#layla school suffers

[willyouhaveme]

In case anyone is wondering how end of semester is going I was doing laundry with a friend last night and working on an essay in between and I fell asleep and forgot that we were doing laundry so then they had to pick it up for me 💀💀

[sakuramoussy]

Kiza Erynn

Age 10

They/She/He Intersex

Skunk Shapeshifter

Shapeshifting Magic

Relatives: Layla (mother), Aero (father), Faerie (adoptive mother), Desmund (adoptive father), Yen (adoptive brother)

Friends: None

Kiza is a shapeshifter born to Layla and Aero Bochlen, though they did not hatch in their care. When Kiza was a baby, they were found on the doorstep of an orphanage in the Desert District. Kiza had a number of minor health issues as an infant, so they were very isolated from the other children in the orphanage. Eventually, Kiza was adopted by a couple named Faerie and Desmund Erynn. 

Demund and Faerie made their living using thievery and were known to move around a lot to hide their crimes and prevent people from learning about Kiza and the abuse and neglect they were suffering from. Kiza’s adoptive brother Yen was the only other person who knew about Kiza’s existence since they were hidden from the public and prevented from going to school. When Desmund and Faerie were both out of the house, Kiza was locked in the basement, sometimes with Yen, but usually left alone.

When Kiza got older, they found ways to use their shapeshifting to sneak out of the house while Desmund and Faerie were out of the house. While exploring the world outside their home, Kiza eventually ran into a shapeshifter named Felix who worked to help them escape their abusive home. 

Extra Notes: 

To avoid getting caught by their parents, Kiza shapeshifted into a fox who went by the name Kiki. Kiki was fairly well known by adults, but never had any friends close to their age since Kiza was only ever out of the house during school hours or the middle of the night. 

Yen encouraged Kiza to shapeshift into small animals like mice or birds so that Kiza could join Yen at work and get food and toys that they wouldn’t have access to otherwise.

Kiza’s favorite animal to shapeshift into is a small orange bird since they can fly around and see lots of different people.

Kiza loves animals, especially smaller animals like frogs and lizards.

[fdelopera]

Two Moon Knight Headcanons for Pesach…

As we prepare to sit down for the second night Seder, as we prepare to dip our karpas in salt water and eat charoset and maror, here are two Moon Knight headcanons, one sweet and one bitter. These are in remembrance of tears and sweat and blood, but also in celebration of the freedom from the “Pharaohs” that hold us captive…

1st Pesach headcanon:

This Seder takes place a few years after the events in 2025 (Jewish year 5785). The MK System have had more time for system communication, and Jake starts reaching out to them. They're celebrating Pesach, all crowding near the front. And this night (unfortunately the same as most other nights), Khonshu shows up unannounced and uninvited. So predictable. After all, he's a "I am feel uncomfortable when we are not about me" kind of birb.

Pesach celebrates the Jewish people's escape from slavery in Egypt. And Khonshu is, of course, an Egyptian deity, still holding a Jewish system captive.

The irony is not lost on Steven.

So the MK System are reclining at the Pesach table. Layla's there too. Steven is reading from the Haggadah, and they get to the recitation of the 10 Plagues.

Steven starts listing off the Plagues, placing a drop of wine on the plate for each to remember the suffering of the Egyptian people, and as he does, he makes full eye contact with Khonshu.

“Water turning to blood ... frogs ... lice ... wild beasts ... pestilence of the livestock…”

And Khonshu starts feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

Finally, Steven gets to the plague of "boils" and Khonshu has had enough. He gets up from the table and makes some moon-related excuse (since of course Pesach starts on a full moon). Then he gets really tiny, and woosh! He just nopes right out of there. Layla and Steven breathe a sigh of relief, while Marc and Jake can relax a little. There will be more than enough time for Khonshu’s shenanigans after Pesach is over.

2nd Pesach headcanon:

This headcanon is from their childhood. It seems likely that Steven was around for a lot of their Hebrew studies. The extreme cognitive and emotional dissonance of having to pretend to be a "good Jewish boy" from a good family in Hebrew school was not safe for Marc or Jake. Plus, Steven was always interested in historical languages, and so whenever they're in a Jewish context like at Shabbat service or Hebrew school, or celebrating some semblance of a Jewish holiday at home, Steven is often triggered front.

But one Pesach, Steven isn't out. It isn't safe. Wendy has been trying to keep up appearances, making some attempt at kashering the kitchen. But this year, it's just led to more screaming. It's the last year that she even attempts to prepare for Pesach.

Then in a last ditch effort to salvage the holiday, Elias reaches out to a cousin, and they get invited over for the Seder.

This tía and tío don’t know the extent of what goes on in the Spector house. But the tía welcomes them in, and she is kind to Jake. He doesn’t even mind that she calls him Marc. It’s enough to have a place that is safe from the yelling.

The MK System are maybe thirteen or fourteen at this point. And since the tía's children are all older, in their late teens, she asks "Marc" as the youngest child to ask the Four Questions.

But Jake is fronting today. And Jake doesn't know Hebrew. (That's Steven's thing.)

The Haggadah has a Hebrew transliteration, but even with that, Jake stumbles through. He tries his best to wrap his tongue around the unfamiliar words.

Jake begins by asking the question:

Mah nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol haleilot?

(How is this night different from all other nights?)

Then he asks the Four Questions:

1. Sheb'chol haleilot anu ochlin chametz umatzah, halailah hazeh, kuloh matzah.

(On all other nights, we eat leavened foods and matzah. Why on this night, only matzah?)

2. Sheb'chol haleilot anu ochlin sh'ar y'rakot, halailah hazeh, maror.

(On all other nights, we eat all vegetables. Why, on this night, bitter herbs?)

3. Sheb'chol haleilot ein anu matbilin afilu pa'am echat; halailah hazeh, sh'tei f'amim.

(On all other nights, we don't dip our food even once. Why on this night do we dip twice?)

4. Sheb'chol haleilot anu ochlin bein yoshvin uvein m'subin; halailah hazeh, kulanu m'subin.

(On all other nights, we eat either sitting upright or reclining. Why on this night do we all recline?)

Jake stammers, and repeats words, and tries his best to dig into the memories that he knows are there somewhere. The memories of ... someone learning this at shul. Even though his memory of their Hebrew school is so hazy. It’s just disjointed images, and the remembrance of muffled voices as if he’s underwater, as someone else goes through the motions of studying. But he’s always watchful, in case one of the bullies in class starts making fun of their rumpled clothes and mess of unkempt curls, and the way that they quietly rock in their chair and fiddle with the cuffs of their shirtsleeves. Jake is great at making escapes from bullies and finding places to hide ... and when push comes to shove, his arms and legs are proficient at punching, kicking, thrashing...

Right now, Jake wants to run and hide. He is terrified that he's messed up. He’s terrified that the tía is going to yell at him. Or worse, that Wendy is going to start in on him. The expectation is clearly that he should be able to pronounce the Hebrew words fluently.

