#She's always seen herself as a monster and the Blight just confirms it

[sepublic]

Can't stop thinking about how Willow had the chance to be REALLY popular by joining the grubgy team and get the perfect payback for what would have years of Boscha's abuse being excused because she's the school's top player. Yet she took one look at her bully's terrified face and declined. Lowkey wondering if her seeing how Amity, who used to be the "Popular, Perfect, Stuck-up" kid, had a terrible home life that demanded and encouraged that behavoir, made Willow more merciful to Boscha.

           That makes a lot of sense, honestly! We don’t know much about Boscha, other than that her parents are coworkers of the Blight Parents, and that Mr. and Mrs. Blight apparently want to establish more of a connection with them; But at the same time, Amity clearly talks of the Blight family as being of a higher position than Boscha’s. What we’ve seen of her mother implies she might be a little neglectful, as well as emotionally-clingy and needy towards her own kid.

          I can’t say for sure if Willow even knows what Boscha’s home-life is like, but at the same time; She’s like Luz in that she prefers not to start up conflict, and after seeing Amity’s situation is DEFINITELY mindful, if she wasn’t then, that people have a lot going on in their lives that others don’t see! Willow knows that Boscha ramped up her bullying in response to having her attention ‘stolen’, so she knows that sort of thing means a lot to her to an unhealthy extent.

          I mean, just look at Boscha’s opening speech; This is not someone who sees herself as a kid who should just have fun, but somebody who needs to be on top and maintain a distance even amongst admirers, and justifies hatred from others as an indicator for success. Boscha doesn’t seem concerned about having fun, only about being the best… Which, regardless of how her parents are, is NOT a healthy mindset for a fourteen-year-old.

           Going into a bit of speculation, I feel like in that moment, when Willow and Boscha’s eyes meet… They both mutually know how screwed Boscha is. Boscha only got her position as Team Captain because Amity stepped down, feeling bad for hurting Boscha and her friend; That while she’s skilled, Boscha likely has the knowledge that she’s second-best. Her fame in Grudgby comes from Amity; Amity, who she possibly and looked up to as a Blight, as THE popular, aloof Witch who knows to keep herself at a distance from others!

           (Kudos to @theowlhouseheadcanons for bringing this up!)

           I think Boscha admired Amity and saw her, or at least the façade she put up, as her role model. Boscha isn’t someone who knows that she can dislike a person, but still treat them with dignity and respect; To her, if Amity stepped down out of guilt for hurting her, this HAS to mean Amity actually likes her, right? So to see Amity ‘stolen’ from her by Willow… To see her own friends follow immediately afterwards, followed by Boscha’s potential loss of her position as Team Captain, which she knows wasn’t entirely earned?

           I think Boscha may have embraced being second-best to Amity, under the idea that she was the only person she looked up to and respected; But how could she look up to Willow? The idea of being second to Willow… And even if Boscha kept her position, she’d still be losing part of her fame to Willow! And even though Willow declined any participation in the team… She still won, she basically took everything from Boscha!

           And, Willow recognizes that Boscha knows this! She doesn’t exactly like Boscha, and maybe even hates her… But she’s not cruel and merciless. She knows that Grudgby is the only thing that Boscha has left after this moment, and she knows what it’s like to feel insignificant and powerless, without friends; And that’s WITH loving parents who actually care! Boscha’s own family may not be so sympathetic… Besides, Willow has already had her victories, and I wouldn’t be shocked if she was also flexing her power over Boscha, by even allowing that bit of mercy to begin with! Let her know, quietly; That YEAH, you only have this one thing left in your life because of my whim!

           I think Willow is somebody who is normally kind and loving like Luz; But unlike her friend, she has her darker moments of genuine resentment that sometimes manifests into thoughts that she’s not all-too proud of. And I think feeling such cruel ideas in her head made Willow horrified of herself, made her feel like more of a terrible person, as if Boscha’s bullying and Amity’s betrayal really was justified, that she WAS an unlovable freak. Like Luz, Willow is loathe to the idea of hurting other people; So to see herself beginning to have these thoughts made Willow feel like a monster, like she was no longer the kind and loving person she used to be, but something else…

           Which, results in her Inner self incarnating into a raging, vindictive flame entity after Amity burns her mind; Because this was the final straw that led Willow to seeing herself as truly despised by Amity, causing her hate to reach a breaking point as she sees herself as just that by now; Merely the anger she has towards others, her original identity and kindness burned away because wrath is all she has left! But thanks to Luz and Amity’s help, Willow remembers that she’s still the person she always used to be, hence why she reconnects with her past, innocent self. She’s still worthy of love, and always has been.

           Willow knows who she is, and she’s getting better at remembering and confirming this identity. She wouldn’t want to hurt anyone, at the very least not without reason; And seeing Boscha’s terrified eyes, she knows that there’s nothing else that she really needs to accomplish by taking that place on the Grudgby team.

           So, yeah- Willow is simultaneously wary of becoming a bad person, too merciful to let others feel the way she has, knows that some people aren’t lucky enough to have a loving family, sees no reason to hurt Boscha anymore when she’s already lost so much, knows what it’s like to be afraid of losing one’s friends… And was also basically fortnite-dancing over the grave where Boscha’s pride was buried, anyway!

           I feel like if Boscha were ever to apologize, or at the very least simmer down and be less of a bully… Well, I don’t think Willow would exactly be around her anytime soon; She’s still hesitant around Amity, who was a former friend who cut ties specifically to protect Willow, and while she did bully Willow- It certainly wasn’t to the extent that Boscha did, and definitely without real spite on her part!

