#and sorry but her daughter has already been reincarnated. no memories of her past life. not even related by blood to her mom or dad

[google-searchhistory-official]

Y'know what! I do have an idea for Misty. At first she was just gonna be fully retconned but what if I just bring her back as an ancient vampire who is beyond pissed with the whole Grimm family because she also remembers her life before Frita was erased from reality. But I just gotta give her a slightly different name. Miss Aquafina based character you will come back.

[komatsunana]

My Reincarnation Isekai Villainess Rec List

So.  I’ve gone and found myself in Isekai/Reincarnation/Villainess hell.  For those who don’t know Isekai is a genre in which character(s) are transported to a different world.  Initially you might be thinking “oh, she’s gonna share a both a series like Sword Art Online.”  Oh no.  You have underestimated the amount of taste I have.  By which I mean I have none but that SOA is a taste I’m not here for.

Now a very specific sub-genre of that is the reincarnation one, particularly in which a character is reborn as a character from one of their favorite books or games from their previous, modern life.  An even more specific sub-genre of that one is in which the MC is reborn as a villainess from that book or game, thus creating a bit of a challenge as villainesses usually are destined to die in the source material. 

So! Here are my favorites, many of which are all 3 but some combine one or two of the above tropes.  It’s my list so I do what I want.  And most of my faves have a shojo genre tag, or at least a romance tag, because that’s where all the good stuff is: 

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Survive as the Hero’s Wife by Nokki

Canaria is reincarnated as the villainess of a popular cliche novel. Based on the novel, she is destined to be executed but can she prevent this from happening before it’s too late? 

Why *I* like it:  So this one was the one that really got me into the villainess reincarnation isekai genre!  And it remains the top of my list. The huge draw for me in this one is that I actually really like the main couple!  Like not even just lukewarm, I really like it!  I’d read fic for it, if that existed.  A lot of the villainess genre tend to portray the original heroine as vapid, unworthy of their status of heroine, or the actual villainess but in this case Gracie just turns out to be just an amazing strong woman who doesn’t actually need a man.  (In fact I ship the three together full stop tbh lol).  In fact, it’s a subplot that Gracie realizes (because of MC’s words) that if she wants to inherit her father’s title even though the law says a woman cannot... That she just should strive to change the law rather than be a tool with no use outside of marriage.   And not to spoil anything, but she will definitely do just that.

And since I’m mainly finishing the rough draft of this list out of absolute RAGE at being made fun of for being into this genre.... A compilation of the main love interest, Cesar, because he’s absolutely beautiful.  Look at those eyes!  He’s such a great example of the sullen, dark love interest because he’s not those things when he’s with his wife, the MC!!!  He’s so soft for her.  And the whole point is that the love interest shows a different side to their lover right??

And like the great thing is Canaria, the MC, totally doesn’t notice for the longest time.  She read the novel in her previous life so she’s *convinced* that one day Cesar will fall for the novel’s original leading woman, and she makes plans accordingly throughout their early days of their marriage.  She completely hadn’t thought about the fact that since she’s not being a villainess this time around and not abusing him and everyone around her, and makes friends with Cesar... Like of course the course of events change.  It utterly baffles Cesar when his wife keeps bringing up divorce because he’s so completely in love with her and you just gotta eat that shit up with a spoon because it’s so good and perfect drama but also funny.

There’s even a Halloween chapter where everyone wears costumes and basically I believe I was pandered to specifically.

Tbh, the arc going atm is sorta losing my interest but that’s because there’s political intrigue and I’m like just here for the romance lmao.  So someone looking for substance and not just fluff might be more pleased than I. But it’s still on-going so.  It’s just all in all a fun and great introduction to the genre imo.

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I Reincarnated into an Otome Game as a Villainess With Only Destruction Flags by Hidaka Nami (Art) and Yamaguchi Satoru (Story)

Eight-year-old Katarina Claes is the only daughter of a duke, living her life peacefully and without incident until she hits her head on a rock... and then remembers that she is not actually the duke's daughter. She used to be an otaku who died on her way to school after spending the entire previous night playing Fortune Lover, her favorite otome game. After noticing that her current surroundings seem oddly familiar, she is shocked to discover that she has been reincarnated into the world of Fortune Lover as the villainess.

The villainess in the game usually winds up dead or exiled, so Katarina decides to use her knowledge of the game and its routes to avoid any bad situations. But is it even possible for the villainess to reach a good ending?

Why *I* like it:  Ok ok ok, lol. So this one is probably one of the most well-known of the villainess reincarnation isekai genre atm!  Particularly because of the anime currently running.  And for good reason... the MC is so brilliantly stupid in the best of ways.  While she plots on how to escape her fate of being killed or exiled by learning to sword fight and how to garden, she’s more or less seduced every capture target in this dating game... AND all the female rivals to boot AND heroine.  The thing is that she is completely unaware and continues training for the day she is inevitably killed or exiled, as per the game’s original ending.

It’s just a silly, fun series and all the women’s feelings for her are taken about as seriously as all the guys’... Which isn’t much because absolutely no one really has a chance of getting this woman to understand they are all madly in love with her.  Not a series to take seriously which is part of it’s charm, but it retains a lot of heart especially when it comes to the MC Katarina (affectionally called Bakarina by fandom) remembering her friend and family from her past life.  

This series also has a manga spin-off about what if she’d been reincarnated while already in high school and bullying the heroine instead of a child... So basically she’s in hard mode, and yet she still succeeds in getting even more people into her little harem she has for herself.  

Whether you chose to watch the anime or the manga (or the LN, which I haven’t got to) you can’t go wrong.

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It Seems Like I Got Reincarnated Into The World of a Yandere Otome Game by  Hanaki, Momiji (Story) and Setsuri (Art)

As a precocious child, Lycoris suffers from a strange sense of deja vu. On the day her father told her about her fiancé, she realizes that her fiancé was a character from an otome game she once played in a previous life.

“I am the heroine’s rival from the game?

And in the bad ending, I get stabbed to death?

What a joke.”

A story in which the protagonist is determined to avoid a yandere situation.

Why *I* like it: Hear me out! I know what you’re thinking... Yanderes??? But here’s the thing...  Just by the MC being kind and getting 2 of the “yandere” characters out of abusive environments, they no longer end up as yanderes as they grow up.   They aren’t those tropes any more!  While the characters remain protective, they aren’t possessive and are happy to see MC branch out, if a little lonely.  And the yandere that remain aren’t treated as hot, but annoying.   So like sorry to disappoint if you think yanderes are hot but this isn’t the series for you.

Additionally, unlike other series of this trope, the MC is pretty quick to realize she just needs to trust her lover, that he will not turn on her and kill her as he did in the game nor will he fall for the heroine instead of her.  It’s somewhat refreshing, as a huge part of the trope is the MC typically doesn’t realize until it’s spelled out that by not acting as a villain.... the rest of the characters don’t want to harm them... And might even have fallen in love with them.

Another fun aspect is how MC doesn’t remember things immediately, but only remembers things from her past life (and of how the game went) until it comes up.  Additionally, she wonders some interesting things that aren’t even mentioned in other series like... What if she’s destined to be exactly like the game character? Will she be forced to be exactly like her? It’s a fun exploration of some common reincarnation isekai villainess tropes if you have experience with the genre!

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Ascendance of a Bookworm by Shiina You (Art) and Kazuki Miya (Story)

A book-loving student and soon to be librarian ends up crushed to death by the pile of books during an earthquakes and wakes up as a five year old girl named Main in another world where books are scarce only available to the elite.  Main, retaining her memories of her past life, decides to create and print her own books so she can read again.

Why *I* like it:  So here is we depart from solely the villainess sub-genre (but only briefly!)  Because there is another sub-genre of reincarnation isekai and that’s in which the MC uses the things they learned on our planet earth to re-invent things like shampoo and the printing press.  And no other isekai does it better than Ascendance of a Bookworm imo. Main’s love for books leads her to recreating things she took for granted on Earth and starts selling them from a young age... Which might just end up saving her life as she ends up having a terminal disease that ordinarily she’d only be able to survive by being a slave to a noble... But by selling her products she has a chance to save herself!!!  And the products she creates are available to commoners, not just the nobles who of course make it impossible for the poor to have nice things.

Additionally, a majority of this trope centers around nobles and royalty (and all the best ones are historical settings)... The fun thing about this one is that it actually centers around a povert stricken family.  It’s a good break from the noble hierarchy within most isekai.

Finally, this series is the one that hits most closely to my feelings if I were to be reincarnated in another world... Which is to cry at the realization that I will never finish any of the on-going books and manga I had going on.  That’s absolute hell, I don’t know how any of these MCs deal!! ;_;

btw there is an anime and manga both. Also LN but tbh almost all of these have LN.

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Isekai Omotenashi Gohan by  Shinobumaru (Story) and Medamayaki (Art) 

Akane, an ordinary office lady, gets summoned to a different world along with her younger sister and pet dog. There, she ends up treating rare guests one after another with hospitality through meals!! Can she satisfy the citizens of a different world with home cooking...?! 

Why *I* like it:   Continuing our brief deviation from the villainess trope, Isekai Omotenashi Gohan is my favorite example of another subgenre of isekai - one without reincarnation - but one in which a “hero” is transmigrated to another world to save it... The problem? Oppsie, 2 people were taken.  Sometimes in this sub-genre there is a question who the true savior is but in Isekai Omotenashi Gohan’s case they figure that out pretty quickly.  They quickly figure out the MC’s younger sister is the savior.  At first the older sister (Akane) is set aside as unimportant... But her sister only wants to eat the food her sister makes and it quickly becomes obvious that Akane’s role is important.

Akane makes lots of allies and friends by sharing the food from Japan and of course has a very subtle romance going on with her guard.  But honestly I just enjoy this series as a person that likes food manga, like that’s it lmao, so much so that don’t be surprised when I make a best food manga list and yeah sorry Food Wars won’t be on it.

But fr, even if you don’t love the food manga genre try it!! It’s a sweet series and mixes domestic with fantasy in a great way.  Plus only a few series are complete, with the rest being on-going, so if you want a complete and finished series try this one!

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The Duke's Fiancee, Why She Had to Go to the Duke by Milcha (Story) and Golae (Art)

When Park Eunha dies in modern-day Korea, she awakens in the body of Raeliana McMillan, the eldest daughter of a nouveaux riche baron. However, this is no ordinary world; it's the exact same one as a novel she once read. Beloved by her family, it would seem as though she is in a fairy tale. But Raeliana is far from the main character—she is a mere plot device, whose murder at the hands of her fiancé instigates the entire story.

Raeliana has no intention to accept her fate quietly. She sets her eyes on someone in a position of great power—the vieux riche male protagonist Duke Noah Volstaire Wynknight—aiming to completely change the original story. Using her knowledge of future events, Raeliana offers information to Noah on the condition that he acts as her fake fiancé, but the Duke's two-faced nature throws a wrench in her plans! 

Why *I* like it:  This one is a fun one!! It really plays with different concepts that don’t often get explored in reincarnation isekai like where did the original consciousness of the character the MC became go??? Because MC only remembers her life on earth and is otherwise treated as though she has amnesia.... But is it amnesia?  Is she another person entirely?

Also the humor is... great.  Listen I refuse to give the best joke in the series just to make you read it but... the series is worth it just for this running joke.

Of course the romance is good too. The dude is kinda an asshole but she gives as good as he dishes out and it quickly becomes flirting anyway.  I don’t want to say too much and give any thing away... but s’good!

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Who Made Me a Princess? by Plutus (Story) and Spoon (Art)

The beautiful Athanasia was killed at the hands of her own biological father, Claude de Alger Obelia, the cold-blooded emperor! It’s just a silly bedtime story… until one woman wakes up to suddenly find she’s become that unfortunate princess! She needs a plan to survive her doomed fate, and time is running out. Will she go with Plan A, live as quietly as possible without being noticed by the infamous emperor? Plan B, collect enough money to escape the palace? Or will she be stuck with Plan C, sweet-talking her way into her father’s good graces?!

Why *I* like it:  Ok, big sigh.  How do I explain the pull ‘Who Made Me A Princess?’ has on me?  Now a lot of the pull for many people is how cute the budding father daughter relationship the MC (Athy) has with her dad.  But like, her dad is the worst and I want to fight him.  On the other hand, most of the fandom hates Jeanette, the MC’s sister who has done literally nothing wrong except make everyone around her miserable but it’s not her fault ok, and I’ll fight the entire fandom in her honor.  So it pains me to rec this series knowing that more than likely anyone who picks up this series because of me might have Wrong Opinions and I invite you to tell me just so I can shake my head about another wrong person existing in this world.

Never the less, this series is very cute!  All the other series I have recced had the MC remember their past life at early childhood at the earliest, if not as a teenager.  Athy? She has the misfortune to remember as a *baby* and it’s exactly as hellish as it sounds for an adult to be stuck growing up as a baby and suffer through the absolute embarrassment of having people feed and wipe her ass. 

The MC was an orphan in her previous life and the book that she wakes up in is a shitty book even by her standards but then she really only skimmed it it sounds like that’s what interests me.  As Athy makes changes to the original events of the novel and depth is added to the world, I start to wonder if the added depth was in the original novel or if the world had to add its own depth to stand as an actual lived in world?

Additionally, since I made the cover image Athy and her dad you might as well see her with her 2 love interests (and Jeanette!).  People need to know who to ship, I get it.

Also I need a moment to appreciate, up close, the beauty of Athy’s eyes. So gorgeous. 

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Living as the Tyrant’s Older Sister by Aperta (Story) and Chyobab (Art)

When I opened my eyes, I was inside a fantasy novel world! The beauty I see in front of the mirror is the future tyrant’s older sister, Alicia! She’s not even a protagonist or an antagonist, but a character that doesn’t appear much and gets beheaded by the (upcoming) tyrant little brother. My life is all about escaping that fate from the novel. In the end, I seduced the male lead’s merchant friend who also doesn’t appear much and was about to leave the country with him. How-e-ver. The face of the man who spent the night with me was extraordinary, and was the male lead himself!

Why *I* like it:   ……………...keke. Ok so this one is one I like just for the laughs.  The love interest is an arrogant asshole, but see… The important detail the summary leaves out is that the MC’s… cousin (?) wrote the book that she woke up in!  Moreover she’s the one that told her cousin to change the MC of her novel and make him good at everything and also make him a freak in the sack.  Like who is really at fault here??? Lmao.  Especially when she goes out intending to seduce a character she remembers being rich from the novel and accidentally bags the MC from the novel, aka the dude who kills her and her brother in the original novel.

In seriousness though, it really is funny.  The facial expressions of the MC is just… chefs kiss.  She’s got a pretty face but then she makes all these goof ass faces and I love it.  If you need any more reason to at least give it a go, just know that at one point the male lead comes to check on her, expecting to find her crying and instead…. Walks in just as she screams FUCK at the top of her lungs and then begins a tirade of very creative curses including "Bitch oompa loompa ass bitch" which how can you not love her?  Anyway the face the male lead makes after that has me maintaining that’s the moment he fell in love with her lmao.. but this is not Confirmed so it’s not a spoiler!!

EDIT: as of August 2020, I’ve since dropped this series. It remains on the list since I’d still rec it to people looking for a laugh.

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Seduce the Villain’s Father by bia and dalseul

Upon opening my eyes after a bus accident, I found myself in the fantasy world of a webnovel I enjoyed reading... the only catch is, I reincarnated 20 years before the novel begins! Reborn as Princess Yerenica of the small Lebovny kingdom, I'm determined to change the future in order to prevent the series of unfortunate events that will soon occur!

Why *I* like it:   How many times have you yourself had a suuuuuper side character be your favorite in a series and be depressed to see them done dirty?  Well MC has a chance to fix that, to save a character that basically one appeared in prologue and basically prevent the birth of the villain character that later kills his own father… by seducing his dad, before he can marry the villainess!!

Yerenica is just adorable in her attempts to thwart the original novel.  And like, I have to give her lots of respect for seeing the villainess character and having herself a good moment where she had to consider seducing her instead lmao.  She knows when to let well enough alone though so she immediately boards back on the dad train, much to his chagrin because she keeps calling him father……………….. Even though he’s like…. Not a dad yet.

The characters are still relatively early on in their romance, but I have high hopes for it yet!

Edit: As of August 2020, I’ve dropped this series.  It remains on this list because I think it’s a cute series and I think anyone who feels really strongly about the main couple will enjoy it.

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Death Is the Only Ending For The Villainess by Gwon Gyeoeul and SUOL

Penelope Eckart reincarnated as the adopted daughter of Duke Eckart and the villainess of a reverse harem dating sim. The problem is, she entered the game at its hardest difficulty, and no matter what she does, death awaits her at every ending! Before the "real daughter" of Duke Eckart appears, she must choose one of the male leads and reach a happy ending in order to survive. But the two brothers always pick a fight with her over every little thing, as well as a crazy crown prince, whose routes all lead to death. There's even a magician who's enamoured with the female lead, and a loyal slave knight! But somehow, the favourability meters of the male leads increase the more she crosses the line with them!

Why *I* like it:   So this one is another relatively new one added to my list, but it’s shot high up rather quickly!!  The other otome game isekai’s that I have on my list are just like the real world, but the interesting thing about this one, is that it also retains otome game mechanics such as she can see the love interests love meter and also she can chose to use the video game script choices to reply to the characters, in the hopes of raising their love meter.  This adds challenge, since she knows that if she gets any of the dudes to -10 she’ll be killed even as she sort of wonders if she truly would die or wake back up in reality.

