#WAIT WOULD THAT ALSO BE THE REASON WHY THEY LEARNED WHAT IT WAS FROM CASSANDRA??????? BC HER AND/OR HER FAMILIAR DID IT????? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

evilphrog · 7 days ago

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I hope you don't mind, but this was so on point and inspired so many feelings that I wrote an essay in response to your essay.

he is downplaying his experiences!! but not by not acknowledging them but by comparing them to others and finding his own trauma wanting!!

You just made me realize something that I can’t share because of (very minor) spoilers, but my mind is BLOWN!

the aftermath of the torture he was all about getting the healing he needed, and yet he still doesn't seem to have the coping mechanisms that he should

This bit: Yes. And I love it. The whole series is sort of an in-depth exploration of different ways trauma can impact people based on different factors. Back on Pallimustus, he had a number of protective factors that he no longer has on Earth. Close friends, mentors with similarly traumatic experiences, a society that prioritizes mental health, a therapist who understands the concept of soul trauma, built-in downtime, etc. One of my favorite things about the book is that it shows how his PTSD issues from the starseed event come back to compound the experiences he has on Earth, and how his learned coping skills aren’t usable in his new environment.

He doesn't downplay his pain as much when he can't find something to feel guilty about or when it only affects him.

Oh dang. Wait, that’s totally true also. I never recognized it before. So that’s why the starseed event was so fundamentally shattering to him. There was no possible way to argue that someone else had it worse. Every time he asked if other people had been through the same thing, he kept being told no. That he was the first to fight it off and survive. Holy cow. His main coping mechanism of “someone has it worse than me” stopped being effective, so he was starting to unlearn it. Then he got snapped right back into it because, relative to almost everyone else on Earth, he WAS in an arguably better position (arguably here being a term meaning “Jason could convince himself this was true” as opposed to “most reasonable people would believe this”).

Jason is more willing to be vulnerable with friends than he is with his romantic partners.

YES. Totally spoiler free moment of my own theories (formed partway through book 5, at basically the same point you are now). I think Jason views romantic partners as a completely distinct category from friends. Friends are people you can be vulnerable around. Girlfriends are people you wow and dazzle and keep impressed, because if you don’t, they will immediately get sick of you for being clingy or needy. (clingy and needy is how Jason would describe it. Displaying a normal range of emotions is how mentally healthy people would describe it). Notice that with Cassandra he never talks about how he feels about her. He tells her “you’ll miss me” and “you think I’m sexy” and such, but he never actually mentions his own feelings. It’s like he’s putting on a performance of what he thinks a Boyfriend (™) is supposed to act like. Going into it with Asya, I think part of his hesitancy is that he knows he’s a mess, and sees the power imbalance. But another part is that she remembers him as a loser teenager, and knows his actual vulnerabilities. He can’t impress her, and she already knows that he is “clingy and needy.”

I think, deep down, he intentionally doesn’t pursue romance with anyone he feels truly safe and vulnerable around, for a couple reasons

He knows he is good at manipulation. He is good at predicting the way others will respond to things. This makes him distrustful of his own behavior. He doesn’t think of anything he does as organic. When he expresses his emotions, part of his brain is calculating how people will respond to them, and factoring those things in. Because of these skills/traits, he doesn’t trust anyone’s reactions to him. He thinks he tricked them into behaving that way. If someone likes him, it’s because he tricked them into thinking he was likable. If someone shows sympathy, it’s because he manipulated them into feeling bad for him. If someone is kind, it’s because he’s giving them something they want/need.

He sees himself as this emotional black hole that sucks in everyone’s time, attention, and patience. He thinks he expresses his emotions in an inherently unlovable way, and that this is what drove Amy away, and that it is a fundamental flaw. He needs a LOT of attention and reassurance at all times. He thinks if he spreads that out amongst several close friends, he can avoid burning out any one person, but that if he puts it on a romantic partner, it will be too much for them to bear. This is a belief that has been reinforced by his life experiences. Note that he only blames Amy for her betrayal when he is talking to her, Kaito, or his mom. With everyone else, he says he was at fault. He says he manipulated her into dating him, and then took too much and kept her trapped because she felt like she couldn’t just end it without destroying him. That’s what he genuinely thinks happened.

He thinks that keeping a layer of detachment will lessen the sting of rejection when it inevitably comes. The situation with Amy shook him to his core. He never wants to experience that again. By only dating people he doesn’t “need,” he keeps the romantic part of his life compartmentalized so that when it ends, he still has the rest of his life to fall back on. This is most evident with Farrah. He had a crush on her, right up to the point where she realized how vulnerable he actually felt, and became the main person teaching him how to cope with that. Then suddenly his feelings towards her were “friend and mentor.” He realized he needed her, therefore, she could never be a romantic option. He was into Sophie (even if he never acted on it), right up until she actually became an option. Then he realized he needed her to balance him out. Therefore, they could never date. Note that his attempt to avoid the sting of rejection doesn’t work. Cassandra breaks up with him and he runs off for 2 weeks without telling anyone. And what does he do during that time? He is EXTRA useful to hundreds of strangers who he doesn’t have a personal attachment to, but who now are personally grateful to him.

All these factors bring him to the baseline conclusion that romantic love is mutually exclusive with friend love. Romantic love is superficial and transactional. With romantic love, you need to stay on your best behavior, because otherwise you are a clingy, manipulative jerk who deserves to be betrayed. . Friend love is deep, vulnerable, supportive, and mutually uplifting. This is also why he calls himself straight. He has extremely close friendships with guys he describes as super hot, but he needs them. Therefore he can’t be romantically interested in them, therefore he is straight even though he thinks guys are super sexy. He exclusively dates girls who fit his mental concept of Girlfriend (™) when they pursue him, but not anyone he loves, because that is a totally different thing that does not belong in a relationship. Because it’s clingy and needy. Gosh he’s a mess.

okay. time for the romantic entanglement analysis thingymabobber. I'm using my laptop so you know things are serious (and also that my grammar and typing will be better lmao).

okay. this is becoming really long, so I'm gonna put one of those keep reading barriers.

So, the thing is, is that I like Cassandra and Asiao. Like I like them as characters and they are also likable. Fun to read and pretty well-rounded for side characters. They don't have as much depth as like, Jason or Sophie or Farrah, but they're not as important to the narrative as those three are, and they're characterization is on par with other characters of their same importance, like Danielle Geller. Amy is a good character but I don't like her on a personal level due to my extreme bias towards Jason. I like her, but also like what the fuck Amy?? why would you do that? (I know why but it's still a dick move.)

So, we have established that I like all of Jason's current and past romantic entanglements (girlfriends as they are usually called lmao). But I don't necessarily like them with Jason. This isn't because I ship him with someone else, but because I feel that they are not really great matches with him. and also that he really shouldn't be dating anyone.

They are all clearly not endgame, and I find their dynamics to be relatively... not shallow, but not emotionally vulnerable to the extent they should be. Maybe I'm just a romantic at heart, but for romantic partners of the kind Jason seems to be seeking out, they do not have the depth of bond that is wanted in those relationships. And I feel that they never would have them.

I just realized this whole thing is gonna be so rambly oh my god. I'm so sorry in advance.

but anyway, Jason doesn't trust a lot of people. He may seem to, but he doesn't. not with himself. His reaction to emotional upheaval is still to run away and hide his pain, as shown in the aftermath of Makassar (I think this is the right city. Unlike character names, I can actually look up cities in Indonesia and how to spell them. Yay!!). he may trust Asiao with the secret of the door and of saving the world, but he would not so readily bare his heart. And I know I'm contradicting what he does in canon. Because he often talks about how bad he's doing, but that's because he's doing so bad. I firmly believe that if he were given moments to rest he would downplay things. WAIT NO HE STILL DOES THAT. JUST NOT IN THE WAY IM THINKING. I FUCKING KNEW I WAS RIGHT. he is downplaying his experiences!! but not by not acknowledging them but by comparing them to others and finding his own trauma wanting!!

what's so surprising about that though is that in the aftermath of the torture he was all about getting the healing he needed, and yet he still doesn't seem to have the coping mechanisms that he should. I don't know, he's both aware that he's doing poorly, has skills to work on it, but still downplays his own pain but only when comparing it to others.

waiiiiit. I think I'm figuring something out here. If Jason and someone else were tortured together, he would be more worried about them than himself even if he was worse off. or he'd feel guilty that he didn't get them both out sooner. He doesn't downplay his pain as much when he can't find something to feel guilty about or when it only affects him. I think I'm getting more of a handle on Jason's responses to trauma and stuff.

FUCK THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT HIS GIRLFRIENDS OH NO. tangent over. back to romance!!

okay! so! what's interesting is that Jason is more willing to be vulnerable with friends than he is with his romantic partners. Farrah knows him best and while she also has waaaaayyyy more knowledge about Jason and has seen him through more things, I can't imagine him having the easy kind of trust between him and Asiao. Which Farrah even acknowledges. that these are two different kinds of trusts, and it's not surprising Asiao can't trust him completely yet.

but the other thing is, is that both of his relationships that develop within the series start immediately as romance. Well, I mean Asiao starts as high school acquaintances, but when he comes back their relationship develops quickly to romance. Cassandra was immediately romantic. I feel that Jason would have a better relationship, a deeper one, if they started as friends and developed more into romance over time. But I wonder if he'd ever be willing to do that again due to what happened with Amy. If he'd be willing to pursue a friend romantically when the last time that happened she married his brother.

What's also interesting is in who pursued who in his relationships. He wanted Amy first and (from what we are told) seemed to... not pressure, but something less manipulative in the same vein, her into a relationship. We are also told that she only accepted his advances when he started taking an interest in Asiao. As this is all told from either perspectives too close to the relationship at hand or too far, I'm taking all of that with a heaping spoon of salt.

With Cassandra, he started the flirtation, but it seems to have been mutual in its growth. To be honest, Cassandra has been my favorite of Jason's love interests, though Asiao might be my favorite of the three women as characters if we ignore the romance-Jason aspects.

With Asiao, she basically pursued him. Yes he was open to it, but he wasn't seeking it out. If he was really invested in trying to date her, he might have tried to get the bracelet and see if she'd be willing to wear it try some dates. But he didn't. he even says that he's not as emotionally invested in the relationship as she is, though he feels he could become more invested. (If my theory is true, he is becoming more invested only to BE FUCKING STABBED IN THE BACK.)

anyway, I don't know if the above means anything, but eh.

OH!! as to why Jason shouldn't be dating anyone: he has so much unresolved trauma surrounding romantic relationships. He has said over and over that he does not have to get over Amy and Kaito's betrayal, that he hasn't gotten over it, and that he doesn't plan on getting over it. I honestly believe this man should not be dating anyone until he works through that. I don't care that I haven't seen any noticeable trauma responses when it comes to his relationships. He may not be hurting anyone due to his unresolved trauma, but I doubt it's healthy for him. I need this man to go on vacation with his friends and just chill. No dating. no monsters. no nothing. just him and his family and his friends who are family.

anywho, this is the post! as always, pls no spoilers

#hwfwm #hwfwm book 5 #he who fights with monsters #jason asano

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wallflowerimagines · 3 years ago

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Hi! if your not busy or backed up could you do the four lords( and possibly the dimitrescu daughters totally cool if you dont) helping a s/o who's stressed about starting college

I'm cracking my knuckles right now. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!

Warning: Some unhealthy behaviors? You call these dorks out on it though.

Alcina Dimitrescu

Initially, you're stoked! College is a big deal for anyone at any age, and you're thrilled to check off this box on your list of accomplishments. It's a big deal!

A...really, really big deal...

Your internal monologue becomes a mess of "Oh god, oh fuck, oh no", on loop, ad infinitum. There's a lot to consider here, and with every new thought you just get even more stressed.

The minute Alcina sees you in this state, she pulls you in for a hug, plays with your hair, and talks you through your feelings. Do you really want to go to college, or do you feel forced into it? Are you worried about the distance? The amount of work? Do you want her to hire tutors instead?

She very much takes a logical, structured approach to addressing your worries. If it's a problem with paperwork, she can have someone handle it for you. If it's general stress she very efficiently talks you through your feelings. If there's someone in particular that's making you feel this stressed, they'll just disappear. No muss, no fuss.

Alcina dissects any possible reasoning you might have to be pressured until it's such a non-issue you feel almost silly for being panicked at all.

Still, she promises to call you every day, if you need her. Honestly, she expects you to call as often as possible, because she's going to miss you like crazy. But she will always be there for you, Darling. Don't you ever worry about that.

Donna Beneviento

College? You're leaving? 🥺

Donna's not trying to guilt you, but the thought of being away from you for an extended period of time is extremely stressful. It's not quite separation anxiety, but it's close.

Something might happen to you if you're away from the Manor for too long! What if you need help and she can't get to you? What if someone tries to hurt you? Donna might be sheltered, but she's heard things about what happens at Colleges, and not all of it is good.

Considering the fact you're also stressed about this situation, it's not a great combination. Both of you are very emotional at the moment, so there's a likelihood that this might cause one or both of you to have a little breakdown.

Instead of your normal fun, relaxing nights together, the lead up to your departure gives your nights a different atmosphere. You're on the floor of the sitting room, sifting through paperwork with a devastated look on your face, while Donna is nearby and trying hard to pretend this isn't happening.

One of you is going to break first, and the confrontation is not going to be pretty or easy. It's a build up of a bunch of emotion, and both of you just sob while holding each other tightly. You vent your worries to Donna, and she explains her concerns to you, and while you guys might not solve all of those dilemmas in one night, both of you do feel better after having explained your anxieties to each other. Communication is key for this to work out, and both of you need comforting.

Donna winds up building you a brand new doll with a piece of her Cadou in it. It's a new member of the family, specifically crafted to keep an eye on you and help you two communicate over long distances. If something goes wrong, or you two miss each other so badly you can't stand it anymore, you two talk through this new friend and immediately feel connected. The distance doesn't feel so great anymore <3

Salvatore Moreau

HYPED! (Devastated)

Moreau adores you, and he is so, so happy you're going to go pursue your dreams. He can't wait to hear about all the things you've experienced, all the people you meet...

You're going to make tons of new friends, he just knows it!

(You're going to meet someone else, someone better, and you're going to leave him. He just knows it. )

Moreau will never tell you how he really feels about you leaving. You could have a full blown panic attack, and he will hold you close, comfort you, reassure you, and do his absolute best to make you feel better. Meanwhile he is absolutely trying to bury the fact that he thinks you're going to meet your perfect partner at college, abandon him, and live your own version of happily ever after.

It might sound silly to you, but it's a genuine concern for him. He's a monster, and you're about to leave to spend time with a bunch of normal people. As he holds you close and convinces you that the things you're stressed about are easily solvable and are tasks that he could help you with, internally he's absolutely convinced that once you leave, you're going to find your soulmate on campus.

The last thing he wants to do is add to your stress, so unless you can read him well, it's likely you'll never know how worried he is. He's so focused on comforting you and making sure you feel confident enough to handle your next adventure that his own worries take a backseat.

He'll be less concerned if you call him and tell him about your day. It reassures him that you love him, even from afar, and his own stress dissolves when you start to ramble about how much you miss him. 💕

Karl Heisenberg

It's cute that you think you're leaving him behind.

You two are a team, did you seriously expect that he'd be alright with you leaving? With you trying to go to a campus where he can't get to you if something goes wrong?

Heisenberg reacts like an upset pet or a clingy child when it comes to the idea of you leaving for college. He knows it's not forever, and he knows you're coming back--that's not his problem.

His problem is the fact that you're leaving at all.

You two are partners-- a perfect match. He's had this idea in his head ever since you both became a couple that the two of you would hardly ever be apart. Now that you're going to be out of his sight for longer than a week? It's preemptively triggering separation anxiety. He's not happy.

He genuinely tries to get you to take exclusively online courses if you aren't already, just so that you stay with him.

He's so consumed by the concept that you'll be away from him that it takes a while for it to click that, uh, this attitude of his? Not helpful.

You're twice as stressed as you were before, and now you're also angry at Heisenberg for pulling all of this childish nonsense. You love him, but he's being an incredibly insensitive dumbass, and you've got to call him on it.

Phones exist. Skype exists. Hell, the two of you can write letters to each other if you want. It's not like he won't ever get to talk to you! All he's doing is adding to your stress and making you feel worse about a big decision that you've already made, and that's not okay! If he's supposed to be your "perfect match", why isn't he being more supportive?

That snaps him right out of it. While Karl still sulks a bit, he puts on his big boy pants and gives you a proper apology.

Once he's got his head on straight, he's very good at helping you through your worries. Heisenberg will massage your shoulders, talk you through any paperwork you might be having trouble with, and helps you triple check your to-do list. He loves you, and always wants to help, but sometimes he gets carried away.