          But at the same time, I think Willow would be happy for Boscha, because at least less people are suffering, and if Boscha is better, then hopefully others won’t have to be bullied as well! By the end of the day, Willow doesn’t want to hurt anyone, and by extension she doesn’t want anyone to be hurt either. She may not personally intervene like Luz would, but she wouldn’t exactly be complaining if someone’s situation changed for the better!

[tardisman14]

Enchanting: Chapter 3: A Night to Remember

A novelized version of Enchanting Grom Fright, told from Amity’s pov. A look into what was going through her mind in that episode, with snippets of happenings in-between scenes. Told in 4 parts (3 main chapters, plus the prologue), rated to be safe, and obviously Lumity.

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Bits of final scene and flashback inspired by this tweet (12/28/20 update: screencap because Dana deactivated her Twitter) and this image which was cut from the episode for time

That wasn’t Eda. It appeared to be some kind of human. In fact, Amity could’ve sworn they looked quite a bit like… Luz.

Amity saw Luz start to back up nervously. Was this one of her relatives? What was going on? With all these questions going through Amity’s head, she suddenly heard Grom’s form shout something from the arena.

“...have you been lying to me?!”

All of a sudden, Grom turned into a more monstrous form of whoever this was supposed to be. Lying? What could Luz have been lying about? Could it really be so bad that she couldn’t bring it up during the training session? This was bad. If Amity was reading the look on Luz’s face right, she wouldn’t last much longer.

And she was proven right. Amity saw Luz make a break for the door. And… Oh no. Grom was escaping! All around her, everyone started piling out of the bleachers and went right for the hallway. But Amity was so in shock over what just happened, she was frozen in place.

“Hey, kid! You in there?”

Amity was snapped out of it by Eda, now standing in front of her.

“Come on!”

Amity and Eda started following the others already in the hallway.

“Yeah, that's right, so let's follow them and see what happens next.”

Apparently King and Gus were leading the others to see the rest of the battle. Amity and Eda were still a bit behind, but with one look at each other, they both had the same thought. They had to help Luz, and fast.

Once they made it outside Eda summoned her staff.

“I’m gonna follow them from the air. Try not to fall behind.”

With that, the Owl Lady took to the sky while Amity followed from the ground. Judging by Eda’s current direction, Amity figured that Luz and Grom must’ve been headed for the woods.

As Amity ran towards that direction, her mind was racing. This was all her fault. She LET Luz get involved because she was too scared to face her fear. She KNEW Eda was right about Luz getting in over her head, and she went forward with it anyway. And now because of her, Luz was in danger. All because she couldn’t face the possibility of Luz not reciprocating any feelings she STILL didn’t know whether or not even exist!

Amity had to make this right. She just HAD to.

She made it to the woods, but lost sight of Eda. Just then, she heard some kind of blast and figured that Eda had caught up to them. She went towards the source, and came across the other students and Principal Bump gathered behind some bushes. She went to see what they were looking at and saw Luz, Eda, and Grom several yards in front of them.

Whatever thoughts might have been going through Amity’s mind at that moment, her body started acting on instinct. And right now, it was telling her to protect Luz, no matter how dangerous it might be.

Deciding to act, Amity lept out from behind the treeline and rushed to put herself between Luz and Grom.

“Stay away from her!”

Just then, Grom reached out and grabbed a hold of her. Amity knew what was coming next.

“I'm sorry, Luz. I should have fought my own battle. I-”

Right then, Amity could feel Grom going through her head, searching for what it was that she feared the most. She could barely hear Luz calling out to her. And then, Grom had found what it was looking for.

Amity had felt Grom set her down. When she came to, she had seen that it had transformed into some kind of humanoid form, roughly around age if she had to guess. It reached into her pocket, took out the note, ripped it in half, and crumpled it right in front of her.

And with that, Amity had her answer. And it hurt even worse than she could have imagined. It didn’t matter how vague Grom’s form was. Deep down, she knew exactly who it was supposed to be. And while she knew it wasn’t the real them, she could still feel her heart shatter into a million pieces in that moment.

As Amity picked up half of the crumpled note, she saw Luz run over and pick up the other half. Well, looks like the secret was about to get out.

“You were afraid of getting rejected.”

And when Amity looked up at Luz, she could see her start to… smile?

“Amity, it's okay. What if I went to Grom with you instead?”

Had Luz not seen the half that had her name on it? Whatever the case, Amity started to feel as a weight was being lifted off of her.

“Really?”

“That’s what friends do.”

In all that time Amity had spent that day worrying about the idea of her now-confirmed crush turning her down, she had forgotten about one of things that she admired about Luz the most. Her kindness. All those times. At the covention, the library, fixing Willow’s memories. It was always Luz trying to reach out to her. There was no way she could see Luz deliberately hurting her like that.

With her worries eased, Amity felt a renewed sense of determination flow through her. There was a shapeshifting fear monster that needed to be dealt with. She knew that Luz would be by her side to face it together. And given the occasion, there was only one way she could think of at that moment.

“Well, then, if that's settled, may I have this dance?”

It was now Amity’s turn to reach out to Luz. And Luz seemed more than happy to accept. They joined together, and it was as if something had clicked in that moment.

The two began their dance, taking one step after another. Throughout it all, the two were in perfect sync, never missing a beat. It was like neither one needed to tell the other what to do next. Amity used the routine to cast a spell circle with her feet, rising her and Luz atop a giant abomination. They continued from there, with Luz placing her glyphs on the abomination before they leapt off, sending the abomination into Grom itself. At that moment, the glyphs start to take effect, causing various plants to bloom from Grom’s body. Finally, the two land, finishing off their routine in a flourish as Grom explodes behind them.

In Grom’s place, a tree stood before them. The two look in awe as tiaras appear on each of their heads. They look at each other and smile as, for the first time that night, all felt right.

“Sooooooo.... who did you wanna ask out?”

“Oh, it’s… not important.”

