#and violet’s mother realized what happened but she couldn’t say anything

[blue--ingenue]

oh, so someone in command definitely had Violet’s father killed because he knew too much. my money is on Dain’s father.

[late-to-the-party-99]

Songbird (Pt. Three)

A lone siren realizes her echo isn't her own. It's that of Echo, invisible and only able to repeat the words of others. They find a way to grow close anyway... and to break some curses.

Part One

Part Two

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

“The rain’s too strong,” Ligeia says, squinting at the dreary drizzle outside. “I don’t think I can fly in that.”

“We can wait,” Echo says. “All we need is something to do.”

Ligeia chuckles. “When I find a library, I’ll let you know.”

“You like to read?”

She sinks back into her nest, pulling her wings close. “I did. My mother had scroll after scroll of poetry. All the songs and verses you could ever want,” she sighs.

“Your mother sounds like a lovely person.”

“She was. But we have no scrolls here. Though… I do remember them. Maybe…” Ligeia pauses, realizing what she’s about to propose. I haven’t done that in so long, she thinks. Not since with her.

But Echo is right there, patient and soft. She smells like the rain outside, but sweeter — with a hint of jasmine. 

“…we could take turns telling stories?” Ligeia suggests.

“I don’t know many stories, though.” Echo gusts past her to rustle in the corner, scooping up discarded walnut shells. “We should use these for something. A game?”

“Why don’t I supply the stories, and you supply the contest?”

The wind grows lighter and looser. “It’s a date,” Echo teases.

***********

“See, this is why you’re my favorite.” Mistress giggles behind her hand. “Please, could you sing more to me tonight?” Her eyes shine a soft green, her skin aglow in the violet light of dusk. She smells of lavender and jasmine. 

“I would love to.”

Mistress leans close with a whisper, meant for only the two of them: “It’s a date, then.”

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

A flush rises to Ligeia’s cheeks. Giving her head a brisk shake, she hops out of her nest and stumbles out of Echo’s way.

“Ready,” Echo taps out. “It isn’t much, but it’s a start. We compete to see who’ll throw these shells the farthest.”

“Alright.” Ligeia clears her throat. With a faint tremble to her voice, she begins.

She doesn’t sing. But she chants, weaving a tale in rhyme about a hero who fell for Love himself. As she speaks, the words returning to her with practiced ease, she tosses the shells. 

“You’re a very good storyteller,” Echo says when she finishes.

Ligeia manages to fling her pebble onto the grass. She smiles, her stomach fluttering. “I think you might be trying to distract me so I don’t get so many points.”

“…maybe.”

She snorts, and so does Echo, pitching up the sound into a light laugh. “But thank you,” Ligeia says. “I’m glad to hear I still have some of my skills.”

“You must’ve been very popular.”

Ligeia’s smile fades a little. “Only with one person.”

“Who were they?”

“Uh.” Why do I feel like this? It happened so long ago. It’s not like Echo is your — no. No. Just stay quiet. Don’t say—

“I’m sorry,” Echo says, cutting into her thoughts. “I shouldn’t—”

“It’s fine! I just… I haven’t thought about her in a while.” Ligeia draws in a deep breath, rolling the shell around in her talons. The words begin to push their way to the surface. “We grew up together, her and I and my sisters. We all kept her company.”

“What sorts of things did you do?”

“We picked flowers, we sang, and we told stories.”

“That sounds fun,” Echo says, a wistful note entering her voice.

“Yes.” The shell crackles in her grip. “She and I were the closest, though. She liked my stories the best, and she spent the most time with me. We were friends.”

“You seem to have cared about her very much.”

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

“She’s married.”

The Lady stands before them, Ligeia and her sisters kneeling at her feet. Her voice sounds brittle, the sweetness gone and replaced by something thornier. “The Underworld took her, and my brother — he approved of it. I couldn’t do anything. Nobody did anything.”

The grass around them wilts from green to yellow.

“You didn’t do anything,” the Lady snarls.

Ligeia’s head snaps up, tears shining in her eyes. “What could we have done?” 

“Anything other than standing there.” The Lady’s hands curl into fists. “Anything other than letting my daughter be taken away to such a cruel fate.”

“My Lady, please—”

“She’s married to that man. My only daughter is gone for several months of the year!”

“My Lady—”

“Did you not care?”

Ligeia jumps to her feet. “I love her! You think I don’t grieve at her marriage?” 

Silence falls over the glade. Her sisters stare at her. The Lady stares at her. The Lady’s eyes glow gold like wheat in the sun, bloodied by a red dawn. “And what good was your love?”

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

Ligeia finds herself blinking back tears. “I wish I loved her enough to save her.”

There’s a beat of hesitation, the air turning over itself. Then, Echo flutters down and close to Ligeia, like a pair of arms. 

This time, emotion swells in her chest. She can’t choke it back. Her face crumples. She draws in a ragged breath and finds the air close and cool. Beyond the hope of return, she leans into the touch and sobs, heaving her shoulders.

The sound is ugly. It’s the sound of a grieving woman. But as it pours out of her, the thorns catching in her throat, she feels her chest loosen. She feels Echo’s touch grow firmer and even closer to her, becoming a true embrace.

“Thank you,” she whispers later, her ability to speak with words recovered. “I needed that.”

“You did,” Echo says. She feels so gentle, so kind and warm. “You deserve to grieve what you lose. This person — she sounds like she meant a great deal to you.”

“She was my first love,” Ligeia admits, swishing her tail feathers. 

“And you loved her enough. That wasn’t why you lost her,” Echo says, pressing closer. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“She deserved better, though. Both her and her mother.”

“So did you.”

Ligeia blinks, then manages a small nod. “I… you’re right. We all did.”

[mrckobchamp]

excuse me did you see JACOB ELORDI hanging around palmwood studios? oh no, that was MARCO BEAUCHAMP, the TWENTY - FIVE  year old ACTOR who plays DANIEL SALVAVAL on THE VAMPIRE BOOKS. yeah, you know rumour has it they're - RESERVED, and - BAD TEMPERED, but their fans all say they’re + BRUTALLY HONEST , and + RESILIENT. around palmwood studios they’re known as THE PHOENIX. ( CISMALE, HIM / HE ) ( ITS YA GIRL TATI, SHE/HER, 23, EST )

marco beauchamp came into the world as a happy kid, his goofy smile evident during his school pictures but that all changed once he was old enough to realize that his mom tended to fall down a lot, though it was always after a heated argument with his father. christopher beauchamp  was the ideal family man, devoted and caring but behind closed doors it was a completely different story. his mothers lessons ( as his father liked to call them ) became much more frequent, the smallest comment would set him off in the most powerful rage. his mother wasn’t safe and neither was he, as cruel as that may sound. 

after the aftermath of his fathers brutality, he would sit down next to his mother curing her wounds and never blaming her, always by her side. the more he leaned towards his mother, the worst thing got for him. his father became enraged and the bruises began to appear on marco, though no one could believe that the matriarch of the beauchamp family could ever do something so vile, marco spoke out but no one truly believed him and if they did, his father had everyone in his pocket. made everyone believe that this was just marco lashing out and being a teenager . 

weeks turned into months and months into years and the more that time passed, the more marco changed. more  closed off he became and more violet towards some situations. one day coming home, he hears pleading and the commotion of things being thrown. he doesn’t have to speculate what’s going on, the help in the kitchen minds their business, but the worrisome look on their features is evident. he walks right past them and his mother is on the floor of his father study, bloody and lifeless. his father taunting him, his anger gets the best of him and everything just turns black. 

once he regains consciousness, he feels a pair of hands holding him back. his mother is on the floor, barely breathing. he doesn’t realize the amount of blood that’s covering his hands, his hands on the phone but its taken away by his father security. telling him that they needed to play this as a burglary and that’s exactly what happened, they played the grieving wife and son  part quite well, putting up a face for the world to see that the fall of the doting father , had caused a void in their heart . 

for marco his nightmare wasn’t over because in the back of his mind, he has flashbacks of the incident, his fist repeatedly pounding his fathers face and his fathers taunting prose ; you’re a monster just like I am .  those words echoed in his mind and played on a constant loop, maybe his father wasn’t wrong and marco  would be just like his father if not worse. destroying whatever he had in his wake , never being able to live anyone and destroying everything that he touched . 

his father ran a miltu-miliion dollar PR company  ( the same company that had strong ties to palmwood studios ) and ever since marco could remember, he loved being able to be different people. anything was better than who he truly was. though hollywood  world took a shine to him, labeling him the golden boy . a few failed relationships but severely private with his private life, not really allowing the camera's to catch him with anyone, though his life right now revolves around the vampire books and nothing else. 

after taking a break from acting and moving to alaska to help with a refugee for penguins , he was happy but not completely , he loved mia but they’re romantic relationship had died , instead it had flowered into a loving friendship and he couldn’t have asked for more . the vampire books were struggling in casting someone else for the role of daniel and what better way to come back into the spotlight , then by rejoining the show , watch out PW STUDIOS , they’re in for a loop . 

[multi-fandom-imagine]

I realize this is a touchy subject (feel free to ignore this request if you don't feel comfortable writing about it) but I want to request a piece in which the reader has been sexually assaulted.

I, unfortunately, experienced this myself and I am well on my way in my healing process, which makes it easy for me to talk about it. I am currently in a healthy relationship but due to traumas I haven't had sex in months. my fear was triggered when my lovely boyfriend got a bit too pushy in the bedroom.

I know that sex was a must for most men back then. but can you write a little bit about how Anthony would react if he finds out that the reason behind the readers' reluctance is because of trauma related to her past with sexual assault?

I am asking you this because you are a wonderful writer and your writings bring me comfort. sending you lots of love -y

A/n: please do not apologize, I will be happy to write this for you. That means a lot knowing my work helps you and I am so sorry that you ever had to go through something like that.

If you ever need to vent, I am here!

Warnings: Mentions of SA { will tag the proper triggers }

Anthony loved you, more than anything. The moment he laid his eyes upon you he found himself drawn to you. You were far different than any woman he’s met though on your wedding night you refused him. He couldn’t understand why? Did he do something wrong. When he kissed you, you seemed fine yet when he slid his hand under your dress you tensed, a whimper escaping your lips, a tear sliding down your cheek.

He could not act on his desires, how could he when you were so afraid. Instead he held you close, your fingers clutching his shirt tightly. His hand rubbing your back gently until you fell asleep. Maybe he should ask his mother about it? She just know what troubles you so.

++

Violet frowned shaking her head, she placed her hand upon her husbands shoulders. “It is not my place to tell you Anthony. You need to ask her yourself but she says nothing then you need to accept it and give her time.”

That confused Anthony even more so when he went to ask you, he watched your form shrink even more. Seeing look like a skittish mouse broke his heart. He did not want you to be afraid of him. That was the last thing he wanted. “Y/n…talk to me…please….as your husband it is my job to protect you.” Sitting next to you he grasped your hand gently. “Please.” He whispered.

“I am afraid you will no longer love me Anthony.”

Placing his hand on your cheek, you tensed then slowly relaxed into his touch. “That is impossible, I could never stop loving you.”

Biting your lip you gave him a weak smile, swallowing the lump in your throat you started to explain to him what happened to you before you met Anthony. You told him about the man who tried to court you. Your refusal and how angry he got, you told him what he did to you. You sobbed as he pulled you into his arms, his hand messaging your back as he placed tentative kiss to your head.

He could feel anger course through his veins, he wanted to find that man. He wanted to find and Jill him for putting you through that pain. But this was not about him, this was about you. This will always be about helping you and he would do anything to make you comfortable.

“I am here for you Y/n. I will always be by your side, nothing will change that, nothing will change my love for you…know matter how long it may take I will be here.”

Sniffling, you let out another sob giving him a weak smile as you felt Anthony brush your tears away, shaking your head your pressed you face into his chest as he continued to pet your head.

“Thank you.”

“You have nothing to thank me for my dear….now get some rest.” He shifted his body so you were more comfortable, your head now resting on his chest clinging to him. “I will be here when you wake up.”

[shirakumos-sandwich-shop]

❄️Arranged Marriage ❄️

SCARAMOCHE X FEM READER X TARTAGLIA

Part 1.

You caressed the delicate petals of the newly bloomed silk flower. It was much too cold in snezhnaya for such a plant to exist but with the gentle coaks of your dendro vision all the buds on the exquisite bush unfurled their petals. The warm sweet scent from the flowers contrasted dramatically with the flurries of snow you could see outside of the humid greenhouse. This is where you were happiest, in the small glass building behind your parents’ mansion. Here you could be alone to study your beloved plants as much as you wished. You collected the seeds from the silk flower for replanting. The door behind you creaked open letting in a burst of cold.

“For goodness sake close the door, it will damage the plants!” You spun around to confront the maid that had entered. The girl jumped to close the door behind her.

“I’m sorry for yelling, just please be careful. I’m working on a new specimen.”

“It’s alright Miss Y/n, I’ll be more careful next time.” She stepped forward. “Miss, your parents wish to speak with you about an important matter. They said for you to come right away.”

“Whatever it is, they can wait till I’ve finished collecting these seeds.” You returned to your meticulous work.

“They said right away Miss y/n.” The maid said urgently.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming.” You tucked the last of the seeds safely away in a drawer and pulled on your warm fur lined coat. You followed your maid out and carefully closed the greenhouse door behind you. Trudging through the snow to the large house.

You found your parents quietly discussing some important matter in your father’s study. As you entered the room they stopped talking and looked at you.

“Y/n, I told you to come quickly, yet here we are waiting around for you.” Your mother said forcefully.

“It’s alright y/n,” your father interrupted. “Have a seat.”

“What’s this about?” You asked while sitting in the uncomfortable wooden chair.

“Should you begin or should I?” Your father asked your mother.

“You tell her, she listens to you, not me.” Your mother said grumpily.

“Well, your mother,”

“And your father.” Your mother interrupted.

“Yes, and I.” Your father spoke patiently. “We have decided it’s time for you to get married.”

Silence deadened the room as you stared at them in shock.

“….what?” Is all you could say. You had expected something like this to happen at some point but it was still a surprise.

“Yes y/n, it’s time for you to finally do something for this family. I will not allow you to fritter away your days like you have been.” Your mother chided.

“I’ve been studying! Not frittering away anything!” You raised your voice.

“Don’t speak to me like that! It’s all planned, we have a suitable young man already chosen.”

“I don’t even get to decide who it is?” You sputtered, standing up out of the chair.

“Y/n,” your father broke in tiredly. “Sit down.” You did as he asked. “I do think this is the best thing for you. I wouldn’t let it happen if I didn’t think so.”

Hot tears were threatening to burn your eyes now.

“If it makes you feel better he has not completely given his answer yet. He has his own conditions.”

“What are they? You're supposed to give him loads of money or something?”

“No,” your father chuckled. “Nothing like that. He wants to meet you, but anonymously. Tomorrow there is a celebration being held in honor of the Tsaritsa. He asked for you to come so he can meet you.”

“I won’t know who he is? Is that it?” You asked.

“Exactly.”

“How cliche…” you sighed.

“After he has met you, he will give us his final answer.”

“You better be on your best behavior tomorrow.” Your mother scolded you like you had already set the table clothes at the celebration on fire.

