#he SCREAMS eldest sibling trauma

[kamisatomay018]

I’ll Always Stand Up For You

Sylus x fem!reader

Warnings: mentions of childhood trauma, alcohol addiction, angst with lots of comfort, fluff!

Here is the Sylus version, enjoy!

Your life before you met Sylus was nothing but painful. Being the eldest daughter of two parents who failed at their jobs, you had to shoulder the responsibility of raising your two siblings. Your childhood memories were filled with covering your young siblings’ ears while your parents yelled and fought with one another after drinking too much. Glass breaking, cursing and screaming were all that would be heard all night long. You were only 6 years old when all this began, and it traumatised you for life. But that would only be the beginning of your suffering.

Your parents hated you for no reason. Perhaps they saw you as a burden, perhaps they were just vile people at heart. Your family was broke thanks to your parents, and you can no longer remember just how many days you spent skipping meals so that your family would have food in their stomachs. And yet, neither of them were ever grateful. You barely managed to get education thanks to your brilliance in studies which thankfully landed you scholarships. However you didn’t even get the chance to go to college, because your parents were so deep in debt that you needed to take up the burden and start providing for them.

Since the day you turned 16, you started doing odd jobs, exhausting yourself everyday so that your family wouldn’t go hungry. A waitress, a bartender, a babysitter; you name it, and you did all the jobs that you could get without needing a college degree.

And still, your family remained ungrateful.

They called you all the time, asking for money as if you weren’t out there working endlessly to pay their bills. You barely had two pairs of clothes, your once soft hands had gone rough from the labour you endured daily. Trying to put food on the table, pay off debts and endure your family’s emotional torture was too much to bear for you. You were deep in depression, hanging by a thread until you knew you’d break.

But everything changed the moment you turned 24. The day, you met Sylus.

Was it a coincidence, or was it luck? You could not tell. You worked at a restaurant he owned as a receptionist, when one fine day he walked in, and his ruby eyes landed on you. Never had he seen a beauty like you, never had he felt so drawn to a woman before. You were the most simple girl he had ever seen, and yet, he couldn’t get his eyes off of you.

From there began your fated encounter with the leader of Onychinus himself. It took him a very long time to gain your trust. But sylus was a man of patience. Truthfully speaking, he could’ve just used his aether core to know everything about you. But something in him told him to stop. The sadness and exhaustion in your eyes had made his heart churn, and that was the day he vowed to himself that you would never work yourself to death the way you had been doing since you were just a teenager.

Falling in love with Sylus was your saving grace. He was the air you needed to breathe, the pillar you needed to lean against and the embrace that always caught you before you fell. He brought colour into your life, he gave you a taste of things that you could never even dream of in your wildest dreams.

He had unlimited wealth, and his way of showing love for you was by spoiling you rotten. But to you, money had a whole different value, it was something that you could never waste. It took you months of convincing and reassurance from Sylus that he was more than happy to spoil you, and that you deserved it. And it took you months to confide in him of the truth about your life.

The day he learnt of just how much you had been suffering at the hands of your failed parents and ungrateful siblings, he truly wanted nothing more than to throw them out of your life. But he knew that even after everything you had to suffer by their hands, you still cared for them, even if he could never understand why. How could you ever be so selfless? That; sylus soon understood, was one of the main reasons why he fell in love with you.

It was the way you cared, the way you didn’t care about his own past, about his misdeeds. You just saw sylus, and you loved him unconditionally. Your love was enduring and passionate, it was never ending. You kept Sylus a secret from your family, not wanting them to exploit him for his money. Sylus had long since offered to just shut your family up with some money so they’d leave you alone, but you firmly stopped him from doing that. It was his hard earned money, and with how greedy your family was; they’d never stop asking him for money at your expense.

So Sylus respected your wishes, only after you complied with some of his conditions. Soon after he began dating you, he realised that you had a sharp and brilliant mind and he got you a better, well paying job in Onychinus itself, and he made sure that you never spent your hard earned money on yourself. Why? Because that was his job now. He spoiled you absolutely rotten, treating you like a princess. Soon, you got used to it, but even then you managed to surprise him by giving him small yet meaningful gifts from your salary. And that man cherished every single thing you gave him.

A crow keychain? It was now attached to his bike keys. A new blazer? He wore it to every important meeting. A new pendant? He swore to get buried in it but never take it off.

His love was pure, and so the day he knelt down on one knee to ask for your hand in marriage under the snowfall, you had no hesitation in saying yes and pulling him into a passionate kiss.

You were so grateful for Sylus that you could never explain in words. He gave you everything that you had desperately needed in life- love, security, kindness and respect. He made sure to never raise his voice when you were around because he knew it triggered you due to your childhood, he took care of you when no one else had, he spoilt you with endless luxury, but most of all, he made you truly feel important.

Along with your engagement however, came one burden- breaking the news to your family. You had sat down with Sylus, telling him nervously that you didn’t want to hide such an important news from them, and that if, and only if, he wanted to, you wished to introduce him to your family. You hadn’t seen them in years now and they never even showed any interest in wanting to see you. Their calls were always only for money, so Sylus couldn’t fathom why you were still attached to them.

But as understanding and patient as he was, he agreed to your request with a loving kiss on your forehead. After all, there was no way he was letting you go there all alone.

You both dressed up simply but elegantly, Sylus deciding to use one of his simplest cars- an Audi- to drive you to the apartment your family lived in, an apartment that you had rented for them.

To say that your family was shocked was an understatement. They were baffled the moment they saw you and Sylus, a man with an intimidating aura that screamed power and luxury. He held your hand in his, after he had promised you that he would be as civil as possible with them upon your request. But he had made one thing very clear- he would not tolerate any nonsense that came at the price of your respect.

The atmosphere was unbelievably tense as you broke the news of your engagement to Sylus. Your parents were infuriated that they had no idea that you were dating. But not for the reason any ordinary person would think. They didn’t care who you were with, they cared about the fact that they could see just how rich Sylus was, and that they could’ve had so much money by now. Of course, they didn’t say it out loud, but Sylus knew. One look at their greedy faces and he knew that he hated them even more now.

Soon your two younger brothers, whom you had been protecting all their lives, appeared, shocked to see you with a man as perfect as Sylus. They snickered to each other, looking at you condescendingly. “Wow, sis. Never thought that you would end up with such a good man.” Their comment made your parents laugh too, and your heart ache.

But Sylus? He was not amused. Not at all. His ruby eyes became darker as he glared at the two sorry excuse of brothers, his fist clenching. You noticed immediately, placing your hand over his before he could say anything. He was forced to keep quiet after he saw the subtle shake of your head and your pleading eyes. He wanted to get you out of here and just shower you with affection. You were an angel, and you didn’t deserve any of this.

“So son, when is the wedding? We expect it’ll be quite lavish, yes?” He heard your mother say, making him feel absolutely disgusted, even though his expression remained stoic. Him and be her son? Absolutely not. “Soon.” was all he replied with, although he was tempted to tell them that he didn’t want to invite them at all.

“A man of a few words, aren’t you? Ha! Thats what makes a good man.” He heard your father say to him. Sylus raised his eyebrow at that. What irony, he thought, for this man and his sons were the exact opposite of that. “Indeed.”

Meanwhile you remained silent, knowing it was taking everything in sylus to keep his promise of being civil to your parents. You were so grateful to him, as he continued holding your hand. That however, caught your mother’s attention as she saw the shining diamond ring on your finger, a big solitaire adorned with rubies, a symbol of your love with Sylus.

“You greedy girl, is that how I raised you!? How could you ask for such an expensive ring from your fiance?” She snapped at you, her voice loud which made you flinch. Sylus felt it immediately, as he pulled you closer, looking at your mother darkly. Seeing Sylus’ intimidating glare her sharp gaze faltered a little, but she continued to look at you in a disgusting manner.

Your father also looked at the ring now, and he scoffed. “Is that what you’ve been doing? Hoarding all your fiance’s money for yourself while your poor family lives in such bad conditions? I didn’t raise you to be a gold digger!” Your younger brothers sneered at you, shaking their heads. You felt your breathing get heavier, remembering just how damaging it used to feel being around your family.

But then, all your thoughts were silenced by the familiar warm embrace that once again caught you right before you felt yourself fall. Sylus.

He stood up abruptly while hiding you in his arms, his evol emanating from him as it surrounded you both with its dark glow. Your family looked up, afraid of the man as he glared down at them with such anger in his eyes.

“Say that again. I dare you. Call my love a gold digger again, and I will make you beg me to kill you.”

Your family was speechless, stuttering and trying to find words. But Sylus didn’t give them a single chance. “You all are so fucking lucky to have this angel in your lives, yet all you have done is make her life hell, make her cry, make her ache. She has spent the better part of her life putting food in your worthless bodies and you have the audacity to call her a gold digger?”

“And you two.” He spoke, seething in anger as he turned to your brothers. “You are disgraces at the name of brothers, failures as men. You forgot so easily just who had been protecting you and feeding you since the day your worthless selves were born? Sitting here with no jobs, no ambitions laughing at a woman who pays for your food, for your clothes and for the roof above your goddamn heads, tsk, feel some fucking shame.”

You didn’t stop Sylus, rather, you felt yourself fall so in love with him again. For the first time, someone had stood up for you. For the first time you were the one hidden in someone’s arms, away from the pain. For the first time, you were taken care of in the face of danger.

“From this day forth, you all will get no money from her. My fiance will no longer send your worthless selves any money. Try to harm her, and I will make you regret every breath you take. Be glad that I am sparing your lives, because it is her love that has made me merciful. This will be the last time you see us. Once you learn just how difficult it is to earn money without a roof above your heads, you will understand how much she has suffered. Truly, I have not seen people as useless as all four of you.” Sylus spat harshly, giving one final glare to your family as he gently picked you up in his arms, hiding you away from them as he walked out, still seething in anger.

Once he reached his car, he let his evol open the door as he sat down, settling you down on his lap. “Sweetie, are you alright?” You heard his deep comforting voice, coaxing you to look at him. And you did just that, letting him see your teary eyes. Sylus swore that there was nothing that hurt him more than seeing your beautiful eyes full of tears. He’d rather take a hundred bullets, get stabbed all over than see you sad. He kissed your tears away, holding you close. “Sweetie, I’m so-“

You didn’t even let him finish, pulling him close by the collar of his shirt as you kissed him oh so lovingly. Sylus was taken aback, but he melted into the kiss immediately. His arms enveloped you once more with such protectiveness that it made your heart skip a beat. God, you didn’t deserve him.

“I love you…I love you so much Sylus..” you spoke breathlessly against his lips, parting just enough to look into those beautiful red eyes of his. He smiled at your words, as if those were the most beautiful words he would ever hear. And that was definitely true. “I love you more than anything, sweetheart.”

“Thank you for saying all that to my family..”

“You’re not upset?” He asked, caressing your cheeks gently. You shook your head immediately. “Why would I ever be upset at you standing up for me..? That’s the first time I felt someone protect me like that..”

His eyes softened, as he kissed your forehead. His gaze was full of love, as he spoke gently “Sweetie, I will always stand up for you. I will always protect you. You can lean on me, yeah? You’re never alone when I’m here.”

You smiles even wider at his words, nodding in response as you took a moment to hug him tightly. “You were always right, I should’ve cut them off long back..I just…I don’t know why I couldn’t do it..”

“It’s because you have a heart of gold, sweetheart. You are pure and loving, even to those who do not deserve it. But don’t love someone at the expense of the love you should give to yourself. You’re worth more than all of that, okay? You deserve only the best.” God, how was it that Sylus always knew the right thing to say?

“You’re right, Sy..thank you for always being there for me. I don’t know what I’d do without you..” you spoke, your eyes genuine and loving.

He smiled at you, kissing your lips softly as you felt him whisper a lingering promise “You do not need to know sweetie, because I will always be there with you. Forever.”

[truths33k3r4]

(CONTENT WARNING!- Nightmares, medical-based trauma and situations! Panic!)

CHAPTER 10- Never Again

“Raphael.” Leo tightly warned, raising his hands onto the sides of his brother’s face. His normally calm tone plummeted into the negative degrees, replacing the warmth of brotherly concern with the chill of interrogation. Unfortunately, this was the only strategy that worked on his stubborn little brother. Kind, gentle words only added another brick to his growing wall of pride, coming off to the fiery sibling as demeaning and condescending instead of loving. The eldest deeply regretted how long it took him to realize this fact about his brother.

 It would have saved them both a lot of heartache growing up.

 Instead of getting lost in the past, he shoved his way back into the present, where his brother was shaking and crying, and not telling him why.

“RAPH. I am warning you- If you don’t tell me what’s going on in the next three seconds, I’m going to drag your shell to dad.”

Leo allowed a faint snarl to escape through his teeth, hoping that his go-to threat would work like always. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure if he would be physically able to haul Raphael to his father’s room- Despite how much the eldest had trained, Raph had always been faster and stronger. 

That didn’t aggravate the eldest in the slightest.

Not… at… all.

“I said I’m f-” Raph began, attempting to twist his head out of Leo’s grip, but the eldest’ hands remained planted on his brother’s face, snapping Raph’s gaze back to his icy irises. 

“You. Are. Crying.” Leo pressed in harsh whispers as he tightened his grip to emphasize how seriously worried he was becoming with each second. “You don’t do that. That’s not a thing that you do, and worse- you’re doing it in front of me… So…”

The eldest’s vice-like grip softened to a small caress, wiping away another escaping tear off his brother’s face. Leo’s harsh glare melted with the true warmth he felt for his hurting brother. 

“... I know something is seriously wrong.” He whispered with a gentleness his brothers all knew well. His breath shuddered as his hands slid from Raph’s face down to his shoulders. “You… were held hostage at some- s-some mad scientist’s lab for over two weeks, Raph… I have no… idea… what they did to you…”

Leo watched as Raph’s eyes kept overflowing with silent tears, reminding the eldest of a wordless history filled with pain and devastating fear that had been plaguing his brother for weeks. 

