#also: Red Son's necklace reappears!

[twinklecupcake]

Chenguang is competing in a running race, and Mk and her parents are there to cheer her on ❤️ (Red Son and Mk have got to be my favourite while drawing this XD)

Sports Day is always like this. 8'D

No but this is cute and funny. Red Son getting all competitive and heated up for his girl's behalf and stepping on the guy in front of him, Mei just happy to cheer her own, and MK... is MK. (He would put facepaint on.)

[bigdog-23]

The loin and his huntress

Chapter seven: Ma Tywin

Y/n: your name

I/n: ikran name

E/c: eye color

Warnings: smut, swearing

My first time writing smut so please be nice

No artwork is mine unless I say

Words like this are Na’vi

3rd pov

Tywin was woken up with a pillow to the face groaning he sat up “up you go old loin today you become one of the people a great honor not many ar-” y/n was cut off with a pillow to the face

“Careful girl this old loin doesn’t like to be attacked early in the morning” Tywin said getting out his bed “why are you up before the sun” he asked looking at the girl who was laying on the floor pillow still on her face

Rolling his eyes Tywin grabbed the pillow off her face and looked girl who looked so peaceful eyes closed and mouth parted slightly he then gently rubbed her face only for y/n to grab his hand and pinning his arm behind his back as his front was pressed to the floor

“Father y/n are you to coming” Jamie said dragging out his g as he saw the way his father and y/n were “what is going on” y/n’s aunt said walking “wow niece I thought you would follow tradition and mate at the tree of souls but it seems you can’t wait” she said

Jumping off of Tywin y/n blushed “auntie that’s not what we were doing” she said “that’s not what I saw” her aunt giggled out “come on we don’t wish to be late get changed” she finished throwing clothes on the bed as y/n got up and walked out

Tyrion and Jamie stood in the hallway pointing fun of y/n

Their outfits with out the shoulder piece and necklace:

Y/n then hit them both with her tail “I hate you both” she said looking at the door as Tywin walked out

His outfit:

“I swear these clothes get harder and harder to put on every day” he said before looking at y/n “so why are we up so early” he asked “because today is the day you become a part of the people you will get a ikran make your bow and choose a mate!” Y/n answered smiling

“But you are not the only warriors doing this as the children of the clan as well will be there along with other teachers you will do us well not to embarrass us and get killed” her aunt added on “this is very serious do not even dream of messing it up because if you do and the ikran doesn’t kill you I will” y/n clarified “Now come on” she said walked off

Time skip

Once on the floating mountains of y/n’s world the group saw a huge herd of ikrans along with another group of Na’vi y/n goes up to the teacher of the group and whispers something in his ear nodding the man steps back making his group follow him

“Tywin will go first” the man yells causing Tywin to look at y/n who gave him a rope with a rock on the end “throw it how I showed you do not embarrass me and don’t forget to hiss back” she whispered making Tywin nod

Swinging the rope around Tywin walked through the big nest ikrans flying away from him he kept walking till a red and gold one stepped up and hissed at him tilting his head Tywin hissed back before the animal ran at him

Tywin then wrestled the animal to the ground almost falling off the side of the mountain causing y/n to yell once he got back up and ran to the animal “make the bond” he heard her say

Putting the animal in a head lock Tywin joins his and the ikran’s queues as he did the animal let out a hiss only got Tywin to shush it “easy girl” he said as he unwrapped himself from the animal standing next to it queues still connected he then turned to y/n and his sons who also had their ikrans

Tywin’s ikran:

Jamie’s ikran:

Tyrion’s ikran:

Smiling y/n ran to I/n name and connected their queues as Tywin fell off her following him closely behind

Flying close to a waterfall Tywin made his ikran put its wing under the water making it hit y/n causing the girl to gasp as he flew faster her closely behind suddenly Tywin disappears only to reappear behind y/n and scare her making her almost hit a mountain shaking her head y/n landed on a mountain letting I/n fly off Tywin joining her soon

Smiling y/n sits down as Tywin did next to her “tonight you will be welcomed into the clan and will go to the tree of souls means a lot to our people” she said “I hope that it will mean a lot to you over time” she finished looked at him

Grabbing her hand Tywin looked her in the eyes “anything that means a lot to you will mean a lot to me” he said making her smile even harder she then hopped onto her knees “how was your first fly” she asked

“It was wonderful I could feel the wind under her wings her heart beat and everything” he explained “but did you see how hard a turned” she noted “the wind was so strong I had to turn very strong” she giggled moving her hand in the same motion she flew in

As the two continued to talk Jamie flew to them “there you two are come on they said it’s time” he told the two looking around y/n saw how dark it was and nodded calling for I/n as Tywin called for his ikran

Once at the home tree Tywin was moved to a room where bowls of white paint and a new cloth sat “the princess will be here soon just sit” the girl that walked him to the room said

Once y/n walked into the room Tywin sat up smiling she told him to stand up as she grabbed the white cloth hanging up she then put it over the old cloth before sliding the old one off she then told him to sit as she sat next to the bowls of white paint

She dips her fingers in the paint before rubbing them over his body making different patterns “once my father and mother welcome you into the clan I will take you to the tree of soul it enables the Na'vi to connect with the souls of their ancestors and to overcome their persecutors” she told him as she rubbed her paint covered fingers over him mouth then down his body

“You will pick a mate and I know you want me but there are more women then me Ninat is good singer” she said “I don’t want ninat” Tywin said opening her mouth again y/n said “Peyral is good hunter you’ve seen her before”

“Yes I have seen her and she is a good hunter but I’ve picked you” Tywin said “and I will always pick you even if you don’t pick me” he added smiling y/n stood up and cleaned her hands she then helped him up

Looking at y/n he held the side of her face smiling she leaned into his hand getting closer Tywin closed his eyes and kissed her closing her eyes y/n leaned onto the kiss it was soft and gentle Tywin was soft and gentle once the two pulled away they looked at one another both smiling

“If you to are done eating each others lips may we go so we can start the ceremony” her aunt said standing in the doorway wiping the paint off her lips and putting more on Tywin’s before turning to leave “come on she has to change” her aunt said grabbing Tywin and pulling him out the room and to the base of the home tree

After a while y/n and her parents walked next to Tywin and his sons all wearing white:

Y/n and her mom’s clothes they are wearing the same thing:

Her fathers with a shoulder pad thingy:

Tywin then looked ahead as y/n’s father started to talk “today we welcome Tywin Jamie and Tyrion Lannister to our clan they will be sons of eywa and will be our brothers” he said before standing in front of Tywin and his sons “you are now sons of the omaticaya and children of eywa you are part of the people” he added on before putting his hands on Tywin other Na’vi doing the same to Tyrion and Jamie

Smiling y/n puts her hand on Tywin soon Jamie and Tyrion came to their father putting their hands on him as others did before smiling “now we feast!” Y/n yelled as people cheered y/n then grabbed Tywin’s hand and pulled him to sit down he then saw Robert and Cersei along with his grandchildren

Smiling y/n handed them food “so glad you could make it” she said Robert then smiled back “of course we would dream of missing this” he said “I hope you wouldn’t today they died and reborn as warriors!” Y/n said smiling harder

“But I must show Tywin something” she added as she grabbed his hand and dragged him along “where are we going” Tywin asked “tree of souls” she answered making Tywin confused giggling y/n just kept walking

Once at the tree y/n grabbed the long vines hanging from the tree the glowed gently when she did she then looked at Tywin ushering him to grab some as well when he did she grabbed her queue and connected it to the vines smile widening closing her eyes as she did

Tywin then coped her eyes widening as he did he then closed them as he heard a soft giggle looking around the white area he saw y/n and a small girl along with a man the girl had white hair while the man looked almost just like y/n

“Brother this is the man a told you about” she told her brother “Tywin this is my brother Pllrää and his daughter azay” she said grabbing Tywin’s hand pulling him to the two smiling the man holds is hand out “my sister speaks so sweetly of you” he said

“And she speaks sweetly of you and your daughter as well you’re both all see talks about” Tywin said shaking his hand and looking at the young girl who was hiding behind her aunt smiling Tywin kneels down and holds his hand out waiting for the girl to take it smiling more when she did

After a while of talking y/n tells Tywin they must go nodding the two day their goodbye once out of the strange world y/n turns to Tywin only for him to kiss her

Kissing back y/n wrapped her hands around Tywin deepening the kiss the two soon pulled back as she grabbed her queue leading him to do the same she then brings hers close to his “if we do this you will not be able to mate with another” she told him

Smiling Tywin gently kissed her before pulling back “I wouldn’t want it any other way” he said smiling she put her queue to his gasping softly when she did but Tywin had a different reaction

His eyes closed as he let out a groan “fuck” he mumbles before opening his eyes looking at y/n when he did he saw the eyes that he loved so much and without a second thought he kissed her again

Pulling her into his lap as he did pulling away he kissed down her neck as she moaned his name only for him to shush her as he kissed lower “just let me show you how much I love you” he said placing a kiss between each word

Tywin then laid her down softly on the forest floor kissing down her stomach and lower abdomen once he got over the cloth that covered her heat he looked back at her “may I” he asked making y/n nodded

She then let out a yelp as she felt a sting on her thigh “words sweet girl” Tywin mumbled before kissing her lower abdomen again “you can” she whimpered out looking down at him

Once the words left her mouth Tywin moved the cloth and kissed her thigh starting mid thigh then going close to her cunt before moving to the other causing y/n to whine “please Tywin” she said looking at him

“Please what love” he mumbles as he gently bites her thigh making her moan opening her mouth she let out another whine “please touch me” she said “but I am touching you sweet girl” Tywin added as he rubbed her thigh

When she whined again Tywin laughed “maybe you should be more specific” he hummed causing her to look at him “eat me please” she said smirking Tywin pushed his head between her thighs before gently licking her clit once he heard her gasp it sucked on it

“Please m-more” she gasped causing Tywin to lick a long strip of her cunt before putting a finger in her making her Moan loud blushing she covered her mouth

Seeing this Tywin pulled his mouth and hands away making her let out a cry he then goes up to her face and pulls her hands away from her mouth “I want the whole forest to hear you” he said before going back to her cunt licking and kissing it “gods you taste so sweet” he added before going back to her heat

Thighs shanking y/n opened her mouth “Tywin I-I’m close” she whined I mean why would she be close he was devouring her as if she was the last sweet at a ball and he was a strived man

once Tywin heard that he pulled away making y/n pout “what are you doi- if you’re going to cum I want it on me” he said cutting her off before kissing her letting her taste herself on his tongue moaning into his mouth as she tasted it

Pulling back Tywin tore the cloth that covered his lower body y/n gasped when she saw his cock it was pulsing the tip an anger red color pre-cum leaking from it wasn’t to big but it definitely wasn’t same looking up at her waiting for her to give him the ok

Once she nodded her head Tywin sliding the head in making y/n whimper at the stretch “shhh it’s ok it’ll feel so much better just relax” he said as he pushed on more once he was half way in he stopped waiting from her ok to continue when she nodded he pushed in filling her

“By the gods sweet girl you’re tight” he mumbles as he slowly pulls out and pushing back in after a while y/n moaned loud “faster” she said wrapping her legs around his waist following her orders he speeds his thrusts groaning as he did

Tywin’s thrusts became harder making y/n moan louder “ma Tywin ma mate” she stuttered out she continued to let words out both in her language and his he was able to make out most of the words they were all swears chucking Tywin flipped her over her tail in his hand

Tugging on it and pushing her upper body to the ground and slapping her ass “bad girl those words should come out of sweet girl’s mouths” he whispered in her ear before going back to thrusting slapping her ass when ever she cursed

Y/n pressed her ass against him making him groan and pull her tail harder “ma mate I’m close” y/n said as he pushed deep “hold it a little long sweet girl” Tywin mumbled as he kissed her back

Soon Tywin’s thrust became sloppy sensing this Tywin leader down grabbing y/n’s face pulling her back to him his chest touching her back he then turns her head to the side giving him the ability to kiss her

“Cum” he told her before kissing her again and rubbing her clit shaking y/n came calling her mate’s name but Tywin didn’t stop not yet feeling him not slowing down she tries to move away a little only for him to pull her tail pulling her back

“Shhh im almost there sweet girl and then I’m going to cum inside you.how does that sound love? Hmm sounds good doesn’t it” He told her oh y/n could cum again just from his words nodded her head babbling chuckling Tywin pushed deep into her one last time his cum filling her making her moan

Sighing Tywin slowing pulled out laying y/n on her back watching him cum flow out of her he then at her face her beautiful e/c half closed her mouth open slightly his eyes soon went down her body the dark marks he left standing out against her dark blue skin

“I hope I wasn’t to rough” he said kissing her head and he lead next to her hand on her waist his thumb rubbing over it “no no you were wonderful Tywin” she said “hmm” he said back “what’s wrong” y/n asked half asleep “nothing I just thought I was ma Tywin now” Tywin said closing his eyes giggling y/n hugged him

“you are ma tywin and ma mate from now and till eywa asks us to hold her hand and walk with her” she said kissing him before falling asleep while with Tywin

[angstyclowns]

[Omega Reader x Alpha Dragon Kirishima. Fluff.]

This small girl had one pup, and she was a single parent. It was hard here in the village to get money, she couldn't go to work since he had no babysitter, and couldn't get a babysitter cause she wasn't getting money from a job. That's when one day during a small walk with her baby in her arms, she saw a cave. She knew dragon's were possessive of their hoard but he really needed it for her and her baby. The dragon was out right now anyways. She ran in and grabbed a few thick gold bracelets, a big necklace, amd a few gems. She turned to leave when she saw the dragon.

((Can you write hcs for what happens next?))

How??? Did??? I??? Not??? see??? This????????

This also got really long so it’s under the cut!

Alpha! Dragon! Eijirou Kirishima x Single mom! Omega! Reader

Your heart was pounding as you held your pup in your arms, biting down chirp after chirp that your omega threatened you with.

your pup was snoring in your arms, still blissfully unaware of the imminent danger you had put you both in. 

You just wanted a few jewels to sell, to feed yourself so you could feed your pup. 

Your pup, Ryu (which, ironically, meant dragon) was so small, and so helpless. 

He relied on you for everything-- which you were failing to give him. 

Since you weren’t eating, you couldn’t produce breast milk. Since you couldn’t produce milk, you couldn’t feed Ryu. 

It wasn’t Ryu’s fault, not yours either. You knew you weren’t ready for pups, but the dragon king (He went by All for one) decided that you were the perfect omega to carry his heir.  

When your pregnancy didn’t show up immediately he threw you out, leaving you to fend for yourself. 

You wanted to cry when your bump first started showing. You had no friends, family or income to help you with this pup. 

you stuck with it though, and you gave birth to your beautiful baby boy; ruby eyes sharp and knowing and tufts of (H/C) being soft to the touch. 

Now, you were afraid you’d never see those gorgeous eyes ever again. 

You couldn’t see any way to get around the dragon without being burnt to a crisp. 

You dropped the jewels a while ago but the dragon was still staring you down. 

His eyes were like a darker version of Ryu’s.

He knelt till he was on his stomach, smoke puffing out of his nostrils.

You were frozen, clutching your son to your chest. 

His eyes darted to you before going back to the ground, watching as you slowly sat. 

He crawled closer, laying his head on you lap and nudging the bundle of pelts and fur in your arms. 

You were shaking, but showed him Ryu nonetheless not wanting to anger the dragon. 

At this time, your pup peeked his eyes open at the change in temperature.

His small hand had reached up, gently stroking the dragons upper lip crest. 

The dragon purred deeply, setting you to ease while you slowly pulled the pelts down lower. 

 The dragon puffed small clouds of white smoke around the air, watching in joy when Ryu giggled. 

It was calm for a few minutes before the dragon sat up, making you chirp as your clutched your now whining pup to your chest. 

The dragon gave a whine but disappeared behind a mound of gold and jewels, soon reappearing in the form of a red-head young man. 

he held a finger in front of his lips as he made his way to the entrance of the cave, a much larger male standing there. 

He was buff with slicked back raven hair, glowering down at the red-head

“Kirishima. Your deadline has passed. Where is your mate?” 

“Dabi- I just- I haven’t-” 

You read in stories at the library, while you were pregnant with Ryu, that Dragons had mates to continue their bloodline, and that dragon councils set deadlines for dragons to find mates. 

You bit your lip before standing, holding Ryu close as you approached the two. 

“Kiri?”

Both dragons turned to face you, making your heart drop. The red-head seemed to panic as you approached him, nuzzling yourself into his neck, just close enough for you to whisper without the other dragon seeing or hearing.

“Play along, Ryu and I can help.” 

He nodded, wrapping his arms around your waist as you pulled away. 

Yelling at your inner omega, you handed Ryu to Kirishima-- was that his name?--, watching as he nearly cried holding your pup.

“And who are you?” 

You turned, facing the raven. “Y/N.” 

“My-uh, My omega. She was just resting, ya know? Just given birth to our pup and all that?” 

It sounded  more like a question, but with the way Kirishima was holding your son in his strong arms and the duality of the red eyes staring at him, the raven couldn’t find it to see any faults with your stories. 

He nodded with a snort, large bat wings spreading out behind him before he was taking off.

Neither of you moved before  he was long out of sight, Kirishima letting out a breath of relief before handing your son back to you. 

You took him with a small smile, Ryu immediately starting to cry when Kirishima let go of him. 

Kirishima looked as if he just saw a kicked puppy when Ryu began crying, your rocking doing nothing to quell him. 

You bit your lip before trying something, quickly-- but gently-- handing him back to Kirishima. And like magic...

Ryu stopped crying. 

You laughed breathlessly. “Sorry... If you want to hold him till he falls asleep we’ll be out of your hair-”

“No!” Kirishima whined, quickly trying to back track. “I mean, uh, you guys look like you need some help, and if I can help return the favor, I’d love too. Until you get back on you feet at least?” 

You smiled. 

“That sounds like a plan.”

EXTRA: 

“Ryu Kirishima, I swear on my horde’s heart if you break that-” 

The crash that came after made Kirishima’s shoulder raise as a cringe shot up his spine. 

Ryu turned out to be a hyperactive little shit pup that Eijirou immediately took under his wing. 

He helped you when Ryu began crying in the middle of the night, allowing the scales that appeared in his human form to glow a low red as he rocked Ryu side to side. 

He took the role of dad so perfectly, patching up cuts or scrapes with ease and teaching Ryu about every herb or spice that was in his territory. 

When you began working and Ryu was old enough to be dropped off at the village’s daycare, you and Eijirou couldn’t find it in you to separate Ryu from his new found idol, nor you from him. 

You found yourself falling for the dragon, who bashfully asked if you wanted to be his omega about two weeks after Ryu’s first birthday. 

The rest was history. 

“I’m so sorry, dad! I don’t know what happened, I tried walking away but these stupid wings keep popping or folding in and-”

Ryu was crying when Eijirou slowly brought him into a hug, his own wings coming to wrap around your- his son. 