But to his surprise, the tía tells him, "Thank you, Marc. Good job." And she smiles at him.

That little gesture of kindness makes him want to cling to her. To beg her to stay at her home, at least for that night. He dreads going back. Wendy looks displeased with his performance, and Elias looks worried, and Jake is sure he's going to hear about it when they get back to the house.

But for those few hours celebrating the Jewish people's escape from slavery, Jake feels relatively safe. His tía and tío will protect him while he's a guest in their home.

That night, Jake realizes something profound. He realizes that Wendy is his Pharaoh.

At Pesach, we Jews are often asked to think about who is the "Pharaoh" in our life. Who or what is it that is keeping us trapped? And what are some ways to break those chains that bind?

Jake understands that Wendy is the one keeping him in chains. And in that moment, like Moses, he starts looking for ways to escape captivity. There's got to be a way out, a Red Sea that will part for him. On that night, Jake starts making plans for extraction.

Throughout their life, I imagine that Pesach would resonate with Jake. And it is not a decision he takes lightly to stay bound to Khonshu after Marc and Steven are freed. It's for their protection, but at what cost? The bonds of servitude are never worth it. And Jake knows that at some point, he's going to have to start making extraction plans again.

[valdez-my-love]

“Unsteady” || Marc Spector

(fanfiction) Marc Spector x fem! OC

[ my works in Polish are available on Wattpad ValdezMyLove and in English on Wattpad VenniLanRosie]

PROLOGUE “HOW DID IT START?”

Malibu

summer 2005

ONE MOMENT COULD CHANGE A PERSON'S WHOLE LIFE WHEN THEY LEAST EXPECTED IT. This is how Ivelle Stark would describe the evening when a group of military men came to the bar where she worked. She honestly wasn't thrilled about it, as she knew exactly how many of them acted after having a few drinks. She had to deal with them too often — all thanks to her older brother Tony, who ran a company that created an arsenal for the United States Army.

But she knew she could never date one of them — she couldn't fall in love with someone she could lose in a second and then suffer twice as much, especially since she was quite an emotional person. She felt like she couldn't survive something like that.

Someone might say that after what she had experienced during her two-year training at the academy, where future agents of the organization founded by her father Howard were trained, she should have been tough and unfeeling. But she couldn't do it — emotions were something she didn't want to get rid of because it felt like she was becoming a robot. She tried to do it once, but she couldn't, so she gave up. She concluded that it was not worth forcing a change if someone couldn't do it, as was the case with her. This was the reason why she abandoned her training a year ago and returned home.

Thanks to Tony, or rather the tutors he provided, she began preparing for the exams, which she managed to pass, and because of this, she got into law school in New York, which she had dreamed of before starting her agent training. She had always been homeschooled, so that made it a lot easier for her, although she dreamed of studying in a regular school. She promised herself that if she ever had children, they would have a life she couldn't experience — at least as normal as being in the Stark family allows.

"Damn it," the girl muttered, seeing the group at one of the tables, or rather several, because they had managed to push them together. She didn't like the fact that of all the bars in Malibu, they had to choose the one where she worked. "Why can't one evening be complete without drunken recruits? What did we do to deserve this?"

"What happened?" Layla, a girl she met while working there, asked her. They found a common language very quickly, which meant that at times they communicated with each other almost without words. They hadn't worked together for long, but they became very close. "I thought this sight was normal for you, considering your brother's job."

The girl shook her head. She just wasn't in the mood to serve them. If they came, she knew only too well what that meant for them — they were about to fly to the front. They either didn't come back alive, or if they did... they weren't themselves, although that was putting it mildly.

Ivelle was just like that — sometimes she was too empathetic, which caused various situations, even not entirely positive ones.

"Hello, Ellie," Rhodes, her older brother's best friend, walked up to the bar where young Stark was standing.

Ivelle knew perfectly well that she was not a Stark in flesh and blood but had been adopted when she was three, but she had no problem with it at all. She always said that family is not only about blood ties. She and Tony were the perfect example of this — even if her brother's personality was different, she knew he would do anything for her, just as she did for him. Their relationship was definitely more important to her than whether they were related by blood.

She was happy that she had the opportunity to experience love that many children could only dream of. She paid absolutely no attention to how her peers laughed at her and said very unpleasant things about her. She had one low moment early on, where she asked Tony if he regretted having to take care of her after Howard and Maria died. What he replied to her then became deeply embedded in the girl's memory.

"You may be my adoptive sister, but it doesn't change the fact that thanks to you, I feel a semblance of normality. Just because I work a lot doesn't mean I avoid you or anything. I just want you to have a better life than what I had at your age."

He tried for her, and she... she couldn't even tell him what she had been doing in the last years she had been studying at the academy. She couldn't do it for his safety. He was her only loved one, and she wouldn't forgive herself if she had to lose him because of her recklessness.

"Hey, Rhodey," she said with a smile, hugging the dark-skinned man, which he returned with the same joy. "What are you doing with the Marines? After all, you serve as an Air Force pilot."

"A friend asked me to keep an eye on them," he replied, nodding at the group of young men. He sighed heavily. "Some of them leave in a few days, others in a dozen or so weeks... You understand."

Just as she thought... she wasn't wrong even in the slightest. There was no way, considering she knew how it all worked. She really felt sorry for them, but at the same time, she knew that it was their conscious decision and they knew what they were signing up for when they joined the army.

"I didn't know you were still babysitting," she laughed, drying the dishes. "I thought after taking care of little me, you'd had enough of it."

Rhodes burst out laughing. He laughed about it now, but Ivelle knew it had taken some of his nerves to keep an eye on her. In fact, even a lot. After all, she was everywhere.

"You were a good child, after all," he replied, smiling. "It was quite a pleasure to be able to do that."

"Yeah... when I hid in the tree house and you couldn't find me, you probably weren't laughing," replied the girl, fixing her hair, which was tied up in a ponytail. "I thought you would curse me forever with your rage."

The man laughed again.

"Ivelle and her childhood sins?" Layla appeared curious next to them. Miss Stark wasn't too happy that her best friend would learn some story from her childhood. "Why don't I know anything about this, huh?"

The girl just shook her head in amusement, and Rhodes returned to the original topic of their conversation.

"After all, this group..." he pointed to his charges to the girls. They were having quite a good time, and they hadn't had a chance to drink anything alcoholic yet. "They're on a completely different level, or at least some of them are."

The girl apologized to her friend and then approached the table. Three of her peers, at least those of similar age to her, took notice of her without hesitation. The fourth of them... was quite withdrawn for the girl's taste. It didn't fit the description of the soldiers she had already met, but at the same time, she felt intrigued by him.

"What is such a pretty girl doing in such a dive?" he asked her as his companions started checking out other girls and she managed to take their orders. "You don't seem like an ordinary waitress to me."