Leo couldn’t hold back the memories of finding his missing brothers at that horrible lab, rushing through the doors of the facility, maneuvering his way through the halls to the sound of screaming.

His brother. Screaming.

. . .

Don’s freckled face was nearly unrecognizable without his signature glasses and violet-hued mask. Those monsters had taken away all their gear- leaving them more or less naked and unidentifiable; Inhumane. Nothing but another creature for those psychos to study and pull apart… Not only had those heartless heathens stripped him down, but they had also strapped him down to the confines of a reclining chair via leather straps that painfully dug into his skin. 

Don’s expression began as listless while he focused on breathing through the pain of whatever vile concoction was being injected into his veins through an IV. But then a sudden realization sparkled behind his heterochromatic irises, and Leo nearly shattered into a million pieces when his genius brother locked eyes with him for the first time in weeks.

“R-Raph?...” The freckled brother shakily called, as he leaned forward, squinting his eyes.

The frail sound of his sibling’s plea for familiarity and safety sent an arrow of guilt piercing into Leo’s heart. Before another second could be wasted, Leo ran to Don’s side. With a quick shuffle into his belt, the eldest pulled out a pair of glasses, sliding it oh so gently onto his freckled brother’s face. Once Don’s breathing steadied, he looked up and lost his breath all over again. 

“Leo…” He gasped in between shuddered breaths. “LEO!!!” 

With the cry of the eldest’s name, Leo began to hurriedly disconnect all the equipment from his brother, who was now softly sobbing and shaking his head as if this was all just a dream. 

“T-This… This can’t be real…” 

Leo couldn’t even reply as he carefully began pulling out the IV from Don’s bruised arm with all the gentleness he could afford. Tears of relief and shame and love and sadness all poured from his face as he set right to work on un-doing all that had been done to his beloved sibling. He rapidly wiped away his tears as he reached behind to pull out one of his twin katanas. With a number of practiced swipes with his blade, all the straps that once held down Don fell to the floor. 

Now freed from his confines, Don arched himself forward, trying to push himself off the heightened medical chair. Slowly, and with Leo’s help, he finally had both feet on the floor, but not for long. As if a large gust of wind shot through the room, Don’s body began plummeting to the floor in an exhausted heap. As soon as Leo sensed his brother’s weakness, he swiftly sheathed his katana and reached out. Within a matter of seconds, he was on his knees with Don pressed tightly into his arms.

“I’m here! I’m here- I’m so sorry. I love you- I love you I love you-” He cried out, finally being able to say what had been on his heart for the last eighteen days.

“Leo…how…” Don quietly sobbed into Leo’s neck, smothered yet crystal clear, “How did y-you? H-how are you here? Are y-you okay? Did you… Did you find R-Raph?”

Leo winced in sympathy as he listened to the gravelly scratches carving their way painfully into Don’s throat with each word he spoke.

“Shhhh. Shhhhh.” Leo whispered into his brother’s ear, “You need to… to rest.” A whimper weaseled its way out of Leo’s throat, leaving his whole body shaking with emotion and adrenaline. He was supposed to be the foundation of his team; the stronghold that would protect his brothers no matter the costs- the firm walls that would keep his family safe from the cruel, outside world.

And yet here he was, dissolving into shifting sand in his beloved brother’s skinny arms. His facets of honor and maturity crumbled into broken shards of childishness as he let out a painful sob, finally unleashing a grain of the agony he had carried on his shoulders during the weeks of his brothers’ capture. The doubts and fears that plagued his sleepless mind were finally put to reassured rest.

Don was okay.

The stale air of the lab made Leo’s skin tingle with discomfort as he latched onto his little brother with all his might, vowing right then and there that he would never allow this to happen again. With a sense of determination he had not felt in some time, he pressed further into his brother, spreading warmth where only shadow and pain had touched. Each bruise and bandage littering his little brother’s skin was a testament of the eldest’ failure to protect those he loved.

Never again.

The moment was abruptly sliced in half as a blaring alarm began to scream.

~

Leo blinked. And there he was again, kneeling at Raph’s side, with his hands on his shaking brother’s shoulders. 

“It… It was a nightmare.” Raph simply shrugged, though his voice wobbled and shuddered like a glass cup during an earthquake. 

After wiping away the last hints of tears, Leo sighed with the tiniest glint of a smile.

Still playing the tough guy… But at least he’s speaking again.

Leo released one of his hands off of Raph’s shoulder and planted it onto his knee, steadying his own swaying form from the sleep he was currently missing.

“Do you want to talk abou-”

“-No.”

Before his sore legs gave out underneath him, Leo flopped down onto his butt with a somewhat content sigh, using his arms to hold him upright.

“Should've guessed…” He whispered as he slouched back. The smile on his face was still present, alighting the cold, dark room with a small ember of warmth. “Well… I’m… here when you’re ready to talk.” 

Raph turned his face to look down at his brother, silently contemplating Leo’s offer.

 The eldest would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt how cautious Raph was being around him. He’d noticed it for years, slowly watching as hour-long conversations after practice would turn into quick, hollow “hey”s before his fiery sibling briskly left the room. Late nights of reading comics and trying to catch their favorite movies on tv slowly lessened as Raph wanted to be by himself more. 

In all honesty, despite his own pride, Leo couldn’t blame him. He and the second oldest would get into horrible fights growing up. Every small conversation turned into a horrible argument. Any compliment had poison at its tip, sharp and designed to sting. And no sooner had those hurtful words escaped their lips, their fists began flying.

Leo once noticed, mid argument with Raph, that Don had carefully guided himself and Mikey out of the room. One more glance revealed tears falling out of his baby brother’s eyes, and a hardened, disappointed glare across Don’s face.

His and Raph’s actions had begun to affect his brothers. That’s when it became clear that something needed to be done.

So he and Raph just- stopped talking. Leo did his very best to back off unless necessary, and slowly over time their home became quiet again. 

But silence is a two-edged sword. What can be felt as peaceful can also be sensed as cold and apathetic; The natural quiet of a forest’s winter trails compared to the restrained hostility boiling under a volcano’s depths.

A cover-up. A simple bandaid rather than a full surgery. 

Not enough.

Through the years, Splinter had begun training Raphael in better handling his temper. Every day before practice, Leo would see Raph sluggishly dragging his feet into Sensei’s room, and through the door, he, Don and Mikey would listen in on some of the fiery brother’s lessons from their father. Splinter would guide Raph through his Bible, reviewing verses of pride, arrogance, and the need for love to be in the world. He then went over how important it was as christians to show Christ’s love to others. And especially, the ultimate need for that love to be in their home.

During that time, Raph wasn’t the only one Sensei honed in on. Seeing how Leo was half of the problem in the arguments bringing unwanted chaos into their home, he too had to be taught many lessons. The Bible verses his dad focused on weren’t very different from the ones he overheard Raph learning. Huh. Interesting. One specific lesson planted deep roots into Leo’s heart, leaving an impact that would be with him for years to come:

“Your love for your brother needs to outweigh your longing to win.”

And then… one day…

Raph appeared climbing down from the forbidden manhole cover with a shattered wrist and a bleeding crack chipped into his plastron. No matter how he was asked, persuaded, comforted, or threatened, Raph never told anyone how it had happened.

After that day everything began to change. 

And then about a year ago, he and Raph started talking again. 

Even now, as Leo looked into the eyes of Raphael as he finally calmed down from his panic attack, he could see the tenderness and healing within his troubled brother’s soul. Compared to the others in his family, Raph held the record for how many physical scars he had. For a long time, the brothers held him with the highest honor, as if he were a victorious war hero returning from battle… But Leo knew better now. The deep slash across his little brother’s eye was dealt by his blade. An accident, yes, but a permanent reminder of his past recklessness as a child; A lasting testament of who he could never be again.

As for Raph’s second scar- the small lightning bolt cracked into his upper plastron…

… Leo still doesn’t know where its origins stemmed from. And the fact that Raph had held that secret within, warns the eldest of unseen battles that were being fought behind thick, impenetrable walls. Battles he may have helped to fight, had he thrown down his own barriers.

Those times were long gone, and he would not squander the second chance God gave him.

Before he could stop himself, he opened his mouth again.

“Okay… New subject-” He said as he sat up and leaned his elbows onto his crossed legs. “...Maybe this will help get your mind off of your nightmare. If you could think of anything to geek out about to me- right now- what would it be?” He asked with an inviting grin to his more-than-cautious brother.

Raph’s confusion only showed through his expression for a few seconds before his eyes were looking to the side, pondering over Leo’s question. “Uh…” He thought, tapping at the blankets draped over his legs. “... I guess… How kids’ tv shows go too easy on ‘em.” 

Huh. Oooooookay.

“Alright! Tell me about it.” Leo gestured vaguely with his hands at Raph, waving them in swooping motions to propel his anxious brother to keep going.

Raph’s nervous expression returned, but he persisted through his anxiety, sitting up as well, and playing with the blanket fibers between his fingers.

“Well… you know… Nothin’ real happens in them. Like- Okay listen to this-” Raph said, as a miniscule spark ignited behind his irises and spread to his expression and posture, silently revealing that Leo’s plan was working. 

Leo nodded with a small, but growing smile.

“Tell me, oh Team Medic, what would happen to a person if they fell off a three story building?”

Leo sat back with a sigh as his brain began pulling out pristine files from its shelves.

“Um… my personal guess would be they’d have at least a broken ankle, if not a seriously sprained knee…” He listed, as he began counting with his fingers for each injury that came to mind. “...Possibly a concussion depending on how they handled their landing- and most likely a good amount of scrapes and bruises to the knees and arms.”

Raph nodded emphatically to Leo’s medical diagnosis, gesturing stiffly with both arms as if to say THAT’S WHAT I’M SAYIN.

“RIGHT. So- ya know- there’s a thing called uh, what was it again- CONSEQUENCES.” Raph shout-whispered, still keeping his voice small, but making sure his words made up for the lack of volume. “So, you tell me, how… does FRIENDSHIP save you from breakin’ your neck after falling off a flippin’ building??!!” He quietly roared. Somehow.

Leo had to stifle a chuckle as he watched his brother become as animated as the cartoon shows he was complaining about. It was hilarious to see such fire in his brother’s eyes that didn’t spark from anything occurring in the real world. 

“That… doesn’t make any sense, dude.” Leo attempted to speak, but was unceremoniously interrupted by a snort escaping his nose. “Gah-geez!” He hurriedly whispered to himself as he smacked a hand over his mouth to somehow smother his growing laughter at the situation. 

Raph’s passionate expression softened at the sight of Leo fighting for his life to keep the serenity of their bedroom so his little brothers can sleep. Then his kind smile crackled and sparked into a mischievous grin.

After what felt like an eternity, Leo had finally gotten his laughter under control, plastering a stoic expression over the small gusts of laughter still tucked away in his throat. But all that hard work was blown to oblivion as Raph began to cross his eyes and flare his nostrils. Before the eldest could stop himself, another snort shattered the peaceful silence of the room.

My one weakness- THAT LIL BRAT-

In utter defiance and revenge, Leo thrust himself forward onto his knees and slapped Raph’s arm in playful, empty warning. With a hushed hiss he chittered,

“YOU STOP THAT THIS *SNNRT* THIS INSTANT, YOUNG MAN-”

“Ya mean turtle?~” Raph winced as he rubbed at his slightly stinging arm.

Then the brothers went silent as they took a single second to think. At that moment, they pointed to the other and whispered simultaneously, “ Mutant.” And then they were both fighting for their lives to not wake their brothers.

Despite their best efforts of shushing each other, smacking their hands over the other’s face, and trying to regain stoic countenances which always backfired, they were quickly interrupted by a meek, worried voice.

“Don?” 

Raph and Leo’s laughter was snuffed out instantaneously as their immediate instinct to protect their brothers pushed past any humor with full force. 

“Mikey? What’s wrong?” Leo asked with a slightly raised voice since Mikey was in the bunk above Raph’s bed. “Why are you calling to-” 

Leo’s sentence fell away into the shadows surrounding the bedroom as he gazed at Don in his bunk bed, cradling his head between his clenched hands. Shaking.

“Don?...” Leo asked, again raising his voice since Don’s bed was further away. At his call, the freckled brother turned his head slightly, the glistening of tears shining as they fell in threads down his face. 

“DON!” Leo outwardly cried, no longer attempting to remain quiet as the newly revealed emergency played out right in front of him. He pushed off his knees and used Raph’s mattress to propel himself off the floor into a quick sprint across the room. By only running on instinct to protect his brother, he didn’t have to think as he effortlessly leapt over the spare mattress and climbed up the ladder to Don’s bunk, landing in what Mikey would call a “spiderman pose”. 

“Is he okay?” Raph called from the ground, as Mikey briskly flipped off the side of his bunk, landing perfectly, and rushing to Raph’s side.

Leo suppressed a deep groan.

Mental sticky note- REMIND MIKEY to not risk damaging his ALREADY HEALING ANKLE.

With a disgruntled sigh, Leo turned his attention back to Don. In the moment he had, he ploughed through the medical checklists he could think of, assessing what was wrong with his genius little brother. However, it was clear without any medical expertise that Don was having a panic attack.

Him too?... What is going on?

Suppressing his growing questions, the eldest reached out his hand and placed it on Don’s trembling knee. Over the years, Leo found that physical contact worked as a solid anchor for his frightened brother; a grounding force that would pull his mind away from the fantasies that plagued his logic. Don had explained to him that when someone was having a panic attack, they were losing themselves to the lies in their mind. In order to remedy this and pull them out of it, they needed a firm foundation of truth to stand on. 

“I’m alive.”

“I’m not dying.”

“I can feel my heartbeat.”

“I can hear my breathing.”

“God is with me.”

“I’m safe.”

Leo stretched forward to place more pressure on Don’s knee.

“You’re alive, Don. You’re not dying.” He spoke firmly.

