#abe III Bellamy

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

In the Bellamy house, the evidence of party planning littered the floor. Boxes for presents, happy decorations, and sample cakes were left abandoned. A giant thirty years tri-celebration had been originally planned for the day after Abe and Roman returned from their second honeymoon for both their and Adrian's thirtieth birthday. All that had changed the second the Siew family had been caught off guard at a family barbecue and members of the royal family had been killed or injured. Abe and Roman had teleported back home immediately, while Adrian had teleported all of their children from the cottage to the Bellamy estate and then teleported back to help protect the queen.

And so the Bellamys sat and waited for Adrian to return. Roman had offered his own help, seeing as he was a demon hybrid who could hold his own in a fight, but Adrian had refused. Roman was needed at home, protecting the children Adrian had entrusted him with. As much as he hated the idea of Adrian in danger, protecting their family was more important.

It was still hard to wait to find out about the Siew family. Adrian had promised that Georgiana was okay and that he'd personally bring her to her mother without a scratch on her. Ulyssa was preparing some kind of speech to the public and was safe. She had lost two children and that had to be crippling. Roman would likely be crying in a corner, completely incapacitated if he lost a child. His heart broke for Ulyssa, though he didn't dare mention that fact out loud. Worrying about your affair partner and bastard child from said affair wasn't a good look after returning from your second honeymoon.

Abe could sense the turmoil though. That was what they'd looked forward to the most about demonic marriage. Abe could feel what Roman felt and understand that those feelings for Ulyssa were wrapped with guilt, shame, and remorse. Roman could have told him as much, but now Abe had the proof to feel for himself.

"I'm sure Daddy is okay," Luci offered softly. Roman's fear and anger and sense of uselessness was starting to travel to the children.

Roman squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath and tried his best to dispel the negative emotions from his mind.

"I know he is, honey. Your dad can take care of himself. With Evren there too, they'll be unstoppable. He'll come home safe."

Saturnia traded a worried look with her sister.

"Did Adam die? Is Theo going to be sad if he did? Can we call him? I haven't seen him in forever. I miss him."

Saturnia looked at her father with frightened eyes and Roman tried to keep his cool so that his daughter could relax. That was another mess of nerves that Roman didn't have the emotional ability to discuss. He'd gotten a notice that Theo had graduated from his program and would be returning home soon, only to discover that his son was "posted to a special assignment" in Pleasantview. Roman didn't have a clue of where his oldest child was, and if Adam had nearly been injured or killed at the barbecue, there was a decent chance that Theo had teleported there in hopes of finding him. The last thing he needed was for Theo to find himself in a new dangerous situation.

"Theo is safe and I'm sure that Adam is as well," Roman replied, trying to sound confident. "We would know if they weren't. They're both really strong warlocks. Nothing is going to slow down Adam when family is at stake."

"Yeah, Rien too. She knows what to do when bad guys show up."

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Roman asked, hugging Luciana close to him. "You saw something really scary and I know how confusing things must be. Did you want to talk about what happened?"

Luciana shook her head, the look on her face vacant. She'd seen people actually fight for their lives and had somehow avoided being hit with a magical spell or bladed weapon. One of her father's work friends had shielded her from seeing any bodies and returned her to Adrian's side without breaking a sweat. It had all gone so quickly, and she had trouble piecing together what exactly she had seen.

"Jorah's here!" Abe cried, jumping up to answer the door. Jorah was a mess, still sobbing despite his best efforts to put on a brave face. "Jorah! What's going on? Has the situation been handled? How's Adrian and Evren? Are they safe?"

Jorah opened his mouth, only to be overcome with sobs once more.

"They're...They're fine, right?" Roman asked. He could feel Abe's anxiety through their bond, which only worsened his own. If the children hadn't been present, Roman would have been asking about Evren and Adrian's deaths instead of assuming they were alright.

Jorah nodded, and both Roman and Abe nearly crumpled to the floor with relief.

"Adrian and Trent have everything secured. The Pleasantview witches have backed Twikkii Island security, but we have no prisoners. There are three dead assailants, but they're not in any system we have access to. The only casualties were from the Durant family. My family. The family I'm supposed to lead. My little sister is dead. Cindra won't leave Trent's side and my father hasn't left his bedroom since we learned about Lauren. I don't know what to do. Trent told me to come here, so here I am."

"It'll be okay. You've got this."

Roman rushed to hug Jorah, who once again began sobbing in his arms.

"I'm sure Cindra will come home as soon as her children and their blood relatives are safe," Abe reassured him. "The Siews are her family now too. If someone is targeting your family, she needs to keep her children where they'll be protected. When Twikkii Island is declared safe, Adrian plans to keep the children there where royal security can guard them. Cindra will come home when she can."

"And my children? Do I need protection for them too or are they not targets because they live here? Should I be worried?"

"They'll be fine. I could sense their intentions when I stabbed one of them in the leg. They want to cause fear, and they hate the royal family. They don't like Aunt Ulyssa much, but they don't care about Arkhelios itself."

The adults stared at Rien, who was happily playing with her brother's familiar, Too. Abe wanted to say something about Rien's admission of stabbing a man, but decided that that could be brought up when Jorah wasn't sobbing on their doorstep.

"Rien, honey, you shouldn't say things that you don't know for certain," Roman began worriedly. "It was a scary situation and you can't trust what you saw when you were scared. No one can. Your father will help figure out the motive of the bad guys."

Rien rolled her eyes.

"I could feel it, just like I always do. It wasn't a lot of information, but I could sense it from him! As long as Uncle Jorah stays away from Twikkii Island, he'll be fine. The spirits agree, and they're never wrong. They told me how to save the queen and Princess Georgiana and it worked. Just listen to them like I do."

"Who is behind this? What do they want? What can I do to save my family?"

Jorah couldn't stop the words coming out of his mouth. Someone, even if they were a child, was finally giving him answers and he was desperate. Roman and Abe shared a sharp look and nodded in agreement.

"Rien, you're being inappropriate and insensitive to Mr. Durant," Abe began. "I know that you saw some terrible things today, but you can't let your imagination run wild when people are grieving. It's wrong to offer false hope."

The look Rien gave her stepfather was indescribably dark. Both of her parents had seen Malika’s abilities when communicating with the spirits, and her ability to predict the future had been nearly infallible. Most of the Bellamy fortune had been amassed with her gifts. And yet, none of Rien's parents could see that their little girl had that same talent or trust what she knew to be obvious.

"The spirits know where to cut to sever an artery in someone's leg," she said curtly, turning her back on the adults. "If they didn't, maybe I'd be dead instead of him."

"Go to your room, Rien! Now. We'll process our feelings about what happened today when your father comes home. Until then, don't rile up your siblings with talk like that."

Rien pictured how her older brother would handle a conversation like this and smiled. Theo would probably leave the room flipping people off and threatening to run away again. That would feel amazingly liberating, but it wasn't going to help her in this scenario. Everyone was still on edge. Instead, Rien obeyed Roman's command, and silently left the room without acknowledging any of the adults. Let them be wrong. If they weren't going to acknowledge her gifts, maybe she'd be less inclined to intervene on their behalf.

"I'm so sorry, Jorah. She's been through a lot today and with Evren and Adrian facing so much danger, all of the kids have been unsettled. I'll talk with her," Roman promised. "Today...today has been rough for all of us."

"I can't imagine what she saw," Jorah replied sadly. "I can't imagine what any of them saw. Rien means well, I'm sure."

"Why don't we wait outside for Adrian to return?" Abe suggested, looking at Luci and Saturnia's worried faces and trying to imagine the therapy bill for all the children involved. "It might be more distracting."

The smell of hamburgers filled the air as the Bellamys and Jorah waited for Adrian. Abe had half-heartedly grilled some burgers to be a proper host until he remembered that the tragedy they were still reeling from had been a barbecue. Roman dutifully ate some and when Jorah's husband Valerian arrived to check on Jorah, he forced Jorah to do the same. Jorah had barely eaten since the news arrived and the last thing their family needed was for Jorah to faint.

The Bellamy family didn't have enough outdoor seats to accommodate the group, but they made do with what they could find. The children were content to stay inside where they felt safe and have some separation from the worried adults. Luci had apparently gone to comfort her twin sister, which Roman hoped would end in a sisterly hug and not a united front rebelling against their parents.

"Has there been any more announcements?" Valerian asked while chewing a burger. "Do we know anything about Maura?"

Jorah shook his head.

"Cindra has been the one keeping me informed and she's busy with her own family. Ulyssa isn't answering my calls since she's apparently making a speech about the attack. Maura isn't in a stable condition from what I've heard. Ulyssa's the queen regent until Maura is able to reign again. If she's able to reign again."

"Maura’s strong, she'll get through this," Valerian insisted. "Things must be bad if they're asking Ulyssa to run the country."

"Val!" Jorah snapped irritably. "Her wife might be dying and she's lost two children! Have some compassion! My sister's not perfect but she's trying!"

"Well, would you want to live under Queen Ulyssa? It was bad enough when she tried to steal back your role as family heir. Life's too short to waste pretending to like your sister."

Jorah glared at his husband, whose eyes had drifted to Roman. No one wanted to start drama, but the Durant family was dying to know how Roman felt about his ex fling ruling a country if her wife died. Would she try to get back with Roman when the pressure got too much? If Maura died, the Durant family had to be ready for Ulyssa falling back on old habits and the potential fallout.

Before Valerian could continue, he was interrupted by a shimmering magical light. Adrian was finally here.

"Adrian! What's happening? Is Georgiana really okay? How's Maura? What even happened?"

"Ulyssa has the surviving children with her under heavy guard," Adrian answered, his eyes searching for his own children. "Maura’s in critical condition, but they're optimistic about her chances. If I hadn't been there to intercept her first attacker, she might not have been so lucky. Roman, the things I've seen....our kids are taking self-defense classes at the military academy immediately. I can't go through something like this again. And they weren't even really interested in us. I couldn't imagine having our kids be targets. I won't let it happen. I can't protect them all the time. They need to learn to protect themselves as best as they can when we're not around."

