#he has done so much work on himself to be able to accept himself fully

[fortunesblade]

thinking about how Zahav was raised and the way he was almost always treated like a young boy on the ship and around the crew he grew up with. he was often just assumed to be a young boy because of how short they kept his hair, always running around with a extra layer of grime on him from working the lower parts of the ship or cleaning the deck, the way he acted. and of course as he grew he hit puberty, was tossed through physical changes, his figure was more feminine and he didn't understand his body anymore and truthfully most of the members on the ship weren't of much help. as the vessel he was raised on was predominantly male.

they started to treat him differently--- unfairly and make passing comments, he felt uncomfortable in his own skin and despised the way he started to be looked at. by just about everyone he came across. leading him to constantly trying to start fights and flaunt just how tough and brutal he could be ( because he learned from the best worst in that regard ) . and for awhile he dressed in clothing that hid his figure, kept his hair nearly shaved to his scalp, purposely left wounds unchecked to ensure they left a scar--- anything to make himself less appealing. that's also around the time Zahav actually got into scarring, rather than having himself tattooed. he began to feel more at ease in his body then. feeling as though the designs carved in his skin was the center of attention rather than himself. but getting to see the story that's told on his skin. he started to fully identify as a man around then as well, because that's what felt right. that's who he was and that man wasn't scared of a thing. but it took a new ship and crew to embrace himself. letting his hair grow back out fully, allowing himself to dress and stylize in manners that appealed to him. just a few years down that line Zahav finally had the procedure removing his breasts around 19 to 20. began taking substances that both stunted the biological functions of his body and started to lean him into another stage of development.

he was nearly the man he wanted to see in the mirror--- but his conflicted morality was standing in the way of that. but that's something to dive into at another time!

[phas3d]

Hello love<33 i saw ur requests were open if it hasn't been done before can i request a Potter! Reader x Slytherin boys like the reader is Harry's twin sister?

Absolutely inlove with your writing btw🫶🫶

Potter!Reader || Slytherin Boys

type :: fluff

tw/cw :: abuse mention (tom, mattheo)

contains :: draco, tom, mattheo, theodore, lorenzo

notes :: i love this idea so much, i didn't think it would be this fun to write for - also i know neville technically killed voldemort BUT, just go along with me when i say harry killed voldemort

DRACO MALFOY

Getting a crush on someone was already hard enough for Draco to do

To be able to look past someone's flaws and finally see the beauty inside of someone

But all of that was quickly ruined once he found out you weren't just Harry Potter's sibling but his TWIN?

He genuinely gets so upset and angry not only at you but himself

He's not sure how to handle this information

But at the end, he decides that he can't stand the idea of dating Harry Potter's twin and possibly growing to be Harry Potter's brother-in-law

So he tries to avoid you at all times

But he can't, his body just won't allow him

And also, you're really good at finding him

In the end, he learns to accept it but Harry and Draco still bicker and fight

Even when you guys are 20+ years old, they still fight like siblings - which is actually perfect since they're brothers in law now

TOM RIDDLE

After Harry defeated his father, aka Voldemort, and brought "peace" to the world - he's hated his guts

Because although Voldemort was a mass murder, genocide supporter, blood racist, classist, backstabbing, asshole... That was still Tom's dad

But even then, Voldemort wasn't a great father. He was actually the worst father to ever live. For all of Tom's childhood, he was brain washed and tortured to believe his father was amazing, and sadly it worked on him

So finding out that his s/o, which was already an EXTREMELY rare sight since he can't tolerate anyone, was Harry Potter's twin....

Oh, he goes fucking insane and runs away to the forbidden forrest to "process" all of his emotions (he kills almost every animal in there out of pure strength)

Falling for the person who's related to your father's killer is not easy to handle

So,,, honestly I think Tom would break up with you and never give you a shot again

But, he still owns you - he just can't be with you duhhh

If you ever try to move on or get a new boyfriend, he simply make them "disappear"

It makes you isolate yourself from the dating world - but thank god Tom is there to offer to be fwb!

(this was his plan all along. he will never stop loving you but he doesn't have the guts to fully commit to a relationship anyways but he still wants you - so fwb is the easiest solution for him to avoid the guilt of actually dating you whilst still getting to own you in some way)

MATTHEO RIDDLE

He's the exact opposite of Tom, he actually really respects and likes Harry

After Harry killed Voldemort, he felt so free. It was like Harry got rid of the shackle that was keeping him down for so long

Unlike Tom, Mattheo always knew that what their father was doing was wrong and cruel - but he was forced to go along with the family's plans because he'd be punished if he didn't

Not only that, Mattheo and Harry both play Quidditch and are good rivals - he loves the competition

So he actually gets along fine with Harry

When he finds out you two are actually TWINS he's so shocked like omg

He wonders what would have happened if you ate Harry while in the womb or smth

And he also wonders why you and Harry aren't exactly identical (you are identical... mattheo just doesn't understand why harry has glasses and you don't....)

Doesn't mind bringing Harry on a couple of dates - But when Harry does come... it's basically like you're third wheeling

Your cute dates are ruined because these two dumbass men decide to do stupid stuff

Like for example, a cute date of mini golfing got ruined because Harry and Mattheo decided to see who could chuck their golf ball the farthest

They ended up breaking multiple windows...

Or when Mattheo took you out to go ice skating but it got ruined because fucking Harry surprised Mattheo with hockey gear

The two ended up playing hockey,,,, just a 1v1,,,, and crashed into so many bystanders that they just shut down the rink

They are now brothers for life... you must deal with this

THEODORE NOTT

When he finds out you're twins, he takes such a big sigh of relief

"Oh my gosh, that why you guys always hang out... I thought you might have been dating."

Instantly, you want to vomit in your mouth

Theo has little to no history with Harry, besides bullying Harry during their first few years at Hogwarts

But Theo was never a good bully... especially when he was younger

Because he was still learning English and had the THICKEST Italian accent that you barely understood him

One time in their 2nd year, Theo came up to Harry and insulted his nerdy glasses

But Harry simply tilted his head, "Sorry, no espanol."

From that day, it's a strong inside joke between all the Slytherin boys and Theo can never escape it

Harry's unintentional roast made Theo study English 10x times harder than he ever did before

So he's kinda grateful to him in a way but he does wanna get back at him

He's super chill around Harry and the two get along fine and dandy but nothing too special

They both respect each other a lot actually and don't cross any boundaries with each other

Since they're kinda similar actually: quidditch players, pull tons of bitches, decently smart, and "foreign" in some way

Basically: coolest in laws ever

LORENZO BERKSHIRE

Oh my fucking god these two suck each other dicks

The amount of glazing they do for each other is CRAZYYY

When Enzo finds out you're twins with Harry - he's so happy because Harry and Enzo are actually really cool with each other

They both play quidditch together sometimes, play the same games, and they love the same shows

You basically lose your boyfriend... to your brother

Everywhere you two go,,, Harry is invited against your will

Going to watch a movie? Harry and Enzo are gonna share a blanket and leave you in the cold

Going to an arcade? Harry and Enzo will play every single game against each other and even take selfies of their wins

Fuck, even going shopping, the two banter and chat while you try on clothes

One time they got bored of waiting for you to try stuff on so they LEFT YOU and went to go get MATCHING T-SHIRTS???!?!??!?!?!???

Of course,,, you and Enzo do get alone time - some times

But you honestly love seeing how strong Enzo and Harry's bond is because it makes you happy that you picked the perfect boyfriend for your family

It's even better when Harry get his yearly girlfriend (that he will eventually leave heart broken)

So now you can go on double dates!!!

And hopefully the girl that Harry is with is cool, so that way you can also share a strong bond just like Enzo and Harry

But you can't get too attached.... your brother is a man-whore after all... 😞

[feyascorner]

lingering touches

summary. you offer to bathe astarion and he experiences non-sexual intimacy for the first time.

warnings. comfort/fluff

pairing. Astarion x GN!Reader

a/n. since my other post talking about this did so well i wrote a short lil fic on it!! TFBU ch 4 is in the works i swear. you may notice me writing a lot of fluff outside of TFBU because it's just an angst fest over there and i need happy astarion in my life

He trusts you. That much is evident when he accepts your suggestion to bathe after a particularly gruesome day out battling against what seems like half the world. But a part of him--the one stuck in the never-ending loop of Cazador's torturous influence--makes him disassociate when you're a few buttons down his shirt.

He's brought back when you hold his hand, eyes meeting with a softness so endearing that he wants to sink into the water and never let go.

"We don't have to do this," you say.

"I want to. Terribly."

You nod and finish undressing the both of you, leading him to the bath where there's already a steaming bath drawn. When he sinks into the water, you're sitting on the opposite side. And while you're only a foot apart, he wants to pull you closer to him.

He notices the way you're shifting---not quite uncomfortable, but a bit bothered by the heat of the water. Of course, he thinks, of course you'd make the bath hotter than your own body can handle for the sake of his own. And regardless, you don't make the first move toward him, in fear of overwhelming him. He may be a difficult person to read, but he can read you like an open book.

He's almost sure he doesn't deserve someone like you, but he's a selfish person.

So he holds a hand toward you. "Come here, love."

You do so, beaming in a way that makes the smallest of smiles stretch on his own lips. You're infectious in a way that scares him and intrigues him all the same. Soon, he has your back against his chest and his arms looping around your waist while you're leaning your head against his shoulder.

He could die here, and he wouldn't complain.

Wordlessly, he takes the shampoo and mixes it into your hair, drinking in everything you do. The way you sigh while he massages it into your scalp, the way you scoop up the water and lift it to wash the dirt off your face, the way you melt into him as if he's a part of you. He wants to be.

"Does it feel that nice?"

You turn, nodding. "Want to try?"

"Oh darling, I'm fully capable of washing my own hair."

"Well, let me at least return the favor."

He nods, passing you the shampoo. You move behind him, propping up on your knees, and generously pouring some on your palm before slathering it over his curly hair. You stifle a laugh when he flinches at how cold it is.

As you wash, he finds himself enjoying it far more than he should be, and by the time you're almost done, he's leaning his head back as if following your hands. It should be embarrassing how enamored he is, but he can't bring himself to care at the moment.

It's strange, this intimacy that strays away from an endless night of pleasure. But it's not unwelcome. Not at all.

And when he leans his head back further, finally able to meet your eyes, you press a kiss to his forehead, and he realizes he doesn't care about the vulnerability of laying himself bare either. Because it's you.

[luxaofhesperides]

Soulmate AU: First Words + End of the World ; requested by @justwannabecat!

Duke has long since accepted that he doesn’t have great luck. Most things in his life tend to go wrong very quickly, or complicate situations he was already struggling in (see: being a meta and getting his powers in the middle of a fight). Having an incomprehensible soulmark is an unpleasant discovery on the morning of his nineteenth birthday, but not entirely unexpected.

He had been hoping for something simple, a common one like hi it’s nice to meet you or sorry, didn’t mean to bump into you.

What Duke gets instead isn’t even words. 

Scrawled across his left hipbone is a string of symbols glowing a faint green. They’re not in a language he recognizes, and the symbols seem to move, shifting ever so slightly so they look different every time he blinks.

“Well,” he says after a solid five minutes of staring into the mirror, unable to rip his eyes off his soulmate’s words, “I hope theirs looks nicer than mine.”

He spends his birthday in a bit of a daze, enjoying time spent with the Waynes and his friends. It’s hard to be fully present when he’s all too aware of the soreness on his hipbone flaring up each time he moves. It’s hard to keep his mind off of it, wanting nothing more than to search for answers, unravel the mystery of his soulmate’s first words.

“Something on your mind?” Jason asks, as the attention shifts off of him for a brief moment as Harper and Cullen get ready to leave and everyone rushes to give their goodbyes,

Duke shrugs, carefully keeping his hands still so they don’t drift to where his soulmark is hidden beneath his clothes. “Yeah. Nothing you need to worry about, though.”

Jason looks him over critically, then nods. 

Duke resigns himself to being investigated by the rest of the Bats. If he’s off enough that Jason had to comment on it, then that means everyone’s noticed and are trying to figure out what’s happened. They’re not going to ask him, because they think he needs space to work through whatever’s got him so distracted, but they’re also not going to just do nothing. 

This won’t be the first time they’ve done this. Duke expects it. Frankly, it would be stranger and much more concerning if they didn’t try to dig up all his secrets the moment they caught wind of him hiding something.

He’ll tell them about getting his soulmark soon. Soulmarks can appear on any birthday between the ages of thirteen to twenty five; they might suspect he got his, but they won’t be able to confirm.

For now, Duke can keep his soulmate’s first words (whatever that gibberish means) to himself.

He makes the decision then and there, as his birthday party winds down, to tell them in a week.

And because his luck is abysmal, a world ending threat hits five days later and suddenly there is no time for soulmarks and first words.