“Mmmhmm…” Don grunted as he shakily lowered his hands from the sides of his head, and slid them down to the nape of his neck, pulling down with constant pressure.

“You’re home. You’re not alone. I’m right here.” Leo pressed further both verbally and physically.

“Y-Yeah…” Don breathlessly agreed, as he tried to take a deep, calming breath.

“Whatever you saw wasn’t real. It was just a dream, okay?” 

Don’s expression twisted at those words, and he stuttered, “That’s.. n-not true, L-Leo… It… wasn’t as m-much a nightmare, as it was a m-memory…”

Leo’s own expression fell at Don’s fragmented words sputtering and glitching like a tv set trying to hone in on the right signal. He hated seeing his intellectual brother so shaken like this. Don had never been one that needed to fight his own body just so he could speak. Normally his rants and logistics would smoothly escape his lips, coming out clear and precise in neat rows filled with elongated vocabulary. 

Only one thing would have stolen that from him; something so scary and traumatic that it would resonate and affect him now.

“You dreamed about the lab, didn’t you?” Leo whispered at a volume barely audible as he slid closer to Don’s now relaxing form. He lifted his hand from Don’s knee onto his shoulder, but still kept a grounding pressure.

Don, once again at a loss for words, simply nodded his head defeatedly.

Not needing any more confirmation of Don’s condition, Leo pulled himself closer and held out his arms. Don had to know the option was there if he needed it.

At first, the freckled brother simply stared at Leo’s outstretched arms, as his pupils zipped back and forth in consideration. Then after he properly reviewed his options, he gently shook his head. “I think I’m okay now.” He sighed, gripping onto the soft, fur blanket over his legs. “I’m… okay.”

Leo nodded in understanding before he was forcibly pushed to the wall of the nook as Mikey and Raph joined him on Don’s bed.

“Don, ya good?” Raph asked in genuine concern for his twin, searching his brother’s expression and body for any wounds. 

Don nodded with an exhausted but real smile.

“Are you sure?? You were crying, bro. Last I checked, computers can’t cry.” Mikey playfully nudged Don’s arm, but the smile on the youngest’s face read of no ill will. “You want to talk about it?”

Don’s smile fell a little as he made eye contact with Raph, and both twins sighed in mental understanding. 

“I think he’s alright now.” Raph spoke up quietly, as he started pushing Mikey onto the ladder. “Let’s give him some space, Mikey.” 

Despite the youngest fighting and squawking in obvious displeasure, Raph remained persistent and continued down, pulling his little brother with him. Leo couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“...T-Thanks, Leo.” Don whispered, as he stretched out and placed his hand onto Leo’s arm. “I really… appreciated this.”

Leo’s smile brightened as he tapped his hand onto Don’s. The cool texture of his brother’s smooth skin brought its own wave of comfort to him, reminding the eldest of a truth he had unknowingly taken for granted for years:

They’re home.

Before any more tears decided to fall, Leo wished his brother good night and slid down the ladder, making his way back to his mattress, saying one final, silent prayer.

Thank You, Lord, that my brothers… are home. Thank You that they’re here and safe. Please continue to guide them as they recover from their time in the labs. Please guide me with what to say to them. And…

 Thank You for giving me a second chance.

Aaaand that's it for this chapter!

Man alive, it feels so good to be back. This chapter took a while to figure out because of the scenes with Leo and Raph- There were many options that I had to choose through over how Raph would react to Leo trying to calm him down from his panic attack- but this version won out in the end. :) To quote a very important Book, "Laughter doeth good like medicine". So I knew how I wanted this scene to go. :) As has been a running tradition in this book, there is a lot of hidden storytelling in this chapter~ Especially regarding Leo and Raph.

Feel free to reblog and share!

BIG THANKS TO @poetique823 FOR YOUR HELP!!! <3

@indieyuugure @writer-in-wonder @allyheart707 @oddartistl3 @risebabyx2 @joyjoygorl @carrots-bear @imagionationstation @howtotrainyourdragonprince @jasminegazer @brightonstudios @ninjaturtlefan-dee @rottmntlover14

If you want to be tagged in the next chapter, comment down below!

To God be the glory!

~ Melissa

MASTERPOST <- PRIOR CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER ->

[always-a-slut-4-ghouls]

We’re getting season two and I need to see this scene animated.

this page has not left my head since last night (when I read it)

You can’t just drop things on people like that Itadori, you’re going to kill him if you keep that up

[summercreolefanfictioner]

the scent wafts in, her name making him beg on his knees chap 6

Touya spent another few weeks alone on his own devices, always locking himself up in his room and only going out to grab more books from the library, eat his daily food serving, or lie down on the garden grass for a few minutes before returning to his room. One would think the eldest Todoroki should've been desirous, aching at the thought of alcohol or cigarettes, or struggling from resorting to violence anytime he's alone. After all, one does not simply withdraw from the bad things they had. But Touya didn't; nonetheless, this wasn't easy. All he could do in his room was scream without a sound—literally.

Sometimes, he would remember Enji's face and how the mere look made him so angry he almost tore the pages of the book he was reading. On other days, he would draw his face marred with a scar running down his eye, and after he was finished, he would scribble black paint all over and destroy his art like there was no tomorrow, eyes cold and empty as he spouted things in his head. Fucking old geezer. Scum. Bastard. Good-for-nothing father. Despicable shit. He does not flinch every time he says them in his head. He'd been doing it for a while, after all. It wasn't like therapy could make him forgive Enji for everything he had done. No amount of apology could make up for all the trauma and abuse he endured.

On most days, he would write good memories in his journal. It could be as random as the first flowers he brought to his mother, playing with his siblings, the fun times with Himiko and Twice, and mostly... her. Yes, that woman. The love of Touya's life. Even if it was as mundane as buying groceries together or doing the laundry, he would write about them in detail. Sometimes, he would even draw her face because his memories were getting so vivid the more he spent his time in this facility, and everything became clearer and brighter.

He remembered the day after he took her home, and it was very important because Touya knew it was the start of him getting in trouble with her. It was 11 am when she dropped by the bar despite it not being open yet for tonight's party. She was met with Tomura and Spinner playing some random video game when she asked for Touya because he left his jacket and other string of excuses to see him. When he went downstairs, she had to resist the urge to just gawk at him (she still did, and he noticed it as much) because he was shirtless with his pants riding low on his hips that she could practically make out his hip bones and the lining of his underwear. He was sleepily scratching his head, eyes narrowing as he scanned his surroundings to see her clutching his jacket to her chest as her life depended on it.

"Y-You forgot to take your jacket," she shyly mumbled, handing the piece of clothing to him as she looked away to stop herself from ogling because, heavens, this man was ripped. RIPPED. The contours of his abs and muscles screamed good, sexy times in bed (and she should stop herself from behaving like some hungry animal in front of him.)

Bury your perverted thoughts. Bury your perverted thoughts.

Touya took it from her hand, confused as to why she avoided his gaze. "Thanks."

"I'll go now." She has to make a quick run for it. This was bad. He was looking as hot as hell. She was doing something scandalous. "H-Have a great day, Dabi-kun!"

And just when she was about to go, Touya grabbed her arm, his expression so calm and nonchalant, like he had no idea how much effect he had on her. Honestly, he knew, even just for a tiny bit. He would just act like he didn't because it would only spoil the fun anyway.

"Wait here. I'll just grab a shirt and walk you home."

Now, it might sound so innocent, but to the others, particularly Tomura and Spinner, it was... unusual. They knew Touya was not the type to involve himself with women. Sure, there were plenty of girls who tried their shot, but Touya never indulged in the idea or act of hooking up with women. He'd rather do his job and get shit over than flirt. Sure, they know about his dating history with Ruka, but other than that, Touya was single as a pringle. So, hearing Touya say he would walk this woman home was different.

Tomura and Spinner decided to act like they didn't hear anything as Touya went downstairs, finally wearing a fresh, white shirt as he accompanied her outside. While walking, he was closely observing her as she nervously tried to calm her breathing and keep her distance from him. Once they were in front of her unit door, Touya spoke, "Are you sure you're not missing something?"

She shrugged. "I think so." She turned the keys in her knob and opened the door. Thank you again, Dabi-kun."

Once the door closed, he glared. She was feigning innocence on his question. After all, he still has her work ID, and he saw the spare key she left in his jacket. It was a simple invitation to her humble abode. A bold move. She was playing it safe with her little mind game.

He smirked.

Two can play that game.

The following days, she drops by the bar even if it isn't opening time to ask for Himiko, and Touya knows she is playing with the way she occasionally glances when she thinks he isn't looking. Sometimes, she would purposely leave a piece of her—a handkerchief, earring, lipstick, and compact hand mirror—she wouldn't give up until she got his attention. Touya had to admit she had the upper hand in the situation, collecting all the items she left until he knew it was inevitable to be far from her.

There was just something about her he couldn't figure out, and the way she was chasing him was amusing. Normally, women would be upfront with their feelings for him, and he would keep his mouth shut and do his own thing because he didn't want unnecessary things meddling in his life. With her, it was different. She would rather go with subtle hints than bombard him with the idea of a romantic relationship, and this was shameful considering she is still off-limits (she's dating that cheating asshole, and no one knows if she plans on breaking up with him). To further prove his suspicions, Himiko would always tell him how much this woman likes him and that he should give it a try.

She keeps glancing at me when she thinks no one is looking. Sometimes, she brushes her skin on mine to prove her point. When I look at her, she shies away, blushes, and fidgets. If I get near, she might feel it's too intense, so she makes those hic sounds.

And so he succumbed to the temptation—to the thrilling idea of having her—because one night he had a dream that they were secretly meeting somewhere in a forest where they could get lost in each other—and yes, it was a perverted dream. Touya swore he had to turn on the cold shower to calm his nerves as he pumped his cock up and down to release this pent-up frustration. Her skin. Her smell. Her eyes. Her smile. Her long hair. Her fair skin. Her hidden body underneath the clothes. Her. HER. EVERYTHING WAS ALL ABOUT HER.

The next night, he had a match in the illegal fight club, and while he had won, the injuries he had sustained rendered him vulnerable. He wanted to rest, and although he had a room upstairs at the bar where he worked, he didn't want to go there tonight. Tonight, he wanted to feel something. He still doesn't know why, but Touya was aching for a sensation, and his brain gave him a bad idea. You have a spare key. Go to her. Chase that feeling. Screw him for having these thoughts, limping his way to her door as he tried to compose himself. So what if he's got all these bruises and cuts?

I bet she can patch me up good. I bet her touch would be amazing.

Realization. So that's what this was. Touya, for the first time, craved someone's touch. And it's not just any touch. It should be hers. Her touch. Not anyone else.

When she opened her door cautiously, she immediately shrieked in surprise. He smirked at that.

"Hey," he murmured, leaning against the doorway with one arm. Touya didn't miss the way she eyed his bruises. "Have you been waiting?"

This was bad, yet it felt so good.

NEXT CHAP

THE SCENT WAFTS MASTERLIST

a/n: writing this got me burning up like this was a sin. this is guilty as sin, I swear. I might have forgotten some people to tag, but feel free to dm me or comment if you want to be added to the taglist

taglist: @rueclfer @skiiyoomin @bbluefllame @crookedherringcolorclod @suksatoru @m-4399 @allurearia

[obae-me]

Yes! Finally someone said it!

At first when I saw the interaction I went- hey he's being such a jerk- Ohhhhh wait! This is literally him wanting us to stay soo fricking bad, but Mr.Pridey McPridepants just can't admit it. OFC HE WOULD TRY TO IMPRESS US (even if this emotionally constipated man can't differ b/w chivalry and being an asshole). He's trying to so bloody hard to sweet talk his way into us staying. Even if he's being forceful and manipulative; it's because he's so shit scared of giving us the choice and then us choosing to go cuz he KNOWS wherever we going must mean a lot to us especially when we are going such great lengths to return.

Not to say, that this behavior is ok or good but at the end of the day isn't obey me about flawed and morally grey characters? Even the ANGELS aren't perfect and morally sound, and if I dare say, sometimes they make decisions even crueler than the demons. We are literally talking about the AVATAR OF PRIDE HERE! XD

Literally as soon as you look past the image that he literally puts up cuz he wants ppl to see him that way, you will realize that he really is just a soggy, pathetic man who can't put aside his pride to ask us to stay like a normal person XD Also to point out a lot of ppl LIKE Levi and Mammon BECAUSE OF their pathos lol.

I have always seen that there is SUCH a double standard when it comes to him. Ppl say that he's being too fake and only cares about his image and not his brothers, but when he does show his softer side, they say he's not being genuine or he's pushy or something of the sort. What most ppl fail to see is that he loves his brothers and mc, probably even more than his own life but he's just so bad at showing it because he is held back by his own trauma and sin. While that does not make him innocent... that does make him like his brothers. He acts this way because thats literally the only way he knows how to keep things in his control and keep his family safe and ppl fall for it ... LIKE IT'S NOT THE REAL HIM! TvT

I have this theory (might be a hot take idk?) that most of the ppl playing obey me are pretty young, so they don't like Lucifer because they are anti-authority (I also am, its not a bad thing) but this man is anything but Authority and Power. I might be a lucifer apologist lol but all I am saying is for ppl to look at him with the same open-minded lens they see the other brothers with and you might find him a lot more bearable and dare I say... likeable?

Phew, sorry for rambling in your inbox but I have some strong feelings for that stupid old man XD Also, this feels a lot similar to how expectations are so high and rigid for the eldest sibling whereas these same expectations become a lot less severe for the other siblings...

Firstly, thank you for calling him a soggy pathetic man, that gave me a good chuckle.

And YES! All of this, 100% yes. He doesn't want to admit that there are other things out there more important than him. Not just because of his Pride, but because he finally let someone else behind the walls he put up around his heart (we saw this around Nightbringer lessons 11 and 12, when he was ready to be THE enemy to protect his family, only to end up admitting to himself that he cared about MC just as much) and now, after all that, MC is determined to leave. I'm sure somewhere in his mind, he feels like he's failed.

