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hatchetfield-omegaverse · 4 days ago

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Hail Petey, Full of Grace Chapter 3

Chapter 3; The Good Shepherd

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Summary:

“Who says Jerry doesn't know?”

“Come on.” He almost laughs at her weak defense. “We both know that if Boy Jerry found out that I was, in your own words, preaching to the campers he'd have me back in solitary for the rest of camp.”

They've reached the Gomorrah Cabin by now, and Pete doesn't bother waiting for her answer before going inside and plopping down onto his bed. He expects Jeri to leave him, she probably has a million things to do around camp, but she doesn't. Instead she walks in and sits on the bed beside him.

“He really does care about you, you know?” She says after a moment. Pete doesn't bother hiding the snort she illicit. “I mean it. He cares about all his campers.”

“Well he has a funny way of showing it.”

A/N: And after taking a short break for the holidays we are back! This was originally going to be just one chapter, but I went feral and wrote 17k words, so I decided to break it into two chapters for an easier reading experience. I hope you'll enjoy!

Ted,

It feels silly writing you this letter. Calling you would be so much easier, but of course the Jerries don't allow any phone calls unless they're for ‘an actual emergency’. I don't know how calling my brother could increase the urge to masturbate but they're pretty insistent that it would, so we're stuck writing letters. Steph keeps joking that it makes her feel Amish.

The baby is doing well so far, Steph and I've started calling them Bean until we have a name picked. They decided they want to take martial arts like their uncle, and they keep practicing on my liver. Apparently they're the size of a butternut squash now (at least that's what that book Emma got me on baby development says) but I swear they feel bigger. The morning sickness finally stopped, thank god, and now they're on a mission to get me to drink as much chocolate milk as possible. Steph says they take after me.

Camp has been okay. There were some hiccups settling in the first week, but everything seems to be settling down now. The Jerries are every bit of crazy as you said they were, especially Boy Jerry. You'd think that stick he has shoved up his ass would be counterproductive to the whole ‘abstinent for life thing’, but I doubt he'll remove it anytime soon.

Girl Jeri is slightly better, I suppose. She just pities me I think, which is better than acting like my very existence is offensive. And she lets me skip any camp activities that are too physical for someone in my condition so that's a plus.

The rest of the campers are nice at least. Alice is at camp this year- I guess her mom decided to send her cause she kept sneaking out- so I know two people here. Well, three if you count Grace Chasity. She's in her element at camp, since she's probably the only person who genuinely enjoys the whole abstinence thing. I thought she was a lot before, but her antics at school have nothing on the stunts she's pulled at camp.

She's gotten really overbearing excited to help with the pregnancy too. She's already claimed herself as the baby's godmother. I can't even tell you how many Bible stories she's read to Bean. At least she's friendly though. I'd rather have Grace as a friend than an enemy.

She's also really worried about Bean being born out of wedlock, so much so that she's convinced the Jerries to hold a wedding for Steph and I during parents weekend. She's sending out invites to all the parents as I write this, so I'm sure your invitation will get there shortly. Honestly we almost said no to the wedding, but the look on Boy Jerry's face when he realized he'd have to let us share a cabin convinced us. Besides, I already know I want to spend my life with Steph, so it's not that crazy.

I can't wait to see you at parents weekend. There's so much I want to tell you, but its better if we speak in person. I lov I'll be glad to see you again. And even gladder to come home with Bean and Steph. See you in two weeks.

-Peter Spankoffski

“Last call for mail!”

Pete jumps at the sound and hurriedly stuffs his letter into an envelope, placing one of the camp's custom Camp Idontwannabang stamps (complete with a cross and dove) in the corner before rushing to the main building where a line of campers is already forming. He groans at the sight, knowing Bean is going to Hate™ waiting in that line just to mail a letter.

Still, there's nothing he can do about it: his letter needs to get mailed this week so he can tell Ted about the wedding before the invitation comes. So, already dreading the ache in his back this will cause, Pete gets in the back of the line. Well he tries to at least. But, just as he's gotten in the line, Grace comes running to the building holding a sack, a literal sack, of letters.

“Make way, I need to mail these wedding invitations. We don't want any of our parents not to have a gift for the parents of Christ, do we?” She says, elbowing her way to the front of the line. The other campers, to Pete's shock, let her cut past them without a single complaint. Then again, he supposed it wasn't that shocking that they'd let her do that. It was becoming very clear that Grace Chastity held all the real power at Camp Idontwannabang.

“Pete!” She spots him and runs over. “Why are you waiting in line?”

“I want to mail a letter?” He states, as if it isn't obvious. “To my brother, just to tell him about the wedding.”

Grace sighs, shaking her head at him as if he was dumb. Then, in a swift motion, she's adjusted her sack and grabbing his hand. “You still don't have to wait in the line.” She says as she pulls him forward, “You're carrying the Messiah, you go first.”

“Grace I don't think that's a go-”

“It's fine. Look, you said that the baby gets fussy when you're stuck in long lines right?” He nods at the question. “Then this is for the good of the baby. Now come on. Okay everybody, out of the way, mother- sorry- father of christ coming through.”

They're at the front of the line before Pete can say another word. “Here we go. I made one for everyone on your list, and all the parents coming to camp.” Grace says as she places the sack on the table. Then she reaches into a pocket and pulls out a baby blue envelope. “And this is for my parents. They'll be so excited for you.”

Boy Jerry looks at the pile and grimaces. “Don't you think that's a lot of invitations Grace? I doubt every parent needs to know about the wedding, they're visiting to check on their children after all.”

“Pardon my French Jerry but pish posh applesauce. Who wouldn't want the opportunity to see the parents of Christ get married? It's historic. Why, if I thought it was a good idea, I'd contact the news so they could televise it.”

Pete pales at the mention of the news. The last thing he needed was Day Reynolds and Donna Daggit reporting on his wedding. “Please don't contact the news, Grace.” He blurts.

“You don't want the news here, Peter?” Boy Jerry turns on him, his ever present smile turning almost predatory. “Why on Earth not? Don't you want people to know you're carrying Christ, S-man?”

“I…”, Pete swallows, trying to come up with an answer. Fuck, he should have just kept his mouth shut.

“It's for their safety, Jerry.” Grace cuts in before Pete can come up with an excuse. “Look at how King Herod pursued Jesus. And now the world is so much more connected than it was when Jesus was born. Imagine how many awful people would try to hurt the little Messiah if they found out now. So it's safer if Peter pretends he's having a regular baby, isn't that right Peter?”

“Yeah.” Pete nods, ever thankful for Grace's ability to use the Bible to justify anything. Really, it should concern him how good she is at that, but that's a problem for another day. “I want Bean to have a normal childhood, not one where they're hunted by strangers for being the second coming.”

“Exactly. I didn't even put that on the invitations.” Grace nods. Pete quietly thanks whatever god is listening that she left that off the invitations. God knows what Ted would say if he saw that . It's better if only certain people know for now.”

“Then why, if I might ask,” Jerry starts through gritted teeth, “did you tell everyone at camp? That's a lot of people to trust with your secret.”

“Well this is a godly camp, isn't it?” Pete counters, thinking on his feet. “I knew that none of you would want to see my baby hurt. Especially you, Boy Jerry. I mean, what kind of godly man would want to see a baby harmed? Let alone a baby that's the Messiah.”

Jerry nods in response, looking like he sucked on a lemon. Pete has to stop himself from laughing as he puts his envelope in the mail bag. “There we go, I wanted to personally invite my brother to the wedding.”

“Right.” Jerry nods, the vein in his head bulging. “Well if that's all you should get back to your afternoon activities.”

“Of course.” Grace says, voice as chipper as always, and drags Pete away. “See you at the evening sermon Boy Jerry!”

Pete waits until they're just out of earshot before breaking down into laughter. “Did you see his face?” He says between bouts of laughing. “I thought his head was going to explode when you mentioned King Herod.”

Grace watches for a minute before she's infected with his laughter, tears welling up in her eyes and clutching her sides from the force of it. They stand there like that for a moment, laughing in the middle of the Witchwood like a couple of fools. Pete's sure that anyone who saw them would think they were insane, but he honestly can't bring himself to stop.

“Thank you.” He says when he's finally able to stop laughing. “For defending me all these times. You've been a good friend, Grace.” The most shocking part is that he means it. Prior to camp he never would have considered Grace Chasity a friend, she was an acquaintance at best, but now?

She'd stuck her neck out for him multiple times now, gone to solitary for him (a fate that Grace clearly considered worse than prison). Even now, with the Jerries too afraid of another mutiny to actually punish him, Grace protected him every time Boy Jerry so much as implied that he was lying.

That had to make them friends right? Even if it was all based on a lie.

“Of course, Peter. I can't let Boy Jerry besmirch your or the baby's reputation.” Grace shakes her head. She goes quiet for a moment. Then, so softly Pete almost doesn't hear her, she speaks. “You know, I've known the Jerries my whole life. I looked up to them for staying abstinent as adults despite the pressure from society. Boy Jerry was the one who taught me that I need to control how I behave so others don't have lustful thoughts. But what they did: calling you a liar, locking you up, denying your baby as their savior. I can't believe that they would do that. I never thought of them as Pharisees.”

“Well,” he swallows, looking for something to comfort her with, “they might come around. People didn't believe Jesus at first, did they? He had to prove himself as the savior before he gained followers.” He says hoping his (poor) knowledge of the Bible won't fail him.

“I guess you're right. It's just disappointing.” Grace maneuvers around his bump to hug Pete. He returns the gesture, clearly she needs the comfort. “Thank you for showing me the truth. I'm glad God picked you to bring Christ back to Earth.”

“You're welcome, Grace.” He says, thankful she can't see his wince at the lie.

Part of him wants to move on, to change the subject to something less uncomfortable, but the sound of her saying, ‘ control how I behave’ keeps playing on his head on repeat. Grace had been taught that since she was a kid. All the campers here had been taught that. It was no wonder she was like that .

Pete's parents, Anna and Buster Spankoffski, had died before they'd gotten to have the talk with him, but they'd always made sure that he knew that no meant no. And Ted… Ted had stressed the importance of consent from the moment he'd adopted Pete, in his own Ted way of course. He could still remember the talks. ‘ Okay Petey, if anyone ever touches you and you don't want that, you knee them right in the dick. Understood?’

Grace never learned any of that from the church. But maybe that could change. She certainly trusted him, and the others trusted Grace. Pete's not sure what to say to her, but he knows he can't let this slide, not when he might have the power to change it. So, before he's even realized what he's doing, Pete opens his mouth and-

“Grace? You know that stuff Boy Jerry told you about controlling how you behave is wrong, right?”

Grace stares at him like he's grown a second head. “No, it's true. If I act like a harlot I’ll lead men to sin. I’d be no better than Lilith.”

“But that's not true. It's their job to control how they react.” Pete thinks back to all the Bible stories she'd told him so far, looking for any evidence. He's not as good as Grace at twisting the Bible to suit his needs though, so he comes up empty. “Doesn't Jesus say to pluck your eyes out if they cause you to sin?”

Grace nods. “Yea in, Matthew 5:29.”

“There you go then! Even Jesus doesn't think that. If someone looks at you with lust, that's not your fault, it's theirs.”

“But the Jerries are pastors. Why would they get that wrong?”

“They think I'm lying don't they? Maybe they're wrong about other things.”

Grace blinks once. Then twice. Pete can almost see the gears turning in your head. “You're sure?”

Pete nods. Time to go in for the kill. “God picked me to carry the Messiah right? That must count for something.”

“I guess you're right.” Grace nods. Then she goes silent and stays that way as they walk. Pete is just beginning to question if he's done something wrong when she finally speaks again. “I need to go back to my cabin. I'll see you later, Peter.”

Then, without another word, she's gone. Pete sighs as he watches her walk away. He watches her until she reaches her cabin, disappearing from sight. It's only when she's gone does turn and heads towards the lake, hoping he can find Steph. He can only hope he did the right thing.

It isn't until after dinner that Pete sees her again: the evening sermon has just ended, Boy Jerry having spent it warning the camp of the danger of deceivers. He'd pivoted away from his usual talks on the importance of abstinence as of late, instead choosing to focus on false prophets. He's never too direct of course, not wanting to incur Grace's wrath once more, but it's still obvious who Jerry means when he speaks.

Pete, for his part, is picking and choosing his battles and this isn't worth the effort. Besides, it's funnier watching Jerry fume when he doesn't react. So he pretends not to notice how Jerry looks at him every time he mentions snakes in the grass, or how every day less and less people are paying attention.

Luckily, it was the last sermon of the day, and Pete can spend the rest of the evening enjoying himself. So he's with Steph, sitting under an old oak tree, coming up with baby names.

“I'm not naming our child Eleanor, Pete.” Or well, trying to come up with names. They'd mostly been shooting down suggestions. Not that Pete was complaining, of course. He was just happy to spend some time with her.

“What's wrong with Eleanor? It means shining light, which is pretty and we can call her Ellie for short. And she can have Eleanor Roosevelt as a role model.”

Steph snorts. “So, you don't think I'm enough of a role model, is that what you're saying?”

Pete blanches. “No, I didn't mean that at all. I just meant-”

Steph presses her lips to his in a quick kiss, effectively stopping all thoughts. She pulls away, giggling, and shoves his shoulder playfully. “Dude, I'm just messing with you.”

He sighs in relief. “Oh thank god. I don't want you to think that I think you're a bad role model or something. You're amazing. It's just good to have multiple role models, you know?”

Steph smiles at him. “You're such a nerd, Spankoffski.” She says in lieu of an answer.

Pete can't help but laugh at that. “Maybe. But I'm your nerd.” He retorts.

“Damn right, you're mine.” She says with such ferocity that Pete has to look away to keep from blushing. Honestly it was rude of her, teasing him like that in abstinence camp of all places. Especially when she knows how his hormones have been lately.

“Okay. Back to names before I do something that gets me thrown in solitary again.” He says, trying to think of anything to cool his racing heartbeat down. Eventually he settles on Boy Jerry naked, and that seems to do it.

Steph laughs again. “Fine, but I swear once we're married…” She doesn't finish her sentence and Pete can only imagine the things she has planned. “What about Alexis?”

“Ehh, it's okay. I like Alexandria better though.” He says then, after checking that the coast is clear, lays his head on her lap. The counselors had been more lenient about letting them be alone since their engagement, but Pete doubts they'd let something like this slide. He already knows they'd consider his head way too close to her crotch.

“We can put it in the maybe list for now.” Steph says, reaching down to pet his hair. Pete sighs at the touch: Steph had always been a fan of resting her head in his lap and letting him play with her hair. Of course, she hadn't been able to do that since he'd started showing, the bump taking up too much room on his lap for her to feel comfortable. Never one to give up, she'd taken to reversing their roles, pulling his head into her lap and playing with his hair instead. He'd been against before, feeling awkward with that level of intimacy, but the first touch of her hands against his scalp. Her touch always seemed to relax him, his stress melting away under her careful ministrations until all that was left was them. Pete definitely understood why Steph loved it so much.

“What about Amelia?” He asks, closing his eyes. He could definitely fall asleep like this if he wasn't careful.

“I like Amelia but I feel like everyone would call her Mia, which I don't like.”

“Fair.” Pete says. “Remind me again why we need a girl's name again? I'm positive we're having a boy.”

“Because the doctor couldn't tell us for certain, remember?”

“Oh, right.” He'd gone in for one last appointment the week before camp, knowing that he wouldn't be able to make any more appointments over the summer. After giving him plenty of pamphlets on the signs of pre-eclampsia and making him promise to call if he felt the slightest big off, the OBGYN had given him one last sonogram in hopes of finding out the gender. It was all for naught though: Bean had kept their legs fully crossed the entire appointment, and no amount of coaxing could convince them to move. Eventually Pete had resigned himself to not knowing, but every fiber of his being screamed that he was having a boy.

“Besides, with our luck we'll plan for a boy and have a girl. It's better to be prepared.”

“Alright, alright, I concede. You're right.” Pete snorts. He wants to say more but before he can, his attention is caught by the large group coming towards him. “What the hell?” He mumbles as he sits up.

There's at least 10 people in the group, all girls, probably 12-17 if Pete had to guess, but that's not what catches his attention. No, instead it's Grace who catches his attention, leading the group with her Bible pressed firmly to her chest. She walks right Pete, the rest of the group stopping a few feet away, and looks him dead in the eye before speaking. “Tell them what you told me earlier.”

“What?” Steph asks.

“Tell them what you told me earlier.” She repeats herself. “About plucking your eyes out.”

Pete winces. Fuck. He pushed it too far and Grace realized he's a fraud. She's going to denounce him in front of everyone and he's going back to solitary for the reminder of camp. “Grace-”

“Please.” She cuts him off. Pete wants to tell her to forget it, but then he looks Grace in the eye and sees it. She's not staring at him in anger, or hurt, or betrayal. No, she's looking at him in desperation. “They want to know.”

“Okay.” He swallows. “Well Jesus said to pluck your eyes out if it'll prevent you from sinning. So that means that it's not your fault if someone looks at you in lust.”

“But Boy Jerry says that we'll tempt the guys if we're not careful. That’s why we have to wear swimsuits in the bathroom.” One of the younger girls, Pete thinks her name is Rachel, says in confusion.

“If looking at you tempts them then that's something they need to deal with. You just focus on yourself.”

“So our job is just to focus on our own path of abstinence? Not theirs?” Another girl asks.

“Yeah. Something like that.” He nods.

“I told you.” Grace says, turning towards the group. “Peter is being blessed with the teachings of the baby savior. We need to listen to him.”

