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pioneer-10 · 2 years ago

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Can I Exist?

@lackablazeical‘s addams family au has a chokehold on me, so I wrote a fic about Usagi for it.

Content warnings: Unreliable narrator, cognitive dissonance, manipulation, [perceived] physical abuse, and gaslighting. Please let me know if I missed anything and I’ll add it as well.

His room is not how he left it.

Usagi knows this because he’s checked the closet seven times now, and his kimono is just as missing from its place as it was the first time he looked.

“No,” he murmurs to himself. “No no no nonono no, it can’t be.”

Except it is.

His last piece of his family, of his life before this never-ending nightmare that’s become his existence since, gone. Gone without a trace, without any idea of…

Usagi’s stomach twists as a cold chill of realization settles over his shoulders. He does know who stole the kimono, because there’s only one yokai that could…

Him.

Leo. His stalker - no, his tormentor, who’s been messing with him for several months now - leaving notes in blood on his desk, sliding skin-crawling letters under his door, spray painting the entire building outside his window with horrifying declarations of his "love." Nobody else could have known about the kimono's importance - even Leo shouldn’t have known, but Usagi’s more or less gotten used to that bastard’s ability to find out about things he has no goddamn business knowing.

It has to have been him.

Usagi’s running before he can stop himself, adrenaline turning his veins electric as he flings open his apartment door and bolts outside. Leo had written instructions on how to get to his home on the back of one of his many letters, instructions that Usagi had never in a million years thought he’d actually be following.

But he is, because he can’t just lose that kimono, not after everything he’s been through. It’s the one thing he has left of home and goddammit, he won’t lose that too. He tries not to let his mind rest on the chilling thought of Leo stealing it from his room while he was asleep, either.

The Hidden City's streets are as alive as ever, but Usagi hardly notices the crowded alleys or the smell of smoke as he winds his way towards the human world and what lies just beneath it.

The sewers.

His heart is pounding, and his throat feels like sandpaper by the time he finally reaches the sewer tunnels. The smell alone is nearly enough to make him turn back, nose turning up at the awful stench as he gingerly takes a step into the dank air. He’s never been up here before - it’s not safe being this close to the human realm, not to mention…well, everything about the sewers, really. Usagi hates everything about them already - the smell alone is enough to make him want to crawl out of his own skin, and the fact that he didn’t think to bring a flashlight in his mad dash to the surface hasn’t helped matters at all. The shadows feel like they're watching him, and he can feel hidden eyes on his back with every step he takes.

A sound like a muffled shout echoes toward him, and Usagi freezes with a jolt of fear that briefly roots him in place. He doesn’t know that voice, and his mind screams danger danger danger when he forces himself to move again, pressing against the tunnel wall with a shaking breath.

Of course Leo’s not alone up here, he thinks. Of course there’s more of them. Usagi slinks forward, even more cautious than before as he feels his way along the wall, listening to the shouting grow louder and louder…

He turns a corner, and the scene he finds himself witness to is one of the most horrifying things he’s seen since…

Since…

Kenichi’s screams echo in his head, and Usagi’s skull throbs like someone’s hitting it with a hammer as his back burns and burns and burns and his brother’s blood drips onto the cold stone floor before his eyes. The knife digs through flesh and then bone, and his brother's screams turn to whimpers as the blood flows more freely, and all Usagi can do is -

Watch.

Three other turtle yokai are gathered around Leo, who’s been strung up by his arms like some kind of horrifying pinata as they take turns swinging at him with a metal bat. He’s unconscious, eyes closed and body limp as it swings from the ropes tying him to the ceiling.

“It’s Raph’s turn!” the biggest of the three tears the bat away from the hands of the smallest, and before Usagi can stop himself he bolts forward. Leo’s sword is laying haphazardly on the ground and he reaches for it, grasping the handle and swiping it upwards in a single swift motion.

“Get away from him!” The other yokai stumble back, blinking in surprise as Leo’s limp body drops to the ground - Usagi reaches out to catch him before the concrete can, mind whirling with a thousand thoughts.

But there isn’t time to think, as the smallest of the brothers swings a fist at him with a snarled curse. Usagi lurches backward, struggling with Leo’s awkward weight in one arm as he lashes out with the sword he still grips in the other. To his surprise, he’s answered not by the howls of the yokai brothers, but by a whoosh of glowing blue. Usagi’s eyes go wide, and in a panic he stumbles through the open portal as the largest brother reaches after him. It snaps shut behind him with a pop, and then he’s…

Where is he?

It looks like he's back in the sewer tunnels somehow, and he's far enough away from Leo's brothers that he can't hear the echo of their voices anymore. Usagi sinks to his knees, tearing away the last of Leo’s bindings and carefully adjusting his hold on his shell as his head lolls against his chest.

I did it, he thinks, equally horrified and proud as he carefully gets back to his feet. I saved him. I saved him. He half-expects Leo to snap his eyes open and laugh at him; tease him for being so gullible and funny - but he doesn’t, just as still as he’d been when Usagi first found him.

And he hadn't even found his kimono…Usagi’s heart sinks as he begins making his way back to the Hidden City, stopping every so often to readjust his grip on Leo. Maybe that was why Leo had stolen it, he reasons with himself - maybe he was the way he was because his brothers were so horrible to him that he knew nothing else. Maybe, if he could get him away from that, maybe…

Maybe he wasn’t a monster, not really, not beneath the surface. Maybe Usagi could help him, maybe he could fix this and do something good, something right. He’d already failed his own family, but maybe…maybe this could make up for it, in some small way.

Maybe helping Leo could make the pain of leaving his family hurt a little less, a part of him thinks, desperately. Maybe he can prove to himself that he isn’t completely useless after all if he can help someone, anyone, even…

Even him.

His mind is made up. Usagi is careful to support the turtle’s head as he carries him back through the Hidden City, ignoring the stares he gets from other Yokai and the kaleidoscope of neon assaulting him from all directions. He’ll have to take the next couple of days off work, he thinks tiredly, as his apartment building reveals itself in the smoke. He'll have to make sure Leo is okay after…

After…

Usagi remembers the sound of the bat hitting his plastron and shudders. How long had Leo been strung up like that? Why were his brothers hurting him? Did it have something to do with his kimono, somehow? Had they made him steal it?

Usagi has far too many questions, and not nearly enough answers.

His apartment is exactly how he left it when he returns, and Usagi hates that he can’t stop himself from checking everything anyways, from the items on his nightstand to the drawers in his kitchen just in case something moved even though Leo’s right here, there’s no way he could’ve possibly done anything while he was gone -

He carefully lays Leo down on the small sofa in his living room, locating a soft blanket to cover him with so he doesn’t get too cold. He feels on edge even though the turtle is still clearly unconscious, as if he could at any second jump up and make his life hell all over again.

And what if he does? a terrified part of him asks. Usagi stands in silence for a long time, staring in silence at the stalker-reduced-to-

Reduced to what? A victim? A reasonable person twisted into unrecognizability by circumstance?

Usagi hesitates, then takes a seat on the chair across from Leo.

It’s going to be a long night.

#addams! tmnt au #addams! usagi #addams! leo #addams! tmnt au fanfic #addams! tmnt au fanart #jupiter draws #jupiter speaks

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ravencromwell · 7 months ago

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For the character ask game, Athos Dane: 7, 10, and 20.

7. A quote of them you remember: "No one suffers as beautifully as you." And before everyone starts laughing at my terrible cliche—it is terribly cliched, I would pair it with "My plaything is dead". The no one suffers as beautifully as you comes just after Athos's interlude with Beloc where Beloc tried, and did real damn good for a teenager, to be defiant, but eventually answered Athos's questions about his name etc. without yet having the Soul Seal on. Contrast this to Athos's "Sing for me, Holland" in ACOL, which Holland refuses to do.

Yes, Beloc is undoubtedly fun, but fundamentally, he knows how this game is going to go. The fact that Holland still has defiance, after seven years, seems to just fucking enthrall Athos. He makes Holland fill the blood goblets partially just to fuck with Kell, but also for that flicker of rage and humiliation Kell notices as being so out of character. Fundamentally, he doesn't know when Holland will give him the last scrap of power, and that's what keeps him coming back.

But any love or fascination or what have you is utterly gone once Holland is no longer a spectacle: my plaything, he says, in his own pov while talking to his sister. He feels "annoyance at his servant's incompetence" The one time he mentions Holland by name, it's to tell Kell how he and Holland are fundamentally flawed when compared to Athos.

Everything this man did for seven fucking years around Holland was either about furthering his goals or getting some kind of reaction, be it in his choice of conversation topics or experiment subjects.

Holland has a line that is so fucking sad to me in that context in ACOL where he says he never screamed if he could help it, out of the quixotic hope if Athos didn't get a reaction, he'd just kill him already. There's something so fucking tragic I don't have words for the fact that Holland's refusal to stop being a person, at least in small ways, and even the ways he tried to provoke Athos, were so much of what made him interesting enough to never let fade into the background as a particularly useful pair of hands. Because as we see with essentially sending Beloc out as canon fodder, and again with the dismissive "my plaything" comment after Holland's dead, once there's no longer potential for interesting power dynamics, he's bored moving on.

10. Describe the character in one sentence.: "Intelligence has never tempered my desire. It merely ensures I take what I wish without consequence."—Athos Dane, to his hypothetical biographer, poor bastard.

20. A weird headcanon:

He may have learned to read on the coast primarily to sniff out magic, but when he arrives at the castle, he finds he quite enjoys books outside of magic. Vortalis was a military histories fan, which Athos "journey of the battle" absolutely fucking devours for the play by play.

Astrid likes the White London version of Caesar: careful, methodical, only moving when the field was to his advantage.

Athos, though, it's the underdogs. The White London Hannibal bringing his elephants in what everyone called folly; the Lord Caradoc/Caratacus resisting a much larger force. Just _immensely his jam.

And once he got started, he wanted more of anything Holland thought might rouse his interest. I don't think the Danes had any _reason to go to Grey London, but I suspect that by God, if the Mareshes Antari could go, they sent Holland there on the semiregular (I will play with the toys, too!) One of the things Grey had neither Red nor White did was a thriving fiction culture. And if you're one Holland Vosijk, who wants to be able to bring back some escapism for yourself, you'd better be prepared to bring back gifts.

Which leads me to: Athos Dane, sometime Shakespeare fan and more often critic.

1. Huge, huge fucking fan of Iago. Iago knows how to properly manipulate some people. (Except of course, as is the problem with so many people, he got squeamish in the end. If he had killed the messengers from Venice when they found him in the alley, he would never have needed to kill his wife and certainly never have been tortured and executed. But Iago pre–Othello Act Five: _spectacular.

2. Huge Richard III fan—likes all the histories, honestly. But that "winter of our discontent" monologue: gets him _every time. Richard, now there's a man who knows how to embrace being hated. (Though that he cares at all about fool's opinion of him just demonstrates he lacked an Astrid. Without that one person for unconditional affection and non-judgment, he could only embrace it so far.