Just...promise to visit often, alright? He's gonna miss you. 💕

Bela Dimitrescu

Jealous. As. Hell.

She doesn't openly make it obvious, but you know her. You know Bela's little mannerisms and tells, and it's obvious to you that the eldest daughter of the Dimitrescu clan wants to go to college along with you. Unfortunately, due to the fact that she can't easily travel, she can't come along.

It's... not a great situation, considering you're so stressed. You're worried about admissions, being accepted into the classes you need, your curriculum, but Bela doesn't try to comfort you. Instead, she sulks in the background.

Eventually, this blows up between the both of you. You're upset and angry that Bela isn't being more supportive, and Bela is angry that you're the one who gets such an incredible opportunity to leave and explore the world while she's stuck in Dimitrescu Castle.

Why are you stressed? It's an amazing opportunity, it doesn't make sense that you're so worried!

...She's so harsh about it that you might start crying, at which point Bela realizes that she might have fucked up. The last thing she wants to do is hurt your feelings, so she'll pull you into a hug and immediately babble apologies until she's blue in the face.

Once you calm down, you're going to have to explain that just because it looks and sounds fun, College does have challenges of its own. The idea that you get to go learn all sorts of things isn't sunshine and roses--there's a lot of pressure to do well.

Bela is a little quiet after that, but you notice she's much more supportive. She starts to treat your worries more seriously, and even will go to Alcina to try to get some advice on how to help you.

She's still a little envious, but she hides it better now. The last thing that Bela wants to do is stress you out right before you leave. She loves you, and wants your last memories before you go to be positive and something happy that you can look back on when you're away.

Cassandra Dimitrescu

Thrilled for you!

College sounds so exciting! She honestly desperately wants to go with you, but due to the composition of her body, she can't exactly leave the Castle.

She winds up asking you all sorts of questions, following you through the hallways, wondering how you feel about leaving to a brand new place, with brand new people, all of the classes you're going to take....

...It really doesn't help with the anxiety. Cassandra won't leave you alone, and is so fixated on asking you all these questions that it actually makes you worry about things that you hadn't even considered before. What if you hate your Major? What if your professors turn out to be terrible?

Instead of your cheerful responses from before, you start to shut down at all of the questions. Cassandra quickly cues into the fact that something is wrong, and when she asks, all of your worries come pouring out.

Immediately, she pulls you into a hug and apologizes. She didn't mean to stress you out at all, she just wanted to share the experience with you!

Once the two of you clear the air, though? She cracks her knuckles and goes full bookworm.

Cassandra's...not great at staying focused, but she does have a few tips and tricks that she shares with you if it helps.

She also is really great at finding resources that might help you out. Despite her issues focusing on anything other than non-fiction, she does know her way around a library, and will pull any and all reference texts about what you might be studying while you're away.

By the time you're ready to leave Castle Dimitrescu, you've got two years worth of knowledge packed into your head, an optimally organized suitcase, and a lingering kiss from your girlfriend that makes it hard to worry about anything else 💕💕💕

Daniela Dimitrescu

...doesn't handle it well at all.

Daniela doesn't want you to leave. It doesn't matter the situation, it doesn't matter what the context is, you're her partner in crime and she refuses to let you go.

In fact, she tries to sabotage your efforts to leave.

It starts small. Your suitcases mysteriously unpack themselves in the middle of the night. Important papers keep going missing, and you have to reprint a lot of documentation. Your phone disappears for hours at a time.

When all you do is grumble and fix what she's messed with, she gets angrier and escalates. Your laptop goes missing. Your textbooks disappear. You start to question where you left your keys, because they seem to move around the room without your input.

Meanwhile, Daniela is being passive aggressive any time you bring up college. She refuses to talk about it at all with you, and acts like you're not even leaving.

It all comes to a head one day when you burst into tears from all the added stress. This is so, so important to you, and not only are you not getting any help or comfort from your partner, but all of your stuff is going missing!

Daniela immediately feels terrible. As much as she didn't want you to go, the last thing she ever wanted to do was make you cry.

She's not super emotionally mature, so while she comforts you, she has a group of flies separate from the rest and bring back all of your things. You figure it out an call her on it, but she actually looks on the verge of tears herself as she explains to you why she did it. She's so, so sorry, but she doesn't want you to go! She loves you!

You two have a long talk about why this isn't cute, funny or acceptable, no matter her feelings. You might even bring Alcina in on it, just in case. Still, the two of you do work through it, and while Daniela isn't the best with helping with general prep, puts 100% into keeping your mood high.

With time, she finds herself... well not okay with it, but she can now tolerate the idea. As long as you talk to her every day!

(And yes, she calls you multiple times a day when you're gone. Alcina eventually caves and gets her a phone, just so she isn't constantly using the line that Mother Miranda uses to check up on the Castle. The two of you talk so often you barely even have time to miss her💕)

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rachelbethhines · 3 years ago

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Tangled Salt Marathon - A Tale of Two Sisters

So we’ve finally come to what is, in my opinion, the most boring episode of Tangled the Series. Max’s Enemy is forgettable. King Pascal is tedious, but this? This is sleep inducing; as in I literally fell asleep while watching it the first time. Even now, for this review, I struggle to engage with the episode enough to write about it because it’s so redundant. But I’m going to give it an honest try anyways, so here we go...

Summary: Two kids visit Gothel's old house where they are seemingly attacked by her ghost. Rapunzel, learning of this, travels to the house, only to encounter Cassandra, who had been told by Zhan Tiri to investigate rumors. As the two fight once again, they cause the house to tip over and they fall into a mine. After escaping poisonous gas, Rapunzel and Cassandra are attacked by a giant mole and bats. They team up to escape only to stumble upon Gothel’s secret lair.

Wait, Where Are We Again?

The establishing shot shows the snowy mountains that are home to the ‘mountain retreat’ (talked about in QfaD and seen in the Snowball short) and Demanitus’ tomb, which we will visit in the finale. Yet the interior shot that follows showcases the ruins of the Demanitus Device. Knowing the language of film, this would imply that the Demanitus chamber was housed inside the mountains this whole time and not under the capital city like we all thought.

So is the series retroactively claiming that Rapunzel traveled miles underground to get to this thing in Queen for Day instead of just using the tunnels to evacuate her people to the mainland like any other sensible human being would do?

Are we implying that Varian isolated himself from all of society for five weeks while struggling with complex post traumatic stress born from neglect and abandonment, instead of just hanging out near the castle where he could occasionally come up for food and air?

Was the Demantius Chamber connected to Demantius’ Tomb this whole time and couldn’t Rapunzel and the gang just get there from here instead of hiking through the snow?

Also, if the tunnels were built by Herz Der Sonne during the Saporian War, why would they connect back to the mountains and Demantius’s stuff?

I mean I guess this new information isn’t inherently contradictory, but it is convoluted and unnecessary to the plot. Not to mention that it comes at us way too late into the game to register in the audience's minds.

Who The Fuck Is She Talking To?

This is so lame.

Demantius isn’t actually dead, he’s just a monkey and right now he’s probably half way around the world; completely obvious to his ex-girlfriend's taunts. Even if she just thought he was dead, then why wouldn’t she make this speech in front of his actual tomb and, you know, help foreshadow that plot point for later?

This is basically the equivalent of a mean girl, who got dumped, posting her revenge plan in a non-sharable google doc where know one will ever see it. Like, what’s the point? At least ranting on social media gives you an audience, even if your hated foe never sees it, but here, it’s just Zhan Tiri talking to herself like a crazy person for no other reason than to hear herself talk.

That's not very intimating show.

If you need your villain to spoon feed exposition to the audience then you need to at least give said villain someone to talk to. That’s why bad guys in cartoons often have minions and beloved pets. Even in this very show, both Ruddiger and Owl were created so that the two main villains could have someone to exposit too when they were alone.

All this does is showcase how tacked on Zhan Tiri is too the plot, despite being foreshadowed since season one. It’s such a let down, really.

This Is Really Bad Exposition

It’s not quite as bad as the exposition in Race to the Spire, but it’s close.

For starters, we get yet another ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ refence to the eclipse but then no actual explanation for anything.

When is this eclipse suppose to occur?

What does the eclipse do?

How does the eclipse make it possible to steal Raps’ powers later on?

Why does Zhan Tiri have to wait for this eclipse in order to steal both powers? Even if it’s the only way to steal Rapunzel’s, then why can’t Zhan Tiri just take Cass’s powers right now?

What does Zhan Tiri even need Cassandra for now that she is free?

What does Rapunzel and Cassandra’s relationship have to do with any of this? Does it honestly matter if they are fighting or not in order to steal their mojo?

Cassandra is already fully on board with killing her bestie and enslaving others. I would think that rift would be permeant at this point anyways. Why do you need to make extra work for yourself, Zhan Tiri? Why risk losing what you already have?

Also what does this plan actually entail and does it make any logical sense what so ever, or is it more of you babbling like a loon while Cass just goes along with it for funniez?

Don’t You Have Better Things To Do Raps?

This is, yet again, the same problem that we saw in Race to the Spire.

I suppose spending time with little kids is more admirable than wasting time with your drinking buddies in a bar, but I would much rather see the protagonist of a kids show actually taking steps to protect these children that she’s responsible for instead of just pretending like nothing is wrong. Especially since she now knows that a literal daemon is planning on attacking her home.

Also, Did We Get New Models For These Kids?

Ok first off, they can’t even keep the models consistent from shot to shot, as shown here with the little girl’s hair changing color, but they also wasted money building new ones because that girl in blue is clearly taller than when she appeared in Return of the King.

Like, are the artists trying to showcase the passage of time by having the kids physically grow? Because if that is the case, then why didn’t they put in that same amount effort for Varian? He’s the one who would logically grow the most over two years given his age and as a main character that would actually be noticeable to the audience!

This is lazy and also a waste of money. Some of these kids were built just for this one scene here and then never appear again. Meanwhile kids from season one, like the braid sisters, never show up after that season even though they could logically appear here.

It’s so bizarre.

Like what the fuck happened behind the scenes to cause this?

Either way, I’ll take it as further evidence that season three is two years and not one.

You’re Not Helping Rapunzel

This kid is clearly traumatized by something and instead of asking him how he’s feeling, or letting him talk about it, Rapunzel decides to humble brag about her adventures and act like her experiences are universal.

Rapunzel sucks at giving advise and due to her very limited world view has trouble empathizing with people, and the show is trying to pass this off as her being 'wise’ and ‘all grown up’ instead of actually having her learn to be a better person.

Not listening to people is the opposite of maturity show.

I Guess That Proposal From Cassandra’s Revenge Didn’t Count, Huh?

Just say ‘fiancé’. It’s not a dirty word show.

Walking back on established events undermine your story. If you have an on going arc then what happened in the past has to matter going forward. Why invest in something if nothing is treated as being relevant?

How Do These Kids Know Who Gothel Is?

Yeah the children might be familiar of the story of Gothel, now that Rapunzel is back, but that doesn’t mean that they could identify her on sight.

For one, Gothel wouldn’t be caught dead in Corona looking ‘old’. Not only because of her vanity, but also because the royal guard would still be looking for an elderly lady and not a beautiful young woman.

Secondly, even if Gothel frequented the town and was known before Rapunzel’s return, these kids wouldn’t be old enough to remember her. I mean, they’re what? Roughly between four and nine? It’s been years since Gothel’s death at this point and they would have been just babies/toddlers when they would have seen her. You can’t really retain memories from before the age of three.

Finally, why would they associate the abandon cabin in the woods with her? She hasn’t lived there in nearly two decades, and anyone old enough to remember a witch living there probably wouldn’t assume she was the same person who’d kidnapped the princess. Those two stories didn’t interconnect for the mains until Zhan Tiri told them and there’s no reason for random citizens to know about it.

Why Couldn’t We Have Gotten Gothel’s Actual Ghost?

I mean, ghosts have already been established in the series. It wouldn’t have been that far fetched to bring her back as one. They also got Gothel’s voice actor back for the episode anyways, so it’s not like it would have cost them more to write her into the show.

Lastly, the series has been hinting heavily that Gothel was once a Disciple of Demenatius/Zhan Tiri and all of the other disciples have appeared as spirits now. So why wouldn’t Gothel become a ghost like her brethren? She even had unfinished business, as this episode later implies, which is what you need in order for a ghost to remain.

Having Gothel not really appear in the episode isn’t some clever fake out because it doesn’t add anything. There’s no reason for the wax works to exist other then to be shown in promos. Meanwhile there would have been an actual story to explore had you brought her back for real; one that would have connected to the larger narrative.

The episode is a missed opportunity all around.

‘Why?’ Is Right.

We know that Zhan Tiri built this, and we know that she wanted Raps and Cass to find the mirrors in the cabin, but we don’t know to what end.

How does this further her plans for destroying Corona? Didn’t she steal the mind trap last week? Why is she wasting time on this instead of using that?

How does bringing Rapunzel and Cassandra together again ‘brake their bond’? Especially, when it was already broken.

How did she know this would bring them out here, and how was she able to time it just right that they would arrive at the same time?

Also, seeing as how Cassandra is now her pet flying monkey and will do whatever she wishes, why risk that blind loyalty by deliberately exposing her to more hidden ‘truths’?

Furthermore, why risk having Cass kill Rapunzel before the eclipse, seeing as how that’s the only time Zhan Tiri can steal the Sundrop powers?

None of this makes any sense. That’s why it’s not very compelling. I already know going in that nothing is going to come from this episode because the writers won’t let the characters be themselves.

So Does This Take Place Before or After Race to the Spire?

I’m genuinely confused now.

Is Rapunzel trying to warn Cassandra of Zhan Tiri here, and if so, why doesn’t she try again later on? For that matter, why doesn’t try to warn everybody instead of playing games?

And if she’s not, and if Race to the Spire is indeed suppose to come after this episode, then why isn’t Rapunzel more confused by Cassandra’s statement? Shouldn’t she be asking ‘what friend?’ or ‘who?’ at this point.

Pointless Fight Is Pointless

The reason why I find this episode so boring is because it’s just a rehash of every Cassandra vs Rapunzel episode that we’ve gotten since the beginning. Complete with flavorless dialogue that adds nothing, and a ‘resolution’ that doesn’t solve jack shit.

Like I don’t care what these two self absorbed bitches are fighting about any more. You’ve thrown away any good will I might have had for them a season ago. And instead of telling a coherent story, the series has decided to spin it’s wheels by giving us this pointless runaround.

And most of damming of all, there’s no fun side characters to distract us with. This a bottle episode, with only the two main leads and the ultimate big bad, and it is soul crushingly dull and at times outright offensive.

That’s a death knell for any show.

Why Does Gothel Have A Runaway Minecart Roller Coaster Underneath Her Home?

Did she even know this was here? I mean Corona does have actual mines, and yet, she hid her magic study down here for some odd reason... hmmm...

Also who the fuck would build a mine like this with tracks that steep? Neither Gothel nor the Corona mining industry has any reason for such an inefficient design.

Remember When Cassandra Wasn’t A Moron?

Yeah, me too.

I wonder what happened to her. Did the moonstone replace her brains with jello or something?

Cass Isn’t Wrong, Here

Rapunzel’s inability to let go is a fundamental flaw in the character, but the series won't let her own up to that. It instead presents her obsession as being ‘the right thing to do’ and so when she finally does part ways with Cass in the finale it doesn’t feel like a real resolution. Nothing was learned and therefore, nothing was earned.

That and also teaching kids to simp after their abusers is a dangerous message to put into your story.

Just Because She’s Right About Rapunzel, Doesn’t Mean That Cassandra Is More Sympathetic To The Audience

The core problem with the Moonsandra conflict is that it asks the wrong question of the audience. It asks us, “Can Cassandra be saved?” as if that wasn’t already a forgone conclusion. Rather the series should be asking, “Should Cassanda be saved?”

Not leaving someone to die is like the bare fucking minimum of basic human decency. There are plenty of people I dislike but I don't wish death upon them, and if they were in trouble I would at least try to help because I have something called standards and a conscience.

Cassandra clearly doesn’t have this moral frame work. Worse than that, she use to have it, but she abandoned it for petty reasons. So no, there’s no reason for I nor anyone else to root for her redemption.

And there’s no excuse for this behavior either. Zhan Tiri isn’t here and the moonstone isn’t making her crazy. She just doesn’t care.

Bats and Moles Are A Real Downgrade Here

Not only is the internal conflict bland and aggravating, but the external conflict is pretty uninspired as well. We’ve already gotten ghosts, werewolves, and sea monsters. Giant moles is pretty lack luster compared to that, and the bats are just normal bats. The only threating thing in the episode is the toxic gas, but that only becomes a danger whenever Cassandra decides to be stupid, so it’s plot effectiveness is dampened.

