#I’m a little spoiled honestly I’ve been given flowers many times in my life by several people | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lyranova · 4 years ago

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Rain

Hi guys~! So this is the one shot I mentioned earlier and posted the little sneak peak for. It explains how Hikari and Alistar became friends (it also explains what happened to Alistars mom), so I hope you guys like this! Also if you don’t want to be spoiled please don’t read ☺️!

Word Count: 2,854

Genre: Fluff and Angst

Warnings: Death, Mild Language.

Taglist: @eme-eleff

———

Yami frowned as he listened to Julius on the other end of the communication device. Apparently, a Golden Dawn member lost control of his magic and now the entire base was covered in Plant Magic. So Julius asked if Yami would be able to handle it, Yami had said he could and he looked over at his 12 year old daughter Hikari. They were the only ones here, everyone else was out on missions even Charlotte. He sighed as he put away the communication device and crossed his arms.

“ Hikari, do you think you’re ready for your first mission?” He asked her seriously, this would be her first time out on an actual mission. One that could be dangerous. His protective side was screaming at him, telling him to just leave her here for a while that someone was going to be home soon, but the Captain side of him urged him to bring her. She had her heart set on joining the Black Bulls and being a Magic Knight, this would be a good test to confirm and see if this was the path she wanted to take. Besides, if it appeared to be too dangerous he could always take her somewhere safe, he was her dad and would protect her no matter what.

“ Really?! You’re taking me on a mission with you?!” Hikari gasped excitedly as she jumped up and ran over to her father, he nodded and her eyes widened in excitement. “ Yes I’m ready!” She saluted just like Asta had taught her. Yami chuckled and ruffled her hair a bit, she almost had as much energy as Asta when it came to missions.

“ Alright then. C’mon, let’s go.” He commanded and Hikari once again saluted her father before following behind him outside to their brooms. She could be so adorable sometimes.

———

Yami and Hikari both gaped at the sight before them; the Golden Dawn's base was completely covered in various flowers and vines, some stones had been damaged or broken, the vines were moving around, gripping the building tighter and tighter, as though it were a snake trying to squeeze the life out of its prey. It reminded Yami a lot of when he rescued Charlotte from her curse all those many years ago, except these ones weren’t attacking them, not yet anyway.

“ Hikari, stay close to me, and keep your hand on your Katana at all times. Just in case you need to defend yourself.” Yami instructed seriously, he watched the 12 year old girl nod and do as she was told, the smile and excitement were gone from her face. Instead a cold seriousness replaced them, she was focused on her task, and nothing would snap her out of it. He chuckled to himself, she looked just like him right now. He made sure to keep his hand on his Katana as well before pulling out his grimoire and walking forward.

“ We’re going to have to cut through this aren’t we?” Hikari asked in a soft, almost sad, tone. Yami nodded before turning to look at her, she walked up to the vine and reached a hand out. But Yami quickly grabbed her wrist and stopped her. “ This Qi coming from the vines, it’s familiar, like I’ve seen it before. It even feels different, like it’s sad.” She added before looking to her father, he sensed it too, both the familiarity and the sadness. He was glad Charlotte had agreed to teach Hikari Qi.

“ I know, but it can’t be helped. In order to get to the squad members and to the mage casting this spell,” he unsheathed his Katana and Hikari did the same. “ we’ll have to cut these down!”

The two Sukehiro’s slashed and cut their way through the vines, releasing Golden Dawn members that had been trapped along the way. Yami looked around, the mana was beginning to get stronger the closer they got to the center of the base. But the vines, they weren’t attacking them, they were only holding the Golden Dawn members, some were squeezed and held tighter than others, but other than a few bruises and cracked ribs they were ok. Hikari was holding her own, Yami wasn’t very surprised given who her parents were, but still she seemed completely comfortable here, she was in her element.

“ Hey dad, I think the mage is in here!” Hikari called as she looked through a large doorway that used to hold two large double doors. Yami walked over and he felt it; a large concentration of mana, yep this was where the mage was. He started hacking and slashing, occasionally using his dark magic, to cut through the vines. Hikari was behind him helping, he left the thinner ones to her while he cut down the bigger ones. When they finally reached the center of the vines they stood still, eyes wide in shock.

There in the middle of the room, on their knees, was a young boy. He appeared to be around Hikari’s age, his messy white hair stuck to his face, his hands and entire body trembling, his blue eyes stared at the ground in front of him. The vines moved around him protectively after sensing the intruders, but Yami made quick work of them and cut them down in one swift movement. The boy almost appeared to be frozen, but his labored breathing proved otherwise.

“ Dad, isn’t that Captain Vangeance’s son?” Hikari asked softly. Yami looked at her for a moment before looking back at the boy; she was right, it was Alistar Vangeance, William's only son. That's why the Qi seemed so familiar, not only because the movements were similar to William’s, but he had seen the boy use his magic on multiple different occasions. He was extremely talented, like Hikari, well, he wasn’t as talented as Hikari if you wanted Yami’s honest opinion.

Yami noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Hikari approaching Alistar, he reached out and grabbed his daughter by the shoulder.

“ Hikari. You don’t know what’s wrong with him, he could attack you the minute you get close.” Yami told her seriously, but the look in her eyes held steely determination. She was going up there whether he wanted her too or not. The two stared each other down for a few moments before Yami sighed and let her go. “ Fine. But I’ll be watching, one false move, and I’m getting you out.” He warned, she nodded and walked up to Alistar.

The boy didn’t even seem to notice her presence, he stayed in the same spot, in the same position, as she walked up to him. Hikari had known the boy pretty much her entire life, they weren’t very close though as they were in two separate squads, but she had met him numerous times and found him pleasant to be around. Even if he could be a little bit of a ‘by the rules’ type, but he was always kind and polite to her. This didn’t even look like the same boy.

“ Hurt...it hurts…” Alistar struggled to get out, his voice was hoarse as though he had been screaming, there were vines wrapped around his legs and ankles, but they didn’t look tight enough to be hurting him.

“ What hurts?” She asked him as she looked around his body, his shirt was slightly torn, but he had no wounds.

“ Everything…” Alistar told Hikari so softly that she almost missed it, her head shot in his direction. Sweat was dripping down his face as though he were in extreme agony. But when he finally moved his eyes to look at hers she gasped; his eyes, they held a different kind of pain in them. Alistar wasn’t talking about physical pain, he was talking about a different kind of pain, one that couldn’t be seen.

“ Look, I know you’re hurting right now, and I’ll do what I can to help you. But just because you’re hurting, doesn’t give you the right to be hurting others too!” Hikari shouted, shocking both Alistar and Yami. Alistar gaped at the young brunette. She could understand he was hurting and that in return he wanted others to hurt as well, but that didn’t mean it was the right thing to do!

“ I…” He trailed off, his eyes suddenly searching hers, for what neither really knew. But the vines that surrounded them suddenly began to vanish. “ I don’t want to hurt anyone else.” He finished, his voice breaking, Hikari instantly looked away sheepishly. She hadn’t meant to be so harsh.

“ Alistar!” A voice suddenly shouted as they stepped into the room. It was William Vangeance, a slightly out of breath one, but William nonetheless. Alistair's Eyes widened and the pain in them quickly morphed into anger. The boy quickly stood on shaky legs and took off running.

“ Alistar!” William shouted again as he went to take off after him, but Yami stopped the Golden Dawn’s Captain in his tracks.

“ I wouldn’t if I were you. You seem to be the one he’s angry at.” Yami pointed out, William sighed, as much as he wanted to chase after his son he knew Yami was right. “ Hikari! Go make sure the kids alright would ya?” Yami ordered, Hikari nodded and chased after Alistar.

———

Hikari panted slightly as made it to the top of the nearest tower, she had seen him come this way she was sure of it. She walked around and saw him standing there leaning against one of the pillars, he appeared to be lost in thought.

“ Why'd You follow me?” He mumbled before turning to look at her, his eyes were usually so warm, but now they were as cold as ice.

“ I was ordered too.” She answered honestly, he laughed a humorless laugh before pushing himself off the pillar and stood across from her.

“ Let me guess, my father sent you.”

“ No. Mine did.” Hikari saw the surprise in his eyes before it disappeared just as quickly. The two pre-teens stood in silence, neither one knowing what to say or where to start.

“ Alistar,” Hikari asked softly yet cautiously just like her mother would do. “ what happened?”

Alistar looked away instantly at the question, his body began to tremble once more. Where did he start? How did he even begin to describe what he found out today? He leaned a hand against the pillar for support, Hikari went to help but he held a hand out to stop her. He needed to calm down. He didn’t want anyone else to get hurt or worse, because of him again. He took a few deep calming breaths before he bit his bottom lip, the words were on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn’t sure if he had the courage to say them out loud.

“ I…” Alistar paused, shutting his eyes tightly and squeezing them. “ I killed my mom.” He said, his voice cracking in the middle, Hikari’s eyes widened, what was he talking about? How did he kill his mom? She didn’t understand.

“ What do you mean?” She asked softly, she watched Alistar's hands ball into fists as his shaking only got worse. He finally looked up at her, his blue eyes were full of hurt and anger.

“ My mom...she died giving birth to me. I caused her to hemorrhage, to bleed out, and that bastard lied to me about it!” Alistar suddenly shouted as he slammed the side of his hand into the concrete pillar, probably cutting his skin somewhat.

Hikari blinked, his mom died giving birth? But, she had heard that she was ill and had passed when he was still a baby. She watched his body still shake, out of anger or sadness she couldn’t tell, she just stood there watching him. She willed herself to speak, to say something, but no words would come out. What was she supposed to say in this situation? How was she supposed to react? Oh how she wished her mother was back from her mission to help her!

“ Your dad lied to you?” She asked, that was the only thing her brain could think of to ask in the moment. When he nodded he walked away from the pillar and sat down on the ledge of the tower.

“ Yeah, he told me she died of an illness when I was a couple of months old.” He muttered, Hikari walked over and sat down next to him. So that’s the story Captain Vangeance decided to tell Alistar all these years, but she was a little confused, her father had told her the same thing. Did he actually know how Captain Vangeance’s wife died? Or was he in on the lie as well?

“ Do you think, maybe he didn’t tell you because he knew you’d react this way?” Hikari suggested, causing Alistar to frown at her.

“ What do you mean?”

“ Right now you’re angry, not just at your dad but at yourself too. You’re blaming yourself for something you had no control over, that neither of you had control over.” Hikari explained before turning to face Alistar. “ That look in your eye, I could tell there was anger, sadness, and pain in them. But there was one thing I noticed that I didn’t recognize until now: blame.”

“ Your dad was trying to keep this from happening, to keep you from blaming yourself. Even though I don’t agree with him keeping this from you, I can understand why.” She finished, Alistar blinked and looked away. He knew she was right, and she knew she was right. But she didn’t want to rub it in, not when it came to this.

The two sat in silence again for a few moments before another question popped into Hikari’s head.

“ Who told you about your mom?”

“ No one. I overheard a few squad members talking about it, talking about how if I were their child they wouldn’t be able to look at me, how they can’t believe my father doesn’t blame me for it, how they wished it were me instead of her that died.” He spoke softly, Hikari felt an anger rise in her, how dare people talk like that about him?! She quickly stood up, a hand on her Katana.

“ Who was it? I want names and detailed descriptions.” She ordered, causing Alistar to blink up at her before he let out a small laugh.

“ What? Are you my bodyguard now?” He asked in an almost mocking tone.

“ Maybe I am. Someone needs to watch your back for you. Otherwise things like that are going to keep happening, especially when you climb up the ladder.” Hikari pointed out.

“ You think I’m going to make it all the way to the top?”

“ Hm, not all the way, since I’m going to be the Wizard Queen someday. But I do believe you’ll make Captain of your squad and when you do, I’ll be right behind you watching your back, even though we’re in two different squads. Just like I know you’ll have mine.” Hikari said as she sat back down.

“ How do you know I’ll watch your back?” He teased, his eyes widened in surprise when she blushed and looked away sheepishly.

“ Because, you’re you.” She muttered, not sure what he wanted her to say. That was really the only good way she could describe him; Alistar was Alistar, he was nice, calm, determined, a born leader and above all he was loyal to his friends and squadmates. “ Also, because we’re friends now!” She added with a laugh causing him to look surprised once again, friends? He and her were friends? He shook his head and smiled softly, his usual smile that everyone was accustomed to seeing.

“ Thank you, Hikari.” He told her softly, she waved it away.

“ No problem, you would do the same for me.” Hikari shrugged before she heard him laugh again.

“ My, the rain is really coming down isn’t it?” Alistar asked suddenly as his face was pointed to the sky, Hikari frowned and looked up as well.

It was a completely clear afternoon, not a single cloud in sight.

“ But, it’s not rai-.” She cut herself off as she looked over at Alistar.

Tears streamed down the young boy's face, all the emotions he was feeling finally overwhelmed him. He was sad, angry, guilty. But he was also happy he had finally made a friend, a true friend, for the first time in his life. It was all too much for his emotions to handle, so he cried silently.

Hikari smiled softly before moving closer to Alistar, she grabbed his hand and held it gently, just like her parents would do whenever she was sad. She gave it a small squeeze.

“ You’re right. It really is raining terribly.”

———

I’m sorry if this isn’t very good but I hope you all enjoyed, this last scene with the rain is a small nod to FMA, I noticed Alistar and Hikari’s relationship is similar to Roy/Riza’s (which wasn’t 100% intentional 😅) so that scene was a nod to it haha. Anyway thanks for reading and I hope you all have a good day~!

#children of the future #oc; alistar #oc; hikari #hikari is not my oc #yami sukehiro #tw: death

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incorrect-ikevamp-quotes · 5 years ago

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Do you think they would actually enjoy the modern world? Or would they want to stay in their current time period?

Hm, well, I think that may vary depending on each suitor if I’m honest! (I’ll be excluding Sebastian from this one, only because he is a modern man and I wager he would want to stay in the mansion in order to finish his thesis)

Under a cut bc it’s a long boi:

I think for people like Arthur and Theo, for instance--who always seem to live in the fast lane--it might not really prove much of a problem. They would continue enjoying the night life and move with their busy schedules. Tl;dr: (For them? Same shit, different day)

Vincent would likely be doing just fine given how Theo often provides assistance in places where he struggles; to promote his art, to spark intrigue in the general public and benefactors. He might be a little overwhelmed by the influx of stimuli that comes with the modern era, constant noise and interaction and movement--perhaps worry that people are losing their ability to live in the moment. (Not to mention what’s being done to the environment...) There might be a learning curve/adjustment, but I think Theo would help him ease in. Plus, it would be a little easier to promote his art given the less stringent restrictions on public exhibitions. He’d still have to work for his fame, but at least the van Goghs wouldn’t have to live in constant unease in the proximity of the cutthroat academy. Tl;dr: (Mixed feelings, but tries to stay positive about modern times)

Dazai is more familiar with this kind of life of quick turmoil and breakneck speed, if anything he falls back into his old coping mechanisms--hello writing, drinking, and smoking. An overwhelming influx of information and suffering would probably be hard for him to manage, despite how expertly he hides it. I think I would be worried he would lose himself in the dismal reality of diminished connection with other people. Yes I’m shoving him into therapy, I want him to start living for himself and taking care of himself ffs

That isn’t to say there aren’t happy possibilities for him, just that I think he really needs to heal first. I could see him very happy in a kind of writer’s circle with people he loves and trusts; less expending his energy in a desperate attempt to fill the void and please others, more cultivating his own happiness... Tl;dr: (Positive potential, but honestly part of me thinks the past quieter/simple/rural life suits him better...he still loves meme culture tho, he finds it so expansive and creative)

Isaac is in a similar boat as Dazai, I think! He has wonderful potential as a mentor and professor, and living in a world that has a little more patience and respect for genius might help encourage him to put himself out there. That being said, I think the pace of life would exhaust him though--he is very much the kind of person that prefers to keep to himself and just puzzle and tinker. Baby boy just wants to do equations, build little inventions, and read up on the recent discoveries in astrophysics (BRUH WHEN THE IMAGE OF THE BLACK HOLE CAME OUT HE FORGOT HOW TO B R E A T H E) Napoleon is the only reason he eats anything healthy or on any kind of regular schedule s m h. Tl;dr: (Not a lot changes, honestly? He was reclusive then, he still is now--he just has more toys/academic resources. If anything he might get a little too lost in his work because of it, somebody please make sure he’s eating/sleeping/socializing;;;)

Poor Jeanne is SUFFERING. Please release him from this nightmare he is begging. Jk jk, I don’t think it would be too bad for him--but I do think that he would have the aforementioned problem of too many stimuli and too much interaction. I think he would ease into it a little with Mozart’s help; he would just be awkward and wooden until he got the hang of it. Most people just find him quirky in an amusing way, and don’t think too hard about it. I’d wager he’d probably become literate at this point because of the abundance of resources and necessity to read/write (okay but imagine this baby with a little kid workbook iM GONNA CRY!!! TAKE ALL MY CRAYONS JEANNE).