Amity tossed her half of the note aside. As amazing as that moment was, she still didn’t feel like she was ready to tell Luz. Not yet, anyway.

“And there you have it, folks. A happy ending for this year's Grom. Let's give a big hand to our Grom queens, Luz and Amity!”

Well, Amity was certainly caught off guard. She had been so caught up in the moment that she had forgotten there was anyone there besides her and Luz. Right then, the rest of the students and Principal Bump came out from behind the bushes and started cheering the two queens. As the two were lifted up by the crowd and started to make their way back to Hexside, Amity felt on top of the world.

---

Hexside gymnasium,

Not much later

Now that Grom had been taken care of, the rest of the evening went a lot smoother. More students had been dancing than before the main event. The photo line was even longer than before. Everything was going great.

...And then, there was Amity just standing off to the side.

“Hey, kid. Why the party-of-one?”

Amity looked to her side and saw Eda standing next to her.

“*SIGH* I know I should be thrilled that Grom was defeated. But… you were right. Luz got in over her head trying to help me, and she almost got hurt because of it. I should’ve done more to keep her from doing it, but I was too scared to face my own fear to do anything about it.”

There was a few seconds of silence before Eda spoke up.

“Look, don’t be too hard on yourself. Fear can be a powerful thing. Even for most powerful witches, having to face your worst fears can be intense. The importanting thing is that when the time came, you stepped up and were willing to face yours so that Luz would be safe. The way I see it, it all worked out in the end, didn’t it?”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Also, speaking from personal experience these last few weeks, it gets harder and harder to say no to Luz when she offers to help. The kid’s just more endearing that way.”

“Heh, yeah.”

Amity would admit, trying to turn down Luz’s help was getting difficult for her at this point.

“Plus, I won’t lie. You two look rather cute together.”

...WHAT?

“Uh- W-well I mean, I g-guess it WAS a rather impressive dance routine, and I suppose Luz’s outfit COULD’VE been way more unusual than what it already was. But, um… Is it me, or is the room getting smaller?”

“Kid, you can save it. I’ve seen the way you’ve been looking at her all night. I’ve seen it plenty of times before with many different people.”

“...Oh.”

So it was that obvious.

“Listen, I’m not gonna tell her if you don’t want me to. That’s your business, so it’s up to you to decide when you’re ready.”

Huh. That’s actually pretty cool of her.

“Although, I will say this. You can’t wait for the right moment forever. ...But for now, I’d say enjoy tonight. Have fun with your co-Grom queen”

At that moment, Eda looked behind Amity.

“Speaking of which…”

“Get in here, Blight!”

Amity felt Luz yank her towards where the photos were being taken. She was so caught off guard, she could feel herself blushing. Right then the photographer spoke up.

“Say ‘Grom Fright!’”

“‘Grom Fright!’”

Amity realized that there were two other voices there that weren’t her or Luz. After the photo was taken, she turned to see that Willow and Gus had managed to get in as well. 

Maybe Eda was right. The worst part of the night was over with. Amity should be having fun with her friends. If Luz could be enjoying herself after everything that happened, then so could she.

---

Blight Manor,

Later that night

The walk home that night had been surprisingly quiet. While Amity may have had a lot on her mind then, it was rather jarring to not hear a word from the twins. Although, given what she had heard, she couldn’t really blame them. Apparently their dates had stood them up. While they could be annoying a good amount of the time, she couldn’t help but feel a little bad for them. She was just glad that HER night hadn’t been as bad as she feared it would be.

As Amity made it to her room for the night, she decided to reflect on the evening. The night had certainly been eventful. Not just for her, but also Luz, if that one conversation was anything to go by.

*flashback*

“You really think Willow and Gus will be able to convince Bump to let you back into the dance?”

“We’ll see. Looks like I at least found one thing magic school and mortal school have in common. Otter suits are a ‘no’ at dances.”

“Yeah… Sorry you got kicked out because of it.”

“Eh. I at least got a picture in with it, AND I lasted longer than my last school dance. I still consider this a win.”

“Well, I guess that’s one way to look at it. So, just in case they can’t convince Bump, you want me to stay here until Eda’s done chaperoning?”

“I’d like that,”

There were a few moments of silence. Then, Amity figured this would be a good time to ask about something that had been on her mind since the fight against Grom.

“Hey, there’s something I wanted to ask about. But, you don’t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“Well… I guess it depends on what it is.”

“That last form Grom took when you were going up against it. It wasn’t anything you had brought up while we were training. And from what I saw, you weren’t expecting it either.”

Luz looked uneasy for a moment. Did Amity cross a line? After a bit, Luz gave an answer.

“That last form that Grom took… That was my mom.”

“Your mom? Did something happen between you two? All I was able to hear from where I had been sitting in the stands was something about lying. What did she mean?”

“*SIGH* You know how I can be a bit of a weirdo at times?”

“Um… yeeeeeessss?”

While Amity didn’t like saying it after how close they had gotten, if Luz wanted the truth, she supposed it was only fair to tell her.

“Well, back home, it was starting to become a problem. My mom had decided to send me to a summer camp to help straighten out my eccentric tendencies. While I was waiting for the bus, Eda’s palisman, Owbert, got a hold of one of my Azura books. So I chased him to this old house, which actually turned out to be a portal to the Boiling Isles that Eda had been using.

Eda agreed to send me back if I helped her and King with something. After I helped her, she held up her end of the deal. ...But I decided I wanted to spend some time in the Isles so that she could teach me magic. And the rest is history.

While I’ve still been able to keep in touch with my mom through my phone, I still haven’t told her where I am or what I’ve been up to these last several weeks. I feel bad about having to lie to her, and I know I’ll have to tell her eventually. But, I still don’t know how, when, or even IF I’ll be able to tell her.”