3. Hamlet completely cracks him up in an awful way. Or rather, the ways in which Holland and Hamlet's desire for revenge mirror one another. "You thought you were Hamlet, coming down that hall and did not understand we were not his foolish uncle!"

4. The rest of it: Romeo and Juliet, the comedies, most of the other tragedies, just _trash. Characters too weak to dominate the way they should or unrealistic ("blood never denies blood what they want" he says of the Capulets etc. smiling beatifically at Astrid.

5. Astrid has the copy of Titus Andronicus. Major Queen Tamora fangirl "We shall serve the Arnesians their royals in pie," Athos says, when Astrid sighs over missing their opportunity with Holland.

Athos is very theatrical, has a multitude of ideas for how to stage the Shakespeare sets with magic when they take Arnes, and is very keen to read other plays.

#am slowly using these as treats for myself as my semester barrels towards finals #my mantra all day yesterday was: “You get to talk Athos's fucked-up Shakespeare thoughts” if you just finish the final history paper #Florence Parpart. Jean Bartik. and Grace Hopper. for anyone interested. talking about how women have been crucial to the luxuries of our #century. all of which is to say: yes am absolutely still doing these and hope you enjoy this even half as much as I did writing it #Athos Dane #Shades of Magic

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reluctanttorturedpoet · 5 months ago

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Really sick of Joe Alwyn stans/Taylor haters for pretending the only reason she was unhappy with him and falling for Matty was because "Joe wasn't ready for marriage" and so she threw a stable, healthy, loving relationship away just because it didn't involve a ring right now/anytime soon.

That was not the issue, or at least not the core of it. Taylor painted quite a vivid picture in her songs for years.

Silent dinners because the chatter got old. Because he was indifferent and simply tolerating it whenever she tried to express her love. Because she was sick of confronting him on things, and people, that made her feel insecure in their relationship just to be told it was all in her head, even with all the evidence to the contrary.

"My face was gray, but you wouldn't admit that we were sick"

Nearly seven years together, but he rarely showed up at her concerts, didn't really speak about her or about the dozens and dozens of super emotional songs she had written about him, about them, about their love - when she has been very public about how hurtful it was when past lovers were indifferent or downright dismissive of her music and it's merits.

"How can you say that you love someone you can't tell is dying?"

"I made you my temple, my mural, my sky - now I'm begging for footnotes in the story of your life"

Yes, she wanted to get married. As early as Reputation it was clear that Taylor already thought maybe Joe would be the one for her. But it's very clear that, by the time Midnights was out, marriage had stopped being just a stage she hoped they'd eventually reach in their relationship and became the promise that this crisis would go away. That, despite all the clear signs of trouble, they would make it. That he really did love her despite his obvious apathy. That she didn't have to be afraid of him suddenly leaving her.

This wasn't a minor issue that Taylor obsessed over until it made her stupidly, selfishly throw away a good thing. This was the last nail on the coffin of a relationship she could now see was dead on arrival, and that would have inevitably ended up with them going their separate ways even if he had married her.

"Putting someone first only works when you're in their top five"

"I miss sparkling"

She thought Joe was the guy that loved her in spite of her life going up in flames and her career potentially being over. That he would be there for her no matter what, comforting her if things didn't sort themselves out, yes - but also being her number one supporter and wishing nothing but the best for her because he cared about her happiness.

But she was wrong. He loved her BECAUSE her life was a mess, BECAUSE her career was seemingly dead. That's why the more popular her new songs became, the more we see the theme of "You are not the supportive partner you seemed to be" in those "totally fictional/not about Joe" songs.

Even if we give him the benefit of the doubt (which I am more than willing to do) and assume he was not an evil, manipulative bastard, just a human being as flawed as any other who was not aware of what he was doing, never meant to hurt her, and just genuinely couldn't handle the impact that level of fame has on someone's life: it's not fair to expect someone to stay down because you can't handle it when they are on top of the world.

He should have reached a compromise with Taylor or accepted that they were not compatible and broken up with her - and sadly enough, if he had done the latter, people would have made him out to be the heartless one, despite that being the mature, graceful thing to do.

Instead he put on a fake smile and said everything was okay, while quietly resenting her ambition and success. Leading her on for years and years until she simply couldn't lie to herself anymore and decided that, since he couldn't be bothered to put them both out of their misery, she'd step the hell up and do it for him, and go as far as admiting her biggest mistake - the emotional cheating with Matty Healy - even if it meant the entire world would label her a snake again.

It's really ironic that the exact way in which their romance would end was already spelled out for us in Reputation, the album in which Taylor was being super optimistic about this relationship.

"This is how the world works, you gotta leave before you get left"

#taylor swift #anti joe alwyn

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send-up-my-heart-to-you · 2 years ago

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theories for chain of thorns

i had these posted on my gr from like december, im just posting them here

- lucie will now be an antagonist lets be honest we all know it. necromancers are NOT good people and thats the path lucie chose for herself by wanting to save jesse

- someone major will die idk who it is yet, but my instincts tell me its matthew or alistair. the second wouldnt make sense tho – if alistair dies, how would the carstairs line continue down to emma??? hopefully itll be tatiana that bitch

- jamie x daisy its inevitable guys, have you seen the snippets? im rooting for them theyre perfect

- thomas and alistair are NOT gonna end up together this was a gut feeling when i wrote it but as of jan 5 i have a legible reason as to why they would not be happy and its the next theory

- IM SCARED THOMAS IS GONNA DIE the “found family tree” says that thomas died TWO YEARS before barbara. i understand cassie has repeatedly stated that its been manipulated (she hinted that it was changed by the silent brothers) and isnt reliable. but isnt that disturbing?? esp considering theres at least part of it thats reliable, and thats the fact that alistair will 100% go on to marry a woman despite being gay. if alistair doesnt have kids, and cordelias children are all herondales, then the carstairs family would die out and emma would not be related to jem (even tho its been stated that they are related by blood). “oH bUt SoNa iS pReGnAnT mAyBe ShEs GoNnA GiVe BiRtH tO a bOy” first of all, theres a chance the baby is born a girl second of all, the baby might die third of all, where is the son on the family tree? fourth of all, SONA IS, ACCORDING TO THE TREE, DEAD BEFORE THOMAS. PLEASE.

- grace x christopher i despise grace but she acts like a different person around kit… maybe he can fix her

- anna x ariadne she cant fuck up ALL the gay relationships, now can she?

- the merry thieves are gonna forgive alistair (specifically matthew) bro he literally made out with one of them TWICE. if matthew doesnt think “well shits gonna get awkward if i dont forgive the sorry bastard” istg~ 💀

- this is more of a hope than a theory MATTHEW FAIRCHILD SHALL ACHIEVE THE HAPPINESS HE DESERVES smth tells me he wont get a happy ending tho… i mean, if my above theory abt thomas is correct~

- SO DOES ALISTAIR I MEAN CMON GUYS #justiceforalistair he regrets the shit hes pulled and therefore your hate against him for it is invalid PLUS HE GOT BULLIED BY RACIST PIECES OF SHIT HE DID WHAT HE COULD TO MAKE IT STOP

- matthew will open up abt his secret its like a routine at this point, in every shadowhunters series. a character has a secret that nearly kills them outta despair, they open up to friends, theyre met with love and support. jace loving his “sister”. wills “curse”. emma and jules’ relationship. ty bringing back livvy. alec being gay. you get used to it lol

- either lucie or matthew would have their marks stripped lucie for attempting/committing necromancy, and matthew because sobh said he doesnt have a specified death date (also i think cassie just hates him)

- jesse will be evil bro wouldnt that be cruel… like imagine after lucie brings him back hes like “haha i manipulated you to bring me back i never loved you” and then sHe GETS HER RUNES STRIPPED FOR NECROMANCY and its worse bc the shadowhunters are already out to get the herondales bc they refuse to accept tessa as anything but a warlock no but in that case she would prolly go to live with wills parents OKAY BUT IMAGINE HOW HEARTBROKEN CHARLOTTE WOULD BE WHILE DOING IT WHILE JAMIE IS CRYING AND MATTHEW SCREAMING AT HER NOT TO AND WILL TELLS HIM TO STOP WHILE TEARS ARE GOING DOWN HIS FACE

- a “seven husbands of evelyn hugo” thing with anna x ariadne and thomas x alistair (credit to my good friend wiz/nisha for saying this) maybe cassie is going to have thomas marry ariadne and anna marry alistair so that they could have a good old switcheroo, so they can swap lovers?? obviously it cant be anna and thomas lmao theyre cousins but thomas and ARIADNE…

- matthew and cordelia ARE going to kiss at one point HOL’ UP I DONT SHIP EM, i think its gonna be a climon kinda thing where they kiss and dont like it as much as they thought they would, and end up deciding to stay friends i think thats the best way cassie could deal with matthews crush on her without breaking anyones heart, i hope to god it wont be like him confessing and her rejecting him plz oml

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ammg-old2 · 1 year ago

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“The history of all coalitions is a tale of the reciprocal complaints of allies.” Thus said Winston Churchill, who knew whereof he spoke. This summer of discontent has been one punctuated by complaints: from Ukrainian officials desperate for weapons, and from Western diplomats and soldiers who think that the Ukrainians are ungrateful for the tanks, training, and other goods they have received.

Most of the Western sputtering occurred in and around last month’s NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, through anonymous leaks and public grumbles. Indeed, according to one report, the U.S. administration was so miffed by Volodymyr Zelensky’s complaint about the slowness of the NATO accession process that some advocated watering down language about NATO membership for Kyiv. Withdrawing the word invitation from the communiqué would, in their view, be a suitable punishment for a mean tweet.

One gasps at the petulance on display here, as at otherwise staunch British Defense Minister Ben Wallace’s snap about Ukraine treating its Western suppliers as a kind of Amazon of weaponry.

Peevishness about allies is a common and understandable mood that all senior diplomats and national-security officials eventually experience. A monologue sooner or later goes on in their heads that sounds something like this:

I’m lucky if I get a decent night’s sleep once a week. I leave work before my kids are up and get back after they’re asleep, six and sometimes seven days a week. I stress eat and can’t take a vacation without being called back to the office. Meanwhile, everybody thinks that the [insert ally’s name] are a bunch of victims or heroes, when they are, in fact, manipulative, ungrateful little bastards who don’t have a clue what I am doing to save them from [name a rival official, nation, or department of government]. And their American sympathizers are a bunch of nasty dupes who are just as ignorant, but with fewer excuses.

The adult thing to do in such cases is to get in a workout, complain to one’s loving spouse, or commit these thoughts to a diary for the delectation of historians who will read too much into what are, in sober hindsight, mere tantrums. To mention them to the press, or, even worse, act upon them is unfair and irresponsible.