Duke is the last to arrive at the Fortress of Solitude, hitching a ride from Superboy to get there. The biting cold and the harsh winds keep the place far from the reaches of the rest of humanity, surrounded by nothing but deadly white. 

Desolate as the landscape is, it’s still in better shape than the rest of the world.

Things would be better if it was alien invaders. It would be more bearable if some sort of cosmic colossus tried to eat their solar system. At least then there would be something physical that they could fight.

Instead, the world is breaking apart, the sky and earth both fracturing to reveal glowing green faultlines. Timelines are getting mixed up and muddled; just yesterday, Duke had to evacuate a building that had been demolished forty years ago, then stop a gang leader who wouldn’t be born for another eight years from taking over a neighborhood block and holding the residents hostage. Strange creatures are appearing out of nowhere, crawling out of shadows and tide pools and from beneath the roots of trees, all horrible, monstrous things that go after people with teeth and claws. 

The Flashes and the rest of the speedsters are nowhere to be found. The last time anyone get communication from them, it had been Impulse sending Red Robin a glitchy, barely audible video chat saying something along the lines of “trying to fix—unstable—keep us here—never been alive before.” All things that are very concerning to hear, made worse by the fact that no one had been able to contact them at all. 

The quiet loneliness of the Fortress of Solitude is a welcome change from the constant screaming, death, and destruction that’s taken over Gotham as well as the rest of the world. Last he heard, even Justice League China was at the end of their rope. 

“In here,” Superboy instructs, guiding Duke through the halls. There’s no time to look around at Superman’s secret base. All his focus is stuck on staying conscious for another few hours to see if this gathering of heroes is able to find a solution to the world breaking apart.

Batman stands besides Superman. Both nod at Duke when he enters the room. Wonder Woman is watching over John Constantine as he writes something on the floor, muttering under his breath. The rest of the Justice League lean against each other, visibly exhausted as they wait for Constantine to finish up what he’s doing. A few other heroes are here too, and Duke goes to join them where they lean against a wall, fighting to keep their eyes open.

“Hey,” he greets, voice low. “Hanging in there?”

Wonder Girl sighs. “Somehow. I don’t know how much longer we can do this. There’s just too much…”

“We’ll get through this. I mean, even without us out there, plenty of civilians have formed rescue and relief groups to help with keeping things under control,” Speedy says, gently knocking her arm against Wonder Girl’s. “We just gotta keep going. No giving up.”

“What’s this plan, anyways? I just heard that they needed me here to some attempt to fix things.”

“Well, without the speedsters, you’re kind of the only one who can help with time and power related stuff,” Speedy says.

“That’s definitely a stretch. My powers don’t really have anything to do with time. It’s all just light and shadow.”

Speedy shrugs. “Well, you’re here, aren’t you? Too late to complain about it now.”

Duke doesn’t get a chance to say anything else when a loud clap catches his attention. The entire room goes still and silent as Constantine stands up and surveys the circle and symbols he’s written, taking up an entire corner of the large room. 

“Alright,” he says. “Time to get started. Remember, let me do the talking. If you have to speak, it’s only to back me up or when a question is directed to you.”

Batman nods to the other Justice Leaguers, and suddenly everyone is falling into formation behind Constantine. Duke hurries to join them with Wonder Girl and Speedy, taking a place on the edge of the group where he’s a little closer to the circle than the others. 

Constantine begins chanting. His voice is steady though none of the sounds make any sense, refusing to form themselves into recognizable words, and the air the in the room feels heavier. The chalk circle glows a blinding white and Duke can see magic swirling through the air, his power kicking in the let him watch as reality tears and a glowing star in the shape of a boy comes out of it.

Duke blinks, forcing his power down. The hypnotic swirls of magic fade from sight, but the boy still glows, bright and terrible as he floats above the circle and surveys them all. A crown engulfed in blue flame hovers above his head and the fabric of the cosmos is draped over his shoulders as a cape. 

Just from presence alone, Duke can tell that this figure is now the strongest existence in this universe. He hopes this boy king is kind; no one, not even Superman, would be able to beat him in a fight.

The boy king opens his mouth and speaks, but it’s not words than comes out. A strange static like sound emerges, but light and almost melodic. 

His left hipbone burns.

Duke gasps, hand flying down to it, and the boy king’s gaze snaps to meet his.

The world stands still. No one moves. No one dares to breathe.

And then the boy king drops to the floor and walks out of the circle.

“I thought you said that would hold him!” Batman hisses at Constantine, who is looking more and more distressed.

“It was supposed to! I wrote it specifically to hold the King of the Infinite Realms!”

The boy king glances at Constantine. This time, when he speaks, it’s in smooth English. “Did you name the king in your circle?”

“Yeah, I named Pariah Dark… Bloody hell, you ain’t him, are ya?”

“No,” the boy king smiles, “I’m Phantom.”

The cape and crown fade away, and suddenly it’s not an all powerful, terrifying king standing before them, but a young man with white hair and green eyes who looks Duke’s age. Like he could be any other new generation hero in the room. 

“Phantom,” Duke repeats lightly, just under his breath, but it makes Phantom look at him again.

He walks forward, ignoring the other heroes’ aborted attempts to stop him, coupled with Constantine’s frantic back off motion happening behind him. Phantom leaves the circle and the Justice Leaguers behind to stand before Duke, a soft smile on his face.

“Hi,” he says softly, “I dreamed of you.”

“You—what?”

“I dreamed of you. I have for years now. To think that being summoned was what made us meet—” Phantom breaks off into a breathless laugh.

Duke swallows, then drops his had from where it had been pressed against his hip. “So we’re really—? You have my first words too?”

In the corner of his eye, he sees Batman stiffen up. Maybe he should have just told them the day after his birthday, but in Duke’s defense, this is the definition of extenuation circumstances. 

“First words?” Phantom repeats, “Is that… Do we have different soulmate connections?”

“I think so. Here, everyone gets the first words their soulmates say to them appearing somewhere on their body.”

Phantom’s gaze darts down to Duke’s hip, then back up. “Oh. I get dreams. Where I’m from, we dream of our soulmates, and the closer we get to meeting them, the more we remember the dreams.”

“And you dreamed of me.”

“I did.”

“As touching as this is,” Constantine interrupts, and Duke gets to watch as Phantom rolls his eyes, “We summoned you here for a reason. Our world is falling apart at the seams and we need someone powerful, from the Realms, to help us fix it.”

“Okay.”

“...What do you mean ‘okay’?”

“I’ll help,” Phantom says.

“Just like that? No deal to be made, no price to be paid?”

“Just like that. I’m not one for deals anyways. If I can help, then I will. But I do want to see what the problem is with my soulmate by my side, if you don’t mind.”

Batman steps in, fixing Duke with a steady gaze, a barely noticeable tilt of his head. “Signal?”

“Yeah I’ll go with him. Of course I will. The sooner the better, in fact, because everything’s gone to shit.” Duke turns to Phantom, taking hold of one of his hands. “It is really bad out there,” he warns, “If you need help—”

“I’ll ask for help from others in the Realms,” Phantom says. “No offense or anything, but if it’s really that bad, I doubt living mortals will be able to do much to fix things. It’s why I was summoned, right?”

“Right. Let’s get to it, then.”

There’s a flash of mischief in Phantom’s eyes, and cheeky grin stealing across his face for a moment, before he says, “Aye aye, captain!” and picks Duke up like he weighs nothing and flies up through the ceiling.

Duke is able to hear everyone’s surprised, panicked shouts before they’re outside the Fortress of Solitude and Phantom is flying them away. He only needs a few directions from Duke before he finds the first of the large fractures in the sky.

“Yikes,” is all he says, which is not a great thing to hear. “I think I know how to fix it, though. We’ll need to do a little investigating as to who, exactly, started messing around with reality, but once we find the source, it’ll be an easy fix.”

“That’s the best news I’ve heard all week.”

“Even better than meeting your soulmate?”

“I haven’t slept for more than four hours all week. Knowing there’s an end in sight beats everything else.”

Phantom laughs, throwing his head back and Duke can’t help but drink in the sight of him, so ethereal and bright and full of life. “Fair enough! Got any ideas as to where we should start?”

“I’ve got an entire crew of detective vigilantes,” Duke replies. He’s not taking any more chances. No more waiting to talk about important things; he messed up by keeping his soulmark to himself, so he needs to make sure everyone meets his soulmate before shit goes south again. 

“Let’s go find them, then!”

They take off again, soaring through the skies that are barely holding themselves together. 

The world is still ending, and every hero is being stretched thin, but held carefully in Phantom’s arms, racing head first into a solution, Duke can’t help but feel that everything’s going to be alright now. 

He’s had enough bad luck. Now, his soulmate with him, bearing the title of King with grace, things are finally starting to look up.

[frantic-fiction]

Happy Birthday

(Gif: Alistairs)

Prompt: The gang throwing Spawn Astarion and Redeemed Durge a joint birthday party 😭

Credit to @bauldersgrave69 for letting me use their idea. Hopefully, you like it.

Astarion x F!Reader (Mostly Gender neutral but reader does wear a dress)

Warning: None. No spoilers just durge's memory lost and violent tendencies. This is pretty much pure fluff.

Word Count: 3.1k

It's been almost a year since you found yourself aboard a mindflayer ship, forcibly shoved into an adventure - one with life-changing choices. Choices that left you with a family not bonded through blood and torture, but one of trust, acceptance, and a chance to change something in yourself that you didn't fully comprehend when you woke up in that pod.

And the most important piece of the puzzle is currently walking next to you. As close as appropriate in public, moving away from the waterfront, Astarion would occasionally drop kisses on any exposed skin he could reach. But for the most part, he was content to hold your hand in his, just happy to be with the love of his life.

It was your date night. After the chaos had died down, you and Astarion had established this weekly tradition. Neither of your previous lives before the tadpoles allowed for much personal exploration or relaxation. The dates aimed to help take back both the agencies that had been torn away violently by cruel masters.

It was Astarion's week to choose the activity. He decided to push his boundaries just a bit and go dancing - not the stifling ballroom dances Cazador demanded be performed during various public events. No, Astarion wanted liveliness, drinks, and a wonderful band.

So, he bought a lovely pale yellow sundress from a stall by your apartment and added his personal style, ending with a beautiful garment - swirls and intricate patterns embroidered as accents. Donning himself in a dashing doublet, dark greys, and black accented with a similar shade of yellow.

The blushing mermaid was brilliant, the band jovial with pounding drums, and excellent lute and violin playing. Drinks were shared until heads were fuzzy. It took a bit for Astarion to work up the courage to dance, but he quickly offered his hand. The moment it was offered, your drink was down, and with a flushed face and a smile, you took his hand and pulled him to the dance floor.

The rest of the night was spent spinning and dipping until you were dizzy. You had never really danced, and if you had, that memory was lost and not worth finding. At times, you would stumble into a spin or out of a dip, but Astarion was always there to make sure you stayed on your toes with a firm hold.

When the energy of the night waned down and the band began to play a slower tempo, Astarion didn't hesitate to pull you flush against his body. His coolness was a pleasant contrast to the stuffiness of the mostly crowded tavern.

Astarion bent down to kiss you below your ear, whispering, "I don't think I will ever run out of thank yous."

"For dancing with a handsome man, I can say it was tiring but I'm having fun." The word is still a foreign concept, but one you and Astarion have become incredibly good at together.

"Yes, this night has been the best dancing I've done in years." You card your hand through his curls; his hand trails the curve of your spine. "But my thanks go beyond tonight, with you, my love. I have felt - you see I..."

Words seem not to be able to grasp what Astarion wants to say. So, he simply smiles and captures your lips in a kiss. Not everything needs words to express.

****

"My sweet, I believe we forgot dear Evelyn's oranges."

You had just entered the neighborhood where your house resided. It wasn't anything big; neither you nor Astarion liked the idea of a big space with rooms that would stay empty and cold.  

Thankfully, you came across Miss Evelyn, a sweet elderly gnome who owned a multifamily home. Her son had sadly died when the Absolute took Baldur's Gate. His wife and child went back to her parents, leaving Evelyn with a lot more space than she needed.

Astarion and you rented the upper portion of the home. The rent was cheap and you wish to pay more, and when you tried to explain just how much wealth you could spare, Evelyn shut it down immediately. She said that her price was fair and all she needed to make it for herself.

There was no room to argue after that, so you and Astarion took it upon yourselves to help her in any way she would allow - like getting oranges.

"I'll run out early before she wakes. Eve won't even notice."

"If you try to throw me on the chopping block again, I will not be making any cookies for a month."

"You would never!" You gasped, clutching your chest in dramatics.

"Don't tempt me, darling; I can be very stubborn." He said this, holding the gate to the property for you.