There was no escaping it, once your mother had her mind made up she wouldn’t stop until you gave in.

“Fine…” you got up and left the room.

———

Your mother had micromanaged your whole day leading up to the celebration. Your hair had been arranged, taken down, and rearranged so many times your head was aching. Yet she was never satisfied. You utterly rejected the frilly pink monstrosity that was the dress she had prepared. Once you threatened to vomit on the dress you finally had your way. You chose from your extensive closet a long gray dress with embroidered lavender flowers. Your dendro vision hung on your back. Night was beginning to fall and your mother was rushing you out the door.

The party reminded you of a ball out of a fairytale. You would have enjoyed the visual splendor if not for the anxiety growing in your gut. Your parents made their way through the crowds chatting and greeting random equantances. You headed off by yourself to find an empty table to sit at.

“Y/n!” A cheery voice said behind you. You turned to see your childhood friend Childe running up to you. “Fancy meeting you here?” He flirted.

“Oh shut up Tartaglia.” You nudged his side and he chuckled. He held out his hand to you.

“Well?” He said.

“What?”

“Aren’t we dancing?” He questioned.

“Ugh fine.” You rolled your eyes. As soon as you took his offered hand he whisked you onto the dance floor into an energetic waltz. Is the waltz supposed to be energetic?

He occupied your time with friendly chatting. You slowly became more comfortable with the whole situation, he always had that effect on you.

Could he be the one my parents were talking about?

Doubtful, why would he have needed to meet me first then. But… maybe, it could be. You dared to hope it was. The thought of marrying him was oddly comforting.

“Whatcha thinking about?” He asked curiously.

“Oh uh… nothing.” Your cheeks blushed at the thoughts you were just having.

“You were thinking about me huh?” He pinched your cheek teasingly.

“No! Shut up!” You huffed. “Just a lot on my mind is all.”

Should I tell him about the marriage?

You decided against it. It wasn’t even official yet.

“Can I sit down? I’m pretty tired out now.” You told him.

“Sure, y/n.” He led you to an empty seat next to the dance floor. Immediately someone who looked vaguely important started talking to him. He was a harbinger after all, many things occupied his time now.

“Y/n,” Tartaglia caught your attention. “I need to take care of something. I’ll be back okay?”

“Okay, see you soon.” You gave him a smile and you noticed a dusting of pink appeared on his cheeks. He spun around and left you alone once more.

Time passed slowly. You watched the people dancing and sipped on a cup of Monstat’s dandelion wine. Several men came up to you in this time and asked for a dance. You declined them all. If one of them was your potential fiancé you hoped he had been turned off for good. The touch of a hand lifting your vision from your back startled you and you wiped around. A man with dark purple hair and startling violet eyes raised an eyebrow at you.

“A dendro vision.” He said simply, running his finger over the green glassy surface of your vision. “Very unusual.”

“Yes? what about it?” You snapped. “Would you give it back please.” You held out your hand, you were almost surprised when he placed it into your palm.

“Not many people have those. I’ve only seen one, maybe two.” The unknown male said.

“So what?” You glared at him.

He smirked at your hostility. You found him oddly familiar, you knew you had seen him before but couldn’t place him. He walked over and sat next to you.

“Who are you?” He questioned.

“Why do you want to know?” You folded your arms.

“Because I’m interested.”

“In what? Me or my vision?”

“Both.” He said decidedly. He leaned back in his chair and unbuttoned his suit jacket. His questioning stare bore into you.

“Well?” He said.

“Y/n L/n.” You looked away quickly. In doing so you missed the sudden surprised expression on his face.

“I’m Scaramoche.” He said.

The realization of who you were sitting next to dawned on you.

“6th of the Fatui Harbingers?” You finished for him.

“You know who I am then?”

“Only by reputation.” You stated.

He got up from his chair and stood in front of you. You tried to avoid his piercing gaze but to no avail. He held out his hand to you.

“Coming?” He said.

“What?”

“To dance? I’m not asking twice.”

~ IDK IF I WILL POST THE OTHER PARTS TO THIS OR NOT, IF YOU LIKE IT AND WANT MORE LET ME KNOW~

[quaranmine]

The Babysitting Game

They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, Grian doesn't have a child but he does have an egg and a village. That’s basically the same thing, right?

Grian acquires an egg. His friends help him.

No romantic relationships or content warnings. Mainly fluff! Hermits: Grian, Mumbo, Pearl, and Scar. My first publish fanfic since 2016 and my first hermitcraft fanfic :D ao3 link and some inspirations to be linked in a reblog

Words: 2862

•·················•·················•

"What if I touched it really quick?" Scar asked.

"No, don’t-don’t touch the egg," Grian said seriously. "Look, I even made a sign! It specifically says ‘Do not touch.’" He gestured to the sign in question, but Scar ignored him.

"Can I rub it?" he said. The man leaned over it, studying the object carefully. Grian hadn’t known where to place the egg when he got it, and it was just sitting on an anvil for the time being. He didn’t even have a starter house yet, but clearly he was going to need something soon if he was going to protect the egg from some of the more . . . mischievous residents of their Boatem village.

“No, don’t touch the egg! Scar-” Grian walked closer, hands outstretched, just in time to see Scar reach out with his hand and pat the egg.

Vworp!

The egg disappeared into thin air.

Dragon eggs had a tendency to do that. It was a survival tactic--Grian didn't really know how it worked, but just as endermen could teleport away from danger, so could the egg if it were touched. Now whether or not Scar was dangerous remained up for debate…

Scar giggled. "Oh, where did you go?" he sang, hunting around the area.

Well, he COULD be pretty scary sometimes.

"Scarrrr," Grian whined, helping him look. "I told you not to touch it!"

"It's over here!" Scar shouted, finding the egg at the bottom of a small slope nearby. "Just one more time…." He reached out again.

"No!" Grian said, slapping his hand away. "Look, you've got to pick it up the right way." He demonstrated, carefully lifting the egg and placing it in a pouch slung over his back. He had hurriedly stitched it together not too long ago, worried that transporting the egg normally might break it. “If you do it roughly, you’ll scare it and it’ll teleport away again.”

"I see!" said Scar.

"Now, please, don't touch the egg.”

"Oh," Scar said. He straightened. "You're really serious about this."

Grian glared. "I am."

"I'm sorry, I just thought it was funny!"

Grian sighed. "It's okay, Scar. It's just--this thing is a baby, it needs to be handled gently! You can't just go around scaring it! What if it falls into a hole or something?" he hissed.

"Oh my god," Scar laughed, "you're its mother now!"

"No, no, I'm not!"

"You are!" Scar cried. He suddenly stopped. "Oh no, didn't you kill its mother?"

"Well it doesn't know that!" Grian snapped. "Truthfully I didn't realize there would be an egg! And I couldn't just leave it, you know! Here, look at this." Grian gently withdrew the egg from its pack, and Scar moved closer. He held it up to the sun. "Look at that."

The sun shined dark red through the deep purple shell of the egg, making it glow within. In the middle, the silhouette of a curled up creature was illuminated. Blood vessels radiated outward, and at the bottom there was a blank space that Grian assumed was air. The egg’s shell was too thick for any detail to be made out, but the processes happening within were clear. Grian was enchanted with it.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

"Wow," Scar breathed. "There's actually a dragon in there! What're you gonna do with it after it hatches?"

"Well, I haven't exactly thought that far--I just want to worry about keeping it safe first. I mean, what do you even do with this thing?" Grian put the egg back in its satchel, and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I suppose you keep it warm and safe but, like, I don't know what else-"

"I could help!" Scar said.

"You were just playing with it!"

"Hey," Scar said defensively, "that was before I knew more about it!"

Grian rolled his eyes.

“What are you guys doing over here?” said Mumbo, wandering over. Grian just knew he’d been up to something, and sure enough, there was a new tree next to his little collection of chests. Grian wasn’t very bothered by it, because he already had a plan to get Mumbo back for it.

“Grian is just showing me his new baby!” Scar teased. “He’s a mom now.”

“I am NOT its mother,” replied Grian tiredly, but he smiled at the sight of the other man.

“A baby?” Mumbo asked, choosing to ignore the rest of Scar’s statement.

“A dragon egg,” Grian answered. “I found it in the End.” He paused for a moment, feeling almost bad. “After I killed the dragon.”

“Grian! You’ve orphaned it!” Mumbo sounded scandalized.

“Why do you all keep bringing that up!?” he defended, glancing between Mumbo and Scar, who both gave him disapproving, albeit playful, looks. “I know you’re Mr. Peace, Love and Plants this time, but we’ve always killed the dragon in every new world!”

“Well, I guess that’s true, but it is a little sad isn’t it? You’re taking care of it but only because you killed its mum.”

“Yeah,” was all Grian said. The dragon always needed to be taken care of in each new world they visited, and while it was always a bit of a shame, he’d never really contemplated it that much. After all, he normally wasn’t the one who fought it--that last time in Evo aside. He didn’t really know what he had gotten into but he felt deeply like he needed to protect this egg. It was like a tug in his chest, drawing him into the egg and telling him not to let go.

“Show him the egg!” Scar said.

“You just want to see it again,” Grian replied, but pulled the egg out of the satchel again anyway for Mumbo to see. The surface of the egg wasn’t smooth, like a chicken’s egg, but bumpy. The purple spots almost seemed to glow, and occasionally little violet particles drifted off of it. Grian felt like he could stare at it in awe all day, and apparently his friends felt the same.

“How’re you going to keep it warm?” asked Mumbo after a moment of admiring it. “That satchel isn’t going to be enough, and to be frank, I don’t see you spending any time sitting on it, even if the mental image is pretty funny.”

Grian rolled his eyes at the comment, but thought about it. How would he incubate it? He may have had wings, but he didn’t know anything about eggs, other than that it was a safe bet to assume it needed to be kept warm. “I'm not sure, actually.”

“Hey, let me design something for you!” Mumbo said excitedly. “I could probably use some redstone and make an incubator of some sort for you.”

Grian smiled. “I’d really appreciate that.”

Asking Mumbo to create a contraption for him--what could go wrong?

•·················•·················•

“I’m not wearing this thing, you know.” Grian said, holding the contraption while Mumbo wheezed with laughter in the background. The design that Mumbo had come up with was essentially a backpack with heating elements strung through it, except for one thing . . .

“You-you wear it in the front,” Mumbo choked out, wiping a tear from his eyes.

“Yes, I see that,” Grian replied, unamused.

“Like a swaddle!”

“Yes, I see that.”

Mumbo laughed harder. Grian had to begrudgingly admit that it was well designed, however. It would fit the egg perfectly, keep it warm, and most important it was mobile to ensure that he could take the egg with him. It was thoughtful, especially since Mumbo knew Grian was quite protective of it.

“I’m not wearing this thing,” Grian repeated. “I’m not going to let you all laugh at me while I walk around the server with an egg swaddled to me!”

“I thought you’d say that,” Mumbo chuckled. “Here, you can switch the straps around and turn it into a backpack.” He unclipped the straps and moved them into the new configuration.

“Thank you, Mumbo,” he said gratefully. “This will certainly do the trick.”

“Glad to hear it mate,” Mumbo replied. “Now, while you’re here, may I ask why there is an incredibly tall tree on top of my camper?”

“Sorry, got to go!” blurted Grian, snatching the backpack from Mumbo’s arms and flying off in a burst of feathers.

“That’s unfair, I don’t even have an elytra yet to go chase him down with,” muttered the man as he watched Grian disappear.

•·················•·················•

Grian sat in the grass in front of his starter home and rubbed his eyes wearily. He was exhausted. Is this how all parents feel? he wondered. Was he just uniquely unqualified to be one? After all, this was only an egg! It hadn’t even hatched yet and he was already tired of keeping up with it.

Carrying it in the backpack was heavy, and Grian tired out quickly. It was hot on his back, and Grian found himself having to take breaks to avoid overheating. It was also cumbersome, and he found it difficult to build with as it shifted his weight. He almost fell off the roof once while building it! Of course, having wings meant that Grian could catch himself easily, but it had still given him quite the scare. Dragon eggs were pretty sturdy, and would teleport themselves out of danger if possible, but he was still so paranoid about breaking it. And now there was the Boatem Hole to worry about--what if it teleported itself into the void? These things kept Grian awake at night.

But if he left it...well, just like Grian had a tendency to lose items in his chest monsters, he also had a tendency to forget where he placed things. He had been forced to go back and rescue the egg from some place he’d left it more than once, which he wasn’t exactly proud of. What sort of parent forgot their child?

. . . He was definitely not admitting to being its parent.

Oh God, what did I get myself into?

“Hey Grian, what’re you up to?” came a voice, interrupting his thoughts. He looked up and saw Pearl standing over him. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and her hands were in her hoodie pockets. She took a seat on the ground next to him, and followed his gaze overlooking the Boatem village. “What’s on your mind?”

“This--this egg,” said Grian. It sat next to him in its backpack, still radiating heat. “I don’t know what to do with it. I’m just so tired of carrying it around!”

“I have to admit,” Pearl said, “I didn’t expect you to immediately adopt a baby dragon the very next time I saw you.”

“Yeah, well, it was an accident.” Grian groaned. “I don’t know what to do with it now, let alone when it hatches!”

Pearl thought for a moment. “You know, the rest of us are all here for you. The other hermits would be happy to help out, I’m sure.”

The other hermits . . . well of course they would. If it was one thing they were all good at, it was supporting each other. Scar had already taken a particular interest in the egg, although Grian was still a little suspicious of him scaring it again. Mumbo had specially designed an incubator for it. Pearl was visiting him to check up on him and offer help.

All Grian had to do was convince himself to let it go. To let them help.

“I know that but . . .”

“But what? Have you had any reason to believe they wouldn’t?” Pearl asked.

“Well, no.” He thought for a while. He thought of how his friends would lend materials when needed, or how they’d help replace someone’s armor and items if they were lost. He thought about the days where they all teamed up and chose one hermit to help out, and he thought about all the things they did for the good of the entire community without even being asked.

His desire to protect the egg was strong, and putting it into the hands of another person almost felt like simultaneously a betrayal of the egg itself and the biggest leap of faith he could take. But the hermits were good at leaps of faith, because someone was always there to catch you.

“You think it’d be okay?”

“I know it’ll be okay,” Pearl replied. “I haven’t been here very long but from what I’ve seen, I know they’d all help. They wouldn’t hurt it. They might be a little mischievous sometimes,” she said, glancing at Scar’s house, “but they know how important it is and would be happy to help. They helped you before, didn’t they?”

Pearl was right, of course. Nobody on the server had any desire to hurt the egg. He trusted that. If there was anyone that he could trust, it was them.

But how would he get them all to essentially sign up for babysitting?

An idea struck him, and Grian scrambled to his feet. “Pearl, you’re brilliant. Thank you!”

She blinked, a little startled. “Always happy to help.”

•·················•·················•

Grian stood back, admiring his work. A near perfect duplicate of the egg that was currently sitting in the backpack slung around his shoulder, but at a much larger scale. It was built out of obsidian blocks and crying obsidian for the spots, and if Grian was pretty proud of how it looked.

If Grian knew anything, it was that his friends loved minigames. And Grian was not above gently exploiting that fact to get a little help--just like barge game from the last world, where he managed to get his friends to help mine out the stone from next to his mansion. Just slap the title of “game” on something and you could get a hermit to sign up for anything.