Such eruptions occur when officials let their irritations suppress their empathy. At the moment of peak whine, they forget what it means to have a fifth of your country occupied, or to know that a far bigger country is attempting, every night, to smash your power plants, blockade your ports, and destroy your crops. They are not holding in the forefront of their minds obliterated towns and mass graves. They do not know what it is to welcome back exchanged prisoners of war who have been castrated. Or to mourn old men and women murdered, or younger men and women tortured and raped. Or to worry frantically about thousands of children kidnapped. They forget that while a Western official’s sleep may be interrupted by a phone call or an alarm clock, a Ukrainian official’s sleep is more likely (and more often) interrupted by a siren or the crash of a missile slamming into an apartment block.

Ukrainian officials are thankful. Analysis of their speeches reveals plenty of expressions of gratitude. But they are also insistent and vociferous in their cries for help. They would be both inhuman and derelict in their duty if they were to be anything else. Hopefully, after a whiskey (or two) on the plane back to Washington or London, Western officials simmer down and return to some level of maturity in understanding their beleaguered ally.

Unfortunately, the impulse behind the whining can also manifest in subtler, but no less pernicious, forms. Much of the public discussion of Ukraine reveals a tendency to patronize that country and others that escaped Russian rule. As Toomas Ilves, a former president of Estonia, acidly observed, “When I was at university in the mid-1970s, no one referred to Germany as ‘the former Third Reich.’ And yet today, more than 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, we keep on being referred to as ‘former Soviet bloc countries.’” Tropes about Ukrainian corruption abound, not without reason—but one may also legitimately ask why so many members of Congress enter the House or Senate with modest means and leave as multimillionaires, or why the children of U.S. presidents make fortunes off foreign countries, or, for that matter, why building in New York City is so infernally expensive.

The latest, richest example of Western condescension came in a report by German military intelligence that complains that although the Ukrainians are good students in their training courses, they are not following Western doctrine and, worse, are promoting officers on the basis of combat experience rather than theoretical knowledge. Similar, if less cutting, views have leaked out of the Pentagon.

Criticism by the German military of any country’s combat performance may be taken with a grain of salt. After all, the Bundeswehr has not seen serious combat in nearly eight decades. In Afghanistan, Germany was notorious for having considerably fewer than 10 percent of its thousands of in-country troops outside the wire of its forward operating bases at any time. One might further observe that when, long ago, the German army did fight wars, it, too, tended to promote experienced and successful combat leaders, as wartime armies usually do.

American complaints about the pace of Ukraine’s counteroffensive and its failure to achieve rapid breakthroughs are similarly misplaced. The Ukrainians indeed received a diverse array of tanks and armored vehicles, but they have far less mine-clearing equipment than they need. They tried doing it our way—attempting to pierce dense Russian defenses and break out into open territory—and paid a price. After 10 days they decided to take a different approach, more careful and incremental, and better suited to their own capabilities (particularly their precision long-range weapons) and the challenge they faced. That is, by historical standards, fast adaptation. By contrast, the United States Army took a good four years to develop an operational approach to counterinsurgency in Iraq that yielded success in defeating the remnants of the Baathist regime and al-Qaeda-oriented terrorists.

A besetting sin of big militaries, particularly America’s, is to think that their way is either the best way or the only way. As a result of this assumption, the United States builds inferior, mirror-image militaries in smaller allies facing insurgency or external threat. These forces tend to fail because they are unsuited to their environment or simply lack the resources that the U.S. military possesses in plenty. The Vietnamese and, later, the Afghan armies are good examples of this tendency—and Washington’s postwar bad-mouthing of its slaughtered clients, rather than critical self-examination of what it set them up for, is reprehensible.

The Ukrainians are now fighting a slow, patient war in which they are dismantling Russian artillery, ammunition depots, and command posts without weapons such as American ATACMS and German Taurus missiles that would make this sensible approach faster and more effective. They know far more about fighting Russians than anyone in any Western military knows, and they are experiencing a combat environment that no Western military has encountered since World War II. Modesty, never an American strong suit, is in order.

One way to increase understanding among Ukraine’s friends would be to put substantial military legations in Kyiv. American colonels and generals do not have to go on patrols or storm tree lines, but they would benefit from continuous, in-country, face-to-face contact with their Ukrainian counterparts. They would be able to communicate realistic assessments of the fighting and of Ukrainian tactical and operational requirements. They would also convey to Ukraine a reassurance that videoconferences cannot, and perhaps bring a bit of humility to deliberations in Washington.

Such an effort entails risks, but that’s what soldiers sign up for. Maintaining a continuous physical presence in Ukraine with a high-level military mission, supplemented by frequent visits from the head of the U.S. European Command and other senior leaders, would be invaluable in making the judgments that could help Ukraine defeat Russia, regain its territory, and win this war. And winning, not whining, is what it’s all about.

#current events #politics #ukrainian politics #american politics #warfare #diplomacy #russo-ukrainian war #2022 russian invasion of ukraine #ukraine #usa

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mariacallous · 1 year ago

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One gasps at the petulance on display here, as at otherwise staunch British Defense Minister Ben Wallace’s snap about Ukraine treating its Western suppliers as a kind of Amazon of weaponry.

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horizon-verizon · 1 year ago

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Lol, never even thought of it this way ! Heck, if we are following the rule that if you weren’t married by a septon then your marriage isn’t valid then… Aenys and Maegor were both bastards.

And possibly all three Conquerors as well, if we assume Aerion and Valaena married in the Valyrian way as well. People who ruled the Seven Kingdoms and sat on the Iron Throne were bastards, I love it.

They speak of this post.

Let me add something I should have before in that post. Rhaenyra is married to Laenor in the usual Seven marriage, not the Valyrian one Maegor had with his 2nd wife, Alys Harroway, or the one in HotD with Daemon.

We don't know for certain that he married Tyanna the Valyrian or Faith way ("The Sons of the Dragon"):

because "it was said" & the pure drama of the situation.

And his marriages to the Black Brides (Princess Rhaena Targaryen, Elinor Costayne, and Jeyne Westerling) were all Faith-made in one Faith ceremony:

Even if Rhaenyra did marry one man the Valyrian way and another the Faith way, we have record of:

Aegon I's polygamist, Valyrian-wedded marriage was considered valid by the Faith at the time AND in current histories

Jaehaerys I's marriage to his sister--though Faith-made, still against Faith doctrine about their definition of incest--considered valid in present time and current histories, even though Jaehaerys' manipulations

Maegor's mixed marriages to different women with different sorts of ceremonies were historically considered valid, and it is currently still told to be as such in Westerosi histories

Aegon "the Uncrowned" and Rhaena were siblings, and even after the Faith protested their Faith-made marriage, their marriage was considered legitimate even after his death and Aerea/Rhaella got to be considered trueborn. Again, all this is still considered legitimate in current histories.

The common denominator is that these expectations were bent for those who had the ability to bend/ignore them with hard and/or soft power. And they benefited the men and their claims more than the women. Aegon I won the war and while he had to meet the lords halfway and not remove much of their customs to rule over them after he had just won, he still lives in a world where there is no divorce, annulment is near impossible once the marriage is consummated, and he had more power than the Faith. I already said Jaehaerys manipulated his way into making sure there were fewer protests and rebellions to his marriage to Alysanne (Septon Barth's advice, getting a new High Septon who was more amenable, having seven clever men and women speak on the marriage's romance and validity, and the Doctrine of Exceptionalism making the Targs seem closer to gods than men with their own customs thus further validating their right to shape their succession/family as they see fit). Aenys wanted his children to marry to strengthen his son's claim (limiting the number of future possible competitors to Aegon's kids I think) and ensure more dragon riders would come from their union. And Maegor wanted an heir for himself while subduing a threat in Rhaena's claim while being publicly and theatrically vicious to any who opposed him. Despite him being a kin-slaying usurper, he is also recognized in the histories as a king.

And yet the very idea that show!Rhaenyra (who has not killed anyone by this point)'s marriage to Daemon even if Laenor were alive and openly there right with them, is automatically invalid on virtue of the fact that he's alive.

This shows two things about people who argue that Rhaenyra's kids are all bastards (even Aegon III and Viserys II):

they have either never read Fire and Blood or never thought that "deep" about it because thinking deeply pains them

they are sexist and ignore the above to invalidate Rhaenyra

Because how the heck does one argue that a feudal monarchy is so much more dependent on their subjects' feelings and acceptance of them than anything....and then argue for Maegor being a real king or accept the fact that every single Targ marriage, polygamist or not, is considered legitimate in-universe by the Faith itself?!

There is actually more fluidity in Westerosi marriage than they may think, one that depends on the not-so-constant line between a monarch's ability to force their subjects to live with their rule(s) and the sociopolitical landscape setting that allows some decisions to be high vs low risk for that monarch.

@rhaenyragendereuphoria has a post about the validity of a Valyrian marriage in Westeros HERE.

#asoiaf asks to me #westerosi monarchy #westerosi history #the targaryens #fandom critical #asoiaf fandom #marriage customs #westerosi marriage #asoiaf

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maguro13-2 · 3 months ago

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Shattered Hero REKINDLED ~ Origins of the Ink Demon : Episode Maka Pt.24

*Continue*

Shinra the Devil Chaos : Amaterasu...why? Why have you come back? Why would you do this? And this to me?

Saber (Arthur Boyle) : So what's the deal of using of everyone to make us fight fire with fire?

Mephiles : It's very special and secret to tell...Don't remember how did used you all in your universe, the one you really forgotten about? It's called...

"WORDMARK : MIND MANIPULATION*

Mephiles : (calls out) MIND MANIPULATION!!!

Shinra the Devil Chaos : That's what you've been doing in the Ohkuboverse's past. You were doing such terrible things to all of us that you did, the Firefighters, the sabotage of my world, it was all part of your plan to fool us like a bunch of play things. How did you planned of all this to my people, my comrades, and my family!?

Mephiles : It was all part of the palm of my hand. Before your story began as a hero and a soldier, before you created the world and story of Soul Eater, let me tell you how the world and story of the legendary Shinra Kusakabe explained from your people's. You see...The heroes and villains were all part of our plan to lead to the creation of Soul World and your man-made son which led you and your comrades, loved ones, getting scolded and killed by the hands of the Time Eater along with that pathetic universe of yours.

[The Future World by Hideaki Kobayashi]

"When Demon Vibe came to your world oppossing himself as the mysterious Evangelist, me and Iblis traveled to your world in the Ohkuboverse to offer this entity to create this entire world into the world of darkness and despair, making it planet mephiles. But after his powerful flames of disaster had the lack of sacrifices called Pillars, we gave that man from nothingness named Yona, giving the cataclysmic survivor Amaterasu a desire to help Iblis as her own son."

"While Demon Vibe used the White Clad cult as a distraction, we used the powers of the seven chaos emeralds from Sonic's world to establish this entire ploy that is religion in the Ohkuboverse, making all the nuns, priests, and monks to worship us in order bring this planet into the world of Darkness and Despair with the powers of Solaris flames."

"To unleash darkness into the Galaxy, we have confirmed that all Eight Pure Hearts were connected by the powers of Adolla that is and they had an extremely link to the gems of miracles with a curtain call, I used a special device which is crown that Demon Vibe gave it to me to find the perfect vessel that could really be the key to open the door to darkness itself, that woman named Haumea, whom Demon Vibe possessed has turned her into a cocky blinded person to bring destruction over to me and she became the perfect use for us, with all Seven Emeralds and Eight Hearts connected as one, we can finally put the whole multiverse into the darkness and despair, starting with Real World AU and of course, the Mashimaverse."