So How Did You Do That On Command, And Why Don’t You Ever Use It Again?

If we’re implying that Rapunzel now has control over her powers, then why does she never use them effectively? What about the implication that the Sundrop had a mind of it’s own and would control her hair instinctively? Also, where’s that ‘fuck you, I win’ incantation when you need it?

Ugh, Rapunzel Is Such An Ass

This isn’t charming show.

Rapunzel got what she wanted and she’s still not satisfied. Because here’s the thing; ‘nice’ and ‘mean’ to Rapunzel are just words to describe how friendly you are to her. It has nothing to do with actual manners or common courtesy. She doesn’t give a shit if Cassandra tries to murder people but not being her ‘friend’; not constantly kissing her ass and feeding her validation, well now that’s just unforgivable. And so she pulls this little manipulation tactic through out the episode to try and get Cass to ease back into her ‘role’.

Rapunzel doesn’t actually care about Cassandra’s issues or reaching out to her and ‘saving her’. She just doesn’t want to face rejection, and so she tries to get Cassandra to ‘pretend’ to like her again. Because if everything is outwardly fine and no one is making waves then Rapunzel doesn’t have to deal with crap or face her own failures as a person.

And the most annoying thing of all, is that this could have been a brilliant conflict if the show would just let it play out. Instead the writers chickened out, and threw in a bunch of distractions in a desperate bid to not hold either girl accountable. Zhan Tiri, Gothel, even the moonstone itself are unnecessary, and by including them it weakens the story.

This Doesn’t Go Anywhere

We spend a whole scene pointing out this wall full of symbols and then it just never comes up again. We don’t know what any of this is, what Gothel was up to, nor how this connects back to the current conflict. It’s just... there.

This is the same problem as with the note, the tunnels, and the entirety of the Dark Kingdom. Any lore that gets introduced in this show is fated to be swept up under the rug and ignored. There’s plenty of set ups but no resolutions.

Don’t introduce plot points into your story if you’re not going to do anything with them.

Zhan Tiri vs Demantius and what happened to their disciples, the fate of the Brotherhood and their home, and the generational conflict between Saporians and the Coronians are all far more interesting plots than the Cassandra vs Rapunzel fight because they naturally hold more tension and complexity. The answer to keeping the two mains in the spotlight in not to ignore those other plots but to neatly tie them back into the main plotline. Which could be done, but the series refuses to do so.

I Don’t Mind That The Girls Call Gothel ‘Mother’; I Do Mind That The Series Calls Them ‘Sisters’

It makes sense for Cassandra and Rapunzel to have this knee-jerk reaction.

Like it or not, Gothel did raise Rapunzel. On some level she will always be her ‘mother’ no matter how much time has past. That’s just how abusive relationships work. There’s never a clean break. You can move on, you can heal, but you won’t ever forget.

As for Cassandra, Gothel is the only maternal figure she’s ever known. It doesn’t make sense for her to be so obsess with earning her mother’s love/approval anymore, but I’ll buy the idea that Cass has accepted that Gothel was a parenteral figure in her life and recognizes her as such. It’s just that she should also be smart enough to acknowledge that Cap was a better parent.

However, none of that makes Cass and Raps ‘sisters’.

They weren’t raised together. They don’t share any genes. They even have separate parental figures that have long since replaced Gothel in their lives. Heck, Cassandra can barely even remember Gothel, let alone form any possessive bond with her.

At the time of airing, and even now at times, I've seen plenty of people try to use this ‘sisters’ set up to justify the main conflict of the series... only it doesn’t work because it requires you to ignore everything you know about the characters lives up until this point. Raps and Cass aren’t a Gamora vs Nebula situation, nor a Zuko vs Azula one, or even an Eda vs Lilith. They lack the needed framework in order to keep a jealous rivalry like that going.

Flanderizing Gothel’s Vanity Cheapens Her Character

The Gothel we got in the original movie was far more complex than this. She didn’t kidnap Rapunzel just because she wanted to remain beautiful. She kidnapped her because she didn’t want to die! The only hint we get that Gothel cares about looks is that she preens herself in front of mirror... once.

This is taking that one, half a second scene and turning it up to eleven. It reduces Gothel into nothing more than a stereotype; and it’s a pretty sexist stereotype at that.

Gothel isn't evil because she’s confident and cares about how she presents herself. So what if she enjoys getting compliments, or makes personal v-logs quoting positive things about herself? That has fuck all do with anything. She’s a bad person because she abused a child!

What makes this sexist it’s twofold.

For starters, caring about your looks has been deemed a ‘feminine’ trait in modern society due to cosmetics marketing. So the ‘evil’ woman is framed as being shallow for caring about her appearance and made to look as if that’s all she cares about. While the ‘good’ women in the story are all tomboyish and care about ‘action’ and ‘adventure’, not ‘silly’ things like putting effort into their appearance. Meanwhile, male characters like Eugene and Andrew, are made the butt of a joke for enjoying self-care routines and having confidence in their appearance.

You see the pattern here? ‘Femininity’ is to be shunned while ‘masculinity’ is to be praised. It’s the same backasswards thinking that plaques people who will give their girls a baseball bat but won’t give their little boys a Barbie doll to play with.

Secondly, Gothel isn’t the only person in the series who has abused children. We also have King Frederic, Edmund, and even Rapunzel and Cassandra themselves. We never see them framed in this same negative light because they are either ‘dads’, a.k.a ‘men’, just like the men who wrote the series, or women who present masculine traits that are deemed desirable by other men. (Cassandra is a sexy dominatrix power fantasy while Rapunzel is the manic pixie girl trope)

I’m not saying the writers of this series intentionally hate women or anything, but it’s clear that they do have certain biases and those biases have seeped into the writing. That’s why we needed more women in the writers room to begin with.

But the unfortunate negative stereotyping doesn't stop here folks.

The Gothel of the movie was this stunning woman who used her brains to manipulate people into getting what she wants.

The series just turns her into a lazy wicked witch archetype. Complete with a hooked nose that isn’t present in the original design and gives her actual magic beyond just the healing incantation. Which not only begs the question of why she never used any of that magic in the film, but also brings back up the same racism that the series has struggled with through out its run.

This is just Madame Canardist all over again, and just like then, there are more people in the fandom better equipped to handle that topic. Therefore I shall bring it up in order to call it to attention, but I’ll differ to them in regards to furthering the discussion.

Cassandra Already Knows All This. Why Is She Acting Surprised Here?

Cassandra saw the same flashback we did in Rapunzel’s Return. She already knows that Gothel was a bad person who treated both her and Rapunzel like crap. She shouldn’t be this delusional nor this hung up over someone who did nothing for her other then to push her out of the womb.

Once Again, Why Is Cass Victim Blaming A Baby?

What logic does this hold?

I’m not only asking for Cassandra’s sake here, who’s had her braincells stolen by the writers, I’m also asking the creators.

Who thought this was a good idea? Who thought making a grown woman being bitchy at a baby would be compelling and sympathetic? What possible reason would she have to blame Rapunzel for an event that she had no control over? One that ultimately led to Cass having a decent life with a real parent that cared for her anyways.

I just... It’s so baffling to me. Just why? I legitimately want to know the thought process of such people who apparently can’t comprehend basic reason and logic. How do ya’ll like live? Can you function at all in the real world? How did you wind up working at the most prestigious animation company in the world, running your own show even, when you lack any sort of writing skill, management abilities, or even a basic understanding of how human beings work?

The answer is nepotism; but still...

Can We Talk About How Stupid Zhan Tiri’s Plan Is Here?

So this mirror holds a scene of Gothel being nice to Cass and apparently this is suppose to ‘break’ her ‘bond’ with Rapunzel.... or something... Even when rolling with this premise, it’s still a dumb idea.

How did Zhan Tiri know that Rapunzel and Cass would find this hidden underground lair?

Why did Gothel even have such a lair to begin with? Why didn’t she just keep this all in her actual house?

How much time did Zhan Tiri waste finding this one specific mirror and building that Ghost Gothel wax work?

Why not just give the mirror to Cassandra outright? Why risk getting caught slipping it into Rapunzel’s bag and ruining all that set up?

Cassandra didn’t need any more convincing. She’s proven for several episodes now that she’s fine with killing for Zhan Tiri. Why risk that by putting her into a situation that could bring her doubts to the fore?

Speaking of wasting time and risking what you already have; why aren’t the bad guys using the mind trap that they stole last episode instead?

Crap plans like this are why Zhan Tiri is such an underwhelming villain. She lacks both brains and power. The only reason why she stays on top is because the leads are written to be even dumber than she is.

You Did That To Yourself Cass

Why does Cassandra point at her own face when she says that line?

She’s the one who choose take the moonstone. No one made her do it. She even sang a whole song about how happy she was to have it. Is she only just now noticing that her blue hair looks stupid? Either way she could just ditch the dumb rock at anytime. No one is forcing her to keep it.

Also yes, Rapunzel is full of shit here, as always.

So Why Did Gothel Keep Cassandra Then?

The series tries to pass off this idea that Gothel only kept Cass around to be her slave but that really doesn’t make any sense. It takes a lot of hard work to give birth and raise a baby, and a three year old can’t cook shit.

Gothel is too smart for that. She wouldn’t waste her time nor risk her life in childbirth for such a small return as burnt gilled cheeses for supper. There had to be another reason to keep Cass around and if it wasn’t because Gothel cared about her, in her own selfish way, then what the fuck was it?

I’m Pretty Sure Varian Could Understand

Seeing as how both women here abused him and all.

This is that same self-centered outlook that that has plagued most of the series. Rapunzel is not the only person in the world who has faced abused. Even her own dang boyfriend was neglected as a child and she couldn’t comprehend that.

Even now Rapunzel doesn’t actual care about Cassandra’s experiences or personal feelings on the matter. She only cares about how her ‘friend's’ truama might validate herself.

There’s More To Friendship Then Recalling Past Adventures

None of these random monsters of the week that they're listing off hold any significant meaning to Raps and Cass personally. Over half of them come from episodes that didn’t even focus on their characters. Only the sneeze weasel could potentially be connected to their ‘friendship’, and in that episode they were also fighting over petty shit and learned nothing from it.

In fact fighting is all that they do. Name one episode where they got they A plot and they weren’t at each other’s throats. Go head, I’ll wait...

The answer is there isn’t one. The one time they were shown doing something other then argue was in a B plot during In Like Flynn, waaaay back in season one.

Like, my best friend and I have misadventures that we laugh at from time to time too, but we also do other things. We talk about stuff, we help each other out, we take the time to do fun things together, and we support each other in our endeavors.

Rapunzel and Cassandra never do any of those things. We’re constantly told by the narrative that they’re ‘best friends’ but they don’t act like it. I’ve no idea what they enjoy doing together on their down time, or what they talk about when they aren’t biting each other’s head off. They certainly don’t support each other, help one another, nor even hold basic respect for the other.

Women want to see themselves being written as people in media, but Rapunzel and Cassandra aren’t allowed to be people. They’re props for the story. Puppets for Chris and Ben to play with and then throw away.

I may not like Rapunzel or Cass in this show, but I certainly respect them far more than the writers do.

Oh, Shut Up Rapunzel!

How am I supposed to take this character, and by extension her story, seriously if the writing won’t?

Being positive and naïve is one thing, being fucking delusional during the middle a crisis and smugly rubbing it in other people’s faces is another.

Even Cassandra Succumbs To Playing Second Fiddle To Rapunzel

The real reason why Cass acts dumber than usual this episode is because she’s the only person around besides Rapunzel.

Rapunzel is not allowed to be wrong during season three and must at all times be the ‘hero’ during any situation. Therefore she gets to be presented as the only ‘clever’ one, who comes up with all of the ideas, while Cassandra, someone one who used to be competent, is turned into a meat head who breaks things without thinking.

This the same issue we had back in The Alchemist's Returns, King Pascal, Rapunzelk’s Return, The Lost Treasure, Day of the Animals, ect. ect. And it isn’t just the fact that Rapunzel is the only one allowed to take charge and come up with ideas, it’s also that the ideas she comes up with aren’t particularly clever nor individualistic. They’re random plans anyone cloud have come up with and aren’t supported by pervious characterization or plot.

A What Point Would Rapunzel Have Had Time To Hide The Mirror From You, Cass?

You both found the hidden lair at the same time, you both saw the missing place where they mirror should have been at the same time, and you both were standing in front of each other holding a conversation the whole time you were down there.

Are you suggesting that she’s the one that made the fake Gothel Ghost and and lured you down there too? Why? What reason would have to do that? And if that is what you are accusing her of then why not bring all of that up, or have you just forgotten what happened only 30 minutes ago?

This Is Too Little Too Late

It’s like the writers realized at the last minute that Cassandra didn’t have any real reason to care about Gothel, but Rapunzel’s Return, Be Very Afraid, and Cassandra’s Revenge was too far into production to go back and change it, so they had to churn this episode out on the fly to try and mitigate the damage.

I mean, I don’t know for sure if that’s what happened or not, but like it’s the only explanation I can up with. Because why else would you do it this way?

Everyone knows a basic betrayal/fall from grace plot has to start with the temptation scene first, followed by the doubt, and then ends with the reveal. Like that’s been the standard since fucking Macbeth! You can’t really alter the layout of the plot or otherwise the characters actions won’t make sense.

No one just decides to be evil without a reason. No one acts like their conflicted if they haven’t been tempted by something before hand. No one reasonable or sympathetic jumps to murder without genuine provocation. And no, victim blaming a baby does not count!

What Does It Matter If It Was In Her Bag Or Not?

This doesn’t add any drama or tension to the conflict because it’s forced. It robs agency away from the characters and flattens the conflict into an overly simple pantomime.

How much better would this have been had both characters had stumbled upon the mirror down in the caves? What if Rapunzel had to address the complexities of Gothel as human being while still reiterating that what she did was wrong? What if Cassandra had the chance to explain why Gothel means so much to her while also confronting her own biases?

No idea is without merit. A compelling story about Cassandra being Gothel’s daughter could have been told here, but it required far more care and respect than what the TTS crew gave us.

It required expanding upon Gothel as a character and humanizing her rather then flanderizting her. It required giving Cassandra some self awareness and not turning her into two-dimensional ��evil sexy badass’. And finally, it required Rapunzel actually learning something rather then being reduced into a smug brat while being patting on the head for being ‘oh so wise and noble’.

Looking Guilty For Half A Second Does Nothing To Make Cassandra Sympathetic Here

Cassandra has already violently assaulted, abused, and attempted to murder several people by this point. Her doing it again for the 8th time in a row now, while giving a pitiful look, and continuing through with it anyways, does nothing to convince the audience that she’s ‘worth saving’.

If you want people to root for Cassandra’s redemption then you need to have her stop acting like a dick for zero reason. Have her work for her own salvation and show that’s she’s really changed. Looking sad sometimes while still doing bad things doesn’t mean you actually care, it just means that you’re a moral coward.

NO!!

We Do Not Imply That A Woman Can ‘Save’ Her Abuser With ‘Love’ !!

If Cass had been a man, people would be up in arms about this. But instead, and I shit you not, I’ve seen people in this toxic ass fandom try to claim that Rapunzel is a ‘good role model' and how her behavior ‘should be emulated’ when dealing with ‘erratic people’...

And oh God this stupid show is going to get real people killed isn’t!?

Listen To Me!

If you learn nothing else from these reviews then please, for the love of all that is holly, remember this....

You can not reason with a violent attacker if you are their target! You’re only job as the victim is to get the fuck away! If you can’t do that, then you defend yourself by any means possible until you can!

You are not trained to deal to with people under stress during emergences and work a job where you need to deescalate conflicts on a regular basis! And as the target of aggression you are more likely to aggravate the situation and place yourself and others in even more danger if you try.

Fuck this show!

Why Did You Bring The Shard Back With You, Zhan Tiri?

This one thing that can reveal all of her trickery and she takes it back to Cassandra’s lair instead of just leaving it to be buried forever.

It’s so painfully lazy you guys.

Oh What Is The Point?!

What does it matter if Rapunzel knew or not? It’s not like she’s been withholding that information from Cass the entire time. Even if Cass buys that Raps stole then mirror then it would still only be recent events.

Cass was already gun ho about killing Rapunzel before, so what does this add?

Why is Zhan Tiri risking her loyal pet psycho-killer catching on to her schemes like this? What does she gain from it all?

Why is Cass still listening to the sour grape anyways? What does she gain form any this?

Why would Cass care about becoming stronger? What does ‘strength’ have to do with being dumped by Gothel?

And why, oh why, are we wasting time with this dumb run around when the bad guys already have the mind trap!?

