#big guy overseeing his territory

[heyimcolleen]

Day 9 of Improvement Hell

I decided to take this as another chance make some concept art for one of my developing series! I have indeed been to summer camp before, but I’ve never drawn a summer camp before. I was the most pleased with how the cabins turned out, but I really struggled with the trees. I’m not a fan of drawing trees. On the other hand I guess I could use this challenge as an excuse to practice drawing them?

I included some concept art of the characters from this story (partially to make up for how unhappy I was with these damn pine trees lol). This was my first time drawing them digitally and their designs are still pretty subject to change, but I’m happy with them for now

[loominggaia]

Future Plot Ideas: 9/24

Even MORE future ideas! Obviously major spoilers are ahead, so read at your discretion. Not all of these ideas are finalized, they may change a lot between now and the final drafts. I also don't have an exact timeline for these events yet. These are mostly character-focused.

You can see more ideas here.

Text under the cut:

LUKAS

Azura and Jelani hire Lukas to paint murals all over Uekoro, honoring the historic abolishment of slavery. These murals get the attention of visiting foreign nobles, who then hire Lukas to decorate their own territories. At some point Lukas starts making more money on these art commissions than mercenary work, and decides it's time to finally transition out of the mercenary life like he always wanted to.

He retires as a mercenary, but still calls Drifter's Hollow his home. He reaches a point where he can make designs at home, then send his team of apprentices to do the grunt work for him. Sometimes he travels to oversee the projects, but mostly he's at home working on other stuff, like his writing career. Azura hires him to write a biography about Zov for her anti-Evangeline exhibition, among other things. Maybe also an embarrassing tell-all book about her mother, just to ruffle some feathers?

AZURA

Azura gathers a lot of valuable intel from Zov that she uses to launch an attack on Evangeline Kingdom. Zov is the longest-surviving pit fighter in history, and with his goblin memory, he's able to perfectly recall the layouts and security weaknesses of every major fighting arena in Evangeline Kingdom. Azura passes this intel along to her troops of Liberators, who storm the arenas during tournaments and rescue hundreds of pit fighting slaves.

These slaves are all tough as nails, pissed off, augmented with surgeries to make them stronger, and highly skilled in combat. Most of them end up joining a special forces unit in the Folkvaran military, and prove to be a huge thorn in Evangeline's side later. The Evangeline economy takes another big fat L from the raids, and the war officially starts tipping in Folkvar's favor.

EVAN

Lukas stepped down as Evan's commander to pursue his art career, and Evan is finding less motivation to keep doing mercenary work without him, especially as his heart troubles continue to get worse. His health forces him to cut way back on the action, and he resigns himself to the paperwork side of things while he lets the younger generation of Good Guys take over.

Evan can't stand this paper-pushing lifestyle for long though, so he makes a point to take frequent vacations and trains the younger mercenaries daily. Passing on his knowledge to the new generation gives him purpose, even if he can't get in on the action himself anymore. Once in a great while, the crew encounters a beast of a mission and he's forced to come out of retirement for a contract or two. Other than that, he just chills and learns to enjoy the simple life with Lukas.

BUDDY AND JENNIE

Buddy lives at the Temple of Love and Light in Taybiya, earning a position as Patience's assistant. They love their new life and are eager to spring out of bed each day to help Allkind. Though they were once conflicted, they now understand the evil of the Crescent Cult and have fully turned their back on Goryx, just as Lily turned her back on Dario.

Buddy still has significant physical and intellectual disabilities from their "upbringing" in the agony cradle, but they are getting stronger with daily therapy from the priestesses, and they understand Karenza's teachings better than most people. They are the most eager and dedicated Karenzan in the temple. Patience is very much a mother-figure to them, but Lily and Zov are also supportive and Buddy considers them their family.

One night, Buddy hears Lily crying out and thinks she's in danger, so they come barreling into her bedroom...only to find her and Zov having sex. But Buddy's only exposure to "sex" before this were the violent rapes that occurred daily in the Crescent Cult, so they have no understanding that it can be a good thing. They believe Zov is attacking her, so they tackle Zov and trap him in a chokehold, trying to give Lily a chance to escape. Zov has a bad temper and normally something like this would really piss him off...but it doesn't, because he's too impressed by Buddy's chokeholding technique, and also proud of their courage in trying to keep Lily safe.

Zov decides Buddy has combat potential and begins teaching them what he learned from years of pit-fighting. Buddy may be crippled, but they learn to make the most of what they've got, as Zov taught them the dirtiest tricks in the books to take down opponents much bigger than themselves. After a few months of training, Buddy becomes a little ass-kicker that everyone underestimates.

Lily and Zov eventually marry and adopt a goblin toddler named Jennie. Buddy is extremely protective of Jennie, because their only experience with children previously was watching the Crescent Cult throw them in agony cradles, and they can't bear the thought of this happening to her.

Zov and Lily are doing as well as one could hope, but still suffer from periods of intense mental illness from time to time. When Zov is psychotic and Lily is crippled by depression, Buddy acts as Jennie's guardian until her parents get better. Jennie is a curious girl who likes to sneak out of the temple, dragging Buddy along on all sorts of wacky shenanigans. Let's just say their combat training comes in handy.

ALAINE

Alaine finds herself inexplicably slowing down and feeling ill. Her folk remedies aren't working, and it reaches it point where she can barely do her job anymore, so she seeks real treatment. Dr. Che suspects it's something beyond his scope, so the crew takes her to a hospital in Zareen Empire. Sadly, she is diagnosed with cancer. This is not surprising to her, as she did grow up in one of the most polluted areas on Looming Gaia, where such a thing is common.

The good news is, Zareen Empire is well-equipped to deal with cancer and she is expected to survive with proper treatment. The bad news is, treatment will take a long time and she will not be able to do mercenary work or return to the Hollow until it's over. Even though he despises Zareen Empire, Glenvar volunteers to stay there with Alaine and care for her until she gets better.

This period tests the absolute limits of their relationship, and it's the thing that finally convinces Glenvar to stop drinking and take his relationship with Alaine seriously. They both have a lot of personal growth by the end of it.

BALTHAZAAR AND AZADORA

After Talzihaar, Eleza, and Alzira's deaths in the Crescent Cult terrorist attack, Naima and Riza move to the Hollow. Initially, Balthazaar tells Azadora that Naima is his sister and her aunt. But eventually he's forced to confess the truth, as he falls in love with Naima and they get married. Azadora learns the truth about her real parents and she's devastated that Balthazaar would lie to her for so many years. She wants to set out on a personal quest to find Allmother and get more answers about her past.

Balthazaar becomes too old and out of shape for mercenary work anymore. He retires to become a horse rancher while Naima and Ginger run the Hollow's first official schoolhouse together, taking shifts teaching kids and adults alike.

Balthazaar is disappointed in Azadora's decision to become a mercenary, but respects her wishes and doesn't stop her. He and Naima focus on pushing Riza through college so she can one day be the educated breadwinner of the family.

JAVAAN

After living a dishonorable life, Javaan meets an honorable death in battle defending his friends from the Crescent Cult. Whatever issues the FGG had with him are buried in the past, and he goes down in their memories as a hero. Ranger honors his father by taking his place in the FGG and using all the skills he taught him.

THE KIDS

Now with so much of the old guard out of commission, the Freelance Good Guys are in serious need of hands. Isaac takes Evan's place as captain and appoints Azadora as his commander. Evan even graduates some of the young mercenaries-in-training early and approves them for easy contracts to start with.

The crew now consists of Isaac, Azadora, Elska, Skel, Linde, Jeimos, Jasenia, Zacry, Frederick, Ranger, Trip (Mr. Ocean's "daughter"), and Nora. Cinnamon is still too young to join contracts, but is an aspiring mercenary-in-training.

GINGER AND FAMILY

Ginger is running the new schoolhouse with Naima, bringing a solid education to the new migrants trickling in to Drifter's Hollow. Itchy's candy has been catching on over the years, until one day a Zareenite businessman buys his recipe for a big chunk of money. Itchy and Ginger use the money to send Tomato to a fancy boarding school in Sodergen for a few years. There he meets two boys named Kast and Thetos...

Cinnamon is growing into a foul-mouthed little menace. She has Ginger's intelligence, Itchy's deviousness, and she's a telepathic prodigy, which is a recipe for disaster. She weaponizes her disabilities to manipulate people and also uses her telepathy to get what she wants. She's spiraling into a successful criminal career, so in an act of desperation, Itchy and Ginger send her to Evan's boot camp and she begins training to be a mercenary.

Hanging around the Good Guys does eventually straighten her out, and she learns to use her powers for good...mostly. But she will always have that little devious streak she inherited from her father. Her advanced skills in magic give her a big ego, and she's prone to getting herself into situations over her head. She looks through other peoples' eyes using telepathy and communicates almost totally telepathically. When she does communicate verbally, it's usually to curse at someone.

OLOF

One day while working a contract in Folkvar Kingdom, Elska and Frederick recognize Olof's wife, Haldora! They know her by her facial tattoos and missing finger. She was rescued from Evangelite slavery by Azura's liberators, and is now married to Steel-Breaker (the centaur who refused to breed with Elska in "Unbreakable", appeared again in "Blue Boy", and would later become a Red Liberator troop leader)

They take her back to the Hollow to visit Olof. Olof refused to remarry until he knew her fate, and he's disappointed to learn that she did not do the same for him. Haldora is hardened by years of slavery trauma and is obsessed with seeing Evangeline Kingdom fall. She tries to recruit Frederick and Olof into the Folkvar military, and is disappointed by their "cowardice" when they refuse.

Olof realizes this is not the same woman he married anymore and sadly watches her return to Folkvar Kingdom. On the bright side, he finally knows her fate and he realizes it's a relief, because now he can finally move on with his life. He opens his heart to love again.

LINDE AND JEIMOS

Jeimos' rich-billionaire-daddy Ojio agrees to make a huge donation to the Order of Love and Light, but only if Austerity helps Jeimos with their gender issues. Austerity agrees and gives Jeimos a female-to-male transformation. Jeimos feels much more at ease with this new male body and decides to celebrate by making love to Linde...only to get her pregnant. They didn't think such a thing was possible, but it seemed Austerity's transformation was truly flawless!

Neither of them are ready to be parents, but Linde already had one abortion in her past and can't stomach another, so they decide to do their best. Linde gives birth to a healthy child, which the whole village helps to raise. They name him Cygnio, after a character from Star Rangers, because Jeimos is a big hopeless nerd who can't help themselves.

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I might post some more ideas later, but that's what I have for now. If you guys have any objections or suggestions please let me know! I'm always open to new ideas and criticisms!

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[cwarscars]

final fantasy xvi verse // ( spoilers for mid-late game content under cut )

in this universe - heidegger resides in sanbreque, taking his place in a similar role to that of his part in ffvii. he is a military leader / strategist and commands the armies of the holy empire. his command is of those directly beneath the emperor's army / ranks. he has no input with lord dion's dragoon knights. as well as this, heidegger oversees those within the imperial army ( and by extension, the branded used to fight within it ). in this universe, as he is in ffvii, he's massively prejudice, cruel and sadistic. he is also a veteran of war, has old wounds ( all of them similar to his timeline listed injuries ) & has many medals / feats to his name. despite commanding the military, heidegger works closely with the emperor - sylvestre lesage - and actually holds the man in the same vain as he does shinra in his standard universe. in truth, heid is borderline obsessed / in love with the man ( a heavily guarded secret he'd never admit unless seriously pushed ). he also favours lady anabella and feels she's a suitable choice for his emperor ( big yikes my guy, this aint it ). heid's relationship with dion is a strained one - he knew the man as a boy and has forever admired his skills but the two clash due to heid's stubborness and dion's compassion. in terms of powers / dominants and the like. heid is a regular soldier though one who once fought valiantly on the battlefield. he's a naturally strong sort, who could always hold his own in battle. however, in some verses & whilst writing with certain plots, i will introduce the idea of heid being a dominant himself. in keeping with ffvii, his eikon is kujata. i chose this, as i feel the multi-elemental chaotic bull suits heid pretty well ( the representation of the bull is that it carries a weight on its back - something that could be argued for my heid ). this is something that will only be experimented with on certain plots and will not be implicated / written when writing in my standard ffxvi verse.

spoiler territory below -

after dion accidentally impales his father & succumbs to madness / destroys the place as bahamut, heid somehow survives and makes it his mission to exact revenge on the man ( a total misunderstanding ).

without his kingdom and in dire straits after the destruction / death of his emperor, heid is on the warpath and will do anything to catch the young dragoon.

[tyrantchimera]

Hey there. I've got some new info/observations I've been meaning to add and I felt like now was as good a time as any. But this rant got long so readmore time!

First of all, the map they gave us is actually ridiculously detailed. You can tell A LOT about what overlords rule a district just by looking at it, and I feel now is as good a time as any to highlight some of these. Let's start with the most obvious, the Vees.

The Vees pride themselves on being modern, and if you look at the top-left district, it's full of neon signs, tall buildings, and plenty of lights. Overlords seem to be based on various industries, and it fits the bill for the Vees being the Big Kahunas of the entertainment industry. The V tower is easily distinguishable. Interesting these obvious big, neon signs seemed to have spread tto the grey transitionary district between the Vee’s terrritroy and Alastor’s. Considering Alastor took a seven year ‘sabbatical’, this makes sense that they were able to creep their influence towards his territory. There are also a lot of big neon signs in the center area, the one I associate with Lucifer the most. I may have to alter that interpretation later, but that’s not for right now. What you CAN see, apart from the heaven embassy smack dab in the middle, is a lot more neon signs. So if this territory is associated with Lucifer, who we know hasn’t exactly been active in asserting his dominance over Hell, it makes sense that the Vees have been heavily influencing this place too.

To focus a little more on “Lucifer’s” territory, the central area, it’s plausible that there’s also a lot of flashy lighting because of his interest in circus. And many other overlords probably wouldn’t be too keen on gathering permanent territory in the area closest to the Heaven embassy, AKA most likely to have the highest death count of the angels all appear from there. Charlie is seen very close to the Embassy in the pilot episode as well, suggesting that she and/or her father have a home nearby the centre. Now obviously we need to take pilot episode info with a grain of salt, but still. So far it tracks. Especially if it’s a hot-zone for Turf Wars like we saw in the pilot. There’s no specific industry here, and why would there be? Lucifer wasn’t really into spreading his influence in this city. Nd why would he? He’s got the entirety of Hell to work with.

So, let’s go counter-clockwise and focus on the next district: presumably, the one Carmilla oversees.