He's puffing up his feathers as big as he can and screaming "look at me, look at me, look at me"! The big peacock man is flailing.

He's afraid. He's hurt. And so now these weird (and problematic) safety mechanisms are being put in place to protect himself.

Things in his mind are SO 'not fine' that now he's parading around trying to convince everyone (including himself) that everything is perfectly fine! Everything is perfect, everything is great, the outfits he chose are pristine, the food he settled on is text-book. It feels like he's following some sort of guide, like even the things he's saying have been pulled from a novel somewhere. It's not quite the way he normally speaks. If everything can play out the way he sees it in his head, there won't be room for error. Right?

And this isn't new behavior either. It was the ENTIRE plot of season 1 in Shall We Date. Lucifer locked Belphie away because he was worried of what might happen to his sibling. But in a way, 'protecting' his brother was mostly protecting himself.

He's worked so hard to create what he has, that he can't stand the idea of losing it all.

There's also a whole spiel I could go into about how everyone in the family fills a certain "group" role that keeps everything balanced and running smoothly (as smooth as it can get for them). For example, Mammon is the energy of the group, the drive. Beel is the motivator, the encourager. Asmo is the dreamer, etc. Lucifer has to be the guider, the manager, the authoritarian.

While, yes on multiple occasions, he's dismissed his brother's wild antics outright, there have been so many other instances where his brothers say "I want ___" and he gives them the advice or the structure they need to accomplish it successfully. OR even ending up providing it himself should his brother's wishes be genuine (Mammon's car for example).

When he's more on his own, he can drop that uptightness completely. As we see again in Shall We Date, when they're taken to the video game world, and when he doesn't have the worries and responsibilities placed onto his shoulders, he's capable of skipping classes to take a nap on the roof. And fully enjoys it, with a smile on his face and everything.

At the very root of him, while he needs to fulfill the controlling dynamic, he does not want to. At least not completely.

I've always known this, but Nightbringer actually gave me a big confirmation boost! In Wanders Whereabouts, Barbatos gives Lucifer a video call in which he tells Lucifer about all the recent trouble the brothers have gotten themselves into. Barbatos then proceeds to let Lucifer know that as their guardian, the eldest needs to essentially work harder to keep them in line. Then Barbatos sends the damages bill to him.

If he isn't constantly keeping his siblings in line, he takes most of the blame!

And thirdly, I think you are correct, yes. I think especially with the addition of Nightbringer and the anime, a good portion of the fandom is a younger demographic, which doesn't surprise me (listen I played Mystic Messenger when I was a preteen/teen, I was there when the dark texts were written). And a lot of what appeals to that demographic is the coming-of-age, rebelling against conformity sort of story.

And, I want to repeat, my initial post that you are referring to wasn't meant to come off as a "oh everyone is so stupid thinking Lucifer is this way, you should all love him" but more of trying to explain the fullness of his character since it can be harder to spot.

Like, people in the fandom almost always completely understand Mammon. He's not just, "tough and grumbly man who steals things". He's someone who struggles with admitting his own feelings, someone who lets his ambitions blind him from the troubles they can cause, and someone who at the end of the day, loves his family more than anything. And most everyone in the fandom fully understands this.

And yet, with Lucifer, a lot of people tend to take him exactly at face value.

There's a lot of things I could explain about him needing to play a "Parental Guardian Figure" while also just being their brother at the same time, and in a lot of media where the older sibling is forced to become a guardian, they get a lot of flack for not doing it correctly.

Anyways, I could ramble on and on and on about Lucifer as a character, but I think this a good chunk of condensed thoughts. And thank you for sending this over, I always love a good Inbox ramble! Especially about my favorite grumpy, sleep-deprived man <3

[flowerandblood]

The Vanity and Variability

[ Jane Austen • Aemond x Baratheon • female ]

[ warnings: angst, mention of trauma, violence ]

[ description: Despite coming from a family with royal blood, Aemond is forced because of his brother's debts to choose one of the daughters of the famously wealthy general, Borros Baratheon, as his wife to save his family from bankruptcy. When he arrives to make his choice he is distraught and discouraged, made all the more so by watching from the sidelines his youngest daughter, who seems more intrigued by his dog than her possible future husband. Slow burn, sexual tension, regency and Jane Austen prose vibe, vain, self-righteous Aemond. ]

A story which is an alternative universe of The Impossbile Choice taking place in regency times (1805-1815). The characters are all the same as in the main series, however, for obvious reasons they will behave differently and experience things differently from medieval times. You can read this without having to delve into the main series.

Aemond & Miss Baratheon & Vhagar Moodboard

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

Previous and next chapters: Masterlist

_____

The Targaryen family name was one of the most famous and respected in London. His father's great-grandfather had been a duke, so royal blood flowed in them, and their family estate had been part of the kingdom for centuries.

He grew up with a sense of his own uniqueness, which his grandfather, his mother's father, Otto, constantly reminded him and his siblings of, remarking on their upbringing, their gait, the way they spoke. From an early age, everything they did was to testify to their origins and properly represent them to the world.

They were not allowed to run or shout, they were not allowed to eat with their hands, keep their elbows on the table, swear or laugh loudly. He was not allowed to play with other children, instead he was expected to keep reading and expanding his knowledge, and at the age of twelve he could already speak French and Italian as well.

And then, during one of the fencing training sessions with his nephew that his grandfather had forced him to do, he lost his left eye. Luke, enraged at his loss swung his sword as he managed to pull off his protection and the blade sliced his left cheek in half.

Having learned that he was not allowed to cry or scream, he howled and sobbed into his pillow all night, praying that his grandfather would not hear him.

Neither his position nor his wealth could change his appearance.

Although his father had a first-born son, his elder brother Aegon, everyone knew that he would have preferred the family estate to pass to his eldest daughter after his death, his only child, whom he had fathered with his first wife, who had died.

They had spent their entire lives in the shadow of his affections for her, simply existing in large palatial spaces, unsure if they were of any use to anyone at all. Knowing that he would inherit nothing, that he had only his name and his disfigured, ugly face, he hid in the world of literature, disappearing for hours in the library thus forgetting the woes of his life.

He knew that eventually he would be forced to marry a woman of similar status to himself.

When he first met the Countess Rivers, a wealthy widow much older than him, he thought she could become his wife, he even suggested it to his grandfather. He, however, laughed at his suggestion, saying that this woman had only married the Count for money and had tricked her way into his bed and then deprived him of his life for sure.

That didn't stop him, after a few grand balls in London, from locking himself away with her in seclusion and enjoying all that was female flesh and female fulfilment, feeling for the first time that he was not a repulsive child, but a man.

Life, however, made a mockery of him again when it turned out that Aegon had lost such large sums of money at cards over the years that, despite the fact that his brother was now a grown man who had a wife, Otto had beaten him before his eyes with a cane as if he were a small child again.

Aegon wailed and whimpered as he laid on the ground, writhing in pain, still drunk, and his grandfather hissed between hits that he was their ruin, their greatest misfortune.

Then his grandfather presented everyone at the evening meal with the solution to the problem they faced.

"Borros Baratheon is an extremely wealthy general with as many as five daughters ready to marry, he is known for his immense love for them, so I am confident that their dowries will be appropriate and also, if we play it right, he will give us a loan so that we can pay our immediate debts. Aemond, you will travel to Chelsfield to rest a little and choose your future spouse during this time." He said lightly, and everyone around him froze.

He heard Aegon's loud, amused laughter as he clapped his hands, the sound echoing throughout the room in the uncomfortable silence that followed.

"An excellent thought, grandfather. Right, brother? There's nothing better than to fuck a country wench." He said taking a glass of wine and raising it to his lips, their mother slammed her fist on the table, silencing him with a hiss, his wife lowered her gaze, embarrassed and ashamed.

Aemond did not listen to him or his mother. He stared at his grandfather wide-eyed, his jaw clenched, his fingers outstretched on the table rubbing against each other intensely in a nervous gesture.

"Is this supposed to be a joke?" He choked out finally, deadly serious, unable to believe what he was hearing.

His whole life, everything he'd denied himself, everything he'd learned was to serve who he was, his heritage, he hadn't been allowed to marry Alys despite her surpassing them all in stature, and now he was to choose from five simpering daughters of some village general?

His grandfather raised an eyebrow in displeasure.

"Ask your brother about that. Thanks to him we have no liquidity, we are finished. We need money, and Borros Baratheon has it. Marry one of his daughters and be happy you have plenty to choose from." He said impatiently, and Aemond got up from the table, leaving the room with a loud slam of the door against the walls.

He rushed into his room like a storm, ordering his servants not to let anyone in, and circled around his bed one way and the other, feeling like shouting, feeling like throwing something or destroying something, but he knew he couldn't do it, that it wasn't proper.

He finally knelt down in the middle of his room catching himself by his hair, burying his face in his arms and crying helplessly like a baby.

How many more humiliations did he have to endure in his life for God to decide that enough was enough?

How much more could he pray?

Why didn't God listen to him even though he went to church with his mother every Sunday, prayed in the morning and before bed with attention and focus?

Why was he not a good enough son either in the eyes of his father or God himself?

He knew there was no going back from his grandfather's decision. He knew that his mother would never defy him and his father would not take any interest in the matter even if he married a strange woman from the fair.

After a week he sat in the carriage that was to take him to Chelsfield and looked out of the window at the busy streets of London, inside sat with him Vhagar, his dog whom he had received as a gift from his mother for his tenth birthday.

She was beautiful, looking like a giant snow fox with white soft fur and a long snout. She was the only one he confided in, the only one he cried with, the only one with whom he could be weak, plaintive, whimsical, cheerful or happy.

Chelsfield was not far from London and they covered that distance in a few hours. Aemond pressed his lips together as he saw through the window a quite grand, country manor house of white brick, overgrown on all sides with ivy.

He saw a man in their army uniform step out, followed by a young boy and a whole bunch of girls in long high-waisted gowns.

He felt like throwing up at the sight of them.

When the door opened Vhagar was the first to fly out and despite him calling her she ran ahead, curious about the new smells and spaces. He felt rage when one of Lord Baratheon's daughters, who also looked to be the youngest, not yet pinning her hair into a bun, but having it partly loose, partly braided at the back of her head, ran towards her, reaching out to her.

He feared that Vhagar would bite her, unused to the sudden presence of strangers, her father thought the same, for he immediately moved towards her, rebuking her, but Vhagar only barked loudly and jumped at her, almost knocking her over.

The girl laughed out loud, catching her around the waist as if she was dancing and they both continued in such an embrace, Vhagar started sniffing her and licking her face.

He had never felt so embarrassed in his life.

Lord Baratheon greeted him with a few meaningless sentences, mentioning what an honour it was for him and that his room was ready, that he hoped he would find peace here and a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

He figured the last thing he'd find in this place was rest.

He nodded at his words, pulling his cylinder off his head and following him through the main door to his house, escorted by the curious stares of his daughters.

When he finally locked himself into the room that was to belong to him for now, he sat down on the bed and grabbed his head, feeling like he was about to pass out. He couldn't imagine spending every evening with them, forced to talk to each of his daughters in turn.

He hated talking to strangers, he didn't have the gift to converse easily and he put his thoughts together with difficulty into full sentences, and the more he stressed about it, the worse it got.

He figured they'd tire him to death here, and he'd still have to choose which one of these silly girls to take with him and, horror of horrors, marry her, share his bed and his life with her. He shook his head at the thought, sighing heavily.

He didn't leave until the evening, terrified and discouraged, unpacking in his room, which was small by his standards. He looked out of the window and saw a rather pleasant view of the park, trees and hills.

He heard barking and noticed how the same girl who had let Vhagar lick her face in his presence ran across the grass with her, acting almost as if she were a second dog, laughing loudly, throwing her a long stick again and again.

He had never seen Vhagar in such euphoria before.

What kind of house was this?

When it was time for dinner he dressed himself in proper attire, adjusted the black ribbon in which his hair was tied, made sure his eye patch was fastened tightly enough, and went down the stairs feeling as if he was going to beheading.

As he entered the room, which he understood was the dining room, he noticed a beautifully decorated long table, a large fireplace at the end of the hall, lots of portraits and landscapes on the walls , tables and chairs all around.

Everyone stood up at the sight of him and nodded at him, and he reciprocated the gesture, walking unhurriedly to his seat, which was to the left of Mr Baratheon, and which should have been occupied by his eldest son. He saw with surprise that his son was seated opposite him, and only then realised that he had not seen Mrs Baratheon anywhere.

"Let's eat." Ordered Mr Baratheon in his booming, low, throaty voice and nodded to his servants, who one by one began to put food on their plates. As he expected, Mr Baratheon immediately addressed him.

"I hope you find your room comfortable and lacking in nothing, Mr Targaryen." He said lightly, without overbearing or teasing, it was more a statement than a question. Aemond nodded without looking at him.

"Yes, thank you very much. I'm not missing anything." He replied indifferently, grabbing his spoon, wanting to immediately start eating to prevent further conversation. The girl next to him couldn't resist, after a few minutes she tried to initiate light conversation with him.

"How do you find the landscapes of Chelsfield, Mr Targaryen?" She asked softly, and he turned his cool gaze on her, thinking in his head that it was the cheesiest question he had ever heard.

She was the only one with fair hair and seemed to him to be the oldest, her breasts were large and full as were her other shapes, and she had a pretty, common face, but not enough to tempt him.

"They are pleasant." He replied coolly, putting down his spoon so that the servant knew to take his plate from him. The girl beside him fell silent, discouraged.

"The day after tomorrow we will all go to church. Will you accompany us, Mr Targaryen?" Another of his daughters sitting across the table asked him, looking at him curiously, her lips slightly parted, as if defiantly, which he found displeasing.

She was trying to coquette him, to show him physically that she was attracted to him.