I Hate This ‘Twist’

1. If Gothel truly hated Cass this much, then why the heck did she have her? She’s not beholden to anyone. She doesn’t have to keep her. She doesn’t have to be a mom. If she doesn’t want her daughter around then she could have just dumped her in an orphanage. Gothel took care Rapunzel because she needed her, not because she wanted to. She doesn’t need Cass for anything.

2. Giving Gothel one nice moment does not erase the years of harm she does. Humanizing her somewhat wouldn’t have made her any less of an abusive asshole. It’s already straining credulity that Cass would cling to this one memory in the face of insurmountable evidence, the fact that it’s a false memory to boot undermines the story even more.

3. King Frederic being given a free pass while Gothel is made even more grotesquely unpleasant then she was in the movie, is just flat-out sexsim. No ands, ifs, or buts, about it. They’ve both committed the same atrocities, with Frederic harming even more people than Gothel ever did, yet it is the man who is given sympathy and forgiveness while the woman is shown to be irredeemably and cartoonishly evil for evil’s sake.

This is for you Chris

Conclusion

This episode is pretty bad. It could easily make a bottom list of season three episodes and that’s some stiff competition. But I’m also, just like, numb to it all by now. Nothing I’ve said here, beyond talking about Gothel’s bacterized characterization some more, hasn’t been brought up in past reviews already. That’s why it’s the most boring episode of the whole series. It’s just as likely to put you to sleep as it is to offend.

#tangled #anti-tangled #rapunzel's tangled adventure #tangled the series #mother gothel #anti-rapunzel #anti-cassandra

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dessarious · 3 years ago

Text

The Angel of Death Pt46

Inspired by this Story Starter by @someone-ev

Prologue Beginning Previous Next

“I swear I forget how scary she is until I see her again. All she has to do is frown in my general direction and I’d start going through forms I haven’t done in years just to get her to stop.” Tris could only give a non committal hum at the comment. The Blakes were all terrified of her Nonna and even the insanity that was her roommates seemed to be wary of her. She knew the woman was skilled but she couldn’t find it in herself to be concerned. Whether it was because she knew she was safe or was simply familiar was anyone’s guess. The Blakes seemed to think she was insane but they also didn’t know about their relationship. Chloe and Adrien were under strict orders not to mention it. Tris could only hope they didn’t blurt it out anyway.

As she watched Gina try to marshal the Miraculous users into some sort of order she could only hope she was right about Talia’s target. While the Blakes had been right about her being a much better trainer than the rest of them there was no way to get those four in any way ready to go against the League. Kagami wasn’t terrible but without any practical experience she was no match for any of them. The rest were honestly useless in a fight against anyone with training. Adrien wouldn’t be terrible if he could just apply the things he learned in fencing to what he was being taught now but he seemed to be unable to connect the two. A string moved in the corner of her vision.

“If Damian sent you to check on me again it’s not necessary, Cass. He needs you far more than I do.” The woman moved from the shadows to stand next to her. The way she cocked her head as she watched the Miraculous users go through their paces said she thought they were hopeless as well.

“Not checking. Couldn’t get Damian to leave.” Tris could only let out a weary breath. She would like to be surprised. She would like for an al Ghul to be reasonable. She would like to have never been dragged into any of this. As always, what she wanted or liked didn’t matter.

“One more reason for you to be watching his back instead of standing here. So what do you want?” She could feel the woman’s gaze on her before she hummed in approval. The Blakes were remaining suspiciously quiet.

“Gina.” Well that wasn’t the response she expected. When she looked at the string between them it was an even bigger shock. Luckily Gina chose that moment to notice Cass.

“Boys take over please.” The Blake brothers snapped into action immediately and Tris couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She noticed Cass doing the same. Gina made her way over and hugged the woman. “Cassandra, it’s wonderful to see you again. I take it you’re here to make sure I’m not a threat to your adoptive family?”

“I know. They wanted me to make sure.” Gina let out an amused snort.

“Of course they did. Well you can tell them that the next time I see Talia I’ll be making sure she’s no longer a threat to anyone.” Cass just raised an eyebrow at her and Tris saw a mischievous glint in her Nonna’s eyes. Oh that couldn’t be good. “I’m glad you’re here though, I’ve been waiting a long time to introduce the two of you.”

“We’ve already met.” Cass nodded at Tris’s words but Gina’s smile only widened.

“That may be true but I haven’t properly introduced you. Marinette,” Tris hissed in warning but the woman just kept going. “I’d like to introduce you to Cassandra Cain. Your first cousin once removed.” The string between her and Cass changed to a light purple but Tris was too stunned to wonder about that.

“I’m sorry, what?” Cass looked just as stunned as she was but Gina just grinned at them.

“Cass’s father is my wayward little brother. Why the dolt joined the League of Assassins is still a mystery. However he and I will have words when I see him again since I’m certain he knew that you were my granddaughter while you were there.” Tris frowned at her in confusion for a moment before she sucked in a sharp breath. No wonder Cass had seemed so familiar. Talia had brought David Cain in to help ‘train’ her when she was being particularly cruel. She remembered hearing rumors of the daughter he kept isolated.

“David Cain is my great uncle?” She couldn’t help the disgust in her tone. It caused her Nonna’s expression to tighten.

“Yes, and now I have a few more words to say to him. But you two will be good for each other.” She walked back to where the others were training, leaving her and Cass alone in an extremely awkward silence. Cass was surprisingly the one that broke it.

“Cousins?” It sounded like she was a little bit dazed, and Tris could relate.

“It would appear so. I’m sorry.” Cass tilted her head in confusion. “From the few times I dealt with him your father seemed… harsh. I don’t imagine that made for much of a childhood.” Cass gave an acknowledging hum. Before they came up with anything else, Cass’s phone buzzed.

“Have to get back.” She turned and held out a hand to Tris. She just blinked at it for a moment before she realized she wanted to shake hands. When she returned the gesture, Cass grinned at her. “Keep in touch.” Then she was gone as silently as she came. The string connecting them was already turning a deeper purple and Tris wasn’t certain why noticing that caused a tightness in her chest. She must be tired.

Prologue Beginning Previous Next

Ko-Fi

Tag List

@kceedraws @theatreandcomicfreak @krispydefendorpolice @magic-miraculous @chocolatecatstheron @mooshoon @northernbluetongue @interobanginyourmom @rebecarojas07 @dast218 @abrx2002 @damianette-is-life @yin-390 @fontegagrilledcheese @bigpicklebananatree @tbehartoo @nobodyw8s4evr @linim2503 @ladybug-182 @marinettepotterandplagg @daminett4life @thethirdwheelfriend @corabeth11 @emotionalsupportginger @shizukiryuu @toodaloo-kangaroo @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @hauntedfreakdeputyhero @sassakitty @my-name-is-michelle-ramirez @multplelifes @sassydepression @danielslilangel @winter-gardenflower @animegirlweeb @romanoff-queen @nanakeid @paradoxal-occurance @theg0ddesspersephone @hinata3487 @irontimetravelflower @the-real-gingakid @heaven428 @peachedpocky @justafanwarrior @gentlemanoftimetravel @18-fandoms-unite-08 @kittycatwowmeow @pale-lady-dreamer @i-is-mysterious @captainartsypants @write-for-your-life2 @queengeorgiaaa @schrodingers25 @thecaptainthunder @elspethshadow @stela-likes-drawing @loysydark @lozzybowe @renscorpio @elmokingkong @the-fusionist @tis-i-beanbandit @smolplantmum @iwantwhirlledpeasandlotsatrees @colorfulmongerpsychicranch @chocolateherringtacofan @how-to-fuction-properly @lilfuturescars @alcoholic-barney @read-fantasy-to-escape-reality @laurcad123

#maribat #assassin mari #original characters #gina dupain #cassandra cain

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halfbakedspuds · 1 year ago

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Pretty similar. I was the kind of imaginative but incredibly lonely kid who would rearrange Lego sets and use the figures to tell stories to himself all day for entertainment (Granted this was before I started school, it's not like me having no friends stayed a trend). I was also the kind of kid who couldn't wait to learn how to read and then just didn't stop.

I started writing some... admittedly terrible short stories when I was nine, and it stayed that hobby that I never really saw much reason to talk about until I turned fourteen, which was the year COVID happened. That's the year I started learning the intricacies of writing good fics, and turned what used to be idle lines into my little hobby.

I also blame my parents for a) reading through series' like they were getting paid to do it and b) passing along everything they finished to me as why I have really a diverse taste in books and a ton of inspiration to draw from.

Inspiration wise, I draw inspiration from authors like Rick Riordan, Cassandra Clare, and Raymond E. Feist, and thanks to Athol Fugard's 'Tsotsi' I also love exploring socio-politicsl settings in my writing.

Okay this question goes out to the other writers who follow me (@thatoneterrariaplayer, @chauceryfairytales, and anyone else who I can't remember the tags of or who finds my blog through this post),

What originally got ya'll into writing? What authors/books are your inspirations or can you say heavily influence how and what you write, or did something seemingly unrelated get you into it?

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yudol-skorbi · 2 years ago

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your adaar, a baby, tell me more plz!!

YESS YEESSSSSS I'VE BEEN WAITING THIS QUESTION FOR MY WHOLE LIFE BUCKLE UP GUYS, IT'S TIME FOR MY MEDIOCRE ENGLISH

Than Addar the baby my poor tender son boy

lets start with some fun facts

-24yo at the start of the game - a very good cook - loves animals - better communicates with them than with people - his favorite mount is a Abyssal Hang-Tooth dracolisk named Goldie (because of color) - quiet voice, bad posture, very nervous - very tactile, but knows that he looks quite threatening, so doesn't act on it - withdrawn and reserved, trusting anyone is hard for him - VERY polite, even faced with rudeness - very soft and compassionate - full of unrequired love -anxious but fake it until you make it so he slowly starts being more confident - hates attention, being public and religious figure is a pure torture for him - Winter palace?? He prefers death - Still did his best because hyper-responsibility - he is trying like SO HARD oooh my poor boy he is doing hes best, very hard on himself - afraid to let everyone down, to fail their expectations - believes in Andraste but doesn't like church as an organisation - sincerely hopes that he really is the herald of Andraste because it helps him to make sence of his own existence - really embarrassed about his lack of knowledge of magic, especially while working with such a brilliant minds like Solas, Vivienne and Dorian, but very eager to learn - Better gets along with honest and straightforward people, that's why he quickly became friends with Cassandra and Sera -always puts the needs of others above his own to the point where this can become unhealthy - that's why he hired the Chargers despite being terrified of Bull - somehow after a long long time and couple of booze Than suddenly realized that counts him amongst his friends - romancing Dorian - for a long time Than was terrible lovesick mess around him - the boy is mesmerized - he was fully prepared to be rejected and take it as a grown up and not to cry in his room for the next week - he was not rejected! what a surprise!

and now the backstory

I couldn't find any info about Tal-Vashoth who are not mercenary, but i really wanted to give Than a happy childhood so fuck it. Let's say his parents somehow got a little farm in Free Marches far away from any civilization. Than loved his parents with whole heart and they tried to do everything they could for him to grow up happy and carefree even if they had a very vague concept about parenthood. So the boy played with goats and chickens, helped his parents farm and had pretty idyllic childhood

until his parents was killed

I think after the Qunari attack on Kirkwall may have occurred a wave of hatred towards everything big gray and horned and Than's family become an easy target for scared and angry people. He newer get to know why and how murderers end up in their home because the second Than saw his family being murdered his magic was awakened and in a fit of uncontrollable rage and sadness and desperation he burned down the attackers along with the farm and with bodies of his parents. After this Than went on a run. He was terrified, and lost, alone and so so sad and scared. He traveled through little towns while trying not to bring any attention. Somewhere around this timeline he turned to faith because the thought about Maker giving him magic for a reason and watching over him brought him comfort. I think he could find temporary shelters in small churches but he never stayed for long because he was afraid someone would find out he is a mage and he would be sent to Circle.

After some time he stumbled upon a Tal-Vashoth mercenary group who decided to take him in (he was 17). There was a Saarebas in the group who taught Than the basics about how to use his magic but with knowledge he also passed those fucked up Qun opinions about mages (well not all of them but some. i think even even if they don't follow the Qun anymore it's not easy to just forget or rework some core beliefs that they learned from early childhood) So Than had become very strict to himself and used his magic very reluctantly and tentatively. Also that is why his knowledge of magic is very limited. Saarebas's don't use spells and staffs, so Than only knows some basics spells that he overlooked somewhere along the way

Now i have a whole another essay about how his views changed during the events of the game and how meeting Solas, Vivienne and especially Dorian affected them but my brain is literally on fire from all of this translation, i didn't have much sleep for a while and this gets just too long, so if anyone interested i will write more, but for now??? I'm tired, but also really really happy about this ask, so thank you very much!!!!!

This playthrough is still in progress because at some point i was like huh i want to play DAO as Amell and now when Amell is on the Deep Roads i decided to return to my son. And I'm really looking forward Trespasser! That will be a lot of fun. For me at least. Than probably will get another mental trauma or smth

anyway please have some doodles i have lots of them but i'm too lazy to scan

also this is how his parents look like their names are Vat and Meraad bc i am the most original human in the world

they traveled a lot together before they decided to have a baby and start a more stable life

unintentionally they turned out very cool and pretty and now i feel bad about killing them for the drama :/

#ask #adaar #dragon age #dragon age inquisition #put my adaar in a jar and shake it #i wonder if he okay #probably not #anyways thank you for giving me an opportunity to rant about my baby!!#Than is the most soft and tender amongst my protagonists #like one of this antistress squish toys

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lepusrufus · 3 years ago

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Double edged scalpel ch.10

Ch1 ch2 ch3 ch4 ch5 ch6 ch7 ch8 ch9

Summary: scary moms are scary

---

Nicole stilled.

Moms.

Well this just got a million times worse.

Surprisingly enough, Nicole could count on her fingers the times she had crossed paths with either of the Ladies. Lady Dimitrescu was often busy and not bothering with the staff. Most things that needed communicated went through the Steward. Mistress Esteria was, as some would call her, a ghost. She preferred her solitude or time with family so it wasn't unheard of for new staff members to take months before they even see her around the castle. Paired with Nicole's job that had her in the dungeons almost all the time, she never got an actual introduction to either of them.

Not that she complained. It didn't take a genius to realize that both women were to be feared.

I think I'd like to bleed out now.

"What about?" Her voice was barely audible, due to fear or pain was anyone's guess.

"... I don't know." Cassandra's quiet voice mimicked her own.

"Should I assume it is about your um… choice of partners?"

The realization that, to anyone outside Cassandra, she was little more than a maid turned butcher hit Nicole almost as much as the bullet that until not long ago was wedged into her flesh. Would they forbid Cassandra from seeing her? Or perhaps decide that Nicole has committed an unspeakable offense to their family and punish her? She gulped and Cassandra's reply wasn't of much help either.

"I don't know," she repeated.

Nicole sighed, a slow drawn out exhale, all too aware of the pain it would cause otherwise. "When?"

"Soon. They told me to let them know when you wake up."

Nicole just nodded and laid back into the cushions. May as well be comfortable before facing death. But Cassandra didn't move. Instead, she interlocked their fingers and brought Nicole's hand to her lips, leaving a kiss on bony knuckles. They stayed like that, silently, for a full minute before Cassandra got up and, with a be right back, exited the room.

Left alone, Nicole looked down at herself once more. To say she looked awful was an understatement. Definitely not going to rely on appearance to make a good impression. The painkiller was also yet to do its job and any movement still shot jolts of pain through her body. Wonderful.

It wasn't long before the door opened again and Cassandra came in followed by Lady Dimitrescu, her trademark hat making her look even taller and more intimidating than she already was. Immediately behind, Mistress Esteria took light steps, her long white hair flowing behind her like a silky mantle.

They looked so in contrast with each other, and it went beyond the almost opposite color schemes. While the Lady had the expression of a mother about to scold her child for carelessly running up the stairs and scraping a knee, the Mistress looked about to take out the bandaids. Her eyes, blue and gray, looked at her with something akin to kindness.

"What's your name dear?"

God her voice sounded like rivers deep in the forest. Flowing and ancient and just as powerful as she probably was.

"Nicole," she gulped.

The Mistress came to a stop right by the bed, tall frame bending down and grabbing Nicole's chin between two fingers. She moved her head from one side to the other and hummed.

"My my, what a pretty face. You've always had quite the taste in women, love." She looked at Cassandra who only nodded stiffly.

Then, she was up again and moving towards the other matriarch, who by now was sitting in an armchair. The Mistress leaned on the armrest, opting to ignore the many other places to sit and Nicole had to wonder for a moment if they were the clingy type. What an oddly human trait.

A long drag of a cigarette was drawn out before golden eyes finally fell on Nicole and the Lady spoke.