[Can it be True? by TAI-HEY]

Mephiles : Once we have everyone manipulated in our master plan, I can turn both worlds into a pile of ashes in an instant, one by one, both the past, present, and future, will be in our grasps with the full usage of the Chaos Emeralds. That's why we started the world and Story of your world, Shinra. Amaterasu owed me a favor on making Iblis stronger.

Shinra the Devil Chaos : Amaterasu...Why? Why him, why Solaris, why me?

Amaterasu/First Pillar : ...Ngh! I...I had to do it, I had to even raise him as my own son, I am so sorry, Shinra-kun...I put you through all of this, he told me that I told you to burn everything, I even made you go insane, it was just mind manipulation set up by him, I just wanted everyone to make me human again, but I never realized that Yona bastard was using me to destroy your world by the hands of Demon Vibe's malice. But after that, you decided that you created the world and story of that girl named Maka, who was also the hero of her own story which you created.

Shinra the Devil Chaos : ....?

Amaterasu/First Pillar : But when the Time Eater and it's relative Homura arrived just to scold you and your comrades and loved ones, they called you witnesses for creating a man-made son and a new story that is Soul Eater, which they intended to expunge everyone including you from the shared universe the we lived in, where you are resurrected as a lifeform inherited from the ancients, the relatives to the God of Destruction, Chaos. I am deeply sorry to everyone for getting our kind involved, Shinra. I am sorry to the girl that you loved, Iris.

[PigeonBlood OST : Night Moorning]

Shinra the Devil Chaos : ....Iris? The girl that I loved?

Amaterasu/First Pillar : It's all my fault that I pushed myself as a villain too hard, and I was being used as a puppet on a string to the incarnates of Solaris, the sun god in which the Holy Sol Temple worshiped.

Shinra the Devil Chaos : You felt sorry because of our fault that these two got us involved of being dead? That's why you wanted to apologize to everyone for what you've did?

Amaterasu/First Pillar : If costing us the planet is variable to restore, then we got nothing, we all got nothing, and that's the reason that I just...I just...I just hated the Ohkuboverse so much, it makes me wanna vomit darkness out of my system! So after I was punished in the realm of darkness for crimes, I had no choice but to disguise myself as my reincarnation that goes by the name Patricia Thompson, also known as Patty?

Saber (Arthur Boyle) : I thought "Patty" was the name for burgers.

Amaterasu/First Pillar : *crying+sniffing* Gomen ne...Gomensai, Shinra-Kuna.

Shinra the Devil Chaos : Amaterasu.

*She hugs Shinra comfortly*

Amaterasu/First Pillar : *crying*sniff* Onegai...Shinra-Kun...Onegai...Yurushitekudasai.

Shinra the Devil Chaos : I understand how we felt, Amaterasu. I forgive you.

Amaterasu/First Pillar : Arigato gozaimasu...Shinra-kun. From now I'll...I'll even move on from this nightmare we live in.

Shinra the Devil Chaos : [To Mephiles] Mehpiles, you and Iblis are next! After what you've done to our world, I will never forgive you and Demon Vibe for ruining my world, the only reason that my people falsely accused me as the Devil because of the outcome that you and that stupid entity caused, I only wanted Maka to be the hero to inspire me and she is the key to our future! How many lives have you taken away?

*images flashing*

Shinra the Devil Chaos : How many people that you made us hurt and got them killed!? How should I even forgive you!? You risked our lives to save the world, the planet, and the Galaxy, you played us all like damn fiddles, you let us, my comrades, and my family die at the hands of the Time Eater! You will pay for the transgressions of your so-called Mind Manipulation! I bet your fiery brother won't hear about this and I bet Amaterasu won't see your hotheaded brother. I will have my sworn wrath and my revenge!

Mephiles : Brother, you say? Don't worry, I'll show my brother to you. This is what happens when you're missing the point.

Shinra the Devil Chaos : Hey, what are you doing!?

*DBZ SFX : Fuse+Energy Wave*

"FLAME CORE ZONE"

[Red Hot Skull (Red Mountain II) by Jun Senoue]

Shinra the Devil Chaos : What is this place?

Amaterasu/First Pillar : Where are we?

Saber (Arthur Boyle) : Deja Vu.

Saber (Arthur Boyle) : We're in some kind of future where are we flung 200 years in...Sonic's world". AND I MEANT THE RIGHT MUSIC!

Me : Sorry! *plays different track*

[Flame Core (The Volcano) by Tomoya Ohtani]

Amaterasu/First Pillar : This is where I get powers from the flames in the Multiverse, so this is where Mephiles and his brother came from.

Saber/Arthur : I know why? It's because of the power of the Emeralds.

Shinra the Devil Chaos : So much for having two incarnates of Solaris for making all the way through this joint. But...We just wanna know why?

Mephiles : My mistake. This is the wrong location, this is where our battles takes place at. This is where my brother will show you. *snaps fingers*

*changes to Crisis City*

Mephiles : Now...Do you remember this town that I destroyed what town?

Shinra the Devil Chaos : Huh? What the-!?

*flashing image of a city engulfed in flames*

[The Ruined World by Mariko Nanba]

*changes back to Shinra*

Shinra the Devil Chaos : This place...It looks similar to my world...being engulfed in flames. The destruction, the chaos, the raging fire.

*Fires raging*

Shinra the Devil Chaos : This what happened to my world in the Ohkuboverse's past. You guys did this to Sonic's world as Well?

Mephiles : We are the ones responsible for this outcome during the 06. Flowing through time and space in the mutliverse, I was responsible for these events in the year of 06. Iblis engulfed Mobius flames, Shadow being turned on by the Humans was me for this outcome, and then a mustache man who happens to come from this future as well.

Shinra the Devil Chaos : Mustache man? You mean...

Runblebee/Announcer : EGGMAN NEGA!

Saber (Arthur Boyle) : You're the ones responsible for creating Silver's Future, I bet you used him with Mind Manipulation to kill the Blue Blur himself, like he was fighting with him at an outdoor restaurant in Soleanna with that annoying catchphrase

*cutaway shows Silver Humiliating Sonic at a restaurant*

Silver : *repeating his catchphrase*

Sonic : OMG...Will you and your annoying mouth just SHUT UP!?

Silver : No. *Continues to repeat his catchphrase*

Sonic : I can't take this anymore!

*GUNSHOT*

Silver : *stops repeating his catchphrase*

Shadow : Shut your half-wit pieholes! That Catchphrase is starting to piss me off!

Silver : Ok.

*cuts back to the group*

Shinra the Devil Chaos : And now I understand why you are trying to help you create a better future...I know, you were using him to eliminate the past, that's why those Hedgehogs from the past and future sealed you and your brother away in the scepter and a human vessel, same goes to Haumea who was killed in the annihilation from the Time Eater.

Amaterasu/First Pillar : *falls down on her knees* I don't believe it. This is what I gave my thanks from that cursed entity called Demon Vibe. I knew, I should've warned everbody, if it wasn't for that alien bastard named Yona, I would never fall victim to Manipulation and their malice. All these people, all these places, burnt away in a crisp, buildings have decayed...everything became uninhabitable...all survivors found a way to survive and even losing their homes and this world. This is what Iblis has been doing

*Mephiles' voice is heard as a ringtone*

Mephiles : Oh, That's him. I'm gotta him call

Shinra the Devil Chaos : Does that you mean--

*freezes everyone in time*

*answers cellphone*

Mephiles : Hey, Iblis. What's up?

*gibberish talk on the phone*

Mephiles : What? What do you mean you're not even here in Crisis City Zone? Wait a sec, moved on to Second Phase? But that's what Amaterasu gave that second form with the Chaos Emeralds. How are we gonna play our parts of the story? Wait two hedgehogs, defeated you...? Back Flame Core Zone? F***! F***! F***! F***! Look, look, look! I got this! I play my part with shadow, you play your part for Silver since you were defeated in second form by those two hedgehogs that are now playing a part at the Volcano!

*gibberish talk on the phone continues*

Mephiles : ...? How is that even possbile? Just rebuild yourself with the powers of the Emeralds and let not Amaterasu do it for you? Typcal...Oh, yeah, re-real fucking original. And who's gonna give me a loan, jackhole, you? Y-you got an ATM on that torso Lite-Brite? Now get your seven foot two asthmatic ass back here or I'm gonna tell everyone what a whiny bitch you were about 'Padamamay' or 'Panda Bear' or whatever the hell her name is!

*IBLIS ROARING ON PHONE+FLAMES WHOOSHING*

*SIZZLING*

Mephiles : Sorry I had to get that out of my system. TV rots your brains. I'll go get these two at Flame Core right away. What third form? You mean final form? Yeah, that's original, I hope it's not that Frieza guy that we were talking about. Well...I'll lead them to you at FLAME CORE Zone. Well... I do say that...There's no change in the plan. Okay got it. Bye.

*hangs up cellphone*

Mephiles : Alright, time to unfroze them. *snaps fingers*

*Unfreezes everyone in time*

Shinra the Devil Chaos : What just happened?

Mephiles : Had a phone call from Iblis. He says that he went to another location, and I got it mixed up...So I might as well make 2006 the year for this crap sandwich. But let's just go with the basics that...I'M TAKING YOU ALL TO MEET IBLIS, PERSONALLY!

*Snaps fingers*

*Background changes to Flame Core*

Shinra the Devil Chaos : What? That's it? That's all there is you have left? Yeah, right this was a waste of our time.

Amaterasu/First Pillar : So...Where do you want us to meet your brother?

Saber (Arthur Boyle) : What part of this do you understand about doing hero work in this future?

Mephiles : Uhhh...

Amaterasu/First Pillar : Where do you want us to meet...your "brother"? Either I want to see the Flames of Disaster in this future timeline or I'm gonna come over there and have to put my foot to kick your ass!

Saber (Arthur Boyle) : Hold on a moment. Slow your road. My way as a hero is kick his ass. So let's get to it! I wanna beat the motherf***ing sh** out of your dumbass head to Timbuktu, that's my future to deal with!

Mephiles : Ladies! Ladies! No need to go upset, I'm sure my brother will be here any second now he should be coming back in his, uhhh, ummm, third form.

Shinra the Devil Chaos : That's real nice of you, wouldn't it be a real gesture for us to see his Final Form while your "brother" is right here in front of us for 5 minutes!? *Points to Iblis in his final form*

[Confrontation with Iblis by Hideaki Kobayashi]

Saber (Arthur Boyle) : Oh look, here's really here in his his final form. OH SH*T! THAT'S HIS FINAL FORM!

Shinra the Devil Chaso : So his second form as a tapeworm was handled by two hedgehogs from the past and present. Alright, Mephiles! What did you bring us to him this time? Ehh?