"Star, you know how her disappointed look makes me feel," the gravel crunched under your feet, the porch light to the house breaking through the dark.

"Yes, well, you'll just have to hope she made her bedtime." He kissed your cheek smugly and walked ahead, taking the stairs two at a time.

His shoes hit the wood boards of the porch when you heard, "Oh good evening Evelyn dear, I do have to apologize; my love completely forgot to get you oranges. By the time I realized their mistake, the vendor was already gone for the evening."

Handsome fucking asshole. Hands bunched up the skirt as you followed up the steps. He is going to have quite the time having any post-date fun with the way he's playing.

Making it to his side, Evelyn's in her chair, a basket of walnuts beside her. She didn't say anything for a moment, leaving only the crickets. Grabbing a walnut, she placed it on the table and slammed a hammer you did not see, cracking the shell before popping the flesh into her mouth.

"I figured, you two never get the things I want when it's your date night. Whatever, just get them tomorrow; your visitors gave me these walnuts so I'm not too bothered." The words were jumbled between almost toothless gums and walnut bits. A few pieces flew outwards with trails of spittle.

"Visitors?"

"Yeah, that little ragtag group you got. The bald one gave them to me. Told me something about 'Boo' thinking it would be polite since I let them break in and all."

Astarion and you met eyes, confusion reflecting each other's. Why was Minsc here?

"Did you plan something?" You asked.

"No," Astarion quickly turned to Evelyn, " I hope our little friends haven't been too much of a bother. Have a wonderful evening, my dear. Your oranges will be in your fruit bowl come morning."

He grabbed your hand and made for the stairs to your floor. Evelyn simply grumbled "They better be, pointy," before slamming the hammer down again.

You started to pull Astarion faster up the remaining stairs. But as soon as you reached for the door, Astarion halted you with an arm snaking around your middle. His mouth captured yours in a kiss, fast and heavy before you could even speak.

You melted. It's automatic, instinctual. You sigh carding you finger in his hair tugging on the roots. The orange incident quickly forgotten and the heavy annoyances with it. Not even the question of why your friends have broken into your home during date night mattered. His lips were gone too soon.

"I don't know about you, my sweet, but I believe our little weirdos have been very rude to us." He breathed into your ear before giving it a nibble. You nodded slightly, pulling his face to your neck. The he scrapes his fangs against you throat and you gasped

"I think they should have learned by now that I like to keep you to myself at night. And on our lovely date night, where you have been teasing me all night with this garment."

He pressed your back roughly against the door. The hinges whined against the force. You kiss him again, feeling his leg press between your legs. "And how am I to know that I shouldn't be ravishing you right here against this door."

"OKAY, OKAY. WE GET IT, ARESHOLE. DON'T INTERRUPT DATE NIGHT," Gale yelled.

"Maybe the next time we think about doing something nice for you two shits, I'll remember to bring earplugs," Wyll followed.

Astarion stepped you both back fully on your feet. "Maybe this time they will finally learn." Placing one last soft kiss on you cheek, he fully pulled away and moved to open the door.

You couldn't say what you had expected to see walking into your home. But this was not it.

Bright colors of balloons cluttering the floors, strings of paper tossed haphazardly around your living room. Your dining table is scatered with wrapped gifts and a frosted cake.

Each of your companions stood, all staring at Astarion and you, a mixture of disgust, excitement, and boredom (though that was mainly Lae'zel, who stood brooding in the farthest corner with a purple cone on her head). Oddly, they all had pointy hats tied to their heads. Even little Boo.

Scratch, who with all the excitement of seeing all of his friends back at his home, had begun to use his as a chew toy. Minsc pleaded with him to stop and seemed to be having a three-way conversation between the dog, Boo, and himself.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Karlach screamed as if the words had been burning in her mouth for hours. This had each and every one of your companions repeating the same phrase.

The shocked and confused looks Astarion and you shared must be very evident because Wyll was quick to jump in. “You both shared with us not knowing when your birthday was, so we’ve all decided what better time to celebrate than the start of our journey.”

This had Astarion's hand tightening in yours, his posture stiffening. Your heart hammered against your ribs, tears brimming over, trickling down flushed cheeks.

You don’t deserve this. The little voice echoes, the same voice that chokes you at night when you lay crying in Astarion's arms as he helps you calm from a panic attack. These people. This beautiful, caring family you stumbled upon was too good for such a broken, tainted person like you. To even think about this, planning a party with cake and presents simply to celebrate you and Astarion just living another year.

Him you understand; you had already been silently planning something similar for him for months. But it’s Astarion. The man who saved you, the one who reminds you each day that you are loved and safe and no longer the puppet of a cruel god. Yes, Astarion deserves to be celebrated and showered with gifts and affection. But you? The same person whose hands are stained so red with blood you still can’t comprehend the full extent of your depravity. No, you don’t think so.

"Well," Astarion’s voice cracks, and he takes a shaky breath, clearing his voice. "I guess being the center of attention for the night should make up for postponing my plan to bend my beloved over the cou-"

This snaps you out of your self-deprecation. You clamp your hand over his mouth loudly saying, "Thank you guys; this is… well, this is just perfect."

You rip your hand away when you feel the wet glide of Astarion's tongue and the scratch of a fang. "Seriously," you groan, wiping your hand off on his chest before stepping away and walking up to give out your first of many hugs.

****

"You cheated, you fucking bastard!" Astarion points accusingly over the coffee table, glaring at Gale. "I can sense a spell; you're not as clever as you think, wizard!"

You rub his arms, silently telling him to chill but shooting a glare of your own at the man. "Not to mention Karlach is not a very good actor," you say bluntly, causing the tiefling to scoff in offense. "You know I love you, Kar, but you have never been a good liar. Gale, if you won't play by the rules, I won't be responsible if Star gets violent."

Getting up from the couch, you peck Astarion's cheek and collect the pile of dessert plates. Astarion stands to start his turn of charades, beginning to mime out his word as Gale, Wyll, Karlach, and even Lae'zel tries to guess. Though Lae'zel only seemed to guess various ways to harm an enemy.

Minsc has himself in a deep talk with Boo. The two sat close to the bay window where Halsin and Jaheria had found themselves in a game of chess. By the looks of it, Halsin was winning, and Jahiera was none too happy.

Placing the dishes in the sink, you quickly wash the cake crumbs and frosting off. You carelessly toss each on the drying rack, Astarion always hated when you did dishes always complaining of the many chips you keep putting in the ceramics. 

Once done, you walked up to Shadowheart where she was dividing the small pile of presents into two.

"Thank you," you said softly, catching the half-elf's attention. It had come to light that Shadowheart had been the one to bring the idea up. "This has been more than I ever expected."

"We're family," was all she said. And you guessed it was all that needed to be. Just a simple act of love for two people in a large, slightly dysfunctional family. You move automatically, practically tackling Shadowheart into a hug.

"This means more to Astarion and me than we'll ever be able to express." The two of you don't mention the hoarseness in your voice. And if Shadowheart felt a few tears drop on her collar, she doesn't say.

She simply hugs you back just as tight. Once you break away, Shadowheart calls for everyone to gather for presents.

It's a novel concept to open gifts while everyone stares on, waiting for expressions of happiness and thanks. It's awkward, and both Astarion and yourself share the feeling of being out in the deep end. But it's kind of fun.

You open boxes to find books and painting supplies (a hobby you picked up after you saved that rather stuck-up painter from the Zhentarim last year.) But the best is a medium-sized portrait of the party together, something you've been begging everyone for months to do. It's beautiful, and you are already thinking of the perfect location to hang it up.

Astarion receives new embroidery supplies, a shiny new dagger, and a small box. It's black velvet, and when he opens the hinged lid, a plain-looking copper band sits in the middle of a makeshift pillow.

Never one to hold his tongue, Astarion cheekily says, "Oh how quaint, look at this darling; doesn't it look just like the magic ring the tiefling boy tricked you with."

You shoulder him, and he laughs. "Actually, it's a bit more magical than that little trinket; we went to a lot of trouble for that thing, so hush," Jahiera scolds.

"Oh then please regale us with the story of this mysterious gift," Astarion smirks.

"They call it the Sunwalker's gift. It's a rare magical artifact that protects a person from light sensitivity," Shadowheart says.

It doesn't process for Astarion right away, but your breath instantly catches. You freeze in shock; how in the hells did they find this? You thought it was just a legend.

"Gale got a lead, and long story short, it's real, it's here. Fangs, you can walk in the sun mate." Karlach smiles bouncing on her feet, her flames flickering a bit brighter in her excitement.

"However, it's not perfect. You can still succumb to some effects of your hypersensitivity. But the ring should allow at least a solid 8 hours of sun exposure." Halsin quickly adds.

Astarion doesn't take his eyes off the ring. His pointer finger smooths over the tarnished band. He swallows dryly, blinking back tears as quick as they come. "This… this" he's lost for words, and no one rushes him. They all know. "Thank you, will you excuse me?"

He's gone before anyone can react. There is no judgment; everyone knows strong emotions are not something Astarion can process anywhere but alone or with just you.

"This is amazing. I'm pissed you didn't let me in on this surprise, but from both Astarion and I, thank you all." You motion for a hug and they all pile in. 

Astarion doesn't return, but no one expects him to. The party wraps up quickly after that; everyone says their goodnight and departs into the night. You lock up the house and retreat to the bedroom. He sits by the window, staring out into the silent city. He's shirtless, his pale skin ethereal in the moonlight. The ring dances across his knuckles absentmindedly, his chin in his other hand.

You make your footsteps purposefully loud as you approach the vampire. Your hands snake themselves around him, caressing his smooth skin of the chest. He catches the ring and turns his face to meet your eyes. You push some hair out of his eye. He's been crying.

"Hey handsome," you smiled, kissing his lips. He turns towards you. Pulling you on to his lap and cups you face. There's no rush to the dance of your lips. Just soft brushes and tongue caress. You pull away panting. 

"Gods, I'll never get tired of this."

"Good cause I'm quite smitten with you." You grab his hands, taking the ring from his palm. You slide it onto his left ring finger, the magic tightening the metal to fit perfectly. You press a soft kiss to it sliding off. "Now come; I want to cuddle."

He helps rid you of your dress, slipping on one of his shi in replacement. You both slide under the sheet, Astarion pulls you onto his chest, strong arms enclosing you. Your head is tucked under his chin. He presses a kiss to your hairline whispering I love you.

You play with his hand, taking it off and putting it on each finger, watching it shift to fit each one. It was quiet for a while. Both of you are just soaking in each other. 

"Our family," Astarion says quietly, his chest rumbling under your ear. You drop his hand and look up. He has a look of pure love. "The term has been one that has only caused me pain for 200 years. To think I would find a new one that could contest 200 years of shit is…pleasant. Something I didn't expect to have again"

You smile brightly, grabbing his face and pressing your lips back onto his. "We really lucked out, didn't we. Now how about we get some sleep, and in the morning, we go get Evelyn's oranges together."

He doesn't say anything for a moment, just running his hand down your spine, stopping at the swell of your bum and back up again. He kisses you again. "There is nothing I'd like more."

Feedback is welcome and always makes me smile, hate does not! Have a nice day, cheers!

[gojos-fr-bae]

Liar pt.1

GIF by bakemono04

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

Pairing: Gojo x fem!eader

Warnings: Pregnancy, blood, mass k1lling, heavy themes kinda, angst, not proofred

Word Count: 1.9k

A/N: Finally done😭 This took so much energy and honestly I'm still deciding how I feel about it. Hope you like it tho.

You looked up from your bed, buried in your blankets as you watched your husband hurriedly get dressed in his sorcerer uniform, buttoning his jacket and rushing to reach for his phone before realizing that you were awake.

He looked deep into your eyes, his being covered by his signature blindfold, and although you couldn’t see them, you could tell that they held a chaotic medley of heavy emotions.

He slowly leaned closer to you, placing his right hand against your cheek and pressing his forehead against yours.

“Where are you going?” your feeble voice whispered.

“I have to work,”

“Do you have to go now?”

“Don’t worry honey, I’ll be back before you know it,” His heart ached as he lied to you. He knew his words weren’t true, but he had no choice.

“Promise?”

“Ofcourse, baby, I’m-”

“The strongest, yeah yeah, I know,” You croaked, feeling sleep begin to take over you once again.

Satoru chuckled softly as you slowly began to drift back into your dreams. His left hand slowly rubbed your swollen tummy.

“Keep our little Kikufuku safe until I get back, okay? He said softly, placing a kiss above your belly and then your forehead. 

As you hummed in agreement, he slowly moved away from you and walked towards the bedroom door. Every fiber of his being was telling him to stop. To turn back and stay with you. But alas, he had a role to play, and he was needed elsewhere, and there was nothing he could do about that.

As he closed the door behind him, he dragged his body away from you, from your child, and to his students and fellow sorcerers. He begrudgingly trudged himself towards the Shibuya station. 