Earlier poster put enough info on their stuff that I don’t think I need to go too into this. Carmilla likely owns this district due to the obvious factory we see there there’s also a lot of smokestacks, suggesting it’s a very industrial area. We also know from episode 3 of Hazbin Hotel that Velvette seems to have a grudge against Carmilla. If Carmilla is running the territory directly next to them, that makes sense. It’s likely they’ve had disputes. They even used the poo emoji picture  of Carmilla for their war table, so that is definitely some aggression there. Of course, with Carmillla being the big guns in the weapons (and probably general manufacturing) industry, trying to take any of her territory would involve some pretty steep resistance.

Now for the next district! But oh, wait. A quick aside. As I mentioned earlier, the grey areas in-between the major districts, which form the points of the stars of the pentagram of Pentagram City, are what I consider transitionary areas. They belong to smaller overlords that we might not have seen yet, they’re constantly changing hands, they might belong to multiple overlords, IDK. Maybe they belong to Zestial and the bug/ghost/butler guy combined. I really don’t know. I’ll be overlooking them for now, for the most part.

With that in  mind, the next big district is Rosie’s! At the very centre you can see the podium that we also saw in episode 7, where Charlie made her announcement. Like I said earlier, this map was hella detailed. IT seems obvious to me that this is Cannibal Town, though admittedly in the top-right of the territory there seems to be an area with decor that doesn’t entirely match Rosie’s aesthetic. It looks more oriental in nature if I’m gonna be blunt. Maybe a friend of hers?

It’s also interesting that this is one of two districts that seems to have a lot of ‘greenery’, and seeing as Rosie does a lot to keep her people happy, I’ve no doubt she keeps these green spaces in good condition on purpose. Rosie’s emporium can be seen near the podium, and if you watch episode 7 closely you can see that a lot of the buildings in the area are shops. This makes it seem to me that Rosie is in charge of the shopping and/or Fashion industry. Considering that, it’s no wonder she strives so hard to keep up a clean appearance in her area.

Now for the most desolate of the districts: the Doomsday District. There’s little here for the most part, save for a lot of rubble, fissures, swirls that suggest barbed wire, and maybe a few tall lights left over on the left-most chunk. Zeezi is fairly enigmatic at this point: we’ve seen images of her destroyed district, she’s appeared in a nightclub in the pilot and the meeting in episode 3, and that’s it. If Zeezi is based on an industry, my best guess is the party industry. (Could also be sports or alcohol industry, mind, all of which are fairly destructive if left unchecked.) Clearly some buildings have survived, but overall the place doesn’t seem particularly functional. Sinners probably only go there if they want to party hard, blow shit up, and/or start a fight.

Finally, we get to the district with the Hotel… Alastor’s district! Although with Lucifer and Charlie barging their way in there, he might not have as much as a hold on it as he’d like to think. Poor guy got two roommates whether he wanted them or not. But honestly, considering the seemingly low population density of the district, he might not even care. There’s a lot more barren areas, like the forest areas like you can see in the far right, complete with unwelcoming-looking trees. Him and Rosie are friends so it makes sense that they both value greenery, though Alastor’s ‘garden’ is a lot less friendly looking. What few buildings you can see appear to have antennas on a decent number of them. All for radio reception I’m sure, as he's into the radio entertainment thing. This might be the lowest density of Hell’s population too, aside from the Doomsday district, if we go sheerly by size and number of the buildings. Considering Alastor is a serial killer who spent his first few decades happily hunting down sinners, it makes sense that people would get the heck out of the region.

Anyways, thanks for reading. Did anyone else notices these details while looking at the image?

Just wanted to start a conversation about the districts and overlords of Pentagram City.

So an overlord is any sinner with lots of power, territory, souls or all of the above. They can be in charge of a industry like weapons, entertainment, internet, radio etc which can form its own district.

So far I’ve only seen two districts names confirmed (Doomsday and Cannibal) the other two are just assumption. I love that the Vs district is the most modern. Some districts or industries that may exist are mafia, drug production, and Gambling.

There are sinners that have blocks of territory but not considered a “heavy hitter” I think Husk was an Overlord of Gambling and owned casinos and some territory he won in gambling.

[the-firebird69]

There are other things happening but our son and daughter are correct the pseudo empire and the warlock just want to sit here and suck themselves down the toilet and ignore the empire and look at it like their job or something who knows they're wrong and they don't understand people they're very obtuse and there is a point to it if everybody's fighting and they suddenly start to go after people while they're fighting it could be a problem so people decide to get rid of them and they don't understand it because they're very very arrogant. There's tons and tons of them that need to die this guy Billy Hicks needs to die now I'm sending people in they need to die all the time they are sassy people so badly they bring people the tears of their own constantly there's no reason to let them live there's such insulin f***** this guy Trump dies like an extreme homo you should you see what he's doing in there he's a massive gay boy standing there not thinking requesting someone help him from anywhere I mean it's just horrible it's like a dog so damn dumb and yeah he's been dumb for a while but really this is terrible it's hard to give a report it's so damned annoying and now I know people are saying we can't have people jamming it to us we need people to pull them off they need people right now to entertain them by shooting them or burning half them that's what really needs to be done tons and tons of maintenance so we're doing it now and they're doing a ton of it and it's still not enough

-along with them trying to attack this is a big deal now the pseudo empire is trying to load up here in Florida the clones are at them and the morlock and us and they're ridiculous and the empire is coming in finally and 4:2 and they are and we are and we're getting rid of the clones the pseudo empire and the morlock and fighting over stuff mildly and it's going well it's been going on for 3 months but right now it's intensified there are people who are getting completely blasted away that I mean there's groups of these people that are gone and they're higher ups and they're not coming back and they don't know who the hell is doing anything and the losing territory they had a court date today most of the missed and lost their stuff that's pretty much down to small percent it's 1/5 of what it was and it just taking it anyways and we are at least and it's going it's going down that way it's too slow in the pseudo empires doing it and they're slow it's kind of an emergency because they're so lame this act is really cheesy he's kind of in a prison doesn't really have much to do and they let him say stuff and they say that he's angry as hell and frustrated and really they're very stupid.

-other things are happening the ships are going to prepare for lunch in moments they are going to begin loading the secured fuel and they secured a lot of it and it's twice as much as they need because they have to run down the whole gamut of engine prep and we are going to oversee it and we have to and Tommy F knows it and his nose is way up in the air and it shouldn't be he loses games and he loses arguments and he loses money just like anyone else and he's stuck to it like nobody's tomorrow he kind of deserves to be it's extremely rude and everyone else is we can't stand it. There are a few other things happening a son and daughter are stressed out but they'll be okay they say you see things are happening now and they weren't for years quite a few not in their favor and now it's starting to be but just starting and it's that way all over the place but the pseudo empire is being attacked clones and warlock as well territory wise we have like 50% and it's not too much more than that but our territory is decent and the warlock and such are not they're not going to be on the basis but very much longer and they won't have access to tunnels not major ones and I'll start trying to build devices and will be out.

-it is a war and it's fierce but these people are annoying on everyone and annoying everybody and they say they're having their say they get some killed and they say they don't care they find out it's true and they do and it's too late and then they turn into spazzes and we can't have it huge numbers of people are idiots and just count tow and do horrible things it's nasty we worked on that accident and we found out what happened and why but he was saying was the guys trying to ding me hit my the front of my bike and closed his eyes and nailed it let the space grow and they saw it they found a video and they are going to put a warrant on him here and put the Gorda it's Tommy F but it's his character and he's the one who is beating that lady up as his daughter in the gas station and he's beating someone else up and he beat some girl up in the car and his daughter again who really had nothing to do with it it wasn't her in the other car it wasn't her in the victim's car she wasn't around wondering what the hell he's doing and she's just sitting there talking to you taunting him saying you you brought the whole world down upon us okay it's not his daughter but that's what she's saying why the hell do you have a say that stupid stuff it's not even your daughter and everyone say it he says that she has an effect on people they're all saying and you're full of s*** so we know what it is and using her as a symbol and a son says haven't you ever heard of a wig so she comes out with red hair and he's saying all sorts of s*** and stops him so she's going out with red hair now and the guys stopped attacking her. So attacked Tommy f a few times he says that's who we use as symbology and it also needs that oh I get it so I can't use you but you're using me when I said was we're using you a symbology because you're trying to use me and that's why please when you get shot in the head and that's symbology comprende a****** okay we're going to hit you now no we're going to hit you now and he said that and we went and hit him and he's going to get killed pretty soon and finally we'll get killed shortly we think within a week he'll be dead and he's spent that guy is gone. There's a lot of people that need to go here it's been said a lot we really have to do it and we have more to announce and I'm going to post and that's how it goes with idiots interrupting

Zig Zag

Olympus

[percontaion-points]

The Chemist chapters 20 & 21

Click to see the rest of the snark & image descriptions

Chapter 20

She could lose him, and she didn’t know how to live with that.

Chapter 20 summary: As she drives, Julie calls Kevin and basically info dumps on the past couple of chapters. He doesn’t want Julie to say out loud what his idiot brother did, so he makes stabs in the dark until he stumbles upon the right idea. He talks briefly to Daniel, something that Julie can’t overhear, but seems more upset over the loss of his dogs. Both because people will come and grab them and also the ones who got shot in the fighting earlier. He doesn’t really have a whole lot to say about Arnie other than that his real name was Ernesto. 

Daniel says that there’s a cabin his family used to summer at when they were children. It doesn’t belong to the family, but some elderly neighbours. Since they’ve got no better direction, they start heading that way. However, Julie complains that the Humvee is guzzling gas, and they’re going to have to stop sooner than later. 

At the gas station, she goes in to grab some food and to pay for the gas with cash. The entire incident is going pretty okay, but then some hooligan bumps into her as she’s trying to leave. He starts making a big scene, the lady at the register threatens to call 911. Then Daniel comes in and uses his Teacher Voice™ on them. Despite it scaring off the kids, Julie says that it’ll cement the moment in the cashier’s mind forever. 

They drive into a nation forest, where they park and let the three dogs they did rescue out. As Julie and Daniel try to go to sleep, Daniel starts shaking violently. Now that they’re no longer on the move, everything has come crashing down on Daniel that both of them almost died. For real, this time. Julie knows how he feels. 

Chapter 21

“I know exactly how I feel about you.” Her lips again, her throat. “But I’m not entirely sure how you feel about me.”

Dude, you are literally on the run from mysterious government men who want you DEAD. But sure. Let’s sit around and talk about FEELINGS. Do you want to braid Julie’s hair while you’re at it?

He took her hand. “I’ve always been a quick study with linguistics.”

Chapter 21 summary: They start making out, but are interrupted by Kevin calling with a name. The person is familiar to Julie; some guy who always wanted to oversee their lab projects, but never actually came down. Kevin says that he’s second in command now; one phone call from him, and it’s all over for the target. Julie doesn’t think that it would be hard to take the guy out, but knows that taking him out might leave some loose ends. She agrees to send the email later, and to await further instructions. Kevin says that he’s working on leaving Lola somewhere, since she’s hurt and needs help. 

Daniel then changes the bandage on Julie’s ear, since it was bleeding through. He tries to talk about their feelings. And I get that this is uncharted territory for the guy, but like… read the goddamned situation, man. TIME AND PLACE, DUDE. TIME AND PLACE. Julie has to remind him that they’re basically trying to make it through one day without getting killed, which puts a damper on any romantic feelings he might be having. But she does promise that if they get through this, then they’ll have that conversation. 

They sleep, but when Julie wakes up, Daniel is gone. He comes back from “walking the dog”, on the phone with Kevin. Kevin is reaming his brother out, and reminds Julie to put a better leash on Daniel before he gets killed. Once again, she reminds Daniel that he simply can’t go wandering off whenever he fucking feels like it. He tells her that he loves her, which is so fucking maddening. I’m with Julie’s earlier assessment that he’s simply attaching himself to the first person he sees after so much trauma. This isn’t healthy. 

They drive for a while, and then Daniel apologises for how he keeps fucking up. Julie reassures him that if they’re forced to spend so much time together, they’re going to have to learn how to “speak the same language”. 

[blzzrdstryr]

Generous offering

Yandere!Zhongli x gn!Fatui Harbinger!reader

Wordcount:1843

CW:Yandere themes

There are several simple things one should know before dealing with the archons - be respectful and polite, speak only when you’re allowed to and most importantly - never forget that archons aren’t humans.

The first two rules are instinctive - it’s natural for humans to simper and bow before the forces far greater than them, while the latter is not; on the contrary it’s counterintuitive and unexpected. People tend to project, tend to humanize - they see kindness when there’s none and make a huge mistake of assuming that archons see things the way they see it.

Tsaritsa, for example, lacks humanity, despite holding the title of Goddess of Love. The love that she holds for you is different from love mothers and fathers give to their children, or love that young sweethearts share at night, it’s cold and impersonal and undeniably cruel.

Tsaritsa says that she loves all of you and she loves Snezhnaya, yet she lashes out a harsh and gruelling punishments at every perceived failure and rules her land with an iron fist, one would think that the cryo archon is a liar and a hypocrite, who uses pretty, flowery words to hide the atrocities she commits, but this perspective is flawed. Tsaritsa loves all of you and she loves Snezhnaya, she’s just not human enough to properly express this.

That’s why it’s a bit jarring to see the ancient lord of these lands in his mortal form - he lacks the same otherworldly terror and grandiose that every of Tsaritsa’s move and word carry, yet he also possesses the air of wisdom and elegance so refined that rare person can reach it. It’s easy to assume that he’s human.

Rex Lapis, or “Zhongli” as he calls himself now invites you to the Liuli pavillion the second day after your arrival, for tea and local cuisine as he says, and who are you to decline a God?

Liuli staff hurries and dashes around, preparing their best room for you - Fatui are known for their seemingly endless finances, no wonder they’re in haste. “Please make yourself comfortable, dear guests”, the waiter curtsies and leads you to the dining room, which happens to be richly furnished and decorated with high-quality darkwood furniture and the hand painted wall panels further accentuating the luxury of the restaurant.

One of these panels illustrate different scenes from the Liyuen mythos - a battle of mighty and wise adepti against the horde of demons, Rex Lapis aiding his people in building the Harbour and the most spectacular one - a majestic dark brown dragon with golden fur and feathers descending to the devoted worshippers, who in turn present him with their offerings and gratitude.

He orders tea and meals for both of you, as you start to converse about the plan that he is determined to bring into life - the so-called test of Liyue, and the guarantee of you obtaining his gnosis.

“And what about your colleague?”, he sips a bit of his tea, intense amber eyes piercing right through you. He looks both human and non-human in this moment, both undeniably mortal softness and frailty seen in his figure and the barely concealed divinity, the sense of awe slowly seeping into air mixing in one person.

“And what about him? Tsaritsa and you have negotiated everything beforehand, I will make sure that he plays his part properly”, he hums at your answer, lowering his gaze deep in thought. You start on your own tea.