"Of course." He replied just as dispassionately, immediately getting down to his second dish as soon as it was served in front of him, wanting to finish the meal as quickly as possible.

As soon as he had succeeded in doing so he stood up and calmly announced that he wished to rest after his journey and retire to his room. Mr Baratheon agreed to this without much concern, watching him closely as he bowed and left without another word.

As he locked himself in his room he felt relieved. He pulled off his tailcoat, staying in just his chemise and trousers, and sat down at the cabinet, which he opened and was relieved to find stationery, quills, inkwell and ink there.

He started to write a letter to his mother, but crossed it out quickly and crumpled the piece of paper, throwing it down with rage.

Why should he lie, reassure her that he was content, that he liked it here, when it wasn't true?

He felt like he was locked in a cage with no way out, he knew he couldn't poke his nose out of his room if he wanted peace and quiet and the thought filled him with despair.

Resigned, he reached into his trunk and pulled out the books he had brought with him to somehow sweeten this awful time, these weeks he was to spend in this feral house full of simpletons.

Only after a while did he realise that Vhagar was not in his room.

He cursed loudly, running his hand over his face, devastated at the thought that surely she was still with that girl rolling around in the grass with her.

He fought with himself wondering if he should just let them stay together since they wanted to, but he felt anger because this was his dog, his closest friend, and she was taking her away from him.

As if his life had taken too little from him.

He stood up driven by rage and opened the door, looking around with a pounding heart. He heard Vhagar growling and barking in one of the rooms and knocked on it quietly, hoping to settle the matter quickly.

He heard someone run up to the door and open it quickly, Vhagar flew out and jumped on him, which had never happened before and he rebuked her immediately.

"Vhagar! Calm down! Sit." He commanded her, trying to be quiet and don't wake anyone. She sat down, breathing heavily, her tongue dangled on the left side of her mouth bobbing from her rapid breaths, her tail scrubbing the floor with joy, euphoria in her eyes.

What was happening to her?

"I was just teaching her a new trick." He heard the whisper of a girl who preferred to greet his dog first rather than him despite the fact that he could be her future husband.

He looked at her coldly, frustrated and bitter, a smile and gentle contentment on her face, she was standing in front of him in only a nightgown and a shawl thrown over her shoulders, her hair already completely loose.

He felt ashamed, it was the first time he had seen a woman in such a negligee. Even during his close-ups with Alys, he had never undressed her, simply not having the time to do so. He looked away, tightening his lips.

"Don't come near my dog again." He hissed, whistling at Vhagar, and she moved after him, stopping once in a while, turning towards her.

He felt furious and grabbed her suddenly by the fur on her neck, wanting to drag her forcibly to his room, like a small child who wants to snatch a toy from another child, and she began to squeal in pain and pull herself out of his grasp.

"− no! − please! − wait −" She begged and he let go of her, suddenly realising that he was causing her pain and watched, panting heavily, as Vhagar ran back to her room.

The girl looked at him apologetically and went back there, he heard her whisper to Vhagar to follow her, not to be afraid.

He stared ahead dully realising that he had just hurt the only being in the world who truly loved him.

That Vhagar would now be afraid of him too.

He felt like crying.

Miss Baratheon finally came out of her room holding something in her hand, evidently a piece of meat from the roast that she must have taken to her room after dinner and using it to train her.

Vhagar came up behind her, sniffing what she had in her hand, but when she saw him she lowered her ears and stepped back, afraid he would do to her again what he had done a moment before.

The girl approached him quickly, handing him the piece of meat she was holding.

"Hand it to her and call her out, just don't get angry." She said to him quietly as if they were acquaintances, but he decided he would not think of that, too distraught that Vhagar hated him so he knelt before her, extending his hand to her, and Miss Baratheon knelt beside him.

"− come, Vhagar − I'm sorry − it's all right −" He whispered and saw his dog begin to wag his tail again, she approached him slowly, uncertainly and sniffed his fingers, then licked them and ate what he held between them.

She pressed her white head against his chest, rubbing against him, and he felt a burning sensation under his eyelids, his lower lip trembling slightly.

"− I'm so sorry −" She said softly in a voice filled with guilt.

He heard her rise and looked at Vhagar, entering his room, and she ran after her at once. He moved behind them and watched in disbelief as she sat down on his floor and Vhagar lay down right next to her, placing her paw on her thigh, letting her know that she wanted to continue playing with her.

She had never behaved like this towards him and he had no idea what he should do with a girl sitting on the floor of his room in the middle of the night.

After a moment, however, Miss Baratheon stood up and looked at him, swallowing loudly, clearly realising herself that she shouldn't be there.

"− I'm sorry for the intrusion, I just wanted her to come in here − good night −" She mumbled almost running out and closing the door behind her, Vhagar wanted to run after her but didn't make it.

He lay down on his bed, distraught, and Vhagar ran up to him, having already forgotten the unpleasant event of a few minutes before, licking him devotedly and tenderly on the face.

"Traitor." He hissed angrily and regretfully, stroking her soft fur.

For the first time in his life, he let her jump on his bed and sleep with him.

Here, there were no his grandfather or servants to report this behaviour to him, which was completely unthinkable.

He fell asleep snuggled into her soft fur, ignoring the fact that she ended up taking up most of the bedding, pushing him to the side.

He thought it was an exceptionally pleasant feeling.

When he woke up in the morning he again felt the stress overpowering him at the thought of breakfast, the fact that this girl had probably blabbed everything to her sisters, saying that he was a violent, cold and aggressive man who hurt his own dog.

However, when he came downstairs with Vhagar his dog immediately ran to her to greet her, also coming up later to her father and brother, who called out to her, eventually making the rounds around the table, getting acquainted with each in turn.

"She's beautiful." Said the second of their sisters, slightly melancholy and hearty.

At breakfast, Mr Baratheon finally introduced his daughters properly to him taking advantage of the lighter atmosphere. He nodded pretending to try to remember their names, thinking with relief only that his youngest child had apparently not mentioned to him the commotion that had taken place during the night.

"I heard loud barking yesterday in your room. Why are you taking Mr Targaryen's dog for yourself?" Asked the girl who had tried to coquette him the day before, and from what he had just learned her name was Floris.

Her younger sister gave him a quick, apologetic glance full of guilt, her gown creamy and buff, pleasantly accentuating the shape of her breasts, some of her curls pinned back, some falling over her shoulders.

"I'm not taking her away, we've just become very friendly." She mumbled, and her sister snorted at her words.

"It's not appropriate." Said another sister, Cassandra, a blonde-haired girl who tried unsuccessfully to make light conversation with him.

He watched Mr Baratheon's youngest child collapse under more and more criticism, and thought with surprise that he felt no satisfaction from it.

"That's enough." Ordered Mr Baratheon, seeing that his daughter was on the verge of crying. "My dear, apologise to Mr Targaryen for your behaviour and for taking his dog for yourself."

He saw her lift her gaze to him, her eyebrows arched in pain, her chest rising and falling in shaky breaths.

"I am deeply sorry for my behaviour and all the unpleasantness that came with it." She choked out finally and he swallowed loudly, clenching his hand into a fist knowing that only he and she understood the context of that sentence.

He thought with shame that he had reacted too impulsively and aggressively in front of her, even though her opinion didn't matter to him, he couldn't get the expression on her face out of his head, her cry full of pain when Vhagar started squealing.

"I also apologise, miss Baratheon." He said lowly, looking at his fingers moving in an uncertain gesture across the table top, wanting her to know that he regretted what had happened, what she had seen. Floris sitting next to him moved restlessly.

"Mr Targaryen, do not apologise to her. She is like an animal herself." She said with amusement, and her younger sister pressed her trembling lips together, fighting for a moment against whatever was rising in her throat, but finally gave up and got up from the table, leaving the room before the tears had time to leave the corners of her eyes.

Her older brother followed her out, saying he would check how she was feeling, and there was an uncomfortable silence broken by their father.

"That was unnecessary, Floris." He said impatiently, his daughter snorting at his words.

"She's embarrassing us all, I just gave her something to think about."

"What a pathetic thing to say." He growled, taking a sip of tea from his cup, setting it down on the saucer with a clatter of porcelain, and only after a moment did he realise that he had said aloud what he had thought.

He didn't dare raise his eyes, feeling the pounding of his heart, feeling that all gazes were directed towards him.

"With your permission." He muttered, rising from his seat, bowing and leaving the dining room, feeling like he was going to burn from embarrassment.

How could he say something like that?

He felt that he needed air and walked outside onto the dirt road, whistling at Vhagar who ran after him, deciding to take a walk to clear his head.

He walked for a long time, going through the forest paths and then strolling around the lake, amazed at the overpowering stillness that reigned all around, the birdsong, the rustling of the leaves, the freshness of the air.

In London, everything was fast, sudden, loud.

Tiring.

He sat down on the sand by the edge of the lake and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the water, to the sounds of nature, feeling Vhagar lay down beside him, sighing heavily. He continued like this for what seemed like an eternity, and decided that he could spend hours here, simply calming and soothing himself, hiding from the world.

He shuddered as he heard someone's footsteps in the distance, Vhagar instantly rising and literally darting towards the girl he would have recognised from a mile away.

He sighed heavily, turning his face towards the surface of the water, figuring he wouldn't pay any attention to her. Just as he thought, she sat down beside him on the sand, as he did, leaning her head against a long, old tree trunk.

She didn't say a word to him, however, letting Vhagar settle down between them, stroking her head, which she laid on her thighs. When he glanced at her he saw that her eyes were closed, that she was doing exactly the same thing he was doing.

She was running away.

He relaxed at the thought that she wasn't looking for a discussion or a intimacy with him and did the same as she did.

He shuddered, looking around, unsure of where he was or what was happening, running his hand over his face. He'd never fallen asleep outside before, much less in the middle of nowhere. He looked around and saw Vhagar lying on her back, sleeping soundly, embraced by Miss Baratheon, who was asleep snuggled against her fur.

He did not know what he thought of this sight, endlessly innocent and harmless. He was afraid someone had seen or would see them, but he didn't want to touch her, so he grunted loudly. She moved suddenly, blinking her eyelids rapidly, and rose to sit down, rubbing her eyes, as confused as he was.

Feeling that what had happened was uncomfortable to say the least, he stood up and whistled at Vhagar, heading back the same way he had come, leaving her alone.

She did not follow him and he felt relieved at the thought.

Halfway through, however, he stopped, feeling anxious, wondering if he should leave her alone in the forest. He fought the thought convincing himself that since she had gone there herself, she would return on her own, knowing the area better than he did, but on the other hand, he would never let Helaena venture this far, and she was still very young.

What if something happened to her?

He cursed in frustration and turned back, coming across her after a few minutes. She looked at him surprised, clearly not expecting him to come back for her.

"Did you forget something, sir?" She asked him uncertainly, and he rolled his eyes impatiently, turning his back on her.

"Come, for God's sake."

They walked side by side in silence, simply admiring the pleasant summer views of meadows and forests, not a living soul around them.

He had to admit that these views filled him with some strange sense of warmth, landscapes that he usually only saw in paintings now appeared before his eyes, even more beautiful, teeming with life and intense, strong colours.

They returned to the mansion together, which did not escape the attention of the household, he saw that Maris and Floris literally threw themselves at her as soon as he moved on, thinking he could not hear.

"What are you thinking? What have you done?"

"Nothing." She said impatient and resentful, fatigue and despair in her voice.

"Stop. I asked you a question. You forced yourself on Mr Targaryen again, didn't you?" He heard Floris's voice and stopped in mid-step, tightening his lips.

The youngest Miss Baratheon wanted to say something in her defence, devastated by the accusations, but it was he who spoke up first.

"How are you not ashamed?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at her, all three of them suddenly silent. "It's better to be silent sometimes than to confirm one's stupidity."

Floris probably didn't believe for a moment that he had said that, but when it finally dawned on her that he was deadly serious, she burst into sobs, running into the house, hitting him with her shoulder, Maris ran in after her.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and she looked at him in disbelief, not knowing herself what she thought of his cruel words. He whistled at Vhagar and walked up the stairs to the inside of their mansion, leaving her alone with her thoughts about what kind of man he actually was.

_____

Taglist 1 @its-actually-minicika @notnormalthings-blog @nikstrange @zenka69 @bellaisasleep @k-y-r-a-1 @g-cf2020 @melsunshine @opheliaas-stuff @chainsawsangel @iiamthehybrid @tinykryptonitewerewolf @namoreno @malfoytargaryen @qyburnsghost @aemondsdelight @persephonerinyes @fan-goddess

[ck-stone]

How I, a random nobody with too much time on my hands, would have tweaked: Arcane Season 2, Act 2

Just picture it; the dark levels of the undercity, lights flickering in the distance, fog smothering the ground. Our heroes are running through the labyrinth of alleys, anticipating Ambessa’s soldiers or Warwick at each turn. We hear panting. We hear screams in the background. The score is silence and warning horns and low droning strings and percussion that thumps like a heartbeat (think Rio's theme (Agatha All Along) meets the Winter Soldier's theme). One of the characters is bleeding and they press on, hunted down by the strange wolf with glowing eyes. The other refuses to abandon them knowing that they may be condemning themselves as well. We were robbed.

Let me be clear, I love Arcane. I think it’s a masterpiece, I am enjoying the new season, and Lord have I never been attracted to anyone in my life as much as I am attracted to Vi, but that doesn’t mean that I’m above admitting when there’s a drop in quality. And let’s call season 2, act 2 for what it was: a transitionary chapter. Everything that happened, happened only to move the characters into place for act 3 and set the stage for the finale of the play.

So let me enrage you with some of my opinions.

(Disclaimer: This is meant to be an equally thoughtful and comedic critique. These are my opinions, and a lot of this is practice for my own work. If you don’t like them don’t come at me. I don’t give a shit.)

Bringing Vander back was unnecessary and lazy.