What’s interesting also is that while she is the villainess character in the game… It ends up that the character was actually abused for years and that her title as a villain is unfair and that the game can be played as the villainess as even a player as a ‘hard’ mode compared to the heroine character.  It’s up to her to turn things around and it’s actually a fun take on the villainess genre.  I’m really looking forward to how things proceed even as my fears about which dude she’ll end up with continue to increase.

Finally, another layer I enjoy is that the MC lead a similar life in her previous life.  She’d only just escape her own abusive family before she’d ended up here and MC just desperately wants to escape once again… using any means necessary.

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The Villainess Reverses the Hourglass by SanSobe (story) and Ant Studio (art)

With the marriage of her prostitute mother to the Count, Aria’s status in society skyrocketed immediately. After leading a life of luxury, Aria unfairly meets death because of her sister Mielle’s schemes. And right before she dies, she sees an hourglass fall as if it were a fantasy. And just like that, she was miraculously brought back to the past.

“I want to become a very elegant person, just like my sister, Mielle.”

In order to face the villainess, she must become an even more wicked villainess. This was the new path Aria chose to take revenge on Mielle who murdered both her and her mother.

Why *I* like it:   If you thought that this list might be in descending order, guess again!  This one is one of my favorites.  Now this one lacks isekai, but is a reincarnation of a villainess!! Rather the MC was an absolute horrible person in her past life, but finds out at the last minute that her ~pure~ sister had been leading her by nose into acting like a brat just seconds before she is executed.  Now that she has a second chance, she’ll be a proper villainess and turn the tables on her sister.

In her last life, Aria never bothered educating herself so now that she’s a teenager again she actually has to learn things again (it’s not just like she gets to act like she’s a genius and good at everything) but she works hard at maintaining a sweet image and making everyone love her, even as she snickers behind their backs, all the while subtly setting her sister up for failure.

This is a proper revenge story, I’m promised by those who read the LN!! Revenge stories about women are rare to come back, especially one that doesn’t make revenge look like a total evil thing lol.  What can I say, I have my interests.  Anyway, it’s super cathartic to watch Aria slowly unfold her masterplan to foil her sister’s plans and take everything that her sister had cherished in her previous life. And all that not to mention the certain powers that Aria later discovers she has at her disposal... :3c

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Beware of the Villainess by Bbongdda Mask (story) and Pureunkanna (art)

I became the villainess of a novel! Do I hate it? No! I find it rather nice. A duke’s daughter equals a jobless rich person. How can I miss out on a chance like this?! This is the best chance to just enjoy life. I should throw out the main plot and just live life how I want to! Not long after waking up as the villainess, I witnessed my fiancé, the crown prince and the novel’s male lead, cheating. I saw him embrace a lady other than I and he was smiling so bright. I was brought to tears… Just kidding, I didn’t cry! My tears are worth too much to be wasted on that garbage. Instead of tears, I yelled out, “Your highness, are you trash?”

Why *I* like it:   Listen there are 2 ways to react to waking up as a villain of a series you once read… Either you turn the tables and become a good guy OR you can embrace it!  The world the novel is based on has the basic premise of the pure and good heroine winning the affection of 4 bratty, horrible men.  MC is the fiance of one of them and says fuck that.  She also has some thoughts that none of these dudes deserve the heroine of the novel but this one is still pretty early on so the jury still out on if she’s going to save this poor girl from her fate of ending up with any of these absolute assholes.

This one is along the veins of the previously mentioned Living As the Tyrant’s Older Sister, in that the pull for this series is even less of the romance and more about the comedy aspect… Also MC’s facial expressions are…. Choice.  Just so good. Enough with pretty girls making pretty faces!!  We need more girls being ugly.  It’s what we deserve.  Yell at cheaters!!!!!! Tell them to fuck off!! Yes please.

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Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter by Reia (Story), Umemiya Suki (Art)

Although she had reincarnated as the daughter of a Duke's house, by the time she regained her memories, the Ending was already here.

"After he cancels my engagement, the story would have me confined to a church. Where can I find my happy ending?"

Why *I* like it:  I never read or watched Wolf and Spice but I imagine this is isekai Wolf and Spice… Well it’s got a lot about the economy at least lmao.   That’s literally the only thing I know about Wolf and Spice.  Anyway!!  The twist in this one is that the MC remembers her past life just as she’s about to be exiled, the end of the original game.  What the series focuses on is her life afterwards, as she scrambles to grab at any semblance of a good life… And she does so pretty quickly!

Her past life comes in handy as she sets to work managing a dukedom and fixes the economy!!  Moreover, even though it pains my heart whenever two women are pitted against each other… It does a great job of putting into question the original heroine’s pure shtick as she spends extravagantly on dresses and would rather just donate to the poor one day, instead of Iris the MC who sets to work on fixing the economy and creating jobs for the poor and putting money into bettering their lives in the long run, rather than throwing money at them and running.  Also, she’s grabbed the attraction of a mysterious man who takes a job helping her even though he is a prince aka the brother of her ex-fiance who he is fighting for the crown for.

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And that’s it!! My list for now!! Tbh by next month there’ll likely be even more faves as I continue to add more and more series to my read list lol.  Because this isn’t even a fraction of all the reincarnation isekai series I’m into, just the best for certain reasons.

BTW, if you’re like... wow this list sure is straight then true unfortunately. I’m waiting for the day “I Favor The Villainess” gets adapted somehow.  Also there are several isekai in which a straight girl reincarnates into a yaoi novel but I haven’t found a true gem among them yet.

[sunflowerseedsandscience]

Still no title. I hate titles. But here’s Part One, Part Two, and Part Three of my “We dated in high school, and now you’ve moved back to town” AU, and this is Part Four. More tomorrow!

In Dana Scully’s experience, the people from a person’s past have a way of seeming larger-than-life when seen through the rearview mirror. The second grade teacher who yelled a bit too becomes a pinch-faced witch who held an entire classroom of children in constant terror. The beloved softball coach takes on the qualities of a benevolent goddess, her face wreathed in golden sunlight, with never a bad thing to say about any of her players. The high school football star who’d been a little too full of himself is remembered as the personification of malice, a dark entity that stalked hapless classmates around the halls between classes. 

And the boy you honestly thought you’d be with forever, before you managed to completely screw things up, becomes the embodiment of everything you could possibly want in a partner, the gold standard no other man could ever live up to.

Dana reminds herself of this as she sits in her favorite tea room, waiting for Mulder, shredding a napkin to pieces as she tries to master her nerves. He’s thirty-two now, she thinks. You haven’t seen him in fourteen years. You haven’t talked to him in ten. You knew him as a child and he’s a man now.    

But the Fox Mulder who strides through the door, eyes anxiously sweeping over the tables, is every inch the reincarnation of Apollo that Dana’s generous memory has made him out to be. Physically, at least, he’s already living up to her expectations.

It only takes him a second to locate her, and as their eyes lock, the room around them disappears from Dana’s view. She stands slowly as he weaves through the tables to get to her, never taking his eyes off of hers, and when he’s a foot from her he freezes, eyes raking over her hungrily from head to toe.

Jesus. 

He could at least try to censor his expression. Dana’s entire body flushes as he takes her in, and she doesn’t miss the way his eyes linger on her empty left ring finger. She checks his, as well. The only thing Missy had been willing to tell her about what Mulder looks like now was that he hadn’t been wearing a wedding ring when she’d seen him. He’s not wearing one today, either.

“Dana.”

His voice is just a bit deeper than she remembers and it sends shivers down her spine. They stare wordlessly at each other, the air between them alive with tension... and then, quite suddenly, Mulder grins and reaches out, pulling Dana against him in a crushing embrace that she joyfully returns.

He releases her, holding her at arm’s length, and they smile like idiots at each other. “It’s so good to see you,” he says.

“You, too,” Dana replies. She gestures up to the counter. “Can I get you something to drink?”

Mulder reaches for her hand. “In a second. Just let me look at you a minute, okay?” His smile practically leaps off his face. “You look wonderful, Dana.”

“So do you,” she manages, but it’s an understatement. She looks wonderful? He looks practically edible. It should be criminal to walk around looking that good at thirty-two. Though, the way he’s gazing at her is doing wonders for her self-esteem. “Have you looked your fill yet?”

“Never,” he says, and she flushes again. “Let me get the drinks, okay? You still like Earl Grey?” At her nod, he heads to the counter, and Dana sits, her head swimming and her heart hammering in her chest.

Mulder returns with their drinks, and in between sips, they share the bare bones of their lives these days. She tells him about her new job as a thoracic surgeon at George Mason, how she’s staying with her parents until she’s settled in at work and has time to go house hunting. He tells her about the practice he’d set up nearby two years ago when he decided he didn’t like the over-scheduling of working at a larger office with other psychologists. They update each other on their respective families, on Ahab’s retirement and Mulder’s father’s decision to move to Massachusetts. 

But in the middle of telling Dana about his sister Samantha’s work with the National Parks out in Colorado, Mulder suddenly stops speaking and looks down. Dana, knowing what’s coming, braces herself.

“Dana... I told myself that if you wanted me to know, you would have told me, but I have to know--”

“You want to know why I cut off contact.” There’s no point in beating around the bush and Dana knows it.

“Yeah,” says Mulder quietly. “I’m sorry to bring it up so soon, I told myself I wouldn’t, but... why, Dana?”

Dana looks down into her lap. Four years ago, before writing him, she’d spent months preparing herself for this conversation, deciding how to word it all, how to tell him the truth in a way that paints everyone involved in the best light. Mulder had always admired Dana’s father, and Ahab himself has long since admitted that the way he’d acted had not been his finest hour. She’d hate to have Mulder’s opinion of him be irreparably damaged.

And, of course, Dana worries about what Mulder will think of her. The Mulder she’d known would have been sympathetic and understanding of the choices Dana has made... but, as she keeps reminding herself, he might not be that person anymore.

There’s only one way to find out.

Dana reaches down beside her chair, into her purse, and takes out her wallet. She opens it to the first photo and slides it across the table to Mulder, who accepts it, looking mystified. 

“This,” she tells him, “is my daughter, Emily.”

[smalltowndetective]

1, 17 and 22 for any detective of your choice for the detailed oc ask (no rush to answer, take your time, especially if you're busy 💕)

Hello! Thank you so much for asking, you’re the best! Sorry this is late! 

So, since I am a massive name nerd, I’m going to answer 1 for each of my detectives, and then I’ll answer one detective for the other two! 

1. What’s their full name? Why was that chosen? Does it mean anything?

Thea Annaliese Holland (romances Felix): Now, something that is probably good to mention that I spend way too long on my detectives before even playing the game haha. I spent forever on trying to figure out names for them that fit their character, and Thea is no exception. I spent a while with her first name actually being Theadora and Thea being her nickname (I might bring this back for a reincarnation AU later) But Thea by it self fit her better? It has that lighter feel to it, less regal-sounding, and it suits her much better. Thea is the Anglicized version of Theia, the Greek goddess of light, so I really liked that as well. Middle name took me forever to figure out, since Thea is not an easy name to figure a middle name for, but I came across Annaliese, and it really fit her. Meaning “grace” and the softness of it is just really pretty to me. And for poor Thea, I did so much planning for her character before playing her route for the first time, wrote so many notes on her about everything under the sun, to just forget that I needed to give her a surname haha! So, with no idea what exactly to do, I used a random name generator, and wouldn’t you know it, the first one that I got back was Holland, which I really liked how Thea Holland sounded, so I went with it. 

And while I suppose that’s why I choose it, but I suppose I can tell a little bit about why Rebecca and Rook choose it as well. Kind of along the same vein as me, I have Rebecca wanting to use the full form of the name, while Rook wanting to shorten it, thinking the full name sounded slightly too regal for his tastes. Obviously, Thea won out in the end, and that is now her full name. :)

Natasha Kate Trexler (romances Adam): Now, for Natasha I just really just really liked Natasha as a first name, something about it just sounding right (Natasha means “born on Christmas Day” actually, but she was born in late spring haha!) It’s slightly harsher then Natalia, my first thought for what to name her,  and it fit her much better with her as a name. And, back when I played the game originally, I had her nickname be Nat, but I do know how confusing that Adam and Nat looks to everyone else, so I’ve decided to avoid using it in the future haha! (Natasha isn’t the type to really use nicknames anyway, but I do personally think that once we actually get to deep relationship Adam, he would be the only person who calls her so) For her middle name, I forgot there was technically a Kate already in the story, (Garret Hayes’s mother) but since it was a middle name that won’t be mentioned ever, I decided to stick with it. Kate means “pure” and I really liked it instead of using a longer form like Katherine. And for her surname, Trexler is a surname from German origin, and it means “turner” believed to be referring to a wheelwright (Rook in Natasha’s route is from German descent) 

And for how Rook and Rebecca choose the name, with Rebecca in this route being from Russian descent, that is how Natasha was originally decided on in the first place, with Kate a compromise between the two of them for something slightly softer. :)

Pearl Evelyn Reid (romances Nate): Since Pearl was my first detective (that’s a bit of a surprise I’m sure haha) I didn’t actually think of her name much before the game, since well, I had never played any interactive fiction at all before and it wasn’t something that I realized that I would want to do. But I do really like the name anyway. Pearl is obviously just a gem name for the well, actual Pearl, and it is kind of an old-timey name, which kind of suits her really well. Pearl is very tech focused skill wise, but she also has a vintage decorated apartment, so the different in those two has always been something that I have liked about her. Her middle name, Evelyn (which I choose for) means “desired, wished for” and also “water” which they both kind of fit. Pearl loves the ocean (I’ve always put Wayhaven as a seaside town) and it’s something that she has always been very special to her. (Nate’s hesitance to it makes her pause, but she hasn’t asked him much about it yet) (And I like the desired, wished for meaning as well, because I do think that the three of them were a very happy family before Rook’s death) And with her surname, Reid apparently means Red (I wasn’t looking at meanings at the time, so not making her a red head was a bit of a oversight on my part haha!) I also really like how “Rebecca Reid” sounds as well!

And for Rook and Rebecca, Pearl always remind me of the novel Scarlet Letter, which the main character names her daughter Pearl, her mother’s “only treasure”, and this kind of relates into everything after Rook’s death. It’s slightly old-timely, but it was something that both of them liked a lot ( I do think of all the names, they probably were able to agree on this one the quickest haha!) :)

Mariana “Mari” Rebecca Gonzales (romances Mason): It took me forever to play Mason’s route for the first time, since I was really having a hard time finding a detective that I really liked that would work very well. In the end, I went with a very different detective then the others, and after a while, I really do like her. There are several meanings for Mariana, from “bitter” to “beloved” which again, kind of both fit her. Mariana never wanted to be a detective, and is very bitter about it and her mother’s absences, but even with that, she is beloved by the people in her life anyway. Mari is what she goes by when she can, the nickname more comfortable for her, hating the almost stiff formality of her full name. And of course, for angst reasons only, I used my detective with the absolute worse relationship with Rebecca her name as a middle. (Was going to do so for all my detectives, but I really like it just being her haha) Mari does avoid talking about her middle name for this reason, and is less then thrilled about it for that reason. Now, for the surname, Rook in Mari’s route is Spanish, so well it made sense to give her one with that heritage. It is a different spelling of Gonzalez, meaning “war” or “battle” and for my combat focused detective who wanted to join the military, it really fit.

And for Rook and Rebecca, it was important to them that Mariana had a name that tied her to her heritage, and Rebecca was the initial one who brought up Mariana as a name. Rook’s idea right back, (in only Mari’s route) was to give her Rebecca’s name as a middle name, another connection to her mother. It took her a bit, but she did agree, and that is now her name (regardless of Mari feels about it haha!)

(Going to put the rest of the answers under the cut!)

17. Do they like to take photos? What do they like to take photos of? Selfies? What do they do with their photos?

Detective: Thea Holland (Felix)

I saw this question, and I couldn’t help not answer it for Thea, as much as I have talked about this recently haha! One of Thea’s hobbies is photography, and it something that she has done a lot of in the past few years leading up to Book 1. She loves to take pictures of just about anything in front of her, capturing that moment forever, but in Wayhaven, there are not many weddings, but she was been hired to do wedding photography a few times, which she always loves doing. Being able to give them memories of what (hopefully is!) one of the happiest days of their life is really special to her. (And Thea is also a huge hopeless romantic, so there is that to!) She has also done portrait pictures for the people of Wayhaven as well, and Thea is the closest you can get to a real photographer without having to go to the big city. She is not the biggest fan of selfies by herself, but with Felix? She’ll gladly do so. :) A lot of pictures that she takes do end up with the clients, but in her office, she does have framed pictures of the flowers around Wayhaven on the wall. And now as her and Felix are officially dating, perhaps there will be pictures of the two of them together in her office as well. :)

22. What are their favorite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back?

Detective: Natasha Trexler (Adam)

Natasha is probably not the best detective I have to answer this for, but I was reminded of something, and I don’t think I can avoid not mentioning this haha. She is incredibly stoic, and most insults she keeps in her head, a slight glare the only sign of what she is really is feeling. If you do annoy her enough, you might get a very flat insult, the harshness not hold back at all, no humor, just pure insult. And while there have been plenty of times where Adam has absolutely frustrated her, but she normally won’t say anything. But that time that he broke her plant, and then tried to say her office was cluttered? Natasha hates clutter with a passion, it not allowing her to focus, and her office is always immaculate, the only reason the plant in there was in the first place was because it was a gift from Tina. She would have not have put it in there otherwise. So, to hear Adam say that? If Nate wasn’t there, there would have been some few choice words that she thrown back into his face. And to the last question, Natasha hates gossip, so she does not talk behind anyone's back at all. If she doesn’t like you, you’ll know. 