He didn’t want to go but he had no choice, no matter what he wanted, he had to go…

He HAD to go.

Week One

You stirred from your restless slumber, shivers running down your spine from the cold latching to your skin. You groaned at the aches and pains that have been plaguing you for the majority of the latter half of your pregnancy. 

As you were still waking, you heard your doorbell ring. You slowly pushed  yourself off the bed and lugged yourself down the stairs.

As you opened the door, you were met with a somber looking Ichiji. He could barely meet your eyes as he whispered an apology, bowing his head and holding a letter out to you.

“What’s this,” you asked, heart racing because you knew exactly what it was but you didn’t want to accept the glaring truth.

“It’s from G-Gojo Sensei,” He feebly whispers, voice cracking slightly. 

Your shaky hand reaches out to grasp the letter, thanking Ijichi before closing the door. You made your way to your couch and went against every fiber of your being to open and read the letter.

Dear Y/N

Hello my love. If you're reading this it means something has happened to me.

I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise. I know you deserved better and my biggest regret is not being able to give you a life you deserved. 

I don’t know how long I’m going to be gone, and as much as it would pain me to let you go, I can’t bear the thought of you having to deal with all the burdens that come with being with me.

If you choose to leave, I fully understand and don’t blame anyone other than myself.

Please take care of our kikufuku, I know you will be the best mother in the world.

Always know that I love you more than life itself, I always have and always will. Please never forget that.

-Satoru

Your hand covered your mouth as a sob was ripped through from your lungs. Tears flowed nonstop from your eyes as you cried and cried and cried.

You clutched your belly as you tried to stop crying for the sake of your baby. All you could think about is how you were going to raise the baby alone and you only ended up crying even more. But you decided to be strong. You had to for your little mochi.

Month One

You squeezed your mother’s hand as you pushed through the most excruciating pain you may ever experience. The nurses were trying to coach you through your breathing as you went through labour.

“One more push,” your doctor instructed you, causing you to put all your energy into birthing your precious angel.

Suddenly, the room was silent except for the crying erupting from the newborn.

“Congratulations, he's a beautiful, healthy boy!” the nurse whispered, placing your son on your chest. 

Tears blurred your vision as your precious angel on your chest, your mother hugging you and at that moment, all you could think about is how much you loved and would lay your life down for the happiness of your little prince.

“As he slowly opened his eyes, you were mesmerised by the sea of blue that met your eyes, matching his white hair. 

“Hello Kaito,” you said with a happy but simultaneously sad smile as you gazed down at yours and Satoru’s child.

Like father, like son.

Month 2

Satoru

Gojo layed silently, eyes bare and staring into the seemingly unending void of the prison he has been submitted to, and all his mind would drift to his thoughts of you and his presumably unborn child.

In the prison, no time would pass, and considering you were 8 months pregnant when he was praying to every being willing to listen to him that you wouldn’t give birth to your child without him by your side. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if you had to go through that and handle the Jujutsu higher ups without him.

Although he was surrounded by darkness, his mind was racing because on top of all of this, he was trying to understand why he had seen his best friend’s being in the station, but that wasn’t his priority. That was getting back to you and his baby, but from the looks of it, it wasn’t going to happen any time soon

Y/N

Ever since you had given birth to your little prince, you had been constantly harassed by your husband’s parents as well as all the upperclassmen of the Jujutsu world. You hadn’t even been able to leave your house for the past week because It was surrounded by men trying to take your son away from you. 

You had always known that bearing the son of the strongest sorcerer in the world would come with its consequences but you and Satoru had always agreed that you would be able to face these things together. However, ever since his sealing two months ago you have been under constant pressure and harassment from the Jujutsu world telling you to give up your son, but you would rather take them all to the grave with your bare hands than even think of giving up your son to them. 

All of this had been building up even before your little mochi’s birth and it had reached a point where you don’t think you can handle this anymore. Although you were also a sorcerer, and a special grade at that, you wouldn’t be able to protect your baby from the dangers and toxicity and dangers of the Jujutsu world. You had to leave.

You wanted to raise your son in a place where he could be safe and grow happy and healthy. And although you didn’t want to leave your job and your students at Jujutsu Tech, you had to do what you had to do for the sake of your child. Even if that meant abandoning your marriage with Satoru.

Your heart ached as you looked back at Japan from the airport, baby in hand and family and friends bidding you farewell before you slowly made your way to the boarding gate. Tears filled your eyes as you thought about your now technically ex husband. You looked down at your now bare left ring finger, thinking of the future you could have had together, but you had  to do it. Not just for yourself, but for your son as well.

You had to leave.

Month 3

YN

It had been a month since you had left Japan and although it had been extremely difficult to settle in a new country with new cultures, a different language, and different people whom you know none of. Finding a new home and job to be able to provide for your son, but it was beginning to feel worth it by the end of the month you had finally begun to feel comfortable.

However, as you looked over your son, clutching his blue and white monkey plushie, your mind couldn’t help but drift off to Satoru.

Was he back?

Was he still sealed?

Would you ever see him again?

Although you knew he would never find you where you are, what if you met him one day. You had kept in touch with megumi throughout the move considering to you, he was always going to be your son. But other than him and your parents, you never really spoke to anyone back home, and you decided that you need to look forward and focus on bettering yourself and making sure you give your baby a happy home. And you weren’t going to turn back, at least not anytime soon.

Satoru

Gojo Satoru is free.

He had finally been released from the prison realm and before he could do anything, he went on a rampage, killing every curse and curse user within a 20 km radius, painting the city in all of their blood.

He finally stopped seeing red and immediately thought back to you. He warped back into your shared home, hoping to find you asleep and wrapped in the warm duvets on your shared bed.

His heart began to race as he warped into a dark, empty and cold home.

“Y/N!” He called, running through the house searching for you before reaching your presumably shared bedroom.

As he burst through the door, his eyes met your bedside clock. Three months. He had been gone for three whole months. Panic began to seep into his bones.

This means you must have already given birth. Were you okay? What if you didn’t even survive labour?

He quickly rummaged through the drawers, moving to the vanity, and his heart sank as laid atop the table were a picture of you in a hospital holding a bundle of blankets covering your precious child. The life you created together. As he held it with shaking hands, tears cascading onto it, his gaze shifted from the image to a letter, and to his regret, your engagement ring.

In the letter, you told him about the harassment you and your son had to endure, turns out you had a boy, and how you had to flee the country for both of your safety.

His heart shattered and he hated himself more than he ever had anyone else. 

“No, no, no, no, no, no no” He whispered, hand gripping your ring so tightly its gems began to cut into his palms.

He was overrun by countless emotions. Guilt, grief, regret, self hate, anger, all of them.

Sobs Ripped through his chests so violently that it ripped his throat, causing it to bleed. His knees gave in and he clutched the ring and picture to his chest and he cried. And as he cried, something inside him died. His happiness, joy, his smile, all left him at once, and his eyes lost their shine.

That night, Satoru passed away, and left behind Gojo, an empty shell of  what he once used to be. What he could’ve been.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8

I tried. Longest imagine I've ever done, I'm so tired. lemme know if ya'll want a pt.2

@porridgesblog , @giannitaa , @c0pkiller

© gojos-fr-bae

[jennaimmortal]

Musings on OFMD Season 2

I’m feeling a bit sad today for the OFMD writers. After rewatching S1 & 2 a couple times, it’s become blatantly clear to me that Izzy’s arc this season was a very obvious love letter to both Izzy fans & the great Con O’Neil. Izzy was very clearly written to be an obstacle to Ed’s healing & personal growth, a snare that Ed needed to be freed from, albeit with plenty of nuance hiding under the surface. It would have been much easier for them to kill Izzy off while he was still the toxic, abusive, sadomasochistic terror of S1E10.

Instead of taking the easy route, though, the writers flipped the trope on its head! They utilized every bit of the potential buried beneath Izzy’s super fucked up shell. This season Izzy got

• a fully fleshed out redemption complete with terrible consequences of his 1x10 actions

• a realization of the possibility of another way of thinking & existing that he’d spent all of S1 running from & trying to destroy,

• genuine love & support from his crew mates which he was actually able to accept,

• exploration of the long abandoned softer side of his nature,

• an apology from Ed w/o first offering one of his own,

• a powerful, devastatingly poignant speech that mentally demolished a new nemesis, and finally

• a beautiful, meaningful death in the arms of the man he’d dedicated so much of his life to, known that he was truly loved by him & completely accepting of the fact that Ed’s love was not in the form he’d always hoped for.

It was so much more than we could have hoped for, and was very obviously done in service to the MANY fans that had fallen in love with Izzy even after S1, as well as to give Con a storyline worthy of his immense talent. Considering the face that Izzy was never going to end up becoming the show’s third protagonist, it was more than we could have hoped for!

OFMD has two protagonists, Stede & Ed. All the secondary character narratives that haven’t directly involved Ed and/or Stede have been icing on the cake, but the cake has always been the Gentlebeard love story. I feel like some people forget this, expecting them to treat the secondary characters as if it were an ensemble show instead of a show with leads.

Izzy’s arc really was an amazing gift! The writers gave us this incredible journey for Izzy this season, and what did a disgraceful number of people do? They attacked David directly, insulted the entire show, the writers, & other characters, even wishing actual harm & misery to other characters or even to David himself!

While I know that comparatively speaking, the percentage of show fans who reacted this way was relatively small, it was still an astounding amount of hatred & vitriol thrown at the people who had obviously worked very hard to give Izzy fans something beautiful to hold on to after his inevitable death. Much of the discourse honestly shocked me, considering the fact that OFMD isn’t even an adaptation of another work.

When fans get angry at shows written as adaptations of books, it’s a bit more understandable for them to have extreme reactions. They’ve had certain ideas and headcanons about characters they’ve felt very strongly about for a long time. It can be really jarring & painful when expectations like that aren’t met, the characters or plots are taken in totally different directions, or even excluded entirely.

OFMD, however, is an original creation. This is David Jenkins’s story. These are David Jenkins’s characters. He knows his story, his plotlines, his characters far better than anyone else does because they came from HIS brain! So while we as fans can have our own interpretations & head canons, they are always going to be at risk of being proven totally wrong by the ACTUAL canon.

One of the worst aspects of fandoms, in my opinion, is the way people become so proprietary over the story & characters, insisting that their own interpretations & theories are the only correct ones, which is exactly what happened with Izzy. Fans’ individual & collective interpretations, theories, hopes, & other head canons became concrete & true in their minds. So much so that when the actual story didn’t meet those expectations, so many of them lashed out in some truly unpleasant, sometimes hateful ways.

My only hope is that the rest of the fandom’s love, appreciation, constructive criticism, heartbreak, pain, joy, & excitement has been enough to drown out the deluge of vitriolic comments directed at David & the other writers.

If you stuck with me through this unintentionally long diatribe, thank you! Maybe take a moment to give the writers some comments or replies on social media, showing your love! I know I will!

[randomfoggytiger]

Fight the Future Hallway, In-Depth (Part II): "I Don't Know if I Want to Do This Alone"

"But you saved me."

 Scully is paralyzed, in shock, silent, inhaling sharply while locking onto his eyes.

Mulder sees that she is fully engaged and listening-- that there’s hope-- and stumbles over his words, stumbles over "As, as difficult and frustrating--" while shifting his feet, warming to his confession the longer he talks--

--eyes burning, relaying how needful her strict rationalism and science have been to him.

He pauses, looks down after "--has saved me--", a vulnerable confession; but swings back up to emphasize "--a thousand times over."

Scully is still beyond words: shock has turned to incredulity as her brain rapid fires its own proofs for and against Mulder's claims. Needing to blink, she flutters her lashes quickly without disconnecting her stare; and a tiny tear begins to pool in her left eye, spurned into action by her slight movement.

Mulder backs up slightly for his biggest confession-- "You’ve kept me honest"-- leaning back in and jabbing at himself for emphasis. Words that ring true in every fiber of his being, that are now out in the open, giving him relief as he leans back again and exhales.

His voice shakes as he nakedly reveals the greatest source of his pain: "Made me a whole person."

Not "made me whole", but rather "made a whole person"-- a feat no one else has done for him; a feat no one else might ever do for him.

Scully catches that and is moved to tears: heartbroken for him, moved at his faith in this belief, afraid of the power she could wield, afraid still to believe it.

Mulder, earnestly intones, "I owe you everything--"

Her brows furrow as her brain scrambles to incorporate the truth behind his eyes with what she is convicted, deep down, to be “true.” Fighting, as always, to completely accept Mulder's truth as her own.

"--Scully, and you owe me nothing."

He stops, tries to find acceptance in her expression.

Scully is overwhelmed, eyes red and tears pooling, breaking contact for the first-time while swinging wildly between her lack of faith and Mulder's undeniable honesty.