"I'm trying to earn money for college because I hate asking my brother for anything. He's already done too much for me in the last year, although I'm grateful for that," she said, making him laugh. "You also don't fit the image of an ordinary soldier I knew so far..."

He was definitely different from the others, which made her want to get to know him better, but she was afraid that their relationship would not end well. She could get attached to some people way too easily, and she knew it.

The boy smiled and then shook her hand.

"I'm Marc Spector," he introduced himself.

The girl shook his hand. There was something about him, and she could see it perfectly. He was a walking mystery to her.

"And I'm Ivelle Stark," she said. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice name," her interlocutor replied. "Quite unusual... Still, I think you deserve a much better job than dealing with drunk people."

The girl smiled at him, and Marc himself felt really good around her, which was surprising to him. After everything he had been through in his life, he never thought he would meet someone like the girl in front of him again. They may have only known each other for a few minutes, but he felt somewhere deep down that he could trust her and even let her get closer to him, if something more was to come from this relationship. He didn't really know if he wanted that. However, he knew perfectly well that fate could play some really good tricks.

The girl returned to the bar to prepare the orders for the young Marines, but her attitude was completely different than a few moments ago. Layla had already noticed this.

"What changed you so suddenly?" she asked, smiling. "Just a moment ago you weren't exactly thrilled about having to go to them."

The girl waved her hand at this question. She knew that El-Faouly had already added something, but she knew what it was like. She realized that her friend would love to find her a boyfriend against her will, but she didn't need anyone to be happy. At least that's what she thought at that moment…

THE CONTINUATION OF THAT EVENING WAS NOT VERY POSITIVE, AT LEAST NOT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. Even Rhodes' intervention did not help much, because the new addition to the army caused quite a stir, which was nothing new in this place. Young Stark wanted to throw them all out of there, but she knew she couldn't handle them on her own — after all, there were several of them, and they were definitely stronger. Even if Layla wanted to help her, she knew it wouldn't do much good.

"Of course," one of the drunk boys muttered towards them, pushing Ivelle. "We fight for people like them, and two ordinary waitresses will pay attention to us?"

"You destroyed half the bar!" Layla exclaimed. "What the hell did you expect, you idiot? We're not here to pat your heads!"

The same boy swung at Ivelle again, but at the last moment someone caught him and punched him in the face.

"You must not raise your hand against the defenseless!" Marc called to him. "We are here to protect them, not harm them!"

Young Stark was shocked after he stood up for her. She didn't expect that he was able to do this for a complete stranger. He was completely different from his colleagues — she knew that one hundred percent now.

He impressed her very much — she could tell by the way her heart was beating like crazy just by looking at Spector.

Did this mean that she had just fallen in love against her principles? Possibly... but she wasn't one hundred percent sure about it.

[spacecadet-ticklesinspace]

Since you're taking prompts, maybe something with Steven and Layla where she's giving him a massage and he can't stay still because it tickles too much?

Field Trip Day

Summary: Steven suffers through Field Trip day and Layla tries to help him relax.

(Aww! This was a cute idea! 😁 Hope you enjoy Anon! ❤️ :))

Steven sagged into the couch. It had been a long day and he was exhausted. Today had apparently been the dreaded field trip day for what felt like a dozen or more schools. Kids in brightly colored matching shirts swarming the exhibits and frazzled teachers asking if they'd seen a particular one fitting this description. Steven never knew, they all looked the same!

The youngest of the knights rubbed his eyes. Kids were cute, but hundreds of them was a nightmare!

However, the Brit's brooding was cut short by three voices entering the apartment along with the scent of food from the group's favorite Mexican place.

"Hola hermano!" Jake greeted, the first to spot Steven slumped onto the couch.

"Hey."

"Te ves bien."

"Thanks."

Layla handed her bag of food to Marc. "Are you sick?"

"He's not sick Lay," Marc assured his wife. "Today is what we have come to learn is Field Trip day."

"Ah." Jake squeezed Steven's knee. "El día del tormento."

"El dia de la muerte is more accurate," the youngest knight muttered in response.

"Bein hecho."

"What's field trip day?" Layla asked.

"It happens a few times of year," Marc explained as he stepped over to the kitchen to set the bags of food down. "It's a day that every school in the area decides is the best day to bring their students to the museum."

"Nariz mocosa preschoolers and teenagers wander los pasillos while los empleados ensures they'll still have exhibiciones tomorrow," Jake added.

Marc ruffled Steven's messy curls. "One day, the museum almost lost a diorama because a group of teens decided to recreate a scene from Night of the Museum."

The youngest knight groaned. "Donna still references that one."

"Si." Jake lifted his hands and wiggled his fingers forward as if he was telling a ghost story. "It's like la mordedura de jacksepticeye de '97."

"It was '78," Marc corrected.

"It's actually '87." Steven added. "And it's Markiplier, not Jacksepticeye."

Layla's looked between the three. "Who?"

"Two YouTubers who play scary games," Marc explained.

"Si, and one of them gritas the entire time."

Layla turned to Steven. "I thought you didn't stray away from Eygptology?"

"Sometimes, at the end of the day, you like to choose who yells in your ear," Steven quipped.

Jake patted the youngest knee as he chuckled. "Guardamos tu comida en el frigorífico por ti hermano."

"Gracias."

As the two older men stepped into the kitchen, Layla stopped her husband to whisper, "Will he be okay?"

"He will be. He's just worn out." Marc gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Just give him a little time."

With that, Marc turned to walk back into the kitchen.

However, Layla turned back to look at Steven. Concern still laced her features as she studied his exhausted form. "Do you need anything?"

Steven shifted to a new spot and rubbed his shoulder. "No thanks Lay, I'll be alright."

An idea crossed the curly haired woman's mind as she crossed the room back over to the youngest knight. Layla stepped behind Steven and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Here, maybe this will help."

He tiredly looked up at the curly haired woman. "What are you---?"

He was cut off when Layla gently massaged her thumbs across his shoulders. "Helping you relax."

However, instead of relaxing, Steven squeaked.

Layla immediately removed her hands. "Sorry, was that too much?"

"No! Urm." The youngest knight cleared his throat. "You just startled me! Y-you can keep going!"

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."

"It's fine!" Steven immediately leaned back. "I-I'll be fine! I'm fine even now!"

"Okay." Layla hesitantly placed her hands back onto his shoulders. "If you're sure."

After a bit of readjusting, Layla restarted her massage. This time, Steven didn't squeak. But he did bury his face in his hands.

"Are you sure I'm not hurting you?"

"Positive!"

"You still feel really tense." The curly haired woman moved her massage closer to his neck.

Steven started to squirm.

"Odd, it's almost as if . . ."

A tiny giggle slipped through Steven's tightly clutched fingers.

That's when realization began to dawn for Layla. She purposefully started to dig into his neck. "You really need to relax Steven."