To say Amity was surprised would be an understatement. To think that Luz has been having to deal with this for weeks… No wonder she looked so freaked out when Grom took that form.

“...Wow. I had no idea.”

“Yeah. I know I should have brought it up during training so I could’ve been better prepared. But, I guess I thought that I could distract myself from one big fear with another. Guess we both know how well that turned out.”

It was then that Amity remembered what Eda had said to her earlier.

“Well, as someone rather wise told me, you can’t wait for the right moment forever. Maybe at least start with trying to open up to her a bit more.”

“...yeah, maybe you’re right. Thanks Amity. I felt good to talk about this with someone other than King.”

“Did he have any advice?”

“Well… sort of. But, I think yours was more helpful.”

“Anytime.”

*end flashback*

It really put things into perspective for Amity. If she had been having a difficult time trying to tell Luz how she feels, she imagined that Luz was feeling even worse. She hoped that Luz would be able to work it out somehow.

As she took off her tiara and placed it in her hope chest, Eda’s words ran through her head once more. ‘You can’t wait for the right moment forever.’ Amity knew that at some point, Luz was going to have to leave the Boiling Isles and go back to her realm. She didn’t know when, but she knew that it was certain. How will she know if she’ll be ready by the time that happens? It looked like all she could do for now was make the most of her time with Luz and hope for the best.

But, Amity would choose to worry about it tomorrow. For now, it had been a long night, and she needed to get some rest. As she got ready for bed, she thought about everything that night had been. Intense, nerve-wracking, and scary for sure. But most of all, that night had been… enchanting.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