Mulder sees her face fall, and panics.  

Knowing this is it, he rushes in with his most dangerous confession-- a betrayal of his life's purpose, of his dedication to his sister's recovery: "I don't know if I want to do this alone."

Scully shakes her head slightly, not able to believe. 

Mulder knows it's the truth. As they stand together, he sinks back into that dark place where he is a failure, where he is broken, where being Spooky Mulder the outcast hurts the most. He lingers there without disguise or deflection before Scully, looking up after a long moment of inward reflection.

Weary of soul, he admits: "I don’t even know if I can." 

Scully is shaken and grasping for control, convulsively swallowing down her flood of emotions. 

She pauses, clearer-eyed: on edge, still, but carefully considering. 

Mulder gives her what they've always given each other in emotionally confusing, turbulent times: direction.

"And if I quit now, they win." The words mean so much more than the work, the mission, the quest. It means the Truth, between them; and his inability to continue thriving, perhaps even existing, without her.

Scully tightens her lip, rolling his words around in her mind. Then she gathers courage: swiftly reforging their visual connection, she piercingly weighs the measure of conviction in his eyes, once and for all.

Mulder waits with bated breath, knowing this is her final decision. 

Scully processes a few more seconds; then drops her eyes aside, realizing she trusts him-- more than that, she believes him. And at that realization, her face completely softens, the dam breaking as she soaks up the impact of his words. Her eyebrows begin to rise in barely containable emotions. She straightens her head, accepting. 

Her chin begins to pebble and she quickly steps forward to bury it in Mulder’s chest. 

He tightens his jaw at her distress, tossing his head slightly as he folds her into himself, eyes still wild with adrenaline. 

His eyes begin to mellow-- relief settling in the bonding silence between them-- and sparkle with happiness while he soothingly pats her back.

Finding the first uncontrollable wave of emotion has passed, Scully turns away slightly in order to sink more fully into Mulder.

This new shift in position brings on another thought: the realization that simply accepting Mulder’s comfort is not enough, not near enough, for everything he's revealed to her.

He needs to know she needs him, too.

[aragaki]

Darlin/Guy thoughts

I've read all of domini_moonbeam's Darlin' content and it's widened my scope for non-canon Darlin' pairings more than ever before. So, Darlin' x Pizza Guy, yeah?

I see their meet-cute being by a dumpster and I'm not kidding. Guy is working a closing shift with Rosa, long into the night and when Rosa seems nervous about going by herself out in the dark Guy volunteers to take the trash out himself.

Darlin' had been fighting again that night, as they often do. They found some vamps they recognized as Quinn's friends and shifted to take them on. They ran off after a short scrap, they got a few bites off Darlin' and they decided to duck into some alley to recover their stamina before making their way home - and ended up passing out.

This is how Guy finds them, passed out and bleeding, and is terrified he just stumbled on a crime scene but Darlin' wakes up and when they catch his eye, he just freezes. It's like being a rabbit caught in the sight of a predator. A very, very, extremely hot predator, but a predator nonetheless.

Darlin' brushes off his offer to call the police and tries to stand, wanting to get the hell out before they fuck up and break covert but Guy,,, isn't letting them run off. He makes them come inside, whips them up something to eat while assuring Rosa that everything is fine and she can head out. Something about the way the Darlin' is acting, hunching their shoulders and making themselves smaller, is hurting Guy. Like they don't know how to let themselves accept the smallest bit of kindness.

He makes them promise to keep coming back. He gets the feeling they don't feed themselves enough and even though pizza hasn't been formally inducted into the basic food groups it's gotta be better than nothing. And to his surprise, they do!! They come back randomly, without a pattern, but he never goes long without seeing his odd new friend. Darlin' is even more surprised than he is that they keep coming back.

Darlin' can't help but wonder if they're projecting their unempowered friend onto him. A friend that they can't see any more after Quinn's attack. Their memories were wiped and they can't risk them resurfacing and breaking covert. But Guy is nothing like their friend so that theory dies out quickly. Really, there's no one like Guy in Dahlia. He's his own special brand of chaos.

David is expecting to have the same problems with Darlin' that he did with Asher. He's fully expecting Darlin' to avoid the courses, break covert, and just shift for their human to get it done. But they don't. They attend all the classes, they do all the boring paperwork that they hate, wait for the confirmation, they do everything perfectly to Department standards. Darlin' has had so much in their life go wrong, constantly, they want this to go well. Just once. They want to have something good, this one time.

But once all the awful desk work is done, they do just shift for Guy to get it over with. Their patience has hit 0 and they just want to have him know them already, to share this part of themselves with the first partner they've had that makes them feel safe. And Guy reacts the exact way you'd expect but he adjusts fast. Absolutely makes an omegaverse comment and does psychic damage to Darlin'.

The pattern of unempowered human mates to powerhouse wolves also isn't lost on David. First himself, then Ash, now Darlin'. It feels like the Shaw pack's strongest wolves can't help themselves much to his begrudging amusement.

Darlin' is worried about having someone unempowered so close to them again. They weren't able to protect their friend, only save them after Quinn had already hurt them. They don't want that to happen to Guy, it would break them to fail a loved one again. They can't help but spiral but Guy is there to wrap his arms around Darlin' and remind them that this time is different.

They have a family, their pack, there to help them, they know what Quinn can do this time. They can help. They will help. He's safe and he trusts Darlin' and the pack so much.

Guy makes Darlin' ugly laugh. Not amused huffs or chuckles, full teary-eyed belly laughs that they can't control no matter how hard they try. If he's lucky, he might get them to snort and he'd brag about it for the rest of the day.

The first time the pack heard it, it almost brought everything to a standstill. Darlin' has never laughed like that. Not even before Quinn. No one knew that Darlin' was even capable of sounding that happy, as bleak as it was to realize. That simple fact wins Guy a boatload of points with the pack.

Guy recognizes Asher at his first pack meeting as one half of the couple with the huge dog and connects the dots instantly. That's how David ends up finding out that Ash let an unempowered human see him shifted, didn't report it, all to get out of answering the door.

Despite revealing his secret to the big man, Ash and Guy get along like a house on fire, and Darlin' and Babe always feel like they're third-wheeling when they all get together.

Once the term "mates" has been established for their relationship, Guy says it more than anyone else in the pack. It's always "my mate", "I'm Darlin's mate" and so on. Using that word makes Darlin's core light up, it gives them a spoonful of euphoria and he knows that. He basically has a dopamine button for his grumpy wolf and has no shame in using it and the bitten-back smile and duck of their chin lets him know they don't mind it either.

Angel, Babe, Sweetheart, and Guy are all menaces. This is established in their personalities by Mr. Erik Redacted himself so when they're all in the same place??? At the same time??? Together??? Their mates are taken for a ride, except for Asher who is on Team Menace. Which leaves poor David, Darlin', and Milo to weather their combined shenanigans.

Guy takes care of Darlin' especially when they move in together. In the same place, Guy can do better for them than pizza, which he finds out they eat way too much of. Darlin' can't cook, and hardly thinks of themselves worth the effort to try, so they order in way more than they should. Luckily for them, Guy is anything but helpless in the kitchen and before they know it, almost every meal they have is homecooked. Even leftovers are stored away in the freezer for the moments that Guy doesn't feel like cooking or Darlin' doesn't wanna wait.

Loving Guy is easy. He makes them feel happy and safe, something they didn't even know they were capable of experiencing. Darlin' makes Guy feel heard and appreciated, in a way he wasn't expecting.

[janus-cadet]

The second card according to last week's poll- Husker, our dear old cat man, as The Hermit! It's also the eleventh card for the Hazbin/Helluva fandom. Which is- the most consistent I ever been in drawing for a fandom? Hurray!

The next one, Adam, is already decided- but I'm planning to do two more cards before maybe, eventually, taking a break. So, before we go under the cut for the explanations for the choice of card...

Yes indeedy. It's the mothers' poll.

Back to the grumpy old man!

The Hermit Upright is a card strongly linked to self-discovery and inner wisdom. It invites you to retreat into your private world and experience a deep sense of instrospection- a journey you have to do alone, to find you inner guiding light, and choose the next steps you'll have to take.

It might seem strange to chose Husk to represent it- but as much as his character seems stand-offish and disgruntled, he does strick me as someone who has done a lot of self-reflecting, and is able to see each other characters' situations with a clarity that no one else, in the show, seems capable of. He is aware of who he is, of what mistakes he make: this is a man who knows himself, and who finds wisdom in his own flaws.

And much as the Hermit of the card, he's a man who walked on this path alone (thinking that no one could relate- prefering the quiet and the solitude to the company) until he reached the point when he was ready to let others in, albeit in a small, careful way. Finding, despite himself, a place in the small group of the hotel, and a soulmate in Angel.

But the Hermit card often appears when you are at a pivotal point in your life, and maybe considering a new direction. Would that be, for example... redemption? Now, Husker is not quite there yet- but it's undeniable that his mere involvement with the hotel places him on a pivotal point in life, and one that encourages him to deepen his self-examination. This time to also accept the good in himself, and re-evaluate his personnal goals.

Finally, the Hermit may appear in your life as a spiritual mentor- one that may be an expert in his own right (a wise old bartender, who've seen it all), but who will teach you to find your answers within yourself. Which. Loser, Baby.

Okay, it's a lot of talking already. Bear with me, we're now going on the Reverse Hermit.

For as much as I feel like Husk's character is the most in-tune with himself, the struggles is still undeniable. The Reversed Hermit, therefore, encourages you to search deep within your sould, to help you find your way again, to find your way out of the bottle, and focus on rebuilding yourself. You may be damaged, but you can still go on with your life, and improve your situation; it all starts by working on yourself. Be careful not to isolate yourself too much, too. You should not be fully cutting yourself off from others, like a literal Hermit; do not underestimate the value of the connections you can form with people around you. And really, our dear Husker is getting there!

The Hermit Reversed can also indicate an unwelcome isolation in your relationship: one person may want to be alone or withdraw from the relationship, while the other wants to deepen the connection. You will need to respect each other's request for space (not by pushing your partner off his chair, Husker), but also be there to support as appropriate.

And that's it for today! We'll see each other again tomorrow, when I'll drop the first man himself- Adam, as the King of Pentacles. I hope this silly bird would apreciate the irony.

This is not, actually, the first time I drew the Hermit- but the first one, eh, I really did not like it. So, Husker becomes the official Hermit of the deck!

(If you have time,consider checking my friend @mimmixerenard 's version of humanized!Husker, it's very very good. Here is the link)

[broodwoof]

kinda nervous to post anything like this bc it feels inherently like i'm @/ing ppl but i am not i promise!!! just sharing my personal thoughts

so: why i like veilguard so much, in terms of the narrative (also known as: i have literally 0 complaints about the narrative. or the game. or anything. i love davg an unreal amount actually)

intro is so intense. you're thrown right into things in a way that i find very compelling and enjoyable. that's the 'hook'

the cutscene for the risen gods is SO eerie and unnerving. the visuals, the music, the effects.... yeah, it works together really well

the scale of things makes perfect sense to me. i had a theory well before rook was announced as the protag that this would be another game with a 'small' main character, someone more like hawke than like the inquisitor. rook is just a person, a team-leader, but not The Leader, not a destined one (imo no DA protag is a destined one, i'm just saying that rook also is not)

similarly, i LOVE the fact that in major moments, the whole team is involved. ppl can't do each other's jobs and that feels right!