Ah, Childe, if only he knew why exactly he’s here - a distraction and a scapegoat. You even feel bad for him - it’s truly unfair to be lied to by your own Goddess. However, it’s also not a big surprise - Childe is the loudest out of all Harbingers in all senses. Infamous for his skills and battle obsession, his name is enough to have people both shivering in fear and cursing him.

“What do you think of your archon? Was serving her of any use to you?”Rex Lapis unexpectedly asks.

You lean back in your seat, thinking what to say.

“Tsaritsa is a gentle soul, she declared war only to protect us, her subjects and I am ready to aid her in whatever undertaking she starts”.

“Will you continue to serve Tsaritsa, if her action might put you in danger, make you suffer and bring unnecessary grief?”, he leans closer to you, his human features distorting enough to reveal the ancient dragon sleeping inside. His eyes shine a cold golden glow and accurate fingernails morph into sharp, dark claws.

“Yes”, you breathe out, mesmerized and terrified by the sudden change: “Her love knows no bounds, yet she always puts the needs of the nation before anyone else. If my suffering can help Snezhnaya, then I will accept it with open arms”, he moves back at your answer, all draconic traces gone in an instance, upper corner of his lips subtly rising - whatever you said must’ve pleased him immensely.

The conversation flows back into the territory of plans to be realized, yet the cold sensation of dread still clings to you, your gut feeling yelling at you to get up and run. You remain seated to the end of your meeting, politely conversing with the God that terrifies you.

***

Days slowly grow into weeks and Childe acts just as you have expected - the Eleventh Harbinger might be smart, yet even he wouldn’t be able to see what two of you are scheming. Still, you request Ekaterine, a spy you planted in Northland bank, to keep you updated on the Tartaglia’s actions - extra caution never hurts.

You continue to meet up with geo archon, as you two discuss your next actions. Tartaglia has started cooperating with that blonde foreigner Signora has warned you about, and while this union doesn’t pose any threat to your plans, it’s always good to have a plan B, just in case something happens.

Sometimes your conversation develops into a more unexpected direction, as you find the archaic lord more chatty and tending to ramble, than any of Liyuen historians would dare to picture him as. One on such occasion he talks with you about dragons - benevolent deities who protect and bless their people in an exchange of generous offerings.

His eyes devour you, as he retells you ancient folktales and you suppress your discomfort, preferring to attribute his honestly unnerving behaviour down to his lack of humanity - he was never human in the first place.

That’s why you also prohibit yourself from viewing him as anything but God - Rex Lapis in his “Zhongli” persona is genuinely attractive, he’s well-mannered and obviously handsome and far more knowledgeable than any mortal should be. If you didn’t know of his true nature you would have fallen for him by now - it’s hard not to.

Life, how strange that wouldn’t sound, goes as usual - you get Ekaterine’s report on what Childe’s up to and if it’s something unexpected you book a Liuli pavilion room and send an invitation to the funeral parlour consultant. You only need to wait until Childe gets desperate enough and decides to use the sigils of permission to unleash the well-awaited chaos.

This routine however is soon broken by the appearance of familiar ashy-white hair in the distance. She doesn’t wear her signature mask or dress, nor are there agents at both of her sides, yet you can still clearly recognize her. Signora leaves the Wangsheng building in haste, cape with the hood concealing most of her face and figure, except the long locks of hair, peeking from inside.

What is she doing here?

You thought that Tsaritsa sent two of her servants - Tartaglia and you, him to “test” Liyue, you to oversee the former’s actions and obtain gnosis, there’s no need to send her too.

Your mind races, as you search for a logical explanation of Signora’s presence as your memory supplies the piece of first conversation you had with “Zhongli” - could it be that Tsaritsa also sent you to play a role you have no idea of?

Cryo archon is a goddess of love and her love is cruel and unforgiving, she has sacrificed countless chess pieces before, so it wouldn’t be surprising if she did that again - you are nothing but a pawn after all, one of the tools she uses to exact her will and force her vision, all of the Harbingers are.

You want to believe that you can accept and resign to whatever hardship and fate your Goddess might subject you to. You can’t.

***

Adepti and Qixing converse at the pier of the seaport, as you hurry to the Northland Bank, a slight smile playing on your lips - Childe has finally done it - he summoned an ancient god to lure out Rex Lapis, ultimately proving that Liyue can stand without him.

There are sounds of heated argument heard when you open the building’s door and then you see it - Signora and Tartaglia exchanging barely concealed insults and “Zhongli” standing nearby.

“[Harbinger]? What are you doing here?”, the ginger shifts his gaze onto you, a rare emotion of hurt and disbelief flickering in his dead fish eyes. “Of course, Tsaritsa sent you too”, he smiles, angry and disappointed. “Seems that whole world wants to make a bad guy out of me”, he stomps out of the room, leaving you with Signora and “Zhongli”

“[Harbinger]”

“Signora'', you acknowledge each other, after she trails exiting Childe with her eyes.

“I am here to take the gnosis of Rex Lapis”, she says and you nod, accepting that your Goddess lied to you too: “Tsaritsa also asked me to give you this letter”, she extends her arm, a thick envelope with the familiar seal catching your attention.

With the trembling hands you snatch it out of her hold and almost rip the envelope - for what reason did Tsaritsa send you here?

She writes that you need to stay in Liyue for an undetermined period of time to upkeep “the agreement” made between her and Rex Lapis. You read her message silently, yet when your eyes trace over these words, the sensation of “ “Zhongli’s” eyes on you becomes ten times sharper and stifling. You don’t know what to do.

The other Harbinger leaves too, taking the gnosis with her, as “Zhongli” takes a couple of steps to you, touching your shoulder in a somewhat reassuring gesture. “[First]”, he starts, tone sympathetic and soothing. You don’t fall for it.

“You had your hand in it, didn't you?”, you hiss and accuse, throwing an angry glance at him, momentarily forgetting about the first two rules of dealing with archons.

He smiles, revealing two sharp fangs, his surprisingly scaly hands snaking around yours. “Yes”, Rex Lapis admits, and looks nothing like gentle and knowledgeable “Zhongli”. How could you forget? Archons aren’t humans, humanity is just a fancy dress they don to toy with mortals. He is the dragon, not the benevolent deity that is painted on the wall panels of Liuli pavillion, but a greedy and ancient creature, hungry for gifts and gratitude.

You are his generous offering.

[findingjoynweirdstuff]

Dream SMP Recap (May 18/2021) - The L’Sandburg Deal

A “lore stream” from George takes an unexpected turn, and Foolish finally confronts L’Sandburg, taking up Bad’s offer to meet about a possible sale to end things peacefully.

---

VOD LINKS:

Ponk

Foolish

Georgenotfound

Ranboo

Sapnap

Foolish

Badboyhalo

---

- George starts walking to the prison. Tommy tells him in chat to turn around as he asks why the prison is so big to contain only one person

- Tommy says George told him he wanted to do this today, asking if he still wants to

- George starts following Tommy down the Prime Path and Tommy tells him to take the blood from the path. He says this is real, not a time for primes

- Tommy tells him they need to go get the Nightmare armor from Tubbo and asks how George is feeling. George isn’t feeling well

- Then he tells George no armor, then tells Tubbo to prepare the battle stations

- They run to Snowchester, Tommy says “nukes” in chat

- Tubbo is standing there holding a rosebush. George asks why he’s holding them, but Tommy says there’s no time as Tubbo leads them to the Snowchester vault with Dream’s armor. George takes it

- George looks at the camera and says it’s time to go and kill Dream

- Suddenly, Tommy joins VC and pulls down the green screen to reveal that this wasn’t a lore stream but a meetup, and Jack, Tubbo and Niki are also all there!

The stream immediately ends.

- Later, Sapnap and Karl hang out with Drista for a bit

- Bad hangs out with Sapnap and Karl (in VC) in L’Sandburg. Sam comes over and accuses Bad of smacking his butt

- Bad and Karl talk some more before Karl eventually leaves the call and Foolish arrives in L’Sandburg. It’s time to do some lore to decide the fate of L’Sandburg!

- Foolish orders Bad to tear down the walls and Bad says he wants to sell L’Sandburg to Foolish. Soon, though, Sam comes over to interrupt. As the warden, Sam is here to oversee the conflict.

- Foolish tells Sam to put Bad in prison for taking his land, but Sam reminds Foolish that Bad is one of the guards. He was just coming over to tell Bad he’s on duty tonight

- Bad shows Sam L’Sandburg, and Sam likes it. Karl interrupts in VC. Bad explains to Sam the extent of L’Sandburg’s territory and Corpse Husband joins the call to apologize that he can’t make the lore stream

- Foolish tells Sam he built the obsidian walls to restrict their expansion, but Sam says by doing so, Foolish sanctified L’Sandburg’s status as a separate territory, and Sam is the keeper of law on the server. He believes that L’Sandburg is independent

- They push Foolish out of L’Sandburg territory and Bad explains to Sam and Foolish that he wants to sell the toll gate but keep the L’Sandburg tower

- Foolish offers a stack of leather and a stack of bamboo, but Bad doesn’t accept the offer. Sam considers buying it -- he’s making a bank and needs a steady form of income for it

- Sam offers Bad seven diamond blocks. After much bargaining, Foolish offers seven diamond blocks and steak. Sam offers steak for free, then Foolish increases to eight blocks, then ten. 

- Sam backs down, and Bad asks Foolish what he would do if he bought L’Sandburg. Foolish would tear it down

- Sam would have to enforce the tollgate, but he says he can divvy up his time between the prison and watching L’Sandburg. Bad would rather take Sam’s offer, and Sam says he wants to make it much bigger -- all the way to block limit

- Foolish protests. Bad asks Foolish to reimburse him materials and they accuse Foolish of vandalizing signs. 

- Bad says he’d be willing to accept Foolish’s offer of ten blocks if Bad owns the tower. Foolish says the tower belongs to Foolish and not Bad, and Bad disagrees and rejects the offer. Sam says the toll will be a diamond block now

- Foolish walks around the wall and Sam attacks him, saying he bypassed the toll

- Bad makes his offer again. If he owns the tower, he would get all vertical space included in the chunk, and he wants nothing less than full ownership

- Sam positions himself as a neutral third party. Foolish shows Sam the books. If Bad owns the tower, he would put a toll on the chunk of land

- Bad is concerned that since Foolish would own the land outside his tower, Foolish might box him in. Foolish agrees that he wouldn’t disrupt Bad’s line of sight from the tower and Bad gets a buffer zone

- They agree on the deal and Bad gets the ten diamond blocks, Bad confirming L’Sandburg is a country. Bad gives Sam his “cut” of five diamond blocks

- Foolish asks what Bad means, his “cut.” Sam was supposed to be a third party! Sam says good day and leaves Bad and Foolish to start taking down the walls, Foolish unhappy

- Sam whispers to Bad:

DON’T BACK DOWN ON THIS YOU WANTED TO DO IT. REMEMBER QUACKITY SAID THIS WAS A GOOD THING FOR BUSINESS.

- Bad agrees with Sam and continues to work. He’s pleased. Every nation has to start somewhere, and he now has what he wanted the most: acknowledgement as a sovereign entity

- Bad wants there to be no hard feelings, so he gives Foolish the five remaining diamond blocks he has as payment and apologizes for everything. He explains that on that one day, when he was standing on that one spot...he realized he just really wanted it

- The problem, he goes on, is that you can’t just “pick up a spot” and carry it to “a chest in a secret location.” Now he has it!

- Foolish asks what happens when somebody else decides that they too can claim it. Bad says when that day comes, they can fight together as neighbors! L’Sandburg is like an embassy

Foolish: “Wait wait wait a second -- am I talking to former Eggboyhalo or is this a slightly different Badboyhalo?”

Bad: “No, this is past the Egg arc.”

- Just then, Bad gets a message from Skeppy. He’s confused that Skeppy is messaging him that Foolish took him prisoner and won’t release him until he gives up L’Sandburg. Bad demands Foolish explain, and Foolish lets slip that there was a plan to kidnap Skeppy

- Foolish tries to explain that it was just backup in case Bad had an evil plan up his sleeve. Bad shouts at Foolish, asking where Skeppy is

Foolish: “I should tell you something...Skeppy said he was getting tired of living with you.”

Bad: “...”

Foolish: “He said he needed a break, so I was gonna offer him a vacation.”

Bad: “...You take that back.”

- Until Foolish returns Skeppy to Bad, Bad declares war. Foolish doesn’t know where Skeppy is, as it was an unmarked location. Bad is horrified and immediately goes searching all over for him

- Foolish reminds Bad that Bad tried to kidnap Finley, but Bad says he gave Finley back safe and sound

- Bad gets another message from Skeppy saying he’s cold and hungry. Foolish says it’s just a prank, and he has Tall Mama instead. Bad goes to leave

- Foolish asks if they’ll still be able to be friendly neighbors

Bad: “I hope so, Foolish...”

- As a token of friendship, Foolish hands Bad the decorative button from the now-torn-down L’Sandburg tollgate

- Bad heads back through the Nether, looking down from the bridge into the lava and calling for Skeppy. He walks down the Prime Path, saying he was sorry for going off and making L’Sandburg

Bad: “I know things didn’t go the best with the whole Egg thing, but come on...”

- He makes it to the mansion and sees the poster of the shark with its butt out. It’s the ransom note

- He searches through the mansion. L’Sandburg was supposed to be a place where he and Skeppy could hang out together...

He keeps calling for Skeppy but there’s no answer, and the screen cuts to black.

---

Afterwards, Bad does a brief lore QnA:

- L’Sandburg canonically takes place after the final Egg stream, which Bad says is going to have “a doozy of an ending,” and he “doesn’t want to make you guys too sad.” 

- All the L’Sandburg lore was on the fly. Nothing (except for Skeppy getting kidnapped) was planned, it’s all unscripted and fun

- People will either love or hate the next Egg lore stream. It’s going to be crazy

- There is one more stream that will wrap up the Egg lore and “set everything in motion.” 

- He says you do not want to miss it. Bad will announce the date before it’s time

- A dono asks, if the Egg lore is setting stuff up, is it taking a break and coming back later?

“Coming back later? You’ll see. It’s gonna be interesting. You’ll see.”

---

Upcoming Events:

- The final Egg lore stream

- Foolish’s date

- Quackity’s business opening

- Quackity’s next lore stream

- Tales From the SMP: “Space Race”

- Ponk’s lore stream

- Dream’s lore video

- Sapnap’s possible lore stream

- Awesamdude lore stream

[theregoesmylurkerstatus]

Listen. Listen. The more I think about Essek’s reality the more amused I get. It’s like the Mighty Nein EXISTED to fuck his life over in the kindest way possible. 