He hushed him before pulling away when the sniffles died down. 

“I get. Getting your wings is hard, but you’re a Kirishima, if anyone can get it down, it’s my little man!”

“Yeah! I’m a man!” Ryu cheered, punching his chubby fist in the air as Eijirou laughed with him. 

“That you are, now why don’t you go practice flexing those wing muscles?”

Ryu saluted him before running off further into the den, nearly knocking into you as you turned the corner. 

Eijirou smiled as he stood from his crouched position, bringing you into a hug as he pecked your lips. 

You were just as beautiful as the day he saw you and he continued thanking his lucky stars you were in his life. 

“How’s our hatchling?” 

“Just fine, alpha.”

Eijirou smirked at the term, nibbling on the lobe of your ear. 

He may not be the father to all of your children, but by god he was their dad. 

And your alpha. 

What more could one dragon need?

[smallwomanlongstory]

Our Lady of Czestochowa

My memory once contextualized major events using seasons, or tenure at a certain job or school. At some point, though, I began to mark time according to traumas. I knew we sold a property right before the second big relapse. Our daughter's baptism happened a week or so after the first night S slammed my body into furniture.

When it all started, it was October. I took T on a trip to a field across the Hudson River to pick pumpkins. At the farm stand, I picked up a jar of four berry jelly. Waiting in line, I stared at the jar lid and counted the little red, pink and white checks, arriving at an even number. I smiled, thinking there was a potion sealed beneath the gingham. Magic that would vanquish those little drug baggies that tumbled from S's jean pockets into my washing machine. The jelly would show him that I’d thought of him. Foolishly, back then, I still hoped things could be fixed with kind gestures, or the right string of words. 

That October was defined by my bare feet slapping cold hard pavement as I chased after S; by tears streaming down my face as I grabbed him and begged him to go to the hospital. October was my mother’s hand moving back and forth between my shoulder blades as I struggled to fall asleep in my childhood bed. My own bed was uninhabitable because it was where I held my husband and felt his heart beat so hard and so fast, I thought he would die. October was fear; fear that the handful of diet pills S took would give him a heart attack; fear when he called from a far-away city, paranoid and crying; even greater fear when my phone wasn’t ringing.

S moved to the United States, to a middle state, without knowing a word of English, when he was seven. His father took him to a park where S saw kids his age playing soccer. Wanting to join, S asked his dad for an English lesson. His dad told him to just stretch out the Portuguese word for sock, Meia (pronounced "May-Uh"), and taught S a new word, “play.” S sprinted across the grass, repeating his line, “Meia play, Meia play, Meia play,” in his head. When he finally reached the children and asked the rehearsed question, they said, “no”, and ran away.

In the emergency room that October, S squeezed my hand, turning my knuckles white, begging me to tell the doctors he was ok to be released. I knew he wasn’t. I knew he would get out and use again, but I looked at the other people in the psychiatric emergency room; a man in hospital scrubs pacing up and down the hall, spitting into a cup; a women on a gurney, the fluorescent ceiling lights highlighting something brown smeared across her pant leg; a teenage boy behind plexiglass and wires, his knees drawn up to his chest, rocking and sobbing. On drugs, S terrified me, I didn’t want him home, but I could also see the little boy in him, scared himself, running across the park wondering if his shy “May I Play” would be understood, and I couldn’t leave him alone with all that filth and sorrow.

That night, from the depths of my jewelry box, I resurrected the Our Lady of Czestochowa medallion that my grandmother gave me and I started wearing it daily. Every night I told Our Lady my fears, took the necklace off, and placed it under my pillow. Through spiritual osmosis, I hoped, The Black Madonna would take my worries. 

The real Our Lady is a wooden icon, an image of The Virgin mother and her child that was painted by Saint Luke onto a table-top. Said to be fortified by the tears Mary shed ceaselessly following her son’s death, many miracles are attributed to the relic.

During a fourteenth century war with the Tartars, Our Lady’s wooden throat was struck by an arrow. A mark was left. That time period was a bloody one for Poland, and just a few decades later a Hussite pillager added two gashes to her cheek. When the pillager lifted his sword to make a fourth scar, he dropped to the ground and died in agony.  Restoration attempts have tried to smooth the icon’s face and neck, but the stigmata always reappear.

Our Lady of Czestochowa is nicknamed The Black Madonna. Theologians speculate that her face was tinted by soot, centuries of candle offerings. I knew smoke had nothing to do with her coloring.  There is no point in consecrating one’s suffering to something blithe.

When S was healthy, we had a favorite skit. Whenever T woke up wet or hungry, we went together into her room and lifted her from the crib. S would voice-over T’s crying, pretending to be a disgruntled hotel guest. In a pinched English accent, S would say something like: “The service around here is outrageously slow. It took three whole seconds for you people to get here.”

Then I would go, “So sorry sir, I came as soon as you rang. Can I get you a fresh Elmo diaper?”

In the fussy indignation common to infants and crusty old men, S would continue, “What must I do for some warm milk? Need I write a letter to management? Notify my grandmother perhaps?”

T would see her parents laughing and tending to her. Her tears would dry up and she’d smile or coo. I loved our little act. In it, we were our own little universe, a normal family.

Except we weren't, and I became obsessed with Our Lady of Czestochowa. I bought a thick book, a collection of the miracles attributed to the icon: men at war made safe though the odds were against them; blind women made to see; ships manned by devout sailors, righted after being flipped.  My favorite was about a little boy who, not understanding the damage it would cause, placed his baby sister in a warming hearth. The mother returned from some chore to find that her baby was charred, and immediately carried the little burnt body up the hill and into the monastery where our Lady presides. The child was healed and the story wrapped neatly with the family reunited, no questions raised about the brother’s intentions, or the mother’s distraction.

The Black Madonna has two elaborately decorated dresses; one adorned with jewels and one that was hand-sewn with gold thread and beads by peasant women. As liturgical seasons pass, the monks change her. I liked to picture them preparing for the ceremony like school girls given new ornaments for an exceptionally pretty paper doll, competing for a chance to fuss over the amber and embroidery. In my mind, the brothers would become fresh, exchanging snubs and lightly slapping the back of one another’s hands. I wanted to believe that the Black Madonna made them devolve into pettiness, because I wanted Our Lady to be powerful.

Somewhere, I read that I should picture the person I was worried for wrapped in a warm blanket, protected. Desperate for a tool, some nights I put S in every blanket, sheet, and towel in our linen closet. I’d put him in God’s palm, next to Jesus, on a radiant cloud with my dead grandparents. I would feel stupid, childish, still worried.

 It wasn't until the week or so before I left S that, suddenly, finally, I recognized why the blanket imagery never worked. The warm places I'd managed to create weren’t meant for S, they belonged to me. I still love to lift the Black Madonna medallion to my lips and kiss its scars. She reminds me that I can always access faith and safety; it's in my experience, in all the ways that I've survived.

[elliot-elliot]

Things i forgot about in PJO/HOO

TLT:

Percy accidentally fired a war cannon into a school bus

He also accidentally made his entire class fall into an aquarium tank thing

Grover cries when he’s frustrated

Grover has a note excusing him from PE “for the rest of his life”

Halfway though the school year their old math teacher had a nervous breakdown

Once, Percy told Grover that he didn’t think mrs Dodds was human and Grover was deadass just like “yes. You’re right” completely seriously

Chiron has tournament days where he would dress up in Roman armor

Percy assumed all the weird weather was because of global warming

Percy called his English teacher an old sot

Grover is a terrible liar

MASSIVE BLUE SOCK

Grover’s bladder acts up when he gets upset

Sally’s parents died in a plane crash when she was 5, and was raised by her uncle who didn’t really care about her

Sally wanted to be a novelist

She had to quit school her senior year to take care of said uncle, who got cancer

Gabe made Percy provide his gambling funds, and Percy said that if he didn’t, Gabe would “punch his lights out”

Percy has nightmares about Mrs Dodds

Percy genuinely liked Yancy Academy

Percy did the warding off evil gesture towards Gabe, and the screen door shut so hard “it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the stairs as if he’d been shot from a cannon”

Percy was stalked by a cyclops in 3rd grade

In preschool, he strangled a snake with his bare hands, and his mom found him playing with it like a rope

At the cabin, grover cursed in Ancient Greek, and Percy understood it perfectly

Percy thought Grover was a donkey from the waist down

Percy tried to get the Minotaurs attention by waving his red rain coat

Percy said he would rather live on the streets or pretend he was 17 and join the army if it meant not living with Gabe

Percy said that Mr D looked like a Cherub

They have satyrs at most schools

There was a different Latin teacher for the first week of the school, but Chiron convinced him to take a leave of absence

Mr D plays pinochle with the satyrs

There’s an orientation film

Grover eats mr D’s Diet Coke cans

Probation in the 1900s was Zeus’s punishment to Mr D

Percy likes basketball

Percy tripped when coming into the Hermes cabin for the first time

Most teachers are literally monsters

For a mortal, nectar and ambrosia turns their blood to fire and their skin to sand

Clarisse calls Annabeth “wise girl”

Percy accidentally sprayed Annabeth with toilet water

Chiron told Percy that he might be considered a myth in 2000 years

Luke pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and Percy thought Luke was gonna gut him

Percy is really good at canoeing

Luke’s the best swordsman they’d had in 300 years

Percy was able to disarm Luke on his first try after he poured water on his head

Hitler was a son of hades, since WW11 was the sons of Zeus and Poseidon on one side, and the sons of hades on the other

Houdini went on a quest to the underworld

In capture the flag, clarisse tried to cut Percy’s hair

Percy apologized for the water healing his Injuries

Someone left a newspaper about Percy and his mom going missing inside his doorway

Mr D wanted to Spontaneous Combust Percy

It’s illegal to make copies of Zeus’s lightning bolt

CHB has a hydra head from Woodstock

The oracle told Percy the prophecy through the image of Gabe and his friends

Grover eats pinochle cards “like potato chips”

Luke made Percy blush almost as much as Annabeth blushes when she’s around Luke

Chiron told Percy only to use his sword in emergencies

Mortals aren’t important enough to be killed by celestial bronze

Percy was famous for loosing pens at school

Annabeth was explaining the Athens rivalry thing to Percy, and he was like “they must have really liked olives” and Annabeth got mad and then he was like “Now, if she’d invited pizza—*that* i could understand” which made her even more mad, and Argus then winked at Percy

Annabeth gave Percy her hat so he could escape off the bus

Grover was gonna defend himself from the furies with a tin can

Grover ties Mrs Dodds’s legs up with her own whip

Percy told Mrs Dodds to eat his pants in Latin

Medusa turned Grover’s uncle to stone

Medusa is/sounds middle eastern

Percy told Medusa that they were from a traveling circus, and when they were alone Annabeth told Percy “your head is full of kelp”

Grover told Medusa that he takes vitamins for his ears

Satyrs can’t get migraines

Percy fucking mailed Medusa’s head to mount Olympus, and he signed the package “with best wishes”

GLADIOLA THE FUCKING PINK POODLE

Annabeth appeared on her dads doorstep in a golden cradle

Annabeth calls Grover “goat boy”

Percy hates confined spaces

I JUST REALIZED THIS HIS FIRST OUT OF 2 (i think 2?? Maybe there’s more??) TRAUMATIC ELEVATOR EXPERIENCES

The chimera has a rhinestone collar that says “Chimera— rabid, fire-breathing, poisonous— if found, please call Tartarus—ext. 954”

Echidna told Percy what she is— the mother of all monsters, and Percy was like “isn’t that a type of anteater”

The chimera poisoned Percy

Percy jumped from the arch assuming that it would kill him, in order to protect the mortals that were on the arch

Percy fucking lit a lighter at the bottom of the Mississippi

The campers were taking sides— Zeus or Poseidon

Gods can’t steal each other’s items directly

Percy said the leather on ares’s motercycle looked like “Caucasian human skin”

Percy said that ares’s was handsome

Percy said he broke clarisse’s spear and ares was like “oh dope”

Ares threatened to turn Percy into a prairie dog

Ares gave them a bag of double stuffed Oreos

Percy thought that the reason he could talk to zebras but not lions was because of another learning disability

They released a zebra into Las Vegas

Percy snapped Annabeth out of the lotus haze by looking her in the eyes and saying “spiders. Large, hairy spiders”

Percy threw away ares’s backpack, but once they left the lotus hotel, it reappeared on his shoulders

THE WATER BEDS

The lotus card had infinite money, and the cab driver referred to her as “your highness”, which Annabeth likes

They let the cab driver keep the (infinite) change

When at santa monica, percy looked out at the ocean, thought about how 2/3rds of the world is covered in water, and wondered how he could be the son of someone so powerful

Percy just. Fucking walks into the water and annabeth is like “percy what the fuck are you doing” and headass just keeps walking until he’s fully submerged

A mako shark nuzzled him like a dog

Percy used to see sea spirits smiling at him in the waves at Montauk beach

Houdini could “escape even the depths of tartarus… damn, talk about foreshadowing

Percy told the bus driver he was a stunt double for a bunch of child actors

Percy said L.A. reminded him of Ares

They got attacked by a gang

CRUSTY

Percy tricked crusty into getting into his own beds, and percy then cut his head off

Grover told Charon that all 3 of them drowned in a bathtub, and Charon looked mildly impressed

Percy bribed Charon into letting them in

Percy’s Traumatic Elevator Experience count so far: 2

The river Styx is polluted

Annabeth held percy’s hand on the boat

Thomas Jefferson is a judge of the underworld

Grover compared Asphodel to standing in a wheat field in Kansas forever

Cerberus is a purebred Rottweiler

Annabeth played fetch with Cerberus

Annabeth promised Cerberus that she would come back and play fetch with him again

Cerberus considers Annabeth a friend

Percy saw things in the Fields Of Punishment that he “didnt want to describe”

Percy said he wanted to go to the Isles of The Blest when he dies

THEY ALMOST FALL INTO TARTARUS.

Percy said that Hades’s eyes reminded him of Hitler’s

Percy wondered if Hades’s underwear was made of trapped souls like his robe was

Percy interrupted Hades to tell him that Charon wanted a raise

Hades threatened to “stop death”

PERCY TOLD HADES TO PLAY WITH CERBERUS MORE

Annabeth gave percy her necklace to wear for good luck (with fighting ares)

Percy jumped over ares on a 6-foot wave

Percy fucking told the entire city of LA that they could get a free appliance, and he gave them Gabe’s phone number. Fucking love this kid.

Finally, a non-traumatic elevator experience

Zeus went to purify his bolt in the waters of Lemnos

Podeiden told percy that his rebelliousness was because “the sea does not like to be restrained”

Poseidon said that sally is a goddess among women

Gabe fucking made Sally go to work when she got back

Percy didnt know that Gabe had been hitting sally, until he saw her flinch when Gabe raised his hand

Poseiden sent him Medusa’s head back to use against gabe

The ares cabin made Percy’s laurel and painted “loser” on it

Sally sold her “sculpture” to an art collector in Soho, got a new apartment, and started going to college

The Soho gallery called the sculpture “a huge step forward in super-ugly neorealism”

Percy told luke he misses being on the quest

Ares caught luke with the bolt and helm

Grover “confused the (flying shoe) curse”

[aion-rsa]

WandaVision Finale Ending Explained

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains WandaVision spoilers.

After eight near-perfect episodes, the story of WandaVision has concluded with a finale installment that sticks the landing on all fronts, including multiple cinematic battles, several heartfelt goodbyes, and a long-overdue moment of agency for a heroine who has so often been denied a choice in her own future. 

But while “The Series Finale” is a deeply satisfying coda to what is probably Marvel’s most emotionally satisfying outing to date, it leaves us with more than a few questions about where these characters go from here. Let’s break down what happened in the WandaVision finale, and what it might mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward.

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Wanda Transforms Into the Scarlet Witch

Thanks to Agatha’s pronouncement last week, we already knew that Wanda was the legendary Scarlet Witch but in “The Series Finale” we see her fully embrace her chaos magic, right down to an amazing contemporary riff on her traditional comics costume. (That headpiece! The cape! We love to see it!)

There’s even a return of the mind control visions we saw her deploy to such great effect in Avengers: Age of Ultron. What can’t this Wanda do?

Granted, we still don’t know what all this power now means for her character in a larger sense, but to be fair, neither does she. Wanda’s abilities as displayed in this episode are fairly tremendous, as she uses witch runes to neutralize Agatha, wipes her mind, and brings down the Hex she’s built around Westview, freeing its residents. 

In the episode’s post-credits scene, however, her abilities appear to have grown even further, as she’s able to take in a scenic lake view even as her astral self is also busy reading the Darkhold, right down to making its pages turn on their own. 

This is a move we’ve seen Stephen Strange pull before, but according to Agatha, Wanda is even more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme. So….what else will she be able to do? That seems to be what she’s trying to find out.

Westview Returns to Normal (Sort of)

During her (quite frankly pretty badass) battle with Agatha, the older witch frees several Westview residents from Wanda’s mind control, forcing her to face what she’s done to the townspeople in her quest to build a perfect life. The simultaneously angry and desperate crowd of Westview residents – who look like nothing so much as a suburban take on a horde from The Walking Dead – confront Wanda and reveal a bit of what it must really like as a person who lives under the town’s spell.  

The most harrowing victim is certainly town queen bee Dottie, who comes to herself long enough to beg Wanda to allow her to see her daughter, or perhaps write her into the larger storyline as one of the twins’ friends. But we also learn that Wanda has been projecting her grief and pain into Westview’s nightmares, forcing them to suffer right alongside her, rather than providing a peaceful, perfect escape. 

What Happened to Agatha Harkness?

At least one resident of Westview won’t be returning to normal, however. After Wanda defeats Agatha by scattering witch runes around the Westview Hex to neutralize her magic, she uses her own power to wipe Agatha’s memories and essentially turn her into nosy neighbor Agnes, the WandaVision “role she chose,” for good. 

Your mileage may vary on whether this is an acceptable ending for Agatha – a character who was, admittedly, often monstrous, even though she was right about the way that society is all too willing, even eager, to vilify powerful women out of fear (and often just because it can). On the plus side, since nothing lasts forever in the Marvel Universe and Agatha Harkness is a pretty powerful witch in her own right, there’s every chance this character will reappear down the road. After all, Agatha was Wanda’s mentor in the comics and she tells Wanda here that her magical expertise will be needed in the future. 

We Said Goodbye to Wanda’s Kids (Or Did We?)

As products of the Hex, young Billy and Tommy Maximoff’s fates were always going to be tied to it, so in choosing to break the illusion, Wanda also accepts that she’ll have to say goodbye to her sons. In one of “The Series Finale’s” most heartbreaking scenes, she and Vision, knowing what’s coming, tuck the boys in for bed one last time, as the red glow of the shrinking boundary line edges closer to their house. 