"I was actually surprised to learn about how… deeply Cassandra cares about you. To actually come to me and ask for help saving your life." She narrowed her eyes slightly, just enough for it to be a clear warning. "I sure hope such kindness was not wasted on you."

Sensing where this conversation was going, Nicole groaned internally. Of all things, she would rather not have the break my daughter's heart and I'll break your legs conversation with Cassandra's mothers while a damn hole in her abdomen was still sending waves of pain through her body if she didn't move just right. In her defense, the painkiller was yet to kick in and there's only so much holding her tongue she can do while in pain.

"With all due respect my Ladies, I'd rather throw myself off the highest tower in this castle than pretend to love Cassandra. Have you met her."

That got a snort from the brunette, who quickly masked it with a cough. The Mistress however laughed. A melodic laugh that, in another situation, would be the most soothing thing.

"Oh dear. While the reassurance is appreciated, we do trust Cassandra's judgement."

"For the most part," Lady Dimitrescu added, eyes still narrowed.

"And we would love to have you for dinner soon," the Mistress went on, ignoring the small glare from her wife.

Another drag of the cigarette. "Well anyways. We didn't come here for a welcoming party. We'd like to make you a proposal."

Judging by Cassandra's furrowed brows, she probably knew as little about this as Nicole did. A proposal from Lady Dimitrescu could either be wonderful news or a death sentence. She couldn't help a gulp when the Lady continued.

"Contrary to popular belief, I do care about my staff. At least those who prove themselves useful." The cigarette was finally done and now Nicole had the luck of having her full attention. "And, as you may have guessed, medical training is not particularly common around here. I do happen to want a castle physician, a position that could be filled by someone skilled that also has a good reason to do a good job and be loyal to my family."

Wait what-

Nicole blinked in confusion, an expression mimicked by Cassandra. Did she mean…?

Lady Dimitrescu raised an eyebrow. "Do you accept?"

"Y- yes." The words spilled from her mouth without a second thought. And why would she have second thoughts after all?

Lady Dimitrescu watched her for a long moment. Then, when she seemed pleased with her findings, she rose to her feet.

"Very well. We will discuss the technicalities once you're in a better state. Now try not to bleed out before you even start your job. And," she sighed, "you are expected at dinner as soon as you're able to join us."

The last part caused her wife's lips to turn into a warm smile. The Lady simply turned around and ducked out of the room while Mistress Esteria lingered by Cassandra. She whispered something only the brunette could hear and then leaned in to kiss her forehead. The Mistress had a couple inches on Cassandra, which meant she was towering over Nicole. Then, with a smile in her direction, she too was out of the room, leaving only the two of them to stare at the door in disbelief.

"Well that went… well."

"Oh for the love of Mother Miranda," Cassandra sighed in relief, hands running through her hair.

Her shoulders lost their tension when she came to sit by Nicole's side, a smile now present on thin black lips.

"Your mothers seem… lovely women."

"Shut up you were scared shitless."

There goes Nicole's attempt at being polite. Not that Cassandra was wrong by all means, but part of her wanted to be on good terms with her lover's family. Maybe it was simply due to her relationship with the brunette, maybe it was due to how her own family never seemed to care much for each other. Not the way the Dimitrescus did, despite how they were seen as monsters by most outside eyes. She didn't let herself dwell on it, instead she took one of Cassandra's hands and started to play with slender fingers.

"Are you hungry? I can ask Cynthia to fix something for you."

Nicole smiled at the effort to make her feel better. She would never get tired of seeing Cassandra's caring and gentle side, especially when she knew how ruthless she could be otherwise.

"In a bit. I'm waiting for the painkiller to fully kick in so I can actually sit up."

Cassandra nodded and looked to the side, seemingly lost in some kind of thought. Nicole wanted to ask what got the brunette pensive all of a sudden, but before she could, golden eyes snapped back to her.

"Also. Don't you dare jump in front of a bullet for me ever again. It wouldn't have hurt me anywhere near as much as it hurt you."

There was a subtle growl in her voice that would have scared any other person. But Nicole recognized how the anger was just veiled worry at how much worse their situation could’ve gotten.

"Sorry. I just saw him with the gun and panicked." There was a reason she didn't pursue her father's idea of becoming a surgeon after all, and pissing him off was only part of it. "And I'm glad you didn't get hurt at all."

Cassandra narrowed her eyes, but her expression quickly softened. The big bad sadist couldn’t stay mad at her lover and Nicole almost teased her about it, but a gloved hand slowly caressing her cheek stopped her.

“I’m just happy you’re alive.”

#cassandra dimitrescu x maiden #unhinged maiden™ my beloved #lady dimitrescu #lady dimitrescu x maiden #fanfic #double edged scalpel

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its-queenofthesilence · 3 years ago

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Weirdest idea for a Encanto fanfic that I want someone to write other than me

So this idea, to start happened from a dream. And after I woke up and thought it out I was like, wait, what if, what if?????

Idea, Mirabel is Bruno's daughter. Yes, yes, already been done and the movie isn't that been out that long. But here's where it gets weird. Her mother is Cassandra.

Wait, Cassandra the-bad-ass-moonstone-from-Tangled?

YES. THIS IS FUCKING LONG I JUST COULD NOT STOP THE IDEAS.

So, synopsis, I came up with after thinking how this could work. SOMEONE WRITE THIS, I AM TOO LAZY

Cassandra never partnered or trusted Zhan-Tiri and never repaired her relationship with Rapunzel. Instead, she wandered the world in search of destiny, and as time passed, her hatred of her adoptive sister diminished and she was left with regrets and shame. Rapunzel eventually grew old and died Queen of Corona, which would someday become part of Germany and lose its name. The story of Rapunzel faded, becoming a children's bedtime story rather than history. Cassandra however, never died. Perhaps it was the stone lodged in her, maybe it was some other reason but she remained the same.

Anyway, time passed and eventually she began to hear legend of a magic flower growing in the South Americas. Not sure where, but it the legend seems to be prevalent enough amongst people to make her believe maybe another sun drop had fallen and perhaps greed, curiosity or boredom, she begins to pursue leads on where the story originated from.

She spends a long time traveling through all of South America, usually with caravan's or anyone willing to give her a ride. Eventually, she finds Encanto and despite the hostile welcome from the locals being an outsider, stays for a bit when she learns there is magic in the town and specifically someone who can heal with food. She thinks perhaps she found the new flower but that is quickly dismissed due to learning how the gifts of the Madrigal's came to be and also, Juliette doesn't seem to be able to heal anything more than superficial wounds.

She’s ready to leave, when oh boy, she discovered Bruno. The man can see the future. And this has her interested. While other’s may fear his gift or his odd behaviors of needing to knock on wood or toss salt over his shoulder, she is enraptured. All that potential, hidden away in a man too afraid of his own shadow. She seeks counsel after counsel with him during her stay in Encanto, first for information on where to find the sunflower [Which she didn’t find out but did find out that she is on the right path to find it.] and then because she likes his company. Sure, the rats are weird but she knows what it’s like to be the outsider. I wouldn’t say she falls in love with him but damn did he fall for her quickly and they had some alone time if you know what I mean. He had never had someone treat him like a normal person, even his family seemed to distrust him. That’s why it hurt so much when she left.

After that, he resigned himself to never trust another person and turned from semi-hermit to near permanent-hermit, almost never leaving the house [before later turning into a full, hermit after Mirabel ’s failed ceremony.]

Time skips a bit later, or roughly nine months and Cassandra is at his door. Or rather, in his bedroom holding an infant, clearly tired and had also recently given birth. And just kind of shoves lil’ baby girl into his arms and disappears into the night, only telling him when he begs that she’s better off with him then her. A now confused and panicky Bruno is forced to approach his older sister and husband and basically, he’s not sure what the fuck to do. His mother is going to kill him [or he believes banished] when she finds out he had sex with that really weird blue-haired lady who came through town a year ago.

Juliette had recently given birth herself to a baby girl a mere day before, or rather what would have been her daughter. The child was stillborn and no matter how much she sobbed and tried to bring the child to life with her magic, nothing worked. She is depressed and dead inside so when Bruno presents this babe, she’s like, I’ll take her! In fact, she snatches her out of Bruno’s hands before he can say what? and pretty much tells him, Mirabel is hers now. He didn’t want that but there was nothing he could do; the only option was tell his family the truth and he feared his mother more than anything. So, he is resigned, never telling Mirabel the truth.

Abuela and the others assume she must have gone mad and stole some kid when she presents the child, saying the house had resurrect their baby. However, no one in town had given birth recently or reported a missing child and Abuela didn’t even consider for one second that Bruno was involved. So, it’s a real head scratcher but Abuela suspects that Mirabel isn’t actually related to them and after the lack of gift, keeps the little girl at arm’s length as she doesn’t view her part of the family. She does look a lot like the family though, she does have to admit but she considers that to be coincidence. Any attempts to pry the truth out of her daughter ended in an angry lashing of how dare you assume this isn’t my child and eventually she stopped trying to discuss it.

Eventually time passes and the events of Encanto happen, maybe the same, maybe different and Cassandra is still on her quest to find the sun drop. She’s travelled far but eventually she gets her answer from an Oracle. And she discovers two things. One, that baby girl holds the key to finding the flower and two, she [Cass] is being stalked by someone who also wants the flower and also knows Mirabel is the answer. Someone who happens to be a resurrected skeleton with flesh falling half off the corpse and that Cassandra knows well.

Her mother.

Well shit.

#mirabel madrigal #Mirabel #Encanto #Crossover #Dream ideas #Really fucking weird #Cassandra #Tangled #Rapunzel #Disney #Mother Gothel #Some one write this #not me I am too lazy #abuela madrigal #bruno madrigal #bruno

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the-dimitrescu-seamstress · 3 years ago

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I Won’t Be Long - A rather long one shot

(I have been working on this, what I call “Magda’s Worst Day”, for a while, and I only recently was inspired to finish it. Hence why I’ve been rather quiet in terms of posts. I can only torture my muse so much.

Basically, this story came about because of the “What have you done to my daughter?!” line. Alcina was in her chambers while saying that, therefore unable to see or know that Ethan was outside. So how did she know what happened to Bela, and who told her?

My answer? Magda.

I did my best to follow the game’s timeline, but there might have been some condensing or stretching in order to make things fit. I’ve also included some brief cameos from other OCs Magda has interacted with.

Please note, this is not an “Ethan Hate” story. Magda is simply reacting as one would in their given situation. Is this a sad story? Yes, in parts. Will you hate me for writing this? Maybe. Will you still enjoy reading it? I hope so.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You must hide. The man is a danger, and I wish for you to be safe. Do your best to keep out of all this. If he approaches you, play the helpless victim. Do not help him, but please do not hinder him either.”

“But I want you to stay safe.”

“You know that I always do, dearest. He is nothing but a man.”

“You literally just said he was a danger.” The press of Bela’s lips against Magda’s was enough the hush the smaller woman and soften her demeanor. “Kissing me in order to maintain the last word is technically cheating, you know.”

“True, but I did learn it from you,” the witch smiled. “I won’t be long.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That conversation happened a little over an hour ago. Since then, Magda had quietly paced the floor of her workroom, occasionally stopping to listen for any sound outside her door. She prayed she’d hear the familiar drone of flies, but nothing came. Everything was unnervingly quiet. Magda did her best to reassure herself. She kept telling herself that the man was outnumbered three to one, that the girls would work together and remove him as a threat, that they couldn’t be killed.

The sudden barrage of nearby gunfire and shattering glass ripped away any comfort she had tried to retain. It wasn’t terribly close, but then again it wasn’t terribly far either. Worse yet, there was no celebratory laughter that accompanied the silence that soon followed. Worry gnawed at Magda’s insides, and she did the one thing that Bela had asked her not to do. She unlocked the door to her workshop, and left her hiding place.

Magda went through the halls in sock feet, wanting to make as little sound as possible. The last thing she needed was to run into the man by accident. Thankfully, the courtyard was deserted. Freezing, especially without shoes or a coat, but it was empty. Even better, the door leading to the dining room was still locked. That meant the intruder had not found a key or harassed one of the few servants who had a skeleton key to the various entryways. Magda was one of those servants. Being a seamstress, and a trusted one at that, gave her a few perks.

As much as she wanted to rush in, Magda knew better. She turned the key slowly, as the locks were heavy and made a distinct and rather loud click when undone. The door she also took time opening, just in case there was an armed madman standing on the other side. Finding none, she closed and relocked the door behind her. Best to keep him confined.

Cassandra’s laughter coming from the Main Hall signaled that she was keeping the intruder well occupied and, rather than risk an interruption, Magda turned to the much plainer door which lead to the kitchen.

Normally the kitchen was a warm place, full of the sounds and smells of cooking food for the human staff, but the rush of cold air that blew in as she entered confirmed a fear she had. Hurrying past the preparation table and ducking under the cuts of drying meat, Magda stopped short in the doorway to the connected storage room. What she saw squeezed her heart like a vice, making it difficult to breath.

Shattered glass and the remains of broken boards framed a large, collapsed pile of frozen flies. The room wavered and suddenly felt hot, despite the open windows. Maybe… maybe this wasn’t Bela, she tried to reason. It wasn’t Cassandra, as she had heard her laughter not moments ago. A small, hateful voice in her head whispered that this was Daniela, that Bela was still alive inside the castle, perhaps happily carving up the man with her sister, and what laid before her was Daniela. Magda hated to even think that, but right now she was mental begging the powers that be for that to be the truth.

Step by hesitant step, she approached the pile, acting as a windbreak when she knelt between it and the broken window. Tears began to cloud her vision as she saw pale yellow flies mixed in amongst the brown and black insects. Again, her heart wrenched inside her chest. Her skin burned and the walls of the room closed in as her anger grew and burst forth in a ragged scream of rage, sorrow, and anguish.

Why?! Why did he do this?! How did he even know?! Did he just get lucky with a stray bullet breaking a pane of glass? Why did he kill her? Why did he go after her? The cold would have been enough to stop her! She would have stopped the chase, and he could have gotten away, but he still decided to kill her! He killed her while she was hurting! He killed her while she was cold, alone, and separated from everyone. He killed Magda’s stea mică… her little star…

He didn’t give a shit about anything or anyone.

Magda’s guttural scream was echoed by a rasping, undead one crawling up from the once boarded up passageway that led to the dungeon. In her emotional state, she hadn’t put two and two together. The boards were smashed going into the storage room rather than out into the passageway. The man had come up from below, meaning he had created a potential access point for the thralls to get upstairs.

“Căcat!” she cursed, scrambling as quickly and as quietly for a container in the other room. It would take the thralls a bit of time to coordinate and stumble their way up the stairs, but they would eventually make it and Magda was not about to let those disgusting things trample all over what was left of Bela.

She would also need to tell the Countess.

Grabbing one of the large basins used to hold drained blood, as well as any discarded towels or cloth she could find, Magda carefully moved every single fly she found into the container, scouring the floor for any the wind may have blown about, but always keeping a careful eye on the dungeon passage. The last thing she needed was to be attacked by those damn thralls as she finished.

The basin was… not as heavy as she thought it would be. That knowledge made her stomach sink and made her feel that much worse. She was carrying her love’s body, and it wasn’t heavy. It needed to be. The woman was seven feet tall! It should have been heavier! These stupid, unimportant thoughts made her tears start to once again fall as she returned to the dining room. “Dammit. I’m sorry, Bela,” she mumbled as a few hot tears fell on the flies.

One twitched in response.

Magda stopped at that. She was seeing things. In her grief, her mind was clearly playing tricks on her. Bela was dead. The cold killed flies. She was dead and the tear hitting the fly only made it look like it moved.

That was when the worst feeling in all of creation latched itself onto her.

Hope.

Leaning in close, she breathed a few times on a small clump of flies, letting her warm breath roll over them. And then she waited… Her heart pounding in her chest as she watched for something. Anything.

…A leg spasmed.

It was small, almost imperceptible, but Magda took it as a sign. A possibility. A tiny one at that, but she grabbed onto it and refused to let it go. Hope was evil like that.

Covering the basin to shield the flies from the cold, she ventured back across the courtyard and towards Alcina’s chambers, locking any and all doors behind her because fuck this man and his doings. Make his shit life harder.

The Countess’ chambers were empty, which sent a chill of dread and terror down Magda’s spine. Had she fallen to the man as well or was she simply hunting him along with her daughters? Should she wait for her to appear? Right now, searching the castle was not the ideal thing to do, as she was unarmed, human, and she had no idea if the intruder would have mercy on her if she encountered him. Thankfully, her questions were answered as familiar heavy footfalls were heard coming up the stairs. Now all she had to do was explain to Alcina what she thought was possible. And hopefully not die in the the telling.

“If I can’t, I’ll do my best to bleed on you as I die, sweetness,” she told the basin of flies, trying to make a joke and do her best to smile. The latter crumbled as soon as the chamber door opened.