[thetailorofenbizaka]

Chapter 1–The Tale of the Scissors, Act 6: Past Life; Scene 7

The Tailor of Enbizaka, pages 147-155

Upon leaving the tailor shop, Kayo snuck towards a certain place.

She eventually arrived at a coast slightly removed from the port.

There were no boats to be seen nearby, and the place was still as death.

Only the faint sound of waves could be heard.

However, there was a single, small figure standing in the middle of the beach.

Kayo approached them.

The identity of this figure—was that girl with a hairpin in her hair.

It was none other than Rin.

At the time I had not a single clue as to what she was doing there in the middle of the night, or how Kayo had known that.

“—Good evening, Sudou Kayo-san.”

Rin was the one to speak up first.

“…How is it that you know my name, young miss?”

“Didn’t you introduce yourself to me?”

“I can’t have. This is the first time we have ever met face to face like this.”

“….I don’t know if your memory’s failing you, or if you’re just acting like that’s the case…Well, it’s alright. If you say that you’ve never introduced yourself, then perhaps I heard it from my big sis, or my mom, or…maybe I saw it in a dream.”

Rin seemed to have a slightly different aura about her than she had during the day.

“A dream?”

“Yes, I had a dream. I dreamed that I would come to this place alone tonight, and—that you would stab me with those scissors and kill me."

Kayo did not hide her surprise at hearing that.

But she quickly returned to her usual peaceful expression.

“…I see. So you…are the same as I.”

“That’s not all. Kayo-san, do you—believe in ‘past lives’?”

“Past lives?”

A past life—In the religion most widely practiced in Jakoku, there is this idea they hold called the circle of transmigration. It states that after people die, their spirit is reincarnated, and reborn into a new life as a different person. A past life is, in other words, the self from before a person was reborn.

“I…happened to get something by chance in Amayomi.” She pulled out a small, foreign-made hand mirror. “There’s four in all. Just like your scissors, it’s an item that serves as one when all are assembled.”

“…”

“By getting my hands on this, I was able to recall the memories of my past life. And I was also able to find the answer to what—or rather, who—I was ‘waiting’ for.”

“In your past life…What sort of person were you?”

“Long ago, I was—the princess of a certain country. I was a selfish girl, unable to see anything of the people around me…a ‘Daughter of Evil’.”

“Ha ha ha…what an adorable, childish imagination you have.”

Kayo behaved as though she didn’t believe Rin’s story.

“I don’t care what you think of it. I—will not yield to fate! I will not let myself die before the day I can meet him! So…I will kill you here, tonight!”

The mirror that Rin was holding, and she herself, seemed to be giving off a faint glow.

“Young miss. I don’t know what it is you’re trying to do—but unfortunately, you won’t win against me.”

Despite the strange air Rin had about her, Kayo appeared unafraid.

With the western scissors in her right hand, and the eastern scissors in her left, she closed the distance between her and Rin.

“…I am sorry. None of this is your fault. But I—I can’t stop now.”

“Silence! …Come, ‘Demon of Pride’! Give me the power—to defeat this woman!” Rin screamed, holding the mirror above her head.

However—

“Huh…? Why!? Nothing’s…happening.”

“…Farewell.”

Before the confused Rin’s eyes, Kayo twirled on the spot as though dancing.

While holding the scissors in both hands.

Holding them out as though to brush against Rin’s body.

…And with that alone, the battle was decisively won.

Blood gushed from the pulse points of Rin’s arms and legs. Her face went a ghastly pale, and all she could do was fall back on the ground, face up.

“It can’t be…I fell…so easily…”

Kayo approached the fallen Rin, and picked up the hairpin that had been in her hair.

“If the cycle of reincarnation really exists…then I hope that in your next life you are able to find happ—”

“It’s too late…say such pretty words now…you…murderer!”

Rin struggled to lift her body with all her might, but she could not.

I could tell that she was steadily losing all the blood from her body.

“Ah…I—I’ve failed again…I’m sorry…I couldn’t keep waiting…for you to come…Allen—”

Rin expired there.

“—And here I’ve hit a stopping point. But…I’m not finished yet.”

Kayo left Rin’s corpse there and departed from the coast.

“—You’re telling me the ‘Four Mirrors of Lucifenia’ were here in Jakoku this whole time!?”

Elluka shouted, more loudly than she had up to this point.

I don’t know whether they were named as such. But Rin did certainly appear to have a mirror in which some peculiar power dwelled. Though regretfully for her that power never manifested itself.

“Then where is the mirror now!?”

…Who knows?

“’Who knows’, she says…”

Kayo left Rin’s body and the mirror where they were. Rin’s corpse went undiscovered even after several days, and so she was declared “missing”. She and the mirror she’d carried were most likely washed away by the tide sometime during the night.

“…Haaaugh~” Elluka gave an enormous sigh, not moving to hide in the slightest her disappointment. “How careless of me. I was so caught up with the scissors it never occurred to me that there might be other ‘Vessels of Deadly Sin’ in Jakoku.”

Was that another item that had inside it one of those “Demons of Deadly Sin” you spoke of?

“It was. –Although the ‘Demon of Pride’ has lost almost all of its power. …And Kayo killed Rin, who was herself a ‘demon contractor’—albeit in a weakened state.”

…Yes.

“Only someone who has also made a contract with a demon can kill a demon contractor. But there is no demon in the scissors, and Kayo was not possessed by the ‘Demon of Envy’. So then, what possibility comes to mind then?...Ha ha ha, I am beginning to see an answer reveal itself.”

Elluka made a strange smile as she monologued to herself.

…Er, can I say something?

“I’m in the middle of thinking right now. Quiet down.”

--It’s about those “Vessels of Deadly Sin”…There might be another one in Onigashima now.

“…I’ve already figured that out. But I’ve resolved to leave that one alone for now. That most incredibly annoying fool is involved, of all people.”

“Incredibly annoying fool”…You mean her? Just who in the world is sh—”

“I’ve no intention of answering that.”

Elluka cut off the conversation with a firm tone I had not heard up until then.

…Well then, another question. That day, Inukichi and Kokutan-douji went to meet with you. I was keeping my eye on Kayo, so I wasn’t able to glean what sort of conversation you had. If you’re willing, I’d be grateful to hear what it was.

“—When I met with Kokutan-douji, I had a personal interest in him. Moreso upon hearing his story. We wound up talking until late into the night. And so, I told to him a theory that I had figured out myself.”

Which was?

“That what the mermaid told him was a downright lie. To put it in brief. Kayo was not Kokutan-douji’s mother. I believed that the mermaid telling him as such was to give him a false goal. So as to keep Kokutan-douji from figuring out the true reason he was reborn.”

Reborn…Rin also spoke of having a past life.

“I am convinced now, after hearing your story. The true goal that Kokutan-douji needed to do, and the person that Rin was waiting for…These were mutual. The two of them were twins in a past life.”

Apparently, in Elluka’s long life she had met their previous selves before.

“There was once a pair of twins in Lucifenia named Riliane and Allen. At the time I hadn’t quite grasped their importance…But that’s different now. Their reunion is something that would have a great deal of meaning for this world. The mermaid that you so despise must have known that fact, and yet tried to obstruct that from happening.”

I…don’t really understand what you’re saying.

“You don’t need to. It has nothing to do with you and Kayo, at the very least. You just got caught up in it a little bit, hahaha.”

--Perhaps I had blabbed too much.

Elluka was probably starting to realize just who I was.

But that didn’t change the fact that I was soon to be departed from this world, in any case.

So then it would be wise for me to continue telling my story until the end.

<<prev------directory------next>>

[immacaria]

Xichengclipse2020 - Day 6: Reincarnation/Sacrifice

 “Great God!” He heard Isabella whisper as a million of images came to his mind. Him and Wei Wuxian arriving to Cloud Recess, meeting with the Twin Jades of Gusu, everything that happened, the discover that Lan Xichen was his soulmate and the denial. All of his history with Lan Xichen and even what he didn’t remember was being shown in the front of his eyes, quickly and almost insanely.   “Oh, gods!” Jiang Cheng breathed deep, letting go of Lan Huan’s hand. “I… I…”  “Wanyin?” Lan Huan whispered, slowly, eyes still unfocused. “Oh, my heart. I am so sorry!” He sobbed, reaching blindly to the smaller one. “Oh, Wanyin. I never wanted this to happen…”   “I’m here.” Jiang Cheng held Xichen’s hands, hoping that his soulmate would remember him even a little. He kept looking at his eyes until they focused on his again, slowly becoming golden. “Lan Xichen?”  “I thought we agreed in you calling me Huan, my heart.” Lan Xichen whispered, his hands going to Wanyin’s face. “My heart, my light, my Wanyin.” He murmured, pulling the immortal closer. “I love you, I love you. Thank you.” He kissed Jiang Cheng lightly on the lips, before he felt the smaller pulling in away.   “Wait a minute, your fucker! You promised me that you never would sacrifice yourself like that, your idiot! You promised that you would never leave me, Xichen!” Jiang Cheng grabbed his neck, making him bow over himself. “You never do that again to me, are you hearing me? Never again!” He let go of him, breathing deep. “Dear Gods, please don’t…”  “I won’t, I promise. And this is a promise I intend to keep.” Lan Huan whispered in his hair. Silence surrounded them, meaningless of all the noises around them. They stayed that way until Isabelle whispered at Laura.   “Does it mean that you have two hot dads now? Holy shit!”   “Izzy, please, shut up. Dad has been waiting for this for too long.” Laura whispered, hitting her. Jiang Cheng smiled against Xichen’s chest before turning to her, seeing a familiar figure behind her, waving a fan in front of his face.   “Huaisang…” He mumbled, seeing the boy, close his fan and bow a little at the recognition. He was alive too, maybe the others were too.   “Thank Laura for that.” Huaisang mouthed, silently. “You deserve it, Jiang-Xiong. No immortal should pass the amount of time you passed waiting for your soulmate again.” He smiled sadly. “Not even you, not even me. Be happy, Jiang-Xiong, we will meet again. I promise.” Nie Huaisang waved at him, before disappearing in the crowd. Well, maybe Jiang Cheng wasn’t the only secret the cultivators hide from the world, maybe there was a hope for him, but, for now he would just enjoy the fact that Zewu-Jun, Lan Xichen, Lan Huan, his light was back to him.   “Thank you, A-Sang.” He mouthed to the air, before turning to his husband and his daughter, happy into meeting his future, happy that he finally was going to love again. “Dad?” Laura called, from inside the school, raising a hand to silence her friend.  “What’s wrong?” Her friend asked, turning to Jiang Cheng, who still were stuck on the ground, staring at the man who couldn’t be Lan Xichen, he simply couldn’t. “Mr. Jiang? Are you okay?” Laura and her walked to him as he did everything he could to turn to them, but he was there, his husband was there in front of him. That was the only thing Jiang Cheng thanked the gods for, because whenever he wanted to remember Lan Huan’s laugh or the way he smiled happily at him, he would do it with perfection. But, now, the same voice of his memories and dreams were ringing in his ears, belonging to a breathing and moving man talking in a phone.  “Lan Huan.” He cried, a choke stuck on the back of his throat. The man looked up from his phone, looking around. “Oh, gods.” Jiang Cheng’s feet walked away from him, his hands going to his chest.   “Dad!” A girl called him, shaking his shoulder, afraid. “Dad!” Jiang Cheng looked at her beside him, feeling his heart rising, his breath shallow. “Dad, are you fine?” She asked, eyes scrutinizing his face with worry. Oh, that’s right, he wasn’t in China anymore, neither he was a Sect Leader anymore. Instead he was living in Europe, being a stuntman and raising a kid once again.   As a sad smile came to adorn Lan Xichen's features, he knew his life was coming to an end and the only thing he regret was not being able to enjoy more of his time with Wanyin, it was such a small time that Xichen couldn't help but mourn for its loss. Wanyin would be so sad, but it was for a greater good, Wanyin's greater good. If it all went wrong, at the very least, his lover and their son and nephew would be safe, his family would be fine. 

  "Huan!" Xichen heard Wanyin scream, but he couldn't move, even though he wanted to comfort him, hug him just one more time.  "Huan, don't do this to me. Don't you leave me too!" He cried out, the scream broking Xichen's heart in a million pieces. Lan Xichen knew that there was people holding Jiang Cheng back, on the contrary he already would be there with him. Thank you, gods., he thought, grate for the brave souls impending Sandou Shengshou' s impulsive decisions.  

 "I love you, Wanyin. For this live and all the ones to come." Lan Xichen, the Zewu-Jun, whispered to the wind, hoping it would calm his restless lover. "I love you. I love you. Thank you." He said, finally collapsing into the ground beneath him, not hearing Jiang Cheng's desperate cries, his sad mornings, his angered screams, his broken prays. Xichen didn't saw as Jiang Cheng worked harder and harder into cultivation, didn't saw his lover vanishing little by little, not wanting to be there without his soulmate. 

  Yes, he understood the sacrifice Lan Huan had made, but it was supposed to make him feel good about it? About letting the body of his husband behind because of the curse that horrible creature had put in him?! Was it meant to amenize the agonizing void on his chest?! Was it the reason why Lan Xichen choose to use his own body and spirit to seal all of that demons in that cavern without letting Jiang Cheng help?! Was Jiang Cheng expected to understand and accept what his husband had done? He didn't know and preferred that way, he didn't want anything to do with the GusuLan clan anymore. In truth, he didn't want anything to with cultivation itself, but he had responsibilities, which couldn't be denied. 

As time passed, everybody around him, slowly become to change, growing old with every drop of water, but Jiang Cheng remained the same. Immutable, immovable, immortal. He was obliged to see his brother die once again, joining Lan Wangji in death some days later. He had to see his nephew suffer through the death of the other three juniors, first Ouyang Zizhen went away in a night hunt, protecting Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling. After that, A-Huan followed his partner and dads in death as he developed as fatal disease after a disastrous hunt. Ironically, Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling lasted longer than everyone else. At least, them Jiang Cheng got to see grow older and raise the kids their adopted early in their life. 

  Now, almost four thousand years later, Jiang Cheng was doing an action movie. In the beginning, Jiang Cheng thought this type of entertainment wouldn’t last, but maybe he had guessed wrong. Anyway, an agent discovered him after he helped a young woman who had her purse stolen by little kid. In the end, Jiang Cheng got a job, a new kid to take care of and a friend without even realizing it. He liked the job, though, it allowed him to forget who he was, even if it was just by a minute or so, it let him be mortal again. 

  But, the cold truth always come back at him, the cold fact that he was alone in the world, fated by the gods to outlive everyone he loved, fated to suffer their absence for the rest of the eternity. By day, he tried to forget about his past, about the loss of his family and beloved ones, yet, when the night came, the once Sendou Shengshou couldn’t escape from the memories and the silent screams, couldn’t avoid the nightmares that creeped in his mind. For more than once, he had wake up with the urge to find Lan Huan, to make sure he was okay and alive and, all the same, he wanted to run away and forget everything about cultivation, the Lans and everything related to that. 

  Even now, Jiang Cheng still ran from them, hiding from the remainascent cultivators. Anyway, they now prefered to make sure their clans survived through the new and crazy modern world and had long forget about the Immortal Sect Leader Jiang, the Immortal Sendou. It was better that way, he didn’t need to worry about them sticking their noses where they didn’t belong, he could live his life with no worries beside having to stay low. Yet, in spite of everything, the Jiang Clan refused to let Jiang Wanyin alone, always making sure that he knew everything about his clan, never hiding anything from him, accepting his opinions without fear. 

  “Dad!” A girl called him, shaking his shoulder, afraid. “Dad!” Jiang Cheng looked at her beside him, feeling his heart rising, his breath shallow. “Dad, are you fine?” She asked, eyes scrutinizing his face with worry. Oh, that’s right, he wasn’t in China anymore, neither he was a Sect Leader anymore. Instead he was living in Europe, being a stuntman and raising a kid once again. 

 “Sorry, I fell asleep.” He murmured, rubbing his face, sleepy. “The movie already ended?” He looked to the black screen in front of him. 

  “It ended about a two hours ago, but that’s okay. You needed the sleep.” She smiled to him, patting his shoulder. “I just got scared when you started to scream. You seemed like you were about to combust.” Jiang Cheng froze, even though he knew she wouldn’t say anything, his daughter worried about him. “You were calling Huan again, you know?” She said, her eyes not focusing in anything in particular. “I know you adopt me after he was gone, but I can help but imagine how he was.” She whispered, looking up to the ceiling. 

  Since Jiang Cheng had adopt her when she was five years old, after he found her stealing, she always did everything in her power to make him happy even when he said she didn’t need to. Even now, in the verge of going yo college, Laura still tried to make everything good to him.

  “Do you think it would help talk about it?” She looked back at him, worried.

  “It was a long time ago, Laura. It doesn’t matter anymore.” He sighed, getting up. “C’mon, you have school tomorrow.” 

  “Yes, sir.” Laura smiled to him, before giving him a hug. “Don’t forget that I’m here, okay? Always.”

  “I know, sweetie. Now go to your room and you better being sleeping when I go check up on you or…”

  “You will break my legs, I know.” She smiled, dismissing him with a gesture, sighing exasperatedly. “I love you too.” Jin Ling would have liked her as would have Wei Wuxian, since the girl liked to prank her dad endless. He liked to think that Lan Huan would like Laura too even if she act a lot like Jiang Cheng most of the time, even using his famous phrase “I’ll break your legs!” 

