four siblings. Their familiars couldn't bond with them due to the fact that they weren't able to form an emotional bond. They had to punish them often for destroying property of the kingdom and not listening to orders. In the end, the four animals turned out to be scared, violent creatures who learned to listen because of pain and punishment.

Seeing this, Sanji was actually happy he couldn't summon one. He wouldn't be able to stand the sight of his familiar being punished because it would please his father. Because - let’s be for real - Sanji was the punching back of the family, his familiar certainly would be, too.

One day, after his brothers had beaten him up badly and chased him through the woods with their familiars, Sanji sat under a big tree crying his eyes out. Suddenly, his name echoed through his mind as if something or someone was calling him. He thought he was finally going crazy because the calling didn't stop even after hours.

He was still sitting under the tree when a different name appeared in his mind. And in the beginning, he was irritated. He didn't know anyone by that name. But when the name was said time and time again, Sanji felt the need to say it out loud. He bit his tongue because why would he say a random name he never heard before? After some time, the voice disappeared, and Sanji sighed, relieved.

But it wouldn't stop there. In the course of the next months, it happened again and again! At random times and in random situations - but often when he was beaten up or experimented on. Months turned into a year and the name always came back.

After a particularly hard beating from his brothers - which left him bleeding in the woods again - the name came back to him. The need to say it got stronger with every moment. He was weak, on the brink of passing out and he didn't care about being weird. With blood dripping from his mouth, he sat up on his knees and breathed out the name.

“Zoro…”

Nothing happened and he wanted to scream. Because why was the name torturing him for months and when he finally gave in, nothing happened?! He raised his head to the sky, hands clawed in his hair and opened his mouth in a silent scream.

But then a warm wind blew over his body. There was a presence right in front of him. Lowering his head, his breath caught in his throat.

“What took you so long?” A voice rumbled through his mind - the voice that had kept calling his name for the past year. “Why are you bloody? Who did this to you?”

The voice was concerned but also filled with contained anger.

“Zoro?”

“Yes…”

“Zoro.”

“Sanji?”

Something clicked in Sanji’s mind. He wasn't going mad…it was him calling his name. He was…but how?

“Zo…ro…”

Sanji felt tears spilling down his cheeks while his senses began to dull. The blackness of losing consciousness pulled him in. He swayed and fell forward. But he didn't hit the ground. He fell against a big, soft snout. Green hair tickled his face.

“I’m dreaming…” he mumbled against the fur, combing a bloody hand through it.

“No, but you should rest for now. We talk when you wake up.”

The dark, rumbly voice kept talking until Sanji was sleeping against the side of the massive, green Tiger - which would make sure no one was laying a hand on his human ever again, not under his watch!

(This is now turning into a fic over here 😁)

[betweenblackberrybranches]

Those are some weird mice hiding from a rainstorm under a leaf

its familiar au time

[shy-canadian-snowflake]

I love AU's and just thought of another one-

Wade is a young Witch- young in Witch years at least- who is in need of a familiar. Queue Logan, a wolverine.

It could be because Logan is ment to be his familiar that they can speak to each other, but soon Wade is wondering if this wolverine really is just a familiar, or is he also a Witch that has been stuck in animal form and forgot how to change back?

Queue Wade trying to learn magic, and Logan just wanting a damn nap without the chatterbox asking him 1000 questions a second about magic. With Wade's lack of attention, and Logan's lack of memory, can Wade become a full Witch, or will he be stuck always to fail?

[gravity-is-fallingdown]

“You’re gonna feel a little pinch here.”

A scene from @tswwwit 's Silent Devotion. Familiar AU has a strangle hold on my brain right now.

[a-rti]

I can't stop thinking about making a witch Cleo and familiar Etho au. It's consuming my entire life and I can't even remember when the idea first started in my head.

I've decided to give in and actually think about it a little bit. I think Cleo would kind of have her Witch SMP design, but I prefer the idea of them specialising in necromancy over time just because of the whole zombie thing. I also feel like it would have an overall urban witch vibe? I haven't really decided what kind of magic they would use - maybe a little bit of everything, like potions, runes, spells, everything. Maybe they're still learning? Idk.

I don't really know how the whole familiar thing would work, but I like the idea of Etho being able to shapeshift from human to fox (probably arctic or albino, haven't decided yet). Might even give him a furry form just for fun, who knows. I also want it to be a mutual thing, like a symbiotic relationship instead of the weird, servant familiar stuff I sometimes see. Just two besties doing magic together.