Can you imagine this mofo at a Starbucks??? Tall and stoic, dark and debonair (EVERYONE IS S W O O N I N G), and he just asks in a light tenor “can I have a mocha with eight shots of expresso” with a completely straight face. “Sir, that could kill you” “Don’t worry, I’ve been dead a long time” And he just moves to wait for his order. 11/10 cryptid I could watch an entire show just about his daily adventures

He works with Napoleon a lot given their similar skillsets. They coach kids at high schools that have fencing teams (it’s really REALLY cute bc if they’re on the younger side, Jeanne will very dramatically lose bc he wants to encourage them and the kids are delighted--but the parents are INCHES from laughing so hard they’re in tears). Otherwise, he mostly takes up gigs as a security worker/bodyguard, only really works for the money. He prefers to spend his time in ways that feel meaningful if he can, so don’t be surprised if you see him in foster homes and in social working spaces. He has an uncanny understanding about him, a kind of silence/patience that doesn’t stifle; it makes the kids/teens calm down in milliseconds. They really listen when he does talk, and he sets good and clear boundaries--he knows how to be firm when it’s required. He gives them the structure and placid grounding they’ve never had, and really pays attention to what’s important to them. Brings them little things he notices; brings flowers to the one that likes to draw, brings CDs (he is bad with technology, but they usually only have access to older/outdated stuff anyway) to the one the one that struggles to write with white noise in the house, brings little plushies to the ones that lose theirs. He’s simple but solid, and he finds a lot of meaning in helping kids overcome the similar kind of struggles he faced. Tl;dr: (Steep learning curve, but he just sees it as all the same really--just more work to be done with the literacy requirement and adjustment to technology. Will be resistant at first, but when he gets accustomed and starts finding people who are important to him, he wouldn’t want to change anything/go back. But will admit there are some days he just wants to go to the most remote place he can access and just live there for a month with no human interaction whatsoever; people are inefficient and insufferable sometimes)

Mozart’s life honestly doesn’t change much? I feel like he would easily be able to keep composing and continue releasing his work as per usual. Given his quick capacity to schmooze and say what people want to hear when he must, he’d be more than able to network his way into success. I think the only thing he might struggle with now and again is inspiration, given the world operates on a very surface level in the modern era sometimes. Profound insight and depth are not quite as cultivated in many ways, and he can struggle to find something that just sparks motivation/novelty in his mind, makes him start composing at breakneck speed. He reads a lot and watches some TV shows/movies when he’s at really low inspiration levels, the kind of guy that sneers at Game of Thrones--but finds things like BBC’s Sherlock more passable (wants intrigue and complexity, doesn’t much enjoy the sensationalized drivel). When Arthur finds out he loves ATLA he about falls off his seat. “It’s a children’s show.” “Yes it is, with a remarkable level of depth and craftsmanship, what are you trying to say?” He begins to find a kind of rhythm in his composing, and Jeanne and Dazai often drop by with so many crazy stories he finds himself filled with music anyway LMAO Tl;dr: (Same as Isaac, really just keeps doing his thing without being impeded, and he enjoys the luxuries/conveniences of the modern era. Will be slightly resistant at first because of how alien some of the changes are, but will fall into the habits/customs slowly and surely. Fine with it, will whine a bit at the growing pains tho)

Leonardo actually canonically owns a bar, and does that really surprise anyone? He really enjoys the excitement of meeting new people and hearing about their myriad histories, the influx of cultures/languages/experiences. It’s a nice but lowkey place, people stop for a drink, listen to some good music--chat amiably and relax after a long day’s work--before heading out. There are regulars and people that just stop for that single day; tourists, vacationers, so on and so forth.

When asked, many people note a sleek black cat with sharp eyes that led them to the bar... Tl;dr: (Don’t Let the Existential Dread Set-in: The Prequel, adapts well to the modern era because of centuries of experience but also...he’s so tired...somebody please hold him I can’t watch him live like this, lord jesus)

Optimally, I see Comte filling his time with myriad pursuits; ranging from philanthropy, indulging in art/music/theatre (often a benefactor as well), and keeping track of his chirren (they may exist more independently now, but he still worries about them ;-;). Otherwise nothing much changes for him, still goes to galas and fancy gatherings, still enjoys fashion and spoiling people, still seeks to occupy himself with social interaction and care-taking--if he doesn’t have a family of his own. He’s basically just that meme that’s like DON’T LET THE EXISTENTIAL DREAD SET-IN. DON’T LET IT SET-IN!!!!!!!!! Tl;dr: (Not to repeat myself but also Don’t Let the Existential Dread Set-in: The Sequel, literally just desperately trying to fill the void please somebody help him he also just needs to be held fuck’s sake, I’m going to drag him kicking and screaming into happiness--but otherwise has no great trouble adjusting to the modern era. I feel like he would have a more minor form of what Dazai struggles with, maybe a lack of personable connection that he once had; fewer chances to be himself and relax. Also probably worried about the increasing unhappiness and turmoil building in the world in general...)

Napoleon is similar to Comte in that he often checks up on Isaac and Jeanne from time to time, and does the aforementioned fencing lessons with kids. He also takes a lot of basic security positions--for venues, concerts, museums--you name it. He dislikes the idea of sitting behind a desk a lot, so he prefers to do a lot of different things; he even cooks from time to time at the restaurants that know him very well. One gig he particularly enjoys is battle choreography for movies/theatre! He tends to stay away from anything too historically close to his era of origin, but he has fun coming up with realistic (smaller scale) hand-to-hand combat scenarios and duels. Tl;dr: (This era doesn’t feel like too much of a change. It’s a little more intensive in terms of pace, but he manages to keep up pretty well, it just exhausts him from time to time--and he usually goes on trips or hikes to unwind when he needs to like Jeanne LOL they do not go to their happy place, they go to their high lonesome place).

Shakespeare also continues to do his drama thing, organizes troupes on tons of different levels--from community level to more intense, skilled groups that re-enact his own work. His life doesn’t change all that much beyond a new form of theatre logistics, and he adjusts to the technology fairly easily out of necessity. He’ll stop by Vincent’s place from time to time to show him recordings of his latest shows, but otherwise is almost always on the move. Tl;dr: (So long as he can keep following his greatest passion, he doesn’t really mind the changes in how theatre happens--he doesn’t have any sizable issues with the modern era.)

Ability with technology (phones mostly):

Arthur: more than capable, well-versed, loves to do everything on his phone no prob--maybe lives a little too much on his phone (Vine/TikTok/Youtube can kill his productivity RIP) also yes he has a fidget spinner on his desk, no I will not be taking any constructive criticism at this time

Theo: yes but with a lot of cursing at first, had to do it for work and now looks down on anyone that can’t keep up with him (except for Vincent)

Vincent: knows the basics, taking and sending pictures, writing things in notes for later, texting (tho sending emails is a little harder for him); he does his best but he can be slow. Really really enjoys the paint programs on his iPad for when he’s on public transit, but he starts setting alarms after he gets the hang of it (he’s missed his stops before because of it LMAO)

Leonardo: what kind of stupid question? Man knows how to pick them apart and put ‘em back together for crying out loud, uses it like a pro--comes to him naturally, and he’s the guy that keeps coming up with ways to jailbreak Apple products and thwart their money-grubbing tactics. Catch him playing Minish Cap on his emulator on the way to work, brah

Comte: just vibing, keeps up with the times easily since he’s been doing it for so long, much like Theo uses it to keep in touch with the people around him--he’s the “prefers to call instead of text” sorta guy though, he worries about losing emotional subtleties and he likes to hear people’s voices. Doesn’t do anything special on phones, more just a tool; will read/listen to podcasts/does have emulators (courtesy of Leo) and enjoys playing Pokemon when he’s bored

Jeanne: types one finger at a time, it will take a while--but he’ll get there (deleted all his contacts by accident once and Mozart was just. HOW.) He barely knows how to use a phone, and it’s a steep learning curve for him

Mozart: purely functional when it comes to his phone, refuses to rely on it beyond the necessities that only tech can do (for instance, sending emails or reading articles or uploading compositions) he still writes his music before making more polished digital copies. He will sometimes listen to pieces digitally, but prefers to play them in-person; he feels that a lot of the soul in a piece is lost despite the convenience

Dazai: you absolute fools. you baboons. why would you ever give him this kind of power. it is 3AM and he has been on a wikipedia trail spanning hours, started with Cleopatra being the seventh in her line with that name all the way to cotton candy being called “daddy’s beard” in French. please help him he hasn’t slept in years. Also probably binges anime and manga lbr. He’s the one making vine references every other second, always up to date on the memes^TM

Isaac: also mostly uses it as a tool for research and calculations; it’s a way to keep track of information. He also likes to play background music while he’s working, so he finds the device nice and convenient--plus less having to go around pestering people in-person. he does start to get interested in coding and tinkering with apps/programs eventually, too

Shakespeare: finds it a delightful little contraption, so useful because it lets him jot down ideas as they come to him quickly, and he can edit his texts much more easily with digital interfaces. also likes that performances can be recorded, because now he can analyze his staging more efficiently--it gives him a good sense of what needs to be adjusted, and encourages him to keep streamlining/try new concepts

Napoleon: likes it because he can keep in touch with people more easily, the kind of guy to drop a line before checking on a friend. he really likes to look up recipes and find out more about cooking techniques he’s never encountered before. Isaac starts making an Instagram account just to show Napoleon’s impeccable plating, and Napo gets quite the following without knowing for a while

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thecleverdame · 5 years ago

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The Oath - 12

Parings: Dark!Alpha!Sam x Omega!Reader

Story Master List

Summary: After an unsuccessful escape attempt, the reader finds herself taken as a spoil of war. She ends up in the bed of a ruthless Alpha, the son of John Winchester, leader of the kingdom of Gilead. She struggles to conceal her true identity and navigate a society where being an Omega means nothing more than serving at the pleasure of powerful men.

Warnings: non-con, sexual assault, rape, attempted suicide, sexual slavery, branding, torture, ownership, voyeurism, anal play, smut, violence, and murder.

Sam is dark in this story. If any of the warnings are triggers for you, I would suggest skipping this one. Please read and heed all the warnings.

Beta: ilikaicalie

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Sam can feel you watching him.

Since waking up from the dead those years ago all of his senses have been heightened. He can anticipate situations before they develop, read the expression on a man’s face to deduce if he’s lying. But this is something else. A dormant ability hidden in his Alpha that’s responding to the bond developing between you. He can feel it growing every day. He knows when you are near or far, like now as you watch him riding away on his horse.

Despite the complications of being an Omega, you’ve proved to be less work than he initially anticipated. Yes, you’re often scared and appear lonely. But any Omega he came across would be all of those things and more. He sees your sadness, but you manage to not let it affect your ability to satisfy him so he honestly doesn’t care. It’s well worth the price to have you in his bed at night, rubbing your sweet scent over his skin and sucking his cock like you’re starving for it.

You need him more every day and that’s the way he prefers to keep it. If anything happened to you, it’s unlikely he would ever find a match as well suited. Most Alphas never find an Omega that responds so favorably.

Hell, in this world many Alphas never find an Omega at all.

“You don’t need to stay. I’ve recovered.” Sam affirms to Dean what they both already know.

“I’m not here for you. I’m here because being on my own is mind-numbing. The men are unbearable and this new Omega might be the death of me. Plus dad is a week away, ten days at most. I’m dreading rejoining the troops.”

“It’s true. The more time we spend away from him, the harder the reunion.”

“Used to be weeks, then months. How long has it been this time?” Dean asks.

“Eighteen months since I’ve seen him last,” Sam confirms. “Almost the same for you if I remember correctly.”

“I’m not sure. At least a year. I don’t mind him as much as you.”

Sam and John have a widening rift that’s been growing since Sam was a child. As soon as Sam was old enough to say the word ‘no’ the disobedience began. After Sam’s change to the man he is now, Dean thought perhaps they would grow closer. Sam was rapidly becoming just as ruthless as his father. But then came the day Sam surpassed John in nearly every regard.

Dean knows his brother keeps his actions in check. If he acted on his impulses, a monster would be unleashed. But Sam maintains a semblance of humanity and their father simply sees it as an opportunity. To have someone as smart and capable as Sam who is also willing to give merciless orders and gets his hands dirty when necessary is invaluable.

“A few of dad’s men are already here,” Sam confirms.

Two of John’s scouts arrived this morning. Now that they’ve confirmed safe passage, they’ll ride back for the largest garrison in the Winchester army. A hundred-thousand men will join up with Sam and Dean to create a force like nothing seen before.

They’re unstoppable and they know it.

“The sword maker arrived today,” Dean observes as they trot along the forest line. Both men scan the horizon, constantly vigilant of a possible impending attack.

Sam looks to Dean. “I could use a new blade. And his brand.”

His brand. Sam plans to make his ownership permanent. He must believe in your allegiance if he’s willing to brand you with the Winchester crest.

“I’ll have my Omega marked as well,” Dean adds and Sam turns to him with an inquisitive brow.

“The blonde one that’s tried to kill you twice now?”

“Best to have the family claim as soon as possible. I’ve heard reports of camps attacked and Omega’s being stolen and smuggled to the borders. We need her if we want to bargain.”

“She’s still wild?” Sam grins, watching Dean’s exasperation with amusement.

“She’s a hard one to break. Every time I think I’ve gotten the best of her she tries something new.”

“How long do you think she’ll live once our father shows up?”

“Depends on if he truly needs her as a bargaining chip or if he’ll just use her to entertain the men. Nothing gets them as energized as a beheading.”

“True. You won’t be broken-hearted?”

“No, not in the least. As soon as I find another Omega she’s heading to the jailer.”

“Smart. Better to have her under lock and key.” Sam rides for some time in silence, watching the slow-moving cloud trails across the gray horizon. “You told my Omega I was going to give her to you. Then to the men.”

“Maybe, sounds like me.” Dean laughs it off. “What’s the problem.”

“She tried to slit her own throat. I think she’s passed it now, but you could have given me a warning. You know how they react. I’d like to keep her alive.”

“It was a comment. She’s fragile.” Dean dismisses the idea that he acted rashly. “I’m still not convinced she didn’t have a hand in poisoning you. We should at least interrogate her. We can’t let the culprit get away with an attempt on Sam Winchester’s life. It sends the wrong message. Someone needs to be an example of what happens if they come after one of us. A body or two should do the trick.”

“And you think that person is my Omega?”

“Your Omega?” Dean shoots him a look “Please, we both know you’d never give her up. You’re too deep in that wet little cunt to see straight.”

“I see very clearly. Perhaps more than I have in a long time. I’m not sure I was ever truly satisfied before her. I thought the stories of destined matches were as much shit as you did but, now I...there’s something to it.”

“Have you been through a rut yet?”

“No,”

“Then how can you know for sure?”

“Because after I fuck her I don’t have the itch. It’s been gone since the first time.”

Every Alpha knows the feeling. An unsettled urgency in the gut that leaves a constant need for one more round to get it out. Betas do nothing for it. It’s the reason so many of them end up injured or worse by Alphas trying to find satisfaction. Omegas bring well-needed relief, but it’s not complete.

“Seriously?” Dean raises an eyebrow, checking if his brother is indeed serious. “Tell me how a bastard as coldhearted as you ends up with a true mate? That’s the universe fucking the rest of us. You’ve always been fucking lucky.”

“I’m not sure I would call dying in the battlefield and losing my soul, lucky.”

“Maybe it’s not luck, but it’s something.” Dean thinks on this while they ride further. “Do you remember what you were like before?”

“Not that different from now.”

“You wouldn’t recognize yourself. Do you remember when you killed your first man? You were sixteen and you cried for a week.”

“No, I didn’t...did I?”

“You did. I wasn’t sure you’d ever pick up a sword again. You don’t remember, do you?”

“I can’t remember anything from before. Feelings mostly, about dad, you. I have a few specific memories but nothing more than that.”

“When you were little you were a sweet kid. You’d go out and pick flowers for mom. Bouquets of small yellow flowers wrapped up with twine.”

“Stop it,” Sam looks away, shifting in the saddle.

“Call it whatever you want, luck, destiny, but be prepared to put up a fight if you want to keep her after dad gets wind of it. You know how he is about the Omegas. And she’s a prize, he’ll want her to give to some loyal-”

“He can try.” Sam shrugs. “And he’ll fail to take her. He knows better than to cross me.”

“Maybe,” Dean surmises, watching as they come upon the camp.

#soulless!sam x reader #alpha!sam x omega!reader #sam winchester fanfiction #sam winchester x reader

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uppercuts-and-undercuts · 5 years ago

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Harry Hart, Eggsy Unwin, and Hartwin Fangirl/Rant/Headcanon dump

I seriously have so many feelings about these two, I don’t even know where to start. I’m talking full-on emotionally compromised. I can’t even. I am unable to can. Ever since I watched TSS, I’ve been reading and re-reading everything I could get my hands on. Even things that really aren’t my usual preferences. I’ve read everything from time-travel AUs, to fics with kinks I absolutely don’t have (and ones I absolutely do have), ones where Harry is a dragon, or Eggsy gets temporarily turned into a dog... angels/demons, A/B/O, bakery AUs, coffee shop AUs, same age!AUs, soulmates, serial killers, vampires, domestic, PWP, fluff, and essentially every trope I can think of - and probably a good few I can’t even remember. The point is? I love both of these dorks, and Hartwin.

I even force myself to keep reading when things descend into heavier angst than I expected. Too much angst leaves me a total mess. Hence, I try to stay away from anything with tags indicating an enormously bumpy ride. That being said, I’ve fought through a fair few heavy angst pieces, partially because they’re so well written, and partially because I’ve been invested enough to want to see everything work out. Believe me when I say I avoid the ‘unhappy ending’ and ‘major character death’ tags like the fucking plague (unless the MCD tag is accompanied by another tag like ‘but not really’, or ‘temporary’).

But what gets me the most about them, and Hartwin? The many different characterisations all these authors have given them, separately and as a couple, and the fact that they (mostly) just work. Some of them are contradictory, technically. But if you’ve got enough imagination, most of them even work together, even the seemingly ‘opposite’ ones. Some give you the fuzzies, some leave you fanning yourself, and some spark loads of daydreams. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t have a favourite characterisation, or even a complete list of favourite characterisations, because there’s too much! However! I’m going to rant giddily about some for a bit, because I have literally no friends.