  He had just let Laura on school when he stopped dead on his tracks, on the scene ahead him. It couldn’t be, the gods wouldn’t do something like that to him, not again, not after four thousand years. They cursed him with an immortal life and an impeccable memory, never failing whenever he needed to remember something.

  That was the only thing Jiang Cheng thanked the gods for, because whenever he wanted to remember Lan Huan’s laugh or the way he smiled happily at him, he would do it with perfection. But, now, the same voice of his memories and dreams were ringing in his ears, belonging to a breathing and moving man talking in a phone.

  “Lan Huan.” He cried, a choke stuck on the back of his throat. The man looked up from his phone, looking around. “Oh, gods.” Jiang Cheng’s feet walked away from him, his hands going to his chest. 

 “Dad?” Laura called, from inside the school, raising a hand to silence her friend.

  “What’s wrong?” Her friend asked, turning to Jiang Cheng, who still were stuck on the ground, staring at the man who couldn’t be Lan Xichen, he simply couldn’t. “Mr. Jiang? Are you okay?” Laura and her walked to him as he did everything he could to turn to them, but he was there, his husband was there in front of him. 

  “Sir, are you feeling anything?” Lan Huan, no, not his Lan Huan, someone with the same voice and face of his husband, but not him, asked getting close to him. “Sir?” 

  “What’s your name?” Jiang Cheng asked, feeling Laura beside him, breathless.

  “I’m Lan Huan.” The man said slowly, examining his face.

  “Oh, shit.” Laura said as her friend choked on the air. “He should be dead. He was dead.”  She said, eyes widening. 

  “Holy fuck!” Jiang Cheng whispered, still staring at the man. “I mean, I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay. But do I know you?”  The new Lan Huan asked, smiling at him, hands on his back. “I am almost certain that I know you from some places.”

  “I don’t think so. I’m Jiang Cheng and, this is my daughter, Laura.” Jiang Cheng answered, still a bit awestruck with the resemblance between them, standing a hand to him. “And her friend, Isabelle.” He eyed the girl, who were looking at the other with amazed eyes. 

  “Jiang Cheng.” He said his name as if testing it on his tongue. “A beautiful name.” Lan Huan said, smiling again. The same habit as the first one., Jiang Cheng thought sadly. “Well, I don’t quite remember seeing you from other places, but it would be a pleasure to do so, Jiang Cheng.” Lan Huan flirted, finally accepting his hand. 

 “Great God!” He heard Isabella whisper as a million of images came to his mind. Him and Wei Wuxian arriving to Cloud Recess, meeting with the Twin Jades of Gusu, everything that happened, the discover that Lan Xichen was his soulmate and the denial. All of his history with Lan Xichen and even what he didn’t remember was being shown in the front of his eyes, quickly and almost insanely. 

  “Oh, gods!” Jiang Cheng breathed deep, letting go of Lan Huan’s hand. “I… I…”

  “Wanyin?” Lan Huan whispered, slowly, eyes still unfocused. “Oh, my heart. I am so sorry!” He sobbed, reaching blindly to the smaller one. “Oh, Wanyin. I never wanted this to happen…” 

  “I’m here.” Jiang Cheng held Xichen’s hands, hoping that his soulmate would remember him even a little. He kept looking at his eyes until they focused on his again, slowly becoming golden. “Lan Xichen?”

  “I thought we agreed in you calling me Huan, my heart.” Lan Xichen whispered, his hands going to Wanyin’s face. “My heart, my light, my Wanyin.” He murmured, pulling the immortal closer. “I love you, I love you. Thank you.” He kissed Jiang Cheng lightly on the lips, before he felt the smaller pulling in away. 

  “Wait a minute, your fucker! You promised me that you never would sacrifice yourself like that, your idiot! You promised that you would never leave me, Xichen!” Jiang Cheng grabbed his neck, making him bow over himself. “You never do that again to me, are you hearing me? Never again!” He let go of him, breathing deep. “Dear Gods, please don’t…”

  “I won’t, I promise. And this is a promise I intend to keep.” Lan Huan whispered in his hair. Silence surrounded them, meaningless of all the noises around them. They stayed that way until Isabelle whispered at Laura. 

  “Does it mean that you have two hot dads now? Holy shit!” 

  “Izzy, please, shut up. Dad has been waiting for this for too long.” Laura whispered, hitting her. Jiang Cheng smiled against Xichen’s chest before turning to her, seeing a familiar figure behind her, waving a fan in front of his face. 

  “Huaisang…” He mumbled, seeing the boy, close his fan and bow a little at the recognition. He was alive too, maybe the others were too. 

  “Thank Laura for that.” Huaisang mouthed, silently. “You deserve it, Jiang-Xiong. No immortal should pass the amount of time you passed waiting for your soulmate again.” He smiled sadly. “Not even you, not even me. Be happy, Jiang-Xiong, we will meet again. I promise.” Nie Huaisang waved at him, before disappearing in the crowd. Well, maybe Jiang Cheng wasn’t the only secret the cultivators hide from the world, maybe there was a hope for him, but, for now he would just enjoy the fact that Zewu-Jun, Lan Xichen, Lan Huan, his light was back to him. 

  “Thank you, A-Sang.” He mouthed to the air, before turning to his husband and his daughter, happy into meeting his future, happy that he finally was going to love again.

________________________________________________________________

  So, here it is Day 6! I’m sure I never wrote this uch of angst in a fanfic. This prompt hit me with a brick, but I will live. I don’t know if I will be able to post the other two days in time, but I think I will post them anyway, slowly, but I will. Thank you for reading it until here! Hope you are safe and well in this trying times. 

@xichengclipse

[ladyhavilliard]

In This Life And All The Others - Feysand

Word Count: 1465

Summary:  It’s been six years since Feyre turned 18 and started dreaming about her past lives, never quite remembering them after she woke up. To stop those dreams and get her memories back, she has to meet her soulmate. But after six years, she had started to loose hope.

If you want to be tagged in my work, send me an ask saying so. In the next few days, I’ll be reposting all the fics I had written in illyriandragon.

Don’t forget him. Don’t forget him.

Not again.

You can’t forget him.

I repeated the words over and over again, just like I had done hundreds of times. I kept my eyes shut tight, trying to hold onto the image. My heart pounded fast against my chest and I bit my lip so hard it hurt. But I didn’t notice any of it.

No, I focused on the already fading scent. I did everything in my power to hold onto it.

And when I opened my eyes, everything was gone. Jasmine, citrus, ocean breeze. That was the scent. I knew the combination, but I couldn’t feel it anymore.

And more importantly- he wasn’t there. The one this scent belonged to, the one who left me breathless with just an innocent touch, who could make my knees weak with one simple glance. The one who made my heart beat so fast, that I began to wonder whether it would explode.

He wasn’t there. And I couldn’t remember him.

No- I didn’t know him.

We’re told reincarnation is real, that we all have previous lives. Before she died, my mother used to tell me that people start dreaming about their past lives when they turn 18. Those dreams last until they find their soulmate.

I didn’t believe it at first, it sounded like a children’s tail. Now, I want it to be true.

It has to be true.

Though I’m beginning to lose hope again.

It’s been six years. I endured six damned years of dreaming about my previous lives. There were some things I remembered after I woke up and others that were just blurred images, the ghost of a memory.

The glimpse of golden hair. A necklace of rubies so red they looked as if they were made of blood. A silver blade showing from the shadows. A cheeky grin from a man with beautiful tattoos, curling like smoke on his chest. Falling stars.

The scent of jasmine, citrus and the ocean breeze.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember his face, his voice, his name.  The scent and the feeling I woke up with were the only things I could connect to him.

When I stood up, the thoughts about him were still haunting my mind. Nothing changed while I took a shower, had breakfast or went to work. This, whatever it was, never faded away. No, it only became much, much stronger. Whenever I heard someone say ‘darling’, looked at the stars, painted, even when I ate soup, I got this weird feeling. I smiled without knowing why and suddenly felt at home.

It was a strange feeling indeed. As if a part of me, the part that knew this man, was asleep, but my heart always recognized him. I knew literally nothing about him, but every time it happened, it was as though I slowly fell in love.

The streets were quiet that early in the morning. Velaris, the bookstore I worked in, even more so.  I couldn’t complain, though. The lack of customers allowed me to sketch in my notebook and those sketches helped me save those dreams. Line after line, a lovely mountain cabin appeared on the paper, the hewn mountains behind covered in snow.

Had I lived there? Why was it so important to me?

The doorbell rang, announcing a customer had just come in. I put the notebook down and looked at the short girl in front of me. She spent a few minutes looking at the fantasy books, her brows furrowing in concentration. A long moment later she sighed, obviously not able to find what she was looking for.

“Can I help you?” I asked then.

“The last book in the-“ she began, then interrupted herself as her eyes met mine. “A fellow book nerd as always, I see”

The girl smiled. There was something way too familiar in the way her lips curved into that smirk or the way her silver eyes shone in the meantime. Then, her gaze still on me, she took a pen and a piece of paper out of her bag and scrabbled something fast.

“Um, sorry?” I rose an eyebrow at her.

“Right”, she clicked his tongue. “For someone who never loses her memories, I always forget you don’t remember anything.”

The moment those words escaped her mouth, my eyes wandered to the stones around her neck and I caught my breath.

Rubies. The same colour as blood.

“Never mind, just forget what I said. I have to go anyway.”

“What about the book you were searching for?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Before I knew it, she had left. I ran out the door, hoping to catch her before she disappeared, but it was already too late.

How could someone this short run away so fast?

I didn’t have time to think about it. Because there, on the pavement in front of the store, she had left the note she wrote.

I can never understand why you’re always the last one to join us. I’ll see you soon, girl. They all miss you, even though no one can really realize it. I miss you too. You’re family. In this life and every other.

She knew me. I had no idea how, but she did.

And I did, too.

That night I couldn’t think about anything but this girl. I had finally a face I could connect to those dreams and it was more than I could’ve asked for. I drew her over and over again, always adding something from those blurred memories that I thought suited her. Jewels. Lots of gold. A dragon tattoo she must’ve had in a previous life. A messy room, books and papers splattered all around. For the first time in six years, I felt hope rising again. If this girl existed, if what she had written was true, he was somewhere out there, too. And I would meet him, no matter what I had to do.

The next day was just as every other. But not for me. I was excited all the time, always waiting. Every time the door opened, I jumped and hoped she would come in. Then a man searching for a gift for his daughter or a group of teens would come. Eventually my shift ended and when Alis came to replace me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

“What’s up with you today, Fey?” she asked. “Waiting for someone?”

“Kind of” I shrugged. It seemed pointless to tell her everything, so I decided to go with a half-truth. “A girl came yesterday and we had a nice conversation, but I forgot to get her number. I hoped she would come by again today”

“Ah, I see”

“I think I should go now. But hey, please call me if someone asks for me, okay?”

“Sure, Fey. You can count on me”

“Thank you! You’re the be-“ Someone opened the front door and I didn’t even finish the sentence before the familiar scent of jasmine, citrus and ocean breeze hit my nose. This time, it didn’t disappear.

I turned around, my vision already blurring with tears.

Standing before me was the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen.

I didn’t know him. I had never met him before.

And at the same time, I had seen him millions of times. In this life and all the others.

He was holding a note in his hands and I could recognize the silver eyed girl’s writing on it. But when my eyes found his, the note, the room, the whole world, everything was forgotten. He was all I could see- the midnight black hair that fell in his eyes, a breathtaking combination of colours that looked like whole galaxies. The dark tattoos showing from under his white unbuttoned shirt.

By the look he gave me, I knew he was feeling the same way.

A tear of joy slid down my cheek when a wonderful smile graced his lips. Images of my past lives flashed through my mind and I almost fell on my knees.

I have always been in love with someone, I just didn’t know who it was.

And now, as this man stood in front of me, I finally understood everything. This strange feeling, the way my heart pounded every time I looked at the night sky… it all suddenly made sense.

“Rhys” I whispered unbelievingly.

His name escaping my lips… It felt so natural, as if I’ve known it my whole life, as if I’ve repeated it millions of times.

Perhaps I have. This was our beginning in this life, but we’ve had all the others after all.

“There you are” Rhysand said. The sound of his voice was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.

“I’ve been looking for you, Feyre.”

@hellas-himself @alexisnm95

[imagine-the-feels]

Coming Back Home

Request:   Can I ask for a Derek Hale imagine? YN is Stiles older sister and she's known Derek since kids, BUT she became a witch (we need those in the show ) and went away to study her craft. when she came back, she helps the Pack and her and Derek finally confess their feelings. what do you think?

A/N: I am so bad at being on time someone help meeee. This also got angstier than I expected.

Word Count: 2,888

Warnings: Angst, Derek is a case (briefly)...and fluff

You knew it’d been awhile since you’d gone back to your home town. As you drove past the welcome sign, you felt an immediate shift of energy in the atmosphere around you, and the hair on you arms rose. The power within you stirred, and you fought down a shiver that crawled up the back of your neck.

Welcome back to Beacon Hills.

You were, in simple terms, a witch. Someone who had raw power coursing through their veins since birth, who could harness it into physical energy and spells in the world around you. You had been currently studying your craft in a secluded part of Canada, until your father had called for you to come back home.

The day you had found out about your abilities had been the day your adoptive mother Claudia Stilinski had passed away, and your adoptive father found you in the basement of the hospital surrounded by an green energy that looked poised to kill. He had eventually calmed you down, but soon he got you the help he couldn’t give you. He visited you as much as he could so that Stiles wouldn’t ask many questions. You both wanted him far away from the supernatural world, but it seemed from your Dad’s updates the attempts were futile.

Memories both good and bad flooded your senses as you drove through the streets of Beacon Hills, driving a nostalgic feeling into you as you remembered your childhood. From hot days of summer outing with the family, to getting into insurmountable trouble with mini Scott and Stiles, to falling in love with a young Derek Hale before you had to leave.

With all this going through your brain, you had to momentarily take a breather to have it not overwhelm you. Eventually you had reached your destination of the Beacon Hills Sheriff Department, and you took a deep breath before putting the car in park and walking into the station.

It seemed busy enough that no one saw you make a beeline straight to your Dad’s office, where you saw yourself facing the backs of Scott and Stiles while your Dad had an exhausted look on his face.

“So you’re telling me,” he sighed. “That Derek took a dip in the fountain of youth?”

“No,” Stiles corrected. “He was contained in a tomb full of Wolfsbane. In Mexico. In Aztec Ruins. Underneath a church.”

“Goddamn,” your Dad groaned, catching your eye and giving an expression that said “Do you see what I’m dealing with?”

“Well it’s a good thing I called in backup for you boys,” Sheriff Stilinski nodded towards you, and both boys turned around.

“(Y/N)!” Stiles yelled, grabbing you into his arms and burying his face into your hair. “Welcome back!” He mumbled, and you smiled, giving him one more big squeeze before stepping back to hug Scott.

“So who’s our backup?” Stiles questioned, and your Dad and you shared an eyeroll before you went over to give him a bear hug.

“I think it might be your sister,” Scott mumbled, and Stiles raised an eyebrow.

“My sister.” He stated, and everyone nodded. “(Y/N), who’s been away to a boarding school in Canada, is our backup for our supernatural problems. I find that hard to believe.”

“I’m literally right here Stiles,” you interrupted, but  he brushed it off.

“Dad,” he protested. “What can she possibly know about the supernatural?”

“A lot more than you might think Son,” he replied before looking down at you. “Do you wanna tell him or should I?”

“Tell me what?”

“My sister. (Y/N). Is a witch.”

“Stiles,” Scott warned from the passenger seat of the jeep, while Stiles drove to his house with you in the back. 

“My sister. (Y/N). Is Shego reincarnate.”

“Does that make Lydia Kim Possible?” Scott wondered.

“With you as Ron and my brother as Rufus the Naked Mole Rat?” You spoke up, giggling at the look on Stiles’ face.

“I do not appreciate that,” he mumbled.

“I don’t appreciate you talking about me like I’m not right here,” You shot back.

“Well you never are anyway,” Stiles snapped. “You’re never home and the one time you actually are you‘re dropping this bomb onto me like I’m not your brother and shouldn’t have already known!”

The air in the jeep became silent and tense, and you sighed. “Stiles---”

“It doesn’t matter anyways,” he muttered, resting is elbow on the car door. “Nothing ever does anymore does it.”

Surprised by the sudden turn of events, you sat back and looked out your window without another word. Before things could get tenser than it already was, Scott spoke up and started to fill you in on the situation.

Things got even more awkward when you came face-to-face with Derek Hale---who hadn’t aged a day since you last saw him. And while it was a nice memorable moment, you knew that’s not how it’s supposed to be.

The good news, he seemed just as awestruck to see you as you were to see him. 

“Goddamn,” he mumbled, a tiny smile lifting the corner of his lips. “I’m so glad I’m hitting that in the future.”

You choked on your own saliva at his words, rubbing the back of your neck while Stiles started whistling and Scott took a new interest in the floor. 

“I’m gonna go...get my laptop to start researching anything we missed,” Scott spoke up, turning around quickly and leaving. 

“I’m going to order pizza, and help him,” Stiles said right after, leaving just as suddenly.

Opening your mouth to call out after them, you couldn’t summon the words and when you turned back around Derek was sporting a confused look on his face. 