"Agreed. Theo can hold his own, and he usually has Adam glued to his side, so they're safe. Maybe Saturnia, Fiolett, and the twins can watch out for each other until the others are older?"

"Trust me, Rien doesn't need training. I fully expect the queen or queen regent to give her a medal for her performance," Adrian replied solemnly. "She really does have a gift that I can't explain, Roman. I wish I could because it scares the shit out of me, but a lot more people would have died without her. She may receive her own title for this, the crown is that grateful."

Roman froze, reflecting on what Adrian had said. He understood the words, but he couldn't accept their meaning. Stressed, relieved, and scared out of his mind, Roman wrapped his arms around his ex-husband as tightly as he could.

"I watched my grandmother work her magic all of my life. It makes sense that Rien may have inherited all of that, but I've never understood what gift my grandmother had. And with demon blood? I can't think about that, Adrian. Not now. Maybe when the world isn't coming to an end, I can rehash my trauma with you, but not today. We'll put the kids in self-defense classes as soon as we can and I'll try to listen more to Rien, but I can't face all of that on top of this mess."

"I understand completely. Just don't throw a fit if she's Duchess Rien when she's eighteen."

Roman groaned, releasing Adrian from his arms.

"I'll add it to the list. I'm just glad that you and Evren are safe and the queen may survive this. No one kid should have to mourn their mother and become king as young as Adrion."

"Maura’s a fighter," Adrian gently reminded him. "She won't let a little thing like an assassination attempt end her reign. She's too stubborn to die on somebody else's terms."

While Roman and Abe stood anxiously at Adrian's side, Jorah slipped back into the house, searching for the proven oracle that had saved the queen with her predictions. He had questions that he hoped Rien might be able to answer. It was desperate of him to try to talk to a child about his worries, but he was desperate. He had to protect his family, and if desperation was what it took, then he'd be desperate.

Jorah found Rien in the living room, ignoring Roman's order of going to her bedroom as punishment. Instead, she was watching Jorah with a detached curiosity.

"You came back to ask about your family," she stated and Jorah nodded.

"Are my kids truly safe here in Arkhelios? Do you know why my sisters were attacked?"

Rien tilted her head as she pondered the question.

"Stay in Arkhelios," she replied cryptically. "Your destiny is here. You may not be safe, but whoever wants your sisters dead won't bother to find you here."

"And who's behind this? Who wants to kill my sisters and the queen?"

Rien stared impassively at the man in front of her, watching him like he was little more than an ant to her. She weighed each word carefully. She didn't know more than what she'd already told her father, and Jorah had been silent when Roman disbelieved her claims. Now here he was, asking for her help.

"Your daughter, Judith. She gets in trouble a lot, right? She stands out from the twins to the point that people make comments about it?"

"Oh god, is Judith going to die next?" Jorah cried, barely holding back tears at the thought.

"No, she's going to be fine. She's not your husband's kid though. Uncle Nathan is her father, hence the bad attitude. She's a Helios after all."

Jorah's jaw dropped to the floor as his mind pieced together small comments people had made about Judith. She wasn't as pale as her siblings, and Susanna and Hamnet were calm, easy-going children. If he remembered right, Judith could have a small resemblance to Nathan. Maybe.

"But I was the one who gave birth to her!" Jorah exclaimed. The all knowing child had to be right, but at the same time, Jorah knew that he'd never laid a finger on Nathan Helios. Nathan creeped him out more than anything and spending even an hour with him sounded like torture. "I don't know how you can right about the queen and wrong about this, but I promise you, Nathan Helios and I can't possibly be parents together."

Rien shrugged. Her words were true, and he deserved to hear it for doubting her in the first place.

"The spirits say that it was contamination from a fertility potion. His lips and your lips touched the same liquid and genetic transfer was made. You really should be more careful about what you drink, Uncle Jorah. Magic can be dangerous if you don't understand it."

Abe III interrupted their conversation with a happy squeal. Too was desperately trying to free herself from Abe's grasp but not succeeding. While Jorah's attention was focused on the unhappy familiar, Rien disappeared. The spirits whispered their approval of her choice of information to reveal. He didn't need to know about the potion mix up from so long ago, but Rien wasn't inclined to share what the spirits shared with her on any other topic. When people actually did believe her warnings, they assumed that she was all-knowing, all the time, which was just as frustrating as not being believed at all.

Jorah slumped to the floor, unable to breathe with all of the anguish weighing him down.

He knew that Ulyssa had gone too far with all those potions she had brought him when they struggled to conceive. At least one of them had clearly blown up in his face; how many others had been equally disastrous? Were any of their kids genetically theirs? Had magic corrupted their DNA? Were they sick or damaged at all by a potion?

If Ulyssa wasn't currently going through hell and not returning his calls, Jorah would have some incendiary words for her and her meddling.

"Jorah? Honey? Why are you on the floor? Did Cindra call with bad news? You're scaring me."

Valerian crouched down to sit next to his husband, taking his hand.

"I was only joking about hating your sister. Well, mostly. I didn't mean to upset you either way. Talk to me."

"R-Rien. I asked her about my family, and, and she said that a magic potion backfired when we got pregnant. T-that Nathan Helios touched one of them and- and he's Judith's father. I never cheated on you, I'm so sorry! I don't even like being in the same room as him! This is impossible; she has to be wrong."

Valerian looked into the kitchen, where Judith was tormenting her brother for some reason. It didn't matter why they were fighting, Judith would fight over anything and her shy brother wouldn't fight back.

"That...that does explain a few things," he murmured. "There have been some times when I've wondered if she was a changeling abandoned here and switched for our daughter. Nathan huh? Why couldn't it have been one of the smart, ambitious Helios siblings? Lucy's kids seem to have a good head on their shoulders."

"I feel like you're missing the obvious," Jorah whined, staring at his husband strangely. "Magic has ruined our family. My husband isn't the father of all of my children and my family is forever scarred by an assassination plot. Nothing is okay. Nothing will ever be okay again."

"Judith is my daughter," Valerian vowed, looking his husband directly in the eyes. "No DNA can change that. We'll figure this out. Maybe she's wrong, but if she isn't, then worse things have already happened. You're taking the word of a child, no matter gifted she may be. How about you leave the psychics alone until things with your sisters calm down."

"You really don't care?" Jorah asked incredulously. "This could be huge. I mean, it makes about as much sense as anything else that happens here. I believe her enough to test Judith. Don't you want to know?"

Valerian hugged his husband.

"I don't care. Really, I don't. Your sister just lost two children and maybe their mother. They're gone. Our children are here, and I can't ask for anything more. After today, how can you even ask if magical screwups mean anything? Nothing else matters outside of our family. Nothing."

"Why is Jorah crying on my floor?" Roman asked to no one in particular. No one ever answered his questions in this house anyway.

Roman had a guess as to why his guest was crying, and it wasn't because of the tragedy in Twikkii Island. The children were suspiciously absent, increasing the likelihood that one or more of them was involved.

He sighed heavily, mentally composing his apology to Jorah before he walked to check on him. Whatever he had thought parenting would be, it certainly wasn't this.

[rosetinted-escape]

Okay, I'm gonna try and explain it. If this doesn't make sense, I have a sheet of notes explaining it I can post, but my handwriting sucks so I'm gonna try this first. I'll put it under the cut cause it'll probably be quite long.

Happy to explain though, if people have further questions about Muse/Matt Bellamy's use of harmony feel free to ask! I love music theory so I'm straight up doing this for fun, but it's all really interesting and if you know what to look for you can see classical influence in most of their songs, even ones you might not expect.

So, in a scale you have 7 notes, eg. CDEFGAB. Chords are built based off these notes, eg. C, E, G makes a C major chord, D, F , A is a D minor chord. The pattern of major/minor chords in a major scale is this: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished. It's often written in roman numerals, where capitals are major chords and lowercase are minor chords. Diminished chords are lower case with a small circle next to them or in italics (here I'll be using italics).

So the pattern goes I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii. (eg. C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim)

In a minor key, the pattern is more complicated, but assuming it's a natural minor: i, ii, III, iv, v, VI, VII (eg. Cm, Ddim, Eb, Fm, Gm, Ab, Bb)

Cadences are used in most kinds of music, but I would say generally more deliberately in classical music, since there's this attitude in popular music I think where it's 'cool' not to know any music theory and it makes you a 'better musician' because you don't stick to the 'rules'. There are 4 main types (in a major key):

Perfect: V-I. Solidifies a key and sounds quite final, so are often used at the end of phrases/pieces and after a key change.

Imperfect: anything-V; often I-V.

Interrupted: V-anything except I; often V-vi.

Plagal: IV-I. Also called the 'amen cadence' as it's used in a lot of religious music.

Matt has also used regular plagal cadences. There's one at the end of Drones when 'amen' is sung.

A minor plagal cadence is used more often in popular music I think? Basically, you 'borrow' the minor 4th chord from the tonic minor, which is the minor that has the same starting note as the current major key you're in. Eg. C minor is the tonic/parallel minor of C major. In C major, a minor plagal cadence would be Fm-C, whereas a normal plagal cadence would be F-C.

Minor plagal cadences sound ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING like the entire world is ending.

Examples in Muse songs can be found in the following (and probably more, these are just ones I've found in my analysis so far).

Aftermath: at the end of the chorus over 'the loneliness has gone' (this should be illegal).

Citizen Erased: in the outro over 'erase all the memories' and 'I've seen all I'll ever need' (double illegal)

Explorers: In the verses over 'to seek the new and unknown This planet's overrun' and lyrics in that position in the following verses

Falling Away With You: At the end of verses over 'maybe I just misunderstood', 'memories I will never find', the first 'I think our lives have just begun' (followed by a 'faux' minor plagal at the repeat which goes to E instead of C, giving us a perfect cadence into the chorus), 'I hope I won't forget a thing', 'Nothing will ever stay the same' and then again at 'Making the same mistakes again' with the 'faux' minor plagal on the repeat. The final one is right at the end of the song on both 'memories I will never find'. (Peak devastation, I think that's a big chunk of why this song is so utterly heart-wrenching; the placement of minor plagal cadences over already devastating lyrics).