He blinks. “I don't know if I would say blessed.” He tries to explain.

“But you are blessed.” Grace insists. “The baby must be communicating with you in the womb so you can teach us their wisdom. Oh Peter, you're so lucky to have such a holy experience.”

Steph looks at him in confusion but Pete just nods at her to just go with it. The last thing they need is to get caught in a lie.

“I guess I am lucky. Okay then,” he gestures for the others to sit, “what do you want to know?”

There's a barrage of voices speaking all at once, some louder than the others. “Girls!” Grace shouts, watching as they all quiet at her command. “One at a time please.”

There's a raise of hands and Pete eventually settles on one. She's one of the younger girls, wearing yellow overalls over her pink camp shirt and flowers braided into her hair. She speaks in a soft voice, body trembling as she does. “I started bleeding today. From down there.” She points at her legs. “But I'm not hurt. Is that the devil trying to punish me?”

“Oh sweetie, no.” His heart aches at the fear in her voice. “That's not the devil. That's just your period.”

“What's a period?” She asks.

Pete blinks. Surely she was old enough to get the talk. Why wouldn't her parents teach her what a period was. God, it was probably another purity thing. He bristles at the realization. Those assholes.

“Well it's a sign you're growing up. When you get old enough you have periods to tell you that you can have babies. And once a month, you'll have a period to tell you that you're not pregnant.”

She gasps. “But I don't want to have a baby yet.”

“It's okay. You won't have any until you're married.” Pete says hurriedly, hoping it'll reassure her. “There's a lot to it and I can explain more later, but why don't you go with Grace to get cleaned up and get a pad to absorb the blood, okay?”

She nods and Grace stands up, taking her back to the cabins. Pete waits for them to leave before turning back to the group. “Okay who's next.”

He spends the next two hours answering question after question. Most of them are puberty related, their parents too scared of tainting their purity to actually teach them about their bodies. Some are about relationships, and Pete is sure to emphasize that they can love (or not love) whoever they want. From what he's seen the church is accepting of gay relationships, but he's not risking it. He doesn't actually mention the topic of abstinence, not wanting to poke that wasp's nest quite yet. Maybe one day he'll tell them that having premarital sex isn't evil, when they trust him more. But today is not that day.

The girls soak up what he says like sponges, he even sees some of them taking notes. They're clearly desperate for a role model that isn't Boy Jerry and Pete is happy to provide that, even if he's not sure if he's a good one. He cares about actually educating them though, and that's more than he can't say about Jerry.

The group only breaks when they're called to head back to their cabins for the night. “Can we ask your more questions tomorrow Peter?” Another girl, Sarah asks.

He nods. “Of course. Same time, same place.” He looks at the group when it hits him. “And don't tell the Jerries about this okay? We've seen that they don't believe the way we do.”

They nod and, satisfied that they won't get in trouble for daring to ask questions, Pete sends them on their way. Eventually, it's just him and Steph again under the tree. “Sorry about that.” He apologizes with a smile. “I didn't mean for our evening to get interrupted.”

“It's fine. You were spreading your teachings to the masses.” Steph snorts. She stands up, offering a hand to him to do the same. “Let me walk you back to your cabin?”

“Of course.” He says, taking her hand. They make their way back to the Gomorrah Cabin slowly, neither in any hurry to end their night together. “Thank you for rolling with it. For a second I thought Grace was going to say I was lying.”

“She's definitely a true believer.” Steph says with a grin. “Which is good for us.”

“Yeah. I can't believe one joke turned into all this.”

“It's a lot.” Steph sighs. “But it keeps you safe so I don't care. I hated seeing that dick try to humiliate you.”

“I knew he would do it. But it's nice being untouchable.”

“It is. And you were pretty good back there. You could start your own religion if you wanted to.” Steph smirks.

He laughs at the joke. “Think it's a little late for that. Petei-ism seems to be getting popular. Maybe we can buy a church.”

“Good idea. You can't tax churches.” They both break out in laughter at that. “I mean it though. You're good with kids.”

“I'd hope so, I don't think Bean is going wait for us to become good with kids to be born.” He reaches out to hold her hand.

“Probably not.” She shrugs. “But you're better than all of their parents at least.”

“I can't believe anyone could teach their child that.” Pete groans. “That little girl had no idea what a period is. She thought that she was being punished! Punished!”

“It's awful.” Steph agrees.

“As long as Bean doesn't end up like that I will consider it a success.” Pete stops as the Gomorrah Cabin comes into view. It's a completely different sight than when he'd arrived. Girl Jeri had taken it upon herself to do small repairs that the cabin needed: she's replaced the wobbly steps, oiled the creaky door, and even painted the spots where the paint was chipped or peeling. It almost looked like a normal cabin, save for the sign with Gomorrah painted on it in big letters.

“Here we are.” Steph sighed as they walked to the door. “Your cabin.”

“It'll be our cabin soon.” He smiles. “I've already pushed the beds together.”

“Our cabin.” Steph repeats with a smile. “I can't wait.”

“Did you tell your dad?” Pete asks. He can't imagine Solomon being supportive of the wedding, judging by his reaction to Bean's existence.

“No. I'm just going to let Grace's invitation tell him, he'll take it better from someone else. And I really don't care. We're only in this position because of his stupid campaign and if he doesn't like it then tough shit.”

Pete laughs at her blunt words, falling more in love with her as she speaks. “Fair enough. I told Ted. He'll freak out and think we're being pressured if I don't say something.”

“At least he's supportive.” Steph sighs. “I hate my dad for doing this to you.”

“He's not doing anything to me. I'm here willingly.” Pete promises

Steph gives him a look. “We both know you wouldn't be here if he hadn't forced me to go.”

“Maybe.” Pete shrugs. “That doesn't matter though.”

“I still hate him.”

“I know.” Pete sighs. “You know, we'll be married. You could always move in with me and Ted after camp.”

“I could. And it would be good for Bean.” Steph smiles at the idea. “You sure you won't get sick of me?”

“Positive.” He smiles. A single firefly flies between them and, soon enough, there's an entire swarm of them around the cabin, illuminating the night as they dance around them. It looks like something from a romcom. Getting an idea, Pete pulls her as close as physically possible before pressing a kiss to her lips. It's one of the few they've shared since arriving at camp, and he's sure to pour all his love for her into it, knowing he probably won't get another chance to kiss her until their wedding.

“Good.” Steph breathes when they finally pull apart. Pete can't help but smile at how breathless he's left her, knowing he feels the exact same. “You know, I'm liking this marriage thing more and more everyday. I'm kinda glad Grace suggested it.”

“So am I.” Pete nods. He turns to open his cabin then pauses, a thought hitting him. “What about Grace? For a girl.”

There's a beat of silence before they both exclaim, “Absolutely not!”, simultaneously. Pete laughs at their syncing before continuing. “You're right. It's a bad idea.”

“It is.” Steph says. “Can you imagine what she'd do if she thought we were naming the ‘second coming of Christ’ after her? It would go to her head.”

“You're right.” Pete smiles. It isn't until a counselor orders Steph to go to her cabin that they exchange goodnights, and it's not until he sees her safely go in her cabin that Pete goes inside his own. He smiles as he shuts the door. This wedding was the best thing to ever happen to him.

“Oh Peter! Not like that!” Grace scolds as she takes his latest flower from him. “You need to fold it like this, that way they seams aren't visible.”

Or maybe the wedding would be the death of him.

With Parents Weekend fast approaching, preparations for the wedding had gone into full swing. Grace had taken over most of it, and Pete was more than happy to give her control. So for the most part, Grace had made all the decisions, only occasionally asking him or Steph for their input. So far she'd planned the food, music, and even seating arrangements without any problems. It was when it came to decorations that they hit a snafu: Grace wanted the wedding to have real decorations, the kind that they didn't have access to while at camp. She'd agonized over it for days before Pete, taking pity, suggested that they reuse what was available at camp. Grace had taken to the idea like a house on fire: lanterns were made into centerpieces, the baskets they wove filled with wedding programs she'd managed to print out. She even wanted to use the wallets they made as wedding favors.

The only thing missing was flowers. Pete was fine doing without and he knew Steph felt the same, but Grace was determined to give this wedding flowers. She'd already found several patches of wildflowers around the forest and was monitoring them to ensure they would be perfect for the big day. Still, it wasn't enough for Grace. She was just short of trying to smuggle in a florist when Girl Jeri had an idea.

She showed all the girls (and Pete) how to make flowers out of tissue paper and string them into garland. Grace had loved the idea and immediately roped everyone into making them with her. “Many hands make light work.” She'd stated at the time.

Which is how he ended up here: in an assembly line making tissue paper flowers. He and Steph made flower after flower while Grace strung them into the garlands. It was fine at first. The flowers were easy enough to make and between all the volunteers he didn't have to make that many flowers. He thought it would be fine. Of course he forgot one thing.

Grace Chastity has control issues.

Pete has to bite his tongue to keep from groaning as she demonstrates how to correctly fold the flower. It was at least the tenth time she'd done something like this, despite the fact that the flowers looked exactly the same no matter which way you folded them. He wonders briefly if she's always had such bad control issues, or if her newfound power at camp had brought them to light, before she hands him the ‘fixed’ flower with a saccharine smile.

“See? Doesn't it look so much better this way?”

“Yeah, Grace. It really does.” Pete deadpans. “I'll be sure to fold them that way from now on.”

“Good! Your wedding has to be perfect.” She claps her hands together in excitement at the thought. The action is enough to make Steph snort, her dark eyes twinkling as she shoots Pete a bemused smile. His lips stretch to match instantly. “Now where was I?”

She turns back towards her Bible and begins reading again. She did this a lot lately: picking a story about Jesus’ life as they worked and reading it aloud for Steph and Pete (not that either of them ever really listened). Apparently she wanted to make them experts in the Bible before Pete gave birth, that way she could teach the baby their purpose. He had no intentions of forcing religion on any of his future children, but Pete figured it was easier to just let Grace read than argue with her about it.

Today's story was about Mary and Joseph losing Jesus while traveling and finding him at a temple in a discussion with religious scholars. “Even as a child Jesus knew that he was holy!” Grace had said when she'd picked out the story. She seemed to think it was a good thing, yet all Pete could think about was Mary. How'd she'd spent three days searching for her son before she'd found him. Three days where she didn't know if her child was safe. The mere idea turns his blood to ice. It isn't until he feels a hard kick against his ribs that Pete remembers his baby is safe inside him. He's never been more grateful for bruised ribs.

“MAIL CALL!” A voice on the announcement speakers cuts Grace off in her story, and Pete can't help but feel grateful at the distraction.

“Oooh! Mommy said she was sending a care package this week!” Grace jumps up into a standing posting, almost running to the door. Steph wasn't far behind. Pete however, takes considerably longer getting up- you try jumping to your feet when you're 7 months pregnant- and by the time they've made it to the door he's only to his knees.

“W-wait up!” He calls weakly after them. “You know, some of us are making a human here!”

“Oh shit!” Steph rushes back to him, placing her hands around his waist. “Here, lean on me.”

Eventually, with her help, Pete's able to struggle to his feet. “Thanks,” he pants once he's properly standing, “I swear it gets harder every time I do that.”

He adjusts his shirt and watches out the corner of his eye as Steph worries her bottom lip with her teeth. It's honestly adorable and if Grace weren’t watching he would kiss her. “Probably because the baby knows you should be resting. You should go back to your bunk, I'll get any mail you have.”

“Are you sure?”

She nods and places a hand on his bump. “I can carry an extra package. Besides, I promised your brother I'd take care of you.”

“Ok ok, I'll go rest. But I promise I'm fine. It's just getting harder to move now that I'm showing like this.” Pete promises. In lieu of a kiss, Pete chooses to tuck a lock of Steph's hair behind her ear. “See you soon?”

“I'll be as fast as I can.”

The walk back to his cabin is one of the first times Pete's been alone since his release from solitary, everyone being too busy reading letters from their parents to focus on him. He's glad for the silence it provides, it's like he can hear himself think for the first time in so long. Ever the introvert, Pete had always enjoyed his alone time, and it was something that he'd missed while at camp. Whether it be a sermon, concerts, camp activities, or answering questions for the other campers, Pete was always surrounded by other people these days. It was nice to just listen to the uninterrupted sounds of nature: the wind blowing, the birds chirping, and-

“Peter!”

And the call of an overly perky camp counselor.

He groans as Girl Jeri walks up to him, her ever present sunshiny smile plastered to her face. She's holding a checklist in her hand, probably some kind of itinerary but Pete honestly doesn't care enough to ask.

“Mail's here.” She says. “Aren't you going to see if you got anything?”

“Steph said she'd check for me. I was going to rest in my cabin. After all, it's hard work carrying the Messiah.” Pete answers, making sure to really drive home that last bit. Can't let her think he was lying about it being immaculate (he totally was).

Jeri nods. “Right. I suppose that makes sense. Can I walk you to your cabin?”

Every part of Pete wants to say no, but he just nods instead. Better to stay in her good graces for now. “Okay. If you're not busy.” He says, praying she'll back out.

She doesn't, and next thing Pete knows he's walking with Girl Jeri, neither of them saying a word. Pete's once beloved silence now thick heavy between them. He desperately searches for any shred of a conversation, but it's all in vain. All he can do is hope that she'll say something to break the tension between them.

His hopes are answered when she turns to him. “How has the pregnancy been treating you?” She asks. Pete winces. Not a conversation he particularly wants to have with Girl Jeri but beggars be choosers.

“It's been okay. The morning sickness was pretty bad at first, but that calmed down before camp started.”

Jeri nods, never making eye contact with him. “That's good to hear. And the baby? They seem healthy?”

“Oh, yeah.” He nods, not wanting to divulge any more information than he has to. Like hell he would willingly tell one of the Jerries about Bean. Even if Girl Jeri wasn't as extreme. “They're really active.”

“Good. That's a good sign that they're healthy.” She smiles again, that cloyingly sweet, fake smile that drives Pete insane. It was dangerous, like when Boy Jerry smiled at him, but it was just so vacant of any real emotion. It reminds him of his mom showing him ‘The Stepford Wives’ for the first time: all those poor women turned into robots, fake smiles on their faces to hide their real emotions. And yet this time it's different. Pete swears for just a millisecond he can see something that looks like longing in Girl Jeri's eyes. Then, just as quickly as it came, it's gone and that overly perky expression is back. “You know, I've heard from one of the counselors that you've been tutoring some of the other campers in religion, is that so?”

Some of the campers was putting it lightly. He'd continued to have talks with the others every night since that first night, answering whatever questions they had about puberty and the like, and every night their numbers had grown. It had started with just girls attending, but soon enough the guys had joined them. Now they had a pretty mixed group of 20 or so campers, and Pete was sure that there would be more tonight.

Pete sighs, having known this talk was coming for a while. Truthfully, he's shocked it took this long for it to come out. Sure he told his group to keep their meetings a secret from the Jerries, but with their numbers it had to be hard to miss. If anything, he's glad that it's Girl Jeri who found out first. Boy Jerry would probably call it mutiny if he knew.

“I've been talking to some of the campers, yes.” He answers carefully. The last thing he needs is for the rest of camp to get punished because of him. “But I don't know if I'd call it tutoring. I'm just answering questions.”

“Yes, questions that require your ‘heavenly wisdom’.” Jeri says and if not for the coy smile on her lips Pete would think he was in trouble.

“Well I am carrying the child of God, so I suppose I'm getting some kind of wisdom via osmosis. Like I said, I just answer their questions.”

“Well your answers are getting popular. You have a bright future as a pastor.” Pete can't keep the grimace off of his face at the idea of him as a pastor. This was one thing: Grace was the main force behind their movement, and if Pete went along with her ideas to survive camp, then that was nobody's business but his own.

But standing in front of a church week after week? Preaching beliefs he doesn't have based on something he knew was a lie? He couldn't imagine doing that.

Maybe that was the difference between him and Boy Jerry: Boy Jerry would do anything for control, Pete just wanted to be left alone.

“I don't want to be a pastor.” He says definitively.

Jeri blinks at him, like she never comprehended that he wouldn't want to go into religion. “Well it's still nice to see you getting along with the other campers.” She says in a chipper voice.

“Would your Co-head Pastor agree with you if he knew?” Pete can't keep the venom out of his voice as he speaks.

“Who says Jerry doesn't know?”

“He really does care about you, you know?” She says after a moment. Pete doesn't bother hiding the snort she illicit. “I mean it. He cares about all his campers.”

“Well he has a funny way of showing it.” He lies back on the bed.

“Peter, he's just trying to look out for everyone.”

Pete sits back upright at her words, albeit with a bit of a struggle. “Look out for everyone? From the moment I came here, Jerry has been on a mission to humiliate me. How on Earth is that looking out for everyone?”

“Well you haven't made it easy on him, claiming that you're having the second coming of Christ.”

“Who says I'm not?” Pete retorts, unwilling to drop the charade for even a second.

“Peter-”

“And none of this would have ever come about if he hadn't tried to label me as a whore to the entire camp!” Pete says in frustration. “Do you know how humiliating that is?”

At his words Jeri goes still, staring at him with an expression that Pete can't read. Tears well in her eyes, and he's sure he's pushed it too far. It’s only for a moment though but then she schools her features. Then she blinks them away and speaks once more.

“I know his methods might seem strange but he just wants to keep everyone safe and on the path of the Lord.” Jeri answers, her voice strangely calm.