COTW - 17

Levi wasn't going to be happy. They'd finally gotten new chairs for the dining table, rather than new set because they expected you to pay for each individual chairs, and their first visitor was Floch... to tell him he was still being forced to testify. Floch called it being subpoenaed, but it was the same thing. The trial date had been moved, first forward then back, now starting on the 23rd, meaning he'd be 22 weeks when he took the stand. At least he'd had a nicish, stab free week to recover a little... before Floch had shown up again to ruin that. Sitting across from the alpha, Floch was recording their conversation on his phone, as Eren was asked to confirm the identity of each person in the photos. Even if he couldn't remember their names, he was still asked to confirm whether he'd seen them at the compound. It felt like they were dancing around the issue. The man being brought before court was the leader of this whole thing. An idiot with money, who'd thought he'd brought allegiances, only to be thrown under the bus by then all. Nick. The man who was a blight to the life and freedom of every omega on the island. Despite his racing heart and sweaty palms, Eren had word vomit. It was like Floch had reached down and pulled the plug from his throat, leaving him jumping from photo to photo and man to man. He just wanted to get those over with. He wanted Floch out the apartment before Levi came home, and risked the safety of the new dining chairs... and he wanted Floch gone because he still couldn't figure the man out. He'd loudly announced Eren was being subpoenaed, then expected him to have enough composure to talk about everything. After looking at the photos, he knew he couldn't just let the people in them get away with everything, but it'd been a nice dream to imagine he didn't have to take the stand. It was nice to believe he had a choice, like Levi had told him. When he ran out of people to talk about, Floch tapped his phone, before hitting his record again, Eren confused as to why... until Floch began asking him questions about his relationship with Levi. How long they'd been together. How they'd met. If Levi approved of him being a stripper. If Viren was Levi's. How their relationship had been after the Reiner thing. Was Levi responsible for his repeated trips to hospital. What Levi knew about Karanes. When did they get engage, and finally, why weren't they married? His questions were so far out of line, Eren's fingers hurt from how hard he gripping the edge of the table. He wanted to grab Floch by the throat and throw him off the balcony. None of it was any of his business. If he didn't know better, he'd swear the man was working for the piece of shit he was about to testify again. He spat each answer out, as if the words were poisoned. Floch not telling him that these were the kind of questions he'd face on the stand, until after he'd stopped recording the second line of questioning. Apparently he had to adjust his mood if he wanted to be believed. What a load of shit. As far as he was concerned, he had every right to be angered and insulted over being talked to like that. His pups were moving as if just angry, on his behalf. Instead of fucking of like he wanted him to, Floch decided he needed to dump two more lovely surprises on him. A full medical and psychological assessment, which had been requested by Nick's legal team. Both to be conducted by professionals chosen by Nick's team... in other words, people who wanted to make him feel like an absolute monster. The date and times had already been chosen, and Levi wasn't allowed to be in the room with him. Instead Floch made it sound like a big deal over having negotiated for a police and justice social worker to be there, though he couldn't say what their dynamic would be. If he was an alpha, he'd never have been forced to accept this degree of humiliation. If he was an alpha, people would listen to what he had to say... Now he was back to hating his secondary dynamic all over again. Back to doubting Levi could love or trust him. Doubting that one lone omega could make any difference at all. It wasn't a great feeling. The moment Floch left, Eren was rushing into the bathroom to throw up. Anger and indignation swirling through his scent as he hunched over the bathroom sink. His stomach fucking hurt, each hurl making it worse. He didn't know how he was supposed to handle taking the stand and being grilled by an alpha he didn't know, when he couldn't stomach taking shit from Floch. Of all the fucking days. Viren would be home from Hanji's soon, with Anna staying the night. He'd already had to dissemble his nest wash all his blankets thanks to. All of that perfectly good Levi scent, washed down the drain because he was good person. Nesting was great. Nesting with Levi didn't just mean sex. It meant near naked cuddles, and secrets whispered in the middle of the night. Nesting with Viren and Levi meant knowing his small family were all together and safe. Nesting with Viren alone meant spending hours watching his son sleep. It meant reading him to sleep, even if he'd been a brat all day... He'd been mourning the loss of his nest when Floch had turned up... even the thought of spending time with Anna didn't improve his mood. Trapped in the bathroom, he groaned when he heard Hanji letting herself in. Viren yelling out "daddy", didn't lift his mood either. Levi was working a 12 hour shift, and wouldn't be home for a few more hours "Uncle Eren?!" At least Anna sounded happy "Just a minute!" Rinsing his mouth, he spat, before promptly jumping at Hanji's voice "There you are, Honey. Everything ok?" "I was ok until you gave me a heart attack" "Really? Because I smell anger, and vomit" "You smell too much. It's fine" With the secret out, he grabbed his toothbrush and the toothpaste, hoping the familiar taste of mint would calm his stomach "Mhmmm. I thought your nausea had passed?" "Nope" Brushing his teeth quickly, he rinsed and spat, annoyed that Hanji was watching him "What?" "I just thought you might want to talk" "There's nothing to talk about... I'm just in a bad mood from doing the washing" "Well, if it's just that, than that's ok. Now, I finish at 9 tomorrow morning, then I'm back at work from 7 until 7. All Anna's things are in her bag, and she's been super excited for this sleep over. With Marco and Jean... well, she's been lost" "It'll be fine. She understands that I get sick because I'm growing babies. I won't be freaking her out" "I know you won't. I know we haven't been talking about it, but I was hoping you'd be able to come to my next IVF appointment with me" Fuck. Hanji had wanted to wait for her next period to pass before trying again... he'd forgotten. How the hell could have he forgotten "What day is it?" "The 23rd" "I... that's the day the trial starts..." "Oh!" "Yeah. I might be able to make it, but I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I've been subpoenaed, so I have to go" "No. No. It's alright. I'll see if I can shift me appointment" "Hanji, no. I know how much this means to you, and I don't want to be in the way of this for you. I want this for you. You're an amazing mother to Anna, and to Viren... and I need another godchild" Keeping up with Anna and Viren was a struggle as it was. Keeping up with Anna, Viren, two newborn twins and another godchild... Lord give him strength Unexpectedly, Hanji teared up. Fanning her face, she tried to compose herself "Sorry. I've been pumping myself full of hormones" "Hanji. It's alright. Levi is going to be there, so will Mike" "I can take Viren" "We were going to ask if Eld or Gunther could" "There's a small play area at the clinic, you know that. They're used to children, and the procedure doesn't take very long" "I don't want you stressing yourself" "I don't mind. I can take the kids to the park and rest while they wear themselves out" "If you're sure..." "I am. Thank you, Sweetheart. Alright. I'm ok now. I better get to work" "Go. We'll be fine" Hanji rushed out the room to kiss Anna goodbye, while Eren followed at much slower pace. Walking to the kitchen instead of becoming one with the sofa like he wanted, he grabbed out snacks and fruit boxes for the kids "Bye!" "Bye, Hanji!" Closing the door behind her, Eren sighed to himself. He didn't feel particularly child friendly. He really wanted Levi to come home so they could talk, but he also feared making his mate angry. Sitting herself on the sofa, Anna climbed up to watch him over the back of it, while only the top of Viren's hair was showing "Where's Uncle Levi?" "He's at work. He'll be home in a few hours" "Hear that Viren, your daddy will be home soonish. He's been asking for his dad" "I'm not surprised. Is there enough space for me to sit?" Anna hummed, pressing a finger to her chin as if thinking "I suppose I can make space. But only for you" "What about my babies?" "They're inside of you, so they get to sit too" "Alright. Make space, I'm bringing snacks" "Snacks? Uncle Eren! You're the best!" He didn't feel like the best, but it was nice to hear. Viren wasn't happy Levi wasn't there. His son had gotten a good kick in when Eren had lifted his legs to make space on the sofa. Leaning to "whisper" in his ear, Anna was way too pure "Uncle Eren. Are you ok?" Taking her hand, he placed it over the spot where Viren had hit his stomach "I'm all better now. Thank you for asking" "Why can't I feel anything?" "Because they're still really small. When they get bigger you'll be able to feel them" "Can you feel them?" "Yeah. It