*SIGN : SEE YA IN DUSTY DESERT, SUCKERS! by Mephiles*

Shinra the Devil Chao : Why that double-timing d*ck!

Silver : Iblis!

*they turn to see Silver and Blaze*

[Super Shadow by Jun Senoue]

Silver : This time I'll get you for good! This will be our final showdown!

Blaze : Looks like you three would help to be in the fray, care to join?

Saber (Arthur Boyle) : We'll join to fight with you together! [To Iblis] Fear not, fiery beast! I shall slay upon thee with my mighty sword Excalibur! Your reign of terror ends nows!

Shinra the Devil Chaos : Really, Arthur? You're the same Arthur as always, but this will be proven that I'm still a hero, I know how to make things right for everyone!

Amaterasu/First Pillar : ...*smiles* Go get him, tiger. Show him what a true hero you are, Akuma-kun.

*Shinra smiles doing the double corna sign*

Shinra the Devil Chaos : ROCK. AND. ROLL!!!

*DBZ SFX : Surprise*

Shinra the Devil Chaos : Alright, you and me, It's Devil vs Devil...Time to put an end to this once and for all!

Master Hand/Announcer : TEAM SILVER...VS...IBLIS PHASE 3!

~ Level 23 : Forgiveness of Amaterasu ~

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moonlit-orchid · 7 months ago

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Alright, pretty much all of these are from the manditory Mist Doesn't Die (and does become human) headcanon

1. He's taller and older than Astral in human form, (even outside of the astral world au I really need to write about omg). This is because of the fact that he's more "mature" in the sense that he's more manipulative, more aware of darkness, and he just has more of an adult mind than Astral, who's younger in the sense of being the more innocent one, as it were, and this translates into their human forms with Astral being nearly as young as Yuma while Mist is pretty much a grown adult (plus Mist being a shitty older brother is hilarious to me. Also thanks to Chaos Form he now has a disgustingly well-shaped body and Astral hates how people at school are into Mist because Most is unfortunately very hot. And knows it)

2. Leading on from the human mist, he and quattro are besties, unfortunately for everyone else. Only during the Tsukumo/Arclight/Tenjo sleepovers (because the three families are basically cousins and therefore have Family Meetings, which includes astral and mist) anyway, but in the few hours they are in the same vicinity, the amount of damage they do is absolutely terrifying. And at night, they're the shitty cousins scaring the younger ones with absolutely terrifying stories.

3. He wears bright purple lipstick. Everyone hates it. He wears it even though it completely clashes with the rest of his outfit (dark academia style, he dresses like the dark manipulative overachiever student, and he may not be as smart as Astral but he's still unfortunately a bit of a genius in his own dark way. And neon purple lipstick is NOT part of the aesthetic but he wears it anyway)

4. He likes psychology. Specifically because of how easy it is to manipulate people (and he also is forever telling Astral that he's asking to be manipulated. At this point, it's not even an insult but almost a warning)

5. He's the one Astral and Yuma go to if they want to know something about someone, especially criminals. He tends to know every single person around and follows criminal investigations (and actually comes to the conclusions faster than the police. Not that he'd help them. It ruins the fun)

6. He technically taught Astral how to vent his anger in a healthy way. He saw Astral back from school in such a bad mood that he was snapping at Yuma (like, a lot) and that's not normal for Astral, so he just grabbed Astral, yanked him to his basement, and told him to punch the punching bag he has in said basement, and kept yelling at him to keep it up and calling him weak for faltering, until Astral got exhausted and passed out on the spot (and so mist covered him with a blanket)

7. And yes. Mister I'm-so-classy-and-evil-ect literally lives in the basement. Because that was the only room he could take. As you can imagine, a very common way to insult him is to tell him he lives in a basement.

8. He loves to act like a horny bastard. He's aroace af and has never and will never sleep with anyone.

9. He likes spicy food, but his stomach can't handle it (especially after he ate seven chillis in one sitting just to shock Astral)

10. He has a soft spot for Mirai Tsukumo. She was nice to him and is generally nice when she sees him, so he's, very low-key, respectful of her (or as much as he can be)

Very random, but,

What are your HCs about this guy?

#black mist #zexal #number 96

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traumxrei-archive · 3 years ago

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【 a day i can't forget 】

author's note: BACK WITH AN OCTATRIYUU FIC !! long time no them <33 this'll be kinda weird to explain, but in the octatriyuu universe, this comes after my two previous octatriyuu fics + the unwritten sequel to "three's a crowd". so if they seem closer, that's why ! it's bc they spent a lotta time around each other. nonetheless, i hope you enjoy !!

characters: gn! yuu, azul ashengrotto, floyd leech, jade leech, jamil viper, kalim al asim, grim

warning: book 4 ending spoilers + vague descriptions of being dragged into water

word count: 4.8k words (we love ~5k of octatriyuu content)

tags: octatriyuu woo, oasis retreat !!, octa gets yuu to swim without manipulation (NOT CLICKBAIT), a pinch of jealousy, jamil knows, lifeguard azul >:D, eelform tweels aka pool noodle bois, pranks (affectionate), it's literally them messing around jsdkjs

[ or read it on ao3 ]

This was not where Yuu was expecting to be after that grueling fight. After Jamil's overblot was over and done with, Kalim had the sudden idea to host a party, which— thinking about it now— was a very Kalim-like decision.

He had Oasis Maker-ed the small oasis into a full-blown lake and now, everyone was enjoying a little bit of time out in the sun. It was a welcome change from their strict schedule under the hypnotized Kalim's tyranny. Jamil had calmed down from his, ahem, outburst and he was now cooking various meats on a grill. And Grim had seated himself in the vicinity of where the food was placed.

With that, Yuu thought that this would be the time for them to relax too. Keyword thought in the past tense. Because as soon as they tried to sit down in one of the lounge chairs Kalim had so nicely pulled out, they were being picked up by the arms.

"Wh–"

"Shrimpy! Don't tell me you're gonna be boring like Azul and just sit~" Floyd was grinning brightly, his hands wrapped around their right arm. "Let's take a swim!"

Shit. They had almost forgotten that the trouble trio was here. That meant that to their left was...

"Floyd is correct, Yuu-san," Jade, who gave them his most innocent eye smile— one that no one should ever trust— "It would be wise to take advantage of this situation. Besides, when else will we have the opportunity to indulge in swimming in an oasis?"

"You really are horrible senpais," Yuu grumbled as they swung their legs in vain. Damn the both of them for being so tall. "I want to rest. My legs feel like they'll fall off any second, and- Wait a second, why are you carrying me closer to the edge of the oasis-!"

Yuu started to struggle as soon as the Leeches were calf-deep in water, "Pause! Wait!! I don't- I didn't bring a change of clothes with me-"

There was a chorus of laughter from the both of them before Jade spoke, "My, it's amusing to think that wet clothes would stop us."

"He's right, he's right~" Floyd giggled. "We learned to dry clothes off in land boot camp, so why'd it be a problem?"

They screeched when they felt the water licking at their ankles, "Stop, wait, okay, I'll swim with you guys! Just get me a swimming suit, please!" They desperately wrapped their legs around Jade's waist, narrowly missing the water by a hairsbreadth.

"It's a deal," They said in unison before smiling at them.

"Honestly, you three," They felt a surge of magic envelop them before they were floating through the air; back over to the shore where Azul was standing. "I told you two to wait while I fetch a swimming suit for them. And don't tell me you fell for their tricks again."

"Try getting picked up like a cat by them, senpai," Yuu sighed deeply, grabbing the swimsuit. "I'm not tall enough, nor do I have the magic to get away."

"Maybe if you didn't show them such an, mm, amusing reaction, let's say, they wouldn't tease you so openly," Azul was definitely hiding a smirk behind his carefully placed hand. The bastard. "Now go ahead and change. Or would you like me to give you some more incentive?"

"Seven's above, you three are annoying," Yuu muttered to themself.

They looked down at the swimsuit before looking up at the trio's expectant gazes. They wanted them to swim? Okay. Fine. As long as no one made them do laps, they could still laze around in the water. (Or so they hoped.)

As they were walking to the changing tent, they spotted Jamil watching them from where he was still manning the grill. There was this bluntly amused look on his face as they came over.

"Jamil-senpai, were you watching me the whole time?"

"I mean after you yelled out like that?" Jamil shrugged. "Who wasn't watching?"

"And you did nothing to save me?" Yuu gasped; mock-scanadalized. "Seriously though, I could've used the help."

"Look," Jamil said as he expertly flipped the patties into their buns. "Why would I help the very person who single-handedly ruined all my plans?" He held out a burger for them to take– and they had to admit, it looked better than any restaurant burger that they had ever had.

Yuu paused for a moment before accepting the burger, "Y'know I said this before, but you really are evil on the inside."

"Shrim~py!"

The taller eel suddenly draped himself over them, knocking them right into the table, "You're takin' too long!"

"Floyd," Yuu said after straightening themself out. Thank the Seven the burger didn't fly out of their hands. It would've been trouble if any of it hit Jamil.

Jamil hissed, "Floyd. I want you nowhere near the grill."

"I know, I know," Floyd's tone was light but there was something in his eyes that made Yuu think twice about pushing him off. "What were you talking 'bout to Sea Snake, Shrimpy? Somethin' fun?"

"Nothing much," Yuu brandished the burger half-heartedly. "He was just giving me one of these."

"Eh? Was it specially made for Shrimpy?" The pressure Floyd put on their shoulders increased slightly, to their annoyance.

"Well, no, he was making them for everyone, but–"

"Just to clarify," Jamil interrupted, holding up his spatula. "I have no intention on being friends with you from now on, Prefect. In fact, I find you annoying."

"Gee, thanks, no one asked," They said sarcastically at the out-of-nowhere comment. Yet there was no returning jab from either party. Instead, when they glanced up, Floyd seemed to be having an intense stare-off with Jamil.

He must've seen something that he agreed with because he beamed after breaking the eye contact, "Alright~ I believe you, Sea Snake."

Floyd then bent down, grabbing their wrist and taking the biggest bite Yuu had seen a human— or, well, an eelmer, in Floyd's case— ever take. Nonetheless, almost all of it was gone; fallen victim to the sharpness of Floyd's teeth.

"Just...just have the rest," Yuu said dejectedly, holding the burger up to Floyd's awaiting mouth. "Yeah, I wasn't hungry at all."

They felt a few stares being directed at them so they looked over to see Jade and Azul looking in their direction too. There was something steely in their gaze but as soon as they caught them, they both smiled brightly, having the audacity to even wave at them.

"Great Seven, I almost feel sorry for you," Jamil muttered, before turning back to prepare more food.

"What's that supposed to mean?" As soon as the question was out of their mouth, Floyd seized them by the shoulders. "I was still talking to him, Floy-"

"Nah, nah," Floyd's laughter echoed closely in their ears. "Sea Snake's just bein' funny. Don't worry your pretty little head over it, Shrimpy!" They were very eagerly led towards the changing tents, which Floyd kicked open before they stepped in. "C'mon~ I'll be waiting for you right outside."