Why? Well easy, we already did this in season 1. We lost Vander. We as the audience knew that he wasn’t going to get a happy ending. It was a repeat of an emotional moment that worked in season 1, so they did it again in season 2. It was the same trauma, the same heartbreak, and another dead sibling. Old tricks which felt stale.

I also bet if someone were to clip all the scenes where we got teases of Warwick, it would be longer than the scene that had actual Warwick in it. Now, I know that Arcane is not above retconning League of Legends lore to suit them, but Warwick was something that sat really weird in Arcane canon. Warwick in League lore is a bloodthirsty mindless animal. Aside from his creation, that is all we know. He’s this mysterious force that lingers in the background until your character has that goddamn symbol on your head and then you’re panicking cause you can either finish with the buff you’re trying to get your team and die, or run back to base and have your team scream at you when wolfboy gets the buff even though you have more kills than the ADC cause no one appreciates a good fucking jungle player. Warwick should have been that mysterious force. We needed more intrigue, more dread, more panic, more horror-esque moments where characters are being stalked and we, the audience, are biting our nails at the edge of our seats, unsure whether or not our favourites will make it out alive.

But we get it, they needed to bring the sisters back together. I just think they could have found a different way to do it and still achieve the same outcome; that Jinx now recognises the pressure and stress and guilt and fear Vi held as the eldest, that she no longer put Vi on a pedestal and now see her as a person, and that Vi recognises that Jinx has grown up without her and does not need to be saved, and therefore can stop defining herself by her ability to protect people.

Caitlyn’s development felt as stable as a wet noodle.

In the last act we watched the rapid descent as Caitlyn lost to her anger and grief. And then Vi calls her ‘Cupcake’ and we see the rapid uptick of her story, but none of the in between aside from some skulking around as Vampire Cait (still fucking hot though). We as the audience actually have very little to go on during this time. We don’t know how much of Ambessa’s propaganda Caitlyn fell for, we don’t know how much she questioned, we also don’t see any of the yearning that Ambessa claims Caitlyn was doing for Vi (but plenty of Vi pining, just your average wlw experience). In season 1 Caitlyn was possibly the most compassionate character, and so we can assume that with a little time, she was able to recover some of her nature, but unfortunately the writers seem to be delivering this information by just, telling us. When telling stories, we often say ‘show don’t tell’ as you know, that’s how you tell a story and engage the audience.

Also, her and Maddie just seemed so out of character. Maddie is a subordinate—it is a clear abuse of power—not even to mention that it can barely be called a distraction as Maddie brings enforcer talk to the bedroom. Perhaps that is the distraction. I understand the writers were trying for a juxtaposition of how Cait treats Maddie vs Vi, but it ultimately just feels like them throwing in sex for sex sake. The only thing I can think is that perhaps Maddie is playing a bigger role that we the audience have not been clued into yet. Perhaps she’s spying for Ambessa. Who fucking knows.

And (now this may just be me being sensitive to the topic so perhaps it is not as big a deal as I’m making it out to be) Caitlyn hitting Vi needs to be addressed. That is not a-o-fucking-kay people. Yes, because hitting your partner is bad, but also because hitting your partner, your caring, sensitive partner, who you know suffered years of physical abuse at the hands of your kind (enforcers), is super uber bad. This needs to be acknowledged between the characters, especially for Caitlyn’s arc, as this is testament to her becoming the very thing she fought against in season 1. In this instance, hitting Vi was a more symbolic act than it was a simple mistake, and hurt far deeper than just physical pain. She would need to accept that this was a thing she did, for both her and Vi’s healing, and take responsibility for her actions. In season 1, Caitlyn was horrified to learn about the way Vi was treated, and then went on to shut down the lower levels of Stillwater in season 2, so she clearly still feels strongly enough about it to take action. It would need to be addressed in order for them to move on. And if they end together without having established good communication first, then they will be toxic for each other (I ship it, but I’m also realistic).

Jayce and the mystery of teleportation.

Now, firstly I just want to say that Jayce and Viktor’s stories are poetic with how they mirror and intersect. The foreshadowing was beautiful, the little details like the cog, the fact that Jayce and Viktor represent the two sides of the Arcane; that which is always creating, and that which is always destroying itself. Arcane at its core is a story of siblings, being held together by affection, necessity, being torn apart by the world and ideologies (which includes the cities, as they’re sister cities), and these two are no exception.

My complaint about Jayce is that, how the FUCK did he get to Zaun? He has been missing for months, magically reappears in a structure that surely would have some form of security, and then hobbles his way through Piltover to Zaun looking like a madman, including through the checkpoints, with a Hextech weapon, and no one seems to question it. Realistically, with martial law in place, as well as a literal army surrounding the compound, Jayce would have had a much harder time getting to Viktor. Yes, I am nitpicking, but I am not about to suspend disbelief just because the scenes were pretty.

So then Stone, how would you have approached these points?

Firstly, those three episodes could have been two (and then one more episode to expand on what they already had).

We left characters like Ekko, Heimerdinger, and to an extent Mel and Sevika, to instead focus on a story we already knew the ending of (Vander), which only serves to lessen the impact as we as the audience have gone from guessing to anticipating. There’s an army in Zaun. Surely the rest of the city would have been at least curious about what Ambessa and her forces were doing in the undercity. Even if nothing came of it, you’d have Sevika trying to rally people to do something about it, and even this in itself would have built tension.

And as beautiful and melancholic as it all was, Vander’s backstory, meeting Jinx and Vi’s mother, was ultimately unnecessary beyond that of pulling heartstrings. It would have had a place in season 1 (especially as there’s nothing in season 1 that alludes to Jinx and Vi having known Vander prior to their parents dying, so it just feels like a rather major detail to overlook), but unfortunately in season 2, it simply cramped what was already a rush to the end. We got the letters to Silco, the photos, we as the audience could piece together the rest from there, and it would feel a little more bittersweet watching the sisters piece the past together too.

We needed more Warwick as Warwick. We could have just as easily had Jinx and Vi get back together for other reasons, perhaps due to Vi’s downward spiral into self-destruction, perhaps related to the chembarons and their search for Jinx, perhaps because Zaun is unifying and they kidnap Vi as she was an enforcer for like five minutes, perhaps still because of Warwick, but rather the threat he poses, especially if Ambessa gets her hands on him, and then had them meet up with everyone else as the Noxian was still hunting the wolf. It didn’t necessarily have to be at the compound where Hammertime (shellshocked) went to assassinate Robot Jesus. We could have had those dark scenes of hide-and-seek amongst the fog and caught glimpses of Vander within, just enough to leave the audience questioning and perhaps allow Vi and Jinx to escape alive (I really wanted those dark scenes of hide-and-seek amongst the fog).

We needed more of Caitlyn's development. There needed to be some sort of acknowledgement about what happened in the previous act. It didn't need to be a conversation—that could wait until act 3—but we at least needed to see something, even something as small as Caitlyn carrying guilt. They had a chance to lean into certain themes here, explore the type of person Caitlyn wanted to be, and have her face who she has become, see her at her lowest. Would her mother be proud of her? Does she feel as if she's making a difference? Has she become the evil she sought to destroy? They could have brought back the 'what are you shooting for?' line, which would have been a nice touch. Just anything to sow the seeds of her development.

Also, does Mel not question how she survived a torpedo to the fucking back without a scratch? Cause I sure as hell am.

But all that being said, act 2 was still decent.

And fuck did I cry when Isha said her goodbyes. That hurt. Like, a fucking lot. Looking forward to whatever emotional hell they have prepared for us in the final act.

[moonhowler]

Hello! Welcome to my page!

About me:

I'm an adult in my mid 20's. Even with that fact, I feel like a confused child struggling to keep up in life. Most of the time I have no idea what I'm doing, but that's ok!

I freaking love cartoons! My current hyperfixation is Hazbin Hotel. I recently created a Hazbin regressor oc.

I have both ADHD and autism.

I love reading and drawing agere content. I had a really tough start in life so this community gives me comfort.

Even though I would love to regress, I don't feel like I'm in a safe space to try it, so I think the term age dreamer suits me better right now. I really wish I could feel safe enough to regress though.

My first language is spanish. If there are any hispanic people around here, siéntete libre de hablarme en español.

Maya

Maya is my Hazbin Hotel oc. She died in her early 20's and her soul went to hell, her demon form having both wolf and sheep traits.

She has adhd, autism, ocd, and severe anxiety. She was never diagnosed in life and found out in hell.

She started regressing after dying. It was completely involuntary and it scared horribly because she had no idea what was going on. Her headspace being so young didn't help either. Charlie had to explain to her what age regression was after finding her hiding inside a box in an alley, she was crying and obviously regressed.

She was really embarrassed at first. She wasn't used to people taking care of her, but everyone was encouraging her to regress often to deal with her trauma.

Her little age is 0-3, so she sometimes struggles with walking and talking. She also needs protection, something she hates when is in the older range of her headspace. When she is younger she doesn't seem to care.

She is normally a very calm regressor. She likes to color, watch cartoons, and cuddle with her caregivers while being read to.

Her favorite caregivers are Vaggie and Husk, since they seem to understand her better than anyone else. She loves being with all the hotel staff though...except Alastor. He creeps her out and may end up bursting into tears if she is left alone with him.

Background:

Maya comes from a broken family. Her mom was cold, distant, and had severe mental issues that made her agressive. Maya, being the eldest of 5 siblings, had to basically raise herself and her little siblings all on her own when she was still a small child. She never met her father. He was arrested soon after she was born. He was charged with murder.

The town she lived in was small and word spread fast. Everyone was aware of her living situation and her father's sins, so she was mercilessly bullied throughout her life. She was always in emotional and physical pain. Kids were cruel, and were always trying to get a reaction out of her. To prove that behind her shy, scared and harmless appearance, there was a monster hiding inside of her. Like a wolf ready to pounce.

As she turned into an adult people her age stopped bothering her so much, just giving her nasty looks from time to time or completely ignoring her.

Maya was never a bad person. She was a loving sister, was always kind, and tried to keep a positive attitude even when people where awful to her. She was constantly smiling and trying to help others, even when her intrusive thoughts were always screaming that she was a monster and no matter how hard she tried or how guilty she felt, she would always be a horrible person.

Her life ended in a traffic accident. She was heading home after college when a reckless driver hit her. She didn't even flinch, she was convinced that she deserved death. The reason she went to hell and not heaven was because she deeply believes she doesn't deserve paradise.

She now currently lives in the Hazbin Hotel, where Charlie and all the original residents are trying to help her to go to heaven.

[hlfmoonshine]

tw: trauma, child endangerment, assault, abuse

my stepmother beat the shit out of my sister. she's thirteen years old. my brother thankfully was in town when it happened, and he marched into her house, grabbed our sister's meds and a bag of clothes, chewed my stepmother out, as well as my uncles who were there but did nothing to help (one even said our sister deserved it). after a lot of debate with the other members of my family (our eldest brother and our aunt), it was decided that because my brother lives off reserve, near a hospital, and doesn't have kids (my stepmother is unhinged, so there's no other children to traumatize if she shows up screaming about him kidnapping our sister) that he and his fiancée should take her in. they brought her to the hospital, got ahold of social services and the rcmp. it's slow moving because our society is built to be broken. we have photo evidence, multiple people who are willing to give statements on my stepmothers behavior, and all of us adult siblings are going to fight tooth and nail to get our youngest brother (we range in age from 33, 31, 29 (that's me), 27, 22, 15 and our sister, the baby of the family who is 13) out of our stepmother's house. i think he only stayed out of fear, because she abuses him as well. we have made more permanent arrangements for my sister, but we've promised her that she can stay with our brother until she feels safe to go stay with our aunt. we have multiple meetings over the week to make sure she doesn't get away with this. i'll be on here as much as i can be with all this going on. not because i owe anyone or feel guilty but because i think writing is going to do a lot to help me through this.

[whoblewboobear]

Making wiiimdfy!Jace aberrant mind started as a ploy to give him wizard spells as a treat but it gave him more trauma too and that’s a win for me. Suffer for those spells king ily 💖💖💖

Nah but in all seriousness I love him so much. He’s so- like he is the Jace I’ve projected the most on and stuffed the most trauma into but overall for all the hardships he still has a fairly decent support system and I like writing his dynamic with the people he cares about outside of Porter. Idk if I’ll ever get to it in the fic, but Jace had such a good relationship with his dad. He was always supportive and so protective and caring. He was the first person to tell him that if he wasn’t happy at Hudol, he didn’t need to stay. If he wanted to transfer to Aguefort or Mumple they could make the switch. If Jace wanted a tutor for wizardry or someone to pick up his sorcery training after his mom left he’d make that happen. If he liked boys he’d love him all the same. He loved Jace unconditionally until the day he died. Jace is forever grateful to have had that.

His dad was a paladin like Porter was and I think sometimes Jace wonders what it would’ve been like if he could’ve introduced Porter to him when he’s really in his feelings about things. He’d never wanna introduce Porter to his mom and stepdad, but he would introduce him to his sister (as long as she promises not to embarrass him. She does anyway tho)

His sister is like Zara in the way that she would kill Porter without hesitation- she would kill anyone without hesitation for her big brother. The big brother that didn’t owe her anything but offered her so much kindness. Jace was well into adulthood when his mom told him he had a new sibling and he wanted to be upset. He wanted to yell and scream at her for up and abandoning their family to start another. Leaving him in the middle of his training when he was so scared and confused about his magic and his curse. Leaving his dad so sad and lonely.. For as much as their mom despised his brother, his brother got the leaving trait from her.

It takes Jace stepping up to make sure their sister at least knew her eldest brother. It would be easy to leave or to ignore Tala’s questions about their brother but Jace doesn’t do the easy thing; the uncaring thing. His brother left home at 18 and never came back. Jace isn’t the worried 16 year old he was when he left, he’s a lot more tired and a lot more weary when his brother calls. He loves him but he watched his big brother grow up through a screen. Watched his grey hairs start to show and his laugh lines get deeper.

They talk but it’s so disjointed in a way that it isn’t with his sister. They live an ocean apart but she bugs and teases him as if they were right next to each other.