also love the leveling system being based on your connection with the companions. leveling systems don't break immersion for me because i'm just used to them, but i feel like this is such a unique way to fully keep with immersion while still letting you strengthen your companions

the entire lighthouse. like just everything about it. i love it so, so much

i think it's a well-done, cohesive story; the different factions make sense to me as to why they're involved and why they care. traveling between a lot of different places doesn't break immersion bc of the crossroads - that was a nice touch. i can bounce btwn minrathous and nevarra and it doesn't feel weird at all

similar to the leveling system, i have never found it immersion-breaking to be able to badger your companions until you can only [leave], but i think that veilguard's system is a lot more organic

frankly, i feel like all the interpersonal aspects of the game are a lot more organic. this isn't a dig at prior games, either; i have no or very few real complaints about them, either, but this was a pleasant surprise and a nice change of pace. you have to spend time with the characters, you have to travel with them, to begin to really know them. you have to let yourself get involved (that said, having companion banters also trigger at the lighthouse was a brilliant move)

thedas as a world is heavily expanded upon in this game, which i deeply appreciate. we also get to see some - realistic, imo! - nuance in factions that we have already met, because there's no group in the world that's a monolith

there are certainly in-world aspects that the social justice side of me wants to question. things like how antiva relies upon a group of assassins, for instance; not the best political system, really! but at the same time, i feel like it wholly makes sense within the world and within the established narratives, and it's complex and flawed in a very realistic way

i love how davrin and assan are so connected. they're personally connected - they care so much about each other - but they're also narratively connected. davrin is discovering so much about himself by seeing it in assan; discovering that someone who felt like he was destined to be a warrior, a hunter, a fighter, can also be gentle, protective, and can have strong relationships without fear. the more he comes to accept and appreciate assan, the more he comes to accept and appreciate himself and i find that underlying narrative deeply profound and moving

all the companions have these really remarkable arcs. they all have to face regrets - which is the primary theme of the game, after all! - and eventually, rook has to face their own regrets. that's a whole big part of the narrative. this is a game structured around regret... and around the difference between fixing it (solas) and accepting it (rook) and how different each process is

and not all of them do fully accept their regrets by the end! for some of them, it's still too new, too painful. for some of them, the regrets come up during the game narrative itself, so it's VERY fresh

but they all grapple with regret

so, i find it useful to approach this game from the perspective of a medieval fantasy that does not shy away from the sociocultural and political things that might mean, while also being a narrative primarily around regret and the different reactions to it

tl;dr - i think the narrative 100% fits the story told, including the mechanical gameplay aspects of it. i'm not being stubborn or blithe when i say i have 0 complaints. i think this is a genuinely masterful piece of writing

end-game spoilers under the cut jic:

i was deeply moved by the solavellan ending where she joins him

but i also understand why they have an ending where you can outsmart the dread wolf - which is entirely possible! one of solas' biggest flaws is that he always thinks he has the full picture, but he never really does. i love him beyond reason, but that is a flaw that can be exploited under these circumstances

and i always knew there'd be something there for fans who hate solas, who wanted to kill him. that's just how games like this work. but the fact that it's not about killing him does make me a little happier. in the outsmart ending it seems that he does get imprisoned which is obviously Not Great (but not narratively that stark - he imprisons the evanuris; he himself gets imprisoned. it's circular and i think that's on purpose. a god who imprisoned gods now being imprisoned as a god), but it's worth noting how many times the dread wolf has been shown to escape such things. it leaves the ending open, narratively speaking, and allows room for interpretation while still acknowledging the fanbase that hates him

i like that he returns to the fade in the end, in the good endings. he's going home. and he's going specifically to attend to his very first victims, the titans. it will be hard. it will be work. and as i understand it, the blight is kept in the black city, which will be a miserable place

but to me, in a narrative about regret and redemption. he can't atone by destroying things to change them back; he can't atone by ignoring his still-alive victims; he can only atone, only truly find his own redemption, by addressing directly the harm he has caused

now, did i want veilfall? yeah! do i still want veilfall? i do! but with the additional lore of the blight, it makes sense to me why it's risky. why it's too risky. the quest in dai about siding with the mages and seeing that bad future has new context now, because that red lyrium future might have been what he unleashed. we can't say for sure!

but without the ticking time bomb of the evanuris' impending release, i fully believe that solas can take his time and find a way to pursue veilfall that is less disruptive to both mortals and spirits

personally, i find that nuance compelling.

[deathbxnny]

Astral Express crew with kind and warm healer reader? They spoil everyone, always offer support and are a worrywart if anyone gets hurt

-----♡

A/N: Hello there Anon! Thank you for the cute request! It's so adorable!<33

Content: Fluff, established relationships, something wholesome for once, sfw

Reader has no set pronouns!

((Not fully proofread))

-----♡

》Dan Heng

Dan Heng really needs someone to take care of him sometimes, even if he denies it. You're so kind and gentle to him, that he is unsure at first on how to react to this sudden surge of love and affection. But he doesn't mind it either. In fact, he secretly craves it.

He finds himself flustering and seeking out your warmth often, when he's around you. He's surprised at how much he enjoys you spoiling him and often wonders how you are able to make him feel so many warm feelings at once.

He tries not to make you worry about him though, by hiding his injuries or bruises. He knows how you get about them and seeing you frown nearly hurts more than the injuries themselves. And he also doesn't want to get scolded by you.

-----♡

》Himeko

Himeko finds your caring and kind self way too adorable and often dotes on you back as a thank you. She worries about you often herself, so it honestly becomes a little competition between you too. But alas, she loves the attention you give her and even goes as far as demanding it from you at times.

She loves it, when you spoil her with love and affection, especially after very long and hard work days. Being the Head of the Astral Express is very difficult after all, so she'll let you pamper and praise her to your hearts content on any day.

Himeko immediately comes to you when she's injured or bruised. She might even make a bigger deal out of it, if it gets her more attention from you. Even if it's just a light hearted scolding, that she will just smile and chuckle to.

-----♡

》Welt Yang

Welt has a tendency to overwork himself unknowingly and for very long hours at that, which makes you often follow him around and nag him about taking a break. He'll tell you that he's nearly done, even though it's been the 5th time he's said that over 2 hours. So that usually ends with you forcing him to take a break, by tempting him with your irresistible warmth and affection. And who is he to say no to you?

With that said, he'll often thank you for your support and love by spoiling you back and making sure you also take breaks with him. He secretly enjoys you worrying about him, although he makes sure it's never about anything too serious.

He only trusts you to treat his injuries and listens to any scoldings you give him with a guilty smile. He'll promise to keep himself out of trouble next time, but knowing who his partners on missions usually are, it's inevitable that trouble will find him anyways.

-----♡

》March 7th

It's honestly a miracle, that she hasn't given you a heart attack yet, even if she has gotten close to doing so plenty of times. The amount of worried scolding she gets from you is also astronomical, but she always swears up and down, that she isn't doing it on purpose.

You often find yourself worrying about her on missions, as she tends to get in trouble all the time, much to your dismay. Trouble seems to find her wherever she went after all. So she's thankful whenever you give her love and attention after hard missions. Especially when you spoil her with it, even when she feels like she doesn't deserve it.

She gets a little hesitant about showing you her injuries, because she knows how worried you are all the time. But she also doesn't want to worry you any further, which is why she'll accept any scoldings you give her with a determined look and pre-prepared apology.

-----♡

A/N: I hope this was okay and coherent! Thank you again for the cute request!<33

[sharpedgedfool]

This turned into a huge amount of words my bad, im on mobile and can't figure out how to do the read more bit sorry yall

But I have a huge hc that shadow can't see screens the same cause his eyes work differently and he doesn't have the rgb colour cone things that most mobians have

He doesn't do well at video games or with computers and it frustrated him cause he blamed himself for not being able to process the visual information fast enough, but eventually Rouge realises he's struggling with basic stuff like reading things on a screen and without the competitivness he admits he can't see things properly but he sees words fine on paper, so he knows its screen related

After a while they get their hands on colour correcting glasses for him that work with his alien eyes and he's absolutely gutted that he'd spent so much time blaming himself

One of the first things he lets himself open up to Rouge and Omega about and it sorta opens the floodgates of 'what else have I been getting angry at myself for something out of my control' and he begins to work through the internalised shit that was put in his head during the ARK where he was supposed to be 'perfect' so he assumed that it was his own fault if he wasn't able to do something and he just 'wasn't trying hard enough'

But he's has so many things that he's repressed or hidden just because they didn't fit this narrative of 'perfection' set up by people who were narrow-minded to begin with and he struggles with letting himself just exist with these 'flaws' cause it was drilled into him so much that he wasn't supposed to be anything less than perfect or otherwise he's a failed experiment.

(projecting hard here lmao) but the concept of the 'ultimate lifeform' being disabled and beyond social norms while still being fully worthy of that title, and reaching full acceptance of themselves and becoming even more powerful after they let themselves exist above what other people want them to be is a very healing thing to explore, and a very specific type of freedom that i think is important to write for a character that narratively has had very little freedom.

Sonics whole thing is fighting for freedom from Eggman in a physical fight, but Shadow's version of freedom is freeing themselves from expectations and self-doubt, its more of a mental fight.

While Sonic advocates for fairness and equality, Shadows already been treated unfairly and is having to undo a lot of the things that were done to him that now other people are trying to prevent, and theres a sense of grief about that that I think Shadow is a great opportunity to explore that narrative.

[bloody-bee-tea]

Beetober 2024 Day 4 - It's just me

This follows after No more soup and You're not a pet and I suggest reading those first.

Shouta is marking the papers in front of him, distantly aware of the show Hizashi is watching in the living-room but not really paying attention to it. It’s a nice background noise that washes over him with familiarity.

It isn’t until he hears the almost silent pitter patter of Hitoshi’s steps in the hallway that Shouta pays a little bit more attention to his surroundings.

He hates how silent Hitoshi is, hates to think why a ten-year-old knows how to hide his steps better than any aspiring pro hero Shouta trains but before the thoughts can consume his mind–again–he forces himself back into the present.

Hitoshi briefly stops in the doorway to the kitchen and Shouta can practically feel his gaze on him before he goes on, clearly aiming for the living-room. Shouta slightly turns his head, just enough to be able to spot the back of Hitoshi’s head and he sees how he hesitantly stops at the entrance to the living-room.

He watches the kid bounce on the balls of his feet before he seems to make a decision and step fully into the room.

It’s progress, Shouta knows that, no matter how hesitant Hitoshi appears to be. When they first took him home he wouldn’t leave his room for anything, and then only when they asked him to but recently he’s coming out of it more often and always of his own volition and it makes something warm and proud swirl in Shouta’s chest to see him finally start to accept that maybe he’s safe here.

“Hey, kiddo,” Hizashi greets Hitoshi as soon as he sees him, much more quiet than Shouta is used to, and this too has been a work in progress.

Hitoshi is skittish, loud noises and voices enough to send him running, just like fast and sharp movements are, and while Hizashi struggles with being quiet, Shouta struggles with making his presence known more.

It’s an adjustment period for all three of them and Shouta does not care to think about how often he or Hizashi have scared the kid inadvertently.

But it’s clear that at least they haven’t done any lasting damage, not if Hitoshi’s ventures out of his room are anything to go by and with that thought he focuses back on the papers in front of him.

Hitoshi very deliberately made his way to the living-room, so he either wants to be distracted or be with Hizashi and Shouta is not going to budge in on that.

“What’s up?” Hizashi asks next when Hitoshi stays quiet and of course Shouta can’t keep his attention on the grading he has to do.

It has been a struggle to get Hitoshi to speak once he revealed his secret to them and so it’s always a delight to hear the boy’s voice in the apartment. 

“I wanted to–” Hitoshi cuts himself off, prompting Shouta to make a face at nothing, as he has to remind himself that it’s a work in progress.

Always a work in progress. One day Hitoshi will feel confident in stating what he wants, he simply has to believe that.

“You said your quirk is dangerous,” Hitoshi goes on, clearly aiming for a different approach to this and Shouta frowns.

It takes him a moment to remember that Hizashi mentioned that when Hitoshi practically begged them to give him back, as if they only thought of him as an animal to kick out once they grew tired of him and that memory still makes Shouta want to tear his hair out.

“I did,” Hizashi softly agrees and when Shouta glances over again he sees Hitoshi’s mob of purple hair nod but when nothing else follows Shouta frowns.

“You’re allowed to ask questions, Hitoshi,” Hizashi reminds him, completely unnecessary, since Hitoshi doesn’t even need that to activate his quirk but habits that have been beaten into you are hard to break, Shouta knows that.

“Can you tell me about it? About how it was growing up with that?” Hitoshi finally asks and Shouta doesn’t need to see Hizashi to know that he freezes right up.

So much for grading then, Shouta thinks with a sigh as he gets up, scooping up Egg as he goes to join Hizashi on the couch.

Hitoshi’s wary glance follows his every step and the kid seems close to bolting even though Shouta gives him a wide berth as he walks around the couch.

“I can do that, kiddo,” Hizashi finally softly says as Shouta deposits Egg into Hizashi’s lap, and even though nothing has even happened yet, Hizashi buries his fingers in the soft fur of the way too docile cat.

They had kind of expected this; they knew that ever since Hizashi had mentioned it, it would only be a matter of time before Hitoshi came asking more about this. That still doesn’t mean that this would be easy on Hizashi, though of course there had never been any doubt that he’d tell Hitoshi as much as he can should he find the courage to ask.

Hitoshi doesn’t seem convinced at all, his eyes darting between Hizashi and Shouta, who tries to give him a reassuring smile. The disbelief is still clear on Hitoshi’s face but before Shouta can say something Hizashi goes on.

“Shou is here because this is not easy for me to talk about and sometimes I go somewhere in my head when I do. Shou is really good at getting me back out of it, so he’ll just sit here in case that happens, alright?”

“Like when I have a panic attack,” Hitoshi states, and Shouta bites back the reminder that he is allowed to ask questions.

If they push too hard Hitoshi is likely to clam up on them and that’s the last thing they want.