“Now . . . I just have to write the signs on the inside.”

The game Grian had come up with was officially called Tegg--he needed to stay on brand with his tag games in every world--but he’d mentally been calling it “The Babysitting Game” for a while now. Because that’s what it really was--each hermit who signed up would also sign up to watch the egg and keep it safe. He set to work outlining the rules.

RULE ONE: Protect the egg and keep it safe.

RULE TWO: Keep the egg incubated or it’ll die.

RULE THREE: Keep a close eye on the egg.

RULE FOUR: Call Grian if it starts to hatch.

Satisfied, he wrote out the rest of the instructions. Because it was a game, he wanted to make it fun for the hermits too, so he’d decided to make it like a scavenger hunt. People were allowed to take the egg, provided they adhered to the rules, and were encouraged to hide it and keep it safe. Otherwise, someone else who wanted to have it could get it. The safer the egg was, the less likely for someone else to find it. The winner was whoever had the egg the longest when it finally hatched. Grian didn’t know how long that would take, but he didn’t want to miss it either, hence rule four.

Yep, totally outsourcing his babysitting onto his friends.

Grian squinted at his wall of signs, before placing one final sign at the bottom: Grian will track the game and has final say on points and rules!

“That should do it,” he mumbled. He still wanted to keep an eye on the egg, to make sure that he knew who had it and how many people’s hands it had gone through. After all, he was the one ultimately responsible for it.

Grian pulled the egg out of the backpack and carefully placed it on the ground. He’d somehow made a habit of just speaking to it every now and then--he had no idea if the little dragon could hear anything in there, but he liked to think that it could. “Hey there,” he whispered, and stroked the top of the egg. “Some new people are going to start taking you pretty soon, but it’s okay. They’re going to give me some help and make sure you’re safe.”

He paused, taking in the little room he’d made and the wall of signs he’d written with meticulous instructions for the egg’s care. It may have been the first thing he’d built for this egg, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t be his last. A baby dragon was a commitment and for the first time Grian really let himself think about what that meant, beyond just an egg that he had to carry around. Would he house it? Train it? Let it stay by his side? Would he love it?

I think I already do, he thought.

He thought of the hermits--their mischievousness, their pranks, their hard work, their friendship, and their goodness at heart. They were his family, now. What was one more addition?

“It’s okay,” he whispered to the egg. “I trust them all with my life, but more importantly, I trust them with yours.”

[thealtoduck]

Your Lois Lane’s son and you become a Star Sapphire because you have crush on Kyle Rayner…

Kyle Rayner x Male Reader

Warnings: None

Summary: You have a crush on your bff Kyle, so the Star Sapphires decide to weaponize it to help get rid off their enemies.

(A/N 1: I’m gonna slightly base this of Superman the animated series, because then Kyle works at the daily planet and that makes everything easier for me.)

(A/N 2: Star Sapphire/Carol Ferris is also one of my underrated faves.)

——

You opened your eyes that morning expecting to follow your usual daily routine, eat breakfast, go to work, work, eat lunch, get back to work, go home, have dinner with the family and go to bed.

But little did you know that all that would be thrown out the window after the first step.

You went into the kitchen where your mother was cooking breakfast and she handed you a plate off eggs, toast and bacon. You thanked her and walked towards the table where your step-father Clark and your little brother Jon were sitting and eating.

You ruffled Jon’s hair as you walked past him and sat down next to him. You saw that he was eating his food as if he were wild animal. ”Jon, calm down you’re not a savage” you commented and Jon calmed his eating a little bit.

After you finished your breakfast you went into your room to get dressed for work. While you were there your mother, Clark and Jon left, since they needed to drive Jon to school before they went to work.

When you left your room you saw that your mom and Clark had forgotten their bagged lunch so you picked them up and decided to stop at the daily planet on your way to work.

You left the apartment building and got in to your car and started your drive towards the daily planet.

You stopped outside the tall building, got out of your car and walked inside. You found an elevator and stepped inside and you pushed the button that would take you to your mother’s floor.

But you heard someone yelling ”Hold the elevator”, so you pushed the button to open the door again and then Kyle Rayner aka your bff aka the man you were head over heels in love with, came running so fast that he hit the elevator wall.

”What did i tell you about running in to walls, Kyle?” You asked cheekily.

”Don’t do it” he answered while holding his forehead.

”But did you listen to me? No” you said.

”Whatever… By the way are you going to Jane’s party with anyone?” He asked.

”No, not really, are you?” You asked in return.

”Yeah, i’m going with you” Kyle joked making you roll your eyes. ”Who knows the night might end in some pAssIOnaTE making out?” Kyle continued.

He didn’t know but his joke made you die a little inside, since you wanted it to actually be like that, but you knew that Kyle wasn’t in to you romantically.

The elevator door then opened at your mother’s floor and you exited the elevator and said a quick goodby to Kyle as the doors once again closed.

You found your mother’s desk and gave her her’s and Clark’s lunch, she thanked you and you left once again.

While you were riding the elevator down but your mind couldn’t help but wander to thinking about Kyle, he was so kind and creative, he makes you feel safe and happy.

All of a sudden the elevator came to a halt and the lights shut down.

”Great, now i’m stuck in an elevator AND hopelessly in love with my best friend, just my luck” you thought to yourself, you were about to pick up your phone and call your boss to tell her you would probably be late.

But all of a sudden there was a glowing light in front of you, you covered your eyes from the sudden strong glow.

Then you looked at the source and saw a glowing violet six pointed star. All of a sudden a voice spoke up from no where.

”We know what you want Y/n Lane, you want the one you love and we the Star Sapphires can give you the power to take that love” a hypnotic voice said, from what Clark had taught you, you know you shouldn’t trust things like this.

Then all of a sudden a ring floated out from inside the six pointed star. ”All you have to do is do something for us, destroy the Green Lantern” the hypnotic voice said adding a bit more psychopath vibes.

You tried to back away from the ring but it was like you weren’t in control of your own body cause all off a sudden you arm started reaching out towards it.

The ring then floated on to your finger and the voice said ”Now repeat after me”. It started by saying one sentence and as if the words were being dragged out of your throat you said along with it ”For hearts long lost and full of fright, for those alone in blackest night, accept our ring and join our fight, love conquers all with violet light!”

Then all of a sudden you had no control at all and a violet light spread over your body.

Kyle was sitting and having a cup of coffee, he couldn’t get you out of his head, he hadn’t really been joking when he said he was taking you as his date for the party. He actually really wanted to ask you out but if you said no he didn’t want it to be weird between you, so he asked it in more of a joking manner to make it more lighthearted.

He was about to go and get back to work but then he heard chattering from the others, they were staring at something down on the street.

He went over to the window and saw a violet lantern down on the street which could only mean trouble, Kyle ran to find somewhere to change in to the Green Lantern.

Meanwhile you were down on the street causing mayhem. The ring had basically taken full control of your body and was now throwing one of the parked cars towards the people on the sidewalk who were trying to run away from you.

The people managed to get away but you were fine with that, you were trying to bait out the Green Lantern.

Then you heard a familiar whoosing sound and you turned around. Clark was flying towards you all suited up. He was inches away from punching you in the face but when he saw you he had a moment of realization and stopped himself.

”Y/n?” he asked confused and before he could do anything else you used the ring to trap him inside a giant violet crystal. You then continued your rampage.

Kyle now stood on top of the daily planet and watched the star sapphire blast a violet beam towards a car. He then flew down to get a closer look off his opponent.

Kyle then realised who the Star Sapphire was, ”Y/n” he asked himself, he was shocked at seeing you like this, not only because you were a destructive crazy person but also because the suit you were wearing made you look really fucking hot.

You picked up a car with people inside it and threw it out over the street but before it touched the ground it was caught by a green light.

Green Lantern had caught the car and put it down. As soon as you saw the man clad in green the ring told you to do one thing ”Kill him”.

You aimed your ring towards him and shot a violet beam towards him. He created a green bubble around himself that protected him.

Your battle continued to rage on, but it was noticable that Kyle was holding back slightly trying to avoid harming you. He was trying to think of a plan, he was also generally confused about the fact that you had turned into Star Sapphire.

After all the emotion of the violet lanterns were love, so maybe he had something to do with this. Well there was only one way to find out and it was the only plan he had.

He flew towards you dodging your different attacks and when he got to you he grabbed you around the waist and pushed his lips against yours.

He was glad that you didn’t pull back because that meant his plan worked. His hand slid down to your ringed finger and pulled the ring off.

Your suit the disappeared and it was replaced with your normal clothing. You then passed out.

Kyle kept a hold of you and brought you down to a rooftop. He then used his ring to free Superman from the violet crystal.

He walked back to you as you were starting to wake up. You looked at the Green Lantern and realised you were outside and on a rooftop.

”Green Lantern?” you asked ”Where am i? What happened?” you continued and Kyle made an impulsive decision. He made his super-suit disappeared and revealed his identity to you. After your initial shock about his identity he told you about what had happened and ensured you everyone were fine. Kyle then made another impulsive decision…

”Y/n, would you like to go on a date with me?”

”Of course” you answered happily.

Instead of your date being at the party you were suppose to go to you and Kyle decided to have a relaxing night at your place.

Clark had taken Lois and Jon out to some resturant so that you and Kyle could get some privacy.

You and Kyle were cuddling on the couch while watching the news about Green Lantern stopping a villain by kissing him.

[amariemelody]

I still have a love-hate relationship with the 2nd Incredibles movie.

And I want to start by saying really do love it: I think the studio had to pull off a very difficult maneuver in picking up a good story right where the last movie left off after a whopping 15 years. They delivered extraordinarily well in the face of so much public pressure, especially from those of us who had the 1st Incredibles movie in our childhood and now we’re all grown up with high expectations (for me, I was about in middle school with the 1st movie and then was in my late 20s with the 2nd one). 

It’s refreshing to see Elastigirl Get Out Of The House and kick major ass while Mr. Incredible stays home with the kids and, before Jack Jack’s powers exhaust the hell out of him, he’s most importantly shown to be competent and content with his own kids. And to digress a bit, it’s not just because that’s much more with the times, but because it means he’s a much better, actively-involved father who’s not...constantly uprooting his family...because he Wants To Superhero Again, my god. 

And I loved seeing Helen so comfortable and agile while speeding on her motorcycle; I loved seeing Bob use the time he couldn’t sleep to help Dash with his math homework.I absolutely cried and nearly ruined my makeup in the theater at the heartfelt apology Bob gave Violet, his plea that his actions are purely out of trying to be a good dad, and the ensuing hug from daughter to father. Both I and my mother laugh and laugh and laugh at Jack Jack coming into his powers. Specifically to this day I still laugh myself hoarse at Bob’s delirious, sleep-deprived outburst (”I eat thunder and crap lighting, okay?! ‘Cause I’m Mr. Incredible!!!”) and then him smashing through the glass door to save Jack Jack. 

The twist of Evelyn being the villain was amazing, as well as the fact that you can see more and more of the clues when you re-watch the movie over and over again. I found through the Deavor siblings there’s a lesson on how we process tremendous grief, particularly how we may try to [impossibly] gain control over that which we lost by staying stuck bargaining, “If only x, then y wouldn’t have happened” (i.e, “Superheroes never should’ve been illegal in the first place!” vs. “Mom and Dad just should’ve used the safe room!”). Then stemming from that, there’s a further lesson in how if someone is powerful enough (i.e, Evelyn with her family’s money), they can cause great harm in their projection of their grief. And again, I love that Elastigirl/Helen gets her spotlight.

But before all that awesomeness a lot of us black girl and women fans had but one request. Just one, simple little request: after 15 years, can we please finally see Frozone’s wife, Honey Best? 

For me, I remember that I never even realized what her name was for the longest time. In the 1st movie when Helen said, “Say hello to Honey for me, Lucius”, I thought Helen meant “honey” as in an endearment between friends. I also never knew that “Best” was her and Lucius’ surname until I looked up their Wiki’s. All I knew was her Sassy Black Woman voice that, while hilarious and meme-able, still felt very much like a misogynoiristic caricature, a modern-day minstrel show piece.

And as far as I know, all I and a lot of other black women and girls wanted was just to see her. To finally put a faceless voice with a face. We didn’t ask for her to be the new main superhero for the sequel or even for her to be side-by-side with Elastigirl as the deuteragonist. We didn’t ask for a spin-off TV show. We didn’t ask for a whole toy line inspired by her. We didn’t ask for a plot twist where she has The Coolest and Most Powerful Powers of all the Supers and she gets to show off in a bad ass final fight. We didn’t ask for hardly anything of the sort. 

We just wanted to see her. 

Just possibly 30 seconds to 2 minutes out of a whole 2 hours and 6 minutes total run time. Show us her face; actively put her in the narrative, for however short a time. And so many of us would’ve been happy. 

I think I remember that was so widely requested that it even reached the creators of the movie, and for our efforts, we received some half-assed excuse that I don’t even want to look up. 

It’s “incredible” that the creators found the time to allow a white woman-who has since had a voice (of varying emotional states and tones) to go with her face-center stage but no time to allow a black woman to have a face that goes with her voice. 

It’s always the right time for a white woman to get an entire centralized story line but it’s never the right time for a black woman to simply be visible. 

[popsbridgerton]

Coming home again - Chapter Four - A.B.

Coming back with chapter four. I had to drop it quickly because I'm so unhappy with the third. I hope you like this better or the same if you liked the third.

Words: 1400+ Note: Like always, not proof read yet.

Summary: Violet announces that theres going to be a ball the next evening and some gentlemen reserve their dances. 

Prolog

Taglist: @isletsoflou-gerhans​​​​​ @keithseabrook27​​​​​ @pastelsweaters-and-bubble-t​​​​​ @neenaw-neenaw @anthonybridgertonsmistress​​​​​ @michael-loves-chickens​​​​​ @thebrightsideofthebluemoon​​​​​ @icanholdyouinmyarms @mythical-goth​​​​ @magicalxdaydream​​​ @peterporkpie​​​​ @lora1030 @momothepeachgirl @antaraxy​​ @rollwithitlwt @bubblytonks​​ @savagittariuspy​​ @purplewcrld​​ @ilearnedthatfromethepizzaman​​ @latte-and-steam​​ @enoraturner​​ @galileostyles​​​ @alainabooks143​​ @do-not-forget-your-towel​​ @mrseasycompany​​ @iixbella​ @bangtanxberm​ @starryrevelations (i still coulnd’t tag the ones who are cancelled)

The exhibitions Benedict would like to take you was in the evening. You knew that. But you didn’t think that you could attempt dinner with all the other Bridgertons and go to the exhibition afterwards. But it was that late. You didn’t mind and your mother didn’t either. Only Violet had asked Benedict if he was sure that a Lady should be at such an occasion that late. But he only stated that it wasn’t for an English Lady but since you were a French Lady it would fit perfectly. You were amused by this answer and again very thankful that things were less strict in France.