Falling Down: Start of verses over 'I'm falling down' or lyrics in the same place.

Liberation: In the chorus over/in-between 'take you down/we intend to'

Soaked: Verses towards the end over 'it's not the first time' into 'it's not the worst crime' and 'take shelter' into 'and hide forever'.

I hope this somewhat makes sense, and if it doesn't let me know and I can try explaining it in a different way or post the sheet I made when planning this post.

Damn, Matt Bellamy sure does love using minor plagal cadences to make me want to RIP MY SOUL OUT MY BODY AND THROW IT AT THE SUN.

I reckon most Muse songs that just utterly devastate you have a minor plagal cadence.

(I am also guilty of using minor plagal cadences in my own songs bc they also sound nice).

[ao3feed-lams]

Deadly Secrets

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/3aHs8RX

by Lilyintin89

Abraham Woodhull is a cabbage farmer with a huge secret, Not everyone in Setauket knows about his secret except for a little group of spies, the truth is that Abraham Woodhull is pregnant with Benjamin Tallmadge's child, Benjamin is a military officer who fights along side caleb brewster, aka Abe's over protective friend, it's the revolutionary war, feelings are at stake, and with Abraham pregnant with Benjamin's child Benedict doesn't know if the child is even Benjamin's child or his child, Abraham doesn't know who the real father is, he's for certain it's benedict's child, but on the inside he's also certain that it could be Benjamin's child as well, or maybe they're both the fathers, who knows.

Abe is a male carrier, Robert Townsend is his bounder, a bounder is someone who swears to protect a carrier at all coast no matter what happens to the fathers or father. Can robert keep abe's secret?, or will they have to escape from setauket and run off to some other place?. How will Benjamin and Benedict take the news of the unborn child?, will they keep it?, read to find out what happens!.

Words: 1111, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Pregnant Revolutionaries

Fandoms: Hamilton - Miranda, Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow, Turn (TV 2014), founding fathers - Fandom, Culper Spy Ring - Fandom, 17th Century CE RPF, 18th Century CE RPF, John Adams (TV)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi

Characters: Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette, Hercules Mulligan, Aaron Burr, Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Margaret "Peggy" Schuyler, Angelica Schuyler, Maria Reynolds, Henry Laurens (1723-1792), Dolley Madison, George Eacker, John Adams, Frances Laurens, Theodosia Burr Alston, George III of the United Kingdom, Martha Washington, Theodosia Prevost Burr, Charles Lee, Philip Hamilton, Sarah Churchill Duchess of Marlborough, Woodes Rogers, Robert Troup, John Hancock (1737-1793), Abigail (Turn), David Hosack (1769-1835), Mary Floyd Tallmadge, George Washington, Thomas Lynch Jr, Becky Redman, Edward Sexby, Mary Graves (1772-1860), Karl Eugen von Württemberg, Captain Joyce, Thomas "Sprout" Woodhull, Benedict Arnold, Martha Laurens Ramsay, Alexander Hamilton Jr., Tench Tilghman, Jules Mazarin, Thomas Conway (1735-c.1800), Anna Ivanovna | Anna of Russia, Dr. Mabbs, Galileo Galilei, Hamilton Ensemble, Johann Sebastian Bach, Samuel Seabury (1729-1796), Tailor, Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy, Anne Hyde Duchess of York, William "Billy" Lee (Turn), Robert Townsend (1753-1838)

Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Aaron Burr/Theodosia Prevost Burr, Thomas Jefferson/James Madison, Maria Reynolds/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Aaron Burr/Alexander Hamilton, Charles Lee/Samuel Seabury, Martha Manning/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Henry Clay/John C. Calhoun, Benjamin Franklin/Henry Knox, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/George Washington, John Barker Church/Angelica Schuyler, Abraham Woodhull/Mary Woodhull, Benedict Arnold/Benjamin Tallmadge/Abraham Woodhull, Robert Townsend/Abraham Woodhull, John André/Abraham Woodhull, Caleb Brewster/Anna Strong/Benjamin Tallmadge/Abraham Woodhull, Thomas Jefferson/Angelica Schuyler, Margaret "Peggy" Schuyler & Stephen Van Rensselaer (1764-1839), George III of the United Kingdom/John Laurens, Maria Cosway/Thomas Jefferson, Edmund Hewlett/John Graves Simcoe, Anna Strong/Mary Woodhull, Anna Strong/Selah Strong, Benedict Arnold/Charles Lee, George III of the United Kingdom/Charles Lee/Samuel Seabury, George III of the United Kingdom/George Washington, George Washington/Martha Washington

Additional Tags: Pregnancy, Revolutionary War, LGBTQ Themes, Strong Female Characters, Gay Founding Fathers (Hamilton), Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Naked Cuddling, Canon-Typical Violence, War, Eventual Smut, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slow Build, Bisexual Alexander Hamilton, Minor Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Mom Friend Angelica Schuyler, Gay John Laurens, Minor Anna Strong/Abraham Woodhull, John Simcoe Being an Asshole, The Battle of Setauket, Light-Hearted, Light BDSM, Religious Conflict, Character Death, Major Character Injury, Slash, Protectiveness, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Male Pregnancy, 17th Century, Torture, Spoilers, Prompt Fill, Royalty, Rough Sex, Neck Kissing, Praise Kink, Love, Drunken Confessions, Falling In Love, Long-Distance Relationship, Attempted Murder, Painful Sex, Romantic Soulmates, Established Relationship, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Self-Harm, Abraham Woodhull Needs A Hug, Porn, Alternate Universe, Everyone Needs A Hug, Henry Laurens' A+ Parenting, Internalized Homophobia, Homophobic Language

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/3aHs8RX

[filmfanatic82]

AO3 Link (HERE)

Chapter 11: Raven (III)

“Shots! Shots! Shots!”

Raven cringes as the chants grow louder from within the house.

“Rae, do you hear--” Clarke says from the other side of the beer pong table.

“No,” Raven responds, cutting Clarke off. She lines up her next shot with expert-like precision and then tosses the ping-pong ball, but it’s caught by Clarke before it can land in the last remaining cup.

“It’s Señor Cuervo time!” Clarke’s crystal blue eyes light up with a devilish glint.

“No. Not tonight. You promised Lexa, remember? Only beer. That was the deal.”

“Pleeeeeeaaaasssseeee,’ Clarke begs, extending her bottom lip for extra effect. “Just one round.”

“But we’re not done with this--”

Before the last word can leave Raven’s mouth, though, Clarke snatches up the red solo cup from in front of her and pounds back the beer in one gulp. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. “Done!”

“Clarke…”

“See? You win.” Clarke lets out an over the top burp as a smile slides across her lips. “Now, c’ mon! You know you wanna watch me make Lexa go all fifty shades of red when I suck tequila off of her rock hard abs.”

“Fine… But just one round, Griffin,” Raven sighs. She knows deep down that she shouldn’t give in. That it’s never just one round when it comes to shots and Clarke. It’s at least half a dozen-- if not more-- followed by either Lexa or Raven having to fireman carry her drunk ass out of whatever party they happen to be attending.

Raven also knows, though, that there’s no arguing with “party girl” Griffin. Once the alcohol has kicked in, and she’s made an appearance, then there’s no turning back. All any of them can do is brace for impact and pray that she passes out before inflicting too much collateral damage.

The first time it happened was during the summer between their freshman and sophomore year. They had tagged along with Bellamy to a party at some unknown senior’s house and without realizing it, gotten wasted off of a fruity concoction that tasted like it had been made from children’s cough syrup. Luckily, Raven had had enough sense in her to stop drinking before the alcohol could fully take over, but Clarke… Clarke had been a different story. She had kept right on drinking until she could barely stand, let alone string more than three coherent words together.

And that’s when Raven had the pleasure of meeting “party girl” Griffin for the very first time.

It had all happened so fast. One minute they were hanging out in the corner of the kitchen, trying their best to blend in with the rest of the crowd and the next someone was calling for body shots, and Clarke was suddenly throwing down with an equally drunk brunette on who was going to get to go first. Before Raven could even process what was happening, Clarke was already down on the kitchen island uncontrollably giggling as a random douchey senior boy lapped up a shot of cheap tequila from her exposed navel. She watched in utter shock, unsure of what to do. Bellamy was nowhere to be found, and Raven knew without a doubt, that the ever-growing crowd of horny teenage onlookers had no desire for the show to stop.

Shot after shot. Boy after boy. Each one was a bit more daring than the last. Clarke’s shirt moves higher until it all the way shoved up over her baby blue push up bra.

And unlike regular Clarke-- the one that Raven knew to be beyond self-conscious about her rapidly developing body-- this version of Clarke seemed to have no qualms whatsoever to show it all to whoever wanted to see it. She laughed with a deep, sexual husk and ran her hands through her wild mane of blonde curls as if everything that was transpiring was just one big game. That every touch. Every nip. Every kiss. It all was for fun. And nothing more.

But, deep down, Raven knew that they were only one or two more shots away from it getting out of hand. From the point of no return, where she wouldn’t be able to prevent what could possibly come next.

Raven looked around once again for any signs of Bellamy and by a sheer act of God-- or whoever else was intervening at that very moment-- she was met with a pair of steadfast emerald green eyes. Eyes that belonged to someone who also had Clarke’s back.

Without a single word exchanged, Raven watched as Lexa made her way through the pack of rowdy teenagers and in one fell swoop picked Clarke right up off the table. An instant chorus of disappointed groans echoed throughout the kitchen, but it didn’t matter. Nothing, not even the threat a mob of angry drunken douchebags, was going to stop her from protecting Clarke. She was a modern day knight in shining armor and Raven couldn’t help but swoon in the moment.

It wasn’t until they were three houses down from the party, did Lexa even utter her first words to Raven. Clarke had already passed out, finally succumbing to the sheer amount of alcohol that she had consumed. She nuzzled herself against Lexa like a perfectly fitting puzzle piece, safe and content in Lexa’s arms. And Lexa herself looked just as content, carrying Clarke bridal style down the neighborhood street.