Wanda also thanks the boys for choosing her as a mother. Reader, I cried. Plus, this basically confirms that Billy and Tommy aren’t entirely constructs of Wanda’s imagination. They’ve come from somewhere, and possess something like souls. How that all happened is anyone’s guess – here’s your entry point for Mephisto, folks! – and it’s something future series can explore, but it’s certainly the way I’d prefer to read it. 

But, since the last thing we hear on WandaVision is also the voices of Tommy and Billy shouting to their mother that something is wrong, it seems pretty likely we’ll see some version of these characters again. There’s precedent in the comics after all, and finding her lost boys is a pretty powerful narrative throughline to carry over to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

What Happened to White Vision?

Paul Bettany’s dreams of essentially working with himself are realized, as Vision and the White Vision come to blows in the skies of Westview. But despite the epic battle between the synthezoids – or, synthezoid and Mind Stone-fueled recreation of that same original, as the case may be – physical combat isn’t the most compelling, or even interesting part of their encounter.

Instead, it’s philosophy. Yes, you read that right. Upon realizing that the two are too evenly matched for either to emerge victorious, Vision decides to engage the White Vision in a thought experiment about their shared existence, and whether either of them is truly the man (robot?) they claim to be. The two end up in a sort of pseudo-philosopher’s debate about The Ship of Theseus, a thought experiment centered on issues of identity and meaning, and what makes a thing real. 

This is surprisingly deep stuff for a Marvel property but the conversation contains tantalizing hints about what we could expect as we head into Phase 4 of the MCU. After all, it will likely contain stories full of magic, mutants, and transformation of all types; this is simply WandaVision giving us a metaphorical anchor to hang onto throughout. Well, that and providing a way to bring Vision – or some version of him – back for good, as Westview Vision restores White Vision’s memories and gives us all a reason to hope that he and Wanda will one day be reunited again.

Was the Vision in Westview Real? 

Yes and no. The Vision that lived in Westview and shared a house with Wanda wasn’t physically the Vision we’d previously seen in the Avengers films. He was a flesh and blood construct, created by Wanda’s power, informed by her grief memories, and born from the piece of the Mind Stone that lives inside her. (This makes sense, given that the rise of Wanda’s magical abilities was connected to her initial exposure to the Mind Stone. As Agatha puts it, the Scarlet Witch is forged, not born, and for Wanda, that crucible was her time with Hydra and the Infinity Stone that served as a sort of cosmic gasoline on her sleeping abilities that might never have stirred otherwise.) This Vision represents Wanda’s hope and sadness, but mostly her love. 

And, as a result, even Westview Vision doesn’t greet his oncoming demise with sadness, or even fear. Instead, he reasons, he and Wanda have been here before twice already, forced to say goodbye before their time. And since their relationship has survived before, there’s every reason to believe it will again, and they’ll find their way back to one another.

Monica’s Powers, the Skrulls, and Captain Marvel 2

Unfortunately, thanks to everything else going on in “The Series Finale,” Monica Rambeau doesn’t have a ton to do here. However, she does get a straight-up hero moment, where she throws herself in front of a bullet (or four) for Wanda’s kids and reveals a heretofore unseen ability to phase through objects and slow them down. She also frees the real Ralph Bohner, and happily helps send dirtbag SWORD director Tyler Hayward to prison. 

Happily, however, despite her limited screentime in this episode, Monica’s MCU future looks bright. In the mid-credits scene, she’s approached by a Skrull disguised as a SWORD agent who takes her aside and reveals she was sent by a friend of her late mother, Maria’s. And that friend, who is most likely Nick Fury, would like to see Monica – in space. 

We’d all basically assumed that Monica, who is Maria’s daughter and clearly has some as-yet-unprocessed resentment toward Carol Danvers, would be a significant player in the upcoming sequel Captain Marvel 2, but perhaps there’s an even broader future in store for her, as part of the SWORD-like organization Fury and the Skrull named Talos formed at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. 

Who Was the Fake Pietro Maximoff?

Sadly, the character played by Evan Peters in WandaVision was not actually Wanda’s brother Pietro ported over from the FOX X-Men universe like we all hoped. So, yeah, unfortunately, that means mutants technically still do not exist in the MCU, and that’s a problem another movie or series will have to address.

While trapped in his self-described “man cave”, Monica discovers that the Fake Pietro is really just Ralph Bohner, the mysteriously absent husband Agnes was constantly complaining about throughout the season. Agatha kept him under her spell using an enchanted necklace, and when it was removed his real identity returns. Whether the fact that Agatha’s punishment to live as her Agnes identity involves being really married to Ralph is unclear but in Westview, anything is possible, I guess.

Wanda’s Future and Doctor Strange 2

Wanda has long been confirmed as a major player in the upcoming sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but we haven’t known how exactly she would fit into this story, having never exactly met Stephen Strange before. But since the WandaVision post-credits scene confirms that the new Scarlet Witch is determined to learn more about her powers, it seems that will change fairly quickly. The only question is, how?

Stephen Strange has served as a mentor to many magic users throughout Marvel Comics history and could certainly be someone that Wanda seeks out to help her access and control her new abilities. But, given that she’s also currently DIY-ing her knowledge of witch history with a magical item that is basically subtitled the “book of the damned” it’s also very possible that she and Strange will end up at odds over the Darkhold’s existence, her possession of it, or both. Plus, there’s that interesting wrinkle of her still hearing the voices of her construct children that shouldn’t still exist outside of Westview thing. Time to explore the multiverse, anyone?

The post WandaVision Finale Ending Explained appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3bl8T3d

[blackestnight]

SEVEN ITEMS. list seven items your character keeps on their person/in their inventory at all times.

HANAMI

Soul Pendant. Hanami’s Dark Knight soul crystal, inherited from Fray and kept on a long silver chain. She keeps it glamoured most of the time to conceal it from the casual observer. Yanxian Hachigane. More reminiscent of a samurai’s headgear than a proper helm. A gift from Lord Hien of Doma, given as thanks for assisting in the liberation from the Garlean Empire. Shows signs of frequent, intense repair.  Overstuffed Journal. A water-stained, smoke-charred, cracked-spine volume filled with entries spanning almost six summers. Between the covers and the endpapers are dozens of well-worn letters from family and friends. Most of the entries are in simple list format, but some few are much longer, and written in Ishgardian. Though Hanami can recognize these as being in her handwriting, she can’t read them. Cosmetics Travel Kit. Contains everything a lady needs to complete her morning routine. For this particular lady, that means lipstick, brushes, clean hand towels, and lots of white face paint. You might also find weapon polish, on occasion. Leather Horn Wraps. Most commonly seen on Auri children, who frequently suffer from oversensitive hearing as their horns develop and thicken. May also be employed by Auri adults who suffer from oversensitive hearing as their horns are shattered and replaced with experimental metal prosthetics. Vial of Antidote. Because not even the Wandering Minstrel could pen a good ballad about the Warrior of Light’s greatest foe: anaphylactic shock. The edelweiss-shaped stopper marks it as a special brew by Tehra’ir Naphto, though what additional effects it may produce are anyone’s guess. Cherry Omamori. This talisman, lovingly (if not especially skillfully) handcrafted by Hanami's nephew Munehise, is inscribed with a common prayer for protection. The bag was embroidered with sakura blossoms by Lunya Lanya, who offered her services at a special "cute twelve-year-old said please" discount.

HARUKI

Solace Lily. This enchanted brightlily was gifted directly from A’dewah Tia’s garden. It emits a faint blue glow when held, and can be crushed in the user’s palm to release a burst of emergency healing magic. Bag of Jerked Dzo. Popular on the Azim Steppe, though Buduga and Oronir traders have begun to spread them throughout Yanxia. If there’s one thing Haruki’s learned from fatherhood, it’s that emergency snacks are second in importance only to emergency wet wipes. Seiryu’s Scale. This massive scale plucked from the auspice Seiryu’s hide glows with an eerie blue flame and grants the owner incredible strength and speed. It also reappears constantly on the owner’s person, no matter how far across the One River they throw it. Tinted Lip Balm. Keeps the lips soft and moisturized in all kinds of weather, with the added bonus of being cute as shite. Includes a faint shimmer effect and tastes vaguely of rolanberry. Silk Hair Ribbon. Always carry a spare. This thin scrap of raw silk may generously called a “ribbon,” but it keeps Haruki’s hair out of his face, while leaving his stylish spiked bangs free to blow in the wind. Smudged Lithograph. This miniscule metal plate is printed with a portrait using a mixture of ink, water, and gyuki fat. The image is of a young Munehise being held in his aunt Hanami’s lap, though the plate is kept safely hidden in a square metal locket hung from a durium necklace. Orange Omamori. This talisman, lovingly (if not especially skillfully) handcrafted by Haruki's son Munehise, is inscribed with a common prayer for protection. The bag was embroidered with mikan blossoms by Lunya Lanya, who thought she was terribly clever for adding a purple-and-red-furred lucky cat on the tassel.

Tagged by: @windupnamazu and @bolt-from-the-cobalt!!!

Tagging: @aethernoise @kukurubean @firstblesssed @stars-bleed-hearts-shine and YOU!

Bonus items from Hanami’s inventory below the cut.

Wire-Rimmed Readers. Perhaps all those years of stoic glaring are beginning to catch up with her. Unobtrusive and sturdy, these spectacles remain in Hanami’s bag or on her nightstand unless she needs to read long documents. Not that anyone expects her to read anything anyway. Wax Carving Tools. A set of small knives and pliers used to shape tubes of hard wax into rings, pendants, and anything in between. The resulting shapes can be cast into a mold and melted out to make room for metal, hence the term “lost wax casting.” Sky Larimar Ring. A delicate white gold band set with a small gemstone the color of the afternoon sky. Is usually strung on a silver chain to hang next to her soul crystal, since Hanami often wears gauntlets or thick gloves, but the careful observer might spot it on her left hand during downtime.

[lilacmoon83]

Mysterious Fathoms Below

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 7: Freedom in Love

The years passed quickly and the Charmings traveled the realms, visiting various lands that weren't frozen by the curse. They were incredibly happy and enjoyed watching their baby grow together. They had quickly learned that being mermaids had slowed their aging down to almost nothing though, as while Emma grew, they didn't change much. The other mermaids that were still around told them this was common, as full grown mermaids aged much slower than humans did.

As one might imagine, Snow and David soon found themselves with child when Emma was still quite young and their son, Ben, was born when his sister was only two. But they didn't stop there and Snow gave birth to twins when Emma was five and Ben was three. They named their youngest, a boy and a girl, Hunter and Rose.

It was quickly determined that, like Emma, their other children had the ability to phase between mermaid and human. Ben's tail was white like his mother's, while Hunter's was crimson, darker than his father's, and Rose's was red like her name and a bit brighter red than her brother's.

Today they were enjoying the beauty of Mermaid Cove in Neverland. They were here often and careful to avoid Pan. Mermaid Cove wasn't a place that he ventured to and the other mermaids had warned them to avoid Pan's island at all costs. They followed that advice, though they loathed that he seemed to lure lost children to his island.

Their children were not lost though and never heard Pan's call or the supposed crying that the other mermaids told them that went on at night. It tore at Snow and Charming's hearts, but they were warned harshly against interfering with Pan. The other mermaids had been clear on that. If they did choose to confront him, then their children would end up being orphans.

Today though, Neverland was just a rest point. They had just returned from the Land Without Magic, visiting various cities in their human forms. They were debating whether or not to take human form again with more permanence and send the children school. But they were leery and also enjoyed the freedom they had in this form. Their children liked this life too and Snow was educating them on all lands, including the Land Without Magic, from all the books they had acquired.

Atlantica was also an option as well. They had been invited by Ariel and it wasn't frozen by the curse like many other lands. It would allow them to keep the freedom they enjoyed as well, rather than putting down ties in the Land Without Magic, which came with its own set of dangers. For today though, they were enjoying a bit of rest in Mermaid cove.

The twins giggled, as Charming waded into the shallow part of the lagoon and put them down. Their tails changed to legs upon contact with the sand and they ran to their mother, who was lounging on the beach in her human form. He was very much enjoying the white colored swim attire she was wearing that she had picked up in the Land Without Magic. A bikini was what it was called if he remembered correctly.

"Mama...daddy found us again!" Rose announced.

"Well of course he did. Daddy is very good at finding the people he loves," Snow said, as she met her husband's gaze. He smiled and put his necklace on, transforming his red tail into legs and he joined her on the beach.

"Can we go back in the water?" Hunter asked.

"Sure, but don't go too far and stay where we can see you," David said, as he sat down beside his wife and leaned over to kiss her. Ben was still out in the water and they knew he'd keep an eye on them too.

David kissed her tenderly and caressed her face, as he pulled back, gazing at her with awe.

"What?" she asked under his gaze.

"You are so beautiful…" he replied, making her smile shyly.

"I think you're a bit biased, Prince Charming," she teased.

"Nah...you are Snow White. You are the fairest in all the lands," he teased back and she smacked his arm playfully. He pulled her close and she gently caressed his face this time. He kissed her again and they basked together under the sun's rays.

"Where's Emma?" he asked.

"I let her swim further into the cove for some of those berries we all like so much. She should be back soon," Snow assured.

~*~

Emma gathered the berries in her satchel and prepared to head back to the cove when she heard someone cry out in distress. She looked out into the open waters and saw a pirate ship. Her parents had warned her against going anywhere near any ships, but she gasped, as she saw a boy being tossed into the dangerous waters. Immediately, she ran into the water and her legs transformed into her tail automatically. She swam as fast as she could and gasped, as she saw Pan's shadow looming above him. She dove and snapped him up, carrying him away from the shadow. And strangely, she saw the shadow abandon his pursuit of the boy and return to Pan's island. It wasn't like him to let a lost boy go so easily, but she didn't worry about that now and quickly deposited the boy on the shore.

He coughed and looked at her in amazement.

"It's okay...I'm not going to hurt you," Emma said.

"You're...you're a mermaid. But a young one," the boy mentioned. She smiled and stepped onto the shore, allowing her tail to disappear and her legs to reappear. His eyes widened again.

"I am...but I'm also like you. It's a long story. Who are you?" she asked.

"My...my name is Baelfire. Thanks for saving me," he replied. She smiled.

"You're welcome. I'm Emma, but you can't stay on Pan's island if he's after you," she said.

"I have no way of going anywhere else," he replied. She smiled and put her hand out.

"Come with me to mermaid cove. I know my parents won't mind," she said. He looked at her and then took her hand. He yelped, as she pulled him back into the water with her.

"Don't worry...we can swim there slowly," she promised, as she pulled him along.

~*~

"Why did you let him go?" Felix questioned.

"Oh, I never intended to keep Baelfire here forever. He has a destiny beyond Neverland and it looks like he has just met it," Pan responded cryptically. The other boy didn't understand, but no one questioned Pan.

"Baelfire's path is beyond this place. Trust me...my survival means letting him go with his beautiful little mermaid friend," Pan added, as he smirked smugly.

~*~

Emma pulled him along into the semi-private cove where her family frequented and lived while in Neverland. She saw her brothers and sister playing together in the lagoon, close enough to shore and her parents were on the beach, being their romantic, gooey selves.

"Mom! Dad!" she called, as her tail became legs once she got close enough to the shore.

"Hey sweetie…" Snow said, as she took the berries that her daughter had gathered in her satchel.

"Who is this?" she asked, curiously noticing the boy coming ashore.

"Oh...this is Baelfire. I saved him from Pan's shadow," Emma said.

"You were near Pan's shadow?" Charming asked in alarm.

"Relax Daddy...I'm fine. The shadow flew away when it saw me," she chided. Snow smirked playfully at her husband and nudged him with her elbow.

"Yeah...relax daddy," she teased him. He shook his head in amusement at them.

"It's nice to meet you, Baelfire. Would you like to join us for dinner? Charming and I are going to go catch some game, but you can help Emma get the fire ready and wash the fruit if you'd like," Snow said, as she and Charming stood up.

"Sure...thank you," he said in surprise. Snow smiled and took her husband's hand.

"We'll be back in a bit. Keep an eye on Ben and the twins, honey," Snow called, as she grabbed her bow and Charming sheathed his sword, as they set off into the jungle to catch some game.

"They're your parents?" Baelfire asked. She nodded.

"It's a long story, but we can actually tell you all about it," Emma replied, as she looked at her brother.

"Ben...where is your book?" she asked. He smiled and dug it out of his satchel, before handing it to her.

"Wow...this is an incredible book. Where did you get it?" he asked. She shrugged.

"We're not really sure. One day Mom mentioned to Daddy that she wanted to write down their stories and the stories of their friends since they'll all be trapped by a curse now," Emma explained.

"A curse?" he asked. She nodded.

"When she woke up the next morning, this book had just appeared and it is a chronicle of my parent's story and many of their friends from the Enchanted Forest," she replied.

"The Enchanted Forest?" Baelfire asked, hoping that she didn't hear the quiver in his voice. She nodded.

"Mmm...go ahead and read. It might explain things better than I can," she suggested, as he flipped through it and landed on the page depicting a man he hadn't seen in almost two hundred years and the two people Emma said were her parents.

"Oh, that part happened in a place called Storybrooke. It's the town in the Land Without Magic that the curse took everyone. My parents went there when I was just a baby to help a boy they met in the Land Without Magic. He lost his father and the Queen had him locked up. But my parents rescued him with the help of Rumpelstiltskin," she explained.

"Wait...Rumpelstiltskin helped them?" he asked with wide eyes. She nodded.

"Yeah...here, I'll read it to you," she replied, as she flipped back and started with the beginning of her parent's story while Baelfire listened with rapt attention.

~*~

Snow smirked and shook her head in amusement, as her distracted husband kept looking back over his shoulder, until she finally took pity on him.

"Baby...she's fine," she assured and he sighed in defeat.

"I know...it just worries me a bit. Pan hates mermaids and I don't want Emma anywhere near that little demon or his shadow," he replied.

"I know, but Emma is like us...she'd never refuse to help someone that needed help and if we saved just one boy from the clutches of that evil boy...then that's a good thing," she said. He nodded, as they proceeded to hunt some game and were successful in snagging some, before returning to the lagoon.

They found Emma reading to her new friend and they smiled, until they noticed the pale look on the boy's face.

"Is something wrong?" Snow asked. He swallowed.

"You're going to hate me," Baelfire replied.

"They won't hate you...trust me," Emma prodded.

"I'm the reason for the curse...I'm the reason that Rumpelstiltskin wanted the Evil Queen to cast it for him," he admitted.

"You? But you're just a boy," Snow said.

"I've been here in Neverland for a couple hundred years. He's been looking for me...I'm his son," he announced.

"Well...that would make sense then. I knew he wasn't telling us something," David said.

"Well...that's great. We can help you get back to him," Snow said.

"No!" he exclaimed and they were taken aback.

"Why not?" Emma asked.

"Because he abandoned me...and I want nothing to do with him!" Baelfire replied, as he got up.