“Countess?” Magda’s voice was weak and shaky, full of fear, and she immediately regretted opening her mouth due to the look on Alcina’s face. It was one of surprise mixed with displeasure, which made sense as Magda should still be locked in her sewing room, not running around as she was currently doing.

“Are you not aware of our current situation, Magdalena?” Her tone was cool and reserved, as if she were waiting on Magda’s answer in order to decide the best manner of action to take.

“I am very much aware of the situation, Countess. Which was why I came here as quickly as I could.” she replied, uncovering Bela’s remains. The candelabra the taller woman had been holding streaked towards Magda’s head and the seamstress barely had time to duck.

“What have you done to my daughter?!” she roared, lunging forward and grabbing Magda by her neck. For a moment, fear and terror filled the seamstress’ mind, but she somehow managed to find her voice despite the vice-like grip upon her throat.

“It wasn’t me… the man… did this… the flies… not… not dead…” Darkness had started to creep around the edges of her vision before Alcina finally released her. Landing on the ground hurt, but the deep breath of fresh air she took afterwards was incredibly sweet.

“Explain yourself,” Alcina growled, stretching out those two words in a low and menacing fashion, one not at all suitable for a woman of her standing, but perfect for a mother seeking justice for her child.

“I heard the fight,” Magda rasped, throat still sore. “It was in… the kitchen. I found… Bela. I thought she was dead… but some flies reacted to my tears…. and warm breath. There’s a chance. That cold state they go into. She told me about it. Bela might not be dead. Only hibernating. If she can be warmed, maybe she can be saved.” Magda watched Alcina, eyes never turning away or blinking too rapidly. She didn’t want to give the woman any excuse or reason not to believe her.

The quiet between them lasted for what seemed an eternity, only to be interrupted by a low rumbling and draining of liquid coming from the next room over. They both heard it, though Alcina only gave the most subtle of glances in its direction. The pool in the Hall of Ablution had been emptied. The Countess’ iron grip was suddenly around Magda’s arm, pulling her back to her feet.

“You will take my daughter back to your workshop and you will keep her warm,” she hissed. “You will not leave her side, not even for a moment. Should I find you disobeying my instructions and wandering these halls while that impudent wretch is still in my castle, your life is forfeit. Is that understood?” Magda nodded, fear in her eyes. She picked up the basin, replacing the cover before being roughly escorted out of the chamber.

Once safely back in her workshop, Magda set about gathering her thickest fabrics; the wools, flannels, gabardines, and anything else heavy she had. She removed the blankets and comforter from her bed and did what she could to form a nest or bed for the flies. For a moment, she even considered cutting her forearm and dribbling some blood onto them, but if they weren’t moving then they weren’t feeding, and the last thing she wanted to risk was them somehow drowning in her own blood.

Magda did her best to obey the Countess’ instructions, as she was not about to risk Alcina’s wrath, not with her life on the line. However, if she did end up being wrong about Bela, maybe it would be better to join her in death. What was she thinking? Magda likely would die anyways. But, in terms of when, it would just depend on Alcina’s mood. So, the seamstress sat in silence, waiting and praying to hear the soft buzzing of fly wings as they slowly warmed up.

Instead, she heard someone faintly plinking the keys of the piano in the Opera Hall. Rather badly at that. Naturally, the all too familiar footfalls of an enraged Alcina soon followed. He must not have realized she was hunting him, Magda thought. Because what idiot would actually take the time to play the piano if they were actively trying to stay hidden? The brief retort of gunfire seemed to prove her point. Although she could only hear what was going on, Magda still had a brief chuckle as she imagined the man scrambling for his life away from Alcina.

Not that he had many places to run to. It was either to Magda’s workshop or the library, and as the noise of confrontation began to distance itself from her hiding place, she breathed a sigh of relief. The library it was then.

“How has this man managed to survive this long?” she softly asked Bela’s remains. As if in answer, gunshots rang out once more and the seamstress stood, wondering who he was fighting now. The previously reassuring knowledge that bullets couldn’t harm anyone in this house re-entered Magda’s head… but it was quickly dashed to pieces as she glanced back at Bela. Who had he gone after now? She needed to know.

For five long minutes, Magda stood at her sewing room door, with it cracked open enough to listen. But she heard nothing. No footsteps, no gunfire, no sounds of anyone.

If Alcina caught her, it would be death, a voice in her head reasoned.

So she simply would avoiding getting caught, another replied.

The distance to the library wasn’t far, and she could easily hear the Countess’ footsteps well in advance, allowing her to hide as she approached.

“I’ll be back soon, stea mică. I won’t be long,” she softly told the flies. A few seemed to twitch in response. God, she hoped that she was right in the foolish ‘not dead, only hibernating’ theory. Basin and flannel cloth in hand, Magda made her way to the library, hoping she wouldn’t need what she carried.

Her heart sank upon feeling the chilly air inside. Papers were scattered, vases lay shattered, and, near enough to be in the light cast from the glass skylight which acted as a central decorative point for the room, was another large pile of immobile flies. Magda actually needed a moment to sit and collect herself with this discovery. Little flies, whose bodies glittered in the light, matched Daniela’s hair color.

Alcina will weep, Magda thought as she did her best to keep her own tears from falling once more. Gathering up these remains took longer than Bela’s, but not because they were scattered about. No. For as messy and wild as Daniela was in life, she had collapsed in a neat little pile. It was the weight and knowledge that this was the baby of the family which made this such a long and arduous task.

“You’re not alone, Dani. I’m not letting you be alone. I’m taking you to your sister. You’ll be safe in my sewing room,” She told the flies. Could this have been the first sign of madness? After all, Magda was talking to a container full of potentially dead insects. She recalled the character of Renfield from Dracula. The man went mad in an effort to serve and worship his vampire lord. Perhaps she was becoming something along the same lines. Perhaps she was already dead; killed by the intruder, and this was her own personal hell of gathering up mounds of flies throughout the castle for the rest of eternity, all the while avoiding Alcina. If Bela’s nest was not in the workshop when she returned to it, Magda figured this terrible thought would be reality.

Thankfully, upon opening the door to her workshop, the comforter and blanket that Bela was nestled in was still where the seamstress had left it. So maybe she was not dead and this was not hell. Little miracles were all she could hope for right now.

Magda took her time making Daniela’s nest, listening for anything that would signal they were victorious and this man-thing was dead and gone. She shook her head a little as she used that term. Normally, Magda did not join in on calling men that, but this was a special case. This individual didn’t seem human. The fact that he could best two of the daughters worried her, and a dread feeling that, unless mother and daughter combined forces, Cassandra could fall as well filled Magda’s stomach like a lead weight.

The daughters were monsters, yes. By the classic definition, that’s what they were, and Magda did not deny any of it. Blood stained dresses, screams and laughter coming from the dungeon, or even the rare times when Bela’s kisses had a slight hint of copper or something raw tasting to them. They weren’t normal. Alcina was also a monster; perhaps even more of one. The height, the claws, the gray skin that she hid beneath layers of foundation. All four of them shared that same inhuman appetite for blood and flesh. But, they also had human tendencies. They laughed, they cried, they screamed in fright the odd times they were scared or taken by surprise.

Then again, humans could be monsters as well. History showed how terrible they could be. Magda was certainly no angel, and she had the odd feeling that this man wasn’t entirely a good person either. Maybe she was wrong. Magda didn’t know. All she knew was that she was trying to save the small group of friends and family she had left in this world.

Minutes ticked by and still her wing of the castle remained quiet. The longer it stayed quiet, the more she worried. If the man was dead, Alcina would have come to her workshop to see to her daughter. But if the quiet persisted? Magda didn’t want to think on that.

“Should I go out and search?” she asked her charges. Of course, no reply came. Magda thought she saw more movement from Bela’s flies, but she had no idea if they all needed to be restored to a proper temperature, like a hive mind, before they could respond. With the way Magda had layered everything, they would warm up slowly and naturally. No artificial heaters or fires were being used, as she didn’t want to risk damaging them. After watching both mounds for a few minutes, the seamstress nodded, knowing once more what she had to do.

The castle had an unusual quietness, a stillness she had never felt before. There was always at least some sort of background noise; the shuffling of servants, the daughters’ laughter, the general noise of a home being lived in. Where was everyone? Had the man killed them all? Or were Sylvia, Andre, Samuel, Bianca, and the rest hiding in the servant’s quarters, having barricaded themselves in? Vulga likely would have escaped into the walls upon hearing the first gunshot, so she was probably safe.

At least there would be some survivors of Castle Dimitrescu.

Finding Cassandra took a long time. Besides hiding from both the constantly patrolling Alcina and the seemingly trigger happy mad man, Magda had to think like the middle child, who had the tendency to spend time in the oddest of places. While Bela and Daniela could be found in seemingly normal locations in the castle, Cassandra explored. She found hidden areas that were unknown to most of the inhabitants, hard to get to, or simply dilapidated enough and impossible to access unless you could fly. Magda assumed she enjoyed being hard to find.

The seamstress had searched damn near every room, after having briefly hidden for a few heart-pounding minutes in one of the dressing room wardrobes upon hearing Alcina’s approach. Currently, she was sitting in the back hallway, taking a moment to try and mentally collect herself. Magda hated failing, and right now she was absolutely in sync with the idea that she was a failure. Cassandra, as far as she knew, had simply disappeared. Had the man shattered a window and thrown her outside? If that was the case, then the chance of finding the young woman dropped to impossible odds. The castle was surrounded by woods and cliffs with sheer drops. Maybe… if the snow and cold somehow preserved her through the winter, Cassandra would show up in the spring, like crocuses.

At that thought, Magda let slip a sharp little laugh while, at the same time, her eyes began to water. Cassandra would hate being compared to a flower. She would absolutely have hated it. And for as much as Magda wanted to continue to both laugh and cry right now, it would certainly draw unwanted attention from one of two parties currently in the castle. Possibly both.

Wiping her face with her sleeve, she allowed herself a few calming breaths before pushing herself back to her feet and continuing this fruitless search.

The slight draft blowing on Magda’s hand from beneath the door stopped her. Yes, castles were drafty, but not this one. Alcina made certain to insulate everything as best she could so her daughters could survive the winter in relative comfort. But, there was a definite bit of air movement coming from under this door.

Opening it, Magda found the Statue of Pleasure…. with an animal skull in place of the sacrifice’s head. Not even Cassandra or Daniela would be foolish enough to ruin one of their mother’s statues. So, on top of being a murderer, this man enjoyed defacing both art and private property. What the fuck was wrong with him?

The indignity aside, the windows in this room were intact, so where was the draft coming from? The only other option was the fireplace, but if the chimney was that badly cracked, why wasn’t it sealed? Crouching in front of it, the reason quickly became apparent as the entire back of the fireplace has been removed, and the hole led to a set of stairs.

“Cassandra, you little shit.”

Crawling through the passageway, Magda entered what looked to be the remains of a hidden armory, or at least a place to stash and work on things a certain daughter didn’t want her mother to learn about or her sisters to interfere with. It would have been a lovely little room had it not been for the gaping hole in the wall, letting in all the cold air. And there, near enough to the stairway, laid what was left of Alcina’s middle child.

“At least you were smart enough to fight him in a room without windows,” Magda commented as she gathered her up. Cassandra was vicious and violent when she wan’t to be, but she was also calculative and observant. Perhaps that’s why she lasted as long as she did. Had she sacrificed her sisters in order to study this man? If Magda were the girl’s mother, they would definitely be having a talk about that later.

With the last of the Dimitrescu daughters safely bundled up, Magda began to make her way back to the workshop. As it was nearly on the other side of the castle with no direct route, she took great care to move as quietly as possible. She paused repeatedly, and scanned the Main Hall, looking for signs of the the woman in white. For as large as she was, Alcina was a stalking beast. She could be incredibly quiet if she wished to be.

As she crouched in one the small balconies, Magda heard movement coming from below her on the floor of the main hall. However, it didn’t sound… right. It couldn’t have been the intruder, unless he was gravely injured. But If that were the case, Alcina wouldn’t have been far behind, and Magda didn’t hear her at all. Speaking of the Countess, it certainly wasn’t her, as the noise was far too small to be anyone remotely her size.

Chancing a look, Magda peeked over the edge, and a soft gasp of surprise, sounding so devastatingly loud in this silence, escaped her lips as she saw what was beneath her. Luana, the castle’s head servant, the personal watchdog for the Countess, laid collapsed on the marble floor, clothes stained red with blood. Where had they been all this time?! Magda had scoured entire castle… Had they been outside and only just now managed to get in? This just made her life ten times harder. Not only did she have Cassandra to carry back, but now there was the issue of Luana as well.

She could have left them where they were. She could have. After all, Magda was currently disobeying orders and Alcina was already displeased by her previous actions. She should have taken Cassandra back to her workshop and then returned. By then, perhaps Alcina would have discovered Luana herself and… done what? She was hellbent on hunting down the intruder. Would she even have stopped and tended to her servant? Magda couldn’t say. She also had no idea what would have happened if the man found them first. Would he finish the job he clearly started? In all likelihood? Yes.

Tucking Cassandra safely in an out of the way corner by the top of the stairs, Magda made her way down to her fellow servant, glancing into the Hall of the Four as she went.

The doors leading to the Temple of Worship were open.

In all her years there, Magda had rarely seen those exterior doors stand open as they were now. The Countess was strict in her orders about that portion of the castle being forbidden to everyone save herself, and now the seamstress was watching her tall figure ascend the temple stairs. An unknown fear filled Magda with dread at that sight, and she hurried towards Luana.

Rolling the head servant over onto their back, Magda gave them a quick look over. Buckshot, and a few normal bullet holes, peppered Luana’s blood soaked torso. A normal human would have been dead from such injuries and blood loss, but Luana was thankfully not fully human, rather a Lycan-cross. They usually preferred not to speak of their heritage, but Magda hoped they would be happy to have it just this once.

“Luana? Luana, dear, can you hear me?” she asked, opening their eyes to check for any sign of life. She was met with slurred, half-conscious Portuguese. “You know damn well I don’t speak that, but right now any response is a good one, so I’ll take it.” The bleeding had stopped and their breathing seemed normal from what she could tell; no gurgles, bloody froth in the mouth, or sounds of difficulty.

“…Apologies…” they said in Romanian, doing their best to sit up.

“You’re fine. I’m just happy to see someone else, aside from the Countess, alive,” she replied. Their uniform already ruined, Magda removed Luana’s jacket and began tearing off bandage strips. Or at least she started to, as a distant crash and a devastating roar from outside quickly stopped her efforts. Whatever injuries seemed to be afflicting Luana were momentarily forgotten as they did their best to stand, only to collapse almost immediately. As they attempted it a second time, Magda moved to support them. She didn’t even say a word or caution them to take it slow as the two of them made it to the open doorway.

And what they saw? There were no words.

It was huge. A great beast, vast and terrible, with an immense wingspan, lashing tail, and a toothy, gaping maw circled the top of the temple tower; sometimes flying, sometimes crawling along the stonework. It was pale white with streaks of pink flesh, slick and glossy looking as the sun hit it. Muscles bulged as if barely contained by the skin, as tendrils curled and whipped about in an independent fury. It looked both cancerous and incomplete while at the same time horrifically beautiful and awe-inspiring in some inexplicable way. And to top it off, as if in an absurd gilding of the lily, Alcina’s upper torso, looking flayed and monstrous, erupted from between the beast’s shoulder blades. Her voice was distorted, both by rage, vengeance, and sorrow, but also by this transformation. She was lost in this madness, fully given in to it.

Magda’s knees gave way, and she fell to the floor, unintentionally bring Luana down with her. The seamstress was lost. How was this even possible? How had Alcina become this gargantuan beast? Could she change back? A sudden sick feeling rolled over her as all these questions and more filled her head. She was sure Luana was thinking similar things.

All they could do was watch this battle as it unfurled. Stonework and roofing tiles fell freely as the dragon creature did its best to pursue its quarry. Gunfire was heard regularly as Alcina taunted, threatened, and cackled in her torment. The fight moved steadily upwards, with more and more of the building being destroyed until a bloodcurdling shriek was heard and something structural gave way.

Multiple somethings.

Large plumes of dust, broken window, and cracks forming in the side of the building were the indication that the dragon had fallen through all of the interior floors of the temple, landing with a massive crash.

Magda and Luana looked at each other and then back towards the temple. “How about we wait and listen for movement?” the seamstress started to offer, but the head servant was already stumbling towards the building, trying desperately not to once more fall onto their face. They didn’t get very far before collapsing, but Magda was there to lift them back up. “How about a compromise? We get to the temple door and listen before barging in?” At that, Luana nodded a little sheepishly.