“And looking at a teen that you think made a mistake and making an example out of them is Godly?” He can't believe what she's saying. “Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Jesus all about forgiving sinners? That doesn't seem very forgiving to me.”

“He just wanted to show that there are real world consequences to having sex. There are benefits to being abstinent, religion aside. Aids, herpes, countless other STDs, not to mention teen pregnancy.” Pete bristles at the comment and Jeri is quick to back track. “I know you love your child, but Be honest with me. Would you have chosen to have them right before your senior year?”

“I did choose to have them right before my senior year.” Pete says, remembering the hours of talks with Steph over what they wanted to do, and then again. He knew the task he was taking on and he was doing it anyway. “I chose to carry God's child even though I'm still in high school.”

“Furthermore, he doesn't care about keeping people safe. He just wants to control them.” He stands up from the bed and starts pacing, anger rushing through his veins. “Boy Jerry, a supposed godly man, saw me and decided that I deserved to be humiliated. He tried to make me into the laughing stock of camp. And when I defended myself, he locked me in solitary for undermining his authority. I would probably still be locked up if not for Grace Chastity. There's a lot of men like that in the Bible, Girl Jeri, and I wouldn't use godly to describe any of them.”

Pete is left panting in the center of the cabin, his outburst having sapped most of his energy. Angrily, he looks to Jeri for a response, expecting her to justify the actions of her coworker. But she doesn't. She doesn't say anything. She simply stands up and walks over to Pete, placing her hand on his shoulder, and looks him dead in the eyes.

“Since we clearly can't come to an agreement, I'll leave. It's not worth stressing you or the baby.” Jeri says when she finally finally speaks. Then her gaze flits away from Pete to around the cabin, taking in its contents, before landing on the back corner of the room. “But I hope you realize how privileged you are. You get to be so brazen in your opinions because you've got a lot of support. Most people in your position aren't so lucky.” And for a moment Pete thinks she’s speaking from personal experience.

She looks back to Pete, nods, and turns for the door. But, just as she reaches the cabin's door, Jeri turns back to him once more. “I won't tell Boy Jerry about your meetings with the other campers. I think you're doing a good thing, and what he doesn't know won't hurt him.”

Then without another word she's outside, probably headed to set up for the evening bonfire, leaving Pete alone in his cabin with only one question on his mind:

What the actual fuck was her deal?

He still doesn't have an answer for said question when Steph walks in not even 10 minutes later as promised she's carrying two care packages, balanced so precariously that Pete has to get the door for her so she doesn't fall.

“Jesus, I swear your brother packed an actual elephant in here or something.” She jokes once she's sat the packages on the bed with a dramatic sigh. “It weighs twice as much as whatever my dad sent me, lucky.”

Pete wants to joke back, and wants to say that it's fine because Solomon Lauter probably wouldn't know what was interesting to teens if it hit him in the head. But his brain is still stuck on his conversation with Girl Jeri, so he doesn't respond, only staring at the spot in the corner where the counselor had kept looking.

“If there's any candy in there you better share it with me.” Steph jokes as she sits down beside him, kissing his cheek as she does so. It's only then that she notices his demeanor, frowning as she squeezes his hand. “Hey, what's wrong? Are you in pain? Is it the baby? Should we call a doctor? It's too soon for you to go into labor yet right?”

She's starting to panic now, placing her hands on his cheeks as if to check for a fever. The motion is enough to startle Pete from his trance. “Sorry I spaced out there.”

Steph sighs in relief “Jesus Christ you scared me. I thought something was wrong with Bean.”

“Sorry.” Pete mumbles. He hadn't wanted to worry her. Not when she's so on edge already.

“It's fine, Pete.” Steph promises. “What's wrong?”

“It's nothing.”

Steph raises an eyebrow and Pete can feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. He's never been good at keeping secrets from her. Especially not since he realized he was pregnant. “You're a shitty liar, Spankoffski, you know that right? You were spaced out for like a solid 5 minutes. So spill. What's on your mind?”

“I don't want to worry you.” She's bound to freak out if she knows that he fought with Girl Jeri of all people. Everything is finally calming down now. The last thing he needs is to worry Steph.

“Well not knowing is worrying me.” She deadpans. “So talk or else I'll be forced to take drastic measures.”

He gasps in mock horror. “You wouldn't dare.”

“Oh I dare.” Steph grins. “Who would have thought the father of Christ would be so ticklish.”

Her hands reach ever so slowly towards him. “Talk, or else it's tickles for you.” She just reaches the hem of his shirt when he breaks.

“Okay okay, I give in.” Pete says, raising his hands in surrender.

“Good boy.” Steph says with a shit eating grin, and if those two words were enough to make Pete blush so heavily that his ears turned red, well that's a secret he'll take to his grave. “Now, spill, before the tickle monster comes back.”

“Okay. It's jus-” Pete takes a deep breath. Time to get it over with. Just rip it off like a bandaid. “Girl Jeri stopped by for a chat.”

“Girl Jeri?” Steph repeats incredulously. Yep, Pete can already hear the anger in her voice. “Shit, did she say something to you? I swear I'll-”

“It's fine.” He cuts her off. Better to finish his thoughts before she was too upset to hear him. “She asked me about our group talks every night and then we sorta argued about Boy Jerry.”

“She argued with you? That-”

“It's not like that. She just kept trying to say he just cares about everyone, which is a fucking lie.”

“Fuck, Pete.” Steph runs a hand through her hair. “What's her problem, arguing with a teenager when she's like what? 30? And waiting til you were alone to do it? I can't believe her.”

“It's fine. We kinda agreed to disagree in the end.”

“Agreed to disagree? Seriously? She picked a fight with you and she wants to agree to disagree?”

“Technically I think I picked the fight. I just kinda snapped.”

“Well she shouldn't have continued it. She's older, she's a counselor, not to mention you're pregnant and probably hormonal.”

“That's not even what's bothering me.” Pete sighs. “It's her whole… demeanor? I guess. One minute she's this ever chipper counselor and then she'll look at me and will almost cry. I don't get it.”

“Maybe she's just horrified to see a pregnant teen.” Steph jokes.

“Maybe.” Pete sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “It's just… Boy Jerry is a total dick, but at least I know where I stand with him. I never know what I'm getting with her.”

“Hey,” Steph says, lifting his chin so he's looking her in the eye, “you've got enough to worry about without adding in the problems of a random camp counselor. Just focus on you okay?”

Pete nods. “Yeah, you're right. It's not worth it.”

“It's not.” Steph agrees. Then she adds. “But if you want me to deal with her for arguing with you I will.”

“It's fine Steph. I'm over the fight already. Everything is going good right now, let's not push it.”

She eventually nods but, judging by her white knuckled grin on her shorts, Pete can tell she's still pissed. “You're right. It's not worth jeopardizing the wedding.”

“It's not.” Pete smiles at that. The pair sit there for a moment, content to enjoy the silence and each other's company.

“Speaking of weddings,” Steph says after a minute or two. She leans over and pushes the long forgotten package towards him. “There should be a letter from Ted in here.”

“Right. Hopefully he took the news well.” Pete nods as he struggles to open the package. Stupid camp and their stupid lack of scissors. Honestly, how did they expect anyone to cut through packing tape without scissors? The least they could do is open the tape ahead of time. Then again, Pete didn't trust the Jerries not to snoop through the mail, so maybe it was a blessing that it was still shut.

“How did your Dad react?” He asks as he struggles to peel the tape.

Steph shrugs. “About as expected. ‘I'll support the marriage since having a baby out of wedlock won't be good press but this changes nothing: you are still my daughter and I still expect you to act in a manner benefiting the mayor's daughter. Do not let this damage my campaign.’” She says in a bad imitation of Solomon's voice.

Pete laughs as he finally tears the last piece of tape off. “Sounds like your dad alright.”

“Tell me about it. I swear I think he forgot that children have their own personalities when he adopted me.”

Pete doesn't respond, too busy opening his own care package to do. Inside is a variety of items: clothes, candy, and bottle of lotion, but Pete ignores all of it for the yellow CRRP branded envelope. He snorts. Just like Ted to steal stationery from work rather than buy it himself. Without hesitation, he opens the letter and reads it aloud.

Pete

Paul says I should write a list of what's in the care package for you. Personally, I think it's a dumb idea, you can clearly see what I sent but this gets him off my back. There's some bigger clothes for you, a couple of new maternity bras (don't blame me if they don't fit it was already awkward trying to buy bras for my LITTLE BROTHER), some chocolate bars, a couple of your comic books, and a bottle of vitamin E lotion (Emma says it'll help with stretch marks).

I'm glad you and the baby are both okay. I was ready to wring Jerry's stupid neck with his own cross when he said I wasn't allowed to call you. He's still as much of a chode as he was when we were teenagers, I see. If you ever want to give him hell, just ask why he never pursued his rap career further. Or don't. He'll probably make you kneel on rice or something.

I heard they placed you in one of solitary cabin for privacy. Just like your brother. I spent the whole summer you were born in that room. If you look hard enough you'll probably find some of my old porn.

I got the wedding invitation from Grace. Almost had a heart attack when I opened it. I'd say next time warn me before you get engaged, but I'm guessing you don't want there to be a next time. I'll let you off the hook though since you technically tried to warn me. I bet Jerry almost had a stroke when he realized you getting married would mean you two could share a cabin. Would have fucking loved to see that.

Everyone back home misses you. Ruth and Max stop by all the time. Hell even Emma misses you. Apparently I've become her new least favorite customer now that you're gone so thanks for that. Think I'm getting extra spit in my chai now, not that I'm complaining.

Can't wait to see you for parents weekend. You better let me walk you down the aisle you little shit. And if you want to leave early just demand to call home. I'll come pick you up.

See you soon

Ted

PS Warning: Grandma Lorie is coming to the wedding. No, I couldn't stop her. Be prepared.

A/N: Next time, on Hail Petey, Full of Grace... will Ted punch Boy Jerry in the mouth, what is going on with Girl Jeri, and who is Grandma Lorie? Tune in next chapter to find out!

Seriously though, I hope you enjoyed this! I had way too much fun writing this chapter. Special shout out to my coauthors Pizza and Spoons for keeping me sane when I realized I hated the original draft and scrapped it. And shoutout to loveluck's hatchetfield server, without it this au wouldn't exist.

Taglist:

@daisyybellls

@iamnotyoshi

@lady-loveluck

@forever-forgotten-angel

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adamsvanrhijn · 7 months ago

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HATE the "hey you are mildly nerdy about [subject] therefore i think you have autism" thing this webbed site has going on. Over 60% of autistic people are non-communicable. Of those who are capable of communicating - and therefore of running a fandom blog - over 30% read below their grade level. "Autism = nerdy superpowers" is such an ableist and unrealistic portrayal of autism it's actually offensive. I'd love to know how many people on here actually have an irl autism diagnosis (not Aspergers - the damage done to autistic people by combining the two and therefore centering far less disabled people as the face/voice of autism cannot be exaggerated) and how many are just playing into gross ableist stereotypes.

I hear what you're saying! When discussing autism there is definitely a very clear bias in the general fandom-y nerdy user bases of Tumblr + Tiktok + Twitter toward people who can communicate with spoken & written language, and the prevalence/prominence of those ideas has altered the way people perceive autism in a way that can reposition an already vulnerable demographic of disabled people for whom resources are already very scarce.

I will say though I don't think the autism spectrum disorder designation including people of various communication abilities and developmental delays inherently centers people who communicate at average or above average levels. Like, Asperger's is not diagnosed anymore in part because the symptom cluster was not wholly unique from autism & the people making the distinction thought that it was not useful for diagnostics and care. At least to my memory what we are seeing online right now is very recent within the last like 2-4 years and seems a lot more Prevalent online than in real life?

Part of why I feel like it's more of an issue online is that where I've lived, resources as well as general understanding of autism seems to be centering people who cannot communicate and their families and caregivers which is how it has been since I was growing up. But I live in the middle of nowhere and that might not be true other places.

I think the fact that the clinical distinction is no longer made combined with how people who right now are nerdy tweens and teens lost 1-2 years of normal social development and school attendance is probably a huge factor, and this might not be a long term issue the further we move away from the impact of covid.

On a personal note—

I also think that due to the nature of how online communities work, we don't have a view into how people with above average communication skills might be affected by symptoms of autism offline, and that some of that might be intentional in that people don't want to bring those experiences into online spaces. People like to control the image they have online, you know??

I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in 2016 as a young adult by a clinical psychologist after a childhood ADHD diagnosis, and my also double diagnosed brother has significantly more noticeable symptoms than I do including communication delays that I never had (I got the "little professor" moniker). I'm not sure what his first diagnosis was but we are both higher functioning/lower support needs while also in our youth being objectively disabled in a way that relates to autism symptoms. I didn't have support growing up and once I was in middle school I failed every semester until I dropped out of high school (this was also due to homophobic bullying) and he was on an individualized education plan for all of his school years.

I think a lot of people find solace in what their autism symptoms make easier, more engaging, or fun for them and want to focus on that and talk about that rather than all of the things that are difficult for them—and I bet this is especially true with younger people who might be more defensive in general and very, very conscious of how they are perceived offline. "Nerdy superpowers" online might be "can't physically go into the grocery store because the fluorescent lights are too bright" and "only talks out loud to 4 people and is ostracized in school & social spaces" offline.

#i will probably delete this later tbh!

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primamchorus · 3 months ago

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laying down thinking of my xv: reimagined characters and headcanons... mostly been thinking about who would be the most compatible with one another based on certain tasks or combat ability. also pairing names that are for me more than anything. some pairing names are just placeholders till i come up with something better.

long post warning. like, actually, you will be scrolling for a while if you click 'keep reading'. literally 'do you love the color of the sky' levels.

if you do click 'keep reading', uh... i hope you enjoy my xv: reimagined character rambling???

gladiolus + iris :: floral aegis (-siblings)

ideal pair for the maximum amount of defence to protect others. iris' shielding magic along with gladio's sheer physical tankiness and physical capability make them a veritable force to contend with when it comes to protecting the others or even each other. unfortunately, gladio tends to be a bit overprotective over iris and tends to prevent her from being able to act upon her own defensive capabilities.

gladiolus + primam :: unbreakable ice

noctis' strongest physical shield and his strongest offensive mage. primam's ability to infuse weaponry and shields with magical energy lends itself well to gladiolus' abilities with his aegis and greatsword. gladiolus also can bolster primam's defences to keep her safe while she charges powerful spells to unleash.

gladiolus + tandem :: sword and shield

noctis' strongest physical shield and his strongest physical attacker. gladio and tandem are quite literally noctis' proverbial sword and shield. gladio and tandem bounce well off of one another after years of training, able to utilize one another as an extension of each other. the one thing that probably holds them back at times is their competitive nature with one another -- if it means anything, if it's serious enough, they can at least pack away their petty competition to focus on what's important.

gladiolus + cor :: the immortal

as the only two who have fought gilgamesh and live to tell the tale, cor and gladio make for quite the surprising offensive duo after their shared experiences. with gladio's unshakable defenses to cover for cor's speed and attack, the two are quite capable in turning the tide of battle in their favor.

gladiolus + ignis :: refined palate

hand and shield, and both formidable in their own right. with ignis' ability to quickly analyze enemies at a glance with some additional aid from a scan spell, ignis can inform gladio about any attacks to watch out for before they press the attack. with ignis' agility and ability to easily swap between elemental influences, he can make incredible use of any cover gladio can provide to change his approach.

gladiolus + mollis :: dream catcher

not a great combo, all things considered. with mollis' penchant for being high up and out of the way, gladio has nothing to work off of. though he can appreciate the cover mollis provides, neither of them necessarily benefit off of one another unless it's for trading information, and even then, mollie's geographical information will almost always be better with her viewing things from above.

gladiolus :: ros :: steelheart

combat-wise, the two are not suited for one another. however, when it comes to protection, gladio is quick to cover for ros should he be within the vicinity. keeping ros protected is one of the shields' priorities after the king himself, especially as house viridis are the crown healers. in return, ros is able to use his curative and restorative spells with ease.

gladiolus + aestus :: hot iron

aestus is a tactical thinker and gladiolus generally attempts to make those thoughts and plans count with his defensive and offensive prowess. generally, aestus has some pretty powerful supportive and debilitating spells in his arsenal to make combat flow easier in his favor, also allowing gladiolus to make use of the time given to him to really do some serious damage.

gladiolus + vera :: true guard

much like her elder brother, vera is a tactical thinker...and she really does her best to live up to her brother's example. she has less of a mind for the tactics needed in combat, but she has strong bolstering spells like tranquil, leap, brave, and faith. vera is often disposed to bolstering gladio with a brave spell, increasing his defensive capabilities.

gladiolus + lyra :: lyre's veil

unfortunately for gladio, lyra doesn't seem to have a lot of willpower to actually join in for combat, making nearly any pairing with lyra a bit of a hurdle in and of itself. whenever the two are actually locked in, however, lyra's abilities with a lance more than make up for gladio's defensive capabilities. where gladio can rush in with a shielded charge, lyra can make an overhead or even a low attack with her lance. however, these two hardly ever see proper combat outside of training, making their team up capabilities much to be desired.

gladiolus + nebula :: clouded judgment

nebula is still very young compared to the rest of those born and raised within noctis' era. though she shows great promise with the daggers and kukris that she has been training with, gladio treats nebula much like he would treat his own younger sister: a little bit overbearing. this unfortunately leads to nebula not being able to make the most of her own abilities unless she uses her invisibility spell to take advantage of any openings.