"You better not peek," Yuu stared warily at him as they secured the tent flap.

"Mmm, I won't," Floyd's tone shifted to a serious one. "Respecting people's privacy's something Azul told me to do. Unless, they don't respect ours, ehe~"

Yuu sighed before changing into the suit. It looked more like a wet suit, which was probably for the best considering how much...sand there was. They were still deep within a desert after all.

"I'm done," Yuu announced before opening the tent flap. What surprised them was the absence of Floyd— and the presence of Jade, instead.

"My, that was very prompt," Jade held out a shirt in his hands. "I prepared this for you."

"A shirt?" Yuu took the shirt. It was a simple black shirt a few sizes too big for them.

"Mm, yes," Jade held a hand to his chest. "I noticed your, ah, preference for looser clothing. So I took the liberty to prepare this shirt for you. It's plain black because Floyd often disagrees with my fashion choices, so I thought the simpler the better."

Yuu blinked for a moment, clutching the shirt closer to their chest, "Thanks Jade-senpai. That's...really thoughtful of you." It was. They meant it.

They almost forgot that throughout the few months that they've been acquainted, they did take care of them when it mattered. Despite the dubious methods that they employed, there was still a modicum of attentiveness they held towards them. Like they knew that they couldn't treat them quite as roughly as they treated each other. As they slipped on the shirt over their wetsuit, they made a mental note to make a gift to thank them when they got back to Ramshackle.

Jade's eyes widened slightly, before those mismatched eyes curved once more, "With pleasure. Now let's not keep them waiting for too long, lest Floyd decides on a more explosive entrance into the water."

"Right," Yuu walked alongside him to the edge of the water. Floyd waved from inside the lake, already comfortably milling around in his eel form.

"Then excuse me for a moment," Jade said before walking off towards the bushes; no doubt getting ready to slip into the water.

A sharp whistling sound managed to make them flinch. They looked up to see Azul sitting on what looked like a lifeguard's chair. He had certainly dressed the part, with the hat and sunglasses perched on his head.

"No diving by the shallow end of the pool– er, lakeside!" Azul shouted into a megaphone, his voice carrying over the sound of Kalim's lively music.

"Are you supposed to be the lifeguard?" Yuu asked as they made their way over to the chair.

"Ahem," Azul cleared his throat, dropping the megaphone beside him. "Actually, it was–"

"I asked him to do it!" Kalim appeared out of nowhere, wrapping an arm around their shoulder. "I asked Azul 'cause, y'know, he's the best mage here. So I figured he could save anyone from drowning in a jiffy." They shuffled a bit in Kalim's hold, still not accustomed to his overly-friendly behavior.

"Are you going for a swim too?" Kalim said, finally taking note of their appearance. "That's great! I hope you have a great time."

"Kalim-san," Azul called out, pushing up his glasses. "I'm sure the Prefect would appreciate it if you'd take a step back." Always the perceptive one, Azul was. They shot him a quick glance before sending a tentative smile toward Kalim.

"Oh. Whoops! My bad," Kalim wheeled himself backward. "I'm still...working on that part, haha..."

"It's okay," They gave the Scarabia Housewarden a pat on the arm. "As you said, you're working on it. I'm gonna take a dip now."

"If you're drowning give a shout," Azul let slip a soft laugh. "Maybe saving your life will let me bind you into a more...lasting contract, fufufu~"

"Senpai, that is the worst thing I've heard come out of your mouth in a while," They sighed. "As long as you don't purposefully cause an accident, then do your worst."

Yuu stepped into the water then. The water was cool, lapping at their ankles from the furious movements of the other Scarabia student's activities. They saw everything, from beach— or should it be called desert— volleyball, to people outright just splashing each other with water.

Then they felt something yank at their ankle. Yuu slipped, dragged through the water to who-knows-where, all while sputtering in an attempt to breathe.

Fear flared inside their chest for a moment before clarity hit them. There were only two people that would do this. Surely this was the work of one of the tweels. They clamped their mouth shut, blinking their eyes to adjust their vision to being underwater.

Yuu was met with Floyd's saccharine grin, his claw-like hand firmly wrapped around their ankle. Of course it was him. A well-placed kick to his shoulder and Floyd finally relented, bringing them back to the surface.

"Ahaha~!" They could barely hear the ringing of Floyd's laughter through their water-clogged ears. "You shoulda seen the look on your face, Shrimpy! You looked real scared!"

They felt another set of hands grasp their shoulders, half-turning to see Jade there, "Floyd, that was dangerous." Yuu would've seconded the statement if they weren't so busy hacking up leftover water from their lungs.

"Eh~" Floyd scratched at his earfins. "But I made sure the Little Shrimp didn't drown, right?"

"Still," Yuu said when they finally managed to catch their breath. "That was a zero out of ten experience. Please don't do it again." They tried to calm down their heart as they searched Floyd's expression for any signs of remorse. There was a slight frown on his face. Clearly, he was thinking about his actions; or so they hoped.

There was a clawed hand on their cheek, patting lightly to soothe them, "Since Shrimpy asked so nicely, I won't. And 'm sorry. Besides, scaring's only fun one time anyway. Imma go over there now, be right back!" And with a twist of his tail, Floyd speeded off towards where some Scarabia students were tussling in the water.

A sigh tickled their ear and, oh yeah. Jade was still there. "I apologize for his behavior," Jade said, letting their back meet his slippery chest. "Here, why don't I assist you in relaxing?"

Yuu snorted, "No offense, Jade-senpai, but it's not like you can brew me tea out here."

There was a slight chuckle before Jade slowly drifted further to the middle of the lake, "Don't worry. I will be right here next to you, so please do not be so tense." They nodded slightly, leaning back against his front.

It was nice. They could hear Jade's faint humming, and the sound of what they assumed was his teeth or vocal cords clicking lightly. They noticed that their voices sounded slightly distorted, their vocal cords different in their eel forms. The water, and the way Jade gently guided them around...it was all a nice reprieve from all the noise and excitement Scarabia brought about.

One that came to an abrupt end as soon as Yuu heard an all-too-familiar scream, "HENCHMAAAAN!!" Their head snapped up immediately, following Grim's shouting to where he was struggling inside of a net. How he got there was a mystery but they couldn’t help but gape at the sight.

"He is fine," Jade said before adding. "In fact, it seems Azul has saved him." They looked closely at the scene and found that, yes that was Azul Ashengrotto holding on to the net's pole.

"Sevens, I can never catch a break, can I?" Yuu muttered before patting Jade's shoulders. "Could you take me there, senpai?"

"I can't refuse such a polite request from my suffering kouhai," Jade said with an edge of teasing in his voice. They held on tight to Jade's shoulders as they felt his tail flexing, pushing them closer to where Grim was causing a scene.

They arrived just in time to see Azul dumping Grim unceremoniously onto a beach towel. Azul unsuccessfully shielded himself from the water as Grim shook himself off. They murmured a small thanks to Jade before walking over to their troublesome little monster.

"Henchman!" Grim wailed, launching himself at them. "They told me I couldn't eat anymore! They were chasing me out of the food table." His little ears drooped, the fire in them out because he was so thoroughly drenched. He really did look like a wet cat.

"Well...how much did you eat?" Yuu asked, stroking the top of his head.

"Kalim said I could have as much as I wanted so..." Grim pouted. "I had five ribs, three burgers, two chicken breasts, six chicken wings, and-"

"And?" Yuu interrupted, raising a brow. "There's more?"

Grim's ears seemed to droop even more, "The Great Grim wants to grow, y'know!"

"But I told you to eat in moderation," Yuu reminded, ruffling the monster's head. "Now what did we agree on?"

"...After I finish one dish I wait for five minutes before getting another dish to eat," Grim said miserably. He was dry enough now that his ears were able to fire up again, but it still didn't make him any less hilarious to look at.

As Grim meandered back to the food tables, Yuu turned to the other person that was patiently waiting for them with an amicable smile on his face.

"I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me," He said, fluttering his lashes and putting on a show. "And after I worked so hard to save Grim-san."

"I assume you want compensation?" Yuu glanced over at the unabashed gleam in his eyes. "Okay. Follow me." For once, they had a plan. They saw the tweels watching them curiously from the corner of their eye; looking like a pair of crocodiles stalking their prey.

They got as close to the water as they dared, and seeing the relaxed way Azul held himself, they knew he wasn't expecting anything. Yuu positioned him so his back was to the water.

"So?" Azul placed a hand on his chest. "What kind of compensation are you going to–"

Yuu chose that moment to tackle him, sending both of them tumbling right into the shallows. They made sure to roll slightly, to lessen the impact on Azul. But he still struggled under them, and they had to grab at his lapels to make sure he wasn't drowning.

Blinking the water out of their eyes, they were met with Azul's face centimeters away from theirs. His mouth was agape, silvery hair hanging in drenched strands. They could vaguely hear the sound of Jade and Floyd's laughter mingling and mixing with the sound of Azul's harsh breaths.

"I...hate you." And his glasses chose that moment to fully slip off his nose, landing in the water with a soft splash. They threw their head back then, a loud cackle leaving their lips. Azul was still mumbling complaints as they felt something wrap around their ankle and tug.

"Shrimpy~ Man, that was great!" Floyd appeared, giggles still leaving his lips. "Azul's always so on guard, how'd you do it? Teach me, teach me!"

"I think you've been spending a little too much time with Floyd," Azul muttered venomously. "He's starting to rub off on you."

Yuu just patted his shoulder, "If they got me to swim it's only fair that I get you to join me too."

"Fufufu~ It was an equal exchange of sorts," Jade said slyly. "Those are the kind of deals you claim favor, right Azul?"

"Sevens, that is not what this is and— would you get off me already?" Azul said, his voice strung high from the...stress? Or was it the fact that he realized they were practically sprawled on his torso? Azul always reacted unpredictably to physical contact, so they took that as their cue to roll over.

"Don't be too angry," Yuu said, feeling Floyd's tail tugging them yet again. "You're an exemplary mage, right? You know exactly what spell to use to dry yourself off."

"...Just because you compliment me and your words have some merit to them doesn't mean I'll forgive you so easily," Azul tilted his glasses, finding no dry surfaces to wipe them on before giving up and folding them.

"Let's just enjoy it before you do go and dry off," Yuu suggested, wading deeper into the water. "How about a race? Two against two?"

"Oooh! I wanna be with Little Shrimp this time!" Floyd cheered, raising his hand. "Since, y'know, you got to play with them before, Jade."

"Don't go thinking me and Azul will go easy on you both, fufufu~" There was a predatory glint in Jade's eyes; begetting a flash of sharp teeth.

"I still have plenty of magic in me," Azul said, fake saccharine dripping from his mouth. "I hope that your ducking skills are as good as your tackling skills, Prefect."

Yuu shot him a small smile at that, patting Floyd's shoulders, "Let's go kick their asses, my trusty steed."

And when Floyd responded with a little "yeehaw" Yuu thought that maybe this wasn't so bad. Being dragged into relaxing this way wasn't the most horrible thing they've experienced. Sure, future-Yuu was going to have to deal with the added muscle pain of trying to avoid Azul's well-aimed water spells, but hey. That was for future them to worry about.