The youngest knight's shoulders began to shake as he sank down further onto the couch. "L-Lay!"

"Not quite what I meant." Layla moved her hands down to massage Steven's shoulder blades. "But you're getting the idea."

A loud squeal erupted from Steven as he sank all the way down to the floor.

In response, Layla scaled the back of the couch. "Won't escape that easily!"

"WAIT!"

Immediately, Layla resumed her attack. Her fingers wormed their way into his sides. "Let's massage here next."

"Nohoho!"

"See? Now you're nice and relaxed."

"NO! Yohou prahat!"

"Wow." Layla moved her fingers up to Steven's ribs. "And here I thought you only sassed Marc and Jake."

"NAAAH!" Steven snorted as he fought curling on to his side. "JERK!"

"I always forget how ticklish you are Steven. You are just too precious." Layla wormed her fingers under the youngest knight's arms. "Must be the accent."

Steven immediately rolled over on to his side and squirmed out of the curly haired woman's hold. However, as he tried to jump to his feet, Layla snagged one of his ankles and sent him right back to the floor. "Oof!"

"Good idea Steven."

"Oho bullohocks!"

Layla scurried her nails across the trapped foot. "A massage here would help too."

The youngest knight broke into loud laughter as he hugged his torso. "LAYLA!"

"Wow Steven, you look totally relaxed now."

The brit kicked out his other foot, almost nailing Layla's shoulder.

"Hey! Watch that other foot!"

While Layla kept up her tickle attack, Marc and Jake moved closer to the couch to watch.

"Ahare yohou done torturing him yehet?" Marc asked his wife.

"Oh come on Marc. Look at how relaxed he is!"

Jake nudged the older American's arm. "Hehe dohoes look pretty contento hermanoho."

Marc raised an eyebrow. "Slightly forced happiness?"

"Eh, todavía."

While the two went back and forth, Layla paused her tickles. "If you two are done bickering, I could use an extra set of hands here."

"No!" Steven tugged on his still trapped foot. "Don't encohourage thehem!"

"Aw what's wrong?" Layla scurried her fingers across his foot. "Nervous?"

Steven's laughter picked back up again. "NO! NOHOT THE TOHOES!"

Marc chuckled and moved forward. "Ahalright Lahay, let him breheathe."

Layla looked up at her husband and pouted. "Aww, but Marc!"

"Noho buts." The older American gently pulled her grasp away from Steven's foot. "He's already exhaustehed."

Layla turned to study the giggling Brit. He did look pretty tired. "Aw, I guess you're right."

"Oho bullohocks!" Steven playfully kicked Layla. "Yohour nahails are awfuhul!"

"Hey!" Marc squeezed the youngest knight's knee. "No kicking."

"Squee! Sorryhy!"

"Alright el menaje. Vamos!" Jake moved back toward the kitchen. "La comida se está enfriando!"

Marc helped Layla to her feet. "Come on troublemaker."

"Rude!"

Steven pulled himself up to a sitting position. "But truhue!"

Marc chuckled as he then helped Steven to his feet. "Come on you."

After a final poke to Steven's side from Layla, the three made their way to the kitchen.

[georgina-layla]

"A Friday conversation with God"

I look out my window; Each ray of light reaching out to touch me, A mother’s attempt to first warm a babe born to flesh and blood -  A weeping lamb in search of his shepherd.

“Are you afraid of me?” I ask the air, a prominent call to a presence I have not yet felt comfort in accepting, “that I cannot love you the way you intended me to?” He breaks his silence, blissfully unaware of the flame and iron that brand my throat -  A lamb’s cry to care, scorched to his skin  a million moments of safety and sacrifice, all for his name.

I seethe at it; a child’s first beating left bare on untouched skin; pink and raw, an innocence I had so long craved. “Do you get sick of it?” I felt Him ask, with a love so torturous I begin to itch. “Have I made you so unwell?”

“No,” I reply, “i cannot grow tiresome of what we are.” Sunshine touches me again, Soft and silent, a father’s pride passed on through a fleeting glance over the dinner table. “i am carved by your blade, am I not? But if you are not careful, Lord, I will die by it too.”

Light touches me once more, but not with love, with understanding. A being, all almighty in his power and pride, Staring down at a sheep wounded.

For a moment,  I ask myself if in our conversation -  All my suffering and rage, If he was reminded of his own Son, carved open tenfold -  A loneliness wrapped in my mother’s favourite childhood blanket, My father’s scent of fresh linen worn into his very being -  For sins he did not commit?

Fingers lodged inside my throat, I choke and call to him again -  Presence felt, but no answer. Had a believer ever debated with God before? Had the sheep ever called the Shepherd to prayer? He sits with me now, Upon my childhood bedsheets, Pawing at my holy church -  Ground cursed and blessed in blood he born me to do so. I look at him then, his mortal shape no different from my own, Blasphemic and beautiful on its own.

“Do I remind you of him?” I ask, shaking with a hunger so ravenous I yearn to bite. “You do.” He replies, yet I do not look over, betrayal laced like a young girl’s first introduction to womanhood by her mother- Grief and fury shared as one. “it is exhausting being your creation, you have cursed me twice over.”

“Have I?” He ordains to speak, Sunlight sucking back through my window, “has my image become too much for you?”

I look over then, Ready to scatter my ashes directly into his palm, Knife at the throat, an apology uttered to no one in particular. He is not there -  A shape of grace and envy stained still into my cushion.

Sunlight returns to me once more -  A soft stinging of a stroke on my bare cheek; Not an apology, But an understanding.

I bare the image of Father and Son alike; And all the grief gifted generation to generation. He understands, without rage or shame, That I am like him, That I must like upon him, All the treasures and treacheries he has endured, So that He is not lonely upon a throne of light, But that he is seen and understood.

As He exists for His first time, too.

Georgina Layla Spendiff "Entries from a Catholic School"

[sunny6677]

Spooky Month Future AU/Jolly Month AU - Part 1: Skid and Pump.

TWS: EMOTIONAL ABUSE MENTIONS, ALZHEIMERS MENTIONS, SWEARING.

Skid is around his thirties now in this au. Lila is suffering from Alzheimers now, but this doesn't stop Skid from appreciating her and visiting her in the nursing home where she's currently suffering. Despite her current condition, he loves her so.

Skid ended up getting a job as a fairly wealthy business worker, and due to this, he has a lot of money. He works very hard to put food on the table for he and his daughter, and this usually works out just fine for him. His old wife(Layla's mother) was an absolute asshole, and was just a jerk in general(she might have also been a little emotionally abusive). So after a bit of having to put up with her ass, he took Layla as soon as she was born, and divorced his old wife. He had been planning this for a while now, so he made the decision of asking for a lot of things while married to her, just so he could take them once he divorced her and proceed to sell them. Most of these things were expensive stuff like diamonds and all this other glamorous shit, so they selled pretty quickly, and he gained a lot of money from it.