[jube-art]

omg is there gonna be art of familiar tim and bruce hugging it out from the last scene of the most recent fic w salparadiselost?? the fic was so good!!!

Most of my art for this one is studies!

Being familiars, they have traits that are associated with the kind of magic they can preform.

[nullbutler]

@cosmiclion. Hiiii sets this down

[stormyblue90]

Please, tell me your vision of Clones daemons

Ok, so I've made a list of various clones and the daemon/familiar I've given them. Note, I assigned them based on the general vibe, and characteristics of each trooper, and what knowledge I have of various animals, their general vibe, and a few cultural associations, rather than what animals are associated with what in Dark Materials universe.

Rather than the clones all having daemons from one specific group of animals, such as canines, they all have animals from across the animal kingdom, as each clone IS a unique individual. I wanted that expressed through their animal daemon/familiars.

List and my thoughts for such choices below the cut!

So, lets get underway! This is gonna be LONG!

The 501st

Rex: A Golden Eagle

Eagles have A LOT of symbolism in various cultures across the globe! Rex has been bestowed the Mandalorian mark of Jaig Eyes, a symbol of the Mandalorian Jai'Galaar, the Shriek Hawk. A native bird of Mandalore that I imagine has similarities with our own eagles. When I think of Rex's Jaig eyes, I liken them to the eagle feathers in the beautiful war bonnets of many of the different indigenous peoples of the North American plains. A reverent symbol of bravery, honor and skill that can only be earned. Therefore Rex gets the eagle. I specifically chose the Golden Eagle due to the crown of golden feathers on its head, referencing Rex's blonde hair, his "crown of gold"

The Domino Twins, Fives and Echo: Lion and Cougar respectively.

For Fives, he's brave, he's charismatic, a leader. The lion is a typical symbol of such. Clones are also meant to work TOGETHER, and of course lions work together, and lion brothers especially. Lions are also pretty powerful and tough, and Fives is an ARC trooper! He's tough, he's skilled, so he gets something equally so.

As for Echo, he gets a feline like Fives, because they ARE a package deal after all. However, Echo is still significantly different from Fives, so a different cat. When I think of Echo, I think of how ADAPTABLE he has become. A far cry from the cadet "who couldn't adapt". Cougars, aka Mountain Lions, or Pumas, are pretty adaptable. Not specialists, which is a good thing in the wild. They have a huge range all over North and South America, from mountains, to open plains, hot deserts to lush forests and swamplands. The cougar has adapted to a wide range of ecosystems! Also....they can be very chatty, making all kinds of squeaks, purrs, chirps, hisses, screams, and growls. And well, Echo was pretty chatty, repeating orders and such.

Jesse: Tuatara

Do NOT mistake the cute little guy for a lizard! Tuataras are a native reptile of Aoteroa/New Zealand, and only found there. They are the last of their kind, the order Rhyncocephalians, NOT lizards despite the appearence. They have a kind of "third eye" that's sensitive to light. Now I wanted at least one of the clones to have a NZ native animal, and Jesse gives me the vibe that he'd have a reptile for a pet if he could. So I gave him this unique reptile. Also, like the Tuatara, Jesse is kind of the "last of his kind" in regards to being Rex's last named member of the 501st (Echo having joined TBB, and Kix gones missing)

Kix: Caracal

Ok to be honest, I'm not ENTIRELY sure why I chose this kitty for Kix, but something about it said "Kix" to me. The long tufts on the ears give it a sort of elegance, and of course we like to think Kix has a small sense of vanity about him, what with those intricately shaved lightning bolts in his hair, and admiring himself in the mirror.

Hardcase: Moluccan Cockatoo.

Honestly, if any animal could be the manifestation of ADHD, it's gotta be a cockatoo! LOUD, energetic, fun loving, but also SMART and clever, it just screams Hardcase to me. He likes to have fun, can't sit still, but he's also a highly competent soldier, social, and probably destructive if he gets too bored. A parrot of some sort fits him nicely I think.