“Not quite,” Shouta corrects. “Hizashi goes very quiet and very still and his eyes go vacant. I think it looks a little as if he’s under your quirk, actually, but he won’t be. It’s just something his own mind is doing to him.”

“And you can’t find your own way back,” Hitoshi mutters, barely audible and Hizashi nods. 

“Yeah, I get all lost in here,” he says as he taps his temple. “I do eventually find my way back but it takes a long while and it leaves me all panicky when I come back on my own. It’s quicker and easier when Shou is there to help.”

“And the cat,” Hitoshi adds, staring at Egg who is still currently curled up in Hizashi’s lap.

“And Egg, yes. It helps sometimes to touch something that is grounding.”

Hitoshi is quiet for a moment, clearly thinking things over and Hizashi and Shouta share a look as they let him ponder over this.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” Hitoshi finally says, straightening his shoulders, clearly determined to take it all back, but Shouta knows Hizashi too well to even think for a second that he’ll agree to this.

The kid asked a question and Hizashi will do his best to answer him.

“It’s fine, kiddo. It might not even happen,” Hizashi softly says and Shouta tries to hide his frown as best as he can.

It happens more often than not, whenever Hizashi remembers something from his childhood and he’s already been on edge for a while with everything that’s been going on with Hitoshi.

Hell, he found the kid with a muzzle on and then proceeded to have a very long panic attack once the kid was taken care of, so Shouta is really not too optimistic about this.

But it’s Hizashi’s decision, and he clearly has his mind already made up, so all Shouta can do is be there for him and try his best to guide him back home when he inadvertently loses himself.

“And even if it does, we’re right here, aren’t we?” Shouta asks as well, catching Hitoshi’s gaze, to let him know that he’s included in this.

He’ll probably help Hizashi come back better than Shouta ever could, if he’s being honest, even though Hizashi almost seems outraged that he should enlist Hitoshi’s help in this.

Shouta ignores it as best as he can and instead prompts Hizashi to finally speak because the kid asked a question and Hizashi decided to dig his own grave, so they better get on with it.

“What–what do you want to know?” Hizashi asks and Shouta graciously doesn’t comment on his obvious nerves, because for now his role is to be a silent observer.

Maybe they all get lucky today and that is all he has to be for this conversation.

“Your childhood,” Hitoshi hesitantly starts. “I was just wondering, what it was like for you and if you can–” his voice drifts off and Shouta watches the kid wring his hands in his lap, desperate to reach out and pull him into a hug, but he keeps to his side.

He’s just here as an observer. This is Hizashi’s moment.

“If I can relate to what happened to you?” Hizashi carefully asks and Hitoshi nods, his purple hair fluffing around. “I can, kiddo,” Hizashi tells him with a sad smile and reaches out to take one of Hitoshi’s hands in his.

“I was born with my quirk, so you can imagine the amount of control I had when I was just born. I deafened my birth parents and the staff present and was then promptly abandoned. They, uh,” Hizashi swallows heavily and Shouta reaches out for his other hand.

This is already not looking good, if he’s stumbling over his words already.

“I’ve been told they kept me in a special facility for the first three years, isolated from everyone, to limit the damage I could do. I don’t actually remember that part, but when I turned four they brought out the–” 

Hizashi’s voice breaks over the word and so instead he simply taps his lips. Hitoshi nods, his eyes wide and Shouta squeezes Hizashi’s hand.

“I spent the better part of my childhood with it on,” Hizashi admits and then leans forward, extracting his hand from Hitoshi’s to push his glasses up.

It takes Hitoshi a moment to understand what he wants but when he spots the faint, silvery scars on Hizashi’s face his hands fly to the bridge of his nose, tracing the mirroring ones there.

“You’re like me,” Hitoshi breathes out and Hizashi nods.

“Yeah, kiddo, we match!” The usual cheer is missing from his tone and Shouta wishes they could stop talking about this.

He hates it when Hizashi pushes himself to talk about this.

There’s already a faint trembling in Hizashi’s hand and even though he’s trying to smile at Hitoshi he can’t quite make his smile reach his eyes and that’s always a bad sign with Hizashi.

Hitoshi seems to notice that Hizashi is not doing too well, too tuned in to the emotions of adults around him and instead of asking what he so clearly wants to know, he bites his lip instead, his eyes flitting over to Shouta.

Shouta would love to tell him to stop, wants to spare all of them this, but Hizashi has made the decision to talk about this, and Shouta is not going to interfere with that.

So he nods encouragingly at Hitoshi, urges him to keep going but he still hesitates. He hesitates for long enough that Hizashi notices something is off, too.

“It’s okay, you can keep asking,” he tells the kid and by now even his voice shakes. Still, he seems determined, and Hitoshi must notice that, too, because he takes a deep breath.

“Your foster families. Were they nice to you or were they like mine?”

Hizashi’s hand jerks in Shouta’s and Shouta fights the urge to flare his quirk just to let his emotions go somewhere. They know that Hitoshi suffered abuse at most of his foster families, and even though they don’t know the details, they know enough to hate that he even has to ask that.

That there is even cause to ask that.

“Oh, kiddo,” Hizashi breathes out, his face falling. “They were like yours,” he then admits, because what else is there to say.

He did not wear the muzzle until he was eight for nothing, Shouta knows that. It still makes him furious to think what happened to Hizashi, what happened to Hitoshi.

To know that nothing has changed, not really.

“Some were–not quite as bad,” Hizashi goes on and Hitoshi nods in understanding and Shouta hates, hates, hates this but he bites it all back.

This is not about him. He has a role to play here and it’s not to get angry. Shouta forces himself to breathe evenly, to not tighten his grip on Hizashi’s hand beyond a steady comfort and he resigns himself to watching silently.

“Some were–worse. School was–bad, always bad,” Hizashi mutters and he’s slipping right through Shouta’s fingers, he can tell.

“I was never good enough, never quiet enough, even though they had–” His hand goes up to his face again, tracing over where the muzzle used to sit and Shouta doesn’t need to look at him to know that he’s gone inside his head now.

It’s not that noticeable if one doesn’t know what to look for, if one has no experience with this; Hizashi could just be lost in thought, spacing out for a moment, but Shouta knows better.

He knows Hizashi is caught up in all of his bad memories, all at once, trapped and unable to come back to them.

“Aizawa?” Hitoshi carefully asks, keeping unnaturally still and Shouta forces himself to give him a smile.

“You can move, he’s not going to notice. It’s fine, remember, this is why I’m here,” Shouta tells him and gently squeezes Hizashi’s hand.

“Hey, ‘Zashi,” he softly calls out and he’s grateful when Hizashi’s head twitches into his direction.

It means he’s still trying to be aware. It makes this easier. Sometimes, Hizashi doesn’t react to anything and those times are always so, so hard.

“I’m here, remember? It’s just me,” Shouta reminds him. “You’re in our home, yours and mine and Hitoshi’s, where no one can hurt you. You’re safe with us,” he goes on and his eyes flit over to Hitoshi for a moment.

“Remember Hitoshi? He’s right here with us,” Shouta goes on, nodding encouragingly at the kid who bites his lip briefly before he takes a deep breath.

“I’m here, too,” he then says, almost too quiet to be heard but Hizashi’s head slightly turns in his direction.

“‘Toshi,” Hizashi mutters and Shouta almost wants to laugh at how big the kids’ eyes get when he hears it.

“Take his hand if you want, it will help him,” Shouta whispers at him and after a moment of hesitation Hitoshi reaches out for Hizashi’s hand.

Shouta is glad to see Hizashi respond to that, his hand not entirely limp in Hitoshi’s, because that’s a good sign. Maybe Hizashi will be back with them before they even know it.

“See, Hitoshi is here and I am here, too. And we want you to come back. Even Egg is here, waiting for you to cuddle her like you always do,” Shouta says, placing Hizashi’s hand in Egg’s fur. “Do you remember how you usually cuddle her?” he asks and watches how Hizashi slowly, so slowly starts to pet her.

It’s not even close to what he normally does, but it’s so much better than it usually is when Hizashi gets like this.

“That’s right. Think you can come back to us? We’re waiting here for you, waiting for you to speak and to laugh like you normally do. It’s just not the same without you, you know, we miss you.”

“You miss me,” Hizashi mumbles, words barely understandable but Shouta nods anyway.

“Yeah. It’s real boring without you here, isn’t it, Hitoshi?”

Shouta almost feels bad to bring attention to the kid, but he’s still watching with big eyes, his hand around Hizashi’s and he hasn’t bolted yet, so maybe he wants to help.

“I like it when you hum while you cook,” Hitoshi admits and Shouta nods at him to keep going. “Do you remember the song you hummed yesterday? You wanted to tell me what it was but then Egg nearly jumped into the pot and you forgot,” Hitoshi says and Shouta has to bite back a snort because that is such an Egg thing to do.

They will never train her out of jumping into steaming hot food; food she doesn’t even want to eat, no less.

Shouta doesn’t know what he expected but it wasn’t for Hizashi to start humming, awareness coming back to his eyes faster than it ever has before. Going by the delighted look on Hitoshi’s face it’s the very same song he hummed yesterday. 

Shouta knows it, it’s one of Hizashi’s favourite American songs, but he can never remember the name of it.

“Yes, that one, it was that one!” Hitoshi excitedly says and Shouta sees a smile curl around Hizashi’s mouth.

“Welcome back,” he quietly says, squeezing Hizashi’s arm once and when Hizashi’s eyes move over to look at him, Shouta has never been happier to see him alert and there. 

“Hi,” Hizashi breathes out and leans in for a quick kiss, before he turns his attention back towards Hitoshi. “Hi, kiddo.”

“You’re back,” Hitoshi says, expression cautiously delighted and he doesn’t let go of Hizashi’s hand for even a moment.

“I am,” Hizashi agrees. “Thanks to you.”

“Excuse me, I helped,” Shouta drily says, more than relieved to see Hizashi’s smile and hear Hitoshi’s laugh.

This really has been one of the easiest and most painless episodes Hizashi has ever had and Shouta is glad for it. He hates to see his husband go where he can’t follow him, where he can’t protect him.

“I’m sure you did,” Hizashi teasingly says and moves his hand out of Egg’s fur to pat Shouta’s, before he goes on, more serious now. “You always do.”

“As long as you remember that,” Shouta teases him, before he reaches out to ruffle Hitoshi’s hair. “But you did really well, that was a good idea with the humming,” Shouta says and Hizashi nods.

“Yeah, that was really smart,” he agrees and Shouta watches a contemplating expression flit over Hitoshi’s face before he schools it back into his usual indifference.

“What is it, kid?” Shouta asks, tilting his head in question and Hitoshi shuffles where he sits.

“I’m just–do you think–”

“What, huh?” Hizashi gently prods him when he trails off without finishing his question and Hitoshi squares his shoulders, clearly gathering courage.

“I know counting breaths is supposed to help in a panic attack,” he starts and fiddles with the hem of his shirt, “but I always get confused and lose count and then–” he shrugs but Shouta can fill in the gaps.

Because if he’s being told to count and he loses count it would undoubtedly make him panic even harder, because he’s not following along like he’s supposed to.

“But maybe the humming could help?”

“Maybe it can!” Hizashi immediately agrees. “It’s worth a try.” Hizashi’s face briefly falls. “I’m sorry we didn’t realise that counting didn’t help,” he then offers but Hitoshi shakes his head. 

“You asked me before, what I think would help, but I couldn’t–I didn’t think I was allowed to say,” he admits and for all that it makes Shouta furious again, to hear that the kid has never been allowed to ask for things, to even simply state things, it also makes something warm surge in his chest, because clearly now Hitoshi knows that he’s allowed to say something like that.

“You’re always allowed to say anything you want, kid,” Shouta still reminds him, because he thinks it can’t hurt if Hitoshi hears it again and again and again.

Hitoshi only nods at that before he ducks his head again, slumping in on himself.

“What is it, kid?” Shouta asks because by now he knows the tells of his family and the position Hitoshi is in means that he’s got something else to say, something he doesn’t feel comfortable saying.

“I don’t want to upset Yamada again,” Hitoshi mutters and Shouta and Hizashi share a look before Hizashi carefully pulls the kid closer.

“It’s not you who upset me,” he gently tells him as he tucks him into his side, “and even if that should happen, I have you two right here, don’t I? You’ll make sure I’ll be fine, I trust that.”

Hitoshi’s breath hitches in his throat and Shouta shuffles closer until he can put a hand to Hitoshi’s knee.

“He’ll tell you if it’s too much,” he reassures him as well and Hitoshi still doesn’t look at them, but he does speak up.

“It got better for you, right?” he asks, his voice thin and wavery and Hizashi drops a kiss to the top of his head and Shouta relaxes, because this is easier for Hizashi to talk about.