If Magda had thought the castle had been quiet, the inside of the temple was a veritable tomb. She just hoped it wasn’t a literal one. At least not for Alcina. Let the man be buried under all that rubble. Unfortunately, her wish was not yet granted, as she saw the limping figure of a man leaving through the lower level door. All she needed was a gun. Why didn’t she or Luana have a pistol? One bullet through the back of his damned head, that’s all that was needed and all this terribleness would be over with.

But instead, Magda just stood there, watching him leave before her gaze turned to Alcina’s body. It was still that dragon creature, but she had just come to accept that this was the Countess. Luana was already making their way down to her, carefully using the broken rubble as a stairway. Magda reluctantly followed suit.

The beast may have remained, but the human torso that was Alcina? That was gone, crumbled to ashes. The body was also still. Seeing that, Magda sat down hard, shocked by it all. Luana at least made it to the corpse, but they soon collapsed as tears began to fall.

Theirs was an ugly crying, one that Magda had never heard from them before. It was a full body shaking, heaving from the gut sort of crying. Luana had been serving House Dimitrescu since they were a teenager, and they saw Alcina as a mother figure, so Magda could only imagine what they were going through.

Letting them grieve for a few minutes, Magda eventually stood and walked over to Luana, placing a hand on their shoulder.

It was then that the beast took a great, shuddering breath.

Instincts quickly took hold and Magda scrambled backwards, not wanting to risk being eaten, while Luana did the opposite and moved closer, overjoyed to see some sign of life coming from the creature. She expected to hear a scream or cry of pain from Luana, imagining the creature lunging forward and devouring the head servant in one or two gulps. But instead, when the seamstress looked back, she saw Luana petting its head, saying soft things to it in Portuguese as it just laid there, barely making any noise.

“You are either very brave, very trusting, or very stupid to be petting that thing,” Magda hissed, keeping her voice down low, as if raising it would trigger the beast to attack them both.

“It knows me… us. It won’t hurt us,” Luana replied calmly.

“How do you know that? How is it even still alive?! Alcina’s torso is gone! The thing should be dead!” In response to Magda’s outburst, the thing growled, slightly turning its head in her direction. “… All right, I’m clearly wrong in my assessment of life and death. But that still doesn’t explain why or how.”

“Separate functioning systems? Maybe it all… pinched shut when the torso disintegrated? Like a limb or a tree branch that’s dying? Save the main body?” Luana offered.

“I would have thought Alcina would have been the main body. Can she regenerate from this?” Magda asked. Luana simply shrugged.

“We take her back to the castle and see what happens over the next few hours or days.”

“Easier said than done,” Magda replied, gesturing to the rock they scaled down and the all too small door was the only other exit.

“If it is a simple creature, then it will respond to simple things like food. She will need to eat anyways. We lure it back with food,” Luana reasoned.

The kitchen was thusly raided and a good bit of the meat that was there removed; both cured and what was still fresh. Amazingly, despite having heard the shrieks of the thralls earlier, the kitchen was now devoid of them. Had they wandered back down into the dungeon after finding no prey? Or were they all dead? Magda could only wonder as she glanced towards that corridor, her eyes wanting to linger on the spot where she found Bela. No, she thought. No, Bela was safe in the sewing room with her sisters. Magda had made a brief detour to deposit Cassandra there, as well as retrieve a pair of shoes for herself, before joining back up with Luana in the kitchen.

Along with the meat, they also brought along two barrels from the tasting room, placed at strategic points along the route back to the castle, in case extra bribery was needed for the beast. By the time they had finished setting everything up, the Alcinadragon… for what else would you call it?… was on its feet, clumsily walking around its temporary enclosure. Naturally, after throwing down the first piece of meat, with it being consumed in a single bite, the beast’s attention snapped to the two of them as it began the effort of climbing its way up towards freedom.

Magda knew better than to run. After all, doing so would likely trigger hunting and chasing instincts. But still, once the massive forelimbs appeared and the beast pulled itself up and over the lip of the hole, she made sure to be a good distance away, keeping Luana between it and her.

While this was something she normally would never state, on pain of death, it was rather easy to lead this version of Alcina around by her stomach. So long as they had a trail of food, she was easy to please and keep relatively docile. In the end, they only needed one barrel as a treat, though it wasn’t quite that. As they passed it on the bridge, the creature must have smelled the contents, or perhaps recognized the shape…. but how that was possible, Magda had no idea, as it had no discernible eyes right now. Either way, the tooth lined maw easily engulfed the barrel and bit down, splintering the wood and draining the contents quickly. Afterwards, the creature seemed more agreeable.

Maybe it had just needed a drink.

By the time they had entered the Hall of The Four, the remaining castle staff had emerged from their hiding places. There were no reprimands or excuses given, only looks and sighs of relief. Bianca, Sylvia, and Mihaela quickly flocked to the form of the Countess who was currently gorging on wine and meat. Samuel latched themself onto Magda with a tight hug; one that she was not exactly ready to receive, but she was also not about to deny them this comfort. Vulga also soon joined in, likely in an effort to make Magda feel even more uncomfortable.

“If you two insist on being this close to me, I will be putting you to work,” Magda told them both before taking them to her workshop and retrieving the three sisters. Sam took Daniela, Vulga carried Cassandra, and Magda held Bela close. The urge to place the daughters next to their mother was great, but caution won out instead. Who knew if or how the Alcinadragon would react to seeing her children as nothing more than collections of flies? Yes, they were becoming more active, but there was no indication they were on their way to reforming back into their human shapes. They just need time, Magda thought. That’s all. They’ve been through trauma, and they just need time to recover.

Even though it was not yet midday, It was decided that everyone would spend the night in the Main Hall. It was the inner most room, central to most of the castle, and it was big enough to house all of them comfortably, even a dragon with a massive wingspan. There would be safety in numbers.

“Do you think he’ll come back?” Magda asked Luana quietly.

“No. As far as he is concerned, everyone here is dead. Whether that is true or not…” They paused, not wanting to say the unthinkable. Understanding, Magda nodded and finished their sentence.

“…It’s best to keep up that appearance.”

“Precisely. We keep everyone centralized for the time being. Close off and safeguard the exit points, stay quiet, and wait. With any luck, things will be different twenty-four from now. Or at least there will be an indication of a difference.” The look the two of them shared was one of tiredness and threadbare hope. There wasn’t much left to run on, but so long as the lady of the house still drew breath, no matter what form she took, they still had their duties to attend to.

“Even if the man isn’t coming back, no one is going down to the outer gatehouse and drawbridge by themselves. One of the lords is currently weakened, you are still recovering from being shot multiple times, and while my mind may be playing into the medieval hierarchy of things, I wouldn’t put it past other things going wrong and our current situation being taken advantage of. We’ll go together. It’ll be faster that way.”

Despite initial outward appearances, the castle was rather impenetrable once locked down. A drawbridge, three heavy doors of varying designs dividing the exterior gatehouse, a massive portcullis at the Carriage Gate, and a smaller, but just as fortified, portcullis on the interior of the entrance hall that kept the front doors closed from the outside. For all intents and purposes, they would be safe and secure.

More of the staff wanted to assist in the closing of the gatehouse, but they were dissuaded by a few other duties; securing the door leading to the temple, keeping an eye on Alcina, and gathering up any supplies they would need for the night. They were also greeted by another unexpected task upon opening the castle doors.

In the middle of the Carriage Gate rested four crates; three of a similar size and one that was noticeably larger. Nothing had been ordered, and the Duke had packed up his caravan, vacating his usual spot some time during the battle with Alcina. Yet the note tacked onto the larger crate was in his elaborate, flowing script:

I’d wager these treasures are of more use to you than I. Think of this as a thank you for your years of patronage, as well as a farewell gift for the time being. Keep them safe.

Bonne chance,

The Duke

The lids came off easily, and inside, nestled amongst packing material were… statues? Odd ones at that. Beautiful, crystalline, and perhaps a bit macabre, they were three busts and one massive torso with what seemed to be very familiar proportions. Either the Duke had a sick sense of humor or this was something else.

“Take these inside,” Magda instructed, still a bit confused as to what they were. “Be careful with them. Don’t damage them.” She then hurried to catch up with Luana who had decidedly not stopped to investigate the crates.

While neither of them ventured out into the village, the lack of the noisy day to day life that would normally filter up from it was obvious and more than a bit unnerving. Yes, there were the occasional barks and growls from whatever lycans were still prowling around the buildings, but there were no sounds of people. That lack of background noise twisted Magda’s stomach and made her raise the drawbridge that much faster.

“Tomorrow… Tomorrow, we will search the village. Look for survivors,” Luana reassured her.

“I don’t think there are any other survivors,” she replied morosely, as her thoughts immediately went to the one person outside the castle that Magda actually cared about. Stay safe, Donna. Please God, keep her safe.

With each barricade put into place, Magda felt both safer and more alone… cut off from everything. But this was what needed to be done. As the final portcullis fell into place in the entrance hall, a burden lifted from her shoulders. There was still that sick feeling in her stomach, but her back felt lighter.

Why? She didn’t know. She didn’t deserve to feel better.

Everything was starting to blur together, and she didn’t care anymore. Magda remembered entering the Main Hall and seeing the Alcinadragon curled protectively around the crystalline torso that shared the measurements of the Countess, growling at anyone who came near it. She didn’t care or wonder why. Someone called out her name as she climbed the stairs, but she ignored it, legs carrying her faster and faster as she went. She didn’t want to talk. Her head, neck, and chest felt hot. She felt smothered and unable to breathe. She needed to get away.

By the time she was in the Hall of Joy, Magda was running. The library was a blur, as was the opera hall. Her eyes were open, but they saw nothing, as if her brain was on automatic. All she cared about was getting away.

She slammed the door to her workroom shut, turning the lock as well in order to keep herself physically, mentally, and emotionally away from everyone. She managed to go a few steps into the room before her knees gave way and she collapsed into a heap. That’s when the floodgates of emotion just opened up. She screamed and wailed, tears falling uncontrollably. All the pain and the burdens accumulated from this day, from these past few hours, came roaring out.

She had no idea how long she cried, nor how many in the castle heard her. She didn’t know if anyone knocked on the door to check on her, nor did she care. She would have ignored it anyway. At one point early on in her anguish, her stomach heaved. Only bile came out, as she had eaten nothing this entire day, but the wretching continued until even that was entirely discarded from her system. She cried until her tears ran dry; until only hiccuping breathes and weary, burning eyes remained.

Throughout all of this, there was one constant in Magda’s mind. She knew that if anyone, and she did mean anyone, interrupted her in this moment, there would be hell to pay. The staff had seen her mad and frustrated before, but they had never seen her rage. If anyone tried to comfort or hold her right now, they would be met with punches, thrown objects, and a slew of filthy, hate-filled words that she would likely regret at a later date. Perhaps even shears to the intruder’s throat, if she could reach them in time.

She didn’t want comfort. She wanted this pain. She wanted to hurt.

But most of all, she wanted her Bela.

Eventually though, the pain did subside. It slowly dulled and dissipated. To say it was completely gone would have been a lie, but it had settled for the time being. Magda’s body ached, as did her head. The floor beside her was a mess, but she made an effort and took the time to clean up the bile. She couldn’t stand having such a thing lingering in her workshop, no matter her mood or the circumstances. The process also helped the seamstress return to a semblance of herself.

After a change of clothes, a quick washing of her face and brushing of her teeth, Magda made her way back to the main hall. Samuel was lingering in the hallway, shuffling around a bit in an effort to entertain themself while probably waiting for Magda to re-emerge.

“Hey, Magda? Are… are you okay? Do you need anything? A hug maybe?” they asked, holding their arms open. Magda just shook her head and continued on. “Ice cream, maybe? We could sit and watch a movie together Not a scary movie or anythin’, but I’ll sit and watch something you’d like if it makes you feel better.” At that, Magda just sighed.

“Sam? Right now, what I want? I can’t have. So, please? Just let me go sit in peace next to what is left of the woman I love. All right?”

“Yeah, um…. about that? Okay, so we brought the statue things in like you said, but as soon as we did, the dragon thing that Lady D turned into? Yeah, she got real defensive and grabbed the big statue and isn’t giving it up. So, we then took the smaller ones and the fly piles got really active. Like super, super active. I mean, they’re not buzzin’ around like normal or human, but-“ Magda didn’t even wait for Sam to finish. Once more, she was off and running.

The daughters were on the opposite side of the fireplace from the Alcinadragon, though pretty much everyone was on the opposite side from her, as she took up an entire length of the hall. Samuel had actually been right, as the flies were more active since the last time she saw them. While not swarming, they were crawling over the statues, or rather, individual statues. Now that she was able to look at them properly, Magda could discern the shapes of the daughters in the torsos. Bela’s she knew well enough, and Daniela was a bit slighter than Cassandra… and all the while the appropriate flies were crawling over the appropriate statues. She still had no idea what they were for, but clearly they held some importance.

Whether it had been intentional or not, someone had set Bela in the alcove under the stairs, allowing a bit of privacy and seclusion if it was needed. Obviously, Samuel or someone else had taken Magda’s breakdown into consideration. Normally, the seamstress did not enjoy having special things done for her, but at the moment, she was not about complain.

Sitting on a blanket with her back against the wall, Magda actually managed to take a breath and relax for the first time that day.

They were alive.

Whether due to the added heat, time to recover, or whatever these odd statues were, the daughters were alive and moving around. They would be all right. The Alcinadragon had a forelimb curled around her own statue, surrounded by her favorite maidens, and was practically asleep, if her breathing was any indication. She would be all right. None of the servants had been gravely injured in the long term. The current state of the castle was an odd miracle, but it was a miracle nonetheless.

Looking at the crystalline statue beside her, Magda gently placed her fingertips upon it, in hopes that it would pulse or feel abnormally warm. That wasn’t the case, but one of the pale yellow flies that had been idly traversing the torso’s clavicle almost immediately changed direction and climbed onto her hand. Smiling, either from happiness or exhaustion, she brought the insect closer as it proceeded to march into the palm of her cupped hand. It happily buzzed and bumped its head against her skin, settling down in the warmth as Magda gently stroked it.

As if energized by her touch, the fly took to the air and landed in the hollow of the seamstress’ neck, where it buzzed and bounced around more; its little wings tickling her just enough to elicit a soft laugh from Magda.

“Hi, stea mică…” she said softly, body instinctively relaxing to that sensation. Magda wasn’t sure if it was her exhaustion or something else, but as her eyes closed and sleep began to take her, she could have sworn she heard Bela’s voice in the drone of the fly.

I won’t be long.

EPILOGUE:

“Magda? Magda, wake up. Somethin’s happening,” Sam’s voice cut through the blackness of sleep. The seamstress groggily rubbed her eyes and looked around, remembering where she was. Instinctively, she looked over at the Bela statue, worried for a moment at that she would find. The concern was unfounded as it was mostly covered by a swarm of flies, more than what she had seen prior to falling asleep.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” she asked, standing up. The Alcinadragon was still asleep, her harem of maidens still tending to her. If it was possible, she too looked healthier.

“There’s something goin’ on in the village. Luana told me to get you. They’re in Lady D’s bedroom.” That made sense. The Countess’ chambers had a view that overlooked the village. It was a smart place to scout from.

Making her way there, Magda discovered that night had fallen, meaning she had slept most of the day away. Why hadn’t they woken her up sooner? She didn’t need to have her sleep schedule even more messed up. However, the not so far off explosions made her decide otherwise, as she quickened her steps up the stairs.

Luana was out on the balcony of Alcina’s chambers, watching a veritable firefight going on in the village. Massive waving tendrils were erupting from the ground, knocking what looked like military helicopters out of the sky as explosions and gunfire rocked what was left of the buildings.

“Have they come towards the castle?” Magda asked after taking it all in.

“No,” Luana replied.

“Then unless they come towards the castle, it’s not our fight. I’m not about to start something with a group that has guns, explosions, and…” An airstrike briefly interrupted the seamstress as she talked. “Whatever the hell that is!”

“I simply thought you would like to be made aware of this. It was wise that we closed up everything when we did.” Magda didn’t know why Luana was making her seem more important than she actually was. They were the head servant. She was just the seamstress.

“…… You’re going to sit out here until it’s over, aren’t you?”

“Of course.” At that, Magda sighed.

“I’m not staying out here all night. It’s too cold. I’d suggest that you come in from the cold as well, but you’re just as stubborn as I am. I’ll be inside on the chaise lounge if you need me. Please don’t freeze out here, Luana. I’m not about to lose you after keeping you alive.” With that said, Magda went back inside and made herself comfortable on the Countess’ furniture, something she’d never do normally, but this wasn’t exactly normal circumstances. Come to think of it, the large hole in the floor was also out of the ordinary. That hadn’t been there earlier today… What had happened here after she left with Bela?