He hates that working for Porter occupied so much of his time that their daily phone calls turned to weekly, then monthly, until he’d maybe answer a text every couple of months. He was scared but his sister was fearless. Deadly smart too. She could’ve sniffed out what was wrong, she would’ve.

She wasn’t sure about the gradual radio silence but she worried for him. When she hears about what happened at Aguefort she’s terrified until she can confirm Jace is okay. She doesn’t care about morality or curses, she cares that her brother is alive. She almost drops everything and rushes to leave Fallinel to be by his side when she hears the flatness in his voice the first time they talk after his resurrection. He took care of her, took her in. She’d do the same for him. Always.

[gabelesimp]

Record of Ragnarok

Nikola Tesla x Reader! (Gender neutral)

Plot: You were religious before, but you became so fascinated by Science that you finally found your happiness.

Warning: Trauma, loss of family, abandonment of Religion, yelling, exorcism, Gore.

As a young child, you grew up in a religious family. You praised your God, prayed to him for forgiveness for the sins you've done. This is something that you'll never forget.

A family of 6, you had three siblings, two brothers, and one elder sister. It was a harsh year, your sister acted strange. Your mother would just say that she's just weird or sick. Your father didn't really notice anything about her behavior, until she started to eat rats and raw frozen meat. It was now clear to your parents, She was possessed by a Demon. Your father called in a priest, to perform an exorcism on your sister. It was a terrible experience, you kept on hearing screaming, crying and praying. Your curiosity became worse and you entered the room, you froze in terror. Your sister was floating in the air, screaming out for help. Blood was dripping for her body, as she was being torn apart. "(Y/n)! What are you doing here?!" Your father held your shoulders, and tears fell from his eyes as you watched your sister become unrecognizable.

After months, the exorcism was over. It didn't save your sister's life, you quietly mourned over her. You became too quiet, depressed. You'd rarely eat. Until one time you talked to them.

"Why didn't God save her?.." The silence was louder than the question you asked. Your mother slapped you, "How dare you?! He tried to save her okay?! Now just eat your food and let her rest in peace!" Your bottled emotions broke free, and yelled back at her.

"If He's a supreme being, WHY COULDN'T HE SAVE HER?! WHY?! DOES HE WANT US TO SUFFER?!"

You flipped your plate in anger, you wanted an answer. But nothing.

At the age of 21, you left the household. You ended up in another part of town, people were nice to you. You never prayed, you left your religious faith behind. Everyone in that town would go to a specific person who could fix their heirlooms and some other things.

You broke something once, your clock. You tried to fix it, but it ended up being even more broken. So you went to that person.

He was a bright person, he taught you how to fix it and he made it look simple. His name was, Nikola Tesla.

There was one time you saw him by a graveyard, you walked up to him. He was looking down at Dane Tesla. "He was the best big brother I ever had. His science lives in me." He said, you stopped in your tracks. He also lost a family member. You asked him if he'd like to go to a cafe to talk about it, "Oh, I don't drink coffee but how could I reject an offer?" He smiled.

He told about himself, his brother and a lot about Science. You enjoyed hearing about it, until he asked about you. "Oh...Me? It's irrelevant." He was confused, "Why do you think so?"

"I was born in a religious family, I do love my family, it's just...Making me believe that I'm going to hell if I never praise the Lord and his son. And I lost my eldest sister."

He listened carefully, and was surprised about your sister's exorcism. "I'm sorry you had to experience that..." You said that it's fine. He comforted you, hugging you.

The two of you became close, you had little knowledge about science. You became so interested, and asked more about it.

"wait you never learned about Science?" "My school doesn't believe in Science." He laughed and you told him that it's serious. "What a bunch of fools! Science has always been here from the very beginning!" You laughed with him.

He taught you about science, all of it. From Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The laws of physics were your favorite to learn about. You found yourself in a happy state.

Throughout your life, Science was everything to you. The day came, Nikola confessed to you, the brighter your happiness was lit. Even after death, Science is a part of you both.

(I love me some Comfort! Nikola is the best comfort character ever!!)

[theameliaxevans]

[cisfemale, she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [AMELIA EVANS]! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [DIANA SILVERS]. You must be the [TWENTY-THREE] year old [STUDENT/ATTENDANT AT LUXE CRYSTAL SHOP]. Word is you’re [WITTY] but can also be a bit [SCATHING] and your favorite song is [KIWI BY HARRY STYLES]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [AURORA BAY TOWERS]. I’m sure you’ll love it!

tw: parental abuse, tw: underaged drinking, tw: underaged drug use

Amelia Rosalie Evans was the baby of her family, and an oopsie one at that. Her mother though, Ada, had wanted another daughter, so there was an excitement in the Evans household when news broke that Ada would be having a girl. And for years as a child, Amelia's life was good. Her mother was sweet and her father was a dutiful man on the Salem police force, her oldest brother was cool enough with her despite their bigger age gap, and Amelia was closest with her other brother, Wes, the two of them bonding over their love of books and music, often inseparable as they got older. That was all before though. Before Laurence had had his first traumatic night on the job. Before he became abusive. Amelia didn't even know what'd triggered it, just remembered being ten years old and sitting on the couch reading, and then hearing yelling, and then seeing her brother's blood. She never wanted to see that again--unfortunately though, that night was only the beginning.

Laurence had utterly changed after that night, and while he'd always been rather...difficult to be around, after that it'd just went downhill. He drank himself into stupors, and into anger, taking it out on his sons, but at least he never went after her. It took a long time for Amelia to realize that the reason she wasn't come after was because Wes took the brunt of it for her, to ensure that she didn't go through the same traumas he did. And to an extent, it'd worked. She didn't go through the same traumas, but she had her own. She still walked on egg shells for years, still jumped at every loud noise. She had nightmares and fears and was always terrified of it getting worse one day. That one day he'd hurt Wes too much and then he'd leave too--just like their eldest brother one day did.

It went on like that for years, and as Laurence grew more and more angry and awful of a person, the Evans siblings found ways to cope. Amelia was thirteen when she had her first beer, barely fourteen when she had her first cigarette and lost her virginity. Smoking and drinking and hooking up at random, these little escapes helped her tolerate how shitty her home life was, the slamming of fists and the screaming and how scared and angry she was that they all put up with it.

She was fifteen the only time Laurence actually left a scar on her. He'd gotten in her face before, yelling or shoving at her at times, but Wes always took the brunch of it. This time though, Laurence caught her smoking, and when she just scoffed in his face because the disdain was rich coming from him, he snatched it out of mouth and snuffed it out on her skin, the grip on her arm bruising and the alcohol wafting off his breath making her want to gag. The memory was still as prevalent in her mind as the burn scar still on her bicep, the feeling of the burning of her skin and how he held her still as she screamed echoing in her nightmares. She didn't stop smoking (or drinking) after that though, she just got better at hiding it. It went on like that for years too, with Amelia using getting drunk or getting high to get through their shitty home life while just trying to get through school, all the while still angry at their mother for not listening to their aunt Esme who was offering them a way out- to come live with her in California, in a little town called Aurora Bay. But Amelia wouldn't go without Ada and especially not without her siblings. No way. One sibling already bailed...she didn't want to follow suit.

But by the time Amelia turned seventeen, her bitterness had grown against Ada for just not leaving their piece of shit father. And all the while, it was Wes trying to convince her to leave, constantly pushing for Amelia to get out and go west and finally life a safe and normal life. Her big brother was like her best friend and surely he'd come along...except he wouldn't, which just further upset her. And as angry as Amelia was with him at wanting to stay, she knew he wouldn't budge- they were all stubborn in their own ways, and so finally after ages of coaxing her to..Amelia finally went on her own, making him swear to at least text her every day so she knew he was okay.

She did her senior year of high in Aurora Bay high and was immediately the new girl in school; secretive, alluring. She lived with Esme on Aurora Bay Drive, suddenly having more money at her disposal than she even knew what to do with. She managed to make a few friends, dated, started having a life here, but she still always worried about siblings, especially Wes. She ached for Wes to be here too, to know he was safe, but still, he stayed in Salem.

After graduating high school, Amelia got a job at the crystal shop in town, Luxe, because it made her feel closer to him, having spent years learning about crystals and wicca from him. She enrolled into college. She made a life for herself here, but there was still something missing. A Wes-shaped hole that hadn't been filled in her life.

Until finally, finally, Wes had arrived--bruised and broken but he was here and Amelia was determined to help put him back together. She was all for it when he got his own apartment, when he got a job. She remembered the first night he let slip about his boss' daughter. She remembered him freaking out when he got said boss' daughter pregnant- but also got to watch him grow into his own, practically maturing in front of her own eyes as he and Liza got closer, fell in love, got married and had their baby- one Amelia was totally obsessed with.

Finally, her life felt...stable. It felt good. So over Christmas break when their grandparents in Paris contacted them, offered to fly them out, while Wes obviously couldn't go...Amelia took them up on the offer. She flew out in January, meaning to just go for a couple weeks but she ended up staying for a couple months, living with her grandparents and just getting all she could out of it. She's finally decided to come back home though, back to Aurora Bay. She wants to finish school, wants to see her niece growing up, and she wants to just live a content life without the shadows of their father around every corner.

Basics:

full name: amelia rosalie evans

nicknames: ames, mia, amy (she hates this one)

birthday: january 23rd

hometown: salem, massachusetts

height: 5'6

fluent in english and french

moved to aurora bay when she was 17 years old

baby sister to wes evans

aunt to elise evans

pin board

@aurorabayaesthetic

[hopepaigeturner]

how do each umbrella member cope with what happens to John? and how their relationship with Lucy changes because of that?

because i’m sure Danbury tells them to act like nothing happened, in order to follow the lie they all tell her, but i also can imagine some of them, like Michael for example, can’t just pretend that didn’t happened, and it’s hard for them to even look at her without thinking about that evening

also, that was so cute and then so sad, i cried 🥺 can’t wait to read more about this au cause it’s just too good, and you’re such a good writer 👏🏼

Thank you for the feedback!! It really warmed my heart.

Oh you're absolutely right. John's death shakes the entire family to the core, they just cope with it in different ways...

Simon:

Nothing seems to have changed, apart from Simon being harsher and more millitant during training. He is much quicker to reprimand silly mistakes, scold bad teamwork or fooling around.

For years Lucy will wonder why Simon also seems one step away from her, even when he embraces her in a hug.

And for years, Lady Danbury is the only one who patches Simon's bloody fists after late night alley fights.

Kate:

As the eldest girl she comes alongside Sophie to comfort her siblings. She is the most active in reaching out to Lucy, allowing the girl to play with animals, feeling a sense of responsibility that she uses to smother her conlifcted feelings towards the young girl.

And then two months later her entire world turns upside down with the death of her father. And the laughing, smiling, soft Kate they all knew disappears.

Sophie:

Burrows away from her grief by giving everything she has to others and throwing herself into the training room. Other than the funeral, she never cries. Instead she holds Gareth and Kate. She quietens Penelope and lets Lucy slip into her bed. Tries to reach out to Michael but gives up afgter being rebuffed far too many times. Lady Danbury leans on her the most, seeing as she seems the msot adjusted to the change.

Yet Philip always makes sure that Sophie has time in his greenhouse where she can read a book or nap. For he recogises how Sophie;s features change at a rapidity not dissimilar to her days under Araminta's torture.

Penelope:

Wakes up with nightmares weeks after the event. And since that day when Lady Danbury asked her to utter those words, Penelope repeats her matnras. You had no other choice.

And from that day forward she can never look at Lucy for too long without the sickening guilt clogging her throat.

Phillip:

Hides away in his greenhouse with the plants, can't bear to look at Lucy due to the guilt and grief. He's never known how to help, but he knows Sophie, so eh makes sure she spends some afternoons with him in the greenhouse, where her features can settle a little more.

But a month or so after, he comes to the realisation that he knows how it feels to be treated like a monster, and from then on reaches out and cares for Lucy. Plays with her, shows her his plants and carries her on her back.

Michael:

For months he cannot bear to be in the same room as Lucy, otherwise an overwhelming anger runs through his veins and he wants to strangle her. Or because she is the reminder of his failure...his failure to save John.

So he stays away and runs away from the memories with boose and drugs. He bats away all those who try to help him, until its the one year anniversary of John's death and he screams to the sky and suddenly...

"What mess have you got yourself into now?"

And for the first time since that night, Michael's smile is genuine.

Gareth:

Suppresses the trauma until the details are hazy to his six year old mind. He cried at the funeral, and sometimes would stare at the wall for hours before falling asleep, but is soon running around the house, bouncing off teh walls, barely able to keep still.

Everything is fine, everything is good, for he didn't really know John and he still has his favourite playmate Lucy. Everything is fine. Everything is fine.