“I had to do something.” The words were so direct and straightforward and yet, told Raven everything she needed to know about the type of person Lexa was.

“I know. I’m glad you did,” Raven answered.

Lexa gave a firm nod in response and then the two continued to walk in silence until reaching the Uber that Lexa had called prior to rescuing Clarke.

And although they never really talked much about that night, a general understanding had formed between the two of them. An unspoken pact of sorts. One that involved keeping an eye out for Clarke and intervening whenever needed, no matter what the situation entailed.

“Alright. Who’s up first?” Murphy shouts over the sea of rowdy drunken teenagers that have come to congregate within the confines of the kitchen. He dangles a bottle of tequila from one hand and a salt shaker in another for all to see. “C’mon… Don’t be shy.”

“Count me in!” Clarke says as she pushes her way through the crowd and hops up onto the kitchen island.

“Thatta girl, Griffin.” Murphy steps up onto a nearby chair and then scans the crowd. “Now where’s Woods at?”

“Leeeeexaaaa!” Clarke calls out in a noticeable alcohol-induced slur. “Where are you? It’s time for body shots.”

No response.

Raven nervously scans the crowd as well, in hopes of spotting Lexa, but comes up short.

“Woods?” Murphy shouts in a louder voice.

Still nothing.

The crowd starts to grow restless as Murphy hops back down off of the chair. “Sorry, Griffin. Looks like--”

“I’ll do it.” Finn suddenly emerges from the crowd and steps up to the island.

“Works for me, man.” Murphy shrugs and then hands Finn the bottle of tequila followed by the salt shaker.

“Shouldn’t we wait for Lexa?” Raven asks, taking a step forward from the crowd and letting her presence be known. She moves to position herself between slightly between Clarke and Finn, never once taking her eyes off the boy.

“I don’t see her anywhere. Do you?” Finn’s dickish smirk widens across his face as he gives an exaggerated glance around the kitchen.

“Clarke…” Raven turns back towards Clarke, who is already getting herself into position.

“What?”

“You should wait for Lexa.”

“Leeeeexaaaa!” Clarke shouts again, this time a bit more slurred than the last.

“Let’s get this show on the road already,” Murphy whines from the sidelines and is instantly backed up by a chorus of drunken cheers.

Shit.

This isn’t good.

Where the hell is Woods?

Raven scans the crowd yet again, a bit more frantic than the last time, double checking every set of eyes in hopes of spotting the unique emerald green pair… but no such luck.

Fuck.

“She isn’t coming,” Finn states, grabbing Raven’s attention.

“Finn…”

“I say her loss is my gain… Right, Clarke?” Finn flashes a slightly predatorial smile in Clarke’s direction and waves the bottle of tequila.

“Maybe just one round? Then Lexa goes,” Clarke responds with her own hesitant smile in return.

“Deal.” Finn goes to take another step forward but is instantly blocked by Raven. “Get outta the way, Reyes.”

“No.”

“Shots… Shots… Shots…” Murphy chants, rallying the crowd as he does.

“I’m just trying to give the people what they want,” Finn says to Raven, taking yet another step closer. “Why be such a killjoy? Unless…”

The word lingers like a bomb only seconds away from detonating. Raven swallows the hard lump of anxiety growing in the back of her throat as she tries her best to bury down her nerves behind her trademark poker face. “Unless what?”

“Unless you want to do the honors?” Finn holds the bottle of tequila up to Raven, punctuating his point.

“Oooooh. Yeah. I want Rae to do it,” Clarke says lighting up at the idea. “C’ mon, Rae. Please?”

“Reyes and Griffin? I’d be down for that,” Murphy chimes in.

“I’m… I’m not doing shots. Not tonight,” Raven answers with a hint of unsureness to her voice. Her eyes dart from Finn to Clarke and then back to Finn again as her anxiety swells to an almost unmanageable level.

Fuck.

Raven more than knows the game that Finn is playing. One that he loves to partake in when he tired with his “Mr. Nice Guy” front and chooses to let his true colors show. It’s the definition of sadistic.

Where the fuck is Woods?

“Why not?” Finn asks, purposely raising the volume of his voice. Random sets of drunken eyes and ears turn in their direction. It’s a deliberate move. One done to elicit a response… A crack in her rock-solid walls that can be chipped away with just the right combination of words and actions.

And the silence is deafening. Raven feels her anxiety surge right on past the point of no return and keeps going. Her eyes roam back on over again to Clarke. Even in the cloud of alcohol, Clarke’s face seems to scream with a sudden awareness that instantly causes Raven’s stomach to churn with panic.

“Rae?” Clarke catches hold of Raven’s eyes and for the briefest of moments flashes her a look of pure concern.

“I…” Raven manages to croak out before her voice gives out on her. She has no clue how to respond. Nor wants to. All Raven wants to do is to get the hell out of there and fast. Away from Finn and all of the countless eyes upon her.

C’ mon Woods. Please, just show up… Please.

“Body shots? Real origin, Hairboy,” Anya says as she slowly emerges from the crowd. She takes a long sip off of her beer bottle while surveying the scene, never once projecting a single ounce of emotion from her face.

“Got something better?” Finn fires back, clearly irked by Anya’s sudden appearance.

Anya doesn’t respond right away. Instead, she casually makes her way between Raven and Finn, never once taking her eyes off of the wavy-haired boy. She gives Raven the ever so slightest of nudge in the shoulder. It’s decreet, but unmistakable in its intent. It’s a signal to get the hell out of dodge

And in that very moment, Raven finds herself completely overwhelmed with a sudden newfound respect and admiration for the older of the two Woods sisters.

“Yeah,” Anya replies, grabbing the bottle of tequila from Finn and two nearby shot glasses. She places them down on the kitchen island with a deceive thud. “Let’s go shot for shot.”

“What?”

“You heard me, Hairboy.”

“You and me?” Finn follows up with an underlying unsureness to his voice.

“Yeah… Unless you don’t think you can handle it?”

Finn runs his hands through his hair, trying to shake his nerves. “Sure. Why not?”

Anya nods in response and then gives Raven another nudge, this time harder than before.

And Raven knows that it’s the cue to slip out before anyone notices what’s really transpiring. She starts to disappear into the crowd but before reaching the doorway, looks back one last time at Anya. Their eyes briefly lock with one another, and Raven mouths the word “Thanks”. It isn’t much. Not by a longshot… But it’s enough. Anya flashes a hint of an understanding smile and then turns her attention back towards Finn and the shots.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Numb.

God, these drugs are good. Beyond good. Fucking amazingly good. These are the best drugs that Raven’s ever had. Then again, she hasn’t had a lot of past experiences to compare these to.

No.

Drugs have never been her thing.

Raven has always been more into alcohol… Or at least was until alcohol became the running bain of her very existence. First, it was her mom. Then Clarke for a while. And finally, Anya.

That one was the metaphorical straw that broke the camel’s back. Watching the woman that had grown to become her steady constant slowly slip away into something ugly and unrecognizable… that had been too much to bear witness to.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Raven hasn’t had a single drink in well over a year. Not even a beer to unwind after a long day at work. Absolutely nothing.

It’s not something she openly broadcasts nor even chooses to talk about when someone asks why she isn’t drinking. It’s too hard. Too raw. So instead, Raven has just made an excuse after excuse. Yet another layer of her rock-hard mask to hide behind.

And for the most part, it works. No one ever follows up nor challenges her excuses. Because they’re been too wrapped up in their own fucked up messes to even get it a second thought.

“You think I look hot?”

The question cuts through the silence of the hospital room, pulling Raven back into the moment. Her eyes wander over toward O, who’s still sitting in the same high back chair curled up into a ball with their knees tucked under their chin. Raven lets a light laugh slip out from her dry, cracked lips. “Usually I’d say the second hottest, but given the circumstances, I’d say it’s a solid tie for first at the moment.”

O can’t help but crack a smile at this comment and shakes their head. “Rae…”

“What?” Raven responds, trying her best to match O’s smile with a smirk of her own.

“Nothing… I just… I dunno…” O trails off. The smile slowly fades, and they pull their knees a bit closer to their body.

A momentary silence falls between them as Raven can’t help but take in the sight of the person sitting before her.

So many questions to ask… But which one first? And which ones are safe enough not to risk triggering the tsunami of buried emotions ready to break through the surface of her exterior.

“Is that new?” Raven asks. She gives a head nod, motioning to O’s hair.

“Uh… yeah,” O replies. They lift their head a bit and self-consciously run their hand over the back of their head. “Newish. I got it done about a week ago.”

“Told you, you could pull it off.” Raven attempts to re-adjust herself within the hospital bed but is only met with yet an even stronger wave of numbness that seems to be solely concentrated on her lower extremities.

Odd.

Is she supposed to be this numb?

“Rae, I--”

“I meant it,’ Raven cuts O off mid-sentence.

“Huh?” O asks as a hint of confusion materializes upon their face. “Meant what?”

“That you’re hot. You’ve always been, O. But now, it looks like you’re finally starting to own it.”

O’s smile reappears. It’s a little bit bolder and brighter this time around and Raven can’t help but feel a twinge of conflicting emotions start to swirl in the depths of her soul.

That smile. The one she used to love making appear a daily basis back when they were teenagers. Back before the shit hit the fan and that smile-- amongst other things-- virtually disappeared from her life overnight.

“Thanks,” O quietly replies. “It’s sorta a work in progress.”

“What isn’t in life?” Raven says. “Of course, except for me. I’m perfect.”

“Perfectly cocky,” O playfully fires back without missing a beat. It’s an oddly familiar rhythm. Like a forgotten song that Raven’s subconscious still knows how to sing.

God, she’s missed this.

It’s a simple and fleeting thought. But it’s there, nonetheless. And if Raven’s 100% honest with herself, it’s always been there.

Raven shifts her body and yet again finds that she can’t seem to move-- let alone feel-- anything beyond a certain point in her lower abdomen. Her anxiety skyrockets in a blink of an eye.

It’s not the drugs.