Tup: Sea Otter

Of course Tup gets something cute! However, despite their cuteness, Sea Otters ARE still predators, and WILL bite if you harass them! They also meticulously care for their fur, and Tup probably has his own hair care routine due to having long hair. Otters are also clever little beasts, and it was TUP'S quick and clever thinking that allowed them to take down Krell! Tup was vital both for taking Krell down, and setting Fives on the path to discovering the chips, and Rex learning of them, etc etc. A huge domino effect that led to end of the Empire really. And sea otters are VITAL keystone species in their ecosystems of kelp forests. A health population of sea otters equals a healthy kelp forest environment and all the other animals who live there.

Dogma: Budgett's Frog

Heheheh If you know you know! (*coughFrogmacough*) But honestly, I'mma just link to the post that inspired the idea, because I can't associate him with anything else now.

The Bad Batch

Hunter: Ocelot

Hunter's mutations allow him to essentially be a stealthy well...hunter. And of course, what animal better showcase a "stealthy predator" than a cat? However unlike the other clones who have kitty daemons/familiars, Hunter's is much smaller, but no less fierce and skilled. I also like the idea that the ocelot's markings, kinda resembling Hunter's tattoo. Hunter also has a "smokier" husky voice compared to his brothers, and ocelots....well.... they make some interesting noises.

Crosshair: Black Mamba

I can't imagine Crosshair with anything but a snake! I know we all like to joke about him being a grumpy cat, but from the moment I first saw this character, I thought "deadly snake". Even the way DBB plays the character, and his voice, "very calculated and deliberate" feels very snake-like to me. He doesn't say much, is the quietest of the bunch, and snakes are often pretty quiet. The Black Mamba in particular also has an infamous deadly reputation, that I feel fits Crosshair pretty well.

Wrecker: Grizzly Bear

Naturally, Wrecker gets an animal often associated with strength and power, but at the same time soft and warm (Mama Bear, Teddy Bears) So a bear fits him perfectly I think. Bears are big, strong, tough, dangerous, but also protective (do NOT get between a bear and her cubs, it'll be the last thing you ever do) and we've seen how fiercely protective, but loving Wrecker is towards the people he cares about, especially Omega. Also, Wrecker clearly likes to fish, and eat good food, and of course bears love to fish in rivers and will eat just about anything. They'll hunt, scavenge, or forage for food. Bears are also smarter than some people think too, and Wrecker is smarter than a lot of folks make him out to be. (man built a mobile cannon out of scrap and within minutes!)

Tech: Crow

Crows. Are. Fucking. SCARY SMART! Like, if any animal evolves sapience like us next, I'd believe it's gonna be crows! Tech is curious, highly intelligent and skilled, a problem solver. Just like crows. THese birds use tools, learn fast, are inquisitive, and CHATTY! (I've got a small family of crows living the area I do, and I hear them a lot) They are also astounding mimics, and Tech records everything. Yet crows are also fiercely loyal to their flock (or "murder" if you will) you mess with one, you mess with them ALL! Tech is quite similar. He may not be confrontational, but you threaten his family, and he WILL retaliate and remember!

Omega: Red Panda

Now, Omega's daemon/familiar would still be unsettled, but once it does I imagine it becomes a red panda. Of course she'd have something cute. She just really gives me red panda vibes to be honest.

Commanders

Cody: Siberian Tiger

The Marshall Commander Cody gets the largest cat, the Siberian Tiger. With similar traits and associations as the lion (Fives), but still vastly distinct. Strong, charismatic, beautiful. A tiger fits Cody well in my opinion, and I can easily imagine the facial stripes mimicking his scar's pattern.

Wolffe and Fox: Wolf and Red Fox respectively

Yep, what it says on the tin. Would you expect anything less? But in all seriousness, their namesakes DO suit them quite well. Wolffe is loyal to his brothers, his "pack" to a fault. Wolves have strong ties to their packs, their family units, often associated with such.

Fox of course, lives and works on Coruscant, the big city. Foxes are adaptable, and can easily adapt to urban living if need be, better than other wild canine species. They've also got a bad reputation, and lots of people hate them. Fox gets a lot of hate in the fandom (especially outside of tumblr), but it's greatly exaggerated, and he's just as much a victim as Fives.

Bly: Coyote

Ok to be honest, I'm not entirely sure why I chose a coyote. It just....felt right? Maybe to tie him in with Wolffe and Fox.

Other Clones

Howzer: Elk

Howzer was....difficult to be honest. I had enough carnivorous daemons for the clones, I NEEDED an herbivore for SOMEONE. I went with an elk, or deer for Howzer. These animals are often associated with pride, beauty, and elegance. Howzer is proud of being a clone, a soldier, a good man who protects others. He's also of course quite handsome lets be honest. Now, elk are NOT to be underestimated. They are bigger than you think (but not MOOSE big), and deadlier than you think too. Howzer may be a good, caring man, but he WILL FIGHT fiercely and is deadly in his own right.