“When do you get back?” He questioned. “The last thing I remember is your Dad telling me you left to Boarding School up north...so when did you get back?”

You look down at your shoes, toeing your feet into the living room carpet. “You know, I’m not very good with keeping track of time, and I can’t remember---”

“Bullshit,” Derek interrupted, walking up to you where he still towered over you for about an inch. “You dig your toes into the ground when you’re lying. I know you that well enough.” He paused, raising his hand slowly to grasp your chin and bringing it up so you could meet his gaze. “Tell me the truth.”

You bit your lip shaking slightly because you knew just how angry he’d be. You didn’t say goodbye to him in the past for the exact same reason, and telling him you never came back was something you never thought you’d have to explain. But looking deep into his eyes and remembering all the time you both had together as well as the time lost, you felt a deep pull of regret in your gut. Why didn’t you come back?

“I never did,” you whispered, and you saw young Derek’s face morph into one of confusion and betrayal. He took a step back from you, taking a seat onto Scott’s couch while clasping his hands tightly.

“You...you never came back,” he repeated, slower. He looked up to meet your eyes, and you saw they reflected yours: brimming with unshed tears. “Not even for me?”

“I didn’t---I didn’t know if you wanted me back,” you stuttered. “If anyone wanted me to be back. I’m...dangerous, I’m unnatural---”

“And I’m not?!” He exclaimed. “I’m not everything you just described to me? I’m a werewolf (Y/N). I’m pretty sure you can’t get any worse than turning into a beast with fangs, claws, and a bloodlust every full moon.”

“You’ve  been that way your whole life!” You argued with him, your face burning in pent up emotions you’ve kept in. “Your family has been preparing for you to turn since you were born, they knew what to do! You didn’t have to be sent away to another country to try and control unnatural powers you had no idea you had!”

Your hands grasped at the back of your neck, and you started to pace while lifting your head to the ceiling. The tears were on the edge of rolling down your cheeks, and no matter how you tried, they fell as you continued to speak. “You didn’t have to leave behind your little brother---a spastic little boy who is literally a third of my world. You didn’t have to leave behind your father---the only parent figure I had  left alive, who had to lose his daughter right after his wife. You--you didn’t have to leave the boy you loved---who I dreamed of seeing again every night I was away.” 

You stopped, and a heavy silence fell within the house. You turned your back to Derek to avoid his burning gaze, breathing heavily. In the corner of your eye you saw your father in the doorway to the McCall house, and Stiles squatting on the staircase with unshed tears glistening in his eyes. Your breath hitched when you met their gazes, and you saw the anguish and regret in your Dad’s eyes...and the pure sorrow in Stiles’.

“You weren’t scared,” you mumbled to them. “Of what you could do to the people you loved if you so much as lifted a finger the wrong way. You didn’t have to wonder if they even wanted you back if you didn’t have the proper control.” 

You let the final tears slip down your cheeks before turning back to the boy who hadn’t changed since the time you left. “I’m sorry I never came back,” you breathed. “But I’m here now, I’m finally home and that’s what matters.”

You had a long talk with Stiles and your Dad. A long needed one that was filled with tears, apologies, laughs, and just all around love that you’ve missed for so long.

Pretty soon you were stable enough with your family to focus on Derek again, who hadn’t spoken a word to you since the day of your outburst. You’ve spent afternoons going through your spell books with him in Scott’s livingroom, with barely a word passed between the two of you. You both glanced at each other longingly when the other wasn’t looking, believing the spark that had once been so tangible between the two of you was inevitably gone.

“Anything yet?” Scott walked in, with the rest of the pack on his trail.

You sighed, throwing the book you were reading onto the coffee table before running both your hand downs your face. “Barely. I found something, but it’s not much to go by.”

“Anything is better than nothing,” Malia replied.

You looked towards younger Derek, to find him already staring at you. You looked away immediately, leaning forward onto your knees and wringing your hands. “Derek needs some sort of...”alarm” per say to awake his original form. This chick, Kate, has put him in a critical period of his life where he trusts her, and he needs to be reminded/given a reason to go back to the way he was.”

“You could date my sister without it being illegal if you go back to your original form,” Stiles spoke up. “That should be enough motivation.”

“Stiles,” you and Derek reprimanded.

“So, basically, we have to scare Derek into being older again?” Kira questioned, and you shrugged. 

“Essentially, yes.”

“Well this is good,” Scott gave you a small smile. “We sort of have a plan now, and we have a direction of where to go. For now, everyone should get some sleep. We did good today.”

You don’t remember how you got to the school, how you met up with Peter, or how you even remembered to put on socks before your shoes. All you remember is a blur of Scott and Malia waking the pack up to announce that Derek had gone missing, and now, here all 4 of your were, in the Beacon High School entrance steps.

After a frantic conversation with each other, you all were frozen as a humanoid creature with an animal skull on the head stood at the bottom of the steps with a menacing aura. 

“A Berserker,” you whispered, stepping back cautiously. You heard Peter curse underneath his breath, retreating with you. 

Malia growled, and Scott tensed.

“There’s only one, so that means we have a chance,” Peter said. 

“Of killing it?” Malia took a step forward, but you caught her arm and threw her behind you.

“No,” you breathed. “Of surviving. Go! I’ll hold it off as long as possible.”

“I can’t leave you--” Scott tried to protest, but once you turned your glare on him, your eyes a piercing green, he nodded reluctantly, turning and running with the others.

Almost as soon as they left you sent a small defensive blast of green energy towards the Berserker, causing it to stumble down a few steps---enough for you to run after Scott.

Too soon, you caught up to them on another set of stairs, and on the landing you all were surrounded by three of the Bersekers, with Peter nowhere to be found. You held your hands up in a protective shield, watching them all as Malia and Scott where on the ground hurt.

One stepped forward and you shot a blast in the shape of  a blade towards it, causing the monster to be thrown back into the wall. Without looking to see what happened to it next, you turned swiftly to kick the next one as hard as you could in its exposed stomach. The blow only made it pause, and soon, you were in hand to hand combat with the thing---you dodging and throwing jabs as often as possible.

Suddenly, you heard Scott’s frightened shout for Kira, and for a quick moment you turned to see her be thrown to the floor by the other Berserker. That moment of distraction allowed the one you fought against to slash you across the abdomen. In a startled cry, you bent over instinctively, only to have the Berseker kick you into the air, where you were sent flying back into the railing. The hard impact sent blood pooling from your temple, as you desperately grasped your stomach.

Malia scrambled over to you, holding down pressure while trying to reassure you. “(Y/N), we’re gonna get you out of here, this is going to be fine----” her voice cracked as she assessed how deep the wound was,and you grit your teeth in a failed attempt of caging a large cry.

Down below, your cry held Derek’s attention. “(Y/N),” he whispered in worry, taking a step towards the entrance.

“Derek! Focus on me,” Kate barked urgently. “Where is it!”

“I don’t care!” He yelled back. “That was (Y/N)! There’s something wrong.”

Without another word, he ran out, following the scent of pheromones as well as blood---your blood. His heart pounded in his ears as he pushed himself harder. When he found the Berserkers closing in on his friends, with you losing blood and fast, all he saw was red. He slashed, kicked, punched all he could, and there were vague moments of transformation he pushed away.

Before he knew it, a call had the Berserkers both running away, and he was staring after them, panting heavily.

“Derek?” Scott called tentatively, and he was snapped back to reality. he rushed over to where you lay shaking, hands covered in blood---too much blood. He brought you to his chest and lifted you bridal style, tensing when he heard your cry of pain.

“Shh,” he soothed. “You’re okay, you’re gonna be okay.” His heart clenched when your eyes fluttered open, and you gave him a side smile.

“Took you long enough, Babe,” you mumbled, causing a genuine laugh to burst from his mouth.

“You shouldn’t be the one blaming me for being late,” he replied, and you gave him a rueful smile before grimacing. “Okay, we gotta get you help sunshine.”

By the time you woke up, it looked like it was in the middle of the afternoon. The thing you noticed the most was that you were in your own room in your Dad’s house, and Derek was staring at you, at your bedside while holding your hand.

“You always did sleep in,” he whispered, and you grinned at him. Slowly, you moved your body to face his, trying to hold in the slight winces of pain that you could tell Derek heard.

“How much do you remember?” You said quietly, your eyes hopeful. 

Derek leaned forward, using his free hand to stroke your hair before he looked at you softly. “Everything.” 

When he noticed you closing your eyes in pain at the memories he placed his face directly in front of yours. “Hey,” he called, and you opened your eyes slowly. “I love you,” he declared firmly, and your eyes built up with tears for like the fourth time this week. “I’ve never stopped loving you, and a few years of you being absent isn’t going to change that. Because now that you’re back, I intend to make up for every lost minute we had.”

A lone tear fell down your cheek, and you nodded. “I love you too, Derek.” 

He left a lingering kiss on your forehead, before leaning back. “Thank God.”

[ruetheend]

BitterBlossoms - Chapter 3: Ruins, a moral compass.

The story so far: Frisk learned more about Tori, Asgore, and Flowey. It seems that in this timeline, Tori and Asgore are not royalty. Meanwhile, Frisk suffers from her own memories as she prepares to battle the ex-captain of the royal guard, Tori Dreemurr.

Click to read the chapter below.

Chapter 3

Author’s Note: Best read on AO3. For original readers of this fic who are wondering where all the chapters have gone, check out my update.

Frisk made an attempt to smile as her adoptive mother placed a piece of pie down on the table before her, but her expression remained neutral despite her intentions. It was hard for Frisk to feel anything aside from a singular feeling of loathing. It had been months since the incident, and Toriel grew more and more concerned with her daughter's behavior. The human girl barely managed to pass her GED test despite Toriel's tutelage. The older goat woman had been shaken up as much as anyone else had been when they heard the news of the dusting, but Frisk's grief was paralyzing. Toriel talked around the issue often, trying phrase things gently or avoiding the topic altogether, but she could not stand to see her child look so wrapped up with... guilt. The mother placed a loving hand on her child's shoulder, and offered her daughter her ear once more, hoping this time Frisk would take it. "My child, you know you can tell me anything, do you not? I desire to give you the space you need to process what happened... but I worry that in doing so I am now enabling you to... give up on life."

The silence that hung between them seemed to burn in Toriel's mind. She could not let Frisk feel so overwhelmed by herself. She could not go through this again with another child. Toriel worried about drawing parallels between Frisk and her other children, but the burning sensation would not let up. Her words were like the water required to stop the flames. "There was nothing more you could have done, my child," Toriel pulled Frisk into a tight embrace. The corners of Frisk's eyes burned as she felt the tears fighting to escape. "Had you become more involved... if you had stepped in... Frisk, we could have lost more than-"

With that, Frisk pushed away from Toriel. Despite herself, Frisk's tears ran down her face. She wanted to be like him, smiling despite how horrible the world could be. Frisk wanted to be strong, but all she could do was cry and feel sorry for herself. The one emotion she could summon in her voice was anger. "Mom, you don't... You don't get it."

Toriel's eyes narrowed at her child. She looked from Frisk to the ground, "Do you not recall? I was around for the war that had my people sealed away. I understa-"

"No, mom, no." Frisk interrupted, her tone taut. "You don't understand. In fact, it's impossible for you to understand. If I just had more control, I could fix everything! If I could just bring up the damn menu-" It was Frisk's turn to be interrupted.

"Frisk," Toriel commanded in her motherly voice. "In this home, you will listen to me and obey my rules. We do not curse in this household, and we certainly do not shout at each other. I love you. You are my child. I think it is time that we discuss active healing from this incident. Perhaps it is time to seek help or meditation..."

Frisk stared at the slice of pie as Toriel lectured her. It was butterscotch-cinnamon, Toriel and Frisk's shared favorite. She noticed then that there was also a small, red cookie on the side in the shape of a heart. It had a sugary powder on it. Dust on red...

Red eyes flashed from beyond the witch hat. Tori stood before Frisk wearing a big brimmed witch hat and holding an oaken staff. A feeling of deja vu overtook Frisk. She had fought her mother before in this very same room. The delta rune on the double doors leading to Snowdin seemed to have something etched around them, but Frisk had no time to inspect this now. Frisk felt the air around her chill as Tori began to levitate from the ground. The goat woman was poised, ready for battle. This Tori was not like the Toriel of her past. Was it so wrong to feel excited? To see something new from a familiar face? Frisk immediately CHECKed Tori.

* Tori - ATK 80 DEF 80

* Only wants what is best for everyone.

"You know, I had once stood in the sun, protecting not only my people... but your people as well," Tori spoke to the ground as icicles began to appear from the ground beneath Frisk's SOUL. The red SOUL moved around, dodging the attacks. It was unexpected, and Frisk felt a strange feeling in her heart. She was about to see something truly awe inspiring.

Frisk lingered on the ACT menu but saw nothing there for her aside from CHECK. She considered for a moment trying to MERCY her would-be mother, but, weren't monsters always at their best when actually challenged? As she fought, Frisk had expected to fight with her bare hands. However, a red knife materialized in her right palm. She looked at it strangely. Tori didn't wait for Frisk to make her attack.

"Even after the humans banished us, I believed in them." Tori summoned a micro hail storm over the red SOUL. The small, hard pellets came out in a zigzag of sorts. Frisk struggled to find the pattern, taking some damage in response.

Once the spell finished, Frisk lunged at Tori with the red knife. The red knife seemed to hit something right in front of Tori that Frisk had not seen. It crackled under the slice of the knife. Tori looked up at Frisk with a determined look.

"Even after our people banished us, I still believed," Tori's next attack was familiar to Frisk. It resembled a giant double helix, made of snowflakes rather than fire. Frisk felt relieved by the familiar attack, weaving her soul in and out of the attack. The attack dissipated, and Frisk wasted no time. With a tight grip, she attacked Tori once again.

Again it was deflected by some invisible barrier.

"But here we are, human, fighting. I cannot help but wonder if I have been wrong to believe... Would my son... my son..." Tori muttered, her face lowering even more, her face completely obscured by her hat. Frisk couldn't help but feel her interest piqued. Of course Asriel had died in this timeline too, after all, Flowey was present. The hail storm fell again, dropping Frisk down to half her health. She cursed under her breath at the damage. Frisk tried again to attack, but already knew the result: no hit. What would it take to land a blow to Tori?

"My son... my poor... son..." The room became deathly quiet as Tori landed on her knees. Frisk tilted her head confused for a moment, but realized the goat woman was crying. It was then Frisk noticed her ACT button glowing red. She examined her new options...

* BARRIER BREAK

What was that? She had never seen an ACT like that before. Without a second thought, Frisk pressed it. Her body seemed to work on its own. She lifted her free, left hand toward Tori and shouted, "Barrier break!" The once invisible wall surrounding Tori shattered visibly before her like glass. Once the shards hit the ground, they dissipated from existence. Frisk noticed Tori holding her face in her hands as she wept. Tori was completely distracted by her grief.

The red knife burned in Frisk's right hand. Its heat comforted her, and she felt guided to end this mother's suffering. That was her mission this whole time, was it not? To end suffering for everyone. Was this not just another means to that end?

You are filled with determination.

The words echoed through her body and mind. Her unstoppable force of will. What she wanted would happen, no matter what. Even the impossible was not outside of her reach. Her constant reincarnation was proof of this, was it not?

With a wicked smile, she approached the grieving mother. Still a wretch as ever. Still just a sad, old woman. The knife came down...

And was met with her staff!

"I am done with believing in humans," Tori looked up from her grounded position. With those words, a large, white circle appeared below Frisk's feet. Frisk could not see Tori's obscured face, but the eye Frisk could see flashed white. As it did, Tori managed to push Frisk far from her, whirling her staff with a flourish. "You would attack me at my lowest point... I cannot go easy on you any longer. This is the point of no return..."

The sorceress floated high into the air, both of her eyes glowing white with power. "I was told it is dangerous for me to go all out while I carry another little one... but in your case, I have run low on options." Tori started to chant a spell beneath her breath. A triangle appeared within the circle, its lines traced in white. Distracted by the appearing lines, Frisk didn't notice the room grow hotter until fire balls summoned and spiraled around. Frisk found little room for error as she danced with the flames. In many ways, she was already practiced to handle this particular spell. It was a piece of King Asgore's repertoire. Before Frisk could even react, Tori whirled her staff around. Several electrical bolts shot from it, following the red SOUL despite being unprepared. Frisk tumbled backward, not having expected the attack.

The Supreme Sorceress has appeared.

Frisk narrowed her eyes at Tori, and through gritted teeth rolled quickly out of the way of a large bolt Tori launched to finish the electrical attack with.

"I am the master of magic, human," Tori's voice was calm. In many ways, she sounded just like the Toriel Frisk knew. "No human has ever gotten past me. You will surely perish."

Her SOUL suddenly turned orange-red. As she stood still, she felt her body and SOUL burn, she rolled into a standing position, finding that it alleviated the pain and quickly began running side to side as Tori fired off another round of fire balls.

"You will witness my special attack," Tori stated plainly. A crescent moon shape appeared within the circle. As it did, more shapes brightly formed alongside the crescent moon both within and without the triangle. "Good bye, foolish one."

Frisk could feel that this would be the end of the fight if she didn't act quickly. Her ACT was a dark red color once more, and so she pulled it up.

* ???

With nothing left to lose, Frisk pressed the curious option. Once again, she reached out with her free, left hand and chanted, "$@#!! &$%*^." The words were foreign to her, and she did not understand what she had even said. However, the magic circle that had started to swirl beneath her feet seemed to go haywire. The lines spun quickly, wire-like strings breaking from the circle. Quickly, the whole thing faded away. For once, Tori looked shocked, even horrified. Without realizing it, Frisk had leaped toward Tori and slashed. Her hand felt guided. Her blade bore deep into Tori's shoulder. Her already widened eyes opened more as the pain flooded her body.