Harry Hart:

Brutal elegance in a gorgeous suit

Sarcasm and polite disdain hiding a heart of gold

Morally dubious and manipulative

Daddy AF

Dapper gentleman who says ‘fuck’ a lot

Tall, dark, handsome, and will fuck you up without breaking a sweat

Sex on long legs

Loves all dogs, no matter what size, but weak for the tiny ones

Smoother than smooth

Awkward dork

Has no time for your classist bullshit

Actual tailor

Soft gent with so much love to give

Stoic gent who has no interest in relationships - until a cheeky chav with a heart of gold saunters into his life

King Harry

Makes love gently, coaxing, lovingly

Fucks like he’s being paid for it

Like, seriously, fucks

King of dirty talk

Gently murmuring praise

Loves fiercely

Incredibly possessive, and not even slightly ashamed of it

Repentant dirty old man

Unrepentant dirty old man

Certified Little Shit(™)

Gives zero fucks

Harry Hart-breaker

Super spy

Harry Fucking Hart

Above all, completely gone for Eggsy Unwin

Eggsy Unwin:

Vulnerable smol egg

Heart of gold

Smart-mouthed brat

Experienced street scrapper

Thicc AF

Bloodied knuckles and bleeding heart

Way smarter than people assume

Would literally die and kill for the people he cares about

Friend to animals everywhere - literally a Disney princess

Don’t talk shit about JB, he’ll defend his wheezy baby to the death

Just wants to be loved

Not afraid to tell it like it is - loudly, bluntly, and unashamed

Will ram that silver spoon even further up your arse, if you aren’t careful

Certified Little Shit(™) in training

Plays the idiot so everyone underestimates him

Just as at ease in a bulletproof bespoke suit as he is in trackies and trainers

Just wants to be loved

Prince of parkour

A total nurturer, just wants to take care of the people he loves

Unexpected virgin

Fucks like a champion

Keeps his heart behind heavily fortified walls - until a handsome gentleman in a bespoke suit beats the shit out of his tormentors

Never asks for anything for himself, yet sees Harry and wants

Actually very well read, that you very much

Sugar baby, and proud

Independent and works his ass off to stay that way

Hidden talents - archery, ballroom dancing, circus skills, etc.

Weak for soft older men

Eggsy Unwin, bitches

Head over heels for Harry Hart

As a couple

Disgustingly in love

Domestic husbands

Murder husbands

Both secretly spies

Harry being just as likely to kiss Eggsy’s hand as he is to rim him into next week

Eggsy constantly gets eyed-up by women and (worse, in Harry’s mind) other men. Harry is a jealous little shit, and loves to rub in the fact that Eggsy is completely oblivious to his admirers. Eggsy, of course, is oblivious to his admirers because he’s far too busy admiring Harry

When Harry gets jealous, he’s partial to getting Eggsy into bed (or over his desk, or against a wall, or even on the floor) and fucking him so good he cries. If Eggsy eventually realises what causes those occurrences, it’s only to his benefit.

Eggsy would be jealous over all the people who can’t help but admire Harry, if not for two facts. Firstly, that while he’s oblivious when people are giving him the eye, he’s definitely observant enough to realise that it’s what sets Harry off. Secondly, Harry is so obviously and completely devoted to him that it would be pointless to feel jealous. Why should he worry when he can feel Harry’s big hand settled warmly against the small of his back, brown eyes gazing down at him adoringly, and the smile that he only ever gives Eggsy on his lips?

Harry can’t help but give Eggsy pet names. It began when he first started to become fond of Eggsy it began. My boy, dear boy. Darling boy, eventually. And then, as Eggsy’s cheeky little thieving fingers began reaching out to steal his heart, they came thick and fast. My dear, dearest, darling, sweetling, my love.

Eggsy wasn’t one for using pet names, but he loved when Harry used them for him. For Eggsy, nicknaming was something he did without thought, usually to annoy or amuse. Even Merlin wasn’t safe from his sometimes regrettable attempts at nicknames, Gandalf and Dumbledore being Eggsy’s favourites. But his other half, the love of his life, only had one name Eggsy called him. Because he was Harry. and to Eggsy, Harry meant all the love in his heart, with every breath in his body

Everyone assumes Harry will be the sensible, restrained one of the two. Partially because of their age difference, partially because he always just looks so put together - of course he’d me the more mature. They assume incorrectly. Eggsy is surprisingly good at organising and doing what needs to be done, and can absolutely be serious when he needs/wants to be. Harry, obviously, can’t resist teasing him and making his life difficult during those times. He also finds it hilarious when Eggsy tells him off in front of people who don’t already know their personalities and dynamic

Harry spoils Eggsy whenever the boy lets him. Attention, affection, baths together, cooking for him, bringing him flowers, buying him things, trips and holidays, mind-blowing sex, everything he can think of. Eggsy never asks for anything at all, but Harry would never deny him anything if he did. Harry honestly just wants to give him the world anyway. He would tear the stars from the sky, if he thought Eggsy would like them.

#harry hart #eggsy unwin #harry hart/eggsy unwin #harry hart x eggsy unwin #hartwin #Kingsman #Kingsman: The Secret Service #headcanons #fangirl #rant

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of-muppets-and-men · 5 years ago

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Her Mother?

Although Atlas may have been the land of stuck-up pricks, no one would ever dare deny its beauty. It’s decadent buildings and towers; as posh and lavish as its citizens. Though it may have been freezing on a good day, Atlas did have the most breathtaking view of the horizon out of any of the four kingdoms. And enjoying said brilliance was Qrow branwen and Maria Calavera.

It had been a few days since their dramatic meeting with Ironwood, and their group was thankfully given a few days grace. After the many times they nearly died; everyone was more than willing to relax. Ruby and Weiss had gone to visit Winter and by extension, the Schnee Manor. Yang and Blake were with Professor Polendina, getting their weapons repaired. And the rest of Team JNPR alongside Ozcar, were exploring the rest of Atlas; while trying not to bring too much attention to themselves.

Now that the “adults” were alone, Qrow and Maria decided to take to a lovely little cafe. Qrow, still shaking his Drinking habits, sat on the veranda, sipping away at his bitter coffee. Maria sat adjacent to him, helping shake his vice by cracking him over the head with her cane every time he reached for his flask. The veteran huntsman grumbled at his idol, rubbing the growing bruise on the back of his head; all the while, Maria kept a smug grin plastered on her face.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” He complained loudly.

“Perhaps.” She grinned devilishly while stirring her tea.

Annoyed, Qrow laid his half finished and criminally overpriced latte back on it’s serving dish. He slunked back into his chair and stared back out to the horizon, hoping to feel some level of ease. But even though the relic was as safe as it was going to get; he couldn’t shake his feelings of grief. He contemplated on his time as Ozpin’s left eye. Years upon years of service, all the people he’s killed, all the friends he’s lost, and for what? Piece of mind knowing a mystic lantern is safe? What a joke. All those broken families for a lost cause. His thoughts continually ate at him, as they always did; the same voice in his head screaming the words ‘It’s your fault’ at him like some twisted mantra. Being the wiser of the two, Maria could tell something was bothering him.

“Y’know that niece of yours is quite something Qrow.” She said, hoping to interrupt his brooding.

“What?” he answered, understandably confused “Where’d that come from?”

“Just a simple observation. Her skill with her weapon is extraordinary.” Maria remarked honestly “Ruby’s nearly as good as I was when I was her age. She must have had an incredible teacher.”

Qrow blushed earnestly at his hero, honoured yet embarrassed by her praise. Never in his life did he think The Grimm Reaper herself would compliment his teaching ability. Maria was relieved her compliment worked; he’d been down since the battle in Argus and his withdrawals weren’t helping him either. It was nice to see his spirits lifted for once.

“You should be proud.”

“I am.” Qrow grinned “I’ve always been proud of her. I’m sure her mom would be too.”

“Her Mother?”

The old crow’s eyes noticeably widened. He thought about Summer all the time, more than he probably should have, that's for sure. But he’d always managed to keep it to himself. Damn Semblance.

“Uhh yeah...” He awkwardly replied.

“ You’ve never mentioned her before? And now that I think about it… Neither has Ruby.”

A lull of silence fell upon the pair.

Every word his Idol spoke stung at his heart. Summer had died nearly 14 years ago and yet the idea of her not being here was still hard for him to swallow. Or worse still, Ruby barely even remembering her own mother. It didn’t feel real; he didn’t want it to be real, so much so, he spent those same 14 years drinking away his grief. His abstinence was bringing many things he thought he’d locked in his subconscious. Maria sat idly, knowing she’d likely touched an old wound.

Qrow forced out a weary response, the buried emotion taking shape on his face for the first time in years.

“Well Ruby was still pretty small when Summer…” He breathed, though unable to say the last word.

“Ohh, I see. Forgive me. I should’ve known.”

The air became more uncomfortable as the minutes ticked by. The quiet between the two worsened, spoiling Qrow’s coffee and mood to boot. Qrow, slipping back into his chair, let out a solemn sigh. His hand instinctively reached for his flask. Maria thought it cruel to crack him over the head for having to remember such a thing. So as he went to unscrew the cap, Maria did the only thing she could think of.

“Y’know Qrow. Before you disappoint your niece. How about we talk about…” Maria opened with “Hmm, what her name again? Oh yes, Summer.”

“Hmm? Why would want to know of all people?” Qrow answered, offense lacing his words.

“Consider it an Old woman’s curiosity. Plus I’m interested to know what she meant to you and Ruby.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, you did go back on your word as soon as you mentioned her. So she must mean something, right?”

The Old hunter was a bit astonished that Maria had figured him out so quick. He wanted to argue, to dispute her, but she was right. Sure he may casually drunk during his days at Beacon, but it was never a problem till… that day. His annoyance turned to melancholy as his mind delved into the past. Remembering when things were so much less complicated; when things were good… better than they are now.

But with a shaky breath and tense hands, he began: “Summer was… one of a kind.”

“She was the leader of my team. Back when I was just a punk kid at Beacon. Now, I had gotten pretty used to being on my own out in the wilds, so the whole “team” thing didn’t sit well with me. Or Raven for that matter. And on top of that my semblance just caused problems wherever I went, so I tried my damnedest to distance myself from the others.”

“Tried?” Maria interjected curiously.

“Yeah, tried would be the word,” Qrow chuckled “No matter what I tried, Sum wasn’t having it. She’d hunt me across campus to get me to participate in group studies, training sessions and whatever else she had for us. Hmph. It was kind of incredible how persistent she was. But then again, she was always uniquely strong-willed.”

The old huntsman shifted forward in his seat, sighing loudly. His hands rubbed together, jittering with anxiety. Knowing full well how this story ended; he struggled against the urge to reach for his flask. Grabbing his coffee as his only option, Qrow took a slow yet deliberate sip of the morning brew before setting it back down to speak again.

“Annoying as it may have been, I slowly strayed away less and less. I stopped altogether when she said something I honestly never thought I would hear. Care to know?”

“Do tell.”

“We’re a team, Qrow. We need you; I need you.” Qrow recalled with a delicate smile “I’d never been told that up until then. It was… nice to feel wanted.”

The old woman had never seen Qrow smile so often or so brightly before. Tempting as it may have been to tease him about opening up, Maria decided to let have his peace. He definitely needed it more than he let on; not that he’d ever admit it.

Maria then remarked with a posthumous compliment, “She must have been lovely.”

“That she was,” Qrow reaffirmed “Sweetest person I’ve ever met. Hell of a baker too. Oh what I’d give to have some of her cookies just one more time.”

Summer’s cookies. Such a precious and well guarded secret of his little leader. Everybody loved them; Teachers and students alike. Hell, even Raven couldn’t resist scarfing down a tray or two. Qrow and his sister often fought for the last one, while just Taiyang tried to steer clear of their warpath. Another thing he missed so earnestly, yet seemed to slip from his memory. He closed his eyes in an attempt to remember the sweet aroma. Leaning back in his chair yet again, the fragrance of freshly baked cookies drowned his thoughts; even the stupid, frilly apron Summer used to wear.

“Y’know, I may be going out on a limb here, but from how you’ve spoken about this girl, there’s really only one answer.”

“And that is?” He wondered curiously.

“You loved her, didn’t you?”

While his vermilion eyes sank to the floor, a sharp exhale escaped his chest:

“Yeah… I did.”

A now weary Qrow reached for inside of his dress shirt. Maria feared it was his flask again, but was somewhat relieved when he pulled out a photo instead. Once brought into full view, Qrow caressed the picture of his team, the exact spot where Summer stood. The old woman resonated with the forlorn hunter as he stared longingly at the photo. She very well knew the grief behind the loss of loved ones and didn’t dare to judge him as he pressed the image against his brow. As tears began to form in his eyes, Maria placed her hand on his shoulder, for whatever comfort it could provide him.

“Well, At least I know why you care for Ruby so much.” Maria said dryly.

“Hmmm? What are you talking about?” replied Qrow, puzzled by her statement.

“Ruby isn’t really your niece, is she?”

“Uhhh not technically, no. She’s…”

“Your Daughter?”

The words echoed in Qrow’s mind. He stared blankly into the old woman’s mechanical eyes, trying to swallow an immovable lump in his throat. His breathing grew noticeably heavy, as Maria sat solemnly waiting for a reply. Qrow clutched the photo again, with both hands this time. As a single tear came down upon his lover’s likeness, a heavy sigh let out. A lie came undone and a bitter truth passed his lips.

“Yes. She is.”

“What?” a voice said from behind them.

Qrow’s head snapped and swiveled towards the all too familiar voice. His fears were realized when his gaze met that of Ruby’s; her silver eyes tainted by her sobs. The rest of Team RWBY and JNPR stood by her side, shock plastered on each of their faces. Yang was in disbelief; It couldn’t be true, could it? It had to be a lie...

Before Yang could come up with an answer she liked, Ruby raced past her in a flurry of red flower petals. JNPR gave chase along with Oscar, while Yang, Blake and Weiss continued to gawk. Yang moved first towards her Uncle, eyes red with rage. Qrow slowly stood up in response and barely flinched as she slapped hard across the cheek. The young huntress turned to her friends, shifting between anger and sadness. Yang walked towards the exit, Blake and Weiss following behind her, but not before giving Qrow the dirtiest looks they could manage. Qrow’s niece spoke defiantly as she walked down the stairs.

“C’mon. Let’s go find my Sister.”

#rwby #strq #hummingbird #Flown North #Hunter's Dream #qrow x summer #summer x qrow #qrow branwen #qrow is ruby's dad #maria calavera #ruby rose

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aion-rsa · 5 years ago

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Ghost of Tsushima Review: A Beautiful Homage to Akira Kurosawa

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Ghost of Tsushima is a daring departure for Sucker Punch, who since 2009 has worked solely on the Playstation-exclusive Infamous series. While those games were steeped in modernity, offering sprawling cityscapes players could explore from top to bottom via superpowered “conduits” Cole MacGrath and Delsin Rowe, Ghost of Tsushima’s open world is set in feudal Japan. It’s here that we meet young samurai Jin Sakai, who must defend his homeland, the titular island of Tsushima, from an invading Mongol army.

Right off the bat, the shift in time period and milieu to 13th century Japan is notable because Sucker Punch handles it so brilliantly, especially for the team’s first foray into the samurai genre. Japanese history and culture are woven into every single facet of the game so elegantly and organically that you’d think the team had been developing games set in feudal Japan for the past decade, not sci-fi superhero romps. More than anything, Ghost of Tsushima is a moving homage to Japan, its history, and its people.

The story opens with a massacre. A massive Mongol army, led by the cunning Khotun Khan, storms the beaches of Tsushima and is met by the island’s woefully outnumbered samurai contingent. When the leader of the samurai challenges Khotun to a one-on-one, fair fight, the Khan renounces the honorable gesture in gruesome fashion, literally setting the courageous samurai on fire in front of both armies. The rest of the samurai are obliterated on the beach, while Jin’s uncle, Lord Shimura, is taken prisoner by the Khan. Jin is also fatally wounded but is miraculously nursed back to health by a new ally, a thief named Yuna who needs his help in return.

These opening moments set the tone for the rest of the game. The philosophical conflict between honor and deception is the beating heart of the story and permeates the gameplay in riveting ways. As you fight to take back Tsushima from the Mongols, you can approach enemy encounters in two ways. You can choose to fight honorably, like a true samurai, and challenge enemies to a “standoff,” a quick-reflex mini-game of sorts in which you and one of the baddies face off one-on-one and see who flinches first before one of you slashes his blade through the other. You’ll then have to take on the rest of the enemies all at once, which is no easy task.

The other option is to fight like a “Ghost,” sneaking into enemy camps, killing the bad guys in their sleep, poisoning them, using intimidation tactics to scare them into fleeing battle. It’s an effective way of evening the odds between you and your foes, but it rails against everything the samurai stand for.

Countless games offer the player the option to approach combat either stealthily or head-on. This is far from a novel concept, and in this respect, the combat in Ghost of Tsushima offers little innovation. But what is innovative here is how Sucker Punch has taken the classic device of stealth vs. frontal assault and given it new life by expertly integrating it with the themes of the story.

Jin meets a handful of allies on his journey, each with their own multi-chapter story arcs that delve into their respective backstories. There’s sensei Ishikawa, a master archer whose protege has gone rogue and joined the Mongols. Lady Masako is a warrior and grandmother whose entire family was murdered by the Mongols, though she suspects they may have died after someone close to the family conspired with the enemy.

Each of the characters explores the honor vs. dishonor theme in unique and surprising ways. The dichotomy is most starkly represented in the clash of ideals between Lord Shimura, who is unshakably honorable and would rather die than gain an unfair advantage in battle, and Yuna, who understands that, to beat an enemy who fights dirty, you may have to put honor to the side for the sake of saving your people. Of course, Jin is caught in the middle and struggles to decide what kind of man he wants to be.

Aside from the ties to the story, the gameplay is fun and engaging. The swordplay combines parries and dodging with a more strategic approach to melee, as you try to find ways to build up your enemy’s stagger gauge. You can also use “ghost weapons” to give you an edge in battle, like kunai (throwing knives), smoke bombs, arrows, and more. There are also four stances to master, with each being effective against a different enemy type. Switching between stances is integral to combat and becomes second nature over time. There’s also an insanely cool fifth stance that I won’t spoil here, but it’s spectacularly badass.

Stealthing is strikingly similar to what you’d see in an Assassin’s Creed title (this is a compliment), and the game gives you myriad ways to kill enemies without raising alarms, like throwable wind chimes and firecrackers that allow you to manipulate their positioning or hallucinogenic darts that turn them against each other. Again, this is all stuff we’ve seen before, but it’s pulled off well here.