“Rae?” O pipes up, sensing Raven’s shift in demeanor. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain? Should I… I go get my mom?”

“No. I’m fine,” Raven says through gritted teeth. Panic-driven beads of perspiration begin to form on the edges of her hairline as she concentrates on her legs. “It’s nothing.”

It’s not nothing.

It’s something.

Something big.

Raven slowly licks her lips and takes a moment to catch her breath. Her mind shifts into overdrive, trying desperately to piece together the puzzle.

“Or Clarke? I can go get Clarke. I think she’s with Lexa in--”

“Lexa’s here?” Raven asks, thankful for the momentary distraction.

“Yeah… It’s kinda a long story, but somehow Clarke happened to be with her when she got the call about the crash. That’s how we wound up here.”

Raven flops her head back against the pillow and lets out a deep sigh flashes of memories of the moments prior to the accident pop into her mind. “Anya.”

“I… I think she’s okay. At least that’s what I pieced together, but I don’t know much…” O trails off as they start to study Raven more intently. There’s a clear look of fear within their forest green eyes.

They also know it’s not nothing.

Raven takes a deep breath, and with all the courage she can muster, slams her hand down on her upper thigh.

There should be a pain.

Or even the faint sensation of touch.

But nothing.

Why is there nothing?

“Raven?”

Raven’s heart pounds against her chest. She slams her hand against her thigh again, this time even harder than before.

Still nothing.

“Fuck!” Raven shouts out as a hint of tears starts to form in the corners of her eyes.

“I… I’m going to go get someone. Just--”

“No!” Raven reaches out and grabs hold of O’s arm. “Don’t. Don’t leave.”

O locks eyes with Raven and gives a simple yet comforting nod. “Okay… Okay… I’m not going anywhere.”

Raven lets go of O’s arm and shuts her eyes. She swallows back the lump of emotions rising in the back of her throat as a single word plays on repeat in the confines of her mind.

Paralyzed.

It’s the only logical answer.

“Rae?”

Raven’s eyes pop back open and notice that O is now standing right next to the edge of the bed, eyes still full of uncertainty and fear.

“Is it okay if I…” O trails off, instead choosing to motion with her finger towards the space next to Raven in the bed.

“Yeah.”

O ever so carefully climbs in, paying extra attention not to jostle the tangled mess of wires snaking their way out of Raven and into the nearby machines. They curl up and then, after a moment’s hesitation, lay their head down on Raven’s shoulder, still trying their best not to cross too many of the invisible boundaries. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t feel my legs,” Raven replies in nothing more than a whisper, almost not believing that words as they leave her mouth. She holds her breath, waiting for a response, but instead is met with the comforting sensation of O’s arm gently wrapping itself around her torso as they snuggle up even closer.

Raven places her arm on top of O’s and shuts her eyes again, trying her best not to fixate on the all consuming numbness.

God, does she hate alcohol.

[alpenlyriker]

Ein "Abend mit mir". Ich bin ein vernünftiger Mensch, weiß, was Leben ist, bin auch schon lange genug auf dieser Welt, oder? Nur, heute Abend, heute ist wieder einmal „so“ ein Abend, wo solche Gedanken in meinem Kopf sind, Gedanken an die vergangene Zeit. Erinnerungen an Kindheit und ganz besonders an die Jugendzeit. Unbeschwert, voller Träume und Lebensfreude. Ich schaue und höre mir gerade Musikvideos aus dieser Zeit an, aber auch solche, von vor zehn Jahren, von Bands und Künstlern aus der Heimat. Wehmut und irgendwie ein Gefühl, des all zu schnellen Vergehens der Zeit in mir. Eine besondere Art von Melancholie breitet sich in mir aus, traurig, aber doch auch zufrieden, Lächeln und Tränen wechseln sich ab, so wie es auch bergauf und bergab ging, Höhenflüge und Tiefen, Geburten, Hochzeiten und Todesfälle, Siege und Niederlagen, alles dabei, bis jetzt, bis heute. Damals, in meiner Jugend war dies alles noch fern, nicht erlebt, die gemachten Erfahrungen nicht in mir. Damals, denke ich, war alles noch offen, noch nicht geschrieben, Träume, wunderbare Träume, wovon manche, ich muss bei dem Gedanken schmunzeln, auch in Erfüllung gingen.

Gelernt habe ich im Laufen meines Lebens viel und trotzdem vieles noch nicht wirklich richtig verstanden. Heute denke, weine und lache ich, bei den Gefühlen, die ich empfinde, wie ein Kind, dass nicht weiß, ob es sich freuen oder ärgern soll. In meinem Kopf ist heute Abend wieder Sehnsucht und träumen, wie vor fast fünfzig Jahren angesagt, ein auf und ab. Ich atme tief durch, nimm, noch einen Schluck Wein, ich sehe und höre gerade, wie nebenbei die Bellamy Brothers mit dem Song: I Need More of You…. auf einer Bühne, vor Publikum auftreten, lang, ist es her … I wann`a Kiss You all Over, von der Gruppe Exile, folgt … wunderschöne, süße Jugendzeit geht es mir durch den Kopf und gleichzeitig weiß ich ganz tief in mir, dass nicht alles wunderbar und leicht war, nur habe ich im Laufe der Zeit gelernt, dass es sozusagen besser ist, nur die Guten und Schönen Dinge, aufzubewahren und an solchen Abenden abzurufen.

When You Are in Love with a Beautiful Women … Dr. Hook…. ich nehm‘ noch einen Schluck Wein und dann geh ich schlafen, Morgen ist wieder ein Tag, Alltag und die Arbeit, der Ablauf, die Routine, mein Leben heute, vierzig Jahre später, nach dieser wunderschönen, unbeschwerten Jugendzeit. ©ewald apperle (Auszug – Vorschau, aus dem Projekt III/LL).

[ao3feed-turn]

Deadly Secrets

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3aHs8RX

by Lilyintin89

Abraham Woodhull is a cabbage farmer with a huge secret, Not everyone in Setauket knows about his secret except for a little group of spies, the truth is that Abraham Woodhull is pregnant with Benjamin Tallmadge's child, Benjamin is a military officer who fights along side caleb brewster, aka Abe's over protective friend, it's the revolutionary war, feelings are at stake, and with Abraham pregnant with Benjamin's child Benedict doesn't know if the child is even Benjamin's child or his child, Abraham doesn't know who the real father is, he's for certain it's benedict's child, but on the inside he's also certain that it could be Benjamin's child as well, or maybe they're both the fathers, who knows.

Abe is a male carrier, Robert Townsend is his bounder, a bounder is someone who swears to protect a carrier at all coast no matter what happens to the fathers or father. Can robert keep abe's secret?, or will they have to escape from setauket and run off to some other place?. How will Benjamin and Benedict take the news of the unborn child?, will they keep it?, read to find out what happens!.

Words: 1111, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Pregnant Revolutionaries

Fandoms: Hamilton - Miranda, Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow, Turn (TV 2014), founding fathers - Fandom, Culper Spy Ring - Fandom, 17th Century CE RPF, 18th Century CE RPF, John Adams (TV)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi

Characters: Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette, Hercules Mulligan, Aaron Burr, Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Margaret "Peggy" Schuyler, Angelica Schuyler, Maria Reynolds, Henry Laurens (1723-1792), Dolley Madison, George Eacker, John Adams, Frances Laurens, Theodosia Burr Alston, George III of the United Kingdom, Martha Washington, Theodosia Prevost Burr, Charles Lee, Philip Hamilton, Sarah Churchill Duchess of Marlborough, Woodes Rogers, Robert Troup, John Hancock (1737-1793), Abigail (Turn), David Hosack (1769-1835), Mary Floyd Tallmadge, George Washington, Thomas Lynch Jr, Becky Redman, Edward Sexby, Mary Graves (1772-1860), Karl Eugen von Württemberg, Captain Joyce, Thomas "Sprout" Woodhull, Benedict Arnold, Martha Laurens Ramsay, Alexander Hamilton Jr., Tench Tilghman, Jules Mazarin, Thomas Conway (1735-c.1800), Anna Ivanovna | Anna of Russia, Dr. Mabbs, Galileo Galilei, Hamilton Ensemble, Johann Sebastian Bach, Samuel Seabury (1729-1796), Tailor, Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy, Anne Hyde Duchess of York, William "Billy" Lee (Turn), Robert Townsend (1753-1838)

Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens, Aaron Burr/Theodosia Prevost Burr, Thomas Jefferson/James Madison, Maria Reynolds/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Aaron Burr/Alexander Hamilton, Charles Lee/Samuel Seabury, Martha Manning/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Henry Clay/John C. Calhoun, Benjamin Franklin/Henry Knox, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/Hercules Mulligan, Gilbert du Motier Marquis de Lafayette/George Washington, John Barker Church/Angelica Schuyler, Abraham Woodhull/Mary Woodhull, Benedict Arnold/Benjamin Tallmadge/Abraham Woodhull, Robert Townsend/Abraham Woodhull, John André/Abraham Woodhull, Caleb Brewster/Anna Strong/Benjamin Tallmadge/Abraham Woodhull, Thomas Jefferson/Angelica Schuyler, Margaret "Peggy" Schuyler & Stephen Van Rensselaer (1764-1839), George III of the United Kingdom/John Laurens, Maria Cosway/Thomas Jefferson, Edmund Hewlett/John Graves Simcoe, Anna Strong/Mary Woodhull, Anna Strong/Selah Strong, Benedict Arnold/Charles Lee, George III of the United Kingdom/Charles Lee/Samuel Seabury, George III of the United Kingdom/George Washington, George Washington/Martha Washington

Additional Tags: Pregnancy, Revolutionary War, LGBTQ Themes, Strong Female Characters, Gay Founding Fathers (Hamilton), Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Naked Cuddling, Canon-Typical Violence, War, Eventual Smut, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slow Build, Bisexual Alexander Hamilton, Minor Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Mom Friend Angelica Schuyler, Gay John Laurens, Minor Anna Strong/Abraham Woodhull, John Simcoe Being an Asshole, The Battle of Setauket, Light-Hearted, Light BDSM, Religious Conflict, Character Death, Major Character Injury, Slash, Protectiveness, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Male Pregnancy, 17th Century, Torture, Spoilers, Prompt Fill, Royalty, Rough Sex, Neck Kissing, Praise Kink, Love, Drunken Confessions, Falling In Love, Long-Distance Relationship, Attempted Murder, Painful Sex, Romantic Soulmates, Established Relationship, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Self-Harm, Abraham Woodhull Needs A Hug, Porn, Alternate Universe, Everyone Needs A Hug, Henry Laurens' A+ Parenting, Internalized Homophobia, Homophobic Language

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3aHs8RX

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

“Can you say ‘Daddy’? Come on Junior, you can say it.”