“It did, kiddo, it got so much better. My moms found me when I was eight and they took me in without hesitation. They got rid of the muzzle and pulled me out of school and even when I deafened one of them, they never faltered in their love for me.”

“You hurt them?”

“I did. I had basically no control over my quirk, because no one bothered to teach me or even let me talk. But my moms took care of that. They sent me to a specialist, had me training my quirk until I could sing at the top of my lungs without hurting anyone and then they moved us to a different city, far away from everyone who only remembered me as the dangerous kid. I never had problems in school again and my moms never hurt me. I got real lucky and I had a really happy childhood from then on.”

Shouta sees Hitoshi process that before he opens his mouth and promptly closes it again so fast that his teeth painfully clack together.

Shouta doesn’t need to be a mind reader to know what Hitoshi wanted to ask.

“Just like you will now,” he whispers, leaning in close and catching Hitoshi’s eyes. “We have you now, and we’re going to make sure that you never get hurt again. We’ll make you as happy as we can, I promise you that. You’re always safe with us.”

“We wouldn’t let anything or anyone hurt you ever again, kiddo,” Hizashi says as well and Hitoshi slumps against his side, hiding his face away in his sweatshirt.

“Is it okay if I move to your other side?” Shouta asks after a moment because he’d really like to hug the kid now, too and he moves as soon as Hitoshi nods his consent.

Shouta sits close and brackets Hitoshi in by putting his arm around Hizashi’s shoulder and no one says anything when Hitoshi quietly cries into Hizashi’s sweater. It’s not necessary that anyone says something, because people have lied to Hitoshi all his life and so now it’s important that they show him that it’s okay, that he’s safe with them.

That they are never going to hurt him.

It will take time, Shouta is under no illusion there, but when he looks up at Hizashi he sees nothing but determination and love in his eyes and he knows that they are in this for life.

There is no way they are ever going to betray the fragile trust that was placed in them.

[perpetualprocrastinationisme]

Will Ty Call on God Himself to Defeat Lucifer and Release Livvy in TWP?

Bringing back the dead, Johnny Rook had always said, warped the fabric of life, the same way making humans immortal did. Invite in death, and it would stay. Could anyone bring back the dead and have it work? Kit had asked him once. Even the most powerful magician? God, Johnny had said, after a long, long pause. God could do that. And those who raise the dead may think they are God, but soon enough they will find out the lie they have believed. - Lord of Shadows

When reading this excerpt from Lord of Shadows, it makes me consider what consequences Ty will have to suffer in TWP for bringing back Livvy. Invite in death and it would stay. We know that Magnus can sense dark magic on Ty like it's a cloud around him and that there's something like a necromantical string of magic that connects Ty to Livvy. He's literally "warped the fabric of life."

From TDA, we know that it can take extremely drastic measures to remove strong bonds of Magic. To remove Emma and Julian's parabatai bond one of them would have had to be stripped of their marks or they would have had to destroy all the parabatai bonds that existed. Only an act from heaven itself (turning into actual Nephilim) spared them from having to choose between those two options. Similarly, we see that the only way that Clary was able to bring Jace back from the dead is by the help of Raziel himself, a supreme heavenly being. When Johnny says that only God could bring someone back, he was being truthful. So, it seems that the only way for Ty to truly heal or undo the damage he has wrought by raising Livvy is to get Heaven itself to intervene.

TWP will call the whole fate of the Shadowhunting world into question and will change their world forever. I know their fate is most likely called into question because of Janus and whatever he sets in motion. Ash even hints at this in SOBH in a letter to Janus. But what if it's also because of the intervention that Ty will have to receive to solve his necromancy issue? If we think about the villain the TWP gang will be facing, Lucifer himself, then we have to also consider who is archenemy has always been: God. We also know that Cassie has already stated that TWP will turn on pieces of Biblical Mythology and that TWP is set up to be the ultimate closer to the Shadowhunter Chronicles. Well, when looking at the Bible and the Book of Revelation (the last book of the Bible that depicts the ultimate final battle between God and Lucifer), we see God seal Lucifer up in hell with his demons for good in the Battle of Armageddon, epically defeating him.

So, what if Ty calls God Himself down to finally defeat Lucifer and Janus which in turn burns up the necromantical bond he shares with Livvy because of being in the presence of God, the purest and most holy being that exists? We know that Ty has a way of summoning people (like how he did with Annabel) and getting things done that should be altogether impossible (raising Livvy). We also know that being in such close proximity to Heavenly power can destroy things like with Emma and Julian's parabatai bond. It would also check the boxes of turning on Biblical mythology by directly paralleling the book of Revelation and would very effectively change the Shadowhunters' world forever. If Lucifer is banished with his demons by God then Shadowhunters no longer have the one thing that defines their entire life: fighting demons. (I honestly hope that just Princes of Hell get banished and not all the demons. I think it would be an incredibly awful way to end TSC if Shadowhunters just lost their entire purpose for existing.)

I'm quite positive this would release Livvy to the afterlife and I believe that both her and Ty will be aware of this if/when they do call on God. I can very much see this as the moment that Ty comes to fully accept that Livvy is truly gone, that this is what must be done. I also believe this will serve as the moment where Livvy finally gets to take control of her situation as a ghost because I believe they will mutually agree to do this. She'll finally get to be that protector that she's always wanted to be. Plus, they'll actually get to properly say goodbye this time.

I believe that towards the end of TWP, Ty will be a pariah in the Shadowhunting universe for raising Livvy. This could be his moment of redemption in their eyes, could finally give Livvy peace, and would save the entire world in the process. It would also be the most powerful ending the TSC universe has ever seen, which would be fitting for its final one.

(I know this probably seems incredibly out there, but I would really love to see what any of you think of this theory. I also think that they would more likely call on Raziel instead, since he created them if I’m remembering correctly.)

Art at the top: @rowan.artt on Instagram

[my-pjo-stuff]

Thalia au but she clocks Percy with lightning as soon as she wakes up and runs to the ta

She tired Luke out

— @doe-has-a-hot-take

OKOKOKOK;SO- For this AU to work Thalia would have to know what the TA even was when waking up from being that tree, right? So how about Thalia, in this AU, having been a ghost?

Like, her body was turned into the tree protecting Camp Halfblood, while her soul became a ghost bound to Camp Halfblood protecting it. So just imagine Thalia, stuck as a ghost where no one can see or hear her. She can't touch anything. All she can do, is forced to do, is to watch. And she hates it. Just imagine Thalia being forced to watch how Annabeth and Luke slowly but surely start to drift apart ever so slightly. Being ripped apart by being sent to different cabins and Luke getting more responsibility. Since she can only watch, and thus is sort of removed from camp and all the activities she can see it a lot more neutral. And oh man if you think LUKE hated camp!? Man you haven't seen Thalia yet. Because how come, despite being promised that this camp would be safe, kids are still getting hurt in these games? Why isn't Chiron taking better care of everyone there? Why is Luke forced to become the main caretaker of 20+ kids so young? No one is there to talk to her or to manipulate her, so that hatred and detestation is festering inside Thalia for YEARS. It all reaches a head when Luke is sent on his quest. Thalia can't leave campgrounds, meaning that as soon as Luke steps outside the boundary all she can do is hope and wait. By now Thalia got used to being lonely most the time, usually hanging around Luke to keep herself entertained (Annabeth reads a lot, much more boring than watching Luke training). But now that he is gone Thalia has nothing to really distract her from all the worry and disdain. When he returns with a scar and no apple all Thalia wants is to be able to comfort him. To be able to hug him, and allow Luke to hear him when she tries to comfort him as he cries despite knowing she's only a ghost.

The fact that camp and the gods not only used Luke as cannon fodder, but also gave him no support after the fact is the last push. Thalia hates the gods- wants to see them overthrown as soon as possible even before Luke. She's the first to notice something being up with Luke. That something being Kronos of course. And honestly? Thalia hates that guy too. Because while yes- she fully understands and even supports Luke in his plans to end the gods, she CANNOT accept some random primordial torturing her friend like that. Luke of course doesn't see it himself, he's angry and hurt and needs the power Kronos offers to achieve his goals. Thalia understands that, doesn't mean she hates it any less. When Luke returns from his trip to Olympus Thalia almost immediately knows what he did despite not having been able to see it. And she's completely torn between worried and proud.

Because on one hand, Luke just stole the Master Bolt. Successfully. He is going to rebel against the gods to achieve a golden age for them all, just like Thalia would have done- wanted to do all this time. She knew she could rely on him, always. But on the other, he's going to be going against the gods. He's going to work with Kronos, all alone with no support.Going against the gods is dangerous, and Thalia would give everything to be allowed to share the burden with Luke. When the pit scorpion scene happens Thalia understands Luke. She is relatively neutral to the Percy kid still, and while she wishes Luke wouldn't have to do this she still knows it had to be done. The real hatred and disgust comes in seeing how people react. Because how come that Annabeth, the little girl Luke and her took care of, only has disdain for him? How come she says "may the gods curse him!" and doesn't even attempt to understand him? How comes she acts to unsurprised? And with horror in her bones does Thalia realize that camp brainwashed her. Made her believe the gods are good and right, and blinded her to reality. And who's the stand in for all that? Right. Percy.

Percy, to Thalia, becomes the representation of everything he hates. He's the gods' and camps' little golden boy. Their champion. Their little puppet spouting their propaganda and doing their dirty work. It doesn't help that with Luke being gone now, all Thalia can do is watch the camp and wallow in her hatred. She only grows to despise camp even more and to despise the gods even more for forcing her into this existence where could do nothing but watch. At the beginning of SoM when Luke comes to poison her tree Thalia has mixed feelings. On one hand, she isn't really in the tree. That is all just her body, the rest of camp merely believes it's her essence too. On the other hand, Luke thinks he's poisoning her. For all he knows he is hurting her for his goals.

Yet Thalia grows to understand and forgive him. She sees how broken up over this he is, she hears him apologizing- saying that it needs to be done and it's for the best. That everything will be fine, and it may hurt now but it'll turn out for the better.

And while she doesn't really understand what Luke wants to do, she trusts him enough to believe him. This ultimately turns out to be the right call when at the end of SoM Thalia is suddenly pulled from whatever she was doing and wakes back up in her body. Which- honestly? At first that was disorienting as fuck. She just spent a good 6 years outside her body and suddenly she's back in it? In a body three years older than she remembered having no less? No one can blame her for needing a good second to figure out what just happened. But when she does? When she does finally figure out what just went down and get's used to her body again? Man you BEST believe that she is NOT staying anywhere close to this camp or these people. When Percy attempts to get to her and talk to her all Thalia can feel is a flash of hot anger at who to her is the embodiment of everything she hates. So in a flash of rage she zaps Percy with lightning and takes off. Not stopping for a second to littel to the horrified screams and questioning wails coming from the crowd.

Getting to the Princess Andromeda was a weird mix out of pure luck, knowing Luke and his way of thinking better than himself and having memorized the look of the ship when Percy saw it from the CHB shore. Luke is......reasonably weirded out by Thalia suddenly turning up.

Like, just imagine doing your revolution and being tortured by your evil overlord for failing to get the golden fleece, and suddenly your childhood crush turns up????? Which, I mean the fact that she's 15 immediately kills of any romantic feelings he ever could have had- DOESN'T MEAN HE'S LESS EMOTIONAL RATTELED BY HER TURNING UP. Poor baby is just so stressed. Thalia being fully (if not more) on his side of "let's overthrow the gods" is great and all but she does NOT like Kronos at ALL. Luckily for him Kronos isn't as angry anymore now that they have the Child of Prophecy on their side- so that's a plus. Unfortunately, Thalia is also weirdly against Kronos which gives Luke heart attacks. Because she can't do stuff like that! What if Kronos finds out!?

She couldn't care less. Thalia tolerates Kronos at best. And then only that under the condition that he doesn't hurt Luke. Kronos meanwhile switches pretty quickly over from Luke to Thalia. He was already ready to replace Luke with Atlas, replacing him with Thalia wasn't that much a reach. Luke is obviously hurt, but accepts it. Thalia takes the role only to A) get Luke away from Kronos and B) to get into a position that would allow her to overthrow the god and Kronos. And in all honesty? This change only makes it worse for Camp. Because while yes, Luke is ruthless- he still is able to be talked down somewhat by the right people who take the right emotional angle. Thalia on the other hand? She spent years alone with her hatred festering. She's fresh out of mercy and wants to see blood. The gods took enough from her and the other demigods, and she's had enough of it. No more suffering for uncaring parents. Luke becomes her right-hand man, her lieutenant, the one who she trusts to take care of things when she isn't there to do it. He goes with it ofcourse, he couldn't refuse her when they were young and he can't refuse now. Even if he is scared of Kronos and scared for Thalia, he agrees to help her when she reveals her plans to overthrow the gods and Kronos.

They always managed to do anything together.