"That's high-level magic... how...?" Tori exclaimed pulling away from Frisk; the red knife buried deep into her shoulder. She collapsed to the floor on her knees again, but her form looked completely unstable. "I... I... I was wrong about you humans..." Tori pulled her head back and laughed. "D.e.s.p.i.t.e. e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g., I... c.o.u.l.d. n.o.t. p.r.o.t.e.c.t..." As she spoke, her voice wavered as if these words took all her leftover power to say. Her body began to disintegrate, turning to dust. First her legs, then her waist, and as it reached her torso, Tori managed to utter her last words. "... e.i.t.h.e.r. o.f. m.y. c.h.i.l.d.r.e.n."

All that remained in that room of Tori was her hat. Everything else about her turned to dust. Frisk looked down at the ground, seeing an insignificant pile of dust. Without another word, Frisk walked into the long hallway behind the double doors. Each step felt like hours as the distance grew between Frisk and Tori. It was okay, right? It wasn't like Tori was dead for good. Frisk was just curious about Tori and her power. Tori and the story she would probably not tell her without being pushed to the brink of death. Seeing her monster family in all their glory... that was okay, was it not? All she needed to do was...

Reset?

Frisk stood in front of Flowey. His blue face pointed at her, but his eyes seemed to look beyond Frisk. He was looking at her face, but not into her eyes. Frisk clenched her fists, ready to be ridiculed by Flowey for giving in again. For, again, killing Toriel in this kill or be killed world.

"Did you really... have to go that far?" Flowey's voice was soft and sounded more closely like the voice Frisk had only heard a few times before. "Don't you think there could've been another way?"

There was a long silence between them. Frisk could say nothing to Flowey. Instead, she felt guilt surging up her spine.

"I... I understand how you feel, Frisk," Flowey's lips curled into a small smile as he looked away from Frisk. "When I watched you fight... You reminded me of me... I can't help but wonder if maybe you've already seen this all before. I wonder if you feel bored of this world..."

Frisk felt her breath catch in her throat. If she said a word, she knew she would start crying. Instead, she stayed silent and held her ground.

"There is still hope for you if you have the same power that I had... go back and undo what you have done. You didn't kill anyone in the ruins, so I think that... the fight was some weird mistake. Mom would never have gone after you so viciously as she did... reset this mistake, Frisk."

With that, Flowey plunged into the earth. By themselves, Frisk's feet moved forward. One after another. Her health was extremely low, but Frisk did not care. Finally, she was outside.

The brisk air chilled her to the bone. Frisk didn't seem to notice. Her mind was numb as she walked with one foot in front of the other. Reset, Frisk thought as she walked toward the bridge. Reset this mistake, reset this mistake. It was so simple, wasn't it? Any mistake could just be reset, and it would be as if nothing had ever happened. Isn't that how Frisk got into this mess in the first place? Her heart felt heavy with guilt. Reset. Isn't that what caused her to feel free with her curiosity? She could kill some of her friends. She could spare some of her friends. She could start out merciful and destroy everyone near New Home. Frisk could commit mass murder in the ruins and come out a saint. She killed in various combinations when she came back into the Underground. When she realized that it was her last chance to see the different outcomes.

Frisk reached the bridge and stood paralyzed before it. How had she not learned her lesson? Frisk cannot quickly reset her mistakes in this world. She could not let her strange and morbid curiosity overcome her. The human let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding in. Hot tears streamed down her face, leaving streaks as it did. That was when she sensed it. The hooded creature that had killed her stood behind her. She turned around to meet it.

They stood before her, towering her by a whole head and a half. Frisk had a hard time seeing this monster, as the hot tears in her eyes blurred her vision. They seemed to be dressed like death, in black robes with a black hood. The hood completely shrouded the monster's head in darkness, but she could make out the delta rune symbol on their chest. It was in white; however, it laid on a dark blue color. Frisk was certain this was the monster who had killed her before. It seemed to let her live for longer this time around. Reset.

Frisk suddenly reached out to the creature, grabbing at what seemed like it's arm. Hysterically, she yanked them toward her, but they resisted, pulling away and retaking a step.

"H-help me," Frisk stuttered as she continued to pull at his sleeve. "I-I... I need to die." She looked up at the grim reaper with wide, frightened eyes. "I need-" The wind was taken out of her as the great monster pulled her close, his hood falling back with the motion. They had a skull for a head. They wore a familiar, broad smile.

"would be wrong of me not to help a lady in need," he mused, his skeletal mouth not moving an inch. Somehow, his eyes were not as friendly as she remembered, and his smile, while full, did not seem quite as happy. He brought his face close to Frisk's, almost as if he intended to kiss her somehow. "though i guess i would never have considered myself a lady killer." He chuckled at his pun. Frisk looked up at him, some of the fear leaving her face. Something about that disturbed the skeleton, and he reared his head back. Shortly after he shrugged. "now, since you won't mind... i'll take your SOUL as payment, little lady."

The human felt a sudden pain in her abdomen, and she could feel her vision turning white just has it had before. The world around her burned out, though she could feel her body drop into the snowy ground as the skeleton seemed to curse to himself over and over. His voice became so distant that she could no longer understand anything he said.

The entire world was dark. Much darker than she had seen anywhere else in the Underground. A ray of light grew from a singular point, bathing golden flowers in its radiance. Facing away was a young human. They had brown hair tied up in a messy ponytail, fair skin, and their eyes were such a rich brown they could be mistaken for red. It took Frisk a moment to realize she was alive, but somewhere else. She approached the young human, but paused in her footsteps. Something about them was uncomfortably familiar. Nevertheless, they were human. Humans only wanted to hurt others... even Frisk, herself, was proof of that. The other human seemed to sense her presence and took his gaze from the flowers to her eyes. There was no mistaking it this person looked like an older Chara. He wore different clothing, a green button-up shirt with a yellow bow tie. Despite his soft look and friendly face, Frisk knew better than to trust him.

Greetings, I am Chara.

Frisk narrowed her eyes at him. She took a step back but was ready to fight.

I understand if you are angry with me, however, you are mad at the wrong people.

I am not the Chara of your world. I am also not the one who has killed others for the sake of curiosity.

Even without a weapon, Chara found the right dagger to twist. Frisk paused in her tracks and flinched as he spoke the words.

In fact, am I quite sure I am a victim of your brutality, Frisk. After all... you used my magic to kill poor Toriel Dreemurr.

Frisk looked at him confused.

Your connection to... let us call him, C D for the sake of simplicity. Chara Dreemurr, or C D, is the Chara of your world.

Do you not think you may have molded him into who he is now? Do you say you are entirely blameless in this?

And now you use this connection to corrupt me as well... When you first appeared here, I made the same mistake as he...

I lent you my determination because I sensed that you had none. However, it seemed that you were meant like a Trojan Horse.

You were sent here to infect me, but I was more cunning... and now you are cursed.

The flowers that sprout from your body are my doing, but my hand was forced.

Each time you die, you are closer to true death. Each flower signifies your weakening hold over the material world.

However...

Chara looked Frisk up and down, and his eyes softened.

I can sense that you feel guilt. You feel regret for what you have done in the past... and despite your actions most recently, you regret killing our great captain.

You do not trust me as I do not trust you. However, if there is hope you can be made right again... then I shall aid you.

Frisk took in a deep breath. She always found it difficult to speak to Chara the few times he had bothered to approach her in the abyss. She wasn't sure what to say.

Say nothing, Frisk. Prove to me that you will change, and I will help you in any way that I can... Until we meet again.

When Frisk blinked, she appeared from that otherworldly space to the save point in front of the Dreemurr's home. Her head hurt somewhat, and she hugged something close to her body. She stood there holding Flowey in his flower pot, which she now hugged. He looked up at her with a soft smile. His eyes traveled from her eyes up to where the blue flower had been. He grew a concerned look.

"There is another flower on your head, Frisk," His smile wavered for a moment, but he tried his best to look sharp. "Thank you... for resetting. I know it is a bit hard, but... I know you are a good person."

"How can you tell that?" Frisk responded quickly and shortly. She felt like a monster. Not like her friends, but the sort of monsters she heard of as a child before she found her family beneath the earth. "How can everyone be so sure that I'm..."

"You didn't attack me, for one thing," Flowey gestured with his leaf, tapping it with his other leaf. "For another, you didn't kill da-Gori." He tapped his blade, but fumbled with his words, apparently forgetting he had already referred to Tori as his mother earlier. "Finally... Tori came after you pretty harshly out of nowhere. I mean, I knew a lil about how strong she was, but... what was that about? Were you trying to leave again?"

"Yeah..." Frisk sighed. Toriel always blocked the way to the ruins, but this time her words were starkly different. She wasn't trying to protect Frisk from the monsters. No, she was trying to protect the monsters from Frisk. Rightfully so. Frisk hated the strange feeling that crawled up her spine. She wanted to be a better person, and not descend into madness as she had in the prior run. Her curiosity got the better of her. Sometimes, she felt like her body moved on its own, but Frisk felt that a poor excuse. She lamented how quickly she turned away from pacifism.

"Listen, Frisk," Flowey folded his petals and seemed to prepare to lecture her. "I can tell that Tori is going to guard that door again... and if you want to leave so badly, well... I guess I've got to go with you."

Frisk gave Flowey a blank stare. Flowey was strange enough with his helpful demeanor and his lack of calling her an idiot. She was unsure about bringing him along. Flowey seemed able to read the expression on her face and rolled his eyes.

"Look, I don't want you to feel forced to kill Tori again, but I also don't want anything bad to happen to you." Flowey suddenly blushed, looked away, and quickly added, "O-or anybody else Underground! I-I mean, you defeated Tori at her full power! I am not sure how you did that, and honestly, that means I should keep my eye on you, right?"

Frisk laughed to herself and shook her head. Flowey wanted to help her out. Oddly, this time... perhaps Flowey would help be her moral compass as opposed to goading her to hurt her friends.

[thexanwillshine]

epiphany. two.

passion. sunrise. growth. scars. trust. loss. future.

Author: arekxandura (tumblr) / quilliariya (ff.net) Rating: K+ Warning: contains spoilers.

Author’s Note: starting this series for Gruvia week! a reincarnated Juvia who can’t remember Gray has always been one of my most favourite AUs, and I have no idea why. Hope you guys like it!

Read it on fanfiction.net here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12428893/2/epiphany

he just wants her to remember the past that elluded her reincarnated mind.

Juvia had a habit of coming to school earlier than she was supposed to. Waking up in the morning wasn't exactly a chore for her, Gray thought, as he recalled the way he would wake up to the smell of food cooking every morning when they had lived together. She would always go the extra mile just so he could feel as if he was at home.

Reincarnated, her habits didn't really change.

Ever since Juvia had transferred to Fairy Academy, he found himself coming to school at the same time she arrived. Maybe he missed her. Maybe he wanted to make it up to her. Maybe he wanted to bask in her presence and pretend as if they were living together once again. Maybe he wanted her to feel familiar with him again.

Whatever the reason—whatever the excuse he had been giving himself, he wanted to see Juvia.

His new-found habit of waking up early annoyed the hell out of Lyon, so it was fine. Being jolted out of sleep by the sound of an alarm at five forty-five wasn't exactly his cousin's definition of a "good morning."

His habit had surprised Ur and Silver as well. Seeing him awake at an ungodly hour, dressed and prepared to go to school wasn't exactly something they saw every day. Only Ultear, Lyon's sister, had the decency to actually wake up early. However, she was off to her shared dorm with Meredy and Jellal.

Ur and Silver had stared at him as if he was a ghost, and he stared back at both of them incredulously.

"What?" Gray asked, cocking an eyebrow as he grabbed his shoes and laid them on the floor. He tossed his jacket over his shoulders, shrugging on the garment.

"You're awfully early," Ur commented in light intrigue, crossing her arms above her chest. "Where are you off to?"

"School," he replied casually.

"At this hour?"

"Yeah, it opens early, didn't ya know?"

"What Ur's saying is, it's unlike you to be this early, idiot." His father appeared behind him so suddenly that Gray didn't even have time to react. Silver placed his hand over Gray's head, smirking knowingly.

"You heard the man," Ur added, glaring at Gray. "Care to speak up?"

Gray rolled his eyes. "I swear I'm not doing drugs."

Silver cleared his throat. "Yes, Ur, I think my son wouldn't be the type to indulge in that kind of substance."

"Repeating the question, then: Care to speak up?"

Silver's smirk widened, providing a response to Ur's inquiry. "She's finally come to your school, eh?" At Gray's blush, Silver's suspicions were confirmed. "Say hi to Juvia for me."

Gray's eye twitched, and he glared at his father for possessing some kind of sixth sense that was able to see right through his actions immediately.

Ur tilted her head to the side. "Juvia? The girl you were always shouting about when you had nightmares?" Gray looked away. "That Juvia?"

"Yeah," Gray answered. "She doesn't have her memories though." His eyebrows knitted together as he frowned. "Juvia doesn't remember me."

Silver sighed in what sounded like relief. "Well, then my future daughter-in-law doesn't remember how I tried to freeze her the first time I saw her." Gray glared at him and Silver laughed, ruffling his son's already messy hair. "Don't worry, Gray, she'll come to."

Ur nodded. "Not all of us gets out memories in a snap. They're buried in the recesses of her reincarnated mind, you know."

"You just have to trigger it in some way," Silver said, nodding.

Ever since that conversation, he had been trying to revive her memories by retelling their experiences. Sometimes, Natsu and Lucy would join them, which was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was a good thing because Natsu and Lucy were naturally gifted storytellers. Natsu would act out the scenes as if he was trying to relive the experience. Lucy would recall it as if she was the all-knowing narrator.

It was a bad thing because he and Natsu couldn't last a conversation without fighting about this and that, which then leaves a giggling Juvia and an annoyed Lucy ("seriously, some things never change! They're going to make a mess again!") to finish the story. Worst case scenario, class president Erza would slam their heads together like old times.

He caught her staring outside the window again.

Juvia was always watching the sunrise from their classroom. Her blue eyes twinkled as she marveled at the rays of the sun, as if she had just seen it for the first time. The clouds would stretch out from the sky, orange and yellow hues playing as they shifted with the light.

He could agree that it was a beautiful scene.

Gray shrugged off his backpack and hung it on the side of his chair. "Morning, Juvia," he said offhandedly, glancing at the blue-haired girl.

The blue-haired girl did not look at him. "Good morning, Gray-sama." Once she realized who she had just greeted, however, her head immediately turned. Juvia was immediately met by the smirking face of Gray Fullbuster.

His indirect confession the other day was still fresh in her mind, and he knew this. He had, as he said, willingly laid down his life if it meant she would live. The current Juvia was waiting for him to bring it up again, to clarify if his feelings were still the same as she attempted to decipher hers. Past, or present, reincarnated or not, Juvia was always waiting.

"Lost in thought, are we?"

"Juvia is sorry," Juvia replied, blushing. "Juvia was just thinking about what Gray-sama said."

He raised an eyebrow, leaning his arm on his desk. "What I said?"

"About the rain. How you stopped it. How Juvia never saw the blue sky and felt the warmth of the sun before you arrived."

Flashbacks from their battle appeared in his mind. "Yeah, what about it?"

She fidgets in her seat. "Well, Juvia has always loved the sunrise," he told him, before glancing outside. The sun had already taken full control of the sky. The clouds were slowly turning white and the sky was becoming a light shade of blue.

Juvia sighed. "Every time Juvia would see the sunrise, Juvia would feel extremely happy. And for some reason," she looked at him, and air hitched in his throat, "grateful."

"Oh."

"And she was wondering if perhaps, she was grateful to you."

He stayed silent. She always seemed to catch him off-guard.

Juvia continued, "Juvia would have never seen the sun and the blue, blue sky if it wasn't for Gray-sama."

"Juvia would have never seen the sun and the blue, blue sky if it wasn't for Gray-sama."

She looks like she's shining. On the rare days that Gray woke up at the same time she did. He would catch her staring outside the window, marveling at the sun's rays and smiling as if she was recalling a fond memory.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes," She whispered, smiling as she turned around. Her eyes were sparkling with delight. "Juvia is happy she got to spend this moment with you."

"Juvia is happy she got to spend this moment with you."

He blinked.

At his lack of response, Juvia blushed, before opening her mouth to apologize. "Sorry, Juvia was too caught up in the moment, she shouldn't have—"

"No, it's alright," Gray interrupted, shaking his head. "You just—triggered a memory."

"Juvia did?"

"Yeah." He paused. "You said the exact same thing back then, while you were watching the sunrise."

She pointed her gaze towards the sky. "Gray-sama was a really important person to Juvia in her past life, wasn't he?"

He shrugged, leaning on his seat. "I guess. You loved all your friends."

"Yes, but Gray-sama's different."

Perhaps she was starting to recall. "Different how?"

Juvia tilted her head to the side, humming as she thought. "Gajeel-kun, Lucy-san, Cana-san—they all make Juvia really happy."

"Do I not make you happy?" He feels a light tinge of guilt. Gray knows he caused her pain. He left her underneath the rain. He constantly refused the love she had given him.

Maybe this was his punishment. What if Juvia would never be able to remember her past? What if she shunned him once she remembered everything he had unconsciously done to her that pained her?