Abe groaned with frustration after Abe Jr squirmed and wiggled instead of learning to speak. Theo and the girls had been a breeze to teach to speak, but then again, Roman had been the one to really sit down and try to teach them. Abe had only done the follow up exercises.

Abe Jr wasn’t an enthusiastic learner. He was content to wander around the house, playing with his toys while Abe had higher ambitions for him.

The older Abe got, the more he could find himself understanding his mother, which was a thought that horrified him. As a kid, it felt like torture to study and push himself to meet her standards, but now that he understood the importance of good study skills and good grades, he found himself repeating her words back to his children. It was an unnerving experience to see his own children glare at him and pout like he and Lucy had done years ago. It wasn’t like he wanted to parade his successful kids around town, boasting about his parenting skills like he always assumed his own mother wanted. He loved them with everything he had and only wanted the best for them, if only they could see how important the lessons he was trying to pass on to them really were.

“I’ll give you some banana if you say daddy,” he coaxed, remembering Theo’s weaknesses as a toddler. His own mother had tried to bribe her children into compliance and it had usually worked out. To the best of his ability, Abe couldn’t really remember anything distinctive about his father’s parenting style, aside from saying ‘yes’ to just about everything. Ian hadn’t been a proper father for years now, considering that he was now half-rotting as a zombie, but Abe mostly remembered his mother’s parenting style anyway. Well, if whatever Elaine had done to her kids counted as parenting.

Though, now that he thought about it, all three of her children had had surprise children by the time they were attending college and in the case of Abe’s siblings, they also appeared to enjoy provoking their mother for their own amusement. Lucy was...Lucy, and Nathan honestly creeped his older brother out sometimes. The Chun siblings were terrible children and barely functioning parents of their own kids. Maybe it was best if Abe let Roman take the lead with parenting styles. Roman’s family may have been monsters, but they knew how to get things done. That Bellamy over confidence frequently overwhelmed a stubborn child about to have a meltdown.  

“Theo’s friends went home. He should be down soon to help with dinner.” Roman rummaged through the fridge, looking for his salad dressing. “Saturnia, honey, don’t forget to turn your oven off. It’s a fire hazard.”

“Was he still mad about us summoning him?” Abe asked before their son stomped downstairs to overhear their conversion. “I still can’t believe it worked. We finally have some ability to keep him from walking the streets three countries over whenever he feels like it. I was about to break out the demon traps again if it didn’t work.”

“Oh, he’s pretty pissed,” Roman replied with a small chuckle. “It’s just like when he was a baby and he’d give us that glare of his when he didn’t get his way. If looks could kill....”

“We’ll have to send Lucy a thank you gift. This spell is going to keep Theo from making our mistakes and keep him out of danger. I don’t think the girls are going to be as difficult to keep in the house at night, but it’s good to have a backup.”

“I have dessert ready,” Saturnia exclaimed,showing off her baked prize proudly.

Roman smiled, reaching for a bowl. While Saturnia hadn’t been born with the demonic powers of her oldest brother, or the psychic abilities of her older sister, she had still inherited a skill from her father. Just like Roman,  Saturnia loved to be in the kitchen helping her father with his baking.

“That’s great, Saturnia,” he replied. “Let’s put it on the counter to cool. Maybe the smell will tempt your brother downstairs.before he needs to be summoned again.”

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

Theo stared at his reflection for what felt like hours. He was officially a teenager now, with all the duties that came with growing up. His grandmother was tactless with her gift to him, but she wasn’t entirely wrong. He did need to start planning for the future. Was he going to study magic in college or would he get a more conventional degree? Did he want to follow what Adam's father expected him to do and join a witch coven? Did demons have covens too which might be more sympathetic to Theo? He'd have to ask Aunt Lucy the next time he saw her.

What if he started dating Adam and they went to different colleges? Could they handle a long distance relationship? Theo's own parents hadn't been able to and they'd had him tying them together in college. 

No, he couldn't compare himself to his parents. Adam probably didn't even like him back and here Theo was planning out their college years. He was getting ahead of himself. He hated feeling out of control of his life and worrying about the future, but he didn't know what else to do. Rien read her tarot cards for him whenever he asked, but those didn't guarantee a happy life. His sister could be wrong. 

I'm going to have to take control of my own destiny. It's time to show the world who I am and what I can do. The Great demons are afraid of me. The Sovereign is sponsoring my education. I'm Theo Goddamn Bellamy and I'm the Bellamy heir. I can do whatever I want...well, as long as my birthday money covers it.

Theo stared at his reflection again, feeling a new sense of pride in his appearance. Dying his hair his favourite colour was a great idea. He felt like an entirely new man, in charge of his life. 

Adam has to notice me now. Oops, I mean, I like my hair. It doesn't matter what he thinks of me. Your self worth isn't defined by the way guys see you. Aunt Ulyssa would be mad if she were here to hear me say that. Still…I hope he likes it all the same.

"Theo! Come down for lunch. Can you grab your brother out of his crib on your way down? He needs to eat too."

Theo rolled his eyes, but headed for his little brother's room regardless.

"Hey, Abe," he said, lifting the toddler into his arms. "It's lunchtime. Time for your gross baby food that you love to smear on my shirt."

Abe giggled for his brother at this and Theo ruffled his blonde hair playfully. The two headed for the kitchen where Roman was waiting with a sandwich for Theo and some pureed goop for Abe.

"Urgh, I can't believe he likes that garbage," Theo complained, gagging at the smell. "I know I never did."

Roman frowned, watching his sons make funny faces at each other. 

"Trust me, you loved this when you were his age," he said. "Just as much as you loved to smear it in your hair."

"Nope, you're just too old to remember right," Theo insisted. "That or you're confusing me for one of your other children. You do have a lot."

Theo didn't seem to have a malicious intention with his words, but they still made his father feel about two inches tall. His son had only been a teenager for a day and already he was being insensitive and rude. 

"I'm not going senile at thirty, Theodosius. And trust me, you were a very memorable baby."

The more Roman stared at his sons, the more he did remember Theo's baby years. All those nights of waking up to feed a screaming infant, of rocking him to sleep and finding him something to teethe on. Theo didn't look that far off from his parents when he was born and that was a problem. In just three short years, Theo would be the same age as Roman when he was born. Just three years.

Suddenly the room felt tighter and Roman struggled to breathe. His son could be holding a toddler just like his brother someday soon. Unlike his parents, Theo was good in school and talented with magic to the point of the demon sovereign taking a special interest in him. Him having a kid in his teens would slow him down, taking him away from the opportunities he deserved to have. Did he have a boy or girlfriend yet? Roman reviewed all the potential candidates his son had brought home with him, but none of them seemed to be especially flirty with Theo. In fact, Theo usually just went flushed and flustered when paid a compliment, so if he was hiding a romantic partner from his parents, he was uncharacteristically good at doing so.

They had some time before hormones kicked in surely. Roman would discuss strategies with his husband and they would be prepared for their son going through puberty. Their own lives had been torn apart by their teenage pregnancy and as much as they loved Theo, they would do anything to prevent him from following that same path.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

The Bellamy house was alive with activity and noise. Three pottery wheels churned loudly as their users struggled to master the motions needed to control the clay. Only the oldest Bellamys were trying their best to make plates out of clay lumps. The twins were with their father and Saturnia was visiting her grandmother to give Roman and Abe some bonding time with their young teenager. Abe Jr was down for a nap, allowing the Bellamys to get started on their craft without interruption.

“This was my mother’s favourite medium to work with,” Roman said to no one in particular. Abe already knew about Kamalani’s art work and Theo wasn’t paying attention to anything but the whirling wheel before him. “I donated some of her pieces to the Strangetown Art Gallery once I figured out that she was semi-famous there. I think they’re even more popular now that she’s dead.”

Well, somewhat dead anyway. Mostly dead. Dead enough to never return...I hope.

While his father pondered the status of his deity angering mother, Theo gave up on his plate and turned his wheel off. This was boring and pointless. Roman was clearly trying to prove some point to his son, though about what, Theo had no idea. His other father was focused intensely on his project, trying to force the clay to follow his design with minimal results. This little craft exercise had failed. Neither one of his parents were interacting with Theo, aside from Roman’s ramblings, and whatever bonding they’d been hoping for with their son was never going to happen.

They meant well, which had to count for something. Some of his friends' parents barely saw them or never tried to spend time with them and here Theo's parents were, trying their best to bond with him. Theo had better things to do than sitting around watching a wheel turn while his parents pretended that their relationship was still fine. He could hang out with his friends or study for his latest potion exam on a day like this. He wasn't a baby anymore. His parents had a new baby now to occupy their time with anyway. 

It took only seconds to dial the number he'd had memorized since grade school. While Theo had a dedicated circle of friends, there was one person he wanted to see more than anyone else.

"Hello, Adam? Are you busy? Do you want to hang out this afternoon? My parents are being weird again. Yeah, some craft that my crazy grandma sold a lot of back in the day. I know, right? It's insane. Oh, you're hanging out with Medora? Well come to Arkhelios and we'll all hang out at the usual place."

Theo listened intently to Adam's reply, staring at his little brother playing loudly in the hall. His parents had Abe to focus on now, so surely they wouldn't mind if he left for a few hours. They might even prefer his absence, so they could continue to talk out their various problems without their kids nearby to overhear. They would definitely welcome the space to talk amongst themselves, Theo just knew it. By hanging out with Adam and Medora, he'd be doing his parents a favour.