One of their first functional (and one of their most defining) actions as a group was when they stole a Beacon -- one of HIS Beacons. A Beacon he took from the Dynasty and gave to the Assembly in an INCREDIBLY risky gamble, so risky it ultimately plunged the continent into war, because that’s how badly he wanted learn something about it.

And the Mighty Nein, on a fucking whim, vanished it from under their noses. NOT ONLY was Essek deprived of further research, but he couldn’t even smooth over the tensions on either side. Essek was probably the only person alive, besides the Mighty Nein, who could know for a fact that neither the Empire nor the Dynasty had what the war functionally started over. By stealing the Beacon, the Mighty Nein made sure neither side could be happy, and Essek was the one stuck in between.

But then, they returned it to the Bright Queen! Surely that’s good for Essek, right? Except, one, now he gets no more of the research he enabled a war for, and two, it wasn’t even traded as a price to stop the bloodshed, which seems to be something he genuinely wants. So, cool! Beacon #1 is certainly out of his hands, out of the hands of the people who might have told him SOMETHING about it, and it wasn’t even for the sake of the war ending. ...Great! Fun. Okay.

But what did the Mighty Nein trade it for? Why, the freedom of Essek’s prisoner, of course! Because surprise! That’s one of their number’s husband. And it’s a complete coincidence.  Were you using one of the poor saps conducting the research as a way to finally learn about said research, Essek? No longer. Yeza’s gone now. Suck it.

So, the Mighty Nein took a Beacon completely out of his hands, made it useless to him in every way possible, and removed his access to his one (1) avenue of information on the Beacon. That’s surely already Fuck These Guys territory for Essek, right?

Well, guess what Essek! YOU have been chosen to be the lucky drow who gets to babysit them! For the entire time! They’re here!

But hey, they’re only visitors, just keep them at arm’s length for a few days and then you’ll never have to see them aga- Oh look, your Den and by extension YOUR MOTHER gave them a house. They live here now.

And Essek just has to sit there like “... :).”

AND ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT, EVERY WEEK OR SO, THEY COME BACK AND SAY:

“Hey Essek! We just thought you should know, we think there’s a traitor in the Dynasty, crazy right?”

“Hey Essek, we think this possible traitor actually GAVE the Empire the Beacons, isn’t that WILD?”

“Hey Essek, did we mention that we have connections not only to the Empire but to the Assembly specifically, AND we have easy access to the Empire in general, so we can totally dig around there AND here as much as we like? Wow, not many people could do that, huh?”

“Hey Essek, did you know our monk is trained to ruthlessly ferret out the truth no matter what, and also she’s super invested in the well being of all these civillians? Boy, she sure seems to want to get to the bottom of things!”

“Hey Essek, did you know that our wizard who knows a lot about the arcane and is super interested in dunamancy and also has a perfect memory was a Scourger in training and speaks Zemnian? He can interrogate another one of your captives for you, wonder if they know anything about traitors or what the Assembly might be up to!”

“Hey Essek, we have a cunning plan to interrogate ANOTHER prisoner of yours! You know, that one who totally sold the Beacons! Aren’t we smart, don’t you like it?”

“Hey Essek! This prisoner seems to be innocent? Like, his memories were planted and he’s almost been... framed, or something? Wild! Let’s go tell the Bright Queen together!!!!”

“HEY ESSEK! Crazy news, we almost single handedly coordinated a peace talks, and we’ll be overseeing all the big interactions on both sides! Wonder what we could learn from those interactions? Anyway, bye!”

IT NEVER ENDS. IT NEVER, EVER ENDS FOR ESSEK. HE LIVES NEXT DOOR. JESTER MESSAGES HIM CONSTANTLY. HIS MUM OWNS THEIR HOUSE. HE’S BORDERLINE AT THEIR BECK AND CALL. 

AND IT’S ALMOST LIKE THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO COUNTERACT HIS EVERY MOVE.

WHICH HE HAS TO HEAR ABOUT. CONSTANTLY.

Not only should the Nein by all rights have disliked him, he by all rights should FUCKING HATE the Mighty Nein.

The Mighty Nein were the bane of his existence. He must have laid awake some nights, wondering if they were taunting him. How could they know so much, and yet not realise he’s the last person they should be confiding in? How could he have run into a group with an ex-student of one of the men he’s illegally working with, by accident? HOW could he have kidnapped, out of all the researchers involved with the Beacons, the one married to a Mighty Nein member? Why does the truth-sniffing monk know Undercommon now. WHY is the firblog so fucking perceptive. And please, please, why won’t the tiefling stop messaging him?

Surely, they’re taunting him. They’re his own personal hell.

And they keep inviting him to dinner.

...I think I’ve made the joke several times now that somewhere out there, the big players in the war must fucking hate the Nein, accomplishing so much by accident.

Well I’ve found out who that big player is and his name is Essek. It’s him. Everything the Nein have done of any significance has made specifically his life harder, and on top of all that? 

They don’t even let him hate them properly, like Actual Nemeses™. Instead they gave him a morality crises. 

Because that’s the final, most poetic indignity of them all. 

After all that, he likes them.

[astaroth1357]

Leviathan's Odyssey 7:

Flood

Mammon: Levi!!

*Mammon is the first to leap forward and run across the beach, faster than Lucifer could stop him. His enthusiasm, however, seems to wind down considerably when his brother doesn’t make any move to meet him… and then he retreats back to the others when a massive, serpentine head rises out from the water by the shore. This new beast is not quite as large as the one from before (which likely was Levi himself in some kind of horrific second form) but it could still swallow any one of brothers whole and looks very hungry and eager to do so… particularly when six other heads just like it come up to join the fun*

*Levi stops the clamoring hissing of the monstrous serpent with only the raise of a hand, leaving Lucifer to assume whatever it is, must be completely under his thrall… an impressive feat for a creature that size…*

Levi: This is Lotan. Don't mind him.

*as their formerly missing brother starts his stride across the beach, a growing knot begins to twist in the pit of the eldest’s stomach… The kind of feeling one gets when they’ve realized that they’re out of their element... but they’re up against someone else who very much is. Fighting to keep a composed demeanor, he waits until Levi’s right in front of them before responding*

Lucifer: You look well, Levi... I’m glad. Though I’m surprised you've turned up here of all places...

*Leviathan, maybe amused by the statement, sticks the end of his trident into the ground by his feet before smiling*

Levi: Same goes for you, but this is just my first stop. *he shrugs nonchalantly, glancing all his brothers over until his eyes land on… well, a new face*

Levi: And what’s that thing...?

*Lucifer follows his eyeline to baby Satan, currently peeking his blonde head out from the safety of his shirt. He had almost forgotten he was still holding him...*

Lucifer: Oh, well… I suppose this is your new brother…

Levi: You stole a kid??

Lucifer: Well, no. He’s uh... it’s complicated.

*Levi looks a tad confused but leans down to get a better look at the boy. Again, much to Lucifer’s surprise, their seemingly fearless child attempts to hide his face back into the fabric…*

Levi: Huh. Looks like your guppy’s shy. *he flashes yet another shark-toothed grin… where he had developed such a maw is a mystery to Lucifer… None of his brothers' teeth get that sharp*

Lucifer: He’s not usually… *one of his hands instinctively goes to shield Satan’s head. A part of him hopes that it’s only Levi’s appearance that he finds scary… but a greater part of him fears there’s more to it than that…*

*it doesn’t take Levi long to look past Satan and back to the others, all of whom are still grappling somewhere between a state of shock and guilt*

Levi: Well. I’m happy you all found each other. Up here... *they watch for a moment as his slitted eyes narrow slightly...*

Levi: ...without me.

*Mammon is again the first to step forward, putting a hand over his own chest*

Mammon: I looked for ya when we-

*he could continue but Levi cuts him off with a sudden spike in volume, picking his trident back up from the sand*

Levi: -and just look at the house you got! *he lifts the weapon over to the Demon Lord’s villa, sitting perched on a scenic hill above the beach* Doesn’t it look just… nice?

*the twisting in Lucifer’s gut is only getting worse… he doesn’t like where this is going…*

Lucifer: The house isn't ours, Leviathan… We’re borrowing it. We live somewhere farther inland...

*the way that Levi’s eyebrows raise only further cement his fears… For a moment, he swears he sees something flash in his eyes but it's gone too fast to identify it…*

Levi: So that means you have two then?

*they all watch in confusion as he bends down to scoop some sand between his fingers…  letting the white grains slip slowly from his grasp*

Lucifer: Two…? Two what?

Levi: Two territories. On dry land. *Levi watches the sand pour to the ground, seemingly mesmerized by how it falls, before returning back to his brothers*

Levi: I bet that really must be nice. Really… really nice. *Lucifer sees the look in his eye change again, but this time the darkness lingers… radiating what he can only describe as pure malice and envy*

Levi: But that doesn’t surprise me. You guys have always had it better than I have…

Mammon: Huh..? *Mammon raises an eyebrow, apparently blindsided by his comment* What the hell are ya talkin about, Levi?

*Lucifer can’t help but shoot a look at him, even for the innocent question. There’s something very different about the Levi before them right now… They shouldn’t risk giving him ammunition. Unfortunately, Levi’s eyes only narrow again but this time into deadly thin slits*

Levi: What am I talking about? Isn’t it obvious?? Or are you still just as dumb as ever, Mammon? *Levi sweeps his trident out to the side, baring his pointed teeth in a silent snarl*

Levi: All of you had it so much better in the Celestial Realm than I did! Mr. “Always Perfect” Lucifer and his stupid little lapdog, Mammon! Oh how everybody looked up to you! *he jerks his trident towards a frightened Asmodeus, the anger in his eyes only intensifying*

Levi: And then there’s you! Always sneaking out to parties and sleeping who knows where, but were you ever cast out for it?? No! Because you’d always go crying to Lucifer to get your way!!

Lucifer: That’s enough, Levi-!

*Leviathan’s tail lashes the beach sand, kicking up a cloud of white behind him and they hear the low hiss of the seven-headed beast still very much watching them…*

Levi: Shut up! I’m not done!! *his trident next jerks towards Beel and Belphie, the older of whom currently pushing the younger behind his back defensively*

Levi: And then there’s you two! Who could ever get enough of hearing how everybody loved the twins?? “Did you see what Beel did today?” “Hasn’t he gotten so big?” “He’s a shoe-in for seraphim for sure!” And if you had just stayed in your goddamn place, Belphie, then NONE OF US WOULD EVEN BE HERE RIGHT NOW!!!

Lucifer: LEVIATHAN, I SAID ENOUGH!! *Lucifer’s beach clothes quickly evaporate as they get replaced by his demon form, black wings towering high above his head, but Levi remains undaunted*

Levi: AND I TOLD YOU TO SHUT!! UP!!!

*the sky above them darkens as growing clouds bloat out the artificial sun, the sheer intensity of Levi’s rage apparently beginning to disturb the sea around them. The waves suddenly start getting choppy, bubbling up and crashing into each other furiously...*

*for a moment, Lucifer is astounded how Levi’s emotions alone could have such an effect on the currents, but that’s only until he looks a little closer… It’s no current or wind changing the waters, it's a horde of creatures struggling for space above the water’s surface: tails, fins, tentacles, and heads of all shapes and sizes breaching the formally calm seas to make their presence known. In a matter of moments, they find themselves outnumbered not by the tens or hundreds, but by the thousands… An ocean’s worth of monsters calling for their blood from across the shore…*

*as the brothers realize what they must be seeing, a collective horror casts over them… Levi himself takes a few deep breaths and raises his trident back to the army, quieting his troops once more, but they remain near the surface to watch for his orders. Dormant, but far from absent in their conflict… A tense silence hangs in the air but Lucifer is the first to break it with a quiet, harsh whisper*

Lucifer: Leviathan… What is the meaning of this? What are these things and why are you here?

*Levi slowly lowers his trident and glares back at his brother with a look that’s not smug, nor boastful. It holds nothing but anger and contempt for him and seemingly everyone around him...*

Levi: Shouldn’t it be obvious, Lucifer? I’m still a general, aren’t I? So what if my men look a little different now... *he digs the end of his trident into the sand, keeping his head aloft in a way Lucifer had only seen him do on the battlefield*

Levi: I want better land. I’m here for more territory and I’m starting with this beach. *though his voice is assured and commanding, Lucifer narrows his eyes at him just as Levi had done before*

Lucifer: No. I can’t let you do that. *Levi, of course, doesn’t back down for a second*

Levi: Well, too bad it wasn’t a request.

Lucifer: This beach and the land it’s attached to are all property of the Devildom and its ruler, Lord Diavolo. I cannot and will not just let you take it. *Lucifer’s words actually seem to give Levi a pause for thought, but more out of surprise than anything*

Levi: Wait, did you just say “Lord” Diavolo…? *he thinks for a moment before a smile finally comes back to his face, though this time with an air of mockery* Did you just call the Prince by his title? Don’t tell me you’re his lackey now, are you…??

*Lucifer, to his credit, doesn’t flinch or look away… but he doesn’t look particularly happy either*

Lucifer: I remain my own man, as I’ve always been… But I owe my loyalty to the Prince and I will oversee his interests as I see fit. *it seems regardless of his answer, Leviathan still snorts at him*

Levi: So you are!! And here I thought I’d never see you take a knee to a demon! Just how low have you sunk now, huh? *Lucifer opens his mouth to respond, but Mammon beats him to the punch*

Mammon: Would it kill ya to just shut up already, Levi?? We ain’t just gonna let ya take what you want! *despite his brother’s outburst, Levi only continues to look amused*

Levi: And you really think you can stop me?

*he raises his trident once more and an unearthly chorus is sung from the waves, a deadly hum of hissing and growls emitting from his waiting “soldiers,” itching to attack on his say so. Many most likely already having the reach or capability to pluck the other demons from the sands where they stand*

Levi: … you and what army?

*Mammon’s silence appears to be his answer as he glances anxiously to Lucifer… the rest of his brothers doing the same. In times like these, they all turn to the eldest to come up with a plan, but it seems that this time, Lucifer finds himself with limited options… He takes a moment to study his family’s faces - then the savage crowd of beasts surrounding them - with an expression that’s near unreadable…*

Lucifer: … I can call Lord Diavolo from here. What are your demands?

*there’s a sharp intake of breath from his brothers, not a one expecting him seemingly to back down so quickly*

Mammon: What?!

Asmo: Lucifer?? You can’t be serious!! *though his brothers are stunned, Lucifer doesn’t take his eyes off of Levi while still maintaining his stoic expression*

Lucifer: If this is the bed he wants to lie in, then so be it… 

*he and Levi glare at each other momentarily, before the other finally says something in response*

Levi: Tell your prince that I’ll start flooding Devildom within the next twenty minutes… If he hands over his territory willingly, then I’ll let him evacuate anyone living on it. Otherwise, it makes no difference to me.