Skid is very self confident in this au, he's smug when it comes to people he doesn't like, and he's also incredibly intelligent. He's kind of sassy to be honest, and he can be a little passive aggresive. If learning that someone is harming his loved ones, he won't hurt said person, but he will proceed to make their life a living hell with his manipulation skills. His old wife would also always make fun of him for the way he dressed(she said he looked too "extra" and "attention-seeking"), so out of spite, he started dressing like that all of the time.

Skid loves his daughter, Layla, very much in this au. And even though Layla is obsessed with Christmas instead of "The Spooky Month", he is very supportive of it just like Lika was supportive of his own interests. He is also a little protective over her, and isn't afraid to ruin someone's life if they dare lay a finger on her. Layla calls Christmas "The Jolly Month", so she is a bit like her dad, but only with Christmas instead.

Bonus; Skid found out that his daughter was being bullied at school once, so he tried to speak with the school about it. They did nothing about it, because of course they didn't. So, he then proceeded to see the principal and staff in person, and roasted all of them in a calm and passive aggresive manner. He then decided he was going to take Layla out of that school and put her into a new one, and left without a word, not telling Layla what had happened between him and the principal and some of the staff.

Overall, he's a good dad. He's just a little smug and passive aggresive towards anyone who even harms her in any way. He also still loves spooky month in this au, but not as much as he used to.

Pump is also around his thirties in this au now, and he did have a wife(Sally's mother), but she is now dead. This caused Pump to have depression, and he has basically become really pessimistic and tired about everything. He works as a business worker as well, though he receives less pay than Skid does where he works at.

Pump is still friends with Skid in this AU, and they are very supportive of eachother. Neither of them will hesitate to fight a bitch if they dare harm the other, though Pump will take a more angry approach and Skid will take a more calm and passive aggresive approach.

Pump is cynical, sarcastic, and is kind of a jerk sometimes. But that's only because he's stressed out from his job. He rarely receives any sort of breaks, and he fucking despises his job. He's over-worked and very stressed most of the time, and is usually very exhausted. But he still loves his daughter, and will soften up around her since he knows she's just a kid. He does the best he can for her, and Skid tries the best he can to support his current situation by giving him some money occasionally. Pump is grateful for this.

Sally and Layla are besties due to their shared love of Christmas, so they visit the other a lot. As they play together and get up to antics, Skid and Pump will usually just chill together and talk with the other. But if Sally and Layla invite them into their antics or games, they will not hesitate to join.

Overall, he's a good dad, he's just very stressed.

[lattedecoffee]

Been rewatching winx club (the rai dub ofc; was a great part of my childhood, I dropped off during early S6 tho) and I just got to the first episode of S2. And like I was excited because Layla/Aisha will get to exist now and also Dark Bloom but I forgot about Darkar.

Well, I remembered that he existed, but I forgot just how over the top he was. Like in his first episode, he chucks Layla off a cliff and just assumes this will kill her despite her being a fairy (like ik she's exhausted at this point but I don't think you should just assume she's incapable of flying lol), he hisses like a fucking cat at the pixies (this is apparently intimidating...?) and yells "SPEAK OR SUFFER" at Chatta.

Like I cannot take this man seriously. His theme is still great (and I legit had to pause when it first played because nostalgia was hitting like a truck) but he himself is just so over the top in his edginess and I kinda love it.

Speaking of Winx Club villains: gotta love how the Trix go from basic school bullies to interdimensional terrorists in the span of like 2 episodes, it's like if the plastics in Mean Girls were gonna try and nuke the school

And if anyone's interested: my favorite Winx girl changes constantly but rn it's Flora, least favorite is Stella 9 times out of 10. Best of the boyfriends is Nabu, worst is Riven (his character development during S1 where he learns to not be the fucking worst was great except he just goes back to being shitty in every other season. Musa leave this man and go get with Tecna, Timmy can share). Favorite villains besides the Trix are the wizards of the black circle from S4, idk why but they've always stuck with me.

Also yes I wrote shitty self-insert next-generation fanfiction about it when I was 9 (the self-insert was Roxy's daughter) and it is buried in my google drive where no one can find it because holy fuck is it bad.

Wow this was a long post but yk sometimes you gotta talk about your childhood shows that you're rewatching as an adult and appreciating just as much if not more so.

[consoledacup]

Hey, hey, hey

In a parallel universe where jimone didn't break up in 4x18 but everything else stayed the same with Jordan and Layla basically being quietly in love but not together. What do you think the dynamic would have been like with Simone, Layla and Jordan when Billy died?

Anon, what a scenario.

My heart simply breaks for all three of these characters if that were the case.

I have no idea how much bereavement time Simone would've been allowed to take off from school. Like, how long would she have been in LA, and when would she have been needed back in Atlanta? While in LA, she would've done everything she could've. She would've done her very, very best as a supportive girlfriend.

The problem is it wouldn't have been quite what Jordan needed. And she would've witnessed up close how Layla better anticipated his needs. And she wouldn't have discouraged the connection or Layla's involvement because, you know, his dad just died. So she would've quietly suffered, feeling out of place with the strong realization that she and Jordan were over. But she couldn't do anything about that either because, you know, his dad just died. And all the while, she would've been really struggling with her immense feelings for Damon.

And then Layla would've still been his rock during his grieving process. But she would've felt guilty about it because, isn't this Simone's job? And yet, why was it so natural for her to support him? And she would've been missing her mother in ways that tore her apart. And she would've still divided her time in attending to Jordan and then Liv, and then Laura. She would've been heartbroken. Far more than she was for him when they were actually together.

And Jordan would've been so, so overwhelmed. He would've been slogging his way through his grief and stepping up to take care of Liv and Laura. He would've been leaning on Layla and not caring how it looked because his father died, and he simply needed her. And losing his dad showed him that life was short, so at some point, he would've taken action. He either would've broken up with Simone or cheated on her with Layla. But his dad's death showed him how he couldn't sit quietly and couldn't allow other people to tell him who he was.

Really, what a devastating situation for all three of them.

[willyouhaveme]

Quite frankly I need to scream

[the-jam-to-the-unicorn]

Ukrainian First Lady’s special mission to save war orphans

In an exclusive interview with AFR Weekend, Olena Zelenska lays bare the plight of children who have lost their parents since the Russian invasion.

Misha Zelinsky - International analyst and columnist

Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, hopes Australians can help solve her country’s spiralling orphan crisis.

Daily Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and brutal frontline fighting have created a surge in orphaned children. With missiles simultaneously destroying dwellings needed for the 67,600 children who are orphans or without parental care, the problem is growing faster than it can be solved.

Representatives from Zelenska’s Olena Zelenska Foundation will be in Australia next week to raise funds for the construction of new foster homes. The mission is in many ways perfect for Ukraine’s first lady and mother of two, who has become her people’s adoptive mother since the outbreak of war.