Dinner was almost done, when Violet raised her voice again. She was sitting at one end at the table. Your mother next to her as well as Francesca. Gregory next to his sister and Hyacinth next to your mother, Eloise next to her other side and at the opposite of Colin. Next to Colin Benedict on whose opposite you sat and at the other end of the table Anthony as the head of family. You were pleased to sit close to your favorite Bridgertons and far away from your mother. It means you could have fun without knowing her. “There is going to be a ball tomorrow.” Violet announced. “The very first of the season. You should join us.” She looked at your mother who was obvious curious to went to a ball where she could talk to all the Ladies, she had known years ago. “We would love to join you!” She returned but you squeezed your face. “We?” You asked but since you were sitting so far away from her, she hadn’t heard you.

“Do you have a dress, Y/N?” Francesca asked across the table at your surprised features which you got back under control soon and nodded. “Sure.” You returned. “I do have some dresses from Paris with me.” You smiled at her. “If you like you can help me to pick one, later.” She nodded in excitement and you smiled a little brighter. You always had fun in picking dresses for occasions and you were happy to share this fun with Francesca. “Y/N.” Colin stated and looked from the other side at the table to you and you raised your gaze to look at him as well. “Colin?” “Since you will join us. Am I allowed to reserve a dance on your dance card already?” You chuckled a little. You knew Colin loved to dance in fact he was the only one from the three older Bridgertons who liked to dance. But you never thought he would be so quick with asking you for a dance. “Sure, you are.” You answered and being also happy to have a dance with somebody you knew and liked.

“Since none of the dances are reserved yet, which one you would like to pick?” You asked, smiling at Colin. He thought about it for a second, his lips pressed together. “The one in the middle” he announced then. “You will have some dances and some time to get in touch with people. And if you don’t like it, you can tell me, and we can escape.” He smiled proudly of his idea and you returned his smile with an amused one. “That sounds perfect.” You agreed. “I’ll will reserve it for you as soon as I get the card.” You smiled at him and got back to your plate when Benedict raised his voice.

“Now that we are reserving dances.” He started and immediately got your attention. You smiled amused as you could thought of what he might say now and tilted your head a little. “I would like to reserve one as well.” He nodded and looked seriously at you. Trying to look surprised you tilted your head even more. “Do you?” “Indeed.” He agreed. “And actually, I would like to reserve two.” His voice was deep and steady. You raised your brows. “Two?” You asked surprised. From all the things Francesca and Eloise told you he and Anthony hated dancing. “Indeed, two.” He repeated. “One at the beginning of the ball, the first one, and the other at the end.” He paused and then finally his smile returned. You knew he reserved two for a special reason. “The first one to give you comfort. You don’t have to dance with some strange man instead you can dance with a friend - me – and get an overview over everything.” He smiled as if this was one of the best ideas he ever had. “And the last one to be your hero after a long, annoying evening at the ball, who will save you from everything and as Colin said, to help you escape.” He smiled even bigger and still looked at you while Colin looked at him a little upset that he had stolen his idea. “I would love to.” You simply said, still smiling and turning your head to Anthony who hadn’t said anything at all.

You looked at him, as if he should say something, but he didn’t. He continued to eat as if nothing had happened and just when he noticed that not only you looked at him but also the rest of people sitting at the table he simply asked “Is there something?” taking his glass of wine and leading it to his mouth to take a sip.

Of cause, he knew that there was something. Everybody at the table waited for him to reserve a dance on your dancing card as well. Because even Benedict who hated dancing as much as he did, had. Even two! But he wouldn’t. He simply wouldn’t. He had watched this whole scene quietly and he would remain quiet. For everybody’s sake. He wouldn’t join this masquerade. Because that was what I looked like to him. Of cause, when his mother had mentioned the ball and your mother had agreed to join, he knew Colin would ask you for a dance. But not tonight. Not right now. He would have had enough time to ask you when you had your dance card. So why did he do it now? Anthony had a strange feeling about that. Colin did it because of him. Because he and Benedict had decided to play a mean game on him. The one who dance the most with you would win. But you weren’t a price. And he would never dance.

“Do you like to reserve a dance on my dancing card as well?” You asked softly and smiled at him. Because to be honest he was the only one you really wanted to spend at the ball with. Of cause, it would be fun to dance with Benedict and perhaps even more with Colin because you were sure he was the best dancer of the three of them. But Anthony was your best friend. And you couldn’t imagine something making more fun than tattling with him over all the other beautiful ladies and gentlemen who did they best to find a match.

“I don’t.” Was all he said, placing his glass back on the table and his attention back to his plate. A quiet “Oh” fell from your lips as your smiled dropped because you didn’t think he would refuse you. After all it was just a stupid dance. An awkward silence grew where you could hear nothing but Anthonys fork and knife scratching over his plate. But after what felt like forever the rest of the Bridgertons start to chat again and the room was filled with loudness again.

You remained silent looking at your plate but being surely sated after his words. You never thought that it would hurt you when somebody dismiss you a dance. You liked dancing but it never meant the world to you, so you were fine when somebody didn’t like to. But tonight, with Colin and Benedict asking you for a dance but not Anthony you felt utterly unliked. Unliked by the person you loved so dearly. Unliked by the person you thought would love you dearly as well. It felt like he had punched you. You almost felt like crying because of the bad feeling he had caused.

Your attention was brought back to reality, when a foot touched yours underneath the table. “Hey.” Benedict murmured softly and locked his eyes with yours when you looked up at him. Anthonys place was empty, you hadn’t realized he had left. “It’s not your fault. He’s just a stupid grouch.” He offered you one of his softest and kindest smiles that said everything was alright and for a second you believed him, so you returned his smile and nodded slightly. “I know.”

__

You know what stands here: If you like it reblog and comment please. You can also do this if you don’t like it. I would love to hear what you think about it. Taglist is still open, if you like to be tagged please head over to this post. 😊💕

Chapter Five

[corvus--rex]

This prologue is going on longer than I thought, but it will be over soon, probably one more short chapter. But until then, I'm so sorry, have some baby Keith angst.

one more for the Galra cat glossary: tehrl - a miniature feline (smaller than a housecat) that are kept as pets and pest control

~*~*~*~

They had been traveling for over a day, stopping only when necessary. It was night again, and Krolia sat in the carriage, watching the landscape pass by, the sleeping form of her kit curled against her side. She tucked the soft blanket around him more snugly, a tender smile on her lips as he let out a soft, contented purr and snuggled harder against his mother. One hand kept him close while the other reached under the neckline of her traveling dress to pull out the depiction of Marmora she always wore.

Marmora was the Galra central goddess. A queen of legend, she was deified after her death for having managed to unify the disparate Galra kingdoms against a common enemy. Before then, the Unilu hadn’t been thought of as a threat by anyone, the race of small, four-armed goblins more of an annoyance than anything. But they were clever, and made up for their size with numbers. They knew that to attack a place like Altea was suicide, but the constantly-warring Galra kingdoms would be far easier. Marmora called for the separate kingdoms to unify under her banner to go to war against the threat. While they tacitly agreed at first, soon the other kingdoms realized that they never would have survived without her leadership. The Unilu were soundly defeated and Marmora led the Galra to a new age for their race, one that had continued for generations.

Krolia ran her thumb across the relief set into her medallion. The ancient Galra queen stood proudly, her sword-bearing arm held high, the other holding a ball of violet flame. She stared at it, drawing some comfort from her ancestor before letting the pendant drop. She turned back to the carriage’s small window and watched the land change from the deep, dark woods of Daibazaal to the green forests of Altea. It would take at least another two days of travel to reach the capitol. They would arrive exhausted from their journey and she could only hope that she would reach it before any messenger from Zarkon and that King Alfor would welcome them.

The little prince had no trouble keeping himself occupied during his waking hours, something Krolia was infinitely grateful for. He still believed that they were on a surprise vacation and that they would be meeting his father somewhere along the way. She kept it to herself, but she had felt their bond snap when they were not far from the castle. She knew what the stretch of distance felt like, the pain of longing for her mate when they were separated by royal duty. This was not that. This was a ship’s line breaking, the thick rope hitting her like a whip’s crack. This was glass shattering on a stone floor, glittering shards spread wide. It left her raw and bleeding, with a deep ache for a mate she would never see again. Krolia let herself feel it only in the dark of night, where she would wrap herself in her voluminous cloak tighter, hold her kit closer, and let the tears fall silently.

Another full day of traveling through Altea, and Keith was beginning to become bored of the endless carriage ride. Leaving his coloring on the floor, he climbed onto the seat and into his mother’s lap, immediately finding the soft fur of his tail and running his tiny claws through it.

“Where are we going, Mama?” he asked. “When are we gonna get there? Where’s Papa?”

Krolia sighed. She knew her kit’s inquisitive nature wouldn’t stay quiet for long and that she would have to tell him sooner rather than later. She decided that answering his questions in order would be best.

“We’re going to Altea, little one. We should be there around this time tomorrow.” She paused, knowing that there were parts of their last night in their home that weren’t for little ears. “Your Papa – he’s – I’m so sorry, kit. Your Papa won’t be coming with us.”

Keith was too young to understand what his mother wasn’t saying. “Why?” he asked innocently, “Did Papa hafta go on a trip again?” He was familiar with his father’s diplomatic meetings, sometimes in places far from the Daibazaal capitol and their home.

Krolia sighed again, willing her tears back. “No, kit. There are bad people in our home now, and I don’t know when we’ll be able to go back. We’re going to Altea to ask for their help. Your Papa sacrificed himself so we could get away safely.”

The kit’s face screwed up in confusion. “What bad people? And what’s sa…sack-if-iced?”

“People your Papa and I thought we trusted. One of the generals of our army, Zarkon. He wants to rule Daibazaal himself instead of your Papa. He decided to take what he wanted, and your Papa died so we can be safe.”

Keith only had a vague understanding of death. His only encounter with it had been when his pet tehrl died after being poisoned by an angry former member of castle staff. Their dismissal, to no one’s surprise, had been due to behavioral problems and killing the small prince’s beloved pet had earned them a stay in the city jail for a few months. Keith at first couldn’t understand why the miniature feline wouldn’t play with him like it always did. But his guard sent for the queen, and Krolia explained that the tiny cat had died and what that meant. She allowed her small kit to hold something of a funeral for the animal, but his child’s attention span moved on to something else not long after, even though she knew he still missed his companion. It seemed that the meaning of death hadn’t progressed in his mind beyond his lost pet, and it was a concept he couldn’t quite apply to his father.

“You remember Rrahr?”

Keith nodded, thinking back to finding his tehrl motionless on the floor by its food dish. Something clicked, and he looked up at his mother, eyes wide. “Is that what happened to Papa?” he asked, his voice trembling, “Did the bad people hurt my Papa so he can’t come back?” His ears flattened and his tail dropped, suddenly afraid of his mother’s answer.

“They did. I am so sorry, little one. Your Papa’s not coming back.”

Violet eyes quickly filled with tears that spilled over, leaving dark stains running down the fine, soft fur, and he scrambled in his mother’s lap, throwing his arms around her neck, sobs racking his small body. Krolia held him, running her claws through his hair, trying to hold it together for him. But she couldn’t, not in the face of her son’s innocence, and held him tightly while her own tears fell, privately mourning the loss of King Davvik in the roles he cherished most; those of beloved Alpha and mate to Krolia, and the devoted and loving father to his young son. She held Keith until his sobs subsided into hiccupped tears and finally into the even breath of sleep. When she was sure she wouldn’t wake him, Krolia tucked herself against the back of the deep velvet cushion and wrapped her thick cloak around her sleeping kit, and let sleep take her as well.

Keith was withdrawn and quiet for their last day of travel. His toys and pencils couldn’t hold his attention, and he sat beside Krolia, arms wrapped around his stuffed rakhai and stared out the window. He only perked up the smallest amount when they entered Altea’s capitol. He saw the glowing white spires of the castle and turned to his mother, tugging on her sleeve.

“Is that where we’re going, Mama?” he asked quietly.

Krolia nodded. “Yes, it is, kit. We haven’t been stopped by the city guard, so it looks like we’re safe for now. I’ll need to talk to King Alfor and then I’ll know what’s going to happen, alright?”

Keith sniffled, burying his face in his favorite stuffed animal. “I want Papa,” he said through a new round of tears.

Krolia picked him up, hugging him in her lap. “I know, kit. I do too. We’ll just have to take our home back for him.” The combination of finally arriving in Altea’s capitol city and her son’s grief gave her new determination. Queen Krolia of Daibazaal would reclaim her throne, restore Marmora’s line, and ensure that no one would ever forget what happened that night.

~*~*~*~

Intro | Prologue pt 1 | Prologue pt 2

[sellyoursoulforagoodfic]

Monstrous Secrets Chapter 8

Eris Vanserra x reader

Word Count: 1720

Summary: You and a couple of the guys have a heart-to-heart

You were home, or rather, you were in the physical place where you lived. It was difficult to call Velaris ‘home’ when your home was really a person, your mate. It was even harder to call this place home since Azriel started looking at you like he wanted to spit on you at any given moment. You’d expected to be treated that way once everything came to light, but that didn’t mean that you didn’t loathe it with every fiber of your being.

It was in a fit of this general discontent that you found yourself sitting on the ground of the balcony outside the House of Wind’s library. A bottle of wine, half empty already based on the weight of it, dangled from your fingertips as you stared blankly into the fire and longed for the male that could make such flames dance like sprites. Eris’s notes from your time apart rested on the ground before you, some resting against or on your leg because you’d simply dropped them after reading.

“Cass told me I’d find you here,” Rhys said as his feet entered your field of view. “Though I’ll admit I thought he was exaggerating how much you’d been drinking.”

Your eyes darted over to the other two, empty bottles you’d abandoned back when you’d been sitting in a chair. “Yes, well, you know how my tolerance is.”

“Considering how many men you’ve drunk under the table? Yes, I’m fully aware.” Now, he brought himself low enough that he could meet your eye on your own level. The most powerful High Lord, kneeling beside his low fae cousin on the ground.

You snorted at the sheer ridiculousness. “Whatcha doing here, Rhys? I figured you’d be off with Feyre.”

“She had things to discuss with Amren or else she’d be here talking to you with me.”

You took another drink. “Well in that case, lay it on me.” Your arms spread wide dramatically, one hand holding the bottle, the other a letter; your wings flared slightly behind you in an effort to keep you balanced. “Ask me anything you want! I assume it’s about that gorgeous mate of mine.”

He rolled his eyes and took the bottle from you. “I won’t insult you bya skiing what Azriel wants me to.” Rhysand took a long drink.

“Oooooh, let me guess!” You did your best to make your face as stoic as the shadowsinger’s. “Have I been selling secrets to the Autumn Court?”

“Close,” he snickered. “Has she been giving away secrets to the Autumn Court?”

You scoffed. “As if I’d give them away for free!” 

“Sweetheart, you’d never spill them either way.” His eyes were somber, caring. “You would never betray us like that, so I have no need to ask.”

“Then what do you need to ask?”

“First, I want to ask about your bargain.”

“You makin’ sure I didn’t give away anything important?”

“I want to know that it was your choice to make whatever deal it was.”

Your brain stalled out in light of his genuine concern after so many days of people being wary of you, and your buzz fizzled a little because of it. “It was a deal of protection,” you explained seriously. “He’ll watch my back as long as I watch his sort of thing.” You stole back the bottle to take another drink. “And what a fucking job I did.”

“You couldn’t have done anything against her,” he assured you, “and if you had tried, more likely than not, you’d both be dead right now.”