Lucifer: If that’s really what you want… But Levi? *Lucifer waits until he has his full attention to make his point clear… His expression may have even softened some… Is it with worry? Maybe even disappointment?* 

Lucifer: Don’t do anything you may regret…

*Leviathan looks at him for a few seconds more, before turning his back to them entirely*

Levi: … You have my demands, don’t you? *as he starts to walk away, Lucifer says something else just barely loud enough for him to hear*

Lucifer: You’ve changed… Leviathan.

*for a split second, Levi’s steps falter… but he doesn’t stop nor turn back to respond*

Levi: I’m just who I need to be… Lucifer.

Parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

[refuge-au]

>Open the Doctor’s File

Doc: Receive an Invitation

The conference room was small and sparsely decorated, little more than a round table and a handful of chairs in an empty room. The walls were bare, the table empty, and the window that looked out into the hallways covered by blinds.

The window that looked out onto the street, to the east, may as well have been covered too. The only thing visible when you looked out was the greyish hue of smog.

Doc sat in the chair closest to the door on the east side of the table. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his feet were up on the table. He knew his attempt at nonchalance wasn’t fooling anybody, but it didn’t hurt to try.

Etho sat to his right, leaned over the table and absently spinning a rubix cube in his hands. Every so often he’d scramble it and then solve it quickly afterward, seeming slightly disappointed. His left eye was covered in a plain black eyepatch that wasn’t quite big enough to cover the extent of the scarring.

Bdubs sat on Etho’s other side, the drumming of his fingers on the table and the way his eyes flickered from one side of the room to the other every couple of seconds the only things betraying the amount of nervous energy contained inside him.

Beef sat in the last chair on their side of the table, staring at the covered interior window as if he could see through the blinds and into the hallways behind it. His face was expressionless, apparently lost in thought.

No one spoke.

It was the kind of silence they had sat in many times before- part comfort, of being around people who know you better than almost anyone else in the world, and part anxious anticipation. None of them knew exactly what was going to come next.

They had been contacted individually a week or two ago, letters that had no return address slipped under doors or through mail slots. What usually would have been some sort of threat or insult turned out to be a job interview opportunity.

Come to a certain building two weeks from now, the letters read. Tell the receptionist that you’re looking for refuge. Someone will be in to see you shortly.

The most paranoid of the group (Beef) had found out that it was sent by some sort of government official or organization before he contacted the rest of the group to see if they had received the same summons. After a brief discussion, a decision was reached. They would hear out whoever wanted to talk to them.

If things went down badly… as long as they were together they would be able to fight their way out.

Most of the invitation had been true. They found the correct address, and were taken to a room when they asked for refuge… but the person that they were waiting for had not come shortly. It felt like they had been waiting for an eternity- even though his internal clock told him it had only been about twenty minutes.

Ten more minutes, he decided, and then he would leave. If whoever the hell wanted to talk to them was going to be late, they should have told the receptionist to tell them or something. It was basic human decency- although admittedly that did seem to be in short supply these days.

The door handle turned with a click, and four pairs of eyes locked onto it immediately. There was a moment of nothing, and then the door swung open, letting a relatively tall brunette man into the room.

His hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, all brown except for a single streak of white from a large x-shaped scar that stretched across most of his face. It was an old scar, very faded, the chunks of white in his hair and his beard some of the only things left to prove that it was there.

He looked slightly winded as he smiled, shutting the door behind him. “Hello, gentlemen. Sorry about the wait. There was a bit of a… conflict. Downstairs, and I ended up having to sort it out.”

He walked over to the table pulling off his gloves and unwrapping his respirator from around his neck before sitting down across from Etho and folding his hands together. “So. You all actually came.”

“Did you expect us not to?” Beef asked, eyeing him warily, apparently not recognizing him.

“Of course not! A government official contacting you out of nowhere, asking you to come and meet them? The fact that you have enough faith in humanity to come here, despite everything, without knowing anything about why you’re being asked here… it’s amazing.” He grinned.

“Amazing is one word for it, sure.” Bdubs said, leaning forward in his chair. “But uh, who are you, and why exactly are we here?”

“If you’re going to try to kill us, we’ll give you a thirty second head start.” Doc added dryly. “But no more than that.”

The man chuckled. “We’re not trying to kill you, we’re trying to offer you a job.”

A job?

Before Doc could express his hesitation, the man continued, putting a hand to his chest:

“My name is Xisuma Void, Captain Void to most people, but you can call me X. I’m putting together a crew.”

“Like a boat crew?” Bdubs asked, brow furrowing slightly.

“A spaceship crew. I’ve been given a mission- go to uncharted territory, chart it, and start a colony on a planet outside the solar system.” He extended his hands in front of him, gesturing to the team. “I’d like you to come with me.”

For a moment, there was silence.

“…What’s the catch?” Etho asked slowly.

“Catch?” Xisuma asked.

“We’re not from here.” Etho said, and Beef chuckled. “There’s always a catch.”

Xisuma shook his head slowly. “I don’t think… well… how about I just tell you what the job would entail before we decide if there’s a catch or not?”

Doc looked across the table to the others. Bdubs nodded, Beef shrugged, and Etho set down the rubix cube for the first time since he had gotten into the room. X took that as permission to continue.

“Do you remember all those stories in the news about the government funneling money into a secret project?” X asked.

“And everybody was worried that it was gonna be another war.” Bdubs said. “We remember.”

“They were building a ship for this mission. It’s been in progress for years now, but they’ve ramped up construction in the past several months. The ship will be fully built in three months, and the mission will begin no sooner than six months from now.” Xisuma stood, either ignoring or not noticing the way that the rest of the group tensed when he moved, and began to pace up and down the length of the table. “The ship- the Refuge- will exit the solar system in about one and a half years, and then it’ll be four and a half to eight and a half years til we reach Haven.”

“Haven?” Doc interjected. “That’s the planet?”

X nodded.

“Bit on the nose, don’t you think?” Bdubs asked.

X shrugged, not pausing in his pacing. “I wasn’t the one that named it.”

“So what do you want us to do?” Beef asked. “None of us have ever been to space before. Sure, Etho may have been… built for it, but…”

“You don’t have to worry about the space stuff.” X said, stopping and leaning on the back of the chair he had been sitting in. “Just the landing part of the mission. The way that this is set up, there are two smaller groups within the crew as a whole- the ship crew and the colony crew. While the ship crew will transition into being a part of the colony crew once we land, the colony crew doesn’t have to be a part ship crew. It’s unnecessary, and most of the crew mates don’t have essential skills for the trip.”

“So what does the colony crew do during the flight?” Beef asked, his brow furrowed.

“Sleep.” X responded. “We have two cryogeneticists on the crew that will be maintaining and caring for frozen personnel and assets.”

“Which one would we be?” Doc asked.

X looked uncomfortable, as if he didn’t know whether the question was a joke or not. “Personnel… in total, if you decide to take me up on the offer, we’ll have nine people frozen out of a crew of thirty six. Most of the ship can be run mechanically, but we still need the ship crew to oversee everything.”

“And what would we be doing when we get planet-side? What’s our actual job going to be?” Bdubs asked.

“Building, scouting surrounding areas, neutralizing any potential threats, whatever needs to be done, really.” X sighed. “Unfortunately, since a mission like this has never been attempted before, I can’t tell you exactly what we’re going to need you to do. If you accept, I can give you the paperwork that runs through several potential scenarios, but… there’s a lot that we just don’t know.”

“I’m not going to ask you to sign on immediately, but I’d like your responses as soon as possible.” X concluded. “There’s a packet with the receptionist downstairs that has more information-“

“I’ll do it.” Bdubs said, cutting him off.

X blinked. “What?”

“I’ll do it.” He repeated, leaning back in his chair. “It sounds exciting, it’s a chance to travel somewhere without risking being carsick, it’s getting away from everything that’s going on here… and we’re probably not gonna get another chance at this for at least six years, right?”

X nodded.

“I can’t speak for the guys, obviously, but you’ve got one.”

“I’m in too.” Doc decided, taking his feet off the table and sitting up straight. “There’s not a whole hell of a lot for me to do here, not many people that want me here, and somebody’s gotta make sure you don’t get yourself killed.” He said, pointing a vaguel accusatory finger at Bdubs, who rolled his eyes. “I still want the packet, but I’m in.”

X grinned. “Wonderful! And… I suppose, do you want to make your decision now too?” He turned his attention to Beef and Etho.

“I’ll agree… but I reserve the right to change my mind if we start getting ready and things seem off.” Etho said, picking his rubix cube back up and spinning it on its corner. “I may have been made for space travel, but they kept me grounded for a reason.”

“I agree with Etho, minus the spaceman bit.” Beef said. “Also, can we have your phone number, or some way to contact you?”

Xisuma’s grin turned into a softer, warmer smile. “Everything that you’ll need is going to be in the packets. Welcome to the team, gentlemen.”

Computer: Input Command: Show Available Files:

> Open the Pilot’s File

> Open the Doctor’s File (New)

> Continue

[princess-of-the-corner]

Hi this is the Captain Nemesis poster I was about to go on an angry rant about dragons being confusing before remembering you expanded and altered their role in the crossover as such I have included this friendly messgage before the message as I am tired and can not tell if the rant is still hostile please know I have tried to make it less hostile.

You made the rules confusing for the dragons based on other posts they both are incredibly powerful but can do jack shit if you claim to be a super villian but also can keep super villians in check? They also are both for magic law and for general hero upkeep even if the villian and hero are tech based? What are the rules? Why can't the Dragon Witch attack Hawkmoth when it's at least implied she knows Hawkmoth's identity? Why isn't Roxane gathering heroes herself? I feel like you expanded the rules without considering the ramifications and now it's biting you in the ass as things don't make much sense.

Doyalist answer: no, it doesn't make sense! If I let the Dragons deal with this shit, then we wouldn't have a story! Yes, Ariel could curb stomp Hawkmoth, but then we wouldn't have any of Miraculous Ladybug. Yes, Roxane could handle gathering more members of Untitled Alien Team, but then we can't have Ben and friends do it.

So yeah I have to make up a bunch of bullshit on how they exist ans why they do what they do while also making up reasons that they can't just handle the whole thing themelves which basically boils down to "I don't expect the President to come down and settle a fistfight between my neighbors". Which again is total bullshit but I do admit that I am not perfect and I am trying to balance them being involved while also letting the series happen without them becoming the main characters.

So yeah it's a trainwreck and I am trying here but at the end of the day this is a complicated scenario and there has to be some suspension of disbelief.

Watsonian answer:

The Dragons are powerful, but not all powerful or invulnerable. They are also usually dealing with multiple things! Roxane has to deal with whatever the fuck is happening in the Ben 10 plots, but she's also dealing with Gravity Falls' Bullshit, and CHS and that's just big disaters that doesn't count a million other smaller day to day things she does in her role because she is not just "oh we have a disaster call her in" she handles smaller things happening in the territory. Which does lead to delegating tasks to teams who can handle that shit while she oversees it instead of getting hands on, like what she's doing with Untitled Alien Team.

And back to that "powerful but not invincible" thing: yeah they're the most equiped to handle the situations but that doesn't mean it's easy for them either. The Ariel vs. Hawkmoth thing is an exception where yeah Ariel would easily beat him but some of the other villains? They're a much tougher fight.

The Dragons are supposed to investigate new Heroes to keep an eye on them in case they do weird shit! There could be ones like Captain Nemesis who fake being a Hero to get fame! There could also be Heroes who are just vigilantes playing judge, jury, and exectutioner based on their own moral code rather than actual "this villain is an active threat" because the public sees a guy in a colorful costume beat someone up and say they're a criminal and they don't question it.

Tech-based Heroes end up in their jurisdiction because those are a minority of Heroes, and they already know all of the bureaucratic bullshit to handle them even though it's not technically what they should be doing.

They are doing a hell of a lot because unfortunately the world is so much fuckery and they can't just magically make it all go away.

[autumnalblogger]

If anyone is in need of the stereotypical 'four generals' characters then I offer these guys up as on the house. They've been bouncing around my head as part of a campaign that does not have particularly high odds of ever happening.

I've been thinking about Armour Astir Advent but since a big part of the game is that you're supposed to come up with the villains, antagonist and setting together with the players these guys existing is a bit contradictory to that. Whoops!

The plot would be that these guys are leading the occupation on your magic rich island nation as part of the imperial expansion of a technologically developed nation. The intention is to take the island's magic for their own with the end result being a fusion of magic and tech.

Leading the charge would be Alfonse the Lance, head of Imperial Scouting Division IV. The youngest son of a noble house Alfonse was a celebrity for his fencing prowess but has applied his quick wits, keen eye and penchant for risky but decisive action to military ends.

Alfonse has a reputation as a braggart due to his celebrity back in the empire and achievements in leading the initial strikes on the island. His tendancy towards dandyism also rubs others the wrong way but his swordsmanship and prowess for high speed attacks makes up for this.

Of course, Alfonse's job would have been much harder without support from Felipe the artillery. Leader of Imperial Artillery Division II. A veteran from multiple campaigns Felipe's preferred approach is to saturate any battlefield with ordnance leaving the enemy in tatters.

Gruff and proud, Felipe oversees these strikes from his airship Jacinta which itself is one of the empire's most advanced long range weapons platforms. His ability with a rifle is legendary and he wields a custom, triple barreled anti-astir rifle.

Maintaining control over the island is Caterina the grapple who commands Imperial territory security force VIII. The only one of the four who is common born, Caterina is also the only one not born in the empire's home nation instead coming from a subjugated territory.

Caterina grew up as part of a group of urchins who robbed and stole to survive. As they grew older the group's activities evolved turned into organised crime with Catherina putting her formidable skill with her fists towards enforcing territory boundaries.

Eventually even the empire's garrison troops knew not to get too involved with the gang activities going on but a series of raids on empire stockpiles led to Caterina's arrest. Thanks to Bernat, who had paid close attention to the criminal empire, Caterina was spared death.

Instead, her abilities to inspire confidence in the rank and file as well as her willingness to go to extreme lengths to hold territory led to Bernat sponsoring her through the empire's military academy.

Lastly, Bernat the scholar. From the family whose name is synonymous with the technological development of the empire Bernat turned his intellect towards the research of magical energy and it was on his recommendation the island was invaded.

Magic is a force that is in thin supply in the home nation but Bernat is hoping that study of the island will allow him to either change this situation or at the least let him find a way to fully harness it for use throughout the empire.

Despite the decisive victories of the initial invasion and Caterina's iron grip the island would have been extremely difficult territory to hold were it not for the capitulation of Crown Princess Milyaruu who signed the island's formal declaration of surrender.