“When the war started, we had to evacuate a lot of children from orphanages to other parts of Ukraine or abroad. We have thousands of children abroad who need to come home,” Zelenska says in a world exclusive interview with AFR Weekend.

Speaking from an undisclosed location, Zelenska cuts a calm, focused figure with an impressive command of detail. Even via videoconference, her compassion is evident.

Having listed the carnage Russian armies have inflicted on Ukrainian children – 461 killed, 921 wounded, 348 missing, 16,207 forcibly deported to Russia – Zelenska brings humanity to the horror.

“We shouldn’t let our losses become dry statistics. Our victims, they have names and they have faces. We know all of them,” she says.

Describing a Russian attack last month on an apartment building in Dnipro that left 45 dead, she says: “Masha, she was 15 and into music and ballet. Maxim, he was 17 and had just entered university and was into football. Layla and Mahalina, 13 and 3 years old, both girls from that family died. And two little boys died, 11 months old and 18 months old.”

Given the pervasive threat of missile strikes hovering in the background and Australia’s relative safety, it’s hard not to feel tense or guilty during our discussion.

“Today we have a lot of snow, and if you didn’t know any better you’d think everything was OK,” Zelenska says when I ask her how she is coping.

Even though emergency personnel work around the clock to bring energy infrastructure back online – Kyiv has had power and internet connectivity for more hours than not – it is clear the stress has a grinding effect.

“The tension does not get lower. We constantly wait for attacks and constantly hear sirens. Thanks to our hard-working people and international partners we have hope, but it is difficult,” Zelenska says.

Education interrupted

Beyond physical injuries from Russia’s attacks, the psychological damage to children is incalculable. According to Zelenska, many children can’t sleep or eat after suffering war-related trauma.

“A young girl was showing her phone and saying her father was texting her even though he had been killed fighting. She refused to believe it,” Zelenska says.

Then there are the lost schooling days. Although 12,000 of Ukraine’s 15,000 schools reopened in September, power outrages and air raids make regular classes extremely difficult.

“Some children are forced to do their homework by candlelight. This is like going back to medieval times,” Zelenska says. Her foundation has partnered with Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard to deliver 38,000 laptops to assist teachers with remote learning.

Zelenska has never sought the limelight, so it would be easy for a woman more comfortable with the backroom of comedy writing to feel burdened by the historic task confronting her. But she has grown into the first lady Ukrainians need.

“Right now, someone is cold in the trenches. And someone else is hiding a child. And someone else has had to go abroad,” she says. “I can use my energies to help.”

On a personal level, Zelenska is grateful she has not endured a “most horrible trial” of separation from her 18-year-old daughter Oleksandra and her 10-year-old son Kyrlyo. However, minimal contact with their father, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, makes family life difficult.

“The time they spend together is not enough. But we are close. We know where he is, we see him on TV,” she says. What worries Zelenska most is that her children’s lives are on “pause” with precious moments stolen from them and Ukraine’s other children.

“This is the period in life where children can dream without limitation. And right now, our children cannot,” she says. “Going to school helps my son, even if it’s not every day due to long sirens. But in terms of dreams, holidays and travelling, we can forget about that. It’s very hard for children.

“My children are like all other Ukrainian children waiting for victory and when this horrible trial will end.”

With the humanitarian need obvious, Zelenska’s work is also of vital political importance. A condition of Ukraine’s entry into the European Union is the closure of Soviet-era institutional orphanages and state boarding schools through a policy of “de-institutionalisation”.

Reconstructing an entire government program and the housing to go with it for at least 25,000 children would be daunting even without a war raging.

“It’s not just possible, this is the window of opportunity we must take advantage of,” Zelenska says. She is determined to learn from neighbouring Romania, which fostered or adopted 100,000 children in institutional care before joining the EU in 2007.

An initial pilot program will create an estimated 100 foster placements in 10 purpose-built homes suitable for the thousands of disabled Ukrainian orphans. Homes must include fast-access bomb shelters for parents fostering disabled children, lifting an initial fundraising estimate to €3.5 million ($5.4 million).

Given the complexity of the task, Zelenska is determined to get it right even if it means starting slowly. “My foundation is named after me. I am personally responsible for what we are doing, and I don’t want to make any mistakes,” she says. Her foundation is audited for transparency by Ernst and Young.

While Australia is a long way away, Zelenska believes the countries’ shared “basic human values” can cover any separation of distance.

“We value human life. We love our children the same way. We take care of our parents. There is far more in common than what is different between us,” Zelenska says.

With the Russians potentially gearing up for fresh spring offensive of newly mobilised troops, Zelenska is under no illusions about the task ahead. But apart from much-needed military aid, Ukrainians are even more desperate not to be forgotten by other democracies.

“The most important thing is emotion, we don’t want to lose your emotion,” Zelenska says. “We don’t want to lose you as our friend. Do not forget about us.

“Know the truth of what is happening, and differentiate good from evil. All help is valuable and necessary.”

With a series of meetings scheduled for the day, Zelenska thanks Australia for its help. She shares a story about a Ukrainian boy who lost his leg after a Russian tank ran over the car his father was driving. Thanks to a donated prosthetic, the orphan is now learning to surf.

“Ukraine will win for sure!” she says with a smile. You can donate to the Olena Zelenska Foundation at zelenskafoundation.org.

[nasrine123]

What a beautiful bloodshed

Hello, I am Nisreen, and this is the first time I write a story. In this story, it will contain topics that some may find disturbing

Hello, I am Layla. When I was young, I suffered from schizophrenia. I was lonely and isolated from the world. Of course, I had no friends. In high school, I was called an eccentric, because of my behavior and strange appearance. Every day they bullied me, I hated myself so badly that I wanted to commit suicide because of the bullying, and my family hated me for hating my life because my mother did not love me and my father always took me except for dirty men who paid money to my parents while doing their dirty deeds. He is a young child who does not know anything. Of course, he is 15 years old, and I am now 18. Every day he was causing problems. Would you like to complete the story?

[thelemonzone42]

Ella Snugglepaw

Jess and Lily were feeding kale to the guinea pigs when they spotted a Chrysalis. They remembered that in the summer time that caterpillars change into butterflies. However, this one hasn’t yet. Suddenly Goldie came in and it was time to go to Friendship Forest.

By the time they arrived, Goldie explained that she found a cow who’s suffering from amnesia.  The girls suggested they should use The Memory Tree to help, but Goldie told them that it only works on CERTAIN memories and not ALL the memories. For the time being, they decided to call her, ‘Ms. Lovely’. In her sack was a small koala bear named, ‘Ella Snugglepaw’. She was keeping the amnesic cow comfort.