"I'm sorry...I have to go," he said, as he ran off into the jungle.

"Wait!" Emma called, but he didn't stop and her shoulders slumped forward. Snow gently put her arms around her daughter.

"Oh honey...it's okay. We'll find him," she assured. She sniffed.

"We will?" she asked. David smiled and hugged her, as he cradled her head.

"Of course we will...he needs help, even if he doesn't know it. And he may be angry with his father, but I'm sure he still loves him and though Rumpelstiltskin has done things we don't agree with...he deserves to be reunited with his child," he reasoned.

"Your father is right...and who knows, maybe reuniting him with his father will be the key to ending the curse faster and defeating Regina," Snow added.

"He did say it would be on Emma's twenty-eighth birthday though," David reminded her.

"Perhaps, but somehow, I don't think he foresaw us finding his son for him. This may change things," she reasoned. He nodded.

"Let's eat and then we'll look for him first thing in the morning, princess," he promised. She nodded and helped her parents get their meal ready. She could only hope they found him tomorrow...

[iatheia]

A shameless repost, from a long-deleted livejournal, originally by dybji. Based on 2005 Tsukigumi version of Elisabeth.

SCORE: *begins* LUCHENI: *stagger-sways onstage* VOICEOVER: Lucheni! Elisabeth! Hapsburgs! Murder! Anarchists! Trial! LUCHENI: No, no, no. It goes, "Trial! Delayed! Angry! Anarchist! Explanation! Death!" DEATH: *appears* AUDIENCE: *various jokes about how, indeed, he must be Death, for they have all been slain on sight* DEATH: I am here as a witness. Luigi Lucheni killed the Empress on my orders, because she loved me. VOICEOVER: I do not feel you are correct on this front, Mr. Tod. DEATH: Of course I am correct. She was too coy to say it, but I know deep down inside she wanted it. VOICEOVER: ... I think the multifaceted irony of that observation has stunned me into silence for the rest of the musical.

LUCHENI: When in doubt, rock'n'roll. Eliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisabeth! ELISABETH: *appears* PAPASABETH: In spite of the fact that I am a landed gentleman with manors, a title, and pondsful of money, I find my obligations to take part in polite society and talk to my own relatives stifling. It is unspeakably unjust, my daughter. AUDIENCE: Tell that to your serfs. ELISABETH: When I grow up, I want to be just like you, Papa! AUDIENCE: This explains so much. SOPHIE: My cough of evil clearly establishes me as a heartless political machine. INTEREST GROUPS: May we please ply our power over the Emperor, shamelessly and nearly-irrevocably tearing power away from the throne? SOPHIE: Oh yes. Please do. FRANZ-JOSEPH: ... Mother, you do realize you are not actually a heartless political machine so much as a heartless idiot, right? DEATH: Christine, I lo-o-ove you … Er, I mean, Elisabeth. Elisabeth, I love you. ELISABETH: I feel strangely fond of you, as well. And, for the benefit of all the Freudians out there, I’ll express these thoughts by reprising the song I just sang for my father! FREUDIANS: Aww, fanservice. We feel so flattered. REST OF AUDIENCE: We feel a little horrified, actually. SOPHIE: We have set up an engagement date for you, son! MAMASABETH: We have set up an engagement date for you, daughter! Elisabeth, you can come along too. FRANZ-JOSEPH: Elisabeth, your artless beauty has completely stolen my heart! ELISABETH: And that diamond necklace has stolen mine. PAPASABETH: This will not end well. SOPHIE: No, it won't. PAPASABETH: Let's sit back and watch, shall we? SOPHIE: I'll get the popcorn. DEATH: Your final dance shall be with me! I am your destiny! ELISABETH: I admit the smoldering eyes do make a good case. SOPHIE: I am a bully. FRANZ-JOSEPH: I am spineless. ELISABETH: I am in despair! DAGGER: *appears* ELISABETH: O happy dagger! Here is thy sheath! FREUDIANS: (nodding excitedly) And thereby the dagger becomes a phallic impersonation of Death! ELISABETH: What? Phal ... oh my god! *flings dagger away* DEATH: Curses. ELMER: Hungary, independence, imperialist pigs. HUNGARIANS: History! Death to Elisabeth! ELISABETH: *reveals Hungarian flag dress* I am the Scarlett O'Hara of Austro-Hungarian history. HUNGARIANS: History! Long live Elisabeth! ELMER: Curses. ELMER: I plan a retaliation. It involves a gun! DEATH: Oh, no, Elmer. Guns represent manhood, and nobody in this story gets to have a manhood except me and Lucheni. And that’s only because he’s in my employ. ELMER: That’s logical. Here, take this. I don’t need a manhood anyway, my only love is Hungary. FREUDIANS: *wipe tears of affection* DEATH: I incite the people to revolt. LUCHENI: This will have no effect on Elisabeth's future life, nor on her eventual death. You really shouldn't look so smug. DEATH: Of course I should look smug! These scenes are the ones that make the historically-inclined middle schoolers drool! Who cares if it has no bearing on the rest of the musical? LUCHENI: Good point. SOPHIE: Your kids are mine! I must raise them instead of you, as is customary in royal court! ELISABETH: I. Hate. You. FRANZ-JOSEPH: Elisabeth ... I am spineless and heart-broken ... please open the door. DEATH: Elisabeth ... I am lonely and heart-broken ... come and make out with me. ELISABETH: Both of you, please shut up. DEATH: Revolt, peasants! PEASANTS: We never actually do revolt, but damn do we look good singing about it. FRANZ-JOSEPH: I defy my mother, and prove it by stealing her trademark cough. ELISABETH: Oh, baby, that's sweet. Let’s reconcile. DEATH: ... You owe me your life, woman. ELISABETH: Don't you realize my trademark power ballad depends upon my ignoring that fact? ACT TWO LUCHENI: History, history, history. Kitsch! DEATH: History, history, history. Pope hat! ELISABETH: Shameless power ballad about when I—er, “dance.” DEATH: Sexual tension about wanting to—uh, “dance.” FREUDIANS: *look bored* REST OF AUDIENCE: *nod appreciatively* SOPHIE: I must oust this young female with her influence over Franz-Joseph. PRIEST: Because it is lessening your power at court? SOPHIE: No, because it is tearing down the Hapsburg dynasty! SOLDIER: … And you weren’t? SOPHIE: (coldly) She is tearing down the Hapsburgs in a different way than I was. SOLDIER: We hire Madame Wolf and her posse of ladies of the evening. We must explain to Franz-Joseph that there are other fish in the sea! PRIEST: Or chickens on a plate, as it were. MADAME WOLF: Ha, I like that. I shall use that metaphor as the basis of my pimp song. FRANZ-JOSEPH: I am moved by the clever metaphors of your pimp song and the mermadian looks of Shirosaki Ai. LUCHENI: I can hardly blame you, sir. Say cheese! ELISABETH: I do not have anorexia! ELISABETH: *collapses* Fine, I do have anorexia, but it’s totally under control! DR. ZABLE: This is in an effort to keep the Emperor interested, isn’t it? You should probably know, he’s cheating on you. ELISABETH: He is most certainly not! PHOTOGRAPH: *appears* ELISABETH: Curses. ELISABETH: … I … I don’t know what to do. DR. ZABLE, shockingly revealing himself to be DEATH: Shineba ii! ELISABETH: No. DEATH: I don’t understand how you consistently fail to follow the impeccably logical solutions I am always presenting to you. DEATH: *taunts Elisabeth with dagger* ELISABETH: *reaches out hopelessly, yearning for dagger* DEATH: *fondles dagger himself* FREUDIANS: *inhale* REST OF AUDIENCE: Say one word and we will cut you. Ayana Oto as YOUNG RUDOLF: Angst! DEATH: Inappropriate touching! AUDIENCE: And so was the infamous red dress foretold. RUDOLF: Visions of greatness, including the overthrow of his father while rushing to Elisabeth’s embrace— FREUDIANS: *inhale* REST OF AUDIENCE: Yeah, no, we got that one. Don’t bother. WINDISCH: I’m in a madhouse, I wear white, I have delusions of being someone I’m not! ELISABETH: Oh, young lady, I would change places with you. THE GHOST OF WILKIE COLLINS’ WOMAN IN WHITE: … You could, you know. ELISABETH: My life has nothing, nothing! LUCHENI: Except paparazzic opportunities for me. ELISABETH: Curses. RUDOLF: Contemplates suicide. DEATH: Contributes ideas for this contemplation. RUDOLF: Revolts! REVOLT: Fails! ELISABETH: Returns! RUDOLF: We’re so alike, Mama. You shun all responsibilities and want to belong only to yourself, I am lonely and want to stop belonging only to myself. Also I try to fix this country’s problems in an effort ostensibly to help the country, rather than to prove to Death I don’t need him. We are perfect mirror images! ELISABETH: … Rudolf, my boy, I think you’re a couple NTs short of a synapse on that one. RUDOLF: What? My logic is impeccable! DEATH: Hey, honey, why don’t you ditch the old lady and come with me? RUDOLF: No, that sounds like a really bad ide—wow, you’ve got smolderingly gorgeous eyes, sir. DEATH: And lustrous hair. And pouty lips. And a mighty gun— RUDOLF: Well, that’s that! I can’t possibly be expected to resist you with your pouty lips and mighty gun! ELISABETH: … Rudolf? Rudolf? CRICKETS: Chirp. ELISABETH: … You made out with my son? You crazy freak, why would you— DEATH: (eagerly) Are you jealous? You’re jealous, aren’t you! Come on, admit it, I’ll still take you, you and Rudolf can be in my harem— ELISABETH: I can be with Rudolf if I die? Oh, do take me now! DEATH: … You are one incestuously-inclined family, you know that? FRANZ-JOSEPH: I reappear. Oh, Elisabeth— ELISABETH: No, stay away, please. I’ve had just about enough of having people sing that name out to me. FRANZ-JOSEPH: I can change, baby, I promise— ELISABETH: We are as two ships in the night GOOD DAY, SIR. FRANZ-JOSEPH: *dies* DEATH: Lucheni, I am entrusting you with my mighty dagger. You know what this means. LUCHENI: … Actually, I think I’m completely overloading on the innuendos at this point. FREUDIANS: *have been gagged by rest of audience* LUCHENI: Come on, this one’s really ambiguous. Couldn’t you just let them explain— REST OF AUDIENCE: No. DEATH: Don’t worry, Lucheni, it doesn’t mean you’ll have to do anything questionable with imperialist pig-dogs. You just need to kill Elisabeth. FRANZ-JOSEPH: She doesn’t love you, you great poof! DEATH: That’s it, you’re getting buried in anthropomorphized sheet-people now. Furthermore, I am Death, obviously I’m bisexual. And heterosexually lesbian at the same time. ... It’s pretty complicated, actually. DEATH: (afterthought) And also, she totally loves me. Imperialist pig-dog. LUCHENI: *Fails to stab Elisabeth.* DEATH: *appears* ELISABETH: O happy dagger! Here is thy sheath! No, for real this time. LUCHENI: Grande amore! DEATH: Crossing the deep waters of Styx together, la la la. ELISABETH: No more tears and suffering, la la la. TRIAL FOR LUCHENI: *apparently, remains in limbo* LUCHENI: Curses.

[moonlights-inkwell]

I’ll Be Home With You.

Summary: Your helmeted hero seems to be growing more and more violent, until he shows up bleeding on your fire escape after a dream about Jason. 

Jason Todd x Reader 

word count: 3052 

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3]

um... this shouldnt have taken as long as it did but oh well. Part 4 of my Hozier series. 

You're sure you either have some sick grave digging stalker on the loose, or the man was someone you know and has a fucking evil sense of humour. You spend the last of your days off of work not touching the necklace, which you're almost completely sure is your old one. It even has the same tiny E stamp on the bottom of the bird's silver body and chinks in the dainty silver chain as if it had spent too long in the same position: like wound around the wrist of a dead boy. It stays on your bedside table, ignored in favour of finally finishing your essay, going to university, and pretending that you're perfectly fine when you meet with your parents at a cafe to catch up. They say you look sick, paler than they're used to seeing you and skinnier too, you can't even disagree with them. You've felt ill ever since the necklace showed up in your paperwork, like the mere knowledge of it not being on Jason's body, buried under the headstone you've visited every year, is making you ill. You spend those days looking for the man who was there at the same time that the necklace reappeared. But there's no sign of him. Even after you go to work again, you never see that man. No handsome black haired, blue eyed, tanned, grave digging stalkers. You wonder to yourself if that's even worse than actually seeing him. Not seeing him doesn't mean that he isn't ever present, and ever watching, just masked by something that keeps him from you. When you mention his presence to your co-workers, they assume you're asking because you had a crush on him- one of the downfalls of working in a diner where most of the waitstaff is more than double your age was that everyone assumed because you were young and single you would have a crush on all the handsome customers or, worse still, would want to be set up with their son or nephew- and so you just give up on it. They can't understand what you mean without you showing them the necklace; but even still they would never be able to understand what it means without you talking about Jason, and talking about Jason makes this real, makes it real that it's likely that someone has dug up his grave and removed your necklace, but also that the person who did so knew it was your chain and pendant. The most invasive thought comes in the night when you can't sleep; if they took your nana's silver necklace, what else could they have taken. After a week or so, you finally pick up the necklace again and fasten it around your neck, letting your fingers ghost along the chinks and try not the think about the boy who used to have this around his wrist, and why it isn't there now. You don't succeed. 

After several days pass, you hear a report on the news about a seeming gang rivalry gone sour- to the point where twelve decapitated heads had been found in a warehouse near the docks, each of them belonging to some lowlife drug dealer. When you first hear of it on the radio, in your apartment in the early morning with only your coffee cup and printed out Wuthering Heights essay for company, you have no doubt in your mind that the Red-Helmeted man (who you had ever so creatively decided you were going to refer to as Red) had done it. You don't quite know what it is that makes you so sure, but you are. The man, or Terminator or Robocop or Metahuman whatever it was, had no problem with killing a man who tried to mug and grope you. He said he was 'putting him down'. Somehow, you doubt he would show criminals who dealt hard drugs to kids any sort of mercy; and you can't bring yourself to really think that he had done much wrong- if he had done it at all. Drug dealers like that get kids hooked on heroin and cocaine, ruin lives, and you wonder if all the ruined lives they had caused added together equated to them deserving to lose theirs. Your wondering doesn't last long before you head off to university, but Red stays in your mind all day, taking up space where you should have been focusing on your lecturer. When you arrive at Pauli's you play dumb, pretending to know nothing. Well, really, it's less playing dumb as it is you playing mute. You hear some of the waitresses commenting about heads but no bodies and don't join in, and when you fill up the mug of a cop, in your favourite booth, his walkie-talkie crackles, a disembodied voice talking about cops in the warehouse and needing back up. You don't talk much at all beyond the usual niceties to the customers and some basic small talk, until one of the cooks' gesture to the tv as he handed you a plate, almost slopping the burger and cheese covered fries onto the floor until you swerve the plate up quickly. "Fuckin' animals in this city." He remarks, his spatula pointed at the flickering screen as you look up, the muted colours of the old television doing little to mask the clear distinction between the red of the blood and the dull brown of the bag. You can't help but grimace at the sight of it, unable to mask your disgust. The chef, a large, round, sweating man notes your grimace before continuing on, "What kinda person could just kill people like that?" Your mind flits to Red, before strangely to the Joker and his Harlequin follower then Scarecrow, then Poison Ivy, then Penguin, running through a great long list of famous costumed criminals in your city in little more than a split second before you breathe in sharply. You hate how long the list is. How many people those psychopaths had murdered, but could break out of a maximum security psychiatric-hospital-cum-prison as easily as you can leave your apartment.   "...The News Anchor said they'd been dealing drugs to kids." You try to remark as casually as possible, but your throat is dry and you're sure that your voice came out at a higher pitch than usual. If it did, the chef didn't notice and just rolled his eyes while wiping his sweaty forehead with the back of his arm. "Yeah, all those tv fuckers say shit like that." He scoffs, rolling his eyes as one of the older waitresses hushes him for cursing when the paying customers could be listening. "I bet the Bat did it. Got too tired of not killing the real criminals so he took it out on kids from the Alley."   You think of Bruce, of how sad he had looked after Jason died. How broken he and Dick looked. How dark the bags under his eyes seem even so long after Jason's death after he has adopted another son and daughter and found his birth son. You can't see that tired, sad man killing anyone. Especially not so long after Jason died. If the Bat was to kill someone, he would have done it three years ago. You take the plate and nod slightly at him, carrying the plate to a table of teenaged girls, all dressed in Gotham Academy uniforms talking loudly about boys and homework and teachers you haven't thought about in years. You smile at a girl who's listening more than taking part in the conversation and place the plate in front of her. Her eyes widen, but then she smiles back up at you and tucks a mousy brown strand behind her ear. You walk off as she begins talking to the other girls, trying not to be jealous of girls who look to be around two or three years younger than you. Oh to be young again. 

 The pattering of rain against the window makes you smile, watching the droplets explode on contact with the pane of glass until warm hands take your own, pulling you out of your own head, eyes flitting down from the glass. Green gloved hands squeeze yours and tug slightly, leading you from your bed and toward the fire escape, only pausing to push the window up and help you to climb out of the window and onto the fire-escape. The metal frame is wet and icy cold against your bare feet while you follow the primary coloured boy up onto the roof of your parent's apartment building. The sky is inky black around him, and the fluorescent light of the street lamps and the neon glare of club signs make him visible to you, putting a slight pink glaze onto his hair, cheeks and the side of his body. When he settles onto the ground and beckons you to his side, there is nothing that you can do but sit beside him, even if you cringe slightly when your pyjamas begin sticking to your skin. It's cold, quiet, and wet but his hand rests warm and firm on top of yours, keeping you grounded as your eyes gaze out at the dark outline of the city out in front of the two of you; the feeling familiar and alien all at once. From up here, Gotham is almost pretty even through the heavy rainfall and harsh winds, flashes of red and blue neon from street-signs painting the puddles so that the once dark and dismal city is practically technicolour, and there's something unearthly about it in this witching-hour. For once the city is beautiful and still, three AM has left Gotham in a beautiful sleepy position- no traffic or pedestrians to make sound or distraction, just you and the domino-masked boy's breathing and the gentle patter of rain on your surroundings. Your head tilts slightly, and then just leans on to the boy's yellow cape covered shoulder, letting you breathe in the smell of dissipating menthol cigarettes, blood and sweet lavender laundry detergent. Even while wet the stiff yellow fabric of his cape crinkles and digs into the flesh of your cheek, his head tilts to lean against your own and you swear to yourself that, in this peaceful sort of silence, you can almost hear his smile. Your eyes slide up to gaze at him and, even with the rain that keeps his tanned skin damp and his coal coloured curls plastered against his forehead, his smile is beautiful and your eyes prick with tears, but you don't know why. When his lips press to yours, cold and chapped, for a brief moment you feel alive...