After hanging up with Adam, Theo sent a quick text to his father's phone and vanished into thin air once it had sent. It truly was easier to beg for forgiveness than ask permission.

Roman looked at his phone, hearing it buzz faintly over the turning of his wheel. After reading it, he angrily turned to where he had assumed Theo was and saw only a mess where his son should be.

"Dammit!" he swore, alerting Abe from his own project. "Abe, your son has abandoned father-son time to 'hang out with his friends'. It's not like he lives with those friends at school and sees them everyday or anything. We only see him for a brief time in a month and now he's leaving us again."

"At least he's letting us know where he is," Abe pointed out, looking as disappointed as his husband. “I never want to relive that time he ran away from home. Who knows if we'd ever find him again. He knows a lot more about the world now and could get into so much worse trouble."

"You're afraid of the same thing I am?" Roman asked, looking curious despite his efforts to hide his fear. "That he'll follow our example? That he's going to throw away his future on a boy?"

"Of course," Abe confirmed, looking disappointed that Roman even had to ask. "Why wouldn't I? I don't know why you think that you're on your own, Roman. He's our son; we're in this together. We're on the same team."

"Yeah?"

For an instant, Roman forgot his worry over his teenage son and allowed himself to feel hope like he'd forgotten how to.

"Yeah."

Roman's heart fluttered like he was the teenager in the household. Abe was saying all the things he wanted to hear, all the things he thought he'd never hear again from his husband. He and Abe had a rocky history with trust and teamwork, but maybe things were starting to get better between them. Maybe they worked better when they were under pressure or in danger and had a common enemy to fight. They were both stubborn and convinced they each had the right idea for every problem, but when it counted, Abe and Roman stuck together.

From the very second Abe learned he was pregnant at sixteen to the time he sat next to an unresponsive Roman who had just been shot, Abe had vowed to never leave Roman's side and Roman had done the same. Sure, neither one of them had been great at upholding that vow over the years, but they had made it just the same and confirmed it again when they married. It wasn't a demonic contract anymore, but despite everything that had happened between them, Abe knew that he would always treat it like it was. For better or worse, his fate was tied to Roman Bellamy and no demon, teenager or affair could ever change that. He’d never let it.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

Theo Bellamy sat on the stairs with his trusted familiar, Too by his side. Today was an important day. It certainly wasn’t everyday that you turned thirteen. He was officially a teenager now with all the rights and responsibilities that came with it. 

“How badly do you think they’re going to embarrass me, Too?” he asked his faithful companion. When Too responded with a quick mew, Theo sighed. “Yeah, that’s my guess. Whatever they’re planning, I just know that it’s going to be embarrassing. I’m so glad this party is family only; I’d die if the kids at school could see me. I’ll probably have to wear the dumb birthday hat and everything.  At least the cake looks good. God knows it was the only good thing from last year.”

Too mewed again sympathetically at the thought. Theo could never be certain if the cat truly understood what he was saying or if she had simply learned to meow when he paused speaking to look at her. Either way, it was nice to have her support.

He could tell that his parents were going out of their way to make things perfect for his special day which was even more unnerving. Things hadn’t been the same between them since “The Incident” they never spoke of or the conveniently timed birth of his little brother, Abe III. Words like “postpartum” and “mid life crisis” and “cheater” were usually shouted when they thought the children were asleep, but Theo and his sisters heard every word. It was enough to make Theo come home from school only two weekends a month, instead of every weekend like he used to. At school things were quiet and ordered and all of his friends lived there with him. Every day was like a sleepover that he didn’t have to worry about his parents ruining with either arguments or overly zealous good intentions.

“He’s going to be so excited. I can’t wait to see his reaction,” Roman said excitedly, staring at the expensive guitar they had purchased for their son. “We should film it. Do you think you can pull out your phone before he notices and starts giving us sass about ‘acceptable boundaries’?”

“He’s a teenager now, I’d be surprised if he didn’t give us sass,” Abe replied with a smile. “We’re the only thirty year olds at parent-teacher night though, we have that to our advantage. We’re still cool, unlike the other parents.”

Roman kissed his husband, catching Abe by surprise.

“Abe, we were never cool,” he laughed. “I was the poor transfer student who grew up in a “cult” and you were the nerdy kid who got knocked up at sixteen. We’re many things, but we’re not cool.”

“Theodosius, you put that hat back on your head right now!” The instant Abe laid eyes on his son, he could see that Theo was missing an important item for his party. “And don’t go on a little tirade about me using your name. It’s only your siblings and family here and we all already know what Theo is short for. I’m not getting told what to do in my own house by some school in Pleasantview. Don’t give me that look! Go help your father set up the snacks.”

Theo rolled his eyes but obeyed his father, mumbling something unkind under his breath. Abe didn’t like yelling at his son; it was something he’d always struggled with. With his own mother as an example, Abe knew first hand how strict parenting pushed him away from her. Having his son run away from home as a young child because of his strictness and inflexibility had been devastating to Abe, but at the same time, he had no idea of how to reach Theo. The boy was away at boarding school for most of the month, something that Abe hated, and when he was at home, it was nonstop sass and rudeness. Theo needed boundaries and Abe was trying his best, but he often worried if his best would be enough for his son. The twins at least had Adrian and Evren as additional parental role models and Saturnia was still young enough to think that her parents knew what they were doing. Maybe by the time Abe Jr was Theo’s age, his parents would finally understand how to successfully parent a teen.

The Bellamy household had never been bigger than it was now. Theo and the twins had their bedrooms when they weren’t at school or Adrian’s house and Saturnia was currently sharing the twins’ old room with her baby brother until the new addition could be added on to the house. Plus with Adrian’s three kids often staying over and all of the kids’ friends, a dog and the hyperactive cat, Too, the Bellamy house often felt like a circus.The only other household in Arkhelios that could compete was the Durant family, but it had been some time since either Abe or Roman had paid them a visit. Most days, they tried to ignore the Durants if they could. “The Incident” had severed those friendships pretty thoroughly.

The mixed Bellamy family was working though, despite their differences. Abe never thought that he’d see the day that he’d be okay with Adrian not only spending several hours with his children, but also helping to raise them. There were still moments when Adrian showed up with expensive gifts for the kids and a new expensive baking dish for Roman that made Abe fume, but they didn’t happen nearly as often as they did before.

it was rewarding to watch the girls grow into young ladies with goals and talents of their own. Adrienne was a better tarot card reader than her father and loved taking apart all the appliances in the house to figure out how they worked. She’d also insisted on being called Rien for short as her previous nickname, Addy, sounded too much like a “name for babies”.

Luciana was a bundle of energy who poured all of that energy into sports and fitness. She played in Osbert’s new soccer league in Arkhelios and a tee-ball and volleyball league in Twikkii Island.

Saturnia was shy and more reserved than her sisters. The twins sometimes excluded her from their activities because Saturnia was younger, but she always took it in stride and found her own entertainment. She was following in her father’s footsteps and helping him cook and bake. She used the toy stove they bought her to make muffins nearly every day for her family.

“There you go kiddo, just sit tight here and I’ll have your bottle ready in no time. I just have to check on the cake.”

Roman placed Abe Jr in his high chair and then turned to open the oven behind him. The cake was nearly done and the icing was ready for when it cooled. Things were going surprisingly smoothly for once.

“Etienne, Everard be careful.”  

“Oh hey, Evren,” Roman called out to the man attempting to wrangle two toddlers with limited success. “You’re early. The kids are still running around the house and the birthday boy is busy talking back to his father, so you can help me in the kitchen if you want. Where’s Adrian?”

“Busy. He's been looking over something Maura sent him on her efforts to protect the coral reefs near the property. He should be here in time for the party though. Oh, he signed the paperwork for your little collaboration this morning. The lawyer is sending you a copy.”

“That’s great. I’ll have to send a copy to Wanda’s office. She pushed through all the red tape just like she promised. We should be open by next week if it all goes smoothly. I guess it pays to have the president of Arkhelios as an aunt.”

Roman was too busy fussing with icing to see irritation flash across Evren’s face.

“She’s been president of Arkhelios for over a decade,” he said, shifting his wiggling son in his arms. “Plus she’s taken over the Arkhelios Coven’s leadership and spends a suspicious amount of time with...less reputable foreign witches. When you do send the documents, maybe you could suggest that she chooses a single project to focus on, or that she might want to step back from so much responsibility. She might listen to you.”

There wasn’t much that Evren could do about Wanda’s goals, as every time he tried to speak with her about his concerns, she ignored him completely. He wasn’t a very powerful warlock, and he didn’t have the brutal mindset to navigate witch politics. He’d tried to speak with Wanda two weeks ago and had only managed to be “volunteered” to help design Wanda’s expensive new home for his efforts.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll tell her,” Roman replied, his mind completely focused on his cake. “She was supposed to come to the party, but something came up. I’ll bring her some leftovers if there are any.”

Evren rolled his eyes. As usual, Roman couldn’t see past his own worries. If Evren wanted change among the witches, he would have to find another way to get through to Wanda.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

Noelle Helios never believed the things that seemed to go on at her cousins' house. Her mother was married to the Demon Sovereign, but their household was relatively peaceful. Her mother worked long hours and so did her stepmother, meaning that Noelle and Mikel were free to do whatever they wanted pretty much all of the time. Even with that in mind, the Bellamy family always seemed to be on the edge of some crisis in one way or another. Last week, when she had come to play with her cousins, the overheard words of adult conversation had been "demonic weddings", "Theo", and "ceremony". If Noelle had to guess, it sounded like Theo was being married off to keep him out of trouble. Adam must be crushed.

The words for this week were similar. Uncles Abe and Roman were sitting in the kitchen speaking in hushed tones with Uncle Adrian. There was more mention of a demon wedding, but Noelle had something even more interesting to hear. Rien, her weirdest but closest cousin, was involved in a scheme far beyond Noelle's imagination. Rien had even asked for her help. She had an "appointment" that the adults didn't know about and knowing the Bellamy adults, they would probably never know about it.