For now, their priorities were to enjoy the day to the fullest. For now, it was enough to wash away their worries with petty jabs and the sound of laughter. After all, this day was shaping up into a day they would never forget.

[ omake : a prolonged fascination ]

It was a slow day at Mostro Lounge. And a slow day at the lounge meant that there were three usually-busy people idling around. Azul has resigned himself to his desk, a stack of documents that need his signature to the side as he rhythmically tapped his pen on the table. It wasn't the most exciting work since it had nothing to do with amassing wealth, but it was necessary for the lounge.

Meanwhile, Jade had a stack of nature magazines next to him. They were no doubt filled to the brim with knowledge of land plants that he could potentially stuff into their dinners for the next few weeks. He was boasting about a trip to the mountains again in a couple of days.

And Floyd? Floyd was in a bad mood. Usually that would entail chaos for the other two, but he wasn't in an irritated bad mood, he was just...in a lethargic bad mood. Bored without any idea of what could potentially cheer him up. Thus there he laid, looking like a puddle of melted eel on the couch.

So the three looked up almost immediately when the door to the VIP room opened sans knocking. The head of one Ramshackle Prefect popped into the room, "Hey. Can I come in, or is this a bad time?"

Floyd was the first to react, groaning and melding even further with the couch, "Go away, Shrimpy. 'M not feeling like eating shrimp right now." Then Floyd threw one of the pillows in Azul's general direction, "'N the pen tapping's gotta stop before I bite you, Azul."

"I didn't- I wasn't offering in the first place," Yuu walked into the room, and already the lackadaisical mood was beginning to shift. "Anyway, I can't stay for long so let's make this quick." They sat down next to Jade, pulling out a paper bag, and consequently piquing Azul's interest. And he was kind of distracted after dodging that pillow Floyd threw, so he made his way over to the couch.

"What may that be?" Jade asked, putting down his magazine.

"Oh, it's just something," They shook the bag, letting the insides clink around. "C'mon, Floyd. Sit up for a second." Floyd let out a long whine before shifting so his face was turned towards where they were, cheek squished against the leather.

"I...wanted to thank you for saving me from the...incident over winter break," Yuu said carefully, and the three merpeople couldn't help but note the slight fidget of their fingers as they spoke. "You really didn't have to care, but, well you did, and you guys put yourself in danger too back there so..."

"Well if you'd like to compensate," Azul's silky tone made them flinch slightly. "I can think of numerous different contracts that could have your name on them."

There was an instant shift in their demeanor, and Azul noted the way their shoulders relaxed slightly when they spoke again, "Sevens, I knew this was a bad idea." Jade looked knowingly over at Azul, who was smiling lightly at his successful effort to relax them.

"Hey. Just get on with it already," Floyd griped, making grabby hands at the bag. "Wanna see what's in the bag." And that was the Schodinger's cat wasn't it? The little unassuming paper bag that supposedly held something inside that was for the three of them.

"Okay, geez, here," Yuu relinquished their grip on the bag, handing it to Floyd. "I made it myself, so don't you dare laugh."

Jade and Azul, though curious, simply kept watch over Floyd's reactions. And when Floyd's eyes widened, a smile suffusing his previously unsatisfied expression, it only enticed their fascination with what was in the bag.

"Little Shrimp this is like, hella dope," Floyd cheered, rummaging in the bag and pulling out a mug that had an eel painted on it. "Lookit. It's handsome like me."

The Prefect groaned as Floyd held it up towards the light, "Don't do that, ugh- Okay, I'm leaving."

They tried to stand up, but Jade had a firm grasp on their shoulder, "And where will you be running off to?"

"Jade's right, wouldn't you like to see our reactions to such a heartfelt gift?" Azul challenged and the frown that they pulled only served to make Jade chuckle.

"It's none of your business where I have to go," Yuu stood— successfully this time. "You guys...have fun with that. No refunds, no compensations, okay?" They were out of the door in seconds, with a "see you later" on the tip of their tongue.

"What else is there in the bag?" Jade asked, as Floyd was very thoroughly inspecting the painted eel with a wide grin on his face. He pulled out two more identical mugs, one with another eel and the other an octopus.

"Look, look~" Floyd cheered, falling onto the couch next to Jade. "Mine has a lil basketball and it has my sick shoes too!"

"It appears that mine has a terrarium accompanying the eel," Jade noted, gloved fingers gliding over the ceramic. "Oh, and of course there are some fungi."

"How quaint," Azul couldn't resist the soft smile that tugged on his lips. "It seems my octopus is holding on to a golden contract. And there seems to be coins all around them."

"Mmm?" Floyd tilted his head, hand still stuck into the bag. "Oh, there's sumn else."

It was a note, hastily scribbled in now-familiar handwriting that read:

To the three it may concern,

You guys aren't half bad to have on my side, and it's been nice working with you minus all the teasing and pranks. I'm looking forward to what trouble and fun you will bring along with you for the rest of the year.

So thank you. I mean it.

Yuu

The three looked amongst themselves, a feeling of acute warmth settling over them like a blanket. Floyd immediately stood up— but not before gently settling his mug onto the table.

"Where are you going, Floyd?" Jade called out as Floyd swung open the door.

"Gotta go squeeze Shrimpy now~" Floyd said resolutely. "You comin' with?"

Jade made an affirmative noise, "Sure, I'll accompany you to see Yuu-san. I have a few choice words I'd like to say to them."

"Let's make a field trip out of it. After all, the Lounge seems to be having a slow day," Azul said, his smile slipping from soft to sly in a matter of seconds. "It would be best if we brought a housewarming gift if we were to visit the Ramshackle dorms."

"Then," Jade brought a hand to his chest. "I shall go grab-"

"No," Floyd and Azul said simultaneously.

"No way 'm letting you poison Shrimpy with mushrooms," Floyd stuck out his tongue. "Imma get them some of that seaweed jerky we made."

"Oh, and do grab the tester desserts we made a few days ago," Azul called out after the taller. "Now then, let me lock up the vaults and put away the papers."

"I shall inform the staff that we will be leaving," Jade said before picking up the bag. "What should we do with the mugs..?"

Azul paused as he was straightening his papers, "Well...get those to our kitchens. Put them in the hidden shelves I had installed. It would be troublesome if our staff got their hands on it."

"Right away."

As they set off on their own devices they all couldn't help but smile slightly. It would always be amusing how they never seemed to stop surprising them. Well now it was their turn to show them how much they meant to them. A show of gratitude for a show of gratitude. That was definitely a good enough excuse to go bother them, right?

A lull in the day may just turn as eventful as this one did. And they had one little Prefect to thank for that.

helloooo thank you for enjoying the oasis swimming mischief-making :D !!

if you'd like to see more octatriyuu, check out his own brand of comfort or three's a crowd ! and check out my masterlists for more writing <33

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dreamsclock · 4 years ago

Note

crack au where dream and wilburs big plan goes like this: wilbur has been doing nothing but play card games for nine years in the afterlife, dream is an emotionally repressed bastard with a brilliant poker face and the skill to fight if things go south - and quackity is building vegas

naturally, they work together to rob the server blind

- dr3 on twt, i haven’t figured out my tumblr yet lol

dr3,,, DR3,,, this has been giving me such brainrot for the longest time and combines all my favourite characters to write in one incredible scenario,,, this is Peak ,,, the comedy and villainy,,, i’m in love with this au PLS

it’s tagged as -> vegas team au because i’ll probably write more for this soon !!

warnings: blood, trauma, implications of abuse, starvation mention, capitalism, manipulation, injuries/wounds, mental deterioration, dissociation

“So let me get this straight,” Quackity says, slow, suspicious, “you want to work together.”

He eyes his two new potential allies like one might a crocodile and its equally violent owner, and can’t help but feel doubt squeeze his chest. Both of them look like they’ve been through hell - well, he supposes it’s not far from the truth - and he’s not sure how they’re even still standing. Dream sways on his feet, shadows under his eyes more prominent than ever, and even Wilbur’s perfect smile is marred from the blood trickling out of gashes on his face. Breaking Dream out of prison, Quackity gathers, had been harder than they’d expected.

“We do!” Wilbur agrees cheerfully, arm looped around Dream casually. “I think it would be incredibly beneficial for the three of us - each of us have a skill or quality the others lack. Together, we could really get this server in shape.”

Quackity arches an eyebrow. “What skills and qualities would they be?”

“Well, naturally, I’m the charismatic one.” Wilbur lifts his free hand when Quackity goes to interrupt, smile never wavering. “Yes, I know you’re also charismatic, but people also think you’re unhinged.”

“You’re the one who blew up your own fucking country.”

Wilbur rolls his eyes. “I know, but I succeeded. You tried to kill Technoblade - who, needless to say, is still alive and on all three lives, unlike you, sorry not sorry.”

Affronted, gritting his teeth at the reminder, Quackity scowls. “Go on, then.”

“And we have you,” Wilbur presses on, flattery oozing into his voice - Quackity can sense it a mile off, but it’s still hard not to preen - “you’re resourceful, Big Q. You’re good at business and you’re cunning and you’ve built a whole fucking country and kept it lucrative. Dream and I had something of a struggle keeping our countries in one piece, if you remember correctly.”

Quackity snorts. “Yeah, I remember. And...” His eyes travel to Dream, who looks to be a thousand miles away, whose eyes are faded and unfocused, who really, Quackity thinks, has looked a hell of a lot better and more stable. “What about him?”

“Well, right now, he’s currently walking around on a shattered leg, two broken ribs, no hunger bars, seven days worth of sleep deprivation and a concussion,” Wilbur explains, bright when Quackity goes pale, “not to mention the bucketloads of trauma and mental illness. I honestly don’t know how he’s still standing. I know I sure as hell wouldn’t be. Turns out he’s got quite a good poker face, wouldn’t you say?”

Quackity stares at Dream. “Jesus Christ.”

“I say we’d make a great team.” Wilbur leans closer, grinning. “You’ve got the country and business side of things, I’ve got the charisma and stability - or, well, apparent stability - and Dream has the best fucking poker face I’ve ever seen. Not to mention, he killed eight zombies on the way here while taking hardly any damage. I reckon you need us both.”

“And what do you get out of this?” Quackity asks, because he’s not naïve, and he’s proven correct when Wilbur chuckles in delight and approval. “You’re not just doing this out of the kindness of your hearts.”

Wilbur nods in agreement, eyes sharp as a knife. “Well, we want protection,” he says, like it’s obvious, maybe it is, “we want shelter from the rest of the server and we could do with being a part of a country like yours for the time being. Dream needs somewhere to recover and rest, I need somewhere to lay low for a while, and, well...”

He trails off for a moment, before resuming.

“Well, Big Q, if I’m going to be entirely up front with you, I played card games in the Void for nine straight years, and frankly, I’ve grown fond of them. And what better way than gambling to destroy the server?”