Release Date: July 17, 2020 Platform: PS4 Developer: Sucker Punch Productions Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Genre: Action-adventure

Unfortunately, there are little gameplay flaws that needled at me, especially in the later hours of my playthrough (it took me around 45 hours to finish the game). The swordplay requires quick reflexes, and mastering parries and dodging is absolutely pivotal to your survival. The problem with the swordplay is subtle, and a little difficult to explain, but I’ll say it like this: in most games that are particularly challenging, when I die, I feel like it was my fault because I made a mistake, I just wasn’t fast enough, I hadn’t mastered certain skills. But on many occasions in Ghost of Tsushima, I felt like I died because the game didn’t give me a fair shot, like it was the game’s fault that I failed, not mine. It’s possible that I just wasn’t very good at the game, but it felt at times like I wasn’t given a choice in the matter. Your mileage will vary with the game’s difficulty level.

There are other things that bugged me, too, like the unreliable climbing mechanics (I swear, sometimes hopping onto a rope or branch that’s literally right in front of you is way, WAY too difficult). But overall, I had a great time playing the game and felt super powerful by the time I’d filled out my skill trees, which is no surprise considering the game was made by the same folks who made Infamous.

On a nuts and bolts gameplay level, Ghost of Tsushima doesn’t feel all that unique — there is some very familiar open-world stuff here. But on a presentation and storytelling level, the game is out-of-this-world amazing. Visually, the game looks stunning. The late-stage PlayStation 4 graphics really deliver, and coupled with the strength of the art design, Ghost of Tsushima is a true head-turner. The character models look fantastic and can emote on a level that supports the drama of the story. And while the different suits of armor that Jin acquires offer unique gameplay perks, I honestly just collected and upgraded them almost exclusively as an aesthetic indulgence. They look so freaking cool.

But the real stars of the show are the environments, which look picturesque from every conceivable angle. The wind-swept, verdant hills of Tsushima are intoxicatingly pretty, to the point where I’d get caught up ogling for minutes on end at the smallest of details, like the way the moonlight bounces off blades of grass or the way Jin kicks up crimson-red leaves that have blanketed the ground over time. I could go on forever about the dynamic day/night cycle, the beautiful rendering of different fabrics and materials, the horse animations. But instead, I’ll just say that this is the most breathtaking game, visually, that I’ve seen in recent memory.

A lot of love also went into infusing the game with Japanese cultural references, particularly in how the developers pay homage to the samurai genre. Each mission, for example, is bookended by cinematic intertitles that evoke old samurai cinema, Japanese characters, and all. But without a doubt, the most obvious/most amazing homage is “Kurosawa Mode,” which presents the game in black and white, with one of the best film grain filters I’ve ever seen in a game, resulting in an experience that looks almost exactly like a film from the iconic Japanese auteur’s oeuvre, right next to Sanjuro and Seven Samurai. If you’re a long-time fan of Kurosawa, turning the mode on may even elicit an “I’m not crying…you’re crying!” response — it’s that pretty.

I initially intended on playing the entire game in Kurosawa mode but quickly realized that it would be problematic to do so for a few reasons. Some missions require you to “follow the (insert color) flowers,” which is obviously impossible in black and white. And in combat, blockable enemy heavy attacks are signaled by a blue glint, while unblockable ones have a red glint. Combat is tough enough as it is, so…yeah. I only turned the mode on when I was riding on my horse through the countryside and I felt like treating myself to some eye candy.

Taking time to smell the cherry blossoms and have a respite from the game’s many missions and side missions is crucial because Ghost of Tsushima is a long, long game. The missions aren’t overly repetitive — most of them feel really special actually, like when you climb a mountain in freezing cold weather and must race from campfire to campfire on your ascent, or one armor quest comprised of several one-on-one duels with straw hat swordsmen scattered about the map, each with a distinct personality. But 40-plus hours is 40-plus hours, and while the main tasks of infiltrating enemy camps, liberating farms, and searching for special gear can lead to questing fatigue at the tail end of the game, the nice thing is is that you can always slow things down and just enjoy the scenery to break things up. There’s even a nifty photo mode to play with, and if any game warrants a photo mode, it’s this one.

Jin’s story isn’t just a means to an end, or a lazy excuse to drag the player from gameplay scenario to gameplay scenario. The story is incredibly well written and profound in its messaging and imagery, so much so that I believe it’s one of the best modern entries in the samurai genre, regardless of medium. All of the characters you meet and the little tales that unfold across Tsushima are filtered through Jin’s inner struggle with what honor really means and whether or not it’s worth dying for, which gives the story an incredibly strong narrative backbone. Despite the game’s epic scope, Jin’s journey actually feels quite intimate and personal. The same could be said of Kurosawa’s best work, and that’s just about the highest compliment I can give.

The post Ghost of Tsushima Review: A Beautiful Homage to Akira Kurosawa appeared first on Den of Geek.

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snkpolls · 6 years ago

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SnK S3E19 Poll Results (Manga Reader Version)

The poll closed with 295 responses. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Please note that these are the results of the manga reader poll. Anime only watchers are suggested not to read if you do not wish to be spoiled about certain events! Anime only viewers, click here to view your poll results!

RATE THE EPISODE 285 Responses

This episode raked in high reviews as the rest of the season did, although less people enjoyed it as much as they enjoyed the previous episodes.

The animation was odd in the first half of the episode, but it was absolutely incredible in the second half. Overall an amazing episode, somehow making filler scenes brilliant

It was a little rushed (which is understandable), so 4/5 stars. Overall a really good episode, I think.

I will be honest: the episode was very average. The basement reveal was animated very well. Eren and Mikasa's memories also were very emotional. However, in the scene with Armin & the rest of group the quality of animation dropped harshly. I know that not every scene in the anime can be animated on the highest level, but this one was just looking really bad.

Animation quality took a drop but I still loved it!

I really enjoyed it, and seeing Faye was surprisingly moving given that I'm not really a bit fan of the switch to Marley.

The animation wasn't as good as previous episodes but I didn't really mind, especially because there was a frame in there that made it look like Levi was sMILING and I am so here for that

I've been waiting so long for this episode.

what a beautiful episode, in all ways.

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT? 290 Responses

Seeing young Grisha and Faye in Marley was the clear highlight of this episode for manga readers, with 37.6% of the vote going to the after-credits scene! Behind that at 12.1% was the scene of Eren and Mikasa nostalgically walking through their hometown, and 9.3% of respondents got a kick out of Levi opening the door in his own way.

I live for animated moments of Dad! Levi to his squad.

At first I was worried that they would just show the photo as the cliffhanger, but once we got the post credit scene I was blown away

I loved the first moments with Faye and young Grisha. Awww! Faye was so extremely cute and innocent. I would love to hug her! I thought that Historia was the sweetest as a kid, but now Faye takes 1st place :)

WHAT’S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ARMIN SEEING THE COLOSSAL TITAN CRYING, SAYING “IT HURTS?” 288 Responses

36.5% of respondents believe that Armin is hearing and seeing Bertolt’s emotional pain over everything that’s happened to him. 27.1% think that this scene highlights part of the process of memory transfer from one holder of the titan to the successor. 12.8% feel that this is meant to highlight more the process of transferring the titan power to a new host.

A mixture of the Bert's physical and emotional pain, the transfer through paths and the extra creepiness. Bert here is behaving like a typical Japanese ghost who was killed in a brutal manner; notice the paths here are devoid of lights. Bert needs someone to exorcise him.

He's hearing Sasha saying 'It hurts' and because he's only half conscious and still possibly linked to Bertolt's memories, he's projecting it onto Bert. I think his subconscious knows he's eaten Bert at this point.

It has to do with the titan power, and how it hurts to carry such a burden of great power

Bert has been suffering too, just like Reiner, so a little bit of everything.

Foreshadowing of what Armin’s burden is going to be. He is going to have to kill a lot of people if he wants to protect the people within the walls. It’s a depressing fact for one of the more pure-hearted characters who just wants peace.

I think it’s an excellent presentation how Titan inheritors are connected both physically and emotionally

it's a pretty good summation of all those things tbh. Everything Bert went through can be summed up with "it hurts" tbh

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT CARLA’S SHORT HAIR? 291 Responses

Overall the fandom has neutral responses (33.7%) to the short clip of Carla with short hair, with just a slight edge of people (18.9%) who thought it was a good look on her. 16.2% of responses disliked the short hair.

I answered the Carla hair question with 3 because there is no "I don't care" option

HOW WELL DID THIS EPISODE ADAPT THE CORRESPONDING CHAPTERS? 288 Responses

Respondents felt that WIT did a good job at sticking to the source material again this episode, even though they stretched some scenes out with filler.

The pace was a little long but I really liked the episode's poetry and all the scenes in Shiganshina of the four walking, Hanji and her shadow reflecting next to a flower, Levi and the broken glass, Eren and Mikasa children ... it was very lyrical!

WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE EXTENDED SCENE OF EREN AND MIKASA WALKING THROUGH SHIGANSHINA? 292 Responses

56.2% of the fandom enjoyed the extended scene of Eren and Mikasa walking through Shiganshina, feeling that it helped to amplify the nostalgia and grief that they felt as they finally revisited their old home. 22.3% felt that the scene had a lot of emotional impact, saying that it tugged at their heartstrings. 11.6% felt the filler wasn’t necessary but still enjoyed it nonetheless.

They just came for my whole entire heart huh

Honestly, it was a little boring to watch, I want to believe that it was stretched for the sake of that masterpiece of end scene.

It was a lovely and poignant time-killer.

The walk to EM's house was really well done, it took me some tears, and i loved the additional scenes...

Somebody hug these two please and thank you. I thought for a moment they were gonna show us the untouched insides of buildings. But it was indeed pretty good.

THAT SHIT WAS ART!! I got real chills

It was better in the manga. It was badly executed in the anime.

Just seeing Hannes again made it worth it. Also it was a good throwback to episode 1.

It honestly highlighted how terrible the animation was in this episode, because the flashbacks had much higher quality

Literally my favorite part, I think it added a lot of gravity to the situation. Like we know it's their hometown, but the way this was animated really brought you back to where it all started, which also adds weight to the whole, "Oh god, we accomplished our second-biggest goal (getting to the basement) but we're still not finished at all" thing.

The concept of it was fine, and it touched my heart for the first bit of it, but it went on far too long.

HOW DID YOU FEEL FINALLY SEEING MARLEY ANIMATED? 289 Responses

We finally reached the Grisha Files™ and got to see Marley portrayed in the anime! 40.5% of respondents say that it felt incredible to finally see Marley come alive through animation, color and sound, while 38.1% marked it down as a surreal experience. 11.1% simply felt that it was neat.

I love Marley arc, seeing it animated and different vibes of music, and voice acting are very good. Can't wait what they have when marley arc fully animated

Animation was shit. Really disappointed they dropped the ball on animating Marley.

It was my favorite part of this episode. I truly love Faye. She is way cuter in the anime and so innocent. Everything about that moment was perfect.

I really dislike everything that came after the basement so reaching this point was sad for me.

DEAR GOD Y E S—

I could never picture it in my head before, and now I can! Liberio is so grey and sad!

Omg Faye is the cutest thing ever!!! I don't want to see what happend to her, I'm not ready!

I hoped they would save it for the next episode.

I’m not ready to face Marley or Marley arc Eren. Go back. Please go back.

The way they put that whole scene after the ending was weird

I never thought I’d be alive to see the day the beginnings of Marley getting animated; I know the next episodes are going to be perfection :’)

Marley music was 👌

BASED ON THE CAST CREDITS, THE MAN YOUNG GRISHA RAN INTO WAS ACTUALLY XAVER. THOUGHTS? 288 Responses

36.8% of respondents found the confirmation of the glasses man being Xaver to be an interesting detail, while 19.1% believe that this helps to further support the fan theory that Xaver and Kruger were working together all along. 15.6% of the fandom thinks that Xaver being familiar with Grisha since he was a boy makes his actions Zeke all the more disturbing.

How old is Xaver?? If that was him he has to be around 25-30 here. Which would make him 45+ with Zeke.

I believe it was Xaver all this time. It’s good to have a name with the face now.

There's no fucking way he wasn't working with Kruger. This is all connected lads

Just how fucking old is Xaver jfc also he knew grisha by name since childhood wtffff

I thought that was already obvious in the manga?

Nice easter egg, but that's all

The Xaver timeline makes sense, but it's a bit complicated.

The tidbit about Xaver was interesting. When I saw him in the anime it did remind me of Xaver since we've just been introduced to him, but I would never have guessed it was actually him. When you think about it, that day Grisha stumbled upon two people that later really shaped his life and set things into motion in the story. A nice coincidence to think of.

WHICH SCENE FROM THE PREVIEW ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? 289 Responses

It was a close call this time! 40.8% of the fandom are most looking forward to seeing Eren’s reaction to Eren inheriting his father’s memories and figuring out that Dina was the Smiling Titan. 39.4% are excited to see Grisha and Kruger meet for the first time. At a distant third, Grisha and Faye going beyond the wall to see the zeppelin got 10.4% of the vote.

Dogs are cute, Faye is cute. Combine the two, and you're shou tucker.

KRUGER

NEED GRISHA FILES

I'm not ready for Faye's fate !!! ;_;

there's so many things to look forward the next episode, initially I was pondering between the Kruger meeting and Fay's death but eventually I chose Eren's memories because I don't remember that part in the manga.

COMPARED TO THE FEEL OF SEASON 1, HAS THE DIRECTION OF THE STORY MET YOUR EXPECTATIONS? 289 Responses

Nearly 70% of respondents feel that Isayama’s story continues to get better as it goes on. 17% say that it didn’t meet their expectations from season 1, but that it’s not a bad thing at all! 8% are simply still here for the ride, but are still enjoying the series anyway.

I'm one of the apparent minority who actually prefer the tone and content of the story post-basement reveal. I've always cared more about the human aspect of the narrative, and at this point SNK is nothing if not a tale of the human condition, in all its beauty and horror.

Animation wise, I feel like aot peaked with season 2 and they just got lazy or were under a lot of time constraints while making season 3. Other than that, didn’t care for how they handled Uprising and the direction for Shiganshina has felt pretty unoriginal and hallow. I just hope the new studio can adapt the next season with quality that can match season 2 or at least season 1.

I'm ambivalent about it. I preferred the atmosphere of season 1, but I'm still interested in seeing where the story goes. For me the emotional and moral climax of the story happened on the roof in Shignashina though, and I've not been as convinced by what's happened since - so far at least.

Met and exceeded. Thank you isayama.

I will continue watching, but it feels like Isayama is making things up in the fly and doesn’t really have a clear idea of how the storyline is going to work.

This is the peak of the story for me, I look forward to the next seasons because of thar, I want to see if the direction of the anime could make the next arcs more appealing to me

I initially liked the direction in which the manga went but I am finding it hard to like the way the story progressed, and how the original characters are treated, compared to the new ones. I am really disappointed in Isayama's writing at this point, character wise.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE?

I love Armin

The animation quality dropped compared to the latest two episodes. The first half of the ep was kinda weird... like the hug, seemed like two different animators did it, because the lineart changes between s1 (thicker lines) and s3 style... Also they didn't do justice to Armin's abs...

Glad I'm a manga reader because this anime reveal was pretty underwhelming.

Imma say it, I didn't like that they showed a tiny snippet of Marley. I would have preferred if they'd ended on the photograph and the words "humanity has not perished". I have anime only friends who watched the Grisha/Faye scene and were like "...I feel like I don't have enough to even chew on right now?" Like it wasn't a punch in the gut like cutting on the photograph would have been, and it wasn't a full-fledged reveal so there isn't enough to go nuts over and debate and hypothesise. I mean it's still really good and I liked the episode, but the way they've sequenced the reveal isn't optimal to me.

I think they took a little too long to get to the basement. I understand why they wanted to, and the walk there was still really well done! But I think it'll now be a little tough to cram all the information they need to if they plan to end the season with chapter 90, which they of course do.

Faye is too adorable, there will be riots next week.

glad we're getting into the GOOD SHIT. give me marley

I love the soundtrack. It feels very different(in a good way) props to Sawano.

Tbh, the animation and pacing felt lacking in this episode, but we got Armin looking both like a Cinnamon bun and an Arman, and I am there for that.

I liked the story more when it was a creepy titan apocalypse instead of, well... this. But it's too late to back out now.

OH MAN, GOTTA LOVE THAT CLOSURE, IT FELT PERFECT WHEN THEY WERE WATCHING THE PHOTO AND THEN THE ENDING SONG STARTS TO ROLL OUT AND THAT POST CREDITS SCENE. JUST PERFECT

The additional material of this episode was really good in my opinion and the OST used on it was a pretty good election too, it fulfilled the purpose of make the viewer felt nostalgic, but the animation in the beggining was really "meh". And speaking about seeing Marley animated, for me the experience was literally a yelling and a "NO WAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!" I am so excited to see Grisha's backstory in colors! I can finally ear Kruger's voice, see the sunset falls down while Grisha take the photo and accept his mission, while Kruger give to him his final smile. Frankly this is my favorite "mini-story" of the manga, too shocking and enlightening. And to finish this, the appear of Xaver was too misplaced or it is just my idea? the timeline just doesn't fit into the story in my opinion. I think it was just a easter egg or something for the manga readers, I hope so lol.

For a long time I was scared that they were gonna leave out Eren hugging Armin and I'm so glad they didn't. Also the scene where Eren and Mikasa walked through the ruins of Shiganshina made my heart disintegrate. Thanks for amplifying the angst, WIT. 😭

When I read the manga, I remember fearing the idea about this getting animated because this part truly changes the entire story. But I feel that the story is getting better and better and more complex but still the same flare of Isayama Hajime's story telling.

THEY KEPT THE COLOR BLUE FOR MARLEY'S UNIFORMS I'M SO HAPPY

WHERE DO YOU PRIMARILY DISCUSS THE SERIES? 269 Responses

Thank you again to everyone who participated. See you again in a few days!

#snk spoilers #snk s3 #snk poll #snk polls #poll results

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365daysofsasuhina · 6 years ago

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[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Seventy-Eight: A Collection ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ] [ AO3 Link ]

He’s never been one for things. Sasuke had plenty of toys growing up - he was a bit spoiled in that regard, really. But after the loss of his clan and the downsizing he was forced to go through, the notion of holding onto anything other than people (and even then, he had his doubts) just seemed so...shallow. So pointless. He took hardly any of his previous possessions with him to the tiny apartment he was shuffled into. And after moving in, he never bought anything physical to just...have. If he owned something, it served a purpose. Was a tool in some regard. Something he used, had need of, and didn’t just take up space.