With the majority of the royal family killed the princess serves as the island's figurehead. As evidenced by her imperial attire the Crown Princess is firmly under the control of the empire with Caterina maintaining close guard over her.

There are rumours that Princess Milyaruu is actually an important figure within the island's resistance and has taken part in multiple missions. Some believe the empire has an impersonator, others think the rebel is a fraud. Other theories include magical double or automaton.

The truth is, of course, whichever revelation would cause the biggest shock to your players at the most dramatic moment.

Throughout the campaign which would be focussed on rebellious activity to destabilise the empire the players would continually run into these four. With each consecutive defeat their pride would drive them to take on Bernat's offer of experimental magitech enhancements.

Each 'enhancement' would drive them further and further away from humanity. Eventually they'd be able to take on airship and Astir (fantasy mecha) by themselves but they'd all become increasingly erratic and driven by revenge.

Their enhancements would be complementary of their talents but would eventually push into monstrous territory. Alfonse would replace his legs with four artificial boosters, Felipe would become a barely mobile weapons platform, Caterina would sport collosal Astir busting arms.

This would all be driven by Bernat's emotional manipulation as he becomes increasingly obsessed with combining man and machine through magic. His final form would basically be a CPU to allow him to control almost all the island's mechanised forces at once.

As I said, I'll likely never do anything with any of this but if you're looking for a group of villains to prop up your evil emperor or feel like you want to add a bit of organisational structure to whatever tyrannical system your heroes are facing feel free to lift as much or as little from this as you want. If it ever turns into anything fun give me a shout out and let me know, it'll be good to know that my brain gremlins have found a good home.

[maybankiara]

I’LL BE MAKING MY OWN WAY NOW

pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader

summary: Some girls from the Kook Academy are messing with you, and JJ makes you stand up for yourself.

word count: 2.5k

warning: bullying

additional: a bit of angst and a bit of fluff. sorry if there’s any typos - i’ve been trying to get through this for about a week now and i can’t bring myself to proofread.

masterlist

tag list

written for an anon

It’s not a big deal, you tell yourself, day after day. People have the right to not like you, or dislike you, and they also have the right to show it. Standing up to them would be no good – they’d only treat you worse, much like they did when this whole thing started, before it became a running joke between the Kook Academy’s worst.

  So you keep your head down, even though their taunts are echoing the street. What’s up, dyke? Jesus, Jeanie, something stinks like rotten fish. You keep walking, your training bag on your shoulder, and you let your hair out of the ponytail. It’s filled with sweat and dirt from the football field and it’s a mess, but at least it hides your face from them.

  Must be the Pogue. It’s the universe telling them they should stick to fishing and getting our stuff. You keep walking, and you hear them moving a few feet behind you, in their brand new Cadillac convertible. I wish they would sort the trash. Keep it off our side of the island, at least.

  Your teeth clench as your tongue threatens to snap back, and get you into more trouble. Just a little longer and they’ll leave you – they always do.

  At the sight of the first house that marks the Cut, a big building that was once a local restaurant and is now more of a shrieking shack, you straighten your back. You tie your hair back into the ponytail, too, because you know if they were to confront you on your territory, things wouldn’t end well for them.

  ‘I’m bored, Jeanie,’ one of the girls says, drawling out the other’s name. ‘Let’s go somewhere fun.’

  The car drives away and you flip them off as they get lost in the distance. There’s a reason why they don’t enter the Cut, and your friends’ reputation is one of them.

  Nobody messes with the Pogues.

  From there, it takes you about fifteen minutes to get to your house. You get changed quickly, jump into the shower, and you’re out of it as fast as possible. It’s a hot day and although you wish you could do your makeup, it’s the height of summer in the Outer Banks and you’re not a Touron who believes her makeup wouldn’t melt. You stick to just covering up your blemishes, and focus on your outfit, instead (you’d focus on your hair, but with the humidity in the air, what’s the point?).

  this is me, you think as you face the reflection in the mirror. A bikini top with a sheer blouse over it, denim shorts and black sneakers. Simple, sporty, and kegger-appropriate.

  You arrive to the Chateau on time, just as you promised. Kiara’s the first to see you and she waves at you, overseeing the boys putting a keg into John B’s van.

  ‘Hello,’ you greet them, placing a kiss to JJ’s cheek. ‘You guys done?’

  ‘You’re just in time to not need to do anything at all.’ JJ pulls you into a hug. His arms feel like home, and you let yourself relax into them – it relieves some of the tension you didn’t even know was there. ‘How was your day?’

  ‘Good.’

  JJ pulls back and frowns, having noticed you pointedly not looking at him. ‘Yeah?’

  You smile, offhandedly, and turn to help Pope and John B push the last keg into the van, what JJ was previously doing. ‘I’m fine, JJ.’

  He doesn’t buy it, but he’s got half a mind not to push it while you’re with all of your friends. JJ puts a hand at the small of your back instead, looking at you with his eyebrows ever so slightly pointed up, and gives you the smallest of nods.

  I’m here for you, is what he’s saying.

  All you do is give him a chaste kiss on the lips, and go off with Kiara to get your hair done while the boys set up everything at the Boneyard. If anyone seems to notice the silent exchange between the two of you, they don’t bring it up – at least not in front of you.

  Kiara’s hands are swift and competent when flowing through your hair. What you asked for was “anything that’ll keep my hair out of my face” and she decided that meant “an elaborate braid with some strands pulled out a bit to make it look messy and loose”.

  You don’t mind, though – it looks good, halfway through.

  ‘So,’ Kiara begins. ‘You’re a bit quiet today.’

  ‘I’m just tired. Practice was more draining than usual, and I just can’t wait to relax at the party.’

  You see her pout in the mirror, giving you a look that means she can see right through you. ‘You sure it’s just that?’

  A reassuring smile appears on your lips. ‘Yeah, Kie. It’s all good.’

  Kiara nods, focusing back on your hair. ‘Everything’s fine between you and JJ, right? I saw what happened earlier, I hope you know you can talk to me about anything.’

  ‘Oh my god, no! Is that what it looked like?’ You sigh, rubbing your forehead before Kiara slaps your hand away, telling you you’re going to ruin your hairstyle. ‘JJ and I are great, don’t worry about that, at all. I just had a kind of a bad day, is all.’

  She sighs and you can tell it’s relief. ‘Shit, I’m glad I don’t need to go all Mama Pogue on your asses.’

  Both of you break into laughter. It relieves the tension that you feel in your shoulders, and things seem a little less daunting when you realise how the whole situation must’ve looked like to everyone else.

  But there’s a thought that comes with that realisation – ‘Do you think JJ thinks it was about him?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ admits Kiara. ‘You should probably go talk to him once we’re at the Boneyard.’

  You nod, because Kiara’s right. It ends up being all you can think about until it’s half an hour later, the party is officially underway and JJ is catching up with some friends while you’re just chilling with the rest of the Pogues.

  It’s a humid and exceptionally hot day, as you assumed it would be, and it’s somehow making everything worse. You want to talk to JJ because it feels as if he’s been avoiding you a little bit, and the fact that you can literally feel the dampness of your skin is definitely not helping.

  Kiara shoots you a sympathetic smile, throwing a hand over your shoulder. ‘It’ll be okay.’

  ‘He’s avoiding me.’

  ‘It’s JJ,’ she reminds you. ‘He’ll last fifteen more minutes, tops.’

  As it turns out, you find JJ’s gaze on you less than ten minutes later, as you’re chatting to someone Touron whose makeup is already melting off her face.

  You smile at him, and wave, and he does the same. The moment you see him bidding the group goodbye, already half-way to you, you excuse yourself and make a beeline for him.

  He’s sweaty when you pull him into a hug, but so are you, and it only makes everything sticky but funny. You smile, laughing a little. His eyebrows shoot up.

  ‘We’re both very sticky,’ you explain, still grinning.

  JJ rolls his eyes, but there’s a smile on his face. His hands are resting on your waist and you don’t care that there’s dozens of people around you, doing whatever they are – it’s just the two of you right now.

  Some of the hairs that Kiara pulled out of your braid are now sticking to your face, and JJ pulls them behind your ear.

  ‘Did I do something?’

  You shake your head. ‘No. I’m sorry I made you feel that way. I had a bad day and I just didn’t want you to worry about it.’

  He sighs, relieved, just like Kiara did. ‘This was the worst hour of my life.’

  ‘You could’ve asked!’

  ‘It didn’t seem like you wanted to talk about whatever it was!’

  ‘Well, I didn’t,’ you agree. At this, he quirks his head to the side, and you kind-of prove your point. Playfully, you smack his chest and wriggle your way out of his hands. ‘I’m sorry, Mr Jumping-To-Conclusions.’

  ‘Oh, shut up.’ He takes your hand and pulls you back close, pressing a kiss against your lips. His fingers are rubbing your palm. ‘Do you want to talk about it?’

  You let your shoulders fall again, biting your lip. Of course, you’d love nothing more than to talk about the reason why you fucking hate the Kooks and why they make your life a living hell at times, but it’s just that Jeanie and Denise, the girls from earlier, are just now getting beer from Pope at the keg.

  So you shake your head, intent on not talking about it.

  ‘It doesn’t matter anymore,’ you tell JJ, looking away from the girls. ‘I’m over it.’

  But JJ knows you, and he glances at Pope and the two Kooks, and when you see his lips pressed together, you know he’s connected the dots.

  ‘JJ—’

  ‘Is it them again? Are they bullying you?’

  You sigh. His eyes are drilling into yours, and you feel him stiffen. ‘It’s fine, J, honestly. It’s not a big deal.’

  He shakes his head. ‘No, it is. It’s not okay. Why are you letting them run all over you?’

  ‘I’ve got no other choice.’

  ‘That’s bullshit,’ he tells you, and you know it’s true. ‘You’re not someone who takes shit from others, especially not Kooks. This has been happening for way too long for there not to be some other reason.’

  You look down, at your feet; if it wasn’t for JJ holding you in place with his hands resting on your waist, you probably would’ve stepped back.

  It’s not something that should be embarrassing, but it is. ‘I worked so hard to get into the club. Coach was hesitant on taking someone from the Cut. I’ve been under the magnifying glass ever since I joined. One wrong thing, I’m out, back to square one.’

  ‘Is that why?’ he asks. ‘What does that have to do with the Kooks?’

  You laugh, but there’s no joy in it. You shake your head at JJ’s obliviousness – he’s the last person you expected to be so naive. ‘Everything. If I stand up for myself, they’ll come up with something to get me off the team, and I’ll love everything, JJ.’

  ‘How can you be so sure?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  He cups your face, smiling at you with warmth in his eyes. ‘You’re not a part of the team because you’re from the Cut, or whatever. It’s because you’re a good soccer player. No one can take that away from you.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘There’s no “but”s, Y/N. If you let them walk all over you, they won’t stop doing it. I don’t think they’ll say anything, but even if they do, you’ve got nothing to worry about.’

  You nod, relaxing into his touch. ‘Are you sure?’

  JJ hesitates. ‘No,’ he admits, ‘but are you really going to keep letting them fuck up your life?’

  he’s right, you realise. This can’t go on.

  So you nod again, kiss him, and promise him you’ll stand up for yourself next time.

  What you don’t expect is that the next time would come just a few short hours later, with either Jeanie or Denise—both names are so pretentious and stupid that you don’t know which is which—making a remark about the way you look tonight.

  ‘Whores from the cut, you can tell from the braids and the exposed boobs.’ She says it to a guy who’s chatting with her, a mere dozen feet away from you, JJ, and Kiara, loud enough so that all of you hear it.

  Loud enough that JJ hears it.

  He whips his body around, walking up to the two before you get to stop him. ‘What did you just say?’

  You follow suit, a hand on his bicep. ‘JJ.’

  The girl chuckles, throwing her head back in laughter. She points a finger at JJ then you, then back to JJ. ‘You need a guard now?’

  ‘Bitch—’

  ‘JJ!’

  He looks to you and his eyes are full of rage. His chest is rising up and down frantically; your thumb moves across his bicep, calming him down. You give him a look that says this is my fight and he relaxes, as much as he can.

  ‘Great,’ says the girl. ‘Discipline your dog.’

  If JJ takes a step back, you take a step closer to her until you’re almost in her face. She’s about your height, a big bigger, and could likely easily take you down in a fight if she wanted to – but there’s more to you than just your build.

  ‘Say that one more time,’ you order through gritted teeth.

  She doesn’t. She takes a step back instead, quivering before you. ‘Fucking psycho.’

  ‘No, you don’t get to be a bitch to me anymore. I’ve had enough of you and your fucking clique. I don’t give a shit what you say.’

  ‘What, because you got your dog to bite for you?’

  ‘Oh, I assure you, I take my own bites,’ you tell her, grinning slightly. ‘By the way, don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you look at him. Are you jealous? Are you wishing he was yours instead of mine? Because that’s never going to happen.’

  ‘Go to hell.’

  You laugh. ‘Save me a spot.’

  She flips you off, in a grandiose manner, and you can’t help but shudder. This isn’t you – sure, you can stand up for yourself, but it’s never been like this.

  JJ takes hold of your hand and pulls you close. You relax at the feeling of his chest against yours, and your hands find their safe place on his back.

  ‘You were good,’ he tells you. ‘I was going to step in, but this was your fight.’

  You feel yourself start to shake, and JJ holds you a little tighter. ‘It was too much.’

  ‘They’re not going to bother you anymore.’

  Even if you don’t believe that just yet, you nod, because you feel like it’ll stop JJ from worrying about you. It doesn’t work – the moment you take a step back and he takes a look at your face, he tells you that you’re going back to the Chateau, at least for a bit.

  None of the Pogues question it – they’ve all seen the showdown. The Chateau is quiet when you come there, stepping off JJ’s motorcycle. It’s a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere at the beach, but it’s good.

  You feel like you needed a breather.

  JJ takes off his helmet and walks around the bike, wrapping an arm around your waist. You let him pull you into the hug and you rest your head against his shoulder, breathing uneven.

  ‘Thank you,’ you say, ‘for being there for me today.’

  He kisses your forehead. ‘Anything for my girl.’

   ★

tagging. @jjtheangel @teenwaywardasgardian @thelocalpogue @jjmaybanky @sacredto @chasefreakinstokes ​ @shawnssongs ​ @drewstarkey ​ @thatsme-johnbookerroutledge ​ @outrbank ​ @yourlocalauthor ​ @justawilddreamerchild ​ @activist-af ​

[shadowlink06]

A Captive Heart (Deleted Scenes)

The first draft of this piece capped off at 31k words. These are the scenes I managed to save. Keep in mind, these are being presented as unedited so expect to see typos. One of the things I will tell my editors is to make the story readable. Don't worry about my feelings or deleting scenes. It was pretty normal that 5k was cut as during my World of Ruin series, at least 10k has been deleted or rearranged. Please do not read this post if you have not read the entire story as it contains spoilers.