“Whatever, Rhys,” you scoffed. “What else?”

“You are not less than him because you’re Illyrian.” You’d known the topic was coming, but you didn’t expect him to be quite so blunt. “And if he treats you like you are, I’ll kill him myself.”

“Then you can stop worrying, because he doesn’t. Hasn’t even said anything to imply it--get that look off your face right now. Anything he said to you was an act because we were backed into a nightmare of a corner, and you know it. Anyway, he hasn't made any jabs implying it--accidentally or otherwise--since we first got together.”

“Put a stop to that, did you?” He was smirking as he swiped the bottle back to drink once again. 

“Of course.” You hesitated. “But he and I are both aware of what others will think; just look at your parents. That’s why, or at least part of why, we kept quiet about the whole thing.”

Rhysand was nodding as if pleased.

“That all you’ve got, cousin?”

A little snort escaped his nose. “As far as being concerned goes, we’ll say yes for now.”

“And as far as everything else?”

“Since you’ve so cruelly left your poor cousin in the dark about your relationship for--how long was it again?”

“‘Bout five hundred years--”

“Five hundred years! Because you've left me in the dark for so long, I want to know everything about the two of you.”

“Everything?”

“Everything.” He waved a hand a little. “That you’re willing to share, of course.”

“Rhys . . . I don’t  . . .” You weren’t used to this. You’d never had to share anything about your relationship before. You weren’t good at talking about yourself. “I don’t know where to start.”

A low hum rumbled through the air along with the telling thuds of someone else’s boots.

“Why don’t you start with that letter you’re holding?” Cassian abruptly dropped down next to you, so close he was lightly pressed against your side. It was such a casual closeness that the pair of you had had for centuries, and you didn't realize how much you loved it until it was missing. Its presence now brought tears to your eyes, but none fell.

Blinking them back, you stammered, “Um. It’s how we talked . . . when we couldn’t see each other.” A self-deprecating chuckle ripped its way up from your throat. “Apparently he’d been sending them since just after Amarantha, and I never knew since I don’t live down there anymore. I’m only just now getting around to reading them.” Carelessly, you handed it over to Cassian. “You can read it if you want; I was going through them all, but I can’t exactly see straight enough to read anymore.”

He eyed you warily before opening it gently. Clearing his throat before he read,

“I hope you are doing well, and I hope moreso that you have not finally come to your senses and decided to leave me. I’ve been trying to keep my emotions from bothering you in case you have, but Father has proven to be harsher than ever before in light of everything that has happened over the last half-century. It’s all I can do to keep him from deciding to hunt down Lucien.

Cauldron, I don’t even know if you’re receiving these messages or if you even care and yet here I am droning on about my own problems. I’ll leave this here, then.

I miss you, and I love you always,

Eris”

Both men were silent for a breath.

“Who would have thought that Eris Vanserra of all people would be so rambling in a letter?” Cassian eventually teased--only slightly awkwardly--to break the quiet.

“He stopped trying to be eloquent in our notes about five years in.” Your buzz was definitely on the way out now, and you found yourself listlessly leaning against Cassian. Neither male commented about the more romantic sentiments in the letter. You wondered why that was. For your privacy or their own comfort so they didn’t have to think about the fact that Eris did in fact have feelings.

“What’s the first thing you think of when you think about him?” Rhysand prompted quietly, obviously wanting to know more about the relationship despite the awkward aura that’d descended upon the little group.

It may have been because you were actively looking at a fire, but you didn’t really have to think about the words that came tumbling out of your mouth. “Did you know that he can make shapes out of flames? He used to make little dogs and foxes to play with Lucien when Beron would upset him.”

“I thought he hated that kid,” Cassian mused.

“He had to keep his distance to keep Beron’s attention away from him; he swore to his mother that he’d protect him.”

“What else comes to mind?”

You swallowed thickly. “He interrogated me about how to care for my wings when I showed up injured once.”

Rhys’s violet eyes flashed. “Injured?”

“Took a bad crash through some trees on the way to see him; I think I was dodging some scouts. Either way, he hounded me about it until I taught him all I could.”

“Seriously?” Cassian again.

“Yeah.” You could feel the dopey smile spread across your face, but you didn’t want to stop it. “Cleaning, first-aid, the whole deal. And the best part? He never has cold hands.”

“Unlike you, huh?” Rhys teased. “Nothing but cold hands.”

“Truer words never spoken,” and unexpected but familiar voice said from behind you.

As soon as you laid eyes on him, you were stumbling to your feet.

There was a warmth in his eyes that had nothing to do with flames when he caught you and pulled you close.

Immediately, you buried your face in his neck. “How?” you whispered into the pale skin there.

Eris’s hand moved to rest atop your wing where it was tucked against your back, sending a delightful shiver down your spine. “That would be a question for your High Lady.”

You glanced over your shoulder and saw that, sure enough, Feyre was now holding hands with the now-standing Rhys. “I thought you were with Amren?”

“I lied,” Rhys shrugged. “Eris was down there plotting with Keir, so I asked her to go grab him for you since you’ve been feeling down.”

When tears started welling up in your eyes, you blamed the alcohol. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, little cousin. Now, I think it’s time for us to turn in.” His eyes shifted to look at your mate; surprisingly his gaze wasn’t near as icy as you would have expected. “Take care of her.”

“Until my dying breath.”

“Never a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ with you people,” Cassian scoffed, “is there?”

You smirked on behalf of your husband. “Never.”

[justoneofthoseghosts]

Break Me or X Me where Nancy Casey passes away and Matt and Christie don’t handle it well.

For Brettsey 🙂🙂

When Christie calls him one night while he’s at Molly’s with Sylvie, barely able to talk, it worries him. His sister is one of the strongest people he knows so the fact that he can tell from the sound of her voice, the shallow breathing on the other end of the line, that she’s been crying is concerning. He lets Sylvie know and they rush over to Christie’s to check on her immediately.

When they get there, Matt rings the doorbell and Christie comes tumbling out, wrapping her arms tightly around him. He rubs her back trying to comfort her, slightly confused at her distress. Vaguely, he hears her mumble something about their mother.

“Christie, what is it?” He asks, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. Their mother was a subject they rarely even touched on these days. For all Matt knew, she was probably hitchhiking her way up to Canada.

Christie sniffles before she gazes at him. Her eyes are still wet.

“Mom’s - mom’s gone, Matt,” she stutters before she begins to cry again.

Matt stares at Christie in shock. He doesn’t move, too stunned at what his sister just disclosed. He never thought about this day if he's being honest. He thinks about his own mortality, in his line of work, it's not unusual, but never about that of other people and certainly, not about his absentee mother who he hasn't heard from in years.

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Sylvie hug Christie, drawing her in, embracing her, soothing her, before leading her back into the house. It takes Matt a few seconds before everything starts to sink in.

Nancy Casey is dead.

Sylvie makes Christie a cup of tea while the older woman begins to calm down and explain how she found out. Apparently, Nancy came back to Chicago a year ago without telling either of them. She was living with one of her old prison pen pals in some trailer park on the South Side. That same person found her passed out on the couch the other day. The paramedics dispatched to the scene pronounced her dead from what looked to be natural causes. Christie got a call from Nancy’s house mate based on a set of documents they found in Nancy’s room that had Christie’s name on it.

“We should plan the funeral, Matt,” Christie says softly.

Matt nods. It would be the right thing to do, he thinks.

Matt handles all the arrangements because he knows Christie is having a hard time dealing with it all. She may have been angry at Nancy for most of her adult life but deep down, Matt knows Christie still loved their mother, that she's heartbroken. He tells her he can manage. He’s grateful Sylvie is there with him to do everything. She helps select the proper flowers, the casket, the date.

On a crisp fall morning, they lay Nancy to rest. Matt has an arm around Christie's shoulder as they watch the casket being lowered into the ground. It’s a small ceremony for just family - Matt, Christie, Violet and Sylvie. Matt stares as dirt is being shoveled onto the casket slowly. He doesn’t cry. He hasn’t felt anything since the night Christie told him and he can’t understand why he's completely numb.

It’s the same thing he’s been thinking over and over after the funeral as he’s taking off his dark suit and tie. Why doesn’t he feel anything? Was this normal? He thinks back to one of the last conversations he ever had with Nancy. How she tried to justify murdering their father. How he still feels some guilt for how it all went down. How sometimes he resents her for making it seem like it she did it for him.

He lived a long time hating her for fracturing their family. He eventually forgave her, tried to take care of her but she couldn’t be tied down and went as she pleased. In the end, she was still his mother, the woman who gave him life so he knows he should be feeling something, anything really.

Another week passes and Matt begins to wonder if he will ever feel something about his mother’s passing. Grief, he thinks, is such a strange feeling. Anger, sadness, joy, they’re all easy to understand but grief, it's not linear. It presents itself in a myriad of ways and never the same for each person. Christie had handled hers directly and faced it head on, pouring out tears almost as soon as she got the news. He was starting to question how his would eventually surface.

Christie dropped by with a box of Nancy’s things from the trailer park a few days ago and it sits unopened in the corner of Matt and Sylvie’s bedroom. Sylvie doesn’t ask about it when she notices. She just squeezes his arm, providing her usual support. Matt sees the way she looks at him, observing him, like she's waiting for something to happen.

His curiosity finally gets the best of him and he ends up sitting on the floor, gingerly opening the box as if something inside might jump out and surprise him. The first thing he lays his eyes on is an on is an old homemade construction paper card, yellowing at the edges. There’s a sloppily drawn heart on the cover. He opens it carefully and with a jolt, realizes it’s a Mother’s Day card for Nancy.

And it’s signed Love, Matthew.

In that instant, he finally breaks.

He lets out a howl, a guttural moan like a wounded wild animal. He finally gives in to the sorrow and the anguish and let’s it wash over him like a tsunami. It comes over him fast and hard, relentless. The tears prickle his eyes and he does nothing to wipe them away. The pain rips at his very core, so intense that it almost paralyzes him.

He sits on the floor for God knows how long, sobbing quietly until he hears light footsteps and sees a pair of feet in his peripheral vision. He looks up to find Sylvie. She sits next to him and puts an arm around him. He rests his head on her shoulder, his body still shaking slightly.

Sylvie doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t need to. The fact that she’s here is enough for Matt.

Grief, Matt thinks, is a difficult emotion to bear. Sometimes, it will eat you up inside like an invisible disease you didn’t know you had and sometimes, it will rush out of you like a bat straight out of hell. But in all of the swirl, the ripple of these heavy feelings, he’s glad he has someone who understands, someone he can turn to.

He grabs hold of Sylvie’s hand like it’s a life vest and interlaces their fingers. Grief, he thinks, will not sink him.

[lexosaurus]

Happy

A fic for dp side hoes week 2021!

Character: Sam Theme: Happiness

This fic was made especially with my good friend @ghostgothgeek in mind. Happy birthday, Steph! Thank you so much for everything you've done for me from helping me get into grad school, to helping me with my DST homework at 2am. You're such an amazing friend and I am SO so lucky to have you in my life. Love ya! Have a good one!

---

There was a lot that made Sam happy.

Rainy days where she could curl up with a good book, her weekly slam poetry meetup group, horror movies, that one hole in the wall coffee joint run by a woman who reminded Sam of her grandmother. Sam had so many little moments in her week that made her happy.

She knew some people—especially her mom—would be surprised by this. After all, Sam was the gloomy goth. The “dark and mysterious” teenage girl. The one who was constantly at rallies fighting for animals rights or renewable energy plans from the government. She knew how she came off, she wasn’t stupid.

But at the end of the day, she was still a teenager. And even with all that was wrong with the world, there was still so much that was right.

Like right now, sitting here with Danny. Well...sitting might have been too strong of a word. She was sitting, that much was accurate, but Danny had long since fallen asleep, having given up on math after an hour of struggling. Sam was going to wake him, but he just looked so peaceful, with his black hair brushing down on his face, his hand resting under his cheek.

So cute. 

She wasn’t exactly sure when their relationship had taken a turn from “just friends” to something more. If she had to pinpoint it, it might have been soon after the “fake out make out” session. Sure, she’d had feelings for him before, but that day just changed something between them. Something that neither of them could explain, neither could admit, but she knew that both of them felt.

It didn’t take too long after then for the study sessions to start. Just the two of them, alone, in one of their rooms, pouring over notes as Danny desperately tried to salvage his GPA. More than once, Sam had caught him sneaking glancing over to her when he thought she was utterly focused on her assignments. But Sam never said anything.

After all, she had been sneaking glances over at him too.

Eventually, it reached a point where Tucker called them lovebirds—as he always teased—but instead of the defensive, “We’re not lovebirds!” exclamation they reflexively shouted, Sam and Danny just blushed and looked away.

Sam would never forget the light of recognition in Tucker’s eyes, followed by a cheshire grin trained pointedly at Sam. If she hadn’t been so tomato-faced in the moment, she might have kicked his shin.

After that, the atmosphere around their study sessions changed. There was a new tension in the air that both of them could feel, but neither would acknowledge. 

Sam knew that in the end, she would have to be the one to make the first move. Danny was...well, he was Danny. He was an insecure, teenage boy. Sam could put up a neon sign shouting, “I LIKE YOU” above her head, and Danny would still doubt her.

But, as forward and outgoing as Sam was, she was still...Sam. The passionate, vegan goth of the grade. She wasn’t popular, she wasn’t surrounded by loads of other girls all the time. She wasn’t invited to the parties, girls didn’t come up to her to talk about their weekends or their crushes or anything else that could be interpreted as a budding friendship.

Danny and Tucker were her only friends. If Sam pursued Danny, and things didn’t end well, then she would have no one.

It was too much of a risk.

So Sam held off.

Anytime they were studying, and she saw Danny glancing her way, Sam wouldn’t meet his gaze. If it was movie night, Sam started sitting next to Tucker instead of Danny. After a big ghost fight, when Danny looked to her with adrenalin-filled, electric green eyes, Sam would walk away.

It hurt—it hurt so bad—but she couldn’t risk ruining their friendship. As much as she prided herself on her independence, she still was just a teen girl. 

She wanted to be liked. She wanted friends. 

But the crush wasn’t going away, the energy between them refused to dissipate. If anything, it was more obvious than before.

It was Sam’s mother of all people who finally, at one awkwardly silent dinner table conversation, was the one to talk some sense into Sam.

“So...you and that Fenton boy,” Pam had said, stirring her fork around her plate. “When were you going to tell me about that?”

Sam felt the blood drain from her face. She tried to play it off. “What do you mean?”

“Sammykins, I may be an adult now, but I was a teenage girl once. I’m not stupid. I may not...approve of that boy and his family. But seeing as you two are obviously an item now, and I want to support you as my daughter, I would expect you to invite him over to dinner to formally meet me and your father please.”

“We’re not—”

“Don’t be silly!” Grandma Ida piped up from across the table. “I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. You kids aren’t the sly foxes you think you are!”

There was a certain level of embarrassment at being called out by parents that Sam presumed came in the territory of being a teenager. But after the initial shock wore off, she realized something crucial:

Sam really really liked Danny Fenton.

Perhaps more than she thought she did.

So it was during another study session that it finally happened. The awkward energy was palpable, and she knew that Danny felt it too. Even if he would never say anything.