She must have fallen asleep, since the next thing she knew, Magda was woken up by the sudden slamming of a door, followed almost immediately by being rocked off the chaise lounge by an earth shattering explosion. Broken glass rained down on her as the shockwave smashed the windows. For a brief moment, she thought a nuclear device had gone off and she waited for the incineration wave to burn her to a crisp. When none of that happened, and the castle remained standing, she looked around.

Luana was crouched against the door leading to the balcony, covering their head out of instinct. Brushing the glass from her hair, Magda cautiously stood up and looked out the window. Smoke filled the air, but as the wind carried it away, she could see a decently sized crater in what had been the ceremony site. There was nothing left of the tendrils from last night, just like there wasn’t much left of the village.

“What in the hell happened?” she mumbled. “Do you even now think there are survivors?” she asked Luana. In response, they simply pointed to the distant shape of a quickly retreating helicopter. For a moment, anger blossomed in Magda’s chest. If that man was on that thing? How dare he be able to escape so easily after causing all this destruction. But the feeling and hatred vanished along with the helicopter. If he was gone, then so much the better. Better for him to be gone and forgotten than to remain a problem for them all.

“Goodbye and good riddance, stupid man-thing,” Magda said, before turning her back on the sunrise and returning, with Luana, to her family.

#drabble #one-shot #LONG oneshot #bela dimitrescu #Ethan Winters #alcina dimitrescu #cassandra dimitrescu #daniela dimitrescu

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bigskydreaming · 3 years ago

Text

Doing some writing today off and on between errands and work, and jumping around various Kings of the Sky installments, specifically Dick, Jason and Cass stuff, so probably gonna post snippets from a bunch of them as I go.

(Kings of the Sky is an AU that goes canon divergent from the point of Jason calling Dick for advice for dealing with Bruce after the Garzonas case and where things end up going dramatically different from that point on. Including Jason not dying, being part of his own lineup of Titans between Dick and Tim’s, Dick being adopted not long after the Church of Blood incident, Cass being the third Wayne kid to be taken in and adopted and with Tim and Duke being next and then Damian coming along later once they find out about him. This is basically my ‘the family’s alright’ AU with largely ‘Good Dad Bruce’ except for Dick and then Jason yelling some sense into him about the other, respectively, in the first two installments, just FYI).

Anyway, this bit is from a story called “In Their Shadows Grow Trees Of Good and Evil,” set about a year after Cass has been adopted, when she and Jason are both sixteen and Dick’s twenty-one. Also just FYI, because canon has never been specific about what ways Cass is neurodivergent due to the comic-book style ‘rewiring’ of her brain so that she could learn to speak later in life, I tend to go with her being dyslexic and having aphasia. She sticks exclusively to sign language and being a silent presence in her costumed personas, so that there’s no chance of people connecting the dots between Black Bat and Cassandra Wayne, as she mostly speaks verbally in her civilian persona and doesn’t hide her aphasia. The reason there’s not likely to be any obvious signs of aphasia in the snippets of her I post is because I wait until I complete something to choose words at random to replace with aphasia-born mixups, so its more realistic and I’m not gearing her dialogue towards deliberately placed moments. Just in case you were wondering.

In Their Shadows Grow Trees of Good and Evil

“Hey Todd,” sneered an exquisitely obnoxious voice. “Why’s your sister so fucking weird?”

Jason sighed the sigh of a soul a mere century into its eternity of damnation as he rose from the lunch table he’d been studying at and crammed the rest of his books into his backpack. Then he pasted a cheerfully bland smile on his face and turned around, geared for academia warfare (teenage prep school edition).

“Hey Craig,” he said brightly. “Why’d you come out of the womb so ugly your parents had to tie a piece of steak around your neck just to get the family dog to go near you? Mysteries abound.”

The advancing junior slowed a step, momentarily rocked by his truly impressive return volley. The grimace Craig’s already gargoyle-esque features twisted into made his face even more unpleasant to look at than usual, which was quite the feat. Jason would have applauded if just looking at it hadn’t already turned him to stone.

But the bargain basement basilisk kept on towards him rather than turn tail and skulk off to pop his emotional blisters, so Jason sighed a sequel to his first one. Looked like it was one of those days where Craig felt up to powering through. Guess someone had eaten their self-esteem Wheaties that morning. Joy.

“You think you’re pretty hot shit, don’t you, Todd?”

Jason shrugged. “I mean, to be honest I kinda have a one track mind, so right now I’m mostly just thinking about punching you in your mistake.”

“My what?”

“Your face,” Jason elaborated with exaggerated patience.

“Huh?”

“Oh my god, I’m saying your face is a mistake. See, its not as fun when I have to stop and explain it to you. Ugh, you ruin everything.”

He neatly sidestepped the older boy as R2-Dumbass stayed frozen, smoke coming off of his internal CPU while trying to catch up. For a second Jason thought he was home free, but then he remembered the universe fucking hated him so haha, sucks to suck. Also, a small crowd had gathered to witness the verbal jousting match, and nothing invigorated an asshole like Craig more than an audience of like-minded peers. So there was that too.

“Whatever. Laugh it up all you want, you little shit,” the junior rallied. “But just remember, mocking your betters will never change the fact that you were born street trash and you’ll be street trash until the day you die.”

Honestly? Not his best effort. Jason almost felt bad using any of his good material. Seemed like overkill at this point. But he did have a strict Scorched Earth policy to maintain, so.....

“Yeah but my dad could buy out and ruin your dad so that means I still win, right?”

He smirked as the barb landed and Craig’s face set into a sunset vista of strangled purple and furious red. Bam. Direct hit.

“Listen, you - “

“Oh for fuck’s sake, it was rhetorical,” Jason interrupted. “I don’t actually care what you think even a little bit. Nobody does. You don’t matter. Please go be irrelevant elsewhere, you’re fucking dismissed, you loser.”

“Speak for yourself, charity case.” Oh goodie, Craig’s backup singers had finally arrived. Now if only he could remember to care enough to learn their names in the first place. Seriously, who told the extras they could have lines? “All the jokes in the world can’t change who and what you are.”

Jason shrugged and continued nonchalantly up the hill to where his sister was standing with arms crossed, staring down at something on the other side.

“True genius is never appreciated in its own time,” he tossed back over his shoulder. “I’m sure I’ll be immortalized in song eventually.”

The mob of morons deigned to let him go without further incident. Though he suspected that had less to do with his scathing wit and more to do with him being headed towards Cass. She was immaculately presented as always, wearing the Gotham Academy uniform like she was born to it despite hating its uncomfortable stiffness every bit as much as he did. But that was just Cass for you.

For all that she still struggled at times to engage verbally or speak up in social settings, her mastery of body language remained without peer. She could chameleon-camouflage her way into matching poise and posture with anyone - a skill that had allowed her to walk into school on her very first day with her head held high as though she owned everything in her sight. Exuding so much Queen Bee Intimidation Factor even the other hive queens were afraid to approach her themselves. Sending forth their drones to try and woo her into an alliance, only to see her remain oh-so-casually above it all, a slightly contemptuous smile adorning her lips.

Basically, she scared the shit out of their classmates without them having anywhere close to a true understanding of why, and Jason was outrageously jealous. Rude. Unfair. Why did his siblings always get all the cool toys when all he had was his rakish charm, scintillating intellect and debonair.....nah, who was he kidding. He was fucking awesome.

“Sup, sis,” he said, cresting the hill to stand beside Cass. “Just FYI, I just took a popularity bullet for you, which means you owe me your dessert tonight. Its a family rule that’s totally a real thing and definitely not something I just made up right now because Alf is making chocolate soufflé.”

She made no acknowledgment and remained stock still, a Colossus at Rhodes peering down into the shifting shadows of the parking lot below.

He peered down as well, though with absolutely no idea what they were looking at. Solidarity, yo.

“So are we staring fixedly at anything in particular, or should I just pick my own spot and commit?”

His humor was totally wasted on her as always. Instead of laughing and telling him what a lovable goof he was, she just inclined her head in the direction of a blonde girl where she was standing next to the driver’s side door of a Mercedes-Benz, dictating final commandments to her peons before departing. Well, probably. Jason was just guessing, based on his own body language reads, and like, general disdain for literally everyone at this school that wasn’t related to him.

He made a face. An extra special one reserved just for this classmate in particular. “Ugh, Madison Dunleavy? She’s the worst.”

Cass raised a cool eyebrow. “I thought Craig Hendricks was the worst.”

“He is. They’re both the worst. Its a hotly contested position here at Gotham Academy.”

She rolled her eyes and nodded back down at the Queen of Air and Darkness. “So. You know her?”

“Nope,” Jason said. “Come to think of it, I’ve actually never seen her in my life. No idea who that is. Can’t help you, sorry. Shall we go home?”

The Eyebrow of Inquisition speared him with clear intent. Who the fuck needed words when you could pack the Encyclopedia Britannica into a single facial expression?

Jason sighed gustily.

“I had a slight altercation with her freshman year that led to her declaring her undying enmity for me until the end of time. The word nemesis may or may not have been thrown around once or twice. I can’t recall.”

The Eyebrow of Inquisition lowered nary an inch. Ugh, she wanted more? Why did everyone in his family hate privacy, with the obvious exclusion of himself when snooping through Cass and Dick’s rooms for blackmail material, which was actually intel-gathering and thus another matter entirely.

“Okay so basically what happened was my first week here I overheard her talking shit about me and not even twenty minutes later she was pretending to kiss my ass in homeroom, like probably because of Bruce, y’know? So I just busted out laughing and told her to fuck off and die and she has inexplicably loathed me ever since.”

Avoiding further Eyebrow Inquisition-ing, he made a show of peering around aimlessly. When the silence extended and it was clear Cass was absolutely not going to break first, Jason waved a hand in dismissal and took to peering oh so casually at his fingernails. "I suppose I was less tactful back in those days.”

He chanced a look up, finally, and saw his sister’s eyebrow had somehow managed to mighty morphin power ranger its way into a configuration evoking both judgment and disbelief, with the latter perhaps aimed at the idea he was significantly differing in the tact department these days either.

“I don’t love the implications your face is making right now,” he told her.

She ignored him, because of course she did.

“Does she know Dick?” She asked instead. Jason shrugged.

“I mean, maybe? She’s probably seen him around at one of those stupid galas we have to go to, and actually I think maybe she has an older brother who was either in Dick’s grade or like, one above or below it? I don’t know.”

Now both eyebrows were doing the dance of disbelief. Okay, so maybe that was poor situational awareness on his part, since it wasn’t like Gotham Academy was a big school with a ton of other kids and also he’d only been in the same class as Madison for like over two whole years, but whatever. There were extingent circumstances.

“Look, she’s a total snob who’s always looked down on me and in return I willfully ignore both her existence and that of everyone and everything even tangentially related to her. Its called equality, Cass.”

She pursed her lips and went back to the peering, because of course in the mind of Cass it made total sense that the Grand Inquisition didn’t need to be followed up by any explanation on her part, what the hell. Like was he supposed to have inferred it?

“What’s this all about anyway?”

“I heard her talking about Dick earlier,” she said without peeling her eyes away from her personal recon mission. “I don’t know what she said though, I just heard her say Grayson, and then I was busy looking at what her body was saying. I know it was about Dick because she shut down when she saw me. And I didn’t like the way she....looked....before that happened. The way she was talking. It was.....”

Jason frowned but held back any follow-up questions while he waited - with total patience because he wasn’t an absolute cad, thank you very much - for his sister to find the word she was hunting for. It was a major source of frustration for her, that whatever neural map her brain followed put body language and spoken language in totally different regions of her brain, separated by a fairly great divide. Meaning she usually had to make a conscious choice to focus on body language or conventional languages - whether verbal or sign. But it tended to be one or the other; she’d yet to master taking in and comprehending both forms of ‘language’ at the same time. And none of them had quite figured out how to convince her that she wasn’t actually missing anything when she chose to focus on one specific form of communication - that she was still observing far more than most people ever would.

“Proprietary,” Cass settled on at last. She nodded her satisfaction with her choice of word, and Jason waited a whole two point five seconds before sticking his whole foot in his mouth.

“Proprietary?” He asked with a scrunched nose as he weighed that for possible context and implications. “You sure?”

She glared. He winced. It was a whole thing.

“Yeah, I know, sorry, sorry, I heard it the second it was out of my mouth. We don’t actually have to experiment with the legitimacy of if looks could kill.”

Cass rolled her eyes, but eh. That could’ve gone worse.

Jason swiftly redirected attention anyway. Discretion is the better part of valor, after all.

“So. The Queen of Air and Darkness was talking about our big bro, and her mood was.....proprietary, huh?” He recapped while digesting the info like a boss. “Well. Definitely not loving that, I gotta say. Hold please.”

Pulling out his phone and pulling up his most recent texts, he began typing furiously.

“What are you doing?” Cass asked.

“Texting Tom,” he replied, because duh. Hah, now it was his chance to have the answers that should be patently obvious and thus make with the ‘are you kidding me’ when she asked obvious questions she should know the answer to! How do you like them apples, sis?

“Why are you texting your boyfriend right now?”

Jason rolled his eyes, because fair is fair, but never ceased texting for a moment. Time was of the essence here, probably. Well, maybe. Okay probably not. But it’d still been like half an hour since he and Tom had last texted and that’s a very fucking long time in teenage years.

“To be our getaway driver tonight, obviously.”

She stared at him. He didn’t look up, but he could feel it anyway. He was very intuitive like that.

“What?”

Jason heaved another sigh, one keyed to tones of ‘oh my god, do I really have to spell this out,” exasperation. He was just racking up the bonus points here. It was really too bad this wasn’t an actual competition he could actually win and this was all just pettiness taking place wholly in his own head. Lame.

“Well, clearly we now have to go snoop in Madison’s house aka lair to see if its actually a house or a full on lair. Because she’s either a creeper or like, legit evil, and its important to know which one before we proceed, because obviously we can only bust her for being a weird creeper about our brother as Jason and Cass, whereas if she’s legit evil, that’s gotta go down as Robin and Black Bat. I’ll handle the snooping, you’ll take look-out, but we still need a wheelman and that’s why I’m texting Tom. This is all very mission-oriented, okay. I’m a professional.”

“Right,” she affirmed, while sounding anything but convinced. “Why don’t we just tell Bruce?”

Without looking up or breaking stride, he said: “I’m going to give you til I finish typing this sentence to figure out what was wrong with what you just said. Remember that we are talking about hypothetical danger to our brother, and also Bruce’s idea of a proportionate response to any of his children being in even hypothetical danger. And also our brother’s idea of a proportionate response to Bruce’s idea of a proportionate response. Look, you’re still new so I’m gonna need you to just trust me on this one. Its gonna be a no on telling Bruce without further intel.”

Cass said nothing in response to that, which meant that she was conceding the point and recognized the wisdom of his words. Or maybe that she was just gonna go ahead and do what she wanted anyway and just wasn’t bothering to fight about it, but it was probably that first thing.

“Well you better not just make out with your boyfriend all night,” is what she said at last, and that got his attention reeeeeal quick like.

“Umm. Wow. Okay. So, first off, you’re not the boss of me and who I make out with and when, so jot that down. And second, now I’m definitely going to make out with my boyfriend extra hard, with the exception of when we are actually on our recon mission because as previously established, I am a professional. And also, again, you’re not the boss of me.”

Jason ignored her Eye Roll With Extra Emphasis, and instead just held up his phone to Text With Extra Emphasis, as he read along with what he was typing.

“By the way babe, we have to make out extra hard tonight,” he said, tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth while he dragged out his dictation with the kind of focus that usually led to Bruce asking why he couldn’t apply as much intensity to training as he did to pettiness. “Cass has suddenly decided she can dictate terms to me and I need to shut that shit down ASAP, so thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter. Smoochies and other gay stuff to the best boyfriend ever.”

Jason frowned as a response pinged back seconds later.

TheCatsMeow: ....the things I put up with for the sake of your weird family dynamics.

TheOnlyRobinThatRocks: Yeah, yeah. You’re a saint among were-panthers. Must you mock? Why can’t you just tell me I’m pretty instead?

TheCatsMeow: Sorry. Let me try again. OMG you’re so pretty Jase how did I get so lucky xoxo.

TheOnlyRobinThatRocks: No. Its too late. It feels forced and unbelievable now. You’ve ruined it forever.

TheCatsMeow: Got it. From now on I will only tell you that you’re repulsive and hideous.

TheOnlyRobinThatRocks: I’m breaking up with you.

TheCatsMeow: But after I help you with your mission tonight.

TheOnlyRobinThatRocks: Obvsly. I’m a professional. Why do people keep forgetting this?

TheCatsMeow: And also the making out to spite your sister.

TheOnlyRobinThatRocks: Yeah we should do that first too. I mean we already penciled it in.

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