feels like bubbles in my belly" "My mum likes to stick straws up her nose and blow bubbles into her milk" Anna sounded equal parts impressed and revolted "I promise I won't do that. Why don't you pick something to watch?" "Ok!" Turning his attention to Viren, he pulled his grumpy son into his lap "Hey, baby. Mummy missed you" Kissing his son's cheek, Viren let out a sigh "I want dad" "He's going to be home, once work is done" "He's always at work" "I know, but he's working hard so he can buy you all the things he likes" "Uncle Eren, why don't you have a job?" "Because if I had a job, who would look after you two?" "I suppose that makes sense... but you're an adult" "I am. And I used to have a job, but now I'm... I'm taking time off because I'm having two babies" "So you don't have to work when you're having babies?" "It's a little different for everyone. Besides, I thought you liked hanging out with me" "I do. I wish you lived with us. That way I could see you all the time" "That's a very sweet thing to say, but what would Levi and Viren do?" Viren escaped his hold, kicking him leg as he pouted "I just need dad" "Then I'll take Eren" "No! He's my mum. Not yours" "Ok, you two. How about we watch movies until Levi comes home? Anna, you get to chose the first one" Because he'd told her to, with the hopes she'd be more interested in it than asking questions. Ignoring his son's anger, Eren wrapped his arm around his son, forcing him into cuddles. He didn't mean to upset Viren by talking to Anna, but he also didn't want to upset Anna by ignoring her. Kids could be worse than drunk alpha's when it came to being upset over small things... Anna didn't stop talking the whole length of the movie, nor the second one. Half the time Eren wasn't even sure what she was talking about, while Viren had fallen asleep against him. Trying to pay attention to the girl, she scolded him more than once for zoning out. He couldn't help it. He was ignoring the fact he needed to use the bathroom as it was, and trying to look like he wasn't counting down the seconds until Levi came home. Nope. It was no good. Extracting himself from Anna and Viren's hold, he bopped Anna on the nose before excusing himself to the bathroom... he'd barely gotten to the toilet when Anna's voice came through the door, continuing her story. At least she didn't have a tantrum over being shut out the bathroom. Viren was far too young to understand space and privacy, and the idea of "going to the toilet in peace". Trying to tell Anna to head back to the sofa and that he'd be done shortly didn't work either, the girl starting some story about Hanji on the toilet that he didn't need to hear about. By the time he got out the bathroom, Anna had moved back to the sofa and was yelling out her story. His aching head didn't appreciate the girl's loud voice, while the side of his stomach didn't appreciate Viren's hard kick. Walking past the sofa, Anna leapt up and followed him into the kitchen "What are you doing?" "I'm taking some medicine for a headache" "What medicine?" "It's for adults" "Mummy gives me this gross liquid when I'm sick. Is it the same thing?" They were both paracetamol, so kind of "Yeah. This is just the adult version" "It's gross. You shouldn't take it" "If I don't take it, I won't feel better" "Maybe you just need to do a big poo. My mum says..." It was now that Levi finally arrived to save him. Hearing the creak of the door, Anna span on the spot "Uncle Levi! Uncle Eren needs to poo" Choking on the water from the bottle he grabbed off the counter, stupidly thinking he was safe because she was distracted, Levi raised an eyebrow at him "Does he, now?" "Yep! He has a head... what did you call it again?" "A headache. I have a headache. Welcome home" "It's good to be home. I brought Chinese" Locking the door, his mate walked over to drop the bags of takeaway food on the table, before lifting Viren into his hold. The boy waking and joyously crying for Levi as hugged him "Hey, brat. Did you have a good time at Aunty Hanji's" "He's been asking for you the whole time. And he kicked Uncle Eren more than once" Dammit Anna "Did you kick your mum? You know that's very naughty" "He did" "Alright. That's enough, Anna. Why don't you go sit down on the sofa while I organise dinner" "Uncle Eren, he hurt you" "It's ok. He didn't mean to" "It's not ok. No one hurts my Uncle" "Viren's been naughty and he knows it... Uncle Levi and I will talk about it after dinner. Uncle Levi has to take a shower now, so why don't you watch something?" Anna sighed, slouching forward as she dragged herself to the sofa. Sitting Viren down, Levi grabbed the bags of food back up, moving them to the dining table before continuing into the kitchen. Wrapping his arms around him, Levi gave him a small kiss before hugging him properly "Are you ok?" "It's a little tender, but he was jealous that Anna was giving me attention" "No bleeding?" "Not that I saw. We need to talk later, once the kids are in bed" "I can smell it on you. Something happened" "I've officially been subpoenaed, and not just summoned. Floch came earlier and there's stuff to talk about. There's papers on the table about it" "Eren..." "Not right now. Not in front of the kids" "You should have called" "You were working. He made me angry, but that was about it" "Hmm. I don't like it" "I know. Thanks for bringing home dinner. Anna has been talking non-stop and I didn't want to disturb Viren" "I'm not impressed" "Then maybe you need to poo" Levi laughed, nodding as he did "Maybe I do. But it sounds pretty crap to me" Eren groaned "A poo joke. Are you shitting me?" "I knew I fell in love with you for a reason" "Mmm. Go take a shower. I'll get dinner organised" Having more dining chairs made dinner easier. The table wasn't massive, so he could sit between Anna and Viren without getting trouble with either of them. Viren didn't want to eat anything Levi didn't give him, while Anna was asking Levi question after question. The alpha patiently answering every single one, while talking to Viren at the same time. With the three of them talking, he didn't have to contribute. He was free to sit there and brood over Floch, as he also fought the desire to simple faceplant into his food and sleep like the dead "Eren?" Blinking owlishly at Levi, Eren couldn't hide his yawn "How about I give the kids their bath, while you stack the dishwasher?" Levi was perfection personified. Bath time was way too much effort after having to adult, and then listen to Anna "Mmm... then I'll do story time. I made up the bed up, so both kids can sleep in my old room" "Alright. We'll divide and conquer" Viren wanted to sleep in his own bed, which meant reading the same book twice to the kids. He didn't even need the book, the words so deeply imprinted on his brain, he wondered if his intelligence suffered for it. He'd tried to hint to Anna to choose another one, but the girl didn't want to have it. Stumbling into Levi's room, his mate was messing with their blankets as he wrapped his arms around him "Everything ok?" "It is now" "Do you want to help me straighten these out? What book was it?" "What book is it always?" "That depends on who's asking" "I don't even need the book anymore" Laughing, Levi turned in his hold "It can't be that bad... I know they're no Chronicles of Narnia, but..." "Levi. I know it word for word" "I'm sure you don't. Now go grab the other side of this for me" Taking a deep breath, Eren recited as he moved to the other side of the bed "You cannot rhyme, It is a crime, If you rhyme, you must do the time. It is a crime, If I do rhyme, But why must I do the time? You must do the time, Because to rhyme, Is to commit a crime. But why is rhyme a crime? Why can't I rhyme all the time? I can mime my rhyme! I came rhyme with time... Or dime! Or even Lime! I can rhyme on a ship, With a pirate with a fat lip! I can rhyme on the beach, As I eat a juicy peach! I can rhyme in the bath, Or down the garden path! I can rhyme in the car, As we go very far! I can rhyme to the mouse, That lives in my house. I can rhyme to my bed, Where I rest my sweet head. I can rhyme to my sister, As she dresses my blister. I can rhyme at the pig, wearing a wig As he dances a jig! I can rhyme on the busses, As my mother fusses. I can rhyme to my feet, As they tap out a beat. I can rhyme on my bike, Or as we go for a hike! I can rhyme to the cat, As he drinks milk thick and fat! I can rhyme, I can rhyme, I can rhyme! But you cannot rhyme, It a crime. Then I shall be the naughtiest child in the world! I'll do the time, For my crime, As I rhyme!" Over their blankets, Levi stared at him "I told you I know the stupid thing off by heart" "I think it's time that book too a little walk" "Then you're the one stuck explaining it to both of them" Climbing in on his side of the bed, Eren let out a long sigh "I really hate that book" "That's not what it sounded like to me" Climbing in on his own side, Eren reached out for Levi, pulled his alpha close "I do. And we need to talk about the... Floch thing... but right now, I'm too tired" Interrupting his sentence with two loud yawns, he yawned a third time as he nuzzled into Levi's chest "I have two appointments I have to attend and... I have to testify" "I thought you said you're tired" "I am... I just wanted to make sure you knew" "I knew. I know. Oh ho ho" Eren groaned, weakly slapping Levi's arm "No more. I'm too tired" "Alright then. I love you" "Mmm. I love you, too. That book should be some kind of torture device" "Only for you"