"That's not it," Juvia said frantically, seeing the hurt look on Gray's face. "Gray-sama is like the sunrise."

He raised an eyebrow.

"For some strange reason, you make Juvia feel warm."

He buries his head in her chest, tears flowing down his cheeks as he held her tight.

"You're warm."

[januvatl]

I ended up as the hero’s mother after reincarnating?!

A long long time ago, there lived an adorable noble lady. Her beauty and charm was renowned not just in her own country but in the neighbouring countries as well.

The King fell for her on first sight and had her brought back to his castle, and this love resulted in the girl bearing their child.

However, the King was already married to another for political reasons. The Queen who sought the King’s love hated the noble lady and had her expelled from the castle.

From then on, the noble lady raised the child on her own despite her being of noble heritage, most likely out of her love for the King.

The child was named Areido. The great hero whom was loved by God, defeated the Maou to save the world and united the lands torn apart by various warlords.

The story of Areido who received God’s oracle and awakened as a hero is not what this story is about however.

This is the story of the Holy Mother who raised the hero on her own, the story of Rifirudeidoa Kiaru Madeireido.

Ria who was named the Holy Mother actually has a rather unique secret, and that is…

Ria PoV

There exists incomprehensible things in reality. I had merely gone to bed to sleep away the flu, yet for some reason I had ended up as a baby before I noticed.

Well... I suppose this is what is known as reincarnation. At least I hope so, I would be troubled if I was actually possessing this body instead.

In any case, this body is already close to 30 years old. I even have a kid, a boy who is almost 18 years of age.

He has soft and silky blond hair, thin and long eyebrows and his eyes are slightly drooping which gives off the air of kindness.

In short, he is completely different from how I was like in my past life, an ikemen. Furthermore, he has good character and is known in the neighbourhood as a perfect man. As such he is neighbourhood housewives’ idol, idol you hear?

Compared to my past self… yeah a male who was about to become a wizard after living for 29 years because I did not have a girlfriend. To make matters worse, I did not even have friends or family who got worried when I got sick.

“What’s wrong, kaa-san?”

“No, it’s nothing”

“…is that so? You seem to have a rather painful look while staring at me, did something happen?”

“Sorry, Areido, it’s really nothing”

Yup, I, with the appearance of a girl, am by no means jealous of my son. That’s why it’s nothing. Really.

“Kaa-san, if something happened say it clearly okay? If not…”

“a~a~, I cant hear you”

Areido PoV

With her ears cupped and her head slightly shaking while saying that, even I as her son found her actions cute. How should I say this….she feels more like a little sister instead.

That’s right, my mother is extremely young. She was about 12~13 years old when she gave birth to me. Furthermore, she doesn’t age.

….It was my fault. After having given birth to me, she somehow stopped aging.

God. The existence that sends heroes to defeat the Maou and brings light back to the world. As a reward for having given birth to me, a hero candidate, it seems her time was stopped.

As a result, my mother looks like a young girl…

Since she has always looked younger than her age suggests, even before giving birth to me, she told me that she was not bothered by it, but how can that be true?

I really hate them. God aside, The King of the Kingdom of Heroes, Makugaia is really detestable.

Heroes can only be born from those with the lineage of heroes. From the bloodline of the first hero Makugaia who founded the Kingdom of Makugaia.

Thus, heroes are supposed to appear within the royalty of this kingdom to battle the Maou.

However, I was born in a self-governed city state and found by the mikos (TL note: shrine maidens) of the Holy Kingdom who received God’s oracle, thereby officially becoming a Hero.

Impossible. There’s no way it can happen, a hero not of the lineage of the First Hero.

My existence caused the world to descend into confusion, but those who investigated my mother’s background somehow came to terms with it.

Ria, my mother who raised me on her own, her true name is Rifirudeidoa Kiaru Madeireido. Hero Kingdom Makugaia’s noblility, she is the second daughter of Viscount Madeireido.

At her 11th birthday party, the King fell in love with her at first sight and abducted her, confining her to a room in his castle and got her pregnant.

However, her pregnancy released her from her confinement and she got evicted from the King’s castle.

Even when she returned to her parents, she was handed some money and turned away with the reason of her being likely to cause trouble for them. In this manner, with her in the midst of pregnancy, she left the country and arrived at the self-governed city state.

It must have been extremely tough, not only was she a sheltered noble who knew nothing about the real world, she was also in her early teens. She had to struggle through this cold and unforgiving world while carrying a child. It would have been natural and understandable for her to hate this world, or even hate me as well.

But, she showered me with love and care.

…Once I turn 18 I will have to leave on a journey to defeat the Maou. This is something that has already been set in stone, a fate I cannot escape from. I as well do want to set out on the journey, to show the Makugaia who cast away my mother.

Above all, with my mother being this adorable, if I leave things alone, the Maou or something will definitely take her away.

That’s why I have to defeat him before it can happen!

That’s right! Shitty Maou, I will defeat you!

And while I’m at it, I will also destroy Makugaia that burdened my mother with this fate!!!

Ria PoV

Somehow he suddenly has such a scary look on his face? When an ikemen puts on a scary expression, it is really imposing. In any case, I wonder what this child is thinking of, probably some weird delusions again?

His chuunibyou (TL note: the condition whereby one thinks he/she has special powers) is really incurable…I’m slightly worried about his future. That said, since he is actually a hero, maybe it isn’t considered chuunibyou?

…..oh well.

Come tomorrow, he will be 18. Back in Japan he would still be treated as a kid, but in this world he will be seen as an adult. In other words, he comes of age tomorrow.

He should live as he likes, whether he sets out to defeat the Maou or even run away from his fate, he should do as he pleases.

Unlike how I was, getting abducted and confined by the King, then getting raped daily. It was really intense, I couldn’t even imagine being freed. It was the upper echelons of the country after all, staying alive was all I could manage, really.

Had I returned home, my bald and fat father I didn’t particularly like will likely only congratulate me for becoming a bride.

To be frank, as a former male, I wish I could be spared from that. Moreover, as an adult male, putting aside how “splendid” I was, I had memories of my life up till when I reincarnated. For me to become a admirable noble lady is seriously impossible.

I was slightly in despair upon finding out I was pregnant, but this child was truly a stroke of luck for me. Thanks to him, I was expelled from the castle! Truly a blessing ☆ (TL note: the author really did put that star there. すんごく幸せです☆ )

As for becoming an eternal lolita, well…yeah.

While I have once entertained the thought that “it would be nice if I didn’t age”, I didn’t really expect God to actually grant it.

Seriously, spare me from that. Stop screwing around!

Thanks to that, I had a hell of a time while searching for a job…

AARGH! Pisses me off!

….Well, it seems I do still have a limited lifespan which is good in a way.

The hardships this appearance brought about was only limited to the beginning.

…...It was truly difficult then though.

My current job is truly a blessing for me.

Erm, although I’m now hired as an accountant for a rich lolicon, even so, it really is a blessing.

Really.

“Nee Areido…”

“What is it, Kaa-san”

That’s why to prevent my son from having a strange deluded thought concerning me, I should reiterate once again. Somehow he seems to have the idea that me conceiving him brought me misfortune. For me, giving birth to him was truly a blessing.

….Regardless, I was a male in my previous life and now I’m a female. Wonderfully mixing the role of a father and a mother together, do I pass as your parent?

Jii~

Staring at my son,

….Truly a fine and handsome man from all angles.

Seriously! My past life can’t even compare!?

Uwa-, just the thought of it makes me depressed--☆

Areido PoV

The appearance of my mother who called out to me with a voice full of concern and suddenly had her eyes filled with tears looked ever so frail. I’m sure she’s worried, worried for me who has to defeat the Maou as the Hero.

Kaa-san, it’ll be fine. I will definitely survive.

Until I defeat the Maou and destroy Makugaia, definitely, definitely…!!

As I renewed my determination, I hugged my mother affectionately and glared into the distance. I can’t let my kind and gentle mother see this vicious look on my face. Definitely not…

Ria PoV

Ah, he has started mumbling again. This aspect of him really reminds me that he’s my son. That’s right, a splitting image of how I was in my past life--an otaku and chuuni. Which reminds me, what was it that I wanted to say before this?

….Oh well. If it was something important, I will probably remember it. That’s why now, for now….

“Nee Areido?”

“What is it, Kaa-san”

“What do you want for today’s dinner?”

“...Meatballs would be nice”

“Ufufu, alright. I will do my best to make the most delicious meatballs”

“Un, your meatballs are the best. That’s why I want to eat as much as I can now”

“What? You speak as though you will not be able to eat it ever again”

“....You’re right. I shouldn’t say it in this manner. I will definitely return. Definitely…”

Narrator PoV

A Hero who has slightly too much delusions and a fairly unbefitting Holy Mother.

Surely with these 2, the world will be at peace once again.

The historians of future generations later uncovered the diaries of these 2 famous existences from their graves. However, upon reading the contents which destroyed their image and made the faces of the historians cramp, they then convinced themselves that the diary was a prank to console themselves.

[feynites]

Managed some more reincarnation au with Uthvir and Kel! (So, the first reincarnation, before the vampire-themed one).

Uthvir is holding Kel again.

They never thought they ever would.

But they are. They are looking at her, their daughter. She is a baby again; just a tiny little baby. No memories, of an entire life she led. Probably not even very many memories of the new one that would have ended, if not for Selene’s intervention. Fear is running high just thinking about it, and Uthvir drives like a snail all the way back to their home, making frequent stops and fussing over their daughter. Holding her and feeding her, changing her at rest stops, and running their thumb over the fingers of her little left hand.

She looks just like they remember. Just like she does in old photographs, and it reminds them of when they had first gotten her. Snatching her up from an uncertain future.

They wonder what happened to her biological parents this time around.

They almost find it difficult to care, though. She’s here. She’s back, and she is with them again. Kelvallastheneras.

They take her home. Home to the house that Thenvunin once grew up in, the sparse and somewhat eccentric manor, that has a decided lack of cribs and toys and changing tables and other things that babies need. Uthvir knows they have to get everything, that they have to do things, but Kel is in their arms and they can’t really bring themselves to put her down, not even when she’s sleeping. Some part of them is irrationally terrified that if they look away, even for a few seconds, they’ll look back and find her gone again.

They end up settling into one of the sitting room chairs, as she sleeps against their shoulder. Just listening, for a few minutes, to the creaking of the house, and the sounds of her breathing.

Their phone buzzes.

Uthvir carefully reaches into their pocket, and pulls it out, moving smoothly enough that Kel doesn’t wake. One of her fists is curled into their collar, and her cheek is smushed against their shoulder. They can’t say that they’d forgotten how cute she was at this age, but they’re filled with a kind of awe-struck reverence at the reality of experiencing it again. Though it strikes them, too, that she… she really doesn’t remember. A whole lifetime where she grew and flourished and… and…

They tamp down on that thought before it can get too far. There isn’t anything for it, and besides, she can grow up again, now. She can live again, now.

They blink at their phone.

Six missed messages from Selene, and one from Thenvunin.

Thenvunin.

Uthvir’s mind stalls again.

Thenvunin is Kel’s father. And he doesn’t even know it. They’ve only tentatively, sort of started dating, and Uthvir is still adjusting to having him back, to all the differences in that, and… what if Thenvunin doesn’t want her this time? Or at least, doesn’t want to be a parent this time. They can’t really imagine Thenvunin not wanting Kel. But he’s so young… not that he’s actually younger than he was the first time they adopted her, though. Still.

Still.

Uthvir checks Selene’s messages first.

They’re all fairly standard, just making sure that Uthvir is alright and functional and hasn’t dragged their baby off to a bunker somewhere in Orlais (joke’s on her, their best bunker isn’t anywhere near Orlais). With one hand still resting carefully on Kel’s back, they text a brief reply.

We’re fine.

Although, they suppose, they actually could use an extra pair of hands. Then they could get things that Kel needs without having to do anything insane, like put her down. They could always shapeshift a second set, but that would take a lot of concentration, and energy. And since they don’t imagine they’ll be sleeping any time soon, they should probably ration that kind of thing a little more wisely. What if they blacked out and fell over and dropped her?

They’d never forgive themselves.

Their gaze flits down towards Thenvunin’s number.

…He took it remarkably well the first time, they remind themselves.

Kel makes a tiny noise, and Uthvir drops their phone in their haste to check on her. Their heart jumps up into their throat, and they’re pretty sure that she can pick up on their irrational distress, because a minute later her little face is scrunching up and she’s launching into a volley of tears. Uthvir gently shushes her and soothes her, and gathers her up to go and get the last of the formula they brought with them, to see if she’s hungry. She’s not wet, at least.

They’re in the midst of one-handedly rifling through the bag Selene gave them when the door chime goes off.

Police, here to take the baby! Fear hisses.

Uthvir sweeps up the bag and clutches Kel close, and gets halfway to the garden door, already planning to fly out over the back wall before their better judgement catches up with them. Fear’s supposition is based entirely on paranoia. The wards haven’t gone off; and Uthvir doubts that Arlathan’s current law enforcement regime would be so polite as to ring the bell, given their track record on elven ‘fugitives’ of late.

They make themselves take a deep breath, and reconsider.

Given how many messages she sent, it’s possible Selene decided to follow them, once she had regained something of her own equilibrium. Or Melarue could have somehow divined the situation. Uthvir has no idea how they would, but they would not put it past them. Nor would they put it past them to simply appear on their doorstep.

They look at Kel. Who is still slightly watery-eyed, but is no longer crying. She chews on one of her little fists.

They ease it, gently, away from her mouth.

They are alarming her. Because they are acting as if there is something to be alarmed about.

“It’s alright, baby,” they soothe, taking a deep breath, and letting it out again.

They can answer the door, they think. If it is something dangerous, then they will have a split second to activate the manor’s defensive sigils and flee, but they can do it. They hold Kel close as they make their way through to the front hall. There used to be a camera system set up, and they had been loathe to do away with it. But housing regulations in the district had changed to make them illegal, and Uthvir had not yet found a replacement system that was discreet enough to avoid scrutiny. The law, they know, is mostly just an excuse to allow enforcers with the Magisterium’s interests in mind to barge into the homes of affluent elves, and further subvert their power in the city.

They open the door, bracing themselves.

Thenvunin blinks up at them from the seat of his wheelchair.

“Uthvir?” he asks.

“Pa?” Kel says, babbling, and Uthvir knows that it is just baby-babble, that she has learned that word and probably associates it with men, but for an instant everything just stops again. Because they are holding their daughter, and their daughter said Pa, and there is Thenvunin. Here is Kel.

Here is their family.

For a single moment, time is irrelevant. It doesn’t matter how many years it’s been. It doesn’t matter, that so many minute things have changed. Thenvunin looks at Kel, eyes wide, and Kel looks back at him, holding onto Uthvir’s collar and shoving her little fist back up towards her mouth, and Uthvir wants it all again. Wants their babies. Wants their husband.

Wants what they had been so sure was lost forever.

“Hello there,” Thenvunin says, softly. The moment breaks, just a little, as he looks at Uthvir. “Who’s this?” he asks.

Uthvir swallows, and has trouble finding the words.

“This is my baby,” they manage.

Thenvunin’s eyebrows shoot up.

Right.

Yes.

Because Uthvir has been dating him for a few weeks now, and has known him for a few months, and has never mentioned a child, or obviously been pregnant… not that Kel is a newborn, precisely, so even if they had been that wouldn’t… work…

They clear their throat.

“My cousin,” they say. “My cousin died. I adopted Kel. Kelvallastheneras. That’s the name her father gave her. I’m sorry, it… happened quickly.”

Thenvunin’s expression shifts again, processing. The last time, Uthvir had known and dated Thenvunin all through college. They’d been together for a significant period of time before Kel had come into the proceedings. They don’t supposed he’ll react the same way. Their heart feels like it’s hammering between their ears, as they wait for a response…

“That must have been quite a shock,” Thenvunin ventures, looking rather intently at their daughter. Another awkward moment passes, before he shifts a little in his chair. “May I hold her…?”

Uthvir freezes for a moment in baffling indecision.

Thenvunin immediately backpedals.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “That was probably a little inappropriate. I suppose we have some things to discuss, and I wouldn’t presume-“

Uthvir moves, quickly, and before he can finish retracting his offer, they deposit Kel into his lap. Settling her into familiar arms, that she doesn’t actually know yet. Into a scene that’s so like and unlike one from their memories. Two inches to the left of their recollection, but right now, that doesn’t bother them. It can’t.

Thenvunin blinks.

Kel does, too.

Thenvunin’s steady hands hold her in his lap, as she chews on one of her fingers. After a moment, though, she moves her hands from her mouth, and reaches for Thenvunin’s hair instead.

Wisely, he catches her little fists, first, and stops them from reaching their target.

“Wuh?” Kel says, as if surprising by the sheer size of the gentle hands enfolding her own.

Thenvunin smiles. Big, and bright, and once again – thoroughly charmed. It makes Uthvir wonder if some part of him does remember.

And then they think of the first time they had Kel. The first time they recall Thenvunin holding her; the first time they had felt that surprising rush of near-panicked parental concern for her, seeing that little orphan and feeling so immediately compelled to claim her.

And they wonder if there are more lifetimes which even they have forgotten. Lives where they were together before, too.

“What a beautiful baby,” Thenvunin says.

“Ada ga,” Kel replies.

Fear unclenches its grip around Uthvir’s heart. Just a little.

“We had better go back inside,” they reason.