gladiolus + prompto :: bullet casings

given that prompto had a late start to being trained as a crownsguard in service to noctis, there are a lot of frustrations that rise up in gladio when it comes to having to cover for prompto. a lot of the time, gladio wants prompto to get his head out of his ass and pay attention to everything that's actually happening around them. however, some of the combat scenarios are nothing like what prompto experienced back at the citadel under mollis and cor's tutelage, making him buckle under pressure at times, necessitating gladio's protection.

gladiolus + noctis :: king's shield

one of noctis' sparring partners and teachers, gladiolus is aware of most of noctis' weaknesses when it comes to the field of combat. he is suited for covering noctis' blind spots as well as being one of the more ideal partners for a link strike after noctis warps into combat. unfortunately, there are still some past grievances that sometimes rear their ugly heads on gladio's side of things when it comes to noctis and his perception of what a king should be that tends to get in the way of things.

gladiolus + lunafreya :: bound by duty

with neither of them really knowing one another well, lunafreya and gladiolus' team up capabilities leave a bit to be desired. what gladio knows is that he is not only noctis' shield, but lunafreya's as well. with a bit of an overprotective nature that hurdles him, gladio unwittingly gets in the way of lunafreya and her own capabilities, leading lunafreya to believe that he doesn't believe in her at times.

iris + primam :: moogle magic

primam often tutored iris in the ways of honing defensive magic, making iris a more magic-based shield of the king should gladiolus not be able to see to his duties. primam cares about iris as she does tandem -- like a sibling. with iris' strong shell and protect spells, bolstering primam with either allows her to unleash an offensive with her blizzard spells.

iris + tandem :: pom strike

mostly because of gladio, tandem and iris were never much sparring partners, so most of what tandem knows is based off of what his sister, primam, told or showed him. also because of gladio, tandem tends to cover and keep iris out of harm's way as much as he can. iris has surprised tandem on occasion, however, taking advantage of his pressing an attack to come in for a finisher.

iris + cor :: pom guard

admittedly, there are rarely, if any, chances for iris and cor to see battle together. the two get along well enough, and iris sees cor as a respectable and valiant figure. she has seen cor train and prep gladio in the past, but she has never really had the honor of being his student.

iris + ignis :: a la carte

two of the more avid cooks within the noble families, iris often consults ignis for her own culinary pursuits a lot of the time, hoping to elevate her dishes as much as he does. in the art of combat, however, ignis seems to allow iris her time to shine more times than not, recognizing her defensive prowess. much like he to gladio, ignis will hold back for a moment while the younger shield takes center stage for a time that allows him to gather himself to prepare a decisive blow -- either with a critical strike, or an elemancy charged one.

iris + mollis :: friends on high

despite -- or perhaps because of -- iris and nebula being close friends, mollis is actually the one that startles iris the most with her sudden appearances. however, because of iris' magical inclination for defensive spells, iris can actually cover mollis from a distance should there be any unwanted attention thrown mollis' way. with shell and protect spells closing the distance to wrap around mollie, mollis can continued ranged support in safety.

iris + ros :: pom cure

perhaps the best defensive and healer pairing when it comes to combat. with high magical immunity shared between the two of them, iris need only cover themselves with a protect spell for incoming physical attacks as ros takes the time to use curative or restorative spells to aid those he's with should they need it.

iris + aestus :: ???

iris was too young to really get to know aestus. all she really knows about him are some stories from her older brother. otherwise, he left lucis to see to his role in niflheim when she was young and never got the chance to actually know him that well compared to the other nobles.

iris + vera :: postmoogle

there is no real combat potential between these two as partners at the moment that i've considered or written. yet.

currently, vera and iris would know each other relatively well within the halls of the citadel, but vera never really makes a habit of sticking around. truthfully, vera's not really actually that impressive outside of her supportive spells, and she tends to overcompensate for it. it probably would make her perform even worse if she compared herself to how well iris seems to be able to do things.

iris + lyra :: dozy mog

lyra doesn't tend to make an effort to really put herself in harm's way in a real combat situation. that said, lyra does have a little bit of a soft spot for iris like she does her own little sister, nebula. more like than not, however, these two would not see combat together. if they did, lyra would likely keep iris behind her for as long as she could manage...which isn't long considering that lyra's lack of desire to train or keep herself sharp means a diminished performance rate.

iris + nebula :: friends in the fog

the designated baby sisters of the nobles within noctis' era. both iris and nebula are fond and fast friends, and nebula tends to stick close to iris simply due to the fact that nebula thinks that iris doesn't do well geographically. combat-wise, there's little for the two to play off of for one another, but nebula's impeccable stealth skills and mastery over invisibility spells keeps both herself and iris safe, not to mention her penchant for finding nooks and crannies to hide in away from others lends itself well to finding a myriad of secrets and shortcuts for the two of them to use.

iris + prompto :: rainbow sparks

iris thinks prompto's a lot of fun and a breath of fresh air whenever he's at the citadel. in combat, iris has been happy enough to throw her moogle plush out to expand her protect and shell spells into a wider radius. this does actually allow prompto some better time and opportunity to set up his bioblaster, gravity well, or chainsaw within the safety of the protective bubbles.

iris + noctis :: mog knight

whether it's because iris has a crush on noctis, or because she takes her own training as a potential shield of the king seriously, iris looks out for noctis just as much, if not more, than gladio does. surprisingly, iris can pair well with noctis' link strikes, bringing down a devastating mog strike upon their enemies after noctis has caught the enemy unawares.

iris + lunafreya :: moon halo

while there was certainly jealousy at first -- especially considering that lunafreya has the perceived fairy tale story that iris wishes she had -- iris has quickly set aside whatever differences or jealousy she had after the dangers and perils that have followed noctis since the fall of insomnia. with lunafreya's skill with a lance, iris can and will bolster lunafreya's defenses as appropriately as possible.

primam + tandem :: bear them like coeurls

the dual arms of the king, primam and tandem are a powerful combo when it comes to pressing an offensive at each others' sides. they were born together, they grew up together, they know how one another thinks the best out of everyone else. with tandem's penchant for weaponry and even having forged his and his sister's own, their weapons are made with elemancy and elemental enhancement in mind. where tandem can press a physical offensive, primam can follow up with her magical offensive, both hitting their enemies where their physical or magical weaknesses lie.

primam + cor :: flint and steel

primam can hardly keep up with cor a lot of the time, knowing that his incredible speed makes it so that she would have to keep up with him if she ever planned to cover for him at all. fighting alongside cor is the first time that primam ever really used her thunder spells, as they were the only spells fast enough to keep pace with him to act as any finishers to enemies he has struck and weakened.

primam + ignis :: crème brûlée

both gifted in the art of elemancy, both primam and ignis are a black mage crownsguard duo that are best not to be trifled with. where primam can control the elements at her fingertips, ignis is quite capable at enhancing himself with elemental energy to alter his attack patterns and skills. it is a skill primam finds herself somewhat envious of, but she makes the most of it because she and ignis can actually share in their elemental magics to bolster one another for devastating spells. it does drain both of them at an equal rate, however.

primam + mollis :: ties that bind

relatively decent friends within the noble families, primam and mollis have an interesting way of tag teaming. with a combination of communication, stop, and slow spells, mollis will take advantage of primam being within her line of sight and call for her aid to supercharge her bullets while they're being fired. this...doesn't always have the desired result, as it's honestly still something done in practice than it is actually mastered. but if primam and mollis can pull it off, then mollis' elementally imbued bullets can cause quite the area of effect on impact.

primam + ros :: greenword

though primam is more aligned with the art of black magic, and ros more aligned with the art of white magic, they can bounce spells off of one another decently enough. much like ignis and primam, primam and ros can share their magical prowess, lending their magic to charge the other if needed. otherwise, primam tends to prioritize ros' safety after noctis', using her grasp on protect and shell spells to deflect any incoming attacks aimed at ros.

primam + aestus :: heated coals

technically, there is no combat maneuvers that have been actually put into action between aestus and primam as of yet. otherwise, aestus favors more close and personal combat maneuvers versus primam tending to keep her distance away from her enemies. aestus would probably make primam hesitant to attack since he would be within direct line of fire, and his magical resistance isn't as high as some of the others.

primam + vera :: mascara raid

both primam and vera tend to recognize that they both do a lot of work and feel the weight of expectation on themselves. due to vera's high magical immunity that has been observed, however, primam feels a bit more comfortable being a little more reckless with her magic when vera is in combat alongside her.

primam + lyra :: same song and dance

those who were once very good friends, and now it's like a switch has been flipped. lyra has a disdain for primam, and she makes this somewhat clear with the way that she tends to target primam for ill-natured ribbing. often clashing and butting heads against one another, lyra seems more intent on getting in primam's way and making her spells be redirected more than actually aiding and assisting in the flow of combat.

primam + nebula :: lantern light

as one who is enamored with magic and its uses, nebula looks up to primam and often shadows her, attempting to learn how primam wields magic for use in combat or to aid others. primam has often been aware that nebula follows after her, though nebula is a bit too shy to really approach her directly given lyra's grievances with primam. they have no defined combat style at this time.

primam + prompto :: quicksilver dancers

school friends and generally pretty perceptive to one another, primam had quickly picked up on prompto's penchant for his impeccable aim stemming from not just his quick reflexes in playing video games, but also his photography skills. prompto's being wet behind the ears when it comes to combat, however, makes primam more susceptible to covering for him and putting herself in harm's way to keep him protected. likewise, prompto tends to focus enemies that might have primam cornered or focused to keep her out of harm's way, more based on her emotional sensitivity.

prompto being in danger or being hurt is the one thing that can make primam's emotional state bring in a harsh cold snap more severe than the first time she's ever done it.

primam + noctis :: winter night

sworn to serve noctis as arm of the king, primam is stalwart in her obligation to her duty. she views noctis like a brother to her, and having been one of two nobles assigned to accompany him nearly everywhere, primam is almost as aware of noctis' habits as she is tandem's. contrasting against her usual fare, link striking with noctis is an opportunity for primam to summon her elementally charged mace and bring down a mighty elemental blow to the enemy.

primam + lunafreya :: blue winter

tandem + cor :: fang and claw

there are some competitive tendencies that seem to take hold of tandem whenever he's in cor's presence -- as if he's trying to prove himself in some capacity. either cor doesn't notice this, or he simply ignores it in lieu of what's in front of him -- what's more important within the moment. so long as tandem is acting accordingly, then there's no reason to create more distractions. with gale wind speed and strikes coupled with tandem's strength-based or elementally charged weapon attacks, the two can be a devastating combo when on the same page.

tandem + ignis :: orange marmalade

ignis' tactical mind and grasp on the libra spell makes his call outs a boon for tandem to be able to strike fast and true to whatever weaknesses ignis manages to find on the fly. though the two aren't always seeing eye to eye in recent times simply due to how their personalities have branched out, tandem does try his best not to be a hindrance to ignis, knowing that ignis has only ever wanted the best for the nobles around him for noctis' sake.

tandem + mollis :: catnip

an odd pair, but one with some history. tandem and mollie appear to be friendly enough, and one would think that their preferred fighting styles wouldn't complement each other that well. both have high critical attacks, and when mollis can link strike with tandem, it definitely involves a high speed entry from mollis with her melee weapon to drive a devastating piercing attack with tandem following up with a crushing blow.

tandem + ros :: bed of thorns

tandem would prefer not fighting alongside ros if he can avoid it. the two don't really complement each other well, and ros would rather hang back and cast spells versus enter into the fray. even if ros has melee capabilities since all crownsguard must be trained in such fashion, ros is still one of the weakest martial fighters within noctis' royal council. while tandem is no stranger to spells thanks to his twin sister, and ignis, ros' spell mastery doesn't press an offensive. thankfully, there are some bolstering spells that ros can throw tandem's way, but otherwise, they need to stay out of each other's way.

tandem + aestus :: thousand degrees

though there are no real cases of tandem and aestus seeing combat together, there is a worry that tandem would more get in aestus' way. aestus also has very little confidence in being able to pair well with tandem when it comes to their combat prowess. he knows tandem is stronger than him, certainly, but tandem's headstrong nature clashes with aestus' want to think things more tactically. of course, should aestus be aware of tandem's rather ideal fighting methods alongside ignis, this would quell some of his hesitation.

tandem + vera :: surestrike

vera really only has a small subset of spells to use at her disposal, but these spells are a boon to tandem's fighting prowess. like ros, however, vera is not terribly suited for close quarters combat, and tends to use firearms while keeping her bolstering spells at the ready. vera can keep tandem covered well enough, but she needs protection and to be kept out of harm's way if she happens to gain the attention of enemies.

tandem + lyra :: singing steel

another not ideal pairing. tandem already gets kind of frustrated with lyra in recent years due to her blasé treatment of training. likewise, lyra already clashes with primam, it's not a far stretch for her to clash with tandem as well. the only difference between the two is that tandem is willing to bite back at lyra with equally or more venom than she starts with.

tandem + nebula :: dancer in the dark

not super ideal if only because nebula isn't as seasoned a fighter as many of the other nobles. she can hold her own, but she's more of a hindrance than a boon. tandem is aware of her stealth capabilities, and if she is to help with anything at all, tandem would prefer she run off to hide, or bring others to safety with her skills.

tandem + prompto :: off limits

school friends and on pretty good terms with one another, tandem views prompto as wet behind the ears, but with great potential. especially given that prompto is mollis and cor's student, meaning he's gotten some of the best hand to hand basics in training, and has the best marksmanship trainer to make the most of his capabilities. in combat, the two are alright -- nowhere near being on the same level as either tandem and primam, or prompto and primam, however. tandem generally tends to prioritize prompto's involvement knowing his sister's affection for him.

tandem + noctis :: summer eve

the other part of noctis' dual arms of the king, tandem's martial prowess far surpasses his sister's own, and tandem can easily make the most of noctis' combat ability while weaving in his own. throw gladio into the mix, and you have a trio of powerhouses that can physically obliterate their opposition with decent enough coordination.

tandem + lunafreya :: summer at twilight

cor + ignis :: sharpened knives

level headed and able to see the bigger picture, both cor and ignis' ability to scan their surroundings and enemies make them an analytical force that can make more precise strikes to their foes. their trade of information is also a valuable exchange that aids in one another's tasks at hand.

cor + mollis :: predatory gaze

mollis is a surprisingly good tactician on the battlefield, and is cor's right hand after the fall of insomnia. mollis follows along after cor willingly, aiding and keeping them both informed of the niflheim movements within the lands of lucis. they both believe that what they are doing is for the best in regards to noctis, and more so for lucis as a whole. mollis believes in cor's vision, believing him to know what true beauty is when it comes to preserving their kingdom. it also helps that cor was mollis' teacher beforehand, and now that she has mastered her own capabilities, the two of them are generally on the same page on how to help each other and capitalize on their strengths and weaknesses.

cor + ros :: lionheart

cor was probably one of the other ones outside of lyra that reached out to ros in order to make sure that everything was going alright for him. cor is aware that there is a lot of grief in ros' mind and heart, and he does his best to kind of keep that in mind while also keeping his mind on the larger picture. knowing that there is a lot of weight on ros' shoulders, cor does his best not to burden him further overmuch, but at the same time, he does his best to kind of push ros in the right direction to getting himself picked back up on his feet. especially if ros is determined as he says he is to being noctis' heart of the king.

cor + aestus :: heartbeat

aestus may have a number of the current noble children that look up to him, but aestus looks up to cor. having trained with cor's guidance in the past, aestus has a number of skills and things he remembers from cor's tutelage that he has refined and expanded upon. combat-wise, the two tend to run off and do their own thing, but they're decent enough when paired together, covering for each other where needed.

cor + vera :: assured courage

cor treats vera more like a secretary, and has reservations about seeing her in the midst of combat. it is unfortunate for vera, as she often wants to show that she is capable, but there are a lot of things that she simply isn't good at. cor would rather have vera play to her strengths out of the way versus joining him in the fray. unfortunately, this is something that tends to make vera feel inadequate.

cor + lyra :: lion song

there is an interesting thing that happens where cor is able to coax out the best in lyra when it comes to combat should the two of them see it together. cor is probably one of the first people to see how capable lyra really is, and finds himself a little frustrated at how she squanders her potential and clear grasp of skill. however, so long as lyra is acting as she should in combat alongside him, he does his best to give her positive reinforcement, having picked up on her more self-deprecating nature.

cor + nebula :: ???

nebula is too young to really have gotten the chance to train with cor, let alone meet him too many times outside of formal parties and gatherings at the citadel.

cor + prompto :: silver bullets

having helped to train prompto in preparation for the trip to altissia, cor worries a bit for prompto's capability overall. he does his best not to, especially given how surprisingly quickly prompto picked up on self-defense tactics as well as his penchant for marksmanship. similarly to other match ups, however, cor does see how green prompto can end up seeming in actual combat, necessitating some aid and assistance so he doesn't get hurt too badly.

cor + noctis :: measure twice, cut once

from regis to noctis, cor pledges his service to the crown ever strongly in what way that he can. he has seen noctis from the days of his infancy and into growing into the man he is now. having traveled alongside regis and seen the lands of lucis firsthand, the land is his home, and noctis is his duty. cor more than makes up for any of noctis' shortcomings from having the lingering effects of the scourge still within his body, and noctis tends to view cor highly and respectfully as someone who has been at his father's side for as long as he can remember.

cor + lunafreya :: dancing blossoms

ignis + mollis :: tiramisu

both coffee aficionados, mollis and ignis get along well enough outside of combat. within combat, ignis' libra coupled with mollie's high perception in her equally high locations makes them an incredible informational boon to those fighting alongside them. where mollis can quickly ascertain the lay of the land and how enemies are moving from above, ignis can pinpoint enemy weaknesses and openings to take advantage of, making the two of them some of the deadliest shot callers should others heed their advice.