But when Danny glanced up at Sam, Sam finally looked back.

She saw the slight flush enter his cheeks as his eyes started to dart back down at his paper. But before he could retreat back in his metaphorical shell too much, Sam blurted out, “I like you.”

The pink dusting on his cheeks had spread across his face. His eyebrows shot up, and his mouth hung open like a fish. “I—uh—I think—what?”

She put her pencil down and hid her shaking hands inside the sleeves of her oversized black hoodie. “I like you. A lot.”

“Oh. I...”

Their eyes were locked, violet against blue. Sam wanted to look away, but she was never one to back down from a challenge.

“Oh.” Danny blinked, a grin slowly spreading across his lips. “I like you. Too, I mean. I like you too.”

Sam blinked. Once, then twice. But whatever she was waiting for—the “psych!” that her insecurities were sure he would say—never came. Relief spread across her body, followed by something else. Something warm, something bright.

Something like joy.

She didn’t think about anything after. She just leaned in and kissed him, allowing her body to take over. Danny reciprocated, his lips soft and gentle, as if he were worried about hurting Sam.

That much about him still hadn’t changed, not even months later. Danny still was gentle, sometimes too gentle. He still was often afraid to grab her hand, or reach out and hug her.

But, slowly, a level of comfort was beginning to settle between the duo, and with that followed confidence. It was small, it was subtle, but Sam could see Danny’s progression over the last few months. Slowly he was starting to lean over and kiss her first, or he would text her first, or he would reach over and take her hand just because. Slowly he was getting there.

And she could see her own progression too. The “what-ifs” that had plagued her life before were slowly diminishing. She was more confident now—not just on the outside, but the inside too.

And she’d even made a friend outside of Danny and Tucker. Mia, a girl who hung just outside of Paulina’s clique, had slowly become an unlikely friend, the two hitting it off after they realized that they listened to the same bands one day in class.

Sam was happy. Even if her dorky half-ghost boyfriend was sleeping instead of doing his homework, which meant Sam now had to wake him up and re-explain all the concepts. Even if sometimes Tucker teased them in that immature way he did, or if she felt at constant odds with the city about its lack of environmental awareness, or if Sam’s parents still made snide comments about the “wacky, lunatic Fenton boy’s parents.”

Sam was happy.

Which is why she leaned over and shook said dorky boyfriend awake. “Wake up, Danny. You’ve slept enough.”

Danny groaned, lazily shoo-ing her hand off his shoulder. “Come on, Sam, don’t be a party pooper.”

“What, gonna leave me to do all this by myself? Not even gonna help me a little?” Sam teased.

“Ugh, fine.” Danny pushed himself upright and rubbed the fatigue from his eyes. 

“My knight in shining armor.” 

Grinning, Danny closed the distance between them, pressing his soft lips onto hers. He was cold to the touch, but Sam thrived in the cold.

She broke the kiss, leaning back ever so slightly to gaze into his icy blue eyes. Up close, she could even see little freckles dotting his skin.

“Cute, but we still have homework,” she said.

Danny rolled his eyes and with a dramatic, “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me,” grabbed his notebook and pencil off the ground and readied himself for another hour of math.

Even with another treacherous hour of math ahead of them, when Sam looked at her dorky half-ghost boyfriend, his slightly crooked smile, his slightly too long black hair that was styled in such a way that could only be achieved through a high-speed flight, she couldn’t help but feel content.

Happy.

---

Thanks for reading!

[dearkusuo]

Ch. 3 ☆ Last Christmas

Synopsis: You were intent on avoiding your ex-boyfriend all of winter break, however, your mom and her best friend had other plans lined up for you.

Pairing: Saiki Kusuo x reader

Tags: college au, fluff, angst

Word Count: 1.5k

m.list ▪︎▪︎▪︎ 2 ▪︎▪︎▪︎ 3 ▪︎▪︎▪︎ 4

Your state of consciousness was hurriedly slipping from your body as you slouched tiredly on your neighbour’s couch. A week had already passed since you went to the mall with Kusuo and every day since then, your mother would drag you to accompany her to the house next door. She also made it her mission to get you out of bed at ungodly hours that were too early for your liking.

"You look like you just woke up," Kuusuke remarked. He took a seat beside you, observing your eyes fluttering shut as you stifled a yawn. Probably because you did.

“It’s always a pleasure talking with you, Kuusuke,” you snarked.

"If you like me that much, then why don't you visit more often?” he asked, laughing gaudily at your sarcastic retort, “You don't even come by during college breaks."

"I don't use the school dorms anymore since I rent an apartment now. There’s no need for me to come back here unless there’s a special occasion," you pointed out. Although you were thinking about visiting a lot less if it meant you wouldn’t have to see the blond-haired man as much.

"But still, you should return home more frequently otherwise, Kusuo will get sad again.”

"What does he have to do with any of this?" you wondered. The sluggishness abruptly left your system as you sat up straight, not bothering to hide the curiosity in your tone. Kuusuke grinned slyly as you visibly perked up at the mention of his brother. You shouldn’t have been so excited to talk about him.

"The last time I visited was around summertime. I could guess pretty easily that he was disappointed you weren't coming back for the break."

You couldn’t even bring yourself to pay attention to the rest of Kuusuke’s mindless chatter. The corners of your lips twitched up the slightest bit. You shouldn’t have been happy that he wanted to see you.

A flash of pink hair reached the corner of your eye. Kusuo approached you two, focusing his gaze on his older brother as he thought out, ‘You need to stop harassing people.’ 

“Kusuo, you need to be more open with your feelings or else people won’t know what you want,” Kuusuke advised.

He only glared at his older brother in response. The red tint on the tips of his ears was barely noticeable that you almost missed it.

“Kuusuke, can you help us out?” Mrs. Saiki called out, gesturing to your mom and herself. “We’re going out to buy some groceries for the food we’re cooking tomorrow.”

Your mother commanded you to help set up the rest of the decorations while they were gone after the blond man agreed. The two women left hurriedly, rushing Kuusuke out with them and leaving you alone with your ex.

Kusuo was already lifting and hooking up the decorations on the walls and over the furniture when you glanced at him. You stood up from the couch, ready to help out where needed, even if he could finish faster by himself.

‘You don’t have to help if you know I can do this alone.’ 

You shook your head in refusal, stating, “I’d feel bad if you did everything.”

If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought that it was fondness gleaming in his eyes. Neither one of you said anything else, choosing to work in a comfortable silence you learned to grow used to again since the end of your relationship. It took at least an hour to finish the setup, leaving you tired from the constant moving.

There were still a lot of things that had to be done for the party, you noted, sitting back on the couch with Kusuo beside you. You haven’t even wrapped up the presents you meant to give away.

Your eyes widened in realization as you remembered the gift you meant to throw out, stored in your desk drawer. You tapped a finger to your chin as you deliberated on what to do with it. It seemed like a waste to just discard it. Besides, Kusuo probably already knew what you were thinking about, so you might as well hand it over to him.

Kusuo turned his head around expectantly as he waited for you to voice out your thoughts, but you panicked, deciding to ask him a different question instead, "What were you gonna get me last year?" You were curious to know what he would have given you if you didn’t break up.

A few seconds passed before he responded, 'I bought two tickets for a trip to Okinawa. One for you and one for me.'

You tilted your head to one side, wondering if you heard him right. To say you were shocked would have been an understatement. You couldn’t recall him ever making a gesture as grand as that.

"Why?"

'I thought it would make you happy because we didn't get to spend much time together last year.'

You felt a lump growing in your throat, touched that he cared about your happiness. Kusuo was much more considerate towards you during the last few days that passed, less indifferent than he used to be and more open. He changed a lot- no, he’s always been very caring in his own way. You just failed to see it until now.

Your complexion hardened as you regained your composure. “What’s taking them so long?” you wondered, changing the subject before you could let your emotions get to you.

‘They’re doing it on purpose.’ Kusuo thought.

“Doing what on purpose?”

‘Leaving us alone.’

You figured it was strange that you almost always ended up alone with Kusuo, but your mother would constantly deny your suspicions whenever you asked her. “And why would they do that?” At the back of your mind, you had a vague guess of what their intentions were.

‘They want us to get back together.’

You snorted, throwing your head back against the head of the couch. How typical of your meddling mother. What good was that gonna do?

‘That’s all you have to say about it?’

“What else should I say?” You raised an eyebrow, looking at Kusuo with your arms crossed over your chest.

He leaned over your slumped form, his shoulder barely brushing against yours. ‘If I asked you right now, would you consider giving me another chance?’ You stared at him wide-eyed. ‘Do you want to get back together?’ 

Silence enveloped you, save for the heavy beating of your heart. You found yourself getting lost in his eyes as he leaned in closer to you, gazing at you like a man finding solace after a lifetime of pain. He already knew what you were going to say. You took a shaky breath, your answer tumbling out of your lips unthinkingly, “Y-”

The lock on the front door clicked resoundingly around the room, alarming you of your mother and neighbours’ return. You pulled away from Kusuo as the sound of shuffling feet echoed.

“We’re back. Are you guys done?” your mother beamed, walking into the living room with Kuusuke and Mrs. Saiki trailing behind her.

“Uh, I’m actually feeling pretty tired, so I’m gonna head back.” Standing from your seat, you politely excused yourself out of the house before anyone can protest. You couldn’t bring yourself to look back as you shut the door, ignoring the erratic thumping in your chest.

The marathon of Christmas movies proved to be rather effective in distracting you from the events that happened in the afternoon. You hardly even thought about Kusuo as you laid down on your couch, limbs sprawled all over.

The creak of the front door opening caused you to sit up from your position. Your mother barged in the house, plopping down to take a seat beside you.

 A quick glance at the clock indicated it was already early in the evening. “Took you long enough,” you muttered.

“Well, things might have gone faster if you stayed to help out,” she retorted, causing you to roll your eyes at her playfully. “Did something happen to you and Kusuo while we were gone?”

Suddenly, all you could think about was the look of longing in Kusuo’s violet eyes overflowing into your orbs. You avoided your mother’s question, choosing to confront her instead, “I know what you’re trying to do.”

“What do you mean?” she queried.

“You’re trying to set us up.” Her face fell into an expression of guilt. “And it’s not gonna work,” you continued. She flinched back at the iciness in your tone.

“Why not? Don’t you want to get back together?”

Months ago, you would have agreed in a heartbeat. Even a few hours ago, one year later, you were hopeful that you would be able to rekindle your relationship. You wanted to tell him yes so badly that the word burned on your tongue, itching for you to give in to what your heart wanted.

But you couldn’t just ignore all the times you hid your hurt feelings by his seeming indifference when you were together or belittle the times you spent crying over him after your break up. 

Your lip quivered, mouth going dry as you struggled to give an explanation, “I don’t want the same thing to happen again.”

You didn’t tell her what happened earlier, how Kusuo asked you if you would give him another chance and how you were ready to take him back.

[free-pancakes]

Dreams and Nightmares

Summary: LeviHan Canon-Divergence fic Hange barely survives the final fight against Eren, and is saved by inheriting the Beast Titan from Zeke Yeager in the end. However, the Scouts soon find that this would come with a heavy price–particularly at Levi’s expense. Chapter 9/? Chapter 8 Chapter 7 Chapter 6 Chapter 5 Chapter 4 Chapter 3 Chapter 2 Chapter 1

crossposted to ao3 here: link

notes: ahhh this one's long, I got carried away. but! hope you all like it! thanks for reading everyone, i think i'll be wrapping up this story in one more chapter after this!

CHAPTER 9

“Happy birthday, Levi!”

Kuchel gently shook the child awake, his big grey eyes blinking sleepily until he realized what day it was. He sat up quickly, a tiny smile on his face as Kuchel squeezed him tightly in a warm embrace.

“How old are you again, sweetie? I seemed to have lost count!”

Levi jumped up on his bed, fists pumped up in the air in triumph— “Mama, I’m 5 years old today!”

“Oh that’s right!” She said with a bright, yet tired grin. Stepping out into the kitchen, she had a small breakfast prepared for him, and reached to the countertop for a surprise. Levi burst out of their shared bedroom and sat at the table, waiting for his mother to sit with him. Next to him she placed down her cup of coffee.

Mouth full, Levi asks, “Aren’t you gonna eat with me, Mama?” Before he could try to give her half of what was on his plate, she whipped out a small cinnamon bun for him from behind her back.

His eyes sparkled as he saw the small pastry, something he had always dreamed of eating—one of the fancy-looking ones from the bakery window he would see on the other side of the underground.

“Once you finish all of your breakfast, you can have this, okay Levi?” He nodded earnestly, gobbling up the rest of his food before reaching for the bun. He tried to give her half, but she settled for a little bite, convinced by Levi’s little glare when she said she wouldn’t try any. Kuchel’s nearly empty stomach rumbled in hunger, but her heart was completely full as she watched her son eat a proper meal for once.

Luckily, she had the whole day free for him without having to leave him early for work. So, she took Levi for a walk to one place she had always wanted to take him—he was just old enough that he’d be able to keep this memory as he grew older, and she wanted him to remember and hold on to it for years to come.

They walked hand in hand until they reached a part of the underground that was very unfamiliar to Levi. Kuchel bent down to his height, and put her index finger up to her her lips, signaling him to keep quiet. Levi nodded, and followed her as she led him to a small ladder hidden amongst some abandoned buildings. When she reached the top, she reached down to hoist Levi up with her—and Levi covered his mouth to stifle a gasp. A tiny secluded area where some light from above ground escaped to shine on that very spot, there a bright patch of green grass with something quite beautiful in the middle...

Kuchel whispered as they crawled up to it together: “These are African violets, Levi,” she said with a smile as Levi’s eyes grew wide as he stared in awe. He had never seen real plants before, only in some of the few books he’s seen in his short 5 years of life. “They grow well in low light, like this spot right here!” She pointed to the grass and dirt underneath it— “Plants grow roots, which keep them grounded and so they can soak up water and nutrients to stay alive!”

“Wow,” Levi whispered as he looked, trying to imagine what the roots looked like below. “Mama, what happens if some of the roots ever get hurt?”

Kuchel tilted her head to the side, pleasantly surprised at her son’s curiosity. She chuckled, “Don’t worry Levi, even if some of the roots were to get severed or damaged, it’ll still continue living, and hopefully one day grow brand new roots in it’s place!”

Levi put one hand up to his forehead, and breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, thanks Mama, that’s good to know!” Kuchel smiled and ruffled his hair, and they both sat to stare at the violets together for a little while longer.

——

“Is the Captain finally asleep?”

“Yeah, I think so, Jean,” Armin answered. The two stood just outside the open door to the infirmary room Hange laid in, and saw Levi had fallen asleep sitting up in the chair they had placed in the room for him.

It had been an entire week since Hange was in this state, and it had felt like an eternity to all of them. But as much as it was bringing all of them down, they knew it was affecting Levi the most.

“I don’t think Captain Levi has slept all week… the bags under his eyes seemed a lot darker and more menacing than the usual.” “Connie, now’s not the time to joke around about this,” Jean retorted.

“I’m not joking! It’s the truth and you know it!”