Mayday: Snow Leopard

Mayday's gotta have something adapted to the cold, mountainous landscape we met him on. A snow leopard just...fits his whole vibe honestly. A stealthy, deadly hunter perfectly adapted to its domain; Mayday has had to adapt to the harsh conditions of the planet he was stuck on. However there was also a sort of charm to Mayday, we were instantly drawn to him, and snow leopards certainly have an alluring charm too.

Gregor: Hyena

Gregor has the hyena! Not just for his laugh, but Gregor is a COMMANDO clone. He's tough as hell, and survived stuff he shouldn't have and keeps fighting! Hyena's are tough, powerful, tenacious animals. Easily able to go toe-to-toe with other large predators like lions. However they're also pretty smart too, and Gregor is also pretty clever. Hyenas are also social, capable hunters. Gregor values his brothers, and enjoys a good Joopa hunt!

Ok....*sigh* That....that was really long.... But that is basically what I've got!

[all-purpose-dish-soap]

Happy Birthday~!! I love reading your fics and just how well you flush out each character and story!!

Can I ask about 1 and 9 (though, I suppose it's marry, rather than date?) with Ex-Husband Keegan or even any of the Shapeshifter!141 members?

thank you!! i love you! i love how you asked about specific aus gksdfjhgds

i see 1 and 9 but i suspect you meant 11 and 9? c:

ex-husband Keegan + character ask game 9. Could you be roommates with this character?

fuck that. you know he'd be flicking cigarette butts everywhere and leaving his wet boxers in the washing machine and eating your leftovers. like no wonder we divorced your ass dude!! it's not worth living with him as a roommate if you're not getting dicked down to make up for his... everything else.

11. Would you date marry this character?

i would marry him, divorce him, and never remarry him just to spite him. would it be a bad idea? yes, absolutely yes. hold me down and hatefuck me keegan mmfmfmgng

shapeshifter!141 + character ask game 9. Could you be roommates with these characters?

this sounds like a horrible cursed otome game. like pick your poison; choose a familiar and suffer through the perils of actually living with them. especially if we're talking about witch!reader's little one-room hut.

Soap, at least, could shapeshift into a crow to bring you all you need for your little brews--herb cuttings, newt eyeballs, shiny little baubles. downside: he's super chatty (human OR crow). also thinks he's hot shit and will not leave you alone about it.

Ghost isn't the most present roommate around so you get more time to yourself. unless you have a guest over and then who's there? some big fuckinuhhhh dude-beast sitting by your fireplace at the foot of your cauldron, glaring at your guests like he owns the place.

Price would def, you know, let you nibble at his leftovers. like he'd meal prep so you wouldn't go hungry the next time he disappeared for three straight weeks. he acts like he doesn't notice you taking his food and using the firewood he cut and it all seems find until he wants a favor and suddenly you quote-unquote owe him.

tbh, i could handle Gaz. i'm a cat person. like you know he'd be totally toxic about the whole blood-pact-as-mutual-ownership thing, but he wouldn't need a litter box or anything, you know what i mean?

actually though. if you room with any one of them, they'd insist on sleeping at the foot of your bed every night and you'd be waking up with a naked man in your sheets the next morning. every morning. just jonesing for a taste of your mmmmfluids

11. Would you date marry these characters?

terrible idea. horrible idea. no faster way to run a girl ragged and suck her absolutely dry. yes

[amabeeze3al]

JJK Animalz Saga: Jujutsu Tech First Years (and staff).

Fushiguro Megumi!

Whitetail Deer

-

Kugisaki Nobara!

Red Stoat

-

Itadori Yuji!

Pizzly Bear

-

Kento Nanamin!

Savanah Cat

-

Yaga Masamichi!

Wild Boar

[justanothersanjilover]

So I got this idea about a Zosan Soulmate AU and just had to write a little bit about it. I don't know how fast I can update this, but its a start and I’m going to keep writing it 😊

My Name on your tongue

Part 1

Paring: Zosan (maybe Sanzo, too)

Soulmate AU

Triggers: Child abuse, swear words, death

Six years old

“In our world, you get something very special when you turn 18. You get to summon a familiar - an animal, mythical or natural - that will be your companion throughout your whole life. The animal you summon is based on what you need in life and what fits you. No one knows who’s assigning the animal to you, but it always fits.