[radiant-flutterbun]

Queen of Time Part 2

Previously: Queen of Time

It had been over a month since Muerto brought Isaac to the clan. And for over a month he tried to get the hatchling to remember his past life.

He had tried everything. He, Niossa, Eumoirous and even Sonder tried to bring back his memories by describing everything they had shared with Sepulchral.

“We were best friends! You liked to sleep over with me when things got too tough for you!” Eumoirous told him.

“You used to fly through the Gateway to visit my Palace!” Niossa had said.

“We fought in the Battle of the Underworld together,” Sonder had said.

But all they had done was scare the hatchling. He was so confused and everyday he asked to go home. He stopped wanting to be around the strange dragons that called him ‘Sepulchral’ unless they bribed him.

Isaac refused to talk to any of them unless they gave him a treat or a toy.

Sonder was starting to really press Muerto to return him to his family, and Muerto was starting to agree.

It wasn’t right of him to keep the poor hatchling miserable.

It was a good thing that Queen Virtuous visited when she did.

***

News traveled quickly in the clan, and soon dragons squeezed themselves into the lobby to see the Goddess of Time.

Nike was a little irritated “It would have been nice for our new guests to have introduced themselves before they stormed off.”

“We’re still here!” Evan had said and he glanced at Mason.

“Yes… I’m sorry. Sagacious is my daughter the goddess of Knowledge and Guerra is my son the God of War,” Virtuous said, ignoring Evan “As long as Saga has access to your library I imagine she’ll stay out of your way, and Guerra will probably just sulk in your prison. I apologize for just dumping them here on you but, I need you to protect them for me.”

“You want to protect your children?”

“Yes, please. I could… pay you back for the favor. I know Muerto and Naperone are already here and I thank you for sheltering both of them too.”

“Well Naperone is locked up because he tried to kill my kid.”

“I heard, I’m sorry for his behavior.”

“But… Sure I’ll allow them to stay in my clan.”

“Thank you. You’re doing my world a great favor for sheltering them here. Don’t let them leave, and shapeshifter… I mean Inkdrop don’t let them come back to our world. It’s too dangerous for them there.”

“Okay!” Inkdrop nodded.

“And before I go, Guerra is ill so please have your healers check up on to see if he’s doing well every now and again.”

“Will do.” Nike said.

Virtuous and Ludicrous turned around to leave, but a voice stopped them.

“What? So you think you can just come here and leave?” It was Sonder “Don’t you care that your other two kids are here? Don’t you care how they are? And what about the other gods here? Don’t you care about us?”

Virtuous twitched her tail “And you are?”

“Sonder.”

“Sonder? Oh, yes. You’re the Guide of the Dead. Yes of course I care about Naperone and Muerto and the others, but Lu just visited and he told me how Nap and Muerto were. I don’t have time to check up on anyone. I’m busy and need to return to our world.”

“You’re the fucking Queen of Time, don’t tell me you don’t have Time! You just don’t care! You’ve never cared.”

Virtuous turned to Sonder “I do care.”

“If you cared you would have listened. If you cared Muerto wouldn’t have to feel like this place is his home instead of his own kingdom. If you cared the Underworld wouldn’t have fallen. And I’m sick and tired of you not caring! Do you have any idea what us minor gods go through? You don’t give a shit about us. Our quality of life is meaningless to the more powerful gods. All we do is do the bidding of the major gods and if anyone dares to argue we could be severely punished. And are you aware of what has even happened? There is so much you could have prevented if you had only cared enough, or listened.”

Virtuous took a deep breath “I should get going.”

“No!” Sonder leaped forward and did what no god had ever dared to do. She slapped Virtuous across the face, her claws leaving marks on Virtuous purple scales.

Virtuous stopped where she was, too shocked to even move. Ludicrous had his mouth wide open and no one spoke a words. A drop of blue blood fell from Virtuous’s face and plopped on the ground.

A growl formed in Virtuous’s throat and she bunched her hind legs as if she was ready to leap. Ludicrous grabbed her and pulled her back before she could attack Sonder.

“Vir! Vir don’t attack her, please! Just walk away, ignore her. She just doesn’t understand.”

Virtuous had an aura of purple surrounding her, but she took a deep breath and slowly the aura disappeared. She sat down and regained her composure

“No… No. She has a point. I haven't been listening. But I think I’m ready to now.”

“You’re really going to listen?” Sonder asked.

“Yes. And I’m sorry for ignoring you before. It wasn’t right of me.”

“It’s just… We minor gods, we just want to be treated right. You don’t give us enough Time to do our work. We’re under a lot of stress. It makes us feel worthless and unappreciated. And there’s too many major gods who abuse their power and it’s us the minor gods who really suffer from it. Gods like Naperone… they think of their minor gods more of slaves than subjects or even just workers. It’s not right.”

“Yes, Naperone having as much power as he did was a mistake, and I should have never made him a major god. And I can see how it can be hard to be a minor god. I’m sorry about that.”

“You’re supposed to be our Queen. You’re supposed to listen to us. All of us. I know you have a lot of responsibilities and that Nefarious is fucking awful to you,” Virtuous flinched when Sonder said the Demon King’s name “But you could have prevented so much. The Underworld shouldn’t have fallen, twice now. Everyone knows Muerto shouldn't be king, he’s just a little kid and that responsibility is obviously way too much for him. But Match shouldn’t be king ethier. He’s too power hungry, and now he’s weak. All I’m saying is… You could have easily prevented the mess we’re currently in. And… and now to top it all off… Sepulchral’s dead. He’s dead, but he didn’t have to be. He came to Sornieth because he felt unappreciated. Do you know how much he’s been through? His parents hated him so much they erased him from all their family records. He deserved better. You could have gave him better.” Sonder was crying. Her eyes were puffed up and ugly fat tears ran down her face.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t know he was dead…”

“It was Match. He killed him. He killed him as Sep was protecting him from Naperone.”

“I’m sorry Sonder. For everything. But even my power has it’s limit. I cannot change the past, but I will try to make the future a better place if I can help it. I will take back the Underworld, and I will try to improve the lives of minor gods everywhere, and work on stripping power from gods who shouldn’t have it. This is a promise.”

Sonder wiped away her tears “T-thank you.”

Virtuous turned to Inkdrop “Portal please. To my palace.”

Inkdrop nodded and flicked her claws and a swirling black vortex appeared. Together Virtuous and Ludicrous entered the portal and it disappeared.

The clan resumed its normal activities soon after that.

***

Seeing his mother again drug up the same mixed feelings Muerto felt every time he thought about his mother. He was glad, and yet also disappointed she didn’t bother to check up on him.

He hated her and wished she hadn’t shown her face in Clan Ton Theon again, (and she showed up to drop off Guerra and Sagacious too, who Muerto also didn’t like) but he also would have liked if she paid a little attention to him.

It was probably because despite everything he still wanted a mother to love him.

But Virtuous had proved time and time again she should not be his mother. She didn’t deserve to be his mother. She ruined any chance she had to be his mother long ago. She shouldn’t be redeemed or forgiven for how she had treated Muerto in the past.

He was so lost in thought about his mother he almost forgot that Inkdrop was back.

He remembered saying some mean things to her and felt bad.

Why was he so mean to his little sister?

He couldn’t even remember why he was so angry. He was probably just taking out his grief for Sepulchral on her. He had never been good with his emotions.

“Inky?” He walked up to her with his head down “Inky I’m sorry for being mean.”

“Yes! You were a meanie to me! But… honestly I don’t even remember most of what you said. I just know you were really mad at me…”

“I’m sorry. I’m not mad anymore. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m really sorry.”

Inkdrop smiled “It’s ok!” She gave Muerto a hug “I forgive you! Just try not to be a meanie in the future, ok?”

Muerto laughed “Ok, ok. Deal. I promise not to be a meanie.”

“Good! I’m really glad you’re not mad anymore. I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

“And so much has happened! I met two new siblings! And I even learned a new power! But it’s all kinda long and complicated. I want to know what you’ve been up to first!”

“Well… I found out Sepulchral had been reincarnated into a hatchling, and I found that hatchling and… kidnapped him. I know it was wrong of me, but I was hoping I’d be able to bring back Sep’s memories, but all i’ve ended up doing is scaring a hatchling.”

“So he doesn’t remember you?”

Muerto shook his head.

Inkdrop tapped her claws on the floor “I think I have an idea.”

“You do?”

“Yeah! Wait here! I’ll be back soon!” Inkdrop flicked open a new portal and before Muerto could say anything she was gone.

***

Guerra settled down in a cold dark cell and slammed the door shut behind him.

He shivered and the damp air was bad for his weak lungs, but he figured it was probably best for him to stay here. Here he was away from everyone. He couldn’t hurt anyone else if he hid himself away.

“Who are you?” Guerra wanted to throw up when he heard the voice.

“No. No you can’t be here too.”

“Guerra?” Naperone grinned “Holy shit I’d recognize that voice anywhere! How ya doing brother?”

Guerra began to growl, but it just turned into a cough “You know exactly how I’m doing.”

“Oh no! Are you still sick! Well if it makes you feel any better I’m sick too. Those demons, am I right?”

“Shut up! Just shut up! It’s you’re fault I became a monster. I should go bend those metal bars separating you from me and crush that windpipe of yours.”

“Oh, a little violent now are we?”

“Shut it. Shut that horrible mouth.”

“Better watch your temper or before you know it you’re gonna create another war! How many are gonna die from you this time, Guerra boy?”

“I fucking hate you. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you. Why do you have to be here? Why can’t I just lock myself here to be left in peace? Why?”

“Hey bring it up to the dragons in this clan. I’d love to get out of here. Honestly I’m kinda done messing with them anyway. They’re all no fun!”

“Mortals are not playthings.”

“And neither are gods but it hasn’t stopped me.”

“Just… ugh!” Guerra hid his head under his head and tried to drown out his little brother’s voice.

He had hoped to never hear that voice ever again. Not after he infected him with a demon and turned him into War.

[bffhhoneymoon]

Entry 50

 ”James, I just saw Dani.” I told him.

 He came over and hugged me.  “How was she?”

 “Dead… again.”

 He pushed me away, staring at me.

 “Don’t look at me like that.  I’m not joking.  Dani apparently likes reincarnation and remembers us whenever she sees us.” I explained.

 “That’s… well…” he started, stopping again as he tried to collect his thoughts.

 I waited patiently for a time before saying, “Sorry, but our daughter gets weird.  She enjoys living a life where she’s guaranteed to come to a premature end.  I just died with her, and she was giddy as can be about it.”  Despite seeing that he was having one of his moments, I pressed on.  “James, you must stop worrying so much about people dying.  They’re in… good hands.  I would still love to deny that, but we both know it’s true.  Furthermore, we’re allowed visits with the deceased!  I just had one with Dani, our Dani, who was living as a completely different type of alien.  The type that was coming next was even stranger to me, but that’s what she wants!  I’d say to blame her parents, but… well… I’m sure we try.”

 He was still staring at me intensely, almost as if he was looking into my soul to verify my words.  

 “I was going to invite you along, but that wasn’t recommended.  Turns out that our daughter likes arriving in her bit of heaven completely nude.  I can’t say that I was surprised, given her original species... current species?  She might actually be alive in multiple places at this very moment.  She wanted to be a dragon eventually when I spoke with her, so she could be on their world now, assuming she wasn’t one of the ones that died on Earth before they left.”

 “Dragons died?”

 “They fought at times.  Things went too far a bit often from what I’ve been told.  Wouldn’t surprise me if our daughter was on the receiving end of a lethal blow, given her preferences.” I admitted.

 “Why would she want to die..?  I still don’t understand.” he replied, still seeming glum.

 “Adventure, apparently.  She wants to try everything.  The universe is enormous, so I don’t know how many lifetimes she’ll need to be satisfied.  Besides, what is death to her when she’s continually reborn?  That’s a type of immortality, despite the memory loss.” I insisted, feeling Aaliyah appear behind me, already nodding.

 “Yep!  Souls aren’t typically destroyed, and hers won’t be.”

 “They are at times?” questioned James.

 “Sure!  I’ve shredded up a few of the nastier ones.  Didn’t feel like keeping them around.  Don’t worry.  Necromancers never really pull it off.  I swap out the soul with a facsimile when they attempt that type of magic.  There are creatures who feed off spirits too, but I swap those as well.”

 He nodded listlessly.

 “My love, please…  As hard as watching her die was for you, you have to accept that death was only the start of a new journey, not some terrible, permanent thing.”

 He gazed into my eyes and smiled slightly.  Then he leaned down to kiss my head.  “Just give me some time.  I’ll be fine.”

 “Sure thing, boss-man, sir.” stated Aaliyah.

 The room suddenly changed in subtle ways, such as furniture being slightly moved.  My husband was several rooms away.

 “How long?” I asked.

 “One month.” replied Aaliyah.  Her expression was solemn.

 “Alma?” questioned James, entering the room in haste.  “Where have you been?”

 “You said you needed time, and I’m feeling impatient, so Aaliyah took us the short route.”

 He laughed.  “Should have known.  Sorry.  I’m still…”  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  “I don’t like it.”

 “Don’t like what specifically?” I inquired, frowning.

 “I don’t like our daughter getting older.  I understand that shouldn’t be stopped—and I don’t want to get in the way of her wishes, odd as endless reincarnations seems to me—but she’s our little girl.  Outliving her is… weird.” he suggested, looking unsatisfied by the word.  He had started pacing as he talked, motioning with his hands as if trying to find the words to fully express his feelings on the matter.

 “So… you’d rather be reincarnated as <i>her</i> kid?” I questioned.

 “What?  No!” he exclaimed, seeming shocked by the idea.

 I smirked.  “Want us to die together, lose our worries, and go to a heaven like Chad then?”

 He shook his head, frowning.

 “There are many specialized afterlifes!  I have brochures!” exclaimed Aaliyah, suddenly holding a ceiling-high stack and being surrounded by a large pile.

 James sighed.  “You two just don’t get it.”

 “No!” I exclaimed, surprised that Aaliyah had said the same thing.

 She winked.

 “Yes, I know you’re lying.  You get everything.” stated James to her.  Then he turned to me and said, “Does knowing what happens not ruin it for you?’

 “James, darling, we are constantly dealing with surprises, so what has been ruined by a little foreknowledge?”

 He sat down, leaning his elbow on his knee and his chin on his hand.  Time shifted again.

 I felt Aaliyah still behind me, holding up several fingers as she mouthed the word “days”.  I walked over and thumped my husband’s head with my fist.

 Looking up at me in surprise, he said, “What?  You seem…”

 “Angry?” I questioned.  “Were you really going to leave me standing around for several days as you thought things through?’

 “Uh…  well… has it been days?  Must have… You just jumped to the present though, so what’s the issue?”

 I was somewhat surprised that he figured out the time jump, given that his mind still seemed elsewhere.  Pushing his arm aside to sit on his lap, I said, “We may have eternity, but I hate missing days with you when you’re just sitting around.  Come back to me, please.”

 He looked surprised as he stared into my eyes, then he placed a hand on the back of my head as he kissed me.  Sometime during the kiss, Aaliyah left, so I decided to try distracting my husband.  Several days later, I was satisfied that my distraction worked.  His mood had finally seemed to improve.

 Holding out my hand to him after I crawled over him and off the bed, I said, “Let’s get dressed and visit our daughter.”

 James smiled and nodded, but he wasn’t quite back to his usual self yet.

 I suppressed a sigh.  Aaliyah had been right again, James didn’t deal well with thoughts of death.  I sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand before saying, “Did you know I never believed in an afterlife?”

 “What?  Family thing?”

 “No, not really.  I simply saw no evidence that such a thing existed.  I thought that the people I killed were simply gone, not judged.  There were plenty of people who got off too easy in my mind, but there were also ones I regretted.  I couldn’t admit it, having acted in the name of my family, but I never liked killing.”

 “I know you didn’t.” he assured me.  “If I thought you enjoyed it, I don’t think I could have fallen for you.”

 “Saying my beauty is not great enough to enthrall your mind?” I questioned.

 “I believe you just proved that wrong over the past… however long.” he argued.

 “Oh, so you’re only after my body.  Well then, sorry that I’m not intellectually stimulating.” I teased.

 He rolled his eyes, smiling in earnest again.  He moved faster than I could follow, pulling me back onto the bed and moving on top of me.  Then he softly kissed my lips as he said, “You know quite well that I love speaking with you.  We spent… a good bit of time… speaking.  I love you.”  He kissed me again and again, saying a new thing he loved about me between each kissed until I distracted him again.

 Getting dressed a while later, I said, “I meant what I told you earlier… about not believing in an afterlife.  I tried to dull my conscience to my doubts, assuring myself that I was simply doing my duty.  I’m lucky that Aaliyah isn’t judging me harshly for some of the things I’ve done, but I’m also grateful to her for showing me what becomes of people and allowing us the opportunity to speak with them.  I’m planning on speaking to some of the people I’ve killed, and I want you to join me.”

 James paused in the act of buttoning up his shirt to stare at me.  “You what?”

 “I’m going to speak with them.” I said, walking over to him and finishing the buttons for him.

 He reached down and grabbed my shoulders, asking “Why would you want me there?”

 “Moral support.  I’m not convinced all of them deserved to die.  Besides, you should speak with Cosette’s parents.  I’m sure they’d love to know she’s doing well and will want to thank you for taking her in.” I informed him.

 He seemed to marvel at the idea for a time as I picked a tie for him and stood on a spell to tie it.  He was so tall…  “Yes,” he said, “I think I should.”

 Smiling and kissing him again, I hoped I was ready for this.