She, on the other hand, is...different.

Even after the war and having a new home built in the nearly-empty compound, Sasuke hardly ever used it at first. He’d really only gotten it as a mark of independence. Adulthood. In reality, he and Shisui both - despite having their own homes - spent nearly all of their spare time with Itachi and his budding family, given that neither of them had any such things quite yet.

After so long without family...Sasuke just couldn’t bring himself to stay away. And he could tell that both his brother and cousin felt the same. No one was ever told to leave, hinted they were overstaying their welcome. Most days of the week (and most nights), the new manor’s spare rooms were full.

And no one seemed to mind. If anything, Itachi’s wife only appeared all the happier at having more people to dote on. They needed that sense of togetherness, that assurance that there were all here, together, at last. In time, they would seek their distance. To start, however...they needed that closeness of kin.

But things have a habit of changing. And for Sasuke...they changed a lot.

Hinata, whether intended or not, quietly wedged herself into several avenues of the youngest Uchiha’s life until, well...he just went with it. And then sought it. And then hungered for it until simply deciding to marry her. The tale is, of course, longer than that...but not our focus today.

No - today, we return to that house. Even now, over two years after his return and its construction, it’s...hardly touched. Mostly empty. Spartan to the utmost degree.

But someone seems keen on changing that.

Hinata tries not to bring too many things with her - at least, not at first. She may be Sasuke’s new wife, but...this is Sasuke’s house, in his clan’s compound. The possibility of coming off as intrusive hasn’t escaped her. So, to start, she keeps it...small.

But as time goes on, things just start...appearing. A photo frame here. A few new books there. Pillows on a couch, fresh towels in the kitchen, a rug outside the front door.

Slowly, the house begins to evolve into a home with her small, unobtrusive touches.

Sasuke notices - he can’t not notice. He’s spent far too many years watching his environments like a hawk in search of threats or useful elements. Every time something changes, he familiarizes himself.

And he never points them out.

He doesn’t want her thinking he’s unhappy with them. In truth...he’s more than happy about them. While he’s still adjusting, it’s nice, this...notion of having a place to have things again. His apartment hadn’t been home, just a place to stay. But this? This is home. This is where he belongs, and will stay, so long as he’s able.

So long as his family does.

Seeing it slowly given life and character fills him with a soft, quiet joy he doesn’t voice, but he’s sure she notices. Slowly, he relaxes. For a time, the house was just...a place to be. He never really let himself unwind in it. But now, he steps in...and it’s like a breath of fresh air.

If only because more and more of it reminds him of her.

One particular batch of items, however, catches his attention...and later earns a note.

“These are pretty.”

Unpacking a few more from a box she’s been waiting on, Hinata glances up, seeing him stare at a frame. “They’re probably my favorite things, honestly.”

“Then why wait so long to put them up? It’s been a year now.”

“Well…” She looks a little sheepish. “I...have quite a few of them. I didn’t want to just...overload them.”

“”You collect them?”

“Yes, they’re a collection of mine. I’ve bought a few, but most are ones I’ve made myself. I tend to pick them up if I had a notable mission someplace else. Like...a reminder, and a souvenir? Is that weird?”

“Nah.” Sasuke looks back to the pressed flower between two sheets of peerless glass. He knows almost nothing of plants beyond edible ones for survival training, and a spare few for medicine in a pinch. The rest are all unknown to him. But to Hinata, it’s clear they mean something. “...you make these?”

“Mhm! Pressing flowers has been a hobby of mine since I was pretty little. Flowers...were very important to my mother. She loved them, and was even named for them: Hanako. They...helped me feel connected to her somehow. I had a few of the ones she made, but...well, they were all broken and destroyed when Pein attacked. So, these are all ones I’ve made or bought since then.”

It’s quite the impressive hoard, if he has to admit it. Most are small and unobtrusive: just single blooms, maybe with a few leafy accents. But a few are large displays of multiple blossoms and greenery, beautifully framed and looking just as pristine as living blooms...if not lacking a dimension pressed beneath the glass.

“I don’t have anything from my first house, either,” he admits nonchalantly. “Didn’t see the point in taking anything, and...anything that was still here was ruined at the same time.”

Pausing again, Hinata looks to him thoughtfully, but he keeps his gaze on the glass. “...well...I guess we all get some kind of new beginnings, ne?”

“Yeah...I’m not one much for things. I prefer putting time and effort into people. A few people,” he adds. “...but this stuff makes you happy, so...it makes me happy, too. It feels more...alive in here since you came. More lived in. More...like a home.”

Deciding to take a break from her decorating, Hinata smiles warmly, abandoning her box and embracing him from behind. A cheek rests against his shoulder blade. “I’m glad...this is definitely home, now.”

“Don’t miss being in your own clan’s compound?”

“It’s not like I can’t visit. And...well, things are a bit more...strict there,” Hinata admits, moving to stand beside him. She doesn’t fight the arm he puts around her waist, instead leaning against him. “I love my family, and my clan. But they’re a little...exhausting in some ways. Things just seem more...relaxed here. It’s a nice change of pace.”

“Trust me, the Uchiha were plenty formal in their own way back in the day,” Sasuke assures her. “But with just the three of us - especially since Shisui’s among us - there’s not as much...need for it. Itachi’s still his polite and careful self. But he’s let loose a lot. He’s still adjusting, but...this is good for him. All of it. Especially the kids…”

Hinata smiles softly. “Yes...I see the way he looks at them. And her. It’s like a blind man seeing for the first time...full of awe, and love.” Tentatively, she asks, “...do you think you’ll...ever have a chance to do that?”

He looks back, expression a bit startled. “...maybe someday. I…” Mismatched eyes avert. “...I...need to work on myself, first.”

“There’s no rush, Sasuke. We have all the time in the world. And it’s nothing we have to do. I was just curious.”

In response, he just subtly tightens his grip.

“...so, want to help me hang the rest of these?”

“I’m no good at decorating - I dunno where to put things.”

“Well, you can put in the nails, and I’ll decide where. Deal?”

“...deal.”

A wee bit of slightly-angst-tinged fluff! With how much he's had to compartmentalize since losing his clan, Sasuke just...can't bring himself to see a point in most possessions. Sure, some have sentimental value, but...any he had like that were lost long ago. But he likes seeing how much Hinata cares about her treasures. It might not change his own habits, but at least he can appreciate them again. I love just...little scenes like this of them meshing and sharing little stories or moments. As much as I like other subgenres - angst, for example, ahaha - it's just so peaceful writing these lil snippets of them being happy and normal and in love. Until I ruin it again xD Anywho, that's it for today! Got a busy day ahead of me tomorrow, so...no idea when I'll get that drabble done, but! It will be done eventually! But for now, thanks for reading!

#sasuhina #uchiha sasuke #hyūga hinata #a light amongst shadows [ canon verse ]#365daysofsasuhina

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oswaldsirius · 6 years ago

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Promises

Summary: It’s always been just another day for her, but this year Sirius is determined to make it a birthday Celeste will remember.

Pairing: Sirius Oswald/Celeste Morreaux

Word Count: 3612

Ao3 Link

Warning: Chapter 24/25 spoilers for Sirius’ route. I know the 30 days have passed but I’m still putting it on here just in case some people have missed some days.

A/N: Purely self indulgent and simply because today is Celeste’s birthday and I had to write something for my sweet girl.

Blinking at the Civic Center, Celeste stared for a moment before turning to Sirius. He was smiling at her and that should have been all the answer she needed. “What did you do?” she still asked.

“It’s not a surprise if I tell you.”

He’d said that every time she’d asked since she had woken up this morning. He’d gone above and beyond to surprise her as many times as he could. “Sirius.”

He simply smiled at her.

This was becoming too much. This entire day was too much. He was too much.

“It’s your birthday, Cherry. Let me spoil you.”

Another common saying today. He seemed to take it as a personal challenge to outdo himself. It had started with the outfit she was wearing, something he’d picked out down to the stockings. Which still made her flush to think of him choosing every single stitch of clothing she had on. Then the little snowflake hair pins had come, him sliding them into her chignon after she’d shown him the outfit. There had been little gifts sprinkled through the day that he sprung on her when she was least expecting them.

Even breakfast with the rest of the army had been a treat, all her favourites piled high on the table. More presents had followed once her plate had been cleared. Individual ones from her friends and then something from the army as a whole. She was wearing the coat they’d given her, the beret and scarf to match helping her keep warm as they’d wandered through Cradle.

A gloved finger covered her mouth when she tried to protest. “I left you alone for your last one,” he said softly. “I’m trying to make up for it.”

Celeste melted a little. It had taken a lot of coaxing on his part to get her to admit when her birthday was and more had come out than she intended. The fear, the loneliness, the heartache. It hadn’t only been those months they’d been apart; everything had spilled from her. Her mother, her father or lack thereof, the years spent yearning for more. He hadn’t said anything as she talked, silently wiping her tears away and holding her when her voice had given out.

Once she’d grown quiet and her tears had run their course, he’d stroked her hair and promised she would never spend another one alone. She’d believed him, but she hadn’t expected this.

Looking back on it, she should have. He spoiled her on any given day; why wouldn’t he go all out on her birthday?

“Shall we go in?” she asked.

“We’ve still got time.”

She blinked as he caught her hand and pulled her back to him. “But I thought….”

“I’ve barely had any time with you today,” Sirius said, smiling at her.

“Whose fault is that?” she teased, leaning into him.

He chuckled. “Everyone wanted to see you,” he murmured. “It’s your first birthday in Cradle so I understood and agreed to share. This year.”

Her toes curled at the implications in those two words. It didn’t help she could see the possessive light in his eyes. She had a good idea of what to expect for her next birthday. “Do we have to go in?”

Stealing a kiss from her, he said, “Those brats will never let me hear the end of it if we don’t.”

She almost didn’t care. They’d spent the morning with the Black Army then had lunch with his family. That had run late and he’d taken her on a sleigh ride through the Spades Quarter. A short break and a quick walk through the forest had been enough time for Loki and Harr to wish her a happy birthday. And give her a surprise present, a small memory box that Harr had made himself according to Loki. After that, they’d finished their sleigh ride on the edge of Central. They’d shared tea and snacks while she’d admired her present.

“Did you tell him bluebells were my favourite?”

“Would I do that?”

The whole of the box had flowers carved into it, but the top only had bluebells and lily of the valley. It wasn’t only something for her; it was them both and she knew Sirius had talked to Harr about it. He had to because…. Her breath caught again as she thought about the single iris on the inside of the lid.

“Hey,” Sirius said softly, “are you alright?”

She took a deep breath, nodding. “It’s just a lot,” she admitted. “It’s always been a quiet day. Honestly most years it was just another day.”

He made a noise but nothing more.

How did she explain this? He already knew how she’d felt before he’d come into her life. “It was always just me,” Celeste said. “Mama was working so much and Mrs. L was the landlady. They did what they could, but I was usually alone. But this year? There’s you, the army, your family. Harr and Loki. You. Sirius, this was what I always wanted and never thought I’d get. It almost doesn’t feel real.”

He still didn’t say anything. Instead, he leaned down to kiss her. It was soft, sweet, and loving. She swayed toward him as his lips moved gently against hers and stared when he pulled away. “Did that feel real?”

“Yes,” she breathed, her hand pressing to his chest. He still had the other clasped in his and she could feel him thumbing at the dearest ring. “I know it’s real.”

Sirius smiled at her. “Good.”

“Thank you,” she said, squeezing his hand. “For everything.”

“The day isn’t over yet, Cherry.”

She laughed. “Sirius! How much do you have planned?”

“Only a few more things,” he admitted. “I wanted this to be a day you’d remember. I didn’t want it to be just another day. It’s your birthday and that’s special.”

How did he make her love him more than she already did? It didn’t make any sense to her. Closing her eyes, she leaned into him and let her head rest against his chest. His arm wound around her and she cuddled closer. “We could have done nothing,” she said, “and it still would have been special because it was with you.”

Sirius sighed deeply and kissed the top of her head. “Cherry.”

It was the truth. He made every day special for her in little ways that were so uniquely him she would never forget them. “I love you.”

His hand tightened on hers. “I love you, too.”

The words warmed her more than anything else ever could. Leaning back, she stood up on her toes to meet him as he moved to kiss her again. “If we’re going inside,” she breathed, “we should go now or I’m voting to ditch my own party.”

Sirius laughed, rubbing his nose against hers. “We need to at least make an appearance.”

“Mm, one appearance.”

He kept laughing and led her toward the stairs.

She enjoyed the sound, but a thread of unease wound through her. She’d gotten much better, but how many people were beyond those doors, waiting for them? Even if they were all there for her, she couldn’t stop the way her stomach sank a little.

He gave her a smile and squeezed her hand gently as they reached the doors. “Ready?” he asked gently.

She licked her lips and nodded. One appearance, that’s all she had to do. It was just a party. They’d gone to them before and-

“Happy birthday!”

Celeste froze at the cry that washed over her as Sirius opened the door. She’d expected it, knew that one of the reasons Sirius had kept them outside the Civic Center was to give her time to get ready for what was coming. But she was still caught off guard by how loud it was, how many voices had said it.

The room was full of people and she her nerves flared before she realised she recognized the faces. Black Army. Red Army. The friends she had made in Central. Sirius’ family. Everyone in this room was someone she knew. Someone she had spent time with.

“Still alright?” Sirius murmured from behind her.

She took a breath. He had planned this for her, all these people were here to celebrate with her. “Still alright,” she whispered, smiling as she felt his warm hand on her back.

Stepping further into the room, she heard him close the door but the sound was lost as a small group rushed forward. “Guys!” she laughed. “I saw you this morning!”

Fenrir gave her a grin. “That was this mornin’! The old man’s had you all day! It’s our turn to party with ya!”

“He’s been hogging you all day!” Seth agreed, helping her get out of her coat and tossing it toward Sirius. “When he knew we were all looking forward to spending time with you.”

She laughed, feeling more relaxed already. “He is my boyfriend,” she said mildly.

An odd look passed between them, but it faded before she could question it. “Yes, just your boyfriend. That doesn’t mean he gets to always have you, especially today! Look at how many people are here to celebrate and he was keeping you out in the cold!”

Celeste squeaked as her hands were grabbed and she was hauled into the crowd. She heard Sirius sigh from behind her before she was surrounded by more people.

Thankfully, Seth didn’t let go of her, staying with her as people came up to wish her a happy birthday. It immediately became a blur. She didn’t know when the glass of champagne got put into her hand or when she had time to drink it. Someone told her to try the cake and she suddenly had a plate of it. Then a plate of goodies when that was empty. An endless stream of hugs and kisses to her cheeks when her hands were free.

A brief pause in the steady line of people wanting to talk to her gave her a moment to breathe and her gaze immediately moved away from those around her. Where was he? He couldn’t be that far away. He wouldn’t be in the thick of things, but he wouldn’t be so far that he couldn’t rescue her if she needed it.

Spotting Sirius at the edge of the crowd with Lancelot, Celeste made up her mind. She appreciated everyone being here, but she wanted to be with him again. Getting to him was harder than she liked, every second person stopping her to chat about something; complimenting her dress, wishing her well, asking her questions. She felt exhausted when she finally got free of them and approached the pair.

Sirius laughed as she staggered into him, winding an arm around her waist. “Too much?” he murmured, kissing the top of her head.

She made a noise, taking comfort in his presence. She knew that everyone was here to celebrate her birthday, but there were still so many of them. It was almost more than she could handle.

“You shouldn’t have invited so many people if it was going to upset her.”

“She’s not upset. She’s tired. And who was I supposed to leave out? First on that list would have been the Red Army.”

Lancelot made a quiet noise, like he was laughing under his breath. “Then we would have had to hold our own party for her and if you were lucky, we’d let you come.”

Two parties? She could barely handle one!

A warm hand rubbed over her back. “How about we take a break?” Sirius offered.

Celeste gave him a relieved smile. She would love a breath of fresh air right now. “Oh, but,” she said, looking at Lancelot.

“Go,” he said, gesturing toward the back of the hall. “You might not get another chance like this.”

She gave him a puzzled frown. What did that even mean? She didn’t think he was talking to her but Sirius hadn’t responded to him.

Before she could ask, Sirius took her hand and gently pulled her away from the hall. They quietly walked up the stairs to the Garden, leaving the sounds of the party behind them. Before she even had time to shiver, Sirius was shrugging out of his coat and wrapping it around her as they stepped into the Garden. “Thank you,” she murmured.

He smiled and led her further from the door. The plants were all sleeping under the layer of snow that had fallen overnight, their footprints the only ones marring the white. They walked past the covered meeting table, deeper still.

“Really?” she asked as he finally stopped. The spot where the path to the Land of Reason was only a few feet away, closed since the full moon wasn’t for another week, but still so close.

“Really,” Sirius said quietly, pulling her into his arms.

Leaning her cheek against his chest, she closed her eyes to listen to his heartbeat. The steady pace always soothed her. A small frown marred her face as she realised it was much faster than normal. Was it because of where they were? If it was going to make him nervous or upset, why were they here? “Why?”

“This is where I first saw you,” he said softly. “Right after you fell into Cradle.”

She remembered. She had been so confused and scared, she’d barely registered the conversation she’d had with him and Ray before she’d chased after Blanc. “It was so long ago,” she mused.

“Not that long. Sometimes it does feel like you’ve always been a part of my life, but it really wasn’t that long ago.”

Celeste leaned back to look at him. There was something odd in his voice. “Sirius, what’s going on?” she sighed.

He rubbed her back before letting her go to take her hands in his. He stared down at them, absently running his thumbs over her palms. When he spun her ring and stayed quiet, she decided to push.

“You’ve been playing with it all day,” she said, shifting to catch his gaze. “Every time you’ve held my hand, you touch it, spin it, play with it. Do you want me to take it off?”

“No,” he said immediately. “No, it’s not that. I’ve just been thinking about it.”