Suddenly, Grizelda and her hench-flamingo ‘Bingo’ came in. He knocked Goldie, Mrs. Lovely, and The Girls over and flew off with Grizelda following him from behind. They arrived at the school to learn that spell casting class was about to start. Professor Cutiepaws arrived on the scene. When Ella hugged her, Professor Cutiepaws felt very uncomfortable. She was also uncomfortable with the appearance of Miss. Lovely. This made Jess and Lily very suspicious. As they got started on class, they did a disappearing spell, only for it to smell like moldy cheese. It was really confusing.

After class, The girls, Ella and Goldie, headed off to the library to warn Professor Wiggly what’s going on with Professor Cutiepaws. Professor Iggly did find it strange that despite protecting his library. Anytime they bring a book outside the library and Professor Cutiepaws is teaching, something bad happens. All of the sudden, trees started to disappear. They decided to call up their witch friend, ‘Thistle’ to bring back the trees.

They rushed through the forest of disappearing trees all the way to The Memory Tree. Luckily, Thistle knew just the spell to do that. The moment she casted the spell all the trees came back. That’s when Jess realizes that they should do the same thing on Miss. Lovely, hoping it would bring her memory back. And sure enough, Jess was right. Miss. lovely started to remember that her name is Ms. Poppycud, the new Spelltop school teacher and that Grizelda tricked her into leaving while adapting a new cutie paw identity. That’s when they realize that Professor Cutiepaws is really Grizelda, which makes a lot of sense. They had to get to the school fast. 

Along the way, Ella saw Bingo the Flamingo crying. He was sad and cruel because his four big brothers always ignored him and Grizelda promised that she would be his friend and go get ice cream. However, she stood him up at the cafe. Feeling sorry for the poor flamingo, Ella decided to be his friend. With one hug, Bingo and Ella became best friends. 

Arriving at The Spelltop School, Professor Cutiepaws revealed her true self as Grizelda, much to the students' horror. Bingo and Ella swooped in and defended the innocent students. Grizelda was so betrayed and frustrated, she decided to leave the school. Everyone cheered for the duo.

Later was the school’s award ceremony. Charlotte won the rose for best reader, Layla won the rose for most creative, Ava won for most musical, Ella won a rose for most friendliest, and Bingo won for most bravest. His brothers were there to cheer their little brother on. Amused by their change of heart, Professor Gogglewing inducted them into the school and introduced Professor Poppycud to the students. To celebrate, they ate raspberry soda and cherry cookies.

When Jess and Lily got back to Brightley, the little caterpillar they saw earlier changed into a butterfly. It was magical.

[lusciniaes]

@hetuvyasa said ... i'm going to take that as a compliment. / open.

a looming presence darkens the house of daena –– layla cranes her neck to meet the gaze of the scribe, but an uncertainty possesses her to shift away just as quickly. uneasy. their small – talk grinds to a halt as she attempts to re – assess where she might have given cause for offense. a familiar sensation : like she's stumbling through the conversation, apparently just hapless enough to not betray her long – standing respect for him as a senior within the akademiya. maybe it's for the best ...

" i just meant ... that it's a loss to rtawahist that you aren't counted among its alumni. " yet perhaps a relief for her to not suffer the risk of comparison against someone so distinguished, since competition runs rampant not only between but also within the darshans and among certain alumni. " it wasn't my intention to disparage haravatat – " but ... layla sighs, putting down her pen and pushing the glaring, unfinished charts to the back of her mind for just a moment. it's not unheard of for a student in one darshan to simultaneously pursue research within another school ... a daunting prospect to her personally, but evidently well within the grasp of a renown alumnus like al – haytham. " your situation must have been rather unique –– i'm a little jealous. " and far from the only one, she'll wager.

[garudabluffs]

Why is Columbus Day being replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day? Do your kids know the truth about Christopher Columbus? This animated episode explains why we honor Columbus and teaches elementary students not to judge events of the past by the standards of today. LISTEN 9:31 / 12:54

Christopher Columbus Says Slavery Was ‘Better than Getting Killed’ in New Videos Approved for Florida Students

Florida has approved using controversial animated videos created by an unaccredited, right-wing group as supplemental teaching materials

READ MORE https://people.com/prager-u-videos-approved-florida-schools-christopher-columbus-frederick-douglass-7629350

More than 7,000 teaching positions remain open in Florida

There are thousands of teaching positions in Florida that still haven't been filled despite the fact that most kids in the state went back....

6 hours ago "

There are thousands of teaching positions in Florida that still haven’t been filled despite the fact that most kids in the state went back to school this week.

There are currently 7,000 teaching positions that still need to be filled.

Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar, says that’s 900 more than the same time last year.

He said two things are making the statewide shortage worse: low teacher pay and new laws that took effect on July 1, limiting how and what teachers can teach.

“It’s easy but it’s hard to fix the teacher shortage problem," said Spar. "It’s easy in the sense that the first thing that can happen is the governor and his allies and lawmakers can stop vilifying teachers and can start lifting up teachers. They can allocate more resources towards our public schools.”

Spar said even his own family has suffered the consequences:

“I can talk about it from a very personal standpoint, my daughter is going into ninth grade in Volusia County, and her English teacher quit last week," said Spar. "So, she's going to start the year without an English teacher. This will be the third year in a row that my daughter has been missing one teacher, at least for part of the year.”

Here in Central Florida, Orange needs to fill 3 percent of its teaching positions.

In Brevard there are 90 vacancies, in Marion there are 150 vacancies, in Osceola there are 120 vacancies, in Volusia there are 107 vacancies, and in Seminole there are 76 vacancies.

Florida ranks 48th in the nation for teacher pay according to the National Education Association. Most teachers in the state make slightly more than $50,000 dollars a year.

The FEA says on top of teacher vacancies, districts throughout the state are looking for 5,000 more support staff to work in cafeterias, classrooms and on playgrounds.

READ MORE https://www.wmfe.org/education/2023-08-10/more-than-7000-teaching-positions-remain-open-florida

[teecupangel]

The replies are connected to my previous tags:

#not gonna ask why you were looking for red pokemons XD #i will say that altaïr looks like the type to have a charmander starter #it might be because of the anime #but squirtle feels like that cool sunglasses dude that would fit ezio well #and ratonhnhaké:ton would probably have an easier time #connecting with a bulbasaur #but let’s be honest #all of the kanto starter pokemon would work for any of them #it would be funny if both bulbasaur and squirtle turn out to be reincarnated people too #but they can’t understand one another #i’m thinking squirtle is clay #bulbasaur is maybe layla?

From @mysticalbasementwitch

Yes squirtle clay and bulbasaur Layla

From @thedragonqueen1998

I know you'd pick Altaïr. XD But i'd personally go for Ezio, 'cause the whole Desmond's Prophet thing is way too good imo. ^^ It'd be funny if Altaïr tried to pick Charmander and it just runs and clings to Ezio. It looks so sad to have to choose between them, but it's sticking to Ezio. Though poor Desmond, having to choose between all his ancestors. Fate really hates him. XD

From @zero-saito

Poor Desmond!! lol it would be great if clay and Layla were there although clay only has a connection with Ezio and Layla is just lost in the wind.