Armin jumped in to separate the two. “Guys, calm down, you might wake him up—“

Out of nowhere, a sweet aroma lingered in the air, causing all three of them to stop, looking around for the source. Their eyes all fell upon Mikasa, holding a small paper box.

“I… got this from Niccolo’s bakery. I remember Hange mentioning to me once that he liked—“

“Oi, is that a cinnamon bun?”

All four of them jumped, startled from Levi suddenly joining them.

“Captain, I think maybe you should go back to sleep—“ Levi squeezed Mikasa’s shoulder and gently took the box from her hands.

“All rested. Connie, it’s your turn to watch over Hange,” Levi said as he walked away.

Once he disappeared around the corner, Connie, Armin, and Jean frowned at Mikasa.

“You knew this the whole time and didn’t tell us?? All we needed was a stupid cinnamon bun to get him off our tails all these years??”

“Ow!”

Mikasa smacked Connie upside the head, and she swiftly followed after Levi, leaving the three in her dust. They grumbled and shrugged it off, and Connie went in to look after Hange.

Levi sat outside looking out at the ocean water as the sun began to set, an empty box filled with crumbs in his lap. It had been a long time since he thought about his mother, the violets. He thought about how much she probably sacrificed just to get him that cinnamon bun for his birthday.

The memories gave him some relief for once—he was absolutely exhausted, a week without any sleep weighing down on his eyelids as he stood guard over Hange. For once, they had a win—they made it out alive. But now, he wasn’t so sure they really won, and his hopes were beginning to unravel.

He closed his eyes. “Just for a moment,” he thought. But before he knew it, he woke to the cover of night, and Mikasa sitting next to him.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Mikasa decided to break it. “Can I ask why this is your favorite?” She said as she pointed to the empty box in his hands. Before he would answer Mikasa, Levi looked up at the sky, staring at the stars shining above him.

——

Hange stared at the stars above her, wondering if the ones here in paths were the same ones Levi would be able to look up at right now.

“Come on, Zeke, there has to be another way!”

Zeke yelled back. “Hange, we’ve tried everything! We’ve been at this for who knows how long! It’s not like we could keep track of time here, for all we know, it’s been weeks!’

Hange felt anger surge within her heart.

“And what, so we stop trying??” She kicked, sending showers of sand flying towards Zeke. Thunder cracked and lightning flashed, drizzles of rain beginning to fall.

Hange held up her hand to catch raindrops. “See, we learned that this realm is clearly susceptible to emotions!” She spun a knife from her pocket, and slashed at the palm she held up. “And we cant turn into titans here, but we are still able to regenerate here…”

Steam arose from her wound, the skin of her palm gradually mending back together. Then she picked up a leaf, and as she rubbed it, it morphed into a baseball—“And that objects we find here can sometimes turn into something we most desire…”

She threw the ball at Zeke, who caught it carefully. As he looked down at it, it suddenly morphed into a baseball bat, smacking him right in the face.

Hange threw her head back and laughed, “…and we know that it doesn’t always do morph reliably!”

Zeke grumbled, rubbing his forehead right where the bat hit him. He couldn’t believe Hange still had this much energy. He was right at his limit of patience for all of this. In his opinion, it was all moot—they had tried so many different things, and the turnout was looking quite bleak.

“Hange, have you—“

“…And we found out that…”

“Hange.”

“AND we know that—“

Zeke stood up and grabbed her hand, forcing her to look at him.

“Hange, listen. Have you ever thought… that maybe… maybe you should just let this all, go?”

Hange’s bright expression slowly faded, a confused frown now left on her face.

“W-what?”

“I’m just saying, we’ve racked our brains for maybe a week. And maybe we should just focus on getting you back home and out of paths. We’re not even sure if we could do that, right?”

Hange turned away from Zeke, and remained silent.

Zeke spoke— “Just… maybe you should just let Levi go, Hange. He’s alive right, isn’t that all that should matter to you?”

Hange looked up towards the giant, glowing tree standing in the center of paths.

“Do you really think the tree doesn’t hold anything promising? I know you tried before I landed here, but…”

“Hange are you even listening to me??”

Zeke watched Hange’s back, her frame beginning to tremble. Of all the losses, the countless losses Levi and she had endured up until now—they deserved a win. And she wouldn’t give up on it. Ever. She balled both hands into fists, and stopped shaking, now still and firm in her decision.

“Zeke, defeat is all the Survey Corps has ever known.” She took a deep breath. “…But this time, I’m bringing us a win, whether you’re gonna help me or not.” She then made the trek towards the tree.

Zeke sat in the sand, dumbfounded. Hange was intriguing to him—he wondered how different things would have been if she ended up being a Marleyan Eldian instead one within the walls. Someone sharp like himself but… a lot more optimistic. That’s right. Might have done them all really well and maybe things would have turned out better for him and his comrades—none of them knew what they were missing here. He brushed both these pointless thoughts and the sand off himself, standing up to follow after her.

——

Mikasa spoke— “Just… maybe you should just let Hange go, Captain Levi. She’s alive right, isn’t that all that should matter to you?”

Levi kept walking as Mikasa followed behind him.

“Connie you can go, I’ll be here.” He saluted and hurried out as he saw Mikasa darting her eyes at Levi.

“Captain.” Levi didn’t answer and resumed his post next to Hange.

“Captain Levi, did… did you hear me?”

Levi remained seated, and did not look up towards Mikasa as he spoke: “You remember what Hange said, that day? In Shiganshina?” He took a quick pause. “…That ever since we joined the Survey Corps, every day has brought a new farewell?”

Mikasa’s heart dropped heavily at the memory, but she nodded.

“Well, I’m not ready to say farewell just yet.” Levi said with confidence. He had been thinking all this time that he’d pay the price of Hange being afraid of him, that he’d be happy if she was simply alive. Well, he knew in his heart that Hange wouldn’t be happy this way.

And he wouldn’t either.

So, he was putting his trust in her. If anyone could figure it out, it’d be Hange—and they deserved a win.

Levi took Hange’s hand in his, and brought it near his lips.

“I told Mikasa today about my 5th birthday. My mother, the violets… you remember right?”

He kissed her hand. He remembered when Hange asked him to take her the minute she told her—they spent the whole day looking for it, and luckily, they did find it. And they were still growing there after all this time.

“They grow well in low light…”

He laid his head on the bed next to her, yawning.

“…And even if a small section of roots get damaged, the flowers will still grow happily. And maybe someday, brand new roots can grow back in its place…”

Stealing a glance upwards towards Hange’s face, he swore he saw her smile before he drifted off to sleep.

——

Zeke stood in front of the giant tree with Hange. Her brows were furrowed, deep in thought.

“Hange, what’re you thinking?”

She swung her head back at Zeke, suddenly speaking a mile a minute. “Have you thought about how almost every curious thing in this realm has been activated by some kind of strong emotion? Feeling? Attachment??” She lowered her head, her fingers rubbing her chin, her eyes looking up in thought. “Well, not sure if exactly this, but you know I guess attachment applies to simply having strong feelings and—“

“Hange, Hange, slow down. What exactly are you implying?”

Hange was no longer talking, and now walking up to the tree.

“Strong feelings… a memory maybe…”

She felt drawn to it, and began reaching her hand up to the tree trunk, focusing on one of the happiest memories she had stored in her beautiful mind.

“Hange be careful! None of us has ever touched—“

Hange closed her eyes, focusing on the memory with a smile on her face, and gently placed her fingers over the bark burning a bright white light. Suddenly, yellow light began traveling between the bark’s crevices and nooks, slowly traveling to light up a whole section of the tree. A warm yellow glow covering only one section of branches to the top and going back down to where the visible portions of the tree ended in the sand.

The two looked in awe—it was breathtakingly beautiful.

“Why do you think—“ Zeke started, but simply couldn’t even finish his sentence in his shock.

Hange’s mind began racing, hypothesizing everything she could about what this might have meant, but out of nowhere, she felt like her heart stopped for a second, and it was as though she could hear Levi’s voice.

And her mind quieted, one particular memory coming to mind. She smiled and closed her eyes.

“Aw Levi…” she breathed out. “Thanks for reminding me of that memory…”

“Did you say something?” Zeke asked, only to find Hange shoot her head up, her eyes wild.

“Wait!” Hange yelled.

Was this the answer?

“The roots! Zeke!”

With a whooshing noise, the baseball bat from earlier suddenly morphed into a shovel. Hange began digging impatiently with her hands, pushing sand away to follow the portion of the tree lit with a yellow glow, following it down deep to reveal its roots.

Zeke was confused, but didn’t question her determination. He ran to grab the shovel and began to dig alongside her.

They dug for what felt like hours, and finally collapsed breathing heavily, arms aching, sweat dripping from their foreheads. Most of the root formation had been uncovered, still continuing to give off an inviting, warm, yellow glow.

They looked at the extensive network beneath them. Now curious, Zeke decided to reach out and touch a portion of the roots. When his fingers made contact, before his eyes flashed a memory.

He gasped and fell backwards.

“What! What’s wrong??” Hange rushed to Zeke’s side.

“It’s… Mr. Ksaver.”

Hange tilted her head to the side. “Mr. who?”

“I—“

Zeke paused, thinking. It was Mr. Ksaver’s memory of them playing catch, not his own. It wasn’t from his viewpoint so…

He followed the network and then touched a place a bit further down. He watched a memory, and did the same, touching yet another part farther down the line.

“Hange…”

She looked at him earnestly.

“I think… these are beast titan memories right here. I think, they may be lifetime memories of shifters….”

Hange’s jaw dropped. Zeke paused—one more to confirm his suspicions.

He reached, but stopped. He decided to take Hange’s hand.

“Let’s look together, okay?”

Both of them reached their hands towards the farthest end of the root network. “This would theoretically be your body’s most recent memory,” Zeke announced, raising an eyebrow at Hange.

Hange nodded back at him, ready to see.

Together, they touched the root end—they saw Hange’s body laying completely still and unconscious on an infirmary bed. Levi was there, asleep while holding her hand with his head lying on the bed next to her, an empty pastry box sitting on the table next to him, Mikasa sitting nearby, finishing paperwork in the dim lamp light.

[another-fantasy-world]

Strings Pt. 2

Pairing: Rosalie Hale x Fem!OC

Summary: in which the true queen of vampires found love when she least expected.

Warnings: ...Light Angst? Slowburn and mentions of death,trauma and depression

Timeline: Breaking Dawn - Post-Twilight

Word count: 4, 200 words

!Extra long chapter!

GIF isn’t mine

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧    ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧    ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧  

The witch couple somehow got Rosalie to agree to their terms, much to her distaste. She still doesn’t know what it is that irks her about the couple, she does not trust them, at all but, she trusts Carlisle. Plus, right now, they have more important matters to attend to.

Various thoughts run through Rosalie’s head, as she stands in the vast snow covered field. She may not show it, but she worries for her adoptive sister as Alice strides through the field handing Aro her hand for him to go through her thoughts and visions.

“Now you know. That’s your future, unless you decide on another course.” Alice states when Aro dropped her hand in shock

Rosalie stands rigid, observing silently as she glares and snarls at their “Royalty”, eyes pitch black. She knows in herself that she would do everything for her family, even if it costs her, her life. She stands there, watching as another hybrid walks into the field, she watches as they question him, She watches as Bella sags slightly in relief knowing that Renesmee is immortal and finally, she smiles knowing that they’ve won as the red-coated vampires blurs into the distance.

Joyous screams of victory rips through the air as she joins her family as they rejoice, happy that they did not have to fight the Volturi today. Together, they walk back to their house where their witnesses say their farewells and leaving.

“We won!” Maggie squeals are she rushed into Rosalie’s arms with Emmett trailing behind her

“Yeah, Yeah. Now I have to suffer an immortal life with the smell of wet dog wafting through the air.” Rosalie smirks

“Hey! I heard that!” Jacob complains

“Tsk. You were supposed to.” She retorts as she walks to Carlisle who was holding Esme in his arms.

But as she was walking, she was suddenly thrown into a void, cold, dark, and starry? She was confused as she looks around, panicking when she couldn’t move.

“What the fuck is going on?!” She tries to move her body but she couldn't, she then feels her body get thrown around like a rag doll.

“This is worse than being forced to ride that death machine. What was is called? Rollie? Roller coaster?” She grumbles in her head as she wills herself to not puke. She didn't even think vampires could still be nauseous.

That went on for what seemed to be hours before she was finally dropped into the ground. Opening her golden eyes, her orbs seemed to hyper focus on the gigantic trees and the creatures that live in it. Her ears then pick up the sound of groaning, turning her head, she sees the rest of her family sprawled all over the forest floor.

“Oh my God! Amore! You didn't have to paralyze them that hard!” Veronica thumps Amore in the head.

“I sincerely apologize for what she has done. We needed to take you far away from Forks, The Volturi Coven changed their minds and decided to ambush you and your witnesses. Fear not, your witnesses have been teleported to their homes safe and sound.” Veronica explains while still glaring at the pouting Amore.

“What was that anyways?” Edward groans as he sits up'

“Teleportation. I needed to paralyze you, that lowers the chance of you losing a limb.” Amore explains while Veronica cast a cloud of blue upon them, seemingly healing their “injuries”

“Cooooool. Can we do it again?” Emmett brightens like a child getting a puppy for the first time.

“No.” They all deadpanned at him making Veronica and Amore chuckle.

“Well, I suggest we get going now, even with our speed, it's still a long way to run.” Veronica dusts herself off as she and Amore help the family up and the still dazed shifters.

“Long way to run where?” Jacob asks, utterly confused.

“To the palace of course.” Veronica smiles

“It's high time you guys meet the Queen.” Amore smirks and winks as she speeds off, followed by Veronica then the Cullens and then the Black Pack.

Anastasia pinched her temples in pure stress, the Cullens were coming to visit and everything was in utter chaos. Mud was smeared all over the walls, broken dishes and glass cluttered the floor as little children run past her, screaming her ears off.

“Lance, darling. Clean this up before I rip someone's head off. Make sure this place is spotless before the guests arrive. Get the pups back to their mothers, the children back to the village and contact Maxine, there's a few shifters accompanying the Cullens. I'll be in my lab.” She orders her personal butler who scrambles around trying to get people to help him.

Anastasia ventures down, down until she reaches her own personal laboratory where she herself develops her own type of blood. She's repulsed by the thought of drinking from a clueless human no matter how annoying they are and disgusted at the thought of killing an innocent animal just so she could satiate her desire of drinking blood. And because of this artificial blood, her eyes slowly turn into the rich dark violet that it is now.

As she works, combining different substances and powders that vary colors, her mind drifts to a certain blonde girl. Anastasia for the life of her, cannot even think of what she would do where she faces the blonde beauty, not when her heart if filled with guilt.

1932 Rochester, New York

Anastasia roamed the streets as she keeps her eyes trained on the single glowing golden string attached to her, amongst the other colors. She was born this way, even when she was just a little human, she could always see strings. Of course her feeble mind at that time didn't understand what it was, but now she could. As a vampire, she practiced and willed her strings to be more color coded, since the mere chaos of tangled strings give her a headache. The strings connected each creature in this world, once you make an acquaintance, a blue string connects the two of you and that soon escalates into different colors, However, one color lets her see soulmates, and that's green, which is why she's now following this glowing gold string to wherever it may go. She was tempted to just yank the string as hard as she could and let the creature on the other side find her but somehow, something was holding her back.