You wake up suddenly, letting out a soft gasp as your eyes flicker open to take in the darkness of your bedroom. The comforter, blankets and pillows that had been neatly arranged around your bed were now in a state of disarray, sheets in crumpled heaps around the bed, and pillows littered around the floor. Eyes narrowing to adjust to the blackness that surrounds you, you gnaw on your bottom lip and try and make out what it was that had woken you up. You blink again, and breathe in deeply to try and calm down, the smell of lavender laundry detergent wafting into your nose, and your dream rushes back to you all at once.     You haven't dreamed of Jason in two years but now, with the ruby and silver robin pendant pressed against the left side of your chest, he returns to your mind in the moments when you can't think of anything else. It's been almost four years since he died, and even now you can't just... Let go. Your cheeks feel wet before you even realise that you've been crying, pushing yourself up wearily, you drag the pads of your fingertips across your cheek to wipe away the stray tears dripping down your warm cheeks. After a few seconds of heavy breathing, your eyes droop shut once more and you let yourself slowly slink back down onto the mattress before stopping suddenly at the feeling of a breeze against your bare arms. Strange. You know that you made sure to shut your bedroom window before you went to bed; but sure as hell, the window is wide open with the curtains pluming outwards with the breeze. With each of gust wind, snow blows into the room and onto your window ledge and the floor just in front of it. Perfect. Fucking perfect. Snow in April. Either climate change was stepping its game up or Mr Freeze was out of Arkham, and you hope that it's just global warming. Staggering forwards, with the warm, large comforter wrapped around your shoulders, you lean in to see the window wide open, with scratches on the lower section of the wooden frame, as if someone had been stood on your fire-escape and had forced the window open to try to climb inside. Instinctively, your hand flies up to your mouth to cover it in shock before flying to the window to try and slam it shut before stopping sharply at the sight of bright red stark against the darkness of the fire escape beneath the window frame. There, laying there, with one hand resting on the bricks jutting out beneath the perspex frame, was Red, his other arm draped around his stomach; quiet, mechanical groans slipping out from that Crimson helmet. You stare down at him, and he turns his helmeted face to look at you, letting out a chuckle that is intermediately human and mechanical; like his voice modulator was only just able to function, flickering off and on with every other syllable. "...Well hey there." He said softly, leaning up ever so slightly before groaning in pain. "...Fancy seeing you here." The voice was definitively masculine, deep and soft in the sort of way that makes it difficult for you to be able to determine the age of the vigilante. In the faint orange light of the street, you can see the spreading dark stain across his torso. "...Holy shit." You whisper softly, staring at him. "...W-what..." "...You do me a favour, Doll? Let me in?" He rasps, pushes himself up, then leans into your window, causing you to teeter backwards to try and give him enough space to get inside. One combat boot covered foot dropped to the ground, followed slowly by the other as he managed to, with what seemed like a great deal of effort, push himself into your bedroom. "...What... What're you doing sittin' up in the dark?" He snorts, "That what you like to do? Get into trouble and sit in the dark?" You want to insist that you don't get into trouble- and that you aren't some weirdo that sits in the dark in the middle of the night- but no words come out. He still looms over you, even while slightly hunched to hold onto his stomach, you assume he must be a good 6'3 or so when he isn't in pain, and you have to tilt your head up ever so slightly to look up at him. "...How did you find my apartment?" You ask softly, brushing some of your sleep-mussed hair away from your still wide eyes, keeping at least a foot away from him so as not to be too close to someone who you know is a killer. "Just climbed onto a fire escape and climbed until I collapsed." He said, brief and casual enough for you to assume that he's lying to you. "Guess I just got lucky that it was your apartment, Gorgeous." Your cheeks flush at the compliment, and you hate yourself for it.  Criminals, even the ones who killed people who tried to assault you, shouldn't be able to make you blush; especially when you've never even seen his face. "...You still got a first aid kit?" You do, a small one mainly filled with bright, pop-culture printed band-aids and nothing that you think would help this man in front of you. No disinfectant, or things to help with stitches, or any bandages. And so you simply tilted your head before shaking it, finding it easier to just lie than admit to your lightsaber, Hello Kitty, Superman, and Disney themed band-aids to this vigilante. With the shake of your head, the helmeted man let out a quiet little groan and settled down onto your bed and peels off his jacket to rub at his bleeding chest. Even in the almost pitch-black of the bedroom, you could see the blood trickling down his defined chest and towards your bedsheets; thin, white moonlight catching the blood. "...You mind if I take my head off?" He asks, that crackling, half mechanical voice catching you off guard. "...W-what?" "The Helmet. You mind?" He repeats and you can do nothing but shake your head, and he nods, arms rising and pressing down on some sort of catch behind his jaw, the sound of compressed air being released from the helmet as it separated and was then pulled off, dropped off onto the bed beside him. In that barely present light, only certain aspects of his appearance could be made out; long eyelashes, freckles across his cheek, a strong jaw... and you clench your fist, recognising the facial features as those of the man who had sat across from you in Pauli's. The man who had your necklace, when it should have been buried with Jason. Something in the back of your mind reminds you how when you had initially seen the man he had reminded you of Jason, but you push it down in favour of crossing your arms and narrowing your eyes.  Searching for words, you come up with nothing and so just stand there in silence as he sighs, his head turned toward the framed picture of you and Jason on the wall, amongst other pictures of you and other friends over the years. "...Cute Picture." He says softly, black strands falling into his eyes. You open your mouth the say something but when he smiles up at you your heart stops because that smile is too familiar. The same smile from the photo on the bedside table. "...Jason?" "...Hey birdie. Miss me?"

tag

@cracraforfandoms

[iloufilm]

Chapter 2 : Ruined

-Uncle Scrooge , I'm here to-

Actually , he was no longer falling like a nuclear bomb. He was using his frock coat like wings to decelerate.

-How can you do that ?

-It would be too long to explain. And you how can-

He was dumbfounded . his nephew was in use of THE Tartan the most precious and also the more delicate of all his very personal treasure.

-If it tear up , I will punch you really hard...

Donald gulp

-If it tear up , I will die...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Oh...you have got ....it is for me ?

-No Napsta , it is not for you. It is for him...

-Oh I see...

Nasptablook disappear from the red grass to reappear just on the left.

-I... do not want to abuse of your patience Mairi  but, he know you are out ?

-...I left a note and I have my phone. Don't worry all the monsters are asleep right now. I will not make any sound.

-Oh...ok . Good luck

-Thanks Napsta.

She walk then quietly into the mouse room then run as fast as possible.Nobody should notice her ,because she was like free Exp with her LV1.

Now the room with too crack to be serious. Gladly , she brought the directions and pass throughly without a problem.

Again , she ran like a runner into the next room then jump above the gap of the other trap room.She was in a olympic form

But the fun part was finish , now she had to pass the first tricky passage : the home of the Ruins monster who keep the exit of this room. She has to wait until the Loox go back in his house and I ask someone to take his turn.

(1 hour later)

-(NOW)

She did not stop running and swimming even in the other room. She know nothing wait her in the other side of the ruins.

Well...

Nothing apart of a broken dummy in thousand piece ...

And a tree...

-Brother, I'm here...

She pour some water with his water can onto the tree. After ,she clear her water can she sit towards the gigantic tree and begin to talk:

-You have grown so much since last time. What a pathway since you begin as a stick.

She wait for a reaction but nobody give her an answer...

She sigh

-I miss you brother,I miss you.

Again , she wait for a reaction but this time she heard something

An explosion.

She look up and seen rock fall over.

She runs away...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Oh,my head...

-Fortunately, this tree has amortize our fall...

-Hm ?

-What's wrong Uncle Scrooge ?

-Look on the ground.

All the rock was like strucked !

-This is a little like the universal solvent...oh this bring back bad memories.

-Do you think we can climb up to the surface ?

Scrooge intensely thinking...

-Maybe yes, but in the other hand I feel , I must go more deeper into this place. WAIT MY NUMBER ONE PENNY IS IN DANGER !

-Actually , Huey , Dewey and Louie planned to protect it. And knowing that their book has all the knowledge and it took us out of the worst trap in the world , I think they can beat an old witch.

-I hope so...

Suddenly , someone scream

-What was this ?

-Someone must be in danger my nephew , come !

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Urgh...

Mairi has lost his toy knife and she has been hit several time. Her HP is at  2 and her dress was tear up.

The monster who was responsible of this beatdown was Loox. Behind him the other 5 monters of the ruins have seen all the fight from the stairs.

-Your think  we haven't hear you running. I was thinking humans have a brain.

-Shut up you... monster!

-I know , I am a monster ... Now get up and FIGHT !

 She try to get up but the wound are really painful. Loox have not lost any HP since the debut of the fight.

-Then , GIVE ME YOUR EXP !

-NOW !

The monster have no time to react . A cane a just explode his big eye. He lost 40 HP. Now he scream.

-Whimsun ,says Migosp,  what is it ?

He check

-Scrooge Mc Duck  , attack 1 defense 10. The...

-Don't care about the detail : Vegetables attack !

Vegetoid ,Moldsmal and Migosp attack all in the same time. The  fastest one was Moldsmal.

-Yeees. Come into this.

Scrooge grab his hat and catch him.Then use like a shield again Vegetoid . But this shield was more like a bunper.Vegetoid can't stop his run and he was push back against Migosp.

-Argh...

Moldsmal lose 1 HP. Migosp 5 HP. Loox put off the cane and through it near Mairi. Then he became angry and move headlong towards Scrooge. But , because of the cane , he was now blind and the american duck has just to move aside to dodge the attack . Then , just behind Donald punch him to knock him out.

-The...the richest duck on Earth...

-Ribbit ?!

-The richest PERSON on Earth! Now leave this girl alone and go away before I throw my fist into you !

All the monsters flee to their home. Except Loox.

-T-Thanks...Mr.Duck

He takes the hand to lift her up

-Scrooge. Scrooge McDuck and you ?

-M-Mairi. Mairi Dreemur. Thanks for the rescue.

After an akward silence, Donald break the silence to ask :

-What do we do with the other big eye ?

-Leave him here. If we bringing him at home , my brother will probably kill him. Come!

-You are not afraid that the other monster came back ?

-No , after the beatdown you have done I think they will heal first. And I don't they know how to pass the trap.

-The trap ???

-Don't  worry I will pass first to show you this is safe.

The group come to the room of the first trap : the one with the spades

-Take my hand and follow me !

-B-But we go right on the-

As Mairi take the first step , the spades disappear

-Oh...

-Now : RUN !

-Why ???

-We will pass right in front of their house . And I think nobody want to have another battle

And because I don't want to repeat the same thing that before , here a little poem

Run run Mairi

They all run without stopping

Donald  almost fell again in a pitfall

Hopefully the gap was too small

And everybody keep running

They finally arrive right in front of the house where golden flowers were planted. They are all exausted.

Suddenly someone exit the house. This person was dressed with a purple and white uniform with a big emblem on the middle and with a gown characteristically of Scotland. He also hold a knife and a necklace in shape of a heart. Then he shout :

-I will kill these fools if...

He has no time to take his phone out and to finish his sentence that he  see Mairi .

-MAIRI ! Oh my god , you are alive ! But you are hurt ! Do you forget what I say about the others monsters ???

-I am not a child anymore Chara !

-Maybe but you are not a fighter either. Let me check your bruises.

Then , he seen the duck .By reflex , he takes out his knifes and pointed to them.

-Who are you ? I have never seen such monster in the ruins .

-We are from above. And we are searching the exit.

Mairi whispers.

-They also save me.

Chara sigh

-I'm sorry to say but you are jammed like us.

-Oh well , Scrooge we can try to climb up the hole where we fall.

-No ,you can't . The barrier don't allow anybody to go out from the underground.

-The barrier ?

Chara sigh again.

-Come to the house , I will explain everything.

Everybody entered in the house. After healing Mairi , they all seat in the living room.

-So, I will begin by the beginning : Long ago, we were on the surface , human and monsters. One day war broke between our two races and the human win. Then I fell inside and i have been adopt by the royal familly who treated me like their son , and my best friend , Asriel...

One tear fall. Then he continue.

-After that ,other child, like Mairi,  fall into  the  underground and other people adopt them. All of that was very peaceful , but some monsters was not really happy to be trap since years and a civil war broke into the royal familly and their subjects and the rebel who wants all of us to die.

Chara stop talking for a bit.

-They win. And they kill my parents and take their throne. Then they jailed three of us into those ruins. We were eight in total. I don't know what happen to the rest of them.

Scrooge have listen all the story and was affected by what he say. All what happen to them was tottaly different  from what happen to him : So much trouble and tragedy. His familly never really know of anything like that.

Donald was voiceless too.

-Technically , to be honest , now that you here and you are not human , we can open the door to go out from here, but...

-But what ?

-Come with me...not you Mairi

The duck follow Chara's step and pass ahead the two bedroom to arrive to the last.She took a  key and open the door.

This was not really a bedroom. This was more like an hospital room with a lot of conduit everywhere and who went so far on the bed. And in the bed, a goat.

-This is Asriel. He is in a coma since the end of the war. But this is not the worse. If we dare open the gate in the basement , a mechanism will stop stabilizing his soul and then...

Donald was so shock by the words  he shouted :

-But who can hate you this much to do that  to you.

-The spider queen , Muffet . If it was only for me and my revenge against her , I will go kill her. But , he is like my brother and he have a chance. And I am not this strong to beat her , look.

Chara was only Level 3. He has already kill some monsters but now they all flee when they see him.

-Also , I cannot give up Mairi or bring her with me. You save her you know she is not strong enough...

-I understand...

Then they go out of the bedroom and go back to the living room.  

-I will do something to eat . Sit down please .

Scrooge thinks

-What are you thinking about?

-I wonder since when the hole where they fall has been coated...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-The boarding for the Airborn 313 in the direction of Duckburg is now.

-We will never be in time to protect the penny of uncle Scrooge . We have to call someone to protect him until we arrive.

-But who ?

- What about Glastone ? His luck can be enough.

-We talking about magic attacks. I don't think luck will be enough. Let's see...

The three brothers intensely thinking in the plane. Then they all shout in the same time :

- I KNOW !

-Let's call Ratchet ! He will find a figment to counter magic attack !

-Let's call Mickey ! Him and Dingo will never fail their friend.

-Let's call Dwight Eisenhower. A president of the United States can't be blind at attack like this.

Then an akward silence.

-We call all of them ?

-I don't know . I was thinking you would have say the same thing.

-Me too !

Another akward silence.

-So what should we call ?

-Let's choose this at rock papers scissors.

-Ok !

They hide their hands then...

-Rock , Paper , Scissors !

End of chapter 2

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS: Ok I post the chapter 2 one day before the date. But , hey Undertale birthday , all this stuff.Also I don't have time to go on my computer Saturday soooooo. Here you have the second chapter.

[goldenangelbloodcastiel]

More Than Just A Necklace P.6

Pairing: Sam x Reader

Warnings: Angst. Fluff. You know, the normal stuff. Oh and you might want to kill me..😘

A/N: WHAT!? Two fic parts in one day!? I’m just catching up from that long break I took and that horrible writers block. So enjoy part six for “Its Just A Necklace”/“More Than Just A Necklace”

Tags: @lucifer-in-leather @little-red-83 @livelovelike555 @relmi-llorrac @wayward-mirage @not-moose-one-shots @notnaturalanahi @bloodstained-porcelain-doll @faegal04 @carbonated-beverage @ellen-reincarnated1967 @plaidstiel-wormstache @plaid-lover-bay25 @a-banana-for-your-thoughts @summer-binging-spn @escape-the-cruel-world @spn-gracie-girl @bobbysidjit @fishtears-unicornknights @superwhopotterlockian42 @laredith-michaelis-holmes-oakens @oohcinnamon @faith-in-dean @small-town-wayward-daughter @geekandgadgets @bluetina-blog @ethekitchenator @afanofmanystuffs @peculiarlyrene @whywhydoyouwantmetosaymyname @deepbreathssammy @surfin-the-sun @shaylaab @onebigfangirl @ashzombie13 @motleymoose @sammy-moo @sammy-salamander @capnjacksparrow14 @dammn-dean @iwantthedean @storyofawinchester @just-a-wayward-dream @mackenziestewart2 @growningupgeek @sunshine-hunters @vinylwinchesters @abbysciutoismyspiritanimal @fuckyeahjaredandjensenx @doro7winchester

**************************************

You had a horrible night with no sleep. All your dreams were nonexistent or full of nightmares. That damn witch brought back terrible memories..

*doorbell* “Hi Hanna! I didn’t expect to see you today! How are you?” Your mother asked as she answered the door.

The blonde lady gave her a sweet smile, “Oh well, I would have called, but I figured I’d surprise you.”

“Come in! Come in! It’s been so long! What have you been up too?” Mom asked cheerfully as she closed the door.

The blonde lady looked around, answering after giving you a long, odd look, “Oh you know. Traveling everywhere, learning more about the craft.”

The smile on your mother’s face faltered for a second then reappeared. “That sounds wonderful. Where did you go, exactly?”

She sat down on the couch, watching you color in a book, “I stayed in Europe mostly, but went to Africa too. The group there was fun.”

Your mother came and sat down at the other end of the sofa, facing Hanna. “Well that’s nice to hear,” she addressed her next statement toward you, “Sweetie, will you go color in your room please?” She smiled sweetly at you as you nodded and grabbed your things, unaware of the look the blonde lady was giving you.

You trudged back to your brightly painted walls. Setting down on the plush carpet, you continued to color. A long time passed. You had almost finished the whole book, when your mom started yelling.

You got up, slowly making your way down the hall to peek around the corner. “I want you out of my house now! You are not going to touch them! And if you think this is some kind of payback for him, then you can forget it!”

Your mother was screaming at Hanna, who was just smiling at her. “Payback? You think I’d strive for such a thing?”

“Yes. Now get out, before I make you.”

She gave a hard glare at your mom, “Well why don’t you?”

Mother threw her had up, pulling her fingers inward, choking the blonde lady.

You didn’t know your mother was a witch at the time. How could you? She tried to keep you away from it, you were only seven!

It was just a small threat, but when she released her magic grip, Hanna smirked. “Is that the best you can do?”

The lady said some words, throwing your mother through into the kitchen.

Y/S/N was running down the hall to you, wondering what the loud crash was. She watched as your mother got up, a few cuts here and there. “You will not make them apart of your wicked ways!”

“Y/N! Come on! We have to go!” Your sister was yelling at you, tugging on your arm.

You watched as the two fought brutally. You refused to move, scared frozen.

You watched your mother fight hard, but in the end, she was lying on the ground, exhausted and broken.

As the woman advanced on your mom, you wriggled out of your sister’s grip, “MAMA!”

“No, Y/N! Stay back! Go with your sister!” She didn’t want you to become one of them. She had to stay strong for her girls.