She frowned. Thinking about it how? She’d been the one nervous to put it on all those months ago and he’d insisted, sliding it onto her finger himself. It had rarely come off since that moment. But before she could say anything, he took a deep breath.

“That’s a lie,” Sirius said, his gaze holding hers. “I do want you to take it off, but only so you can put this one on instead.”

“I don’t-” Her voice died in her throat when he sank down on one knee in front of her. “Sirius?” she squeaked.

He gave her a half-smile and she could see the faint blush colouring his cheeks now as he let go of one hand to reach into his pocket. “I promised you wouldn’t be alone on this day, Celeste,” he said, “and I meant it. Not on this day or any other. I won’t let you be alone again…if you’ll let me. I want to spend every day with you. I want us to live our lives together for every single day we have.”

She bit her lower lip, tears filling her eyes to the point she could barely see him or the box he was holding out to her. Was this really happening? She knew he’d told her he would propose to her properly one day but she hadn’t expected it so soon!

“I want you to wear this one,” he breathed, flipping open the box. “I want you to wear this for the rest of your life, to wear my name. I want…Celeste Morreaux, I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”

She could barely breathe and he wanted her to say something? Rubbing at her eyes, even more tears filled them as she got a better look at his face. His love for her was written plainly in his expression, his gaze full of it as he patiently waited for her answer. Sniffling, she squeezed his hand and nodded when her voice wouldn’t work.

“Cherry,” he murmured, “say the word.”

Huffing, she rubbed at her eyes again. It wasn’t that easy! She wanted to say it! Of course she did. He was smiling at her now and had to know how much she was struggling to say it. “Yes,” she pushed out, her voice trembling. “Sirius, yes!” It was easier to say the second time.

His smile eased into a grin and he slid the dearest ring off her finger. “Say it again,” he breathed.

She was shaking as he slipped the new ring into its place, the band cold against her skin and she barely spared it a glance. She didn’t want to look away from him. “Yes!” she said happily.

He rose to his feet, wrapping his arms around her as he did and lifting her off hers. “I love you,” he murmured.

Helpless laughter bubbled out of her at the simple words and she kissed him. “I love you, too,” she laughed, kissing him again and again.

Sirius hummed and kissed her fully. He was insistent and needy, demanding everything she had to give him. And she gladly gave it and more. Her fingers sank into his hair, clinging to him as the tears started falling again. “I made you cry the last time we came here,” he whispered.

“Sirius,” she said, shaking her head. “Please. We both know why you did it.”

He sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. “I know. Which is why I wanted to give you a better memory here.”

She already had one; their first kiss. But if he wanted something beyond the time he’d sent her back to London, when he’d brought her home was better. This, however? This was perfect.

“I love you, Cherry,” he said again, his voice low. “I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you.”

She knew that. “And I’ll do the same,” she promised. “I’ll never leave you alone, Sirius.”

His grip on her tightened before he gently set her down on her feet. Lifting her hand, he didn’t look away from her as he kissed the finger her new ring was sitting on. “You are my happiness, Celeste.”

“You’re going to make me cry again!”

Sirius wiped her tears away, smiling at her. “Cry all you want. I’ll be right here to wipe all your tears away.”

He was too much. “Have you been waiting all day to do this?”

He shrugged. “It was the plan.”

To make her a blubbering mess when they had to go back down to the party? Her eyes widened and she almost jerked back from him. “Oh! I-”

“You look fine,” he interrupted.

Celeste gave him a look and lightly smacked his chest. “You always say that.”

“Because it’s always true.”

Damn him. She took a deep breath to attempt to find some calm. But her breath caught as she finally took a good look at her ring. “Oh, Sirius.”

“Do you like it?”

“It’s just like we talked about,” she whispered, remembering the sleepy conversation they’d had after that whole fiasco with the book. She should have known what he was doing when he’d asked her what kind of ring she would like. She’d just thought it was in response to the spell. When was she going to learn it was never that simple with him?

“And?”

“I love it.” What had she said? Something clean and simple, something she wouldn’t have to take off if she was working around headquarters. A single, clear diamond glittered in a gold band on her finger and it was utterly perfect. “But I want the other one back.”

Sirius laughed. “You can’t wear both of them, Cherry.”

“It’s mine.”

“I know,” he murmured, “and I’ll give it back soon.”

He had better. That ring had more meaning than just being a promise between them. It was a family heirloom and she refused to give it up.

“Look at you,” he laughed. “You’re ready to fight me over a ring.”

Celeste huffed softly. “It’s important,” she insisted. “It made me feel like part of your family when your grandmother gave it to me.”

“You were family before that, Cherry.”

He said that, but that had been the moment that she had truly felt it. His family had been nothing but accepting and she knew that they had probably thought it long before her, but….

“We can get it resized,” he said softly. “Then you can wear it on another finger.”

“Good.”

“Good,” he agreed. He lightly tapped her chin and leaned down to steal another kiss. “Do you want to go back downstairs?”

Honestly? She wanted to leave the party and be alone with him. The sudden smile that curled his mouth told her she hadn’t managed to keep that thought off her face. “Yes.”

Sirius caught her before she could walk past him, tugging her toward him. “I’ll tell you what your last present is,” he murmured, brushing his fingers over her cheek.

“No more surprises?”

“I want you to have something to look forward to.”

She tensed a little as he leaned down, kissing just below her ear. “Sirius?”

“We have a room at an inn nearby,” he murmured, his low voice rippling over her and making her heart pound. “Stay at the party for a little longer and I’ll take you there.”

#ikemen revolution #ikerev #sirius oswald #sirius/oc #ikerev fanfiction #celeste morreaux #my writing #sirius route spoilers #happy birthday my sweet girl #and let the people that love you spoil you god dammit

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bugheadfamily · 6 years ago

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Bughead Family Discord Member Spotlight

This week the spotlight is on Mari ( @writeraquamarinara )! Click the read more link below to get to know our member!

Spotlight by Mila, @jughead-jones | Graphic by Katie, @betty-cooper

Mari | @writeraquamarinara

Name: Mari

Age: 18

Location: Montreal, QC.

Any other languages aside from English people can contact you in?: Italian.

Favourite Riverdale characters and ships?: Betty, Jughead, Pop, Fred, Mary, Kevin, Joaquin, Bughead, Joavin, and Choni.

Favourite moments from S1 & S2?: The scene that got me hooked to the show was when Reggie questioned Jughead about killing Jason, and he replied with a snarky little “It’s called necrophilia, Reggie. Can you spell it?” Other favorite moments are pretty much any Bughead scene from S1, but especially their first kiss. I had been shipping them together since the Blue and Gold scene in 1x03, but 1x06 really hit me hard. They’re both two broken kids who find solace in each other. As someone whose mother is all too similar to Alice Cooper, hearing Jughead tell Betty that they aren’t their parents made me so emotional. I rewatched that scene on repeat when the clip came out on Youtube the next day. To this day I can’t listen to Emily Afton’s Lost without crying. I also really love the hug from 1x13 after Betty, Veronica, and Archie go to Southside High for Juggie. S2 favorite moments are also only Bughead scenes, but not all Bughead scenes, if you catch my drift.

What are your hopes for S3?: Are a coherent plotline and consistent characterization too much to ask for? Also maybe have the parents on the show (other than Archie’s) actually respect their children and treat them well, but that’s never going to happen. On a more realistic note, I’m hoping to watch some fun interactions between Josie and Kevin now that they’re going to be step-siblings.

Other fandoms you’re into?: I don’t really have an online presence in other fandoms, but I do love to geek out over Percy Jackson, That 70s Show (specifically JackiexHyde), The Office, Parks and Rec, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and nearly all of the Marvel movies.

What are some of your favourite movies/TV?: As I mentioned: That 70s Show, The Office, Parks and Rec, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and Marvel. I’m currently bingeing The Good Place and The Mindy Project. I also went to watch Crazy Rich Asians in theaters and loved it. So basically I’m trash for rom and com. Sue me. (Or don’t. I’m a broke college student who can’t afford that ish.)

Favourite books?: The Book Thief, The Color Purple, Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women, Pride and Prejudice, and, most of all, The Glass Castle.

Favourite bands/musicians?: Nina Simone, Alicia Keys, ABBA, Of Monsters and Men, Christina Perri, and Imagine Dragons.

If you could live in any fictional world which one would you choose and why?: I thought a lot about this question. The obvious answer would be “one with magic, or mermaids, or superheroes”. But then I thought that I’d rather live in a world like ours, more realistic, but where women are equal to men, diversity is celebrated, people accept each other for who they are. That’s a very idealistic world, I realize, and (if my preteen love of dystopian novels has taught me anything) one that’s most definitely unattainable, but it’s still nice to think about it. If anyone knows of a fictional world like that, sign me up.

Favourite food?: Gosh, that’s a hard one. Probably my grandma’s lasagna.

Favourite season?: Fall, definitely. It’s my birthday season, and I love the colorful leaves and breezy weather and going apple-picking with my family and friends. Unfortunately, Canada’s fall doesn’t last much more than a day, so I missed out on all that this year.

Favourite plant?: Nelumbo nucifera, aka the Lotus Flower.

Favourite scent?: Aftershave? Weird, I know, but it reminds me of my childhood and my father.

Favourite colour?: Periwinkle.

Favourite animal?: Hummingbird.

Are you a night owl, an early bird, or a vampire?: Night owl, definitely.

Place you want to visit?: The Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan in Iran, and Ryoanji in Japan.

Do you have pets? If you do, tell us a little about them: I don’t have any pets that live with me currently, but I’ve got a pet back home with my parents. She’s a rescued pup from Mississippi, probably some kind of mix between a Pointer and a Labrador Retriever. Her name’s Sassy and she’s super energetic. If you had asked me this question a week ago I would’ve also said I had a cat named Puma but he was twelve and had cancer, so…yeah.

Tell us a little about yourself?: Um, I never really know what to say to that question. Like, what do you really want to know? I’m Mari (the name comes from my AO3/tumblr username, and not my real name). I was born in New Jersey, grew up in New York and Italy, now go to university in Montreal. I’m super passionate about art history, women’s rights, and politics. I hope to be a dermatologist, but honestly, who knows where life will take me. I’m the oldest of four and the first in my family to go through the American school system, so my parents have always referred to me as their “guinea pig”, and that totally hasn’t given me a weird obsession with being the perfect child, perfect student, perfect daughter. For some very obvious reasons, I relate way too much to Betty Cooper.

Fun or weird fact about you?: I fenced competitively for eight years of my life, traveling all around the US and to Europe for training and national competitions, including the Junior Olympics.

Asks for fanfic authors:

How long have you been writing?: I’ve been writing since I was little, but they were always stories with original characters. I didn’t start writing fic until I was sixteen, nearly seventeen, so it’s been a little over a year.

Which is your favourite of the fics you’ve written?: Geez, that’s a tough one. As much as I love my little one shots, I’d have to say Little Talks. It’s largely based on my own high school experience, and therefore my own way of coming to terms with the end of that chapter of my life.

Favourite fic/chapter/plot-point/character you’ve ever written?: Oof. Another tough one. Um, I’d have to say that I really love my characterization of Alice in Blue Sunshine and Golden Rain. She’s a villainess, but hopefully one you love to hate.

Which was the hardest to write, and why?: Again, Blue Sunshine and Golden Rain. I have a bit of a plot twist planned for the story, but I’m really not sure what kind of reception it’s going to get from readers, so I’ve had the chapter half-finished for months. I just need to get the motivation to finish it, and the courage to say “I don’t care if people hate this, or think it’s weird.” I’ll get there eventually.

How do you come up with the ideas for you fic(s)? (examples: Do you draw inspiration from real life? Listen to music? Get inspired by TV/movies?) Do you have an process to your writing?: I’ve answered this in a tumblr ask before, but I get inspiration from anywhere and everywhere. Mainly from real life, because I like to observe and speculate and ask a bunch of “what if”s and go from there. So, like I mentioned, Little Talks is largely based on my life. But there are definitely some plot points in the story that are a result of me going “well, what if I had done this? Or he had done that?” Another example of a real life-inspired fic is my oneshot I <3 You, which was inspired by that instastory (Cole or Lili’s? I can’t remember) of a cake with bright orange frosting that spelled out I <3 You. I also take inspiration from other creative works, such as books or movies. One of my many upcoming fics is based on How To Train Your Dragon, and another is a crackfic based on the Suite Life. Other times, fic ideas come to me out of nowhere. I was in the lab last summer, waiting for my breast cancer tumor slides to go through antigen retrieval, when I came up with the idea for Blue Sunshine and Golden Rain. My brain works in very strange ways.

Idea that you always wanted to write?: I’ve always wanted to write a lot of fics (I have a whole list of them), but they’re in the works so I won’t spoil any more than I already have. The main fic that I don’t even have an idea for but just want to write is a heartbreakingly angsty fic. One that makes me cry while I write it. Here’s hoping it comes to me soon, because I feel like that could be a really interesting experience as a writer.

Favourite character to write?: Alice. Which is strange, because I don’t like her in the show, but there are so many different directions you could take her character that she’s always so interesting to me.

Best comment/review you’ve ever received?: Oh, well, all of them? Is that an answer? Because all comments and reviews make me super happy. But if I had to choose one then I’d say any comment from @earthlaughsinflowers, @mothermaple, @dottie-wan-kenobi, or @notanotherotherone. I kind of cheated by not picking one, exactly, but oh well.

Best and worst parts of being a writer?: The best part of being a writer is putting a story that you put a lot of your soul into and getting support and love for it. Because I only put stories out there that I’m happy to write, happy to read, but to see that they make other people happy, too? That’s an amazing feeling. The worst part is the amount of time it takes to do absolutely anything, especially when you’re not in the right headspace to write. When I’ve had the worst week ever, and I have to physically push myself to spend time that should be spent resting to write because an update needs to come out soon, it goes from being a fun hobby to being a stress-inducing chore.

Do you have any advice to offer?: I haven’t been a fic writer for a long time, so I wouldn’t say that I’m going to offer up the wisest advice, but here’s what I’ve garnered so far: Do what makes you happy. That goes for all of life, not just writing, and is often hard to follow, but here’s how I see it: If you want to write a story because it makes you happy, write it. If you want to quit your WIP to start something else because that makes you happy, do it. If you need to take a break from writing altogether because it’ll make you happier, take it. Write what you want to write, at the pace you want to write it, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

This is the twelfth instalment of Bughead Family’s Member Spotlight series. Each week, a member’s url is selected through a randomizer and they will be featured in a spotlight post. In order to participate, please join the Bughead Discord (more information found here). Thank you.

#bughead #riverdale #bughead fanfiction #member spotlight #bughead family discord

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topazshadowwolf · 7 years ago

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The Door (Chapter 13)

An Undertale Fanfiction by: Topaz Shadowwolf Undertale is owned by: Toby Fox Setting: Post neutral run when Papyrus dies with chapter intros being before the child fell. Relationships: Sans and Toriel is the main focus, with a little bit of Undyne and Alphys Rating: I’m thinking Teen? Heads up: There is some depressed thoughts, feelings of worthlessness/wanting to die, mention of major character death, and the occasional bad word. Oh, and flowey being flowey, so you know, psychological/physical trauma. I really don’t want to say much more since I really don’t want to spoil anything further down the road…

You can read it on AO3! Here is Ch 12 Ch 11 Ch 10 Ch 9 Ch 8 Ch 7 Ch 6 Ch 5 Ch 4 Ch 3, Ch 2, and Ch 1on Tumbler.

Random thoughts from the writer about this chapter: The Door has a beta reader now! (YEAH!) So that's fun. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this.

Chapter 13: A preamble down memory lane

“Honestly, I don’t think I have ever seen a froggit that small before,” Toriel said, smiling as she recounted her story. “Most monsters in the Ruins avoid me, I suppose I never really had the chance to see it until then.”

“why’d they do that? you’ve got to be the best conversationalist there,” her friend inquired before he added with a chuckle, “no offense to your moldsmal neighbors.”

Toriel hummed to buy time to think, as well as avoid an awkward silence. She hadn’t told her friend much about herself. This is only the third time they had chatted after sharing jokes, and mostly it had been small anecdotal stories for him to share with his brother. How much did she want him to know about her? “Ah, well, you see… I didn’t make that good of an impression on the monsters living here when I moved in.”

“okay,” he said. He could have pressed for more, but she was happy he didn’t. Perhaps he sensed she didn’t feel like discussing the matter. But then, he seems rather private himself, and maybe he just didn’t want to intrude on her privacy.

“Now… where was I?” with that out of the way, she tapped her chin as she put herself back into story mode.

“smallest froggit,” her friend offered.

“Right, so there it was. Just this small green froggit, hopping along after the others, and I just couldn’t help myself but smile. I don’t think it was young; just small and cute,” She smiled.

“heh,” was the response, and it was not one of his humor-filled chuckles. She wasn’t sure, but she worried something she said upset him.

“Friend?”

“yeah?”

She steeled herself. He has yet to say a word about himself. Out of respect, she has not asked. After all, they were just strangers talking through a door. But, she really was worried that he was angry about something she said. Strangers or not, she had started considering him her friend. It bothered her that he went from happy and jovial to… well, she wasn’t sure. “Did I offend you?”

“what?” he sounded shocked, maybe she was overreacting? Afraid she jumped to a conclusion over a simple response, she bit her lip. This wasn’t the first time she just got an idea in her head and made an assumption. Maybe he just didn’t find her story that interesting, and now here she was making a big deal out of a simple chuckle.

“I’m sorry, I just… you didn’t sound happy,” She decided to just be honest about it.

“oh, uh… heh…,” now he was stalling. Was he upset?

Silence fell between them, and she worried she may have just bothered him more, “Dishes?”

“uh... you see…,” again silence. She figured that perhaps she should just give him a moment to think about how he wanted to respond. So, this time she waited, and her wait was rewarded, “i… i’m kind of… ‘space efficient,’ ‘vertically challenged,’ or ‘compact sized’ myself. And when i was younger i heard it a lot… anyway, after a while,being called cute for being small so many times, it kind of… gets tiring. so, i guess i sympathize with that little froggit, forever doomed to be the “cute” one of the group for being ‘height deficient.’” He tried to end it in a humorous tone, but she can tell he was hurting from the ‘small and cute’ comment.