As she walked the streets of New York, head held high, she also ignored the stares that she got while walking. She knew why of course, her Italian clothing much different from the posh American clothing everyone around her has, not to mention she was wearing clothes meant for “men” but she never was the one to abide to gender constructs. She also couldn't, for the life of her, think about what she would do when she meets the creature on the other end of the string. Should she kill it? Should she keep it? Should she protect it? Should she-

Her thoughts were then interrupted when her eyes suddenly tunnel visioned. There 'it' was, the 'creature' on the other end of her string, 'it' was actually a woman. An insanely attractive human, being fawned over by boys as she walks by and she was smiling at the small group girls crowding her. Anastasia could suddenly feel the emotions of the said woman: Happiness, Pride, and a little twinge of loneliness and sadness. Anastasia's heart (despite being half-dead) tightened in her chest, she wanted to do everything and anything to make the woman happy. She didn't even care that she just saw her mere minutes ago, she wanted her and only her. And that's when she realized, this woman, no, this angel was meant to be hers. But then again, Anastasia knew that the woman was too good for her, she doesn't deserve this life of pain and eternal suffering, seeing the people you once loved grow old and eventually die, yet she also knew that she cannot live without her, so she settled with being her protector.

“Mr. Lombardi? Did I pronounce that right?” Mr. Hale questioned her, she had managed to manipulate her looks to make her look like a man.

“Yes sir.” Anastasia answered, she named herself Gioele for the sake of her facade.

“And why should I let you protect my daughter?” Mr. Hale raised his eyebrows, staring at the 'guy' infront of him.

“With The Great Depression still happening, I believe your daughter might be in danger. You and your success may make you a target for those who are below you, poor unfortunate...” She trailed off, her moral compass preventing her from saying derogatory words but she knew she had to play by his personality and rules

“We do not talk about them.” Mr. Hale deadpanned

“Yes sir.” 'Gioele' agreed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

“Very well then. You have piqued my interest. One wrong move and you'll find yourself hanging on a rope by your neck.” He threatened just as someone entered.

“Father? Mother requested your presence.” Anastasia's eyes widen when she hears the soft, melodic voice right behind her.

“Rosalie! Perfect timing. This is Gioele Lombardi, he will be protecting you from those awful lowlifes scattered around the streets.” Mr. Hale introduces Anastasia to Rosalie who in turn looked at her.

“Rosalie. Rosalie Hale.” She introduces her self while Anastasia promply goes down on one knee and kisses her hand.

“My Pleasure.” She smiled, seeing the faint blush on Rosalie's cheeks.  

Anastasia stood up, offering her arm to Rosalie who accepted and they both followed Mr. Hale outside, Anastasia holding up an umbrella to shield Rosalie and herself from the sun. She didn't sparkle as much as other vampires do but it would have been really suspicious when people see her faint sparkle as her marble like skin hits the rays of the sun.

And in that afternoon alone, Rosalie Hale became more popular, people talked about the attractive guard and of course Rosalie's beauty. Anastasia was annoyed at how people spoke about her and her mate, while they were walking around the city. Rosalie noticed and distracted her by asking her questions and answering questions directed to her as well.

Anastasia just felt herself fall even more as days pass by, She would sit by Rosalie's side while she reads her books, She would accompany her on walks and would help her pick flowers as well. She knew all about Rosalie but Rosalie only knew things Anastasia want her to, that doesn't include the fact that she's a woman and not a man and also the fact that she's an actual vampire. And that proved to be in her disadvantage later on.

A year pass by quickly with Anastasia enjoying every single second she spends with her soulmate, she could feel Rosalie radiating happiness whenever she's around, but of course, Rosalie was getting suspicious as well. It may be because of that one time where they were caught in the rain and their umbrella was much too small for 2 persons so Anastasia insist on Rosalie using it, leaving her wet, making her clothes stick to her body, and even under the dim light, Rosalie could make out a feminine body, toned but still feminine and that left her thinking if she truly knew her guard as well as she thought she did.

One day, Rosalie was sent on an errand to deliver her father's 'forgotten' lunch, and Anastasia knew it was a bunch of shit. She heard the couple discussing their plans to hopefully attract the attention of  Royce King II and they succeeded, she had to watch as Rosalie and Royce flirt with each other, with her silently seething, forgotten. She had to hide her growls and snarls whenever flowers would be delivered at the Hale Household, but she couldn't do anything, Rosalie deserved someone who could grow old with her, and not a half-ling  abomination like her. So she accepted the fate she wished upon herself and made the hardest decision of her life.

The day Rosalie was engaged, she packed her bags and set to leave but unfortunately, Rosalie caught her. And what she did that day, she still regrets up until now.

“Gioele? You are leaving.” Rosalie states, stunned.

“Don't. Don't stop me Ms. Hale. Or should I say Mrs. King?” Anastasia spat out, and she internally flinched when she saw the pain in Rosalie's eyes.

“Where did this come from Gio?” Gio, Rosalie's nickname for her alter ego. She couldn't handle it anymore and looked around before gently dragging Rosalie into an empty room in their house.

“Look, my name's not Gioele.” Anastasia removes the glamour she placed on herself and watched as Rosalie stare at her in shock.

“It's Anastasia. And yes. I am leaving. You are to be married to Royce King II and I cannot get in between that.” She stares at Rosalie's eyes, hoping to relay her feelings, but Rosalie was still much too hurt from her best friend lying to her.

“You lied. You broke two of your promises Lombardi. Is that even your real surname? It is not, is it? God. Why must I be so stupid! Go! Leave! Find some other woman to lie to!” Rosalie walks away from her

“Rosalie! Wait!” She tried to chase after her but Rosalie just turned around and slapped her, she was shocked, not only because the love of her life slapped her, it's also because Rosalie managed to crack the base of her neck. She lifted her hand to cover the cracks that were covering the base of her marble like neck.

“Rose...” She stared at Rosalie.

“Leave.” Rosalie glared, and Anastasia knew that this was her chance... to let go of her soulmate... in the most painful way possible.

“Fine...” She growled out “...I never liked you anyways, You self-centered, smug woman who only lives to please her father and the people around you. I hope you and your cold heart enjoy your loveless marriage!” She grabs her bags and walks away, not bothering to turn back, knowing that if she sees Rosalie's face and the raw emotions in her eyes, she'll just turn back and beg for forgiveness.

But of course, she couldn't stay away, no matter how hard she tried, she just can't so she lingered, hiding herself in the shadows, watching as Rosalie walked the paths they used to walk on, with Royce accompanying her, his arm hooked on hers as they chatted happily. It took everything in Anastasia to not rip off Royce's head whenever she knew he was making Rosalie uncomfortable and It took everything in her to not steal Rosalie away from him.

She was lingering around Vera's house, Rosalie was in there, cradling the baby boy in her arms as she cooed at him. Anastasia smiled as she saw her mate being all cute, she longed to have that with her, but alas she couldn't.

She was just enjoying herself when suddenly a body slammed into her, they fought for the upper hand as they kept tumbling around. Anastasia would straddle the man and he would flip her as well, she knew he was a vampire and didn't bother to pull her punches, cracking his marble like skin while he, in turn would also punch her face. The only difference they had was, Anastasia is actually bleeding. After what went on like hours, something snapped, Anastasia knew something was wrong with her mate so her eyes glowed a bright red, she threw the man off her and tied him with her strings. She growled at him before speeding off, following the slowly fading golden string. She ran as fast as she could, but she was too late.

“Rose?” she stared in horror as the body of her beloved, sprawled on the sidewalk, bleeding out.

“Stasia?” She turned her head and saw Carlisle standing behind her.

“Carlisle! I beg of you, Please save her. Turn her Carlisle please!” Anastasia begged Carlisle

“What happened? I smelt the blood.” Carlisle knelt beside the barely alive Rosalie.

“Turn her first then I'll explain.” Anastasia choked out as she closed her eyes just in time for Carlisle's teeth sinking into Rosalie's skin

She shook with anger and decided that she'll chase after whoever did this to her, her ears hyper focused, trying to find whoever did it. And that's when she heard it: Royce King II.

“I need to find a new fiancee now.” He laughed as his friends expressed their joy in letting them-

Anastasia let out a loud guttural growl as she prepared to speed away but Carlisle held her back.

“Don't. She needs you first.” Carlisle motioned to Rosalie who's writhing in pain. She immediately scooped her mate into her arms and followed Carlisle's mate string, which led her to a two floor house, she barged in with Carlisle hot on her heels.

“Lay her here.” He instructed the distressed Queen.

“Will she be okay Carlisle?” She asked the doctor as he kissed his mate in her forehead.

“Yes. Give it a couple of days, Your Highness.” Carlisle reassured her as she swallowed back her sobs.

“Very well. Uh. My apologies, I barged in without your permission. My name is Anastasia. You must be Carlisle's lover?” She offered her hand to the older woman who in turn just gave her a hug.

“It's fine. Really. You are welcome here. Carlisle told me all about you.” Esme smiled and Anastasia just smirked at Carlisle.

“Still thinking about me Cullen?” Anastasia teased, taking Rosalie's hand into hers and gripping it, calming her nerves.

“He talks about you everyday.” Esme smiled at her.

Anastasia was about to reply when the doors opened and in came...

“You.” Anastasia growled and lunged at the man. He dodged but she caught his arm and used her momentum to flip him over, throwing him through the wall and into the backyard, making him land flat on his back. The man coughed as Anastasia straddled him, planting her foot to the ground, her strings glowing a bright red as they wrap around him as she slowly ripped his head off.

“Anastasia! He's my son!” Carlisle cried out as Anastasia snapped at him, eyes widening in surprise.

“He's yours?” Anastasia's eyes glowed a bright red and Carlisle felt his entire body shiver.

���Y-Yes.” Carlisle stuttered, the murderous aura surrounding Anastasia triggering his fight or flight.

“He is the reason why I didn't get to my mate fast enough. He lunged at me for no reason, leaving my mate in a vulnerable position AND LOOK WHERE SHE IS RIGHT NOW! SHE'S FIGHTING FOR HER LIFE CARLISLE!” Anastasia's body shook in anger

Carlisle could see the cracks growing on Edward's skin, and he slowly approached the furious queen. He managed to calm Anastasia down by sending calming waves into his strings, decades of working alongside the queen was proven to be useful in this moment. The ropes that were once wrapped around Edward slowly loosened until they retreated  back into her body.  

Edward wheezed as he moved away from her while Anastasia composed herself.

“Teach your son better manner s, Carlisle or the next time we meet, you'll see his decapitated head decorating the Volturi Walls.” Anastasia threatened as she walks calmly back into the house through the wall that she made and sat beside her unconscious mate. She noticed the golden string slowly go back to it's natural glow, which made her sigh in relief.

A couple of hours pass by and Anastasia was feeling hungry, she asked for Carlisle's help in looking for food in the forest and he told her where the majority of the animals lived and she set off. While she was hunting, she couldn't help but feel like she failed Rosalie. She let her become something that she protected her from. A Vampire.

Once she had her fill, she slowly walked back to where Carlisle lives, delaying her arrival as much as possible, dreading the fact that she knew Rosalie was awake. She could feel it. She took a deep breath and opened the door, making everyone's head snap towards her. Her eyes caught Rosalie's and instantly, they connected, more so than before, which means that Anastasia feels what Rosalie feels 100 times more than before. Pain, Sadness, Longing and Hatred. And that's when she knew, she knew that Rosalie hated her. Her soulmate hated her. The thought weighed on top of her, slowly crushing her heart, she physically gasped for breath as she could feel Rosalie's anger increased tenfold.

“Rose. Let me-”

“Don't Anastasia. Do what you do best, leave.” Rosalie answered her, putting emphasis on her real name. She tried to move closer but Rosalie only moved and sped out of the house, with Carlisle trailing after the newborn.

She was about to follow as well when Edward stopped her.

“I apologize for my actions earlier, I truly believed that you were preying on them, that's why I attacked you, but you should really trust me when I say that you shouldn't follow her. She's angry.” Edward quickly explained

“And how do you know that?” She asked.

“I can read minds.” Edward simply states, nodding at her.

Anastasia nodded, defeated and sat on a chair with Esme right beside her.

“Give her some time.” Esme advises, rubbing the girl's back.

She gritted her teeth when she felt Rosalie's pain. Not physical, emotional. And she has the power to take it away. But with a great price. A price she was willing to take.

When the Cullen family was complete, with Rosalie, Anastasia quickly worked her gift. Wrapping her strings around them and re-writing their memories, without her in it. Except for Carlisle's, she left some memories of him working alongside her while in the Volturi. Once she finished, she quickly speeds away and forces herself to leave the memories and pain she just took into the back of her mind as she wiped her bleeding nose, her body collapsing under a big tree due to the exhaustion.

She was pulled back into reality when the beaker she was holding in her hand exploded, drenching her in artificial blood. She gritted her teeth, there were two things that could've happened. One, she mixed the wrong chemicals while day dreaming or two, Amore decided to switch the labels again.

She checked everything, and then found out the second one was the truth, she stormed out of her lab, blood dripping from every inch of her body. Her annoyance clouded her brain, forgetting that she sent Amore to pick up the Cullens and if she was here, then so were The Cullens.

She spotted Amore from afar and sped towards her, slamming her against the brick walls of her “castle” . She hated that term.

“What did I tell you about switching my labels Lewis?! Look at me! Blood is in every crevice in my body! There's blood in parts that I didn't even knew were exposed!” She growled out

“Well, to be f-fair, You aren't wearing your usual lab attire so that's partially your fault.” Amore choked out. Anastasia just growls in response.

“Stasia, calm yourself. First impressions are important.” Veronica waves her hand and Anastasia's clothes were back to normal, dry and there was no trace of blood anywhere.

First Impressions? Anastasia then mentally facepalmed herself. She had forgotten the Cullen Family. She releases Amore, then turned to the family, recalling her speech, she started to talk.

“Hello. Sorry you had to see that, but you should really get used to it. My name is Anastasia...” She drifted off as her violet orbs met golden ones. In her brief moment of surprise, she unknowingly let down her guard, causing her previously cast spell break. She knew that her mate would be there and she mentally prepared herself but turns out, she wasn’t prepared at all.  When she recovered from her shock, she could feel that her spell had been broken. The entire coven looked at her with various emotions: Happiness, Confusion, Longing and Familiarity. She may or may not have met all the members before and also wiped their memories.

“Gio...” Rosalie whispered.

“Shit...” Anastasia cursed, she somehow knew this would happen, just not this soon.

“Rose...” She stared at her mate for what seemed like years before Rosalie glared at her with so much anger she didn't know it was possible, and stormed off. Again.

'She always does that.' Anastasia sighs.

“Well, that secret's out. I'll escort you to you ro-”

“We'll do it. Chase after her.” Veronica pats her back before escorting the Family to their respective chambers, but Carlisle stayed behind.

“That... was messed up Anastasiarine.” Carlisle expressed his disappointment before pulling the girl in a brief hug.

“I missed you too Cullen.” She whispered before letting go to chase after her mate.

“I'm sorry. Please forgive me.” She sent that thought to the Cullen Family, including Rosalie and went back to what she did 75 years ago.

She was once again, chasing the glowing gold string.