Y/S/N grabbed you halfway from your mother. “Funny. How this seems so deja-vu, don’t you think Karen? Your daughter trying to save you. So,” Hanna took a long breath, “Sweet.”

Your sister was dragging you, pulling you away from your mother.

Just as she got you into the entrance-hall, you watched as the woman lifted your mother off the floor, plugging her hand threw her chest and ripping the pumping organ away.

***

You woke covered in sweat and tears. The blankets that had been wrapped around you were now lying on the living room floor.

It took you a moment to remember where you were. Bobby’s. Safe. Well safe enough.

Hanna was chained away downstairs. You wanted the bitch to die, but you had questions which needed answered.

You got up slowly. The wooden floor was pleasant on your bare feet and the breeze from the slightly open windows, cooled your burning skin.

You quietly made your way to the basement. You wanted, no needed to understand why. Why she ruined your life.

As you neared the bottom of the steps, you could see the smirk on her face. The moonlight shining through the windows gave her a sickening aurora.

“Finally come to see me have you? I’d almost thought you had forgotten me.”

You kept a stoic face, “I don’t think I ever could.”

“Oh how wonderful to hear.”

You scowled at her, “Don’t flatter yourself. It’s not that I want to remember you. You ruined my life. Why? What the hell was so important about my family? About my mother?”

She smiled wickedly at you, “So, you want to finally find out what happened. Well, I’ll tell you.”

You stood, waiting. A minute ticked by excruciatingly slow before she spoke, “Your mother was a witch.”

You scoffed, “Yeah, I got that part.”

“Let me continue.”

You just rolled your eyes and waited.

“Karen was one of the strongest witches I had ever encountered. We became great friends before I found out what she was. Believe it or not, she was the one that trained me.”

“We stuck together for a long time. As thick as thieves. Until your father came along. She fell hard for him. Had children. I was tossed away from her, forgotten really. That was, until I had a child of my own. A boy.”

Your were leaning against one of the poles, listening attentively.

“He grew, and strong. You could feel the power radiating off of him. Of course, at the time I didn’t know who the father was. But he came to me. That’s when I realized why my son was so powerful. His father was possessed by a demon. You can’t really blame me though, they know how to work charm. The lad he was possessing was quite dashing himself.”

She looked at you, wanting to see a reaction, but you just stood there.

“Anyway, your mother found out. She, along with a coven that was formed for these kind of situations, showed up at my door. They demanded I hand the child over. They said his power had to be contained. That he was a danger to our kind and others as well. I refused, like any mother would. I loved my boy, but when I would not give him up, they took him anyway.”

“He died because of your mother’s betrayal to me. They killed him when he turned on them. Said he ‘went dark.’ Whatever that meant. I could have saved him. Hell, I tried.”

“I came that day, when you were a wee thing, to take you away. You and your sister. I wanted Karen to feel the sorrow I felt. I was going to train you and her, make you two strong.”

“You may have, but that also meant you planned to use us, didn’t it? You didn’t want to just take us away, you wanted her and I to be your tool. To get back at that coven.”

She smirked, “Why you are smarter than I thought. Very perspective.”

“You killed my mother because she was trying to save more people. If you weren’t so stupid, neither of us would be in this situation. My mom would still be here.”

“I killed your mother because she was a lying piece of trash that deserved it. I’m not guilty of what I did. I enjoyed ripping her heart from her chest.”

You couldn’t take more of her gloating. That last bit was enough.

You pounced on her. Laying heavy punches to her, all the while she just laughed, “YOU FUCKING BITCH!”

Tears were streaming down your face as the overhead lights turned on.

You were still swinging as strong arms pulled you away. You fought against them, yelling at them to let you go as they dragged you up the stairs.

When they got you into the kitchen, your vision cleared and you could hear them talking to you, trying to soothe you, “Y/N, calm down. It’s alright. Come on. It’s okay.”

It was Sam. When you stopped struggling, he sat you down.

You looked at his face then burst into more tears, “She gloated about it. She killed my mother and my sister. She murdered them both!”

He held you and you held nothing back. You clung to him as if you were going to float away.

The two of you sat there for awhile. You clutching onto his nightshirt while he whispered soft words of comfort.

After you were done, a slight embarrassed chuckle escaped your lips, “Sorry. I ruined your shirt.”

He just smiled, “It’s fine. Your fine, okay?”

You nodded at him, suddenly feeling much more tired, but also felt as if a weight had been lifted.

“Come on. Let’s get you back to sleep.”

Sam helped you up, leading you to the living room and covering you with a blanket as you laid down.

He started to leave, “Sam, thanks. I know I’m probably a burden on you guys.”

“Hey, no. It’s alright. Now go to sleep,” he placed a friendly kiss to your head.

You just smiled. It stayed like that the rest of the night. Pleasant dreams. The burdens would come tomorrow.

[madness-of-void]

The Luna

Also on AO3

Theme: Pack Mom Stiles (with a twist)

Oh! And check out this link! You’ll find out why ;3

Stiles has no idea when or why he was dubbed the Pack Mom.

In fact, he had no idea he was dubbed Pack Mom.

Didn't start realizing it till until his birthday.

And it all started with Jackson.

Jackson gave him a mug that said World's Best Mom. At first, he thought it was just Jackson being Jackson. Because, well, even after finally accepting the fact that he was part of a pack (which was before Scott's acceptation), Jackson was still a massive douche. Barely calmed down at all.

After Stiles put down the mug, rolling his eyes, he opened his gift from Erica.

Which was an apron. An apron obviously designed in a fifties rockabilly fashion with a pink and white polka dot tie, pocket, neck strap, and bottom trimming. The rest of it was an elegant yellow, adorned with different colored cupcakes. Erica was smirking as he gaped at it in stunned silence. Everyone else, with the exception of Derek (who was just as stunned as Stiles), was laughing hysterically. He didn't understand why he was given such a frilly apron, but hah! Joke's on Erica! He liked it and was going to wear the shit out of this apron when he cooked and baked for the pack!

(No, really. He loved it. A lot.)

On his third gift, a necklace with a bear charm that had Mama etched into it...Stiles finally got the joke.

“Oh, haha. Very funny guys. Just because I like to make sure you losers eat healthy, and are patched up from your scuffles, doesn't mean I'm your mother.”

“Right. He is not our mother.” Lydia said haughtily

For a split second, Stiles was in love with her all over again. Until...

“He would have to be married to Derek for him to be our mother.”

Aaaaaand instant hatred. For the lot of them.

Except for Derek, who looked equally displeased with all of this.

Gift after gift...they were all themed in some way that he was the Pack Mom. Even Scott, even Allison, gave him mom themed gifts. It was growing pretty disheartening. He was losing his birthday cheer, looking gloomier and gloomier with each gift.

Then came Derek's.

It was a large as hell box. Could fit a litter of puppies plus the mother if needed. Which, with how he was feeling, a litter of puppies would be amazing right about now.

Instead, there was a brand new Mets cap, a new glove, a black duffle bag with sewn on Mets patches, an array of jerseys, and...and...

“Are these tickets to a Mets game?! At the actual stadium?!”

Derek ducked his head, sucking on his cheek and poorly hiding the red tints rising on his ears. “You said that you wanted to go. I could...I could sell them if you don't want them...”

“Are you kidding?! No way! Mine! No take backs! No take backs on anything you gave me!”

Stiles didn't miss the tension leaving the alpha's shoulders. Nor the fond grin that emerged.

Nothing after that could kill his mood. And fortunately, Derek must've set a trend, because there were no more mom themed gifts.

Kira got him a wolf hat that flowed into a scarf, or something of the like, that had wolf paws where he could but his hands in. And a fox beanie that she knitted herself!

His dad got him a whole bundle of yarn for his crime board, and markers to go with them.

Melissa got him a new plaid shirt with a massive black pawprint on the back that had his last name on it. (She insisted it wasn't a fortune to have it custom made, but Stiles didn't buy it for a moment and vowed to buy her a nice dinner when he could.)

Argent got him a Batman shirt. And a lot of cash. Like...a lot.

Then, it was discovered that everyone else had actually got him real gifts. The whole mom theme was just a joke based on how much Stiles really did behaved like a mom friend.

“Excuse you! I am not the mom friend!”

“You kinda are, dude...” Scott said with what could only be described as a cringe face.

“Am not!”

“Stiles...you really are.” Boyd sighed. “You take care of everyone. Not just your dad.”

“You soccer mommed me the other day.” Isaac pointed out. “You do that a lot, actually. More than Allison.”

“And I already do that a lot.” echoed Allison, shrugging.

“What? You don't like being our mom?” pouted Erica.

Stiles flushed, realizing that, yeah, maybe he was the mom friend. But that didn't mean anyone could torture him with that fact!

“Anyone that calls me mom again is...is grounded!” he huffed, nearly slamming down the Catwoman plush Erica got him. “And I hope you guys give all these mom themed gifts to the actual mom in this room! Except for the apron. That I'm keeping. And, just so you know, you have all been demoted, and Derek is officially my favorite person. Kira is still my second fave. No demotion for her.”

“What am I? Chopped liver?” his dad huffed in an eerily same way as his son. “I'm the one that suggested to Derek to get you Mets crap! Which, good on those tickets, Derek. That's been something he's wanted to do since he was five.”

Stiles looked over at Derek, who was bright red at this point, and cooed.

“Awwww! You asked my dad what to get me? You really do care!”

“Of course daddy cares...” grumbled Jackson with an eye roll.

Immediately, the entire room filled with disapproving shouts and gagging sounds. Lydia had to explain about the whole daddy kink fad, which was what Jackson deserved. Be scarred forever, Whittemore!

The  party started to go by without incident. No more mom jokes, at least...

(Okay, that's a lie. Erica made one when Stiles decided to wear the apron as he made dinner.)

As the night wore on, everyone tried to weasel Stiles into giving them the second Mets ticket. Everyone but his father, Melissa, Argent, Kira, Allison, Lydia, and Derek.

His father declined, saying that he had seen enough Mets games in his lifetime. Melissa, Argent, Lydia, and Allison all informed Stiles that they weren't interested in baseball. Kira, although she liked baseball, wasn't a Mets fan, so she wouldn't be able to share his joy as much as she thought was deserved. Derek just kept to himself like always, only really lingering around Stiles when he was asked to help out with something.

Everyone else, however, tried to be all sweet to him. Tried to win him over.

For a time.

“C'mon, mom. You love me more than my other siblings.” Erica teased, arm wrapped around him.

Stiles scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Okay...you know what? Why do I have to be the mom? Why can't you guys have two Pack Dads? What's so wrong with that? And no. You are not coming with me, Erica. Boyd would die of a lonely, broken heart.”

“So...you want to be Pack Dad with Derek?” mused Lydia, this glint of knowing in her stare. “I like the sound of that.”

“I don't like the tone of your voice...”

“Why don't you take Derek to the game? Bond over the love of the game and your children.”

“You're not our children.” finally grunted Derek, ears bright red.

“Some of us kinda are. You did turn us.” Isaac said matter-of-factly.

“Then you're all terrible children.”

“Is this a werewolf thing?” asked the sheriff. “Because this whole Pack Mom, Pack Dad, Pack Dads talk is really, really weird.”

“I think it's just a them thing.” Argent replied with a sigh.

“It's no one's thing!” snapped Stiles. “I get it. I am a mom friend. I fuss over you idiots like I do with my dad. I try to take care of you and patch you up. But why do I have to be called the Pack Mom? Why can't I be Pack Dad? Or just Stiles? Can this not be a joke? Can we just...drop it? Please?”

That was the end of the Pack Mom jokes. The Pack Dad jokes.

At least for a while.

It was pack night a few weeks later when they made a reappearance.

Stiles was in Derek's kitchen, baking treats for the marathon of movies they were going to have. Derek was beside him, helping out and (surprisingly) making small talk. They mostly talked about the upcoming Mets games, since Stiles actually did decide to take Derek. They were cheerful, something rare for the alpha to show freely, and were enjoying each others company.

And then came the pack.

Scott arrived first, brows furrowed in confusion as he saw the interaction between his best friend and alpha. Kira followed closely behind, except she looked more excited than confused. Everyone else that filed in either gave Stiles and Derek weird looks (because apparently Derek smiling and laughing freely was considered unthinkable), or smirked suggestively at Stiles. It was creepy...

“Oh. Are mom and dad making us treats? And flirting? Yuck. Get a room.” Jackson snorted, waltzing in last like always.

Before Stiles could slam down his whisk and tell ex snakeskin to kindly fuck off...

“We are in a room. In my apartment.” spat Derek, eyes flashing red. “If you don't like what goes on in my own apartment, with whoever it is I am speaking or flirting with, then you can leave. And I think Stiles said to drop the Pack Mom jokes.”

Jackson made a disgusted, bratty face, doing some form of sarcastic jazz hands. “Fine. Dad and dad. Whatever. Just don't start pissing on him. Nobody wants him. He's all yours.”

“Hey! Werewolves don't piss on things to mark their territory!” Stiles barked. He then turned to Derek, voice in a low, hushed whisper, asking, “Do they?”

Derek threw him a glare, telling him, with mostly the eyebrows, that no, werewolves don't pee on things to mark them as theirs. Which, yeah. Stiles knew that. Totally knew it.

(Okay, maybe he didn't know. He had a hunch, but Wiki had been wrong before.)

“Wait...were you flirting with Stiles?” Scott inquired, his voice a little high and startled.

“You can't smell it?” scoffed Erica.

“It is so painfully obvious...” sighed Lydia.

“H-hey! We can hear you!” Stiles piped, face breaking out in embarrassed blotches. “We are in the next room!”

“Maybe then you'll finally get it on and save us from smelling or watching the pathetic pining.” retorted Boyd. (Surprisingly, 'cause Boyd never clapped back like that.)

“But then we'd smell the smugness and the s-” Isaac started to whine.

“Shut up!” shouted the men in the kitchen, both sharing the red coloration.

“Yeah. No need for the image of our dads going at it...” mumbled Jackson.

“We are not your dads!” Stiles bellowed, chucking the spoon he was using into the sink. “And I am not your mom! Come make your shit yourselves! I'm out!”

That wasn't a threat. Stiles literally stormed through the living room and out the door. He was done with this. Sick of being teased over something so stupid and pointless. Honestly...who even came up with it in the first place? When did it even get thought up?! Whoever thought of it, shared it with the pack, and decided to make sure it would haunt Stiles whenever it would be deemed fun should be locked in a room with wolfsbane petals!

(Not really. He would never condone something like that. Even though he was pissed off at them.)

As he was about to climb into his Jeep, a hand wrapped around his arm, stopping him mid sitting down. Which was not comfortable at all. He twisted around to the best of his abilities to see who it was. And, no surprise, it was Derek. Dejected as al -

Wait.

No.

He looked...

Kind of sad?

Stiles tried to not read too much into it. Or tried to pretend he wasn't, at least. “What? Gonna drag me back in there to hear them say sorry for the Pack Mom-Pack Dad crap, then do it all over again when they think I forgot it?”

Derek shook his head, biting at the inside of his lip. He was...incredibly vulnerable looking right now. It was weird. Maybe a bit concerning.

“Uhhhh...you okay there, Der? You have this look that kinda makes it seem like you may start crying? Are you gonna start crying? I'm not good with crying, man. I am worse with crying than I am with blood. I'm better with crying than needles...but that's not the point. The point is this: I can't do crying. I'm a sympathetic crier, too. So...please don't cry...”

“I'm not gonna cry, Stiles.” the wolf huffed, rolling his eyes. “I'm here to tell you that I knew someone who got teased just like this.”

“You...did? Who?”

There was a hesitant pause. Much swallowing, too. Like this was going to be difficult to say.

Stiles was about to tell him to not worry about. That he was going to suck it up and resign to his fate. But he was beaten to the chase by a semi choked up Derek Hale.

“My dad.”

Those words made Stiles' eyes round in horror and awe. Horror because, oh hell, Derek may actually cry since, well, the guy never talked about his family for probably the same reason Stiles didn't talk about his mother. Awe because, holy shit, Derek was talking about a member of his family with him. Him! Of all people! If Derek had talked about his family with almost anyone else, mostly someone like Kira or Melissa or even his own dad, that would've made much more sense!

But...him?

“When he was dating my mother, he was dubbed the Pack Mom for the same reasons you are. He cooked and baked, worried about everyone, fussed about health. Which, someone had to. My mother was being groomed to be the next alpha. And she couldn't cook worth a damn.”

The small chuckle that escaped the wolf made Stiles' heart and stomach do somersaults. The shy head dip to hide the equally shy smile and eye crinkle nearly made him fall right out of the Jeep. (And he was barely in it in the first place!)

“It drove him nuts. Not because it was killing his masculinity or anything. But because it almost sounded like a negative to him. Like he was being called a mother because he was doing stereotypical things for a woman. And to him...that wasn't right. Especially when Peter always made it sound like it was a negative.”

“Your dad was ahead of his time...”

“Well, he was dating a strong woman. Eventually married that strong woman. He didn't like the title being said negatively.”

“I don't blame him...”

Derek nodded, a sad smile crossing his lips. “My mother wasn't too keen with it, either. Mostly because it bothered my father. So she took him to my grandfather to discuss a new title. One that didn't feel like it was being said in a teasing, negative manner. They discussed Alpha's Mate. But...Alpha's Mate was...”

“Piling his worth into just being the alpha's pet, or something like that?”

Another nod. “That was vetoed real quick. Vice Alpha was a bit more formal, which was my grandfather's issue with the Pack Mom title, it wasn't formal, but my mother hated it. Dad didn't mind it, but he understood why his wife hated it. How it sounded like a pressured title.”

“Are you saying that he didn't find something else for him to be called and he was doomed to forever be called Pack Mom?”

He shook his head, a strange seriousness enveloping him. “No. He was given the highest title an outsider of the Pack could be given.”

“Which is...?”

“The Luna.”

Stiles blinked, understandably confused. The Luna? What in the hell was The Luna?

“The Luna is the highest honor in the pack. The right hand, the partner, the equal to the alpha. Not just a second-in-command. Something greater. Higher than a mate, even. And that already is high in the werewolf world, even though it does sound a little downgrading to some. If you insult The Luna, harm The Luna, anger The Luna, do anything that would be disrespectful to The Luna...there are consequences. Depending on what is done to The Luna, the consequences can be benign or severe. Mom thought that was perfect for my father, who was as much of a provider as she was going to be. Maybe even more so. My grandfather wasn't too keen on it, especially because my father was not only an outsider to the pack...but a human. Thought it was too high of an honor. My mother fought tooth and nail till it was announced that dad was going to be The Luna.”

That was...wow. That was a lot to take in. And it was mind blowing to find out that tad bit about Derek's family. He had assumed that the Hales were all werewolves, with the exception of the few he had heard about from Argent.

“I didn't know that your dad was human...” he finally said in a small voice, sitting fully in the driver's seat now.

“I tell you all of that...and that's what you got out of it?”