She made a mental note, if she ever met him in person, to avoid using the word cute to describe him physically. “I’m sorry, my friend,” she wished he could see her apologetic smile.

“no worries,” she heard him shift a little, possibly to shrug. “it’s nothing really.”

“No, it upsets you,” she insisted.

“it’s a common thing though. i can’t ask you to just stop.”

“My friend, I do not wish to be pushy on this matter; but, if it bothers you in the slightest, I’d rather not do it again. Yes, it is common, but I understand that it is an annoyance to you,” Toriel stated and heard him chuckle on the other side.

“alright, thanks,” he sounded happy again.

“You are welcome, my ‘travel sized’ friend,” she hoped he didn’t mind that slight bit of teasing.

His laughter that followed hinted he didn’t, “don’t think i’ve heard that one before.”

Sans woke, curled up in bed with Tori at his back. Not wanting to get up just yet, he remained still, lightly dozing. It was nice to wake peacefully like this, compared to the restless sleep from before. It was all thanks to the wonderful woman pressed against his back too, or so he chose to believe.

Tori’s rhythmic breathing had relaxed and grounded his mind. It allowed him to stay focused on the subtle movements her body made and kept his thoughts from venturing into the conversation from yesterday. Or worse, the darker areas of his mind, which is plagued with overall confusion about what really has happened in his life or lives.

Do other timelines count as another life? Are the Sans, or Sanses, from those timelines him, or an alternate him? If they were alternate hims, does that mean he was killed by the flower or did it kill the other, not really hims?

There was a slight pause in Tori’s breathing before she sighed. Feeling and hearing her chest fill with air dragged him back to the present and he soaked in the feel of her movement as she exhaled.

Thanks to her, he didn’t have to think about that, or anything else. He didn’t want to think of the kid or the flower. He didn’t want to think about his own death or what could have possibly happened had everything ended. No, he was done with that. Every part of him just wanted to be surrounded with the here and now, into Toriel.

… The book…

No, he didn’t even want to think about that right now, either.

Sans rolled over in Tori’s arms. He felt her shift, but not wake. Pleased with this, he buried his face in her fur. Like some sort of pie scented drug, he took in Tori’s scent, letting the thoughts of the events prior to this moment fade away. He wasn’t going to cry…

Nope, he wasn’t…

…

Okay, so he was, but that’s alright. That book meant so much to the brothers; so, of course, it would affect him this much. It meant he still cared that he’d feel his soul ache at its sight. And that’s a good thing, ...right?

Yes, it was, Papyrus was his dear little brother, and very important to him. The day he stopped caring about Papyrus is the day he hoped he stopped existing.

All this decided, he accepted his fate and stopped trying to hold back his tears. Toriel shifted again and pulled him in closer, somehow finding some previously unknown millimeter that separated them. That loving, large, paw-like hand began to pet the back of his skull in such a gentle manner. She didn’t offer any questions about why he was crying, or if he was okay. Perhaps she somehow understood. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched, considering all their talks… she did see the book in his hands after all. Instead, she started to hum some song.

At some point, he must have drifted off to sleep as he found himself waking up again, this time alone. Not fully, he could hear Tori moving around the room. Still, the bed didn’t feel right without her there. Fog from a waking mind clouded his thoughts, but he sat up slowly, stretched, and yawned. Tori looked over at him from the table in the room and smiled, “Good to see you’re finally up, Sleepy Bones,” He could see the concern on her face, and wondered what troubled her. “Feeling any better?”

She had to know how difficult the other day was for him, on top of everything else. That must be the source of her worry.

“yeah, heh. how long was i out?” He asked as he spotted food at the table. The pang of hunger radiated through his bones; he slid out of bed and wandered over to eat.

“A whole day, give or take an hour or two,” Tori said.

Sans balked at this at first. He has slept a long time before, but never that long, “you’ve goat to be kidding me, tori.”

“It’s no fibula, Sansy,” she teased as he gave her a playful glare, “In that time I talked more with Alphys, and she did bring by some things for us to wear. I had informed her that we just had what we are currently wearing.”

“huh,” Sans said quietly, unsure if that last bit was a good or bad thing. He’s going to guess bad based on some of the things Alphys had convinced him to wear in the past.

Well… he didn’t mind too much, so long as it was within the confines of her lab, and not where others could see him. He has his whole “lazy-slob-of-a-cool-comedian” act to keep up. Dressing as a “galactic hero” from some random anime, that he admittedly enjoyed, does not count. That… or being a temporary model for her to make one of her own outfits, due to their height being nearly the same. Though he highly doubted she would have given him one of those to wear. Thank the angel and all things good in the world for that. Still, knowing her, he can’t help but pause and inwardly grimace as he wondered just what it was that the yellow dinosaur had in store for him.

“Sans?” Tori asked, tilting her head at him in that manner that is so endearing that it’s hard to look at her.

With a lazy shrug, he sat at the table, “will be interesting to see what she provided.” When he glanced back at Tori, she still had a puzzled look, but he offered a grin and a wink with his right eye, which elicited a smile from her that he clearly saw with his left.

After they ate they cleaned themselves up. Tori stepped out of the bathroom to fetch the new clothes as Sans looked at himself in the mirror. He had to admit, the sleep had done him some good. He looked less tired, and the darkness around his eyes had mostly vanished. Still, there was the unending look of exhaustion that plagued him.

When Tori reappeared, he could see she was blushing under her fur. That didn’t bode well, and he couldn’t help but worry again about what Alphys brought. He steeled himself, as he tried to prepare for the worst. “Sans…,” Toriel started hesitantly, “I’ll give you some of it to put on, but… I want you to close your eyes for the last of it.”

“t, what did she bring?”

“P-please Sans, I would... actually like to see you in this,” She looked away then back at him. There was a hint of nervousness and blush was still showing from under her fur. Like that, she looked too cute to say “no” to, not that denying her anything is ever easy.

With a reluctant sigh, he relented, “alright, tori.”

He put on a pair of light grey shorts with cyan blue lines running down the sides and along the pockets. Then a white short sleeve t-shirt. So far nothing seemed out of the ordinary. In fact, Alphys was kind enough to provide him with a new pair of white fuzzy slippers, which was nice. But now he was about to figure out what this last part was.

With a deep breath, he prepared himself for the worst and closed his eye sockets. Tori put on what felt like a normal hoodie. This confused him as he was unsure why she would want him to close his eye sockets over this. She pulled up the hood and he heard her step back and make a squeaking noise as if holding back some other sound she wanted to make. That made him wince and he opened his eyes and looked in the mirror.

It was a hoodie, light gray like the pants with cyan stripes along the back and on the hood like tiger striping. It would have looked cool if it wasn’t for the two, obvious, cat ears on the hood and the cat-like tail attached to the back.

Yup, there was that now familiar feeling of embarrassment creeping in. He understood that sound Tori held back was most likely a sound reserved for women when they look at something “cute.” It was hard enough being short. People automatically turn to the word cute when describing anything smaller than ordinary. Things like this just add to it.

And now he could see his blushing matches the stupid markings on the hoodie, much as his eye would when it glows cyan. Wincing slightly, he glanced at Tori. She was covering her mouth and smiling. He sighed and closed his eyes, cleared his thoughts, then looked in the mirror again. Giving in, he pulled the hood down to block out the vision. He’ll tolerate this… for her, and only her. “what’d she bring for you?”

“Oh, wait here, I’ll go put it on,” She walked out of the room while adding, “I’m not sure how it will look on me.”

Shoving his hands in his pockets he looked back in the mirror as he waited. He wondered what Alphys was trying to play at with this. As he thought about it, in the long run, he didn’t mind wearing this for Tori if it made her happy. Shrugging slightly, he turned a bit, looked at himself, and sighed. He didn’t look bad; if you can get past the annoying cuteness of it. But there was no way in hell he was going to let Undyne see him like this. She clearly already didn’t think he had any self-respect, and this would just add to that thought. Not that she was far off. He had it, he just stopped caring about it.

“Um, okay, I’m ready…,” Tori called. Sans walked out of the bathroom, prepared to see what over the top cute thing Alphys supplied Tori with. But what he saw would have stopped his heart if he had one. Instead, it caused his soul to freeze then feel as though it was having a spasm.

She was in a very elegant white dress. It was lightly accented with silver and gold around the sleeves, neckline, and flowing bottom. Around her waist is an elegant golden chain with a watch hanging from it on her right hip. The dress perfectly showed her figure while maintaining Tori’s usual elevated level of modesty. Tori looked at him shyly. Even as a queen she never wore anything like this before, preferring plain clothes, “How do I look?”

This was a struggle. He tried to speak but no words came out. He coached himself to get it together as he heard himself rattle a little. The rattle, as annoying and childish as it was, helped calm his nerves and he smiled at her, “it looks beautiful on you, tori.”

“Do you think it’s too much?” She asked, spinning slightly. The dress had a spot for her tail to be seen. The dresses Tori wears in the ruins cover her short, fluffy tail. He liked seeing it, really; and, he was happy most of her pajamas have space for it. But, in this dress, it ended up being that last thing that caused him to start feeling unsteady. She was just that beautiful.

Well, she was always that beautiful. She just hid it under layers of loose hanging clothes, and self-conscious worries of being too old to dress this way.

Raising a hand to his mouth he took a step back. He felt his magic in his face, and the world was being filtered out by its hum. He struggled to clear his nonexistent throat to utter a quiet reply, “n-no tori.” The room was spinning, and his already empty skull was feeling lighter than normal. He cleared his throat again and looked down, “i, uh, think i’m going to sit because i’m about to fall for you.”

“Sans, are you alright?” She asked as she hurried over and knelt beside him. He felt her pull the hood off his head and start to touch his skull. He didn’t fight it, letting himself rattle again as he covered his face with his hands. “Oh my,” She said before he felt her lift him and place him on her lap.

“tori, why? why do you love me?” He lowered his hands and looked at her, “you deserve so much better. you’re so… so… everything wonderful in this world. so, why would you ever want to put up with me?”

She hugged him tight to herself, “I don’t put up with you, Sans, I love you. You make me so happy.” She loosened her grip and pulled the hood back over his head and smiled, “You’re my personal Cheshire cat.”

Ah, that’s what he was supposed to be.

“ah, wonderland, that the theme alphys was going for… so i guess you’re the white queen… or rabbit… both?” Sans looked at the watch with thoughtfulness, “i read those books to pap a long time ago, so i’m a bit rusty with them. but i think she was going for both.” He then sighed and looked up at Tori again, “alright, i’ll wear this out of the room as long as you help me avoid undyne. so, uh, if i take a short cut and leave you seemingly alone with her, don’t worry, i’m just out of sight. i won't leave you. i promise.”

Tori frowned a little, “I’m sorry if I got in between you two. I’m sure you’d both be closer if I wasn’t here.”

“not really, t. the only thing that kept us from killing each other all these years was pap. our personalities just don’t mesh well. she’s all energetic, motivated, and aggressive while I’m laid back, lazy, and punny.”

They sat a moment longer, which gave Sans the time he needed to calm his magic. Once he felt stable, Sans stood and stretched his arms up to maximize stretching out his back as much as possible. This action caused a few good pops from his spine, relieving some tension.

Toriel giggled, and when Sans smiled back at her she said in an amused tone, “I’m beginning to think you’re more cat like than you know.” He looked away as she stood, and considered what she said. Okay, she had him there. Based on what he knows of cats, he did have a cat personality. She didn’t let him think long though, as she continued, “Well, Alphys was hoping you’d go through the True Lab with her. I figured you could, after we stop off in the Ruins to get our things. I asked if I could come and she said it was fine with her as long as you’re fine with it.”

Sans thought for a moment. She must have sent the amalgamates home then or she was hoping Sans would say ‘no.’ Welp, if it was the latter, she should know that he won’t say ‘no’ to Tori that easy. She must have since she did send the hoodie, “i’m feline with it. a-fur all, i did purrmise to tell you about myself; and, there is a distinct pawsability something may come up while we are there.”

Tori was laughing, and she reached out for his hand which he willingly gave, “Oh the tails you may tell.”

He just wanted to stay. Forget the rest of the underground, other than Grillby and Alphys, he really didn’t care what was going on out there. Well, maybe Undyne too, even if there were bitter feelings. Still, he tried hiding this, though he was sure Toriel could see right through him. He was, after all, just bone.

If he was inclined to place a wager, he’d bet she felt the same. The main difference is, Tori has a sense of duty. Sans, on the other hand, was not above just running away. At one time, responsibility really meant something to him, but life saw an end to that. For now, he will let Tori’s integrity guide him, and avoid pressuring her to go against her conscience. After all, that sounds like a lot of work.

Knowing what he should do, Sans ambled down to the room he had called his own prior to sharing with Tori. While he had somewhat moved in with her, the move was not complete. He suspected that was to keep his messes out of her space. Honestly, he was fine with that. It took a while to gather the few things he called his own. He was tempted to leave most of it, though, he’d be the worst pet rock owner if he left Geode behind. And there were the clothes Tori insisted on getting him. He wasn’t about to waste her money by leaving them behind. In the end, he packed up more things he ever thought he would. He chuckled to himself at the oddity of this. It was uncomfortable in a way, as he was never one for worrying about his own things.

Things can disappear...

He opted to ignore that thought and started toward the sitting room. Tori should need longer, he figured, so he would wait. Though, he should check to make sure she didn’t need help first. He paused at her room, or their room. It was still mostly Tori’s, but she insisted he started using it more. Memories of the nights they spent here did cause an ache in his soul. That feeling vanished as he saw Tori sitting on her bed, tear matted fur under her eyes.

“hey, tori?” but she didn’t reply or look at him. Instead, her gaze was focused on a book. As he got closer he saw it was a photo album, within, were a series of smiling faces. All young and most human, save for one monster, which he could see a clear resemblance. It didn’t take much thought to figure out that was her son, Asriel. Sans looked from the album and back up to her, he understood now what was wrong. This house had been where she had lived with those human children for varying degrees of time. Leaving was not going to be easy, even if it ended up being good for her.

He remembered her being subdued when she came to the kingdom to rule after Asgore’s death. Had she felt these feelings before, during that time? She went from one place filled with painful memories to another, then back again only to repeat the process yet again. Well, this time she is not alone.

Sans walked closer and climbed up on the bed next to her. Finally, he saw her head move slightly, acknowledging him being there, though she did not say anything. He just leaned against her and closed his eye sockets. He wrapped an arm around her back the best he could, just being there for her seemed like the best opinion.

Tori seemed to accept it as he felt her lean slightly into him, though he regretted he was not bigger, so she would feel able to lean on him more. They sat in silence until Tori finally felt ready to talk, “Thank you, Sans.”

“don’t mention it, tori,” he replied.

“Was it hard for you when you left home?”

“heh,” Sans sighed and shook his head, “in a way, but i really didn’t want to go home. not to an empty, quiet house that i was used to being full of a happy, loud brother.”

They sat in silence again before Tori nodded, “I understand that, I might have felt that way if I was in the same situation.”

“i heard someone say that how we all grieve is different, t. that includes when we grieve too. took a while before i properly did,” Sans sighed.

“It is continual. I’m not going to be able to wake up one morning and never shed a tear ever again for Chara, Asriel, or any of my children. But,” she closed the photo album with a shuddering sigh, “I can now move forward.”

Sans watched as she stood and placed the book in her bag to go with her. In that moment she looked so stoic and elegant. She wasn’t just physically strong, that was clear to see. When she looked up at him, with a smile, he smiled back. His grin must have been a little weird as he saw her snout wrinkle a little as she held back a giggle.

He tried to shift the focus, “so, uh, want help packing?”

“No, I think I’ve got it. Thank you for asking. But, please stay, I need the company,” she looked happy save for a hint of sorrow in her eyes. It was masked well enough that to most it would be easy to overlook, but he spotted it.

“sure thing, t,” he offered a reassuring smile and stayed with her as she finished collecting her things.

He sat and watched, patient as always, as she worked. Then again, patience is easy when it is doubly easy to fall asleep. It was Toriel touching his cheek that woke him up. He hadn’t meant to drift off like that.

“Hello, dear one,” she said, lowering her head down, looking at him eye to eye.

“heya, tori,” he smiled back at her, lost in her eyes.

They had kiss plenty of times before; so, when Toriel leaned in close that was what Sans was expecting to happen. What he hadn’t expected was her nose to nuzzle over his nasal bone and cavity. Nor was he expecting how it would feel. How warm, soft, velvety, and ticklish it would be as her nose rubbed where his would have been. It felt good. He chuckled and tried to nuzzle back, though he doubted it would have even half of the same effect. Still, it caused her to continue and even push him over on to his back, not that he would ever mind.

It wasn’t until they were both a fit of giggles did the nuzzling stop. They remained on the bed, on top of the sheets. Tori was cuddling him so close that he had no option but to cuddle back. Again, he wasn’t about to mind. It felt good. It felt like home. If only…

If only Papyrus was alive…

And at least one of the kids for Tori. All would be great, but one didn’t seem too much to ask for. Yet, each one became lost to her, one way or another. It didn’t seem fair. Sans thought he was a good brother. He’d never admit to great, but good? Sure. And Tori? She had to be the greatest mother down here. Despite these facts, Sans was sans a brother and Tori, a child.

Sans managed to free his left arm from her embrace so he could pet Tori’s ear. In response, she started to laugh, which sent shivers through him. No matter how many times he heard that sound, it was always beautiful. Every “ha”, every undignified snort, and every adorable bleat just felt like a grand piece of artwork.

They stayed like that until, eventually, Tori’s sense of responsibility caught up with her.

With one of Sans’s shortcuts, they were in front of the laboratory of Dr. Alphys in no time. Sans was about to knock but Toriel put a hand on his shoulder and smiled, “I’ve got one, may I?”

She smiled big as he took a step back and gestured toward the door in a half bow to let her know it was all hers. Knocking twice she heard a voice within call, “W-who is it?”

“Purr,” Toriel called back.

She heard footsteps as Dr. Alphys walked closer, obvious confusion in her voice as she replied, “Wait, w-what? Purr who?”