[choicestrash]

Utopia

"We are made of all those who have built and broken us.” – Atticus

Rated: T for dark themes.

Word Count: 2023

A/N: This is my entry for Round 18 of Choices Create, hosted by @kittenmusicals and @hollyashton! I kinda deviated from the prompt (and overwrote which is why this is kinda late) but hopefully not too much oops hahaha. Set in the trilogy of The Crown and the Flame and focuses on the dynamic between Hex and Whitlock.

Hex had never seen such a crude prosthetic in her life. Scraps of metals were being held by wires that looked as if they would be snapped by the smallest of strains, pulling the barely hand-like contraption together. Devious handiwork must have been behind the design, since it had survived the labyrinth (perhaps with the aid of prayer).

The fact that it had been put together by a boy no more than fifteen astonished her. It seemed to still be receptive to touch, given the almost indistinguishable flex of pain made after one of the other Technocrats clasped the shoulder of the young boy in pride. Yes, this boy was indeed a wonder, positively brimming with potential that had yet been realised.

Even aside from the raw spectacle of his prosthetic, the boy had proved himself well worthy of citizenship at the Foundry, having managed to survive the dozens of traps laid around the Foundry. Without outside help too, it seemed, assuming from the fact that the boy had nothing on his back aside from his own clothes. And the marvellous prosthetic.

For the entire time Hex had stood there, the boy had made no attempt to move, a lost expression on his face. That confirmed her hypothesis: the boy was indeed truly alone, unaccompanied on the journey he had undertaken. For all the accomplishments the boy had made today, he was still a young boy who had been desperate enough to walk through a deathtrap in search for sanctuary.

What horrors had he faced outside to drive him so?

Hex narrowed her eyes at the gathering crowd, glancing daggers at her fellow Technocrats. “I understand that this boy had done something quite, remarkable, but I will take him from here.”

The boy met her glance, fear creeping in his gaze as Hex marched over to him, parting the crowd that had come to observe. Shrank against her outstretched arm, an attempt at gaining his trust. He was so young.

Hex softened her gaze. “I’m not going to hurt you. What’s your name?”

He paused, as if weighing the options in his mind. Oh, he definitely was bright. “Whitlock,” he said, after a beat.

“Whitlock, that’s an impressive prosthetic who’ve got there. I’ve never seen such spectacular work on the wiring.”

“Really?” a bright smile made its way on Whitlock’s face, who had unconsciously scratched the back of his neck. “I mean, wow! One of the legendary Technocrats actually impressed! It’s just, I never expected it since the wiring is a little faulty on the index finger, and—“

“Slow down, Whitlock, or you’ll trip over your own tongue.”

“Oh! Sorry, uh,”

“Hex, and you don’t have to apologise. What would you say to becoming my apprentice?”

“Yes!”

She’d keep her word. She’d take him in, let him flourish in a world even if the outside had let him down, keep him from the evils the world offered. Including her own.

Whitlock had indeed flourished, under her care and guidance. She’d become quite taken with him, and he had returned the same. Hex often found herself filling in the role of a mother, his building block to the glory that she was certain he was heading for.

“I’m home!” said boy called from the front door, lugging some gears for their stash.

Hex smiled and called him over. “Whitlock! Your timing couldn’t have been better, my most astute apprentice. I have something I want to show you.”

He moved forward, dropping the bag in front of the table. “Is that another device for the Labyrinth? What does it do?”

“I’ll show you!” grasping Whitlock’s shoulder, Hex steered him to the opposite end of the table. “Come here, yes, this side of the table. Wouldn’t want you in the line of fire.”

Hex could feel Whitlock’s eyes boring into her, watching her every move with an unbidden curiousity. Sweet boy, never change. Lightning strikes across the room, bathing the room in an electric blue, stopping just short of the opposite end. A mini heatwave, if you may.

“Whoa! How did you get it to store that much charge? What material did you use for the wires? Mine are always overheating!” He bounded over towards the contraption, observing the wires with admiration.

“I’m glad I can still impress you! This will be a fine addition to Labyrinth section 11. Though,” Hex paused, taking in the somewhat singed air, “can you imagine what this would do to a fully-armoured knight? You could strike down armies, easy as swatting flies.”

Whitlock went rigid, his face clouded with conflict.

“Oh dear, I know that look on your face. Speak your mind, Whitlock. You know I value everything you say.”

“It’s just… It’s just that it shouldn’t be so easy to kill.” Whitlock looked at the floor, eyes downcast.

“I, see. So how easy should it be?”