“N-no! Not at all! Just...I...I just...I heard that there were some humans that were in the fire...I just...”

“Didn't think any of them were part of my immediate family?”

“Kinda?”

Derek shrugged, a melancholy glimmer in his kaleidoscope stare. “An aunt, three cousins, an uncle, my dad, and my youngest brother were all human.”

“You had a brother?”

“Yeah...his name was Leoric. Leo for short. He idolized me. Tried to be just like me. Our bonding time was us in the kitchen, baking cookies with dad. Or playing baseball. He was the youngest one to die...only six...”

“Oh fuck...Derek...I'm...you know...”

“Sorry? Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

There was solemn silence between them. Hung sourly, chillingly in the air.

Until Stiles timidly broke it.

“So...why did you tell me all that? Besides saying that you knew somebody that knows my sudden pain?”

Derek's ears went bright red, which started to bleed down to his cheeks. Didn't take long before it clicked, and Stiles was eternally grateful he decided to actually sit down in his Jeep. Because if he was still half up and half not...he would've face planted it onto the gravel beneath him.

“Wait...are you...are you telling me that you want to make me The Luna?” he gawked in disbelief. “Holy shit! You were flirting with me! That wasn't just those assholes teasing us! Oh my god! You like me!”

“I know. I'm surprised by it, too.”

“But...that title? The Luna? Are you kidding me? That's way too high of an honor!”

“And you deserve it.”

Stiles leaned into his seat, gaping and unable to understand the magnitude. It was a bit overwhelming. And it was...surreal...to hear that Derek wanted to give him the same title that his dad had. He wanted to decline it, because he didn't feel worthy in the slightest. It would be a dishonor to Derek's late father.

The amount of faith and trust Derek had to give Stiles this title was...astronomical.

“We'll talk about it with the pack tomorrow. Hopefully it will make this whole parent thing go away.”

“Huh? Tomorrow? Aren't you taking me back up there?”

“No. I'm taking you on a date. The 'kids' have the phone number for the pizza place.”

“What about the stuff we were baking?”

“Isaac knows how to use the food sealer. He promised to seal them and put them in the freezer. Allison and Kira are helping him.”

Stiles nodded, face scrunched up in skepticism. “You said you're taking me on a date?”

“Yes?”

“O-o-okay. Cool. Yeah. Awesome. A date. Um...wow...you were really flirting with me...”

“Proper response to you flirting with me.”

“Oh...oh, I was told you didn't notice that. That's what I get for trusting Scott. Then again...he does miss a lot of things.”

Derek chuckled, a true blue smile following suit. Then, he grabbed Stiles' knees, carefully pulling him out of the Jeep. There was a playful fire in his eyes. Something Stiles hadn't really seen to this caliber before. Made his heart race and his skin buzz.

“Come on. Let's go celebrate your new title in the pack.” cooed Derek, obviously knowing what he was doing to Stiles.

Asshole. Big, huge, pain in the ass asshole.

But a cute asshole.

Who promoted him to the highest honor in a werewolf pack because...he saw his father in him? Or maybe it was because the broody wolf really enjoyed Stiles' company? Who knows? No matter the reason, it was humbling to know that he was trusted and valued enough in Derek's eyes to have the same title as his father. To be The Luna.

And humbled that he was told some things about the late Hales. Maybe in the future he would learn more. He sure hoped so. Because Derek taking Stiles on a date? Smiling like that? Opening up? There was no way in hell that Stiles was going to let go any time soon.

Or ever.

[newstfionline]

Headlines

States mandate masks, begin to shut down again as coronavirus cases soar and hospitalizations rise (Washington Post) The pandemic map of the United States burned bright red Monday, with the number of new coronavirus infections during the first six days of July nearing 300,000 as more states and cities moved to reimpose shutdown orders. After an Independence Day weekend that attracted large crowds to fireworks displays and produced scenes of Americans drinking and partying without masks, health officials warned of hospitals running out of space and infection spreading rampantly. The United States is “still knee deep in the first wave” of the pandemic, Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Monday.

Colleges Plan to Reopen Campuses, but for Just Some Students at a Time (NYT) With the coronavirus still raging and the fall semester approaching, colleges and universities are telling large segments of their student populations to stay home. Those who are allowed on campus, they say, will be living in a world where parties are banned, where everyone is frequently tested for the coronavirus and—perhaps most draconian of all—where students attend many if not all their courses remotely, from their dorm rooms. In order to achieve social distancing, many colleges are saying they will allow only 40 to 60 percent of their students to return to campus and live in the college residence halls at any one time, often divided by class year. Stanford has said freshmen and sophomores will be on campus when classes start in the fall, while juniors and seniors study remotely from home. Harvard announced on Monday that it will mainly be first-year students and some students in special circumstances who will be there in the fall; in the spring, freshmen will leave and it will be seniors’ turn. At the same time, very few colleges are offering tuition discounts, even for those students being forced to take classes from home. Professors, students and parents all seem to be conflicted over how these plans will work out.

ICE threatens deportation of foreign students (Foreign Policy) The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency announced that foreign students studying at U.S. colleges and universities will face deportation if their institution moves to online classes and they remain in the country. The decision gives students less than two months to either transfer to a university offering in-person tuition or leave the country entirely. Peter McPherson, the president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) whose members include the University of California system along with roughly 200 other universities, called the policy “incredibly unfair, harmful, and unworkable.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, whose state of Massachusetts is home to some of the country’s top universities, has called on ICE and its parent agency the Department of Homeland Security to drop the policy, calling it “senseless, cruel, and xenophobic.”

Singles are having kids with strangers as part of the co-parenting trend (NY Post) They’re skipping love and marriage and going straight to the part about a baby in a carriage. The latest child-rearing fad—co-parenting—is on the rise as singles desperate to have kids link up to raise children together—romance be damned. The concept is simple: Two strangers who want kids, but don’t have partners, team up to have and raise a child together. There’s even a TV show, Fox’s “Labor of Love,” in which suitors compete to be co-parent to a former “The Bachelor” contestant. The unusual arrangement is drawing so much interest, there’s now a slew of co-parenting websites. Much like dating sites, users set up profiles with photos that detail their interests, beliefs and parenting styles in order to find their perfect co-parenting match. The owner of one site said his service has attracted more than 30,000 users. And the trend is picking up momentum. Lockdown has only intensified singles’ baby-raising dreams. “Modamily web traffic and app downloads have doubled since the pandemic,” said Ivan Fatovic. “People have been home and thinking about life decisions like having children and starting a family, and coming to us to explore all [the] ways to make that possible.”

As the Virus Surged, Florida Partied (NYT) Miami’s flashy nightclubs closed in March, but the parties have raged on in the waterfront manse tucked in the lush residential neighborhood of Belle Meade Island. Revelers arrive in sports cars and ride-shares several nights a week, say neighbors who have spied professional bouncers at the door and bought earplugs to try to sleep through the thumping dance beats. They are the sort of parties—drawing throngs of maskless strangers to rave until sunrise—that local health officials say have been a notable contributing factor to the soaring number of coronavirus cases in Florida, one of the most troubling infection spots in the country. The quest to end parties and other social gatherings has gained new urgency because of the exploding coronavirus in Florida, which reported more than 10,000 new cases on Sunday. The state’s contact tracers, already overwhelmed by the surging number of new cases, have found it especially difficult to track how the virus jumped from one party guest to the next because some infected people refused to divulge whom they went out with or had over to their house.

Protective gear for medical workers begins to run low again (AP) The personal protective gear that was in dangerously short supply during the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis in the U.S. is running low again as the virus resumes its rapid spread and the number of hospitalized patients climbs. A national nursing union is concerned that gear has to be reused. A doctors association warns that physicians’ offices are closed because they cannot get masks and other supplies. “We’re five months into this and there are still shortages of gowns, hair covers, shoe covers, masks, N95 masks,” said Deborah Burger, president of National Nurses United, who cited results from a survey of the union’s members. “They’re being doled out, and we’re still being told to reuse them.” In general, supplies of protective gear are more robust now, and many states and major hospital chains say they are in better shape. But medical professionals and some lawmakers have cast doubt on those improvements as shortages begin to reappear.

Brazil’s President Bolsonaro tests positive for COVID-19 (AP) Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said Tuesday he has tested positive for COVID-19. Bolsonaro confirmed the test results while wearing a mask and speaking to reporters in capital Brasilia. “I’m well, normal. I even want to take a walk around here, but I can’t due to medical recommendations,” Bolsonaro said. “I thought I had it before, given my very dynamic activity. I’m president and on the combat lines. I like to be in the middle of the people.” The 65-year-old populist has often appeared in public to shake hands with supporters and mingle with crowds, at times without a mask. He has said that his history as an athlete would protect him from the virus, and that it would be nothing more than a “little flu” were he to contract it.

Virus Revives Italy’s Age-Old Shadow Safety Net: The Pawnshop (NYT) The economic repercussions of Italy’s lockdown to contain the coronavirus nearly wiped Anita Paris out. Her son, a car mechanic whom she depended on for financial support, couldn’t work. Her small pension didn’t suffice. The welfare checks she had hoped would pour in from the government didn’t materialize. And so Ms. Paris, a 75-year-old widow, turned to a shadow safety net that Italians have relied on for centuries, through plagues and sieges, wars and downturns. She rummaged through her home for “rings, necklaces, bracelets, everything I had around” and turned to the pawnshops that constitute an official, if anachronistic, part of the Italian banking system. Anxiety is palpable among Italians on pawnshop lines around the country. They worry that their short-term job contracts will run out, that customers will not fill their stores, that American tourists will not rent their rooms. But the managers of the collateral loan sector—the institutional name for pawnshops—aren’t complaining. Activity increased from 20 to 30 percent immediately after the lockdown, as clients wanted to make sure they met their interest payments but also sought new loans. And with emergency benefits about to wind down, they expect business to surge. In the United States, pawnshops are associated with bulletproof glass partitions, “Guns, Gold and Cash” lawn signs and reality show spinoffs (“Hardcore Pawn”). In Italy, they have been part of the banking system for centuries.

Teachers face threats, books are banned as China pushes party line in Hong Kong schools (Washington Post) High school teacher Dom Chan had an odd request from two superiors while developing next year’s Chinese history syllabus: remove passages from the philosopher Su Xun, known for 11th-century essays on wars and military reforms. “They told me, ‘You need to scan the textbook carefully,’” as Su’s writings could “incite violence in students or make them think revolution is good,” said Chan. As China’s Communist Party dismantles Hong Kong’s freedoms, teachers are facing pressure to toe Beijing’s line. Schools are emerging as ideological battlegrounds as officials seek to transform freethinking students into patriots loyal to the motherland through punishment, coercion, surveillance and propaganda-style education. A culture of self-censorship and government control that was already growing in schools intensified recently as Beijing introduced a security law aimed at eliminating dissent, according to nearly a dozen teachers and students who spoke to The Washington Post. The law, published June 30, compels Hong Kong’s government to “promote national security education” and pinpoints campuses for “supervision and regulation.” This week, education authorities told schools to review their library collections and remove books that could violate the law.

Japan warns of more rain to come (Foreign Policy) Japanese authorities warned of continuing heavy rains and flooding risks on the southwestern island of Kyushu—which includes the prefectures of Nagasaki, Saga, and Fukuoka—as the death toll from floods in the area has risen to at least 50. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the rains are expected to last in the region until July 9.

Jerusalem offers a grim model for a post-annexation future (AP) It’s hard to say what exactly will change in the West Bank if Israel follows through on its plans to annex parts of the occupied territory, but east Jerusalem, which was annexed more than a half-century ago, may provide some answers. Israeli leaders paint Jerusalem as a model of coexistence, the “unified, eternal” capital of the Jewish people, where minorities have equal rights. But Palestinian residents face widespread discrimination, most lack citizenship and many live in fear of being forced out. Rights groups say that in some aspects, Palestinians in east Jerusalem have even fewer legal protections than those in the West Bank, where it’s possible to appeal to international laws governing the treatment of civilians in occupied territory. They point to Israel’s Absentee Property Law of 1950, which allows the state to take control of any property whose owner lives in an “enemy state” and was used to confiscate the lands and homes of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were forced out during the war surrounding Israel’s creation in 1948. Rights groups say that in recent decades, authorities have abused the law to seize homes in sensitive parts of Jerusalem, evicting Palestinian residents and paving the way for settlers to move in.

Laid Off and Locked Up: Virus Traps Domestic Workers in Arab States (NYT) Families in many Arab countries rely on millions of low-paid workers from Asia and Africa to drive their cars, clean their homes and care for their children and elderly relatives under conditions that rights groups have long said allow exploitation and abuse. Now, the pandemic and associated economic downturns have exacerbated these dangers. Many families will not let their housekeepers leave the house, fearing they will bring back the virus, while requiring them to work more since entire families are staying home, workers’ advocates say. Other workers have been laid off, deprived of wages and left stranded far from home with nowhere to turn for help. In Lebanon, employers have deposited scores of Ethiopian women in front of their country’s consulate in Beirut because they could no longer pay them as the economy imploded. Persian Gulf countries alone had nearly four million domestic laborers in 2016, more than half of them women, according to a study for the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, which focuses on migrant labor in the region. Experts say the real number has risen since and is probably much higher.

[shortstorychan]

Ghost Wedding 㝠婚

August 2018

I just bought a painting of a beautiful girl dressed in Chinese marriage gown from Shanghai, China. I have been thinking for a long time where is a good place to hang it. Finally, I decided to hang it on the wall facing my bed. This is a large painting. The background of which is a garden pavilion. There is a red plum tree behind the pavilion. There are a round table and four chairs in the middle of the pavilion. A dish of fruit, a pot of tea and a cup are placed on the round table. Inside the pavilion, there sits a young girl who appears to be eighteen years old. She wears a red see-through thin silk scarf over her head. Through the scarf, you can see a pretty innocent young girl. Her hair is combed up high like a hat. Her hair is filled with gold jewelry. She also wears an ivory head pin consisting a string of pearls. Four of them are white and the bottom one is black. Strangely enough, if you focus on the black one, you will feel it is glittering.

The beautiful girl in the painting is wearing a traditional wedding dress in red color. The dress is embroidered with golden thread to show patterns of a dragon and a Phoenix. She also wears a dragon and Phoenix gold necklace. She looks elegant with such a made up. But if you pay attention to her eyes, you will feel there is a hidden sadness. I find it very strange that a bride should be joyful instead of being sad.

Looking at the beautiful girl in the painting, I felt like I have known her before. But I cannot remember where I might have met her.

In fact, I only saw this painting the first time during my recent tour of visiting a water village in the suburb of Shanghai. This place of interest has its special characteristics. The village is surrounded by a narrow river. On both banks, there are single-storey houses. You can see women washing clothes and hanging them on the bamboo poles to dry on the roof of the houses.

Boats are their major means of transportations. The roads in front of the houses are very narrow. They are only suitable for villagers to walk by. The road could accommodate a limited number of bicycles.

The houses on both sides of the road are used for both business and residence. Each one is no more than three hundred feet in size. The front of the house is used as shops and the back as residence.

Most of the shops sell handicrafts or dried seafood, and the smell from the dried seafood can be unpleasant. Occasionally there is a small gallery between seafood shops. I found my picture hanging in one of these galleries for sale. I still remember the shop is called "Chung Hing Gallery.” The artist is called Au Chung Hing. He paints and sells his paintings in the same shop.

At my first glance of the painting, I felt the eyes of the girl in the picture are telling me she has a lot to share with me but she wants me to take her home before she explains everything to me. But I did not intend to buy the painting. So I walked out of the gallery. Before I took the first step to leave, I suddenly heard a soft and sad voice, whispering to me, “Sir, take me home." I do not believe in hallucinations, and I continued to move forward to leave the shop. But the voice constantly echoed in my mind, and I also felt as if the bride in the painting followed me. I shook my head and thought I could get rid of this illusion, but the more I wanted to get rid of it, the more vividly the girl reappearing in my mind. Finally I stepped back to the gallery and bought the painting.

Now lying in bed and looking at the painting hanging on the wall, I feel happy and calm inside myself. I felt comfortable having a beautiful girl accompanying me in my sleep. Such feeling is inevitably sweet.

Since I had a busy day, It was time to go to bed. When I turned off the lights and looked at the painting, I could see no girl anymore, but the black pearl was shining like a star in the sky. Gradually the black pearl becoming an infinite bright star and multiplied by glittering stars.

Strangely, the shiny stars did not bother me but made me sleep peacefully. I did not know how long I have been sleeping. I felt someone is tapping me. Although I realized someone pushes me gently, I did not respond. I just turned around and continued my sweet dream. But the seemingly patted hand on my shoulder still keeps on pushing me. I finally opened my eyes slightly, and I saw a girl sitting on the side of my bed. I was scared to death. Immediately the girl disappeared and I told my self it must be just a bad dream.

Next night, while I was sleeping, someone was whispering to me, “ it is time to wake up.” I did not open my eyes but continue to sleep. Yet someone was pushing me to get up. I finally opened my eyes and looked around. I immediately was scared to death. I saw a ghost floating around in the room. Such experience

gave me a chilling feeling. Subconsciously I turned on the bedside lamp. As soon as the lamp light was on, I did not see any ghost.

The same terrified experience repeated on a few consecutive nights. Each time I was scared to death. So tonight I kept the light on. But honestly I could not sleep with the lights on. In the end, I still turned the lights off to force me to sleep. Yet, this time, I felt someone is trying to wake me up again. I heard a whisper which says, “Do not turn on the lights, I will not harm you." Reluctantly I opened my eyes and discovered a female corpse lying next to me. I immediately scream aloud.

I haven’t had a good sleep for a few nights. I finally decided to keep the lights at the bathroom on. Hopefully doing some reading will make me sleep soundly.

Unfortunately, I still could sleep and it is now 2:00 am in the morning. So I decided to turn off the lights at the bathroom. I got up and walked to the bathroom. As soon as I switched off the lights, I saw the bride from the painting inside the mirror. I was so scared that I fell onto the floor. I faded away but the bride held me up. She was looking at me with her eyes full of self pity and helplessness.

I was trembling and became speechless. The bride gently said to me, "Do not be afraid, I will not harm you and come with me."

She held my hand and helped me get up from the floor. I then walked slowly with her. She led me through a beautiful garden. The place is deserted and there is no other people in the garden except a red plum tree. We passed a pond and came to a gazebo with a round table and four chairs in the middle of the pavilion. She asked me to sit down with her.

Although with a scarf over her head, I could see a glimpse of her tears slowly flowing down. I really wanted to comfort her, but I did not know what to say. Fortunately, she began to speak, "Sir, when I saw you the first time, I know you are a good man. We are destined to meet and God sends you to help me fulfill my oath." Her voice is soft but sad,”I know you were also born in Zhou Village but you left there when you were young."

"Yes," I answered. "who are you?"