ignis + ros :: wilting flowers

both weighted with incredible responsibility and little way to really learn from the people around them, ignis tends to take some consideration in facilitating ros' preparations to being heart of the king while also seeing to his duties as hand of the king. where ignis has followed the guidance and instruction of his uncle silex, ros does not seem to do the same with his uncle arbor. ignis attempts to frame things in better ways for ros, but ultimately, ros keeps ignis at arm's length at best, seeing what he's trying to do.

ignis + aestus :: white hot fire

having taken from aestus' example in the past already, ignis does hold aestus in high regard when it comes to aestus' tactical skill and ability. when applying it to combat or even covert operations. ignis is adaptable in that regard, able to follow aestus' lead in a situation, seeing as most instances where they would see to a task, it likely would be within aestus' wheelhouse more than that of the altissian traveling party.

ignis + vera :: zero secrets

relatively close friends within the citadel, ignis and vera have seen a lot of each other and attended many of the same meetings to ensure they are aware of the political climate of lucis and other nations. the two of them share a number of different pieces of information; where vera can supply ignis with information collected by various members of house vox, ignis typically keeps vera apprised of noctis' status and progress. in combat, ignis appreciates vera's cover fire, though typically doesn't need it too often.

ignis + lyra :: distant letters

there was once a time when it felt like ignis and lyra were decent friends, but the distance that only grew between the two as they grew older created a rather sizable rift. ignis attempts to reach out, but lyra closes him off a lot of the time. in combat, lyra and ignis are more suited as dual pole arm combatants than as elemancy and melee fighters.

ignis + nebula :: springtime sorbet

since ignis has spent so much time around vera and lyra, nebula is another one of the vox siblings that ignis is actually relatively close to. he looks after her like an older brother, and tends to show her his new sweets that he's baked as a test run to give to the others. after all, if nebula's sweet tooth is sated, it hopefully will he good for the others.

similarly to other nebula pairings, ignis would rather not have nebula enter combat. she's not a martial prodigy like cor was at thirteen, and so ignis is more at ease when nebula is out of harm's way.

ignis + prompto :: balanced diet

certainly a lot more prone to looking out for prompto, ignis does his best to keep the prince's best friend out of harm's way and add onto the strengths presented. thankfully able to play off of one another's strengths in analyzing and lining up a shot, both ignis and prompto can make for a critically adept pair when it seems like prompto isn't being threatened by anything else and shaking his focus.

ignis + noctis :: oyakodon

sometimes a bit of a hindrance than a help, ignis tends to put himself in harm's way more often than not when it concerns noctis. though they are both capable, ignis stands firm in the desire to protect noctis through and through. while he might not be the shield that gladio is, he is still ever dependable and values noctis' life more than his own.

ignis + lunafreya :: ring bearers

two sides of the same coin in a way, both lunafreya and ignis are able to click together like pieces of a puzzle. both are willing to go through great lengths in order to see noctis is protected and well on his way to becoming the proper king to lucis -- to fulfill his destiny. when push comes to shove, both are willing to bear their all, and as practitioners in the art of the lance as well as maintaining their own magical prowess, both of them make excellent spear masters to keep melee enemies at more than arm's length away.

mollis + ros :: blinded hearts

ros has envy over mollis and what she has among the noble families, sometimes making it very hard for him to relate to her or reach out to her. though they get along well enough -- mostly because everyone seems to get along with mollis -- their combat abilities together leave a lot to be desired. ideally, ros would keep to higher ground alongside mollis in order to take advantage of her sniper nesting, but also staying far enough out of the way would allow him to get a better idea of things going on down below to offer support when the time comes.

mollis + aestus :: heated bullets

aside from her own father, aestus was one of the other mentors that mollis had when she was undergoing her marksmanship training. though it was not marksmanship that aestus taught mollis, it was instead the art of being hidden. while mollis' magical capabilities are far less than some of the other nobles, leaning certain spells to cloak her appearance will always be appreciated. both mollis and aestus are decent at staying out of the way, but mollis more so as she would rather not find herself in the midst of close range combat.

mollis + vera :: smoking barrel

if there's one thing that vera is most certainly good at besides her range of supportive spells, it's her own gunmanship. though she is no eyes of the king, vera can certainly hold her own to provide cover fire alongside mollis. information-wise, mollis and vera are quite decent at trading valuable information, and can keep each other well enough updated on happenings, allowing them to hopefully stay ahead of their enemies or those that threaten lucis.

mollis + lyra :: bullet rain

over the years, lyra has become a bit of a handful for the other nobles...including mollis, who seems to have the most tolerance and love to give to the nobles as a whole. however, mollis persists, and does her best to keep her heart and mind open to lyra, even with as much as lyra might try pushing her away. it is perhaps because of this, however, that lyra will put herself out there for mollis' sake, even if she might admonish mollis for necessitating her interferrance in the first place. still, mollis does her best to offer positive reinforcement where she can.

mollis + nebula :: early birds

mollis always seemed to run into nebula in the mornings at the citadel...and while it seemed like pax or her other siblings were not part of her morning routine, mollis often ended up looking after nebula a lot of the time. at least until nebula disappeared for the rest of the day. mollis, as many of the other nobles of their generation, frets over nebula, though that fretting has slowly turned into reassurance that nebula seems to know how to stay safe and out of the way for the most part.

mollis + prompto :: we never miss

mentor and student, mollis was in charge of training prompto for his marksmanship while her father, ater, was overseeing the glaive along with the other members of the lucian royal council to ensure that they were being trained to protect the wall. in the months that they spent training alongside one another, mollis has picked up on prompto's habits as well as his impeccable aiming skills. all that was left was to make him used to the kick of certain firearms...of which he surprisingly did well with. this, at the time unknown to them, was due to prompto's past that was designed to make him nothing more than a weapon that made him quick to adapt.

mollis + noctis :: seasonal beauty

mollis has it ingrained into her that preserving noctis' life is to preserve the beauty of lucis -- to grow a more beautiful lucis. she is loyal to noctis, and she believes in him wholly. to that end, mollis will enter melee combat far more willingly if noctis is in the fray, more than happy to aid his link strikes with high velocity entrances to strike down their foes.

mollis + lunafreya :: flower petals

it would be a lie to say that mollis didn't look at lunafreya once they met for real and feel her heart soar at her beauty. a drive was instigated into mollis when she saw how motivated and driven lunafreya was herself. mollis does her best not to allow herself to get too distracted by lunafreya, instead focusing on the grander picture and design of everything else around them.

ros + aestus :: burning roses

truthfully, a lot of aestus and ros' interactions typically come from the fact that ros and lyra are close friends. aestus otherwise didn't see a lot of ros, and when they started seeing each other more, aestus was alraedy being trained and prepared to leave for gralea.

ros + vera :: truth of hearts

often having practiced magic together along with ignis at times, ros and vera are pretty aware of what they bring to the table. when it comes to martial combat prowess, it isn't much. both of them are better at a distance and out of the way versus being in the fray and handling things in melee.

ros + lyra :: soft garden songs

extremely close friends and the ones that can bring out the best in one another whether they realize it or not. their co-dependency is a burden and a boon to them both; it makes them fiercely loyal to one another, and will push them both to their limits should one or the other feel forced into it.

ros + nebula :: garden mist

admittedly, nebula tends to avoid ros more times than not, all things considered. nebula tends to follow those she finds interesting around the citadel, and...unfortuantely, ros doesn't really fall into that category. ros does care about nebula, though...same as he does any of the members of the vox family. should nebula be around, ros tends to keep track of her as best he can. surprisingly, he's actually the best one who can find her where others can't. perhaps aside from lyra, that is.

ros + prompto :: broken hearts

if we're being honest, ros finds prompto's outgoing and extroverted personality exhausting. but...he does his best to tolerate it as best as he can... after all, the prince is in need of friends not of the noble ilk. unfortuantely, this exhaustion finds its way well into battle, especially when prompto shows that he's still in need of keeping himself grounded when things get serious, or catch him off guard.

ros + noctis :: ever beating hearts

ros is someone who hates the idea of destiny and fate, and this seems to lend itself well to noctis' destiny that has been laid out before him. ros is, in his own right, a powerful healer at noctis' side -- at his cousin's side. though ros may not be the strongest fighter that can aid that well within the midst of combat itself, he can give incredible healing and restoration, allowing noctis to fight through his own lethargic onset at times for a secondwind.

ros + lunafreya :: soothing life

ros and lunafreya are something of kindred spirits to one another. both were unable to have their parents or other relatives really teach them their roles, and thus had to learn through other means. in this sense, ros admires lunafreya and her tenacity -- her willpower to learn despite her conditions that should have made it nearly impossible for her to pursue as such. together, the two of them can be a powerful healing source -- lunafreya to cleanse the scourge, and ros to keep the victim stable as she does.

aestus + vera :: passing the torch

an ideal pair for espionage, that's for sure. both aestus and vera are quite talented at what they do, and both have the skills and training necessary to carry out their duties as need be. as it stands, you would not send these two out for anything that requires heavy combat, that's for sure. instead, you would send them out for reconaissance efforts and intel.

aeatus + lyra :: deer in wolf's clothing

aestus worries for lyra...in more ways than one. he wants to be the supportive older brother that she can turn to, but she doesn't feel like she can because she feels like no one in her family pays enough attention to her. this is made even worse once aestus departs for gralea to carry out his assignment.

aestus + nebula :: smoke and fog

the last time that nebula really got to see her older brother was when she was six. she has fond memories of aestus, yes...but she doesn't really know him that well. what she knows are stories from her elder sisters...and those stories do inspire her. all that nebula really has of her older brother is the dagger he left her...and even then, it was left within vera's care until nebula turned twelve.

aestus + prompto :: ???

aestus was already long gone into gralea before prompto could ever meet him.

aestus + noctis :: deafened ears

aestus did his best to be there for the crown when everything happened. aestus was twenty when noctis and his mother were attacked at cape caem. during the four remaining years, aestus doubled down and trained ever more diligently as a member of house vox and then departed for gralea, passing his mantle to vera so that he could protect noctis and the crown with the role he wished to adopt in their enemy nation's territory.

aestus + lunafreya :: caged birds

in the eight years that aestus has been in gralea, he has spent six of those years acting the part of one of niflheim's lap dogs all to ensure the safety of lunafreya -- a wish from regis. of course, stella and ravus were a part of that plea...but it was not to be. in the years that aestus has watched over lunafreya, he has offered her a presence of safety all while acting the part of the jailor and the prisoner. it is a meticulous dance they practice, and one that places aestus' life at risk should he ever be caught.

vera + lyra :: truth in song

vera tries to be the same type of older sibling aestus was, hoping that she can get lyra to open up to her or talk to her. after a lot of failed attempts, however, vera slowly stopped trying. his also reflects itself in their training and how it seems lyra acts in contempt for her own older sister at times. of course...there is still love there, strained as it may seem. should things get down to the wire, they can at least turn whatever family tension they have around...for the most part.

vera + nebula :: sweet sisters

vera and nebula probably seem like the closest of all the vox siblings, but vera also has taken the time to start training nebula in the ways of house vox more actively. after all, she and lyra got their training already, so she isn't as worried about lyra knowing what to do and how to do it. vera has been in the routine of teaching nebula how to use her dagger from aestus, and has also started teaching her how to use a sword. though, nebula is still far from ready for combat, vera urges nebula to run and hide while she takes care of any threats.

vera + prompto :: concealed documents

prompto isn't sure what to make of vera. as he puts it, 'one moment she's there, the next, she's gone -- as if she's never been there in the first place.' there does seem to be something that tugs at vera every time she sees prompto and interacts with him, but it's nothing that she makes evident. instead, she greets him with a smile and she simply remains as cordial as possible. combat-wise? they're okay...they both favor guns, but it's clear that prompto actually has a better aim and steadier arm than she does.

vera + noctis :: if the shoe fits

vera is noctis' ears of the king, and she does her best to take this role as seriously as possible. she fills in whenever ignis can't, and she tends to whatever ignis is too busy to. in a lot of ways, noctis views both vera and ignis in the same light: a bit too overbearing, and maybe a bit too convenient at times. at any rate, vera's not the best combatant, and certainly shouldn't be one of the ones at noctis' side should enemies be around.

vera + lunafreya :: ???

vera never really gets a chance to meet lunafreya. so far that i've planned out, at any rate.

lyra + nebula :: hidden whispers

there are many days and times where nebula simply passes by lyra's room or...whatever lyra finds herself doing at the time nebula finds her. as sisters, lyra's very emotionally distant from nebula -- at least as far as nebula seems to be able to perceive it. sometimes she thinks that lyra doesn't like her, which leads her to doing her own thing more times than not.

lyra + prompto :: peanut gallery

there is...quite a bit of resentment that lyra has for prompto, which is really unfortunate, because they share a lot of the same interests and pastimes. but the fact that lyra cannot seem to separate prompto's association with the prince and the future arms of the king makes her envy and rsd ever more apparent, and she would really rather not have to deal with being in his presence longer than necessary. even worse is how she recognizes primam's crush on prompto as well. on the other hand, prompto does his best to be as cheery as possible, even if lyra does seem to intimidate him a bit.

lyra + noctis :: a word in the ear

despite everything that revolves and rotates within lyra's head, she does feel some sense of obligation toward noctis. she may question it at times, but she will at least fight for the prince -- for the crown -- should she feel backed into a corner to do so. her composition alongside noctis isn't the best, but lyra is a surprisingly fast learner to everyone that knows her. she can read combat well enough and adjust where needed -- the only downside is that she gets tired very fast because she doesn't practice as much as the other nobles.

lyra + lunafreya :: ???

there hasn't been a moment planned for lyra and lunafreya to meet just yet and have any proper dynamic.

nebula + prompto :: pinky promise

truthfully, nebula finds prompto fascinating. she watches him at a distance whenever she follows after primam during her own self-made training. but the way he acts and carries himself is just so...different from how the noblesdo, as they are held to a certain standard. though nebula does nothing to go out and meet with prompto, she does sometimes leave little trinkets and notes for him and primam both as she remains in the safety of her ability to hide and stay hidden.

nebula + noctis :: night light

with noctis' time being taken up a lot of the time by either actual obligations he has, or trouble he ends up making for himself, he gets little time to really see nebula, similar to how he gets quite little time to actually see iris despite her being gladiolus' sister. nebula never really seems to quite mind this, as it turns out. she shifts a lot of her attnetion and focus onto other things. while she may know the duties and the expectations of the houses and their roles to the crown, nebula seems pretty content doing her own thing and having the freedom to do that.

nebula + lunafreya :: ???

nebula doesn't seem to have the time to meet with lunafreya just yet.

prompto + noctis :: silver stars

close friends in high school onward, noctis enjoys giving prompto some gentle ribbing every now and then, especially when it comes to combat so that the nerves don't rattle them both. they play off of one another tremendously, able to keep a lighthearted tone throughout the heat of combat for the most part. while prompto might have some difficulty every now and then, you can bet that noctis will be there to give him a helping hand and pick up the slack.

prompto + lunafreya :: dog lovers

lunafreya has been a figure shrouded in a number of mysteries to prompto. he feels obligated to her, though he's never really seen her for real, nor does she know what she's like outside of the brief things noctis has shared with him about her. meeting her for the first time was a real highlight for him, especially since he had kept an unspoken promise to her this entire time. within the throes of combat, the two aren't suited to complement each other well just yet...but give it some time.

noctis + lunafreya :: moonlight sylleblossoms

childhood friends and those who lived shared tragic experiences...noctis feels a bond with lunafreya that he feels only she can understand -- has the capability of understanding. though the two of them have never fought side by side, their bond has been kept strong enough through their method of contact for the years they have been apart. they are in tune to one another enough that syncing together only feels natural. plus, it perhaps helps that, as oracle, lunafreya can have inklings to little threads of the will of the astrals that grant her small glimpses of the future.

#rambles #ffxv: reimagined #extreme rambling #i'm not...tagging all the characters in this #almost scared to post this #but fuck it #we ball

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faerietaled · 1 year ago

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@milehighmechanic continued from here. he’s starting to like her in spite of himself. that’s annoying. but tony does roll his eyes as she continues to insist that she works for SHIELD, psychic paper and british uniform be damned. she really could give cap a run for his money with that kind of stubbornness. “i’d like to point out that i’m not particularly fond of SHIELD right now, since they tried to nuke my city, so it’s really not as strong an argument as you think.” if he thought she was SHIELD, she’d already be kicked out onto the street, is what he’s saying. she brings up a good point though. “yeah, yeah, i know. UNIT usually clean everything up far more effectively. you’re right, what’s the difference between the chitauri over new york and the daleks that were over london a couple years ago?” ( the difference is that daleks are fifty, a hundred, a THOUSAND times worse than a bunch of chitauri. how they were defeated he has no idea but—– they still haunt every nightmare he has. ) “if i had to hypothesise—— the tesseract. SHIELD’s possession of the tesseract is what caused this incursion, and because SHIELD personnel were so closely involved, UNIT had no way of sweeping in and taking over. and then fury got us superheroes involved, and well. we’re hard to disguise.” he shrugs, spreads his hands wide.“but that’s just my hypothesis. what’s yours?”

honestly, that's a good point, and since she isn't SHIELD, and she hadn't been part of the decision-making process, she doesn't know who would decide to nuke an entire city. isn't that the ethical question of the day, would nuking new york have been worth it?