“I think I just got rejected.”

That…

That was not what Malik was expecting Altaïr when he asked how his trip to Professor Mario went.

He definitely did not expect to see Altaïr crouching on the ground, his back against the gate to Malik’s house.

He honestly thought Altaïr would already leave their little town the moment he got his Pokemon, traveling their region to fill up his Pokedex as part of his deal with their grandfather.

“Complete the Pokedex of this region and I’ll support your dream to be a Pokemon researcher.”

Their grandfather wasn’t related to them by blood. He had taken orphans who lost their families in the war and gave them a place to live.

It wasn’t a bad place to grow up.

But Altaïr had always been a handful.

“You confessed to someone?” Malik asked, unable to stop the confusion from appearing from his face.

He couldn’t even believe that Altaïr would be interested in anyone, to be perfectly honest. The boy spent most of his time in the library reading or going to Professor Mario and asking about Pokemons.

Unless…

Malik frowned as he asked, “Is it the Auditore boy? Ezio?”

He remembered that Altaïr and Ezio had a rivalry going in school.

Academics.

Sports.

Extracurricular.

Those two competed in everything.

Was this meant to be some kind of ‘pigtail pulling-’

Seeing the murderous expression on Altaïr’s face, Malik realized his mistake, “Oh. You got rejected because of Ezio.”

Not surprising.

Ezio was popular with the girls and the boys. The asshole Abbas who lived in the same house as them had the most obvious crush on him too (although Abbas’ crush might have developed because of Altaïr’s rivalry with Ezio, who knows?).

“He took my Charmander away.” Altaïr growled.

Wait.

What.

As if to try and give Malik a hint of what Altaïr was talking about, a Squirtle stepped out of Altaïr’s shadows and patted his arm as he said, “Squirtle.”

Malik had never seen a Squirtle look at a human with a pitying but amused look before.

Of course Altaïr would end up with a Pokemon who found the suffering of humans enjoyable. This would probably be part of Altaïr’s planned ‘A Deep Dive to Pokemon Psychology’ thesis that the boy wanted to work on since he read stories about Pokemons saving humans that weren’t their trainers in the wild.

(The book being authored by Altaïr’s late father may or may not have had a hand in Altaïr’s interest in that subject)

“By rejected… did you mean that a Charmander rejected you and picked Ezio Auditore?” Malik blandly asked.

“He was going to pick me!” Altaïr shouted as he finally turned to glare at Malik, “But then that damned Auditore opened his arms and gave him that conman smile of his!”

The Squirtle looked at Malik with an expression that seemed to say both ‘he’s exaggerating’ and ‘isn’t he pathetic?’ and it reminded Malik of people thinking a Pokemon is adorable because it was so stupid.

That ‘conman’ smile of Ezio Auditore was what Altaïr called the boy’s charming smile that made girls squeal and boys awkwardly blush.

Malik had seen the smile before and knew of its power.

He did not want to hear about Altaïr’s tirade of it… again.

So he simply sighed and asked, “Do you want to stay for lunch?”

“No.” Altaïr stood and nodded at his Squirtle who jumped up and climbed his back to rest on his shoulder.

Why Altaïr didn’t just let the Squirtle rest on his Pokeball, Malik didn’t know and didn’t really want to ask.

“I was just here to ask that you tell grandfather I’m leaving.”

Liar.

Malik knew his sorta-brother long enough to know that he wanted to talk (and complain) to someone.

Malik wasn’t going to say that outloud though.

“Alright, you take care then and don’t forget to sent us messages when you leave or enter any city or settlements.” Malik reminded him.

“Of course.” Altaïr nodded and turned around to walk away, not even bothering to say goodbye or something.

Malik also didn’t say anything and just watched, frowning when the Squirtle turned around and gave him a look that seemed to say “I’ll look after this awkward idiot.”.

Rejected by a Charmander and now traveling with a strangely sadistic Squirtle…

Only Altaïr would have such a strange life.

“Eevee?”

Malik sighed and turned to walk back inside their house as he said, “It’s nothing, Kadar. Let’s go back inside.”

“Eevee!”

.

.

On the other hand, Layla is having a great time because Ratonhnhaké:ton is a chill trainer and doesn’t mind if she spent a lot of time checking the grasses instead of following Ratonhnhaké:ton on the road.

Was looking at Pokémon that are red cause of reasons, don’t ask it doesn’t make sense, and then had the thought: Desmond reborn as Charmander. And just imagining him growing up into a Charizard. Like, especially in an au where Desmond comes from a universe without Pokémon into this one, he’s just adjusting to “oh fuck I’m an animal?!” into “oh fuck I can breathe fire?!?!” and juuuuust when he’s getting over the concept and feeling of evolving, he becomes a Charizard and has a moment of “Wait…I have wings…I’M A DRAGON?!?!”

Meanwhile, Ezio/Altaïr/Ratonhnhake:ton (whoever you wanna put him with) just watch on in pure confusion as their partner Pokémon has a breakdown.

Okay, what if it was a First Gen Pokemon AU where Desmond is one of the three starter Pokemons in Monteriggioni, the first ‘town’ in the continent they are in and the headquarters of the Brotherhood.

They’re just called the Brotherhood, not the Assassin Brotherhood, and they’re rivals with the Order.

So three teenagers come to age and gets to pick their starter Pokemon before going on a journey across the continent to battle gym leaders and be legible to join the tournament held annually during the end of the year.

These young teenagers?

In Desmond’s eyes, they look exactly like Altaïr, Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton.

Oh.

And apparently he was now a lizard with a flaming tail.

What the fuck.

The last thing he remembers is emptiness that made him sleepy.

When he woke up, he was there, in the middle of a large circular scifi looking table with a blue turtle with a curly tail and some kind of animal with a large closed plant on its back and…

Holy shit.

What the hell is this place?

He could see his reflection from one of the nearby monitors and he was a red lizard with a flaming tail.

He began to flap his tail, accidentally smacking the turtle who let out an indignant “Squirtle!” and smacked him back with his own tail.

Desmond, still not used to his new center of balance, staggered and accidentally slammed against the plant animal on his other side who went “Bulba-saur!” and…

All three stared at the sudden all out brawl happening on the presentation table as Ezio asked, “Uuhhh, Tio…?”

“Such lively Pokemons.” Mario simply laughed it off, “Don’t worry. We’ll heal them once you picked your first Pokemons!”

“Are you telling us to pick now?” Ratonhnhaké:ton asked with a frown.

“Yes. And…” Mario grinned at them, “As your first duty as a Pokemon trainer, you three should stop them from fighting too.”

“You just don’t want to get between that fight yourself.” Altaïr dryly said.

Mario just laughed instead of denying it.

(You decide who gets Desmond. By this point, you guys know me enough to know which one I would pick hahahahaha)