Quackity can’t help amusement curling into his smirk. “You’re fucked up, Wilbur Soot. You’re a fucked up man.”

Wilbur grins. “So you’re on board?”

“Yes, I’m on board, Jesus,” Quackity agrees, running a hand over his face and glancing around, “let’s get you two inside before anyone fuckin’ sees.”

Dream offers him an empty smile that makes his skin crawl. “I don’t suppose you have any health potions, do you?” He asks, like he’s asking about the weather rather than asking for assistance for his crippling health. “I’m on half a heart.”

Quackity winces. “Half a-- yeah, man, we got some health potions. But- I’m gonna need you guys to sign a contract or two first.” Because he’s not an idiot, Wilbur and Dream aren’t idiots, and he doesn’t trust them as far as he can throw them.

“Brilliant!” Wilbur looks pleased. “I have a contract too. Great minds think alike, ey, Quackity?”

Great minds indeed. Quackity rolls his eyes, turning his back and beginning to head in the direction of Vegas. Wilbur hums low under his breath, and begins to follow, with Dream following behind him silently. “This is gonna be the death of me,” he murmurs.

“Or the start of something beautiful,” Wilbur says, something sinister in his voice, “the SMP won’t know what hit them.”

“I’ll be praying for them.” Quackity pauses, turning to Wilbur in bemusement. “You died, right? Does God exist?”

Dream speaks up, voice hoarse. “I’m basically God. I brought him back, you know.” He giggles, and Wilbur looks delighted. “I’m God, Wilbur.”

“Dream is the closest thing to God we have,” Wilbur says, and Quackity can’t help but feel horrified at that thought, “so prayer is pretty much useless.”

“Right,” Quackity says, mildly regretting his decision already, because teaming with a manipulative dead man and a shattered man who thinks he’s God can’t in any world be a good thing, “right, yeah, okay. Does God want a golden apple while we’re signing contracts.”

“If you’ve got one,” Dream says brightly, and Quackity prepares himself for a long couple of months of this team. This is going to go perfect, or it’s going to be the death of them all. Either way, at the very least: things will definitely be interesting.

#> my asks !!#> my writing !!#-> vegas team au #(my tag for this au because i'm Thinking About It)#dr3 this was the BEST idea omg i have such brainrot now #tw trauma #tw injury #tw starvation #tw manipulation #tw abuse #(only mentioned/implied)#tw capitalism #tw dissociation #tw mental deterioration #-> dr3 :]

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manonblaqkbeak · 3 years ago

Text

Worth It

Hello, I’m back for Day 3, a secret relationship. I’m so happy that you guys liked the first prompt, despite the angst lol. This one here isn’t angsty at all, there’s my usual favoured fluff involved, with some Serious Conversations.

Anyway, enjoy!! :)

1.9k words

cw: none

Aelin's mind was buzzing, torn between happiness and nervousness. That was all she could feel ever since the pregnancy test revealed the positive sign over an hour ago and she had just been staring at it since then, wearing nothing but her underwear and one of her favourite hoodies that she had stolen from Rowan long ago.

She and Rowan had talked about children, but had decided that it would be best to have them once things weren't so...complicated. When Aelin would get another job, because all over Rifthold, secretary positions were being offered, but no positions in Rowan's level were being offered.

Because Rowan was her boss, and she was his secretary. And at Havilliard Accounting Firm, office relationships were off the table. If anyone was found out to be in a relationship, it was straight to the HR office for a scolding and a firing; and that the was the absolute last thing that either of them wanted, and since Rowan was her superior, she feared of what would happen to him. Their relationship was equal, there was no manipulation from either side, both of them wanted the relationship and so they decided to be in one.

So Rowan and Aelin dated in secret, keeping their romantic and personal lives out of their professional lives. Which was hard at times, considering that they lived together, and sometimes it was hard to keep a straight face when an unresolved argument was hovering above them, so they had to repeat to themselves about professionalism and boundaries until it was time to go home and fix what problem they were facing at that time.

Aelin hated it, and so did Rowan. It made them feel dirty, like there was something wrong between them, when that was the furthest thing from the truth. When Aelin had first started on the job, she didn't think that she would be with Rowan—honestly, she thought that he was a bit of a bastard, but she got to know him, and found that they had many things in common, and slowly, so slowly, Aelin started to see Rowan in a different light, and when she looked back at that time, she came to the realisation that Rowan had felt the same, that the look he held in his eyes for her were the same as back then.

And once that shared attraction made its appearance, they had fought their feelings for so long, up until a year and a half ago when they had ran into each other at the State Museum on the weekend, had lunch together at the museum cafe and things just went from there.

They made it work, despite the secrecy of it all. Only a few of their friends knew and they promised to keep it to themselves. Absolutely none of the few Whitethorn cousins that worked in the same building knew, as they were complete busybodies and would tell everyone, not at all caring about the circumstances.

None of Aelin's work friends knew either. All they knew was that she was single and not looking for a relationship, that she was focusing on herself before she made any commitments; Rowan had told his work friends something similar.

At first, the secrecy of it all was exciting, like something straight out of the romance novels she adored, but a year and a half later, when they talked about marriage and Aelin had even told him the type of engagement ring she would like, it was becoming tiresome. Aelin just wanted the whole world to know of her love with Rowan, but so far, that was not to be.

Sighing, she wondered back to the now. She supposed she could say that it was the result of a one night stand, but it felt cruel to reduce Rowan to nothing as if was a stranger she fell into bed with and was nothing but a quick fuck after one too many drinks.

Besides, once she had the baby, it would be obvious who the father was. Silver hair and green eyes were dominate in the Whitethorn family, and the chances of her having a silver-haired, green-eyed child was high—it wouldn't take more than two seconds to figure out who the father was, especially if the child inherited Rowan's tanned skin and straight nose.

If the child inherited Aelin's fair skin, her ocean blue eyes, and button nose, however, it might be easier to come up with some story about how someone in Aelin's family had silver hair.

But Aelin didn't want to lie. Didn't want to pass off their child as someone else's.

According to the test, she was seven weeks along, and she was all ready exhausted.

The jingle of keys had Aelin's head snapping up from her seat in the living room, the pregnancy test heavy in her hand.

It was time to tell him. She had to leave work two hours into the day when she was overcome with nausea, and he had kept it professional when he wished her well, but she spotted in the concern in his eyes as he silently asked her if she was okay. Later on, he had texted her, asking if she needed anything from the shops, but she didn't.

Aelin told him she was fine, but now...now she was nervous. Not at all because of Rowan's reaction, but just because of their damned circumstances.

She had never hated the secrecy more until now.

But Aelin made herself smile as he made his way over to her, kissing her on the forehead and asking if she was okay again, once more asking her if she needed him to get her anything. Taking a deep breath, and telling herself that everything would be okay, she clutched the stick in her hand and told him to sit down. He did, his brows furrowed as he looked at her.

Wordlessly, Aelin handed over the test. Rowan took it from her outstretched hand, his eyes wide as he glanced at her, to the test, and then back to her.

“You're pregnant?” he asked, his voice a breathless rush.

Aelin could only nod.

“Fireheart, that's...” he trailed off, Aelin's heart near bursting out of her chest as she waited for his next words, she knew that they'd be positive, but still. Rowan smiled, and it was the most beautiful thing Aelin had ever witnessed. “This is amazing.”

“It is?” The words fell out of her mouth of their own accord. Clearly, she wasn't listening to herself.

Rowan sensed her unease and took her hands in his own, kissing her knuckles as he did. “I know that we've talked about having children later on, but I couldn't be more happy.”

Nodding, Aelin took a deep breath. She was excited too, despite everything. Which was why she said, without a hint of doubt, “I'll hand in my two week notice once I pass the first trimester.”

“Fireheart, I can't ask you to do that,” Rowan said, clutching her hand. “I'll ask for a transfer, and you can stay until you go on maternity leave, and if you still want to quit afterwards and look for work elsewhere, then I'll help you, but you've worked too hard to quit now.”

“Everyone thinks I'm single, Rowan, and I don't want to come up with a horrid about one night stands. We're all ready lying, and I don't want to add more to the pile.”

“The transfer—” Rowan started, but Aelin cut him off.

“You'll just be in a different building, but the company policies will still stand. I know what you're thinking, that in the future I'll resent you and that I'll blame you for making me quit, but I won't. I'm sick of lying, and I know you are too—it's been a year and a half of lies, and with this child are we going to extend that lie for another eighteen years? What if the child is a carbon copy of you? Then all the lies will blow up in our faces. I know you don't think it is, but this is the best option.” Part of her did want to stay, to utilise her maternity leave, but Rowan could be fussy, especially when she wasn't feeling well and if Rowan started fussing over his pregnant secretary then the questions would start flying.

Rowan sighed and was quiet for a long while. “I'm sorry,” he said eventually, “about the lying. I wish it didn't have to be like this. I wish that you didn't think you had to quit, but I understand why.” Again, he hated the whole expandable aspect of it all—but annoyingly, it made more financial sense for Rowan to stay and for Aelin to leave.

Rowan really did hate it, but Aelin had clearly made up her mind, and would not change her mind, she was stubborn.

“I know, but Rowan, I don't regret being with you, not for a moment. I just want to start this journey on a more joyful road. I love you, to whatever end.”

Rowan smiled softly at her, his worries easing away just a little bit at their words—their promise to each other. “To whatever end. We'll figure it out.”

“We will.” Deciding that she wanted to be wrapped in his arms, Aelin snuggled against him, breathing in his pine and snow scent, she was close to drifting off, when Rowan cleared his throat. Glancing up at him, he had a smile on his face, and an unreadable look in his eyes. “What?”

“I suppose now would be a horrible time to propose?”

Sitting back in a blink of an eye, Aelin crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him. “Rowan Whitethorn, if you propose to me while I'm wearing this shitty old hoodie, I swear to the gods, I will singe off your eyebrows right now.”

“So that's a no?” He asked, his lips twitching, eyes swimming with barely concealed mirth at her. Her own lips wanted to rise in a smile, but she slammed it down.

“It's a no for now. I want to be wearing a nice dress, eating good food—but not in a crowd, you know I hate crowd proposals—with a pretty view—”

“I thought that I was the pretty view?” Rowan interrupted, laughing at the glare Aelin sent his way.

“And I forgot the rest of what I was going to say, but I am not being proposed to on a sofa.”

“Okay, no sofa proposals, I can remember that.”

“Good,” Aelin muttered and returned to his arms. They spoke of their future, of their baby and a list of potential names.

X X X X X X

Rowan proposed six months later at the beach, three months to the day that she had quit, with work being none the wiser, until recently, and they got off scott-free since Aelin was no longer employed there. The sky was a beautiful canvas of pink and peach, the only sounds the crashing of the waves, with no people around.

The ring was the exact one she had picked out long ago—a sparkly emerald with size of her fingernail on a gold band.

And it was exactly as she wished it, her in a nice sundress, with good food and ever-growing pretty views.

Having a secret relationship for a year and a half was exhausting, but well worth it in the end.

#rowaelin #rowaelinmonth #fluff #my work

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