"it might not be a strong argument, but i'm still on their payroll." liar, liar, liar. but it's the lie they're going with, and she's not about to change her story in the middle of it. "and since i'm on the payroll, and not the one signing the checks, i had nothing to do with that call."

the daleks. she blinks, and if it hadn't been for the years that she spent as a kiss-o-gram, she would have had a more visible reaction. daleks, while note angels, terrify her just as much.

"we have experience with daleks, but the chitauri are knew. we want to know what's changed." another lie that's as easily to come up with as anything else she's said so far. the ease at which she's lying should be concerning.

damnit, if she knew more about what went on with SHIELD, she might have an easier time at lying, but instead she's trying to remember exactly what the tesseract is, if she even heard of that before. it's not like everything is readily available to civilians.

god, sooner or later he's going to catch her on a lie.

"the tesseract has been in possession of SHIELD, for how long? and for how long has it been on earth for? she phrases the questions rhetorically, because she's honestly making it all up. "and anyway, i'm more interested in their tech. the best defensive is a good offense, or something like that. so, if i could, could i please look at the remaining tech?"

#milehighmechanic #verse // MORE OF THEIR KIND.#thread: caught red-handed #queue.

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sereneshymn · 6 months ago

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The capture is successful, and the Swimmole, as the peculiar talking orb called it, accepts it just as willingly as Museon did. It rings a note of hesitation and awakens a bit of an unpleasant feeling in Rafiel, if he were to be honest - reminding him a little too much of the time he, too, was caught and followed his captors without a word, unable to do anything else.

It makes him wonder - he did it, for neither his body nor his soul know a thing about fighting. These creatures, if he understands correctly, possess powers that they can use in both offense and defense. And yet, they choose not to. What makes them give up their freedom with such willingness and ease?

... Well, they are supposed to be participating in a game, he reminds himself. Perhaps all this is temporary, and maybe they know that.

Speaking of the talking orb, an inquiry made by Fiora is answered in a way best described as cryptic, and certainly doing little to put her mind at ease. When she turns to him for counsel, he has to think about it for a moment.

"What I understood is that these particular creatures have the ability to somehow connect with the spiritual plane," he explains. "It's reminiscent to me of the different types of laguz, shapeshifters from my land. I suppose our 'types' would be Hawk, Tiger, Lion, Wolf and so on... Some can fly, some are extra fast or exceptionally powerful... and then you have Herons such as myself, the only laguz capable of using galdrar, special songs imbued with power. Perhaps it's like that."

That feels... like the best comparison he can make, really.

The suggestion of water is an appealing one, and Rafiel takes a moment, crouching by the riverbank in order to hydrate himself, with Museon soon joining him. Once ready, the Heron stands back up and looks to Fiora with a light smile.

"You should take care of yourself as well," he reminds her. "You have seemed stressed since we first arrived here... I know the unfamiliar circumstances and scenery can be a lot to accept, and I do feel a bit of that as well. But please, remember that you are not alone in this."

Granted, advice tends to be easier to give than to follow; as Rafiel takes a better look at the other side of the river to discern the best direction to follow, his heart sinks. While the forest they'd just walked through had shown no signs of damage, on the other bank, it's a plain of dead and blackened trees, scorched ground, and rough dust. All sign of greenery is dried and blackened, and far in the distance they can see the rise of glowing, ochre red mountains swathed in low and angry clouds. The terrain change is drastic, as though whatever phenomenon or formation had dried out everything on the other side had stopped as soon as it reach the banks of the river, leaving this side untouched.

It fills him with a sense of dread he hasn't felt in more than twenty years, and never expected to experience again. In and around his body, he suddenly feels unusual warmth. It shouldn't be here.

It only lasts for a moment, however, as he feels a touch of a paw against his leg. Snapping out of it, he looks down at Museon, who is watching him with concern. He forces a smile, shaking his head.

"Sorry. I'm alright, don't worry. Let's head north, alongside the river. I think that area may be dangerous."

Rafiel moves North. Roll: 1d100 = 100

The path is mostly uneventful. Museon continues to sing, with Swimmole trotting alongside. Rafiel joins in the tune again, both to soothe the ache in his heart, and to pass the time and have something to focus on, ensuring that he does not look to the left.

The river eventually bends gently towards the northeast, and the scorched forest finally gives way for the mountain range, filling him with some relief. He has no time to think about it, though - very quickly, something else catches his eye. Up ahead, they can see something small and round bouncing along the water's surface, floating up airily on each bounce like it's made of mostly air. It's a dark violet in color with what looks like a bow on its head from behind, and unless Rafiel's eyes are playing tricks on him, it seems to sparkle under the sun as it moves.

The spectacle is mesmerizing.

"... Cute," the Heron whispers, before turning to Fiora. "What do you think to do?"

Filling Our Emblemdex

Team Sheep, Team Four Creature Campaign

#wingboundwarrior #thread ❀ filling our emblemdex.#let us sing in unison ❀ ic.#mission season ❀ affluence.#event season ❀ happyland.#toahappyland2024 #support ❀ fiora.

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robininthelabyrinth · 3 years ago

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I'm absolutely delighted your prompts are open! Your writing is amazing and always makes me smile, it's the best way to start the day along with a cup of coffee!

Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are given another chance at raising a child after a family is killed leaving only a young child behind. Lan Sizhui is delighted to have a baby sibling. Though everyone is more or less nervous about it (mostly be Wei Ying is a gremlin) but also there isn't any other options.

ao3

“It’ll be fine,” Jiang Cheng said, rolling his eyes. “Hanguang-jun raised Lan Sizhui, didn’t he? And he turned out fine.”

“I did,” Lan Sizhui said agreeably, then frowned. “I think I did, anyway.”

“Not to be a spoilsport, but, realistically speaking, how much raising did Hanguang-jun actually do with you?” Jin Ling asked, and held up his hands when Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi both glared at him. “I don’t mean any offense or anything! I’m serious. We know he was in seclusion those first few years, right? Who raised you then?”

Lan Sizhui thought about it. “Back in the beginning? Well…that was mostly Teacher Lan, I guess.”

“Teacher Lan’s the best,” Lan Jingyi said loyally, then added, “Well, other than that fondness he has for surprise quizzes. But that’s not applicable to parenting, is it?”

Lan Sizhui made a face that suggested that maybe it was, in some weird way, shape, or form.

“Teacher Lan, really?” Jiang Cheng asked, clearly getting drawn in despite his best intentions – as was often the case. There was a reason their little group swung by the Lotus Pier nearly as often as they did the Cloud Recesses and Jinlin Tower, despite Jin Ling not living there part of the year any longer. “Wasn’t he mostly in recovery for those injuries he got during the war? I would’ve figured Zewu-jun would’ve been more involved, wouldn’t he?”

“He was around sometimes, but no, it was mostly Teacher Lan,” Lan Sizhui said. “Zewu-jun was often busy – he was rebuilding the Lan sect –”

“I was rebuilding the Jiang sect! So what? I still raised Jin Ling, and he wasn’t even supposed to be here – I had to fight the Jin sect for months just to get the opportunity – ”

“Yes, jiujiu, we know!” Jin Ling said hastily. “You don’t have to tell that story again! You didn’t have to tell everyone that story in the first place!”

Jiang Cheng huffed. He was probably going to tell the story again whether they liked it or not.

“I think I see what you’re saying, Jin Ling,” Ouyang Zizhen put in, always a good fellow for throwing himself on a conversational sacrificial sword. “If Lan Sizhui was already a few years old when he was adopted, and then Teacher Lan raised him for the next three years, then he would’ve been old enough to be entered into the Cloud Recesses’ official junior classes by the time Hanguang-jun took charge of his education, right?”

“Yes, that’s what I meant, that’s it exactly!”

“What does it matter?” Lan Sizhui asked.

“Yeah! Hanguang-jun still raised him the rest of the way,” Lan Jingyi put in, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring. “Gave him lessons and tips and all that!”

“Isn’t that something he does as a sect senior anyway?”

“Well, yes, but it’s different for Sizhui, okay?”

“I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with that. After all, the person who teaches the most is the same as the parent, and being the person raising them is what matters no matter when they’re adopted,” Jin Ling said, with an eye on Jiang Cheng, who looked begrudgingly pleased. He looked begrudging all the time, though, so it was probably just pleased. “But my point is – once you were part of the lessons, even if he was raising you the rest of the time, you still already mostly had your personality down by then, right? We’ve never seen what someone raised entirely by Hanguang-jun from birth would be like.”

They all stopped to consider that.

“More than that,” Jin Ling continued. “This kid’ll be raised not just by Hanguang-jun, but by Hanguang-jun as he is now – after he and Senior Wei got together. You know?”

They did know.

“And of course, that’s all putting aside that the kid will be raised by Senior Wei himself, too…”

“Maybe we should start investing in defense talismans,” Jiang Cheng mused. “Because everything is going to explode. Everything.”

“Everything will not explode,” Lan Wangji said calmly.

“Are you sure?” Wei Wuxian asked. “Because I’m not sure, and I’m more likely to be involved in these hypothetical explosions than you are.”

“Mm. I’m certain.”

“But…”

“Wei Ying will be an excellent father,” Lan Wangji said, and his voice left no room for doubt.

“It’s easy for you to say,” Wei Wuxian whined, though he was smiling now. “You already have the experience of it! They say that it’s easier the second time, when you know what to expect…”

“Do not tell lies,” Lan Qiren said mildly. He was looking over some of Wei Wuxian’s notes – he’d insisted on any new inventions passing through a sanctioned approval process before they were put into practice and had volunteered himself to review them, a matter that had caused Wei Wuxian no end of stress until he realized that Lan Qiren really did intend to approve anything that met his standards and, moreover, understood musical cultivation enough to understand what he was driving at with most of them, even the esoteric ones, at which point Wei Wuxian gotten extremely enthusiastic about the whole thing.

This didn’t mean that they were friends or anything, but they’d at least formed some sort of tentative truce.

Most of the time, anyway.

Wei Wuxian squinted at his old teacher suspiciously. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying that it’s not easier the second time?”

“I am only saying that I have experience in raising a child not my own,” Lan Qiren pointed out, and Wei Wuxian nodded, slightly abashed; he knew that the old man had basically raised Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen, of course, although sometimes he forgot. “The first child I raised was Xichen and his personality as a child was much as it was as an adult: gentle, amiable, friendly, obedient.”

That made sense. Wei Wuxian nodded.

“The second child I raised was Wangji,” Lan Qiren said. “He bit people.”

Wei Wuxian burst out laughing.

Lan Wangj virtuously ignored them both, continuing to write a letter without the slightest hint of embarrassment – even his ears hadn’t turned red. What a shame!

“I can testify to that myself,” Wei Wuxian giggled, leering at his husband in the hopes of getting a rise out of him. “He’s still a biter – for certain lucky people.”

“He was a lot less discriminating when he was younger,” Lan Qiren said, and Wei Wuxian winced, abruptly remembering that Lan Wangji’s uncle was, in fact, still in the room. Luckily it was pretty easy to flirt around Lan Qiren, who didn’t seem to notice most of the time, but it was still a bit awkward. “And I once succumbed to temptation and gave him mixed messages, which I believe made it worse.”

That sounded like a story.

“He gave me a candy after I bit Sect Leader Jin,” Lan Wangji clarified, which made Wei Wuxian start laughing again. “He did not expect me to remember. I remembered. Nor did I allow him to forget about it.”

“It is easy to make mistakes while raising a child,” Lan Qiren said, ignoring Wei Wuxian’s cackling. “But if one means well, and tries hard to do the right thing, children are very forgiving – usually.”

Despite his best efforts to remain neutral, Lan Wangji’s eyes curved slightly in a smile. Wei Wuxian felt his heart go all warm and melty all over again.

“This is true regardless of whether it is the first or second child,” Lan Qiren added. “I have confidence that you will both do fine.”

“We will,” Wei Wuxian proclaimed. “With parents like me and Lan Zhan, how could the kid go wrong? And we’ll even try to avoid too many explosions!”

“Please do. One Lan Jingyi is enough for the Cloud Recesses.”

“You know, I was wondering – how did you end up with him being quite so…hmm…”

“Oh?” Lan Qiren said, and Wei Wuxian noted to his amusement that Lan Wangji straightened in back in sudden alarm despite Lan Qiren’s extremely nonchalant tone. “Have you not met Lan Yueheng yet? I must introduce you when he returns –”

“Perhaps not,” Lan Wangji said, sounding a little worried.

Worried, in this case, meant fun.

“No, I think I definitely need to meet this person – Lan Zhan, stop batting at me! I know exactly what I’m doing…”

Wen Ning looked down at the baby with which he had been entrusted.

“I don’t have any idea what I’m doing,” he confessed.

The baby gurgled.

“I think Wei-gongzi may have been thinking more about ‘babysitter that doesn’t need to sleep and has inexhaustible energy’ and less about ‘is this person qualified to take care of a baby’.”

More gurgling.

“I just wanted to apologize in advance.”

The baby yawned.

“…right then.” Wen Ning straightened up. Someone was going to have to raise this child, and based on how distractable Wei Wuxian was when he was around Lan Wangji and visa versa, it looked like it was going to have to be him. “Let’s do this.”

#mdzs #lan wangji #wei wuxian #jiang cheng #jin ling #lan sizhui #lan jingyi #ouyang zizhen #lan qiren #wen ning #my fic #my fics

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thecreaturecodex · 3 years ago

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Nascent Demon Lord, Dalmosh

[Commissioned by @annotaremonstrorum, who wanted a version of Dalmosh from MMV as a nascent demon lord. Their ideas for developing Dalmosh’s cult were very good, and incorporated fully into this entry. The original was a CR 17 with more than 400 hit points and an AC of 13. It felt like a very purposeful experiment with tweaking the hp/CR ratio, and I wonder how it actually worked in play. My guess is not great. I also gave him the dispelling slam ability so he could have at least a chance to pull his signature swallow whole on a high level character.]

Nascent Demon Lord, Dalmosh CR 21 CE Outsider (extraplanar) This massive fleshy creature appears as a boneless parody of the human form. Its legs are columns of swaying meat, its arms overlong with swollen fists, its head conical and asymmetric. It has a gaping maw with blunt teeth, and covering its bodies are sealed fissures disturbingly similar to both sutures and jaws.

Dalmosh The Eternal Hunger, The Walking Mountain Concerns hunger, destructive gluttony, living demiplanes Domains Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Strength Subdomains Catastrophe, Demon, Entropy, Ferocity Worshipers ogres, trolls, creatures trapped in the Gullet Minions dwiergeths, gibbering mouthers, piasa Unholy Symbol a closed fist with a mouth on its back Obedience eat another creature alive. Gain a +4 profane bonus on CMD to avoid being grappled Boons 1: bear’s endurance 2/day; 2: divine power 2/day; 3: extended hungry pit 2/day

Dalmosh the Eternal Hunger is a walking mountain of meat and teeth. His home is the Flesh Mountains, a range of Abyssal terrain spanning several layers that is itself faintly alive. Dalmosh wanders through these mountains, consuming all in his path and chewing himself a cave to hide in whenever he tires enough to rest. Almost everything is food to Dalmosh—animal, vegetable, mineral—although he seems to find unworked earth distasteful. Dalmosh is dull, brutal, and indiscriminately destructive, and he leaves sweeping arcs of ruin in his wake.

In combat, Dalmosh is simple and uncreative. He attacks whatever he can reach, attempting to swallow it whole. Creatures that elude his reach may be pelted with thrown debris, but after a few rounds he will ignore them in search of easier prey. When struck, Dalmosh’s skin opens up into a set of temporary, but still deadly, jaws. His surface is covered in the scar tissue of previous such openings. Dalmosh has a keen sense of smell, and can be distracted by particularly aromatic morsels.

Any inanimate objects Dalmosh consumes, as well as creatures lucky or clever to fight their way there, are transported to the Gullet, a sprawling demiplane in the shape of a fleshy labyrinth. Gusts of foul wind, pools of acid and occasional meatquakes are terrain hazards here, but there are creatures that make a living in the Gullet. These are swallowed victims who either couldn’t escape through planar travel or simply chose not to, and there are even permanent settlements built in this moist, organic refuge. The largest of these is called Garnamastra, and it is ruled by a rakshasa calling himself the Eyeless Tyrant. It is said that the treasures of ancient realms and slain heroes are scattered throughout the Gullet, and some foolhardy adventurers have allowed Dalmosh to swallow them in order to go treasure hunting.

Despite his dim intellect and utter indifference to worship, Dalmosh has managed to gather enough of a cult following to empower him as a nascent demon lord. The dwiergeths consider him their progenitor, and some pipe a quick prayer to Dalmosh whenever they consume a particularly scrumptious morsel. Ogres, trolls and other evil giants view him as something of a figure to idolize and emulate, although they also view him as a bogeyman to scare their children with. Some particularly evil and crazy spellcasters see Dalmosh as an embodiement of planar paradoxes such as living planes and pocket dimensions, and use gate spells and offerings of rich food and unusual sacrifices to gain Dalmosh’s service as a living siege weapon.