Salve Regina did not have any deleted scenes since it was a last-minute story that I wrote. You can definitely see the difference when I have more time to think about the story.

Chapter 1:

Regis lamented over his son’s health the more that the days had passed. It was a risk coming to Tenebrae, but he could think of no other options for help when Noctis had slipped in his coma. Thankfully he had woken from it, but there still appeared to be something wrong with him. On the balcony overlooking the city, he stared into the tiny silhouettes of the people going about their day without a care in the world. He wished he could have been more carefree like them. Everyday was like walking on eggshells. He and Sylva had been friends in the distant past. Niflheim’s occupation of the region had limited their contact.

Aldercapt had been a man of greed. His reign had been one stained in bloodshed and heartbreak with the evolving magitek troops he had produced. The rumor was that there was someone within his court that was responsible for the sudden production of the inhuman creations. A human or daemon… it was hard to say at this point. What Regis did know was that in the last twenty years, there had been strides made from Niflheim that caused the barrier protecting Lucis to grow ever smaller.

Regis glanced at the ring of the Lucii. His forebears aided him as much as they could to drive away the onslaught time and time again but the price the ring demanded was a high one. That is why the King had gone through desperate strides to see that Noctis would get better, even if that meant being in enemy territory. Most of the retinue that had joined him had gone back to Lucis and only a handful remained behind to not cause attention to be drawn to Sylva while she did her best to heal Noctis. In his heart, the King wished for the illness Noctis seemed to suffer from to pass quickly but a part of him wondered if the daemon attack had taken more from his son than he could fathom.

Chapter 2:

Regis found himself unable to sleep the past few weeks. Speaking to Sylva had confirmed to him that the daemon attack might have damaged Noctis in a way that was hard for even the Oracle to heal. He had thought the worst of it had been over when Noctis came out of his coma, but perhaps it was just a prelude. When the boys had been settled for bed, the King had taken leave to the gardens with Clarus at his side.

A part of him was still suspicious of the daemon attack. He had known that Niflheim was making strides in their magitek production the last twenty years. Why that had been so had been bothersome to the King and his council. The war with the other nation had always been bloody with Aldercapt’s family refusing to stop it’s aggressive expansion in Eos. And then there was the crystal which they seemed to both admire, fear, and be jealous that such a power was out of their control.

But Regis, like his father before him, refused to give into Niflheim’s demands. There had been concessions made that had unfortunately given Niflheim more influence over what was once Lucian territory but they were still waging war desperately trying to drive the enemy back. What hope he had of ending the war seemed to be only a fairytale. Noctis was destined to continue this struggle, much to Regis’s disappointment.

That was why it was alarming that it seemed that Noctis seemed to be the target. No doubt it would hurt Regis, but also put him at greater risk since that was his only son. Regis could only hope that Noctis would pull through, whatever was wrong with him. “Clarus,” He spoke to his friend. “Do you think this is the right path to take?”

The Shield considered his words. “It is not my place to say your Highness.”

Wedding Crashers:

Even if it was in the early morning, Aranea always stopped by the same bar, at the same time. She wasn’t sure when the ritual started, but she, Biggs, and Wedge, always ate together before proceeding to their business at the Empire. As she walked in today though, there was a hole that filled in the pit of her stomach as she sat in the barstool, right in the middle of the men. The bartender, an old guy around 70, gave a nod and set a glass in front of her before pouring orange juice in it. “Usual?” His gruffled voice muttered behind the heavy gray mustache.

“Please.” Aranea said before he disappeared into the back to get her order ready.

“Should’ve ordered something different.” Biggs said as he lit the tip of his cigarette. Sure will be reassigned after the wedding day is announced.

“Feels strange.” Wedge admitted. “Thought I would resent those brats being their personal babysitters... but they were both good people.”

“Don’t tell me you are getting sentimental?” Aranea mused with an arched brow.

“Naw… it’ll be nice to take to the skies again.” Wedge replied.

“Agreed, much prefer it. We were meant for the sky.” Biggs said.

Aranea had to agree with them. That is where the three of them met together when they had signed up for the job. It was so fun being able to see all of Eos just outside of their window. She grabbed her glass before taking a drink out of it. The acidic burn of the orange juice stung going down, but she kept chugging it until nothing was left. “Humph, another era for Niflheim.”

“His Radiance certainly played his cards right.”

That made the commodore laugh softly. “Guess he did…” Too well. From there the trio grew silent as they continued to small talk about what would be next for them. Eventually the bartender came back with toast, eggs, and bacon for three of them as they ate breakfast together. Aranea didn’t finish her meal much to Biggs and Wedge’s surprise.

“You okay Lady A?” Biggs asked.

Aranea nodded before glancing down at the unfinished plate. “Yeah, guess I just got a lot on my mind.” She reached into her wallet throwing out enough bills to cover their meals and left a generous tip for the bartender. “Guess we better get ready to go.” All three stood up walking out of the bar. She readied herself to go to the castle while Biggs and Wedge headed to the aircraft hold to delegate security for the coming wedding. Before they parted the commodore couldn’t help but speak to her friends. “Biggs… Wedge. It’s been great knowing you.”

The pair looked at each other before chuckling softly. “Sure you haven’t been hittin’ the bottles Ms?” Biggs said with that goofy grin on his face. They knew that Aranea never drank for she had always been one to know what was going on around her. Biggs always said eventually he’d get her drunk one of these days. He hadn’t succeeded in the past ten years though.

Aranea forced herself to laugh. “Maybe a little bit. See you guys.” Although in the bottom of her heart this moment was the last time she would see them.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Titus walked into the Lucis council chamber early in the morning. It was Prince Noctis’s eighteenth birthday, and today was the day that Regis was dreading. Aldercapt had wasted no time in getting the date set up for the wedding the moment Noctis had turned of age. His Radiance had assumed that Regis would try something if the wedding day was extended longer… given how the council had been behaving the last few months, Aldercapt had been right.

Stil he had been unable to figure out just who was feeding the council information about the Prince’s movements. But he had gotten better about covering up his emotions when it was clear that sensitive information about the Prince was delivered. Whoever it was had been sly, always staying out of reach of Titus’s grasp and slipping away. It was hard to pin down who it was since whoever was feeding the court information wasn’t coming directly to the citadel to deliver the information. From what he could tell, the intel was spot on. Between them knowing Aldercapt’s schedule, times where the military cabinet would be attending meetings, or even when they were not in Niflheim, it was always accurate. Whoever it was, Titus was managing to stay one step ahead of them by abruptly changing plans or cancelling meetings to subvert a way to leave Noctis vulnerable. So far, he had been successful, but by now, the mole knew that there was a mole in Lucis which was making things more complicated. Titus was hoping that the mole would surface soon. His affairs at Niflheim had kept him from learning about the secret ops mission that Clarus was overseeing. Until the wedding day was taken care of, Titus was on leave giving him the opportunity to play his role as Drautos.

Lucis had to make their move soon else they would be subservient to Niflheim. That was why he was counting on something big happening during the small window where Noctis turned 18 and he produced an heir. It was a critical time for both sides, and it might have been time to cut his ties from Lucis completely. His only regret was the same one he had ten years ago, he couldn’t be the one to thrust his sword in Regis’s heart.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“You won’t be able to do this on your own!” Noctis cried out.

She agreed with the Prince, but it was irrelevant. Everyone had gambled on this to work and so she could only press forward. “I said go! I can’t fight them and protect you brats!” She shouted pointing the spear at them to make her point clear.

Ignis hesitated, but pulled Noctis up. “We have to go Noct…” He said softly, eyeing the street and where the circled area was. Almost there… he hoped whatever was there was useful.

Aranea continued to destroy the units as they continued to deploy from the drop ship. “I’ve gotta take those damn things out.”. Charging her Stoss Spear, she pressed the tip of it into the ground using the momentum of the energy to propel her forward. She landed on the roof of the homes watching as the drop ships descended lower. “Perfect.” She said jumping rooftop to rooftop to close the distance in between them. She was thankful that her time in the sky was helpful in this situation.

The MTs might have been up to date with the constant upgrades and data supplied by Verstael, but the drop ship models were ones that had a few decades behind. The newer models were sent to battles, and the older ones were stationed within the city. They might not have been as fast, but the older drop ships didn’t have to be since this was the capital and it was always heavily guarded. It was an exploit that Aranea had hoped would happen. The engine was easier to get to in the older models. The glowing energy radiating from the hull gave away their location. Charing her spear, she moved herself closer to it before striking the engine with the tip. Several explosions followed before she had to jump away. The ship started to descend, and Aranea grit her teeth praying that the people below would hear the sound of the ship and evacuate the area safely. A subsequent crash and explosion followed, yet Aranea pressed on. She couldn’t worry about the casualties or damage now, there were two more ships that needed to be downed. She did the same maneuver as before and a second drop ship fell from the sky. The last one, was a bigger model, and one that had her heart skip a beat. The emblem off to the side was unmistakable. Glauca’s personal ship.

She stopped to catch her breath as more MTs dropped out of the General’s ship surrounding her. The searchlight was steady on her from Glauca’s ship and her mouth pressed together seeing that familiar sight of bluish metal and ominous red jump out of the drop ship. The impact of Glauca’s fall had the concrete a few feet from him disintegrate into shattered pieces of rocks. “Aranea Highwind…” The voice boomed. “All this time… you were the traitor in our midst.”

To that the commodore laughed softly. “Well what can I say? Guess I have a soft spot for kids.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“-I said just do it!” Verstael snarled watching the soldier cringe from his tone. “If the General or Aldercapt have an issue with it... they can speak to me personally. Make sure he is given a sedative to keep him knocked out.” No, he didn’t even want anyone seeing this boy and he covered up the boy’s face still speaking. “Take care of him… now.”

“Y-yes sir!” The soldier moved down and began to tend to the Lucian.

When Verstael was sure that he got the point across he was already aiming for the direction of his lab. “That boy…” He murmured, unable to get the image of his face out of his head. The features were unmistakable. As a scientist, he didn’t believe in fate or luck. Yet for once… he was at a loss as to how to deal with the situation. A DNA test needed to be done first to verify his thoughts, but deep down he already knew why that soldier looked so damn familiar.

Aftermath:

There had always been rumors about the King’s health. The access to the armiger did have it’s limitations along with the power of the kings. Prompto had never seen Regis use it first hand, but he knew that each time Regis blessed a Crownsguard or Kingsglaive with the power of the armiger, he lost precious time on his life. It was why the King had always described this mission as “be all to end all”. Of course Noctis being prisoner for as long as he had been was something that Regis had always wanted to change, but the cost… he had no idea it would be taken this far.

“You have nowhere to go now boy.” The voice said softly. “But worry not, you are in the place you are supposed to be.”

Prompto grit his teeth thrashing against his bonds. “I kneel before no king but Regis Lucis Caelum and his son Noctis Lucis Caelum!”

“Who is dead.” The voice reminded him. “And as for that brat… well you might have him back but even the company of your best doctors will not erase ten years under our care.” Of course he didn’t know that for sure but… they still had something that the Prince wanted. “Regardless of that… I must undo the damage that your mother has done to you. It is the only way you will be pardoned for your crimes.”

Prompto froze at the mention of his mother. Why did someone from Niflheim seem to speak so formally. No… it was a trick. The gunner laughed softly. “Is this your idea of an interrogation? Making up stories to think I’ll take the bait?” He heard a door opening behind him, but he couldn’t even turn to see who had come into the room. “You’re really bad at this…”

“Had it been anyone else, I might not have pressed the issue. But you and I… share a history together.”

Prompto didn’t recognize the voice at all though. Not wishing to give the man a reason to start his torture, he opted to keep the man talking for now. “I know no one from Niflheim.” He spat, the malicus was clear, the things that he had seen growing up, the people that suffered because of their magitek were burned into his brain. “I’m a proud Lucian! Never would I apologize to Niflheim scum!”

“That is no way to speak of the land of your birth, Prompto.”

The gunner’s breath hitched when the man said his name. He could have blamed it on his ID being taken, or even the Crownsguard uniform but he knew that all officers that had been tasked with this operation had all of their personal belongings left back home. So with that knowledge in the back of his mind… how had this man figured out his name? Now he was trying to look at the figure from his peripheral vision.

“It seems I’ve gotten your attention now.” The voice mused. “I’m glad she didn’t change your name. You were born in these halls, I held you in my hands. You were destined to be a scientist and know the best of cutting edge technology. But your mother… a coward unwilling to embrace the power of my research took you and fled. I had wondered where she had taken you too.” He snorted. “Lucis would have been the last place I expected.” But in hindsight it did make the most sense.

“Who…. who the hell are you?” Prompto choked out. The man finally stood in front of him and what he saw made his face pale as he came face to face with a man that looked so much like him. The freckles dotting his face, the blonde hair, the blue eyes burning back at him.

Verstael summoned a gun from his own armiger. Unlike Prompto’s weapons though, the magic that came from it was glowing red rather than blue. He pointed the barrel at Prompto’s face wrestling with what to do about the situation. “Hello... my son.”

[imissjoongsmullet]

The Morning After The Fact

Pairing: Xiaojun x reader

Genre: fluff (tiiiiny bit of angst)

Summary: Part 2 of An Evening With The Boys.

After a fun evening with your little brother (Yang Yang) and his friends, you can’t stop thinking about certain things that happened between you and Xiaojun. You plan to ignore them but the next morning proves to make that a very difficult to do. 

Warnings: more chaotic WayV, awkward conversations, cuteness

Word Count: 3.5k

Author’s Note: thank you for the request @idontknowapil​  I really like this whole concept, it makes me feel all warm and fluffy inside. I hope it can be the same for people who read it. Much love!!

►

It was 3 am and you had yet to fall asleep. You’d spent the last couple of hours turning around in your sheets, helplessly trying to clear your head but it all seemed in vain under the current circumstances. After you’d turned down your lights, you’d laid in darkness, listening to the muffled voices coming from your brother’s room. It was astounding how him and his friends just did not seem to need sleep. You could hear Lucas’ monstrous cackles, Ten’s screeches and a lot of mysterious thumping noises. There was no sign of Xiaojun at all, which made you wonder whether he was still awake. He might be even more distracted by it all than you were.

With your hand beneath the bed sheet, you tried to relive the feel of his hand on yours from just a few moments ago. You’d barely been able to concentrate on the movie because of it. You’d been shoulder to shoulder with him under a nice, fluffy blanket, which had been reason enough for your cheeks to turn strawberry pink. When he’d reached for your hand and interlaced his fingers with yours, you’d felt chills all over your body. It had been such a gentle touch, so sweet, and in the moment it had overwhelmed you completely. Now, you were wondering what it had meant.