Mikel was still at an age where he was easily distracted and loved hanging out with Abe III or Luciana. He would be their distraction, Noelle decided. It would be easy for the two cousins to slip away unnoticed if Mikel and the other cousins were playing loudly. While they waited for this mysterious appointment, Noelle and Rien would make a show of playing some clapping games to establish their location.

"Okay, the first thing to remember is to use discretion. Don't let people notice you and don't cause a scene. Avoid being nervous if you can, that could trigger your true form and scare people. Just look alive and boring. Can you do that, Zane?"

Atem looked pointedly at his student, hoping to see some level of understanding. In the last week or so of training Zane, Atem had nearly written to his father to request Zane's removal from the reaper program seven times. The man was lazy, dismissive of regulations, and obsessed with cheese. On top of that, he had almost been recognized by someone on the street, which Atem had to smooth over with some impressive gaslighting. Headquarters had assumed that no one would recognize a dead, zombified teenager in a living, adult body, but as usual, they were wrong. Zane should have been sent away and out of Atem's afterlife, but again, his father showed how inept he truly was. This was the man who let the former heir to the Pleasantview throne have children with the former heir of the Strangetown and the Islands' thrones, creating a mess named Claudia Goldman. Whatever his grandfather saw in Atem's father, Atem couldn't see it.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't say hi to people I knew when I was alive. Don't play with reaper powers because I'm bored. Don't-" he stopped for a moment, noticing his trainer's withering glare.

"Don't talk about cheese."

"Don't talk about cheese."

Reapers didn't need to eat or sleep like mortals, but Zane seemed to be ignoring that fact. The communal fridge in the office was covered with bits of melted cheese. The office was littered with various cheese products, both eaten or abandoned for their nonexistent maid to clean up. It was driving Atem up the wall and he wasn't even the team leader.

"Why are we at the Bellamy house? Is someone about to die?" Zane asked, looking nervous at the thought of collecting a soul from people he once knew.

"Did you read your assignment for today?" Atem asked wearily, already knowing the answer. "Your assignment is predetermined and given to you first thing in the morning. It's on your phone. Yes, that phone from management. Do you see an assignment to reap a Bellamy?"

"No, it's says remedial training with Atem Grunt," he read slowly, still somehow looking confused.

"Forget that name. Spector too, if you ever hear it mentioned. I don't use a last name. You can call me Atem or Sir if you're so inclined. This is remedial training just like your phone is telling you. So pay attention!"

"Is that Roman and Abe's kid?"

Zane peered curiously at the kids skating on their rink.

"Yes. The rest should be Roman's one way or another. Maybe a few visitors to the house too. With time, you'll be able to distinguish families. It's a valuable tool for collecting the right soul."

"I thought their kid was some kind of monster demon? One who could blow all of us up at any time?"

"That's the oldest," a voice called out from behind them. Atem groaned. He would recognize that voice anywhere. "He's something of a project of mine, so I'd recommend keeping your distance from him."

As if Atem's day couldn't get any worse. The last thing Zane needed to see was Lukas, protector of the realm completely opposite theirs and well known agent of chaos.

"Damn, I always forget how hot this place is," Lukas declared, fanning himself dramatically. "Not as dry as Strangetown, but definitely hotter."

"Why are you here, Lukas?" Atem sighed, rubbing away the migraine he could feel approaching. "We're kind of in the middle of something."

"Yeah, I know. Reaper training for the untrainable. Don't worry, I'll give you your space. You won't even notice that I'm here."

Atem gave the deity a doubtful look. That wasn't anywhere near probable, knowing Lukas, but it was all he had to work with. History had warned him about engaging with Lukas. The best path forward would be to ignore them as much as possible.

"Okay, Zane, how many living people are in this house? Counting the ones in the yard, of course. Close your eyes and listen for heartbeats or breathing. If someone is close to dying, they will feel different to you."

"Is someone dying here? I'm not sure I want to see a dead body."

"Then why did you become a reaper?" Atem exploded. "You see death up close every day! It's your job to process the dead! What did you think we did when you signed up for this?"

Zane shrugged.

"The afterlife was boring. This seemed like fun."

"Fun?!"

"It's almost time," Rien stated, peering out the window. She was weirdly calm about whatever was about to happen. Rien was the only person Noelle couldn't read, only deepening her affection for her exceedingly odd cousin.

"What am I looking for? Fire? Magic?"

When Noelle looked out the window again, she could see a strange man waving at them. What on earth was her cousin doing with an adult man?

Adrienne waved back as casually as if she were waving at her twin sister. Noelle's curiosity overwhelmed her innate need to be seen as withdrawn and uncaring. Sure, she had a reputation to maintain, but this was too interesting to pass up.

"So this is your appointment? Who is that?"

"A friend. The spirits introduced us. Theo needs our help and they offered their services."

Noelle's nose wrinkled in disgust as she watched the three men in the yard turn their attention on her.

"Those guys look like they're in their thirties, to be generous. What the hell are they doing hanging out with a twelve year old?"

"I'm only here to meet the one," Rien assured her cousin, as if this would be what made it all okay. "They're doing Theo a favour and the spirits called for me to mediate the transaction. When a deity steps in to help your brother, you have to help."

"Deity? What the hell is Theo involved with now? Should I call my mom?"

Rien scoffed.

"Don't worry about it. No one here needs a lawyer."

Atem watched Lukas wave at a set of preteen girls in horror. Nothing Lukas did was safe for anyone aside from them, especially when it involved living children.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he hissed, trying to shield Zane from this shameless disregard for the rules. "I cleared this area for training purposes and no one is scheduled to die here today. What are you up to?"

"I told you, the oldest child is something of a project of mine," Lukas repeated happily. "I happen to have this area scheduled for my own reasons. Just go about your business and I'll go about mine. I promise I'll be quiet."

"I'll call Grandfather," Atem threatened, knowing that there was no way that Death would intervene against his spouse unless mortal lives were in danger. "I'm sure he'd be interested in knowing what you're up to."

Lukas laughed and shot Atem a smug smile.

"Oh honey, he has no idea who you are. He can barely remember your father's name and he chose him as his successor. Today he's out with his bestie, so go ahead and interrupt his personal time. I'm sure that he'll answer the phone for his grandson, What's His Name."

"Does this mean no training?" Zane asked hopefully. In the time the two other men were fighting, Zane had been playing with weeds out of boredom.

"Yes."

"No."

Atem and the deity of life squared off, each glaring at the other intensely. While they squabbled, Zane picked up another weed to entertain himself with. Undeath was turning out to be just as tedious as death so far.

In a shimmer of light, Adam Darktide appeared on the lot, carefully avoiding any of the windows that the adults might spot him through.

"Hi, Adam."

Rien waved at her brother's boyfriend like she had been expecting him along with the strange adults. Adam waved back like this was all a part of a convoluted plan. If Noelle had to guess, this was just one of her cousin's many secrets.

"Hi, Adam. The spirits endorse this plan, just like I said they would. They say Theo misses you."

Rien wrapped her arms around the boy her brother was obsessed with. He was an honest soul, even if he was occasionally incredibly stupid whenever her brother was involved. He had pure intentions though. Not many people did once they understood how powerful Theo truly was.

"Tell them to tell him that I miss him too," Adam replied. "Though if this works, maybe they won't have to."

Rien shook her head at the idea that her brother could hear the voices of the spirits that called to her.

"Theo may be powerful, but the spirits don't call to him," she explained. "He's too demonic for their liking. Too much like Dorhack and not enough like a Bellamy."

"Fair enough, I guess. Either way, I brought what he asked for. This is the most insulated box I could enchant. I got Josh to help me charm it, so it should withstand the Void. Let me know when it's all settled."

Noelle watched as Adam faded from view in another shower of sparkles, leaving behind a small, boring looking box.

"It's all yours!" Rien called out, catching the attention of a god. "He said his friend helped him charm it, so it should hold, right?"

Lukas stepped forward, eyeing the box on the ground.

"Absolutely. The higher levels of the Void are nothing. If he can open a portal there, the box will hold."

"What are you doing with a box a teenager just abandoned?" Atem demanded, seemingly the only person there who was still trying to focus on his remedial training. "Don't you have anything more important to do?"

"Nah. Your grandfather is busy, the kids are all out with friends, and I have a very interesting subject to study," Lukas listed irritably. "This girl's brother is using my magic, life magic, when he should be far too old to even remember a proper spell. It has the touch of a certain someone all over this situation and I intend to learn why. Helping along a teenage romance is a small price to pay for a puzzle this intriguing."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"The spirits say that the Ocean has marked Theo, but no one knows why," Rien said helpfully. "He's been given power as a test, but no one knows what the test is or what happens if he fails."

Noelle looked at her cousin like she'd just sprouted an extra head. Beside her, everyone but Zane seemed satisfied with that answer.

"Some star-crossed lovers need help installing a message box in the Void to write to each other," Lukas stated, ignoring the information Rien has just provided intentionally. "I take this box where they can reach it, and I get more data about what that boy is capable of and what abilities he possesses. All I'm doing is my job to ensure the continued survival of the living world. Even you can't disagree with that, Atem. It's one of my many legitimate projects."

"Let me know if you need help in the future," Rien said solemnly. "I understand that sometimes things work better when people don't know that you're watching them."

Noelle couldn't disagree with her cousin. Her own mother used deceit in every aspect of her life and she had a lot of power because of it. Would Adam feel as comfortable using this dropbox to share information with Theo if he knew that a god had a hand in setting it up? Probably not. For all of the ways Adam had supposedly changed, Noelle still saw the doubtful, anxious guy Adam had always been when she looked into his eyes.

Either way, spending time with her cousin was certainly never boring.

[luverofralts]

Simstober Day 9: Candy

Theo recruits his sisters as lookouts for the Great Candy Heist.

@simstober​

[luverofralts]

Simstober Day 4: Bloodcurdling

Roman doesn’t remember most of his nightmares, but one does stick in his mind, always making him wake up with a bloodcurdling scream.