Dalmosh CR 21 XP 409,600 CE Colossal outsider (chaos, demon, evil, extraplanar) Init +3; Senses darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, Perception +24, scent Aura cloak of chaos (DC 24), frightful presence (300 ft., DC 29) Defense AC 36, touch 5, flat-footed 36 (-8 size, -1 Dex, +31 natural, +4 deflection) hp 455 (26d10+312) Fort +26, Ref +18, Will +25 DR 20/good and slashing; Immune charm and compulsion effects, death effects, disease, electricity, poison; Resist acid 30, cold 30, fire 30; SR 32 Defensive Abilities rejuvenation Offense Speed 50 ft. Melee 2 slams +34 (3d8+16 plus dispel), bite +34 (4d8+16 plus grab), secondary maws +32 (4d8+8 plus grab) Ranged debris +18 (2d8+16/19-20) Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft. (15 ft. with secondary maws) Special Attacks fast swallow, gluttonous frenzy, spawn maw, swallow whole (8d8+16 bludgeoning, AC 25, 45 hp) Spell-like Abilities CL 21st, concentration +27 Constant—cloak of chaos (DC 24) 3/day—greater teleport Statistics Str 42, Dex 9, Con 34, Int 4, Wis 23, Cha 22 Base Atk +26; CMB +50 (+52 bull rush, sunder; +54 grapple); CMD 63 (65 vs. bull rush, sunder) Feats Blind-fight, Cleave, Great Cleave, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Sunder, Improvised Weapon Mastery, Intimidating Prowess, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack, Throw Anything Skills Acrobatics +15 (+23 when jumping), Climb +32, Intimidate +38, Perception +24, Survival +24, Swim +32 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 300 ft. SQ nascent demon lord traits, no breath Ecology Environment any land (Abyss) Organization unique Treasure none Special Abilities Dispelling Slam (Su) A creature or object struck by Dalmosh’s slam attack is subject to a targeted greater dispel magic effect (CL 21st). Gluttonous Frenzy (Ex) As a full round action once per minute, Dalmosh can move up to his speed and make a bite attack against every creature he can reach along his movement. Nascent Demon Lord Traits (Ex/Su) Dalmosh is a powerful unique fiend with the following traits:

Immune to charm and compulsion effects, death effects, electricity, poison

Resist acid, cold and fire 30

Telepathy 300 ft.

Dalmosh’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons he wields, are treated as chaotic, epic and evil for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Dalmosh can grant spells and boons to worshipers as described in his cult entry above

Rejuvenation (Su) If Dalmosh is killed, he crumbles into rot and is reborn in the Flesh Mountains 2 days later. Dalmosh can only use this ability once per year; if slain again in that time, he is permanently killed. Spawn Maw (Su) Whenever Dalmosh takes 20 or more points of damage in a single attack, he can create a set of jaws as an immediate action from the wound. These jaws attack as secondary natural weapons and have a reach of 15 feet. If the creature that dealt that damage is within 15 feet, Dalmosh may make a secondary bite attack agains that opponent as part of the same action. Secondary maws created in this way remain for 1 hour. Swallow Whole (Ex/Su) A creature swallowed whole by Dalmosh can make its way to the Gullet with a successful DC 26 Escape Artist check or by dealing 20 points of damage while swallowed. A creature that travels to the Gullet in this way is deposited in that demiplane without further injury. If Dalmosh is subject to a dimensional anchor spell or a similar effect, this option is not available. If a swallowed creature cuts its way out of Dalmosh, Dalmosh can still use swallow whole immediately thereafter without penalty.

#dalmosh #demon lord #demon #pathfinder 1e #D&D #commissions

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prof-peach · 4 years ago

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Is the four moves per Pokémon a gym/competition restriction? Cause I could have sworn I have seen Pokémon with more than four moves before in the wild or in friendly bouts.

Ah, you’ve noticed adaptive moves, nice! This is something I study furiously, battle tactics are very important to my work, plus I love working with my buddies hah.

So, everyone knows that Pokemon have move sets, they’re capable of doing a lot of different things, some offensive, others defensive, even some supportive moves. This does not however include ambient moves and adaptive moves. Here’s an example, my dear vulpix is a fire type, she is capable of putting out blasts hot enough to melt through the hull of a steel ship. That would be inferno, a wonderfully destructive attack used in a broad range manner. So with this information we know the Pokemon is capable of breathing and exerting severe heat. The Pokemon does not lose this skill should they be taught a roster of non-fire attacks. Breathing fire and being able to change the rooms temperature is an ambient skill, something every vulpix(kantonian of course) can do, even without a fire attack. Even though there is one name for a move, you can train and use it in a number of ways. Her ability to breathe fire for example, is something we’ve really worked on, and over the years she’s been able to focus the flame down to a precise fine point, much like a welding torch. This is not an attack, this is a honing of an ability, and a good example of her using her fiery blasts adaptivley. This skill allows her to cut through thick metal chains, or even chunky trees, as if they were made of butter. This does not count as an extra 5th move, it is not a special attack of some kind, and it’s totally within the realms of the league to allow a Pokemon like her to use adaptive moves such as this in their tournaments and battles.

With this example in mind think about the times you’ve noticed Pokemon use more than 4 moves, it may be that they’re just using a move they know, combined with experience and refined training. We often think of the weak moves as useless too, I see a lot of people saying they’re no good in battle, but because they’re low level, they’re easier to retain. Just about any Pokemon can tackle something, or throw sand at an opponent if they terrain allows, or even strike an intimidating pose and growl menacingly. Even if a Pokemon learns new and improved skills, they retain old, often simple abilities, that they could do if they weren’t labelled as an attack. Not only this, some Pokemon are adept enough to combine moves. So a surf attack mixed with a blizzard will cause a huge issue for an opponent, should you be working with a powerful partner, or even simply, a tackle combined with a stun spore, will often leave opponents in a sticky situation.

We recently had an Aipom sent to us, sweet thing, had a little temper issue and got put up for adoption. She knew headbutt, ice, fire and thunder punch, according to the trainer who left her with us. We however observed her using her hand to freeze mud with ice punch and throw solid chunks of dirt at foes with precision, we spotted her wielding a large branch with ferocity, and certainly she was quick to throw grit and sand in someone’s face to try to escape capture or dodge a move. She certainly ran past me with enough power and speed to knock me to the ground, and that to me sounds like a tackle if anything right? Pokemon are adaptive, they learn, they retain, they use what they have, even if it doesn’t technically have an attack name. There is a limit to the power that one individual can put out, and some species will have better memory for tricks and tactics sure, but the moves we call to our partners, that they learn, are just ways for us to communicate to them what needs doing, and they can be built upon, kind of like a skill tree of options, should you put the time and effort in.

((The games are broken, 4 moves never made any sense outside of them, I 100% do not use that information as canon on the blog, it just doesn’t feel right.))

#pokemon #prof.peach #peach talks

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line-of-fire · 1 year ago

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She only turns to truly face Viper when the other woman begins to speak, tensed like a cornered animal. Truthfully, her initial reaction was a gut response to the approach of anyone, it wasn't anything personal. After all, Helena couldn’t remember the last time she truly felt safe enough to let her guard down, not since her experience with Kingdom at the very least. It left her on edge for months now, ready to snap at anyone getting too close or unfortunate enough to catch her unawares, like Viper had just done.

Still, however impersonal, Sommer’s hostility- a defense mechanism Simmons frequently reminded her it was in her best interests to work through- wasn’t something she could easily drop when it came to Viper. Not when it came to the woman's past associations and expertise. It was all too easy for her mind to subconsciously replace her with different doctors, different faces; those that had done her harm and would likely always be haunting whispers in the back of her fractured mind.

It did make it easier not to be affected by Vipers retorts however, unnaturally pale eyes meeting hers, expression solidly guarded off. Not quite a challenge but still, holding her ground without quite going on the offensive. That is, until the word stray is thrown out, and Helena finds her control slipping once more, hanging on by a t h r e a d .

There was something about the word that causes it to hit deep, in a way she couldn’t brace for. The way it sounded so dismissive when Viper spoke. After everything, it felt dehumanizing, and in the moment Viper is temporarily replaced by another doctor, one of those damned scientists, reminding her of her place.

The sentiment is done no favors by the clinking of the mug, harsher than what Sommer was bracing herself for. Her fist clenches against the countertop “I am not a fucking stray.” she grits out as the temperature in the room plummets back down to what it was, matched by a layer of frost coating her fist and the counter surrounding it.

‘Strays’ were animals nobody wanted, that had nowhere to go, helpless. Ragged, lost, and fucking helpless. A description Sommer refused to believe fit herself or Pixie. They weren’t like those twins after all, not knowing anything but that facility, not knowing anyone on the outside. She had a home, she just couldn’t go back, left to follow Simmons’ lead, wherever it took their ragtag group.

She forces herself to release the breath she had been holding; a poor attempt at regaining control and grounding herself before this turned into a conversation she’d be having with Pixie whenever she got back. On principle, she refused to let herself truly lose control in front of Viper and prove her right. And however difficult it is, she does turn away to pull a tupperware container out of the microwave with her gloved hand, muttering out, “My apologies for getting caught off guard and disturbing you.” The bite in the air does recede, not quite as much but it’s noticeable. Proof of a conscious attempt of what Simmons could maybe call ‘civility’ at least.

@toxichem liked for a starter from here!

"I'd appreciate a little space." Helena turned to glare the moment she saw the other woman approach just a bit too close out of the corner of her eye. The surrounding temperature practically plummets for the split second that the Norwegian is caught off guard, the frost seemingly lingering around her even when things return to normal.

#SOMMER: I observe and remain silent (ic)#status report: threads #toxichem #((Sommer I love you but jfc))#((at least she's trying ig))#((where's Pixie when you need her))#((or Mira for that matter. the ball of sunshine would be pretty useful right abt now even if Sommer does have issues with them))

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thepremedthatwrites · 4 years ago

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In Between

request: okay so maybe one where both edmund and susan are both into the reader (also a queen of narnia) and it ends with spice!!

warning: smut below the cut. smut contains a threesome so if you are uncomfortable with that, I totally understand. also note that Susan and Edmund never touch each other and both are only interested in the reader (felt the need to include that because apparently there are people who ship the Pevensies together and I do not support that at all).

A ball. That’s what Peter had said we would do. The kings and queens of Narnia were plagued with boredom and a ball was the cure according to Peter. The others seemed to be on board with the idea and I feigned excitement. How could I explain to the other royals that I didn’t know ballroom dancing? I was supposed to be a queen and I didn’t know something every queen should know how to do. The others had started to file out of the room until it was just Susan and I.

“Are you alright (y/n)?” Susan asked, her eyebrows knitting together as a worried expression painted her face. “You seem more quiet than usual.”

“It’s just,” I started, already feeling my face warm as I felt Susan’s eyes study me, “I don’t know how to dance.” The corners of Susan’s mouth started to lift as a smile formed on her face.

“Well that’s an easy fix!” she exclaimed, taking my hands in hers. “I’ll just teach you!”

“Would you really do that?” I asked, starting to smile.

“Of course,” she replied.

“Thank you!” My smile had started to grow wider.

“Anything for you,” she said, smiling before letting go of my hands and starting to move towards the door.

“Susan,” I called out. Susan paused, turning to face me again. The sunlight that filtered through the window gave her a soft golden glow as her blue eyes studied mine. “Could we keep this between us? I would rather the other’s didn’t know.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” she said, giving me a quick wink before walking out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

“Don’t be so tense,” Susan said, chuckling lightly. “Dancing shouldn’t be something that’s stressful.”

“It is when you don’t know what you’re doing,” I mumbled before releasing the tension in my shoulders. Susan and I were slowly dancing our way around her bedroom. Her hands were on my waist and mine were around her neck.

“Just follow my lead. When I step back, you step forward.” Susan winced as I stepped on her foot.

“Sorry,” I said quickly, heat rising to my face in embarrassment.

“It’s alright. I was the same way when I started.” Our eyes met for a moment and I felt my heart start to race. I had always found the young queen attractive, although I wasn’t sure if she felt the same. In fact, I wasn’t even sure if she liked girls.

“There you go,” Susan said, snapping me from my thoughts. “You’re doing great! Haven’t even stepped on my foot for a while.” She laughed at her own joke and I cracked a smile myself. As we progressed, I felt myself start to relax. Susan was incredibly patient, praising me when I did exceptionally well and offering advice on how I can improve in areas where I struggled. We came to a halt in the middle of the room. I looked up, my eyes meeting hers. I felt my heart skip a beat, the surroundings becoming a blur as I was focused solely on her. Susan had fallen silent and I caught her eyes flickering to my lips.

I licked my lips in response, suddenly extremely nervous. “Thank you,” I said, a bit too quickly.

“Yeah, of course.” She released my waist and I removed my hands from around her neck. “You should do great at the ball this weekend.”

“All thanks to you,” I replied with, a shy smile on my face. My face was still warm as she smiled back. “I should go. I need to be fitted for my gown.”

“Of course.” I quickly walked towards the door, opening it before walking into the hall where the air seemed to be significantly cooler. I winced as the door slammed behind me, the loud noise echoing throughout the hallway. I scurried towards my bedroom, hoping my blush would subside by the time my maid came to take my measurements.

“Would you be my date for the ball?” I blankly stared back at the brunette, not sure I had heard him correctly. “(Y/n)?”

“Yeah, of course,” I said, finally finding my words. I had never expected Edmund to ask such a thing. Of course we had exchanged flirtatious looks every now and then but nothing had ever come of it. Until now. A large grin appeared on his face.

“Great! I promise to not disappoint on the dance floor.” I laughed.

“I can’t make the same promise.”

“I don’t buy it. I can tell you’re a great dancer.”

“And how can you tell that?”

“I just know,” he replied before giving me a wink. “I’ll see you at dinner. I need to make sure our outfits go together.” He raced off, the grin never leaving his face as walked away. I smiled to myself as I watched him walk away. I had always found myself stuck between Susan and Edmund. Both of them were incredibly attractive and I felt like I could be myself around both. I could never pick one over the other, although Edmund was much easier to flirt with given that I knew he was into girls. Susan I was never sure with, but the thought of her never reciprocating my feelings made my heart ache.

No, it was better I went with Edmund. He was always there for me, helping me adjust to life in Narnia when I first arrived. He was the one who believed in me. He was the one who insisted I would make a great queen, even when I didn’t believe it myself. It was final. I would go to the ball with Edmund.

I twirled around in my dress, bright red fabric flying around me. The dress fit me snugly around the waist before flowing out down towards the floor. Combined with my hair which was pulled into an intricate braid and the expertly placed make up, I could barely recognize my own reflection. My hand lightly touched the golden tiara that sat on my head before I turned to the door. I took a deep breath and walked out of my room and towards the other royals.

“You look...wow,” Edmund said as I approached him. His garments were a matching red to mine, his silver crown sitting proudly on top of his brown hair. His face wore a large smile as he put out an arm for me to take. “Are you ready for the Narnians to see us together?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“How long do you think it’ll take for rumors of a marriage to spread?”

“I give it an hour.” He looked at me and I replied with a smile.

“You’re being generous love,” he said. “They’ll be assuming we’ve eloped and are already expecting a child the moment we walk out together.” I let out a laugh. “Here we go,” Ed said, turning towards the double doors which had already started to open. I followed his lead, looking forward as the crowd appeared in front of us. I could hardly hear the announcer announcing us as we walked down from the balcony that looked out to the entire ballroom towards where Peter and Susan were waiting for us.

A look of shock was on Peter’s face. I tried to read Susan’s face but couldn’t tell what she was feeling. I felt a bit guilty not telling her before tonight but I wasn’t sure how I would tell her. Before either of them could say anything, Lucy had started to make her entrance, a smile proudly on her face as she excitedly waved at the crowd before making her way towards us.

“Can you believe it!” Lucy exclaimed. “(Y/n) actually allowed Edmund to take her to the ball!” A chuckle escaped me as Edmund wrapped an arm around my waist.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Ed asked defensively.

“Nothing, nothing at all,” Lucy said quickly before racing off to start talking to her people.

“It is quite shocking,” Susan said. Although she was speaking to all of us, she was focusing on me. I couldn’t look back at her so instead I focused on Peter who seemed to have gotten over his initial shock.

“Well, I’m happy you two have figured out your feelings for eachother,” Peter said. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have a representative from Archenland I must talk to.” He gave us all a short nod before walking away, leaving me with Edmund and Susan. The orchestra had started to play causing Edmund’s face to light up.

“C’mon (y/n)! Let’s dance. I did promise you an amazing experience on the dance floor.” He had grabbed my hand, leading us away from Susan and towards the crowd of Narnians who had started to dance. “And perhaps I could expand that amazing experience to the bedroom,” he whispered into my ear before placing his hands on my waist. I felt myself blush at his words.

“Ed!” I scolded causing him to laugh.

“I’m kidding!” he chuckled as we started to dance.

“Well, if you’re half as good in the bedroom as you are on the dance floor, I guess I shouldn’t complain,” I said, already regaining my composure.

“And you say I’m the bad one.” We danced for a while, laughing the entire time. “I have to say, I’m impressed with your dancing. Who taught you?”

“Susan,” I said. My eyes searched the ballroom before landing on the queen who was standing by the side of the room, conversing with a faun. Her eyes flickered to me, our eyes meeting for a second before I turned back to Edmund.

“I’ll have to thank her later then,” Edmund said, spinning me around. “I was bluffing when I said I knew you were a good dancer but you haven’t stepped on my foot once this entire evening.” I feigned a look of offense.

“You have no faith in me!”

“No, no. I would trust you with the world.” I felt my face warm at his words and I looked down at the floor. The song ended, our dance coming to a stop. A more upbeat song started, Lucy rushing towards us.

“C’mon Ed! I love this song!” Lucy exclaimed, grabbing her brother’s hand and dragging him to dance. I let out a laugh as he looked back towards me, a small smile on his face. I made my way towards the side of the room, watching Edmund and Lucy dance when I felt someone approach me. I turned my head to see Susan approaching me. I felt my back straighten and I gave her a soft smile.