[misc-obeyme]

hello hello, its sibling angst anon again ^^ i loved your response so pls dont apologize for the long ramble, bc i get like that about it too!! also, im glad you liked my song recs <3

speaking of those sibling slideshows i mentioned, for some reason tiktok has filtered them out so when u look them up, they dont show up??? you just kinda get them on ur fyp one day. or atleast thats what happens to me. but if u look up sibling webweaving here on tumblr, ohhh boy. its basically an amalgamation of different types of media be it poetry, song lyrics, shows and movies, and book excrepts all packaged as one that pertain to a theme. my fav is those about mothers and siblings, so unequivocally human. its like walking down a museum tbh.

and agh, i loved your thoughts on the demon bros sibling dynamics. plus yeahhh, its kinda hard to take anything seriously since it is an otome game, BUT who says u cant come up with your interpretations and thoughts? whos gonna stop you? anyway, each brother has a level of depth that is screaming to be fleshed out, but its all very surface level on game. belphegors burdening shame and regret from watching lilith die in front of him, and by extension beelzebub having the same feelings and/or his own guilt. (i remember belph talking about his trauma and the immersion immediately breaks off when an option pops up on the scream, "ask him to kiss you." LIKE. place and time!) asmodeus and lucifer, their entire relationship T_T speaking of which, satan and lucifer?! they're brothers, or say they are and the rest just kinda go with it. but does no one else wanna bring up how satan was even brought to existence? he was literally birthed from luci's wrath during the celestial war. thats like, a gateway for someone to write a long philosophical analysis about him and what it symbolizes. aghhudhwdhwhd i wish i could say more, but i'm literally out of words rn. if i was mc, i'd have to fight everyday to keep it together without breaking down and crying about this. espeically having to live under the same roof as them...ooofff

speaking of complex siblings dynamics, have you see succession? its a show on hbo. its about an ultra rich and powerful family that is ultimately, dysfunctional. theres four siblings and their relationship mean sooo much to me. i wont drop any spoilers just in case you dont know anything, but when i say dysfunctional i meant it!! one of the things i like about this show is that it doesnt have any flashbacks or show the backstories for most of the characters, rather they kinda drop pieces of information randomly and you just go ??? that happened ??? youd think it wouldnt be a good storytelling strategy bc how are you going to emotionally connect the story to your audience? but somehow, the show does it really well. for example, one of the brothers, roman, was heavily abused. and sometimes one of his siblings would go, "yeah i remember when dad used to heavily beat the fuck out of you" offhandedly, like its a cute little fun fact. and youre sitting there like....when did THAT happen??? ofc they wouldnt show it, but if you watch how roman and his father interact on show (roman is so submissive and scared next to his father) it starts to make sense. its like the "show dont tell" but they switch around to "tell and show." subtle interactions like that fully exposes a characters psychology. subtle body language goes a long way. theres also the eldest brother connor, whos seen as the father figure bc their real dad is so neglectful. but tbh connot gets shit on a lot and uuyfuefehfe theres more. i would talk about this all day. sibling angst got me on a chokehold.

anyway, sorry if i made 0 coherent sense but heres the end of the ramble T-T have a good day :3

(if i come back, can i be  🧬 anon?)

Welcome back! And of course you can be 🧬 anon, I will add it to the list!

Oh man, so I did a search for sibling webweaving and I was like woah what is all this lol. I had no idea there was a term for stuff like this, but I'm fascinated! I must not be getting the TikTok videos... admittedly my use of that platform is limited lol.

The thing about the otome game not delving into things means that we all get to speculate and come up with whatever we want. It's a blessing and a curse lol. On the one hand, I like being able to come up with my own interpretations. But on the other hand, it'd be nice to have just a little more depth that what we have.

I have thoughts about Belphie and specifically what happened in the OG with him. That was definitely a situation of, there is so much more going on here than they're bothering to get into. I also get that they can't really do a ton of that, partly due to the medium and partly due to the amount of characters they have to deal with. Like I think they can only choose to flesh out certain characters and the rest kind of end up on the back burner. Which is annoying because there's so much potential for so many amazing stories!

I also have a lot of thoughts about Satan and his relationship to Lucifer and everybody. It's like they give us just enough to make the story dramatic, but in the end everybody loves each other and so on and so forth. I'm not saying both Satan and Belphie shouldn't be able to reconcile what happened to them and move on, but it just happens so fast. It seems too easy. So I kind of headcanon it as, they hide everything. Not just those two, but all the brothers have a certain level of trauma that they just bury deep or at the very least don't display in front of MC. I know they make MC out to be the demon therapist, but nobody resolves their issues in one session and that's all they're normally limited to. But of course they don't have time to get into things that deeply in a mobile otome game lol.

I have not seen Succession! It sounds pretty intense. I think it's always interesting when media use different techniques to tell their story. Of course I have very little knowledge of how TV scripts are written, but for story writing, the way a character reacts can imply all kinds of past history, even if you don't know exactly what happened. Flashbacks are helpful, but I think it's interesting to have a bit of a mix. A character is always going to tell the story of their past a little differently than how it actually happened. And I find that it can reveal a lot about character just to see what they change or leave out when telling it. Of course, who they're speaking to can affect that as well. But it's definitely an interesting concept!

No worries, you made plenty of sense lol! You are always free to come back to my ask box if you so desire! <3

[hannahhook7744]

Don't scream (No One Will Hear You, No One Will Help You) ;

Summary; The Isle kids stopped screaming a long time ago. Frankie, Elle, Colombe, and Felix Tremaine are @idontliketomatoesleavemealone 's ocs. Trigger Warnings: Child abuse, child death, bodily injuries, brief gore, religious trauma, accidents, preventable deaths due to illness, kidnapping, suicide, disappearances, etc.

🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

Screaming. 

Long, loud piercing cries expressing extreme emotion or pain.

Screaming. 

A habit that most isle kids, if not all, were trained out of intentionally or not by the time they hit their double digits. 

Or maybe even before. 

Claudine Frollo stopped screaming at five years old after she realized that there would be no angel coming to save her from her father, the fire, and the prayer closet. 

Anthony Tremaine stopped screaming after his brothers—Francis and Felix—died in the famine. Long after two of his sisters (Elizabeth and Colombe) died. Finally realizing that Auradon didn’t care about kids like him and that screaming would make things worse for his mother, siblings, and cousins.

Lefou Deux stopped screaming after the third time Gaston hit him without anyone doing anything about it.

Rick Ratcliffe stopped screaming when he was seven after he had to escape his own kidnappers. Realizing that no one that cared could save him since they were also just children. 

Gaston Jr. stopped screaming after his mother disappeared when he was eight and still dealing with the broken leg from his and his father's failed isle escape plan that would never quite heal right and leave him with chronic pain and a limp.

Gaston 3rd stopped screaming when his large family went down to just him, his dad, and two of his brothers (and later on, his stepmother and half-sister) instead of the seven brothers he started off.

Hermie Bing stopped screaming when she found her dad after he committed suicide when she was 7 and no one came for days to help.

Harry and Jace Badun stopped screaming when they found Harry's twin sister, Mable, dead in their bedroom when they were 7. 

Reza stopped screaming long before he could remember that he had ever done it. 

There was at least a 100 other stories like theirs. 

All coming back to the fact that they had all learned to stop screaming because no one was coming to save them because either no one cared or the ones that did were just as helpless as they were. 

Yzla, daughter of Yzma, had learned that the hard way after she and her mother found her eldest brother, Lil Yaz, dead. Both of them had screamed themselves raw as they begged for someone to help.

But Lil Yaz was dead and not coming back. 

The cause? Appendicitis. Something no one on the isle would have been able to help with even if anyone wanted to. 

Big Murph had learned that the hard way when he lost his eye when he was 11 and no one but the Gaston Twins (who were freaking out over causing it) wanted to help. Learned that screaming helped no one as his (worried) mother put medication on his eye and when his usually absent father handed him an eyepatch. 

Screaming helped nothing. 

Screaming just showed you were weak and it wasted your energy. 

It was something the older isle kids knew and yet refused to let the youngest of them discover.

The older isle kids didn't scream. 

It was a fact.

One that they soon learned was not a universal thing when the first isle kids were allowed to go to Auradon.

🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

The isle kids didn't scream. 

It was something the people of Auradon didn't understand. 

It was something they hadn't expected. 

The isle kids didn't scream. Even when they were hurt.

Jay didn't scream when he broke his leg in a game of Tourney and kept going till the game was won.

Evie didn't scream when she spilled some chemical on her hand in Chemistry.

Mal didn't scream when she fell down the stairs.

Carlos didn't scream about anything that didn't involve dogs— which was discovered when his dorm room caught fire after one of his experiments and he waited for Ben to stop talking before telling Mal about it. 

Freddy Facilier, Zevon, Cj Hook, and the numerous other isle kids after them that weren't under ten years old didn't either. 

None of them did until after spending months in Auradon.

Some didn't scream until after the barrier was brought down.

And some…

Some never screamed again.

Because isle kids didn't scream.

Because screaming was pointless if no one was coming to save you.

[jujurose222]

“My little Petunia. You’re my first born, not her. You are.”

Sitting in funeral home chairs. You made an illusionary claim, you know one of those claims that gives you a picture of an ideal future. A future that does not exist. A future that doesn’t hold the same turmoil you always seem to find in the present. Many moments of this, I forgot how bad it was while I was away. Now I’m back, and all you do is make false claims. That’s all anyone around here ever does.

He asked how it would be done. Simple question, blatant curiosity, what was the plan for this future “goal.” And you blew up, per the usual. You made him sit there and listen to you whine, all because your coke head of a boyfriend punched a hole in your bed room door two nights before (Christmas Eve). So this means, trauma dump on unwitting citizens and make them feel bad because your currently turmoiled.

So I got up after the inquisitor left the scene, and I asked what was wrong per the usual.

Do you know what it means when her boyfriend gets angry? It means I have to get the ear full. Not to mention the sudden pregnancy hormones. Oh and the fact that, I’m the only one who knows about this new baby. And I’m the only one who listened to her claim, “I’m aborting it this week.” Just for her to turn around and say, “I was being crazy. I’m not aborting it.”

I’m sorry? You WERE being crazy? I think you’ve forgotten about the current daughter, and how much is already on your plate. And how every time I see your pathetic boyfriend, he’s drunk, coked out, or giving me a creepy look. And how I’m the one who babysits over and over, and I love her to death. But she’s one autistic little fucking shit. She’s going to be a handful, you keep living in this delusion that it’ll all be handled. Yeah if you have the capacity to handle her. And as of now, I see one fucked up piece of shit, pretending to play dad, but his efforts are pathetic. Oh you tickle her and spin her around, what about when she’s throwing a tantrum? He don’t do shit, he grabs another beer and hopes her whining will quit soon.

Sitting in the same room as those two is like sitting with my mom and dad when I was young. Their problems are everyone else’s problems.

I want my niece to be happy. I don’t want her to watch my sister continuously make her own life harder. I want her to watch a secure woman who knows her worth. Not a woman who lets a piece of shit give her BV once a month.

At my grandfathers funeral I screamed at my sister in front of my family.

“Joanna and Julia are so mean to each other.”

You wouldn’t know the hell she has made me coddle her through.

Sat at the dinner table, my sister begins,

“I just think it’s really crazy how you didn’t apologize…”

I interrupt,

“No. You know what I thinks so fucking crazy? The fact I’ve never got an apology in my life, and I’m the one who has to apologize over and over because I didn’t coddle your feelings enough. While you continuously make shitty decisions and then act helpless for the consequences.”

“Why are you here if you’re gonna act like that?”

I ran to the bathroom and cried in the big stall. My big sister came to me and I let her hug me even though I usually don’t let her touch me.

“She doesn’t even know what I did for her. I have done so much bullshit for her all our lives. I have sat by her side through everything and I can’t fucking do it anymore.”

“I agree. I don’t think she realizes what you’ve done for her.”

I don’t value much, but sometimes it’s nice for the eldest sibling to approve of your perception.

“I can’t do it. I can’t keep listening to her dump everything on everyone, and most of all me. I know a secret.”

“What?”

“Guess.”

“She’s pregnant?”

Woopdidoo! She guessed right. Because it happens every time she’s ovulating, because all she knows how to do is fuck.

I have sat there and listened to her long enough. But she’s got a real therapist now. IM FUCKING DONE.

I love her so much. But she doesn’t even fucking realize.

I’m not your first born. You’re my first born Joanna Marie. And I’m the only one who has sat by your side when everyone else gave up. Because you’re too damn much. Nothings too much for me, because I have had to be your mommy since our mommy clocked out that random week night.

Being your mom was not fun. Because you were bigger than me, and you were mean to me. You even pushed our mom around, when she was just trying to go to sleep and go to work in the morning.

I had to make you food, get you water. Do all the chores you didn’t want. I was your punching bag. Mom was gone, so you’d come home and scream at me. All because your boyfriend at the time was being mean.

“Well why don’t you just leave him then?”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOURE FUCKING STUPID! LEAVE ME ALONE.”

So I would leave you alone, even though you started the conversation. Then I’d wait an hour, and I’d knock on your door. You’d let me come in, and we’d cuddle all night, and watch Sonny with a Chance or H20. You never told me what was going on, but I knew your computer password and would look when you were gone.

You were a fucking whore. I always thought your friends were just mean to you. But no, you fucked all their boy friends.

Then I’d go to my dad’s house, and my step siblings would be like, “you know she was called shit dick in high school? Because she shit on someone’s dick during anal!!!” And they’d make fun of you. And I’d have to pretend it was fine, but it made me so upset.

You know the older I get, the more you remind me of dad. You make shitty decisions and get embarrassed. Then you try to blame dad, just like dad blamed his dad.

I dont know I’m just tired.

I love you Jojo. I do. And I know it might not seem like it lately, but I give up. I’m tired of being your little minion, I always have been. My niece is everything to me, but she’s a lot, just like you. I need my peace. I can only coddle so many tantrums.

I coddled you through your tantrums. Then you had Azalea, and now I have to pet her, giving her constant love and affection, just so she’ll relax. I love coddling her, she’s a sweet little girl when she’s relaxed. But I’m tired Jojo.

And I know you’ve been tired since I can remember, but I can’t do anything about that. Besides love you as you are. But who you are right now, she’s being unwise and I get hit with the guilt when I don’t enable your behavior. I just think it’s unfair.

“If you’re awake it’s an SOS . Only you could assist in a situation like this”

I got this text tonight. Part of me is curious and wants to help.

But you’ve cried wolf so much, I don’t have the energy tonight.

“Only you”

It’s so much pressure Jojo. I miss when we were little kids. When we’d do jump through, and you put me on your legs in the air. Even when you would pin me down and let spit dangle, then suck it back up. It was annoying, but it was nothing compared to the spit you dangle in my face now.

I’m sorry for yelling at your funeral grandpa. I just found it unfair for her to be whining about her own issues, when our mother was upset about her dead father.

All her issues are the consequences of her own actions and I’m so sick of her acting like it’s otherwise.

My therapist said,

“Some people just choose harder lives.”