“Purr-haps you could open the door be-fur too long?” Toriel smiled as she heard Sans holding back a snicker beside her.

“i figured it was about time for us to get hare, so white don’t you let us in,” Sans added and the two laughed.

Alphys opened the door, allowing them to enter. Toriel was amazed as she walked in and looked around the lab. Other than the mess here and there, especially around the computer desk, it looked impressive. She looked back to Alphys to say something, but she noticed Sans was staring at the Doctor. His hood obscured his face, but she had an idea of what it looked like as Alphys avoided looking at him.

“Sans?” She said, trying to get his attention from the Doctor.

It worked, and he turned to face her. She is sure his eye sockets were not lit as his head turned. But, by the time he finished turning his head, they were. Frowning, she wondered what that was about, “yes, my queen?”

“S-Sans!” Toriel felt herself blush.

“what?” He said as he walked over to her, “right al? she’s a mix of the white queen and the white rabbit.” Alphys nodded slightly, her scales a slight pink around her face, but he wasn’t paying attention. He must have noticed he caused Toriel to feel flustered and decided to play with that a bit as she had done to him in the past. “so, if i’m your cheshire cat, as i seem to remember you saying,” he said before purposefully rubbing against Toriel’s side while making a purring like sound, “then you’re my queen.”

There was a squealing like sound coming from the part of the room Alphys was in. Toriel saw her face scales were a red color now and her hands were pressed, palms together in front of her snout. Sans had flinched and froze in place, his face showing signs of sudden regret. Slowly he turned to face Alphys, his voice made an eerie echoing sound as he said, “D O N ’ T”

There was an odd, twisted grin on Alphys face, “I dare you to stop me.”

Toriel was confused by what was going on between them. She looked down at Sans who is palming his face muttering something to himself. Alphys, on the other hand, was giggling as if gleefully enjoying Sans’s embarrassment. “I think I’m missing something,” Toriel finally said, admitting she was at a complete loss.

“al likes to write what is called ‘fanfiction.’ the only problem is, she has a bad habit of not just writing about fictional characters, but also real people,” Sans said as he slowly pulled his hand down from his face, “and i, stupidly, and without thinking, just threw fuel onto that fire.”

“Oh,” Toriel said before what Sans told her fully sunk in, “Oooooh…” She stood there quietly as a guilty feeling washed over her, “May… may I read it?”

“what?!” Sans said, his voice getting surprisingly loud for him.

“Of course!” Alphys clapped happily and sprang into action, practically skipping across the lab to them as she rattled on almost incoherently about the fiction she was working on. She then blushed, again as she offered Toriel a small stack of printed papers that she had placed in a folder, “um, well... I-I won’t say anymore a-about it... Um… if you w-want to do some proofreading, well, uh... that would be, erm, appreciated.”

“I can do that, thank you,” Toriel smiled, glancing in the folder and making a mental note of the story’s title, The Door. How fitting.

“you really shouldn’t encourage her,” Sans sighed.

Chuckling, Toriel reached over and lightly tugged on one of the false ears on Sans’s hood. She saw one of his hands reach up and tug down on the hood to cover his face as he looked away. A patient smile crossed her mouth, feeling herself blush as she watched him. Setting the folder to the side to pick up when they leave, she turned back to Sans, who was still averting his eye lights. She could understand that all of this together has been hard on his ego, and decided to ease back a little bit… after they get to the lab. Reaching down she hugged him and lifted him up. He chuckled, and she felt him start to relax, “Now, as some may say, ‘to the lab!’” In her head, she heard a voice she thought she remembered saying that, but with far more enthusiasm. As to who the owner of that voice was, she couldn’t remember.

Alphys giggled and led the way to the elevator, “E-excuse the mess. I, um, don’t go down there m-much. I’ve also k-kept most of it locked off… so, uh… I haven’t seen i-it in a while.” She stepped off the elevator and flicked on a light. Pausing, Alphys looked back at Sans, “I-I’ve been, um, thinking of the f-fact you used to work here. And, um… w-well, I think I k-kind of remember t-that. Yet, I don’t? I remember being an i-intern here, and, um… that’s it. I don’t remember what I worked on then.”

“you and pretty much everyone underground,” Sans put a hand on Toriel’s shoulder, signaling he wanted to be put down. She carefully set him down and Sans took her hand to escort her off the elevator.

“How is that?” Toriel asked, “I remember that there was a royal scientist before Alphys, but I also have no memory of them.”

Sans let go of her hand and looked around the room. He shuffled towards a door as if by memory and looked about to open it when Alphys quickly moved over and started to unlock it for him. He looked back at Toriel as he waited, “who made the core? something so important, surely every monster in the underground would know the name of the person who invited our energy source.”

Toriel started to speak but stopped, she had never thought of that before, and her mind was drawing a blank. What Sans said made sense, and yet no matter how hard she tried she could not think of the name of the person who created the CORE. She looked at Alphys who was deep in thought.

Both herself and Alphys looked to Sans whose eyes darkened before he gave a low, humorless chuckle and walked through the door. No, humorless wasn’t the right word for that one. It was more of a tired chuckle, one she might have heard from a monster who wanted to acknowledge that they found something humorous but was too tired to laugh. That caused Toriel to give pause, remembering what he had said. All the things he ends up remembering, and yet this is another thing that he alone seems to be the sole keeper.

“his name was dr. w.d. gaster. he was a brilliant man, though a little off kilter at times, especially when he had a big idea in his head. i remember... working with him… i remember what some of our projects were about though, in a hazy, foggy way. i knew him as a person too, and i remember that i knew him, but my memories of him are cloudy and weak.” Walking down the halls he ran his bony fingers along the wall and looked around. His voice seemed at peace, yet his body seemed tense; as if expecting something bad to happen at any moment.

His cautiousness lead her to feel uneasy. “it’s funny, i remember having some of the happiest memories i can’t remember here… and yet… there is a nagging feeling… not sure, it just feels like something bad happened,” He looked back at Toriel and Alphys, “weird, huh?”

Toriel looked around. The halls were a neutral, sterile white color that made the area bright but not warm. There were doors spread along the walls, some labeled as the office of one person’s or another's. She wondered if one of them would be Sans’s, and what state he would have left it in.

“Sans, w-what happened to Dr. Gaster?” Alphys asked quietly.

The skeleton stopped and shrugged, “one of those things i don’t remember, but i think it was an accident. if i had to guess it was with our, uh, time and space experiments.”

“Time and space?” Toriel heard herself ask. She bit her lip, curious but at the same time unsure he wanted to talk about it as she could hear a heaviness in his tone.

“yeah, see, gaster discovered what we just called ‘shortcuts.’ and he wondered if it would be possible to apply what we learned, about moving through space, to time. we did, kind of, but we needed to do so on a much larger scale. for what, eh, i don’t remember, but i do remember he was the type to ask why after he invented something,” Sans shrugged and looked at Alphys, “so, we made a machine to do that with, though i don’t remember it working. anyway, he somehow wrote himself out of history in every way possible. it’d make sense to me if that was the project,” Sans then frowned, “but, uh, i’m not sure. he might have just fallen in the core for all i know. always wondered why he never put safety rails up.

“so, al, what did you need me for?” Sans put his hands in his pockets, wearing a smile on his face. But his voice told a different story. As even toned as he may believe he was keeping it, she didn’t hear the happiness his smile claimed. Months of just knowing him by voice alone had taught her that. It wasn’t that he was upset or scared. He just looked emotionally tired being here. Perhaps, having memories that he wished to, but couldn’t, remember was weighing on him. Or perhaps there were things he didn’t want to remember? No, she highly doubted the latter. She wasn’t sure why, but that didn’t feel right.

Alphys waved for him to follow and they walked down the hall chatting about matters she had to admit to herself she knew nothing about. Toriel noticed at one-point Sans glancing back at her as if checking to make sure she was alright. She smiled back at him and he winked before returning his full attention to Alphys.

As they walked past a hallway, Toriel came to a stop. A feeling of…

anger?

Or was it just annoyance or frustration?

She had been here before. She knew this hallway well, having been emotionally charged at the time she had walked down it. Toriel turned to call to Sans and Alphys, but they were so lost in their own conversation she held her tongue. Splitting off didn’t seem like the smartest idea. Yet, she felt the need to venture down this path and try to remember what it was she had been doing, or why she had been there.

No more thought had been put into which option she should take, as her feet had already started.

Eventually Sans stopped at a set of doors labeled ‘Lab A-1.’

“There are a few things in here I don’t u-understand,” Alphys opened the door, “if you could, um, shed some l-light on what some of this is...”

“i’ll do my best al, but you’re asking a photon of me,” Sans walked in and looked around the large lab. It almost hurt, as he felt a flood of nostalgia that he struggled to understand. It felt like home, or, at least, a second home. He needed time to let these feeling calm down in his soul, and took a moment to relax. In the process, he ran a finger over a work table before examining the dust. He couldn’t help but snort as he held back laughter while a voice in his head yelled out, “UNACCEPTABLE! How can one make a mess working if there is already a mess made?!”

With a sigh, Sans put his hand back in his pocket and turned to Alphys, “where do you want me to start?”

“How about this?” Alphys asked, pointing to a pod-shaped object.

Upon seeing it, Sans couldn’t help but grin as he walked over. Ah, the memories he couldn’t remember. All he knew was that he was happy working on this, and what it was for. They really were going to try; they had an idea and thought it might solve everything. He walked over to an odd machine and walked around it. His sockets scanned it over with care, making sure it had made it through sitting in this dark and lonely place without a scratch. This was just the first attempt though; the second attempt was in his lab for safekeeping.

“this is the ‘time and space pod,’” Sans finally said as he placed a hand on it with reverence. “i wanted to make it more rectangular, paint it blue, and call it the tardis, after the machine in that human show, dr. who.”

“H-how would I know, I never saw it,” Alphys replied.

That shocked Sans and he looked at her, “no, that’s the name of… you haven’t seen it? i never showed you a single episode?”

“N-no?” Alphys gave him that smile that said, ‘you could have, but if so I didn’t like it and don’t remember it.’

Sans sighed and shook his head, “Seriously? Of all the geeky, human things you're into you’ve never heard of it?” When Dr. Alphys shrugged he looked back at the machine and patted it twice, “best store this somewhere under ‘bad idea’ unless we can clear it of the ‘possibly killed pops’ charges”

“Pops?” Alphys looked at him in surprise.

Sans paused, noticing what he just said. It came out of his mouth so naturally too. ‘pops.’ Come to think of it, he had, in talking with Papyrus, said “dadster” a few times, instead of Gaster. Papyrus had suggested the notion of them being related...

Still, Alphys was staring at him and expecting a reply. He wasn’t sure he was fully ready to commit to the idea and just shrugged. Not to his surprise, Alphys folded her arms, “Really? You have n-no idea why you called him ‘Pops’ just then?”

“none,” he replied, feigning disinterest. It is a matter to think about later when he wasn’t already being bombarded by other emotions. He glanced over to see how Toriel was taking his avoidance of the question.

…

“uh... where’s tori?”

Alphys looked around, “oh, oh my, we must have… o-oh dear... W-well, there is n-nothing in the lab that can hurt her.”

That didn’t matter to him, and he couldn’t help but fear the worst. There was too much here he no longer knew. He walked to the lab entrance and looked up and down the hall, “tori?” She was nowhere to be seen and he heard no reply.

She was right behind them, when did she fall behind or disappear?

“tori!” he started back down the hall, the only sound in response was the patter of Alphys’s feet behind him.

He stopped at an open office to look in, as well as some of the other labs, all the while he still called for her. Alphys was right, it was safe here, now… in theory. No… it isn’t safe. There could still be things in this lab that could hurt someone who didn’t know any better. “TORI!” he hated raising his voice that loud, but he felt he had to.

A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked back to see Alphys, “Sans! Y-you need to calm down.” Alphys waved a hand in the air to direct his attention to above himself. When he looked he could see two blasters hovering over him.

He unsummoned them while uttering a curse under his breath. He’ll admit, he got more worked up than needed. He won’t find Toriel like this. Still, it isn’t safe, what was so dangerous here he wasn’t fully sure, but it wasn’t safe.

“Now, let’s look, I’m sure we’ll find her,” Alphys offered a reassuring smile. Normally, it is the other way around, with Sans calming her down. It felt weird having their roles reversed.

“heh.... yeah,” Sans tried to relax and the two started their search.

Toriel stared at the wall ahead of her. The path she took somehow lead to a dead end that seemed to be random compared to how the rest of the lab was designed. Every hall she saw before had a purpose and lead somewhere. This one, though, was the only exception. Granted, there might have been plans for something to be here at one point that wasn’t finished. So, all there was in front of her was a wall.

She touched the wall, running her hand over it. Her head hurt as she tried to think, trying to recall the feeling she had. There really should be something else here, but she had no idea what. And trying to remember was exhausting to the point that she felt she needed to lie down. She patted the wall and started to turn back.

Sure, she reached a dead end, but she now knew she had been here before. That the little notion in her head was more than that. While she didn’t find what she had split off to look for, it did reassure her to know this new fact. Why had she been here, and why had she been so angry? Those are the next questions she will have to answer. But just trying to think about them made her head feel sharp, radiating pain from her temples. After she’s had a chance to rest, she’ll try again.

“tori!” Toriel heard Sans’s voice and looked up to see the skeleton jogging over, which was a rare sight. As he approached she could feel his magic was on edge, and she couldn’t help but feel guilty. Clearly, she had caused him to worry, which had not been her intent.

Once he was close she embraced him and sighed, “I’m sorry, I was chasing a memory and only found a headache.”

“D-do you need something for it?” Alphys asked, walking closer.

With some thought, Toriel nodded, “I think so.” Alphys told her where she could find the med kit upstairs. Within it, she would find painkillers, and the Doctor invited her to just sit and close her eyes if needed.

Sans confirmed that it won’t take them much longer and for her to just rest if her head was hurting. Though, as she turned to leave, Alphys spoke up, “Oh! One other thing.”

“Yes?” Toriel asked, looking back at the two. Sans was also looking at Alphys as if wondering what it was she had to say.

“It s-seems,” Alphys got a mischievous look on her face which did not get a happy response from Sans, who now looked worried and concerned. The Doctor ignored him though and continued without a care, “that Gaster is Sans’s father.”

“al, we don’t know that for sure,” Sans looked annoyed.

“You called him ‘Pops’,” Alphys huffed, “why else w-would you do that!”

The two started to have a small dispute over what that could mean. Toriel couldn’t follow it, as her head fogged with memories struggling to surface. Something about that was trying to draw information to the forefront, but it couldn’t. All it did was make her head feel even worse.

“tori, you okay?”

Tori didn’t remember kneeling down, but Sans was there beside her, holding her hand and looking at her with worried eye sockets. She smiled, but the room spun around her, adding a dizzying feeling to her disorientation.

“I just need to take care of this headache and lie down,” Toriel smiled at him the best she could.

“i can take us back if you want,” Sans offered, but she shook her head.

“I know, but really, I think I just need a moment. You said you won’t be much longer. That should be enough for me to feel well enough to go back to the castle.”

Sans looked at her, she could tell his sockets were searching for any hint that she may change her mind. Once he was satisfied, he nodded. He helped her up the best he could, and she made her way to the elevator. Once upstairs she found the med kit, took two pills and found a quiet place to sit. Today has not been an easy one. No wonder her head was starting to hurt.

She looked down at the dress and sighed. It was a very nice dress, but it just felt too modern for her. But, Sans clearly liked it, so she will endure it a while longer. If it meant seeing him practically buckle in on himself every time she smiled at him, it was worth it.

Toriel started to close her eyes when she remembered the story Alphys had been writing. When her body felt like it could withstand getting back up, Toriel retrieved the folder and settled back to read. For now, she intended to read only until her head hurt too much, or she decided she couldn’t take anymore.

He stood with his back to the Ruin door, as he had done plenty of times before. The wind rushed by him, carrying a haunting tone as it moved through the trees. Snow drifting down, dancing around him. Most monsters avoid the doors of the past, but not him. They had become a game, a toy of his amusement. Today, though, they would become more.

“knock knock,” he said, in his usual quiet, masculine, deep tone of voice. One would hardly think anyone would hear it, the start of his joke. But someone did.

“Who’s there,” came the reply. Soft, sweet, and filled with feminine grace.

It startled him. And he jumped as if the doors had shocked him. The look in his eyes was a mix of panic and intrigue. Never before had he thought his knocking would be answered. There was hesitation. Perhaps he heard wrong? Needing to get out pent up energy, he shifted his feet while rubbing the back of his neck, “dishes.”

“Dishes who?” the voice replied.

He was still unsure what to think of this occurrence. It had to be a fluke. It just seemed unreal that someone would be here. “dishes a really bad joke,” he said, as he tried to settle back into his rhythm.

Just as he had started to relax she laughed, and what a laugh it was. Again, he was startled, but what he was unaware of was the faint hint of blush painting his cheekbones. His smile widened as he chuckled back. It was just them, their laughter, and the unknown camera in the bushes. Originally set to look for humans, it now captured their budding romance, under the watchful gaze of the great scientist, who would guard this love from those who would stop it.

The writing didn’t seem bad, a bit dramatic for her taste, but it brought back memories of when they had met at the Ruin doors. She smiled while reading it, seeing his reaction clearly drawn out in her mind by Alphys’s words. It felt like him, though she didn’t believe there was a high likelihood that he was blushing at her first laugh.

End of Chapter notes: ... This chapter started with me going "I want to dress Sans up as a cat." That's really the only thought that went into it at the start. This is the type of sophisticated logic that goes into my chapter planning, folks. Also, keep in mind, that I actually wrote this BEFORE posting the first chapter. Since then, I have seen many artists decide to dress Sans up as a cat. So, I am clearly NOT the only who thinks this is something that should happen.

#Undertale #Fanfiction #Soriel #Sans #Toriel #Alphys #The Door #Chapter 13 #lol #Like #this is so self indulgent #Sorry but not sorry #I hope you all like it #because I had fun writing it #and while I may feel I need to apologize for it #I also say that i know you other shippers out there want this #So I'm not really sorry

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