He’d felt so warm against your skin, almost too much so, but now you just felt cold. Would he ever do it again? Or was he already regretting his actions. He was your little brother’s friend, after all.

What would he want with you?

Your alarm woke you up at 7:30, as always. You enjoyed being the first person awake in the house (not a hard thing to do considering Yang usually didn’t leave his self-proclaimed ‘man cave’ ‘till the early afternoon). Not wanting to disturb the boys, you put in your earphones, put on a nice, soft morning playlist, and made your way down the stairs. You figured you could make your favorite breakfast and enjoy the piece and quiet in the house while it lasted.

The remnants from last night were still sprawled all across the living room. Playing cards, half-empty chips bags, stray video game controllers,… You shook your head, figuring you’d boss your idiot brother into cleaning it up later. First, breakfast.

Maybe it was the soft piano playing in your ears but you didn’t see it coming at all. Turning the corner into the morning-lit, white-tiled kitchen, was Xiaojun, putting a bunch of things out onto the counter.

You both jumped at the sight of one another. A very unflattering squeal escaped your lips as you instinctively wrapped your hands around yourself. You were still in your embarrassingly childish pajamas: a Hello Kitty top and shorts combo you’d never wanted to throw away for sentimental reasons. He, on the other hand, was handsome as always, in soft, white and gray striped pajamas that looked like they were brand new. His hair was messy but charmingly so, while yours probably looked more like a rat lived in it. He was staring at you with big, honey-brown eyes, lips parted, as if he was about to say something.

But you weren’t ready to hear his judgment. You yanked out your earphones and dashed to one of the kitchen chairs to wrap yourself in the long, white cardigan that hung over it, covering yourself up.

“Good morning,” he started, a little smile tugging at his lips.

You nodded at him, realizing at once how silly of a reaction that was but also unable to get any words out to save yourself. Looking at him now, all sleepy-faced and gorgeous, your mind flitted to last night, to the way he’d looked at you before parting ways in the hallway. There had been something in his eyes then; he’d wanted to say something, you were sure of it. Was it still there? Or were you simply over-thinking things?

“Sleep well?” he asked, continuing to grab things from the cupboards.

“Yeah,” you managed at last, forcing your focus to the present moment, “um, what are you doing?”

His smile grew wider; the smile of a kid getting caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. “I’m making breakfast,” he said, shrugging, “I hope that’s okay. Yang usually lets us grab whatever we want.”

“Oh, that’s fine,” you were quick to answer this time, “you just startled me, is all.”

His eyes twinkled at yours for a moment before they shot down to the ingredients before him.

“Would you like some too?” he asked. He looked back up at you, a glimmer of timidness showing through his expression now, “pancakes are your favorite, right?”

You couldn’t stop a grin from overtaking your entire face. Embarrassed, you opened to fridge door to shield yourself from his gaze.

“How do you even know that?” you asked, pretending to grab a drink.

“It’s not my first sleepover at this house,” you heard him chuckle, “I’ve watched you eat pancakes for breakfast for years.”

Even in the icy cold of the fridge, his words managed to heat you up. You felt strangely exposed by his statement. I mean, it wasn’t as if he’d actually been observing you all these years. You did eat pancakes for breakfast at a ridiculous frequency, especially on your days off, which was often when Yang Yang’s friends would be over. It wasn’t strange for him to notice, you supposed.

You randomly grabbed for the apple juice and poured the both of you a glass, reminding yourself every second that none of this probably meant anything. He hadn’t mentioned anything about last night. He’d probably already forgotten about the whole thing. It was fine.

“Where do you keep the flour?” his voice called so near to your ear that you jumped again. He’d come up right behind you.

You twisted around, only to regret it immediately. He looked so heavenly in the morning light, looking down at you like he had no idea what he was doing to you.

“It’s in the back, hold on,” you said, scurrying off into the pantry.

You were starting to get frustrated with yourself. You weren’t like this. Sure, you’d had certain “feelings” when it came to Xiaojun, but you’d always managed to keep them under control pretty well. You’d been around him for many years. You’d pretty much gotten used to his presence and the idea that things would never lead anywhere with him.

But now, you couldn’t even look at him without flushing like a child; it was ridiculous. Things had happened last night, there was no denying that, but you didn’t want to fool yourself into thinking that had to mean anything. It might have been a spur of the moment thing for him, inspired by the film. Guys did unexplainable things more often... 

But, a timid, little voice in the back of your head came in, what about that look he gave you during poker? Or right before going to bed? There was something-

Those all led to nothing, your reason shot back monotonously, ergo, he didn’t mean for it to lead anywhere.

“Should I use butter or oil? What do you think?” Xiaojun’s voice called from the kitchen, and then, not much later, “also, how do you separate an egg?”

A tiny smile crept up onto your face. You snatched the flour from the shelf before you and went back out, locking your worries somewhere you wouldn’t be able to hear them for the time being.

“Why don’t we make the pancakes together?”

He frowned at the eggs in his hands and nodded.

It was a little surprising how clumsy he was in the kitchen. Xiaojun had always seemed like such a clean, put together kind of guy, so watching him fish eggshells out of a bowl as if his life depended on it (and failing) was very amusing. You showed him all the steps you knew by heart, and he followed gladly, keeping the full of his attention on you.

It didn’t make you as nervous anymore. Little by little, you eased into his presence, temporarily ignoring unhealthy thoughts and letting yourself enjoy the moment.

“You’ve got to be gentle with the stirring,” you said, standing next to him to oversee his actions, “or they won’t be fluffy.”

“I am gentle,” he chuckled, taking a quick look at you, “see.” He folded the wooden spoon through the batter ever-so-slowly. His sleeves rolled up, you found yourself staring at his tensed forearms as he worked. The idea of being wrapped up in them did cross your mind, but you forced yourself not to dwell on it.

“How’s this,” he asked, stepping aside to show you his process.

You took the bowl and ran the spoon through it, feeling the smooth consistency. Then you dipped in your ring finger and tried some.

“What are you doing?” he said, apprehension all over his voice.

“I’m tasting it,” you said simply, turning to him, “how else would you know if they’ll be any good?”

He somehow managed to look both amused and concerned at the same time.

“I heard raw batter is bad for you.”

“You have a point,” you laughed, “but it tastes so good.” You dipped a clean finger into the batter and held it up to him. “Try it,” you said, and just as the words dove off your lips, plummeting the conversation into dangerous territory, did you realize what you’d just suggested. You were about to pull back your finger but Xiaojun had already grabbed hold of your hand.

Eyes like tennis balls, you stared as he started bringing your finger towards his lips. Everything inside you was short-circuiting: the cogs in your body jamming, sparks flying all around, fog filling up your brain.

“No,” you gasped out suddenly, yanking back your hand at the same time he’d decided to let go. Your hand recoiled into your own face, your battered finger hitting you sharp in the eyeball.

“Are you alright?” you heard him sputter, as his two hands grabbed your shoulders. Your eyes were closed shut in shock and pain but you nodded anyways.

“Hold on,” he said and he started leading you towards what you could only imagine was the sink. To add to your shock, he positioned himself flush behind you so as to guide your hands towards the stream of the faucet.

“I’m fine!” you muttered, heart like a ticking time bomb. Once he’d removed himself from your backside, allowing your body to calm down, you wiped your eyes and tentatively opened them.

“I’m fine,” you repeated, turning back around to face him.

He leaned in, examining your face, asking, “You sure?”

You couldn’t stand all this closeness. Somehow his eyes were the worst of it.

“Stop looking at me,” you said in a near whisper, positive your cheeks resembled actual tomatoes by this point.

“Wait,” he answered, reaching out to softly wipe the space under your eye, “you just had a little bit,” he grinned, showing you the batter on his thumb before putting it past his lips and licking it clean.

That was it: the last of your sanity flying out the window. You turned away from him, mortified.

You heard him move before you felt it: his hand on yours. It sent the hairs on your arms up, all the way to your neck.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked in a quiet murmur, squeezing your hand gently.

You looked into his eyes and swore your could see it again; that same thing you’d noticed in his eyes the previous night, the thing that made you wonder whether maybe…

“I-” you started, knowing full well you wouldn’t be able to ever finish the sentence. You wished he would just say something instead. But he was still staring at you with those big eyes of his, sunlit brown gazing from beneath long eyelashes, searching you.

“Sorry,” he said at last. The words punctured the silence like a needle to a balloon. They seemed to echo in your head, adding to the confusion already dominating your thoughts. Sorry for what?! You wanted to yell but he was still holding onto your hand and standing so close and there was just nothing you could do about it and you thought you might explode when suddenly-

“Something smells good!” a voice like a trumpet called from the living room.

Xiaojun released you and you both turned around to find Lucas, Ten and Yang Yang sauntering into the kitchen with sleepy faces and messy hair.

“Pancakes!” Ten gasped.

“Sweet!” Lucas nodded.

“Did I hear pancakes?!” Hendery’s voice came in from far away, followed by heavy thumping.

Yang Yang shot you and Xiao a strange, up-and-down glare before shaking his head in amusement. “You know what? I don’t even wanna know,” he exhaled, turning around and walking off.

Things got a bit easier from then on because at least you weren’t alone. Xiaojun was busy trying to create the perfectly shaped pancake, while Ten and Lucas provided enough of a distraction for you not to worry about what had just happened between the two of you. The air soon filled with the sweet aroma of baked goods, feeding your appetite. You offered Xiaojun your help but he seemed to have gotten really into it, declining and promising you nothing short of perfection once he was finished.

So you allowed yourself to watch him. It was a lot less scary now that he had his back turned to you. The sunlight was pouring heavily into the room, making him look like some sort of breakfast-making God.

“Like what you’re seeing?” a sly voice whispered in your ear.

You slapped Ten on the shoulder, hissing a desperate shut up.

Ten smirked in response, “What,” he said, poking you in the side, “you know I’m right.”

It was another five-or-so minutes before the pancakes were done and you could all move around the breakfast table together. They were delightfully tasty and surprisingly soft. Everyone had several helpings and, aside from things nearly escalating into a food fight when Lucas started playing with the chocolate sauce, it was truly one of the nicest breakfasts you’d had in a while.

“Well, I guess we’ll finally get out of your hair then,” Hendery yawned as he stretched his arms wide above his head, “Lovely pancakes, by the way, man.” He clapped Xiaojun on the shoulder and got up.  

The others followed suit, picking up their plates and disappearing into the kitchen. You supposed they had some manners after all. You watched as Xiaojun returned to clear off the rest of the table.

“Oh that’s okay,” you said, getting up as well, “I’ll clean up. You can go grab your things with the others.”  

You thought that’d be for the best. Maybe, if you were fast enough, you could finish cleaning and sneak into your room before the boys left. That way you could at least avoid any more awkward moments. You shoved the dirty dishes and bowls into the sink, hurriedly returned ingredients to their rightful place and haphazardly wiped the table and counters. Passable, you judged your work, before sprinting up the stairs and into the narrow hallway, only to run headfirst into someone’s chest.

“Woah!” he exclaimed and you knew you’d fucked up once again.

“Sorry,” you muttered, not even looking up. You swerved past him and the other boys, making your way to your room. You were too caught up in your own thoughts to hear Xiaojun tell the others to go on ahead of him cause he’d forgotten something. Only when he jogged over to you with a breathy “wait,” did you realize. Your turned to him, keeping your hand on your doorknob.

“I, um,” he started, and for the first time, you noticed a slight unsteadiness in his voice. He was looking down at the ground, thinking. “I think I haven’t been handling this so well,” he sighed out at last, “I’m not that good at this.”

This was it, you groaned inwardly, the moment he’d tell you yesterday was a mistake and to please leave him alone. You were about ready to tell him to save the speech because you got it. The whole thing was stupid and you acting like a baby about it was making things awkward for everyone.

Electricity jolted up your arm when his hand brushed yours, tentatively for a few seconds, but then wrapping it around yours firmly, squeezing. Looking from your entangled hands, up into his kind eyes, you realized you’d forgotten, in all your anxiousness, that Xiaojun was naturally quite a shy person as well, and that him holding your hand could not be as easy for him as you’d thought it may have been.

But he didn’t stop there. His free hand came up and brushed the hair from your face, locking lightly behind your ear. Then he smiled and you felt your heart start to race. He was so close and looking at you with a face that bore such sincerity, you couldn’t understand why you’d doubted him before. He leaned in and you were far from ready.

When his lips touched yours your mind went blank for the first time in forever. He kissed you softly, cupping your face and caressing your hand with his thumb. It was gentle and soothing and more than you’d ever dared to hope for. You felt so light. You found the urge to move closer; to fall into his warm chest where you belonged but something still held you back.

Xiaojun broke the kiss but kept his face close, resting his forehead on yours and smiling. Now you weren’t the only one blushing.

“I’m not good with words,” he murmured.

You smiled up at him. “You’ve said plenty just now.”

He returned the smile and squeezed your hand again; a gesture you were growing very fond of very quickly.

“Sneaky, I like it,” a voice said in a tone that could only come from one person.

“Ten,” you gasped, looking behind Xiaojun to find him at the top of the stairs, a single eyebrow cocked in triumph.

He snickered, “listen, I’m very happy you two finally decided to cut the crap and make out already but Yang Yang is this close to coming up here to ask what’s keeping you so long and I’m sure you both don’t wanna find out what will happen when he finds out so you better get your ass down the stairs right now lover boy.”

You both stared at the smug boy for a moment, before Xiaojun finally broke the daze. “Right,” he said, nodding. He looked to you, then to his friend and back to you.

“Fine!” Ten sighed with the dramatic wave of a hand, “Have your moment. Just make sure you’re down in five seconds or I might not be able to keep my mouth shut.” And with that, he descended the stairs.

Xiaojun turned to you again, looking a bit embarrassed.

“Maybe we should get coffee sometime?”

You nodded pressing your lips together tight in an attempt to control your glee.

He nodded to and came in once more, pecking you sweetly on the nose.

“Okay,” he said, and finally, he walked off towards the stairs, but keeping his eyes on you. Only upon reaching the stairs, did he turn around.

“There you are, you lazy piece of shit,” Lucas’ voice bellowed from below, “I’m gonna miss my train because of you!”

And so you stood there, in front of your bedroom door, listening to the sounds of your brother and his friends once again: Yang Yang ordering people around despite being the youngest, Hendery and Lucas’ signature laughter, Ten’s unnecessary comments on it all and Xiaojun’s silence. He was probably just thinking and, for the first time, you had a pretty good idea what he was thinking of. You put your hands to your cheeks in an attempt to cool them.

After hearing the door click shut, you entered you own room, realizing you wouldn’t get anymore work done for the rest of the day and, for the first time, not even caring one bit.