He talked of fairness and equality, of how both lives should be in equal danger. For all the talent he has, the naiveté was ever present. How he still retained it was beyond Hex. Hadn't he learnt that the outside world was cruel and vicious?

He was the walking embodiment of reality, an orphan spat out by the harshness of conquering kingdoms, left less whole than before. He'd seen it with his own two eyes, the destruction curling up from his own town, extinguished as if it were a mere blight in its glory. How could he still carry those wonderful visions of a peaceful utopia?

I wish it could be true, sweet boy.

"Tell me it isn't true, tell me–"

"Are you really trying to explain away evidence because you don't like what it's pointing to? I taught you better than that."

She should've been more careful, should've stashed the plans deeper within the cabinets, should've shredded the notes of praise from the kingdoms. For Whitlock has now seen, seen the monster she had tried in vain to cloak in secrecy.

She didn't want this. All she ever wanted was for him to see the utopia he had so desperately dreamt for, and for that, she was willing to go behind his back to make way for his dream. So as long as he does not see.

But now he's standing in front of her, chin locked as he stares her down, his eyes staring at anything but her.

"Hex, I'm sorry, but by the authority given to me by the people of the Foundry, I hereby revoke your citizenship."

Fitting. The one she raised is the one throwing her out. Survival of the fittest.

Hex doesn't know what she said, in the fit of fury and simple confusion over what had transpired, but Whitlock's now backing away, his prosthetic – the very same she'd help him to make – grazing the walls of the foundry as a metal creature bounded in front of him.

"Oh!" The Mechataur loomed over her, nostrils slightly flaring as it raised an arm between them. He'd thought she was going to hurt him. "Oh, Whitlock, you know I'd never hurt you."

Whitlock, the very same boy who had looked at her with rapt wonder as she demonstrated one of her inventions, the same sweet boy who had stayed up late telling her of all his big dreams for a better world, was scared of her.

"Please, Hex, just go."

He still wasn't looking at her.

She turned around. "I hope you're right, sweet boy, about everything."

The door slammed shut between them.

One more down. King Luther will most definitely be pleased. One more to the peaceful reign.

After this waste area is demolished, there'll be more room for conquest, more room for the people to live in safety, without the oppression of the brutes who simply wanted to rule for power. More space for the utopia.

A safer world, a better world for–

"Hex?"

She snapped around, dagger at ready, until she lands on the broken boy.

"Whitlock?"

Crimson stained his clothes, his prosthetic chipped near the wrist. She blinked, once, twice.

"You said he wouldn't be here!"

Feral rage flooded her entire being, fueled by the blood that flowed from Whitlock's one good arm. The guard beside her didn't even have time to blink as she rammed the device into his neck, his body jolting with less pain and anguish that swirled around her.

Whitlock was hurt, on the account of her. He'd seen everything, the pain and the death and the destruction that lay beneath her. The winter before the spring, the dystopia before utopia.

He'd seen it all.

"Whitlock! Wait!"

He'd started running, blood splattering the wreckage-filled ground that was once his home. Their home. Smoke rose between them as she gave chase, never quite reaching him as he shut door after door between them.

He was so far away, metal and cogs barricading them when it had brought them together.

"Whitlock!" her voice was raised, earning her another flinch from his already weakened body. His back was facing her, wrecked fingers scrambling to pull more walls between them.

"You... weren't supposed to see this. They told me you were away, still following that Rys girl around the Five Kingdoms."

He didn't listen, mumbled something that sounded faintly like a threat. The inferno raged on behind them, crackling wood and clattering metal crashing around them.

A door slammed hard in her face, missing her by centimetres. "Whitlock... Whitlock! Come back here! Do you have any idea what I've done for you, for the world?"

He didn't reply. Didn't he know that she valued everything he said?

The howling winds answered her, the empty space that stretched between the two.

"Whitlock..." she tore her nails on the wall, metal unforgiving.

One obstacle brought down for peace. One obstacle brought up between her and her sweet boy.

Whitlock's aiming a crossbow at her, hands wavering with the weight.

Her sweet, precious boy preparing to kill. Everything he's ever been against.

"All I ever... wanted was to protect you from the evils of the world."

She built him up, nurtured him and let him flourish, a young boy who could only comprehend the good in people. Even after he had lost all he held dear.

His aim didn't waver.

"I should n-never have taken you in... but you were so brave, and so bright! I thought– I thought maybe if you never saw who I really was..."

Neither did his expression.

Her actions had driven him to kill. Oh gods, what had she done? Whitlock, who wouldn't even harm a measly fly, begging her to wait for the insect to fly away before testing. And he was now poised to end a human life. With his own hands.

No.

She's not going take that away from him.

Not his last wisp of innocence.

She ripped her dagger out of its hilt, silver flashing in the dim light.

"Hex, stop, I'm warning you! I'll... I'll pull this trigger, I–"

"No. You won't."

The blade felt cool against her skin.

"I won't let my sweet boy become a murderer."

Hundreds upon thousands of Luther's forces killed. On the account of Whitlock's inventions, the wires and circuits he'd put together personally. All because of her.

All the souls that haunted him, made present in his weary eyes that burned with hate and surprise.

She'd do this one thing for him, even when she knew it was not enough.

"Just promise me... promise that you won't follow the same path I did."

Whitlock will succeed where she had failed. Whitlock will rise above the broken pieces of his past, the pieces she herself had unknowingly destroyed, and build the world she had failed to make. He'd be better than her, kindness and empathy the leading force.

The utopia he'd always wanted. Forged from his actions. The right ones.

"Promise me that you'll stay my sweet boy–"

"No!"

After all that, he's saving her. After he had pointed a crossbow at her.

He still wanted to save the same soul that had broken the very one she built.

Hex had never seen a purer soul.