"My name is Xiao Feng and I am from Zhou Village. Tinping from the same village was childhood sweetheart. When I was only twelve years old, Tinping and I were running in a wild field. There was a wild dog chasing us, I was terrified.

Although the dog looked lovely, I was afraid of dogs. Tinping held me tight and talked to the dog with a low and friendly voice, “ Little dog, be nice to Xiao Feng.”

The little dog was very friendly and it wagged its tail as if it was welcoming us.

Tinping turned to me and said,” Don’t be afraid. The dog is friendly. Be brave and pad and stroke it.”

Tinping then held my hand to stroke the dog lightly. The little dog looked at me as if it was saying,” Don’t be afraid. Pretty girl. I am a friendly dog.”

Tinping mischievously talked to the dog, “ My little beloved dog, can you be our witness. When I grow up, I will marry this pretty girl.” Then, he turned around and kissed me the first time.

I pushed him away but the dog barked and wagged its tail. Then it ran away. I too, started to run away from Tinping.

That was our vow to get married. Unfortunately my father forced me to marry the son of his good friend. It was an arranged marriage when I was born. Both parents agreed to the marriage "

“What did you say? There is still such an arranged marriage in today’s world.” I couldn’t believe what I heard.

"Indeed it was true in those days. On my wedding day, I killed myself with a pair of scissors when the marriage cart stopped at the front door of my parents in law. My sweetheart was heartbroken that he hung himself on the tree in front of my parents in law ‘s house that night," said Xiao Feng sobbing as she finished her tragic story.

Such a touching story made me weep for them too. "Mr. Zhao, can you do one thing for us." Said Xiao Feng.

"What, if I can, I will help you." I sympathized with her. She told me what I needed to do.

The next morning, I clearly remember what happened last night. I was wondering if I was just dreaming. Or did I make a promise that must be carried out. I looked at the beautiful girl of the painting hoping she would tell me what happened last night. But she did not say anything. Yet I have to ask her clearly, “ Are you Xiao Feng ?"

She did not answer me but that black pearl seemed to flash a few times. I did not believe my eyes. I asked again a few more times, the results were the same. The black pearl really shone each time.

I immediately went to buy train tickets to go to Zhou Village. I obeyed Xiao Fung’s instructions. I rolled up the painting and used an oil paper umbrella to protect the sun from shining onto the painting,.

I could shut down the umbrella when on board the train. As soon as getting off the train, I did opened the umbrella again to protect Xiao Feng. We then walked about half a mile to get to the Zhou Village.

The Zhao family belongs to a high class society. Their front entrance has a staircase of five steps. The top of the main door reads “ Family of Zhou”. There are two poems on both sides of the door. On the left reads" Friends haven’t visited yet.” The right reads “Your house is right in the corner.”

The wooden door is red. I knocked the door a few times. Finally a servant came out to open the door.

“ Excuse me, who are you looking for?” The servant asked me politely.

"I am representing Miss Zhou to pay respect to Mater Zhou.” I replied in a polite way.

The servant asked again in horror. I repeated my answer again.

The servant invited me to enter the house. I still held up the oil paper umbrella to protect the painting. Walking through the front yard, I noticed the flowers were elegantly taken care of. The pavilion looked the same as the one in the painting. Even the blossoming red plum tree also looks exactly the same. Finally we entered the main living room. I could fold up the paper oil umbrella. I then could put down the painting on a chair.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhou came out to greet me. The first thing they asked me was how I got to meet Xiao Feng. I truthfully told them the whole story and opened the painting to show them Xiao Feng. As soon they saw the picture, Mrs Zhao cried loudly.

I comforted her, I told them Xiao Feng’s request was to marry Tin-ping.

Early the next morning, Mr. Zhou had to rush to Tinping’s parents' house to discuss the ceremony of marriage. The two families after serious consideration, they decided to hold the marriage ceremony on that day because they believed that day was s good day for marriage. Immediately they held a wedding ceremony at Tin-ping’s family home.

When the marriage ceremony starts, both parents sat in the middle of their family room. Two big paper dolls were used represent the bride and the groom. They served tea to the parents first. Then they followed the tradition to thank heaven first, then the parents and finally thanked each other to be able to go through both thick and thin for thousand years to come.

After these proceedings, the drum players started the music. Xiao Feng’s coffin was being carried to Tin-ping’s tomb for them to be buried together. All a sudden, a little dog ran around and then stopped in front of the graves. It wagged its tail and barked quietly. After that, it ran away.

Then both parents asked the monks to start singing the prayers. To serve the dead, both families have prepared wine and rice, sweet cakes, meat buns, a big roasted whole pig, whole cooked chickens with heads and tails, vegetables etc. there were a few more local dishes.

Friends and family burned paper money or gifts to the dead. These gifts included a big paper house, a few servants, a paper carriage cart and four paper carriage servants. In addition, they burned paper boxes of jewelry.

After the funeral ceremony was completed, Xiao Feng’s parents asked me to burn Xiao Fend’s painting in order to make her Rest In Peace. Originally, I wanted to keep Xiao Feng’s painting. Finally I reluctantly agreed to do so. However, I would like to see the painting once more. When I opened the painting, Xiao Feng’s parents looked at it the last time. Xiao Feng’s mother said, "Do you see it? Xiao Feng’s eyes are no longer sad , but with some happy smile."

I didn’t understand why Xiao Feng's mother could see Xiao Feng’s eyes turned into a smile as I found Xiao Feng no longer existing in the painting.

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剛剛従中國上海海買了了⼀一幅美女圖,我想了了很久都不知道该掛在哪⾥里里好。後來來決定掛 在睡房,放在牀上對正的牆壁上。 這是⼀一幅闊⼤大的掛畫,畫中的背景是⼀一個花園 涼亭,涼亭後⾯面有⼀一棵紅⾊色的梅梅花樹,亭⼦子中間有⼀一張圓枱和四張椅⼦子,枱上放著 ⼀一碟⽣生果,⼀一壺茶茶和⼀一隻杯。畫中有位看似⼗十八歲的少女坐在亭中,她戴上⼀一條紅 ⾊色的頭⼱巾,從透明的頭⼱巾可依稀看到⼀一位貌似天仙的少女。她的頭髮向上梳⾼高,好 像戴着⼀一頂帽⼦子,髮上插滿了了⾦金金⾊色的头饰,其中有⼀一串串珍珠,共有四粒⽩白⾊色⽽而最尾 的⼀一粒是⿊黑⾊色。 說來來奇怪,如果你專注望著⿊黑⾊色的,你會覺得它閃閃發光。

畫中美麗的少女穿著⼀一件中國⼈人结婚时候的紅⾊色禮服。服飾是傳統的結婚嫁衣,有 龍有鳯的圖案,⾝身上還戴着⼀一條龍鳯項鍊鍊,显得雍容华贵。但如果你留留意她的眼神, 你會感觉到眼神裹的哀怨。我覺得很奇怪,為什什麼會帶哀怨⽽而不是含羞暗喜呢?我 對著這幅畫中的美⼈人,感到似曾相識,但沒法想起在何處⾒見見過她。

當⽇日我在上海海的⽔水村旅遊,這個地⽅方很有特⾊色,⼀一條狹窄的⼩小河,河的兩兩邊是⼀一排 單層的住宅,可以看⾒見見有⼈人洗衫,洗完的衣服掛在⽵竹竿上晒乾,河上有⼩小艇,⼩小艇 是交通⼯工具。岸邊有狹窄的⾏行行⼈人道,只可以⾏行行走,單⾞車車免強也可通過,但⼈人却⽆无法 容納其他交通⼯工具。路路的兩兩旁是前鋪後居的商店,每間商舖都是⼤大約不超過三百尺, 賣的⼤大多是⼯工藝品,或者是晒亁的海海鮮,氣味最難聞的是醎⿂魚舖。

這地⽅方有不少畫廊,相隔⼗十多間舖位有⼀一个⼩小畫廊。我這幅畫是在掛在其中的⼀一間 舖位出賣,我還記得這間叫「中興畫店」。這個畫家叫歐中興,他在舖內⼀一邊畫畫 ⼀一邊賣畫。

第⼀一眼⽬目睹這幅美⼈人圖時,感到她那雙可憐可哀的眼睛好像有很多話想對我诉説, 想让我先带她回家,然後慢慢對我説清楚。但我不打算買這幅畫,于是我移步走出 畫廊,才踏出第⼀一步,恍然聽到⼀一個柔美悽涼的聲⾳音,低聲叫,「先⽣生,請帶我回 家。」我不相信幻覺,繼續向前⾏行行。但這个聲⾳音不断在我腦海海裏回荡,⽽而且還看⾒見見

畫中的新娘⼦子。我搖搖頭以為可以擺脫這幻象,但愈想擺脫愈是不停􏰀複出現在腦 海海,到最後還是⾏行行回那間畫廊,買了了這幅美⼈人圖。

臥在床上,看著掛在牆上的美⼈人圖,我內⼼心感到欢喜。有個美女陪伴的確不錯,睡 覺也甜蜜起來來。今天忙了了⼀一⽇日,是時候睡覺了了。我関燈後望了了望那幅畫,再也⾒見見不 到美⼈人,只⾒見見那粒⿊黑明珠熠熠⽣生辉,好像天上的星星,由⼀一粒漸漸變成漫天無數的 星星。

奇怪得很,閃亮的星星使我安然熟睡,不知睡了了多久,有⼈人輕輕的推我,我不回應, 轉過⾝身再尋好夢,但輕拍我肩膀的⼿手仍然不停的推我,我最後忍不住微微睁開眼睛, 只⾒見見⼀一片⿊黑漆漆,連⿁鬼影都没有。我想⼀一定是做了了發夢,於是再入夢乡。熟睡後⼜又 再次感覺有⼈人拍我的肩膀,打開眼睛⼀一看,嚇死⾃自⼰己,看⾒見見⼀一個少女坐在床邊,再 望清楚,甚麼⼈人影都沒有。⾃自⼰己安慰⾃自⼰己説是發夢。

第⼆二晚,熟睡之時,有⼈人在耳邊說:「是時候起來來,但我沒有打開眼睛,繼續睡覺。 跟著有⼈人輕輕推我,直到我忍不住打開眼睛,看⾒見見⼀一位少女的⿊黑影在房內⾏行行來來⾏行行去, 立即覺得⼼心寒,潛意識下打開床頭燈,却再也沒有看⾒見見什什麼⿊黑影。

連續幾晩都是⼀一樣,每次我都嚇了了⼀一跳,今晚沒關燈去睡,但是開著燈我⽆无法入睡, 始終都要関燈才能入睡,朦朦胧胧中感覺到有⼈人推我,⽽而且低聲説,「不要開燈, 我不會害你。」無可奈何打開眼睛⼀一看,嚇到魂⾶飛魄散,原來來有⼀一條女屍睡在我⾝身 邊,我當堂⼤大聲叫起來來。

連續幾晚都沒法有個甜蜜的美夢,有的只是惡惡夢,⽽而且嚇到⼼心寒。今夜我開著睡房 和浴室的燈,打開⼀一本書閲讀,期望可以累了了,就算是開著燈也可以安⼼心去睡。

可惜到零晨⼆二時還未能入睡。到頭來來要向燈光低頭,勇敢起床,先⾏行行入浴室把燈関 掉,就在燈熄滅的⼀一刻,鏡⼦子出現新娘⼦子的影⼦子,我被嚇昏過去倒在地上。當我張 開眼睛,畫中的新娘走了了出來來站在我的⾯面前,那雙楚楚可怜的眼睛望著我。

我已經全⾝身發抖,懼怕到发不出聲。 新娘⼦子溫柔的對我説,「你不⽤用怕,我不會傷害你,跟我來來。 」

她握著我的⼿手,從地上扶我站起來來,慢步跟着她走,眼前是⼀一個美麗的花園,地⽅方 是冷清清,整個花園沒有其他⼈人,只有⼀一棵梅梅花盛開的樹。我們經過了了⼀一個池塘, 来到⼀一個涼亭,亭⼦子間有⼀一張圓枱和四張椅。她請我与她⼀一同坐下。

雖然帶著頭⼱巾,可瞥⻅见她的淚淚⽔水缓缓流下來來,我好想安慰她,但不知説什什麼好。幸 好她开始说话了了,「先⽣生,我⼀一⾒見見你便便知你是⼀一位好⼈人,⽽而且是我們有緣,上天安 排由你來來成全我的誓⾔言。」聲⾳音柔軟淒慘。「我知你也是在周家村出⽣生。但很早便便 離開了了。」

「對呀。」我回答。「你是誰?」

「我叫⼩小鳳,來來⾃自周家村。我和隔離村的天平是青梅梅⽵竹⾺馬,兩兩⼩小無猜,有⼀一年年,我 只是⼗十⼆二歲,我和天平兩兩⼈人在⽥田􏰁中追遂,有⼀一隻⽩白⽑毛⼩小狗,不知從那裡來來,它不 停跟著我們走,雖然⼩小狗可愛,但是我是怕狗的,天平擁抱著我,低聲對⼩小狗説, 「不要欺負姐姐。」

⽩白⽑毛⼩小狗很可愛,停下來來搖搖尾巴。

天平説,「⼩小鳯,不⽤用怕,看看⼩小狗多友善。」

天平輕輕的掃掃⼩小狗,⼩小狗好像歡迎我們,不停的搖擺尾巴。

天平向我說「⼩小鳯,不⽤用怕,⼤大膽⼩小⼩小,掃掃⼩小狗。」

天平握著我的⼿手掃掃⼩小狗。⼩小狗好像對我說,「姐姐,你很美麗呵,不⽤用怕,我是 很友善的。」

天平頑⽪皮地對⼩小狗說:「⼩小狗,⼩小狗,我長⼤大時,我要娶這個姐姐,你可否替我們 作証。我是真誠的要娶這位姐姐。」跟著天平給我⼀一個吻。

我推開天平 ,⽽而⼩小狗叫了了幾聲也走了了。我跟隨也起跑走。

天平追著我,⼤大聲叫,「⼩小鳯,我愛你,我⼀一定要娶你。」

可惜造化弄弄⼈人,我的⽗父親逼我嫁給他的書友的兒⼦子。我極⼒力力反對都沒有効,他説 婚事是當初我出⽣生时,雙⽅方⽗父⺟母就已经同意定下来的。」

你說什什麼,今⽇日還有此事。」我不相信⾃自⼰己的耳朵。

「的確是真的,當⽇日我在花轎到达男⽅方家⾨門前的⼀一刻⽤用剪⼑刀⾃自殺。⽽而天平哥傷⼼心欲 絕,当晚也在男家⾨門前的⼀一棵樹上掛頸⽽而⾃自盡。」⼩小鳳泣聲道出她們的慘劇。

我好像看⾒見見當⽇日感⼈人的画⾯面。我也開始為他們流淚淚了了。

「周先⽣生,你可否替我們做⼀一件事。」

「是什什麼,如果我做得到,我⼀一定幫你。」我很同情地答應她。她告訴我怎麼去完 成她的諾⾔言。

第⼆二天早晨,我清楚記得昨晚發⽣生的事情,我在想我是否只是做梦,還是我有個諾 ⾔言,⼀一定要去实现。我望��畫中的美⼈人,她現在沒有出聲。我只好問清楚,「你是 否叫⼩小鳳?」

她沒有答我,但那粒⿊黑珍珠好像閃了了幾下。我不相信⾃自⼰己的眼睛。再問幾次都是⼀一 樣,⿊黑珍珠真的在闪着光。

我立刻買⾞車車票去往周家村,我聽從⼩小鳯的吩咐,捲起⼩小鳳的畫,⼀一路路上撑著油傘擋 著⼩小鳳,直到上了了火⾞車車為⽌止。下了了火⾞車車我同樣撑著油傘替⼩小鳯擋光,走了了⼤大約⼀一个 半公⾥里里终于到达周家莊。

周家莊⾨門前⼀一派辉煌,⾨門前有五級樓樓梯,⾨門上寫著「周府」,⾨門兩兩邊有對詩,左邊 寫著「朝來來惆悵宣平過」,右邊寫著「柳柳巷當頭第⼀一家」,⽊木⾨門是紅⾊色,我扣了了幾 下⾨門,終於有家丁前来应⻔门。

「請問先⽣生你找誰?」家丁很有禮貎的問我。

「我是代表⼩小姐周⼩小鳳來來拜訪你家周老爺。」我也很有禮的回答。

家丁驚恐地再問了了一次。我也再次覆了了我的答案 。

家丁請我入内,我仍然撑着油傘,經過了了前庭。前庭的花草打理理得很清雅。庭中的 涼亭和畫中⼀一模⼀一樣,亭後的梅梅花也盛開艶麗。到了了⼤大㕔,我才関好油傘,把美⼈人 圖放在另⼀一張椅上。

周老爺和周老太出來來招待我,第⼀一句句就問我是如何認識⼩小鳳的。我如實告訴了了他們, 並打開美⼈人圖給他們看。老夫⼈人⼀一看便便⼤大哭起來來。

我安慰她⼀一番便便告訴他們⼩小鳳的要求。

第⼆二天晨早時,周家已去天平⽗父⺟母之家商談結婚的儀式。兩兩家認為即⽇日是好⽇日,於 是便便在男家舉⾏行行結婚儀式。

儀式開始時老爺奶奶坐在中間,兩兩個紙公仔代表新郎和新娘,他們先⽤用茶茶恭敬老⼈人 家,繼⽽而進⾏行行⼀一拜天,⼆二拜地,三拜⽗父妻,跟著同葬享萬年年的仪式開始。

紧接着打鑼⿎鼓送⼩小鳳的棺⽊木到天平的墓前,把他們安排在⼀一起。就在下葬完成之時, 特然有隻⼩小狗興𡚒地走來來走去,後來來就停在墓前,⼀一邊揺擺尾吧,⼀一邊低聲吠了了幾 聲,跟著便便走了了。

此時兩兩⽅方家長開堂打齋念念經,拜祭禮品有酒有飯,發糕,⾁肉飽,整隻燒豬,⽩白切雞, 齋菜,等等,品种多到數不盡。

親朋好友也要烧紙錢和禮物,送給新⼈人的禮物有紙⼤大屋⼀一間,家僕有男有女,抬轎 也有⼀一部,轎夫有四位,珠寶⾸首飾有幾盆。

葬禮完成之後,⼩小鳳的⽗父⺟母請我燒了了⼩小鳳的畫,以此讓她安息。本來來我想留留下⼩小鳳 的畫,無奈之下我答應了了,但我想再多看這幅畫⼀一次,當我打開畫時,⼩小鳳的⽗父⺟母 ⾯面露安然。⼩小鳳的⺟母親說,「你看⾒見見嗎?⼩小鳳的眼神已不再有哀怨,反⽽而有些喜悅 的笑容。」

我不明⽩白為什什麼,⼩小鳳的⺟母親會看⾒見見⼩小鳳的眼神已從哀怨改變為喜悅。⽽而我則發覺 ⼩小鳳却已不在畫裡了了。