Now, if you are very passionate and loving toward your familiar and it returns that feeling, there is a chance that it will turn into a human and become your soulmate. But this only happens when there exists such a strong bond that both of you would endure the greatest pain imaginable for the other. The bond has to be so strong that you’d die for each other.

Most people don't put in the effort because why go to that length for an animal? Also, there is no greater need to be with your soulmate unless your familiar turns into it. You can perfectly live without ever getting your soulmate.”

“Is father your soulmate?” Sanji wanted to know, looking up at his mum.

Sora shook her head, her expression somewhat painful, but her son didn't pick up on that fact.

“But…you don't have a familiar around.”

“I know,” Sora swallowed drily. “She…she died. She wanted to protect me and got badly injured. I couldn't help her.”

Sanji looked shocked at her.

“I’m sorry…”

He snuggled against his mother to comfort her. She smiled sadly and brushed a hand through his blond hair.

“When you get your familiar, make sure to protect them. It’s a really bad feeling to lose them forever.”

“I promise. And I will love them so much! I can't wait to meet them!”

Sanji was so different from his siblings, and Sora was thankful for that, but she knew that he would have it worse than them. While pregnant with him and his three brothers, her husband genetically modified them - against Sora’s will. He made them stronger, more durable - as he called it - faster and better in anything. He got rid of their emotions and made sure they would become his best soldiers. In doing this, he also hoped to influence the familiar they’d get. He wanted them to have big, brutal animals - monsters to make their enemies shake in fear. Sora had watched him silently get rid of the emotions and feelings of their oldest child, their daughter Rejiu. He somehow managed to manipulate her into an obedient, emotionless kid, strong and fast, and an expert in poisons despite her young age. She was his first perfect soldier.

But Sora wasn't standing by as he tried to corrupt her other children! So, after learning about Judges doing, Sora took a poison to destroy the modifications. Unfortunately, it only worked on Sanji. On the one hand, she was happy for him; on the other, she was sad and devastated. Sanji would never have any worth for his father; he’d always be the failure, and she was the reason why.

Although Sanji always smiled when he came to visit, she saw the bruises and cuts. She saw the pain behind his young eyes. She knew what his siblings and father were doing to him, and she could do nothing to stop them. So she always tried to give him the best times when he came to visit her. Unfortunately, the poison she took destroyed her body and made her bedbound.

Hugging Sanji tightly, she did her best not to start to cry. She knew that her days were counted…and it would be the end of the night when she would leave Sanji behind to deal with everything all by himself. The only ray of light was that at least on his eighteenth birthday, he would get a familiar that surely would protect him. That was why she told him all about familiars! She wanted him to know as much as possible, as much as humanity found out about them. Sanji sucked everything up like a sponge!

The only thing she wasn't allowed to tell him was how to summon his familiar. Because if a familiar was summoned before the eighteenth birthday, there were terrible side effects. Sometimes, the familiar wasn't fully developed….like the child. Other times, the child couldn't hold the image of the familiar (which was important), and it would turn out deformed. And then there were times when the familiar was an adult and got really protective and possessive of the child - sometimes so much it had to be put down because no one could touch the child without getting attacked, even when the kid was hurt, starving or anything else putting its life in danger. So she wouldn't tell Sanji - even if a protective familiar wouldn't be the worst…she wanted them to have a chance at getting real friends, and Sora hoped Sanji would be allowed to find his soulmate. She hoped he could experience this purest kind of love in the world.

“You need to go,” Sora mumbled into Sanji’s hair. “It’s past visiting time.”

“I don't want to…”

“I know, love. I know. But your father will get mad if you stay, and you know that.”

Sanji nodded, suppressing sobs, as he pulled away from his mother. He lifted his head and smiled at her.

“I’ll come again tomorrow.”

“Yeah, do that. I can't wait to see you again, my little angel.”

Sora hugged him tight and placed a kiss on top of his head. Why should she tell him that she wouldn't be there in the morning? It would only upset him and make him sad and guilty. She felt her spirits leave her body slowly but surely. At the end of the night, she’d be dead, and Sanji would be alone. Before she let him go, she brushed a hand through his hair and made him look up into her eyes.