“So, how long have you and Edmund been a thing?” Susan asked as she reached my side.

“If by ‘a thing’ you mean him asking me to the ball, then last night.”

“If Ed hadn’t asked you, would you have gone with anyone else?” I turned to face Susan, her blue eyes looking back at me. Her eyes were wide, searching my face for anything that would give away my thoughts.

“Yes,” I said, suddenly feeling like the wind had been knocked out of me.

“Who?” My mouth felt dry, my heart racing.

“You,” I said in almost a whisper. Something seemed to have come over Susan as she grabbed my hand, tugging me towards a door that opened to the hallway. I felt my back press against the cool stone as her warm lips met mine. I kissed back hungrily, my hands tangled in her brown hair that had previously been put into place with care. Her hands explored my body, groping my ass. I moaned into her mouth, trying to press her body as close to mine as possible.

“What the fuck.” Susan and I quickly pulled apart to see Edmund standing in front of us, a pained expression on his face.

“Ed…” I started, not knowing what to say.

“I’m sorry,” Susan said, looking at her brother. “I’m so sorry Edmund but I need (y/n). Even if it’s just for one night.” Edmund’s eyes darkened as he focused on me.

“Then I’ll share her with you for one night,” Edmund said, already making his way towards me.

“Ed, what do you mean?” I asked.

“Shut it,” he said, grabbing my wrist harshly. “Susan and I are going to punish you for being such a little slut.” I should have been angry at the way he talked to me. I should have been furious as he forced me down the hall and towards his bedroom with Susan close behind us. Instead, I felt myself start to get wet as I watched Edmund, his jaw clenched, pushing open his bedroom door.

He pulled me towards him, his lips crashing with mine. I felt a pair of hands working on the strings on my dress. I pulled away from Edmund to see Susan expertly untying the string. Edmund grabbing my face with his hand, forcing me to face him before he started to kiss me again. A small moan escaped me as our tongues pressed together. I felt the cool air brush my bare skin as my dress fell to the floor.

A pair of soft lips pressed against my naked back, Susan’s hands tracing the curve of my hips. “Susan, would you like to play with her first?” A smile formed on Susan’s face as she nodded.

“Yes,” she said, making her way towards me. She pushed me onto the bed, hovering over me as she kissed me. “I’ve been wanting to do this for ages,” she whispered into my ear before starting a trail of kisses down my body and stopping at my pussy. She paused for a moment, looking up at me, our eyes meeting. I raised my hips, desperate for contact with Susan. “So impatient,” she chuckled before kissing my inner thigh. A small moan left my mouth at the small contact. She continued to tease me, her lips kissing up my thigh before stopping where they were needed most.

“Please,” I gasped, the anticipation becoming too much. Susan let her tongue run over my clit in response, drawing a moan from me. A hand forced my head to turn from Susan to the side of the bed where Edmund was standing, now naked. He knelt down, giving me a soft kiss, a stark contrast to how he had been treating me before. It was short lived as he stood up again, stroking himself a few times before moving closer to the edge of the bed.

“Open your mouth.” I obeyed, Edmund starting to shove his cock into my mouth. I opened my mouth as wide as I could, Edmund slowly starting to thrust his hips. Susan had entered a finger into me as she sucked on my clit causing my back to arch. A strangled moan left my mouth, the sound muffled by Edmund as he thrust deep into my throat. My hands flew to Susan’s hair, knocking off her tiara.

I could feel myself getting closer as Susan started to move her fingers faster, her tongue pressing hard against my clit. “You’re doing so fucking good,” Edmund moaned as he continued to fuck my mouth. I felt my body start to tense up as the knot in my stomach became tighter. Within seconds, my entire body shook with pleasure as my orgasm rippled through me. Susan had removed her finger and slowed her tongue to a stop.

Edmund pulled himself out of me, lowering himself once more so our faces were level with each other. “Now, I’m going to fuck you until you can’t walk and you’re going to take it like the little slut you are. Understand?” I nodded, causing Edmund to smile. “Good girl.” Susan had taken off her dress while Edmund had been talking. The two switched positions so Edmund was at the end of the bed and Susan on the side.

“You’re not allowed to finish until I do, understand?” Susan asked as she climbed onto the bed.

“Yes,” I replied with.

“Good.” She started to lower herself onto my face. My hands gripped her thighs as I started to run my tongue over her clit, causing her to moan. She was already so wet. I kept my eyes open, looking up to see Susan’s eyes closed in pleasure as I started to eat her out. A low moan left me as Edmund pushed into me, his hands harshly gripping my hips. The vibration from my moan caused Susan to moan as well. Edmund had started a good pace, his hands holding my hips in place. Each thrust caused the tip of his cock to brush that special spot within me that lit every inch of my body with pleasure.

Susan had started to rock her hips against my face and I watched her breast move in rhythm with her body. I tried to focus my energy on making Susan feel good but Edmund was fucking me so hard that I had trouble concentrating. Instead, I allowed Susan to set the pace, my tongue pressed against her clit as she moved. Every now and then, I would let out a moan that would send vibrations through Susan and cause her to moan.

I could feel myself start to clench around Edmund’s cock. “Are you close?” Edmund asked. I moaned in response.

“You’re not allowed to finish,” Susan said, struggling to get the words out as she was close to climaxing as well. I focused on making Susan finish, knowing that once she did I would be rewarded with my own orgasm. “Oh fuck (y/n),” she gasped. I could feel her body start to shake as I drew circled on her clit with my tongue. I started to slow down as I watched Susan start to come down from her high. I didn’t have much time to admire the glow that was on her face post-orgasm as an orgasm of my own rippled through me.

Susan had crawled off of me, kneeling at the side of the bed and planting soft kissing on my neck as I screamed out in pleasure. Edmund locked eyes with me as he fucked me and I knew he was enjoying watching me come undone underneath him. He continued to fuck me even as my orgasm started to come to an end. He let out a low grunt as his pace increased to an almost painful extent before I felt himself spill into me.

He slowed to a stop as Susan pulled away from me. Edmund lowered himself onto his forearms, his face inches from mine. “You did so good, love,” he said into my ear, planting kisses along my neck. He rolled off of me, covering himself with the sheets. I turned to see Susan had already dressed herself, her tiara back on her head.

Susan walked up to me, giving me a soft kiss on the cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered into my ear before turning around and walking out of the room.

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mc-critical · 3 years ago

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So I was rewatching some of MYK Season 2 and it had me thinking..do you notice the insane amount of parallels and overall similarities in character arcs between MYK’s Beyazied (Gulbahar’s son) and MY’s Mustafa (Mahi’s son?). Both had a sense of undying loyalty and love/respect to the respective sultans of their time while also meeting their demise at the sultan’s hands, both maintaining positive relationships with their half-siblings despite opposition from their enviornments, both being the only children of mothers who weren’t favorites but were extremely politically ambitious and skilled. Both being princes popular with the janissaries of their time and were seen as a looming threat towards the sultan’s power. I even feel like like Beyazied and Mustafa were similar in their disposition and sense of justice and morality. Tell me am I wrong here because I really can’t unsee it they feel so similar to me😭

Yes, MCK Bayezid and MC Mustafa share the same character archetype (hence why they have the parallels you mentioned), but that's the only thing they're similar in for me. The archetype is only a baseline for both of their characters - their development goes in a very different direction.

The thing that sets them apart the most from the start, is that Mustafa's strenghts and flaws are shaped more by sheer personality, while Bayezid is a character shaped more by curcumstance. That leaves room for more development for Bayezid where he eventually changes his stance on people around him, while despite of every hint of change, intrigue or word of advice, Mustafa's principles and beliefs stay the same.

Both Mustafa and Bayezid have a missing part of their lives that shapes their flaws, but that part is different in both of them. No matter how much support Bayezid seemingly had, he always missed his mother and wanted to see her face he's long forgotten, he wanted to see her all the more with each and every letter of hers. And once that chance presents itself, thanks to Murat, no less (good job, lad, good job, indeed....), he would surely want to see his back from exile mother in a good light, despite of all the wrongs she has done. That's why Gülbahar was Bayezid's blind spot. His love and respect for his mother goes beyond comforting her, defending her, hiding her mistakes and saving her from death, something that Mustafa would be also likely to do - with each event passing, Bayezid also begins to listen to her more and more, becomes convinced of her words that he's born in a middle of a war and sets himself even further against Murat and Kösem. Mustafa, on the other hand, has always been next to Mahidevran in every step of the way, with everyone around him avoiding their separation at all costs, hence he can be much more independent of her perspective. She can only go so far with opposing Mustafa's decisions, he always ends up choosing to do what he sees as right and just, even when his beliefs are challanged. He doesn't let his beliefs to be challanged by anyone. He doesn't want to let his beliefs to be challanged by anyone. He loves his mother deeply and he's also developed a need to protect her at all costs, but that need is based on his awareness of all she has experienced and to prevent her to suffer or worry ever again, not out of missing her whole self, which makes it a need outside of Mustafa's own predicament and decisions.

Mustafa wanting to keep his principles firm originates from his wish to prove himself to his father. Süleiman is Mustafa's blind spot. We see how much he wants to be next to him and have his attention even when he was little and since Mustafa was given a sense of purpose ever since then, too (while Bayezid has been living a life where he didn't yet see the dangers of the world in their fullest extent before Murat's complete downfall and before Gülbahar; he even mentioned to her that he didn't want the throne, even though he was constantly suspected of betraying Murat.), sure he would want to prove himself worthy and follow what SS (and Ibro and Mahi to an extent, too, but especially SS) has taught him when it came to ruling. (like when he chose justice instead of SS's order in E92, which, even though he disobeyed, wouldn't be right or just, since that person was slandered. Musti revealed that he acted like what SS has told him in the past, it being justice is most important.) Even when his father acted against him, Mustafa trusted him blindly, refusing to believe that a father could ever kill his son, even in close probability, no matter what everyone else around him said. (he wrote the letter when Cihangir told him of SS's words in E123, but Musti went to SS anyway, his trust being much stronger than his biggest inkling of suspicion.) He loved him too much, even when he slowly came to realize the growing wedge between them, never succumbing to the temptation to directly rebel against him. (except the kaftan situation, where his trust was directly put into question by a supposed action of his and even then Musti went to merely confront him and die as a warrior if it lead up to this, not kill him, and the trust became stronger than ever afterwards.) Bayezid, on the other hand, always sensed the danger Murat posed in some way, and he realized that no matter how much he proved his loyalty at first and refused drastic action at first, he would always keep suspecting him. Bayezid was allowed to see Murat in his biggest cruelty, at one point, Bayezid didn't see him as fit to rule anymore and was more than ready to dethrone him after an act too cruel by him in Bayezid's eyes. Even when he respected Murat, Bayezid didn't seem to want to prove his worth as much to him or to have gained his principles and beliefs by him and the bond between them wasn't as close, not for Bayezid. The cruelty of the world and Murat's own cruelty grew more and more, hence Bayezid became more open to criticize them and more ruthless, as a result of this. He strived to evade his wrath more than anything. And at one time, there was no turning back now between Murat and Bayezid, which also played a part in his execution.

The way Mustafa views Hürrem and the way Bayezid views Kösem are both very different, too. While I don't feel Mustafa completely hated Hürrem, per say and even in S04, he was rather done with her bullcrap than anything else, he had some resentment for her. He was aware that she played a part in Mahidevran's suffering and sensed that Hürrem giving birth hurts his mother. Still, he knew where the line was: he respected her position as a Sultana and the mother of his brothers, didn't blame her instinctively, didn't fault Cihangir for choosing his own mother in the kaftan sutuation and was willing to listen even in the peak of his resentment. (in E121, where he didn't believe that she wasn't behind the trap.) Bayezid had a more familial bond with Kösem, since she was like a mother to him when his real mother was missing. I feel he appreciated all the care she took for him and even loved her until a point. But once he turned against her, the mutual respect between them was gone completely, with him eventually discarding all she did for him and Kösem disowning him. His resentment for Kösem slowly grew through Gülbahar: the seeds were planted with the letters she was sending to him, which made Bayezid feel he didn't belong, opening a hole in his heart, and then Bayezid being open to listen to Gülbahar more and more with her setting him against both Murat and Kösem. Bayezid tied Kösem to Murat, while in truth, she acted outside of him. Bayezid eventually became convinced that Kösem was a danger. But while circumstances also helped, him standing "on the other side of the war" was bound to break them apart. Bayezid and Kösem already had different goals. The more he sided with Gülbahar's view, the more that cemented their rift. He fully stood against her once she confronted him about him hiding Gülbahar, that made him give up on her to the point he agreed to have her killed in the Eski Saray, since then it would be easier to take down Murat. Despite of Mahidevran's view and experiences, Mustafa's resentment of Hürrem grew because of her own actions: all her attempts to kill him are what made him embittered towards her to the point of him declaring that he won't have mercy on her and Rüstem. He views her actions separately from those of Süleiman- he's aware that she's trying to eliminate him with all her might and that she could maybe involve Süleiman in that, too, but still strives to see a bigger picture. All that is why his actions against her are more defensive than they're offensive and only go so far as to show her her place in some way, not to directly try to kill her, since he regards the feelings of his siblings, too. He sees her and Rüstem as a tandem in S04, but even then he would do actions more against Rüstem than against Hürrem.

I would say that Mustafa has a better relationship with his brothers than Bayezid. He truly loves them a lot and always considers what they have to say, no matter what, but his brothers themselves, even Selim, loved him, too, and never got in conflict with him, expect for the aftermath of him saving Selim from the janissaries, some side scenes with Mehmet when they made amends almost immediately or that one case where they both were little. And he indeed never stops caring about them. I wouldn't say the same for Bayezid, however. While he did share the same affection Mustafa had for his brothers at first, Kasim always had a strained relationship with him and it kept getting more and more strained by each day (even Ibrahim resented him at one point, too). And yes, truly, Bayezid did try to reach out for him many times, Kasim seeing Bayezid and Gülbahar's secret firsthand and the whole Kalika situation sealed things between them to the point of no return. He set himself against Kasim completely, turning out that Gülbahar succeeded to drive the wedge between them. (of course, Mahidevran also had this similar intent, but what I found interesting with her is that, E55 aside, she mostly tried to make Mustafa look at them merely as rivals and in E69 she did tell him that his love for them made her proud regardless; I'm preparing a whole post about comparing Gülbahar and Mahidevran I hope I'll finish some day ahahah) By deciding to take what's rightfully his, Bayezid disregarded his brothers, too. (I understand why he did, but still.) His perspective on them changed just like everything else.

I agree that both Mustafa and Bayezid have a sense of justice, but while Mustafa's justice is based more on morals, principles, nobility, familial bonds and "doing the right thing" in general, Bayezid's justice becomes more "warped". Bayezid sees many injustices done to him or his mother and no matter how much he held back from acting the way his supporters wanted him to, he comes to respond to the injustice with injustice, as well. Or worse yet, he already views the injustice as justice. He perceives leaving his previous, "purer" principles behind as what is right and since he's in a war, he's already ready to do "whatever it takes" to ascend the throne. It's like he restrained himself for too long while reality around him ensued. Mustafa was always aware of this reality, even if deep down inside, even when he was trying to deny it when it came to SS, yet he chose not to leave "his own self" behind. Despite of all the intrigues against him, he responded to the injustice with justice. He held onto this until the end. He held onto this in spite of every opposition or injustice. And yes, both of these approaches were to Mustafa and Bayezid's detriments, respectively, in their distinct circumstances.

Sure, both of Mustafa and Bayezid did "the right thing" prior to their executions (going to SS - choosing not to go to the persian şah as a way out). It was expected for Mustafa, due to his established character and flaws, but for Bayezid it has become the exception - I saw him as more irritated that Gülbahar and Sinan worked behind his back when he told them not to a while ago, but maybe when he didn't succeed to do what he attempted to get on the throne, he decided that he'd rather die, but not run. And his mother's safety was still his first priority, even in death. Even then he didn't exactly realize his mistake, rather that he would be executed for it, since he still acted high and mighty in front of Kösem. Mustafa wasn't really aware of why SS called him in the first place, he wasn't aware of the intrigue with the letter, he didn't know what went wrong, hence he didn't have a true reason to doubt all that, despite of the words of everyone else, so of course he approached the situation like he typically would. It was only Cihangir's words to him where the doubt appeared and he still didn't back down on his decision. Bayezid took a more immediate decision based on curcumstance (with one scene with him ruminating in his chambers), while Mustafa took the decision he usually would. They were both executed by their fathers, but due to different reasons and even before the executions and with their once same foundation as characters, both of them acted differently here.

Though no matter how different they turn out to be in hindsight for me, I still consider MCK Bayezid as a response to MC Mustafa anyway - what MC Mustafa would've been if he let curcumstance influence him and decided to act against his father. (I also did mention in your previous ask about Mustafa that the fandom does tend to view him as MCK Bayezid's exact copy sometimes, but that isn't quite true.) When the crippling realization that your parent could disregard you comes through and you decide not to stand by that and let your survival instinct kick in, after all. Anyhow, I find both of them very interesting to compare and contrast and I love both of their characters, so thanks for giving me the chance to delve into this topic at last. ^^

#magnificent century #muhteşem yüzyıl #muhtesem yuzyil #magnificent century: kösem #magnificent century kösem #magnificent century kosem #sehzade mustafa #sehzade bayezid #ask #stuffandthangs

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