“Remember that I will always love you, my little sunshine. Regardless of what will happen in your future. I’ll love you every day of your life and after it.”

Sanji looked a bit confused, but as soon as Sora smiled, he smiled back, placed a quick, wet kiss on her cheek and ran out - so his father wouldn't punish him.

~

“Useless!”

“I’m trying…” Sanji sobbed, holding the side of his face - it pulsed with pain, and he was sure his lip was bleeding.

“That's the point!” His father yelled. “You are trying! You shouldn't have to try! You should be able just to do it!”

“But I…” another blow, and Sanji flew backward against a pillar of the training room - he groaned in pain when he hit the stone with full force.

“You are weak! A false experiment! A fucking failure! I should just get rid of you!”

Judge was towering over his son like death himself. And Sanji couldn't do anything different than feel fear and hurt and disgust at his own body. The poison from his father's lips seeped into his mind and planted a dangerous seed. He cried when Judge grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and held him up to his face.

“And that's why you don't have a familiar. You will never get one! Never! I took that ability from you because it would be as weak as you are, and I don't have use for two failures in my kingdom!”

Sanji sobbed uncontrollably. Ever since he asked his father about his own familiar - which was a big, dragon-like creature always lurking behind his throne - he left no chance unused to point out that Sanji would never have one. Sanji didn't understand why he would rip this opportunity from him, why he was such a mistake in his father's eyes. Just because he wasn't as strong as his siblings? Because his skin started to bleed when cut or punched hard enough? Because he cried when he got hurt?

“Get out of my sight before I start losing my temper,” Judge growled and tossed him aside like a back of garbage.

Sanji scrambled to his feet and ran from the training room, hoping his brothers wouldn't wait outside like they did most of the time. His hopes crashed when he closed the door, and laughter sounded behind him.

“Look at that,” Yonji said.

“The weakling is back out,” Ichiji grinned.

“Seems like he still can't handle a punch,” Niji snickered.

His brothers gathered around him, laughing and pointing at him. Sanji felt tears in his eyes but tried to swallow them. He hated to cry in front of his brothers, just as much as he hated to do so in front of his father. His eyes searched for pink hair, and surely, he found his sister, standing in the background but grinning as evil as the rest of them.

“Leave me alone,” he sobbed - knowing very well it would turn in the opposite of what he wanted…but he couldn’t stop himself from saying it.

“What?”

“We couldn’t hear you over all your whining.”

“I think he said we should show him how to fight.”

And a blink of an eye later, he crashed against the wall and slid down to the floor. Lying there, he curled up into a ball to at least try and shield his stomach and face from the kicks and blows that rained down on him like a hailstorm.

In the end, he was beaten bloody, and they left him where he was lying. His eyes stared into nothingness while his tears mixed with the blood and formed little puddles on the floor.

Hours later, he was able to drag himself to his bedroom. Curling up in his bed, Sanji felt tears in his eyes again.

“Why?” He cried into his pillow. “Why am I not like them? Why do I have to be this way?”

He knew why, his mother had told him, but still…There were moments when he hated his emotions, and he would give them up just to see the same smile on his father's face, pointed at him like he was giving his siblings.

He was worthless, and that's also why he would never have a familiar, which made him cry even more. Since his mother died two months ago, he always comforted himself with the knowledge that he’d get a chance to meet his soulmate. But because he was weak, because of his emotions, Judge took this ability, this gift from him. The first time he mentioned it to Sanji, his whole world was shattered. He didn't even feel the hits his father was dealing. He was numb…almost lifeless. The only thing he was looking forward to - the only thing that made his little heart and mind strong enough to survive and not give up - was the reassuring thought of meeting his familiar.

After his breakdown, he thought maybe, if he got better, if he could prove to his father that he was worth keeping around…maybe he would give him the ability to get his familiar back.

“I have to…get stronger…” Sanji sobbed while drifting to sleep.

All he wanted was to be loved and be part of this family…

Next

[betweenblackberrybranches]

Hi remember the familiar au i made up a while ago and then never made anything for? In other news i forgot how to draw so-

I am still not comming back i think i just need to lay down for a while so have fun with this, whatever it is

[thequalityrunaway]

When Cloud was thirteen and a newly recognised Sorcerer he was instructed, as all his fellow magic users were, in how to use their mana. After an introductory magical education telling them how it all worked, the next step was how to cast spells, and what types of magic existed.

(Two new characters enter the story)